Dan Dumas is a leader committed to gospel transformation. Dan is the author of Live Smart, a gospel resource for the next generation and Founder of Red Buffalo Ventures. As an advocate for vulnerable children he was Special Advisor for Foster Care and Adoption to the Governor of Kentucky. He is passionate about all things leadership, strategy, adoption, expository preaching, biblical manhood and being an idea-generating organizational leader. He is also the co-author of A Guide to Biblical Manhood and the editor of A Guide to Expository Ministry. Dan served as a Senior Vice President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 2007 – 2017. Dan has served in a variety of ministry capacities in many local churches, including Executive Pastor at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. Prior to his time in ministry, Dan served in the US Navy as a search and rescue swimmer. Dan is married to Jane and has two children: Aidan (17) and Elijah (11). He loves all things sports (especially lake sports) and is an avid outdoorsman who loves hunting and fly fishing.
KURT GEBHARDS
Kurt was saved out of a home where there was no gospel influence. God rescued him and gave him light for his darkness, hope for his despair, and Christ's righteousness for his sin. The beauty and power of the gospel of grace overwhelm him to this day. For his ministry training, Kurt studied at The Master's Seminary and served at Grace Community Church under John MacArthur. He then received his doctorate from Southern Seminary. The Lord has sent him to serve with ministries in North Carolina and Chicago. And now, he and his family are home in Central Florida, where his roots run deep. He is most passionate about: 1) making disciples 2) training leaders and 3) Doing all things for the sake of the gospel. As for his favorite things, his wife Julie and their six kids are tremendous gifts from God. He loves time with them, doing ministry with them, and seeing his goodness through them.
DANIEL GILLESPIE
Daniel pastors Eastwood Community Church in his hometown of Wilmington, NC. Daniel and his wife Lisa returned to Wilmington after a stint in Los Angeles where Daniel was on staff at Grace Community Church and studied at the Master’s Seminary. Daniel is a graduate of NC State and loves all things wolfpack. He then received his doctorate from Southern Seminary. Daniel and Lisa have four children: Jacob, Josiah, Ellie and Judah. If the sun is out, they can all be found in the water or on the ball-field.
I. Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen. 1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4).We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including but not limited to adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual behavior, polygamy, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography is sinful and offensive to God (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10). We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11).We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Demeaning, harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accordance with Scripture.
II. Statement on the Dignity and Sanctity of Human Life We believe all persons are created in the image of God giving them intrinsic dignity regardless of ethnicity or gender. Christians, through the local church, are then called to serve the needs of the poor and marginalized by building a culture of dignity through sharing the gospel, and providing for basic material needs while preventing the damage to human dignity that comes through paternalism. We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. A failure to do so would be a sin.
III. Statement on the Final Authority This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Clarity’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy and discipline, our board of directors is Clarity’s final interpretative authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
