Beeson Podcast, Episode #531 Stephen Johnson Jan. 12, 2021 >>Announcer: Welcome to the Beeson podcast, coming to you from Beeson Divinity School on the campus of Samford University. Now your hosts, Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla. >>Doug Sweeney: Welcome to the Beeson Podcast. I am your host, Doug Sweeney, here with my co-host, Kristen Padilla. We are eager to introduce you, on this week’s show, to an important new member of the Beeson Leadership Team. Last week on the podcast we devoted most of our time to a retrospective look at the work of God at Beeson during a most unusual year at the Divinity School. We said that even though 2020 will stand in the books as one of the most challenging years in nearly all of our lives, God is faithful. He provided for our needs all year long, blessing us richly amidst the challenges we faced. We ended our conversation by telling you about a few exciting and new initiatives at Beeson. Today on the show we want to expand on that conclusion and let you meet a new friend – the Reverend Stephen Johnson, the latest member of our team and the Associate Director of our Thriving Pastors program. Over the next couple of weeks we’ll invite other leaders on our faculty and staff to let you know more about what God is doing here. We hope that as we do we’ll excite you about taking part in these developments. So, Kristen, without any further ado, would you please tell us a little bit about the Reverend Stephen Johnson? >>Kristen Padilla: Yes. We are excited to have the Reverend Stephen Johnson with us today, as Doug has already said. He is the Associate Director of Beeson Divinity School’s Thriving Pastors Initiative, working with Dr. Tom Fuller who is the program director. Stephen oversees our school’s placement services as well. Stephen is a founder of Good Steward Ministries, a nonprofit that coaches and provides care to pastors, church planters, and other ministry leaders. We’re going to ask him more about it today. Most importantly, he’s married to Jamie and they have one son, Oliver. Welcome, Stephen, to the Beeson Podcast. >>Johnson: Thank you so much, Kristen and Dr. Sweeney, for inviting me to the podcast. You are absolutely right that is the most important thing about me is my wife and child, for sure. It’s been amazing getting to know and work with the Beeson faculty and the Beeson staff over the last couple of months. It has been a blessing both to me and to my family. Prayers for us, just in general, have meant so much to us. Especially for our son. I’m thankful that God has brought all of us together for this work. I know that I look forward to the months and the years ahead to see how God continues to use us. >>Kristen Padilla: Thank you, Stephen. You have been such a blessing to us already. And just had a seamless transition, really, into our staff. It almost feels like you’ve been here a lot longer than you have. But before we get into your work we want to know more just about you. How did you come to faith in Jesus Christ? Where are you from? >>Johnson: Yes, I grew up in a small town in north Alabama called Albertville, it’s up on Sand Mountain in Marshall County, just kind of south of Huntsville. My father is a pastor. So, at a very young age, at three years old, we moved out to Billings, Montana for about five years and Bozeman, Montana for three years. So, we were out there for a total of about eight years. Growing up as a pastor’s kid I was just surrounded by the good news of Jesus. My parents both talked to my brother and me about Jesus all the time when we were little. We listened to tapes, like Salty the Singing Hymnbook when we were kids. Just enjoyed learning all about the Bible and all about Jesus. When I was seven years old the Holy Spirit brought all of that work together that my parents had kind of done into a moment of transformation in my heart. I remember we were at a revival service at our church. I’m not even sure what the revivalist was saying, but the Holy Spirit spoke to me in that moment and I knew that was a personal decision that I had to make – to trust the Lord Jesus with all of my heart, personally. That it didn’t matter who my parents were, it didn’t matter what my family was doing, that it was a choice that I had to make to live for him and to allow him to begin to transform my heart and my life. So, at seven years old I did that. I can definitely say that I am more than thankful for the ongoing work of sanctification because at seven years old I had a long ways to go with that process. At 36 years old I still have a long way to go in that process. But I feel like with each year of life I do understand more deeply the significance of what Christ has done to save us. So, that’s kind of my story of salvation. When we left Montana we returned back to Alabama and that’s where I continued on all the way through high school. >>Doug Sweeney: Stephen, you’ve noted you’re still only 36 years old. That sounds young to me. But you’ve had a pretty extensive pastoral ministry already. Just tell our listeners a little bit, before we dive into what you’re doing here at Beeson and the Thriving Pastors Initiative, tell our listeners about your pastoral ministry to date. >>Johnson: Yeah, absolutely. Looking back on my life I feel like in that 36 years I’ve lived a lot of life between Montana and Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, just all the different things that I’ve been allowed to do in ministry and in life has been pretty amazing. A little over ten years ago I was running about as hard as I could run away from the call to ministry. As most people who run from ministry know, or run from their calling know, God has a way of getting a hold of us. So, he finally, about 2009, got a hold of me and said, “No, I want you to do ministry. I know that you have some reservations about it. I know that you’ve seen the good side and the bad side of ministry growing up in the home of a pastor. But I want you to do this with your life. This is what I’ve gifted you to do. This is what I’ve called you to do. This is what you’re going to do.” (laughs) I ended up at Dallas Seminary. I didn’t quite know where I was going to land in ministry. Thankfully I had some people there who spoke into my ministry and revealed to me, or helped me to kind of realize my call to pastoral ministry specifically. One of the more pivotal things that I remember from that time was sitting in a class with Howard Hendricks, his Hermeneutics class, and he said, “Now, men, look to the person to your left. One of you is going to burn out of ministry in the next ten years.” Statistically that’s true, it’s about one out of every two in seminary burn out of ministry within ten years. Then he said, “One out of every ten of you will retire from ministry.” So, that’s 90% who will eventually burn out. Over the next decade, just as I’ve continued in ministry those numbers stuck with me. And I began to see some of the reasons why those numbers were true. So, about a year ago I really felt God moving in me to do something about that. I started a ministry called Good Steward. We specifically focus on pastoral staff and how to help them thrive in ministry just like the Thriving Pastors Initiative does. We help them learn how to endure. So, we work with men and women who maybe have theological training or maybe don’t, but we are able to kind of help them get some theological depth, but also get some practical leadership training so that they will not become one of those statistics. >>Kristen Padilla: Stephen, this fall we hired you as the Associate Director of our Thriving Pastors Initiative, and you mentioned starting a nonprofit earlier about how helping men and women thrive in ministry. I’m interested, first of all, just how did you get to Beeson? And how did your work with Good Stewards compliment your work here at Beeson with the Thriving Pastor’s Initiative? So, perhaps you can tell us about not only how you got to Beeson, but our initiative, your role, and then how those two complement each other? >>Johnson: Yeah. Like I said, about a year ago I really felt this call to just full time going into and starting a ministry to church staff, to help them endure in ministry. I began reading a book called Resilient Ministry by Donald Guthrie and some of his colleagues. I remember reading this book and reading about the Lily Endowment and what they were doing for research into this topic of how do we help pastors endure? How do we help them run the race? How do we help get them to the finish line of ministry? That became just a burden on my heart. Throughout that research I noticed that Beeson had actually gotten a grant from that and that they were looking to fill the position of the Associate Director of the Thriving Pastors Initiative. So, I prayed about it for a little while. And just felt like that might be something that would be worth pursuing; something that would be in line with what we were doing. I know that my specific ministry, Good Steward, focuses more on staff and I knew that the Thriving Pastors Initiative was focusing more on alumni and people in that senior pastor role. So, it looked like two tracks going in the same direction to me. I thought maybe there was a great chance that it could work together. Then a little later I got a phone call from Dr. Fuller and Dr. Sweeney and they were excited to hear about what I was doing with Good Steward. They were excited to tell me about their hopes for the Thriving Pastor’s Initiative. I think we all three kind of agreed that it was just something that the Lord had been working behind the scenes, that none of us really knew about. It was really cool how similar they were but how different that they could be a little more holistic in how we pursue pastors in the church and leaders in the church. >>Doug Sweeney: So, what does it mean, Stephen, to thrive in ministry? I guess in the seminary community a lot of us are used to that language now. For clarity, for our sake, and maybe some information for people who aren’t used to hearing people talk about thriving in ministry, what are we talking about? How do we know if a pastor is thriving in ministry? >>Johnson: That’s a great question. That’s a question that I think a lot of people struggle with. What does a healthy and thriving ministry look like? In different faith traditions you find different answers, unfortunately. I think for our purposes, what we would say the most important points to thriving are a healthy spiritual life for the pastor. So, we look at soul care for the pastor. We look at how is he connecting to his savior on a personal level. We look at self care. How he is developing himself as a leader, as a father, as a husband, as a church member? A lot of times we forget that pastors are also members of their church as well. So, we want to emphasize that that’s a healthy relationship as well. We can look at emotional intelligence. We can look at cultural intelligence. We can look at their leadership and management skills. There are a lot of practical ways that we can do it, but I think ultimately what where we would land with what it means to thrive is are we disciples making disciples? Are we growing and maturing as believers in a way that we’re having an impact for the kingdom? Not: Do we have the biggest ministry? Not: Do we have the biggest building? Not: Do we have the greatest programs? But are we living in a way, growing in our faith in a way that our dependence on Jesus is utmost? I think that’s, to me, the benchmark of thriving in ministry. >>Kristen Padilla: Stephen, if someone is listening and he or she serves as a pastor, and perhaps he or she is thinking, “I’m not thriving in ministry, but I want to thrive in ministry.” What would you say to that person? Are there tangible steps they can take? How might they take advantage of the resources that we provide through our Thriving Pastors Initiative, or perhaps even the resources that Good Steward provides? >>Johnson: Absolutely. Ministry is an isolating and lonely place. It really can be for a lot of pastors, men and women, they find themselves just on an island doing ministry work a lot of times. Sometimes that’s because of the tradition of the church that they’re in. Sometimes it’s more of a self inflicted wound, because we don’t like to be vulnerable. But for anyone who feels like, “Man, I am just not thriving. I’m feeling the burn out.” Especially in a year where we’ve been so isolated from one another, coming out of COVID. “What can I do, tangibly, to correct the course that I’m on?” I would say call some other pastors. The Lily Foundation, the Lily Endowment, their work has shown time and time again that the single greatest factor to thriving in ministry is being in community. It’s being in peer groups where you can discuss the hard work of ministry. And it is hard work. But to discuss and to encourage and to equip one another as co-laborers. So, call other pastors. Call other ministry leaders. Enter into a community where you can be vulnerable with one another. As far as how they can connect with Beeson – if somebody is feeling like, “Man, I just don’t even know where to begin.” Give me a call. My name and number and email are on the Beeson website. I would hope that you would just reach out. Shoot me an email and let me know who you are. I’d love to talk. I would love to connect you with some other pastors in your area or in your type of ministry. >>Doug Sweeney: We’ve been hearing here at Beeson that the COVID epidemic is wearing some of our alumni who are pastors out. They’re feeling like they’re running out of gas. I wonder, are you hearing similar stories? Is it not just Beeson alums, but lots of the pastors who are feeling a little bit beat up these days by COVID? And if so, what can our listeners do to be of help to their own pastors? >>Johnson: Yeah, I have spoken to so many pastors over the last six months that are just carrying the weight of this physically. Some of them visibly look like they’ve just been run over by a truck. I mean, it’s really, really difficult out there right now. From what I’m hearing from most people they’re catching it from both sides. “Should we wear masks?” “Why would we wear masks?” “Why are we not wearing masks?” “Why are we starting services back?” “Why are we not starting services back?” Regardless of political position, the church and pastors specifically are carrying a lot of weight in this. Not only that but, like we said before, they’re feeling very isolated, very lonely, because the people that they care most about they’re not able to really go and see. For a lot of pastors they are just way out of community. I think for those who are dealing with that, my hope for them would be the same thing. Call some other pastors that you know. Walk through this together. Right now, one of the things that I’m thinking deeply about and talking to pastors deeply about in my personal ministry is the idea of taking a Sabbath with this. Understanding that we’ve been through something, something really hard. Instead of trying to think, “Well, what can I do next? What can I do to leverage where we are, to change some programs or to change the way that we do church?” Let’s take a breath. Let’s stop and step back and let’s reconnect with one another for a minute in just sort of a year of Sabbath after coming out of this. Let’s reconnect not only with each other, but let’s reconnect with our Redeemer. I think for a lot of people they’ve been so caught up in, “How do we survive this?” “How do we get our podcast online?” “How do we make sure that this week’s sermon ... I don’t look like I’m preaching to an empty room?” How