Sola Scriptura?
Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”) is one of what have become known as the “five solas” of the Protestant Reformation. The meaning of sola Scriptura is essentially that Scripture alone is our supreme guide for Christian faith and practice. Put another way, the church’s doctrine should be in accordance with Scripture and founded upon Scripture rather than on any mere human tradition. Now this is not to say that tradition has no bearing...
A Band of Sisters: The Early Years of the Cumberland District Ladies Aid Society
The Women Nationally Active for Christ serves as the national organization for women’s ministry among Free Will Baptists. The organization was formed in 1935 in conjunction with the founding of the National Association of Free Will Baptists (NAFWB). The diligent work of many women from states like North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas culminated in the formation of this organization. But no group had a larger influence than the women...
Making Decisions and the Will of God (Part II)
Believers sense on a regular basis that God has some sort of plan for their lives, and they genuinely want to be a part of this plan. Furthermore, many believers have been taught to seek out God’s individual will for their lives in order to participate in the Christian life. In Part II of this series (see Part I), we’ll look at some Biblical and theological considerations related to decision-making and the will of God. Biblical...
Making Decisions and the Will of God (Part I)
A few years ago I asked a friend about his plans after graduating from seminary. He responded, “I’m still waiting on God to reveal His will in this area.” His response surprised me. My friend was ready to graduate with a master’s degree and had spent four years poring through books, papers, and syllabi. Yet by this time he was still unable to discern God’s will. My intent in using this particular experience is not to attack this...
Lessons from a Pastoral Succession
by Josh Baer Pastoral transitions are inevitable. All pastors leave at some point, whether through resignation, retirement, or even death. While this has always been the case, we are facing a potential crisis. Our churches will likely undergo a massive transfer of pastoral leadership in the next decade as more pastors than ever reach retirement age.[1] This potential crisis is too important to ignore or avoid. The transfer of...
Practicing Theology in Youth Ministry
Every other year I have the opportunity to teach our introductory course on youth ministry at Welch College, entitled Philosophy of Youth and Family Ministry. The course is always a wonderful experience, and central to its purposes are laying a theological foundation and developing biblical practice for practical ministry. The summative project in the course is students developing their own philosophies of youth and family ministry....
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