Dr. Philip Zimmerman [DrZ]

My journey with Jesus began long before Way of the Bible became a podcast.

I came to believe in Jesus as a young Catholic, but at seventeen, I experienced what I can only describe as a miracle—an event that changed my life’s trajectory. I went from simply knowing about Jesus to wanting to know Jesus. That desire began a spiritual journey that, although not always straight, has continued throughout my life.

In 1976, I entered LSU and graduated with an M.S. and B.S. in Civil Engineering. My field of study led me into a booming twenty-year career in environmental engineering consulting. The Lord led me to work for a mentor who encouraged me to start my own business, which I did, and I sold it four years later. A nest egg the Lord has preserved to this day.

My career began alongside my marriage in 1981. In 1986, we started our family, and both returned to church. It was then that I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation for the first time. I continued reading the Bible every year for the next thirty-eight years. The more I encountered God’s Word, the more I wanted to understand it—and know the God who had given it to us.

In 1998, my relationship with God through Jesus Christ changed dramatically through an encounter with the Holy Spirit. I began studying Scripture earnestly, leading Bible studies, and serving in youth ministry. During that same season, I felt called to ministry.

Spiritual fervor led me to leave my vocational career and enter the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as a full-time student, where I earned a Master of Divinity degree. This opened a door for me to serve for twelve years as campus chaplain, Bible department head, and faculty member at The Dunham School. While there, I also pursued a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) and envisioned and launched an Institute of Leadership at Dunham. While at DTS, I also trained through another school and earned accreditation as a professional certified coach.

While in ministry, I remained bi-vocational, spending more than thirty-five years as an entrepreneur, executive leader, business consultant, franchisee of national brands, and professional coach. I’ve founded companies, served as CEO, COO, CFO, and president, and worked with organizations ranging from entrepreneurial businesses to companies with more than 10,000 employees.

The pandemic hit hard in 2020 and halted my large-group coaching practice of developing next-generation leaders. While in the lull, I was called back into ministry.