Influence Podcast

Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

In this episode, I talk to Melissa Alfaro about her new book, The Heart of a Pathfinder: Charting Paths for the Next Generation.

"A pathfinder's greatest motivation is not the sustainability of their legacy but their ability to launch members of the next generation into their call," Alfaro writes.

"Obstacles don't discourage pathfinders. They see obstacles as opportunities to clear a path so the next generation can step into their purpose. Pathfinders take risks. They path the price because they realize that their greatest legacy is not what they have built with their hands, but the paths that they have opened for others with their feet."

Alfaro is senior pastor of Tab Church in Houston, Texas, along with her husband Jay. She is an executive presbyter of the Assemblies of God, as well as chair of the Network of Women Ministers.

SPONSOR AD

This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of A Disciple's Growth.

Get a clear and practical roadmap for following Jesus with depth and purpose. Drawing from Scripture, the power of the Holy Spirit, and real-life examples, discover seven key dimensions of spiritual formation—Bible, Holy Spirit, missions, prayer, worship, service, and generosity—that shape believers into fully devoted disciples.

For more information about A Disciple's Growth visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

SHOW NOTES

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 01:58 — W hat was the impetus for writing this book?
• 04:25 — What is a pathfinder, and how is a pathfinder different from other ways of describing leadership?
• 09:43 — You write, "There are three areas that the enemy uses to cause us to camp out in the shadows and stop the flow of God's presence in the life of a leader: comfort, fear, and offense." Expand on that insight.
• 15:02 — Talk about the kinds of things leaders need to think and do when bad stuff interrupts life.
• 20:15 — Are ministers embarrassed to admit they have personal things that interrupt their lives?
• 23:01 — What lessons should we take from Nehemiah during the seasons of ministry when we face obstacles in ministry?
• 28:50 — How do we use our unique voice for Kingdom purposes, and who are the "five people every leader needs in their life" that you mention?
• 37:08 — What types of resources does the Network of Women Ministers provide?
• 41:35 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 42:44 — Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

"The founders of the Assemblies of God believed they were experiencing a significant historical moment," writes Daniel Isgrigg. "They recognized God was moving by His Spirit to enable them to evangelize the world. Leaders were set apart by their understanding that this mission could not be accomplished without the Spirit and without each other."

In this episode, I talk to Daniel Isgrigg about his new book, The Assemblies of God: Our Story, from which this quotation comes.

Isgrigg is associate professor of the History of Spirit-empowered Christianity at Oral Roberts University and an ordained Assemblies of God minister. He is also author of Imagining the Future: The Origin, Development, and Future of Assemblies of God Eschatology and Aspects of Assemblies of God Origins. I interviewed him about these books in Episodes 277 and 359, respectively.

My conversation with Daniel Isgrigg begins after a brief word from our sponsor.

SponsorThis episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, publishers of A Disciple's Growth: 7 Dimensions of Spiritual Formation.

In A Disciple's Growth, Elly Marroquin provides a clear and practical roadmap for following Jesus with depth and purpose. Drawing from Scripture, the power of the Holy Spirit, and real-life examples, she outlines seven key dimensions of spiritual formation—Bible, Holy Spirit, missions, prayer, worship, service, and generosity—that shape believers into fully devoted disciples.

For more information about A Disciple's Growth visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 03:13 — Why should Assemblies of God ministers be interested in church history generally and AG history specifically?
• 08:43 — How is your new history of the Assemblies of God similar to and different from previous AG histories?
• 14:27 — Along with Azusa Street, what are the various streams of Christianity that flowed into the AG.
• 21:35 — What are the three or four major theological controversies that helped refine AG identity?
• 32:48 — How does the commitment to evangelism and missions explain AG growth and diversification?
• 37:03 — What are three or four major ways in which the Assemblies of God has changed over the years? And how has it remained the same?
• 45:57 — What are some things that people routinely misunderstand about the AG, whether inside or outside the Movement?
• 50:32 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 52:58 — Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast!

I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode, I talk to Mark Hausfeld about how ministers can move toward physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health — and why they should.

Hausfeld is executive director of the Institute for Ministerial Wholeness and an ordained Assemblies of God minister,

Ministry is demanding, even for Jesus. Matthew 8 tells us "large crowds followed him." Jesus goes on to heal a leper, resurrect a servant, cure Peter's mother-in-law, exorcize demonized persons, and calm a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

The detail that strikes me is Jesus falling asleep during a storm (8:24). No wonder! He was tired.

