Pastor Al Franklin150x150On Aug. 23, veteran GARBC pastor Al Franklin retired. Al is one of the finest Bible expositors I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. His 47 years of pastoral ministry—first at McKinleyville (California) Baptist Church then at Grace Baptist Church of Redding, California—has been characterized by passionate preaching, a commitment to the dispensational understanding of Scripture, and a vigorous defense of young-earth creationism. In celebration of his retirement, the Baptist Bulletin is pleased to present an interview with Al Franklin reflecting on the thrust of his ministry and the lessons he would pass on to the next generation of Regular Baptists.

Looking back over your ministry, if you were to identify three major ministry focuses, what would you point to?

Expository preaching, a literal hermeneutic consistently applied, and a dispensational focus on Scripture. Of course there have been others, but these three come to mind immediately.