Lead On Podcast

On this episode of the Lead On Podcast, Jeff Iorg, president of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, emphasizes the importance of intentional leadership development in ministry. He argues against the passive approach of waiting for leaders to emerge naturally, advocating instead for proactive strategies such as 1-on-1 training and closed small groups. Iorg suggests that effective leadership development requires commitment and time investment.

On this episode of the Lead On Podcast, Jeff Iorg, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, discusses the challenges and responsibilities of preaching on difficult subjects within the ministry. Overall, Iorg stressed the need for thoughtful engagement with challenging issues while maintaining a commitment to biblical truth and pastoral care.

On this episode of the Lead On Podcast, Jeff Iorg discusses the concept of institutional grief, which occurs when a grief-inducing event impacts a large portion of an organization simultaneously.  Iorg emphasizes the importance of understanding the complexities of institutional grief and providing appropriate leadership during these challenging times.

In this episode of the Lead On Podcast, Jeff Iorg discusses the importance of churches adopting three key evangelism strategies: attraction, engagement, and infiltration. While many churches focus on attracting people to events or engaging them through programs, Jeff emphasizes the often-neglected yet crucial infiltration strategy. This involves deploying church members into secular environments, like sports leagues, workplaces, and schools, to build relationships and share the gospel in everyday contexts. He encourages leaders to lay a strong biblical foundation for infiltration through preaching and personal example, support initial efforts with recognition, and train members to share the gospel. By adopting these methods, churches can break out of the Christian subculture and impact the broader community more effectively.

In this episode of the Lead On podcast, Jeff Iorg, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, addresses the challenges of ministry leadership, particularly the tendency for Christian leaders to become isolated within Christian circles. Inspired by Chuck Lawless's article, Iorg reflects on questions that probe whether leaders are too cocooned among believers, have made evangelism purely a corporate effort, or lack intentional personal engagement with non-Christians. He emphasizes the importance of breaking out of this Christian subculture to share the gospel personally. Iorg identifies personal and theological barriers, such as fear of failure, fear of cultural engagement, concerns about compromise, and misconceptions about church and discipleship. He advocates for intentionality in changing one's thinking, schedule, and involvement in activities that connect with non-Christians, urging leaders to model gospel-sharing in their daily lives.

In this episode of the Lead On podcast, Jeff Iorg, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee, discusses the importance of handling difficult conversations in ministry leadership. He emphasizes that such conversations, whether with coworkers, church leaders, family members, or others, require careful consideration of both the immediate issue and the overarching mission of discipleship and gospel sharing. Iorg highlights the need to consider the other person's perspective, including age, emotional and spiritual maturity, cultural background, and experiences. He also stresses the importance of choosing the right setting and timing, engaging in active listening, and avoiding the misuse of scripture. Prayer and the thoughtful use of biblical principles can support these conversations, ensuring they are conducted with integrity and compassion.

In this episode of the Lead On podcast, Jeff Iorg, president of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, discusses practical aspects of ministry leadership, particularly addressing the challenge of dealing with angry people. Iorg observes that anger is prevalent in today's culture and often spills into churches and ministry contexts. He explains that anger typically arises from feelings of threat, whether physical, relational, personal, or related to one's possessions or identity. He provides various examples and emphasizes that ministry leaders can often become unintended targets of displaced anger. Iorg advises leaders to recognize different expressions of anger, such as hostile humor, nagging, and withdrawal, and to handle these situations with patience and firmness. He underscores the importance of addressing the root causes of anger and using these moments as opportunities for discipleship and spiritual growth. Ultimately, Iorg encourages leaders to maintain a compassionate yet firm stance, sometimes requiring confrontation and containment of destructive behavior to protect the ministry's mission.

In this episode of the Lead On podcast, Jeff Iorg, president of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, discusses the importance and implications of church autonomy in his podcast. He explains that autonomy, meaning self-governing and self-determining, is a core Baptist principle allowing churches to independently manage their leaders, finances, doctrine, and practices. This extends to associations and conventions, which are also autonomous. While autonomy fosters church strength, innovation, and doctrinal consistency, it can also lead to challenges like lack of intervention in struggling churches and limited accountability. Despite these downsides, Iorg emphasizes the positives, advocating for the autonomy of churches to maintain their unique approaches and responsibilities in ministry.

In this episode of the Lead On podcast, Jeff Iorg, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, discusses the significance of reading biographies for ministry leadership. He emphasizes that leaders should be readers, particularly of biographies, as they offer insights into how God can work through individuals to achieve remarkable outcomes. Biographies provide a slow, deliberate means of learning, allowing leaders to sharpen their minds and gain new perspectives. He encourages leaders to embrace the depth and inspiration found in biographies to enhance their leadership potential and broaden their understanding of God's providence.

In this episode of the Lead On podcast, Jeff Iorg, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, discusses the role of competition in Christianity, reflecting on his experiences as the chaplain for the San Francisco Giants and broader ministry leadership. He argues that competition is healthy for Christians and can coexist with their faith. Iorg emphasizes that true competition is not about defeating others but maximizing one's God-given potential. He outlines four key principles: understanding competition's nature as an internal challenge, focusing on controllable aspects like preparation and effort, competing for an audience of one (God), and using competition to serve and uplift others. By adhering to these principles, Christians, especially athletes, can compete intensely while maintaining their faith and integrity.