Bill Lollar

Current

• President at Grace Church Planting Ministries, Inc.

Past

• Cross-Cultural Missionary at Grace Church Planting Ministries, Inc.
• Church Planting Strategist at Florida Baptist Convention
• Church Planting Missionary at North American Mission Board

• Graphic Design Editor (Volunteer) at Founders Ministries
• Controller at Capstone Plastics, LLC
• General Manager at PrintCo Graphics, Inc.
• Sales Service Director / Editor at Bridal Fair, Inc.
• General Manager/Controller at Perfect Byte, Inc.
• Corporate Computer Sales at Heath Zenith Computers
• Pastor / Church Planter at Sovereign Grace Baptist Church (Omaha, NE)
• Sergeant at U. S. Air Force

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Education

• New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
• Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary
• Mississippi State University - College of Business and Industry

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Recommended

3 people have recommended Bill

Connections

49 connections

Industry

Religious Institutions

Websites

• My Company
• My Blog
• Areopagus (Flickr photos)

Bill Lollar’s Summary

For the past five years, I have been working as a cross-cultural missionary in the United Kingdom, where my background in church planting has brought me into contact with a wide variety of Christian churches, denominations, agencies, and groups who are seeking to impact the small country of Wales with the good news of Christianity.

My primary focus for the past two and a half years has been to extend one church's ministry into the local community: through re-engaging a major university campus (English speaking & Chinese students), developing and expanding their small group ministry, designing and overseeing a new "ministry internship" program, as well as practical benevolence ministry to the marginalized people of the area (homeless, drug addicts, alcoholics, and prostitutes).

We have just completed our transition back to the United States where I hope to put my business and ministry experience to work in a meaningful context, whether that would be a faith-based agency, a non-profit corporation, or a business whose vision far exceeds a singular focus on profit margins. I would like to invest the next 10+ years of my life in a career that will make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Bill Lollar’s Specialties:

• Significant accounting experience at the level of controller (3 companies)
• A passion for computer technology, including web design platforms
• Entrepreneurial management background
• Multi-tasking orientation with experience in meeting deadlines
• Managing conflict and working toward resolution
• Personal coaching, consultation & training

Bill Lollar’s Experience

• President

  Grace Church Planting Ministries, Inc.

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  June 2003 — Present (6 years 2 months)

  Established this non-profit ministry organization to offer coaching, training, mentoring, and on-site strategy development to church leaders who express a commitment to planting new churches.

• Cross-Cultural Missionary

  Grace Church Planting Ministries, Inc.

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  May 2004 — May 2009 (5 years 1 month)

  For just over two years, I have been working with an evangelical church as a church development worker: someone who helps guide the church's overall direction, particularly in the area of leadership development, small groups, community outreach, and ministry to university students. I have also served on the working group of a national church planting initiative, as well as coaching and mentoring young men engaged in church planting throughout the country of Wales.
  
  My first assignment in Wales involved multiple target communities in the valleys of South Wales, primarily to engage people in the marketplace and assess spiritual receptivity to the Gospel. Our hopes were to discover persons of peace and establish Bible study groups that would develop into new churches. Early in that process, a small group of believers were discovered who needed someone to guide their development as a core group. We eventually merged the group into another congregation that had a full-time pastor.

• Church Planting Strategist

  Florida Baptist Convention

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  1997 — 2003 (6 years)

  Regional responsibility for 18 counties & 14 associations (NW Florida).
  • Identified places where new churches are needed.
  --- Planned immediate and long-range strategies for new work.
  --- Secured commitments for sponsorship of new mission churches.
  --- Trained workers in cultivative and organisational activities.
  --- Obtained financial assistance from all available resources.
  --- Found temporary and permanent meeting places for new work.
  • Recruited, assessed, mentored and supervised church planters.
  • Built working relationships with associational leadership.
  • Sought every opportunity to promote church planting in the assigned area.
  • Assisted in local, state, and national projects related to church planting.
  • Related to the North American Mission Board, Church Planting Group.

• Church Planting Missionary

  North American Mission Board

  (Non-Profit; 5001-10,000 employees; Religious Institutions industry)

  1998 — 2003 (5 years)

  See position description with the Florida Baptist Convention. NAMB provided partial funding for my assignment in Florida.

• Graphic Design Editor (Volunteer)

  Founders Ministries

  (Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Religious Institutions industry)

  January 1994 — November 2003 (9 years 11 months)

  Responsible for the design and layout of a quarterly theological journal. Coordinated each project with the editor. Prepared Microsoft Word documents for insertion into QuarkXPress page layout software. Designed the overall publication template for consistent style within each issue, as well the front and back cover for each quarterly magazine. Also developed appropriate marketing support (brochures, flyers, ads, etc) for the organization's conference ministries. Produced many of the photographic images for the journal covers over a ten-year period: Issue #15 (Winter 1994) — Issue #54 (Fall 2003).

