Brad L. Henderson, D.Min.
Primary gifts
Teaching: Preaching, Writing, Synthesizing, Presenting
Leadership: Crafting, Inspiring, Communicating, and Implementing Shared Vision
Training: Practical Equipping, Coaching, Developing Leaders
Administration: Creating Systems, Monitoring Priorities
education
Doctor of Ministry, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX (2009)
Focus: Pastoral Leadership
Dissertation: Evaluation of the Lasting Impact of a Men’s Family Leadership Class Training Experience
Master of Sacred Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX (1989)
Master of Divinity, Temple Baptist Seminary, Chattanooga, TN (1987)
Bachelor of Arts, Baptist Bible College, Springfield, MO (1983)
Professional experience
Online Professor (2018 - Present)
Adjunct Faculty, Western Seminary, Ministry Leadership Department (online)
Teaching Assistant, Dallas Theological Seminary, Pastoral Ministries Department (online)
Lead Pastor (1993-2018)
Trinity Baptist Church, Walla Walla, WA
Revitalized Church from Declining Health to Disciple-making Impact
Led 20-year growth from 175 to 600 unique monthly attenders in city of static population
Quadrupled annual budget
Revitalized all systems of church ministry including worship, outreach, ministry philosophy, spiritual formation, finances, and leadership development in multi-generational church
Implemented innovative practices to enhance ministry: church app, video streaming, online giving
Demonstrated Excellence in Creative, Accessible Preaching and Teaching
Consistently engaging biblical preaching, primarily expositional and topical-expositional
Recent archives (2015-present) available here. Examples:
Christian Living / Church Life Series: God's Church, Your Family
Old Testament Expositional Series: Faith.Full: A Study in Ruth
Doctrinal / Equipping Series: Turbulence
Apologetic / Seeker Series: "Yeah, But..." - When You Like Jesus But Still Have Questions
Additional archives available here.
Restructured Ministry Programming to Prioritize Discipleship
Realigned, streamlined, and re-invigorated ministries and events so that all activities directly contribute to the church’s purpose to make disciples
Implemented a disciple-making strategy, pathway and corresponding ministry structures to help people grow at all levels of maturity
Led Major Capital Campaign, Building Program, and Facility Remodel
Created successful in-house capital campaign to fund major facility expansion, raising over $2 million; when we started this journey, we had an annual church budget of only $250,000
Doubled square footage, building worship and educational space for youth and children, an administrative suite, a welcoming foyer, and expanded pre-school rooms
Renovated the original facility, including nursery, kitchen, and adult space
Completed the project on a “pay as you go” basis, resulting in a beautiful, functional, and debt-free facility
Created Culture of Adoption and Orphan Care
Initiated an adoption movement within our church, through personal modeling and sacrifice, that began in 2001 and continues today
Nearly 30 children adopted domestically and internationally through our church during this time, with an unmeasurable “ripple effect” on other children and families
Accomplished by helping the church assume responsibility for orphan care by adopting, giving, and supporting
Implemented Vision for Regional Transformation
Rallied the congregation to raise the quality of life in the Walla Walla Valley by raising the level of common grace and saving grace, making disciples who make a difference and creating a “feedback loop of grace” among the 50,000 people who live here. This included:
Going “deep” to reach the generation behind us (children, students, young families)
Going “wide” to reach the Spanish-speaking community in our valley
Going “long” to reach outside this valley, training interns, emerging leaders, and vocational pastors
Creating “One Church, Two Languages” through a Spanish-Language ministry, worship service, and part-time pastor
Serving our city’s neediest elementary school, where “deep” and “wide” overlap, such that Trinity received the Walla Walla School District’s Volunteer of the Year Award in 2016
Implementing an movement called “Reverberate” to fuel outreach efforts, including special offerings to go exclusively to community needs and projects
Building positive, non-competitive partnerships with other area churches, encouraging and advising them in their ministries, out of a desire to see the gospel advance in our valley
Solo Pastor (1989-1991)
Heritage Baptist Church, Chattanooga, TN
Initiated revitalization of church in crisis
Led church-wide process of refining vision, identity and ministry philosophy, Polishing Our Perspectiv
Initiated Men’s discipleship and leadership formation experience
writings & curricula
Writings
Henderson, B.L. (1993-2017, archived). Over 1,000 sermon manuscripts.
Henderson, B. L. (2009). Evaluation of the Lasting Impact of a Men’s Family Leadership Class Training Experience, Dallas Theological Seminary.
Henderson, B. L. (2000-2014). Various tools for defining and assessing personal spiritual growth:
A Model for Spiritual Formation (2014)
The Four Life-Long Practices of a Jesus-Follower (2005)
The Four Phases of Spiritual Maturity (2000)
Henderson, B.L., & Gilliam, B. (2007). Growth Group Apprentice Manual.
Henderson, B. L. (1993-1997, archived). “Religion” Column, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin.
Curricula
Henderson, B. L. (2015). Shepherd’s School, a quarter-long introduction to church dynamics and elder leadership.
