Dr. Avery Willis (www.averywillis.com), my friend from our college days together, was approached to be nominated in Indianapolis as the next President of the Southern Baptist Convention, recognized as the nation's largest protestant denomination. At first his inclination was to decline. But after prayer, he consented. His response to coming in third among six candidates?  “Relief!”  In this interview Avery does not sugarcoat the challenges, problems, and need for revival of the SBC. Avery's remarkable ministry impact is revealed, in part, with the following aspects of his bio: as a missionary became President of the Indonesian Baptist Seminary; authored the MasterLife Discipleship Series, now translated into more than 50 languages and is in more than 100 countries; recognized early Henry Blackaby's impacting ministry, urging and assisting Henry in the publishing of Experiencing God, resulting in the spiritual enrichment of millions around the world; an associate editor of the Discipleship Study Bible;  10 years the Vice-President of Overseas Operations of the International Mission Board of the SBC, administratively overseeing the ministry of more than 5,000 career missionaries around the world; and currently the Executive Director of the International Orality Network (ION), which recognized and formulated a method of Bible Storying to get the Gospel to the majority of the world's population, who primarily learn through listening and speaking rather than by literary means of reading. Most of these points are included in this 'on demand' interview with Avery Willis.

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Avery Willis depicts inspirational lessons learned from the life cycle of eagles.  Eagles are protected at birth with great effort from their parents, have it soft in the beginning, grow into calculated rough learning times generated by their parents,  struggle to learn to fly and become independent, and finally learn to soar through and over all that they face.  The book, coauthored by Avery Willis with his grandson Matt Willis, is titled: Learning to Soar: How to Grow Through Transitions and Trials, drawing from the inspirational patterns of eagles. It sold out a month before its September 4, 2009 release date, but more copies are being readied.

 Dr. Avery Willis, my good friend from our Oklahoma Baptist University days was…

• a missionary in Indonesia, later becoming President of the Indonesian Baptist Seminary;
  
• author/developer of the MasterLife Discipleship Series, translated into more than 50 languages;
  
• Vice-President of Overseas Operations of the International Mission Board, administratively overseeing 5,500 foreign missionaries;
  
• Currently the Chief Executive Officer of the International Orality Network (ION), birthed out of a burden for the world’s primarily oral learners and communicators … aware that if  every person in the world were given a Bible in his or her native language, the majority could not read it.  For more see www.averywillis.com.
  

Dr. Avery Willis, CEO of the International Orality Network and founder of DNA 21, and Gateway Baptist Association (in Illinois) Director of Missions Larry Richmond tell an amazing story of a church in Post Falls, Idaho.  By practicing New Testament examples of discipleship -- emphasizing relationships and small groups -- in just a few years the church has grown to 8,500 in attendance.  Of the church’s 90 staff members, 85 came out of the church membership.  

It is a part of the DNA 21 movement.           

A St. Louis area event May 13, 14 providing reproducible training on Immersion I by members of the Idaho church (explained at www.reallifeministries.com).  It is to be conducted in Bethel Baptist Church in Troy, Illinois (20 minutes northeast of the St. Louis, MO arch) on Thursday and Friday, May 13 and 14^th, 2010.  Whether one attends this gathering or a similar one in the future, Avery Willis and Larry Richmond provide a stimulating discussion regarding Immersion I and its possibilities.           

Registrants to date include both Baptists and non-Baptists from New York, Ohio, Atlanta, northern Illinois, and locally in the St. Louis region.           

From the www.reallifeministries.com website:   

The Immersion l is a unique two-day experience that will both challenge and stretch you.  If you’re expecting the usual conference or seminar; think again.  We won’t be talking at you for two days.  Rather, we’re going to challenge you through interactive small group experiences to evaluate and re-think how you do church.            

Toward the conclusion of the12-minute radio discussion of Immersion I, Avery Willis compares his current condition of leukemia (now in remission) to the modern day church.  In leukemia, one’s body has perhaps 10 times more cells than needed, but they are immature and unable to carry out their intended function – not able to reproduce.   

