Contact Spring 2013: Faith Under Fire

7/28/2019 Contact Spring 2013: Faith Under Fire

1/21

1www.gordonconwell .edu/c on ta ctma ga zi ne

e Ministry Magazine of Gordon-Conwell eological Seminary

SPRING 13 | VOL.41 NO.1


2/21

2 Spring 13 www.gordonconwell.edu/co nta ctm aga

BOARD OF TRUSTEESDr. Dennis P. HollingerPresidentDr. John A. Human, Jr.ChairmanDr. Claude R. Alexander, Jr.Vice ChairmanShirley A. Redd, M.D.SecretaryMr. Ivan C. HinrichsTreasurer

Mr. Joel B. AarsvoldMrs. Linda Schultz AndersonRev. Dr. Garth T. BolinderRev. Dr. Richard P. Camp, Jr.Mr. Thomas J. ColatostiDr. Stan D. Gaede

Mrs. Joyce A. GodwinMrs. Sharon Fast GustasonRev. Dr. Michael E. HaynesMr. Herbert P. HessMr. Caleb Loring, IIIMrs. Joanna S. MocklerDr. Charles W. PollardMr. Fred L. PotterRev. Samuel Rodriguez, Jr.Mrs. Virginia M. SnoddyJoseph W. Viola, M.D.Rev. Dr. John H. WomackWilliam C. Wood, M.D.

CHAIRMAN EMERITUSDr. George F. Bennett

EMERITI MEMBERSDr. Richard A. ArmstrongRev. Dr. Leighton FordMr. Roland S. HinzMr. Richard D. PhippenMr. John G. Talcott, Jr.Rev. Dr. Paul E. Toms

CO-FOUNDER &TRUSTEE EMERITUSDr. William F. Graham

PRESIDENT ANDTRUSTEE EMERITUSDr. Robert E. Cooley

PRESIDENT EMERITUSDr. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.

PRESIDENTS COUNCILDr. Dennis P. HollingerPresidentMr. Jay TrewernVice President for Finance andOperations / CFODr. Richard LintsVice President for Academic AffairsMr. Kurt W. DrescherVice President of AdvancementMrs. Lita SchlueterDean of Students and Director ofStudent Life Services

CONTACT MAGAZI

Director of Communand MarketingMr. Michael L. Cola

Senior CommunicatAdvisorand Editor Mrs. Anne B. Doll

Assistant EditorMrs. Heather N. Ko

Graphic DesignerMs. Nicole S. Rim

Graphic Design InteMr. Schuyler Ander

spring 13 vol.41 no.1

Being a Christian has never been easy.

Opposition from within the Church (through

discord and heresy), and opposition from the

culture have confronted the Body of Jesus Christ in

some manner in every period of history. At times the

opposition has led to ridicule or isolation, and at other

times even to martyrdom. e resistance to Christian

faith shows no signs of leing up in the days ahead.

In the face of challenge or even hostility, we are

reminded of divine resources on the one hand and the

calling upon our lives on the other hand. In o pposition

and persecution in its varied forms (physical or

psychological), we nd strength and hope through

the presence and power of God to grant grace and

endurance. Believers who suer for the sake of the

Kingdom know that there is ultimate hope through

Christ, but also hope in the midst of the greatest

challenges of the moment. God has not abandoned us

in the direst situations of life.

We also recall that opposition, whether externa

internal, calls for faithfulness, wisdom and endur

on the part of believers. Martyrs were freque

witnesses for Christ precisely because their char

and actions demonstrated the reality of Christ wi

them.

In this issue ofContact, we are reminded that de

the trials of our times, God is ultimately in con

and thus there is hope. In the midst of the challen

our lives are also to reect the very righteousn

mercy and faithfulness of our Lord, who says to

Everyone will hate you because of me, but those

stand rm to the end will be saved (Mk. 13:13).

Dennis Hollinger, Ph.D.

President & Colman M. Mockler

Distinguished Professor of

Christian Ethics

rfci fr h ri

contentse Ministry Magazine of Gordon-Conwell eological Seminary27

29

30

34

343639

development news

faculty profile

seminary news

alumni profiles

upcoming events

alumni news

opening the wordDr. Catherine McDowell

4

8

12

15

20

24

features An Anchor rough the

Storms of Sandy HookAnne B. Doll

e First Century ChurchDr. Ada Besanon Spencer

Persevering in Hopein a Challenging WorldDanielle Durant (M.Div. 92)

e Demographics of MartyrdomDr. Todd M. Johnson

e Living GospelDr. Frank A. James III

Athanasius: Two Aspectsof Faithfulness Under FireDr. Donald Fairbairn

An Anchorrough the Stormsof Sandy Hook

pg.4

Persevering in Hopein a Challenging World

pg.12

Athanasius:Two Aspectsof FaithfulnessUnder Fire

pg.24Inquiries regarding Contactmay be addressed to:Editor, ContactGordon-Conwell eological Seminary130 Essex Street, S. Hamilton, MA 01982Tel: 978.468.7111 or by [email protected]

Gordon-Conwell eological Seminary does notdiscriminate on the basis of race, gender, nationalor ethnic origin, age, handicap or veteran status.


3/21


on the

front lines

On Friday, December 14, 2012, a heavily armed gu

breached the security system of the Sandy Hook Ele

tary School in Newtown, CT, and began firing. Withi

minutes, six educators and 20 children had lost

lives in the second worst school shooting in U.S. hi

One of the victims, a six-year-old girl, was a Su

School classmate of Pastor Rob Morris oldest s

Newtowns Christ the King Lutheran Church. Withi

week, the Gordon-Conwell alumnus would officiate a

funeral in this same Lutheran Church-Missouri S

where he had been ordained and installed as pasto

months earlier.

a n

anchort h r o u g h t h e

stormso f

sandy hook

anne b. doll


4/21


society, an anchor isusually a negative image.But it certainly isnt toanyone who has been on aship during a storm. In thatcircumstance, you need axed point outside the boat,outside of yourself, that cananchor you. e reality ofwhat was accomplished onthe cross was just as trueon Dec. 15 in Newtown as itwas on Dec. 13 in Newtown.While our condence maybe shaken, our hope hasnot because of our certaintythat the historical fact of

Christs death and resurrection, the historical fact of ourbaptism into that resurrection life havent changed onebit by what happened on that day.

Surprisingly, Rob cannot recall a single instancewhen someone asked the question, Why did Godallow this to happen? He suspects the absence of thequestion may relate to the degree to which Lutherantheology is grounded in the fact that we are all sinful.Human nature is sinful; and evil, sickness and death inthis world are all the result of that sin. God does notcreate or condone sin.

e appropriate response in confronting sin andits eects, he adds, is to recognize that they are thesame sinful behaviors and sinful nature that Christ hassaved us from, that this world is certainly not what Godintended it to be, and not the way his perfect creationwill be once a gain aer Christs return.

Pastor Rob says that in the immediate aermathof the mass shooting, the grief that he and his churchfamily experienced was overwhelming. You cant graspwhat has happened, and even the small portion you cangrasp is just crushing. ere was a lot of weeping. It wasprobably a month before I could go through a service

without needing a box of tissues on the pulpit. at rst Sunday, he told the congregation that theverse to remember was Jesus wept. e appropriateresponse, he said, was not to come up with anexplanation, or even necessarily to assign blame, but torecognize that when heartbreaking and shocking andhorric things happen in life, the only proper responseis to do what Jesus didto lament.

From the very beginning, I tried to let thecongregation know that theres no one right way togrieve, to feel. Were not all going to feel the same thing

at the same time, so be honest about where youand be patient with one another. Expect that someyoure going to weep and sometimes youll laSometimes when you expect to weep, you wontsometimes when you expect to feel good, you wilit unbearable. eres no one right way to process has happened. He noticed this even in his seventeighth grade conrmation class when he met with a week later. Some of them, he says, would stilup as we talked about Sandy Hook, and others wsay, We dont think its right to be sad about ththe time.

Shortly aer the events of Dec. 14, the sprovided Robs church with a licensed counselor specializes in disaster response. A month later,individual returned for a week, during which hewith the church council, held an event for congreg

members and was available to meet one-on-one aected family members and those in care-gpositions at the church.

Rob says that one of the greatest blessings to emfrom a horric situation is the degree to whiccongregation has warmly supported each other. biggest thing I see is people hugging and lovinganother, being with one another, interacting withother and wishing to help. People come early andlate. And they ask if there is anything they cananything at all .

