DEACON - CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACKET - Ryan Fields

DEACON CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACKET (CIP)

PASTOR RYAN FIELDS

Faith Evangelical Free Church

CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACKET (CIP) - RYAN FIELDS

The following information is intended as an introduction to familiarize yourself with Pastor Ryan Fields as the candidate the search committee is submitting to the congregation for the position of senior pastor at FEFC. It includes information on how the search committee arrived at its conclusion, his education, credentials, testimony and call to ministry, personal information, general Q&A relevant to the desires of FEFC, and his Curriculum Vitae.

Pastor Ryan will be defending his PhD in May 2021 with a target start date to assume the mantle of FEFC’s new senior pastor the end of July 2021 after wrapping u p his doctorate.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Education / Credentials / Testimony and Call to Ministry

• Personal Information

• Questions and Answers

• Sample Sermons

• Curriculum Vitae

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EDUCATION

 Bachelors , Religion (Minors: History, Philosophy) University of Florida - 2006  MDiv – (Pastor/Teacher & Pastoral Care) Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) – 2011  THM – (Systematic Theology) Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) – 2011  PhD – (Systematic Theology) Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) – (Pending graduation 2021)

CREDENTIALS

 Licensed by the EFCA on February 14, 2012  Ordained by the EFCA (Creekside Community Church, Gainsville, FL) as a representative EFCA Church on April 12, 2015.

TESTIMONY AND CALL TO MINISTRY

Please describe your conversion and call to ministry. By God’s grace I was born into a Christian home with parents who prayed with me and a church which taught me the stories of the Bible from a very early age. However, much of this was a “cultural Christianity” which did not mean anything to me personally; I grew up not having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In middle school my lost state began to manifest in a lifestyle of rebellion and utter selfishness; it was clear that I was living for myself rather than God. But in ninth grade God intervened in a miraculous way, using the ministry of a new youth pastor to introduce me to Jesus and teach me what the Christian faith was really all about. Under his teaching and through my own reading of the New Testament God revealed himself to me and enabled me to understand and believe that I was a sinner in need of a savior, and that Christ had died for me so that I might be saved from sin and death; this was my conversion to Christ. My call to ministry is integrally related to my conversion, for almost as long as I have been a Christian, I have wanted to be a pastor. I have always loved the church, and ever since I began to work with my youth pastor in high school, I have found it very hard to imagine working anywhere else. God has since given me abundant opportunities to explore pastoral ministry (getting exposure to its many joys and struggles) and to be in pastoral ministry as an ordained minister with the EFCA. And perhaps most importantly, I have sensed a calling into pastoral ministry within the local church that has been confirmed both subjectively (within my own heart under the Spirit’s guidance) and objectively (through the confirmations and recommendations of others). It has not been a “moment of calling” but rather a gradual “confirmation of calling” as I have tried my hand at pastoral ministry and found that I enjoyed it and even thrived in it while others confirmed that I did indeed have the gifts and graces appropriate for a pastoral role. My formal theological education and pastoral preparation, including my MDiv, ThM, and PhD studies at TEDS, have all provided further confirmation that I have been both called to and gifted for serving the church as a pastor-theologian.

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PERSONAL INFORMATION

Married (wife Emily, and three young girls - Penelope, Amelie, Madeline ).

Share how you make family a priority: Amidst current callings to serve the church, to study in preparation for further service to God's people, to be a laborer who exhibits a God-honoring work ethic, and to be a citizen of integrity (among others), I am convinced that the most central and stable calling the Lord has given to me is to be a godly and loving husband and father. This calling involves a covenant commitment of utter importance, one to be lived out on a daily basis. It means that my number one relational priority each day is to care for my wife and love my children, dying to self for their sake and seeking to point them to Christ in all things. Tangibly what this looks like in this season involves: 1. for my wife, organizing my day so that I do the best I can to spend quality time with her and to help her in caring for our children (especially at the hours of the day where that is the hardest!), and 2. for my daughters, being intentional to be with them (play with them, listen to them, encourage them) and to help them become disciples of Christ (by doing morning catechism, Bible memory, reading Scripture, singing hymns before bed, praying with them at meals and other times, taking advantage of 'teachable moments', etc.) . Wife's training and major interests: My wife is a woman of many gifts and talents. Her formal training is in social work (she has her MSW from Loyola Chicago), and she served as an academic advisor at the University of Illinois (Chicago) for several years before we got married. At the church I served as an associate pastor once we were married, she served as a deacon overseeing care and compassion ministry, beautifully leveraging her social work background, empathetic heart, and gifts of service and compassion to care for the vulnerable and marginalized in our church and the broader Gainesville community. Her day- to-day work right now is caring for our three daughters (and amidst Covid-19 that means overseeing the education of our six year old while caring for our three year old and our infant!) to free me up to focus on studies and tutoring. She also works a few hours a week as an administrative assistant for a speech therapy group in town. Her interests include (among other things): hospitality, cooking/baking, camping, outdoor adventures, finding awesome activities for our kids, and tracking down a quality show or movie on Netflix. How would you characterize your marriage relationship? Very Strong

