James Merritt
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Dr. James Merritt, born December 22, 1952, is a U.S. religious leader and former President of the Southern Baptist Convention. His advice has been sought out by some of America's most prominent businessmen, policy officials and US Presidents.
James Merritt is the son of Glen and Miriam Merritt. At the age of 18, after graduating from South Hall High School in Hall County, Georgia, Merritt left home and moved to DeLand, Florida, to attend Stetson University where he graduated with a degree in accounting. Soon after he married his wife, Teresa, the couple moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where Merritt attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
After finishing there with a Master of Divinity degree and a PhD, Merritt pastored Highland Baptist Church in Laurel, Mississippi for three years, and then finally moved back to Snellville, Georgia to pastor the First Baptist Church of Snellville. During his tenure, the congregation grew from 500 to over 13,000 members.
In 2000, James Merritt was elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest evangelical denomination in the world, as which he served two terms. During his terms as the first baby boomer SBC President, he met with President George W. Bush on several occasions at the White House, and travelled to every corner of the world to work with SBC missionaries. During this time, Merritt also appeared on numerous media programs such as repeated appearances on FoxNews' Hannity and Colmes, Fox Sunday with Tony Snow, MSNBC's Scarborough Country, 60 Minutes and others.
Dr. Merritt has been invited to meet with leaders such as President George W. Bush and Rev. Billy Graham, and has served on the Board of Trustees at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, for many years at the request of his friend, Jerry Falwell. Merritt, an avid Georgia Bulldogs fan, has also served on the Chaplain's team for UGA Head Football Coach Mark Richt and team chaplain Kevin "Chappy" Hines, and has been asked to lead the Bulldogs pre-game chapels by Richt, as well as former UGA football coaches Jim Donnan and Ray Goff.
In 2003, Merritt left First Baptist Snellville to begin Cross Pointe, The Church at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia. He is CEO of Touching Lives Ministry, an internationally-televised religious program, and can also be found weekly on XM Satellite Radio. Dr. Merritt is also the author of 4 books including "Friends, Foes and Fools" and "How to be a Winner and Influence Anybody."
James Merritt has three sons, James Jr., Jonathan and Joshua and one daughter-in-law, Natalie Merritt. He and his family reside in Dacula, GA, a suburb of Atlanta.
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