One grad’s mission to renew the teachings of Jesus

DANIEL MCCOY RENEWING EVERY DAY

HOW ONE GRAD ENCOURAGES FAITHFULNESS AMONG THE DISCIPLES

Amy Storms

Ministry isn’t for the faint of heart. Often, the joys and blessings of ministry go hand-in-hand with its hurts and hardships. The pandemic, the political climate, and the everyday needs of the people in the pews can leave the shepherds of the flock weary, lonely, and discouraged. Where can the minister turn?

Enter Daniel McCoy.

An author, teacher, and minister himself, Ozark grad Daniel McCoy’s service can be summed up in one word: encouragement. Daniel encourages others like him to stay—and to stay faithful— in ministry.

Encouraged at Home

For Daniel, the ministry of encouragement started early in life. A preacher’s kid, Daniel was impacted by his dad’s decision to leave a well-paying career path in his thirties to attend Ozark Christian College and dedicate the rest of his life to church ministry.

“I knew churches weren’t perfect,” Daniel says, “but I also knew that the church was profoundly important to God. One of the convictions I absorbed in the McCoy household was that in the grand scheme of things, what really mattered was, as my dad put it, ‘increasing the population of heaven.’”

After attending Ozark, Daniel’s dad David preached in southeast Kansas at Mound Valley Christian Church and Galesburg Christian Church. When Daniel was a freshman in high school, his father planted the Ambassador Christian Church in Chanute, Kansas.

“The church plant gave everybody in the family valuable experience in various ministry tasks,” Daniel recalls. Daniel played bass, guitar, and drums at the church. “I also ran the overhead projector,” he says, “which takes a lot more coordination than you’d think—and often more than I had.”

I knew churches weren’t perfect, but I also knew that the church was profoundly important to God.

Encouraged by Ozark

After high school, Daniel enrolled at Ozark. As a student, he spent time as a tour guide for prospective students, as a bass player for Frontline, and as a tutor for Ozark’s Learning Center (now, the Academic Resource Commons).

“Where do I even begin?” Daniel says of his time at OCC. “The friendships, the classes, the convictions, the mission…I’ve never once regretted going to Ozark. My years there were encouraging and formative and fun.”

“I remember giving a campus tour to my roommate’s younger sister,” Daniel says. “When she came to Ozark as a freshman, I realized, “There are a ton of guys interested in her. I’d better make my move. I attended the Living Christmas Tree three times that winter, just to see her sing in the second row from the top.” A week later, Daniel was dating Susanna Lang.

In 2007, Daniel received a Bachelor of Theology in preaching ministry, and in 2008, he and Susanna were married. After graduating, the McCoys moved back to Chanute where Daniel worked with his dad as associate minister at Ambassador Christian Church. At the same time, Daniel also taught Bible, language arts, and speech at the Christian school in town. He

went on to earn a master’s degree in Christian apologetics through Veritas International University, then a Ph.D. in theology through North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Daniel designed and taught online courses for Ozark, including philosophy, ethics, world religions, and apologetics. He continues to teach for the college as an online adjunct instructor.

Encouraged through the Written Word

In 2019, Daniel took a full-time job as editorial director for Renew.org, a network of believers who encourage one another toward faithfulness and effectiveness through relationships and resources. Renew.org’s mission statement is to “renew the teachings of Jesus to fuel disciple making.” The ministry fuels disciple making through solid content (daily articles, videos, podcasts, and book publishing), disciplemaking mentoring, learning communities, and gatherings (online, regional, and national). Currently, Renew.org’s growing network has more than a dozen regional directors in the U.S. and Canada who oversee “micro-networks” within the network. These micro-networks are where much-needed, heart-level relationships happen. While so many church leaders are struggling during the pandemic, the relationships in the Renew.org network are helping to give church leaders renewed purpose and convictional resilience. God is using these relationships to encourage leaders to stay—and stay faithful—in ministry.

As editorial director for Renew.org, Daniel is the “content guy.” He curates the Renew.org website, writes articles and video scripts, and assembles a weekly newsletter and podcast called “Renewing Every Day.” Daniel also serves as the main editor for the books published at Renew.org. Since its inception in 2018, Renew.org has published books on spiritual disciplines, church leadership, and progressive Christianity. This year, Renew.org is also launching a 12-book series of theology books, which will eventually be compiled into one volume as a significant theology book to fuel faithful and effective disciple making.

Renew.org is a predominately Christian Church network, so Daniel has enjoyed connecting with Ozark alumni and professors as he gathers content. “Ozark alumni have written some incredible content for us,” he says, “such as Jeremy Bacon’s series on the Sermon on the Mount, Corey Scott’s series on worship ministry, Vance Russell’s series on gender, and Julia Martin’s series on suffering faithfully.” The Renew.org website includes familiar OCC names like Zustiak, Wood, Kehrer, Boles, Proctor, Stafford, DeWelt, Ackerman, Gariss, and Cherok.

Today, Daniel, Susanna, and their five children live in Marion, Iowa, a suburb of Cedar Rapids. Daniel has published three books: one on atheism (co-written with Norman L. Geisler and published by Baker), another on apologetics (published by Renew.org), and a third on world religions (published by Harvest House). Daniel says, “I am convinced that, at least in part, these books started with a comment made by an Ozark professor in 2007. I wrote a long paper my senior year for a class with Chad Ragsdale. I really put myself into this paper, and when he graded it, Chad wrote these five words: ‘Daniel is a superb writer.’ I’m not sure it was true, but Chad’s encouragement opened my eyes to the possibility that I could do serious writing.”

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,” the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “just as in fact you are doing.”1 Daniel takes this admonition to heart. “I love to encourage faithfulness,” he says. “Because Renew.org is first and foremost a network, we don’t just send content out; we connect with each other and check on each other. Our network has provided ministers a solid place to stand in a confusing world where many of their peers are digging into an ineffective traditionalism or caving to an unfaithful progressivism. God has used our relationships and resources to renew the strength of burnt-out ministers on dark days in a difficult season.”

“We need each other,” Daniel concludes. “I’m always grateful when God uses me to be a voice of encouragement at just the right time.”

Our network has provided ministers a solid place to stand in a confusing world where many of their peers are digging into an ineffective traditionalism or caving to an unfaithful progressivism.

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