FRESNO – “When I was a child in Vacation Bible School, I heard a story about a mustard seed. I remember thinking, I would like to be a mustard seed,” Tim Gentry said.

An evangelism specialist/church consultant with the California Southern Baptist Convention (CSBC) Healthy Church Group, Tim believes VBS is one of the most effective evangelistic tools churches have.  

Tim was born and raised in Oklahoma to parents who took their two sons to church regularly. He saw ministry modeled from an early age, and he accepted Christ when he was seven years old. He stayed involved in church events, youth group meetings and mission trips.

“I knew from the preaching and teaching that God had a plan for your life. It was expected that you would be involved, that you would share your faith with friends. The summer after my senior year, I made the commitment to vocational ministry. I was 17 years old,” Tim said.

He attended East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. After graduating from East Central in 1979, Tim attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, graduating in 1982 with a master of divinity degree. That year, the Home Mission Board (now North American Mission Board (NAMB)), commissioned Tim as a church planter missionary. He moved to Roseville and started West Roseville Baptist Church, where he was pastor for 12 years.

“One of the best experiences that I’ve had was as a bill collector when I was at East Central. It helped me learn how to probe and be straightforward with people. It also helped me learn how to organize prospects and how to follow up with prospects. I used those skills as I went door-to-door to over 5,000 homes in Roseville,” Tim said.

He joined CSBC in April 1995, with primary responsibilities including consulting with churches in developing healthy church strategies for a changing society, leading the On Target Evangelism Conference, and supervising the US/C2 student evangelism specialist.

“The US/C2 specialist is a NAMB position filled by a recent college graduate under the age of 30 who is willing to make a two-year commitment to ministry. CSBC has had a succession of young people in this position, and I have supervised about seven of them. I’ve been able to build the position into a statewide responsibility for student evangelism.”

One of Tim’s greatest joys in ministry is also very challenging: having difficult conversations with church leaders about the present realities of their church and sensing that they truly understand their situation.

“It is an answer to prayer for me to have the courage to look someone in the eye and tell them something that they don’t want to hear. It is an answer to prayer to say it in the right way. It is an answer to prayer to have them look back at me and not become defensive, but to hear and process what they have heard – not reject it outright. That brings great joy to my heart.”

The greatest challenge for Tim is working with congregations whose comfort level has gotten them off track and away from the Great Commission.

“I just don’t like to see ineffectiveness. I want there to be fruitfulness. Faithfulness is very, very important to me, but faithfulness must be balanced with fruitfulness.”

Tim and his wife, Mary, have two grown children and a two-year old grandson. Among his other degrees, Tim also holds a doctor of ministry degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley.

Tim’s message to California Southern Baptists: 
“Change in the church is not about my way or about your way; it is about God’s way. It is not change for change sake. It is brokenness, a willingness to do whatever it takes to win souls for Christ. When that happens change does not become an issue. It becomes the norm of the obedient Christian walk.

“We need to understand the theology of change and its ramifications in our day-to-day lives. It is all through the Bible. God is the God of change, the God of redemption. Repentance is about change. You are heading in one direction, and then you change directions. The old is gone, the new has come. Change does mean dealing with generational and cultural issues, but that is not the point. The point is about getting in step with God in fulfilling His Great Commission.”

Prayer Requests:

• Pray that the promotional materials for the 2010 On Target Evangelism Conference will reach pastors and key church leaders.
• Pray that the On Target materials will motivate pastors and church leaders to attend the conference.
• Pray that Convention churches will embrace the theology of change and step out with God in fulfilling His Great Commission.
• Pray God’s blessing on the Healthy Church Group evangelism specialists/church consultants as they help churches throughout the state address the generational and cultural issues of our changing society.

Tim’s Praises:

• Praise God for the Convention churches that are embracing the theology of change.
• Praise God for generous gifts to the Cooperative Program. Those gifts provide the opportunity to minister to churches and individuals up and down the state.
• Praise God for the freedom and flexibility CSBC gives to adapt strategies when working with churches and associations.

Did you know?
The 2010 On Target Evangelism Conference will be held at the Marriott South Bay February 15-16, 2010.

Learn how pastors of diverse churches are making disciples as they share their disciple-making  process models.

Plan now to attend! For immediate information, e-mail evangelism@csbc.com or call 559-256-0843.

Tim’s contact information:
California Southern Baptist Convention
678 E. Shaw Avenue
Fresno CA 93710-7704
559-256-0850
tgentry@csbc.com