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.

Video footage of Dever interview

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.

Jeff Brawner: Baptizing in the Mississippi

Island Community Church has a membership of less than 100, but is a church with the potential to impact the world through its congregation of primarily medical students, graduate students, and young professionals from all over the globe. Dr. Jeff Brawner, the newest facility member at MABTS, pastors this body of believers that is not only unique because its members, but also in the fact that the baptismal waters are the Mississippi river. Click here to listen to more about this fascinating church and Dr. Brawner's desire to bring people to Christ.

Bryan Loritts and Ricky Jenkins: Moving past the racial barrier.

“We must face the sad fact that at 11 o’clock on Sunday morning, when we stand to sing… we stand in the most segregated hour in America.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The idea of a multicultural church appeals to me on so many levels, but I have found very few churches that can truly say they are multicultural. One local body in Memphis holds this distinction: Fellowship Memphis. This summer Bryan Loritts, lead pastor and son of Crawford Loritts, and Ricky Jenkins, pastor of Fellowship Downtown and MABTS Student, sat down with me to discuss how they lead a fellowship of believers from different races and with roots in various Christian traditions.

The interview with Ricky and Bryan can be found here on Itunes.

Ryan Bush

Missiology student Ryan Bush and I had a conversation last week about his experience planting a Hispanic church in the Memphis area.

Ryan and I worked on staff at a church together in Little Rock before he and his wife Amanda served in Peru as ISC missionaries with the International Mission Board. He is one of the most genuine men you will ever meet. I believe you will enjoy hearing him tell about his experiences on the podcast which can be found here.

Dr. Rick Melick

Last week Dr. Rick Melick from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary delivered the Scholar's Lectures here at MABTS. I had the opportunity to interview him about his role in the translation of the Holman Christian Standard Bible and his thoughts on translation theory. He also briefly discussed his new book coming out Teaching That Transforms.
You can hear the podcast here http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-minutes-with/id347345024?i=82464467

Second Interview with Dr. Stan May

We recently did a second interview with Dr. Stan May. In this interview one of the things we discussed is the trend of churches sending more volunteer teams and less money to fund organizations like the IMB.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-minutes-with/id347345024?i=81057533

Below is a time lapse video we filmed the day Dr. May was in studio.

A good interview with Chuck Herring

Last week Dr. Chuck Herring the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Collierville, Tennessee was on campus for the annual week of revival. He sat down with me to talk about his call to ministry and his vision for where to lead his church. We also discussed his role as a trustee with the North American Mission Board. Along with serving as a trustee, Dr. Herring is on the search committee to find the next president of NAMB.

The interview can be heard here http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-minutes-with/id347345024?i=80855662

Missions with Dr. May

Last week I visited with Dr. Stan May, Department Chair of Missions at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, in the Live By the Word Studios. We had an interesting conversation about the distinction of the Mission program at MABTS, and some specific advice he gives every person who feels called to the mission field. He also discussed ways that missionaries can continue to keep a close walk with the Lord even though they are not planted in a strong community of believers.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-minutes-with/id347345024?i=80672044

A Conversation with Dr. Mike Spradlin

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Mike Spradlin the president of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. He told me about starting the Live By the Word broadcast and his vision for that program. We also talked about trends in theological education and opportunities for prospective students to study in a more non-traditional manner including online and distance learning. We also discussed the major differences in the student body from when he became president in the late 1990’s until now.

Live By the Word with Mike Spradlin can be heard on WCRV in the Memphis area on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. and can be heard as a podcast at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/live-by-word-mike-spradlin/id280096116

A Minute in the Word can also be heard across much of the Bott Radio Network at 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday.

Reconnect: A Special Conference on Revival and Evangelism

On March 1-2, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary will be hosting Reconnect: A Special Conference on Revival and Evangelism. The conference will feature notable speakers such as Junior Hill and Ken Weathersby. Dr. Jere Phillips joined me in the studio to share what he believes will be some of the highlights of the conference. http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-minutes-with/id347345024?i=79353520
For more information about Reconnect, check out the Mid-America website at mabts.edu or call the Dr. Phillips at (901) 751-3035.

Talking with Gary Redding about the role of donors

A few months ago I sat down with Dr. Gary Redding the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Mid-America Baptist Seminary to discuss the role donors play in the education of a seminary student. We talked about the fact that nearly 70% of each student’s tuition is paid by people who choose to give to Mid-America. In other words, each student’s education is mostly financed by individuals who faithfully give to the ministry of MABTS.

As we talked about the importance of “faith financers” of the seminary, he outlined a few ways people can give to help further the work of educating men and women who are called to minister in the local church and as missionaries throughout the world.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-minutes-with/id347345024?i=79290902