From Jason Skipper:
JS: Tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? How did you grow up? Did you grow up in a Christian home? When did you come to trust Christ?
GL; I was born in the same area in which I now pastor. I had heard the Gospel many times as a child, but refused to trust Christ. I was heavy into the world of Rap music for most of my early teens. I was expelled from the local high school, on probation five times and was eventually sent to a children’s home 40 miles away. I was almost 16 at this point. It was at the home that I trusted Christ at a youth revival meeting. For a much more detailed account, you can listen to my “Unshackled” story. http://www.unshackled.org/listen_03.html (#2735)
JS: How old are you at present?
GL: I am 33. My wife Melissa and I have been married for 13 years and we have three boys: Hudson-Taylor, Evan Roberts and Malachi Gregory
JS: Tell us of your post-conversion years. Did you not spend time as an evangelist?
GL: I lived at the children’s home for four years. I then went to Ambassador Baptist College in North Carolina. The Lord was very gracious to us as a young couple and we were able to launch into evangelism and travelled extensively for 10 years. We held meetings in 43 states and 15 foreign countries. Three years into my travels I also completed a masters Degree in “Revival History” from the Baptist Theological School of New England.
JS: What moved you to come off of the road and pastor a church?
GL: There are several factors that make up our transition a little over three years ago. First and foremost was my continual burden for a solid, Bible preaching church in my hometown of Mount Juliet, TN. Several years before we started Global Vision, I helped a young man plant a church about 15 miles away. We were able to help a great deal financially from our book royalties. I thought that this would relieve my burden. However, it turns out that it only intensified it. Another factor was my growing weariness with the stereotypical idea of the modern day evangelist. While I do believe that God has gifted some men with the ability to handle travelling and hold multiple meetings; the Lord brought me to a place of absolute boredom with it. We had averaged 700 services a year for many years. Amazing doors were opened to us, but I was tired of seeing lives touched and then leaving those people behind. I longed for a more close knit personal relationship with people. I wanted to be a part of their spiritual progress and growth. I have many friends in evangelism to this day, and I thank God for them. But I was restless over the “seven suits and seven sermons” idea. My heart was bursting at the seams to preach expositionally through whole books of the Bible. I wanted to get involved in people’s lives. If I might speak so boldly, I think we have over travelled the “evangelist” when in fact he is a New Testament church planter.
JS: How do you enjoy being a church pastor?
GL: Words could not describe the joy I have experienced in pastoring GVBC. Indeed it has been more difficult than originally expected, but I thank God for the honor. In my mind there is no comparison between evangelism and the pastorate. Although I still get out a few times to preach through the months, I feel like my preaching has more of a platform. It didn’t take very long at all for the Lord to flip the switch in my heart. I will have to say that the transition took longer for my wife than myself. I have received numerous opportunities to pastor elsewhere. But I so dearly love the people of Global Vision Baptist Church. We have just crossed the 3 year mark and we are all growing together.
JS: What is your greatest concern for the people that you pastor?
GL: I never want them to get caught up in religious politics. Our church is in no one group or camp, and by the grace of God it is going to stay that way. We need no other approval other than the New Testament.
JS: Looking back over your ministry, can you define any significant shifts in your thinking as regards fundamentalism? Are you a historic fundamentalist, a cultural fundamentalist, or do you define yourself in some other manner?
GL: Wow, that’s a huge question. I am certainly a historical fundamentalist. I do believe however that the term has been greatly abused and misrepresented. I find it distasteful that so many have the idea that their standards, preferences and traditions are to be engraved as “fundamentals” of the faith. Our church stands uncompromisingly on the authority of God’s Word. We let folks know right up front where we stand on Biblical doctrines. It was a glorious day in my ministry when I realized I can be a fundamental Bible believer and not be a jerk about it! I call it being bold without being belligerent. I would have to say that I have changed my thinking in a number of areas. All of us are products of our training. We all, at some time or another, repeat things we have heard others say. I used to say a lot of “Amen” statements because of the crowd I was with. As a Pastor now, I would not have had myself in for a revival in my younger years. Not because I was a heretic, but because I wasn’t gracious enough. I have found that fighting over women in pants, going to movies, Southern Baptists, Billy Graham, 1611, BJU vs. PCC, ect is nothing more than a huge waste of everyone’s time. I heard a message the other day that I had preached years ago and I made a few critical statements about screens on the wall in church. Well, we have two and we use them in every service. I think far too often our POSITION is right but our DISPOSITION is horridly wrong. In a nutshell: God has had to break me so I could learn to work with broken people.
