Pastoring the Aging Church
Aging is no simple matter. At one end of life, a year’s passage ignites celebration and signals newfound freedom; on the other, it signals the difficult, inevitable nearing of the end. If we focus on this latter end, we observe that aging reaches a point where forgetfulness, unpleasant physicals, and a decline in efficiency become regular experiences. The elderly have their own jargon (geriatrics), institutions (assisted/retirement...
Top Posts 2014
by Helwys Society Forum 2014 has been a good year for the Helwys Society Forum. We began a new feature, entitled Reflections, wherein we occasionally post a 75-150 word reflection, usually from something we’ve been reading. Additionally, we have published about 75 posts. We have added a regular contributor, Zach Maloney. We featured numerous guest contributors, including Jeffrey Cockrell, Matthew McAffee, Frank Owens, and many others....
Reformed Arminianism & the Death of the Holiness Movement
Through a friend’s recommendation, I recently read a blog entitled, “The Death of the Holiness Movement and The Imminent Collapse of Arminianism” by Jeff Paton.[1] I know very little about the author, but the blog was intriguing for a couple of reasons. First, Paton rightly understands that various forms of Arminianism exist. For many, only one form of Arminianism exists, and it is Wesleyan Arminianism. Paton is aware that...
Thomas Helwys: Father of Religious Freedom
The American Church increasingly faces serious challenges concerning religious freedom. Many already see trouble on the horizon concerning homosexuality. Likely this issue will be only one of many to assault the church’s freedom to practice her beliefs unhindered by the state. Therefore, we must begin to redevelop a strong theological defense of religious freedom that will guide us in these days. Free Will Baptists have a unique...
Reflections on ETS 2014
Two weeks ago, over 2500 students, professors, exhibitors, and scholars from many fields journeyed to San Diego, California for the 66th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS). My colleague Matthew McAffee (Welch College) and I were among those in attendance. We each enjoyed the privilege of giving presentations this year. More significant, though, was the opportunity to attend three days of presentations from...
Homosexuality in Legal Perspective (Part III): Reclaiming Religious Liberty
This piece will conclude the Helwys Society’s emphasis month on the topic of homosexuality. Having approached it biblically, historically, and pastorally, we’ve turned lastly to considering it in legal perspective. In Part I, we considered our past and present legal environment. In Part II, we looked in particular at the doctrines of due process, equal protection, and privacy. In this last piece, we’ll consider the important doctrine...
Recent Comments