10 Questions with Jason Meyer

In the most recent issue of Credo Magazine, “Francis Schaeffer at 100,” Jason Meyer, pastor of preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church, joined us for our usual 10 Questions. In this interview Jason discusses his new role as successor to John Piper.

You were recently chosen to be John Piper’s successor as the Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church.  How has this transition been for you and your family?

The entire process has been strangely life-giving when I pause to consider all the rigors and demands that have come with it. The Lord has graciously given us a sweet disposition of trust in his fatherly care. He has been leaning in on us and we have felt the warmth of his countenance. It has been faith-building because our confidence does not rest in anything in us, but in the nearness of His presence and the promise of His sustaining grace.

When did you first hear of John Piper and how did you become connected to Bethlehem in the first place?

The connection stretches back to two people: Sam Crabtree and Gary Steward. One of my friends, Gary Steward, introduced me to John Piper’s ministry back in my Sophomore year of college. Sam Crabtree, an assistant pastor at the church Gary and I attended, had introduced him to Piper’s ministry. Gary convinced me to read Desiring God and as Gary once put it “the book scratched an itch that we did not know we had.” Gary later went to Bethlehem to be part of the first class of The Bethlehem Institute, a two-year training program at the church for vocational elders, which I joined the following year. Sam Crabtree had already come to Bethlehem to be an executive pastor by this point. I now serve with Sam in caring for the flock at Bethlehem. It is a sterling example of God’s kind providence to see how our Good Shepherd leads us in paths for His name’s sake that are so carefully interconnected!

What initial goals will you have for your transition into your new role at Bethlehem?

One of my primary goals in the first part of my transition is to get to know Bethlehem’s staff and elders. As C. S. Lewis memorably put it: Aslan is on the move. He is certainly on the move in our current process, but he has also been on the move for some time at Bethlehem. The Chief Shepherd has led Bethlehem’s undershepherds for a long time now. Jesus will lead his church at the helm and I am joining a team and serving a flock that are gifts of his grace. I want to know these gifts well. Ronald Reagan once said that he always reminded himself in the oval office that it was not his office – it was the office of the people. I am entering with the same mentality. How can we serve the flock entrusted to our care as undershepherds and be more faithful to the leading of our Chief Shepherd? 

What role models do you have for your pastoral ministry?

I find myself quoting George Whitefield, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and John Piper more than any other preachers, though time would fail me if I had to list all of my influences. My doctoral father, Thomas R. Schreiner, also has had a deep impact upon me.

Do you think that everyone who aspires to be a preaching pastor should pursue a PhD?

I think a Ph.D. is a good aspiration for preaching pastors, but the issue of God’s call must be central. I could mention many benefits for one’s development in going through a doctoral program, but desiring these benefits does not constitute a calling. God will not lead someone to something without also giving them the grace necessary to lead them through it. A Ph.D. is intense and I have seen it put such a great strain on some families that some came out with a significant measure of family brokenness. God will lead some preaching pastors to get a Ph.D., but he will not lead everyone in that direction and those that do not get Ph.D.s are certainly not second-class pastors because of it.

What’s your favorite biography?  Are there any books you consider to be “must-reads” that are often overlooked? 

If I had to limit myself to three biographies they would be Arnold Dallimore’s two-volume biography of George Whitefield, Iain Murray’s biography of Martyn Lloyd-Jones (vol. 1, vol. 2), and Spurgeon’s autobiography (vol. 1, vol. 2). My favorite of the three is Dallimore’s biography of Whitefield.

In terms of “must-reads” that are often overlooked, I think we are sometimes in danger of reading summaries of some of the seminal theologians rather than reading them directly. Here I would mention two examples: (1) Martin Luther’s commentary on Galatians (no one understood sola fide like Luther), and (2) John Owen’s Communion with God (Owen is a great guide in terms of how to have a distinct relationship with each member of the Trinity). Examples like this could be multiplied. I find that theologians like these stir my soul because they met God in an experiential way and they write in a way that guides me into the same experience. Theology that is dry is a contradiction in terms when one considers the wonder of scaling the heights and plumbing the depths of the love of God in Christ

Are you a reader of fiction?  Can preachers (and Christians in general) profit from reading fiction? 

