SPECIAL: Local and Global Ecclesial Theology
Matt O’REILLY
In this episode of the CPT Podcast, we welcome Dr. Matt O’Reilly, lead pastor of Christ Church, Birmingham, and a leader in the Global Methodist Church, to talk about what it means to be an ecclesial theologian. O’Reilly describes the ecclesial theologian as a pastor who provides theological leadership from within the local church. Rather than simply translating academic theology for laypeople, ecclesial theologians engage in constructive theology that shapes every aspect of church life—from preaching and discipleship to finances, property, staffing, and mission.
The conversation explores O’Reilly’s leadership in the emerging Global Methodist Church, including his role in drafting unified Articles of Faith and chairing the Doctrine and Sacraments Committee for the denomination’s General Conference in Johannesburg. O’Reilly argues that theological study is not a distraction from pastoral ministry but an essential part of it—one that can deepen a pastor’s leadership, renew the mind, and become an act of worship.
Matt O’Reilly (PhD, University of Gloucestershire) is the Lead Pastor of Christ Church Birmingham in Alabama, and Director of Research at Wesley Biblical Seminary where he teaches New Testament, preaching and pastoral ministry. Matt is author of Paul and the Resurrected Body, The Letters to the Thessalonians and Bless the Nations. He is a member of the St. Peter Fellowship of the Center for Pastor Theologians.
