Pastors Talk - A podcast by 9Marks

In the season finale of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman is joined by Ligon Duncan and Michael Lawrence to discuss the state of the pastoral pipeline — examining why fewer men are entering ministry, the role of demographics and seminary debt, and what healthy churches and seminaries can do about it.

In part three of their series on raising up leaders, Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever work through nine practical principles Mark uses to identify and develop future pastors — from spotting qualified men and extending trust early, to delegating well, cultivating feedback loops, embracing a healthy view of authority, and modeling clarity and humility. Along the way they discuss why spending time with a few people often matters more than chasing a platform, and why a senior pastor who always wins the vote is quietly undermining his own eldership.

Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever continue their conversation on raising up leaders, exploring the connection between discipleship, evangelism, and church planting, how to measure ministry fruitfulness beyond numbers, and what it means to steward your church for the next pastor.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan and Mark dive into the essential, yet often challenging, practice of raising up leaders and passing out authority. They discuss what it takes to build a ministry around giving authority away rather than consolidating it.

Hebrews 2:1  warns believers to pay close attention to the gospel message to avoid drifting away from their faith. Mark and Jonathan talk to Jared Wilson about his book on this topic and how believers should be thinking carefully about the centrality of the gospel in their lives.

How should pastors think about their work hours? What are some principles that churches and pastors can consider for pastors to get reimbursed? Mark and Jonathan talk with Garrett and Mike on lessons learned.

Should Christians talk about discerning the repentance of other Christians? What are the instructions from the New Testament to churches? Mark and Jonathan invite Caleb Morell to discuss this.

How to pastor and walk with those in the unique season of life when they can't leave home and approaching death. Mark and Jonathan discuss practical ideas on how to be mindful as pastors.

Jonathan and Mark Feather talk to Joshua Schooping, a former Eastern Orthodox priest, on how to pastor church members who may be considering joining the Eastern Orthodox church.

Jonathan, Mark and Mark Feather talk to Joshua Schooping, a former Eastern Orthodox priest, on the reasons he had to leave that church.

Jonathan talks to Reuben Bredenhof, author of The Ministry of Small Things. They consider the ordinary ministry of pastors, focusing on all the small things they must be faithful to, and reflect on the temptation of pastoral cynicism.

If Jesus is the great deacon, what does that say about the office of deacon in our churches?

Jonathan sits down with Larry Lazarus to discuss why it is important for churches to know the job descriptions of deacons.

Have you ever wondered why it's important for congregations to know their pastor's job description according to the Bible? Jonathan sits down with his senior pastor, Larry Lazarus, to consider this question.

Mark talks to H.B. Charles Jr. on ministerial calling and how he prepares for preaching.

Mark sits down with H.B. Charles Jr. to talk about his ministerial journey and how God has used him.

Is there a doctrine of religious liberty in the Bible? Mark and Jonathan talk with Andrew Walker on how to think about this question.

On this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark and Jonathan talk with Matt Rhodes about his new book, Persecution in Missions.

On this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark and Jonathan invite Stephen Yuille and Caleb Morell to talk about the writing of John Cotton, focusing on his perspective on Congregationalism.

How should christians think about protests that stop church services?
Mark and Jonathan talk about the recent disruption that happened at St. Paul Church.

Mark and Jonathan talk to Jimmy Scroggins about similarities and difference on how 9Marks' principle apply in a mega church context.

Mark and Jonathan sit down and review this past year by talking about the transition and sharing a top 10 list of things 9Marks did.

How should people in ministry relate to boredom and the nature of repetition? Mark and Jonathan talk about the good and the concerns on how we relate to those things.

You can enter the giveaway at mbts.edu/pastorstalk

As a pastor, talking to the church about money and the budget could be difficult for several reasons. In this episode Jonathan and Mark talk to Jamie Dunlop about his experience when he talks to the church about the budget.

Does the Bible require pastors to officiate weddings? How should we think about christian marriage ceremonies? In this episode Mark and Jonathan discuss the practice of weddings.

Mark and Jonathan talk with Taylor Hartley on the new issue of Church Matters and on the Ordinances.

