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BCMC JOURNAL 2005
Report of the Local
Church Division Meeting
Transcript from a
recording provided by Johnson Ferry Baptist Church
 Our session was emceed
by Billy Orton, 2005 Local Church Vice President, and
featured a panel session with Bryant Wright, Senior Pastor of
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (Marietta, Georgia), and
Mark Cottingham, Associate Pastor for Worship for
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.
Billy: When we looked at this session, we wanted
to ask, "What would be of use, of meaning to our
organization." We were easily able to answer in our
planning session, we want to hear a dialogue and a
session on what it takes to be an effective leader. This
room is full of leaders, all styles, all kinds, various
levels of leadership, some with lots of experience, some
with not as much experience, but it's basically a
leadership group. We are being hosted this week by a
church that demonstrates tremendous examples of
leadership: servant leadership, visionary leadership. We
are delighted to have the Senior Pastor, Bryant Wright,
and the Associate Pastor for Worship, Mark Cottingham,
with us today. A lot of us know Mark. We want you to
talk to us a bit about leadership in this place, this
grand old church of twenty-three years of age. Anybody
here twenty-three years old?
Bryant: We've
moved out of adolescence.
Billy: Yes. The
hard part you've already passed, I guess. But we are
interested in principles and applications on what it is
to be a leader in today's church. Just talk to us.
Bryant: I had
shared with Mark that it might be helpful to talk about
our mission statement and core values. I'll fly through
it, because I realize we've got a very brief time scale.
Then maybe you might want to ask Mark and I about work
relationships or anything like that.
But real quickly, our
mission statement comes from the Great Commission, "To
love God and worship Him as we reach and disciple people
for Christ." We want that priority to be on the Lord
first. About the first six years here, we used to say
our mission statement was "Reach and disciple people for
Christ," but I got convicted that it was too horizontal
in focus, to the neglect of our relationship with God.
So our ministerial staff got away, we had a full day to
look at the passages in the New Testament on the
church's mission, and we came up with that revision of
"loving God and worshiping Him as we reach and disciple
people for Christ." And then about the mid-nineties,
after reading a great business book, Built to Last,
by Jim Collins and another man from the Stanford
Business School, I really got convicted about how the
church, every church, has core values, whether or not
you've ever written those down or crystallized your
thinking about it; we really thought we needed to
clarify that in light of Johnson Ferry, because whether
it's a corporation or a church or an organization or a
ministry, it's going to have core values. So our staff
kind of divvied up, in different areas, where it wasn't
all the music guys with Mark, but it was some youth guys
meeting with prayer ministry people, and music and
worship and that kind of thing, and we came up with
clear core values that are part of the Johnson Ferry
culture and were able to get those down on paper,
brought those back to our elders here at Johnson Ferry,
spent an evening going through those with the elders,
and it was amazing how similar the core values were with
both groups, even though I didn't share with the staff
what the staff had come up with the elders before they
came to it.
Real quickly, number
one, we want Johnson Ferry to become more and more like
Jesus. That's our number one core value, in spirit and
in character, and I would love to spend a lot of time
talking about that, but no time.
Secondly, worship is
our number one ministry priority each week, no matter
where you serve in the church, we want everyone to know
that worship is our number one priority, because as that
goes, so goes all the other ministries of the church all
week long. We hope it really is the highlight of the
week; we have a lot worship styles, you've gotten a
little taste of that. But that is a blessing in being
able to offer different styles where different folks are
living.
Thirdly, we want to
reach as many people as possible for Christ, both
locally and globally. And we're a church that really
believes in going as well as reaching our local mission
field here in north Atlanta. And last year, our global
ministries area had about 1200 folks go on over sixty
trips to over twenty-seven countries around the world.
And we so believe in this that we supplement half the
cost of every trip, of every lay person that goes. It's
part of our missions budget, because we really believe
that when people are having that life-changing
experience out there the come back better Christians.
Fourth, we believe that
preaching and teaching the Word of God is key to our
discipleship, and all through our ministry that's
central.
Fifth, we believe in an
unchanging message, but ever-changing methodologies. I
think that anyone who has been at Johnson Ferry any time
will tell you that it's a constant process of change as
we sense the Holy Spirit is guiding us and directing us
in new methodologies of ministry; but we don't want to
ever compromise the Gospel, the Word of God, but we want
to be open. And there's a freedom in the laity here
about starting new ministries. We tell everybody in the
new members' class that we believe that some of you
folks have been brought here to lead us in a new
ministry that's a passion on your heart. And they don't
have to wait long to do it, just as long as it's
consistent with Scripture and consistent with our
mission and core values.
