The Pillar Network

Liam Garvie talks with Reid Karr and Jeff Hay about the challenges of planting churches in predominantly Roman Catholic contexts, including differences between Catholic and Evangelical doctrine, evangelizing in Catholic culture, patience and relationship-building in church planting, and more. Reid is the Lead Pastor of Breccia Di Roma Prati in Rome, Italy. Jeff is the Lead Pastor of Ballycullen Co...

Nate Akin talks with Luke Womack and Matt Sonke about Airo and their ministry of working to remove barriers to the Great Commission. They discuss the founding of Aero, tackling the issue of student debt through the GoFund program, and the creation of the Missions Course to address discipleship barriers in local churches. Learn more about Airo at airomissions.com .

Liam Garvie talks with David Martin and Michael about church planting in Germany. They discuss planting a new church in Aachen and one in Cologne, the need for more German-speaking churches, the joys and challenges of church planting, and more. David is the Lead Pastor of International Baptist Church Köln. Michael is the Lead Pastor of International Gemeinde Köln.

Jenna DiPrima and Sarah Rogers talk with Deana Menikoff about family and ministry, including the unique joys and challenges of being a pastor's family, balancing church and family life, navigating expectations and criticism, and more. Deana's husband Aaron is the Senior Pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA.

Nate Akin, Dave Russell, & Ryan Hutchinson recap the important topics and highlights from Dallas, including Pillar’s presence at the SBC, the Sanchez Amendment, financial transparency, the ERLC, and more.

Brandon Langley talks with David King about Christ-centered preaching, the connection between biblical theology and church planting, the role of Christ-centered preaching in discipleship, and more. David is a member of our network and the Senior Pastor of Concord Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN and author of Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved.    

Nate Akin and Dave Kiehn host a discussion with panelists Dave Russell, Liam Garvie, Juan Sanchez, and Steven Carne on Baptist association among Pillar churches and a specific discussion about Pillar US churches cooperating within the SBC, including the upcoming SBC annual meeting in Dallas. This audio is from a network-wide Zoom call from May 28, 2025.

Brandon Langley talks with Garrett Kell about building a culture of discipleship within the local church. They discuss the role of leadership in modeling discipleship, some of the barriers to establishing a discipleship culture, dealing with specific issues like purity, and more. Garrett is a member of our network and the Lead Pastor of Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia.

Brandon Langley talks with Jerry McCorkle about Spread Truth Ministries and their evangelism resources, overcoming barriers to evangelism, the importance of normal conversations, how to invite people to respond during Sunday gatherings, and more. Jerry is the Executive Director of Spread Truth. Learn more about their work at https://spreadtruth.com/

Jenna DiPrima and Sarah Rogers talk with Anna Moore about biblical hospitality, including the gospel motivation behind hospitality, the unique role of a pastor's wife in fostering a hospitable environment, some of the challenges and struggles associated with hospitality, and more. Anna's husband Ed has served as the pastor of North Shore Baptist Church in Bay Side, NY since 1992.

Dave Kiehn talks with Steve Thiel about the challenges of ministry in New England, his experiences in church planting, raising up new leaders, and more. Steve is a member of our network and the Senior Pastor of Christ Proclamation Church in Windsor, CT. 

Nate Akin talks with Bill and Lyla Curtis and Adam and Judith McNinch about the ongoing care of church planters and their families. They discuss the need for clarity in communication, the value of presence, the importance of caring for the wives of church planters, as well as the joy and challenges of international partnerships. Bill is a member of our board and the Lead Pastor of Cornerstone Bapt...

Dave Kiehn interviews Ed Moore about the joys and challenges of pastoring, the need for purity in pastoral life, ministering to the weak, and revitalizing struggling churches. They also discuss the unique aspects of ministry in New York City and the camaraderie within the Pillar Network. Ed is a member of our network and the pastor of North Shore Baptist Church in New York City.

