David Horner

Biographical Information on David H. Horner

Updated September 2019

David serves as the Executive Director for Equipped for Life, a ministry established to equip men and women to grow in Christ and learn to excel in their ministry callings. From 1978 until the end of 2015, he planted then pastored Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. A native of Graham, NC, he received a Bachelor of Arts from Wake Forest University, a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he also lectures regularly in classes on pastoral ministry and biblical leadership. His dissertation documented and analyzed the factors contributing to leadership succession failures in perpetuating an institutional legacy in Christian churches and organizations.

With a focus on Christian leadership, Horner has taught courses at a number of colleges and theological seminaries over the past couple of decades, including colleges and seminaries in Jordan, Romania, Poland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India and Indonesia; and in the United States at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For over 30 years, he has also led pastors conferences, seminars and workshops in many other nations across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and South America.

Since February 2019, he has served as interim and consulting pastor for Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC, preaching and overseeing the pastoral ministries of this multi-staff congregation.

David has authored four books, including Firmly Rooted, Faithfully Growing (2003), which is devoted to equipping churches for principle-based ministry, Dad's Words of Wisdom (2004), a weekly devotional for fathers and sons, and A Practical Guide for Life and Ministry (2008), which offers help for people in ministry who are trying to maintain a biblical balance in their lives. That book has been re-released under the title, 7 Challenges Pastors Face (2019) His latest book When Missions Shapes the Mission (2011), helps churches refocus to make missions a priority and gives them practical tools to make the transitions needed.

He has served as a trustee at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky and as a trustee at Lifeway Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee. Since 2005 he has served as a council member of The Gospel Coalition. He is currently serving on the board of Trinity Academy of Raleigh and Emanuel International Ministries (supporting Emanuel University in Oradea, Romania).

David speaks a couple of times a year overseas in various missions contexts, equipping pastors and Christian leaders in effective biblical leadership and pastoral ministry. He and his wife, Cathy, have been married since 1973 and have three grown sons, Jeff (married to Elizabeth), Scott (married to Meredith) and Jon (married to Meghan). They have four grandsons and one granddaughter.