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

For each of the churches you have served, please provide your experience, your accomplishments, and the reason you left:  Associate Pastor at Creekside Community Church, Gainesville FL (2011-2016): Served the church as a pastor with full-orbed pastoral responsibilities, including sharing the pulpit with the lead pastor 50/50. Other responsibilities included planning and facilitating worship services, overseeing baptism and the Lord's Supper, teaching adult education classes, overseeing ministry teams, assisting lead pastor in leading elder meetings and staff meetings, hospital and home visitation, conducting weddings and funerals, providing individual, premarital, and marital counseling, leading a small group while discipling select small group leaders, overseeing prayer services, and many more. During this time I was licensed and ordained with the EFCA. I also spearheaded a faith and work emphasis at the church which included writing/executing grant proposals & planning/facilitating an EFCA regional conference around this theme. I left because over a summer sabbatical that the church generously provided for us it became clear that the Lord was calling me back to further theological studies for the sake of the church and that my wife and I believed that Gainesville was not the place where we were going to put down long term roots. It was an extremely hard decision, especially because the church was healthy and there were wonderful relationships that we had built there. But ultimately, we go where the Lord calls us.  Pastoral Apprentice at Evanston Bible Fellowship, Evanston IL (2009-2011): This apprenticeship gave me the opportunity to be in ministry while training for ministry at TEDS. I oversaw the college ministry of the church (near Northwestern University), had several preaching and teaching opportunities, shadowed the pastoral staff to learn the ins and outs of ministry life, and served the church in various ways that gave me exposure to the joys and challenges of being in ministry. I left because I graduated from Trinity and was called to serve at Creekside as an associate pastor.  Pastoral Intern and Director of College Ministry at Creekside Community Church, Gainesville FL (2006-2008): I was given the opportunity to explore ministry and discern whether I was gifted for and called to pastoral ministry by shadowing the pastoral staff, engaging in seminar style readings and projects (including preaching labs), and trying my hand at ministry by overseeing the church's college ministry (near the University of Florida). I left because the experience was very affirming, and I felt called to pursue pastoral preparation at TEDS. How do you view your involvement with various age groups within the church? A pastor is a shepherd for the entire flock of God, not just for a portion of it. While of course there will be various areas of responsibility that the pastors of a church will distribute based on gifting and job description, I believe it is very important that pastors feel a responsibility for the entire congregation and that every segment of the congregation feels known and cared for by its pastors (not just one particular pastor). In that way I think the senior pastor should interface with ministry to the various age groups of the church. This could mean dropping in on a children's Sunday school class, shooting hoops with the youth before or

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after their Sunday evening gathering, showing up at an on-campus event where there will be college students from the church, hosting a dinner for young married couples, teaching a class on the joys and challenges of parenting little ones, visiting a small group that has a good amount of "empty nesters," being very intentional to greet retirees on Sunday morning, going to visit the elderly in their homes or in the hospital as needed. I believe strongly in inter-generational ministry. When the various generations share the wealth of what they have and are experiencing with other generations, there is often growth in Christ and a building of relationships that goes beyond merely peer relationships. It is partly the responsibility of the senior pastor to see that this is happening within the church community. The senior pastor must be an evident shepherd leader skilled in mentoring others and equipping God’s people for gospel ministry. Doing this well means being a "team player" who loves working with people and is able to delegate and coach in accomplishing goals. The "teams" of the elders and the staff are absolutely critical in this regard, and the senior pastor's professional and relational responsibilities should center around these two teams before all others so that they can more effectively care for the flock and serve the church. My approach to leading teams like these might be best described as “leadership from below,” following Jesus’ teaching (Matt. 20:24-28) and example (John 13:1-17) that in the kingdom leadership and greatness means service and humility. Strong, effective leadership isn’t hard- nosed and doesn’t run roughshod over others; rather it is convictionally soft-hearted, doing the difficult but important work of hearing from others, and building consensus rather than ram-rodding or abdicating. Perhaps one of my strongest convictions about leadership is that it is relational to the core. God has created us as relational beings in his image (Gen. 1:26), and thus relationship is vitally necessary for the senior pastor to lead the elders, staff, and congregation in God’s transformative purposes. In the midst of executing vision, implementing systems, and cultivating leadership development , I must never forget that the foundation of success on these fronts is building personal relationships where trust is at a premium. This conviction stems from my own life experience, for the people who have had the greatest impact on me had that impact because I knew that they cared about me, that they longed to see my transformation and not simply acquire another notch on their belt. I thus strive by God’s grace and the Spirit’s empowerment to practice servant leadership that seeks to know others, love others, and lead them toward greater maturity and flourishing in Christ. What do you believe is your greatest personal strength? My primary strengths as a pastor include a passion for clearly proclaiming and teaching God’s Word, a capacity for intimate and authentic relationships, an ability to counsel people through various life circumstances, a proclivity for facilitating ministry teams and small group discussions, an impulse to enter deeper into people’s lives while inviting them further into my own, a giftedness in encouraging those I work with and providing them the needed administrative support to further our ministry goals, and a desire to care for the marginalized and ensure that there are no segments of a church community which are neglected or ostracized. I see these strengths as all relating to the calling of the pastor- teacher to be a shepherd of the flock, someone who doesn’t just preach and teach or administer programs Describe your expectations and philosophy of team relationships within a multiple-staff environment?

