Gentry, Dr. TJ

Dr. T. J. Gentry was born again in 1978 while attending Summer Church Camp. That same summer the

Lord called him to preach, and he began preaching in 1984 at 14. In the years since, he has

served as a youth pastor, evangelist, church planter, pastor, Army chaplain, biblical counselor, apologist,

professor, and Christian martial arts instructor. He currently serves as a senior pastor and the

superintendent of a Christian K-12 school in southern Illinois. He has several published books and

articles and publishes a daily video devotion entitled Daily 180: 3 Minutes in God’s Word and a daily

audio Bible teaching entitled Today’s Living Word. T. J. is married to Amy (1995), and they are blessed

with five children and one grandson. T. J.’s ministry website is tjgentry.net.

Published Books:

• Pulpit Apologist: The Vital Link between Preaching and Apologetics. Wipf and Stock, 2019.
• Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord: Biblical, Theological, and Rational Arguments Against Purgatory. Wipf and Stock, 2019.
• You Shall be My Witnesses: Reflections on Sharing the Gospel. Illative House Press, 2017.
• Thinking of Worship: A Liturgical Miscellany. Illative House Press, 2011

Peer-Reviewed Articles:

• “Rabboni: Christ’s Resurrection Through the Eyes of Mary Magdalene.” Eleutheria, 2021.
• “Could it be Reasonable to Conclude that Jesus Did it and John Wrote it Down? An Enquiry into the Veracity of John 7:53-8:11, the Pericope Adulterae.” Eleutheria, 2021.
• “A Biblical Case Against Homosexuality.” The Evangelical Review of Theology and Politics, 2020 (co-authored with J. Brian Huffling).
• “Human Dignity, Self-Determination, and the Gospel: An Enquiry into Personalism and its Implications for Evangelization.” Studia Gilsoniana, 2020.
• “Choosing Wrong: A Biblical Response to Pro-Choice Christians.” Luther Rice Journal of Christian Studies, 2019.
• “Mind and Heart: An Apologetic for Passional Reason.” International Society of Christian Apologetics Journal, 2019.
• “Knowing the Savior: A Critical Assessment of Philosophical Religious Pluralism, Christian Pluralism, and Christian Inclusivism.” Aletheias, 2018.
• “Proclaiming Faith from the Pulpit: The Essential Relationship between Preaching and Apologetics.” Aletheias, 2019.
• “Unleashing Faith by Bearing One Another’s Burdens: An Exploration of the Biblical Rationale for and Practice of Christians Helping Christians through Lay Counseling Ministries.” Aletheias, 2017

Website Articles and Reviews:

At the American Association of Christian Counselors’ Blog

• “It Takes a Church.”

At BellatorChrist.com

• “Missional or Proclamational?”
• “A Call to Courage in Apologetics.”
• “Can We Say That to God? Christians and the Imprecatory Psalms”
• “5 Reasons Every Apologist Should Be Confident and Grateful.”
• “Progressing Toward Destruction.”

At MoralApologetics.com

• “Sometimes Losing is Good.”
• “Nothing is Strong.”
• “Simply Natural: Three Reasons We Need Natural Theology.”
• “Why? Apologetics, Moral Apologetics, and You”
• “Resolved: Grow in Moral and Theological Virtue.”
• “Be Like Mary.”
• “According to His Righteousness.”
• “I am Samson.”
• “Necessary Joy: Anselm’s Ontological Argument and ‘Fullness of Joy’”
• “The Deeper Source of Religion: Passional Reason in William James’s Writings.”
• “Living HOPE: Pastoral Counseling and the Resurrection of Jesus.”
• “My Dear Apologist: Please, Be Holy.”
• “My Dear Apologist: Please, Be Patient.”
• “My Dear Apologist: Please, Be Kind.”
• “My Dear Apologist: Please, Be Yourself.”
• Review of To Melt a Golden Calf: An Evangelical Christian Case for Same-Sex Relationships by
• Aelred
•  Review of What is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense by Girgis, Anderson, and George

At Renew.org

• “Apology Accepted: The Art of Evangel-ogetics.”
• “Are You Ready to Apologize? A Quick Intro to Apologetics”

Presentations:

• “Yes, You! Why Everyone MUST BE an Apologist.” A presentation at the Fall 2021 Good Reasons
• Apologetics Conference, October 2021.
• "Mind and Heart: An Apologetic for Passional Reason.” A paper presented at the International
• Society of Christian Apologetics, April 2018.
• “Mother of My Lord: An Evangelical Assessment of the Patristic Roots of Marian Dogma.” A
• paper presented at the Evangelical Theological Society Midwest Regional, March 2018.

Teaching Experience:

• Dissertation Committee Member, Liberty University (June 2022 – present)
• Adjunct Professor and Thesis Chair, Carolina University (August 2021 – present)
• Founder/Lead Instructor, Good Shepherd Ministry Training Academy (August 2021 – present)
• Founding Superintendent and Bible Teacher, New Covenant Christian School (K-12) (April 2021 – present)
• Doctoral Committee Member, Carolina University (January 2017 – present)
• Founder/Lead Instructor, Fellowship in Christ Ministry Training Academy (January 2012 – January 2020)
• Professor of Ministry Studies, Heber Springs School of Ministry (February 2005 – January 2015)
• Professor, Trinity Institute for Christian Studies (June 1997 – February 2005)
• Jr. High/High School Teacher of Bible, Theology, Church History, and Greek, Oakwood Christian School (August – December 2000)

Pastoral Ministry Experience:

• Sr. Minister, First Christian Church, West Frankfort, IL (February 2020 – present)
  • 118-year-old conservative evangelical congregation
  • 200+ membership with diverse ages and socio-economic status
  • Lead and mentor multi-person staff
  • Primary responsibility entails working alongside elders to shepherd the congregation, teach, preach, write, counsel, and oversee various ministries to all age groups
• Sr. Minister, Fellowship in Christ Church, Carterville, IL (October 2011 – February 2020)
• Sr. Minister, Covenant Church, Heber Springs, AR (February 2005 – October 2011)
• Church Planter/Minister, Grace Church, Carterville, IL (December 2002 – February 2005)
• Church Planter/Sr. Minister, Trinity Evangelical Church, Herrin, IL (May 1997 – July 2000)
• Began preaching in 1984 and served in various youth ministry and evangelistic capacities, including bi-vocationally pastoring churches from 1984 to 1997.

Military Ministry Experience:

• Chaplain, Army National Guard (September 2009 – July 2020; retired as Brigade Chaplain for 87th Troop Command, Camp Joseph T. Robinson, North Little Rock, AR)
  • Graduated Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course, Fort Jackson, SC, 2010
• Served as Platoon Leader
• Received Iron Warrior Award
  • Graduated Chaplain Captain Career Course, Fort Jackson, SC, 2015
• Received Pastoral Excellence Award
• Chaplain Assistant, Individual Ready Reserve, Army (July 1992 – October 1998; received Honorable Discharge in 1998 as a Sergeant-E5)
• Chaplain Assistant, Active Duty Army (October 1990 – July 1992; served at Fort Sill, OK; selected as Fort Sill Soldier of the Year 1991; received Honorable Discharge in 1992 as a Specialist-E4)
  • Graduated Basic Combat Training, Fort Dix, NJ, 1990
• Assistant Platoon Leader; Received Commander’s Coin for Excellence
  • Graduated from Chaplain Assistant School, Fort Monmouth, NJ, 1991
• Selected as Distinguished Honor Graduate and Military Honor Graduate

Other Ministry Experience:

• Executive Vice-President, BellatorChristi.com (August 2021 – March 2022)
• Executive Editor, MoralApologetics.com (June 2021-July 2022)
• Senior Research Fellow, Center for Moral Apologetics, Houston Christian University, Houston, TX, June 2021-July 2022)
• Associate Editor, MoralApologetics.com, Lynchburg, VA (August 2017 – June 2021)
• Director, Grace Point Christian Counseling, Carterville, IL (May 2015 – January 2020)

Ministry Credentials:

• Eight units of Clinical Pastoral Education, Institute for Clinical Pastoral Training, Jacksonville, FL
• Board Certified Chaplain Supervisor, Institute for Clinical Pastoral Training, Jacksonville, FL
• Board Certified Pastoral Counselor, Association of Certified Christian Chaplains, Jacksonville, FL
• Board Certified Chaplain, Association of Certified Christian Chaplains, Jacksonville, FL
• Ordained to the Gospel Ministry, 1992
• Licensed to the Gospel Ministry, 1990

Professional Memberships:

• American Association of Christian Counselors
• Evangelical Theological Society
• Evangelical Philosophical Society
• Evangelical Homiletic Society
• Evangelical Missiological Society
• International Society of Christian Apologetics
• Society of Christian Philosophers