Justin McLendon, PhD

Dr. McLendon is a native of Clinton, MS. He earned degrees from Mississippi State University (B.S.), and Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv & PhD). He is an ordained Baptist minister, and he served churches in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Missouri prior to arriving at GCU. He is married to Christie and they have three children.

Faculty Spotlight

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am married to my best friend, Christie, and together we are doing our best to keep up with our three busy children. My wife and I both were raised in central Mississippi, and although we did not meet until college, we had similar upbringings. I was raised in a Christian home, and from an early age I can remember developing a love for the local church. I genuinely love the local church. I have been blessed to serve as youth pastor and pastor in three churches. In addition, I have been privileged to serve on numerous mission trips throughout Europe, Africa, and South America. I enjoy being with my family, reading, and cheering on the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the St. Louis Cardinals.

What do you enjoy most about your ministry in the College of Theology?

I enjoy discovering where my students are on their faith journey. Many students are eager to learn about Christ and the implications his lordship has for their lives. Others are not so eager but are still curious about the legitimacy of such claims. Regardless of where my students are on this journey, I enjoy the great privilege I have to interact with them about various facets of Christian theology and the practical implications to truth. GCU affords me these opportunities on a routine basis.

If you could offer a word of advice to theology students, what would you say?

Don’t substitute rigorous academic study and training for daily devotion. From my perspective, academic settings can challenge the brain but harden the heart if one does not remain grounded in who Christ is and how we know Him in the Bible. My advice is for students to realize the relationship between devotion and academic ambition, but also to realize their differences. If we lose one for the other, we sacrifice the integrity of both.