Languages   |   Education   |   Training   |   Ministry History   |   Questions

 

LANGUAGES

English

 

EDUCATION

School

Degree

End (mm/yy)

 

Candler School of Theology

MDiv

05/2007

 

TRAINING

Course

End (mm/yy)

 

Engage Training from Kingdom Advancement

09/2025

 

CERTIFICATIONS

Certification

End (mm/yy)

 

ICF PCC Certified Executive Coaching

05/22

 

Emotional Intelligence Coaching

08/21

 

MINISTRY HISTORY

Church/Organization

Position

Begin (mm/yy)

 

Hope UMC

Small Group Pastor

05/2003

 

Rutledge UMC

Student Pastor

06/2005

 

The Well UMC

Founding Pastor

06/2007

 

Stockbridge UMC

Lead Pastor

06/2016

 

Jackson UMC

Lead Pastor

06/2021

 

North Georgia GMC

Chair of Church Multiplication

10/2022

 

North Georgia GMC

Conference Operating Officer

01/2024

 

North Georgia GMC

Conference Superintendent

02/2025

 

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS

Hope - Developed a full comprehensive congregational care ministry including prayer, Stephen's ministry, and benevolence.

Hope - Developed a discipleship pathway including 24 adult small groups with curriculum.

Rutledge - Shifted their mindset to outreach. Initiated a VBS in a rural small town that attracted over 50 children.

The Well - Founded a parachute-drop church plant that grew to over 300 in average worship attendance in 9 years.

The Well - Baptized over 100 adult professions of faith in 9 years

The Well - Initiated a county-wide program to end childhood hunger than continue today feeding over 1500 children per week and is completely funded through independent income streams.

Stockbridge - Transitioned a historically white church to a multi-ethnic congregation.

Stockbridge - Increased African-American leadership in the church to 40% in 5 years. We also saw a similar trend in leadership among people under 40 years of age in church leadership.

Stockbridge - Decreased the debt by $1.4M in 5 years.

North Georgia GMC - Assisted 14 new faith communities to start in 1 year which now accounts for almost 10% of our Annual Conference.

North Georgia GMC - Participating in the baptism of my two grandchildren and my future son-in-law reminded me of how God continues to work not only in my family but in the lives of people throughout the world.

North Georgia GMC - Convening Conference of the GMC in Costa Rica was an answer to prayer and a catalyst for us in North Georgia to always keep worship over business.

North Georgia GMC - Shared the vision of the GMC with over 100 churches in North Georgia during the legal challenges concerning disaffiliation which allowed me to watch God work in a powerful way.

North Georgia GMC - Participating in the Convening Conference of the GMC in North Georgia and seeing so many of the faces joining the movement that I met along the way I have met along the way.

North Georgia GMC - Working with our brothers and sisters in Nigeria as they battle their own legal troubles and being able to be a prayerful partner with them.

North Georgia GMC - Working alongside the people of Afrika Mashariki as they organized and convened in the GMC. The conversations and passion for ministry have been helpful to us in North Georgia.

North Georgia GMC - Traveling the annual conference and connecting to the local churches has allowed me to hear their own stories. It has also allowed me to see the excitement and joy they have in moving forward in the vision of the GMC.

QUESTIONS

 

1. Gospel: What is the gospel?

Hear the good news: God’s grace is available to all people through Jesus Christ. Though we are fallen in sin, we are not forgotten by God. Through prevenient grace, God reaches out to everyone which awakens the possibility of repentance and faith. As we turn toward God, we are offered forgiveness and a restored relationship with God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ which we receive by faith alone. The good news gets even better because God doesn’t stop there. God’s grace continues in sanctifying grace. The Holy Spirit transforms believers, enabling them to grow in holiness and love. Ultimately, the gospel offers both pardon and renewal, inviting us to join God in His work of restoring all creation.

 

2. Trinity: How would you articulate the doctrine of the Trinity and why it matters?

As three-persons of the one Godhead, God exists eternally, in perfect unity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit being of one substance and power. The Father sustains all things and the Son redeems all things through His life, death, and resurrection. The Holy Spirit transforms us by grace. Because of their perfect unity, each person of the Godhead is perfectly united with the other so that all are involved in each action together. The Trinity reveals to us that God’s nature is love and invites us into that love which shapes our worship, our relationships, and how we participate in God’s work in the world.   Being created in God’s image, we are designed for communion with God and others, echoing the eternal love within the Trinity, which gives us inherent dignity and a purpose to reflect His character.

