Dr. Carlus Gupton, LifeandLeadership.com

C%20Gupton%20Evergreen%20Small.jpg Welcome to LifeandLeadership.com! Here you will find a description of the history and purpose of the site, as well as a brief personal and professional bio.

LifeandLeadership.com is a three-dimensional web community that expresses my passion to help students, church leaders, and congregations. It began in 2000 as a simple website to present a few consulting models and ministry links. Over the years, I became increasingly interested in creating a more comprehensive web community. The dream was to help my ministry students not only while they were in class, but also to stay in touch and assist them after they graduate. Like most professors, I enjoy continuing relationships with my students, and a virtual community is one way of staying in touch. In a sense, my students are now "my church" and this site is a kind of "virtual shepherding" to young ministers who have been in my classes.

Another part of the dream was to create a platform that allowed me to help practicing church leaders of all ranges of experience. Since 2000, I have been blessed with scores of opportunities to consult with churches and church leaders. Having spent over 20 years in congregational ministry, I can identify with their concerns. I certainly do not have all the answers. No one does. But since part of my academic call is to stay abreast of the best practical ministry resources available, it makes sense for me to put some of these resources into a format that benefits experienced church leaders. Out of this has come many workshops and consulting models. But given my heavy teaching load and the need to live a more balanced life, I have limited my consulting schedule to only seven or eight carefully scheduled appointments each year. Through this web community, however, I can still be of some help to ministers, elders, and other church leaders who are "in the trenches."

A third and equally important part of this web project reflects my twenty-plus years of experience in congregational ministry. I did not migrate into teaching because I disliked the church. Quite the opposite, I "kicked against the goads" for many years before finally transitioning into the classroom. This is partially due to the fact that I love working with the local church. I love the leadership, preaching, teaching, and pastoring that goes with located ministry, and if I ever had a touch for that work, I hope I never lose it. So not only do I teach Bible and ministry at the college and seminary, but I also maintain an active teaching and pastoral ministry in the local church. This means I still spend a lot of time reflecting on life and faith issues that impact all followers of Christ. You will see this occasionally in my blogs and resource sections.

If this all sounds a bit varied and eclectic, it should. I have rarely been accused of being too narrowly focused. So, the name of the site. I'm not only concerned about leadership, but also about life. Thus the name, LifeandLeadership.com.

O.K., so much for the website. If you would like to learn a little about me, I've offered a brief personal and professional bio below. Most places where I speak ask for it, and I just refer them to this page. Others just like to have an idea who's behind a website. If you are like me, however, and don't get a kick out of reading resumes, just click to another page and find more useful stuff. But for those who are interested, the bio starts below.

Back to top of this page

_______________________________________

Personal

I was born and raised in Mayfield, Kentucky. I spent most of my youth anticipating a career as a musician, playing the trombone, marching in the band, and attending music and broadcasting conventions at a university nearby. My conversion to Christ at age 17 changed all of this, followed by the call to ministry through the love a little church of fifteen members in western Kentucky who invited me to preach every Sunday beginning midway through my junior year in high school.

I went on to college, and after graduating, I interned at a church in Birmingham, Alabama where I met a beautiful blonde from L.A. (Lower Alabama), Ann Yarbrough. She said "Yes," and I "married up-hill." We have been married 25 years and have two precious daughters, Katlyn (20) and Erin (16).

We live in Knoxville, Tennessee, in southern Knox County at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. I am a professor at Johnson Bible College (see below), and Ann is a homemaker and Occupational Therapist at Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center.

When I'm not working, I enjoy voice artistry (voice over and quartet singing) jogging, listening to music (all kinds - Christian, Brian Crain, Allison Kraus, Giovanni Gabrielli, Chicago, Irish, Solo Piano, Empire Brass), and watching the History Channel. Our family loves spending time with our friends at church, hiking in the mountains, going to first-run movies, or just sitting at home and watching our favorite television programs.

Back to top of this page

My Passion

To blend practical ministry experience, authentic spirituality, and rigorous scholarship into teaching, preaching, and consulting that equips churches and church leaders for greater effectiveness.

Teaching Ministries

Professor of Church Leadership and New Testament, Johnson Bible College, Knoxville, Tennessee (2001-Present)

  • Managing Conflict and Change in Ministry
  • Leading Established Churches
  • Congregational Ministry
  • Ministry Relationships and Communication Skills
  • Gospel Narratives
  • General Epistles and Revelation
  • Christian Perspectives / Worldview (L.A.M.P. Program)
  • Christian Theology / (L.A.M.P. Program)

Adjunct Faculty

Back to top of this page

Church Ministries

 Back to top of this page

Academic Background

Degrees

Post-Graduate (Conflict Management, Organizational Leadership, Counseling, Research)

Back to top of this page

Advanced Training

In addition to formal education, I have received training or certification from the some of the leading scholar-practitioners and organizations in my fields of interest. Some of the more recent of these are:

Preaching, Seminars, Workshops, Consultations

I maintain a regular schedule of preaching by appointment, conducting seminars and workshops, and consulting. Virtually any area of my experience in practical ministry or academia can be translated into useful resources for churches and church leaders. Please click here to go to the area of my website that describes these offerings.

Back to top of this page


How To Contact Me
Dr. Carlus Gupton
7900 Johnson Drive, Box 125
Knoxville, Tennessee 37998
Office: 865-251-2257
Email: cgupton@jbc.edu