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...
Ketteman Student Scholarship Drive
Paul Palmer, John L Welch, L. C. Johnson, and F. Leroy Forlines: these are men that have become tributaries to the greater Free Will Baptist (FWB) movement. This month, we are giving particular emphasis to these men and their impact upon the FWB movement. In addition to highlighting these men, we’d also like to highlight yet another tributary to which each of us are indebted: Welch College. In fact, each of the Helwys Society Forum...
Twenty-first Century Impressions of “Pride and Prejudice”
by Alexandra Harper This month marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, an early 19th-century literary masterpiece which has exploded into a 21st-century universal romance. References to the British novel abound in contemporary American culture through the proliferation of classic and modern films (e.g., Bridget Jones’ Diary, Lost in Austen), and literary spin-offs of fan-based romances, mysteries, and even...
Remembering the Heidelberg Catechism
Four hundred and fifty years ago on January 19th, the Heidelberg Catechism was finished. What is the Heidelberg Catechism? And what does it have to do with Free Will Baptists, you might ask? What Is the Heidelberg Catechism? Due to the introduction of Protestantism in the 15th century, strong tensions developed between the Lutherans and Calvinists. To end the religious disputes in his region, Frederick III of Simmern (Elector...
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