 

3. Jesus: In what sense did Jesus die for our sins, and how does it impact your understanding of the Church’s mission?

The wages of sin is death; therefore, we deserve to die. In Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, Jesus takes upon Himself the consequences of human sin so that we might be forgiven and reconciled in relationship to God. His atonement removes guilt but also expresses God’s holy love, making grace available to all. God’s death is both for us and for our restoration, opening the way for justification and sanctification.

This reality shapes our mission in multiple ways. The Church is called to proclaim that salvation is for everyone. In addition, it means that the mission is not simply about forgiveness but also transformation which invites people into a life of holiness.   Furthermore, the Church embodies Christ’s self-giving love in the world as we work together participating in God’s work of restoration. The Church’s mission is both evangelistic and transformative as we announce the good news and live it out.

 

4. Holy Spirit: How does the ministry of the Holy Spirit relate to your understanding of the Church?

The Holy Spirit is essential to understanding the Church and its mission. It isn’t that it is just harder, but it is impossible for us to accomplish what Christ commands if we are not formed and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit draws people into faith, offers assurance to the believer, and shapes the Church in a living body. The Holy Spirit equips the believers with spiritual gifts, empowers preaching, guides discernment, unites people together across the globe into His church. and enables us to proclaim the gospel effectively. Therefore, the Church is dependent on the Holy Spirit for life and power in order to live into the vision of making disciples and spreading scriptural holiness.

 

5. Sanctification: Do you affirm the doctrine of entire sanctification, and how would you explain it to someone who has not encountered it before?

Entire sanctification is one of the most distinctive and hopeful aspects of the Christian life because it is about being fully transformed by God’s love. Matthew 22:37 calls the believer to love God with all of their heart which Wesley believed occurs after conversion through grace. Sin no longer rules over your inner life, and you are empowered to love God and others completely.

In my church plant, many people new to the faith confused entire sanctification with being flawless. I often explained that it was not sinless perfection nor was it instant spiritual maturity in every area of their life. Instead, it is being forgiven AND transformed so that you can truly love like Jesus. In my experience, this happens over time as the Holy Spirit roots out the power of sin in your life and gives you freedom from willful sin and full devotion to God.

 

6. Holiness: How do you understand holiness as it relates to human flourishing?

The simplest answer is that holiness leads to flourishing. Human flourishing is more than being happy or successful. It is a life free from the power of sin and a restored relationship with God that aligns one’s life with God’s purpose.   Holiness frees us from self-centered behavior so we can live more outward in the love of Christ. We begin to want what’s life-giving. Holiness doesn’t erase desire but rather reorders it. Holiness leads to flourishing. Holiness affects everything: your emotions, your relationships, your habits, and your stewardships of resources. Therefore, human flourishing emerges as holiness grows. As love fills the heart, we experience more joy, peace, and patience.

 

7. Sacraments: What is your understanding of the Sacraments and their role in the life of the Church?

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are tangible means of God’s grace, where He meets us in our reality. They’re not just symbols, but are channels through which God gives us grace to begin and continue life as a follower of Jesus. Therefore, in the sacraments, our faith is awakened and strengthened. It is one of the reasons that Wesley stressed frequent communion because Christ is present, and experiencing Christ is an opportunity to grow in holiness.

As means of grace, the sacraments are essential to the church’s life, reminding us that our identity comes from God’s favor, not our own efforts. Furthermore, the sacraments unite the body as we share Christ together. Salvation is not just about an individual relationship with God, but a shared life in Christ. As we share Christ together, we are sent into the world to share Christ’s body.

 

8. Scripture: What is your understanding of scripture’s inspiration, authority, truthfulness, and sufficiency?

God speaks to us through the Bible, guiding and shaping us into people of love. It’s a transformative force. Humans wrote down the scriptures, but the Holy Spirit guided the process in order to communicate truth. God worked through real people to make Himself known. It is essential for us to always hold on to the truth that God is the source of Scripture.

The Bible shapes our understanding of God, salvation, and holiness of heart and life. Our Articles of Faith affirm “the Holy Scriptures containeth all things necessary to salvation.” Therefore, we can also trust the truth of Scripture. The Bible leads people into a saving relationship with Christ, containing truth that saves, transforms, and leads to holiness. It’s sufficient, but you also need the Holy Spirit and the Church.

