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Arriving at the hospital to pray with a family after the delivery of a new baby. New believers emerging from the baptismal water in his arms. These are among the Rev. David Horton’s favorite everyday things. But after Sunday, his life will take a new direction.

“That’s going to be very difficult for me,” said the longtime pastor of Gate City Baptist Church .

Horton is trading the pastor’s seat in a pulpit he helped build for the president’s office at Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute in Hendersonville. In North Carolina, about one out of five Baptist pastors is a Fruitland graduate.

The past president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina will be responsible for the training and preparation of new ministers, another of his favorite things.

“That’s been a passion of mine in every church that I’ve pastored,” said Horton, who will turn 49 on Monday .

A national search for the presidency put the UNCG graduate with a master’s of divinity from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in the top four. Later, he was the unanimous selection of the search committee, the board of directors and the leadership of the Baptist association, of which the school is a ministry.

“Throughout this entire search process, we have seen the hand of God at work,” George Cagle, chairman of the board of directors, said of the decision.

Still, Horton would have to tell his congregation.

“It was difficult because I’ve been there for 16 years, and we certainly love our congregation,” said Horton, whose melodic voice reflects a past life as quartet singer. “It was difficult to have to tell them the Lord was leading us in a different direction. But they’ve been supportive and understanding.”

His wife, Lisa Horton, said: “Our children have pretty much grown up in the church. It’s like leaving family. God really surprised me with that, but I’m very excited.”

Lisa Horton said she will work with female students and spouses of other Fruitland students.

Their son Michael, once on the pastoral staff at Gate City, left last month to become an associate pastor in Dublin.

Horton can recall the first time he laid eyes on the inside of the church, which was really designed to be a fellowship hall, which it is now.

His first sermon was Feb. 14, 1993.

His greatest source of pride outside leading souls to Christ: leading the construction of the church building the congregation had longed for.

“We were able to build that sanctuary and get into it in 1997 — and to completely eliminate the debt for that building,” he said of burning the mortgage.

“The church is in great shape and really poised to have a wonderful future,” Horton said. “We’ve seen a lot of wonderful things happen. It will be hard to leave, but I know that God has another pastor in mind for Gate City.”

During the interviews for the Fruitland presidency, among other things, Horton told the search committee that he wanted to expand the offerings at Fruitland through online classes and satellite campus. “To make it more convenient for students to attend classes,” Horton said.

Horton has met with students and administrators, many of whom were familiar faces because of his work with the Baptist State Convention.

Horton’s predecessor retired in January after 40 years in various roles at the school, with the last 12 as its president.

The movers come Tuesday and will deliver the boxes to the president’s house at Fruitland on Wednesday. Horton will start his job June 1 .

The one thing left to do is face the congregation on Sunday for Horton’s last time with the title of pastor.

“There will be a lot of tears and a lot of tissues passed around,” Lisa Horton said.

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com