As a pastor, Rob has learned much, and islearning from the events of Dec. 14. Hearkening to his theme, he observes: I think there are manyfaithful Christian believers who root some of certainty in the Christian life in subjective feelingexperiencesthat youre a genuine Christian if ygrowing in your emotions and exhibiting moremore of ll-in-the-blank. While theres some truthat, that theres a growth paern in the Christianyour absolute certainty can never be rooted in things, but in facts that are unchanged. Otherwisesays, when new, horric facts come along, the resp

can be I dont feel like Im supposed to feel and ambehaving the way Im supposed to behave, and does that say about me as a Christian?

What we look to is the certainty of what Chrisdone for us, never to our own hope, he adds, becwhen an occurrence like this comes along, it stripsof every other source of hope.

Anne B. Doll is Senior Communications Advisor and Editor o ContactMat Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

on the

front line

on the

front lines

n that never-to-be-forgoenFriday, Pastor Morris wasenjoying his normal day owith his wife, Christy, and twosons, Elijah and Isaiah, whenthe phone rang at 9:30 a.m.It was the Newtown SchoolSystem alerting the Morris

family of a lockdown at Sandy Hook Elementary. He saysthat initially he wasnt thinking that it was anything likeit turned out to be. A previous incident at a downtownbank had also sent the schools into lockdown.

en a church member reported a shooting at SandyHook. Rob immediately headed to the church, where hisadministrative assistant was already assembling a listof church members with links to the school. I startedcalling all the families on the list. Fortunately, I was ableto reach most of them and nd out that their children orthe adults at the school were safe.

But Rob also learned that the parents of one childhad gone to the school and could not nd their daughter.So he headed to a rehouse staging area where familiescould connect with children, teachers and sta members.And thus began a vigil with an anguished father andmother that eventually moved to their home and lasteduntil aer 1 a.m. the next morning.

What does a pastor do and say in such times ofabject horror? You pray, you sit with them, you shareScripture and oer comfort and support in any way youcan, Rob replies.

During that long vigil, he also shared his ownexperience of waiting and grief. In our case, Robexplains, our youngest son, Isaiah, aends a specialneeds preschool (in the Newtown School System)because he has epilepsy. e rst time he had a seizure,

he went o in the ambulance with Christy and I had tostay home with our son, Elijah. I didnt know whether Iwould ever see Isaiah alive again.

I explained to the parents that while my circum-stance wasnt the same as the one they faced, here washow God had comforted me: that our children are alwaysin Gods hands. eyre a trust from him; they dont be-long to us. A situation like this, when there is literallynothing you can do, is a very strong and dicult remind-er that hes in control, that whatever the circumstanceswere, their daughter was in Gods hands.

at evening, while Rob waited with the parents fornal conrmation from the police that their child haddied, his church held a prayer service. Joining them wereall the pastors of the local Missouri Synod circuit andthe district president. Members would later describe itas a beautiful and very mournful time of prayer andScripture. Similar services were held for the next sixevenings, and now take place on the 14th of each month.

On Saturday, Rob met with a second family who hadrequested a Lutheran pastor, because their young sonhad been baptized a Lutheran. He conducted that childsfuneral the following Monday.

His church had to take immediate action on otherfronts as well, such as developing a policy for respondingto media from around the world, and institutingnumerous security measures because of threatening callsdirected at public places. For about two weeks, he says,it was very surreal.

Prior to the tragic events at Sandy Hook, the churchhad scheduled a childrens Christmas pageant for Sunday,December 16. e leadership decided that this pageantshould take placeas a way to honor the children stillwith them, to maintain some sense of normalcy for theyoung people, and to convey that the church remaineda safe place.

At the beginning of the service, Rob announced thatduring the worship time, he would not address directlythe events of the preceding Friday, but would commentaer the pageant and his childrens sermon. Parents coulddetermine whether their children should remain, or bedismissed to the fellowship hall. Waiting there would becomfort dogs provided by Lutheran Church Charities.at organization takes trained dogs and their handlersto the site of emergencies and tragedies. e childrencould go hang out and pet the dogs, Rob explains. It

was kind of fun and comforting to have some traineddogs around.e words of comfort and assurance the pastor then

shared on that rst Sunday have become a theme of sortsfor subsequent sermons and adult Bible studies.

Our hope, he said, lies not in our own behavioror emotions, but in the certainty of what Christ hasaccomplished for us on the cross and delivered to usthrough his means of grace. rough his Word andsacraments, he has joined us to him in that resurrectionlife. at becomes the solid point, the anchor. In our

Pastor Rob Morris earned M.Div. andM.A. in Biblical Languages degreesrom Gordon-Conwell in 2007. Whilea student at the seminary, he was alsoa ull-time sta member at Our SaviorLutheran Church in Topsfeld, MA.


5/21


The miraculous advancement of the gospelstarted with a handful of everyday men andwomen waiting in Jerusalem for the HolySpirit. Remarkably, in their lifetimes, without

modern transportation or communication and amidruthless persecution, the knowledge and hope of Christhad spread as far as Europe, India, Africa and elsewhere.

HOW WAS THIS POSSIBLE?It was through the power of ve indispensable

components of spiritual transformation: Jesus, thecontent of power; prayer, the means of power; theHoly Spirit, the transporter of power; witnessing, thegoal of power; and the Father, the source of power. All

ve working together can help believers, as Barnabasexhorted, remain true to the Lord with all their hearts(Acts 11:23 TNIV).

Spiritual transformation is analogous to photo-synthesis, where an everyday plant can miraculouslymanufacture food. Food is the content produced tonourish. e root is the means by which to absorb thewater and nutrients. A plants stem transports waterand food. e leaf, above ground, is the goal because itabsorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. And the

sunlight is the source that gives energy. Similarly, nourishes us; prayer is the means to connect to GodHoly Spirit transports our prayers; witnessing is ourto communicate to the outside world; and, ultimGod the Father is our source who energizes all activ

Acts 1:8 sets the theme for the Book of Acts wJesus tells his followers that you will receive pwhen the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and yoube my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samand to the ends of the earth.1

It all began with Jesus of Nazareth, as Peter saman aested by God before you with deeds of powewonders and signs which God did through him amyou (2:22). Almost 200,000 people would visit Jerusat Pentecost, when the wheat harvest was ready to

When the crowds in Jerusalem become impressed the sound like a rushing forcible blast (a tornado)the sight over the disciples of divided tongues as in a and the speaking of the disciples in many languages4), Peter gives credit to God and in particular to Gods

Jesus (2:32-33). Again, in Caesarea, when Peter explto the Gentile Cornelius and his household why an commanded Cornelius to contact him, he gives cto Jesus of Nazareth whom God anointed with the Spirit and with power (10:38-39).

www.gordonconwel l .edu/co nta ctm aga

THE UNSTOPPABLE FAITH

THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

ADA BESANON SPENCER, PH.D.

THE

CENTURYCHURCH


6/21


e rst thing we learn about power in the book ofActs is that the disciples power was not in their naturalmight or force. It came from God, God working throughhumans, and this power began with Jesus. Why Jesus?

Jesus resurrected from the dead. As Peter said: It wasimpossible for Jesus to be held in deaths power (2:24).

Jesus, at the right hand of God, poured out the wind andthe re and the tongues (2:33). He remained Lord andMessiah, even though he had been crucied (2:36). Paul,too, explained that he himself stood in chains before KingAgrippa and Bernice because he hoped in the promisegiven to the Jews that the Messiah would suerbut then be the rst to be resurrected fromthe dead (26:6-8, 22-23).

Power should never becomean end in itself. As Lord Ac-ton said, power tends

to corrupt and abso-lute power corruptsabsolutely, when it isan end in itself. atwas the problem withthe magician Simon.ey called him thepower of God that iscalled Great (8:10).He amazed the peopleof Samaria with hismagic (8:11). But Si-mon became himselfamazed with Philipand then Peter and John;he wanted to pay to be ableto lay hands on people so that theycould receive the Holy Spirit (8:13-14,18-19). Simon missed the point. Its not aboutpower. Power wont save you. Jesus will. Simonasked for prayer (8:24), but according to the early church,Simon never got it right.

If Jesus contains, or is the content of this power,then we should nd lots of people praying in the book ofActs. And we do, because prayer is communication withthe triune God. Prayer is the means of this power. Jesushad told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem (1:4), and thisthey did. But, what did they do while they waited? eyprayed. e 11 apostles were constantly devoting them-selves to prayer, together with certain women, includingMary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers (1:14).About 120 people were praying. ey prayed betweenPassover and Pentecost (about 50 days). And, aer Pen-tecost, the larger group of over 3,000 also prayed (2:42).

