6 | November 2025
SCBO Launches Forward Together Podcast A new podcast, designed especially for SCBO pastors and staff, is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the SCBO website. By Stephanie Heading, managing editor
Forward Together , hosted by Buzz Kocher, SCBO director of strategic initiatives, is a ministry podcast dealing with practical issues that impact pastors, staff members and churches. “We want to have honest conversations,” Kocher said. “We are not trying to skirt around difficult issues.” The first 14 episodes of Forward Together will feature members of the SCBO staff sharing about their ministry experiences. “With a person like Zac James, SCBO worship consul- tant, he’s got expertise in the worship world,” Kocher re - marked. “So we talked about the reality of worship and music within our churches.” Another episode will focus on ministry in a rural context, featuring Southeast Regional Catalyst Josh Remy. “I had a great interview with Josh Remy talking about rural ministry, and some of the challenges that there are work- ing with small churches, and how we can come alongside in different ways to help,” Kocher said. Eventually, the Forward Together podcast will interview SCBO pastors in their areas of expertise, in addition to equipping churches and pastors in areas like the Cooper- ative Program, International Mission Board, Church Plant - ing, Disaster Relief, and many other areas of SBC life. “I think the sky is the limit with this because we just have so many people within our state who have really good in- sights,” Kocher said. “One of the things that I’m making a priority is hearing their testimony. We want to know their call to ministry, and how that came about.”
Kocher is asking his Forward Together guests to “tell us your story.” “There are a lot of interesting stories,” he said. “And I think there are things there that other guys can relate to, and we really want to get to know the people we are interviewing and for them to share some of the rawness of their sto- ries.” Forward Together has a three-fold purpose. “It’s equipping, encouraging, and connecting. Those are probably the three biggest things we’re trying to do through this,” Kocher said. “I hope they equip and encourage pastors. I hope they see the mission of togetherness, of cooperation, and hopeful- ly, it can even provide networking opportunities for pas- tors. I think pastors are always trying to learn from other pastors. And obviously, different guys would be doing dif - ferent things. But, with all the different lanes that guys are running in within the SBC, we’ve got all of them covered.”
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