Brandon Langley talks with Kenny Ortiz about the stage of church planting before covenanting together as a church. They discuss fundraising, recruiting and developing core team members, setting up church structures and documents, and more. Kenny is a member of our network and the Lead Pastor of Horizon City Church in Orlando, Florida.

Jenna DiPrima and Sarah Rogers talk with Phil and Karen Newton about how to help your husband in ministry when he’s discouraged and knowing how to handle criticism when it comes. They also discuss knowing your husband’s heart, praying for him, and pointing him to Christ. Phil is the Director of Pastoral Care and Mentoring at Pillar and an elder at Midtown Baptist Church in Memphis, TN.

Dave Kiehn talks with Matt Rogers and Clint Darst about taking steps toward becoming an Antioch church (the primary sender of a church plant or revitalization team). They discuss their experiences of sending out the first church plant, planting churches locally, training up men to be sent, shepherding the congregation through sending fatigue, and more. Matt is the lead pastor of Christ Fellowship...

Nate Akin interviews Jason Finley and Jeremy Chasteen about planting Village Church of Pendleton. They talk about the process of deciding to plant, preparing and strategizing, as well as some of the emotional and practical barriers to overcome in planting. Jeremy is a member of our board and the Lead Pastor of Crosspoint Clemson. Jason is being sent out of Crosspoint to plant Village Church of Pen...

Dave Kiehn interviews Jeff Strickland about his church planting experience in Indianapolis, pursuing higher education while in ministry, his book on John Flavel, and the joy that comes from assurance in Christ. Jeff is a member of our network, the Lead Pastor of The Fields Church in Indianapolis, IN, and the author of The Foundation of Joy: Assurance in the Theology of John Flavel. 

Jeff Long gives a talk on the importance of team dynamics among elders. He shares insights into the importance of team leadership, the character of an elder, the role of elders in leading the congregation, and more. Jeff is a member of our network and the Lead Pastor of Parkwood Baptist Church in Gastonia, NC. This talk was originally given at the 2025 Pillar Intensive in San Diego, CA.

Jenna DiPrima and Sarah Rogers talk with Jeanine Sanchez about motherhood in ministry, including the unique joys of a ministry family, developing relationships with church members, serving the church together as a family, and more. Jeanine teaches English and writing to children and teaches the Bible to women. She is the coauthor of  Reaching Your Child's Heart .

Nate Akin talks with Jonathan Carswell, CEO of 10ofThose, about how their book ministry got started, how to encourage evangelism in your church, and ideas for evangelism around Easter and throughout the year, including good resources to give out to church members and friends who don’t know Christ. Check out these resources and more at 10ofthose.com/easter . 

Dave Kiehn gives a talk about lessons learned in church revitalization, including knowing who you are in Christ, prioritizing the preaching of the Word, trusting the Lord’s providence, and more. Dave serves as the Lead Pastor of Park Baptist Church in Rock Hill, SC and as Pillar’s Director of Ministry for the Americas. This talk was originally given at the 2025 Pillar Intensive in San Diego, CA.

Phil talks with Vic Carpenter about co-vocational ministry. They discuss Vic’s path to planting a church, the difference between bi-vocational and co-vocational ministry, planting while maintaining a separate full-time vocation, and more. Vic is a member of our network and the Teaching Pastor of Redeemer Bible Church in Spotsylvania, VA.

Jenna and Sarah talk with Nate about Pillar Ladies. They discuss women’s ministry strategy for Pillar, ways to connect with other women in the network, biblical roles for women in ministry, and more. Sarah Rogers and Jenna DiPrima both serve as Women’s Ministry Coordinators for Pillar.

Josh Wredberg shares principles of preaching that can help pastors grow in their ability to convey the truths of Scripture. He talks about the use of illustrations, applying the text with depth, and more. Josh is a member of our network and the lead pastor of Redeemer Community Church in Fuquay-Varina, NC. This talk was originally given at the 2025 Pillar Intensive.