Top Books of 2016
Preparing to enter into the new year includes taking stock of the preceding months—what went well, what did not. The same goes for our reading selections. When we looked back over the previous year’s publications, we found a few that were especially good and wanted to pass them along to you. A couple of our recommendations actually came out during the latter half of 2015, but we thought they were worthy of mentioning here. In...
The Pastor as a Developer of Leaders
by Aaron Pierce There is no shortage of material on how to be successful in the ministry and as a pastor. The modern church seems preoccupied with celebrity pastors and the next big breakthrough in how to be a relevant pastor. However, pastoral ministry is difficult and it’s certainly not made easier by the constant pressure and changing ideas as to what being successful in ministry looks like. In all the confusion and dialogue about...
Developing Young Leaders: Reflections on the 2016 FWB Leadership Conference
Since Marc Neppl’s (VA) sermon at the 2016 National Association, I have been increasingly hearing a wider dialogue about the rising generation of pastors and denominational leaders. Specifically, there is a desire to have an open dialogue about the role of younger leaders in our movement, and leadership transition in the local church and at the denominational level. Matthew Bracey added his voice to this larger dialogue earlier this...
Why I’m Staying: Advice to Aspiring Church Leaders
As a young man, and even a college student, I occasionally heard of people becoming disenfranchised with their churches or denominations.[1] Some, I learned, even left their denominations, though I’d never personally known anyone to do so. That all changed when I was in divinity school. A classmate of mine, Tom, who had been raised as a Southern Baptist, converted to Lutheranism.[2] “What makes a person in his mid-20s make such a...
The Good and the Beautiful: Charles and Laura Thigpen’s Commitment to Excellence
In April of 2015, I was privileged to spend two days with Charles and Laura Thigpen in their beautiful Byron, Georgia home. I interviewed them about their time at Free Will Baptist Bible College. During my visit, we covered everything from institutional planning to course work. Since then, my appreciation for them has only deepened. The Thigpens are committed to giving their best to God in everything they do, always striving for...
The Promise of Arminian Theology: A Review
by Emily Vickery Growing up in the Free Will Baptist denomination, there were a few names I heard spoken often and with much respect. These were the names of our theologians, those who sought to explain and defend the tenets of our Reformed Arminian doctrines. One of these names was Mr. F. Leroy Forlines. In The Promise of Arminian Theology: Essays in Honor of F. Leroy Forlines (hereafter The Promise), published by Randall House...
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