The Pastor in the Middle

Fred Shackelford, Matt Crawford
  • 5.0 (7)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Pastor in the Middle is a podcast for pastors seeking to think through ministry issues with grace and nuance. Fred Shackelford and Matt Crawford are both pastor in the Memphis area, Fred at Ellendale Baptist Church and Matt at Trinity Baptist Church. They often feel like they are in the middle, stuck between extreme positions on both sides. Can we find a balanced approach? That’s the goal of “Pastor in the Middle,” our new podcast.

  1. 11/26/2025

    PITM Episode 104: Using AI in Ministry, with Dr. Brian Carmichael

    Fred and Matt welcome Dr. Brian Carmichael back to the podcast. In this episode, they discuss the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in pastoral ministry.

    54 min

  2. 10/31/2025

    PITM Episode 103: Missions and the Local Church, with Dr. David Bledsoe

    Fred and Matt interview their friend, David Bledsoe, on how the local church can better serve the cause of fulfilling the Great Commission. David and his wife Laurie are missionaries with the International Mission Board. [We apologize for the audio quality on this episode. We had an issue with our main recording device and had to rely on the audio from our video recording.]

    1h 13m

  3. 09/30/2025

    PITM Episode 102: Hiring Staff

    Fred and Matt discuss the process of hiring church staff - especially associate ministerial staff.

    57 min

  4. 08/27/2025

    PITM Episode 101: Bi-vocational Ministry, with Pastor Lee Smith

    We are BACK! After a summer hiatus, Fred and Matt are recording new episodes again. In this episode, they interview their friend Lee Smith, founding and lead pastor of Greater Experience Community Church in Southaven, Mississippi. Their main focus was bi-vocational (or co-vocational) ministry.

    48 min

  5. 08/01/2025

    PITM Episode 100 [Repost from Ep. 39]: Finishing Well, with Dr. Richard Hipps

    [FINAL RE-POST EPISODE FOR SUMMER - NEW EPISODES NEXT MONTH!] Fred and Matt discuss finishing well in ministry with Dr. Richard Hipps, the Pastor Emeritus at Trinity Baptist Church (where Matt currently serves). Richard served for 17 years at Trinity.

    45 min

  6. 06/30/2025

    PITM Episode 99 [Repost from Ep. 35]: Homiletical Method, with Dr. Reginald Taylor

    [Repost due to summer schedules. One update: Reginald Taylor is now DOCTOR Taylor, having completed the PhD work we discussed in this episode.] PART TWO: Fred and Matt interview Pastor Reginald Taylor of The Rock Church in Memphis. Reginald is writing a PhD dissertation at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on the doctrinal preaching of Adrian Rogers. In this second of a two-part series, Reginald discusses homiletical method.

    31 min

  7. 04/26/2025

    PITM Episode 98: What Fred Learned from His Church Merger

    On this episode, Fred and Matt discuss the church merger that Fred led in 2021, with Ellendale Baptist Church and Agape Church coming together as one.

    56 min

  8. 03/27/2025

    PITM Episode 97: Churches Partnering Together, with Dr. Danny Sinquefield

    Fred and Matt interview Dr. Danny Sinquefield on the value and blessing of churches partnering together. Danny is the pastor emeritus of Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett, TN, after having pastored there for over 27 years. He now serves as the Harvest Field Team Leader for Region 1 of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, helping to encourage pastors and coordinate cooperative ministry all over West Tennessee.

    33 min
See All (104)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

The Pastor in the Middle is a podcast for pastors seeking to think through ministry issues with grace and nuance. Fred Shackelford and Matt Crawford are both pastor in the Memphis area, Fred at Ellendale Baptist Church and Matt at Trinity Baptist Church. They often feel like they are in the middle, stuck between extreme positions on both sides. Can we find a balanced approach? That’s the goal of “Pastor in the Middle,” our new podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Fred Shackelford, Matt Crawford
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    104
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Trinity Baptist Church
  • Show Website
    The Pastor in the Middle