Converse

It is my pleasure to be able to post a Converse Interview with Wayne Brooks. Wayne is one of the Pastors of Grace Church Orlando. For the 10 years prior to planting of Grace Church, he served as Executive Pastor at Metro Life Church in Casselberry. Prior to joining Metro Life’s leadership team, he served for 11 years as a senior pastor in Titusville, Fl. He and his wife Sandie have two married daughters.

Adam Bradley. Please can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Wayne Brooks. I am Wayne Brooks. I am 52 yrs old, married for 33 years have two married daughters and 6 grand daughters. I have been in pastoral ministry for 30 + yrs. I enjoy reading, woodworking, riding my scooter, and doing anything with my grandchildren.

Adam Bradley. Please can you tell me some of the highlights of your testimony?

Wayne Brooks. I was raised in a strong Christian family and became a Christian at an early age. Since that point it has been a constant growing in the understanding of the Gospel.

By God’s grace I did not experience any season of rebelling against God or his church. God’s sustaining grace and sanctifying work has been ongoing. I am most amazed by what his grace has spared me from.

I was raised in a classical Pentecostal denomination and was ordained with them. At age 38 God began to rework me doctrinally. This included a change in how I was doing ministry and building the church. This is the point at which I discovered Sovereign Grace Ministries. I have been a part of this fellowship of churches for about 14 years.

Adam Bradley. What church do you lead/involved in? (background, movement/denomination, philosophy of ministry, etc)

Wayne Brooks. I am Sr. Pastor at Grace Church of Orlando. We are located in Winter Garden, Fl. We planted the church 2 ½ yrs ago. We are a part of Sovereign Grace Ministries. A major part of Sovereign Grace’s mission is planting churches. I was on the pastoral team at the Sovereign Grace church, Metro Life Church in Casselberry, Fl for 11 yrs. They sent us and a strong core group to the southwest side of Orlando to start this church. We are about 45 min. from our sending church. Many of the folks that started with us lived in this area already.
Sovereign Grace Ministries is essentially reformed with a significant continuationist (versus cessationist) emphasis. We love and hold to the doctrines of Grace and are pursuing the active presence of the Holy Spirit in our meetings and lives.
We are seeking to build a New Testament church for the glory of God. We have a relational approach to ministry rather than a professional model.
Our website and Sovereign Grace’s website do a more detailed explanation of this. www.GraceChurchOrlando.org & www.sovereigngraceministries.org

Adam Bradley. What books are your currently reading?

Wayne Brooks. Simple Church by Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger.
Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck
The Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel The Main Thing by C.J. Mahaney
A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger Than You by Paul David Tripp

Adam Bradley. What’s sermons/preachers are you listening to at the moment (the i-pod question)?

Wayne Brooks. Anything by CJ Mahaney, John Piper, Mark Dever, Sam Storms, Terry Virgo.

Adam Bradley. Why is church planting such a passion for you?

Wayne Brooks. I believe it is the most effective way to evangelize a community. There is no better way I know of proclaiming the gospel than building local churches that proclaim and live out the gospel.

Adam Bradley. What would you say are the three most important principles for any young want-to-be church planter?

Wayne Brooks Understanding of the Gospel (Gospel centered leadership)
Humility (This could be all three Humility Humility, Humility)
Relationship (Not doing it alone)

Adam Bradley. Here’s your opportunity to say anything else you like…

Wayne Brooks. Planting a church can be a lot of work but nothing is a greater joy than having a small part in what God is doing in the earth today–Building local churches for His glory.