"Seven Questions with Dr. David Clippard"

1. What were some of the key issues that led you to serve in a denominational position?


Coming to a denominational position was strictly obedience to the call of God to go. I was VERY happy in my pastorate in Florida.

2. What is your greatest passion?


Personal Evangelism.

3. In your opinion what is the main thing that must happen in the SBC to build momentum for Kingdom growth over the next 5 years.

Passion in our pulpits! There must be passion for Christ, passion for soul-winning that shows up in passionate preaching. There is too much wet wood that has watered down our pulpits. We have lost the fire!

4. At the 2006 SBC Convention Southern Baptists made a renewed commitment to the Cooperative Program. Why should a church support the Cooperative Program and how does it impact your area of ministry?

C.P. is MISSIONS! Every believer and every church has been given the Acts 1:8 mandate. So the question is HOW are you going to fulfill that mandate? The best tool that I know of is SBC’s Cooperative Program. Every generation has to discover truth for itself … "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel." Judges 2:10 (NKJV)

It is the same with C.P. Every generation has to ask the question, “What is the best way for me to fulfill the Acts 1:8 mandate?”

If you ever go overseas and walk with our missionaries, you quickly discover that our SBC missions program is the envy of every other Christian Missionary on a mission field. There is support, there is accountability and there is care.

C.P. is what supports State, North American, International Missions and it pays for missionary training … Seminaries.

5. If you could give one word of encouragement to every Baptist minister what would it be?

Don’t let the fire of God that called you to ministry ever grow dim. Stay in the Word! And go soul-winning at minimum once per week. It keeps you in touch with the world and the Lord. Get REAL! We don’t need plastic preachers that come out of a standard mold.

6. What has been the secret to your success as a denominational leader?

I don’t know that I have ever found “success”. But I am trying to please the Lord Jesus in the area of responsibility He has given me. I want to be faithful with my one-talent. I am not a five or ten talent person.

7. Over the next year what are some things you hope to accomplish and how can my readers and I be praying for you?

My heart’s desire is to see 100+ new churches started in Missouri (on average) every year for the next ten years AND to see our rate of baptisms double in our state.

Dr. David Clippard is the Executive Director for the Missouri Baptist Convention. John 3:30 is his signature verse.