An Interview with Brad Whitt

Dr. Brad Whitt is Pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina. He has served as President of the South Carolina Convention Pastor’s Conference, and authored “Young, Southern Baptist, and . . . Irrelevant?

SBC Today: Who are your three or four greatest “heroes in ministry”?
Brad Whitt: There are many men who’ve been my “heroes in ministry.” But since I’m a PK (Pastor’s Kid) I’d definitely have to put my father at the top of that list. I was raised by a godly father who showed me what real pastoral leadership was on a daily basis. When I was just a boy he would often take my brothers and me out on evangelistic visits during the week. We lived our lives with the leaders and people of the First Baptist Church of Milan, TN. He was a strong leader, faithfully preached the Bible and was a personal soul-winner. As I was growing up I knew that my father pastored one of the largest and most respected churches in that part of the state, but it was only after I moved off to college and had to start looking for a new church home that I began to realize just how great of a church I was blessed to have been raised in. Those early years under my father’s ministry have left an indelible mark not only upon my ministry, but my life. My dad is without a doubt my number one “hero in ministry.”

Since my dad is in a category by himself, three other pastors who had a tremendous impact upon my ministry, especially in my early years as a pastor, were Adrian Rogers, James Merritt and Steve Gaines. I was blessed to not only learn from their preaching, but to have them invest in me personally as a young pastor. I soaked up everything I could from them. I took advantage of any time that they would allow me to spend with them, watching how they interacted with people, and gleaned from their experience and wisdom. I drove them to and from the airport, went hunting with them, made special trips to see them, hung around any meeting where they were speaking. If I heard that they were preaching anywhere within driving distance I made it a point to be there. I knew that God had gifted them as pastors, preachers and leaders and I wanted to learn as much from them while I could. I’m so thankful that I did. Hardly a day goes by in my ministry where I don’t hear some truth from a sermon, piece of advice they gave while walking down a hallway or experience they shared riding to the airport speaking into my life and ministry.

These are three of my early “heroes in ministry.”  In recent years pastors like Bill Harrell and Randall Jones have given me their time, wisdom, friendship and counsel when I needed it most, and sometimes when I wanted it the least.  I am continually thankful for these “heroes” – godly, faithful, wise men of God who believed in and have mentored me over the years.  In more ways than I perhaps even realize, I am the pastor and man I am today because of their valuable investment in my life.

SBC Today: What do you see as the two or three greatest challenges facing the SBC?
Brad Whitt: I was raised with a front row seat to the Conservative Resurgence. With that as a reference point, I can’t help but believe that our denomination is standing at as critical of a crossroads as we did thirty years ago.

I believe that the greatest challenge we face as a denomination is one of leadership. There is no leader who can speak for pastors and churches alike from across the SBC like we have had in years past.  To be sure, we are a large, diverse denomination and so to keep us from looking and acting like a herd of cats, there must to be a leader. I believe that this is a biblical principle, not simply a practical necessity. Whenever there was a movement among the people of God, He raised up a leader to help them move forward together to accomplish what it was that He called them to do. We as a convention desperately need such a leader today.

The second challenge facing the SBC is a lack of agreement on how to best accomplish our mission as a denomination. Sure, our mission is the Great Commission, but there is no consensus on how we should move forward together to fulfill that mission. Should we send all of our money and missionaries to the far corners of the world to translate the Bible and plant churches? Should we put all of our resources into ending world hunger, curing AIDS, stopping child trafficking, or promoting adoption? Should we make sure that all of our churches radically remodel their ministries to one that only appeals to young, urban, hip “twenty-somethings”?  To be sure, a convention of churches as large and strong as the SBC ought to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. However, in order for the SBC to be effective and efficient in accomplishing its task, there must be some agreement not only on what our mission is, but how we can best fulfill the Great Commission.  My observation is that in recent years we seem to have become “a jack of all trades, and master of none” as a denomination.

A third challenge, and one that I believe will become more evident and problematic over the next five to ten years is the lack of balance in what is being promoted by leaders and entities of our denomination.  This can be seen in the theology, ecclesiology and methodology of virtually every pastor/speaker under forty being placed on our convention’s national stages and conferences. One of the strengths of our denomination in years past was the balance of those who were reformed in their theology with those who were not; those who were more traditional in their approach to ministry with those who were on the cutting edge; those who were young and those who were not so young. There is an evident rush today to embrace anything new and young and discard those ministries and leaders who have been so effective in reaching people and leading our great denomination.

