by John Avant | Jun 26, 2020 | Featured, Humility, Presidents Column
Twenty-five years ago, I was part of a movement that has come to be known as the Brownwood Revival. It started at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church and Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and then spread across America, deeply affecting over 100 college campuses....
by John Avant | Jun 24, 2020 | Featured, Presidents Column, Say Yes to God
Have you noticed how many people are posting on social media things like, “Can we just fast-forward to 2021?” I get that feeling, and I’ll bet you do too. But actually, it runs contrary to God’s way of thinking and working in the world. We know that for those who love...
by John Avant | Jun 3, 2020 | Church Leadership, Featured, God's Kingdom First, Presidents Column, Say Yes to God
In 1996 I began to pastor New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia. The population around our church was significantly black, but our church was not. I embarked on a journey to see that change. It was not an easy task. As our church became more diverse, I...
by John Avant | Jun 1, 2020 | Church Leadership, Featured, God's Kingdom First, Presidents Column, Say Yes to God
Revival must change our hearts AND our actions. A global pandemic … racism, hatred, killing … our nation on fire … We don’t really need churches to reopen. We need them to restart—different than they used to be. Not divided and dominated by our theological wrangling...
by John Avant | May 20, 2020 | Church Leadership, Featured, God's Kingdom First, Presidents Column
Last week, I began this series of blogs by suggesting three questions for every Christian to consider as we navigate forward in reopening churches: What should never restart in your church? How important is the concept of safety in your church? When does honoring...
by John Avant | Apr 20, 2020 | Featured, Presidents Column, Say Yes to God
On this day in history, Thomas, disciple of Jesus, saw the risen Savior. He was “Doubting Thomas” before that day, but never again after. It is interesting that this event happened in a time of fearful self-quarantine for the followers of Jesus. Since Jesus was...