Sixth, we have a
kingdom vision for ministry. The best way I can describe
that is that we absolutely abhor denominationalism, but
we have no problem with denominations. Now, that's not
talking out of both sides of our mouth, it's just that
we believe that not just one denomination is going to
reach the world for Jesus Christ, so we believe in
working with Great Commission Christians, no matter what
their denominational or non-denominational label. On the
mission field or locally, also in budgeting that we do
here, so it's really something we practice in seeking to
build up the Kingdom.
And then we want to be
faithful stewards personally and corporately.
We believe prayer is
our power source, that's our eighth core value. If you
haven't seen the prayer room here, I encourage you to do
that because it really does under-gird what's happening
here in the life of the ministry.
And then, ninth, we
want to do ministry with excellence.
Tenth, we want to have
extra-mile servant ministry to be a spirit that just
permeates all throughout our congregation.
And the good thing
about this is that our congregation has really bought-in
to what our core values are and they understand more
about why we do the things we do in this community.
For instance, you're
not able to reach people in this community in north
Atlanta without doing ministry with excellence. It's
just an expectation that's there, and if it's not done,
they go somewhere else where ministry or whatever
they're looking for is done with excellence; and so it's
part of evangelism, it's part of glorifying our God and
giving God our best. So that's kind of who we are.
Why don't we see if you
have any questions you want to ask Mark.
Billy: You
mentioned the book, Built to Last, is there
something you've read in the last year that's been
outstanding, in your mind, that's fed into these core
values.
Bryant: I don't
have one specific book, I read mostly biographies and
histories, rather than leadership books, but the Collins
book, Good to Great, that followed Built to
Last is just fabulous. It had a tremendous impact on
what we're understanding about doing ministry here.
Questioner: If
you could tell us a little about what's involved in the
process of crafting your services, how many people are
involved, what they do, and such?
Mark: Yeah, I
know that Joe mentioned a little bit about that last
night, but we've kind of morphed into what we are today
as a worship style or worship church, in that we're a
healthy example here of multiple styles, multiple venues
worship under one roof. And I know that that can be an
"icky" thing, but it has not been here, and we're
grateful for that, so don't use that for an example. But
the 8:30 and 10:00 services are a lot like last night [a
worship celebration led by Johnson Ferry music ministry
as part of the conference], with the choir and
orchestra, coat and tie. The 11:30 contemporary service
is in the main sanctuary. Sometimes it has a team thing
with a worship team, sometimes it's a single leader like
this morning with Jonathan Munson, who is over here. And
also we have, with three hours, the middle hour is
another service in the activity center...but the 9:50
and the 11:20 services are identical; they are
contemporary services and they are "turned up a notch,"
that's the best way I can describe that. We rarely use a
worship team in those services. Bryant alternates
between speaking live in the main sanctuary and the gym.
Like, one week he'll be here and they'll get a video
feed, and vice-versa the next week. And we also have the
Cedar Crest campus, about twenty-five miles from here,
and that's a video venue for us, same day video.
Lot's of planning, I
could rattle on but there's not much time. There's a big
planning curve there, connect with the theme, connect
with Bryant's messages, then trying to brainstorm as a
team to capture anything within the arts that we can to
accentuate that theme, and reinforce the theme, whether
it be a special song or a choir song, or a hymn or a
worship thing, or a dance thing, or whatever. When we're
planning there, nothing is out of bounds. It's kind of
"paint-ball against the wall" there trying to
brainstorm.
Bryant: I want
to say, too, I just can't thank Mark enough that when we
started the 9:50 service in the activities center and
were videoing it into the sanctuary, or I'd preach in
the sanctuary and they would video it into the
activities center, talk about two completely different
styles of worship, and they would get me up there at the
right time in both rooms, which is incredible
coordination to pull that off. But thanks to TIVO, they
don't have to worry about that any more. It's planned
now that whatever room I'm in to preach is about three
or four minutes ahead of the other room, so they can
just plug in the TIVO when they are ready. It's been
amazing.
Mark: We still
listen -- myself, or whether it Jonathan Munson, or Josh
Stewart, our student music guy is a worship leader, too,
we still wear a little in-ear monitor, and Pamela
Vanderwalker does our Children's Music and drama and
also is a worship programming director-type person, and
she is in a video booth and can watch both services
either in here or over there, and she can also speak to
us in our ears and say, "you need to slow up or speed
down, or stop." Interesting, she's a character,
sometimes when she's talking in your ear it's like,
"Good night, he needs to quit praying and move on," you
know. Not Bryant, some deacon, you know. And I'm like,
"yeah he does." Lot's of funny stories there, but
really, it sounds, and I was describing the multi-stuff
going on here, and I know it sounds bizarre, but it
works. That's the bottom line, it works. By having those
dual services here and there, we're not only able to
offer some different style worship expressions, we've
also freed up another room. We've freed up another
800-900 seats in the gym in order to reach more people.
Questioner: So
how many services do you lead on Sunday, and how many
does Bryant preach on Sunday?
Mark: That's a
good question. I am the primary worship leader at 8:30
and 10:00, and then Jonathan is the primary leader at
9:50 and 11:20, and then the 11:30 service, we kind of
bounce leadership between myself, Jonathan, Josh
Stewart, who is also a guitar-leading sort of guy, like
Jonathan. Occasionally, maybe once a quarter, I will go
and lead worship, maybe with a team thing, in the gym,
but I'm better at 8:30 and 10:00, so that's where I need
to land. Bryant speaks at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30. He
speaks at all five, but he's video in two out of those
five. Also he's video at the Cedar Crest campus.
Bryant: Same
sermon. The one thing we haven't coordinated, when I
preach in the sanctuary at 10:00 and then it's videod
into the activity center, my dress is really not right
for the activity center. And when I preach in the
activity center, dressed like this [casual], it's really
not right for the sanctuary, so they just understand
that whatever room the preacher is in, his dress will be
appropriate to that room.
Questioner: What
was the response from your people when you first started
preaching over in the activity center and beaming it to
your sanctuary?
Bryant: That's a
great question, because I honestly thought that the
10:00 crowd in the sanctuary -- as we had been in kind
of a blended traditional for fourteen years, well really
longer than that -- I really thought after about three
or four months they would say, pastor, we gave it a
shot, but we really need you to be there in the
sanctuary with us. But I did share with the church that
was planning on preaching four times on Sunday, that I
was going to preach out front in the activity center
early in the service and rush over in time for preaching
in the sanctuary, and after talking to three of four
preachers that were preaching four and five times on
Sunday, got no encouragement, and I was concerned about
it. So I just shared with the congregation, "I'm willing
to do this the four times, but I think your pastor might
wind up going to heaven a little sooner than he was
predestined" (I'll let ya'll deal with that
theologically), but anyway, I think the congregation,
knowing that it probably would kill the pastor sooner,
were understanding. Also, before that we were not using
the screen in the 8:30 service, but we started using the
screen with the preacher being on the screen about three
months before we did it, and that was a huge, huge
thing. Because those that were skeptical about this
began to realize that whether I'm standing there, or
whether I'm not, they were watching the screen. That
really helped to prepare the way, plus not sitting on
the pulpit, too. So it's not quite as obvious when the
worship leaders walk out there.
Questioner: Have
you noticed anything as far as attendance in your main
service, without you being there in person?
Bryant: No, and
interestingly enough, I thought 8:30 would become the
biggest service, because I'm live every week, but 10:00
and 9:50 are almost full services, and that's always
alternating on the video. And I haven't picked up on
dissention, you can ask the staff, but I don't think
we've picked up on any dissention.
Mark: I think a
key thing, too, in maintaining a vein of unity in our
church, is that Bryant is the senior pastor and lead
speaker of all those worship services. There's not like
another person leading another something-or-other, he's
the guy in all those. And I've got to be secure enough
as a worship leader and have trust on my team with
Jonathan and Josh, to pass that baton around. And that's
a seamless thing. Even like, today, this morning, I know
a lot of you guys were there, I'm fine with leading and
then stepping out of the way and letting guys on my team
lead.
Questioner: Are
your services evangelistic in nature, and, if so, are
there other opportunities in the week where the Bible
studies and things are designed for discipleship.
Bryant: Well, we
really hope that all of our ministries have a balance of
evangelism and discipleship. I know we do a lot of
things wrong here at Johnson Ferry, we really do. We
don't have a weekly visitation program, which I know is
kind of traditional in a lot of churches; we don't have
people walk the aisle. We just tell them that decision
counselors are down front if they would like to talk to
somebody after the services. That's true for the
traditional [services] as well as the others, and those
were changes; that wasn't done all the time, it's just
kind of evolved over time. I hope people would tell you
that there is a clear evangelistic focus in all the
messages, but there is also a strong emphasis on Bible
teaching. Because Jesus, in the Great Commission, told
us not just to reach but to teach, and to teach in a way
that the people could apply the commands in their
everyday life, that's really what He's saying in the
Great Commission. So you really need a balance of
evangelism and discipleship, and I hope in the
seven-day-a-week ministries that are going on that we've
got that balance there too. But I guess you need to ask
the maybe other folks here within the church how they
perceive that.
Mark: That kind
of goes back to the core values, if you've got a
ministry, or whatever it is, if it's not connected, if
you can't connect that to reaching out and having an
outward thrust there, then you need to re-examine why
you are doing it.
