Staff changes, new ambassadors highlight AZMN Council meeting

The Arizona Mission Network Convention Council learned about upcoming staff changes, heard a year-end financial report and approved changes in how existing churches can affiliate with the network at their meeting Feb. 24 in Phoenix.

Staff changes

After a time of discussion, the council welcomed Ashley Evans, senior pastor of 22nd Street Baptist Church in Tucson, to a new AZMN position as director of missional engagement. AZMN Executive Director Monty Patton said the Executive Team had previously approved the position description and Evans to assume the role.

Evans fills the open position created when Patton moved from associate executive director to executive director, but the role is not the same, Patton said. Evans’ last Sunday at 22nd Street will be April 12, and he will begin with the AZMN April 13.

In his new role, Evans will work to “help move the ball forward with the four questions” that guide the AZMN vision, Patton said. His primary responsibilities will be to connect churches in answering “How can you help?” and to help churches discover “Where’s your next?” in Arizona and the world. He will work beside the associational mission strategists and the AZMN ambassadors, a new group Patton introduced at the meeting.

Elizabeth Young, AZMN director of communictions and editor of Connect, announced her intention to retire at the end of June. At that time, she will have served on the state convention staff for 46 years.

Patton said the Executive Team approved the ministry description for the director of communications position and approved Johanna Moore, communications coordinator at Mountain View Baptist Church in Tucson, to fill the position.

Moore, a frequent freelance writer and photographer for Portraits and Connect, holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, where she double majored in journalism and history. After graduation, she worked for the Arizona Daily Star. She will begin June 1, serving alongside Young for one month.

Arizona Mission Network Ambassadors

Patton announced the creation of a team of “ambassadors” to foster stronger connections between pastors, the AZMN and the associations. The ambassadors will be retired pastors or ministers with “margin to take on this calling,” he said.

The ambassadors, who will serve as volunteers, will be available “to communicate the four questions and share the vision all over the state,” Patton said. They will be available for pulpit supply; will promote the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon, Annie Armstrong and Arizona Mission offerings; and will encourage pastors to lead their churches to participate in missions beyond their immediate context.

The initial four ambassadors are Ben Barfield, who serves with the North American Mission Board and lives in Sahuarita; Mark Pitts, retired pastor of Village Meadows Baptist Church in Sierra Vista; Tony Pierce, retired pastor of Cornerstone Family Church in Fountain Hills; and Nate Parrow, who serves with the International Mission Board and lives in Phoenix.

Year-end financial summary

Arizona Southern Baptist churches gave $3,772,199.53 through the Cooperative Program in 2025, and total AZMN income was $4,245,925.71, Patton reported.

“Despite Cooperative Program receipts being slightly lower than the prior year overall, disciplined spending and steady support from our churches allowed us to finish the year with a healthy surplus of $179,666.57,” Patton said in his written report. Total expenses for the year were $4,066,259.14.

“December Cooperative Program giving exceeded the previous year’s December total by $59,574.57, reflecting the generosity and commitment of our churches,” Patton wrote. “With income surpassing expenses by over $130,000 in a single month, December alone accounted for a substantial portion of our end-of-year position.”

Affiliation with the AZMN

The Convention Council approved revisions to the process for non-SBC churches to affiliate with the AZMN.

In the past, churches that wished to affiliate with the AZMN were asked to state that they agree with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, affirm the Centennial Vision and agree to participate in giving through the Cooperative Program. Then, the Executive Team would meet with the pastor and recommend to the Council that the church be admitted to membership in the AZMN, and the Council would vote.

Patton proposed that the Centennial Vision part be dropped, since this is no longer the AZMN vision.

He also proposed that a church that wants to affiliate be accepted on a temporary basis for a year, during which time they can learn what it means to be Southern Baptist and give through the Cooperative Program. At the end of the 12 months, the church can decide if they want to be Southern Baptist, and if the church has been faithful in doctrine and Cooperative Program giving, the Convention Council will vote on formally accepting the church.

Council members unanimously approved Patton’s revisions, which had previously been approved by the Executive Team.

Other business

In other business, the Council approved the recommendation of AZMN President Mark Mucklow to add Desiree Goodwin, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Tucson, to the Executive Team.

Council members approved the recommendation of the Executive Team to engage Colby & Powell, PLC to perform the 2025 audit.

The meeting also included reports from the church planting, missions, church life and Hispanic ministries teams, along with reports from Gateway Seminary, Arizona Baptist Children’s Services & Family Ministries and Christian Challenge.