Culture & the Kingdom: Forum13 Bible Conference
Forum13, Welch College’s annual Bible Conference, is arguably one of the greatest resources freely available to the Free Will Baptist (“FWB”) denomination. With past speakers including Mike McKinley, Mark Dever, Voddie Baucham, Harry Reeder III, and Russell Moore, it is easy to see why. This year’s two-day conference was no exception. As patrons of FWB events and eager students of church and ministry, we thought it beneficial to recap this year’s Forum13 Conference with a few reflections.
Plenary Sessions
This year’s speakers included:
- Dr. Timothy Tennent: President of Asbury Seminary and renowned missiologist
- Ken Myers: Founder of Mars Hill Audio Journal and Author of All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes
- Jose Rodriguez: Pastor of Ebenezer Free Will Baptist Church in Miami, Florida
- Matthew McAffee: Campus Pastor and Theology Faculty Member at Welch College
- Dr. Barry Raper: Youth Ministry Coordinator and Faculty Member at Welch College
- Dr. Matthew Pinson: President of Welch College
Topics ranged from “Scandalous Preaching with Saving Power” to “The Cultural Consequences of Loving God and Neighbor.” Although the variety of topics reached a vast spectrum, they were concisely held together by the theme of Culture and the Kingdom.
One session of particular interest was Tennent’s lecture on “The Psalms as the Foundation for Worship.” He reminded us, “Brevity is not necessarily good. Tweets and texts cannot carry a complex message. But Psalms demand reflection, not brevity.” He continued, “Psalms aren’t limited to praise and worship. They cover lamentation, history, memory, imprecation, and repentance—the full range of the human experience.” He concluded that, “[The Psalms] are a great way to penetrate the post-modern consciousness.”
Interview, Panel Discussion, and Workshops
Forum13 wasn’t simply a series of lectures, but was sprinkled with appropriate variety. For instance, Dr. Pinson interviewed Ken Myers, the five guest speakers engaged in a compelling panel discussion, and the conference hosted a handful of different workshops—truly a great time.
Regarding the interview, Dr. Pinson asked Ken Myers thoughtful questions concerning the Gospel’s implications in our current culture. Here are a few abbreviated responses:
MP: Why and when did you begin considering the intersection between Christianity and the arts?
KM: In high school I began to be exposed to Bach and the great Christian art tradition. Then I started reading C. S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer, and then T.S. Elliot.
MP: Should we be more concerned about saving souls than cultural transcendence?
KM: Christian minimalism is exactly where the world wants us. If a ticket to heaven were all that God was concerned with the New Testament would be completely different. All of the New Testament demands repentance and changed lives. Living with popular culture is more dangerous than the persecution of the early church. Culture seems innocuous but it is enslaving. And our culture is extremely anti-generational. The fifth commandment is a cultural commandment to receive and hand down tradition.
Takeaways
There were a variety of “take-home truths” that we received at Forum13 this year. Certainly, we were reminded that the Gospel is for all of life. In that same thread, we were reminded that Christ is all-sufficient for our ministry and model. This is important to remember when trying to discern culture and its impact on the Church. As we were reminded, culture has infiltrated the American Church to our demise. This conference reminded us to be discerning and combat the trivialization that is so rampant among believers.
As Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” [1] This, of course, affects the way in which we engage culture. We are called to neither segregate ourselves from culture, nor emulate it; but rather to transform it. That is exactly what Forum13 charged us to do.
*You can find the audio recordings of the sermons and lectures from Forum13 on the Welch College podcast.
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[1] Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals, First Edition, s.v. “Abraham Kuyper” by J. D. Bratt, 354.
March 21, 2013
I had to leave the Conference early because of an emergency, but I went back and listened to the speakers I didn’t get to hear. This conference is just what the church needs to hear. The speakers exposed the intrusion of popular culture in the life of the church and put forth a biblical remedy for the people of God. I especially am grateful to Dr. Tennet for his messages. But the one who hit it out of the park in my opinion is Dr. Pinson. His message needs to be preached at the National. One of the best Forums yet.
March 21, 2013
Tim,
I couldn’t agree more. The content was “meaty”, but also enlightening. I’m thankful for all of the content that was presented during the Forum. I’m especially thankful for Dr. Pinson’s obvious care and concern of the American evangelical (more specifically Free Will Baptist) church.
You put it excellently, “The speakers exposed the intrusion of popular culture in the life of the church and put forth a biblical remedy for the people of God.” I pray we can continue to analyze the culture around us and seek to transform it in God glorifying ways.
March 23, 2013
Tim,
I just recently listened through Dr. Pinson’s sermon and I must say that it was bold, historically Christian, and appropriately provocative. It is the best sermon I have ever heard him preach, and potentially the best sermon I have ever heard on the topic. I will be sharing the sermon with others, and not a few of my friends will be doing the same.
