Theologian and author Gavin Ortlund announced that he would be stepping away as a pastor in Southern to become a full-time theology Youtuber.
“YouTube is such a strategic place for ministry,” Ortlund said in an update video on his Truth Unites channel last month. “What I’ve concluded is this pathway is the most fruitful way I can spend my life for (God’s) purposes.”
Gavin Ortlund, the lead pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai, California, said he would move his family to Nashville, Tenn. At the same time, Truth Unites will merge with Renewal Ministries based in Franklin, Tenn., led by his parents, Ray Ortlund Jr. and his wife, Jani.
Additionally, Ortlund will become theologian-in-residence at Immanuel Nashville, an Acts 29 affiliated church his father founded and pastored for 11 years before he stepped away in 2019 to lead Renewal Ministries.
“Gavin has a unique qualification as a theologian, and I’m eager for us to tap into that,” said Immanuel Lead Pastor TJ Tims during Sunday services on October 22, adding that Ortlund will occasionally preach from the pulpit.
In a statement to The Roys Report, Ortlund shared his wishes for “revival and renewal” in light of the impact of his ministry on YouTube.
“In my time on YouTube, I’ve been blown away by the spiritual needs there and the opportunities,” he said. “My heart longs to help people find assurance, peace, (and) a sense of security in the gospel. I’m trying to be obedient to how I see God leading me to do that.”
In his announcement video, Ortlund briefly mentioned his resignation as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai.
“Every Sunday, there’s a heaviness and sadness because we love our church family,” he said.
He added that he looks forward to his part-time teaching role at Immanuel Nashville, where he has close family connections.
“We’re overjoyed at the opportunity to be closer to our families,” he told The Roys Report.
Other leaders at Immanuel Nashville include assistant pastor Barnabas Piper, son of theologian and author John Piper, and Christianity Today Editor-in-Chief Russell Moore, listed as a minister in residence.
In 2020, Ortlund launched his Truth Unites channel on YouTube, gaining more than 41,000 subscribers. Meanwhile, his most viewed video has received more than 117,000 views.
“The opportunities are just unbelievable,” Ortlund said, noting that his ministry was made in response to the uptick of the younger generation’s decrease in religious participation.
“About 40 million people have stopped going to church,” he said in the announcement video. “The percentage of people who don’t have any religious affiliation has spiked up to 30 percent. Thirty years ago, it was only five percent. It’s just this massive sea change, especially in the younger generation—so many young people (are) leaving the faith.”
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Chris McGrath / Staff
Video Courtesy: Truth Unites via YouTube
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.