In this episode of The Ministry Exchange, Bishop Keith W. Reed Sr. shares the powerful leadership principles that have sustained his 43-year pastorate at Sharon Baptist Church in Philadelphia.

With wisdom forged through decades of ministry, Bishop Reed recounts a pivotal shift in his leadership: choosing not to be a “one-man band,” but an orchestra conductor who empowers others to flourish. Drawing from Scripture and seasoned mentors like Dr. Willie Richardson and Dr. E.K. Bailey, he explains how staffing for his weaknesses—and trusting capable people—brought strength and longevity to his ministry.

This conversation explores:

• How expository preaching combats biblical illiteracy
• Why authentic, approachable leadership fosters healthy congregations
• Burnout prevention through delegation and self-awareness
• The role of friendship, rest, and reading in ministry sustainability
• What it means to “gather wheat from every man’s field, but make your own bread”

For pastors and leaders at every stage, Bishop Reed offers a masterclass in building people, protecting your soul, and leading with both conviction and humility.

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Thanks for tuning in to The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson
Where real conversations meet real ministry.

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🎙️ The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson is powered by MinistryForward Media Group, helping churches and leaders grow through media, strategy, and leadership tools.

📲 Stay Connected:
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @ministryfwd / @drjwmapson
Visit our website: www.ministryfwd.com
(coming soon)
Watch episodes on YouTube: Search “The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson”

Want to collaborate or sponsor an episode?
Reach out at: [email protected]

This episode is proudly sponsored by Terry Funeral Home Inc.
For over 85 years, Terry Funeral Home has walked with families through life’s most sacred moments, offering care, dignity, and excellence when it matters most. Learn more at terryfuneralhome.com.

This episode is also supported by our Silver Partner, Palmer Theological Seminary.
Whole Gospel. Whole World. Whole Persons. Palmer equips leaders for transformative, justice-centered ministry through theological depth and holistic formation. Learn more at palmerseminary.edu.

What does it mean to lead with vision, grace, and grit—while staying rooted in both tradition and innovation? In this episode of The Ministry Exchange, Rev. Dr. Lester W. Taylor Jr. joins Dr. J. Wendell Mapson Jr. for a rich conversation about legacy leadership, spiritual discernment, and building ministry that lasts.

From growing up in South Jersey and playing piano in church at age nine, to leading Community Baptist Church of Englewood for over 30 years, Dr. Taylor’s story is marked by discipline, clarity, and Spirit-led conviction. He shares how a pivotal moment in his calling led him to prioritize preaching while remaining deeply connected to music ministry—using both gifts to shape a worship culture that reaches across generations.

This episode also explores the unprecedented 1996 merger between a Baptist and Holiness congregation, and how worship design, denominational leadership, and theological formation have shaped Dr. Taylor’s impact over time. Influenced by preaching giants like A. Lewis Patterson and Bishop G.E. Patterson, he now mentors the next generation as both a pastor and professor.

Listeners will gain insight into:

• How to lead one congregation through decades of growth and change
• What it takes to blend tradition and innovation in worship
• The wisdom behind denominational engagement—and where it falls short
• How to embrace change as part of God’s growth process
• What lasting fruit looks like in ministry today

Whether you’re pastoring a growing church, navigating generational shifts, or seeking clarity in your call, this episode offers both practical wisdom and spiritual encouragement for leaders who want to build something that remains.

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in to The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson
Where real conversations meet real ministry.

🎙️ Enjoying the podcast? Support the show ⬇️
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🎙️ The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson is powered by MinistryForward Media Group, helping churches and leaders grow through media, strategy, and leadership tools.

📲 Stay Connected:
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @ministryfwd / @drjwmapson
Visit our website: www.ministryfwd.com
(coming soon)
Watch episodes on YouTube: Search “The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson”

Want to collaborate or sponsor an episode?
Reach out at: [email protected]

This episode is proudly sponsored by Terry Funeral Home Inc.
For over 85 years, Terry Funeral Home has walked with families through life’s most sacred moments, offering care, dignity, and excellence when it matters most. Learn more at terryfuneralhome.com.

This episode is also supported by our Silver Partner, Palmer Theological Seminary.
Whole Gospel. Whole World. Whole Persons. Palmer equips leaders for transformative, justice-centered ministry through theological depth and holistic formation. Learn more at palmerseminary.edu.

