J.D. Greear

J.D. Greear is a pastor, theologian, and author known for his leadership in evangelical ministry and church growth. Greear serves as the pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina. His ministry began with international mission work in Southeast Asia, where he spent two years focused on evangelism and church planting, experiences that influenced his approach to global missions and pastoral leadership.

Greear completed a doctorate in philosophy at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, concentrating on Christian and Islamic theology. His dissertation, titled "Theosis and Muslim Evangelism: How the Recovery of a Patristic Understanding of Salvation Can Aid Evangelical Missionaries in the Evangelization of Islamic Peoples," reflects his academic focus on interfaith engagement and missiology.

In the early 2000s, Greear became pastor of what was then Homestead Heights Baptist Church in Durham, later relaunching it as The Summit Church. Under his leadership, Summit has grown from an attendance of 300 to more than 12,000 and operates 13 campuses across the Triangle region. Greear has led the church in an initiative to plant 1,000 new churches, with over 700 churches planted and more than 2,000 members sent to participate in these efforts, including 744 members sent internationally. This emphasis on church planting and missions has positioned The Summit Church as a model for gospel-centered growth and missional engagement within the Southern Baptist community and beyond.

Greear hosts "Summit Life," a daily radio broadcast and weekly TV program, and serves on the Board of Directors for Chick-fil-A and as a Council member for The Gospel Coalition. He also hosts the "Ask the Pastor" podcast. Greear is the author of several books on theology, prayer, leadership, and Christian living, including "12 Truths & a Lie," "Essential Christianity," "Just Ask," "What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?," "Above All," "Not God Enough," "Gaining by Losing," "Gospel," "Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart," and "Jesus, Continued…"

Greear served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2018-2021, where he was re-elected for a second term and his term was extended due to the cancellation of the annual meeting. During his presidency, he prioritized addressing sexual abuse within the denomination and advocated for supporting abuse victims, promoting racial reconciliation, and encouraging leaders to avoid conflating politics with spiritual truth. Greear worked to foster unity and constructive dialogue both at The Summit Church and within the Southern Baptist Convention.

Through his theological scholarship, church leadership, and engagement with contemporary cultural and institutional challenges, Greear is recognized as a significant voice in evangelical Christianity, church planting, and religious leadership.