Finally! After 300 episodes we cover the topic of Congregationalism. Mark and Jonathan discuss the biblical evidence and its helpfulness for the life of the church

Mark and Jonathan talk to Aaron and Harshit about their book Prioritizing Missions in the Church and how important it is for the life of the church.

Mark and Jonathan talk to Vinicius Musselman Pimentel about christianity in Brazil and book publishing.

How is prison ministry done and how does it connect to the local church? Can you have a church inside of a prison? Jonathan Leeman interviews Jamey Norman and Sean DeMars.

Mark and Jonathan talk to John Musyimi about the release and the content of the Africa Statement on Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith Theology.

Mark and Jonathan talk to Issam about the state of Christianity in Lebanon.

Mark and Jonathan interview John Folmar and Scott Logsdon on their new Church-Centered Missions bookPrioritizing the Church in Missions.

Mark and Jonathan talk to Zach and Garrett on how they seek to love their wives well while pastoring their churches.

On this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan asks Mark about his friendship with John MacArthur.

Jonathan selects two winners for the 300th episode giveaway!

In the last few decades France has become more secular. In this episode, Mark and Jonathan interview pastor Matthieu Giralt about the state of Christianity and his personal church experience.

To celebrate the 300th episode milestone, Mark and Jonathan answer some of the questions that were submitted by the community.

There are many "Christians"communities out there, but do they proclaim the biblical gospel? Mark and Jonathan talk to Josh Waldner who grew up in a Hutterites colony.

Why did Alex duke write From Eden to Egypt? Mark and Jonathan interview Alex on the burden behind the book.

Jonathan and Mark share how they structure their libraries and also discuss how much importance pastors should give to their libraries.

There are seasons in a pastor's life when they could feel spiritually dry. In this episode, Mark and Jonathan, alongside 2 friends, think practically about what to do in those seasons.

Jonathan talks to Samuel James about an article he wrote and together consider how maturity should look like inside of the church in light of the times we live in.

Mark and Jonathan talk about the pastor's personal evangelism and consider how to carefully think about how we should relate to it.

Related Resources:

Evangelism by Mack Stiles
How Do I Get Started in Evangelism? by Mack Stiles
What If I'm Discouraged in My Evangelism? by Isaac Adams
The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever

Mark and Jonathan talk to the author of A Light on the Hill, which tells the history of a church 5 blocks from the US Capitol: Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

Are there other qualifications for considering men as elders aside from the Bible's? In this episode Jonathan and Mark discuss what other things could be considered when nominating elders.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about the good desire some pastors have to write outside of church ministry and how to think about it.

Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert, here: https://www.9marks.org/podcast/a-storm-in-the-desert/

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk with the President of Poiema (a Spanish publisher) about the state of Christianity in Colombia.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Caleb Morell interviews Mark Dever about some general practices of his private prayer life.

Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman discuss a way to possibly run your church staff.

Subscribe to our new podcast: A Storm in the Desert

Introducing a new podcast from 9Marks—A Storm in the Desert.

In 1972, at the base of a Swiss mountain, God saved a man named Mack Stiles. Two decades later, John Folmar “accepted Jesus as his personal Savior”; he doesn’t know even where he first heard that phrase. What happens in the next quarter-century is a testament to God’s commitment to use faithful, ordinary ministry to effect fruitful, extraordinary change. A Storm in the Desert tells this story.

The first act in our story covers a lot of ground—from an icy crevice on a Swiss mountain to a below-freezing night capped off by the fiery Billy Graham. It involves a surprising conversion that eventually leads to a transatlantic flight on an empty plane. This is the story of Mack and Leeann.

Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert.

Can one belong before believing? In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Caleb Morell discuss the evangelistic power of exclusivity.

Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about service reviews. What is it? What do you talk about during service reviews? What if some feedback is too harsh? Mark Dever shares how the lead pastor can utilize this time to not only make the services better in the future, but also pastor and shepherd his staff and members.


Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert, here: https://www.9marks.org/podcast/a-storm-in-the-desert/

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Alex Duke and Alberto Jaquez about A Storm in the Desert, a new podcast series by 9Marks.

Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert, here: https://www.9marks.org/podcast/a-storm-in-the-desert/

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Eric Yee, lead pastor of Harvest Mission Community Church of Jakarta, about Christianity in Indonesia.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk again about the nuts and bolts of pastoral internship in a local church.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat about how pastors can be both convictional and charitable.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about pastoral internships

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about small groups and how they can help the church while it not being an essential part of what a church is.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about how sound ecclesiology protects the gospel in a local church.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about how to lead inductive bible studies.

In this episode, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Tiago Oliveira, a pastor of First Baptist Church of Lisbon, about the state of Christianity in Lisbon.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Matt Smethurst, a pastor of River City Baptist Church, on the importance of ecclesiology for a church plant.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about our newest Church Matters: Seasons in a Pastor's Life.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Grant Borg, pastor of Church of the Risen King Jesus, about his spiritual journey and the state of Christianity in Australia.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Mark Feather and Alex Duke about how to lead youth group with the whole church in mind.

Related resources:
– Our Main Goals for Youth Ministry
– Youth Ministry and the Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self
– LGBTQ+ Policies: What Do We Do about Youth Group?

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Dennis Boris, a pastor of Almaty Bible Church in Kazakhstan, about the state of Christianity and local churches.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Aaron Menikoff, Greg Gilbert, Juan Sanchez, and Sebastian Traeger about a new network of like-minded churches: the ACME Fellowship.


Check out ACMEfellowship.org for more information.

Pastors Talk is back for season 9! In this episode, Jonathan Leeman interviews Phil Newton and Bob Johnson about pastoral transition and retirement.

Related Resources:

Articles: Preparing Pastors for Retirement by Brad Thayer, There’s No Such Thing as “Retiring” From Ministry by David Gough

Journal: Seasons in a Pastor's Life

Many pastors rightly desire to reach the next generation. But how should they?

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Kevin DeYoung on his new book, The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat with Jeri Choi, Welton Bonner, and Bobby Jamieson about preparing to plant a church.

What covenant is the new covenant replacing? If your answer is the old covenant, what do you mean?

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat with Bobby Jamieson about the implications of biblical covenants in a local church.

What makes a good associate pastor? How can he complement a senior pastor’s weaknesses and extend his strengths?

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interviews Deepak Reju, Bobby Jamieson, and Mark Feather about their experience as associate pastors.

Pastors are called to lead their sheep, even the frustrated ones.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about how pastors should care for frustrated sheep in the church.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman interview Bobby Jamieson and Mark Feather about why pastors should care about studying the doctrine of the Trinity.

What should you do when you disagree with your boss? Should you stay or leave? What are disagreeable philosophies of ministry? In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about what you should do when you disagree with your boss.

Counseling Talk is here!

In this episode, Jonathan Leeman interviews the hosts—Deepak Reju, Hayley Satrom, and Garrett Kell—about the what and why of Counseling Talk.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Connie Dever about children's ministry.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman interview Connie Dever about children's ministry in a local church.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat about seminary training.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat with Cheston Pickard, a pastor in Louisville, about corporate applications in preaching.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat with Jamie Dunlop about when a congregation should vote against its elders.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about transcendence in worship services.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about how we should interact with church disciplined members.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about different criteria for discipline.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about the newest edition of Church Matters, Catholicity: Churches Partnering Together.

If your church is centered on Christ alone, unity will sometimes involve building genuine friendships with Christians with whom you honestly don't share much in common.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever interviews Jamie Dunlop about his new book, Love the Ones Who Drive You Crazy.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about the role and the importance of statements of faith.

What's the history behind church covenants? Do they have more or less authority than the Bible? Is having a church covenant abusive? In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about church covenants.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talks about the importance of words in pastoral ministry.

Young pastors often have clear vision but little depth perception. From the interview phase to what to preach next, young pastors need guidance from older pastors around the area to offer wisdom and guidance.

In this episode of Pastors Talk, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman chat with Phil Newton and Rich Shadden, authors of Shepherding the Pastor.

In this Pastors Talk episode, Mark and Jonathan interview Nathan Knight, one of the pastors at Restoration Church in Washington, D.C.