Reforming Youth Ministry
A LifeWay study recorded that 70% of young adults stop attending church after graduating from high school [1]. Another study in TIME said that 61% of churched teenagers leave church to never return [2]. Whatever one’s theological leanings, these statistics are sobering for any Christian to hear. They beg the question, “Why the mass exodus from the Church?” Books and speakers of decades past heralded entertainment-driven pragmatism as...
Three Years Later… “Why Helwys?”
This post marks the three-year anniversary of the Helwys Society’s online forum ministry. We are most thankful, first to God, and second to our readers—you. For this anniversary post, we’d like to answer a question that many readers have asked upon visiting the website: “Why Helwys?” There are plenty of websites that provide the type of content that the Helwys Society Forum provides—essays, book reviews, interviews, and so forth....
F. Leroy Forlines: Theology for All of Life
Few people have had more influence over the theological commitments of Free Will Baptists than Leroy Forlines (1926-present). While the inclusion of a living person in FWB Heritage month will strike some as odd, it is certainly appropriate when one considers Forlines’ impact on the Free Will Baptist denomination and Arminian theology at large. His multi-generational impact will be considered in this essay. Personal Background Franklin...
Dr. Linton C. Johnson: The Pastor-Educator
Dr. Charles Thigpen reflects on his history with the first president of Welch College, the flagship school of the National Association of Free Will Baptists. Building a Team It was February of 1948 when my wife and I first met Dr. L. C. Johnson. We had received a telegram from him, asking if we would consider teaching positions at Free Will Baptist Bible College (“FWBBC”) (now Welch College) in Nashville, Tennessee. This was a...
John L Welch: Pioneering the Way Forward
by Mary Wisehart and Robert Picirilli Free Will Baptist Bible College was renamed Welch College in 2012. The persons thereby honored were John L and Mary Ann Weaver Welch [1]. This article is primarily devoted to the Reverend Mr. Welch, to enable others to understand why the flagship college of the Free Will Baptist denomination was named for this important couple. The “Boy Preacher” The parents of John L Welch, Jr. were John L Welch,...
Paul Palmer: Foundations
by Dr. Darrell Holley (adapted by Jeremy Craft) The month of February marks a heritage month at the Helwys Society Forum. We want to honor some key figures who have had an important impact on the General/Free Will Baptist tradition. Although many men of great influence abound, four will be our focus: Paul Palmer, John L. Welch, L. C. Johnson, and F. Leroy Forlines. We begin our month with a profile on Paul Palmer [1]. Though Palmer...
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