April 13, 2013
Though I could not attend the lecture myself I listened to the podcast several days ago and was struck by President Pinson’s assertion of the biblical evidence for the cost of discipleship. The lecture was a powerful reminder that if you are constantly in the world, then the world will notice when you are distinctly Christian. The world will take note and hate you for not being the same, which makes the problem a two-fold for the Christian. We have to minister and we still have to be righteous in Christ. Coming from a secular university and living daily in a secular field (military), I find that I can test the effectiveness of my ministerial outreach based upon the amount of questions or remarks I receive about my faith. Most of the time the questions are in jest and sometimes quite verbally abusive, because Christ’s message to his disciples is not popular. It is not culturally acceptable because it does not concentrate on the kingdom here on earth. We need to remind ourselves daily, as President Pinson notes, that we have not been taken out of the world for a reason. We are here to prove our faith through knowing/sharing the truth of Christ, we are here to build His Church. As T.S. Eliot said, “The Church must be forever building, for it is forever decaying within and attacked from without.” People will know our connection with Christ based our lives, but how are they to know the difference if we are not there to show them? They must see us in the world with them; shoveling dirt, tearing tickets, enjoying rec baseball games together, eating in restaurants, pumping gas, or going to yard sales. We, as the Church, must see the world as God’s potential Church, that just needs to hear the gospel, and we can only do that by taking the truth to them.
March 22, 2013
I really enjoyed the conference this year. I learned more this year than at any other conference I’ve been to. Timothy Tennant’s thoughts on the Psalms and how they should be our model for worship was phenomenal. The american church today seems to argue a good bit about what’s appropriate for worship in the local church congregation and Timothy’s thoughts on that were really good. Ken Myers actually changed my opinion on some things that I would deem appropriate in Christianity and modern day worship. Forum 13 was phenomenal! It’ll be hard to beat next year.
March 22, 2013
I must add my voice to the chorus. This year’s conference fed my mind and heart while also refreshing my spirit. Dr. Tennet’s session on Psalms was excellent. But I really have to commend Brother Matt McAffee on both his workshop concerning the covenantal aspect of biblical love and his lecture on being all things to all men. Everything was great though, and I was exposed to many new intellectual and ministerial resources during the conference. A quick word must also be said about the music. Dr. Stevens is not only a great composer and arranger; he is a great worship leader. Between his and Brother McAfee’s music leading, the college choir performance, and the performances by Rejoice it was an outstanding example of musical excellence preparing our hearts for serious worship and sober-minded consideration of the messages presented. Thank you so much to everyone involved in putting Forum 13 together.
March 29, 2013
It is always a great joy to be on the campus of Welch College, and to have the privilege to attend the Forum 13 Conference this year was a special honor. I always enjoy being around my friends I went to college with, but also to be around the current administration, faculty, staff, and student body is a real blessing as well. For me it is a needed encouragement to be in the atmosphere of the academic community. It is spiritually inspiring and invigorating. I think every pastor and church worker would benefit by attending this event annually.
I was also blessed to hear the various speakers and to be in the presence of like-minded brothers who stress the preaching of the Word, and a commitment to the most Holy Doctrines of sacred Scripture. However, I must say I was especially enthused by what I consider the keynote message of the Conference, when Dr. Pinson preached on Holiness. It was the last message of the conference, but for those who left early they missed out on a great service. I encourage every pastor to listen to it for your soul will be blessed. I whole heartedly agree it must be presented at the National Convention!
I keep great messages on my MP3 player to listen to time and again. These sermons keep me encouraged and focused. Dr. Pinson’s message will be put on my playlist because it was just that good of a message. Not only does Dr. Pinson point out the invasion of the pop-culture into the life of the church, but confronts the invitation of the culture into the everyday lives of so many professing Christians today. This is a must listen-to message.
March 30, 2013
I regret that I was unable to attend this year’s Bible Conference at Welch College. It has been a joy to return to Nashville over the last few years to be refreshed and encouraged about the training of our young men and women within Free Will Baptists. I appreciate the direction Dr. Pinson has taken the Conference. When I saw a tweet from Jesse Owens on where to download the messages on my iPad I went there immediately. The first message was Dr. Pinson’s “In the world, not of it.” If all the messages are of that quality and spirit, I’m going to be fed for many days to come as I listen to each one. Dr. Pinson sounded the Clarion Call to the evangelical church at large and specifically to us as Free Will Baptists to avoid the seductive pull of worldliness and to return to our pursuit of Christ-like holiness. This is so needed in today’s culture since worldliness affects so much of who we are, how we approach life and even our worship and church life. Thanks Dr Pinson for calling us back to a biblical approach to building Christ’s Kingdom. And thank you Helwys Society for your contribution along these same lines. Keep pointing the way. Some of us are listening.