Dr. Gene Wilkes is the president and professor of New Testament and Leadership at B. H. Carroll Theological Institute in Irving, Texas. Dr. Wilkes embraces the Institute's mission to "equip men and women called to serve Christ in the diverse and global ministries of his church." He has authored eleven books, including Jesus on Leadership: Timeless Wisdom on Servant Leadership and A New Way of Living: Practicing the Beatitudes Every Day. Dr. Wilkes received his Ph.D. in New Testament studies and his M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor of arts in religion and Greek.

Dr. Wilkes served as senior pastor of Legacy Church in Plano, Texas, for twenty-six years prior to coming to Carroll Institute as Vice President of Development. During his local church ministry, Legacy Church transitioned to become "a mission outpost where every member is a missionary in his or her mission field."

Legacy Church was a teaching church in the B. H. Carroll network of teaching partners, and Dr. Wilkes was a resident fellow and Ph.D. supervisor for Carroll from 2005 until his retirement from the church. Carroll seeks to return theological education to the local church and restore the value of pastor/teacher in local ministry. Dr. Wilkes has also taught Biblical Servant Leadership as an adjunct professor in the Gary Cook School of Leadership at Dallas Baptist University at both the master's and the Ph.D. levels. Along with his teaching ministry, Dr. Wilkes speaks nationally and internationally on the topic of servant leadership and as a Bible teacher. Some of the international sites he's taught at include Mexico, Cuba, China, Vietnam, Albania, Greece, Russia, Canada, Portugal, and Honduras.

Dr. Wilkes lives in Plano, Texas, with his wife, Kim. They have two married daughters and three grandchildren. Dr. Wilkes's hobbies include trail running, hiking, mountaineering, cycling, and golf. He summited Mount Rainier in Washington on his sixtieth birthday.