Beeson Podcast, Episode #535
Reverend Cameron Thomas
Feb. 9, 2021

>>Announcer: 


Welcome to the Beeson podcast, coming to you from Beeson Divinity School on the campus of 色虎视频. Now your hosts, Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla. 


>>Doug Sweeney:


Welcome to the Beeson Podcast. I am your host, Doug Sweeney, here with my co-host, Kristen Padilla. Today, we continue our series on the work of God among Beeson鈥檚 African-American members, which we are featuring on the podcast throughout the month of February. 

Kristen will introduce today鈥檚 guest in just a moment. But before she does let me tell you that today, Tuesday, February 9th, and next week, on Tuesday, February 16th, we are celebrating our African-American Ministry Emphasis Month in chapel. Today, February 9th, the Reverend Thomas Wilder, Pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church here in Collegeville, in Birmingham, and a Beeson DMin student, will preach in chapel. Then on February 16th the Reverend Dr. Thomas Beavers, Senior Pastor of the New Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in the Eastlake Community in Birmingham, a two-time Beeson alumnus, will preach in chapel. You can listen to their sermons and participate in our Beeson Chapel services online at 11:00 AM Central Time each Tuesday at BeesonDivinity.com/live.

If you鈥檙e listening to this podcast after the chapel dates have passed, you can find the sermons at BeesonDivinity.com/videos.

Now, Kristen, would you please introduce today鈥檚 special guest?


>>Kristen Padilla:


Thanks, Doug. We are glad to have Reverend Cameron Thomas with us on the show today. Cam is Senior Pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cropwell. He is the Director of Diversity Enrichment and Relations at 色虎视频, and of course is a Beeson alumnus. He is married to Tara, and we are so glad you are on the show today, Cam. So, welcome.


>>Cameron Thomas:


Thank you so much, Kristen and Dean Sweeney for this opportunity to share together. Looking forward to our conversation.


>>Kristen Padilla:


We are, too. I just gave a very simple short bio of you. So, why don鈥檛 you tell us more about yourself, Cam? Where are you from? Anything about your faith journey and your family.


>>Cameron Thomas:


You know, I think, Kristen, what you said was typically enough for an introduction. But I would say this, I am from a small town in Alabama, called Goodwater, Alabama. There are probably about 1200 people there, 13 stop signs, one red light, that kind of situation. 

I cannot remember a time where I was not a person of faith in any capacity. The church record shows that I was baptized at 2.5 years old. That鈥檚 still debatable and questionable for a lot of people concerning the authenticity or sincerity of it, but I must say that I see it as the beginning of what it is that God has led me to even in this point in my life.

I started, I was a licensed preacher at the tender age of 14, which is crazy to think about now, that it鈥檚 almost been 15 years since that December evening at my small Baptist church, when people were gathered in our small sanctuary in order to hear what thus sayeth the Lord from a preacher at such a young age. 

So, from there I鈥檝e been on a church staff since I was 16 years old. And with that it鈥檚 been an amazing experience. To say that I would have envisioned myself being a bi-vocational pastor or even serving as a pastor at this age, probably was not on my radar of possibility even that cool, brisk December there at my initial sermon. But I am grateful for the journey the Lord has brought me even up to this point.

With that I鈥檝e served as youth minister and transitioned to my current position as the Pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Cropwell, Alabama, which is right outside of Pell City. Been there, it will be eight years this upcoming March. And not only my church work, but also denominational affiliation. Our church is a part of the Alabama State Missionary Baptist Convention. And with that association we have an opportunity to serve within our networks of church. So, opportunities have been extended to me as well in that capacity with serving as one of the youngest vice presidents in our state convention. So, that has been a very unique opportunity to be a part of the shaping and the formation of what it is that our denominational work looks like.

It鈥檚 been an enchanting journey. I think that it鈥檚 been one that has been eye opening to the realities of God鈥檚 powers and provision being made evident in my life, but also it鈥檚 been a grace-filled journey. I鈥檓 grateful for how God has orchestrated us to this place and point. But also along that route I had a chance to experience an amazing educational journey here at 色虎视频 and there at Beeson Divinity School, specifically. So, no, it鈥檚 been great.