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or conduct weddings and funerals or visit the sick or administer the sacraments, but rather someone who does these things through the lens of caring for and overseeing the precious flock of God that has been entrusted into his pastoral care (Heb. 13:17). How might your wife characterize your conflict resolution skills, and abilities at building consensus? My wife would say that I remain calm and composed amidst conflict and that, when given the opportunity, I facilitate conflict resolution with wisdom and diplomacy. She would also say that my empathetic capacities help me to relate to "both sides" of the conflict and to help each party better understand the other. I also think my wife would say that I am gifted in working toward consensus; it is my default mode (vs. strong-arming or abdicating) and I have been blessed not only with excellent training in this area (e.g. I was blessed to take an excellent counseling class at TEDS on conflict mediation and have been exposed to the wonderful work of Peacemaker ministries) but also with numerous experiences resolving conflict and building consensus on staff and with ministry teams of the local church. How might ministry colleagues characterize your conflict resolution skills, and abilities at building consensus? I think my colleagues would say they have witnessed my strong intuitions about when and how leadership needs to be provided amidst conflict and my default to consensus building as a leadership style. I think they would also commend my tendency to lean into the wisdom and resources of other leaders (especially elders) rather than “going it alone” amidst conflict situations. I think they would characterize me as having a proclivity toward delegation and being a team player, which helps in building consensus. They would say that they have seen my conviction that true leadership is always servant leadership play out in coming alongside of others and patiently working with them until we come to a common vision about how to proceed. What are your special interests and hobbies? Besides pastoral ministry and theology, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, camping, outdoor adventures (e.g. my wife and I aspire to seeing all of America's national parks over the course of our marriage, Lord willing), planning date nights for my wife and me, staying fit (running with my girls is often what you will catch me doing at the end of the work day or on weekends), watching a good movie that I can discuss with my wife and good friends, and learning the particular history of the place in which I live (among other things). Would you need special considerations because of involvement with other organizations or because of writing or speaking commitments? If so, please describe: My desire is to serve the church in two ways. Primarily I seek to serve the local church that I'm a pastor of, making sure that my priority is always feeding that flock with the Word of God, praying for it to become more like Christ, and caring for it in all the tangible ways that pastors should. Secondarily, I aspire to serve the broader church through occasional opportunities to preach/teach at other churches or ministry conferences and to publish things

