Bellevue Baptist Church pastor and former Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines has entered hospice care, according to an announcement by his church, following a kidney cancer diagnosis in 2023.
Gaines pastored the 30,000-member Bellevue Church in Cordova, TN, for nearly 20 years. He took over from Dr. Adrian Rogers in 2005, overseeing one of the largest SBC churches in the country.
He publicly shared his cancer diagnosis in 2023, stepped down in 2024 to become pastor emeritus, and Ben Mandrell took over as senior pastor in 2025. While initially optimistic about his odds of recovery, the cancer spread to his lungs, making treatment more challenging.
A letter shared with the congregation by Mandrell said in part:
This is obviously a very difficult time for Steve and his family. Because of that, the family has requested not to have any visitors so they can focus on spending meaningful time together and caring for him in these days.
“What [the Gaines family] have specifically requested is prayer,” Mandrell wrote. “Please join us in faithfully praying for Steve, for [his wife] Donna, and for their entire family—that the Lord would surround them with His peace, comfort, and strength.”
Likewise, his former church added:
