pastoral training

Audio from our 2022 Shepherds Conference: Old Paths. Women's Breakout Session, "Old Paths for Women: Titus 2:3-5," by Sebra Baker and Jenna Killingsworth.

This audio is a lecture by Sebra Baker and Jenna Killingsworth, delivered at New Geneva Academy’s annual shepherds conference. The theme of this year’s conference was Old Paths. As pastors and church leaders, we must walk in the paths of faithful shepherds before us, learning to serve our flocks with care and humility.

Sebra Baker is married to Stephen, associate pastor at Trinity Reformed Church, and Jenna Killingsworth is married to Jody, the senior pastor of Trinity Reformed Church.

These seasoned pastors' wives led a break-out for women. They addressed the old paths women are to follow, particularly focusing on the Holy Spirit’s directions in Titus 2:3-5.

For more information on New Geneva Academy's pastoral training program visit our website: www.newgenevaacademy.com

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Audio from our 2022 Shepherds Conference: Old Paths. Session 5, "Simplicity in Worship," by Pastor Andrew Dionne.

"Imagine walking into a Roman Catholic Cathedral in 1555. Let’s say you attended mass in the Notre Dame in Paris that year. Before you walk through the doors you are awed by the amazing intricacy of the architecture—flying buttresses, stained glass, gargoyles. You walk through the tall front doors and gaze at the amazingly tall ceilings, ornate stone carvings of men and angels, crucifixes, and various Biblical scenes depicted in stained glass. All of this is a feast for the eyes. You go further into the space and there are the stations of the cross, statues of saints, candles, and relics to be venerated. You see the priests wearing their luxurious outer garments—the chasubles—covered in embroidery, along with their stoles, which announce their sacerdotal status. Then— after all of that—you observe the Liturgy of the High Mass...

Andrew Dionne began his pastorate at Trinity Presbyterian Church in August 2011. He was ordained in the PCA’s Great Lakes Presbytery in Nov. 2004. From 2004 to 2011, Andrew served as a pastor at Christ the Word Church in Toledo, OH. Andrew received his M.Div. in 2004 after earning a doctorate in music composition from Indiana University. He currently serves as president of New Geneva Academy. He and his wife, Sarah, have been married for twenty-three years and have six children.

For more information on New Geneva Academy's pastoral training program visit our website: www.newgenevaacademy.com

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Audio from our 2022 Shepherds Conference: Old Paths. Session 4, "Caring for Souls," by Pastor Josh Knipp.

The care of souls is a pastor’s responsibility. He must look after each of his sheep. Long before modern psychology, men and women found love, counsel, and life-giving reproof in the Church for this reason.

Pastor Josh Knipp will exhort us to return to historic pastoral care, caring for the souls in our congregation with skill and humility, one by one, at the point of their most serious sins and weaknesses.

Josh Knipp has been the senior pastor of Bloomington Bible Church since 2011. In addition to his work as a pastor, Josh has worked as a professional counselor. He is married to his lovely wife Rachel, and they have four children.

For more information on New Geneva Academy's pastoral training program visit our website: www.newgenevaacademy.com

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Audio from our 2022 Shepherds Conference: Old Paths. Session 3, "Learning from Calvin," (Part 2) by Dr. Richard C. Gamble.

Part 2: Calvin's View of the Church in the New Testament + Q&A

John Calvin worked ceaselessly to recover old paths of sound doctrine and faithful pastoral care, implementing them in his 16th-century context. As he mined Scripture and church history for wisdom, his life and ministry became a template that has never lost its relevance for the Church.

Dr. Richard Gamble taught us about John Calvin’s understanding of the Church in the Old and New Testaments, how that shaped his life and ministry in Geneva, and how it can shape us as pastors today.

Richard Gamble has served as Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh since 2005. He has served as a pastor and church planter for a number of churches and is currently a minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. He is a past president of the Calvin Studies Society and has written and edited a tremendous number of books and articles on Calvin, as well as authoring the multi-volume systematic theology The Whole Counsel of God. He and his wife Janice have five daughters and four grandchildren.

