Emerging Leaders

BY SARAH HUXFORD

It’s a question many churches and parachurch organizations have been asking themselves over the last three years. As COVID has peaked and receded, then peaked and receded again — and with it, in some cases, church attendance — many churches have struggled to find their footing in the “new normal.” Church leaders themselves have experienced unprecedented levels of burnout, as evidenced by Barna Group research. Decisions like when and how to stream services online, what style of worship to use, and how to reach the community will continue to create challenges.

God’s church is bigger than any of our human difficulties, to be sure. And at Point, the College of Biblical Studies and Ministry is preparing leaders who can face these challenges and continue to spread God’s word.

One of these emerging leaders is Dylan Glenn ’23. A senior biblical studies and preaching ministry major, Glenn is also the preacher at nearby Friendship Christian Church in Valley, Alabama. Friendship has been served by Point graduates in the past, but Glenn is serving while also a full-time student.

Glenn’s path into ministry was not unexpected. Growing up in Columbus, Georgia, Glenn was raised in the Baptist church. His grandfather was the pianist for one of the churches in which he grew up. He was also active in Young Life, whose local leaders were influential for him.

“Christianity has always been fascinating to me,” Glenn says. “For as long as I can remember, I enjoyed studying the Scriptures and looking into what it all meant.”

After a youth-group trip in high school, Glenn told his church that he wanted to be a preacher. “I had no idea at the time what all that would mean,” he recalls.

But before pursuing his ministry education, Glenn followed a different path: into the U.S. Navy.

“In my mind, the military was always a stepping stone toward pursuing college,” Glenn says. “Service in the military allowed me to earn a bachelor’s degree without debt.”

He enlisted as a high-school senior, and after boot camp and technical school, he was stationed in California. “I spent three years there and could have finished out my obligated service of four years,” he says. “I had every intention of ending my service so that I could pursue college full time.”

But right about the time Glenn’s contract would end, he was offered the opportunity to extend his contract and serve overseas, on a brand-new base in Poland.

“I had never been to Europe, so it was an exciting, new adventure,” he explains. He enjoyed getting to know the military officers with whom he worked, including the Chain of Command. If he had been allowed to change roles to be a chaplain assistant, he says, he might have stayed in the Navy longer.

“In the Navy, especially overseas in Poland, I relied heavily on online sermons, as well as resources such as BibleProject, to grow further,” he says. “Once my time in Poland was coming to a close, I knew it was time to get serious about my education.”

As Glenn’s time in the military came to an end with an honorable discharge, he needed to figure out his next steps. He wanted to pursue a biblical studies education and be closer to home, so he did a Google search for undergraduate programs in Georgia. He applied to both Luther Rice College and Point, choosing to enroll at Point.

“I had wanted to pursue biblical studies for the purpose of preaching, and so I was delighted to discover that Point offered a dual major,” he says.

From his first classes at Point, Glenn made an impression on his professors in biblical studies courses.

“The first time I remember meeting Dylan was his freshman year,” says Wye Huxford ’73, dean of the College of Biblical Studies and Ministry and professor of New Testament. “In the course The Drama of Scripture, he told the instructor, Ron Lewis ’82, that he wanted to learn more about N. T. Wright and had already read some of Wright’s work. Ron sent him my way, and that began my respect for Dylan as a student.”

“Immediately it was obvious that he was bright, more experienced than the average student and always eager to engage the professor or debate him,” adds Dr. Jim Donovan ’74, professor of education. “I am grateful for his academic and professional curiosity, which stimulated his peers and enhanced the classroom discussions.”

“I’ve taught Dylan in multiple classes, from the recent The Practice of Christian Ministry to Expository Preaching, first- and second-year Greek, Biblical Interpretation, et cetera, and in every context, he has proven himself to be the kind of student who genuinely wants to learn,” says Huxford.

As a student, Glenn eagerly sought out ministry internships with churches where he could gain experience. During his second internship with Spring Road Christian Church in Lanett, Alabama, where Lewis preaches Glenn asked Lewis about any opportunities in the area.