JS: What do you anticipate in the future for your ministry? For fundamentalism?
GL: As far as GVBC is concerned, the Lord is doing great wonders in our midst. We are still a very young church. We have very little transfer growth. We have mostly new converts and unchurched folks. We don’t yet have our own building and we are currently in our 15th location. We started with a handful and through much trial and error, we have grown to about 130 people. I really sense God at work in our midst. My heart is here and I pray that God will allow me to be faithful for many more years to come.
Now for Fundamentalism…..I’m not a prophet, but the “movement” needs a major revival. Several new church planters have gone with the word “vintage.” I like that tag a bit better. The word these days has truly become an “f” word gives off a weird picture of a guy with a towel on his head or a Jim Jones group or even some ridiculous excuse for a Baptist church that has a non KJV Bible burning as a publicity stunt. I am a fundamentalist in the doctrine in which I believe and in the stand that I take. But I am in no one’s mold and will not be manipulated by the self appointed “popes” of the Independent Baptist movement. I fear that the fundamental movement that we have known is afraid of the culture, and therefore is rapidly becoming a nice sermon illustration of “the good ole days.”
From Will Dudding:
WD: From your experience in traveling around the country, what is your opinion of the current state of fundamentalism?
GL: Because of my previous response to “Fundamentalism”, let me just say that: It was a day of great liberation when I learned that God is able to use people whom I disagree with. I think we have thrown a lot of godly people “under the bus” and we need to wake up and see that God is bigger than our little fundy-bubble world.
WD: Do you see any signs of a major move of the younger generation of fundamentalists to a more biblical approach to ministry (IE: expository preaching, commitment to theology, true evangelism and not easy believe-ism, focus on making disciples, graciousness in fellowship and separation, etc…)? Or is this found only a in few isolated incidents like us?
GL: That is a great question and the answer is a resounding, YES! I believe that guys are beginning to see the major importance for life change in expository preaching. For me, it has been the redirection of my entire ministry. I also think that many are beginning to understand the importance of relationship evangelism and not just screen door foolishness. The newspaper can quote all the numbers they want about salvations; I want to know whose lives are changing. Discipleship has been embarrassingly overlooked and it seems that now many pastors are finding the right balance. Sad to say that some young men have been treated like trash and have “thrown the baby out with the bath water” so to speak. I know of dozens of men that have gone way out into left field of liberalism. I certainly do not believe there is wisdom in that, but I do have a better understanding of why they leave. Our movement has been marked by ego, harshness, secondary separation and flat out meanness all in the name of being filled with the Spirit. In my travels I would say that across the board, my generation is seeing God do amazing things as we find who God made us to be and refuse to be crammed into the mold of an Alumni status.
WD: When someone says Independent Fundamental Baptist, what do you want to come to people’s minds? In other words, what should be the hallmarks that identify us?
GL: I tell folks that indeed we are an Independent, Fundamental Baptist Church. But the difference is simple: I didn’t start a church so that Independent, Fundamental Baptists would show up. We are reaching brand new folks for Christ. I’m not interested in another churches sheep. I want to reach the lowest of the low and train them in the unchanging doctrines of God’s Word. As far as the movement is concerned, I can’t make a identifiable assessment. But in regards to Global Vision Baptist Church, we are known and want to continue to be known for 3 very simple things.
POWERFUL PREACHING
EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY
RADICAL COMPASSION
In conclusion I would like to say to those young men in fundamental circles considering the ministry….. I can think of no higher calling than that of a New Testament Pastor. I would strongly encourage you to press forward with the burden that God has placed within your heart. Don’t let anyone rob you of your calling. To stand before people and declare “Thus saith the LORD” is an honor that we are unworthy of. We must take seriously the responsibility to be , as Spurrgeon said, ‘ a mouthpiece for deity.” It is not about our personalities or giftedness. The ministry is not about our education or the lack thereof. It is all about the glory of God. We must point men to HIM, and be through at once with man worship. You are to be the unique person that God has designed you to be. You get one shot at this fleeting life, so quit making excuses and jump head long into the work of reaching people for Christ. I’m not much of anything, but if I can ever lend a helping hand or serve you in any way, do not hesitate to call our office at 615-613-2385. May God bless you as your storm the gates of hell and show forth the majesty of Christ.