Prayer set them up and kept them going. Prayer was away to wait and a way to live. Because they prayed, theywere tuned into their power source: God.

Jesus said: You will receive power when the HolySpirit has come upon you (1:8), but power is not an endin itself. When the Holy Spirit comes powerfully amongpeople, they are empowered to speak and to act as eye-witnesses to Jesus life. Power comes only aer peoplereceive the Holy Spirit. e Holy Spirit lls people up.Peter, Stephen, Paul and the whole church are all lledup with God through the Holy Spirit. But the Holy

Spirit also teaches, baptizes, foretells, speaks, en-courages, predicts, decides and sends.

Bearing witness is the goal ofpower. Peter explained to the re-

ligious authorities that it wasonly his faith in Jesus

that could heal the manlame from birth (3:12-16; 4:7-12). e point ofthese miracles was todirect people to the Godwho causes miracles.Moreover, Peter added:ere is salvation inno one else, for thereis no other name underheaven given amongmortals by which wemust be saved (4:12).Stephen, who was full

of grace and power, lledwith the Holy Spirit, as he gazed

into heaven even told his enemies:LookI see the heavens opened and the

Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!(6:8, 7:55-56).All the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrec-

tion of the Lord Jesus with great power (4:33). Witness-ing is the goal of power. Witnessing to Jesus life, deathand resurrection gives life to others. We all get aractedto the marvelous miracles narrated in the book of Acts,but we may not remember all the opposition and conictthat ensued.

When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, some wereamazed, but others sneered (2:13). When Peter and Johnhealed the man lame from birth, some were lled withwonder, but others were annoyed (3:10; 4:2). e templeauthorities were so annoyed, they arrested the apostlesseveral times (4:3; 5:18). Soon a great persecution began(8:1). But God worked through this great persecution to

spread the good news about Jesus to new cultural groupsand new lands: Samaritans, even Gentiles, such as thetreasurer from Ethiopia, Cornelius in Caesarea and Lydiain Europe. Jesus was powerful, but yet was persecutedwhen on earth and now Jesus body on earth, the church,is also powerful but yet persecuted.

When Paul asked, Who are you, Lord? as he layon the ground, Jesus answered, I am Jesus, whom youare persecuting (9:5). So, too, does the church suer op-position from the world. ose who believe appreciateits life-giving message. ose who do not believe op-pose it. But even the worlds persecution can bewithstood by a fully vibrant church.

Amidst the persecution of theearly church, the triune God wasactive. God the Fatherspower and will de-

cided beforehand whatwould happen to Jesus,and God the Fatheranointed, resurrectedand appointed Jesus as

judge (e.g., 2:24; 4:27-28; 10:42). e God whoknows the heart alsoopens it and grantsrepentance (11:18; 15:8;16:14).

e book of Actsor e Acts of Jesusthrough the Holy Spiritthrough the Apostles is anexciting book to read. How canwe ourselves enter into this dynamic,explosive world? I want to suggest fourways: learn, pray, ask and speak.

First, learn about the content of power: Jesus theMessiah. He is the food that builds our faith. Study Actsand collate all you learn about Jesus. No one is morenourishing than Jesus!

Second, prayer is the means of power. erefore,pray that God will work miracles to bring about changedlives. Any one of us can be used by God if we pray,because when we pray we become like plant roots, ab-sorbing Jesus water and food. Pray as a way to live, andalso when life is in turmoil. Pray for one another. Prayto change people and to thank God. Listen to God as youpray. God will honor your prayers in Jesus name.

ird, ask to be lled with the Hol y Spirit. e HolySpirit is the transporter of power who brings heavenlypower to your eorts.

Fourth, speak and act to witness about Jesus ingious and secular seings, before colleagues and ruBe ready to explain Gods point of view. Dont beprised by opposition. But ask God that you can belike Peter and John and Lydia. It was aer the religleaders told Peter and John not to speak to anyone a

Jesus that the house church prayed for more boldnspeak and for God to heal through Jesus name (4:29

e dynamic Holy Spirit then shook up the pwhere they were gathered (4:31). Are you read

receive this kind of power from the Holy SSometimes we lose hope in todays chan

societies because we feel insignicanoverwhelmed by life. Yet remem

God used a few mostlyschooled, praying men

women lled wit

Holy Spirit, builin the knowledg

Jesus, and with Gtheir source, to takgospel message ofand everlasting to lands and pethey would neverimagined.

As a result,world is forever chaAnd we are fochanged.

1 All Bible references are from the Nunless otherwise noted.

Dr. Spencers essay is an adaptation of a ta

delivered on Acts in the DVD series Disciple: BecDisciples through Bible Study, 2d ed. (Nashville: Abingdon

Dr. Ada Besanon Spencer, Proessor o New Tesjoined the aculty in 1982 ater serving as a prwith New York Theological Seminary and Academwith the Alpha-Omega Community Theological (A.C.T.S.) in Newark, N.J., where she and her hu

Dr. William David Spencer, lived in community as Min-Residence. She also served as a community orwith Hispanics and as a campus chaplain. An ominister in the Presbyterian Church, she is Foundtor o Organization o Pilgrim Church in Beverly, Mhas written or co-written 12 books and over 140

and articles, including most recently Marriage at the Crossroads (Inter2009) and Global Voices on Biblical Equality(Wip & Stock, 2008). Forththis all is Reaching for the New Jerusalem: A Biblical and Theological Frafor the City(co-edited with Drs. Seong Hyun Park and William David Sand The Pastoral Epistles with the New Covenant Commentary Series(Ca


7/21


Over the days that followed, I tried to refrain fromcontinually pointing her to numerous Bible passagesthat would challenge her intentions. Aer all, she knewthem well. Rather, I spoke about Gods compassion in our

brokenness and his Spirits transformative work in ourlives, and encouraged her to talk with a counselor whocould help unravel her deep and knoed burden. Sadly,a few months later, she chose to leave her church homeand move in the direction she expressed. Im happy, shetold me. How does one counter that?

Since my graduation from Gordon-Conwell, I havehad the privilege to assist apologist Ravi Zacharias withhis research and correspondence these past 21 years. Ifmy experience with my friend and the emails and leerswe receive are any reection of the wider evangelicalculture, there has been a noticeable shi in the questionsraised by those who would identify themselves asChristians. Less than 10 years ago, the predominantquestions were, if you will, intramural ones: What isyour view of predestination? Which version of theBible is most accurate? What is the unpardonable sin?

More recently, however, many questions resembleones we usually receive from skeptics or seekers atuniversity engagements: How can God be morally goodif he ordered genocide in the Old Testament? How canI trust a God who allows suering, hates homosexuals,doesnt answer my prayer, etc.? As such, I would suggest

that many people, including those within the church, arewrestling with the fundamental character and natureof God, with questions concerning his goodness andtrustworthiness.

ink, for instance, of the confusion generated by RobBells book Love Wins. Yes, numerous pastors, scholarsand bloggers revealed its awed exegesis and arguments.Yet the book created profound cognitive dissonance forsome readers and accomplished its purpose: to stir anemotional response to a depiction of an angry God andunfair judge.

And is it not the case that even we who holdto what we cognitively armthat God is soverand goodmay still sometimes struggle to make of our emotions when we encounter a dicult pa

of Scripture, or an experience such as betrayal orthat challenges our view of an all-loving and powGod? Indeed, consider bewildered Job under the scoof suering, or Joseph or John the Baptist languishiprison, or faithful but barren Elizabeth and Zechaand countless others in the pages of Scripture strained to discern Gods presence and purpose.

So how do we help others see the hope of the goand persevere in hope ourselves in a world wherbiblical view of God is constantly challenged?

First, Ravi Zacharias has observed that as weto address tough questions, it is critical to understhere is oen a deeper question behind the one bposed. Hence, we must listen carefully to hearrespond to the actual question raised. He recalls hyoung couple came to him aer a speaking engagein a church and asked how God could allow suand evil. As he began to oer a reply, he noticedthe woman was holding a child with a severe phydeformity. He surmised that the couples theoloinquiry masked a deeper existential struggle. So haside the standard arguments of theodicy to considepain and confusion they were experiencing.

is is not to suggest that some do not wrestlethe philosophical arguments for the problem of evGods existence, but rather, that we need to taketo listen to our questioners so that we might trulytheir concerns. Sometimes, as with my longtime frwe might even ask, What do you mean? In apologthis approach uses the law of identity, which invidentifying unspoken assumptions and presupposiis law states that everything that exists has a spnature; for example, A = A or A sheep is a sheepnot a cow). us, if someone remarks, Sure, I belie

IATTEMPTED TO SUPPRESS MY STUNNED DISBELIEF WITH A QUESTION: WHAT DO

MEAN? I LISTENED AS A DEAR CHRISTIAN FRIEND OF MORE THAN 25 YEARS SHARED W

ME THAT SHE WAS CONSIDERING MOVING IN A DIRECTION THAT WAS A REVERSAL OF W

SHE HAD LONG HELD TRUE AND WHAT THE SCRIPTURES CLEARLY PROSCRIBE.


