Highlights from the Leadership Team and Regional Leader Retreat
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Hey everyone, and welcome to the Mark Prater Podcast – where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our executive director.
Mark, on the last episode of the podcast, you were preparing to head to Orlando for basically a week-long retreat with the regional leaders, the leadership team, and some other key leaders in Sovereign Grace. You are back. It's now Friday afternoon, fresh from Orlando, recording a podcast. You're such a trooper—exhausted, but happy over how God met with you guys and blessed you over the course of the retreat.
You informed us last week that the retreat was split into two sections. The first part of the week was for the leadership team and the regional leaders. Then, regional leaders headed home, and the second half of the week began, focused solely on the leadership team.
So, let's talk about what happened there. In the first part of the week, you met with the regional leaders as a leadership team. How did that go?
MARK PRATER:
It went great. My heart is very happy, but I am tired. After a good retreat, which is how you're supposed to return. And if anybody's interested, it was really cold in Orlando. We've been down there this time of year doing retreats before, and it's never been this cold, like it is everywhere right now in the States.
All of the US regional leaders were there. We had our directors there—Bob Kauflin and Joel Shorey. We also invited some other leaders, and our time with them went so well. For so many different reasons—I mean, the content of what was taught, discussed, hearing regional updates, the meals we shared together, just getting updates on what's going on in their lives and laughing together and then praying. It was a wonderful time of praying for the regional leaders.
It was just a wonderful, wonderful retreat, and there were three things I wanted to highlight.
The first one is, we asked CJ to interview Josh Blunt on biblical counseling and the impact and effect of David Powlison on the biblical counseling world, and how we can continue to benefit from what David Powlison has left us, what he's written, and what he's taught.
A question was asked: "Give us the David Powlison starter kit." Like, if you're unfamiliar with David Powlison, what would you start with? And he said, read "Good and Angry."
And he said, read "Good and Angry" because Powlison presents his view or his approach to sanctification, which is something, if you've been in Sovereign Grace for some time, you're very aware of. It was so helpful to see how Powlison thinks about sanctification from a biblical perspective and how that works out in counseling.
But he also said this—of course, "Good and Angry" is about the sin of anger, but because it captures Powlison's view of sanctification, you can use that to apply to any sin that you may be fighting or those that you may be counseling.
So that was the first thing he mentioned in the starter kit. The other one is "Pastor as Counselor," written by David Powlison. He said he wouldn't recommend the addendum, but the book is really, really good. I would recommend that book as well.
As we talked about Powlison and what he said - we can live in this expedient culture. We meet with people, and after a few counseling sessions, we think they're all better, so to speak. But it was just good to be reminded that we're all broken people. We’re complex, and we have complex problems. Josh reminded us of Powlison's example that we have to go slow at times. Because we're unraveling complexities and applying biblical truth that really just takes time.
A few nuggets from the interview with Josh—so much more that was there, that was really, really helpful. Several regional leaders told me that it was worth the trip right there.
Another highlight is that we invited CJ and Carolyn, and Carolyn agreed to come, and CJ interviewed her on biblical womanhood and how pastors can pastor women and care for them.
She had some very, very insightful thoughts. One of the questions she was asked was,
"Why should pastors be intentional in bringing leadership and teaching to women in their church? And what happens if they don't do that?”
She said, “Women need teaching from their pastors on what the Bible says to women.” Which sounds sort of simple, but at the same time is very, very profound. Pastors must teach on those passages that speak specifically to women and help them understand it biblically and theologically.
She said, “We live in a day that if pastors don't do that, women go online. They'll find information, teaching, and influence online.”
We want to be pastors who are very intentional in teaching our ladies.
She mentioned one other thing as well. As we become a multi-generational family of churches, we have older women who can disciple younger women. Instead of younger women going online to get information, it's good to introduce them to older women in our churches and have them disciple them. A really good reminder for us.
That whole time with Carolyn was really, really good. She is a gift to our family of churches. I just want to say that it's not only because of how she supports CJ, but also because she and CJ have modeled this for us for 40+ years in Sovereign Grace. She loves being his wife and loves being a pastor's wife.
I think that alone has a lot of influence, which is actually another thing she talked about—pastors' wives have to be aware of the influence they have in the church. That might intimidate them to some degree, but the way they live their life, the way they parent, the way they love their husband, it has a huge impact on a church. She unpacked that a little bit more, and that was really, really good.
We gave Jeff about—I think it was about two and a half hours, maybe three, and he taught a session on 2nd Corinthians and Pastoral ministry. And it was outstanding. I mean, we all say that when Jeff teaches it, but this one in particular was outstanding. It was not only theological but also not merely technical or academic; it had pastoral sensitivities throughout. As he taught, pastors were affected.
There were times I just heard pastors in the room just weeping, especially when Jeff was talking about suffering. Obviously, Paul mentions his own suffering in that letter—2nd Corinthians 11 sort of chronicles a bit. Jeff was saying that all of that suffering God uses to prepare you to care for and serve your people.
He's looking at us and even pointing out specific guys—your suffering is designed to make you a better pastor, to care for your people. And ultimately, he referenced 2 Corinthians 5: "We make it our aim to please him." We please him in our suffering, obviously, when we trust him, but we please him when suffering is used to shape the pastor and to make him a pastor who genuinely cares for his people. That was the regional leader section.
