Ministry Leader Interview
Andrew Baum
CLED 325: Critical Issues in Ministry
Leadership December 5, 2022
1
For this assignment, I chose to interview my Youth Pastor, boss, and close friend Pastor
JD Lowry. Pastor JD has been in ministry for 15 years. Of those 15 years, 6.5 of them have been
as one of the two Student Ministries Pastors at our church, Cornerstone Ministries. As of last
month, Pastor JD has been married to his wife and high school sweetheart, Susan, for 15 years.
They have two fun, hilarious, energetic, and super creative kids. His oldest is a son named
Beckett (9), and a daughter named London (8). Pastor JD graduated from Slippery Rock
University and is currently pursuing a master's degree online through Rockbridge Seminary
School. Pastor JD was my Youth Pastor from my freshman year of high school through my
senior year of high school. During that time, I had many opportunities to go on various trips with
him. Over those years he poured into me through powerful sermons at camps and retreats,
pushed me out of my comfort zone, helped me develop a servant's heart on mission trips in and
out of the country, and invested in me weekly at church. During my senior year of high school, I
had enough credits to leave school early every day around 11 am, during this time I began
volunteering two afternoons a week as a volunteer intern. After serving in this role for a few
months I got hired on by him and our church staff as our Student Ministries Intern. Over the next
two years, I would work under his leadership and serve alongside him weekly learning the ins
and outs of ministry. Then as of January this year he and the church officially hired me on staff
as our Student Ministries Assistant Director. These past three years working under his leadership
have been truly a blessing. Through his discipleship and influence in my life, he has helped me
continue to grow in all areas of life. Pastor JD has helped me develop as a ministry leader
through our many conversations about leadership and the dos and don’ts of being a successful
leader. He has invested in me and continues to sharpen my skills as a preacher by giving me
opportunities to preach and then always critiques my sermons in a positive, coaching-type
2
manner. And then what I am most grateful for is his investment in helping me develop as a leader
outside of the church. JD has taught me many incredible lessons on how to lead in a dating
relationship so that I may be best prepared to lead in marriage someday, how to parent in a
successful and fun manner, and how to manage my finances in a way that causes my money to
work for me. I cannot thank him enough for his influence, discipleship, and investment in me as
a student, as a leader, as a man, and as a friend. So, for this assignment, it was a no-brainer for
me to ask JD if I could sit down and interview him. Many of these questions we have talked
about in great detail over the past few years together, but I am excited to have the opportunity to
document and write down the advice that he has to share. Below is the transcript of our
conversation.
3
1. Briefly describe your ministry. What makes it unique and appealing?
JD: “Probably the most appealing part of my calling and our job here at The Warehouse (our
student ministries building) is the diversity of opportunities, tasks, and responsibilities as a
student ministries pastor. Leading a ministry with approximately 75 Leaders and about 170
students’ as an average attendance for weekend services, we have a wide variety of services
and events that always keep me busy!”
2. Which ministry responsibility do you enjoy the most? Why?
JD: “We have the opportunity to develop our camps and retreats from scratch. (These are
offsite events where we rent a facility, but develop, plan, and implement all of the
programming throughout the week or weekend). While it is a tremendous amount of work,
the spiritual fruit that comes from these extended times with our students and leaders is hard
to beat. God has proven time and time again that when we focus our attention on him for an
extended amount of time, such as at a camp or retreat, he speaks to our hearts in miraculous
ways. To be able to be a part of such a movement of God is hard to describe the level of
reward I receive.
3. Which ministry duty do you enjoy the least? Why?
JD: “While I love, preaching and teaching, while on stage in front of a group of students,
probably my least favorite part of working in ministry is the preparation it takes to deliver a
message that is biblical, informative, practical, and inspirational. Again, I love delivering the
messages, but writing them is not my favorite!”
Me: “Oh wow, I never knew that about you. I always thought your least favorite part was
officiating weddings.”
4
JD: Laughs. “Yeah, that definitely is, but that’s rare and those pop up few and far between for
me. So, on the day-to-day side of ministry, it is the sermon prep.”
4. Describe the amount of time you spend in an average week in planning and
meetings.
JD: “A significant amount of my time is spent planning and preparing. Sometimes this is by
myself, and other times it is done as a team. I would venture to say that 85% of my time is
spent in the planning phase while only about 15% is in the implementation phase. You should
know this well, look at how often we are sitting here in my office at ridiculous hours of the
night before a camp or retreat. Or think about how often I call you and the team in here as we
flesh out, brainstorm, or process an idea for a weekend or an event. I would say easily 85%
of my time is spent planning.”
5. Describe the amount of time you spend in an average week involved in practical
ministry.
JD: “The amount of time I spend in practical ministry varies from week to week. However,
typically about 15 hours a week.”
6. Describe the amount of time you spend in an average week on personal devotions
and prayer.
