Our Regional Leaders
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Benjamin Kreps:
Hey everyone. And welcome to the Mark Prater podcast where our name is to connect our global family of churches with our Executive Director. Merry Christmas, Mark! It's the end of the year. So much to be grateful for in Sovereign Grace Churches. One gift that I think we can all agree we are grateful for historically, presently in Sovereign Grace is the gift of leadership. Not only the Leadership Team, but also our Regional Leaders and the influence and impact they have on us as elders and on our churches. We talked earlier this year about how the Leadership Team is moving from more of a management polity focused approach to an envisioning, a future oriented, approach of leadership. What does that have to do with our Regional Leaders and what they're up to?
Mark Prater:
Well, Merry Christmas, first of all, to you Ben! And before speaking about the Regional Leaders, one of the things I'm so grateful for is this podcast. It's been a lot of fun. I think we may be able to continue into season two. I don't think we're going to get canceled. So if you're up for it, we'll keep doing this.
Benjamin Kreps:
I'll try.
Mark Prater:
Okay, great. The Regional Leaders I do thank God for. They are a very important part of leading in our family of churches. As you mentioned, I presented a 5-10-year strategic plan to the Executive Committee back over the summer. And the very first component of that strategic plan is for the Leadership Team to change its voice from, you know, being more, more policy driven, and crisis management driven to one that is inspirational, vision casting and theologically equipping.
There are so many expressions of that leadership that we've begun to implement or are implementing, but a very important part of that is our Regional Leaders. And I just want to take a moment to thank God for them and mention them by name. Jared Mellinger leads the Northeast region, John Loftness leads the Mid-Atlantic region, Mickey Connolly, the Mid-South region, Keith Collins the Southeast region, Ken Mellinger the Great Lakes region, Greg Dirnberger leads the Midwest-Northwest region, Eric Turbedsky leads the West region, C.J. Mahaney leads the East Central region, and then the South Central region is led by Darrel Schiel. Now guys may not know that Jon Payne led that region for a number of years, but when transitioning onto the Leadership Team, he resigned, and that region chose and voted to affirm Darrel Schiel. For you guys who don't know Darrel, he's the Senior Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Pearland, Texas, which is a southern suburb of Houston. He has done a great job of leading that church. And I believe he'll do a great job of leading that region. So, I thank God for those nine men here in the States who lead their regions so well. And they're just so important part of what we do as a Leadership Team in strategically leading our family of churches.
Bgenjamin Kreps:
Yeah. Wonderful. So what what's ahead. What's on the docket when it comes to the Leadership Team investing into our Regional Leaders?
Mark Prater:
We've got number of things we're going to do, but I think one that I want our guys to be aware of, to be praying for, is we have three retreats a year as a Leadership Team. And, so, back at our fall retreat of this year, we decided that we wanted to invite the Regional Leaders to join us for one of those three leadership team retreats. And we chose June 2021. We have a retreat, I think it's the first or second week of June planned. And they'll join us for the first half of that retreat. And a part of our desire about how to use that time is to just build with them relationally, obviously, to continue to do that. And just to them on some of our thinking in terms of how to lead Sovereign Grace. But, also, we want to hear from them on things that we can do that would serve them to benefit their leadership. And I mentioned that because the way we view our Regional Leaders, they're really the frontline leadership, not the Leadership Team. And we don't we really lead together with them. It's not like the Leadership Team decides certain things and hands these orders down to the Regional Leaders. It's not that at all. It's actually leading alongside of them as we seek to serve and care for our churches. So, I think it's going to be a really strategic time in June and one that you guys can be praying for.
Benjamin Kreps:
Wonderful. Any other thoughts about our Regional Leaders before we conclude?
Mark Prater:
Yeah. I just think that what I want them to hear and our guys to hear, is that in one sense, they are called to make sure the polity gets implemented in each Regional Assembly.
Benjamin Kreps:
Right.
Mark Prater:
At the same time, we want to maintain the gift of leadership, not only at a denominational level, but at a regional level as well. So we don't want them to view their role as simply policy implementers or stewarding a regional assembly. We really want them to feel free to bring their leadership where they cast their vision for the region, where they find ways to theologically equip a Regional Assembly of Elders. And sort of expressions of leadership like that shouldn't be inhibited by our polity. If anything, I think our polity actually strengthens that kind of leadership. And I think it works well together.
Benjamin Kreps:
Yeah, well, I'm certainly grateful for the grace of leadership in the lives of the Regional Leaders. Ken Mellinger is killing it in the Lower Great Lakes region. He's been such a blessing as he brings his influence to our churches. And grateful for you, Mark, as you lead the Leadership Team. And looking forward to the days ahead and what God will do in our denomination through the gift of leadership. Just so everybody knows, we're taking next week off. It's New Year's and you know, maybe they'll have us back. Maybe we'll see if the powers that be allow us to continue our podcasts. So Merry Christmas again, Mark, and Merry Christmas to everybody else watching. And we'll see you here soon. Bye for now.