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that will build up the whole Body of Christ. I particularly hope that I could invest in the next generation of pastors by teaching them (in the local church and perhaps also occasionally in a seminary context) about the joys and challenges of pastoral ministry and sharing with them a theological vision for ministry. I do hope in the future to be involved with groups like the Center for Pastor Theologians (they have cohorts of pastor-theologians that meet annually), and perhaps also to serve the EFCA in a more specific way. But I do not have any current commitments to speak of (beyond completing my PhD dissertation), and I would always put my own local church first, consulting with the elders and gaining their approval before taking on any additional ministry opportunities. Describe the place that worship should have in the church service? Worship is one way to summarize the entire purpose of the entire Christian life and even the cosmos (Psalm 19:1-6, Matt. 4:10, Rom. 11:33-36, 1 Cor. 15:28, Phil 2:9-11, 1 Tim. 1:17, Rev. 4:11). Worship is the proper response to the glory of God exhibited most clearly in the gospel of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 4:23-24, Rom. 1:16-17, 2 Cor. 4:6, Heb. 12:28). A Christian’s life of worship should consist of both individual and corporate expressions, exhibiting a constant tandem of worship “gathered” (Acts 2:42-47, 1 Cor. 11:33, Heb. 10:19-25) and “scattered” (Rom. 12:1-2, 1 Cor. 10:31, Rev. 1:6). In corporate worship settings we must not equate singing with worship; every activity of the worship service should be done as an act of worship unto God, including corporate singing (Col. 3:12-17, Eph. 5:15- 20, James 5:13-16). In this sense the entire church service is an act of worship, and the pastor plays a vitally important role in planning and overseeing this service for the glory of God, the building up of the body, and the furthering of the church's mission. What are your spiritual gifts? I believe that I am particularly gifted in areas pertinent to pastoral ministry, especially preaching/teaching (2 Tim. 4:2, Rom. 12:7), leadership (Rom. 12:8), administration (1 Cor. 12:28), encouragement (Rom 12:7) and hospitality (1 Peter 4:9). For me, all of these come under the larger banner of a shepherding gift, and indeed I believe that the Spirit has given these gifts to me primarily for the purpose of serving as a pastor-teacher (Eph. 4:11). What role do contemporary theological and ethical issues play in your ministry? Effective pastoral ministry doesn't just need to engage in biblical hermeneutics (proper interpretation of the Bible); it also has to engage in cultural hermeneutics (proper interpretation of our own cultural moment). God's people do not live in a vacuum; they live in a particular time and place and cultural context that is facing particularly pressing issues which the church is called to engage and speak biblical truth into. In this sense contemporary theological and ethical issues play an important role in my ministry. Theological issues are important because the church is called to articulate what doctrine is in keeping with the gospel (and what is not); ethical issues are important because the church is called to demonstrate what practices are in keeping with the gospel (and which are not). The pastor is someone the church rightly looks to for guidance on both of these fronts.

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To what extent would these ethical and social issues occupy your preaching and teaching? The church would not be faithful to the particular cultural moment in which the Lord sovereignly placed it if it ignored these pressing social and ethical issues. Therefore, it is vitally important that the pastor teach God's people a biblical worldview that helps them understand and respond to these complex issues from a biblical vantage point and preach the Word of God in such a way that shows God's people how the Bible really does speak to these things. In my mind this is best done by having these issues "in mind" in preparing sermons on particular biblical texts rather than preaching topical sermons that take on one issue at a time. I believe that such topical emphasis is better done in a Sunday school context where there can be more nuance and dialogue than a sermon allows. I also hold that it is very important that preaching never becomes beholden to the particular cultural issues of the day; we will always be confronted with various ethical and social issues, but the best way to prepare the church to engage them well is to see that the church is growing into the full maturity of Christ, able to respond to any issue in a way that is faithful, wise, and winsome. What place does world evangelism have in your overall pulpit ministry? I believe the church’s role in global missions, in sum, is to think globally while being present locally. The Great Commission, a call to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19) with the guarantee that members from every tribe, tongue, people and nation will be among the redeemed (Rev. 5:9), means that all Christians must to some degree be globally minded, and therefore that the local churches in which they gather must be globally engaged. This will differ based on giftings and resources, but minimally it should involve a commitment to praying, giving and going as the Lord calls. Local churches might seek to raise up homegrown missionaries which can then be sent and supported in locations all over the world. They might seek to dedicate a portion of their annual budget to global mission endeavors. They might seek to partner with parachurch organizations that have a strategic focus in relationship to the broader mission (e.g. Bible translation, theological/pastoral training for impoverished segments of the globe, child sponsorship, famine relief efforts, etc.). But all the while these churches will recognize that they are called to be on mission in the particular locale in which they are placed: they think beyond themselves globally but they do not neglect the mission they have been given locally. In an increasingly globalizing world, global and local mission intersect more than they ever have before; by befriending and sharing the gospel with an international student in the US, for example, local mission turns out to be global mission at the same time. World evangelism is just one emphasis that the senior pastor should give, but it is an important one, and therefore it should certainly show up in pulpit ministry, especially because part of what the preached Word should do is to train God's people in righteousness so that they are thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). How would you plan to deal with church growth and the formation of daughter churches? I tend to think of church growth in terms of "depth" rather than "breadth," meaning that I believe church growth has more to do with growth in Christ than growth in numbers. This is not to say that numerical growth should be ignored; it should be strived for because this