8/21


Jesus, we rely upon the law of identity when we ask theperson to tell us more about who this Jesus is. Is this the

Jesus portrayed in the New Testament or e DaVinci Code?Or, we might follow up by asking the person to tell us

what he or she means by believe. Does the individualsunderstanding of belief amount to reasoned condenceor blind faith? (A common misperception is thatscience involves facts and evidence, whereas religiousbelief is based on myth, feelings or a wish-fulllment fora benevolent God. And yet, science is unable to answerbasic metaphysical questions such as Why are we here?or Why is there something rather than nothing? Andatheism itself can be seen as a wish-fulllment for noGod and no absolute foundation for morality.)

In such conversations, we may discover that beliefin Jesus may be radically dierent from what the Biblepresents. us, it is critical to listen carefully to those weseek to engage so that we might hear their underlying

questions and unspoken assumptions. As my colleagueAlister McGrath writes, Apologetics is not a set oftechniques for winning people to Christ. It is not a set ofargumentative templates designed to win debates. It is awillingness to work with God in helping people discoverand turn to his glory.1

Second, though we may be seminary graduatespastoring churches or mature Christians discipling others,sometimes our own unseled questions and unexaminedassumptions can cloud our hope in God and ourcondence in the gospel. When relationships fail, healthdeteriorates or vocations are lost, our understanding ofGod can be tested to the core when we, as philosopherEsther Lightcap Meek suggests, Labor under themisimpression that we see what we see, that seeing isbelieving, that either I see it or I dont.2 e evidence forGods existence and Christs uniqueness looks quite clearto me in light of the historical Scriptures, the paern ofthe universe and conicting worldviews. But there aretimes when I have questioned Gods goodness, becauseI perceived him to be unresponsive and unmoved by mytroubled heart. Studying Gods Word didnt lead me tothis misperception; rather, my experience of loss did.

And when our view of God is misguided, doubt

eclipses hope and we may be tempted to take theseemingly happy road rather than trust in his sovereignbut unforeseen plan. Yes, God is consistent and faithfulto his Word, but he is not predictable. If he were, therewould be no place for grace or mercy. 3 He sends rainto the just and unjust. He rewards a prostitutes shrewddeceit with a secure place in the Promised Land, whilebarring his prophet Moses from it because of a rash actof rage.4

Here I have discovered that we truly need thefellowship of other believers to help us see what we cannot

see, to pray when we cannot pray and to hope when westruggle to hope. As Meek contends, Sometimes, apartfrom someone elses insistence and guidance, we donteven get it right about the thoughts in our own head. Weneed to be taught how to see.5 e prophet Daniel andthe apostle Paul thrived in pagan, foreign worlds througha family of friends, persistent prayer and a steadfast hopeagainst hope that God alone changes times and seasonsand no one can hold back his hand (Dan. 2:21; 4:35). Paulwrote, I pray also that the eyes of your heart may beenlightened in order that you may know the hope to whichhe has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance inthe saints, and his incomparably great power for us whobelieve (Eph. 1:18-19a).

And what is this hope? Hope, writes John Calvin, isnothing else than the expectation of those things whichfaith previously believes to have been truly promised byGod. us, faith believes that God is true; hope expects

that in due season he will manifest his truth. Faithbelieves that he is our Father; hope expects that he willalways act the part of a Father towards us. Faith believesthat eternal life has been given to us; hope expects thatit will one day be revealed. Faith is the foundation onwhich hope rests; hope nourishes and sustains faith. 6

Likewise, we desperately need the mirror of GodsWord, for ultimately it is the one true and trustworthyreection of who God is and who we are becoming.Here we are exhorted and comforted, chastened andencouraged by the One who loves us and can speak intoour lives like no other. Here we can bring our longings,fears and questions before his throne of grace and letthe light of Jesus presence shine into every dark andconfusing place in our lives, for God is greater than ourhearts, and he knows everything (1 John 3:20b). And itis in such places, Scripture tells us, that God longs to begracious and promises that all who hope in him willnot be disappointed.7

A longer version of this article, entitled A Learned Cra, appears inJust inking: e Qarterly Magazine of Ravi Zaarias International

Ministries(Vol. 21.3), available online at www.rzim.org.

1 Alister McGrath, Mere Apologetics(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2012), 41.2 Esther Lightcap Meek, Longing to Know: e Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary

People(Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2003), 99.3 I am indebted to Roslyn Harden Sco, Ph.D., for this insight.4 Of course, a close reading of Joshua 2 and Numbers 20 reveals that Rahabs act of decep-tion (risking her life to harbor the spies) was precipitated by her faith in the God of theIsraelites, whereas Moses display of anger grew out of his lack of trust in God. Hebrews11:31 commends her for her faith and James 2:25, for her works (faith in action).

5 Meek, 99.6 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III, 2:42.7 See Isaiah 30:18 and 49:23.

Danielle Durant (M.Div. 92)is Director o Researchand Writing and Research Assistant to Ravi

Zacharias at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries

in Atlanta, GA.

THEDEMOGRAPHICS OF

TODD M. JOHNSON, PH.D.

THROUGHOUT CHRISTIAN HISTORY, ACROSS ALL TRADITIO

OF CHRISTIANITY, AND IN EVERY PART OF THE WORLD, SOM70 MILLION CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN MURDERED FOR THEI

FAITH AND HENCE ARE CALLED MARTYRS.


9/21


ORIGIN OF THE WORD MARTYRe English word martyr is derived from the Greekmartys, which carries the meaning witness inEnglish. In New Testament usage, it meant a witnessto the resurrection of Christ. is witness resulted sofrequently in death that by the end of the 1st century,martyshad come to mean a Christian who witnessedto Christ by his or her death. is enlarged meaning hasbecome the accepted norm throughout church history.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For a quantitative analysis of martyrdom, Christianmartyrs are dened as believers in Christ who havelost their lives prematurely, in situations of witness,as a result of human hostility. is denition has veessential elements:

1. Believers in Christ.ese individuals come fromthe entire Christian community of Roman Catholics,Orthodox, Protestants, Anglicans, MarginalChristians and Independents. By A.D. 2010, morethan 2.2 billion individuals were deemed Christians,and since the time of Christ more than 8.5 billionhave believed in Christ.

2. Lost their lives. e denition is restricted toChristians actually put to death, for whatever reason.

3. Prematurely. Martyrdom is sudden, abrupt,unexpected, unwanted.

4. In situations of witness. Witness in thisdenition does not mean only public testimony orproclamation concerning the risen Christ. It refersto the entire lifestyle and way of life of the Christianbeliever, whether or not he or she is activelyproclaiming at the time of being killed.

5. As a result of human hostility. is excludesdeaths through accidents, crashes, earthquakes andother acts of God, illnesses or other causes of death,however tragic.

It is important to note that this denition omits acriterion considered essential by many churches in theirmartyrologiesheroic sanctity, by which is meantsaintly life and fearless stance. ose are certainlyessential for a martyrology if it is to have compellingeducational and inspirational value for church membersunder persecution, and in particular for new converts.Heroic sanctity is, however, not essential to thedemographic denition, because many Christians havebeen killed shortly aer their conversions and beforethey had any chance to develop Christian character,holiness or courage.

MORE DETAILED DEFINITION

A more complex denition sees martyrs as Christianswhose loyalty and witness to Christ (as witnesses to thefact of Christs resurrection, and also as legal witnessesto, and advocates for, the claims of Christ in Gods cosmiclawsuit against the world) lead directly or indirectly toa confrontation or clash with hostile opponents (eithernon-Christians, or Christians of another persuasion) as a

result of their either (1) being Christians, or (2) being partof a Christian body or community, or (3) being Christianworkers, or (4) averring the truth of Christianity, or (5)holding to some Christian tenet or principle or practice,or (6) holding to Christian tenets dierent from theiropponents, or (7) speaking for Christ, or (8) refusingto deny Christ or their Christian convictions; whichthen results in violence and in their voluntarily orinvoluntarily losing their lives prematurely.

