SCBA Leadership Podcast

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #91—On Starting & Finishing Well in Vocational Ministry with Dr. Mark Dance

What are some healthy trends in ministerial leadership? What trends are worrisome?
How can vocational ministers start well and end well?
What are the four most common, self-reported struggles pastors are experiencing?
 
On this episode of the SCBA Leadership Podcast, Matt Singleton (DOM) speaks with Dr. Mark Dance. Dr. Dance is the Director of Pastoral Wellness for GuideStone Financial Resources (SBC) with over 27 years experience as a lead pastor and church planter. In this episode, they discuss topics covered in his book, Start to Finish: The Pastor’s Guide to Leading a Resilient Life and Ministry. You can read Mark's blog and learn more about his ministry at his website and on GuideStone's website.

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #90--On Engaging Political Leaders in the State of Texas with Nino Gonzales & Josh Fuentes

How can ministry leaders prayerfully support the good and godly work of political leaders?
What are positive ways pastors can influence politicians?
Is there Biblical reasons to even try to impact the political realm?
 
On this episode of the SCBA Leadership Podcast, Matt Singleton (DOM) speaks with Nino Gonzales, the Director of Church Engagement and Senior Director of South Texas for the Church Ambassador Network of Texas. He has the unique calling of connecting ministry leaders with political leaders right here in Texas. One such participant in his work is Joshua Fuentes, pastor of Crestview Baptist Church in San Antonio. Josh has been a frequent guest and co-host on the podcast.
For more information, visit: churchambassadorstx.com
To sign up for the Baptist Pastors Day on April 29th, 2025, click HERE.

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #89--On Assessing Church Health & The Work of the Association with Chris Reinolds

What are the 5 stages of church health?
What questions should DOM/AMS be asking their churches and her ministers?
In this episode DOM Matt Singleton interviews Dr. Chris Reinolds, Associational Missions Strategist at Northeast Florida Baptist Association. 
 

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #88--On the Search for Ministers with Dr. Aaron Summers

When should a search committee have the dreaded "salary package" conversation with a pastoral candidate?
How many candidates should a search committee pursue at one time?
What are some common mistakes candidates make when interviewing with a church?
In this episode DOM Matt Singleton interviews Dr. Aaron Summers, Coordinator of Pastorless Churches for Texas Baptists (BGCT). Dr. Summers brings a wealth of experience and knowledge having served as a pastor for many years. He has some great plans to help churches and ministers who are navigating a transition. If that describes you, consider reaching out to Dr. Summers. He is eager to assist!
www.texasbaptists.org/ministries/pastorless-churches

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #87--On Preparing Inmates for Ministry with Grove Norwood & Mark Dean

Who is effectively reaching inmates with the gospel in the state of Texas?
Can someone with a life sentence be called to gospel ministry?
How might prison inmates be a part of a church body?
In this episode DOM Matt Singleton interviews Grove Norwood, founder and CEO of Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry, and Mark Dean, a board member for HOTFCOM. This unique ministry educates long-term inmates to serve as field ministers in men and women prisons around the state of Texas.
https://www.hotfcom.org

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #86--SURVIVING CHANGE SESSION TWO On Common Reactions to Change with Dr. Scott Jones

In this episode DOM Matt Singleton and Dr. Scott Jones (pastor of FBC Rockport) continue a conversation about a missing piece of the change leadership puzzle -- how leaders handle the anxiety they necessarily must create when leading change. 
Pastors should expect that those they lead will find change challenging. There will be pushback as some have a hard time accepting significant, meaningful, and lasting change. Change means loss and loss means grief and grief is messy! These messy feelings could be described as anxiety and when it strikes there are four common reactions. Pastors who understand these reactions, within themselves and their people, will have a better chance at making adjustments, choosing a response that will help lower the temperature. 

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #85--SURVIVING CHANGE SESSION ONE On Navigating the Anxiety Change Creates with Dr. Scott Jones

In this episode DOM Matt Singleton and Dr. Scott Jones (pastor of FBC Rockport) talk about a missing piece of the change leadership puzzle -- Family Systems Theory. The theory explains how emotional systems (like a church) can react anxiously to change. Pastors who understand this and appropriately manage the anxiety they create and encounter will have the best chance of leading substantial, meaningful and lasting change.

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #84--On a New Testament Approach to Small Church Gatherings with Stephen Atkerson

What are the benefits of being an intentionally small church? What does the New Testament say about how we structure our worship services that we may be missing? 
In this episode of the South Central Baptist Area Leadership Podcast, DOM Matt Singleton speaks with pastor and author, Dr. Stephen Atkerson.
Dr. Atkerson is a graduate of Mid-America Baptist Seminary. He serves as one of the bi-vocational pastors of an intentionally-small Baptist church he planted in 1991. He is also the President of the New Testament Reformation Fellowship (NTRF.org), which is dedicated to helping small churches have a big impact by adopting early church practice today. Dr. Atkerson is also the author of “New Testament Church Dynamics: Help for Bi-Vocational, House Church, and Small-Church Pastors Drawn from Early Church Practice”

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #83--THE MINISTRY MINUTE on Minister Salary Package & Annual Pay Increases

On The Ministry Minute, shorter episodes on the SCBA Leadership Podcast, we talk about the minister's salary package and annual pay increases. The idea for this topic came from a FaceBook post by DOM Matt Singleton after reading that the income needed to purchase a typical U.S. home has increased by 79% in just 5 years ...
 
"It is a shocking statistic even though personal experience tells me it's not too far off. So, I did a quick search on 3 AI/LLM search engines and they all said the statement is accurate. Churches hoping to call a new minister will need to take this into consideration. Even if you have a parsonage, you want to pay your minister enough to eventually afford a home down the road. This may also mean some churches who have traditionally had a full-time minister will need to move to offering a strong bi-vocational pay package. Another surprising number: COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for the past 5 years is 21.6%. If your staff salaries have not increased by that amount since 2020 then you've effectively given your minister a pay decrease."
 
 

SCBA Leadership Podcast Episode #82--On Leadership Development with Bobby Hicks, Jr.

How can you build a leadership pipeline in your church? Bobby Hicks, Jr. joins us for this podcast on leadership development. Bobby Hicks, Jr. is the Church Health & Growth Strategist with Texas Baptist. A panel of local pastors were also on to ask questions and share their wisdom. It was a great discussion!