WOODSTOCK, Ga.
– Southern Baptist pastors will be the beneficiaries of a new leadership
development partnership between the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the
Timothy Barnabas ministry.
“One thing we hear consistently is that in addition to starting new churches,
Southern Baptists need to do a better job taking care of existing churches,”
NAMB president Kevin Ezell said.
“Leadership development for pastors is one of the ways we can do that. My hope
is to see the Timothy Barnabas conference become an equipping and growing place
for pastors but also a place where they can come and relax and be appreciated.
That’s what we want to do,” Ezell said.
Through the partnership, NAMB will provide office
space for Timothy Barnabas at its Alpharetta, Ga.,
offices along with need-based scholarships for
church leaders and a more regionalized approach to Timothy Barnabas conferences
through Southern Baptist state partners.
Started in 1994 through the leadership of Johnny Hunt, pastor of First
Baptist Church
in Woodstock, Ga.,
Timothy Barnabas has provided leadership development through instruction,
encouragement and networking at annual events such as pastors’ retreats and men’s
conferences. The partnership is aimed at providing reproducible and
contextualized experiences that would help meet needs region by region.
Hunt sees the NAMB partnership as a natural outgrowth of what Timothy Barnabas
is all about.
“I am ecstatic about the partnership Timothy Barnabas has formed with the North
American Mission Board,” Hunt said. “NAMB has supported this ministry for many
years, but we now are becoming close ministry partners utilizing the strengths
of both our organizations.
“We will be more effective as will NAMB, and the primary beneficiary will be
pastors and church leaders. With NAMB’s help, we will be able to reach more
areas across the country that need leadership development greatly,” Hunt said.
First Baptist Woodstock’s executive pastor,
Jim Law, and NAMB vice president of evangelization Larry Wynn will provide
direct leadership as the organizations develop ministry strategies in the
coming months.
Wynn said Timothy Barnabas fits the model for leadership development NAMB is
moving toward in its overarching Send North America strategy.
“For a pastor to continue to minister effectively, he has to continue to grow
and to learn,” Wynn said. “Rather than reinvent the wheel, we wanted to
research best practices, and Timothy Barnabas is one of the few ministries
doing this kind of concentrated work.”
Law said Timothy Barnabas would add to its cache of speakers several leaders
and practitioners working with NAMB and would look soon at expanding conference
venues into regions such as the Northeast and Canada.
The ministry also is interested in drawing younger leaders.
“We older guys would like to help younger pastors avoid a lot of mistakes we’ve
made coming along,” Law said. “I’ve been in ministry 38 years and I’ve made a
lot of mistakes, and we’re trying to teach pastors and church leaders what we’ve
learned through the school of hard knocks.”
Ezell said the partnership is an important step for NAMB and one marking the
beginning of much more to come.
“This is something we can get started with right away. I believe this will
build momentum for both our ministries and provide a foundation for building up
men and families who will help lead Great Commission efforts in North
America,” Ezell said.
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Adam Miller writes for the North American Mission Board.)