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A lot of churches have deacons. Far fewer have a clear, biblical vision for what deacons actually do. We sit down with Dr. Tony Wolfe—Executive Director-Treasurer for the South Carolina Baptist Convention and first author in our Courier Publishing 1821 line—to reframe the deacon’s office around four essentials that change how a church lives: lead by example, serve the people, support the pastor and staff, and protect the peace.

Tony shares how a simple, practical training he created in 2017 grew into a globally used resource and now a revised, expanded book designed for any church size. We explore Acts 6 as the prototype for deacons, why unity in John 17 is mission-critical, and how 1 Timothy 3 should be read as character in motion, not a one-time checklist. We also get honest about the “deacon board” problem—how corporate language formed corporate habits—and why shifting to “deacon body” helps restore an organic, relational, service-first culture.

You’ll hear step-by-step counsel for pastors navigating de facto elder-deacons, including why changing documents without changing culture backfires, how to win buy‑in through relationships, and what a year of meaningful deacon training can look like in monthly meetings or an annual retreat. We get practical on conflict too: deacons as early responders who defuse tensions before they explode, applying Matthew 18 with wisdom, and keeping the congregation’s peace as a precious, fragile asset that amplifies witness.

Along the way, Tony highlights robust appendices—encouraging your pastor, passing the torch, caring for widows and orphans, and a thoughtful treatment of deacons and deaconesses. If you’re ready to move from managing meetings to mobilizing servants, this conversation gives you language, frameworks, and next steps you can use this month.

If this helped you, follow the show, share it with a fellow leader, and leave a quick review so more churches can find it. Then tell us: which of the four essentials will you focus on first?

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A lot of people feel the cultural ground shifting and want a faster fix. We explore a different path with Dr. Hunter Baker—one rooted in Baptist history, biblical ecclesiology, and a hard-won vision of religious liberty that helped shape the American constitutional order. We talk candidly about why Christian nationalism is attracting younger men, how state-church fusion looks powerful but weakens doctrine over time, and why a free church holds its nerve best when public pressure rises.

We trace the Baptist distinctives that matter here: believers’ baptism, congregational governance, and the conviction that coerced faith isn’t faith. That theological core leads to a civic stance—keep church and state institutionally separate so the church can preach, disciple, and, when necessary, correct the state. Along the way, we revisit what “liberalism” originally meant: liberty under law, free speech, free press, and limited government—an ecosystem where the gospel can persuade rather than be policed. We contrast Europe’s state-church legacy with America’s free-church vitality, and we wrestle with Obergefell-era conscience conflicts, where the question isn’t who wins a headline but whether the state will force Christians to commit impious acts.

Patriotism gets its due, too. Gratitude for a nation that helped defeat totalitarianism is right and good; worship of the nation is not. We draw practical lines between civic love and idolatry, clarify the two domains—sword of steel for the state, sword of the Spirit for the church—and offer a sane, principled definition of Christian nationalism so the term isn’t a catchall insult. By the end, you’ll have a clearer framework for faithful citizenship, resilient churches, and a public witness that refuses both coercion and retreat.

If this conversation helps you think more clearly about church, state, and conscience, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a five-star review to help others find us.

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https://bobslone.com/home/podcast-production/

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What if the strain so many churches feel isn’t from weak people but from worn-out structures? We sit down with Phil Newton and Rich Shadden, co-authors of Mending the Net: Rethinking Church Leadership, to explore how biblical polity—rooted in a plurality of elders and distinct deacon service—repairs the holes that exhaust pastors, confuse authority, and limit pastoral care. Drawing from Scripture and Baptist history, we unpack why elders/pastors/overseers are one office, how deacons support the ministry of the Word, and why this model strengthens accountability, guards against personality-driven ministry, and scales care to meet real needs across a congregation.

Together we trace the decline of elder plurality in the last century and recover evidence from confessions and association minutes that show this approach was common among earlier Baptists. Phil and Rich make a practical, pastor-tested case: elder leadership within congregationalism is not elder rule; it’s shepherding under Christ and with the church’s oversight. We walk through the distinctions between elders and deacons, the benefits of parity and shared responsibility, and how multiple shepherds bring diverse gifts—preaching, counseling, administration—into a unified team that keeps the Word central.

For pastors and members ready to act, we lay out a patient roadmap: teach the Bible’s pattern across the pulpit, classes, and conversations; invest in faithful men as a pipeline for future elders; and implement changes carefully through bylaws and transparent processes. Whether you’re leading a church with a long single-pastor tradition or planting with plurality from day one, this conversation offers clarity, courage, and concrete steps to build healthier churches for the long haul.

If this episode helped you rethink leadership, subscribe, share it with your team, and leave a review so others can find it. Then tell us: what part of your church’s structure needs mending first?

https://baptistcourier.com
https://bobslone.com/home/podcast-production/