The Pastor in the Closet: Thomas Murphy on the Minister’s Secret Duties

Behind every faithful sermon is a hidden place. In this episode, we explore Thomas Murphy’s insistence that a pastor’s most essential work happens in the prayer closet, where private devotion shapes public ministry. Drawing on Murphy—and echoing Baxter, Miller, and Warfield—we’re reminded that the strength and character of the pulpit are formed in secret communion with God.

Dr. Jonathan. L. Master (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) serves as President of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Dr. Master served in pastoral ministry in several congregations in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and subsequently as Dean and Professor of Theology at Cairn University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has taught for numerous other institutions including Westminster Seminary (UK) and Edinburgh Theological Seminary. Dr. Master is the author and editor of books including A Question of Consensus: The Doctrine of Assurance After the Westminster Confession (Fortress Press, 2015), The God We Worship (P&R, 2016), On Reforming Worship (Covenant Publications, 2018), Growing in Grace (Banner of Truth, 2020), and Reformed Theology (P&R, 2023). He contributes regularly to a variety of periodicals, including Tabletalk Magazine. Dr. Master serves on the Executive Council of the Gospel Reformation Network, as well as on the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, where he hosts the “Theology on the Go” podcast for the Alliance with James Dolezal.

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