>>Doug Sweeney:


Reverend Thomas, if I could draw you out just a little bit more about your time at Mt. Zion and your service in the Missionary Baptist Church in general, I鈥檇 love to, because I think I know you were the youngest pastor in the history of your church, Mt. Zion. You鈥檝e already told us you were baptized, at least for a Baptist that鈥檚 a very young age to be baptized. And you became a denominational leader at a young age. I think you started pastoring that congregation while you were still a student, even, is that right, at 色虎视频?


>>Cameron Thomas:


Yes. 


>>Doug Sweeney:


What鈥檚 that like? Tell us about that. Tell us about even just the spiritual struggle of somebody who鈥檚 always feeling young, but is being called into ministry, and is trying to be faithful at a young age?


>>Cameron Thomas:


I鈥檒l say this, Dean Sweeney. Thank you for allowing me to kind of draw that out a little bit. It has been truly an amazing experience to see how God has opened doors and opportunities that somewhat have seen to, in comparison to others, been on kind of fast forward. But I stand in awe of this, but I also have a deep appreciation for history. So, with this it allows me to work in kind of really what I believe is an area that the Lord has gifted me with in taking and assessing what history is it that we have received denominationally as well as our church.

When I was 20 years old and was called to Mt. Zion I left the previous church I was serving as youth minister. I tell the church all the time I left kicking and screaming and crying. And it wasn鈥檛 because I was not excited about the opportunity to serve at Mt. Zion but there was just so much investment that had been made, commitments as well as investments personally in me, as a minister, but also that which we were doing in the specific area of ministry that we were serving.

So, it鈥檚 really been a journey that has been a call to take the words of Joshua. I鈥檒l never forget my first sermon I preached after accepting the call to Mt. Zion, we had the text of Joshua Chapter One. We used a few of the verses where the Lord is calling Joshua to be courageous and [inaudible 00:08:00]. 鈥淢oses, my servant, is dead now. Joshua, arise and go over this Jordan.鈥� I鈥檝e used for the sermonic topic the interrogative, 鈥淐an this be done?鈥� In looking at this feat of having the youngest pastor in history, a church that, at that point, had just recently split. And we had just kind of an unclear future. With the youngest pastor, with the congregation dynamics and demographics that had shifted as a whole. So, all of us were coming to this place and point where we were encountering and inquiring, 鈥淕od can this be done?鈥� We鈥檙e bringing ourselves. We鈥檝e got young Cameron, being typified there as the Joshua, and the people who have a history and a heritage that they have received and brought about, but yet there鈥檚 this amazing opportunity that is upon them. 

So, in seeing it in light of that it really has helped shape my kind of pastoral aspiration even opened opportunities for denominational service as well. Because much of the chances and opportunities that I received has been kind of connected to being present. I think many times, as people look at service in the church, look at their sufficient or even their own insufficiencies, it鈥檚 always a question of, 鈥淐an this be done?鈥� But truly the question is, 鈥淎re we willing and available?鈥� 

I think of when Jesus turned that small lunch from the young lad. The disciples brought him to Jesus and one of the gospels says it this way, 鈥淎nd there was a boy who was here.鈥� He wasn鈥檛 over there, but he was here. Now, what he had probably was not the best that we needed, but what he had was sufficient, in that case, in putting it in the Lord鈥檚 hand.

I think that is something that has been an aspiration of my own personal ministry and service and what it means to be present. That is something that has helped open doors, but also been an opportunity to serve the Kingdom of God.


>>Kristen Padilla:


Cam, after you graduated 色虎视频 you came to Beeson Divinity School. You continued serving as pastor while you were in seminary. What led you to Beeson? I鈥檇 love to hear about your experience as someone who is serving in full time ministry while receiving theological education? There are many students who come and they鈥檙e not serving as a pastor yet, but you came in with that pastoral experience. So, maybe how did that help you as you were a student at seminary? And how were your theological studies aiding you as you were ministering week by week to your congregation?


