JD Greear is pastor of The Summit Church and president of the Southern Baptist Convention. His ministry has been marked by a consistent call to the church to the keep the gospel at the heart of all we do. JD Greear’s most recent book is Above All: The Gospel Is the Source of the Church’s Renewal. He and his wife, Veronica, live in Raleigh where they are raising four ridiculously cute kids.
Key Questions for JD Greear
-Can you share with us why you felt compelled to make some leadership changes within the SBC?
-In your most recent book, Above All, you share that the source of renewal for the church is the gospel. Most people wouldn’t disagree with that idea. Why do we need to be reminded of it?
-What practical advice would you give to a pastor about how to navigate the upcoming election cycle?
-How can the local church be thoughtful and prayerful when it comes to making it easy for people to hear the gospel message?
Key Quotes from J.D. Greear
“The church ought to reflect the diversity of its community.”
“We need the wisdom of our brothers and sisters of color as we go forward…the United States, we know this, is changing pretty dramatically demographically and we need the wisdom of our brothers and sisters of color if we’re going to be able to effectively reach that new nation that we’re all part of.”
“Christian growth is not growth beyond the gospel. Christian growth is growth deeper into the gospel. It’s going deeper into it that ultimately makes you come alive. Most evangelicals talk about the gospel as if it’s the diving board off of which you jump into the pool of Christianity.”
“The book of Romans is the deepest explanation of gospel doctrine that we have anywhere, and it’s written to Christians.”
“Everything that I am proposing as a means of spiritual growth has to be grounded in a sense of awe about who God is and what He has done.”
“It’s faith in the finished work that gives you the power to live a spiritual life.”
“It’s really easy for secondary agendas to take over the church.”
“One of the ways we love our neighbor is to engage well in politics, but Paul said that the gospel was for him of first importance…When it comes to political strategies, those are important, but they’re not of first importance.”
