By Chip Hutcheson
Kentucky Today
Shawn Dobbins, pastor of Hebron Baptist Church, will be nominated for president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention for 2025-26 at the Nov. 11 Annual Meeting at First Baptist Church in Cold Spring.
He will be nominated by Charles Frazier, a past president of KBC who now serves as associational mission strategist for the Northern Kentucky Baptist Association of Churches.
Hebron Baptist Church Pastor Shawn Dobbins and family. He will be nominated for president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention in November.
“Dr. Dobbins has consistently demonstrated strong and faithful leadership within our association,” Frazier said. “He served as moderator of the NKBA this past year, after having previously served as moderator-elect. In each of these roles, he has led with humility, wisdom and a heart for collaboration.
“His leadership style reflects both pastoral care and strategic thinking, always seeking to strengthen our churches and advance the mission of Christ.”
Currently, Dr. Dobbins is serving as chairperson of the Newport Church Planting Team, where he plays a vital role in helping to expand the kingdom of God through planting and revitalizing churches in challenging urban contexts. His vision for church planting is not merely theoretical — it is active, hands-on and rooted in the Great Commission.
“In addition to his regional leadership, Dr. Dobbins has been actively involved in statewide denominational work. He has served faithfully as a member of the Kentucky Baptist Convention Mission Board, and has chaired multiple committees that deal with important aspects of the Convention’s ministry and governance. His extensive experience equips him with a deep understanding of the operations, structure and mission of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
“Dr. Dobbins brings a blend of local pastoral experience, associational leadership, and state-level engagement, making him exceptionally qualified to serve as president. His heart for cooperation, missions and doctrinal faithfulness will serve our convention well in the year ahead.”
Dobbins said it is “with deep gratitude and great excitement” to be nominated as president.
“This opportunity is deeply personal for me. My father and grandparents were born in eastern Kentucky, and their legacy of faith continues to shape my life and ministry,” Dobbins said. “For the past 12 years, I’ve had the joy of serving as pastor of Hebron Baptist Church in Northern Kentucky. Through God’s grace, I’ve seen firsthand the power of KBC churches partnering together — equipping, encouraging and engaging in missions both locally and globally.”
He said that serving as chairman of the KBC Nominating Committee and recently being chairman of KBC’s Administrative Committee “has only deepened my appreciation for the mission of the KBC and the extraordinary churches and pastors who lead in their communities every day.”
Also, he added that if elected, his vision is to “help every Kentucky Baptist church take their next step of cooperating together for the gospel.” Another goal is to “help every pastor take their next step toward greater personal and church health.”
Dobbins has pastored Hebron Baptist since July 2013. During that time, he led the church to move to a hybrid model of on-campus and home life groups as well as launching a personal discipleship program to help every member be disciples through three-person discipleship groups.
He also began a strategy to reach out to every home in the church’s zip code with the gospel. Mission partnerships began with church planters in the U.S. and missionaries in Cincinnati, Salt Lake City; London, England, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In addition, the church sent out its first family to full-time mission work with the International Mission Board.
Dobbins led the church through Transformational Church Process and Church Unique, which resulted in the adoption of a 5-7 year Vision/Mission plant to plant a church. Hebron also worked with a local partner to start Mount of Olives Missionary Baptist Church for French-speaking Congolese in the community.
He and his wife, Sarah, have three children: Franklin, Isabella and Parker.