>>Cameron Thomas:


No, Kristen, I think that鈥檚 a great question. I knew that I was called to Beeson when I knew that I was called to Mt. Zion. So, I was in-between Beeson and another seminary as far as entertaining the idea to go and explore and see which program was fitting. But once I knew that God had called me to Mt. Zion in Cropwell, then I knew, 鈥淲ell, Lord, Beeson has to be it.鈥� Because I wanted an incarnational experience for my theological training. So, I wanted to be in person as much as possible, respectfully, and Beeson was the place.

I also wanted to study under Dr. Smith in preaching. I mean, that鈥檚 a no-brainer there for me, anyway. And so with that I must say that to be honest I was only able to survive seminary because I was involved in the local church. I know that鈥檚 not the experience for others, or even for many 鈥� or as Dr. James Earl Massey would say, and he was talking about priesthood, but talking about this 鈥渂urdensome joy鈥� that comes along with this.

But to be able to have a foot entrenched in theological exploration, but also having an ecclesial experience in close proximity was an opportunity for me to be able to put boots on the ground concerning the experience of things that [inaudible 00:12:11] in the biblical scholars and homiletitians, respectfully, and church historians 鈥� they sometimes can become so siloed in their experience that they forget that we are preaching and learning about a grace that has to be applied to real life. And so seminary helped me satisfy my intellectual appetite and the local church allowed me to satisfy my church life, ecclesial affinity. And, really, I have not found a better marriage than having one foot in academia and also one foot in the local church.

I think that is something that I did not go into Beeson thinking would be one of the greatest takeaways that I had. So, I would encourage anyone who is looking for a seminary experience, especially if it鈥檚 possible 鈥� if you come to the seminary with an already established position at a local church, find a way that you can serve. Because it鈥檚 no good for us to merely think about these topics across the board without recognizing that even exploring God鈥檚 truth and God鈥檚 Word it also must be connected to lived experience of real people who have an opportunity and chance to not just simply be captivated by your theological, hermeneutical lens, but also are able to see that the triune God is concerned and also desires to be experienced by God鈥檚 people.

So, I think that was something that helped keep my sanity during my time at Beeson while serving at the church. We ended up having kind of a legal issue between the administration at the church and an employee at that time. During, I think it was, my second year at Beeson I was going from Dr. House鈥檚 Isaiah Hebrew 3 class, so everybody who has experienced that knows this, but going to his class at 8:00 and then by the afternoon prepared to stand before a judge in this case that we had going on.

So, it helped my sanity, but it also allowed me to be able to have a way of escaping as well. Even, as I said, as both of these appetites 鈥� not necessarily competing, but they were definitely able to complement each other respectfully. So, yeah.


>>Dean Sweeney:


Pastor Thomas, you know that we talk a lot at Beeson about raising up pastors who are good preachers. And I know that you have a marvelous reputation as a preacher yourself. Maybe more importantly, so I鈥檓 not flattering you here, I know that you鈥檙e a very serious student of preaching, and the history of preaching. And that鈥檚 all just a set up for the next question I wanted to ask you, which is why do you care so much about the study of preaching and the history of preaching? And who would be some figures in the history of preaching who have helped you to become a better preacher?


>>Cameron Thomas:


Preaching, for me, has always been essential to my personal as well as spiritual development as a whole. My grandmother and anyone from our church would tell the story of when I was younger 鈥� six, seven, eight years old 鈥� there was this specific, some people call it the sacred, space at our church outside of the sanctuary where theological education took place even in this nontraditional sense. That would be in what鈥檚 called the pastor鈥檚 study.

So, as a young lad I am spending time before service, in-between service, in the pastor鈥檚 study. This is the place where theological education, I mean we鈥檙e talking about doctrine, we鈥檙e talking about scriptures, we鈥檙e talking about pastoral care, how to connect with parishioners, and all of this would take place in the pastor鈥檚 study.