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means that more folks who were lost have come to saving faith in Christ and more folks who were without faithful church community now have it. But whether 10 or 10,000 folks are entrusted into our care, our priority is to see that they are growing in Christ, which will inevitably mean that they are more likely to share the gospel with their neighbors, co- workers, etc., and then numerical growth will likely happen as a consequence. When God grants the blessing of numerical growth, I believe the best model for channeling this growth is church planting (rather than multi-site or mega-church models). Tim Keller among others has written very convincingly that this is best way to both reach an area for the gospel and rejuvenate currently existing churches in an area. I have been blessed to be a part of two EFCA churches that have been very engaged in church planting (one has planted four churches in the course of twelve years), and I would want to make it a priority to help the church prayerfully consider how often we can raise up church planters and assist them in planting churches. I believe that the network of these daughter churches is something to cultivate and that it is a best practice to keep the mother church in contact with them and supporting them through prayer (and continued financial support as appropriate). Perhaps I could respond to this question in a broader way, in that I believe that senior pastor should be interfacing with each of these because they all play a role in helping the church to properly make disciples and see that those disciples become fully mature in Christ. The senior pastor's responsibility isn't to implement various programs that now run on their own; it is to see that these various programs, job responsibilities and staff positions serve the end of making and maturing disciples, whatever that might look like and whatever particular priorities it might mean for that day, week, month, season, or year. In other words, the senior pastor needs to be flexible to give due attention to any one part of the church's life and ministry as it is required. He is to ensure by God's grace that the making and maturing of disciples is something that is deeply rooted in every element of the church's culture. So, the senior pastor would be constantly asking: how can we cultivate this kind of maturity? How can we help our people to grow in grace; to deepen their relationship with God through Scripture and prayer; to cultivate greater relationships with their family, their church community, and with believing and unbelieving neighbors; to grow in a biblical understanding of the world and in a biblically informed engagement with the world; to enlarge their understanding of how their work is done unto God; to seek to serve others, especially the poor and marginalized, through hospitality and incarnation; and to become increasingly faithful stewards of their time, talent and treasure? He would also be asking: how is such maturity in Christ best cultivated? What aspects do we need to weave into our church culture so that this sort of maturity is the natural outcome? Of course ultimately I believe that the making and maturing of disciples is completely reliant upon the grace of God (John 15:4-5) even as we are called to cooperate with that grace (Phil 2:12-13). I also believe that the life of discipleship must be modeled by the pastoral leadership of the church, who should desire that believers continually mature in their relationship with Christ while they model what it looks like to grow as disciples of Jesus, increasingly imitating Him in all of life. How do you view your role as senior pastor in the following areas (Christian education, youth ministry, evangelism, missions, counseling, visitation, music, financial stewardship, pastoral and intern staff, and administration)?

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Regarding non-essential doctrines which are not specified in the EFCA Statement of Faith, how would you deal those who disagree with you regarding an important, yet non-essential doctrine? The beauty of the EFCA statement of faith marking out what we understand as the essentials is that it frees us to recognize that disagreements about other matters are "disagreements within the family," things that God's people have a difference of opinion about but always with the recognition that the other position is a legitimate evangelical position to hold. This doesn't mean that these doctrines "don't matter"; these doctrines are quite important for articulating the proper implications of the gospel for what God's people should think and how they should live. Rather, it means that we respect our brothers and sisters who come to different conclusions on these matters even though those different conclusions may manifest in important differences between our church communities. This is especially the case when these brothers and sisters come to those different conclusions because they are convinced from the Word of God that they are so. We must continue to seek the truth of God's Word by really listening to each other while ultimately being willing to "agree to disagree" on these as non-essentials. The church should also seek to partner in gospel ministry to the fullest extent possible amidst these disagreements, knowing that everyone will stand before God to give account for their position and that we are united in the most essential aspects of the faith. Christ calls his people to exhibit a unity before a watching world to the fullest extent possible (John 17:20-23). Briefly explain your views on the inerrancy of Scripture and how those views impact your preaching? To say that the Scriptures are "inerrant” means that they do not err in any matters upon which they speak, be they matters of faith and practice or history and science (2 Pet. 1:20- 21). This derives from the fact that everything said in Scripture is ultimately said by God Himself, who cannot err or deceive (Num. 23:19, 1 Sam. 15:29, Tit. 1:2). Inerrancy is important because it reinforces our confidence in the full authority of God’s Word, which our Lord affirmed again and again in his ministry (Matt. 5:17, 15:1-6, John 10:34-35). We affirm that “the Bible is without error in the original writings” in that it is the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts which can be said to be inerrant; modern translations of the Bible are reliable only to the degree that they are faithful in communicating the message of these original writings. Thankfully the work of gifted and competent Bible translators gives us great confidence that when we exercise Word ministry from our English Bibles we are indeed hearing from the Word of God. This directly impacts preaching because we can be confident that as God's Word is proclaimed, inerrant truth is being proclaimed, and this truth goes forth in the power of the Holy Spirit to do the work of transformation for which it was intended (Isa. 55:10- 13). Our confidence in preaching comes not from the giftedness of the preacher nor the readiness of the congregation, but from the fact that God promises to use preaching to bring his inerrant Word home to the hearts of his people. Are there any doctrinal positions you hold which might be regarded as outside the mainstream of the EFCA? If yes, please explain. No.