Violence can include shedding their blood, being putto death, executed, assassinated, killed, stoned, clubbedto death, beheaded, guillotined, garroted, strangled,stabbed, eaten alive, gassed, injected, electrocuted,suocated, boiled in oil, roasted alive, drowned, torched,burned, massacred, crucied, lynched, hanged, shot,murdered, pushed under oncoming trac, immured,buried alive, crushed to death, poisoned, drugged todeath, starved, deprived of medication, chemically or

electronically killed, killed extrajudicially, killed undertorture, killed due to beatings, killed in custody, killed inprison, killed soon aer release from prison, or allowedor le to die. Any of these may take place with or withoutprior demand or opportunity to recant.

Note that (6) above means that most Christians killedas alleged heretics down the ages should correctly beincluded in demographic enumerations of martyrs. Item(3) above also includes vocational Christian workerskilled while engaged in ministry, or who lose their livesbecause they happen to be in the path of violence (thisincludes workers killed by robbers, soldiers, police, etc).Note also that the denition of demographic martyrdomincludes those children and infants who lose their livesalong with adult martyrs.

COUNTING MARTYRS

e basic method for counting martyrs in Christianhistory is to list martyrdom situations at particularpoints in time. A martyrdom situation is dened as massor multiple martyrdoms at one point in Christian history.It is then determined how many of the people killed in thatsituation t the denition of martyr outlined above. (isis explained in more detail in World Christian Trends.)Note that in any situation of mass deaths or killing ofChristians, one does not automatically or necessarilydene the entire total of those killed as martyrs, but onlythat fraction whose deaths resulted from some form ofChristian witness, individual or collective. For example,our analysis does not equate crusaders with martyrs,but simply states that during the Crusades, a number ofzealous and overzealous Christians were in fact martyredas dened under Denitions above.

Likewise, in Latin America in the 1980s, we dcount as martyrs all Christians who became vicof political killings, but only those whose situainvolved Christian witness. Typical illustrations olaer include the vast number of cases of an econgregation singing hymns as soldiers lock churchs doors and proceed to burn it to the groundno survivors.

One adjustment to the total is to include backgrmartyrs, or those very small or isolated or indivsituations. ey cover cases where a Christian is killa result of human hostility, but where the circumsthave nothing directly or immediately to do organized Christianity.

MARTYRDOM IS NOTEXCLUSIVELY AN EARLY

CHRISTIAN PHENOMENON

Martyrdom comes about because of persecutionresults in a death that is in itself a witness for CIn the early church, the idea developed that itnot enough to be called a Christian; one had to proof. at proof was normally some kind of vacknowledgement (witness) of identication Christ, starting with the confession Jesus is LBaumeister writes: Dying because one is a Christthe action par excellence in which the disciple wcalled to this conrms his or her faith by followinexample of Jesus suering and through action isonce again to become a word with power to speothers. Eventually confessors were distinguished martyrs.

When most Christians hear the word marthey tend to think of the Roman persecution of Christians. e Ecclesia Martyrum, or Church oMartyrs, oen is thought to refer only to the eaperiod of church history, the 10 imperial Ropersecutions. is is not the case. Martyrdom consistent feature of church history and occuevery Christian tradition and confession. Onesee that all of the 10 largest martyrdom situain Table 1 occurred in the second millennium oChristian faith. e rate of martyrdom across the wthroughout the ages has been a remarkably constanpercent. One out of every 120 Christians in the pasbeen martyred, or in the future is likely to so be.



10/21


WHY ARE THERE MARTYRS?

According to Latin American theologian LeonardoBo, they exist for two reasons: (1) Christians prefer tosacrice their lives rather than to be unfaithful to theirconvictions, and (2) people who reject proclamationpersecute, torture and kill (Metz 1983). is generalpresence of evil in the world, combined with Christiandevotion, is at the root of martyrdom. When we examinea list of martyrs down the ages, as comprehensive as

is known today, some startling ndings emerge. Table1 provides a list of the 10 largest known martyrdomsituations ranked by size. Note that over 20 million weremartyred in Soviet prison camps, and that well over halfof the 70 million Christian martyrs were killed in the 20 th

century alone. Even though state-ruling powers (atheistsand others) are responsible for most martyrdom, closerexamination of the entire list of martyrdom situationsreveals that Christians themselves have been thepersecutors responsible for martyring 5.5 million otherChristians.

Table 2 reveals that over half of all martyrs havebeen Orthodox Christians. One partial explanationfor this is the vast anti-Christian empires throughouthistory centered in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.Nonetheless, all Christian traditions have sueredmartyrdom.

A POTENTIAL IMPACT OFMARTYRDOM

In some countries, one nds that martyrdom wasfollowed by church growth. A contemporary example isthe church in China. In 1949, there were only one millionChristians. Fiy years of antireligious Communist ruleproduced some 1.2 million martyrs. e result: explosivechurch growth to todays 100 million believers. Today,major martyrdom situations continue in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, Sudan, Indonesia, Nigeria and otherhot spots around the globe.

LIMITATIONS OF THIS MODEL OF

COUNTING MARTYRS

Dening and enumerating martyrs in the widest possiblesense has both limitations and advantages over othermethods. First, it is limited because it leaves out questionsof quality, such as holy lifestyle (mentioned above) ortheological persuasion of Christian martyrs. Second,it reports on martyrdom from a purely demographiclens, leaving out thousands of fascinating stories andanecdotes. Fortunately, these are not in short supply inother publications.

Two advantages can also be highlighted here.First, due to extensive coding of martyrdom situations(available in World Christian Trends), it allows for aselective approach to the data, addressing questionssuch as How many Roman Catholic martyrs were therein South America in the 19 th century? Second, thisapproach resists fragmentation by placing all Christianmartyrs in the same global phenomenon.

SITUATION MARTYRS1. 192150, Christians die in Soviet prison camps 15,000,0002. 195080, Christians die in Soviet prison camps 5,000,0003. 1214, Genghiz Khan massacres Christians 4,000,0004. 1358, Tamerlane destroys Nestorian church 4,000,0005. 192937, Stalin kills Orthodox Christians 2,700,000

TABLE 1: TOP 10 MARTYRDOM SITUATIONS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY RANKED BY SIZE

6. 1560, Conquistadors kill millions o Amerindians 2,000,0007. 1925, Soviets attempt to liquidate Roman Catholics 1,200,0008. 1258, Baghdad captured in massacre by Hulaku Khan 1,100,0009. 1214, Diocese o Herat sacked by Genghiz Khan 1,000,00010. 1939, Nazis execute millions in death camps 1,000,000

THE FUTURE OF MARTYRDOM

One might be tempted to believe that mankindgradually grow out of its violent nature, andperhaps 100 years in the future, people will no lobe killing others, for whatever reason. Howeveris unlikely to be the case. e future almost certholds more martyrdom situations, and the namindividual martyrs are likely to continue mountingaer year.

Note:is article was condensed from Part 4, Martyro

in Barre and Johnson, World Christian Trends (WCTcompilation of data on Christian martyrs in all couover the 20 centuries of Christian history is found in two tables in WCT: Table 410 describing 600 major martysituations in 150 countries, A.D. 332000; and Table

Alphabetical listing of 2,500 known Christian martyrs, A2000. Country-by-country statistics of martyrdom can be

at www.worldristiandatabase.org. A version of this was published in Sorrow and Blood: Christian Mission Contexts of Suering, Persecution, and Martyrdomby William D. Taylor, Antonia van der Meer and Reg R(Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2012).

BibliographyD. Barre & T. Johnson, World Christian Trends(Pasadena, CA: William CareLibrary, 2001).T. Baumeister, Martyr invictus(Mnster, 1972).B. Chenu et al., Livre des martyrs rtiens(Paris: ditions du Centurion, 1988).P. Marshall with L. Gilbert, eir Blood Cries Out: e Untold Story of PersecutiAgainst Christians in the Modern World(Dallas: Word Publishing, 1997).

J. Metz & E. Schillebeeckx (eds.),Martyrdom Today(Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1D. Wood (ed.), Martyrs and Martyrologies(Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1993).

Dr. Todd M. Johnson is the Associate Proessor oChristianity and Director o the Center or the Study oChristianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological SemiSouth Hamilton, MA. He is co-author o the World CEncyclopedia, 2nd edition (Oxord University Pressand co-editor o the Atlas of Global Christianity(EdUniversity Press, 2009).

