Getting to Know: Phil Sallee

The Sallees, the Partins, and the Lewolts (Christmas 2013)

My name is Phil Sallee. I have been the pastor of New Beginnings Church for 19 years. My wife Carol, and our three children, moved back to Oklahoma to serve at New Beginnings Church when the church was meeting in a downtown Bixby store front. In the past 19 years, I have been privileged to baptize new believers in a borrowed church, in an Olympic sized public school pool, in a neighborhood pool (on Hole #5 at White Hawk Golf Club), in a portable baptistery (in the public school parking lot, gymnasium, and auditorium), and finally in our own church building. My family has experienced a powerful and humbling move of God at New Beginnings for which we will ever be thankful.
I was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I grew up in east Tulsa where he attended Eastwood Baptist Church. Eastwood Baptist Church is a strong, evangelistic church. It was at that church that I was saved, baptized, discipled, and launched into ministry. Although my education has been important in many ways, the most significant influence in my life and future ministry was my home church, Eastwood.
I graduated from Tulsa East Central High School in 1978, earned an undergraduate degree from Tulsa University in 1983, a Master’s Degree from Denver Theological Seminary in 1994, and a doctorate in Missions and Evangelism at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2012.
After serving for 11 years as a Student Pastor in three different churches (Southwood, Tulsa from 1979-1982, South Tulsa from 1982-1986, and Riverside, Denver, CO from 1986-1989), at the age of twenty-nine I began to pastor my first church in Edgewater, Colorado from 1989-1995. Two significant events, my father’s passing and my brother’s health led us to return to the Tulsa area in 1995. We had no idea that God would allow us to lead New Beginnings Church they way He has.

Ichat Birthday Party • OK to CA 

I as I served in ministry over the years, I was first married to Carol in 1980, and had three children: Julie in 1983, Jill in 1985, and Josh in 1987. My love for my wife has done more to influence the faith of my children than anything else. I can say with all honesty, my family has always been my highest priority. I learned this chief precedence from my father and mother. Further, my family has assisted me in ministry every step of the journey. There are so many stories how we, this little family of five, have been used as God’s divinely designed devices, to mold and shape one another into disciples He can use for His glory. I love my family and although Carol and I are empty nesters now, we both are thinking of them every day.
The most recent family influence occurred 3 years ago, as New Beginnings was searching for a new Children’s Pastor. I asked my daughter Jill (a Children’s Pastor in California) if she knew anyone who would be a good candidate. She suggested I examine the Family Ministry model before we call a candidate. Jill explained how shifting the focus of our children’s ministry would also change the type of candidate we would desire to call. She could not have been more correct.
In my examination of Family Ministry, I learned that the culture has been turning the spiritual formation of children away from the parents and toward the church. I learned that this shift has been seriously detrimental to raising, effective and vibrant disciples of Jesus. I learned the scripture mandate of parental responsibility is undeniable. I immediately planned to share my findings in asermon series called “Family Reframed.” You can watch this 10 sermon series on iTunes called Family Reframed.
Since that time we have made considerable strides in becoming a Family Ministry Church. Each year we improve our partnering with parents to raising effective and vibrant disciples of Jesus. We have trained and called new staff who understand the vision of Family Ministry. We have changed the title of our staff from __________ (Youth, Middle School, Children) Pastor to Family Pastor of __________ (Youth, Middle School, Children). I meet weekly with the Family Pastoral Staff for equipping, for encouragement, for strategizing, for planning, for execution, for prayer, and for discipleship. The Family Pastor Staff has studied and designed a strategy to partner with parents that will guide parents from birth through young adulthood to become disciples of Jesus.
I have never been more certain of a vision and purpose in ministry than I am of NBFamilies. If you are a parent (traditional parent, single parent, divorced parent, step parent, foster parent, or grand parent) at New Beginnings Church you are acknowledged, trained, engaged, and held accountable as the primary persons responsible for the discipleship of your children. You have a partner in the most important task of your life; raising God’s gift and responsibility, your children.

Dr. Phil Sallee, Pastor
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