do we do all of these things? How do we play catch up and catch up every week? I think that their spiritual lives have suffered because of that in many cases from what I’m hearing. I know that’s true. I think we need to step back and we need to just rest in who Christ is and his finished work on the cross for a little while before we start looking at what’s next. For those who are not in the pastoral position, what I would say to them is call your pastor and check in. They are struggling. They’re struggling a lot. I know it’s not just pastors. I know that everybody is kind of struggling on some level right now, whether they’re showing it or not. But be proactive. Call them and check on them. Ask them specifically how you could pray for them. Ask them specifically what they need and just how you can be of service to them. The reality is we’ve got to work through this together. I know we’ve said that tons of times. Everybody from the government to our local Kroger has said, “Hey, we’re all in this together.” But that’s the truth. We are all in this together. I think, as the Church, we need to be that example of community to the world around us. >>Kristen Padilla: Stephen, I’ve been grateful to be part of some conversations here at Beeson where I’m getting to hear about some of the exciting things that you and Dr. Fuller are working on as it relates to Thriving Pastors. One thing that we worked on this fall is a new micro site on the Beeson website for Thriving Pastors. You’re also busy planning an alumni conference. Can you just tell us about some things that you’re working on, some things that are ahead that you’re excited about, and what our listeners can be on the lookout as it relates to the work of the Thriving Pastors Initiative? >>Johnson: Absolutely. We have a lot of really exciting things coming up. Starting in January. And then we will have three more throughout the semester. One of the great things about technology is that even with COVID we can still gather and we can still connect with our alumni and with local pastors. We can still be a resource. We’re taking full advantage of that. In January we’re going to be working with some of our student mentors to local pastors who are mentoring the Beeson students. We’re going to be helping develop them and just pour into them and love on them a little bit, care for them a little bit, during this season that we’re all in. We’re doing that to try to increase the level of mentorship for our students. In February, March, and April we’re having what we’re calling Threads Events. So, if you think of ministry as a tapestry these are some threads that run through that tapestry that begin to bind it all together. What we’re doing there is we’re inviting alumni, we’re inviting students, and we’re inviting local pastors to come in and to learn how to thrive in ministry in a very practical way. Rather than painting with broad strokes at these events we’re going to zero in on some very specific areas that they can grow in. Hopefully they can walk away from these events having a better plan of how to move forward in the next years of ministry. Then, like you said, we have the alumni conference coming up. Donald Guthrie, who wrote with his colleagues, “Resilient Ministry,” is coming. We are so excited about that. We are just praying already for what God will do with that to speak to the hearts of our pastors and alumni who are going to be attending that. We look forward to launching some exciting things, like the Women in Ministry Center at that event as well. We’re excited about what God is doing in this. We can’t wait to continue connecting with all of our alumni and pastors. >>Doug Sweeney: We’re excited to have you on the team, Stephen. Thank you very much for giving us some of your time today and telling us about the Lord’s work through the Thriving Pastors program here at Beeson. Listeners, you have been listening to the Reverend Stephen Johnson, Associate Director of Beeson Divinity School’s Thriving Pastors Initiative. He also oversees our placement services. He’s also the founder of Good Steward Ministries, a nonprofit that coaches and provides care to pastors, church planters, and other ministry leaders. As we heard at the beginning of the show he’s married to Jamie and he and Jamie have a beautiful little boy named, Oliver. Thank you very much for listening. Stephen covets your prayers for his own ministry and family and for the work of the Thriving Pastors program. Of course, Beeson is always eager for your involvement here in our activities. Especially as this epidemic goes away and we’re able to do life together in person more regularly. Please, we hope you’re poised to get back on campus with us and participate in some of these wonderful ministries and initiatives. Thanks very much for being with us. Goodbye for now. >>Kristen Padilla: You’ve been listening to the Beeson podcast. Our theme music is written and performed by Advent Birmingham of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. Our engineer is Rob Willis. Our announcer is Mike Pasquarello. Our co-hosts are Doug Sweeney and, myself, Kristen Padilla. Please subscribe to the Beeson podcast at www.BeesonDivinity.com/podcast or on iTunes.