RussianOrthodox

25M

RomanCatholic

12.2M

EastSyrians

12.8M

Other

7M

Independents

3.5M

Protestants

3.2M

Anglicans

1.1M

TOTAL MARTYRS:

70,000,000

TABLE 2. CONFESSIONS OF MARTYRS,TOTALS FROM A.D. 332000

=

15M 5M4M

4M

2.7M

2M

1.1M 1M

1M1.2M

UkrainianOrthodox

4M

ArmenianApostolic

1.2M
http://www.worldchristiandatabase.org/http://www.worldchristiandatabase.org/


11/21


So it was surprising to read an article from anotheratheist who took a rather dierent slant on Christianity.Mahew Parris, columnist for e Sunday Times ofLondon, wrote a provocative online article titled: As anAtheist, I Truly Believe Africa Needs God. Returningto the Africa of his youth, Parris makes the startlingobservation:

It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses

to t my world view, and has embarrassed my growing beliefthat there is no God. Now a conrmed atheist, Ive becomeconvinced of the enormous contribution that Christianevangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the workof secular NGOs, government projects and internationalaid eorts. ese alone will not do. Education and trainingalone will not do. In Africa, Christianity anges peopleshearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. e rebirth isreal. e ange is good.

is is a refreshingly honest sentiment from one whodemurs from personal allegiance to Christianity. If we are

honest, Christian history has its fair share of skeletoits collective closet. is is hard to swallow, and I it were not so. Despite the fact that Christians havalways behaved in ways that would please Christmany examples of Christian compassion down thrthe ages are nothing short of dazzling.

From the beginning, Christians have been knfor their compassion for the disadvantaged. Per

one of the most astonishing examples is the opposto infanticide in the early church. In the Greco-Rworld, female infants and males born with deformwere of no value and oen deposited on the vill ageheap to die of exposureor perhaps even more trraised as temple prostitutes. In a chilling leer wrone year before the birth of Christ, a Roman cinamed Hilarion directs his pregnant wife: Whenare delivered of a childif it is a boy, keep it; if it is adiscard it. e Stoic philosopher, Seneca, is even mcallous: Monstrous [deformed] ospring we des

The ChurchsHistoric Witness

THE

LIVINGGOSPEL

I

n recent years, Christianity has been the object of considerabl

ridicule. The New AtheistsDawkins, Harris and the late

Christopher Hitchenshave made a nice living by declaring

that religion in general and Christianity in particular poisons

everything. Of course, this is nothing new. Karl Marx demeaned

Christianity as the opiate of the masses. The British philosopher,

Bertrand Russell, defantly asserted: The Christian religion, as

organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy

of the moral progress in the world.

rank A. James III, Ph.D.


12/21


13/21


14/21


discernment. is story is less well known, and I believeit is worth recounting here as we consider the theme offaith under re.

Simply put, the truth at stake in the Arian controversywas that we could not rise up to God ourselves, so Godhad to come down to save us. e persons who camedownthe Son through the incarnation and the Spirit atPentecosthad to be fully equal to the Father in orderfor us to be saved. is much was relatively clear toeveryone. So when Arius wrote openly around the year318 that the Son was lower than the Fatherindeed, thathe was a created beingthis idea was rejected fairlyquickly, most notably in the year 325 at the Council ofNicaea, which we now call the First Ecumenical Council.

However, this clear rejection of Ariuss thought tookplace in a tumultuous political atmosphere. e RomanEmpire had gone from severely persecuting Christiansto regarding Christianity as its most favored religion, all

in the space of less than two decades aer Constantinebecame a Christian. e inevitable result of imperialfavor toward the church was imperial involvement inthe church. Aer Constantine died in 337, his three sonsvied for control over his empire, and each tried to enlistChristian bishops and Christian theological slogans onhis side. e result was a bewildering proliferation ofcreedal statements, with various ways of speaking of theSons relationship to the Father.

e Council of Nicaea had declared the Son to be ofone essence with the Father. Now, other creeds calledhim like the Father or like the Father in all respectsor exactly like the Father or like the Father in essence.In a related issue, the church was also looking for wordsto describe the oneness and threeness of God, and somepeople used the same Greek word (hypostasis) to refer tohis oneness that other people were using to refer to histhreeness. us, some (like Athanasius himsel) spokeof one hypostasis in God (meaning one essence),while others spoke of three hypostases (meaning threepersons).

e situation rapidly became confusing, as it becameharder to tell which statements were equivalent andwhich ones actually reected unacceptable dierences of

opinion. In this confused situation, many people tendedto latch onto a single statement and to insist on it inopposition to all others. Parties started to emerge basedon particular slogans, and the rival claimants to theimperial throne backed one party or another, one sloganor another, by exiling bishops who held to dierentslogans.

is is where Athanasiuss extraordinary gi fordiscernment came into play. No one was ever moreadamant in opposing Arianism. But if he had been

equally adamant about insisting that everyone use hisslogans to oppose Arianism, the controversy mightnever have ended, since almost everyone was distrustfulof everyone elses slogans. In the midst of the confusion,fog and name-calling, Athanasius was uniquely ableto recognize that beneath the varied statements lay aconsensus, shared by most of the church in oppositionto Arianism.

In the 350s and early 360s, he worked tirelessly touncover the consensus that he believed lay behind thevarious anti-Arian statements. And in the year 362, heheld a small council in Alexandria at which he was ableto show the dierent groups that they were saying thesame thing. He insisted that since they were saying thesame thing, they should begin to say it the same way,and it is a tribute to his humility that he did not insistin every case on the way he had said things earlier inhis career. He accepted the use of hypostasisto mean

person (which was not the way he had previously usedthe word), even as he insisted that the phrase of thesame essence was the best way to show the equality ofthe Son to the Father. is local council was the turningpoint in the Trinitarian controversy. It paved the wayfor the churchs acceptance of the Nicene Creed (with itsbold assertion that the Son is equal to the Father, and thatthis Son came down for our salvation), at the SecondEcumenical Council in 381.

Times of persecution call for stalwart, faithfulperseverance in the midst of pressure to compromise, orworse. But such times also beget confusion about who isand is not rmly standing for the faith. An importantbut neglected aspect of faithfulness under re is thebiblical/theological discernment to recognize what isand is not an acceptable way of arming the faith. Inthe case of Athanasius and the Arian crisis, this kindof discernment was just as important to the work ofthe gospel as the fortitude for which he is much morefamous. In discernment, too, he is a shining example tous of how to live Christianly in a complex, confusingworld.

Dr. Donald Fairbairn is the Robert E. Cooley Proessor o EarlyChristianity. His responsibilities include urther developing theRobert C. Cooley Center or the Study o Early Christianity atthe Charlotte campus, which explores the historical ounda-tions o the Christian aith. Beore coming to Gordon-Conwell,he taught at Erskine Theological Seminary, served as Associ-ate Dean o Theology and directed the Th.M. program. He hasalso taught at Donetsk Christian University in Ukraine, and has

served on the international sta o Campus Crusade, ministering in Soviet Geor-gia and researching Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam in Eurasia.

developmen

T his denition is certainly true, but to me, gratitude se emslike so much more. I have been thinking a great deal aboutthankfulness and gratitude lately. Aer all, I am, among otherthings, the Chief anker at Gordon-Conwell. I write thankyou leers, make thank you calls and thank people face to face,as do other members of the Advancement team. I personallyreview and add thank you notes to dozens of gi receipts everymonth. Its a part of my job to thank donors for their sacrice,commitment, partnership and generosity. Over time, it has

actually become one of the best parts of my job, giving me aneven more grateful heart for the way our God uses his peopleto bless Gordon-Conwell and advance his Kingdom. It turnsout that it is not just my job, but my joyto express gratitude

on behalf of Gordon-Conwell. And the amazing thing thathappens somewhat regularly is that I receive emails and com-ments thanking me for taking the time to be thankful. Havinga grateful heart and expressing gratitude can be contagious!

Soon aer I assumed my current position four years ago, aerworking in the business community for years, I discoveredthat one of the tangible benets of my new job was our regularall-Hamilton-campus Wednesday chapel. At least once a week,faculty, sta and students come together for worship and a good,biblical word. It is an incredible blessing to our community, butwe can start to take even good things and blessings for granted.

Back in February, John Human, our Board Chair and PastoResidence, spoke at Wednesday chapel. John has been a GoConwell trustee for years, pastored churches his whoand is an extraordinarily gied communicator. Amongthings, he talked about being gratefu l. He explained thaeasy to make a list of things that are going wrong or trothat we are facing. But do we ever, literally, make a list blessings in our life, or a list of all the things for which wgrateful? John explained that when you do this, if you amost people, you undoubtedly nd that the list of thinwhich you are thankful is far longer than the list of allwoes. If you really work at it, your grateful list can go oon and on. Well, I have started to make my list, and I am

ing it my grateful and grie list. Let me give you justof the things for which I am grateful.