I mentioned this, I think, in the last episode. But after being with them this week, I thank God for the regional leaders at Sovereign Grace. These are godly men who love the churches and the pastors they are responsible for caring for. And they work very, very hard. This is more work than they normally do, yet they carry the pastors and churches in their region on their hearts. I just thank God for them. And I pray every pastor in Sovereign Grace expresses gratitude to his regional leader.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Amen. As you were sharing, it sounds like a wonderful time with the guys. I think some of us might benefit from David Powlison's prescription for sanctification as we battle temptations to envy that we weren't there to hear. But I will say that hearing about Jeff's instruction has certainly invigorated my anticipation of heading to the Pastors College in April for a whole week on the pastorals with Jeff. Can't wait. So that was just the first part of the week. Then the regional leaders left, and you, as the leadership team, continued to meet. What happened in the second part of the retreat?
MARK PRATER:
We take some time right after the regional leaders leave, and we debrief on that time. What did we learn? What can we do to serve those men? What did we learn from our regions that might shape a future pastors’ conference we need to teach into or lead? That was just a really, really fruitful conversation.
There are some categories where we want to press in and make sure we're leading well in teaching on areas where we think our churches can grow. That was just very, very beneficial.
During that whole time, I'd just jump in and say, "Okay, tell us about your most encouraging conversation." It was just good to hear everyone talk about an interaction they had with a regional leader or another leader during the first part of the week. It was just edifying, and obviously, it was evidence that God was at work among us.
We also discussed the executive director transition that's underway. I've had it on the agenda for a few years, as I mentioned in the last episode. The one question I actually asked the leadership team was two questions. First of all, are we modeling what we want to model in this transition, and in a way that gives Christ glory? We talked through that, and it was an encouraging conversation overall.
But I just don't want to assume that, because we make it our aim to please him in everything we do, as 2 Corinthians 5 says, and we're just looking for any ways we can improve there.
The other thing I asked them is, are they confused at all in the leadership team? I love my leadership team and count it a joy to be part of it.
As we begin to think about this transition, is anything confusing for them? They were all good, and that encouraged me and we talked about that.
Then we had a really good, longer conversation about our global structure and strategy. We'll probably change Dave Taylor's title to better reflect what he does. I mean, his main responsibility is to bring strategic leadership to our global expansion. Right now, he's the director of global missions. Most likely, he'll be something like director of global strategy and development. I think that probably captures what he does better, since he has a team of men.
We talked about the three teams he works with that are boots on the ground and doing much of the work, which relieves Dave a bit. Dave is working very hard, but it gives him a little bit of time to strategize. Then we're just talking about, now that we've got this expansion that we've enjoyed, how do we build it well? We had some more good conversation about that, which I think you'll hear a little bit more about in the future.
I could say some of the other things we talked about—we planned the 2026 Pastors Conference, the main sessions, and then discussed the executive director vote that will happen at the Special Council Ballot Meeting.
Again, just looking at the 2027 conference—we weren't able to do as much planning for it. One other thing I'll mention: Jared gave a publishing update and wanted to present again what he has planned to make sure the leadership team approves it. The big takeaway is that we plan to publish six books in Sovereign Grace this year.
There may be more, but definitely six books—a couple from Josh Blunt, one from Jon Payne, one from Walt Alexander, and one from Jared. You'll hear about those in the coming months, but it's just evidence that we're trying to get resources out to serve our pastors.
We've had pastors—even the regional leaders—say that pastors are using some of these resources in their churches, giving them to members or leaders, which is really what we hope for. Because we think we can strengthen Sovereign Grace theologically, unite theologically, by continuing to provide good resources. So those were just a few of the highlights from the leadership team retreat.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
I just realized that if things go the way we hope, this will be the last early-year leadership team retreat you're leading.
MARK PRATER:
That's right.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Yeah, that's significant.
MARK PRATER:
Yeah, thank you. I mean, we don't want to be presumptuous upon the vote that happens in November, but yeah, that would be—if the vote goes well. I think we all hope that it will, believe that it will. So that's the last February retreat. Which is a wonderful retreat to lead.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
So before we go, you are tired, your heart's full—any thoughts, any more thoughts before we end the podcast here?
MARK PRATER:
Yeah, maybe one more thought. I just came away with—I love team ministry. That's what we partly represented with the regional leaders there, other directors and leaders in Sovereign Grace. We lead Sovereign Grace with them, and then the time we had as a leadership team... I've been a solo pastor. Some of the guys listening to this are solo pastors, and it's just the circumstance that God has sovereignly given you. It was a wonderful year. It was a difficult year at times because I was alone. But I love team ministry for so many reasons.
I'm a better leader because I have other leaders around me. I'm a better pastor because I have other pastors around me. And it multiplies the joys that you have in ministry. And it unburdens you with the difficulties you face in ministry when you do ministry together as a team.
And then I think it's just the best thing for the church and for our churches, because there's this wisdom of God found in him forming pluralities that care for his people. I just love it. I can't believe I get to be a part of it. I'm so grateful that team ministry has been a part of our heritage in Sovereign Grace for 40 years. And my prayer is that it will continue to be in the future, because it's God's wisdom. It's just a joy.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Amen. Well, we're so grateful for the team you are surrounded by, and for the many gifted leaders God has blessed our family of churches with. So thank you, and thank all the guys who spent time last week gathering in order to serve our family of churches more effectively.
And thank you, Mark, for the update. Thank you all for checking out the podcast. We'll see you here next week, Lord willing. Bye for now.