• Controller

  Capstone Plastics, LLC

  (Partnership; 11-50 employees; Automotive industry)

  1995 — 1997 (2 years)

  Responsible for training office staff and overseeing the accounting and personnel administration of this new start-up manufacturing firm. Designed and installed computer network hardware, using IBM 486 multi-media computers and printers. Evaluated and purchased software for office support and manufacturing. Handled all telecommunications service to outside vendors (transmit price lists and inventory data via internet and/or on-line services). Prepared financial reports for management and investor group.

• General Manager

  PrintCo Graphics, Inc.

  (Partnership; 11-50 employees; Graphic Design industry)

  1993 — 1994 (1 year)

  Involved in the inception and start-up of this new computer-based graphic design studio & printing company. Primary duties involved the day-to-day management and development of the business, including the accounting responsibilities and the preparation of monthly financials and monthly tax reports. Evaluated and purchased computer hardware and software.

• Sales Service Director / Editor

  Bridal Fair, Inc.

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)

  1989 — 1993 (4 years)

  Worked as corporate liaison with the company's affiliated partners (TV/radio stations) in a trademarked bridal show and exhibition fair. Also served as Editor of Bridal Fair Magazine for four years, utilizing free-lance artists and writers to publish this international bridal magazine. Handled all phases of magazine production, including page layout & design, typesetting, creation of computer graphics, direction of photo sessions, all prepress work, and negotiation with lithographers, printers, and magazine distributors.

• General Manager/Controller

  Perfect Byte, Inc.

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Computer Hardware industry)

  1988 — 1989 (1 year)

  Hired as General Manager/Controller of this fast-growing multi-million dollar computer company. Established a computerized accounting system from scratch, organized the company’s tax records and filings, and set up payroll and inventory systems.

• Corporate Computer Sales

  Heath Zenith Computers

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Retail industry)

  1987 — 1988 (1 year)

  Specialized in Macintosh Desktop Publishing, but also sold IBM-compatible computers to the corporate market.

• Pastor / Church Planter

  Sovereign Grace Baptist Church (Omaha, NE)

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  December 1983 — November 1986 (3 years)

  I left midway through my seminary studies to take up the challenge of an existing congregation, Raven Oaks Baptist Church, that had dwindled to two senior adult members with a huge debt to the SBC denomination for a relatively new building. We created a completely new identity and within a year we were averaging 40-50 people each week. The financial commitments of the previous failing congregation continued to haunt us, along with the loss of several key families, so we eventually reformed as a house church and let the denomination have the building to satisfy the debt. This worked to everyone's advantage, since a sizeable African American congregation acquired a lease on the property and began thriving in that location.

• Sergeant

  U. S. Air Force

  (Government Agency; 10,001 or more employees; Military industry)

  1973 — 1976 (3 years)

  Cleared for Top Secret access by extensive background check. Technical Writer (Unit Historian): 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. 1976—1977. Cartographer: 544th Aerospace Reconnaissance Technical Wing, Offutt AFB, NE. 1974–1976.

Bill Lollar’s Education

• New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

  Master of Divinity , Theology, Missions , 1998 — 2001

  Upon my commission as a church planting missionary with the North American Mission Board and the Florida Baptist Convention, I was asked to complete the MDiv program that I started in 1982. So I began part-time studies in this seminary's extension center in Graceville, Florida, while working full-time as a regional strategist. My employer granted permission for a weekly commute to New Orleans during my last two semesters, so that I could gain on-campus credit to graduate.
  
  Graduated with honors.

  Activities and Societies:

  Invited to teach a systematic theology class, "Perspectives in Church Government," in the absence of my professor, Dr. Stan Norman.

• Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary

  1982 — 1983

  I began my Master of Divinity studies at Mid-America and completed three semesters before a church planting situation in Omaha, Nebraska, lured me away from the classroom.

  Activities and Societies:

  Worked as a student chaplain at the Veterans Hospital in Memphis.

• Mississippi State University - College of Business and Industry

  B.S. , Marketing & Accounting , 1977 — 1980

  I attended MSU on the G.I. Bill (my primary motive for 4 years of military service) and worked part-time in the Registrar's office. I completed my studies in three years by taking courses through the summer months. Graduated with honors (cum laude).

  Activities and Societies:

  Actively involved in the Baptist Student Union, including a spring break mission trip to inner city Baltimore.

Additional Information

Bill Lollar’s Websites:

• My Company
• My Blog
• Areopagus (Flickr photos)

Bill Lollar’s Interests:

writing, photography, blogging, training, mentoring, coaching, church planting, living by grace, church consulting, creative writing, website development, photojournalism, graphic design, editorial consultant

Bill Lollar’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• reference requests
• getting back in touch