VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Benjamin Kreps:

Hey everyone. And welcome to the Mark Prater podcast, where our aim is to connect our global family of churches with our Executive Director. Mark, as you well know we have enjoyed in Sovereign Grace throughout the years, the gift of leadership, it is a gift we embrace and that we cultivate in our family of churches. We talked previously earlier this year, about a couple of ways that you and other guys in the leadership team have been investing, are investing in men in the states when it comes to leadership. But actually because we are a global family of churches, you are also investing in men outside of the states. And you had a Zoom call recently that reflects that kind of investment. Talk to us about that.

Mark Prater:

I just had that Zoom meeting this morning and let me begin by saying, I still can't believe I get to do what I do. I've been thinking about that a lot recently. I was just telling Jill last night, I can't believe I get to be a pastor. And I never would've thought I'd be in this role, serving Sovereign Grace. I can't believe what I get to do, what I do in serving Sovereign Grace. So my heart is just filled with gratitude and joy that I get to do what I do. It's just an expression of God's kindness to me. So that's my heart in sharing this, this morning.

Just came off of a Zoom meeting that Dave Taylor and I led; a Global Leaders Fellowship. That included some of our best strategic leaders throughout the world. Men that we want to develop because they're going to be helping us lead our mission to advance the gospel throughout the world.

So this morning that included Jeffrey Jo from Manila, Philippines, and Dyonah Thomas from Monrovia Liberia. It included Carlos Contreras from Juarez Mexico, Joselo Mercado in Gaithersburg, Maryland who as guys know, travels throughout Latin America, and included Dave and myself. There are three men that couldn't make it: Nathan Smith from Bristol, England, Michael Granger from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Barnabas from Katmandu Nepal. Those three guys couldn't make it, but that's the group. And we just wanted to take time to invest into these men. It was sweet. It was just a very sweet time. It's also important that we take this step because of the opportunities God has given us globally to partner with churches around the world. And we, as a leadership team, can't serve all of those churches on our own. We need other leaders helping us. So this is intentional development of leadership that we believe will serve our family of churches throughout the world. And we pray for years to come.

Benjamin Kreps:

That's excellent. Even as you're sharing the names of the guys on the team, I was calling them to mind just thinking, wow, it's amazing how God has connected us to these quality men around the world. I'm grateful that you guys are investing in them. What kinds of things did you guys talk about? What did that call look like?

Mark Prater:

Yeah, we really structured this first meeting to take time, to get to know one another. So Dave had really given all of us four questions. Tell us about yourself and your family. Tell us about how you found out and became a part of Sovereign Grace and tell us what you do now both locally and extra locally, and then ways that we can pray for you personally, as well as, you know, ministry needs that you have. And it was just a really sweet, sweet time as I listened to guys answer those questions. And we were able to just encourage one another throughout the Zoom meeting, and Dave had Dyonah Thomas pray for all of us at the end.

The one thing that stood out to me as I listened to these men talk about their path into Sovereign Grace is that when they encountered Sovereign Grace, a couple of things happened. One of those is that it clarified and solidified the theological convictions they already had. So they realized that they were, in exploring Sovereign Grace, exploring a family of churches, who were on the same page theologically. So that was just very encouraging to hear. The second thing, which really moved me, is how these men encountered our gospel culture in Sovereign Grace.

So Jeffrey Jo had told this story about how he first became aware of Sovereign Grace through a friend in the Philippines. And he went to a pastors and wives conference in Cebu City in 2016, where he met Lynn Baird, and then Lynn invited him to the pastors conference. And just a few years ago, he and his wife, Virginia came to our pastors conference. And this is what he said. He said, I've never experienced this combination of humility and joy among pastors like I had at that conference. And he said, when I encountered that, I just realized this is our home. This is where my church has to belong. And the churches that I work with. And it really affected me. It really moved me.

And I want to mention that for all of our pastors that are listening to this podcast or reading a transcript, to encourage you each and every day, in your faithful ministry, to build a gospel culture marked by things like humility and joy and gratefulness and generosity. That is having an impact throughout the world. You may not see it. You may not realize it, but over time, you faithfully doing that over time, and then people encountering that gospel culture, it affects them. So brothers, keep faithfully building your gospel cultures in your local churches. And when we come together in just about a month for our pastors and wives conference, let there be joy. Let there be laughter. Let there be just humble, caring for one another, not knowing who may be joining us for the first time. And we do have several. That may lead to them becoming a part of Sovereign Grace. So brothers, well done and keep doing what you're doing in building that culture.

Benjamin Kreps:

Amen. That is excellent. I have a friend who, a new friend, who's recently been attending our church and he's coming with me to the pastors conference and just trying to recount what it's like to come to our pastors conference and the joy that's there. And I just told him in the end you're just going to have to see it to understand. So I can't wait to be with all the brothers again in a month, like a month from now.

Mark Prater:

Isn’t that crazy?

Benjamin Kreps:

After two years, it's time to get together again. So thank you, Mark. And thank you to the other guys that are investing globally in these key leaders. And thank you all for watching or reading this podcast. We'll see you here, Lord willing, next week. Bye for now.