Dr. Brad Johnson

Asbury Seminary congratulates Dr. Brad Johnson, Asbury Seminary alum and affiliate professor, on recently being named president of The Word Is Out (TWIO). Since 2018, Dr. Johnson has served as executive director under founder, president and Seminary alum Dr. Alan J. Meenan. Dr. Meenan announced his retirement at TWIO’s May board meeting, and the leadership change is effective immediately.

“I am grateful and humbled by my new leadership role,” Dr. Johnson said. “I’m grateful for Alan’s vision and the way God has prepared me to continue to live into my calling of being a pipeline to the local church by offering education opportunities and resources to equip and prepare leaders to share God’s word with the world.”

As the new president, Dr. Johnson will work closely with Founder and President Emeritus, Dr. Meenan, as well as the members of the advisory board for The Word Is Out. In addition, he will support and oversee team members in their vital roles. Above all, he will model the character and spirit of Inductive Bible Study as he encourages others to join him in becoming better readers of the Bible.

Dr. Johnson will continue building on the foundation already established, equipping pastors overseas with much-needed biblical interpretations skills, identifying and equipping global champions, and raising support. In addition, he will be developing new resources for North American churches and networks in hopes of supporting ministries eager to increase their biblical literacy.

“When I met with Alan at his home in California three years ago to learn more about The Word Is Out, I was thoroughly compelled by his vision to make the life-giving message of the Bible more accessible to pastors and lay people,” Dr. Johnson said. “Today, with this opportunity to carry that vision forward, I find myself in an extraordinary position to leverage my passions, my training at Asbury Seminary, and my entrepreneurial spirit on behalf of this work. I truly cannot think of anything else I would rather be doing.”

Dr. Alan Meenan

Dr. Brad Johnson serves as an Affiliate Professor at Asbury Seminary and holds two Master of Arts degrees (Theological Studies and Biblical Studies) and a Ph.D. (Biblical Studies) from the Seminary. His recent publications include “The Form and Function of Mark 1:1-15: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to the Markan Prologue” (Pickwick, 2018) and “The Gospel of Mark” in the OneBook Daily-Weekly series (Seedbed, 2017). He lives in Wilmore, Ky. with his wife Christina, and their four sons.

“Brad is highly motivated and extremely competent as an administrator and organizer,” Dr. Meenan, President Emeritus and Founder, said. “He obviously knows the inductive bible study methodology intimately, incorporating it as he does so well in his teaching schedule at Asbury Seminary. I am grateful to have a man of his caliber, insight and spiritual maturity heading up our beloved mission and firmly believe the best days are ahead of us.”

Dr. Meenan will occupy a position on TWIO’s Board of Advisors and will devote his time to teaching, networking, and fundraising.

Founded in 2005, The Word Is Out is a mission-based nonprofit organization that teaches future leaders the Inductive Bible Study Method to foster Biblical literacy and education around the globe. The Inductive Bible Study Method helps readers gain an overall understanding of a passage of Scripture by focusing on what it says, its intended meaning for the original audience, and how it can be applied today. The Word Is Out hosts global seminars and conferences to equip church leaders to be competent interpreters and teachers of the Bible.

The Word Is Out chooses dedicated leaders to go through the Champions Program to scholarship study at Asbury Seminary so that emerging leaders can bring the Inductive Bible Study method back to his/her home country. Once trained, these leaders facilitate a Center for Biblical Understanding in their location to effectively teach others how to accurately study the Bible. Through this strategy, TWIO has been able to bring the Inductive Bible Study methodology and the truth of God’s word to 12 different countries across North America, Africa, Asia and India.