As we approach Spiritual Leadership Conference, I’ve asked a few of the conference speakers to participate in brief interviews regarding what is involved in launching out by faith. I believe you’ll find their perspectives both helpful and faith-building.

This interview is with Pastor Andrew Reed. Pastor Reed has served as the senior pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Cortez, Colorado, for the past six years. Brother Reed and his wife Angela are both graduates of West Coast Baptist College. I had the privilege of preaching his ordination last summer.

What is an area in the past five years in which you’ve launched out by faith, and how has God blessed?

About five years ago, our church was in a tough spot. I was a young pastor, and there were some difficulties I had inherited with the church. Particularly, some people were divided and resisting our leadership and vision.

My wife and I were discouraged. Sometimes we wondered if we could even help the people. We regularly considered giving up on the church, thinking they needed an older and more experienced pastor. Thankfully, instead of quitting, we decided to trust God, love the people, and preach the Word.

For us, launching out by faith was a commitment to stay in the deep water where God had called us. When we were uncertain about our future, we stayed, and we are so glad we did! Today the spirit of the church is better than it has ever been. Hardly a week goes by without someone being saved, baptized, or joining the church. (more…)

As we approach Spiritual Leadership Conference, I’ve asked a few of the conference speakers to participate in brief interviews regarding what is involved in launching out by faith. I believe you’ll find their perspectives both helpful and faith-building.

This interview is with Dr. Tom Farrell. Dr. Farrell has served as an evangelist since 1979. We are looking forward to his session at Spiritual Leadership Conference on “Preaching that Pleases God.”

What is an area in the past five years in which you’ve launched out by faith, and how has God blessed?

In the last five years we have launched out in three specific areas of ministry:

• Caribbean Project, evangelizing the Caribbean Islands and helping to plant churches and Bible institutes. One Bible institute has been started in Nassau, Bahamas, and a second will open this fall in Grenada.
• Advanced Ministry Training Internship Program for male Christian College graduates. This one year intensive mentoring program puts young preachers in three independent Baptist churches for three months each, involving them in every aspect of ministry. There are two one-week modules during which leading pastors spend a day with the interns equipping them for ministry. The men travel with me in evangelism and then finish the program on the mission field of Uganda. Most all of the graduates have launched out into full-time ministry.
• Elijah’s Harbor Retreat Center for preachers and wives who need to be refreshed and refocused for ministry. We were privileged to help start this center. Many pastors have been encouraged and helped, and some have stayed in ministry because of this program.

How have you seen Satan target leaders who launch out? What is your counsel to others to overcome those challenges?

Any time you launch out, Satan will oppose. Someone said, “When God’s people say, ‘Let us rise up and build,’ Satan will rise up to oppose.” Paul wrote, “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:18). (more…)

As we approach Spiritual Leadership Conference, I’ve asked a few of the conference speakers to participate in brief interviews regarding what is involved in launching out by faith. I believe you’ll find their perspectives both helpful and faith-building.

This first interview is with Dr. Kevin Folger. Dr. Folger serves as the senior pastor of Cleveland Baptist Church in Ohio. I’m thankful for his friendship, and I’m looking forward to seeing him here in Lancaster next month.

How long have you served in your current position of ministry?

The end of this month marks thirty-five years that I’ve been serving at Cleveland Baptist Church. For seventeen years I served as an assistant pastor, associate pastor, and (for the final five of those years) as a co-pastor. I became the senior pastor of Cleveland Baptist on September 3, 1995, so I will complete my eighteenth year in that position this September.

What is an area in the past five years in which you’ve launched out by faith, and how has God blessed?

In 2009 we completed a one million dollar capital stewardship campaign that allowed us to pay off all of our debt, to finish the remodeling of our auditorium, to turn two homes on our property to mission homes, to update twelve buses in our fleet, and finally to complete a master plan of the property. (more…)

In part 1 of this post, we saw ten indicators of imbalanced ministry. We noted that our ultimate goal is to serve like Christ—full of grace and truth.

As we walk in humble sincerity before the Lord, we will insist on godly integrity. Our purpose in ministry is to exalt the name of Jesus Christ. He receives glory when people are saved and His Word is preached—unless we sabotage that glory with unethical or immoral ministry. The greatest motivator to serve with integrity is not protecting our “image,” but magnifying the testimony of Christ.

How can we exalt Christ in the autonomous local Baptist churches where we serve? Below are suggestions—areas that God has blessed over the years.

Emphasize a heart for God.

Our relationship with Christ is the single most important part of our lives. He is our strength, our comfort, and our example. We can become professional ministers to the point where preaching, counsel, and administration is all done out of habit in our own strength. Even preachers can keep up the appearance of effectiveness after we have quenched our heart for God and the Holy Spirit. Standards and practices in a church without a thriving, personal relationship with Jesus are not enduring. This is why the first book I wrote was entitled A Heart for God. Our own children and our students can be given all the standards for personal holiness, but without a heart for God, those standards will either be cast aside or maintained with root sins lingering in the heart. Do not discard godly standards, but emphasize developing a heart for God. (more…)

I’m still reflecting on what God did in my heart through Spiritual Leadership Conference. This year’s conference was so full of blessings. Here are a few of mine:

Preaching

The highlight of the conference for me is always the preaching services. As a pastor who is usually the one preaching, it is refreshing to be the one listening—hearing Spirit-anointed men of God preach the Word of God.

From Sunday morning to Wednesday evening, the Lord spoke to me in every preaching service—encouraging, challenging, and convicting me. He also used the preaching to confirm in my heart areas where I had already sensed Him leading. I’m more challenged than ever to walk close to the Lord, to walk by faith, and to lead our church forward in ministry.

Fellowship

Every year, I look forward to the opportunity to fellowship with like-minded pastors, missionaries, and Christian servants from around the country at the conference. It is a joy to hear what God is doing in other ministries, to share prayer requests and burdens with front-line servants of God, and to enjoy encouraging, edifying fellowship. (more…)