the story of one of the largest churches in the United States during the 1980s. It had a sanctuary that seated 10,000 people, yet the church did not have adequate space to disciple those in attendance. In consulta- tion with other key Christian leaders, they were advised to prepare facilities for the discipleship and spiritual formation of their people. Unfortunately, the church did not heed this advice. Within 12 years, the church imploded. Pastor McGinnis says emphasizing discipleship is essential because “Christians cannot grow spiritu- ally without discipline and training.”


Six Methods


Pastor McGinnis’ function as the lead disciple-maker at Park West extends far beyond making announcements of upcoming discipleship opportunities in the life of the church. Below are six of the methods he uses to disciple from the pulpit.


• His sermons include a wide range of


Scripture. This is especially crucial in a time when many people do not read God’s Word as faithfully as they should. • His messages are often geared toward spiritual growth and practice. He recently completed a series titled “Back to the Basics,” teaching on key Christian prac- tices such as prayer, Bible study, walking in love, and more.


• He regularly utilizes testimonies about God’s activity in his personal life. In addition to sharing the successes of his walk with God, Pastor McGinnis is also transparent enough to share of his failures and the lessons learned through them. It is here that Pastor McGinnis’ integrity is perhaps most clearly seen. One member said, “It is particularly helpful to see that even the pastor has sometimes ‘missed the boat’ on a parenting issue, and it encourages us ‘normal people’ that there is still hope for us! Of course, most of his personal stories are not about his failure in a par- ticular area, but rather provide examples of how it’s supposed to be done.” • He frequently


instructs the congregation about the Pentecostal spiri- tual experience (function- ing of the spiritual gifts). It is not unusual for Pastor McGinnis to explain to the congregation in


Growing Disciples


• He allows significant time during ser- mon preparation to reflect on the potential response of the congregation to the weekly sermon. His hope here is to be able to anticipate the key questions that could arise in the mind of the attendees so that he might address them as a part of the message. In this way, he says he is hop- ing to “interact with them although the sanctuary setting does not allow for direct discussion.”


everyday language what has happened when he or someone else in the congrega- tion has operated in one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In this way, he is discipling the entire congregation on the move of the Holy Spirit. This is especially impor- tant in a context where many people grew up outside of a Pentecostal church, if not outside of Christianity altogether. • On special occasions, he leads the congregation through a specific devotional practice. Pastor McGinnis has sometimes called the church to spend devotional time throughout the week studying the same Scripture passages together. He has also used spiritual “check-ups” in the Sunday morning service to help attendees evalu- ate their spiritual health.


The Results


Park West Church of God is fortu- nate to have a pastor that takes seriously his responsibility to participate in the spiritual growth of the congregation. The fruit that has resulted from that focused effort is plentiful. Space here allows us to consider just two of the primary benefits


for works of service,” Park West has over 200 volunteers involved in ministry every week in the local church and/or communi- ty. In addition, Park West is very active in the work of missions, both at home (e.g., Lost Sheep Ministries and Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach) and abroad (e.g., Church of God World Missions, Global Infusion, and Children of the World). Over the years, Park West Church of God has sent its sons and daughters out into ministry as missionaries, church plant- ers, and pastors. In fact, I began attending Park West only a few months after that Smoky Mountain Winterfest in 1988. It has been a great honor to serve alongside my mentor, Pastor McGinnis, since 1997 and assist in equipping the people of God in our church. In the words of another Park West member: “I’ve always felt like Pastor McGinnis should be a relative; he feels so close that you love him.”


Herschell Baker, D.Min., is pastor of fam- ily ministries for Park West Church of God in Knoxville, Tennessee.


EVANGEL | November 2010 13


that have resulted from Pastor McGinnis’ discipleship from the pulpit. First, in light of the call for unity in Ephesians 4:12-13, the church has experienced a 30-year history noticeably devoid of petty bickering and infighting, but marked by a strong commitment to a shared vision to do great things for the kingdom of God.


Second, as it relates to the call in Ephe- sians 4:12-13 to “prepare God’s people


Pastor McGinnis is transparent enough to SHARE OF HIS FAILURES and the LESSONS LEARNED through them.


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