At this critical crossroads the SBC desperately needs the passion and energy of the young and the wisdom and experience of the mature. There must be a fresh vision to reach a lost world along with an undeniable commitment, investment and cooperation in this great mission work. Without these things there will neither be the energy nor the moral authority to lead Southern Baptists for any length of time.

SBC Today: What do you see as the two or three of the greatest opportunities opening to the SBC?
Brad Whitt: The greatest opportunity that the SBC has opening up before it are the nations. That may be an obvious and easy answer, but I believe that the world is more open to and hungry for the gospel than it has been in my lifetime. In addition, we have more tools and resources to get the gospel to the farthest, darkest corners of the world than at any point in history. Networks that used to take years can now be made in a matter of months. Closed borders cannot effectively stop technology, social media or committed, daring followers of Christ from getting the Good News of Jesus to those so desperate to hear it. I really believe that there is a great stirring taking place among the nations. I believe that Southern Baptists are ready and willing to be a part of getting the gospel to the nations. And I believe that Southern Baptists are going to make a difference in the world for Jesus.

Another great opportunity opening up to the SBC is North America. Today, there appears to be a greater interest in and emphasis on reaching people and planting churches in those frontier areas of North America where there is not already a church on every corner. For the past couple of decades church planting primarily focused on suburban areas in the south that were already “church poor.”  So, instead of moving to an upper-middle class area and trying to start a church for the unchurched by first drawing members who were won to Christ and discipled by established churches and pastors, planters today are going into unreached areas, winning people to Jesus and developing them into mature believers and leaders of cooperating Southern Baptist Churches.

SBC Today: What is the key to being a successful/effective/faithful pastor?
Brad Whitt: I believe that key would be an undeniable, unavoidable call from Jesus. The “call” is that which will help keep the pastor faithful, his ministry focused on Jesus so he’s effective and serve as the ultimate measurement that he uses to determine his real success.  I fear that there is developing among some a downplaying, if not an outright denial, of the special, specific call from Jesus to the gospel ministry. Of course, we know that all Christians are called to serve and share Jesus, but I believe that Jesus gives a special, unique calling to some men to give their life to serving as a pastor in a local church.  In my experience it is the call to ministry, along with a close, intimate walk with Jesus that will sustain the pastor through the most difficult or discouraging of days. When I surrendered my life to serve as a pastor during my third year of college, the one thing my father kept on impressing upon me was that if there were anything else that I could do with my life and be happy to go do it. I knew that I couldn’t do anything but give my life to serving Jesus and it is that unmistakable call that has often encouraged me and sometimes sustained me during these past fifteen years of pastoral ministry in local Southern Baptist Churches.

SBC Today: What do you do to balance the demands of your pastoral responsibilities with your family responsibilities?
Brad Whitt: Being raised in a pastor’s home, the only thing I have ever really known has been the life of a pastor. As I mentioned, I grew up going out several nights a week with my father making soul-winning visits, hanging out at the church after school, and of course I was at church every time the doors were open. (In fact, there were many days that I was there when the church doors weren’t open.) I have lived my life in and around the ministry of the local church and so Kim and I take this same approach with our young family today. We live a life of ministry together. Of course we are careful to schedule time where we can just be together as a family. In fact, I have a standing appointment with the Whitt family every Friday that normally lasts all day long. I have found that as the pastor of a nearly 100 year old growing church in the Historic District of downtown Simpsonville, SC that there will always be “opportunities for ministry.” So, I take every advantage of my time during the week to meet and minister to the needs of the members of my church as well as personally share Jesus with those I come into contact with. That way I can spend time with my family during those times that we have set aside to spend together with integrity.

SBC Today: What is the toughest lesson you’ve learned in the pastorate?
Brad Whitt: Fallen people are going to act like fallen people, both inside and outside the church.  I have found that if I can remember this simple truth that I will not be disappointed when people fail or fall and I’ll be excited and thankful when they don’t. Also, many times it will be the ones who “eat you up” when you first come to a church that will really try to “eat you up” in the end.

As a pastor, my primary responsibility is to help people come to know Jesus and become more and more like Him every day. This is not a simple or sterile process, but rather requires me to live my life with my people where they live both in the good times and often through the not so good times. This can become a rather heavy burden for me to carry as a pastor because I really believe the Bible teaches that I am responsible for the spiritual condition and growth of those I’ve been called to lovingly lead as the pastor. As I frequently tell my people, “I believe one day I will answer to God for how you grew and developed as a Christian from the day I became your pastor until the day God moves me on or up.”

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