Dr. Randel Everett

Senior Fellow for Religious Freedom

Dr. Randel Everett is the founding President of the 21^st Century Wilberforce Initiative. Dr. Everett has spent four decades pastoring churches, most recently as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Midland, Texas. 

Dr. Everett served as Chaplain to the Arkansas Legislature during President Bill Clinton’s term as Governor, as Chuck Colson’s minister while pastor of the Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church, Virginia, and as Executive Director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.  Everett was the founding president of the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in Falls Church, Virginia.  During this time, the Leland Seminary became fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and a respected member of the Washington Consortium of Seminaries.

Dr. Everett earned his B.A. from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas, his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and received two honorary degrees, including a Doctor of Divinity from the University of Richmond and a Doctor of Humanities from Dallas Baptist University.

He resides in Waco, Texas, with his wife, Sheila.  They have two children and four grandchildren.