Henderson, B. L. & Harrison, K. (2014). Roots: Turning Life Into Growth, a small-group curriculum on spiritual formation.
Henderson, B. L. (2009). XLR8: Spiritual and Leadership Discovery and Growth, a two-semester spiritual and leadership formation experience.
Henderson, B. L. & Goodman, D. (2006). Colossians: Methods of Bible Study, a cross- cultural hermeneutics-to-homiletics curriculum for international pastors.
Henderson, B. L. (2003). Evangelism is a Team Sport, a short, small-group introduction to evangelism.
Henderson, B. L. (1999). Men’s Family Leadership Course, a two-semester spiritual formation and family leadership formation experience.
Henderson, B. L. & Boettcher, M. (1996). Foundations: How God’s Loving Plan To Restore Our Broken Relationship with Him Unfolds Through the Ages, a two-semester overview the big story of the Bible.
professional presentations
Henderson, B. L. (2010-2013). A Trinity Leadership Event, designed to equip aspiring leaders for greater effectiveness at work and in the church, Trinity, Walla Walla WA.
Presentations:
Increasing Your Leadership Influence
How Leaders Get Things Done
The Heart of Spiritual Leadership
Seeing Better: The Role of Vision in Leadership
Credibility: The Leader’s Greatest Asset
Henderson, B. L. (2017). Generations, an intergenerational event designed to equip people of different ages and stages to learn from each other and maximize their unique place in life, Trinity, Walla Walla WA.
Henderson, B. L. (1996). When God Makes You Wait, a weekend retreat, First Presbyterian Church, Walla Walla WA.
Henderson, B. L. (2003). A Reluctant Baptist, a single-class introduction to Baptist history and theology, Walla Walla University, Walla Walla WA.
Multiple leadership experiences, workshops, and retreats on leadership, spiritual formation, self-awareness and disciple-making.
Teaching, Training & Coaching
Areas of expertise include: homiletics, leadership, self-leadership, spiritual formation, pastoral theology, disciple-making, and church ministry systems.
Teaching
Adjunct Faculty, Western Seminary (Portland, OR)
ML501 Theology and Practice of Gospel-Centered Ministry
ML502 Transformational Leadership (Spring 2019)
ML506 Ministerial Ethics
Teaching Assistant, Dallas Theological Seminary
PM101 Spiritual Life
PM105 Christian Life and Witness
Online Learning Systems
Canvas: competent
Moodle: competent
Other Teaching
Church-wide via weekly preaching, including original research, written manuscripts, and follow-along congregational sermon notes, for over 27 years
Trinity Leadership Events, periodic equipping events for aspiring leaders
Excel, a monthly event for growing, equipping, and sustaining current leaders
Spiritual Program for Accelerated Maturity, a creative two-semester spiritual formation and family leadership experience for men
XLR8, a creative two-semester spiritual and leadership formation experience
T-Net Disciple-making Course, a 20-month course for pastors and church leaders, with T-Net International
Shepherd’s School, a semester-long introduction to church dynamics and elder leadership
Intentional Disciple-making for the Church Around the World, via TOPIC/T-Net International. Taught 2 cohorts of pastors in India and covered subjects including: Methods of Bible Study, Preaching, Evangelism and Disciple-making, Church Planting, Leadership in the Church, Forming Disciple-making Small Groups, Developing Bible Lessons
Training
T-Net International/U.S., trained pastors and leaders in retooling their churches for disciple-making
TOPIC/T-Net International, trained 2 cohorts of pastors over a period of several years in India, practicing ministry skills such as preaching, small group leadership, Bible study methods, and evangelism
Homiletics, worked with staff, interns, and lay leaders in effective preaching through reading assignments, one-on-one and group instruction, manuscript review, and pre-and post-sermon evaluations
Coaching
M. Div. students, designated mentor:
Western Seminary, 2015-2017
Liberty Seminary, 2015
Bachelor’s and master’s level divinity students, formal and informal mentoring
T-Net International/U.S., coached pastors in implementing congregational change
TOPIC/T-Net International, coached 2 cohorts of pastors in India over several years, including regular one-on-one meetings for encouragement and assessment in their ministry progress
Pastors, staff, elders/deacons, interns, and lay-leaders in personal growth and church leadership
professional development
LEAD Intensive Leadership Evaluation And Development, Hendricks Leadership Center at Dallas Theological Seminary, 1998. LEAD is a 25-hour, 360° personal and ministry assessment and coaching experience
LEAD Intensive Leadership Evaluation And Development, Hendricks Leadership Center at Dallas Theological Seminary, 2015
Certified facilitator for PREPARE-ENRICH premarital and marriage assessment, 2000
personal
Hometown: Pueblo CO
Married to Lisa over 30 years, an amazing lady with a heart for kids from hard places
Dad to 10 kids born 1989-2011 (3 biological, 7 adopted)
Raising 6 kids at home, all adopted (India, Ethiopia, China), born 2001-2011
Interests: reading, coffee, personal fitness, barefoot running, playing the banjo, local history
Twitter: @BradLHenderson