First things rst, I am eternally grateful for an awesomewho loves me in spite of all my shortcomings and sen

Son to die for me. My wife and two daughters are increblessings in my life and they mean the world to me. I wdo anything for them. And what gis and blessings afamily and friends with whom we do life, and our chwith its impact in advancing the K ingdom and leading pto a saving faith in Jesus Christ. For all these things, I exgratitude to our great God.

What does it mean to be truly grateful?

Merriam-Webster denes grateful as grateful, adjective\grt-fl\ ) a: appreciative of benets receb: expressing gratitude ) a:aording pleasure or contentment:pleasing, b: pleaby reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated.

With Gratitude


Kurt W. Dresc
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gratitudehttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affordhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleasinghttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alleviatehttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alleviatehttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleasinghttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affordhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gratitude


15/21


As the Chief anker at Gordon-Conwell, let me also tellyou just some of the many things for which we as a seminaryare grateful.

We are grateful for the 4,012 donors who have made both

large and small gis to the seminary this year alone. And theyear is not over yet.

In these uncertain economic times, we are amazed and grate-ful that Education Fund (Annual Fund) giving is up over lastyear by percent, with a critical few weeks le to go to ourscal year end, June .

It is no small maer that we have received a cash gi of$,, to endow the Pastors for Africa Scholarship. Weare grateful for the sacricial donors, for the scholarship re-cipients who are using these gis wisely, and to God for mak-ing this all possible.

We are grateful for donors who have partnered with us throughcommitments to our comprehensive campaign that is under-way on all four of our campuses. eir generosity is makingpossible greatly needed improvements in our facilities, andeducational programs for the benet of our students.

We are grateful for a Lilly Endowment Grant to researchand study student debt and how the Partnership Program atGordon-Conwell can address and mitigate some of this debt.An increasing number of students are leaving higher educationwith an extraordinary amount of student debt, and seminarygraduates are no exception to this trend. We believe that as a

seminary we have a shared responsibility to addr ess this issue,and this grant is helping us to do so.

We are grateful for dozens of people who have planned gisdesignated for Gordon-Conwell. e contributions of thesepartners are long-term, transformational commitments to oureducational ministry.

We are grateful to God for our students, alumni, trustees,administrators, faculty and sta united in a single vision toadvance Christs Kingdom in every sphere of life by equipping

Chur leaders to think theologically, engage globally and livebiblically.is is not a marketing slogan or a brand position.is is absolutely why we exist, and we are grateful for Godscalling on us as an institution to live out this vision on ourcampuses in Hamilton, Boston, Charloe and Jacksonville.

When we read familiar Psalms like the one that follows, it

reminds us again that part of being grateful is denitely con-nected to our posture in relationship to God.

Psalm 100A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;come before him with joyful songs.Know that the Lord is God.It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgivingand his courts with praise;give thanks to him and praise his name.For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

If you have ever given a gi, or are even considering giving agi to Gordon-Conwell, large or small, please know that weare deeply grateful. Countless people have and will continueto benet from Kingdom investments made in the educationalministry of Gordon-Conwell. Your sacricial giving to Gordon-Conwell has and will continue to advance the Kingdom, and

for that we are eternally grateful to our great God.

With sincere gratitude,Kurt W. Drescher, Chief anker

Kurt W. Drescher is the Vice President o Advancement atGordon-Conwell. He is an active member o Grace Chapel,where he serves as Vice Chair on the Board o OverseeingElders. Kurt, a graduate o Gordon College, lives with hiswie, Sharon, and their two daughters in Reading, MA.

development news

Your sacricial giving to Gordon-Conwell has and

will continue to advance the Kingdom, and for that

we are eternally grateful to our great God.

FACUltY p

It was inspiring that someone could be so wise and engagedin a subject, Dr. Reeves recalls. During Oberman s talk, I had alile epiphany. I realized that full-time education is not wherepractitioners end up when they cant practice ministry, but isactually a place to go and engage in ministry.

en, when I was in seminary, one of the things I realizedis that seminaries are oen shaped by the people who arethere; a good seminary is good because it has great people. Istarted to have this growing passion to strive toward beingin a place where I could be one of those good people shapingthe seminary.

And shaped he has. When Dr. Reeves rst joined Gordon-Conwell in May 2010, the Jacksonville, FL, campus was juststarting as an extension of the Charloe, N.C., campus andconsisted of approximately students. ree years later, theJacksonville campus is its own entity with total enrollmentsoaring to .

Coming straight to Gordon-Conwell from his Ph.D. programin church history (Tudor evangelicalism) at the University ofCambridge, England, Dr. Reeves occupied a single oce in theback of First Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, as Assistant tothe Dean. Now, he leads a sta of eight as Assistant Dean ofthe Jacksonville Campus and Assistant Professor of Historicaleology.

e Charloe campus laid the foundation; I just came inand put the shingles on it, he comments.

For Dr. Reeves, a Florida native, joining Gordon-ConwellJacksonville felt like home. Being born and raised in Florida,I know the Florida context well, he says, Gordon-Conwellis striving to shape Northern Florida with a serious brand ofeducation.

With Florida being the Disney state, people tend to gravi-tate towards light education, meaning, How fast can I getto the beach? What is the minimum number of courses thatI need to take? We want to redene that.

Gordon-Conwell can be an example that you dontto check your mind at the door. When you do serious studoesnt have to kill your heart. Were about se rious studserious vitality. If we are faithful with the education conent, God will lead us.

As Dr. Reeves faithfully guides the Jacksonville campproviding quality theological education in the eighth lacity in the U.S., his passion for the students, he says, is keeps him going. My greatest p assion is the everyday hamoments with students. I purposely put the student loungto my oce, so they have to come by for coee and snalove talking with them about life.

I wanted to teach and have the academic chops to berious scholaras a means of engaging with students. If Iburied away in the Ivory Tower working on another bootrying to escape students, I would go crazy. As my collsays, ministry happens in the in-between moments.

And as for his academic chops, Dr. Reeves earned hifrom Samford College, and M.A. and M.Div. from Refoeological Seminary. His doctoral dissertation, EnEvangelicals and Obedience, will be published in summere book looks to the Tudor period to examine a real cosation happening in the world today: What do you dothe king wants to kill you f or your faith? Fight back or down? Can you ever overthrow the monarchy/govern

for the sake of the gospel?Dr. Reeves has also published several book reviews,

a guest lecturer at Cambridge University and Refoeological Seminary, served as the graduate represento the Church History Subject Commiee at Cambridgwas a Research Fellow and Editor at Teleios Research Ins

When Dr. Reeves is not engaging with students, teacourses or running a campus, he can be found cheering oTampa Bay Bucs, playing his guitar, and spending timehis wife, Charloe, and two young children, Zo and O

Dr. Ryan Reeves always had a hunch that he would teat a seminary. But it was a speech during his senior yeacollege by the great historian Heiko Augustinus Obermthat solidied Ryans calling.

Ryan Reeves, Ph.D.Assistant Dean of the Jacksonville Campus& Assistant Professor of Historical eology

28 Spring 13


16/21


17/21


nARY news sem

Recent Faculty Publications

Dr. Jerey D. ArthursProfessor of Preaching and Communication

Devote Yourself to the Public Reading of Scripture:

Unleashing the Power of the Well Spoken Word

(Kregel, ).

. Kelly Breen Boyceistant Professor of Counseling

Alexander, K. Breen Boyce, L. Pi, and K. Krause.

rsonality Typing, Anyone? e Myers-Briggs

sonality Indicator. Cinemeducation: Using Film

Other Visual Media in Graduate and Medical

cation. Vol. . Eds. M. Alexander, P. Lenahan,A. Pavlov. London, UK: Radcli Publishing, 2012.

Dr. Roy E. CiampaDirector of the .M. Program in Biblical Studies; Professor

of New Testament

Approaching Pauls Use of Scripture in Light of Translation

Studies.Paul and Scripture: Continuing the Conversation.Ed.

Christopher D. Stanley. Early Christianity and Its Literature,

. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, . -.

Learning from Josephs Righteousness: Mahew : and

Pauls (Oen Missed) Pointer to an Old Testament Text:

Romans 1:17. Devotions on the Greek New Testament. Ed.

Verlyn Verbrugge. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, .

-, -.

. James Critchlowked Adjunct Assistant Professor in Old Testament

king Ba for Jehoiain: Yahwehs Cast-Out Signet(Wipf

tock Publishers, ).