Questioner:
Could you just address the question about the decision
time: you have the counselors, but you don't have a
walk-the-aisle invitation time?
Bryant: I'll
tell you how that evolved, too, we used to have the walk
the aisle decision time in our traditional service, but
it was really getting to be a downer, because we gave
people an opportunity to make a decision or to see a
decision counselor any time during the week, where they
begin the membership process; they don't really join
when they walk the aisle, anyway, because they begin the
membership process and we have four sessions they have
to go through, and decision counseling, that sort of
thing. And so many people were doing that; and because
in north Atlanta, here, in a suburban community, we've
got so many people from outside the south, they see that
as a Southern Baptist, or southern showy-religious thing
and they really don't culturally like walking the
aisle. So the first year we stopped it, where we just
didn't have people walking the aisle, but seeing
decision counselors, our number of decisions was about
the same, maybe two or three difference. We've been
averaging about 500 new members a year for the last five
years or so, and it was in that range.
Questioner: So
how do you present the decisions to the church?
Bryant: Well, at
the conclusion of the message, I close in prayer, and
then give them an opportunity to see a decision
counselor when the service ends in a few minutes -- if
they'd like to receive Christ, or it they'd like to find
out what it means to be a Christian, if they'd like to
pray with someone because they've got a need in their
life, they need somebody to pray with, or if they'd like
to begin the membership process. We try to say it that
way, because they don't join when they walk the aisle,
and we just give them the opportunity to seek out
somebody. And interestingly enough, in the Baptist
tradition, we have made walking the aisle [take the
place of] baptism, and that's unbiblical. Really, most
people think of their public profession of faith as
being when they walk the aisle, but in the Bible, it's
when you're baptized. So what happened, when we stopped
doing this, is that it made the baptism much more
meaningful in the service, because this is their public
testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ.
Mark: We also
have new member commissionings that alternate between
the different services, so that if someone comes from
another background or whatever.
Questioner: In
addition to the common personalities in the different
services, are there ways that you kind of intentionally
foster unity among the different styles in the service
times?
Mark: I think
there are some things, like, whether it's new member
commissionings, or even parent-child dedication, those
things alternate between the services. And I think
because our staff members are comfortable moving in and
out of those services, that has a vein of unity in it
there.
Questioner: As
you preach to both groups, or to whatever styles you
have, do you think the same way to every group as you
preach, or do you add a few more things or take away, or
restyle the message in any way?
Bryant: It's
really the same message, the only thing that may vary,
obviously in preaching, sometimes the Holy Spirit brings
an illustration to mind that may be appropriate in that
setting; the only thing that might be different is that
we have more drama sketches in our contemporary services
than we do in our traditional, we do drama in those, but
not as often. So, when I'm following a drama that is
thematic, related to the sermon -- and our dramas don't
answer the question, the raise the question; we want
them to raise a question through some creative tension
that the Word of God will be able to answer in the
message -- so then I will begin by stepping up after the
drama, and I don't have a Scripture reading, like I
normally do, to begin a message along with a prayer, so
it will be a little different intro. But it's really the
same message.
Questioner: That
today, with the painting, how did that come about? [The
conference's morning worship session was led by the
Johnson Ferry team, and included an artist on stage,
executing a thematic painting as the music and sermon
progressed]
Bryant: Well,
our staff is just filled with creativity: Pamela,
Jonathan, Mark, and all these folks. I can't take any
credit for that.
Mark: (To
Jonathan Munson) Could you kind of speak to that real
quick?
Jonathan:
Absolutely. Mark was kind of saying something earlier,
in that we kind of sit together in a room and any kind
of creative idea, we just brainstorm. And so we knew
kind of what Bryant was going to be speaking on live in
the worship service, and we just happened to find the
right kind of artist in the right style. The way that
takes place, I told her five weeks ago, and give her
some time to do some sketches, and she brings those in
to get approval from our team.
Mark: I'll say
this before he sits down, too, Jonathan is a blessing
too, because of investment in young people; Jonathan
made a decision in Disciple Now years ago, came up
through our student ministry, was president of my high
school choir back in the mid-nineties, and has kind of
come full-circle back to our team; went to Samford,
Beeson Seminary over in Birmingham, and it's really
great to have him back on our team. He's really great if
you want to hire him, except he gets drunk every
Saturday night.
Bryant:
Actually, Friday and Saturday night recently, but
he loves the Lord the other five days of the week.
(much laughter)
Billy: That was
a really good question, because it gave us a glimpse of
how they do this. You saw it this morning, you heard him
say he had five-week lead time, then to allow it to take
shape and also have some eyes look at it, literally, and
decide "this is how this works," and then it comes out
spontaneous in the worship. Great principle and great
example to us.
[END OF RECORDING]
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