don’t have savings, so if they lose a job, it just really hits them hard. We can be building a relationship with folks for years and then on a drop of a dime, they’re not around,” he said.
Broadus recounted a recent situation involving a young man he was able to baptize, and then the week after the baptism, the young man moved away. “It went from celebration to mourning,” Broadus recalled.
Through his experience, Broadus brings his wisdom and passion for church planting among poverty-impacted areas through the platforms of the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Greenville Baptist Association to help equip churches in their pursuit of such ministries.
“I feel like our little efforts here, by God’s grace, will be multiplied because we’re able to raise awareness,” he said. There’s no doubt that ministering requires much faith and courage to share the gospel with others (especially in impoverished communities), but Broadus encourages others to go out and be bold for Christ regardless of the conflict that may ensue.
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“All ministry to a certain degree is conflict. Even if you go through the basic sharing of the gospel, you’ve got to tell somebody they’re a sinner,” he said. “I think being prepared to engage in conflict in a Christlike manner, which does not mean being a pushover, but it means having gentleness yet standing firm in your convictions.”
Broadus recalls how courage plays out in Scripture through the book of Acts where the apostles endure conflict with religious leadership, and the apostle Peter responds with “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
“I think that’s going to hit everybody because as our culture secularizes and people want to become public with their faith, it’s going to be some layer of conflict and they have to be secure in the Lord enough to be able to endure that discomfort,” he said.
The education Broadus received from NGU had a significant impact on the work he is doing to this day. NGU is also where he formed many strong friendships and even met his wife. “From a ‘studying the Bible’ perspective,
C OUR A G E
“Faithfulness to God does not promise you an easier life. It doesn’t make you exempt from great loss. You’re going to feel the same pains others feel.”
Those reflections are from Daniel McGaha, a 2012 North Greenville University graduate and current Youth Pastor of Rice Memorial Baptist Church in Greenwood, SC.
McGaha has served his church for 11 years. It has been his only ministry position since earning a degree in Christian Studies from NGU and a Master of Divinity in Student Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
“I was as prepared for ministry when I left North Greenville as I was when I left seminary,” he said. “North Greenville sufficiently prepared me for the work I was called to do.”
2012 graduates Brittany and Daniel McGaha
Growing up in Brevard, NC, McGaha attended FUGE Camps at NGU in the summers. That’s where he began to develop a love for student ministry. Equipped by leaders at his home church, he decided to attend NGU to pursue
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his calling. It was there he met his wife, Brittany Lybrand McGaha (’12) and many other friends that he’s remained in touch with over the past 12 years.
“North Greenville gave me a community. It didn’t just teach me things I needed to know, it taught me how to think. That’s the lasting impact it has had on my ministry,” McGaha said.
“The average tenure of a youth pastor is two and a half years,” he added. “One of the reasons I stay is because it has been statistically proven that it is more harmful to students to have multiple youth pastors than if they had no youth pastor at all.” Through his work with students at RMBC, McGaha has sought to connect students with access to older believers who can help them in their walk with Christ.
“There’s this feeling among churches that students need a youth pastor who
NGU had profound impacts on the way I study the Bible and preach to this day and understanding how to exegete the text and understanding theology. I still feel that imprint on me,” he said.
Broadus’ involvement with NGU continues to this day as he is currently serving on the Board of Trustees. As he reflects on how the university has changed since he was a student, Broadus affirms the significant impact NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr, has had in ensuring the school is committed to upholding its mission to equipping transformational leaders for church and society.
“I really appreciate Dr. Fant and how thoughtful he is about so many aspects of the university,” he said. “I can see his intellectual rigor transferring for the good of the university.”
“The leadership is very committed to fight mission drift,” he said. “From a leadership perspective, there’s a lot of clarity on being very upfront with new professors and staff about the mission of the school, making sure on the front end that they understand this isn’t just a name, but it’s in function.”
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