Tuesday, March 8, 2011

De-Nerding NAMB with Kevin Ezell

I did not expect Dr. Kevin Ezell, president of NAMB (North American Mission Board), to describe his goals as "De-Nerding NAMB." Nor was I prepared for him to say that church planters often want to work in urban areas because "the city is sexy." Needless to say our interview produced some wonderful soundbites, but even more it gives a great glimpse into the heart of the president who wants to revamp, not only the image, but the effectiveness of NAMB.

In this first of two interviews, Kevin Ezell openly speaks about major changes in NAMB and his desire to free up as much money as possible specifically for church planting.

You can click here to hear this engaging conversation with Kevin Ezell.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Mark Dever: Defender of the Local Church



Last week I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mark Dever, who is internationally known for his teachings and writings about the local church. Dr. Dever is the president of 9 Marks, a ministry whose goal is to see "churches display the glory of God." He has authored several books, including 9 Marks of a Healthy Church, and also pastors the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C.

I could write a long blog telling you how wonderful the experience was, or how gracious Mark Dever is, but hundreds of other people have written the same thing. Instead, I will simply say, "The man knows his stuff." I believe I can explain how he has become so knowledgeable: he asks questions of everyone he meets. While preparing for the interview I was warned by two people that he would interview me just as much as I interviewed him. Matt and Rich, you were correct. Before the mics were turned on, Mark peppered me with questions about the history of MABTS, area churches, and scholars and pastors from around Memphis. Thankfully that interview was not recorded, but instead here is the podcast of my interview with Mark Dever. I believe you will find Dr. Dever's take on topics such as missions and technology in the local church to be intriguing.

Click here to listen to the interview on Itunes.