 

9. Human Sexuality: What is your understanding of human sexuality expressed in terms of human flourishing?

Human flourishing is a life free from the power of sin and a restored relationship with God that aligns one’s life with God’s purpose.   With that in mind, human sexuality is deeply connected to our identity as relational beings. It is created by God and is good. However, human sexuality is also affected by sin and requires redemption.

Holiness leads towards mutual self-giving love, not selfishness in nature. Holiness leads towards relationships marked by faithfulness, care, and respect. Holiness leads towards sexual expression built around commitment and covenant, not impulsive desires.

Therefore, marriage between one man and one woman is the context for sexual expression because it provides a relationship that fosters the characteristics needed for a holy life with regards to sexuality.

 

10. Human Beings: How does the biblical vision of human beings made in the image of God form your attitude toward the dignity of human life at every stage from conception to death?

Every human being bears God’s image not because of what we do, but because of who God is and His loving nature. The image of God is foundational to understanding the worth and dignity of every human life. Therefore, it shapes how we view people and how we treat them.

As a result of the belief that the image of God is connected to what it means to be human, dignity applies to all of human life, from conception, childhood, adulthood, and to the elderly and the dying. A person’s worth is not tied to productivity or development, but is a gift given by God. Therefore, we affirm the image of God with an attitude of care and love for our neighbor. While challenging, recognizing that every person is valued and potentially redeemable encourages compassion because every life matters to God.

 

11. Wesleyan/Methodist Contribution: What is the Wesleyan/Methodist contribution to the Church universal?

One of the significant contributions of the Wesleyan movement is entire sanctification. Through the grace of God, people can change. Sin does not get to keep its power over us. Holy love transforms, making us perfect in love, and expanding our understanding of salvation beyond just going to heaven. Salvation is about being changed now, living as people of holy love. This emphasis on the holiness of heart and life reminds us that the global church’s doctrine and ethics lead to a practical love of God and neighbor.

A second distinctive contribution to the wider church is the Wesleyan approach to spiritual growth through the means of grace. The spiritual disciplines of prayer and scripture reading, along with the sacraments, and the accountability of small groups, offer models to assist the church in becoming disciples and discipling others.

 

12. Global Methodist Church: What is your vision for the GMC?

The vision of the Global Methodist Church is to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to make disciple-makers who flourish in scriptural holiness. This vision was a collective vision after years of prayer and listening for God’s wisdom. I want that vision to become a lived reality.

In order to live into this vision, we will have to daily surrender our own agendas. We will need to be intentional about not taking our eyes off the vision of multiplying disciples and spreading scriptural holiness. We will need to embrace this global church that God has given us and learn together how to live into this vision. It will take us trusting one another, listening to one another, and taking a risk together for the sake of the gospel.

 

13. Evangelism: What is evangelism and how have you practiced it effectively in your ministry?

Evangelism is about inviting people into a life of grace that leads to holiness and flourishing. We make this harder than it needs to be by conveying information instead of joining God in His mission to bring people into a transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prevenient grace teaches us that God is already at work in every person, drawing them towards Him. Evangelism isn’t forcing something new onto someone; it’s cooperating with God’s work. For me, it’s about building relationships through listening, respecting, inviting, and persisting. The gospel is heard best when it’s seen in the life of the person sharing it.

Throughout my ministry, I’ve used Random Acts of Kindness to effectively teach my congregations how to learn to evangelize. These acts provide tangible opportunities that remove barriers, spark curiosity, build trust, and minimize fear for both the sharer and the receiver.

 

14. Discipleship: What is a disciple, and how have you effectively made disciples in your ministry?

My working definition for a disciple is a person who has surrendered to Jesus as Lord of their life and matures to become a reproducing follower of Jesus. In my ministry, having a clear definition of what we are trying to achieve has been vital to effective disciple-making. In my experience, many people have never been discipled; people have not been shown how to mature.

I have found that small bands are the best way to create an environment where people grow. In my ministry, bands were used to discuss three things: (1) devotion to God through spiritual disciplines, (2) holiness of heart and life, (3) reproducing other disciples. In simple terms, we discuss looking UP, looking IN, and looking OUT. As a result, I’ve seen fruit in disciple-making in every appointment I’ve been blessed to serve.