What does it look like to lead with clarity, courage, and consistency—across pulpits, classrooms, and communities? In this episode of The Ministry Exchange, Rev. Dr. Danielle L. Brown joins Dr. J. Wendell Mapson Jr. for a powerful conversation about calling, character, and the kind of leadership the Church needs today.

From receiving her call to preach at age 13 to becoming the first woman to lead the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in Plainfield, NJ, Dr. Brown’s journey is one marked by intentional preparation, trusted mentorship, and spiritual resilience. She opens up about her years at Cathedral International, the influence of leaders like Bishop Donald Hilliard Jr. and Rev. Dr. Bernadette Glover, and the formative advice that helped her embrace her call early: “Honor God first.”

This episode also explores how her time as a three-sport athlete at Virginia State University uniquely equipped her for ministry leadership. She shares how lessons from the court—discipline, team roles, accountability—directly shape her pastoral philosophy and approach to building healthy ministry teams.

Listeners will gain insight into:

• How to discern and respond to a call at any age
• Why listening before leading is essential in new ministry contexts
• The value of mentorship and preparation in shaping effective leadership
• How to build and empower ministry teams with vision and structure
• What it means to lead as a woman in historically male-dominated spaces

Whether you’re a senior pastor, emerging leader, or someone seeking to serve faithfully where you are, this conversation offers both inspiration and strategy for living out your purpose with excellence.

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in to The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson
Where real conversations meet real ministry.

🎙️ Enjoying the podcast? Support the show ⬇️
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2456465/supporters/new

🎙️ The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson is powered by MinistryForward Media Group, helping churches and leaders grow through media, strategy, and leadership tools.

📲 Stay Connected:
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @ministryfwd / @drjwmapson
Visit our website: www.ministryfwd.com
(coming soon)
Watch episodes on YouTube: Search “The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson”

Want to collaborate or sponsor an episode?
Reach out at: [email protected]

This episode is proudly sponsored by Terry Funeral Home Inc.
For over 85 years, Terry Funeral Home has walked with families through life’s most sacred moments, offering care, dignity, and excellence when it matters most. Learn more at terryfuneralhome.com.

This episode is also supported by our Silver Partner, Palmer Theological Seminary.
Whole Gospel. Whole World. Whole Persons. Palmer equips leaders for transformative, justice-centered ministry through theological depth and holistic formation. Learn more at palmerseminary.edu.

What does it take to finish well—and set others up to begin?

In this powerful episode of The Ministry Exchange, Rev. Dr. J. Wendell Mapson Jr. sits down with his lifelong friend and ministry brother, Bishop Walter S. Thomas Sr., Pastor Emeritus of New Psalmist Baptist Church. After 50 years of leading one of the nation’s most influential congregations, Bishop Thomas offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the private decisions, personal sacrifices, and prophetic clarity required to lead well—and let go well.

If you’ve ever wrestled with questions like:

• How do I know when my season is ending?
• What does healthy succession actually look like?
• Can the church I’ve built continue without me at the helm?

…this conversation is for you.

Bishop Thomas speaks with deep honesty about transitioning from the pulpit before being forced to, planning a succession that prioritizes the church’s future over personal legacy, and recognizing that your successor isn’t supposed to be your shadow—but their own shepherd.

They reflect on decades of shared friendship, the formative influence of leaders like Dr. Charles Booth and Dr. Harold Carter Sr., and the unique bond that holds Black pastors together through seasons of grief, growth, and change.

You’ll also hear timely wisdom for today’s church:

“The post-COVID church cannot do ministry with a pre-COVID mindset.”

From leadership burnout to pastoral transition, from generational shifts to the sacred trust of legacy—this episode is a masterclass in ministry longevity.

Whether you’re building, leading, or letting go, this exchange will challenge and inspire you.

🎧 Subscribe now and join the conversation.

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in to The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson
Where real conversations meet real ministry.

🎙️ Enjoying the podcast? Support the show ⬇️
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2456465/supporters/new

🎙️ The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson is powered by MinistryForward Media Group, helping churches and leaders grow through media, strategy, and leadership tools.

📲 Stay Connected:
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @ministryfwd / @drjwmapson
Visit our website: www.ministryfwd.com
(coming soon)
Watch episodes on YouTube: Search “The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson”

Want to collaborate or sponsor an episode?
Reach out at: [email protected]

This episode is proudly sponsored by Terry Funeral Home Inc.
For over 85 years, Terry Funeral Home has walked with families through life’s most sacred moments, offering care, dignity, and excellence when it matters most. Learn more at terryfuneralhome.com.