Immersion I addresses spiritual and church “leukemia!” 

DOM Larry Richmond welcomes your calls at 618 931-2222.

Avery Willis is also the author of the MasterLife Discipleship Series, translated into more than 50 languages.  After ten years of serving as Director of Overseas Operations for the more than 5,500 missionaries of the International Mission Board, he is now the CEO of the International Orality Network, whose goal is on getting the Gospel of Christ to the world’s majority – those who are primarily oral in tradition, communications, and learning.  Currently God is “stirring” Avery’s “nest,” as he is personally dealing with leukemia.  Learn more at www.averywillis.com.  For Dr. Willis’ explanation of the orality movement and the vital role of “storying” as a part of it, click on www.thejavaclub.org/downloads/StoryingGoingMainstream.pdf.

Matt Willis and his grandfather Avery Willis (www.averywillis.com) authored a book together.  How rare!  Noting that the Bible refers many times to eagles, Learning to Soar: How to Grow Through Transitions and Trials (www.learningtosoar.org) takes us through the four life cycles of eagles. Once having grown into maturity, eagles soar victoriously over their “…transitions and trials…” So can we. In this radio conversation, Matt Willis spotlights the book’s section, “God Hovers Over You” (p. 51), which provides inspirational biblical lessons learned from the second of the four eagle life cycles.  The Scripture speaks:

Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,

That hovers over its young,

He spread his wings and caught them,

He carried them on His pinions.

The Lord alone guided him,

And there was no foreign god with him.

 Deuteronomy 32:11, 12 NASB

Elsewhere in www.haroldhendrick.com, Matt’s grandfather Avery Willis is featured in a radio discussion of the book’s first section: “God Stirs Your Nest.”

On Sunday, March 8, 2009, Pastor Fred Winters was concluding the early service message in his St. Louis, MO, area First Baptist Church of Maryville, IL.  As a church drama had just taken place, some assumed that the man walking toward the pulpit was a continuation of that drama.  Instead it was a gunman who shot Pastor Fred dead, in the heart, while he was preaching.  An early quote by his wife, Cindy, was, “He died doing what he loved to do.”  The tragic and shocking story made national and international news.  It became intensely personal as I recalled that eight members of my larger family on three different occasions had personal and warm contacts with Fred within two weeks of his death. Dave Powell, longtime staff member of our radio station, was a friend to Fred and Cindy since teen-age days before the Winters married.   Through Dave we requested an interview.  As it turned out, the day after she made a quiet but impacting appearance on CBS Morning News, (an international telecast), Cindy Winters and her brother offered to make the nearly one hour trip in traffic to be interviewed by us on Bott Radio Network station 1320 AM in St. Louis.   You will be stirred as you hear Cindy Winters speak of this “bombshell” experience soon after it occurred.  Her story and dialogue about it is a compelling mix of faith, victory, comfort, and, yes, even points of laugh-out-loud humor.  -- Hebrews 11 says of Old Testament Able that “…he being dead, yet speaks” So does pastor Fred Winters.  Hear and see Fred’s quiet and clear five-minute presentation on “Why do we Exist?,” – on how to be forgiven and receive eternal life -- at www.fbmaryville.org.

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A 60-second commentary of consolation and victory regarding martyred Pastor Fred Winters, shot in the heart while faithfully preaching the Gospel of Christ in his own pulpit on Sunday morning, March 8, 2009. The murder happened in the First Baptist Church of Maryville, IL in the NE portion of the St. Louis, MO area.  The one-minute tribute was aired several times each on most of the 80 plus Bott Radio Network stations (www.bottradionetwork.com).  At www.youtube.com/v/AfUBY11DXHY&hl=en&fs=1 one can now see and hear Pastor Fred share biblical answers on “Why Do You Exist?,” a five-minute very clear presentation of how one can be completely forgiven and assured of an eternity in Heaven.