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In your pulpit ministry, how do you apply Scripture to life needs? Applying Scripture to life needs means helping God's people to see how the thrust of the passage preached bears on their lives. Effective preaching doesn't just present information; it seeks to demonstrate how the content of God's Word ought to impact every arena of life. This is ultimately because we can never exhaust the implications of the gospel; the entire Christian life is spent attempting to press deeper and deeper into the import of the gospel for how we should live, with no portion of our lives held back to remain unchanged. Effective preaching can thus be described as "bridge building": the task of the preacher is to build the bridge between the biblical world and the world of his hearers. If Scripture is not ultimately applied to the life needs of the congregation, then that bridge has not been sufficiently built. It is important that the preacher help God's people to envision what impact God's Word might have (by indicating possible avenues of application), but ultimately he must trust the Holy Spirit to drive home the Word in 1,000 particular ways that he could never have fully envisioned. Part of how I do this involves sharing from personal experience, being vulnerable with areas where the Word is both challenging to me (showing me my insufficiency and need) and also comforting to me (meeting that insufficiency and need). Briefly describe the role of the senior pastor as part of the elder board: The senior pastor is "first among equals" on the elder board, in the sense that all of the elders of the church are shepherds, called to keep watch over the flock (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2). I believe that healthy pastoral leadership recognizes both the significant role of the senior pastor as well as the constraints of what the senior pastor can do by himself. An effective senior pastor will thus work closely with the other shepherds, seeing that they are doing well spiritually and helping them to grow in their shepherding abilities. The senior pastor is called to cultivate a culture of gospel vulnerability among this group of men, leading in this by being transparent with them about areas of struggle and any need of prayer. The elders are the men that the senior pastor has the primary calling to come alongside and mentor, so that the church would have an increase of mature shepherds who can share the shepherding responsibility. This also means being proactive in developing leaders who could potentially serve as elders one day. The senior pastor (in conjunction with the chair of the elder board) is ultimately to provide leadership for this group of men, maintaining the priorities of word and prayer (Acts 6:2) and facilitating their care for the flock and oversight of its life and ministries in accordance with the Word of God. Briefly describe the role and relationship of the associate pastors to the senior pastor: The senior pastor and the associate pastors are, first and foremost, brothers in Christ and colleagues in the vital ministry of being vocational shepherds of the flock. The senior pastor labors alongside of the associate pastors as equals in the sense that they are all pastors, all charged with the high calling of pastoral ministry. The senior pastor is ultimately responsible for overseeing the staff on behalf of the elders, and so he is responsible for seeing that the associate pastors are faithful to their pastoral duties and mentored so that they grow in their capacity to shepherd the flock well. While senior and associate pastors would have distinct areas of responsibility, I would desire that they work extremely closely together, collaborating on various ministry efforts and praying for one another frequently. I would also desire that there would be a sharing of general pastoral duties in a way that is appropriate to their job

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descriptions (sharing preaching responsibilities, visitation, conducting weddings and funerals, presiding over baptism and the Lord's Supper, overseeing various ministry teams, etc.) In your opinion, what ministry challenges and opportunities have been created by Covid- 19 for growing the body and reaching more of the lost for Christ? The challenges for growing the body and reaching more lost people for Christ amidst Covid- 19 center around the fact that Christians cannot be physically present for fellowship and corporate worship together, and they cannot be physically present in their various spheres of influence to be salt and light and available for gospel witness as the Spirit opens a door for this. This includes limitations on the frequency and size of gatherings for corporate worship, where the believer is ministered to in a powerful way and where the lost can not only hear the gospel proclaimed but behold the gospel visualized in the sacraments and see the gospel lived out by the community. Yet, there may very well be more opportunities to grow the body and reach the lost for Christ amidst Covid-19. Consider that believers who might have become stagnant in their faith might be awakened by this global pandemic to how much they (and the world) need Jesus. Consider that Christians may have had more time for dedicated study of the Word and prayer amidst much slower social calendars. Consider that many folks who would no longer darken the doors of a church might be willing to tune in to a web-broadcast worship service. Consider that Covid-19 has created instances of greater need within our communities which the church can step up to meet and so witness to Christ's love which compels us. Consider that the social isolation may very well have brought people to realize how lonely and unsatisfied they really are with the life that they have built...and be open to how Christ might meet them in that place of brokenness and hopelessness. What are your thoughts of social media use for reaching the next generation for Christ in New England? There is no question that social media plays a huge role in the lives of the younger generations; this is simply a fact we have to face. In this sense I think we should continue to think about social media as a tool to be able to reach people we might not otherwise reach, and we need to be wise about the way that we use this tool. To me what is vitally important is that social media is the hallway and not the living room for God's people, meaning that it is best as an invitation to community and not a replacement for it. Ultimately people are longing for real community, and we have that to offer them in the church. I also think that pastors need to help God's people think about their habits and behavior on social media and whether they are in keeping with their identity as adopted children of God. For instance, do their posts reveal more of an allegiance to a political party or a particular social platform than an allegiance to Christ and the gospel? We need to help God's people think through the gospel's implications for life on social media, as with every arena of life. Statistically, New England ranks near the bottom on the religious index of areas to live in the country. Please describe your calling to this area and your vision and thoughts for ministering in this challenging environment. New England's "post-Christian" ethos is largely what attracts me to the area, actually. I grew

