Local Disciple-Making Pastor

The Elder Council and Personnel Ministry Team have recommended John Butterfield to become our new Local Disciple-Making Pastor overseeing all age-groups. We are pleased to introduce him to the faith family.

    Introduction to John Butterfield from The Church at Brook Hills on Vimeo.

  • John has served for the last eleven  years on staff at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison, MS. He has shepherded our brothers and sisters at Broadmoor most recently as Equipping Pastor, leading and coordinating their education and discipleship ministries as well as teaching and preaching in various settings. Prior to joining Broadmoor, John served as a youth pastor at First Baptist Church, Canyon, TX and Lane Prairie Baptist Church in Joshua, TX. John and his wife, Janet, have been married since 1989. They have two children: Shanna (16) and Grant (5).

    John exemplifies the characteristics required of elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. He loves the Lord and loves his family well, and this overflows clearly into his leadership in the church. When asked how the Word affects the way he leads he says, “The Word informs and affects the way I lead through the example and mandate of Christ. As a leader, I should consider others better than myself, focus on the biblical mandates, and prepare for the roles and tasks to which I have been called, and execute them well. These disciplines were present in Jesus’ life. The Fruit of the Spirit should be evident in my leadership and work on a daily basis.”

    John has vast experience in leading a variety of age groups in small-group based discipleship contexts, everyone from preschoolers to senior adults. Yet his general approach is motivated by a unified vision. “The basis to my approach to ministry is for the church to grow larger and deeper by growing smaller and more focused,” says John. “Following the example of Jesus, who spent more time with fewer people for a specific purpose, any approach to ministry and disciple-making in the church must have relational and spiritual depth. The basic principles behind different approaches to ministry rest on the same foundation of Christ-followers giving their lives away increasingly to the masses, the seventy, the twelve, and the three.” 

    John also has a great desire to see parents and members of the faith family as a whole deeply committed to and involved in making disciples of succeeding generations. “Parents and the church both have primary roles in discipling children,” affirms John. “The church is the Body of Christ, and as such, is entrusted with the Great Commission. With that being said, no one has more influence on children than their parents. The role of the church is to make disciples of all nations to the extent that Christian parents, in turn, become disciple-makers of their children. The picture of Deuteronomy 6 is that God-followers live their faith in such a way that it is evident in their whole lives, paying particular attention to teaching their children to follow the commands of the Lord. This teaching is to be done intentionally whenever and wherever they have opportunity. This is similar to the “as you are going” participle of Matthew 28:19. To this end, the church is responsible for providing processes and handles for Christian parents to use as they engage in the responsibility of bringing up their children in the ways of the Lord.”

  • Please be praying for John and his family during these days. Here are some specific ways you might pray:

      • Pray for this move to Birmingham and all the details involved in it.
      • Pray for the Butterfield family in this time of transition.
        • Pray for John to love and lead his family well during these days.
        • Pray for Janet as she supports and nurtures John and their kids through this process.
        • Pray for Shanna and Grant as they transition to a new community and make new friends.
      • Pray for John as he transitions into his new role at Brook Hills.
        • Pray that God would provide John the wisdom and guidance needed to best shepherd The Church at Brook Hills in the area of local disciple-making of all ages.
      • Pray for God’s provision among the staff and members of Broadmoor Baptist Church.
      • Pray that God would receive great glory in and through this entire process, both now and in the days ahead.

Following a two-week period for prayer and questions, a vote of affirmation will be taken at the beginning of each Worship Gathering on Sunday, July 1.

For more information about the big picture and structure of local disciple-making and community outreach at The Church at Brook Hills, watch the video below and then see our FAQ about the redefined role of Local Disciple-Making Pastor.

Discipleship from The Church at Brook Hills on Vimeo.