WINTER SEMINAR 2022
WHY WE ARE BAPTISTS:
OUR HERITAGE BOTH PROBLEMATIC AND PROMISING
January 7th, 6:00-9:00
January 8th, 9:00-12:30
We are excited to host our fifth annual winter seminar. This year, Jeff Straub, a Church historian and independent scholar. Feel free to visit his website here. He's taught at Central Seminary and also around the world. I've asked him to share some basic history of the baptists both some good and bad. We might hear about John Smyth, John Bunyan, Andrew Fuller, William Carey, the Northamptonshire Particular Baptist Association (maybe we could name an association like that), Charles Spurgeon, or the Downgrade Controversy (and maybe we'll try to upgrade something while we're at it.) It's in Jeff's hands, so we're excited to hear what he has to share. Coffee and refreshments will be out on Friday evening January 7th at 6:00 and the teaching will begin at 6:30 pm until approximately 9:00 pm. We will re-gather on Saturday January 8th at 8:30 am for donuts and coffee and the teaching time will begin at 9:00 am.
We offer yearly seminars on biblical and theological topics because we are convinced that it is essential that the church of God be equipped biblically, theologically, and practically for the work of the ministry. This conference is aimed at church members and not just pastors and professors. Come and be challenged to grow! (By the way, you don't have to be a baptist to attend.)
Register here for the seminar. Suggested donation of $10 but there is also a free registration. This helps us know how many donuts to buy from Sarah Jane's and how much coffee and treats to make.
Rough Schedule:
FRIDAY NIGHT
I. Introduction. Who are the Baptists?
A. What is a Baptist? Does it matter? (6:30-7:00 pm)
B. Baptist Beginnings - England and America. (7:00-8:45 pm)
1. England - from John Smyth to C. H. Spurgeon
2. America - From Roger Williams to Adoniram Judson
Q&A. (8:45 - 9:00 pm)
SATURDAY MORNING
II. Trials and Tribulations. Baptists challenges of the 19th century
A. Baptists and Gospel Advance. (9:30-10:15am)
1. William Carey and his friends
2. Adoniram Judson and the birth of American missions
B. Divisions amid growth (10:25-11:10 am)
1. Human bondage - slavery the humans scourge
2. Theological identity - old orthodoxy or new liberalism
III. Contemporary Challenges. (11:10-11:50 am)
A. Theological identity – continuing challenges
B. Racism - have we reckoned with our past?
C. The role of women – are we Moore narrow than necessary?
Q&A. (11:50-12:00 pm)
JEFF STRAUB
Biography
Jeff is an experienced professor of Christian history and theology. In 1990, the Lord gave Jeff and his wife a wonderful son who has special needs. Due to issues related to the pandemic, Jeff has had to curtail his travel plans to concentrate his energies on loving his wife and son. When things change, Jeff hopes to again travel internationally to train Christian leaders. He continues to publish in the field of American religion. Research interests include Baptists and slavery, racism and freemasonry, as well as Pentecostalism, and global Christianity. Jeff has taught around the world including Canada where he resided with his family for his first nineteen years of ministry; Romania, Russia and the Ukraine in Europe; India and a limited access country in Asia; as well as Zambia and Kenya in Africa. He also speaks in US churches as the opportunities arise.