Bellevue Baptist Church pastor and former Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines has been diagnosed with kidney cancer, giving the sad news to his congregation during yesterday’s service.
“This past Friday, I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. And we just wanted to tell you, and we just wanted you to hear it from us. And we have some great doctors, and we’ve got the best doctor, amen? We’ve got the best doctor, Jesus.
We’ll be following their direction, and we’ve had some tests and all, but we’re gonna go through a few more things, and then we’ll be going to MD Anderson as well. That’s down in Houston, and they’re cancer experts on how to treat things. So all we’re wanting you to do is pray for us. And just want to tell you firsthand- I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else; I wanted to tell you straight up, ok?”
Bellevue Church, located in Cordova, TN is one of the largest SBC churches in the country, claiming a membership of around 30,000 people.
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, kidney cancer it is the sixth most common type of cancer for men, with aorund 53,000 cases last year, and most people are diagnosed between the ages of 65 and 74. “About two-thirds of people are diagnosed when the cancer is located only in the kidney. For this group, the 5-year relative survival rate is 93%. If kidney cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or organs and/or the regional lymph nodes, the 5-year relative survival rate is 72%. If the cancer has spread to a distant part of the body, the 5-year relative survival rate is 15%.”
Gaines’ specific prognosis and what “stage” the cancer was caught at (stage 1 to 4) or whether it is localized or has spread is unknown. Though he lives two states away, he will be traveling to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, which is widely considered the best hospital in the world for oncology and cancer-related treatments.
Keep Gaines and his family in your prayers.
