Six and a half years ago I got an email that changed my life. It was from Phillip Bethancourt on behalf of Dr. Russell Moore, someone I greatly admired. I had read Dr. Moore’s books and articles and had had the opportunity to interview him for Christianity Today and was overjoyed that he would be the new president of ERLC. After a series of conversations over the ensuing weeks, I was offered a job as Vice-President of Communications. We packed up our family, offered an awful, tearful goodbye to our church in Chicago, and moved to Nashville, a city that has now become our home. This was, in many ways, a dream job and a dream team that I had the chance to work with. We built something significant and helped shape the public conversation and equip pastors and church leaders to think well about moral and ethical issues. Dr. Moore’s investment in my life is deep and wide. I’ve learned more theology in car rides with Dr. Moore than almost anywhere else. I’ve grown in every way in this season of my life at ERLC than almost any other season. ERLC has given me an opportunity and platform to flourish.
But alas, God has moved in our hearts to take on another challenge. I’ve accepted an offer to become Senior Vice-President of Communications at NRB. National Religious Broadcasters is an important organization that has, since the middle of the 20th century, equipped and advocated for Christian broadcast ministries. When I think of the scope of these ministries, it’s staggering, how many people around the world have heard the gospel on the radio and television and over the Internet. And it has come full circle in many ways for me. I grew up listening to Moody Radio. Ministries like Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living and Allistair Begg’s Truth for Life (among many others) were crucial in my formation in my early twenties. And Moody Radio has been an instrumental platform for getting the word out about my books.
I’m intrigued now by the opportunity to equip the next generation of Christian communicators. I’ve spent most of my career communicating: words, writing, preaching, radio, podcasting, TV, etc. I’m also overjoyed to work with my good friend, the new CEO of NRB: Troy Miller, who loves the gospel and has a vision for building an NRB for this next generation.
So this is a bittersweet announcement: I’m sad to leave my incredible and gifted colleagues at ERLC and I’m excited to join this new team and see what God has in the days ahead. One of the guiding principles of my life is Proverbs 16:9: “A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.”