2016 Speaker Profile...Doug Phillips

Doug Phillips is the Executive Pastor for Ministries at South Church in Lansing, where he has served since 2004. He is speaking for the second time at our conference, having blessed us in 2014 with his message on The Holy Spirit in the Church Today.

What’s your wife’s name and how long have you been married?

• Becky, 17 years 

Share a little about your educational background.

• B.A. from Cedarville College in Ohio; M.Div. from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary

What were your favorite parts about your educational experience?

• Learning how to exegete Scripture and to think theologically, amidst the relationships to key profs and good friends How long have you been in your current pastorate? 

12 years Have you pastored elsewhere?

• Yes, Okemos, MI 

What have been some of the best lessons you’ve learned in your role as a pastor?

• That God’s Word, illumined by the Spirit, is uniquely powerful to bring us into a vital, saving, life-shaping, presently experienced relationship with Him, especially in the fellowship of His people/the church 

What would you most like your church to be known for?

• Faithful, vital ministry of the Gospel and Word of God 

What books of the Bible have been most impactful on your personal growth and ministry (and why)?

• Genesis, since it frames all that follows; Deuteronomy and Psalms since they describe authentic Biblical, experiential spirituality; Gospel of Matthew since it draws the Kingdom of God theme to a crucial climax; Romans, as the pinnacle and most comprehensive of God’s saving plan 

Who are some of your greatest spiritual influences in these three categories:

a. Pastors/scholars/authors from the past?

• Dr. James Grier, pastor/prof, who mentored me in college, seminary and during my pastoral life; John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, J.C. Ryle; John Newton; John Bunyan; John Stott; C.S. Lewis 

b. Current pastors/scholars/authors:

• J.I. Packer; D.A. Carson; Tim Keller; Warren Wiersbe; David Powlison 

c. People we maybe haven’t ever heard of…but would be blessed by if we had

• Dr. Grier? (described above); Dick and Martha Baldwin; David Warren 

Are there any books that you find yourself regularly re-reading?

• Packer’s “Knowing God”; Calvin’s Institutes; Spurgeon’s “All of Grace”; Stott’s “The Cross of Christ” 

If you could spend an entire day with one person of your choosing from the Bible (not including Jesus), who would you choose and why?

• Paul, for his combination of theology and spirituality 

If you could have been present at any event in the Bible, which event would you choose and why?

• Resurrection, since it is the linchpin of Christ’s saving work 

What are some of your hobbies/interests apart from the Bible/theology?

• Golf, racquetball and extreme croquet