InsideOut: What is your favorite color?

Nathan Reever: Earth tones. I especially like the colors of autumn.

IO: What is your favorite meal of the day?

NR: Unfortunately for my waistline I like them all including snacks in between. However, I will say breakfast (particularly when it is a leisurely one of Bob Evan’s biscuits & gravy with a newspaper to read).

IO: What is your favorite verse in the Bible?

NR: It’s tough to only pick one. One of my favorite chapters is Ephesians 2. Some of the more meaningful verses to me are Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 116:16 and Matthew 28:20. Oh, yes, and I really like Ephesians 4:32.

IO: If you could go in a time machine to the future, what event would you want to see occur?

NR: I have not thought much about going into the future if at all. I suppose witnessing the coming of the Lord in some kind of panoramic view would be nice. When I came back, I would be a convincing preacher of the coming of the Lord.

IO: Do you have a favorite superhero?

NR: If so, who and why do you like them? Mmm. I have a favorite fictional detective and it is Sherlock Holmes. I first discovered him in fourth grade and while today I can’t approve of his entire lifestyle I do enjoy his eccentricities and the process of deduction he uses to solve cases. As to a superhero, I enjoy teamwork so does that mean I like the Justice League of America the best?

IO: What’s the funniest experience that you’ve had in Bible Quizzing?

NR: One of the humorous incidents happened when a quizzer got tongue tied in his answer. Instead of saying that Jesus went and preached peace he said Jesus went and preached peaches. I won’t repeat for this interview the funniest verbal gaffe that I have heard (sorry!).

IO: Were you ever a Bible Quizzer?

NR: Yes. I tried out for my church’s quiz team for several years in the early nineteen seventies. In those early years of the program a local church could only field one team with a maximum of five members. I didn’t make the cut until 1976 and 1977. In both years our team represented the Missouri District at the North American Bible Quiz Tournament.

IO: How long have you been in youth ministry?

NR: I first became a youth pastor in 1980. I think with the exception of the year 2000 I have been involved in some form of youth ministry ever since.

IO: What roles have you fulfilled through those years?

NR: In addition to youth pastor, I have served as a school supervisor and principal and taught a variety of youth Sunday school classes. Within the United Pentecostal Church I have served in every available youth position: sectional youth leader, district youth secretary, district youth president, general director of promotion, general youth secretary and general youth president. Once I became too old to serve the General Youth Division (after “a year of retirement”) I was appointed to oversee Bible quizzing in 2001 and am still filling that role.

IO: Why is it important that our generation memorize and study the Bible?

NR: The Word of God is the final rule in all matters of faith and practice. It is vital that everyone, and especially the up and coming generation of the Church, be thoroughly acquainted with its teachings. Its principles are unchanging and will guide the Church regardless of the current culture and any opposition to biblical truth it attempts to bring. In short, today’s youth need to know within the boundaries of the Bible what they believe and why. II Timothy 2:15 states, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”