Durability
It was my privilege to speak recently at the 150th anniversary celebration of the St. Joseph Baptist Association in Northwest Missouri. The association was founded in 1871 and now has 46 cooperating churches. They have maintained a consistent witness for the gospel, cooperated on multiple ministry efforts, planted churches, and otherwise extended the gospel in creative […]
Baptizing More People – Part Two
A common concern among Southern Baptists is our decline in both the number of baptisms and the ratio of members to baptisms over the past decades. The data indicates a significant problem. How do we reverse this trend and baptize more people? The most frequent suggestions, including much of my writing and speaking on this […]
Baptizing More People – Part One
A common concern among Southern Baptists is our decline in both the number of baptisms and the ratio of members to baptisms over the past decades. The data indicates a significant problem. How do we reverse this trend and baptize more people? The most frequent suggestions, including much of my writing and speaking on this […]
Theological Murkiness Leading to Practical Universalism
Southern Baptist churches, based on our baptism reports, are less and less effective at sharing the gospel in such a way people receive it and become Christians. The reasons for this vary from church to church, but there are some common problems which span geography, culture, and ministry style. This is the fifth installment in […]
Embarrassment About Being A Christian
Southern Baptist churches, based on our baptism reports, are less and less effective at sharing the gospel in such a way people receive it and become Christians. The reasons for this vary from church to church, but there are some common problems which span geography, culture, and ministry style. This is the fourth installment in […]
Overcomplicating Sharing the Gospel
Southern Baptist churches, based on our baptism reports, are less and less effective at sharing the gospel in such a way people receive it and become Christians. The reasons for this vary from church to church, but there are some common problems which span geography, culture, and ministry style. This is the third installment in […]
We Wait You
More than a decade ago, a Gateway employee wrote a book detailing her experiences as a missionary in Romania just after Communism collapsed. She was invited into the country as a university lecturer and given freedom to speak about democracy, human rights, and the gospel. After her first presentation, which included the gospel, a Romanian […]
Maintaining Mission Discipline
When an organization faces challenging circumstances, the temptation is to focus decision-making on solving presenting problems. While some fires do have to be put out immediately, veteran leaders know better than attempting to regain organizational health by focusing on the tyranny of the urgent. The best example in our seminary’s history was when we experienced […]
Defining Diversity
Gateway Seminary has been a diverse community for so long we often forget how unique we are in this regard. We started our five-campus graduation cycle this past weekend and our diversity was on full display, reminding me again of the tapestry that is the Gateway family. The first graduate listed in the program for […]
Crisis in our Churches (Revival in Churches) – Three
During a recent Gateway class presentation on ecclesiology, students poured out their discouragement and frustration over the state of their churches. Our professor set aside his notes and addressed the issues at hand. He followed up that class session with a series of letters to students, pointing out historical precedent which gives us hope for […]