 

15. Local Engagement: How have you led congregations to engage their local contexts with the gospel?

One of the compelling aspects of the Global Methodist Church is its commitment to fostering missional partnerships, which play a crucial role in its broader mission and community engagement strategies. Throughout my personal ministry, I have taught congregations to explore partnerships in the local context. Within every community, there are people who are able to help identify the needs of the community. By working in a collaborative ministry style, it helps the local church focus their efforts on issues that are needed in the community, as well as offer potential partnerships for income streams to fund ministry.   The added benefit of the partnerships is that it builds trust in the community between the church and their partners, which fosters a growing relationship. As the relationship grows, more opportunities develop to share the gospel, not only in deed but in word.

 

16. Unreached People Groups: How do you understand the mission of the GMC in relation to unreached and unengaged people groups?

Our goal in the Global Methodist Church is gospel saturation. It is the commission we are given by Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations. If we truly believe that God is ahead of us, we must trust that God’s grace is already present in every culture. Therefore, we should invest in the leadership development of indigenous people to empower local pastors and evangelists. This does not remove responsibility from all of us. We should prioritize areas with no or little Christian witness. We should also send leaders to areas of priority to help identify potential leaders to train and develop.

Another key aspect of reaching unengaged people is the emphasis on church planting. We all need to learn how to do this more effectively in our local contexts, as it has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to grow the kingdom of God.

 

17. Global Missions: What is the local church’s role in global missions? How will you equip local churches for that role?

With the vision to spread scriptural holiness across the globe, every local church in every context should take seriously the words of Jesus when he says in Acts 1:8, “The Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Each local church should work to make a local impact and a global impact for the Kingdom. The missional partnerships between annual conferences are one method to assist the local church with this mission. The formation of Episcopal areas can be a significant tool to assist in the global mission.

As a bishop, my role would be to preach and teach what it means to be an Acts 1:8 church. In addition, I would lead the annual conferences assigned to the Episcopal area to work together towards shared values.

 

18. Christian Unity: What is your understanding of Christian unity? How will you lead the Church toward greater unity in Christ and the Spirit both within the GMC and in relation to other ecclesial bodies?

The Body of Christ is larger than the Global Methodist Church. Christian unity is a spiritual oneness that is rooted in shared life in Christ, where we are united in love, grace, and essential truth. I think the world shows us that this is not a natural occurrence. However, as we are transformed by the grace of God, unity is something that flows from a holy heart.

At the Convening Conference for the Afrika Mashariki Annual Conference, the Bishop of the Free Methodist Church was invited to attend from Rwanda. He preached and challenged the people in the room to invest in the Global Methodist Church. It was a Kingdom mindset. I pray that we will all move in that vision for the church. Unity is not just theological; it is missional. We are a stronger witness together.

 

19. Bishop's Work: What is your understanding of the work of a bishop?

A bishop serves as a spiritual and organizational leader who provides visionary servant leadership as well as oversight to the church’s connectional system. Bishops are responsible for guarding the doctrine, and keeping the church focused on the mission and vision. They also maintain the discipline of the church, ensuring that its teachings remain faithful to Scripture and Wesleyan theology.

Bishops also play a critical role in equipping and encouraging churches for evangelism and disciple-making, often serving as a unifying presence across the different geographic areas of the church. They exercise authority in collaboration with other leaders, maintaining accountability within the organizational structure of the church. They shepherd both clergy and laity, fostering spiritual growth, unity, and faithful witness in the church’s life.

 

20. Your Qualifications: What qualifies you for the office of bishop?

I live a life of discipline in my relationship with God, guided by a commitment to personal integrity. Most people who know me would identify me as a person of high moral character, as well as one who seeks to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I have a band of men with whom I have met for years who help me with accountability, which I have found to be very helpful in my spiritual growth. Before I can be a shepherd and offer leadership, I must first be a disciple of Jesus Christ who makes disciples.

Throughout my ministry, I have seen much fruit in the areas of evangelism, disciple-making, and missions, which is critical to the role of bishop. Furthermore, I love our vision for the Global Methodist Church and believe it has the potential to bring revival to the church if we will live into it.

 

21. Assembly of Bishops: What do you see as the role of the Assembly of Bishops?

My hope is that the Assembly of Bishops functions as a faith community. Bishops need a place where they can be genuine and share their personal concerns. They will need to maintain an environment of trust and accountability. We need our bishops to be physically and spiritually healthy, and I see the Assembly of Bishops (along with the Global Episcopacy Committee) as a body that promotes the well-being of our bishops.

