As an independent Baptist pastor, I’m encouraged with the potential our churches have to reach an eroding society with the truth of the Gospel. As we are careful to maintain doctrinal integrity and biblical separation, the truth of God’s Word is given freedom to change lives for the glory of God. But sometimes we limit our influence by pettiness and strife.

This podcast lesson is my heart’s plea to independent Baptist pastors and leaders to see our potential reached by obeying the admonition of Philippians 1:27: “…that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

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We’ve added a special feature to this lesson (originally preached at the Spiritual Leadership Conference this past summer): in-studio Q&A at the beginning and end of the lesson in which I answer the following questions:

• What excites you about what God is doing in our local churches today?
• What burdens you about the movement in independent Baptist churches today?
• What is most needed from the younger leaders in local churches today?
• What is most needed from the older leaders in our local churches?
• Most of our listeners know that you’ve been dealing with a trial as your son Larry has been battling cancer these last couple of months. What has God’s been doing in his life during this time?

We are ministering in the last days. Now is the time to strive together—young and old, east and west—for repentance and revival in our land. This is not the time to marginalize, but to march together holding high the banner of truth.

The Spiritual Leadership podcast is a free resource from Striving Together Publications (a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College).

You can subscribe to this podcast through iTunes and listen on your computer or iPod. You can also receive the complimentary outline with each lesson. Click here for more information about subscribing to the outline.

One of the highlights of Leadership Conference this year for me was honoring Pastor Jason Herring on Tuesday evening with the Faithful Church Planter Award—the first we have ever presented.

Jason and Suzie Herring  moved to Eagle, Idaho, in 2004 and planted the North Valley Baptist Church. Since that time, the Herrings have consistently seen people saved and baptized, and they have labored in discipleship and personal ministry to build strong Christians.

God’s will took a dramatic turn for the Herrings this past March when their four-year-old son Josiah was diagnosed with a grade four cancerous tumor. The Herrings prayed for a miraculous healing, but fifty-five days later the Lord chose to take Josiah home to Heaven. In the midst of tremendous grief, the Herrings have remained faithful to the Lord and to His church.

After the presentation of this award, Pastor Herring spoke for a few minutes about God’s grace in their lives and in their son’s life. He described the joyful relationship Josiah developed with the Lord during the last fifty-five days of his life. Often, his family would hear him talking to the Lord (sometimes even in his sleep) and saying “I love you, Jesus.” One of his favorite songs became “I Love You, Lord,” written by Ron Hamilton (“Patch the Pirate”).
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Each year I am amazed by how the Lord works during the Spiritual Leadership Conference. Although months of labor by our staff and lay people go into this one week, we realize that we cannot manufacture the presence of God.

I am especially thankful for the Spirit-filled preachers who brought convicting and applicable messages from the Word of God to each service. Dr. Sam Davison, Dr. Bobby Roberson, Dr. R. B. Oullette, & Dr. David Gibbs, Jr. were each used of God in a unique and powerful way.

On the final night of the Spiritual Leadership Conference, Dr. Gibbs brought one of the most powerful missions messages that I have heard in my lifetime.  As a result, over twenty men and women surrendered their lives to serve on the foreign field.

In the days following Leadership Conference, I have heard personally from dozens of pastors whose ministries were helped through the daytime sessions.  This was the first year to conduct the daytime sessions in the Revels Academic Building.  It was exciting for me to see this building used in such a large-scale way to encourage and equip the conference delegates.

We praise God for the great things He has accomplished.  May we each continue to strive together for the faith of the Gospel.

Words cannot express how my heart is overflowing with joy as a result of the Twenty-first Anniversary and Spiritual Leadership Conference! I believe I feel this joy because of the great times of preaching and encouragement that were experienced by all in attendance.

Our theme, For the Faith, permeated the entire week. It was a blessing to see God’s people encouraging one another to stand for the faith in this day of compromise and uncertainty.

The Wednesday night message by Dr. David Gibbs emphasized the necessity of walking and living in the power of God. I am constantly mindful of the fact that without our Lord we can do nothing!

I always enjoy the opportunities we are given at the conference to honor special men of God who have served faithfully. This year it was a joy to remember the faithfulness of men like Dr. Wayne Hardy, Pastor Dan Hampton, Dr. Eldon Martens, Dr. Ed Johnson, and the faithful single missionary, Margaret Stringer, who served for forty years in Papua New Guinea.

One day when we are with the Lord in Heaven, it will be a great joy to sing His praises and to gather with the saints! Until then, conferences like this are truly heartwarming and helpful for our journey on this earth.

Spiritual Leadership Conference is only 27 days away! Countless hours of prayer and preparation have already gone into this highly anticipated conference. We are counting down the days—literally! On the second floor of our office building, we have mounted a countdown to the wall. Our staff has diligently worked to coordinate schedules, transportation, meals, and thousands of other details related to the conference.

It is our prayer that first, God will be glorified through every aspect of the conference. Second, we pray that fellow Christians will be encouraged and edified. Finally, it is our prayer that we will all leave this year’s conference challenged to to something great for God.
For more information about Spiritual Leadership Conference, click here.