As a young preacher, you should enter the ministry for the long haul. You will conduct weddings and funerals, baptize new converts, receive church members and lead in special church projects. An accurate record of these events should be recorded. Besides revealing the totals of your pastoral activities, the written record will be most beneficial in recording the names, dates and events that the memory will long forget. You will be called upon to confirm the baptism of someone at…
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By Dennis Wiggs Being organized is simple, necessary and productive. Being unorganized is simple, too. Just don’t do anything and suffer the consequences. The young pastor will experience much more fruit from his labors if he knows where he has been and where he is going. Consider these easy-to-practice suggestions for better organization. Learn to File Even in this day of electronic storage, you will soon find folders a valuable and inexpensive tool. Purchase a box of regular file folders.…
By Randy Corn “Mr. Corn, l just don’t understand why we have to study this stuff.” That was the objection of a student at Free Will Baptist Bible College where I served as adjunct Bible instructor. The “stuff” was an introductory overview to eschatology, the doctrine of the last things, before our class did a survey of First and Second Thessalonians. Why indeed? My first thought was this was the typical college student objection to studying anything. I recalled the remark of one of the longest…
By Leroy Forlines Ecclesiology is a word made up of two Greek words meaning a study of the church. This division of theology concerns itself with such matters as church ordinances, the nature of the church, and church government. In this day of increasing attack on the institutional church, this doctrine becomes increasingly important. Church Ordinance Free Will Baptists believe in three church ordinances: baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Feet-washing. There is no Biblical definition of a church ordinance. This…
By Danny Dwyer If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them (John 13:14-17). I rode…
by J. Matthew Pinson Doubts About Doctrine Adherents of the Emerging Church argue that doctrine is not as important as evangelicals have made it. How you live is what’s important, they say—not the details of what you believe. This is especially true when it comes to denominational doctrines that are not essential to salvation. For example, Emerging Church writer Dan Kimball is critical of believers “who most hold to tightly detailed and long doctrinal statements with no room for mystery…
By Dennis Wiggs Many churches still sponsor Bible conferences, revival meetings, missionary conferences, and other special days. Sometimes the guest speaker is left to fend for himself. Consider these suggestions on how to treat your visiting speaker. Promote Requesting a preacher or missionary to visit your church demands his or her time, efforts, preparation, and prayer. The very least the host pastor can do is advertise the meeting. Most newspapers will accept news articles. Some will print a picture of…
Have you noticed a Free Will Baptist church in your community? Maybe you have heard of “Baptists” all your life but never realized there are actually dozens of Baptist groups. But who are these Baptists with “Free Will” before their name? And how are they different from the other Baptist groups? The Free Will Baptist denomination is a fellowship of evangelical churches that adhere to the Bible as the foundation of faith and practice. The denomination began in 1727, and…
Principles of Sowing and Reaping 2014 National Association of Free Will Baptists | Fort Worth, Texas, July 27-30 Convention in Cowtown Central Texas temps soared into triple digits as 4,320 delegates and visitors converged on Cowtown when the National Association of Free Will Baptists returned to Fort Worth, Texas, July 27-30, for the 78th national convention, the fourth in the city. The 2014 theme explored “Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Worship Music Coordinator Kevin Justice and the Music Commission produced…
Beside the sparkling blue water of the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa, Florida, the National Association of Free Will Baptists met for its 77th Annual Convention. The calm, rippling water did not reflect the carefully organized bustle of nearly 5,000 convention attendees swarming inside the Tampa Convention Center. They were all hurrying (after stopping to chat with 25 different people) to their respective seminars, luncheons, business meetings, competitions, service projects, and a myriad of other opportunities. The 2013 convention theme…