Then to see my pastor who had no formal theological education, to hear him stand and proclaim the liberating message of Jesus Christ. It was transformative. So, I was mesmerized by specifically from my tradition, Black preaching as a whole. And so then as I began to grow and develop in preaching, it was something that I didn鈥檛 want to just see it performed. I had a desire to see what are the mechanics behind what makes a preacher this way or that way? How is it that they develop, especially in the Black church tradition? How to find the sweet [inaudible 00:16:48], the sounds that鈥檚 able to resonate with the congregation?

And yet it鈥檚 not just simply emotionalism, but it is tailored as well as coupled very laser precise with the aim and aspiration of the message. How is this developed as a whole? Then when I was introduced to Dr. Robert Smith, at the EK Bailey Preaching Conference, I had two preachers from my hometown, Goodwater, Alabama, connected with me. They said, 鈥淚f you want to take preaching seriously, we want you to go with us to the EK Bailey Preaching Conference.鈥� I was 16 years old at my first EK Bailey Preaching Conference. 

I received an award for being the youngest attendant at the conference. Brian Carter brought me down and gave me these books, these preaching books as a whole. And so being able to hear the likes of Dr. A. Louis Patterson, as well as Dr. Robert Smith, Dr. James Earl Massey, Dr. Joel Gregory 鈥� these were people that I was introduced to and I was like, 鈥淲hat is it that they鈥檙e doing? How is it that they are preaching using the same bible that I have?鈥� It鈥檚 almost as if they have another key that I don鈥檛 even know and unlock these treasures that are right here before us.

And so preaching has been something that was the saving grace for me that I experienced and kind of knew, came to know who Jesus was. It wasn鈥檛 necessarily through an experience of just simply some traumatic experience, but it was through the constant hearing of the preaching of Jesus Christ. And so with that it just on-boarded me to wanting to think about what it is that preaching looked like. Because in hearing names like Joel Gregory and Juan Warsby, I not only had an appreciation for Black preaching, but I also see that powerful preaching is not limited to a singular ethnic or race as a whole. Powerful preaching is just powerful preaching.

And so Beeson prepared me, I would say, in a manner and capacity to engage not only the best of Bryan chapel, not only the best of the necessary components of Eugene Lowry鈥檚 homiletical plot, but I still was able to hold in tandem with that the rich tradition that I received in my Black upbringing and being able to marry those together. I never knew that I could do first person expository preaching sermons until I heard Haddon Robinson do it. I was like, 鈥淭his is all the necessary components of what good Black preaching looked like,鈥� but also it has a unique flavor that I had never been introduced to.

So, that is where I was on-boarded with the amazing experience to explore deeper depths of our preaching. If there were some names that I would make note of that probably would be great examples outside of simply Martin Luther King Jr. and probably Gardner Taylor, I would have to recommend ... He鈥檚 a contemporary of King and Taylor, as well as he鈥檚 in New York, a pastor by the name of William Augustus Jones, who has lectured before at Beeson. As well as EK Bailey. EK Bailey receives a lot of attention in some sects. But there are still people who do not know the amazing contribution that he has made to preaching. He has, I鈥檇 call it, a little homiletical book, 鈥淭en Reasons for Expository Preaching鈥� that is foundational for anyone who is trying to figure out expository preaching.

But I would also add to that list, Alabama State Missionary Baptist Convention current president. He鈥檚 a manuscript preacher and pastor by the name of Melvin Owens. He鈥檚 a bi-vocational pastor/preacher, and he preaches with a manuscript. And the beautiful thing about his preaching is that he鈥檚 able to make the words come off of the page. So much so that it鈥檚 something that allows for ... it鈥檚 not just something to be read, because he鈥檚 a wordsmith, par excellence, but he is able to be conversational even in him reading his manuscript.

So, with that it鈥檚 a wide kind of breadth of varying preaching methods, but the complete perspective of preaching and its possibilities.


>>Kristen Padilla:


That鈥檚 so helpful and helps lead me into the next question that I wanted to ask you. You mentioned the rich tradition of the African-American preaching. And as Doug has already said, we鈥檙e in the middle of our African-American ministry emphasis month at Beeson. So, I would love for you to talk more about the rich tradition of the African-American church. Preaching as a part of that, but it鈥檚 not the only thing. And I believe you鈥檙e also a part of the National Baptist Convention. And so I wonder if you can share with our listeners the ways in which the African-American church is a gift to the church at-large and how Christians who are not African-American can benefit from the African-American church?


