An Interview with Mack Hannah

From Jeff
What do you really know about our Senior Pastor? Is his name really Mack? How do we know he is who he says he is? What has he done besides work on a church staff? I recently sat down in front of my computer and emailed Mack a list of questions to find out about his life, his ministry, and his thoughts on DBC. The questions came from you, our one or two blog readers. Together, we compiled a list with easy softball questions, but a few tossed in to see what he really thinks.

Thank you for submitting questions for this interview.

“Above is a photo of Mack Hannah, octogenarian resident of the park, whose speech was recorded for linguistic study”.

FICTITOUS ACCOUNT:
Q: Mack, when I did a search for your name on google, the following photo came up. Would you care to explain this? What exactly was the “speech recorded for linguistic study?” What park did you live in? Is this photo from a previous life or just after a long day in the office?
Mack: I have no answer for that and deny all association with said above photo.

Q: Where are you from?
A: Fort Olgethorpe, GA near Chattanooga

Q: Where have you lived?
A: Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida and Texas

Q: What do you remember most from the home you grew up in?
A: It was always full of people, food and fun.

Q: What do you want to be in High School?
A: A graduate.
(I would have said, “real funny” if this had been a live interview.)

Q: What was the turning point when you decided you would give your life to serving Jesus?
A: For me it was more of a process than once turning point in time. I began to realize in my late teens that serving God is what I wanted to do in my everyday life. I never thought about doing it as a vocation, and I still don’t. It is just what I do.

Q: What have you done besides work on a church staff?
A: Coached and taught at Glynn Academy in Brunswick, GA. I was a house parent at the Baptist Children’s Home in Franklin, TN. I was VP for Spiritual Development at Belmont University (prior to coming to DBC).

Q: What areas would you like to improve upon in your ministry this next year?
A: Time management.

Q: Have you ever thought about leaving the ministry? When? Why?
A: Maybe changing vocations, but never leaving the ministry.

Q: Who are some ministry mentors for you? Authors, preachers, pastors, etc.
A: Hugh Goldsby, Rick Warren, Chuck Swindoll, E.V. Hill, Rob Bell, Leonard Sweet

Q: What does DBC do well? What not so well?
A: It is a friendly church. We don’t do evangelism very well.

Q: What is a solution?
A: It takes more than just another sermon or program. It is going to take a change of heart so that we want to encounter those who are without Christ. It means being willing to meet them where they are (both physically and spiritually). Then in God’s time being willing and able to share our testimony with them and how they too can know Christ.

It’s more practice than theory.

Q: If you weren’t Baptist, what would you be?
A: Not sure.

Q: What dreams do you have for DBC?
A: That we will become a New Testament Church that puts God first in everything we do. “Doing the next right thing that pleases Him.”

That we treasure God’s Word and attempt to live it out in our daily lives.

That we are a place of grace, yet we take God’s Word seriously.

That we are less about programs and more about what we can do to reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

That DBC looks like the world in color and background.

Q: What is the most difficult verse in the Bible in your opinion? Why is it difficult?
A: There is not just one for me. They’re usually difficult because they are hard to accept. I can deal with just not understanding a verse at all more than I can having to accept a hard teaching that goes against what I want to believe.

Q: What is one thing that very few know about you at DBC?
A: I took tap dancing lessons in the third grade.

On that note, the interview ended. I wish I had asked him to demonstrate his skills, but he didn’t offer.

I hope this little interview helps you know more about Mack and what his dreams are for DBC.

Next up, we plan to interview Mike Whelchel. We welcome your responses to this interview.

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