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John Avant

member since April 5, 2007

John Avant is the vice president of the Evangelization Group of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board. A veteran of twenty-five years of local church pastoring, he most recently served as pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia, with a congregation of six thousand.

Avant is known for his evangelistic zeal, leadership skills, and pastoring experience. A graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Theological Seminary, he has taught evangelism at Southwestern Seminary, Oklahoma Baptist University, and Criswell College. A popular speaker, he currently serves on the Baptist World Alliance and has had the opportunity to travel the world over, speaking at numerous conferences, in America and overseas each year.

Avant has been married to his wife, Donna, a full-time mom who leads a large women’s ministry at New Hope Baptist Church, for more than twenty-two years. They make their home in Georgia with their three children, whose talents span from sports to musical theatre. In his spare time, Avant enjoys hunting, archery, scuba diving, and running.