>>Cameron Thomas:


One of the greatest opportunities I think for seminaries, Beeson alike, is to provide an opportunity for persons to explore. Explore the rich tradition of, as Esau McCaulley calls it in his 鈥淩eading While Black鈥� book, which provides verbiage and vocabulary, I think, necessary to kind of express what it is that I鈥檓 talking about. In looking at the rich heritage of the Black ecclesial tradition. 

First off, if we鈥檙e going to be honest about it, the Black ecclesial tradition, or the Black Church if we want to be succinct in calling it that, is not monolithic. And so with that I think many times it has received a negative connotation because probably what has been perceived about the Black Church probably is not true to the heart of the Black Church. 

It鈥檚 so important for us to recognize one of the great reasons that we even have the Black Church. Because the Black Church is a place where identity as well as dignity was formulated as well as expressed for those enslaved and even former enslaved persons 鈥� with the visible institutional church and also with the invisible church, the [hush harbors 00:23:16] and the like. Where even though enslaved persons, this is dating back to slavery and I will try to walk it up to contemporary, even when the degradation was taking place, the dehumanization was being experienced by enslaved persons, there still was a dignity that was able to be imputed to them concerning that ... Listen, as we read scripture we must know that there is more to scripture than just simply slaves obey your master. There is more to us being this N word and scum of the earth this, and scum of the earth that, but there鈥檚 this dignity to where, out of this experience, out of this kind of trajectory of hopefulness we have vocabulary that is pronounced and proclaimed that, 鈥淚鈥檝e got shoes. You鈥檝e got shoes. All of God鈥檚 children got shoes.鈥� 

And so then when we move from kind of this institutional infrastructure that is built in the formation of Black denominations and their origins, we move from being this or that in society and in the social standings, and then when we come into the church we move from just boy or girl here, but we move to brother and we move to sister. So, here鈥檚 a place where there鈥檚 affirmation and dignity that is expressed as well as affirmed, because we are seeing ourselves as God sees us. So, with that, I think that what has happened, and we see this in looking at Black history month and looking at the Civil Rights Movement, we see the intricately woven trajectory of the Black Church and the Civil Rights Movement with all that comes with that respectfully. But we see that the mass meetings where people were organizing, galvanizing, in order to be prepared for the sit-ins, to be prepared for the marches. They were church services.

I mean, they were singing songs. Preachers were preaching. And they were being housed and held in churches. So there was this sanctified dignity that is given to the movement, because it has such rich Christian foundations. And it鈥檚 not an aspiration to be attached to just singularly a social movement. It is something that people saw that they deserved, not just simply because they were Americans, but because they were people of God. And these people were image bearers of God. And they desired to see that what they experienced in their own ecclesial activity, ecclesial experience, was dignity that they were able to walk around even as dogs were set on them, as well as even fire hoses, you know, those extreme scenarios and situations. And the Jim Crowe poll taxes, all those kinds of things. 

They were able to see these things are worth fighting for because Jesus makes a difference. And so in that, my brotherhood pastors, we conclude every sermon ... and he had a way, as Dr. Smith would call it, 鈥渇inding his highway to Jesus.鈥� In being able to say that Jesus died and he also rose, early ... the Black preachers would proclaim early Sunday morning. Then he would go into this other mantra where he says, 鈥淪ince he got up, you can get up.鈥� You can get up out of poverty. You can get up out of abuse. And so it鈥檚 not only an external facing, but it also was empowerment for the Black community as well.

The Black Church was foundational for property value in Black communities. Because the Black Churches more than likely were the biggest emphasis, and their construction had an impact on not only the salvation of the people, but also the economic impact. Schools were founded by the Black Church when there were no places where we could be accepted. When an opportunity for a person like me to attend 色虎视频 was not afforded to me. The Black Church founded institutions like Selma University and Talladega College, HBC, historically Black colleges and universities, respectfully. 

