Graduation Spotlight: Brogan Gaskill

Brogan Gaskill distinctly remembers when the Lord called him into worship ministry.  

“I want you to sing for the nations,” he remembered the Lord saying. The message seemed confusing back then, but over the next few years, the Lord clarified the call to worship ministry and the pursuit of theological education at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS).    

Originally from Rock Hill, South Carolina, Gaskill came to SEBTS with a hungry heart and a moldable mind to learn where and how he could fulfill the Great Commission. That’s why he began his Master of Divinity in Christian Ministry, building a firm theological and ministerial foundation for the future.    

Though he was open to serving in a variety of ways, Gaskill had long had a desire to use music as a means of ministry. He grew up loving music, first serving in a staff role at 17, leading worship at his local church, and later leading worship at Grace Collective Church and the Winthrop Baptist Collegiate Ministry. He didn’t want to presume worship ministry was the direction God was calling him when he started at SEBTS. Yet, the Lord continued to affirm this calling by opening one door after another.    

As Gaskill graduates this spring, his time at SEBTS has connected him to his next ministry opportunity. In August, he will be joining the 24-person team that is launching Pioneer Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina. In a turn of events that he would not have expected, Gaskill will be moving back to his hometown to serve as Pioneer Church’s leader of musical worship under the direction of pastor Trell Ross.   

“I’ve been told by many trusted and experienced pastors that you should seek to build a team of people who are not only gifted and capable of high performance for the glory of God but are godly and live with high character for the glory of God,” said Ross, who is also a SEBTS alumnus. “I’m excited to have Brogan join our team at Pioneer Church because he is a brother who undoubtedly embodies this. I’ve been blessed by his friendship as much as I’ve been blessed by his ministry, and I look forward to leading and loving the flock of Pioneer Church alongside him.”   

Ross and Gaskill first met in an Ethics class at SEBTS after Ross introduced himself to the class and explained that he would be church planting in Gaskill’s hometown. When the COVID-19 shutdown occurred in March 2020, Gaskill found himself back in Rock Hill taking online classes. During that time, he connected with Ross and began sensing the Lord calling him to help plant Pioneer Church.    

Gaskill currently serves as a worship pastoral assistant for Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, where he joined in 2019. He sees the musical worship experience as a vital component of the Sunday service as it serves as a dialogical experience for the congregation. Worship allows believers to sing truth over themselves and others, serving as a reminder of who the Lord is and what he has done for his people.   

That’s why Gaskill views every explanation of a song, every exhortation from the stage, and every lyric sung as a profoundly theological and personal reminder of Jesus Christ and the pursuit of looking more like him.  

“Musical worship spurs on people to be devoted to the Lord, know his calling, and serve in whatever way he wants,” said Gaskill.   

In addition to leading worship each week, Gaskill regularly writes, records, and performs his own music. Currently, Gaskill has over 1,000 monthly listeners and 900 followers from 65 different countries on Spotify. His album “Prelude,” which he released this year, is focused on memories from his childhood that bleed into the present reality of the childlike faith to which God calls him. Gaskill describes his album as “youthful musings [that] meld with childlike faith.”   

Gaskill’s songwriting comes from his affection for the Lord and a theological foundation built by his time at SEBTS.    

“Jesus talks about how [out of] the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A lot of songwriting for me, historically, it’s just been self-expression and trying to work through things or even cope with things. It’s kind of like a way of processing.”   

Classes such as Doctrine of the Trinity and Christology deepened Gaskill’s understanding of God’s love for his people. He entered seminary fully aware of the tension between gaining knowledge of God apart from knowing God personally. Yet, the Doctrine of the Trinity course was a class that shattered any allusion of God as abstract or impersonal.   

“To see the love within the Godhead, that then extends to us–not just in a judicial way, forensic way or a declarative way in justification but in a personal way” said Gaskill. “God adopts us, we are his children, and he loves us dearly.”  

SEBTS graduates like Gaskill are seeking to take the theological preparation they are receiving and applying it to real-life ministry. Learn more about our MDiv in Christian Ministry, check out our MDiv in Worship Leadership, or find more degrees at sebts.edu.  

Photo Credit: Andrew Wagner