If ministry wore out Jesus, it will wear out us too. We need to be rested and ready to do God's work. I'll talk about how with Mark Hausfeld after a brief word from our sponsor.

SPONSOR

This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

SHOW NOTES

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 01:40 — Why is wholeness of body, mind, soul, and spirit necessary?
• 04:25 — How does physical health or illness impact our ministries, and how do we get healthier?
• 14:38 — Why should ministers commit to lifelong learning, and what are ways to do that?
• 23:39 — How does emotional messed-up-ness derail ministry, and how can ministers get back on track?
• 28:55 — What is spiritual formation?
• 34:34 — What is spiritual direction, and why is it necessary for pastors?
• 40:36 — Tell us a little about the certificate in spiritual direction offered by the Institute for Ministerial Wholeness through the auspices of Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.
• 44:54 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 49:15 — Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast!

I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode, I talk to Doug Clay about the state of the Assemblies of God as the New Year begins. Clay is AG general superintendent and author of Conversations with My Younger Self and 13: Leadership Is More Than Luck, both published by Gospel Publishing House.

This past year, the Assemblies of God received favorable notice in political scientist Ryan Burge's popular religious data Substack, Graphs About Religion. One post, titled "The Assemblies of God: A Denomination That May Be Growing," reported that the AG is bucking the trend of denominational decline.

"Almost every major denomination is losing members at an incredibly rapid pace," he writes, with the exception of two small denominations. "But there is a major denomination that was on an upward trajectory for a very long time and stood as an aberration in the larger Protestant landscape: The Assemblies of God. They experienced very consistent growth over the last couple of decades."

Burge focused on steady AG growth over several decades, but in his editorial for the Winter 2026 issue of Influence, Doug Clay notes that the AG experienced growth between 2023–24, the last year for which there is a complete statistical report.

"From 2023–24, adherence rose 2.5%, Spirit baptisms 3.9%, membership 4.1%, in-person attendance 6.2%, conversions 10%, water baptisms 12.1%, and new church charters 33.6%," he writes.

Every year, the President gives a State of the Union Address to Congress. Think of this podcast as an AG State of the Union for 2026.

SHOW NOTES

• 00:00 — Introduction
• 02:08 — Why is the Assemblies of God growing?
• 07:00 — How do we balance church growth with the fact that outward success isn't a reliable measure of the Church's strength?
• 10:16 — The AG in the United States is having a remarkable run, but what can you tell us about what's happening in AG churches around the world that don't share our experience?
• 13:47 — What new ministry initiatives is the AG pursuing this year?
• 20:33 — Update listeners on the progress of the building renovations of the national office.
• 24:10 — What headwinds are the AG facing, and what are the best Spirit-empowered practices for responding to them?
• 30:03 — Based on your recent sabbatical, make the case for ministers scheduling regular times for rest and recovery.
• 33:50 — What are you reading right now that's interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 36:03 — Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast!

I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode, I talk to Allen Tennison about what Pentecostal ministers should read in 2026. Tennison serves as theological counsel to The General Counsel of the Assemblies of God.

Reading may not be at or even near the top of many ministers' new year's resolutions, but it should be. In an August 1760 letter to John Premboth, John Wesley wrote:

"What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear to this day, is want of reading.

"I scarce ever knew a preacher read so little. And perhaps, by neglecting it, you have lost the taste for it. Hence your talent in preaching does not increase. It is just the same as it was seven years ago. It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety, there is no compass of thought. Reading only can supply this, with meditation and daily prayer. You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian."

Even if you agree with Wesley, questions remain: How long should I read every day? What should I read? How do I balance reading with my other pastoral responsibilities? Those are the questions Tennison and I discuss after a brief word from our sponsor.

IN THIS PODCAST

• 0:00:00 — Introduction
• 0:01:34 — Sponsor Copy
• 0:02:38 — How does reading help ministers deepen their preaching and spiritual formation?
• 0:07:18 — How much time should ministers devote to reading, and what's a realistic goal for how many books they should read?
• 0:14:43 — What kinds of knowledge should ministers seek in books?
• 0:20:00 — What Bible study books — commentaries, biblical theologies, reference works, etc. — would you recommend?
• 0:37:14 — What theology books would you recommend?
• 0:48:55 — What histories and biographies do you recommend?
• 1:03:10 — What books about ethics and pastoral theology would you recommend?
• 1:08:07 — What books on preaching and church administration would you recommend?
• 1:15:36 — Conclusion

SPONSOR COPY

This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

For more information visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

"Jesus is up front with us that there is a cost to following him," writes Craig Keener.

