May 20, 2025
COLUMBUS, Ga. — As a teenager, Bill Purvis survived a near-death experience, repented of his sins, cried out to God for redemption, and was wonderfully saved by the atoning blood of Christ. Less than a decade later, Purvis, joined by his wife Debbie, accepted the call to become the pastor of Cascade Hills Baptist Church in Columbus.
The fledgling church with only 32 people present on that Easter Sunday in 1983 grew exponentially until it became unexceptional for the church to have more than 10,000 present for their Easter services, typically held in the Columbus Civic Center.
Purvis cited one of A. L. Williams’ books as having a significant influence in his life. Williams was a football coach in Columbus in his early days and aspired to be a professional football coach, but became an extremely successful insurance executive, although he was heavily invested in professional sports.
“A.L. Williams’ book, All You Can Do is All You Can Do But All You Can Do Is Enough, greatly influenced my life,” explained Purvis. “In that honest, down-to-earth book he provides coaching on how to visualize and achieve your goals.”
Under Purvis’ leadership and challenged by the New Testament believers in Jerusalem in Acts 2:47 where “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved,” Cascade Hills started baptizing one person each day in 2015 and since 2021 has baptized three new believers every single day of the week.
Purvis stated, “Then based on the gifts of the Spirit in Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12 we stressed the importance of each believer utilizing the gifts God had provided to disciple those individuals they had won to faith in Christ.”
Bill Purvis and his son, Brent, served alongside each other as co-pastors in recent years. The elder Purvis stated, “I had Brent sit with me in all meetings for two years and taught him everything I knew about pastoring. Upon my retirement as pastor, the church graciously elected me as the Pastor Emeritus of Cascade Hills, and Brent became the lead pastor of the church.”
While Bill Purvis has retired as the church’s pastor, he may be busier than ever, hosting a popular podcast, frequently serving as the guest or keynote speaker for church and corporate groups across the country, writing books, and presiding over BP Leadership, the thriving leadership development company that he founded.
Purvis commented, “I just want the podcasts to provide encouragement and guidance to the new generation of pastors. I didn’t know much to start with, but I have learned a few things along the way that I think will be helpful to others.”
The BP Leadership Podcasts may be viewed on all major streaming services. Purvis’ goal is to add value to people’s lives by providing proven leadership and life tools as well as pouring his passion for leadership into others.
Purvis, who has proven himself to be an extraordinary leader, is remarkably equipped to talk about the various facets of leadership, and he uses his podcasts to help aspiring leaders understand the principles for being successful.
In a recent interview, Purvis stated, “If I had to identify the primary character trait that is missing from leaders, it would be courage. We have too many leaders who are unwilling to step up and be counted in these critical days in which we live. I believe that good, godly leaders will speak up if they will make sure that the Lord is first in their lives.”
On a podcast on the importance of having worthy values, he declared, “Clearly defined values determine the people with whom you will associate, and values will provide a clear direction for one’s life. Loyalty is an almost indispensable value, and ultimately one’s actions will define his values.”
Purvis recalled, “Years ago, I was in a conversation with a world class insurance man who was at the top of his company, and when I asked him his occupation, he responded, ‘My occupation is insurance, but my preoccupation is Jesus.’ In other words, Jesus was his primary concern, his obsession.”
So many people, particularly those in ministry, have a difficult time saying, “No.” Purvis explains, “Everyone needs to learn how to steward their own schedule. I learned to say ‘no’ to a lot of good things in order to say ‘yes’ to the things I do best. That is hard for me because I want to say ‘yes’ to every need and every opportunity. My heart is there. But I also know that I won’t make a big or lasting impact if I don’t say ‘no’ to a lot of things other people can do as well. So, I am learning to say ‘yes’ to the things I do best.”
Purvis continued, “I see a lot of leaders who work hard but not smart. There are many people who are working zealously but not wisely. John Maxwell, my mentor and friend, stated, ‘It’s not whether your calendar is full. It will always be full. Something will always come up. It comes down to who and what will fill your calendar.’”
For Purvis, making sure family is a priority begins with his calendar. “My wife and I start out at the beginning of every year and X out all the dates we will spend together; and we put all our priorities on that calendar. That is our priority, and when something else comes up, I can say, ‘I am sorry, I would like to honor your request, but I already have something scheduled at that time.’”
Purvis has studied the lives of many great leaders and says the one thing they had in common was their focus. He emphasized, “Light scattered will light up a dim room, but a light focused like a laser will cut through steel.”
Purvis’ essence is revealed on one podcast where Purvis testified that he primarily is a soul-conscious man. He explained, “I want people to know the God I know.”
The observations and insights on Bill Purvis’ BP Podcast are based on God’s Word and provide excellent counsel about serving God to one’s fullest capacity.
Bill Purvis concluded his remarks by saying, “I have had two primary goals in life: to finish well, and I wanted the church I served and the people I’ve encountered along the way to be better than they were before.”
If you would like to view Bill Purvis’ podcasts, go to BPLeadership.com and under “Lessons” you will find a wide variety of topics that will bless and strengthen your life and ministry.
