Dr. Blackwell has been in ministry for 30 years serving in various capacities including senior pastor, youth pastor, discipleship, and associate pastor. A native of Pleasant Grove, AL he serves dual roles as both Assistant to the President for Church Relations and as Executive Director of the Ministry Training Institute, Samford's historic Extension Division. Before coming to Samford in 2014 he was Senior Pastor of Valley Creek Baptist Church in Hueytown, AL. Dr. Blackwell has served as an adjunct professor in pastoral ministry at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Extension in Birmingham and is former President of the Alabama Baptist Convention Pastor’s Conference. He is the recipient of the Troy L. Morrison award for pastoral excellence through the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. He is the co-author of Cultivate Disciplemaking: Growing Disciples Who Make Disciples. He is married to Lorrie and has four children, Maggie, Andie, Averie, and Brodie. Dr. Blackwell received his Bachelor of General Studies from Samford, a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Theology from the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His D.Min project was in the area of evangelism, church health and revitalization. His Ph.D dissertation thesis is entitled, "An Analysis and Critique of Disciple Making Within Ecclesial Movements in the United States, 1970-2020, With a View Toward Implementing a Faithful New Testament Missio Ecclesia." Since coming to Samford, he has served as interim pastor for eight churches in Alabama.