In addition, the Assembly of Bishops should help guide the Church forward with shared leadership, ensuring they remain in step with the Holy Spirit. They need to work as a body to be cultural architects, creating the culture in both the annual conference and the local church where growth occurs. Preaching and teaching must be the priority in order to safeguard the faith and provide unified leadership.

 

22. Fellow Bishops: How do you envision working together with fellow bishops?

The Assembly of Bishops must function as a unified body under the Holy Spirit’s power.   The bishops must be connected to one another and share in the life of Christ together. They must operate with the understanding that every person has value and purpose to the whole. They must encourage one another, pray together, practice love in tangible ways in each other’s lives, hold one another accountable, and challenge one another to grow in their faith. In addition, they must be visible together, so the wider church sees their witness. With diverse gifts, the assembly works better when each bishop’s gifts are identified and utilized to lead the church. When the body is working together, it is healthy, active, and life-giving.

 

23. Conference Superintendents: How do you envision working together with and supervising conference superintendents?

The Church flourishes through mutual dependence. The Bishop and the Conference Superintendent have different functions in the life of the church. Role clarity and good communication will be the greatest way we can lead the conferences well. Regular one-on-one conversations with the Conference Superintendent to pray together, listen to each other, support one another, and share ideas.

The Conference Superintendent will have a better understanding of the lived reality within the life of the annual conference. As a bishop, I will have a better understanding of the larger picture. I will also have a more robust view of the episcopal area and how it is functioning. Together, we can work to help the annual conference strengthen the local churches to make more disciples and spread scriptural holiness.

 

24. Handling Concerns: If laity or clergy bring concerns directly to you bypassing their presiding elders and/or conference superintendent, would you include the applicable conference superintendent and/or presiding elder in the conversation? If so, how would you empower your conference superintendents and/or presiding elders in the discussion?

If we value relationships and want to create an atmosphere where trust is the primary response, we must create an environment where we are able to have direct, open, honest, and loving communication. From a leadership perspective, triangulation undermines trust and creates confusion and division.

While there may be occasions for someone to bypass the conference superintendent or presiding elder, most instances are opportunities to redirect the conversation. Redirection is not abdicating responsibility but rather equipping clergy and laity to address conflict in a healthy manner. When it is necessary to step in, communication should be transparent and aboveboard, with shared conversations rather than private ones. If I engage, it reinforces the bad behavior. Instead, we want to model healthy conflict resolution, so it becomes safe and normal.

 

25. Laity Leadership: How do you envision incorporating laity into the leadership of the church and into your leadership team?

I have heard it said that we can organize for control or we can organize for growth. Lay leadership is the engine of growth and disciple-making. The clergy alone cannot fulfill the purpose of the Church. Lay leadership are not simply helpers in the mission; they are the frontline of the mission because they extend the church’s reach as they live sent where they work, play, and live.

While I see evidence that we are already forming to include laity in leadership throughout our structure, I think we still have room to grow. In every ministry opportunity I have served, I have collaborated with the laity in a partnership model. I have worked to understand the different gifts that we each bring, in order to encourage them to live into the calling they have received from God.

 

26. GMC Challenges: What do you see as the top three challenges facing the GMC today? How would you address them?

One challenge is the gravitational pull towards what we know. We must resist the temptation to look backward, keeping the vision of disciple-making and multiplication at the forefront of our minds. In limited conversations, I see this pull often.

The second challenge is truly living into a global church. Will we be a US-centric church with global partners or a global witness? The newly forming episcopal areas offer a chance to help us. They may be conferences sharing episcopal leaders, but they could also be opportunities to learn together how to be the church.

The third challenge is leadership development and the recruitment of emerging leaders. Our moment is now. We need to invest in the development of healthy leaders who champion reproduction. By sharing this vision with the next generation and demonstrating a new model of leadership, we can potentially attract both clergy and laity.

 

27. Devotional Life: How would you characterize your devotional life?

Devotional life is much more than simply what I do in my quiet time.   While I am a very rhythmic and structured person, my prayer is that my devotional life actually affects my lived reality. My decisions are guided by the scripture I read. My prayer life affects my relationships. My dependency on the Holy Spirit produces more fruit in my life, and others see it as well.   My hunger for God and the intimacy of our relationship grows. Therefore, I see my devotional life is no longer motivated by a sense of duty, but rather as a loving response to the grace God has poured into my life. In short, my devotional life is consistent and joyous because it helps me continue growing in love and awareness of God in my everyday life.