"From God's side, the gift of him in him is free—or rather, already paid for by what Christ suffered for us. But we live in a world that challenges our faith, so from the world's side our faith is bound to cost us hardships. Yet God empowers us by his Spirit to maintain our witness for Christ in this world no matter what."

In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Keener about how Pentecostal Christians should think about suffering. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Craig Keener is F.M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, an ordained Assemblies of God minister, and author of Suffering: Its Meaning for the Spirit-Filled Life, published by Baker Academic.

NOTE: This will be the final Influence Podcast of 2025. Episode 411 — the first podcast of 2026 — will drop on Thursday, January 8.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Open When . . . Parenting through Everyday Moments.

In Open When . . . Parenting through Everyday Moments, child development professionals and Christian education experts discuss the most common parenting scenarios faced by families today. Readers will be empowered with knowledge, tools, and strategies for navigating the complexities of each issue while also nurturing the child's spirit through scriptural application.

For more information about Open When . . . Parenting through Everyday Moments visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

Donna Barrett is retiring at the end of this year from her position as general secretary of the Assemblies of God.

Elected unanimously by the executive presbytery in 2018 to fill the unexpired term of her predecessor, Jim Bradford, then elected twice by the General Council in 2019 and 2023, she is the first woman to hold executive office at the national level in the history of the AG.

Full disclosure: I am one of Barrett's direct reports. But I can honestly say that she is universally regarded by her employees, fellow executives, district officials, and ministry peers as a woman of God, conscientious leader, good friend, and great boss.

In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Barrett about her unique perspective on topics such as women's leadership, the grind of ministry, and the necessity of prayer. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Barrett is the 11th general secretary of The General Council of the Assemblies of God. Her final day in office is December 31, 2025.

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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

"Young men are leading a religious resurgence," wrote Erica Pandey in a May 10, 2025 report on Axios.com.

"Within older generations, there's a consistent gender gap among Christians, with women more likely to be religious than men," she explained.

"Within Gen Z, the gap has closed, as young men join the church and young women leave it. If the current trajectory sticks, the gender gap will flip."

Are churches ready to minister to the young men returning to church? Are they ready to minister to men at all? And if they are, what are the best ways to do so?

Those are the kinds of question I discuss with Rick Allen in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Rick Allen is an ordained Assemblies of God minister and national director of Men's Ministries and Light for the Lost.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of 30 Under 30.

In 30 Under 30: Young Adults in Scripture Who Heard from God, you'll meet 30 young adults from the Bible who had their own defining moments. Heroes or cautionary tales—they all had a choice. This isn't just a history lesson. It's a call to action. God still speaks, and if you're willing to listen, He's got something to say to you.

For more information about the 30 Under 30, visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

The season of Advent begins this Sunday, November 30, and ends, appropriately enough, on Christmas Eve — Sunday, December 24.

No doubt many churches will sing Isaac Watts' "Joy to the World" throughout this season, especially on Christmas Eve. But did you know that Watts wrote that song to celebrate the Second Coming, not the birth of Jesus Christ?

Advent celebrates both in the Christian tradition. It looks backward to the First Coming and forward to the Second Coming. It is a thoroughly historical and end-times holiday season.

In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Allen Tennison about the relationship between Advent and eschatology. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Tennison is theological counsel of The General Council of the Assemblies of God.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.

Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.

For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

This past Tuesday, the Executive Presbytery of the Assemblies of God announced that Brad Kesler will succeed Donna Barrett as general secretary of the Fellowship. Kesler's first day in office is January 1, 2026. He will serve the remainder of Barrett's unexpired term.

Kesler has been an ordained AG minister since 2000. He has served as a youth pastor in Sitka, Alaska, and a senior pastor in Juneau. For 15 years, he worked as business administrator in the Alaska Ministry Network and nine years as district secretary.

Since 2024, he has served as assistant to the general secretary, providing that office with administrative and technical support.

In Episode 406 of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Kesler about his life, ministry, and the duties of his new office, as well as his forthcoming book on ministerial ethics, Trusted with Treasure, published by Gospel Publishing House early next year.

I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.

Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.

For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.