Thriving Church Leadership

In this episode of the Thriving Church Leadership podcast, host Joe Johnson interviews Brian Walker, president of the Grace Gospel Fellowship, to discuss the relationship between pastors and church boards. The conversation explores various board structures, their impact on pastor-board relationships, and strategies for building trust and effective communication.

00:00 - Church Ministry Collaboration: Pastors and Boards Uniting

11:27 - Building Trust

15:04 - Gracious Interpretation is Essential Between Pastors and Boards

21:07 - Encouragement and Appreciation in Church Teamwork

24:42 - Trust is Complex, But Critical

36:33 - Respect for Passionate Pastors and Board Members

In this episode, we’ll meet Joe Johnson, pastor at Parkside Bible Church in Holland, MI, and the new host of the podcast.

Today, Bryan and Joe discuss transitions and positions in church leadership, providing fresh perspectives, addressing the differences between how pastors and board members see things, and touching on logistics in board nominations.

Whether you’re a pastor, a board member, or someone interested in church leadership, there's much to learn from this enriching conversation. Tune in below!

00:00 - Introduction

02:46 - The New Perspective on Leadership

5:18 - Training for Pastors & Board Members

8:22 - The Pastoral Perspective

10:00 - Board Members’ Perspective

14:12 - Uniqueness of Pastors

17:46 - CEO vs. Pastor Dynamics

20:32 - Addressing Assumptions

25:22 - Addressing Logistics in Board Nominations

In this episode:

00:00 - Introduction

02:04 - Today’s Guests

06:48 - What Does It Mean to Feel “Alone” In a Small Congregation?

10:38 - What Was It Like Being Received Into the Congregation?

17:55 - The Most Poignant Aspect of Aloneness

26:05 - Risks of Working Alone As a Pastor

29:26 - Transparency As a Pastor

33:13 - How Board Members Can Help Their Pastors

37:10 - Close Relationships Inside and Outside the Church

42:26 - Advice from Bryan Walker

47:00 - Helpful Resources

Resources Mentioned:

The Pastor: A Memoir - Eugene Peterson

We offer many different resources to help you thrive in your calling to shepherd the church. Reach out to us at [email protected] to get started!

In this episode, Pastor John Lowder and Dr. Bryan Walker welcome our special guest, Dr. Sam Vinton. As a vibrant 91-year-old, Dr. Sam has spent his entire lifetime in ministry and has a vast wealth of experience in a variety of service and leadership roles nationally and internationally. Throughout his life, Dr. Sam has invested himself fully into learning about God's Grace and demonstrating it to others around the world. Join us as we interview our dear friend and hear his life testimony and his reflection on the "Positivity in Grace".

In this episode:

00:00 - Introduction

01:00 - Special guests: Pastor John Lowder and Dr. Sam Vinton

03:30 - Dr. Sam Introduced

04:30 - Why are you still a Mid-Acts Dispensationalist?

06:45 - What influence did Charles Baker have on you?

09:20 - How did you feel teaching Mid-Acts Dispensationalism in a more Charismatic culture?

12:45 - What has kept you a Mid-Acts Dispensationalist?

14:50 - How do you respond to some of the challenges Mid-Acts Dispensationalism faces?

19:30 - Have you ever had doubts about Mid-Acts Dispensationalism?

23:40 - Final thoughts and encouragement

27:00 - Big thanks to Dr. Sam Vinton!

In this episode we welcome back Pastor John Lowder, the lead pastor of Frontline Bible Church in Byron Center, MI, and the Director of Pastoral Care at the Grace Gospel Fellowship, to help us interview today’s guest, Pastor Dave Cannon.

Pastor Dave Cannon has spent many years serving as a pastor in Florida. He first served as a pastor of a church in Inverness for 18 years before moving to Palm Bay, where he has been pastoring for the past 20 years. We are so grateful for his many years of service and look forward to learning more about his life and walk with God.

In this episode:

00:00 - Introduction

00:40 - Special guests: Pastor John Lowder and Pastor Dave Cannon

06:00 - How did you come to know Christ?

07:45 - How did you end up in Colorado?

09:45 - How did you hear the Grace message?

14:50 - When did you fully embrace Mid-Acts Dispensationalism?

17:35 - What is it that’s kept you a Mid-Acts Dispensationalist?

20:35 - How have you maintained your spirit of graciousness?

25:50 - Have you ever had doubts about Mid-Acts Dispensationalism?

28:00 - Final thoughts and encouragement

31:00 - Big thanks to Pastor Dave Cannon!

In this episode, Bryan welcomes two guests to the podcast: Pastor John Lowder and Pastor Rick Owlsley. 

Pastor John is the lead pastor of Frontline Bible Church in Byron Center, MI, and the Director of Pastoral Care at the Grace Gospel Fellowship. Pastor John will be helping us interview our guest, Pastor Rick Owlsley. We’ve invited Pastor Rick onto the podcast to glean the wisdom of our more seasoned pastors.  

Pastor Rick Owlsley currently serves at St. Louis Bible Fellowship where he has been pastoring for the past 26 years and has spent the past 50 years working in ministry. He is 72 years old and lives in St. Louis with his wife.

Before we get the interview underway, we just want to take the time to thank Pastor Rick for his lifetime of service in ministry. 50 years of ministry work is no small feat, and to continue to pastor at 72 years old just shows his love and dedication to God’s kingdom. So thank you Pastor Rick for the work you’ve done. We’re excited to start this interview and learn from someone who has spent their life in ministry.

In this episode, we have the honor of welcoming not one, but two guests to the podcast: Pastor John Lowder and Pastor Dan Wolgast. 

Pastor John is in the studio with us today. He is the lead pastor of Frontline Bible Church in Byron Center, MI, and the Director of Pastoral Care at the Grace Gospel Fellowship. He and Bryan have also been friends for a long time! Pastor John will be helping us interview our very special guest, Pastor Dan Wolgast. 

We’re so excited to have Pastor Dan join us over the phone today! He is 75 years old and has been married to his wife Sheila for 54 years. They have one son and five lovely grandchildren. Pastor Dan was born and raised in Michigan, but he’s spent the last 40 years living in Wisconsin. He has pastored two churches and is currently a professor at Berean Bible Institute.

In this episode:

00:00 - Introduction

00:45 - Special guests: Pastor John Lowder and Pastor Dan Wolgast

04:00 - First episode of a new miniseries

05:30 - How did you come to be a Mid-Acts Dispensationalist?

09:00 - How did you decide to become a pastor?

12:00 - What about Mid-Acts Dispensationalism has kept you dispensational?

17:20 - What does the freedom you’ve found mean practically in a person’s life?

20:25 - Have there been times when your position on this has been tested?

22:25 - How have you stayed so gracious?

24:25 - Final thoughts

26:30 - A big “thank you” to Pastor Dan!

In this episode, our special guests Ami Walker and Kaylee Johnson dive into their roles within the church themselves and as wives of church leaders.

It’s not news to anyone that the last several years have been incredibly tense and complex when it comes to the political scene in America. No one has felt this tension more than pastors, yet so many have had to forge their own paths forward without much help or support. 

In today’s episode, we offer some much-needed encouragement and advice for church leaders as they shepherd their congregations through these tumultuous times.

Our special guests for this episode are Pastor Cameron Townley and Pastor Matt Loverin.

Today, Brett and Bryan welcome Dr. Matt Loverin to the podcast to talk about spiritual discipline for church leaders. Matt teaches Bible and theology at Grace Christian University and is on the board at Grace Bible Fellowship in Jenison, MI.