Archive for the ‘Essay’ Category
Are Southern Baptists Enjoying a Golden Era in Theological Education? (I)
As I made the Golden Era assertion, I—and those in attendance—realized the magnitude of the claim. My assertion, and the dialogue it generated, prompted me to further reflection. After doing so, I am all the more convinced the validity of my claim. Read more
On Preaching and the Public Invitation System
Each service, I preached the gospel, and called sinners to repentance and faith in Christ. My week of evangelistic preaching reminded me of a question a student recently asked me, “Should the sermon conclude with an invitation?” I responded, “Yes, a sermon certainly can conclude with an invitation, but, more importantly, the sermon must be an invitation.” Read more
What I Look for When Interviewing & Evaluating Faculty
The primary job of a seminary president is recruiting and retaining the right faculty. Who you hire will determine the institution you lead and the type of graduates it will produce. This means I am always thinking about faculty. Read more
Our Consciences are Bound: Midwestern Seminary & Same-Sex Marriage
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has long since settled its view of marriage and human sexuality, but it is appropriate to state and restate our convictions, especially in light of the swift and dramatic cultural shifts now taking place. Read more
To Your Tents O Israel: A 30-Year Retrospective on Roy Honeycutt’s Holy War Sermon
Honeycutt’s Holy War sermon was demagoguery in the purest sense of the word. In hindsight, despite its forcefulness, his call to arms seemed destined to fail for four reasons. Read more