Springfield, Missouri

November 30, 2017 | Charis Saenz

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) alumnus and adjunct professor, Dr. Jimmy White, is serving as the Director of Men’s Discipleship at the Assemblies of God’s National Office in Springfield, MO.

Dr. White is facilitating and overseeing the development of men’s discipleship resources in the Men’s Ministries Department.

“The National Men’s Ministries department has one vision: to assist men with their walk with Christ,” White says.

Before accepting this role, White was a senior pastor for 23 years in the Arkansas and North Texas districts. Toward the end of his time pastoring, White reflected on the words of Dr. Jimmie Brewer, a former professor of SAGU’s Practical Ministry department. “Dr. Brewer would say, ‘you ought to think about tithing your ministry career, your ministry life towards the end of your ministry into the next generation,’” White said.

As White considered the aspect of changing his ministry route, he encountered Rick Allen, the National Men’s Director. The two began discussing how White could “tithe” his time in ministry. “We began to talk and I felt like this (role) would be a great way to make an impact in the lives of men,” says White.

Since transitioning out of pastoring the local church, White’s current role is still of the pastoral nature as he aims to provide men with resources for their spiritual journeys. A team of pastors from across the nation supply their sermon series, and White translates those series into discipleship studies for small groups or individuals. Each sermon series is placed into one of the four dimensions of manhood; identity, relationship, purpose, and vision.

Over 40 series and over 160 lessons are available as small-group materials and are currently being translated into Spanish. “If we never added any other resources, that’s three years’ worth of material for the local church,” says White.

“As a pastor, it’s understanding the fact that men struggle with the same dimensions,” he says. “(We’re) seeing what the men in the church need and trying to extrapolate that into discipleship resources from the national office.”

It is exciting to meet men using our resources while traveling or speaking at different functions. “We can connect with them at a different level and men realize that they can actually use the materials they are given,” says White.

“They are just ecstatic about the potential of what these resources could do for them personally and in their relationships.”

One of the driving forces behind these efforts is that 90 percent of men do not consider themselves to have a close, personal friend for accountability in a spiritual growth area of their lives.

“We believe that men ought to be the priest of their home and when they become the priest of their home, they become the priest of the church. In turn, they’ll be the priest of the community,” he says. “We think there’s a huge void in this arena. If we can somehow target that and provide discipleship resources, then we can see God do some incredible things in their lives.”

In 2018, the Men’s Department will be launching their first yearly theme focus in over a decade. “Courage” has been selected to assist men to take their first steps in Christ.

Now 30 years into ministry, White says that his time at SAGU provided a Biblical foundation that equipped him for today’s culture. White received a Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministries during his time as a student. The Bible, Theology and History classes particularly influenced his love of learning; he currently teaches distance education courses for the university’s Master of Organizational Leadership and the Doctor of Ministry programs.

“SAGU is a wonderful experience that really prepared and grounded me for what God has for my life,” he says.

To find out more about discipleship resources and access daily devotionals for men, click here .

Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu