Simple Churches and Clear Pathways with Kevin Beasley

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Simple Churches and Clear Pathways with Kevin Beasley | Ep. 132

Not all churches look the same and that's a good thing.

Brandon Ward 😎 and Kevin E Beasley

Nov 11, 2025

What if the church you’re looking for doesn’t meet in a building on Sunday mornings?

In this conversation, I sit down with Kevin E Beasley —a disciple-making multiplier, coach, and recovering traditional pastor—to explore an ancient-yet-radical approach to Christian community. Kevin helps everyday believers love like Jesus and live like missionaries right where they already are: at work, in their neighborhoods, with their families.

After years in church and business leadership, Kevin devoted his life to equipping people to multiply disciples through simple, reproducible, Spirit-led communities.

As Southeast Regional Director for the Missionary Church Connect region and co-leader of the National Network of Disciple Makers, Kevin is seeing the church rediscover its original design—transformational communities multiplying in the power of the Spirit.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt spiritually hungry despite regular church attendance, anyone wrestling with what authentic Christian community really looks like, and anyone sensing God might be calling them to something beyond the Sunday morning experience.

What You’ll Discover

On Spiritual Poverty and God’s Pursuit
Kevin shares his upbringing in rural North Alabama marked by what he calls “spiritual poverty”—a family with no knowledge of Jesus, growing up in a cycle that felt inescapable. Yet even in that environment, God pursued him through small moments and faithful neighbors. His story reminds us that God’s reach extends far beyond church buildings and religious programs.

The Crisis in Traditional Church Leadership
Sitting in his third hour of a staff meeting trying to keep big givers from leaving, Kevin experienced a Holy Spirit confrontation: “If I’m lying on my deathbed 40-50 years from now and this is how I spent my life, I would be miserable.” That moment launched him toward radical obedience—walking away from salary, status, and the American church model he’d invested years building.

When Sundays Hit Differently
Without a building and weekly services, Kevin admits Sundays can feel painful. Traditional ministry offers “fleshly satisfaction”—seeing everyone in one room, hearing people call you “pastor,” having visible productivity. In organic disciple-making, your flesh gets “ripped apart” as you trade recognition for faithful obedience in small, often invisible ways.

The Partnership Model
This isn’t about tearing down traditional churches. Kevin sees a beautiful partnership: attractional churches reaching people who might never encounter Jesus otherwise, while organic movements meet people where they are and multiply disciples through everyday relationships. The kingdom needs both.

Apostolic Gifting and Creating Pathways
Many Christians sense God’s call but don’t know what to do next. Kevin explains how apostolic gifting focuses on creating clear, reproducible pathways—seeing the forest while evangelists see the trees. About 80% of believers aren’t designed to create these pathways themselves; they need someone to show them the way.

The Cost of Multiplication
Kevin shares the story of a missionary in a restricted nation where the average lifespan after coming to Christ is 36 days. That’s the kind of costly discipleship the early church knew. While we might not face the same persecution, authentic disciple-making still requires dying to self, comfort, and the approval of others.

Key Timestamps

[00:00:00] Kevin’s opening reflection on hopelessness and transformation
[00:03:01] Growing up in spiritual poverty in rural North Alabama
[00:07:24] First encounters with Jesus through VBS and faithful neighbors
[00:12:42] The 15-day fast that changed everything
[00:16:30] Journey through traditional church planting and leadership
[00:22:15] The staff meeting that became a Holy Spirit confrontation
[00:28:45] Walking away from salary and status for radical obedience
[00:35:20] What a simple/organic church actually looks like
[00:41:10] When Sundays hit differently without a building
[00:47:30] The partnership between attractional and organic churches
[00:53:45] Understanding apostolic gifting and creating pathways
[00:58:20] Why most believers struggle to know their next step
[01:01:02] The forest and the trees—apostles vs. evangelists
[01:04:07] Resources and next steps for the curious

Quotes Worth Remembering

On God’s Pursuit:
“I can remember being completely hopeless and helpless and thinking that the rest of my life was gonna be like what I’d seen from all the rest of my family. Literally the birds were singing for the first time in my life. Everything looked different.”

On Radical Obedience:
“I was sitting in a staff meeting on a Monday morning, our third hour trying to figure out how to keep the biggest givers from leaving. The Holy Spirit confronted me—if I’m lying on my deathbed 40-50 years from now and this is how I spent my life, I would be miserable.”

On Flesh vs. Spirit:
“When you don’t have a building, Sundays hit differently. It’s fleshly satisfying—people knowing who I am, calling me pastor, listening to me talk for 45 minutes. None of that exists in the organic world. Your flesh just gets ripped apart.”

On Costly Discipleship:
“He’s a missionary to that country and the average lifespan of someone after they’ve come to know Jesus is 36 days. It’s unbelievable.”

Brandon’s Reflection:
“Every day I feel so deeply unworthy and incapable of doing what I feel God is pushing me to do.”

Resources & Next Steps

Connect with Kevin Beasley:

Substack/Website: Kevin E. Beasley
Take his APEST assessment to determine your disciple-making spiritual gifts

For Those Feeling the Pull:

If you’re sensing God might be calling you to something beyond Sunday morning attendance, start here:

Pray and listen - Ask God to show you if He’s inviting you into this kind of ministry
Explore the resources - Visit Kevin’s sites and dig into the practical tools available
Start where you are - You don’t need to leave your church to begin living missionally
Reach out to Kevin - He’s genuinely accessible and passionate about helping people find their pathway

Why This Matters for Order Within Community

This conversation addresses something many of us have been wrestling with—the gap between institutional church experience and authentic spiritual community. Kevin’s journey from traditional pastor to organic disciple-maker mirrors the kind of radical obedience God calls each of us toward in different ways.

Whether you’re called to traditional church leadership, organic movements, or simply faithful presence in your everyday contexts, the core principle remains: Are you willing to let God strip away the fleshly satisfactions of recognition, comfort, and visible success in exchange for deeper obedience?

Kevin reminds us that the kingdom needs different kinds of workers. Some plant, some water, some create pathways, some walk those pathways, and invite others along.

The question isn’t which model is “better”—it’s which calling God has placed on your specific life.

For those of us who’ve felt like spiritual “black sheep,” Kevin’s work offers both validation and direction.

You’re not crazy for wanting something more. You’re not wrong for questioning if Sunday morning is enough. God might be inviting you into a different kind of faithful obedience—one that looks more like the early church than modern American Christianity.

Closing Reflection

God reaches out to us constantly. Kevin said it at the beginning of our conversation, and it’s worth repeating: whatever you’re feeling, whatever pull you sense, just answer it. Let Him lead you one step at a time.

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You don’t need the complete pathway laid out before you take the first step. You just need to be willing to say yes to what He’s showing you right now, today, in this moment.

Maybe that’s reaching out to Kevin to learn more. Maybe it’s starting to pray about living more missionally where you already are. Maybe it’s simply acknowledging that God might be calling you to something that doesn’t fit the traditional mold.

Whatever it is—answer the call. Take the step. Trust that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.