Welcome to the Influence Podcast!

I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode, I talk to Allen Tennison about what Pentecostal ministers should read in 2026. Tennison serves as theological counsel to The General Counsel of the Assemblies of God.

Reading may not be at or even near the top of many ministers' new year's resolutions, but it should be. In an August 1760 letter to John Premboth, John Wesley wrote:

"What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear to this day, is want of reading.

"I scarce ever knew a preacher read so little. And perhaps, by neglecting it, you have lost the taste for it. Hence your talent in preaching does not increase. It is just the same as it was seven years ago. It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety, there is no compass of thought. Reading only can supply this, with meditation and daily prayer. You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian."

Even if you agree with Wesley, questions remain: How long should I read every day? What should I read? How do I balance reading with my other pastoral responsibilities? Those are the questions Tennison and I discuss after a brief word from our sponsor.

IN THIS PODCAST

• 0:00:00 — Introduction
• 0:01:34 — Sponsor Copy
• 0:02:38 — How does reading help ministers deepen their preaching and spiritual formation?
• 0:07:18 — How much time should ministers devote to reading, and what's a realistic goal for how many books they should read?
• 0:14:43 — What kinds of knowledge should ministers seek in books?
• 0:20:00 — What Bible study books — commentaries, biblical theologies, reference works, etc. — would you recommend?
• 0:37:14 — What theology books would you recommend?
• 0:48:55 — What histories and biographies do you recommend?
• 1:03:10 — What books about ethics and pastoral theology would you recommend?
• 1:08:07 — What books on preaching and church administration would you recommend?
• 1:15:36 — Conclusion

SPONSOR COPY

This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

For more information visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

"Jesus is up front with us that there is a cost to following him," writes Craig Keener.

"From God's side, the gift of him in him is free—or rather, already paid for by what Christ suffered for us. But we live in a world that challenges our faith, so from the world's side our faith is bound to cost us hardships. Yet God empowers us by his Spirit to maintain our witness for Christ in this world no matter what."

In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Keener about how Pentecostal Christians should think about suffering. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Craig Keener is F.M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, an ordained Assemblies of God minister, and author of Suffering: Its Meaning for the Spirit-Filled Life, published by Baker Academic.

NOTE: This will be the final Influence Podcast of 2025. Episode 411 — the first podcast of 2026 — will drop on Thursday, January 8.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Open When . . . Parenting through Everyday Moments.

In Open When . . . Parenting through Everyday Moments, child development professionals and Christian education experts discuss the most common parenting scenarios faced by families today. Readers will be empowered with knowledge, tools, and strategies for navigating the complexities of each issue while also nurturing the child's spirit through scriptural application.

For more information about Open When . . . Parenting through Everyday Moments visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

Donna Barrett is retiring at the end of this year from her position as general secretary of the Assemblies of God.

Elected unanimously by the executive presbytery in 2018 to fill the unexpired term of her predecessor, Jim Bradford, then elected twice by the General Council in 2019 and 2023, she is the first woman to hold executive office at the national level in the history of the AG.

Full disclosure: I am one of Barrett's direct reports. But I can honestly say that she is universally regarded by her employees, fellow executives, district officials, and ministry peers as a woman of God, conscientious leader, good friend, and great boss.

In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Barrett about her unique perspective on topics such as women's leadership, the grind of ministry, and the necessity of prayer. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Barrett is the 11th general secretary of The General Council of the Assemblies of God. Her final day in office is December 31, 2025.

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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.