Kevin Blackwell
Assistant to the President for Church Relations, Executive Director, Ministry Training Institute
President's Office
126 Chapman Hall
kdblackw@samford.edu
205-726-4055

Kevin Blackwell has been in church ministry for 31 years. A native of Pleasant Grove, Ala., he serves dual roles as both Assistant to the President for Church Relations and as Executive Director of the Ministry Training Institute, Samford's historic Extension Division. Before coming to Samford in 2014, Blackwell served as Senior Pastor of Valley Creek Baptist Church in Hueytown, Ala. He is the former President of the Alabama Baptist Convention Pastor’s Conference and a recipient of the Troy L. Morrison Award for pastoral excellence through the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. He is the author of Repairing the Missional Breach: Why the Church Isn’t Making Disciples and What We Can Do About it, co-author of Cultivate Disciplemaking: Growing Disciples Who Make Disciples and member of the Evangelical Missiological Society. He received his Bachelor of General Studies from Samford, a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Theology from the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His Doctor of Ministry work focused on evangelism, church health and revitalization. His PhD dissertation thesis is entitled, "An Analysis and Critique of Disciple Making Within Ecclesial Movements in the United States, 1970-2020, With a View Toward Implementing a Faithful New Testament Missio Ecclesia." Since coming to Samford, Blackwell has served as interim pastor for nine churches in Alabama. He is married to Lorrie and has four children.

Degrees and Certifications 

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO. (2023)
  • Master of Theology, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO. (2022)
  • Doctor of Ministry, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA. (2008)
  • Master of Divinity, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA. (2002)
  • Bachelor of General Studies, Samford University, Birmingham, AL. (1997)

Awards and Honors

  • Chosen for the inaugural Leadership Samford Cohort, 2023-24.
  • President, Alabama Baptist Convention Pastor’s Conference, 2014.
  • Recipient of the 2011 Troy L. Morrison Award for Pastoral Leadership presented by the Alabama Baptist Convention.
  • Billy Graham School of Evangelism at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary recognized Valley Creek Baptist Church as an “Effective Evangelistic Church” for 2008-2009.
  • Leavell Center for Church Health, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, recognized Valley Creek Baptist Church as one of the top 100 healthiest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention, 2009.

Research and Publications

  • “Repairing the Missional Breach: Recovering a Comprehensive Hermeneutic for Future Disciple Making,” Presented to the Evangelical Missiological Society, Southeast Regional Conference, Louisville, KY., (2024).
  • “How Do We Minister Within the Context of our Limitations?” A chapter submission to the book, The God of Small Places: Developing Theological Foundation for Rural Ministry. Edited by Glenn Damon and Jeff Clark, (Wheaton, IL: Wheaton College Publishing). Scheduled for release in 2024.
  • Repairing the Breach: Why the Church Isn’t Making Disciples and How We Can Fix It. (Portland, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishing), 2024. 
  • “Deepening Your Walk with Christ,” Presented at the Called Conference of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, (2023).
  • An Analysis and Critique of Disciple Making Within Ecclesial Movements in the United States, 1970-2020, With A View Toward Implementing A Faithful New Testament Missio Ecclesia. Dissertation approved by the faculty of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (2023).
  • “Toward a Faithful Missio Ecclesia as the Basis of Missiological Education,” Presented to the Evangelical Missiological Society, Southeast Regional Conference, Birmingham, AL., (2023).
  • Cultivate Disciplemaking: Growing Disciples Who Make Disciples (Birmingham, AL: Make and Teach), 2022. Co-authored with Dr. Randy S. Norris.
  • “A God Who Punishes: Why Doesn’t God Save Everyone?” Presented at the Ready Answer for the Faith Apologetic Workshop, First Baptist Birmingham, AL., (2023).
  • “How to Prepare Evangelistic Sermons,” Presented at the Pastoral Evangelism Workshop, Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, (2023).
  • “Planning for Effective Sermon Series,” Presented at the Lift: Defining Worship Conference, First Baptist Church of Trussville, AL in Cooperation with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, (2021).
  • “The Historicity of Christ and the Evidence of the Resurrection,” Presented at the Fighting for the Faith Apologetic Conference, Eden Westside Baptist Church, Pell City, AL., (2019).
  • “Explore the Bible Series/Bible Studies for Life.” Sunday School Notes, The Alabama Baptist. (November 2014-February 2015).
  • A Strategy for Outreach to Families in Hueytown, Alabama for Valley Creek Baptist Church. A doctoral project approved by the faculty of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (2008).