At any time in Kentucky Baptist life there are roughly 300 KBC churches looking for their next pastor. In June the number was 288 and in July it was 312. Local churches do not thrive without faithful God-called pastors preaching the word, leading the mission and caring for people. But many of these sister churchesContinue reading “Together for the Mission: Helping Churches Find Pastors”
Category Archives: Leadership
Making it Up as We Go
Podcaster and leadership expert Carey Nieuwhof said in a recent interview with John Ortberg that he holds to an unpublished view of leadership that most of us are “making it up as we go.” Nieuwhof seems to be saying most leaders do not arrive at their leadership position knowing all they will need to knowContinue reading “Making it Up as We Go”
Attend KBC Faith and Public Policy Forum
There are at least two schools of thought when it comes to the role of pastors, elders and ministry leaders being involved in shaping public policy (i.e. laws). Some believe that pastors have no voice whatsoever in the law-making process. They hold to a view of the separation of church and state that would silence faith-based voices in the public square. OthersContinue reading “Attend KBC Faith and Public Policy Forum “
Keys for Revitalization
During July, many of us have been praying for the revitalization of rural Kentucky Baptist churches. But what is church revitalization, and what are some keys to experiencing it? Church revitalization could be defined as a local church functioning in the way it was intended by its Creator. Acts 2:42-47 is often used as a picture of a healthy church. The believers in this early congregation were gathering frequently,Continue reading “Keys for Revitalization”
Partners in the Gospel
The Apostle Paul expressed in clear terms his appreciation to the Philippian believers because of their gospel partnership. Paul wrote Philippians 1:3-5, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” The Philippians were financial supporters of Paul’s gospel work, and heContinue reading “Partners in the Gospel”
Consider Going to Them
Knocking on doors in hopes of sharing the gospel has been part of my life for 35 years of ministry leadership. I learned to share the gospel at age 25 and have been involved in door-to-door evangelism since age 26. Front door evangelism is not the only way to share the gospel, but it remains one way to access many people with the hope of Christ. There are plenty ofContinue reading “Consider Going to Them”
Helpful and Respectful Feedback
I recently wrote an article summarizing my time at the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting. The link to that article is here. One of our faithful Kentucky Baptist pastors reached out sharing why he was unable to attend the SBC, and his reason for not going to the annual gathering of Southern Baptists highlights some of the challenges being faced by many of our Kentucky Baptists families. I found his feedback helpful and thoughtContinue reading “Helpful and Respectful Feedback”
Why Attend the SBC Annual Meeting
I didn’t attend the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting when I pastored churches in Kentucky and Indiana. The churches I served were all supporters of our SBC mission work through the Cooperative Program and the annual missions offerings, but attending the convention was just not something we normally did. My current role as the executive director for the Kentucky Baptist Convention assumes that I do attend the SBC Annual Meeting, and I am glad to do so. Continue reading “Why Attend the SBC Annual Meeting”
Lectio Divina
One of the most important parts of my daily routine is time with the Lord in His word and prayer. For all of my adult life I have been an early riser — greeting each morning with a cup of coffee, a journal, a Bible and prayer. This daily discipline stems from the pattern of Jesus in Mark 1:35. That verse says about Christ, “And rising very earlyContinue reading “Lectio Divina”
Praying Blessings on Churches
Some of us pray for Kentucky Baptist churches daily, or at least occasionally, the following prayer: That every KBC church will be a thriving church and that every leader will be a cared for leader. The heart behind that prayer is the conviction that churches were meant to thrive – to do well – impacting their communities with the gospel. The secondContinue reading “Praying Blessings on Churches”
Dr. Todd Gray 