This episode is also supported by our Silver Partner, Palmer Theological Seminary.
Whole Gospel. Whole World. Whole Persons. Palmer equips leaders for transformative, justice-centered ministry through theological depth and holistic formation. Learn more at palmerseminary.edu.

What happens when ministry becomes performance—and pastors become personalities?

In this episode of The Ministry Exchange, Dr. J. Wendell Mapson Jr. sits down with longtime friend and ministry peer Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, Senior Pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Together, they confront one of the most urgent questions facing the Black Church today: Have we traded the shepherd’s heart for the spotlight?

Dr. Waller, a fourth-generation preacher raised in a home where legends like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gardner Taylor once gathered, shares how his musical calling eventually yielded to a pastoral assignment at Enon—a church he’s grown to more than 15,000 members across two campuses.

But behind the numbers is a deeper truth: real ministry can’t be manufactured. From celebrity culture in the pulpit to the growing disconnect between Sunday worship and weekday service, this conversation offers a timely challenge: “If you didn’t do anything last week and don’t plan on doing anything next week, why should God show up Sunday morning?”

Dr. Waller and Dr. Mapson wrestle with:

• The rise of ego-driven leadership and how it threatens the church’s witness
• Why power structures in ministry often shift from one extreme to the other
• How justice isn’t optional—it’s biblical
• What it means to lead a church that doesn’t just “do church,” but lives out the gospel every day

Whether you’re a pastor trying to rebuild trust, a church leader rethinking your ministry’s mission, or someone wrestling with what faithful leadership looks like in this cultural moment—this episode is both a mirror and a map.

Listen in—and discover how generational wisdom can help us move forward without losing what matters most.

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in to The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson
Where real conversations meet real ministry.

🎙️ Enjoying the podcast? Support the show ⬇️
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2456465/supporters/new

🎙️ The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson is powered by MinistryForward Media Group, helping churches and leaders grow through media, strategy, and leadership tools.

📲 Stay Connected:
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @ministryfwd / @drjwmapson
Visit our website: www.ministryfwd.com
(coming soon)
Watch episodes on YouTube: Search “The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson”

Want to collaborate or sponsor an episode?
Reach out at: [email protected]

This episode is proudly sponsored by Terry Funeral Home Inc.
For over 85 years, Terry Funeral Home has walked with families through life’s most sacred moments, offering care, dignity, and excellence when it matters most. Learn more at terryfuneralhome.com.

This episode is also supported by our Silver Partner, Palmer Theological Seminary.
Whole Gospel. Whole World. Whole Persons. Palmer equips leaders for transformative, justice-centered ministry through theological depth and holistic formation. Learn more at palmerseminary.edu.

Church attendance is shifting. Leadership styles are evolving. Worship doesn’t sound—or feel—the same. So here’s the question no one wants to ask out loud: Is the Black Church still on fire… or just burning out?

In this premiere episode, Dr. J. Wendell Mapson Jr. pulls back the curtain on the current state of the Black Church—what’s changed, what’s fading, and what’s still worth fighting for. With over 60 years in ministry, he’s not here to point fingers… but to spark a conversation that’s long overdue.

This episode is for:
 → Pastors wondering if their church is still making impact
 → Leaders trying to reach a new generation without losing the old one
 → Anyone who believes the Black Church still matters—deeply

Real talk. Deep wisdom. A much-needed firestarter.

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in to The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson
Where real conversations meet real ministry.

🎙️ Enjoying the podcast? Support the show ⬇️
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2456465/supporters/new

🎙️ The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson is powered by MinistryForward Media Group, helping churches and leaders grow through media, strategy, and leadership tools.

📲 Stay Connected:
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @ministryfwd / @drjwmapson
Visit our website: www.ministryfwd.com
(coming soon)
Watch episodes on YouTube: Search “The Ministry Exchange with Dr. Mapson”

Want to collaborate or sponsor an episode?
Reach out at: [email protected]

This episode is proudly sponsored by Terry Funeral Home Inc.
For over 85 years, Terry Funeral Home has walked with families through life’s most sacred moments, offering care, dignity, and excellence when it matters most. Learn more at terryfuneralhome.com.

This episode is also supported by our Silver Partner, Palmer Theological Seminary.
Whole Gospel. Whole World. Whole Persons. Palmer equips leaders for transformative, justice-centered ministry through theological depth and holistic formation. Learn more at palmerseminary.edu.