Ambassador Spotlight: 5 Under 35 Matt Proctor

PREACHER FEATURE: 5 UNDER 35

Matt Proctor

When Ozark began in 1942, President F.W. Strong had already preached in every state (48 at the time), and in the decades after, Ozark continued to produce preachers, including many known nationally: Dudley Rutherford, Kyle Idleman, Barry Cameron, Roy Weece, Roy Wheeler, Rusty George, Drew Sherman, Jon Weece, Tim Harlow, Aaron Brockett, John Caldwell, Sam Stone, Jerry Harris, Mark Scott, and others.

But is Ozark still preparing preachers? The answer is yes! We’ve featured five OCC grads, 35 years old or younger. (Many OCC men and women preach in other capacities—youth ministers, women’s ministers, and more—but here we’ve focused on those in pulpit ministry.) Meet the next generation.

Ben Michaels (OCC ’16) Northwest Christian Church, Alta, Iowa

When Ben was a boy, he wanted to be either a garbage man or a preacher. That seemed an odd combination, so his mother asked, “Why a garbage man or preacher?” “Because,” little Ben answered, “they both only work one day a week!”

Since then, Ben has learned that preaching ministry (and garbage collection) is an all-week-long job. He now serves as preaching minister at the Northwest Christian Church in Alta, Iowa. The rural community has seen recent growth, and the town’s motto “Catch the Energy” hints at the reason: new electricity-producing wind turbines dotting their countryside. The church too is seeing growth. “The Lord is doing some amazing things here,” says Ben. “I’m seeing people who used to just attend start to serve, people who used to just serve start to lead, people who used to lead start to be sent out on God’s mission. The joy of preaching is seeing people turn and share the gospel with others.”

That growth requires work, and Ben knows where to “catch the energy” he needs. “I immerse myself in the Word. It’s tempting as a preacher to treat the Bible like a checking account. I go there only to draw out what I need for that day. We have to constantly save God’s Word in our heart, because if I wait until a sermon

is due or a crisis has come, I’ve waited too long. I ask myself regularly: How can I spend an excessive amount of time in God’s Word?” Bryce Hotchkiss (OCC ’12) Batesville Christian Church, Batesville, Indiana There’s not much in Sheldon, Missouri (population 529)—a Jones Boots western store, the Jenny’s Kitchen restaurant, and a convenience store called Chiggers. (Legend has it, there was also once a bar called Chuggers.) Since 1893, there’s also been a church.

Over the years, Sheldon Christian Church has welcomed many Ozark students into its pulpit, including Bryce Hotchkiss. Rural Missouri was a long way from the Florida coast where Bryce grew up, but it quickly found a place in his heart. “My first ministry was in Sheldon,” says Bryce. “I was especially blessed by that small congregation. They really loved me and my wife.”

Someone said it’s not great preachers that make great churches, but great churches that make great preachers. A beginning preacher’s first ministry can either sour him or empower him, and the folks at Sheldon were great cheerleaders. “They smiled along and encouraged me through some really-not-great sermons,” remembers Bryce. They gave him confidence that teaching God’s Word was his kingdom “sweet spot.”

Today Bryce and his wife Kelsey serve the Batesville Christian Church, seven times the size of Sheldon Christian Church. But he preaches with the same confidence he gained from that little congregation. “I love hearing from someone about an ‘Aha!’ moment. When someone says, ‘I’ve been going to church my whole life, and I’ve never understood that passage before,’ it feels like ‘mission accomplished’ for me.” Andy Rodriguez (OCC ’07) Mustard Seed Christian Church, Nagoya, Japan

It’s 6,000 miles from Texas from Tokyo, but San-Antonio-born Andy Rodriguez felt God’s call to Japan. Unlike Andy’s Bible Belt home state, less than 1% of Japan’s 127 million residents attend church. In Japanese language school, Andy met an Australian named Dan who asked why he came to Japan. Andy said he came to teach people about Jesus, and Dan replied, “I can’t stand Christians.” He said, “The very reason I came to Japan is because there are NO Christians here!”

Andy smiled and said, “Hey…that’s why I came, too!” Japan is the world’s second-largest unreached people group, and that’s why Andy and a group of OCC graduates planted a church in Japan’s third largest city, Nagoya, in 2009. In Japan, the average church has 30 in attendance. But Andy now preaches each Sunday to over 200, and they’ve baptized many into Christ. “There is no greater joy,” says Andy, “than getting to see the fruit of life-change as people respond to the preaching of God’s Word.”

One young man Taisei, in imperfect English, describes on his blog his transformation: “I was thinking, ‘What is the most of important in my life?’ CHURCH is most of important. If I couldn’t go to the church, how sad. Before I become a Christian, I went to CLUB, BAR, and I was drunk every weekend. It was trouble, but Jesus is rescue for me. Thank you, GOD. I LOVE YOU, GOD!!”

Far from home, Andy keeps preaching…so more can find their way home to God. Jaron Scott (OCC ’17) Christ’s Church of Joplin, Joplin, Missouri

“During my third year at OCC,” says Jaron, “I felt an unusual internal pressure that I guessed was God trying to get a message across.” Jaron guessed right. Over the next few months, Jaron sensed God’s call to preaching ministry. “I learned

that I’m gifted to preach, that I love to preach, and that people are helped when I preach. I took that as God’s confirmation.” The Lord has opened doors for Jaron to use those gifts. He’s serving in an associate preaching role at Christ’s Church of Joplin alongside OCC grad Tim Chambers. He’s also had opportunities to preach at camps, OCC chapel, and CIY MOVE events.

“Seeing large groups respond at events is good,” says Jaron, “but the greatest joy is having individuals tell me they came to faith in Christ, or received the faith to follow Jesus into ministry, or to go one more day with Jesus. There’s no greater joy in preaching than seeing an individual pulled closer to Christ.” Jaron never stops trying to grow. “Books like Preaching by Tim Keller and Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon have given me wisdom,” says Jaron. The biggest lesson he’s learned? “God’s faithfulness in drawing all people to himself when Jesus is lifted up ( John 12:32). That has taught me to give Jesus to people every time.” Luke Proctor (OCC ’17) Plainfield Christian Church, Plainfield, Indiana It’s not easy growing up a Bible college president’s kid. Luke’s dad (OCC President Matt Proctor) dragged him across the country on preaching trips. But God was preparing him.

After earning an academic scholarship to a state university, Luke was ready to enroll. But God nudged him toward Ozark. He’d sensed a call to preach before, “but the first time this call really got below the surface was in Mark Scott’s Expository Preaching class. I realized this was a task worth giving my life to.”

Now Luke serves at Plainfield Christian Church near Indianapolis, sharing preaching duties 50/50 at the congregation of 2,000. “The most beneficial thing for my preaching has been community,” says Luke. “I go on a yearly retreat with 10 preachers from all kinds of churches. We plan sermon series together and have a group text that blows up my phone with funny stories, advice, questions, and prayers.”

And maybe being a Bible college president’s kid isn’t all bad. “I love talking over my sermons with my Dad,” says Luke. “I ‘plagiarize’ a lot of his stuff. I figure it’s payback for being used as a sermon illustration my whole life.”

Luke loves seeing people respond to the gospel. On a recent Baptism Sunday, after a sermon from 1 Peter 3:18-22, twentytwo people were immersed into Christ. But the greatest joy? “There’s nothing better than standing smack in the middle of the will of God. When I preach, I feel his pleasure.”