About
Though they now serve as pastors in different churches, Brent and Bryan’s story began long before either entered ministry. As cousins, they grew up together, sharing family gatherings, conversations, and a growing love for God's Word.
Over the years, that shared passion led them on remarkably similar paths. Both sensed the Lord's call to pastoral ministry, pursued advanced theological education, and eventually earned Ph.D. degrees in New Testament from Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. During their doctoral studies, they had the unique opportunity to study, travel, and encourage one another.
Today, Brent and Bryan continue to serve alongside one another through thetext.life. Their desire is simple: to help Christians understand the Bible more clearly, see the beauty of God's redemptive story, and grow in their love for Christ through the faithful study of Scripture. While each brings unique gifts, experiences, and perspectives, they share the same conviction that God's Word is sufficient, trustworthy, and worthy of a lifetime of study.
Brent Belford
Brent Belford has served as the Senior Pastor of Colonial Baptist Church since 2016. He and his wife, Carissa, moved to Virginia Beach from Minneapolis with their five children: Emma (Tyler), Andrew, Eden, Chloe, and Levi.
Brent earned a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Pastoral Ministries from Northland International University and a Ph.D. in New Testament from Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. Alongside his pastoral ministry, he enjoys investing in the next generation of church leaders by teaching biblical exposition at seminaries, pastors' conferences, and theological training programs around the world. He also serves as chair of the Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Exposition program at Virginia Beach Theological Seminary.
Brent's greatest desire is to equip believers for the work of ministry and the building up of Christ's church. In addition to preaching and teaching, Brent enjoys participating in evangelical conferences such as the Evangelical Theological Society and the Institute of Biblical Research, where he continues to learn, contribute, and engage with biblical scholarship. Brent is also the author of Paul's Fusion of Scripture, which explores how the Apostle Paul used composite citations from the Old Testament throughout his letters, and he regularly develops Bible study resources to help believers grow in their understanding of Scripture.
Brent enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, cheering for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers, and, most of all, opening God's Word with others and seeing lives transformed by its truth.
Bryan Blazosky
Bryan Blazosky serves as pastor of Richfield Bible Church in Richfield, Minnesota, where he is passionate about faithfully preaching and teaching God's Word and helping to shape the church's vision and direction. Since helping plant the church in 2017, Bryan's desire has been to equip Christ's people to know, love, share, and live out the truth of Scripture in Christian community.
In addition to his pastoral work, Bryan serves the broader church through teaching in a variety of academic settings. For nine years, he taught in the Bible department at Northland International University in northern Wisconsin and has taught part-time at Bethlehem College and Seminary for more than a decade. In addition, his heart for training pastors internationally has continued to grow, as he regularly teaches pastors in Western Asia.
Bryan earned his Ph.D. in New Testament from Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia, in 2016. He is also the author of The Law's Universal Condemning and Enslaving Power, as well as articles published by Logos and the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. In addition to his writing, Bryan has developed "The Story of Scripture," a comprehensive, 142-lesson study of the Bible's unfolding story. This resource is available in audio and video formats on multiple platforms and is designed to help others see, learn, and love the unified story of Scripture.
Bryan and his wife, Tricia, have five children: Neshe, Ava, Leyla, Paton, and Elijah. Like Brent, Bryan enjoys spending time with his family, good coffee, playing golf, and cheering for all the Pittsburgh sports teams, along with his newly adopted basketball team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bryan's greatest joy, however, is found in growing in his own knowledge and love of God and in helping others grow to know Scripture better and love Christ and his church more deeply.
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