Blog - Dr Ray Gentry.com

Ministry. Leadership. Mission

Pastor Cohorts

12/6/2022

I am sometimes asked, “How does an AMS start and lead Pastor Cohorts?” Related questions are “How do they work?” and “What are the nuts and bolts of Pastor Cohorts?”

In God’s kindness and providence, I am blessed to lead five Pastor Cohorts, a Discipleship Ministers Cohort, and a Children's Ministers Cohort each month this school year. I regularly hear how much the pastors and other participants appreciate these cohorts. We meet in either restaurants like Chick-fil-A, or around a conference table in my office. Since Covid, most meet at our office - which is centrally located. We meet for an hour to an hour and a half at 8:30am, 11:30am, or 7:00pm. Each cohort chooses the location that is best for them.

Tangible Helps for AMSs

10/3/2022

I am going to do something different this month. If it is well received, I may make it a regular practice. I am going to share several “Things To Know.” I am basing it on how I have been sharing “Three Things To Know This Week” with my pastors for some time. I curate content as I read from many different sources each week, and then I share with them what I consider to be some of the best content. Beginning this month, I want to start doing something similar for you, my fellow AMSs.

Assisting Churches Without Pastors

10/4/2021

Associational Mission Strategists (AMSs) are often asked to assist churches when one of their pastors leaves their church. They may be asked to fill the pulpit for one or more Sundays, train the Pastor Search Committee, and/or recommend Pulpit Supply, Interim Pastor Candidates, or Transitional Interim Pastor Candidates. They may even be asked to serve as the Interim Pastor, although some associations do not allow that option.

How To Lead Effective Key Leader Training for Your Churches

8/30/2021

I am aware that some are of the persuasion that hosting conferences and workshops are passe. I am not saying every AMS needs to do these conferences. I will say that you need to know how God has gifted you and operate out of your spiritual gifts as much as possible. My gifts are administration, exhortation, and shepherding. Therefore, organizing Pastors Conferences, and other conferences and workshops comes relatively easy for me, whereas for others, it would be very difficult. However, if you are not gifted in this area, and yet you see the need to offer what we are talking about, pray and ask the Lord to raise up someone gifted in administration who can help you host a training conference with excellence.

2021 SBCAL President’s Address: You Reap What You Sow

7/14/2021

Photo credit: Baptist Press

Thank you to those of you who were able to attend our 2021 SBCAL Nashville Annual Conference. We had total attendance of 440, which is the largest attendance in probably 14+ years. Over 50 participated in our Prospective and New AMS Pre-Conference.

Thank you, also, for the privilege of serving as your President & CEO. I consider it a joy, an honor, and a great stewardship responsibility to serve you in this role since July 1, 2015, in addition to serving my own association in metro Atlanta.

The SBCAL is the oldest and largest associational network in the SBC, founded in 1960. We had planned to celebrate our 60th anniversary last year in Orlando. Even though we were unable to do so, we included an historical chart in the Program that we will put on our website. It is the best data we have been able to find, but If you know of any corrections, please email them to me.

Why I Prefer the Title AMS to DOM

6/8/2021

In Dallas in 2018, the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders (SBCAL), the oldest and largest associational network in the SBC, adopted a major report issued by a blue-ribbon Study Team. That Report is one of the appendices in the new book, “The Baptist Association,” that I edited for SBCAL. The 17 Proficiencies of an Effective Associational Leader were introduced, and a new descriptor based on those proficiencies was also introduced and unanimously adopted by associational leaders from across the USA: Associational Mission Strategist, or AMS for short.

The Potential of the Association Is Great…

5/11/2021

How Do You Measure Success as an AMS?

4/5/2021

For some time now, I have noticed that many of my pastors are discouraged and sometimes depressed because the usual metrics of ministry “success” – increasing numbers of bodies, budgets, and baptisms – are not happening. In fact, those numbers – with the possible exception of budgets – are not only not increasing, but they are generally decreasing.

In “The Gospel-Driven Church,” Jared Wilson, Author in Residence, Midwestern Seminary and Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry, Spurgeon College, Kansas City, MO, challenges churches to measure more than “bodies and budgets” because there is nothing uniquely Christian about these types of increases. He says businesses grow in these ways. Heretical ministries grow in these ways. I think he makes a valid point.

The Importance of Pastor Peer Learning Groups

3/8/2021

Many of you already know the importance of pastors gathering with pastors in small groups for peer learning. I learned the importance of it from some of you several years ago. But I believe there are a number of Associational Mission Strategists (AMSs) who do not have such groups in their associations yet. I encourage you to prayerfully consider implementing such a ministry. It has been very well received in my association.

Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another. Pr. 27:17 (CSB)

Peer learning groups – usually of 3-5, though that number can vary – are wonderful ways to experience and apply Pr. 27:17 if the focus is on sharpening one another spiritually, emotionally, and missionally.

Why Associations Should Consider Merging

2/15/2021

Have you ever considered the possibility of your association merging with a neighboring association? There are usually good reasons to do so. This month I seek to answer these questions: “Why should associations consider merging?” “When should associations consider merging?” and “What are some obstacles to associations merging?”