Pastoral Leadership

I am an independent Baptist not only by my heritage but also by personal conviction. I am thankful for the godly men who led a great surge of the independent movement in the 1940s and 50s.

In Mark 16, the disciples were at an obvious transition in their lives. They had sat at the feet of Jesus and now they were receiving instruction from the Lord Himself.

I would normally never suggest that a preacher should quit. In fact, I’ve spent many years encouraging preachers. Through fellowship and friendship, books, conferences, and especially our Bible college, I’ve often tried to encourage preachers to be faithful in their service to the Lord—even during times of discouragement.

Service is a part of a Christian’s DNA. It is built into our new nature.Eagles are made to fly, wolves are made to hunt, canaries are made to sing, moles are made to dig, and Christians are made to serve.

God uses individuals to lead, but He uses the church to build. There is no doubt that God specially anoints church leadership to provide vision and direct the work.

The early Christian churches resorted to prayer meetings as a means of facing challenges and getting help from God. This is clearly shown to us in the accounts given in the book of Acts.

I remember when people began to call me pastor for the very first time. It was a title that I had to adjust to; I wasn’t accustomed to being called anything other than my name. It didn’t, however, take me long to realize that there was a great difference between the mere title of pastor and the fulfillment of the position.

I am an advocate of setting goals before the beginning of a new year. Philippians 3:13 encourages us to be constantly, “Reaching forth unto those things which are before.”

Once each year we have a special night at our church called “Vision Night.” This is usually New Year’s Eve or the first Sunday of a new year, and it is one of my favorite church services of the year.

King Hezekiah was a good man. He made a decision early on to follow the godly example of his forefather, David, and rejected the wicked practices of his father, Ahaz.

Oftentimes in our churches, pastors are confronted with those who have blown it spiritually. These folks feel like “leftovers” or “has-beens.”

God’s Word assures believers that we have direct access to God through our relationship with Christ.

When a string of setbacks come into our lives we seldom begin with the question, “What is right here?” The typical starting point is, “What is wrong here?”

The autonomy of the local church is a major distinction for Baptists.

The spiritual health of those we minister to is directly related to our own spiritual health.

What makes Baptists distinct? Is it just the name on our signs? Or does the name “Baptist” represent special significance?

What do you love? What consumes your heart and your life? Whatever your answer—this is your passion.

I salute every man involved in Baptist church planting across America today. We need churches with that youthful feel and that fire for the Lord that sometimes older churches lose.