For more information on New Geneva Academy's pastoral training program visit our website: www.newgenevaacademy.com

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Audio from our 2022 Shepherds Conference: Old Paths. Session 2, "Learning from Calvin," by Dr. Richard C. Gamble.

Part 1: Calvin Bio + Calvin's View of the Church in the Old Testament

John Calvin worked ceaselessly to recover old paths of sound doctrine and faithful pastoral care, implementing them in his 16th-century context. As he mined Scripture and church history for wisdom, his life and ministry became a template that has never lost its relevance for the Church.

Dr. Richard Gamble taught us about John Calvin’s understanding of the Church in the Old and New Testaments, how that shaped his life and ministry in Geneva, and how it can shape us as pastors today.

Richard Gamble has served as Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh since 2005. He has served as a pastor and church planter for a number of churches and is currently a minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. He is a past president of the Calvin Studies Society and has written and edited a tremendous number of books and articles on Calvin, as well as authoring the multi-volume systematic theology The Whole Counsel of God. He and his wife Janice have five daughters and four grandchildren.

For more information on New Geneva Academy's pastoral training program visit our website: www.newgenevaacademy.com

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Audio from our 2022 Shepherds Conference: Old Paths. Session 1, "Training Our Men," by Pastor Stephen Baker.

Pastors have trained pastors ever since the Apostle Paul trained Timothy, but in modern times the Church has outsourced much of this work to academic institutions loosely connected to the church. We need to recover older methods.

Pastor Stephen Baker makes the case for a more personal and Church-centered approach to pastoral training from Scripture and history as he shows the damaging effects of a purely academic approach.

Stephen Baker has served as the dean and lead instructor of New Geneva Academy since 2005. He has been an associate pastor of Trinity Reformed Church since 2003. Stephen is married to Sebra, and they have six sons and a gaggle of grandchildren.

For more information on New Geneva Academy's pastoral training program visit our website: www.newgenevaacademy.com

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On this episode of the Thriving In Ministry podcast, we interview Craig T. Owens about his new book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter. If you want to be entered to win a FREE autographed copy of his book, share this episode on social media using the hashtag #ShepherdLeadershipBook and send a screenshot to thedailypastor@gmail.com to enter. 

Notable Quotable
"Only secure people can serve. Insecure people do not like to put themselves in a servant's posture because they think that people are looking down on them or people are going to treat them poorly." 

"You cannot give to others what you do not possess yourself. If you want a healthy flock, you as the shepherd leader must get healthy first." 

Craig T. Owens Bio
Craig T. Owens is the Pastor of Calvary Assemblies of God Church in Cedar Springs, Michigan. Craig graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he met his wife Betsy over 35 years ago. In addition to being a pastor, he co-hosts “The Greg and Craig Show” Maximize Leadership podcast and is the author of the new book, Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter, which released yesterday September 28th, 2021. 

I’m Kyle Willis, Founder of Talanton Church Services, and as always Dr. Dace Clifton, from DailyPastor.com and also a pastor from Texas. 

Pastor Craig T. Owens welcome to the Thriving in Ministry podcast! 

Verse of the Day
John 13: 3-5
"Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." 

Websites and Other Links

Shepherd Leadership Book - Amazon
Craig T. Owens - Website
Craig T. Owens - Twitter
Daily Pastor Online Content
Talanton Church Services
Sow and Tether Music

In episode 6 of New Geneva Academy's Good Shepherding podcast, Andrew Dionne addresses suffering and the pastoral ministry. Calvin, Spurgeon, and Lloyd-Jones serve as examples of faithful suffering.

In episode 5 of New Geneva Academy's Good Shepherding podcast, Andrew Dionne addresses effeminacy and pastoral candidacy. A quick look at the practice of Geneva's Company of Pastors rounds out this short episode.