JD: “I make it a habit of spending time with God each day and through personal devotion and
prayer. This usually occurs in the morning and is the first thing I do or it happens while I
have my morning cup of coffee. I probably spend around 15 minutes each morning in my
devotion time. Of course, I don't count the amount of time I spend studying and preparing for
messages, which also takes up a significant amount of time each week. But for prayer, I try to
5
pray without ceasing and maintain that constant communication with God throughout my
day.”
7. What is an area of ministry that you wish you had been taught about or better
trained for?
JD: “Well, as you know, I don’t have a degree in ministry. But, I’m currently in seminary
earning my master’s in ministry leadership. So as of now, I do not have a degree in
ministry. But, I have spent a significant amount of time reading and listening to
thoughtful leaders to expand my biblical knowledge and leadership capacity. Right now
though I am very glad to be earning my master’s degree, as it has significantly increased,
my understanding of the Scriptures.
8. How do you handle conflict within your ministry?
JD: “Conflict in ministry is difficult but inevitable. My philosophy is to work through a
conflict as soon as it is wise to do so. I try to follow the philosophy, "seek first to
understand, and then, to be understood." When I successfully do this, the other person
typically feels heard, and we can work through our differences. However, if/when I enter
a conflict when I rush the process, or neglect to listen to the other person, the conflict
usually escalates. As I have said to you many times, I have learned that when it comes to
relationships, slow is fast, and fast is slow.”
9. What practical advice would you give for strategic planning in ministry?
JD: “My voice is to systematize as many aspects of strategic planning as possible. It can
become exhausting to have to remember all the details from the last time you lead a
specific program or event. Because ministry follows certain cycles, it makes sense to
invest the time early in the process to systematize and automate as much of the process as
6
possible so that you do not spend time reinventing the wheel year after year. I have found
this philosophy to be successful at leading at a higher capacity or a prolonged period of
time. As you have seen and have helped me with this many times, it is always wise to
dissect an event as soon as it is over and write down those critiques, good or bad, and
begin to immediately put them into action. Whether that be going back and reworking
event schedules, or adding things to our supplies, it is always good to be working to
improve the systems we have in place. Remember what I always tell, “we do not plan for
this even, we plan for the next event””.
10. Describe how you balance ministry and family.
JD: “I once read a book by Andy Stanley called "Choosing to Cheat," the premise of the
book is that there is no such thing as balance, but rather you are always choosing to cheat
one relationship or project over another relationship or project. As I just said to you in the
last question you asked me, there are cycles and seasons of ministry with some of the
seasons extremely busy, while others are at a slower pace. Therefore, during the busy
ministry times when I have to cheat my family because more time and effort is required
at the church, and other times I must consciously decide to "cheat" the church on behalf
of my family.”
11. What are some of the challenges that ministry families encounter?
JD: “There are many challenges, ministry families encounter. As I alluded to in the last
question, "balancing" the cycle of ministry throughout the year is a challenge. Another
challenge is that nearly all of our relationships are found within the church which can
become unhealthy if you aren't careful. Another struggle for me is that I want my kids to
7
grow up loving Jesus and his church, and not take the opportunities they have as a
ministry family for granted, because they are always at the church.”
12. What are some benefits or rewards that ministry families encounter?
JD: “I know this probably isn't the answer you were looking for, but we have the unique
opportunity in that our student ministry facility is a separate building from our main
church building. Honestly, our student ministry building is like a Wonderland for my kids
with a huge lobby with lots of games, like ping-pong, pool tables, foosball, and video
games! We are so blessed to have a full-size gymnasium where they love to rollerblade,
ride their scooters and play games with their friends. Living in Pennsylvania, with our
cold winters, it is a huge blessing to have an indoor space where my wife and I can bring
our kids over to play when it is nasty outside. There are, of course, many other benefits
and blessings for ministry families, but the facility we have is unique to us!”
13. What practical suggestions would you give to someone else in your position for
maintaining your marriage in the midst of ministry?
JD: “I cannot emphasize enough to you that you need to intentionally schedule times to
break away from ministry. They don't always have to be extravagant vacations, but just
taking the time to be together away from everyday life is enormously helpful for the
health of the marriage. Another piece of advice I would give is to do ministry together as
much as you can. Ministry isn't a job, it's a calling. To reach the fullest potential of your
ministry, and calling, both you and your wife must be on the same page when it comes to
your ministry. The more you serve together, the more unified you tend to become. That’s
honestly my prayer for you and Kenzie. I love seeing you guys serve here together, and I
8
hope that as your relationship continues to grow that the two of you would continue to
always be tag teaming your ministry together.”
14. What practical suggestions would you give to someone else in your position about
being a parent in the midst of ministry?
JD: Being a great parent starts with first being a great spouse. Your marriage has to take
priority over even your kids. For example, Beckett and London both know I won’t give
them a hug or a kiss until I give Susan one first. From there, putting your kids above your
ministry is next. Your first ministry calling is to your own kids. Just like I mentioned a
few questions ago, intentionality as a parent is critical! You must be there for them, play
with them, and build a relationship with them.
