What the church has believed, taught and confessed

Every Sunday throughout much of the church, you will hear confessions from the Apostles’ Creed or Nicene Creed being confessed. This is one of the standard “orders” in a worship service, whether the church is liturgical or non-liturgical, traditional or contemporary. You will hear it in Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox churches. I have […]

Global Methodist Church and a CEU requirement

These are exciting and thrilling days for the new Global Methodist Church as a new body of Wesleyan believers are coming together to “worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.” Thousands of churches have joined the new denomination, and over time, it will become the largest Wesleyan movement in the world. The convening General Conference […]

Becoming Champions for the Lost

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 […]

The Roman Catholic Blessing of Same-Sex Couples

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, […]

Entering into the Mystery

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 […]

Fifteen Years, One million Miles and a New Centennial

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 […]

What Does it Mean to Evangelize?

“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 […]

Gird Your Minds for Action: Our Theological Heritage

1 Peter 1:13-25 There are many themes that highlight the identity and mission of Asbury Theological Seminary’s 100-year history. One of these themes is our commitment to theological education. Malcolm Gladwell, in his best-selling book, “Outliers: The Story of Success,” highlights what he calls the “10,000 hour rule.” What his research found is that truly […]

The Church as Jesus in the World

Luke 10:1-2; Isaiah 49:6 “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into […]

Perfecting Holiness

“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Cor. 7:1). I cannot fully express to you the joy that was ours when in the spring of 1985 – over 25 years ago – our first child was […]