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up in the South and have ministered primarily in an environment where there are (relatively speaking) a lot of Christians and a plethora of churches to choose from. There are many good things that come in that kind of environment. But as I have looked at our country's religious demographics, it is clear to me that there is a much larger need for gospel ministers in places like New England. This is not only because of the relative lack of Christians and gospel-proclaiming churches, but also because of the inordinate influence of this region. As one example, New England has some of the most influential educational institutions in the world, and the Boston area particularly attracts folks from all over the country and from around the world who will come for a time and then head off somewhere else, often becoming leaders in their various fields and institutions. This is a strategic place to do gospel ministry, even though it is a tough place to do gospel ministry. I should also say that part of my calling to New England has come through visiting it time and again in coming to see my wife's family (she grew up in Guilford, CT, her brother's family lives in Watertown, MA, her parents live is southern Vermont, her grandparents live on Cape Cod, and her extended family is all over the region). I have come to enjoy the beauty of the area, and as I have looked in on the culture of ministry there I have often seen a "band of brothers" mentality that is very attractive. We are hoping to move to New England so we can 1. raise our children in the culture and climate that my wife grew up in, 2. be near to parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, and 3. share the hope of Christ in a dark place where the church can shine all the brighter.

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SAMPLE SERMONS

 Heart of Jonah - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MwK3-QX2b5qX- kBKwuBe037rW5lGXCug/view?usp=sharing

 Serving the Church - https://www.northsub.com/sermon-audio/tag/Ryan+Fields ( starting at timestamp 2:20 after the reading of the scripture passage )  Ruth 1 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CDqQx84HPCaOzSfj2Xk58hG9qABdtaq6/view?usp= sharing

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Rev. Christopher Ryan Fields 731 Hinman Ave., Apt. 3W Evanston, IL 60202 Phone: (904) 707-5531 Email: ryanfields84@gmail.com

EDUCATION: 2006

B.A. in Religion Minors in History, Philosophy Completed University Honors Program Graduated Summa Cum Laude, Co-Valedictorian College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida M.Div. with Pastor/Teacher and Pastoral Care concentrations Graduated Summa Cum Laude Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

2011

2011

Th.M. with a concentration in Systematic Theology Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

202 1

Ph.D. in Theological Studies with a concentration in Systematic Theology (Pending) Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY / CHURCH & PARACHURCH INVOLVEMENT: 2002-2006 Served at the W. W. W. United Methodist Church Camp as a Team Member in 2002 and 2003 and as Middle School Team Leader from 2004-2006

2005-2006 Served as president of Reformed University Fellowship, University of Florida

2006-2007 Served as Pastoral Intern at Creekside Community Church, Gainesville FL

2007

Served with Pioneers USA as an Edge Team Coordinator for a summer mission trip to Ghana

2007-2008 Served as Director of College Ministries at Creekside Community Church

2009-2011 Served as Pastoral Apprentice at Evanston Bible Fellowship, Evanston IL

2009-2011 Served as an intern for the Henry Center at TEDS

2010-2011 Served as a Resident Assistant for on-campus graduate housing at TEDS

2011

Participated in Ravi Zacharias Fellowship for Cultural Engagement at TEDS

Began serving as an Associate Pastor at Creekside Community Church

2012

Licensed by the Evangelical Free Church of America

Helped to oversee a church mission trip to Hungary as part of a continuing education initiative sponsored by the Kern Foundation entitled “Pastoral Ministry and International Missions: Exploring the Intersection”

2013 Helped to oversee a church mission trip to Haiti

2013-2014 Executed a continuing education initiative sponsored by the Kern Foundation entitled “Mission, Networks & Movements”

2014-2016 Oversaw portion of Lilly Foundation sponsored initiative of the Christian Study Center of Gainesville entitled “Faith & Vocation,” including presenting book reviews and leading undergraduates in an intensive exploration of Christian ministry and the theological foundations of faith & work integration 2014-2016 Oversaw Faith, Work & Economics Initiative of Creekside Community Church, sponsored by the Kern Foundation, including writing and executing two grant proposals along with regional conference planning & facilitating

2015

Oversaw Creekside’s participation in a nationwide Vocation Infusion Learning Community