Because in the words of my grandmother, 鈥淛esus will make a way out of no way.鈥� So, as a result of there not being an opportunity and a way, Jesus offers this opportunity and chance for us to do such. You know, to be at Beeson, at Beeson I was able to see God鈥檚 elongated word in history. Over time, through theological development as a whole, but I still also brought with me my own experience and the tradition that was handed to me by my family and my local church.

So, it was great for me to read Confessions. It was great for me to throw around Kierkegaard and throw around [inaudible 00:28:12] and Calvin, and Luther. Phenomenal people. But I鈥檓 still convinced that some of the best theologians were back in my boyhood church. My Sunday school teacher, who if nothing else were able to show me that even in the midst of a world that probably has had a negative connotation or devaluing of my experience, sometimes as perceived in the world, there is a God who sits high and looks low. And he鈥檚 concerned too, even about the little nappy headed boy from Goodwater. 

So, that鈥檚 kind of the trajectory of ... And it鈥檚 not a separatist, it鈥檚 not a one better than the other, but no, Jesus cares about you as well.


>>Doug Sweeney:


Amen. While we鈥檝e got you talking a little bit about the empowerment of the Black community, can we get you to say a little bit about the work that you鈥檙e doing here at 色虎视频 these days in the Office of Diversity? We mentioned at the top of the show that you serve as a bi-vocation minister. So, in addition to pastoring you鈥檙e one of our colleagues here at 色虎视频. You serve as Director of Diversity Enrichment and Relations through the Office of Diversity at 色虎视频. And that鈥檚 a relatively new thing for you. Can you tell us what it is you do? What it is you鈥檙e excited about doing through the Office of Diversity? And how you see that being used by the Lord to encourage, especially minority students here at 色虎视频?


>>Cameron Thomas:


Yeah, no, Dean Sweeney, I think that鈥檚 a great chance for me to share. As I stated, having one foot in the local church and having one foot in academia, higher education institution as it has manifested, since my time at Beeson, has been an amazing chance to convey and connect for students as well as for some of our faculty and staff and administrators some gaps that may have been perceived through my experience as an undergraduate and even a graduate student as well.

Here in our Office of Diversity Intercultural Initiatives it is paramount for us to be explicit with us being at an institution like 色虎视频. That many times the topics of diversity, topics of inclusion and equity and those kind of things, they kind of get swept all together in looking at kind of a social agenda. That kind of thing. As being something that, 鈥淥h, this is something that state institutions should do, or others should engage in.鈥�

But, here at 色虎视频, in our office it has been an amazing opportunity to display and connect some dots with our on campus students, faculty, and staff 鈥� but also even our external partners. What does it look like for a Christian institution to have a kingdom mindset concerning the topic of diversity? And so this is something that I get a chance to share with parents who are visiting and perspective students that, for us, diversity is not a cultural thing. It鈥檚 not a social agenda, ticket item, or box to check.

But we actually see this in living out the great commission, but also our mission as a university. And so in doing that, some of the amazing things that we have coming up are geared towards not just simply providing educational opportunities for our students and faculty and staff to learn and to grow, but also to enhance what it is that we are doing on our campus with respect to making sure that as we continue to work towards representing even on our campus in our student demographics, in our faculty and staff respectfully, able to see that these things reflect God鈥檚 vision concerning what this work should look like.

And with that, our office is participating in trainings for all of our faculty search committees and looking at ways that we can enhance our engagement with external partners. We begin to forge conversations. We had an amazing conversation with Dr. Douglas Webster who participated. He鈥檚 faculty there at Beeson. Participated with us in talking about what does justice look like? So, being able to host conversations as well as invite our community to not only affirm for our students of color or our non majority students, that not only does God see you, but also 色虎视频 sees you. And we value you. You have a presence here.

But also to expand the interaction, the knowledge of our majority students who we have the responsibility of shaping and preparing them to engage in a global world. But even in their engagement they need to recognize and be able to see that every decision that they make, whether that is as a healthcare provider, that as a chemist in the lab, that as a preacher, that as a lawyer 鈥� that you have a responsibility to share, in every aspect, the light of Jesus Christ wherever you are. 

