About Me | Tony Guthrie

[Tony Guthrie]

I am passionate about inspiring people to achieve their professional goals and dreams. I spent much of my career as a pastor and a professor. I taught on the faculty of Luther Rice University from 2003 until 2014. I also headed up LRU’s Doctor of Ministry program from 2007 until 2014. I am proud to say that the DMin program is among the finest in the world. As a pastor in the 1990s my small church saw a 150% increase within 2 years of my implementing the personal leadership strategies I have learned from great leaders like John Maxwell. Since then I have read and absorbed most of Maxwell’s books and teachings.

These days I spend my time blogging about Christianity, expository preaching, business and leadership, and writing e-books for publication on Amazon.

 

[Monna]

Welcome Tony. Here's hoping you'll enjoy interacting with others here on Christian Forums. Your personal presentation sounds impressive. I'm sure you have a lot to give others here.

Could I ask a few questions, please, as it seems you have been rather successful - do you think it was your implementation of personal leadership strategies that led to the growth in your church? Do you think the Holy Spirit had anything to do with it - what, if anything, was the relationship? Could a church grow like that if the pastor did not consiously and deliberately implement a "personal leadership strategy?" (And what is that exactly?) What do you consider is more important in church "growth" - the number of formal members and attenders, or the spiritual maturity of those who come, or how do you balance these? (Billy Graham recently passed away. I recall recurrent discussions about those who went forward in his campaigns - how many of them stayed the course, and how many "fell away?") How many of the newcomers to your small church came from other churches and how many were new converts? Did the growth rate continue for many years?

Could you share a little about your own spiritual birth and growth?

 

[inquiring mind]

Hi Tony... Welcome to CF! Glad you joined us and looking forward to your input.

 

[Tony Guthrie]

Welcome Tony. Here's hoping you'll enjoy interacting with others here on Christian Forums. Your personal presentation sounds impressive. I'm sure you have a lot to give others here.

Could I ask a few questions, please, as it seems you have been rather successful - do you think it was your implementation of personal leadership strategies that led to the growth in your church? Do you think the Holy Spirit had anything to do with it - what, if anything, was the relationship? Could a church grow like that if the pastor did not consiously and deliberately implement a "personal leadership strategy?" (And what is that exactly?) What do you consider is more important in church "growth" - the number of formal members and attenders, or the spiritual maturity of those who come, or how do you balance these? (Billy Graham recently passed away. I recall recurrent discussions about those who went forward in his campaigns - how many of them stayed the course, and how many "fell away?") How many of the newcomers to your small church came from other churches and how many were new converts? Did the growth rate continue for many years?

Could you share a little about your own spiritual birth and growth?

Wow! A lot of questions.
Obviously the Holy Spirit was the foundation of any church growth we saw. Leadership principles were helpful only to get the people focused in the right directions. We had a healthy balance of transfer growth and those born-again through the preaching of the gospel. God causes all increase regardless of what "personal leadership strategies" are used but, again, leadership helps get the sheep in focus.
I was saved in 1979 as a High School kid who thought of nothing but himself. I have given my life and career to the Lord.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Hi; good to see you.

 

[drjean]

Do I know you? If your blog is here on site, I'm in!

 

[Monna]

Obviously the Holy Spirit was the foundation of any church growth we saw. Leadership principles were helpful only to get the people focused in the right directions. We had a healthy balance of transfer growth and those born-again through the preaching of the gospel. God causes all increase regardless of what "personal leadership strategies" are used but, again, leadership helps get the sheep in focus.
I was saved in 1979 as a High School kid who thought of nothing but himself. I have given my life and career to the Lord.

Thanks Tony.