This week on The Church Leadership Podcast, Mark and Andy get the opportunity to spend some time talking with Kenneth Priest. Kenneth serves the Southern Baptist Convention of Texas as the Senior Strategist for Cooperative Ministries, along with being the Founder and Director Ad Interim of the Center for Church Revitalization  at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. During this episode, you will hear the heart and passion of someone committed church revitalization, as we discuss the current trends of increase in church closures, pastoral burnout, and the effects of COVID. As you listen, we will also hear some encouraging reports of good things happening right now, the importance of text driven preaching, along with some practical tools to help local churches in their efforts to reach their communities. If you are experiencing discouragement in ministry, or if you are wondering what your next steps might be while serving in a church in need of revitalization, please reach out to us at markandandy@churchleadershippodcast.com, and we will be glad to pray with you and help in any way we can.

“And that’s kind of the key in revitalization, if you want to see the church turn around, you’ve got to connect to the community.”

“It’s gonna be 2021 and 2022, that we have the major impact of COVID on the local Church, especially the church that needed to be revitalized.”

“When you break it down, it’s evangelism and discipleship. According to the Great Commission, it is both, and we are not supposed to split that atom…”

“There’s still a mindset of functioning like we did in the ’70’s and ’80’s, to build something and they will come. It’s not the field of dreams. It’s the hospital of hope.”

“If you can’t commit to this for three years, we can’t turn it around.”

“So, if you’re not willing to be fired over this, maybe this is not something you should engage in either.”

“My goal is to see the autonomous, local church not survive, but thrive.”