EDUCATION
Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA – Doctorate of Ministry, 1996
Course work included studies on evangelism, spirituality, church history,
and travel to the Middle East Doctor of Ministry Project focused on
encouraging personal evangelism through prayer and small group meetings
Young Leader’s Program, Center for Congregational Health, Winston-Salem, NC – 1995
Specialized training in leadership styles, congregational assessment, conflict management and strategic planning
Clinical Pastoral Education, Spartanburg General Hospital, Spartanburg, SC – 1985
One year of specialized training in grief ministry, pastoral care and interpersonal relationships
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO – Master of Divinity, 1984
King College, Bristol, TN – Bachelor of Arts, 1980
MINISTRY EXPERIENCE
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina – 2002 – 2019
Church Resources Coordinator
- Create and coordinate ministries in Faith Formation with approximately 350 churches in NC. This includes areas of discipleship, Christian Education, and social justice.
- Lead teams to plan, implement, and evaluate annual children, youth, and adult retreats as well as choir festivals and other occasional
- conferences, retreats and workshops focusing on the spiritual needs of laity.
- Secure leadership for over 50 workshops at the CBFNC Annual Gathering.
- Serve as staff leader to the Wealth and Poverty and the Evangelism Committees.
- Serve as communications director responsible for strategic planning, a new website, writing for and editing a magazine, and hosting webinars.
- Responsible for transitioning our organization missionally and encouraging a similar transformation for churches.
Great Bible Teachers, Inc. – 2017 – Present
President
- Great Bible Teachers provides excellent resources, training, and curriculum that help good Bible teachers become great Bible teachers.
Baptists Today / Nurturing Faith – 2011-2016
Lesson Writer
- Writer of online lesson plans for adult Bible teachers, every week, for six years. Over 3,500 teachers downloaded the plans each week.
Antioch Baptist Church, Taylorsville, NC – 1998-2002
Pastor
- Lead worship service planning and presentation Give pastoral care and train others in care giving Teach discipleship courses
- Encourage missions, including mission trips to Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and internationally to Honduras and South Africa
- Lead staff in team-oriented ministry Teach monthly senior adult Bible study
- Encourage laity in ministry
- Guide planning for renovation and new construction of education
- and administration facilities
Viewmont Baptist Church, Hickory, NC – 1986-1998
Associate Minister
- In Senior Minister’s absence, gave pastoral leadership, conducted worship services (televised live), led staff meetings, and provided pastoral care
- Provided all the pastoral responsibilities listed above during an interim period of over six months
- Planned, organized, and led yearly mission trips
- Initiated Sunday School Council and Church Council with regular meetings
- Conducted research and planning for renovation and new construction of education space
- Developed successful outreach and inreach programs through the Sunday School
- Directed the youth ministry (Youth Council, Bible studies, social outings, and retreats)
Second Baptist Church, Liberty, MO – 1981-1984
Youth Minister
- Directed the youth ministry and participated in worship leadership (part-time)
DENOMINATIONAL LEADERSHIP
- Work in collaboration with the Global Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) as well as state and regional CBF organizations with regard to resources for spirituality emphasis, youth retreats, missional church emphasis, and in other areas related to faith formation. 2002 to 2019
- Led training workshops for Bible study teachers in North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, and Kentucky. 2002 to present
- Helped to establish, then led training, for a certified Pastor’s School in Belize (taught Pastoral Care/Conflict Resolution , 2004)
- Member, General Board, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC), 1999 to 2003 Career Assessment Counselor for BSCNC, 1998 to 2005
- Member, Baptist Women in Ministry of NC Steering Committee, 2001 to 2002
- Executive Committee, At-Large Member, General Board (BSCNC), 2000
- Candidate, Second Vice-President of North Carolina Baptist State Convention, November 2000 Member, Committee on Committees, (BSCNC), 2000
- Member, Resolutions Committee, (BSCNC), 2000
- Director, Pastoral Ministries, Alexander Baptist Association, 1998 to 2002
- Member, Board of Ministers, Gardner Webb University, 1996 to 1999 (Secretary, 1997-1998) Conference Leader, Key Leadership at Ridgecrest, Pastoral Ministry Directors, 1995, 1997 Director, Pastoral Ministries, Theron Rankin Baptist Association, 1991 to 1998
- Sunday School Conference Leader for BSCNC, Caraway and Ridgecrest, 1987 to 1993 Member, North Carolina Baptist Religious Educators (Secretary, 1991-1992)
- Director of Sunday School ASSIST Team for Theron Rankin Baptist Association, 1987 to 1991
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
- Workshop leader, “Using the Internet for Pastoral Ministries”, 2000 to 2002
- Member, Children At Risk Task Force with Alexander County Schools, 2000 to 2002 Co-convener of Baptist-Lutheran Dialogue group, Spring 2001
- Speaker, Community-wide Inter-racial worship service, Spring 2000
- Member, Alexander County Ministerial Association
- Member, Pastoral Care Advisory Committee, Catawba Memorial Hospital, 1996 to present Co-founder and chair, Pregnancy Loss Support Group Advisory Committee, 1995 to 1998 Co-founder and co-chair, Faith Community Task Force in Response to Poverty, 1997-1998 Member, Hickory Area Ministers (Vice-President, 1996; President, 1997)
- Member, Hickory Ministerial Association (President, 1990; Secretary, 1991-1992)
PUBLICATIONS
- Book, An Alphabet of Errors: How to Teach the Bible Better (Great Bible Teachers, 2017) Over a dozen poems published in various literary and trade journals
- A chapter in the book, Though the Darkness Gather Round (Smyth and Helwys, 2015)
- Weekly online adult teacher lesson plans for Nurturing Faith Curriculum 2011-2016 Regular articles for “the gathering” newsletter of CBFNC, 2002-2019
- Five Advent lessons for adults, Smyth and Helwys (1998); Made into the book through NextSunday Resources, A Holy and Surprising Birth (2009)
- Six Sunday School lessons for youth on Ecclesiastes, Intersection, Smyth and Helwys, 1999
- “Three Litanies for Commissioning Services”, Church Worship, July 1995
- “Shared Stories”, Feature Article for The Resource, Smyth and Helwys Publishers, January 1993
- Regular contributor to “Weekly Meditation” of the Hickory Daily Record, 1986-1998