I love to read fiction – especially fiction that is epic and sweeping in nature. I marvel at the gifts that God gives to people like Tolkien and Lewis when they create alternate worlds that one can almost visit as they read about them. This capacity is certainly a reflection of God as Creator and it causes me to worship Him. Piper once told our preaching class that “an idle imagination is the birthplace of boring sermons.” Good fiction can fire the imagination like few other things.

Most people don’t know that you played basketball in college. What position did you play and who is your favorite NBA player today?

I only agreed to join a college basketball team my last year of college, because basketball had been an idol for so much of my life and I wanted to make sure that I had my priorities in order first. I enjoyed the turn-around effect that I saw my last year. Basketball had always drawn my heart away from God, but now I could use it to draw other people’s hearts closer to God as I led a Bible study for some of my teammates. I played shooting guard in college and small forward in high school. In terms of favorite players, I do not watch basketball enough anymore to pick out a favorite, but I marvel at the smooth shot of Kevin Durant and the sheer athleticism of Blake Griffin and LeBron James.

I have heard that you have a famous cat named Whitefield. Why is he so special?

My cat Whitefield is not regenerate and cannot say “Mesopotamia” in a way that makes me swoon (in fact he can’t say it at all!), but he does have one of the best cat personalities I have ever seen. Having a cat named after a famous Christian has also provided many opportunities to talk with others who have done similar things like named their cat “Spurgeon” or even named their Guinea Pig “TULIP.”

Desiring God ministries has become a global ministry in many ways. What are your aspirations for the future?

I think answering this question necessitates a distinction between a global ministry and global recognition. On the one hand, we should all yearn for a global ministry that trumpets the need to see Christ named where he is not named. In that sense, I want a global ministry more than anything! I love our global outreach ministry at Bethlehem and I want to continue to shepherd it. On the other hand, yearning for global recognition is spiritually dangerous. It can flower into a fatal flaw that has led some to compromise their message and actually contend with God for the supremacy that belongs to him alone. It is far better to aspire to faithfulness and obedience as an unworthy servant who simply does what he is commanded (Luke 17:10). God can give global recognition to whomever he wills; I do not think it is something we can plan or will. I am a firm believer that “a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven” (John 3:27). For John the Baptist, this meant taking a decreasing role with a fullness of joy that gladly confesses “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30). My main motivation is epitomized by something Whitefield said when he gave the reigns of leadership of the Methodist movement to Wesley. His followers warned him that his name may be forgotten because of what he had done. He replied by saying, “My name? Let the name of Whitefield perish if only the name of Christ be glorified.” The singular passion of a faithful Christian minister is to make much of the name of Christ. I want his name to have global recognition in my ministry, not my name!

Read other interviews in the most recent issue of Credo Magazine.

To view the Magazine as a PDF [download format=”2″ id=”6″]

The year 2012 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984). It is difficult to think of an evangelical figure in the 20th century who so seriously engaged the philosophies and ideologies of the secular world and set them over against the Christian worldview than Francis Schaeffer.

But Schaeffer was no ordinary evangelical. The man wore knickers and knee high socks when he lectured, sporting not only long hair but a goat’s-chin beard! Most importantly, Schaeffer did not fear man, but feared God. Not only did he engage secular worldviews, but he confronted his fellow evangelicals, even rebuking them for doctrinal concession and compromise.

As many have observed, it is not an overstatement to say that the Schaeffers transformed, reshaped, and in many ways reformed American evangelicalism. Those writing in this new issue of Credo Magazine are proof, each writer bearing testimony to how Francis Schaeffer has made a monumental impact on how we understand and articulate the Christian faith and life in the world of ideas. Contributors include Bruce Little, William Edgar, Bryan Follis, and Stephen Wellum, and many others.