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...
Gospel Ordinances: Emblems of Grace
Joshua 4 stands as one of the more memorable scenes in Old Testament history. The nation of Israel just crossed the Jordan River, and was about to conquer Canaan. Before venturing further, Joshua instructed them to erect a memorial on Jordan’s riverbanks (4:7). These twelve memorial stones would serve as a reminder to those passing later of how God led them into the Promised Land by His grace. However, the book of Judges shows that...
Staying Connected in a Wireless World
by Sarah J. Bracey Recently, my husband and I retreated for a weekend and rented a cabin a few hours away. We also invited some of our family, including my two youngest sisters (seventeen and fifteen years old) to join us, thinking this would be an opportunity for us all to spend some time together in the great outdoors. When my sister arrived, her first words were “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” Perhaps the amenity of free Wi-Fi and her...
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