“On my first official day with Ron as his intern, he texted me to ask if I could preach that Sunday at Friendship Christian,” he recalls. “I preached on Exodus 17:8-14, on what a leader of God’s people ought to be like, as they were looking for a preacher.”

Glenn soon began preaching regularly at Friendship and had several formal interviews with the church’s elders. He also experienced an interview with the congregation, during which members could ask him anything they wanted. Last summer, he was hired as the church’s preacher and ordained.

“It was obvious to me, beginning in Introduction to Preaching, that Dylan had both a gift and passion for preaching God’s Word,” says Donovan. “Therefore, it also became evident that he could effectively fulfill the responsibilities of preaching at a small church.”

Buddy Harris ’79, the previous preacher at Friendship Christian, says he has enjoyed watching Dylan grow into this ministry.

“Dylan is a scholar with great people skills,” Harris says. “I have made a few suggestions from my experience, and he has implemented them masterfully. He has never been defensive about my suggestions. He loves to learn!”

Harris’s wife, Tonya Romans Harris (’75-’78), passed away in January, after a battle with dementia. Harris recalls how Glenn cared for his family during that time.

“Several months back, I was leading worship, and I got so caught up in preparations, I had forgotten about my wife,” he explains. “The lady who usually sat with her when I could not wasn’t there that day. I didn’t realize it until the first song. There was Dylan, sitting with Tonya so she would not be alone.”

“My stock in Dylan Glenn went up like a rocket that day, and is still flying high,” Harris adds. “He was not only a great comfort to me after Tonya died, but he also helped me remove her hospital bed and put it in storage. I am proud to call him my preacher!”

Glenn says the most challenging aspect of juggling a preaching ministry and full-time studies is time management. “It’s not that difficult to prioritize and see goals accomplished,” he explains. “Rather, it’s dedicating myself to reading and writing well in both areas, and finding a joyful balance between ministry, academia and social outings.”

Looking back on his time at Point, Glenn is grateful for how he’s been prepared for this moment in his life and ministry. He says that his courses, especially those in preaching and counseling, have given him the knowledge to go beyond the theoretical to practical application.

Huxford and Donovan agree that the variety of instructors in the University’s biblical studies and ministry courses people with experience in both academia and church ministry have helped guide Glenn and students like him.

“Dylan is not alone in being a well-prepared student for ministry,” Huxford says. “He has more than a few friends just like him in terms of call, commitment to the call and preparation at Point to answer the call.”

“Dylan had a calling to preach and a keen intellect, but he needed to develop his emotional intelligence and his ability to go beyond superficial biblical interpretation and application,” says Donovan. “The curriculum and professors in Point’s College of Biblical Studies were just what he needed. As he progressed through his program of study, he was exposed to a diversity of styles of instruction, as well as persons of deep Christian commitment.”

Glenn also expresses gratitude for the mentoring of those professors, hesitating to name anyone for fear of leaving someone out. “Everyone has been helpful to me when it comes to encouragement,” he says.

By the time this issue goes to press, Glenn will have married his fiancée, Autumn, whom he met at church in Columbus. After they met as adults, the couple realized they were in the same church nursery as babies, though they don’t remember each other from childhood! He plans to continue preaching at Friendship while pursuing a master of divinity degree.

“A small church like Friendship, with the loving and kind people who attend there, is a perfect place for Dylan to work on becoming a better preacher,” says Huxford. “I actually don’t believe you ‘learn to preach’ in a classroom. You learn how to write good, biblical sermons, and you practice what preaching is like. But it is in a church building on a Sunday morning –standing before the people of God, to speak on behalf of God, as a part of the people of God – that one learns to preach. Both Friendship and Dylan are blessed by this relationship.”

From population changes to technology to global pandemics, the church will always face challenges. But universities like Point are preparing the next generation of leaders to tackle those challenges head on and lead the church growing and strong into the next decades.

Does your church wrestle with these issues? Join us for the spring Ministry Seminar — details on page 23!