And if that is serving in an urban setting, if that is serving in a C Suite capacity, that you have a responsibility to kind of live out what Jesus says when he proclaims in Luke 4, 鈥淭he spirit of the Lord is upon me.鈥� And he begins to make this proclamation of what he鈥檚 coming to do and uproot these systems that have an impact, that have had ricocheted impacts that probably were not ... we could not see clearly concerning their long term impact. Because a decision was made and intent is clouded. You know this as a historian. Intent can sometimes become clouded.

But despite intent it鈥檚 had an impact and how it is that we respond to that, how it is that we cultivate a community that better embodies the witness of Jesus Christ. That鈥檚 the most exciting thing about our work. And I must say this: I鈥檓 able to have this kind of hermeneutic, the lens appropriate because of my time at Beeson. So, I鈥檓 most appreciative of that. 


>>Kristen Padilla:


Cam, we always like to end these shows by asking you what God is doing in your life personally and teaching you these days? You鈥檝e already pointed us to Jesus multiple times during this conversation and to the bible. I mean, you are a preacher after all. But (laughs) we鈥檇 love to just end by hearing a personal word. What is God doing in your life these days?


>>Cameron Thomas:


Well, Kristen and Dean Sweeney, thanks so much for this opportunity and the chance not only to reflect not only on my time at Beeson, but also my work as a pastor. Right now we are in 2021. We got African-American Ministry Emphasis Month that is taking place here at Beeson. I really think about those pastors who are trying to figure out in what capacity and in what ways and in what areas can I really be used by God in this time?

The pandemic, this whole scenario that we鈥檙e living in, my Isaiah exegesis class with Dr. House and my pastoral epistles with Dr. Padilla, they did not prepare me for this. I鈥檓 sorry. They did not. But what they did prepare me for was the opportunity to feel comfortable to take myself, fully all that I have, all that I hope to be, and be able to rest in knowing that God is not just simply fragile because of what is taking place. But that God is safe. 

I pray that even in the midst of this roller coaster ride of an experience and maybe trying to engage your church with talking about race in America, or maybe trying to [inaudible 00:36:21] your congregation to recognizing that the future may look different. So, we must tread lightly to things that we have considered sacred because we may no longer have any space for them. That even out of all of that, that鈥檚 going on, that we can still put our trust in God and still lean on the witness of the resurrected Jesus. 

And in that, yielding ourselves to the witness of trusting that God will preserve us, God will protect us, and I hope through this conversation, even for me starting at two and a half years old and am where I am now. It鈥檚 been a God story. It鈥檚 a God thing. And I pray that others, too, will get to the place and point where we will look at the motions and opportunities not simply as a burden, but as an opportunity to say, 鈥淕od, how can you use me here? And I want to be available to do that.鈥� I hope that others, too, will be encouraged to know that God is still working, even in 2021. Whether that鈥檚 a Black pastor in rural Alabama or a White pastor in urban Huntsville. That God is at work even when you feel isolated, God is at work.

And guess what? He鈥檚 using men and women every single day. And what a blessing that is. 


>>Doug Sweeney:


It certainly is. Thank you, Pastor Thomas, for ending this interview on such an encouraging note. Listeners, you have been listening to the Reverend Cameron Thomas, Senior Pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cropwell, Alabama. And Director of Diversity Enrichment and Relations here at 色虎视频. We are very proud to say he is an alumnus of Beeson Divinity School. And we are grateful to him for giving us some time today. 

Thank you very much for tuning in. We鈥檒l meet with you again next week. And we say goodbye for now.

>>Kristen Padilla:


You鈥檝e been listening to the Beeson podcast. Our theme music is written and performed by Advent Birmingham of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. Our engineer is Rob Willis. Our announcer is Mike Pasquarello. Our co-hosts are Doug Sweeney and, myself, Kristen Padilla. Please subscribe to the Beeson podcast at www.BeesonDivinity.com/podcast or on iTunes.