On April 16-19, Mary Ann and I attended the Third North American Baptist-Muslim Dialogue at the American Baptist Assembly at Green Lake, Wisconsin. What and why is that? A little backstory is needed. On Oct. 13, 2007, 138 Muslim scholars and other leaders signed “A Common Word Between Us and You,” a document stating...
In the darkest and quietest time, God speaks. It was a dark time for me as my longtime dream was about to fall apart. I always dreamed of being with you (Medicine) and working by your side. Unfortunately, we had some irreconcilable differences. I had to let you go; but I was afraid. I was...
Central Seminary Faculty Devotion 9 January 2018 By Dr. David May, Professor of New Testament, Director of Online Curriculum Design and Director of MA(TS) As usual, my faculty devotion comes at the beginning of the new year and the start of the new semester/term. I usually try to share a reflection that relates to new...
By Dr. Terry Rosell, Professor of Pastoral Theology--Ethics & Ministry Praxis READING: Luke 10:25-37 (NIV) 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your...
Central had a marvelous day of celebration in the new 21st Century Learning Center on May 13. About 350 people gathered to witness the Commencement ceremony for 36 of the 58 graduates who completed their diploma and degree programs this year. In addition to those who were on campus for the celebration, this year...
COURSE DESCRIPTION This course brings together three disciplines (theology, history, communication) to challenge and to train students for historical theological storytelling. The course examines narrative theology and the role of story in theological thinking, pursues the recovery of “lost history” or under-reported episodes in church history, and explores storytelling as a discipline and skill for...
Like the mountains in Myanmar, language differences there often feel insurmountable. English is a third or fourth language for persons with a primary tribal language, a specific sub-tribal dialect, and the country’s Myanmar language. Yet, the desire to obtain education that will yield knowledge and skills needed in ministry propels Myanmar Institute of Theology students...
Hospitality to strangers is an integral part of our faith tradition. In Soul Feast, Marjorie Thompson states it was “a hallmark of virtue for ancient Jews and Christians” (2005, 127). The writer of Hebrews holds up Abraham’s welcome of strangers for emulation. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some...
Convocation Address, Spring 2017 by Dr. Robert Johson, Provost and Dean of the Seminary The book 1177B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, by Eric Cline, professor of Anthropology at George Washington University, is dedicated to surveying archaeological findings connected to the end of the Late Bronze Age. The fact that a surprisingly globalized economy and...
How was the Academy of Preachers National Convention 2017? I now have Facebook. For ten years, I have held out. I have given many legitimate reasons for not being on Facebook. And, after the Academy of Preachers, I signed up. Why, you may ask, would an internet recluse suddenly accept the barrage of so-called “friend”...
In just a few weeks I will be participating in the Academy of Preachers’ National Festival of Young Preachers. Recently I was looking at the Festival of Preachers’ Facebook page and noticed that almost every picture has “iPreach” somewhere on it. First I thought how clever that logo was…but the more I read “iPreach,” it...
How do you suggest to a group of preachers that they shouldn’t be preachers? And who better to pull it off than the farmer seminarian from Central who doesn’t want to be a pastor? As I prepare to preach at the Academy of Young Preachers National Conference, I am starting to realize this perspective might...
In August of 2013, I packed up everything I owned and moved (along with my dog and my cat) from Michigan to Kansas, where I had just been accepted as a seminary student at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. I entered seminary because although I am a passionate follower of Christ, I had experienced first-hand the...
Woke up at the ungodly hour of 4:15 this morning. Started reading Through the Eyes of a Lion. This is the new small group study for our church. I love his question: How do you live out an extraordinary calling while doing ordinary things and living in a world that is all screwed up? I've...
As I drove from my home in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to Nashville, Tennessee, to catch my plane, darkness surrounded me. My husband made coffee, filled my mug and sent me on my way. I was eager for our class on Benedictine spirituality, but I had no idea what wonderful connections and what new learning were waiting...
This was the year I decided to register for the Benedictine Spirituality Course as a lifelong learner. I was given the required reading list, syllabus and instructions for living at the Abbey for a week. I had sufficient information and preparation, but still wasn’t ready for the transformation it would have on my life. The...
To this day, I don’t understand why people ask kids what they want to be when they grow up. On the one hand, I think we need to hold onto the passions we have as children and not let the cynicism and realism of the world kill our hope. On the other hand, I rarely...
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. - 1...
When I was first asked to attend Academy of Preachers as the student representative for Central Baptist Theological Seminary, I thought, “Oh boy…they have an awful lot of faith in me…..I have no idea where to even BEGIN writing a sermon!” However, I have found that the key to doing something new is listening to...
The conference in Orlando was delightfully more than I had anticipated. I’m interested in non-pastoral ministry and am working on starting my second career at the age of 62 so I came anticipating that many aspects would be unimportant to me. I hoped to be able to talk with pastors and regional leaders to get...
"Riding along in my automobile" is not exactly the song that I thought I would be humming at the end of the festival. But today, due to impeding weather, we find ourselves cruising the highway headed back to Kansas City. This experience at AoP has been one that is hard to put into words. I...
It has been more than 24 hours since I preached my fifteen minute sermon at the 2014 Academy of Preachers’ festival. It has taken me a full day to digest all of the events from the first day of the conference, especially my sermon experience. I needed to let it soak in, marinate, and simmer...
fes·ti·val noun: festival; plural noun: festivals 1. a day or period of celebration, typically a religious commemoration. synonyms: fair, carnival, fiesta, etc. You want to know the best part of being at a festival? It’s not the food. It’s not the music. It’s not the people watching. While all of those things make a festival...
Today is a day of new experiences. The beauty of the Academy of Preacher’s festival is reflected in its ecumenical diversity—the incredibly diverse body of Christ uniting for the common purpose of preaching the Gospel and growing together as young preachers. There are many traditions, theological positions, and backgrounds represented here in Indianapolis. Each individual...
I’M EXCITED RIGHT NOW. …Which is exactly opposite of what I felt at 7:39 A.M this morning while boarding my flight to Indianapolis headed to the Academy of Preachers’ conference. This morning I was completely drained. I was completely unmotivated to come to the conference. Why? The end of December is insanity. The Advent season...
