For more than four decades, the Commission for Theological Integrity of the National Association of Free Will Baptists (of which I serve as chairman) has sponsored an extended Theological Integrity Seminar at the annual session of the National Association. In these lengthy sessions, we have a speaker address theological trends and issues facing evangelicals and Free Will Baptists. Then we follow up with a time of Q&A and dialogue.
The Theological Integrity Seminar will be Monday, July 28, at 2:00 p.m. in Hall CD of the Fort Worth Convention Center. Because it is lengthier than a typical seminar at the convention, we hold it only one time. I hope you will “save the date” and make plans to be at this seminar.
This year we are discussing a very important topic: the need to revisit ministerial licensure and ordination standards to be more serious about our confessional commitments (the beliefs or doctrines we confess) as Free Will Baptists. The speaker will be Tim Campbell, Executive Director of Arkansas Free Will Baptists, and his presentation will be entitled “A Solemn Appeal for a Serious Approach to Licensure and Ordination.”
Tim is uniquely suited to make this presentation. He brings together a hunger and thirst for theology and a practical ministry among Free Will Baptist churches, associations, and pastors.Through various means in Arkansas such as the Thomas Grantham Society, the Pillars Conferences, etc., he is pioneering theological and ministry mentoring among pastors across generations, and his efforts are meeting with great success. It’s because he sees theology not just as being a book on a shelf, but rather lived-out theology, theology for everyday life and ministry.
This is a seminar we need, and it’s a topic we need to be discussing in this age when the secular culture around us is becoming more and more secularized, and when much of the evangelical culture around us is becoming less and less concerned about doctrine and theological integrity.
So I encourage you to mark this on your calendar and attend this year’s Theological Integrity Seminar at 2:00 Monday afternoon in Hall CD of the Fort Worth Convention Center.Bring your notepad or tablet and be ready to take notes and engage in the conversation.
The Commission for Theological Integrity has been in existence since 1962. Its historic purposes are: (1) to alert our people to theological trends that could threaten our theological integrity as a denomination, (2) to prepare materials that will contribute to the continued preservation of the theological integrity of the denomination, and (3) as need and opportunity arise, to conduct seminars on subjects which are pertinent to the purpose of the Commission.
The members of the commission are myself, Kevin Hester (secretary), Randy Corn, and Jackson Watts. A fifth member will be elected this year at the convention.
We look forward to seeing you at this year’s Theological Integrity Seminar!