Episode 26: A Conversation with Brian Carroll

Brian Carroll

In episode 26 of The View From the Pulpit, host Ben Smith talks with Pastor Brian Carroll, Pastor of Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church in Flintstone, GA, about expository preaching and the challenges and rewards of long-term pastoral ministry. Pastor Carroll explains his commitment to faithful biblical exposition, his sermon preparation process, and the importance of loving and knowing one's congregation.

 Show Notes: “View from the Pulpit” Podcast, Episode 26: A Conversation with Pastor Brian Carroll.

Episode Theme: Convictional expositional preaching

In this episode of “View from the Pulpit,” host Ben Smith talks with Pastor Brian Carroll, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Flintstone, GA about his commitment to faithful biblical exposition and preaching through books of the Bible, his sermon preparation process, and the importance of loving and knowing one's congregation.

Key Highlights:

·      Preaching through books: Pastor Carroll is committed to preaching through books of the Bible and adhering to a rigid preaching schedule. Typically, Pastor Carroll does not deviate from his preaching schedule for church or secular holidays. Recently, a particularly uncomfortable text from Revelation 17 fell on Mother’s Day Sunday. Rather than avoid the text, Pastor Carroll took the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to preaching through books of the Bible.

·       Collaborative model of Sermon Preparation: A significant aspect of Pastor Carroll’s preparation process is collaboration with his staff. He brings the week's text to Monday morning staff meetings for questions, insights, and different perspectives.

·       The Profound Impact of Long-Term Pastoral Ministry: Both Carroll and Smith highlight the value and impact of serving a church for a significant period. Carroll, with tenures of over 12 years at his previous church and seven years at his current church, emphasizes how knowing the congregation deeply shapes his preaching and pastoring. His current position at Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church is particularly significant as it was the church where he attended college, was called to preach, and experienced spiritual growth. This history creates a sense of "homecoming" and a desire to "invest in the church.

Join Ben Smith and Pastor Brian Carroll for valuable insights about expository preaching and how to be most faithful when proclaiming God’s word.

Host: Ben Smith

Guest: Pastor Brian Carroll

Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

• For more information and resources from Pastor Ben Smith, visit www.BenSmithSr.org.

• Follow Ben Smith on X at https://x.com/bensmithsr.

• For more information on Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA, visit https://cbcwaycross.org/.

Other podcasts by Ben Smith:

• All For the Kingdom is a weekly podcast of pastor Ben’s preaching ministry. https://www.bensmithsr.org/bensmith-allforthekingdom

• Sermon Shorts is a podcast of sermon clips that are 5 minutes or less. https://www.bensmithsr.org/shortspod

Brian Carroll has served as lead pastor of Chattanooga Baptist Church, Flintstone, GA, for seven years.  Prior to coming to Chattanooga Baptist, he pastored Northside Baptist Church of Newnan, GA. Brian earned his undergraduate degree from Shorter University in Rome, GA, a MDiv from Beeson Divinity School,  and a Master of Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX.  In addition to his pastoral duties, Brian serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Shorter University.

Brian and his wife, Heather, have two children.

Follow Pastor Carroll on X: https://x.com/pastor_brian

Watch and listen to Pastor Carroll’s latest sermons on:

·      YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChattanoogaValleyBaptistChurch

·      Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chattanooga-valley-baptist-church/id1484400386

For more information on Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church, visit: http://cvbchurch.org/

A special thanks to Jim Gibson for permission to use his recording of “Brethren We Have Met to Worship” for this podcast. You can find more information about Jim Gibson’s music and many other recordings at https://www.hickorycovemusic.com/.

Music by Jim Gibson. “Brethren We have Met to Worship.” Songs of the South III, @2003 Hickory Cove Music.

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