Tucker encourages students to ‘embrace the tough places’ of ministry in chapel message

Embrace the tough places in ministry, preached J.D. “Sonny” Tucker, executive director-treasurer of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, during the Oct. 27 chapel message at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College.

Matt Queen, associate dean of the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, professor of evangelism, and L.R. Scarborough Chair of Evangelism (“Chair of Fire”), introduced Tucker and said the seminary and TBC community was “honored and privileged” to have the long-time state convention leader preach in chapel.

Tucker expressed his thankfulness to be at Southwestern and said, “Arkansas Baptists love Southwestern Seminary,” noting that many of his state convention staff are Southwestern alumni. 

Preaching from 1 Corinthians 3, which describes Paul’s process of evangelism, Tucker shared how the first 12 years of his ministry were in difficult places and shared with the assembly “how to do evangelism in tough places, places where people aren’t very responsive. Don’t ever doubt what God is doing in you.”

“When you go to work in places that are challenging, you need to understand that you’re going to have to start thinking strategically, like a missionary. You’re going to have to deploy strategic missiological principles,” said Tucker. 

Tucker shared a quote from missiologist, Donald McGavran, who said, “Evangelism is not an event. It is a process that is not complete until the converted are responsible church members.” When trying to reach people in difficult places, Tucker said, “thinking strategically about the way you do evangelism” is necessary. 

Tucker noted, “We want a harvest, but nobody’s broken the ground, and nobody’s planted the seed.”

The first step when doing evangelism in “tough places” and with “difficult people” is to “lead people in a process that is very much bathed in prayer and led by the Holy Spirit,” Tucker observed. He explained how he began preaching at the age of 21 and for the early part of his ministry, “we did not have good Baptists moving in and all the good Baptists were moving out” from the churches he was pastoring. He said he had to go to “Plan B” and learn how to walk with people and find ways to make a connection with them. 

Tucker told several stories of miraculous life changes in several people who were difficult and initially not open to hearing the Gospel. Through the course of time, prayers, and building a relationship with them, several people gave their lives to Christ and were saved. 

One such story was about an 84-year-old “crusty old man,” in an Arkansas town where Tucker pastored. Tucker was told he was the “meanest man” who “hated preachers” and “hated the church.” After a couple attempts to visit the man, he finally mustered up the courage to actually visit him. At the end of his first visit, Tucker asked him if there were two ways he could pray for him. Tucker went to his house every two weeks several times and walked alongside him, doing whatever the man did in his daily life from raking pine straw to shelling butterbeans. After several weeks, one day, the older man asked Jesus into his life, Tucker said.

Through difficult people Tucker said God showed him the purpose and reminded him that those were people that “He loves” and that “He sent His Son to die for.” 

Tucker learned to connect with the people and “treat them with Kingdom value and respect. God puts you in places as His ambassador and His servant. He has people there that He wants you to connect with and minister to. Be wise and give the Holy Spirit a chance to break the ground that’s been hardened by the little g-o-d-s of this world where you can finally plant the seed. … By touches, friendships, and ministries, He breaks the stronghold of the devil and they will see that ‘Jesus does love me and I have great value to God.’”

Tucker encouraged the seminary community to “embrace the tough places” and “do what God wants you to do. Not everybody can be a harvester every time, but everybody has a part of the evangelism process.”

Tucker has been the executive director-treasurer of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention since 2013, who will be retiring from the post at the end of the year. Before that, he served as pastor of several churches in Arkansas. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministries and speech and communications from Ouachita Baptist University, a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Philosophy, from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Tucker’s entire sermon can be viewed here.

Chapel is held every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10 a.m. (CT) in MacGorman Chapel on the campus of Southwestern Seminary and TBC. Chapel may be viewed live at swbts.live.