15. Explain how you handle ministry crisis or unusual difficulties. What practical
suggestions would you give for someone facing a ministry emergency?
JD: Every crisis and ministry emergency is different, but they all start with going before
the Lord in prayer. We have to hear from God about how we should handle difficult
situations. From there, it's important to process tough decisions with a team of people you
trust. I can't tell you how many times I thought I had an answer until I took the crisis
before a group of trusted people, and the collective wisdom of the group came up with a
far better plan than I could do on my own. You’ve experienced this first hand. Look how
often I call you or Joel, or both of you guys in just to verbally process a frustration,
conflict, or crisis and then through our conversation how we develop a conclusion or find
an answer to the problem.
9
My 5 additional questions:
1. Something we have talked a lot about in our course is ministry burnout. Have you
ever felt ministry burnout before? If so, how did you overcome it? What are some
tips you would give to avoid feeling burnout in ministry?
JD: Yes, I have felt ministry burnout and it is absolutely no fun! Even the easy and basic
tasks feel like a struggle. The best way I have found to deal with burnout is to
communicate with the people around me how I feel and ask for their help. I also try to
simplify my life and get back to the basics. Usually, the reason I am feeling burnt out is
because I am overwhelmed, and I am trying to spin too many plates.
2. What are some skills or habits you would suggest forming in a relationship while
dating to help my future marriage succeed in ministry?
JD: As I have told you before when you have asked me questions like this, the
cornerstone of every relationship is trust. Trust is the foundation of every relationship,
and it is important to develop a deep level of trust in a dating relationship so that you can
turn it into a healthy marriage relationship. Another is healthy boundaries. It's important
not to treat your girlfriend like she is your wife because Sunday she might be someone
else's wife. Just like you would hope your future wife's boyfriend is treating her with
respect, we should treat the person we're dating with that same level of respect while
giving honor to God.
3. When facing conflict in marriage what are some tips or advice you have on how to
handle and resolve the conflict in a way that honors your spouse and God?
JD: This may sound weird but choose not to fight fair. Don't give your spouse what they
deserve, instead, give them the same grace that you were given by Christ. And then
10
always seek first to understand rather than be understood. Don’t try to always be right. Be
patient, be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to get angry.
4. What are some different, uncommon, or unique leadership skills you would suggest
I begin to sharpen up on or develop so that I can be successful in my future
ministry?
JD: As I mentioned, in an earlier question, developing systems that assist you in
accomplishing, ministry will help you to go further, faster.
5. What are some resources (such as books, podcasts, sermons, etc.) that you would
suggest to help me grow and develop in my ministry?
JD: Hmmm. I like this question. Some things that pop into my mind first are, The Craig
Groschel Leadership Podcast, Dave Ramsey stuff for personal finances, "Boundaries"
by Dr. Henry Cloud, "Enemies of the Heart" by Andy Stanley, and “The Purpose Driven
Church by Rick Warren just to name a few. Obviously, I would recommend almost any of
the books here in my office as well, which you are always welcome to borrow. But these
are just the resources that first popped into my mind.
11
Conclusion
In my interview with Pastor JD, I learned a lot, but looking back on it I wish I would
have interviewed another ministry leader on staff at my church. Pastor JD and I have a very close
relationship and that is why I chose him. He has helped grow and develop into the man I am
today, and I have learned so much from his leadership. Almost everything we talked about in this
interview were on topics, or conversations that he and I have already had many times. We work
very closely together so many of his answers were things that he has shared with me in prior
conversations or that I have heard him share with others while doing ministry together. I am very
grateful for our time together and this conversation, but I feel as if it would have been more
beneficial if I sat down and had this interview with our newly hired young adult pastor. I feel as
if having this interview with Pastor Brandon Vieth, a former Liberty University student and our
new Y.A. pastor, would have been more beneficial due to how it would have given me the
opportunity to build more of a relationship with him. However, this interview with Pastor JD was
not a waste of my time. It did allow me to learn more about him and his ministry. For example,
as seen in question three, I did not know his least favorite part of ministry was message prep. The
most beneficial part of our conversation was the first of my five written questions in which he
and I talked about ministry burnout. We talked about this question for quite some time because it
is something he and I are currently both on the edge of. I wrote down the notes from this
question and then formatted them in a way that he would have answered. I had gotten so lost in
our conversation for this question that eventually I stopped taking notes and allowed JD and
myself to be vulnerable and share some very personal struggles with each other that we are both
currently facing. This part of the conversation was invaluable to me. Overall, I found great
enjoyment in this assignment and wished that I could do this with more leaders in my life.
2
12
Bibliography
Pastor JD Lowry, Student Ministry Pastor at Cornerstone Ministries in Murrysville, PA/