Ordained by the Evangelical Free Church of America

2016 Hired as a tutor for Academic Approach, Chicago IL

2016-2018 Served as a research assistant for Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer at TEDS

2017-2018 Served as Book Review Editor for Sapientia (Electronic Periodical of the Henry Center at TEDS)

2018-2019 Served as co-chair of the Pastoral Search Committee at Evanston Bible Fellowship

ACADEMIC HONORS AND AWARDS: 2004

Named University of Florida (UF) Anderson Scholar, Highest Distinction & elected to the Society of Phi Kappa Phi

2005

Named a UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Mclaughlin Scholar & selected to the UF University Scholars Program

2006

Elected to the Society of Phi Beta Kappa, inducted into UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, named a UF Religion Department Jaberg Scholar, named a UF Four Year Outstanding Scholar & named UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Valedictorian (1 of 26)

2008

Named a Kern Scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS)

2009 Named TEDS Student Preacher of the Semester

2010

Granted TEDS Pastor-Teacher Award for portraying exceptional promise for ministry as a pastor-teacher

2011

Granted TEDS Kenneth Kantzer Award for demonstrating exemplary Christian character, academic excellence, and service to the church

2016

Named a Hansen Fellow & Ph.D. Merit Scholar at TEDS

RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS: 2005 Presented “Moment or Process? Developments in Augustine’s Understanding of Conversion” as part of lecture series sponsored by the Christian Study Center of Gainesville entitled “St. Augustine for Today”

Published “Moment or Process? Developments in Augustine’s Understanding of Conversion” in Alpata (Volume II, Spring 2005), history journal of the University of Florida

Published book review of Peter Brown’s Augustine of Hippo in Alpata (Volume II, Spring 2005), history journal of the University of Florida

2006 Presented research conducted through the UF University Scholars Program as a paper entitled “Humanism as a Neglected Aspect of the Scottish Reformation” at New College Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Studies 2007 Presented senior thesis research paper entitled “John Hamilton and His Kirk: Re- evaluating the Scottish Reformation and the Catholic/Protestant Divide” at the Christian Study Center of Gainesville

2010 Published “Lingering Dreams: Another Look at Inception ” on The Gospel Coalition

2011 Published “Carl Henry, We Never Knew You (and it’s a Shame)” on Sapientia , online periodical of the Carl F.H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding

2014-2016 Presented book reviews of Miroslav Volf’s Work in the Spirit , Andy Crouch’s Culture Making , and James Smith’s How (Not) to be Secular at the Christian Study Center of Gainesville “Church and Culture Roundtable” 2017 Presented “The Evangelical Theologian and the Theological Ecclesiology of John Webster” at the Evangelical Theological Society Midwest Regional Conference

Presented “On the Catholicity of Calvin” at the Evangelical Theological Society National Conference

Published book review of Steven Harmon’s Baptist Identity and the Ecumenical Future: Story, Tradition, and the Recovery of Community in Themelios (Volume 42, Issue 3)

2018 Presented “Free Church and Filioque ? On the Prospect of Free Church Engagement with the Doctrinal Controversy” at the Evangelical Theological Society National Conference

Published book review of Peter Leithart’s The End of Protestantism: Pursuing Unity in a Fragmented Church in Trinity Journal (Spring 2018)

Published book review of Four Views on the Church’s Mission in Presbyterion (Volume XLIV, Number 2)

Published “When Not to Refute Political Theology: Toward an Evangelical Rapprochement” in Presbyterion (Volume XLIV, Number 2)

2019 Published “Sounding Out the Idols (Still) Within: A Conversation with Richard Lints and Merold Westphal on Identity and Ethics” in Dignitas , periodical of the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity (forthcoming)

Published “Barth’s Christological Ecclesiology as Theological Resource for Evangelical Free Church Ecclesiology: An Assessment” in Scottish Journal of Theology (forthcoming)

2020 Published “ Ecclesia as Gathering Only? Evaluating the Use of Scripture in Proposals of the 'Knox-Robinson Ecclesiology'” in Anglican Theological Review (forthcoming) Published “Reformed and Catholic? Assessing Nevin & Bavinck as Resources to Further Inform ‘Reformed Catholicity’” in Westminster Theological Journal (forthcoming)

Published “Free Church and Filioque ? On the Prospect of Free Church Engagement with the Doctrinal Controversy” in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (forthcoming)

Published “Common Grace as Central Theological Resource for Evangelical Cultural Engagement” in Luther Rice Journal of Christian Studies (forthcoming)

Published “On Hauerwas and the Possibility of a More Robust Evangelical Theological Ethics” in Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology (forthcoming)

Published “The Trinity as our Ecclesial Program? Assessing Miroslav Volf’s Trinitarian Theology of the Church” in International Journal of Systematic Theology (forthcoming)