The call usually starts the same way – someone at a church with a question they're not quite sure how to answer. 

For 40 years, Dan Jordan has been one of the people Arkansas Baptist churches turn to in those moments. Whether it's a question about finances, church policies or a difficult situation that needs careful attention, Jordan has spent decades helping churches think through their next steps. 

"It's been 40 years of trying to help churches stay healthy," Jordan said. "Most of what I do is helping them deal with situations they didn't anticipate." 

Most of that work has happened behind the scenes. Over the years, Jordan has helped churches avoid problems, work through challenges, and put healthy systems in place. 

Before joining the Arkansas Baptist State Convention as director of business affairs in June 1986, Jordan worked in business and support services at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Even after stepping away from full-time service in 2015, he has continued serving as a consultant to convention leadership. 

Along the way, pastors, church treasurers, associational leaders and fellow convention staff members have come to rely on Jordan's steady counsel and practical wisdom. 

Laramie LeQuieu, convention president and senior pastor at Harvest Baptist Church in Paragould, calls Jordan a friend and confidant. 

“For years, Dan has taken the calls and emails most would prefer not to receive. He is a wealth of knowledge, and a literal encyclopedia, on the dos and don’ts of ministry,” LeQuieu said. “When Arkansas Baptist pastors and ministry leaders have had a legal or business question, for the last 40 years they’ve been able to reach out to Dan Jordan. When the stakes are high, and there is little to no margin for error, Arkansas Baptists have known they could reach out to Dan Jordan.” 

Arkansas Baptist Foundation President/CEO Bobby Thomas shared, “Forty years of ministry requires character, endurance and a servant's heart. Dan Jordan has given all three to Arkansas Baptists. As a trusted advisor, wise counselor, and faithful friend, Dan continues to be an invaluable resource to our churches and leaders. He is a good man who doesn't hesitate to step into difficult situations to bring wisdom and peace. I am thankful for Dan and his lifetime of impactful service." 

Jordan has worked alongside five executive directors – Don Moore, Emil Turner, Sonny Tucker, Rex Horne and Mark Dance – giving him a front-row seat to decades of Arkansas Baptist life. 

"Dan has been a sage for me personally this year in my new role," said Dance, who took on the executive director role in 2025. “He has helped me and countless others to navigate the various challenges churches face. His legacy and our gratitude for his four decades of stellar service are hard to ignore or exaggerate.”  

Pastor + Church Health Team Leader Marcus Brown said Jordan was one of the first people he remembers meeting when interviewing for the position as discipleship consultant back in 2009. 

“Dan is a great friend, a humble servant, and wise counselor to me and countless Arkansas Baptists. He has always been willing do everything he can to help me and any Arkansas Baptist church,” Brown said. 

Over the years, Jordan’s role has expanded into what he describes as church “risk management” – less a formal system than a kind of pattern recognition built over time. Certain problems, Jordan said, tend to surface again and again in different churches and settings.  

“In most situations, the issues are predictable once you’ve seen enough of them,” he said. “Money handling, lack of oversight and unclear boundaries are usually where problems start.” 

One of his most consistent recommendations involves financial controls within churches, particularly the separation of duties in accounting processes to ensure that no single individual has unchecked authority over both issuing and reconciling funds. 

“When the same person is writing checks and also reconciling accounts, that’s where churches get vulnerable,” he said. “A simple second layer of review prevents a lot of problems.” 

Jordan has also helped churches review bylaws, answer insurance questions and clarify how decisions are made. Often, he said, churches reach out after a problem has surfaced. 

"The most difficult conversations are usually the ones where something has already gone wrong," he said. "The goal is always to help churches put systems in place before they get to that point." 

Additionally, his work has included church mergers, property questions and, at times, church closures. 

"No one enjoys those decisions," Jordan said. "But there are times when restructuring or closing a church is the most responsible path forward." 

Much of what Jordan knows, he said, didn't come from a classroom. It came from years of working alongside pastors, attorneys and church leaders across Arkansas. 

“You start to recognize patterns after a while,” he said. “It’s not about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about having seen enough situations to know where things tend to break down.” 

In addition to consulting, Jordan said he often provides churches with policy templates, procedural frameworks and referrals to professional resources when needed. He also noted that modern tools have made it easier to organize and produce materials for churches more efficiently. 

Despite the technical nature of much of his work, Jordan said his motivation remains rooted in ministry and service to local congregations. 

“If churches are healthier structurally, they’re freer to focus on ministry,” he said. “That’s really what matters.” 

Larry White, pastor of Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Conway, shared, “No one has had a greater impact on Arkansas Baptist churches and institutions than Dan Jordan over the last 40 years. Often his research and wisdom has been behind the scenes. His work with pastors and associations has been as a ‘problem-solver’ dealing with financial, business, and legal issues. If he doesn't have the answer, he is diligent to find it.” 

After 40 years of service, Jordan said he still receives frequent calls from churches across Arkansas seeking guidance on issues ranging from governance questions to urgent crises. 

“As long as I can be helpful, I’m going to keep helping,” he said.