 

28. Theological Resources: What are the top five authors or theological resources to which you turn for research and learning and why?

The new Annotated Catechism is a great resource. I love the simplicity of its format and have found it answers some of the main questions that our local churches are asking.

Responsible Grace by Randy Maddox is another favorite of mine. I consider myself a practical theologian, so I think I resonate with the manner in which Maddox presents Wesley’s theology.

I also love Patrick Lencioni as an author on leadership. His model of highly functioning teams and implementation of ideas within team dynamics is very helpful when trying to lead teams to execute vision.

I also recommend Signs and Wonders by Stephen Elliott because I think it speaks powerfully about the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit but stays within our Wesleyan language.

I am currently studying disciple-making. One of the resources that has been challenging me is Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden.

 

29. Failures: Describe one time you failed; what did you learn from that failure?

In one appointment, the objective was to transition a church from a historically white church to a multi-ethnic congregation. We had an agreed-upon vision. The implementation of the vision was where trouble surfaced. Resistance came. Anger was displayed toward me. I’m grateful for my emotional regulation, but it became clear living into the vision wasn’t going to work.

However, the leadership team and I all believed the vision was a God-given vision. The biggest lesson I learned is that God will accomplish His vision. I had to wait on His timing and be adaptable in the moment. Rather than trying to “talk the resistance away,” we had to allow the polity of our church to allow the voice of the body to be heard. It was a difficult season of ministry, but I learned the importance of a shared group vision.

 

30. Leadership Style: How would you describe your leadership style?

The two most common descriptions of my leadership style are servant leader and adaptive leader. First, I do believe in exercising authority through service rather than control. I spend every morning praying for more humility, gentleness, and patience. By listening to others, I am better able to put others first and empower them in their own calling. Simply put, I see myself as a servant leader who focuses on developing others.

Since most of my ministry has involved church planting, I have learned the importance of adaptability. Change is constant in a church plant. Change often brings uncertainty. I have learned to use my coaching skills to lead teams to problem-solve and to allow for flexibility, enabling the system to evolve rather than fighting change.

 

31. Decision Making: Give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision as a leader and how you made that decision.

One of the difficult decisions I had to make in my ministry was to fire a youth pastor. I had experience firing employees in a business setting, but ministry was different. The person in question acted hostile in several group settings on a mission trip and exhibited unacceptable behavior around students. When we returned from the trip, I knew what the correct decision was, but I also knew that he had a family. The decision would affect them as well. However, I could not trust him to lead our students in a Christ-like manner. I prayerfully consulted with our entire SPR team about my observations. I did not want this to simply be my decision. I knew the correct action, but I wanted their affirmation of the rationale and course of action. History has revealed that it was the correct decision.

 

32. Confrontation: Give an example of a time when you had to confront an employee or colleague over behavior or beliefs contrary to those agreed upon and how you handled it.

In the early years of my church plant, a team of us set up and tore down the worship space every week. It was hard work. We were a dedicated team, but one Sunday afternoon, our young worship pastor lost his temper, screaming at me while we dismantled the stage design. One man on the team was very upset at his disrespect towards me. I didn’t react in the moment, but later pulled the young man aside and discussed the incident. The behavior was unacceptable. However, I knew his grandmother was sick, and he was tired. It didn’t excuse the behavior, but I knew that stress had gotten the better of him. As a result of that discussion, I had him write a letter of apology to the man who witnessed the display. He was my worship pastor for eight years, and I never had another problem.

 

33. Teaching: What experience do you have in a teaching role? How has your teaching style evolved during your ministry?

Most people in my local churches describe my preaching style as teaching. In most of my ministry settings, the target populations were people who identified as unchurched or disconnected from the church. Therefore, teaching was an essential component of the preaching moment.

In addition to the local church setting, I have been blessed to have had opportunities to teach at the Annual Conference level in our previous denomination, as I shared about church multiplication. This experience assisted me as we transitioned into the Global Methodist Church, because I had the opportunity to travel our annual conference and teach about the GMC as well as church multiplication.

My teaching has evolved, driven by the power of questions. Through my coaching experience, I have learned to ask more questions in my teaching to allow the listener to grapple with the material. Silence gives the Holy Spirit room to work, unlike lectures.