Local MIPN Leaders Look Forward to Partnering with Pastors Around the Country to ‘Stand in the Gap for Truth’ in the Pulpit
WARREN, Mich.—The American Pastors Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net), the largest national network dedicated to equipping pastors to be a voice for truth in the public square, is welcoming a new state pastors network to its growing organization.
This week, APN is launching the Michigan Pastors Network (MIPN, www.mipastors.net), a uniquely gifted group of pastors in Michigan who are joining together to “Stand in the Gap for Truth.”
“The American Pastors Network has been standing in the gap for truth around America and is growing again through the new Michigan Pastors Network,” said APN President Sam Rohrer, who is also president of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “We know that pastors there will be an invaluable support to one another as they engage their congregations to stand for truth and freedom and effect true change in the culture.”
Leading the Michigan Pastors Network as its president will be Tim Berlin of Faith Baptist Church in Warren, Mich. Chris Yager of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Swartz Creek will serve as vice president, and James Brabson of North Country Baptist Church in Millersburg will serve as secretary/treasurer.
After growing up in Michigan, Berlin graduated from Juniata Christian School in 1987. He received his bachelor’s degree from Maranatha Baptist Bible College in 1991 and his master’s degree from Northland Baptist Bible College in 2003.
He served as a youth pastor for 14 years and has been a senior pastor for the past 13 years. Even as a senior pastor, he continues to be involved with teenagers through the church’s Christian school as a coach. He also serves on a number of boards and organizations, including Michigan Association of Christian Schools, The Independent Fundamental Baptist Fellowship of Michigan, Michigan Association of Christian Schools, Advance USA and Baptist World Mission.
Berlin and his wife, Michelle, have four sons, one daughter-in-law and a granddaughter. When he’s not at church, Berlin enjoys golfing, fishing, hunting or camping in the woods, especially with family.
In August 1991, Yager began preaching at Cornerstone Baptist Church. He enrolled at Pensacola Christian College and was an intern at a local church in Cantonment, Fla., as well as Immanuel Baptist of Corunna, Mich., where he served as youth pastor upon graduation.
In 2000, Yager felt called to plant a church in the Albany, N.Y., area, and a year later, Heritage Baptist Church was born. Heritage grew into a successful and dynamic church, and in 2010, Yager’s childhood church—Cornerstone—called him home to be the senior pastor.
Upon graduation from Bible College, Brabson served in youth ministry for nine years in Minnesota and Michigan. Having served the Millersburg/Onaway/Rogers City area since 2004, he has been able to develop many relationships within these communities and with leaders within the state. Over the past six years, Brabson has been the lead pastor at North Country. He serves on the executive leadership team for Michigan’s Great Start Collaborative of the Cheboygan, Otsego and Presque Isle Counties, as well as on the advisory board for Camp Canaan Land in Michigan.
An avid hunter and Chicago sports fan, Brabson enjoys spending time with his family: wife, Bonnie, and four boys.
APN focuses on a concerted effort to grow its state pastors’ network initiative through a plan to welcome pastors in all 50 states who will serve as State Network Organizing Representatives. The ultimate goal is to develop free-standing state chapters of pastors and leaders in each state. These state networks will focus on their particular states and carry out the mission and purpose of the American Pastors Network, which include:
- Identifying, encouraging, equipping and educating pastors and church members to “Stand in the Gap for Truth”;
- Being a voice for truth and an advocate for pastors in the public square by providing Bible-based and constitutionally consistent analysis and recommendations on matters of public policy; and
- Strengthening the biblical relationship between pastors and elected officials through various private and public meetings for prayer, study and policy discussion.
Current chapters are already doing the important work of providing timely, in-state leadership on issues impacting local families and congregations. Examples of their efforts include speaking out in the defense of marriage and standing up for religious liberty.
MIPN and APN offer pastors numerous online resources that help clergy choose sermon topics and find information for other church ministries. With some free and some paid resources, topics include marriage, abortion, apologetics, creation, the culture crisis, economics, education, the environment, history, homosexuality and Islam, along with many others.
The Michigan Pastors Network encourages pastors to bring together biblical and constitutional principles in their sermons and provides resources to pastors throughout the state. For more information on MIPN, visit its website at www.mipastors.net.
MIPN is a group of biblically faithful clergy and church liaisons whose objective is to build a permanent infrastructure of like-minded clergy who affirm the authority of Scripture, take seriously Jesus’ command to be the “salt and light” to the culture, encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues, examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits and engage their congregations in taking part in the political process on a non-partisan basis.
The American Pastors Network is the largest, national network of pastors who believe in the authority of scripture; who boldly preach the whole counsel of God with a disciplined application of a biblical worldview to public policy; who are building a permanent infrastructure of biblically faithful pastors and lay leaders; and who are mobilizing congregations to participate in the political process on a non-partisan basis. For more information on APN, visit www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net, its Facebook page or follow APN’s Twitter feed, @AmericanPastors. Those interested in forming a chapter in their state may contact amy@americanpastors.net.
The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide). APN’s daily short radio feature, “Stand in the Gap Minute,” airs on approximately 290 stations, “Stand in the Gap Weekend” airs on nearly 180 stations and the live one-hour show, “Stand in the Gap Today,” airs on about 425 stations nationwide.
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To interview a representative from the American Pastors Network or Michigan Pastors Network, contact Beth Harrison at 610-584-1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, or Deborah Hamilton at 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096, ext. 102.