Reflections on Christopher and Richard Hays’ book, The Widening of God’s Mercy Many who travel in Methodist circles will be aware of the new book by Christopher and Richard Hays entitled, The Widening of God’s Mercy (Sept. 2024).  This new book seeks to create a theological argument for the full embrace of same sex marriage […]

Lausanne 4 came to a triumphant close today.  It is difficult to describe in words to someone who has not attended an event like this, the breathtaking beauty of a Lausanne gathering with 5,200 people gathered in a single room with delegates from nearly every country on earth worshipping in joy and harmony.   There is […]

I am writing from Korea (Incheon) at the midpoint of the Lausanne 4 gathering with a few reflections so far on his historic congress.  For those who may not be familiar with the Lausanne movement, it was founded by an initiative from Billy Graham, Leighton Ford and John Stott in 1974 to accelerate and build […]

The Prosperity Gospel:  An Aberration to Watch out for Central to the task of any pastor or leader in the church is to be vigilant and attentive to various aberrations of the gospel which are common in our own day.  Some of the best theology from the New Testament and later patristic period are writings […]

Living Courageously in the World   On a January night in 1536 Jeronimus Kȁls and two of his friends were arrested in a pub for refusing to take part in a drinking game.  Their refusal raised the suspicion that they might be anabaptists, the radical wing of the Reformation.  They were arrested and put into […]

We all love champions. As a tennis fan, I have followed Novak Djokovic for years, and it was so exciting when he landed his 24th grand slam. He is a real champion. The last few years another exciting athlete has entered the big stage of NCAA women’s basketball. She is Caitlin Clark, the point guard […]

Headlines around the world this week have declared that Pope Francis Approves Blessings for Same-Sex Couples, hailing it as a major shift in Vatican doctrine.  This refers to a 5,000 word document entitled Fiducia Supplicans, which was issued as a “declaration.”  In the Roman Catholic world, statements from the Vatican fall in four different categories, […]

As a preacher, teacher and seminary president, I have spent most of my life proclaiming, teaching and explaining various aspects of the Christian faith. But, at this time of the year especially, it is important to recall that the Christian faith is explainable – even to a child – yet also beyond explanation, because God’s […]

It has been the singular honor and joy of my life to serve as President of Asbury Theological Seminary. I cannot even begin to express how meaningful it has been to steward this sacred mission of “spreading scriptural holiness throughout the world.” We have experienced an amazing abundance of God’s grace during this pivotal time […]

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” Matthew 4:23 This year, our Centennial year, I have been exploring the key themes that have characterized the ministry and witness of Asbury Theological Seminary during the last 100 years. In […]