Dr. JohnJeerson DavisProfessor of Systematic eology and Christian Ethics

Meditation and Communion with God: Contemplating

Scripture in an Age of Distraction (IVP Academic, ).

Buddha, the Apostle Paul, and John Hick: e Challenge

of Inter-Religious Epistemologies.Philosophia Christi

. (): -.

Practicing Ministry in the Presence of God and in

Partnership with God. Evangelical Review of eology

. (April ): -.

Dr. Donald FairbairnRobert E. Cooley Professor of Early Christianity

Jesus Relationship to God, from His Words in John

13-17. St. Francis Magazine8.5 (October 2012): 571-592.

Translating Son of God: Insights from the Early

Church.St. Francis Magazine8.6 (December 2012):

-.

Dr. Sco M. GibsonHaddon W. Robinson Professor of Preaching

and Ministry

Preaing with a Plan: Sermon Strategies for Growing

Mature Believers(Baker Books, ).

Dr. David W. GillMockler-Phillips Professor of Workplace eology and

Business Ethics

eology of Care for the Vulnerable.Women, HIV, and

the Chur: In Sear of Refuge. Ed. Arthur J. Ammann.

Eugene, Ore.: Cascade Books, . -.

Dr. Dennis HollingerPresident & Colman M. Mockler Distinguished

Professor of Christian Ethics

Good Sex: Its Meaning and Morals.Moral Issues

and Christian Response.Eds. L. Shannon Jung and

Patricia Beaie Jung. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Fortress

Press, .

e Weight of Pastoral Ethics. NAE Insight

(Summer ).

Dr. Gordon L. IsaacBerkshire Associate Professor of Advent Christian Studies

and Church History

Monastic Memoria in the Preface to the Complete Edition

of Luthers Latin Writings 1545.Luther Digest, Vol. 20

Supplement (): -.

e Finnish School of Luther Interpretation on Justication:

Trajectories and Responses.Concordia Teological Qarterly

(): -.

Dr. Todd M. JohnsonAssociate Professor of Global Christianity; Director of the

Center for the Study of Global Christianity

Todd M. Johnson, Rodney L. Petersen, Gina A. Bellofao,

and Travis L. Myers, eds. Boston: e Changing Contours

of World Mission and Christianity. Eugene, Ore.: Pickwick

Publications, .

Dr. Carol M. KaminskiAssociate Professor of Old Testament

CASKET EMPTY: Gods Plan of Redemption through

History. Old Testament Study Guide(Casket Empty

Media, ).

Dr. Mahew KimAssistant Professor of Preaching and Ministry

7 Lessons for New Pastors: Your First Year in Ministry(Chalice

Press, ).

Dr. Timothy S. LaniakAcademic Dean of the Charloe Campus; Professor of

Old Testament

Finding the Lost Images of God(Zondervan, ).

Dr. Richard LintsVice President for Academic Aairs; Dean of Hamilton

Campus; Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of

eology

Renewing the Evangelical Mission (Eerdmans, ).

Dr. Stephen MacchiaDirector of the Pierce Center for Disciple

Craing a Rule of Life: An Invitation to th

Way(IVP Books, ).

Dr. Jerey J. NiehausProfessor of Old Testament

Preludes: An Autobiography in Verse(Wipf & Stock

Publishers, ).

Dr. Donna PeerAssociate Professor of Old Testament; Directo

of the Hebrew Language Program

Ruth. e Baker Illustrated Bible Comment

Burge and A. E. Hill. Grand Rapids: Baker,

Dr. Eckhard J. SchnabelMary F. Rockefeller Distinguished Professor of

New Testament Studies

Te Book of Acts. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary

on the New Testament(Zondervan, ).

On Commentary Writing. On the Writing of New

Testament Commentaries. Eds. Stanley E. Porter and

Eckhard J. Schnabel. Texts and Editions for New

Testament Study . Leiden: Brill, . .

Paul the Missionary. Pauls Missionary Methods: In His Time and Ours. E

and J. M. Terry. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, . .

Paul, Timothy, and Titus: e Assumption of a Pseudonymous Author and o

Recipients in the Light of Literary, eological, and Historical Evidence

Maers Maer to Faith? A Critical Appraisal of Modern and Postmodern

Scripture. Eds. J. K. Homeier and D. R. Magary. Wheaton: Crossway,

Romans. Te Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary.Eds. G. M. Burge and A

Rapids: Baker, . .

e Community of the Followers of Jesus in Corinthians.e New Tes

e Challenge of Developing Ecclesiologies.McMaster Biblical Studies Se. -.

Timothy: Missionary, Pastor, and eologian. Videre med evangeliet. FS E

Eds. H. A. Gravaas, E. Kjebekk T. E. Hamre, and A. Redse. Oslo: Akademi

Dr. Eldin VillafaeProfessor of Christian Social Ethics

Manda Fuego, Senor: Introduccion al Pentecostalism

Press, ).

Dr. Peter KuzmiEva B. and Paul E. Toms

Distinguished Professor of World

Missions and European Studies

Christianity in Eastern Europe: A Story of Pain, Glory,

Persecution, and Freedom. Introducing World Christianity.

Ed. Chales E. Farhadian. st ed. Blackwell Publishing, .

Dilemmas and Challenges for eology in Post-Communist

Eastern Europe.Mission in Context: Exploration Inspired by J.

Andrew Kirk.Eds. John Corrie and Cathy Ross. Ashgate, 2012.


18/21


Upcoming Events atGordon-ConwellCOMING EVENTS AT GORDON-CONWELL

AlUmnI pRoFIles

Dr. Mardochee Nadoumngar studied in the Pastoral Skills track at Gor

Conwell. He uses his education to serve the people in his home country of

and provide leadership to the church. Mardochees D.Min. thesis is titled Mobil

the Chadian Church to Understand and Treat Alcoholism.

What is your current role?

I am the Principal [President]of Shalom Evangelical Schoolof eology in NDjamena,Chad. is is the only semi-

nary at the bachelors degree level for the whole country. eschool is regarded highly because two other new administra-

tors with advanced degrees have joined me. One serves as aprofessor and academic dean and another as a professor. isgives us hope that in the future, churches both in Chad andCameroon, our next-door neighbor, will send more studentsto seminary. Besides my role as the President , I also teach NewTestament and serve as Associate Pastor in my local church.

Tell us about your Gordon-Conwell experience.

I heard about Gordon-Conwell eological Seminary in Chadfrom [former Gordon-Conwell professor] Dr. Sco Hafemann,who came several times as a visiting professor in the ShalomEvangelical School of eology. e D.Min. program at Gordon-Conwell gave me the opportunity to learn along with other pas-tors from around the world. I was able to continue interactionwith my classmates by exchanging emails between residencieson campus. We had the opportunity to meet when I returnedto the States for my graduation. I have just got my D.Min.degree, so I cannot measure the full aect it will have on myministry. However, the people I serve have a high respect forme when I preach or teach because of my additional studies.is challenges me to be very serious with what I say and do.

How did you decide to focus your D.Min. thesis on alcism in your country?

If you walk down the street in my capital city, you see wers and people siing there drinking. Many people drinhours and hours. I want to set up a Christian associatihelp alcoholics recover from this disease. I want to mothe church by teaching pastors, church leaders and Chri

to understand the causes and consequences of alcoholismhelp others overcome them with Gods grace. Very lile isfor these people in terms of church action. Many just pagainst alcoholism. ats why I chose to address the issmobilizing the church to deal with it.

From the perspective of your ministry in Chad, what incan you give our readers to become more aware of g

issues faced by the Chur?

e church body in Chad faces issues in the culture dewith corruption, alcoholism, polygamy, illiteracy (as l percent) and false teachings. ese are some steps I wsuggest to become more aware of global issues faced bChurch: ) Listen to people, listen to the radio, watch tsion programs, read newspapers as much as possible; with professionals to learn more about a specic issue; come prepared by Gods grace to address the issue; andsomething about it.

AlUmnI p

Mardochee Nadoumngar (D.Min. 12)

SPURGEON SABBATICAL

Monday, June 10Thursday, June 20, 2013 | Hamilton Campus

One o the best ways to recharge and gain new perspectives in

pastoral ministry is through serious study o the Scriptures, wor-

ship, prayer, discussion and ellowship in community. Gordon-

Conwells 10-day Spurgeon Sabbatical provides rest, rejuvenation

and community support or pastors in ministry.

Learn more at www.gordonconwell.edu/Spurgeon.

TGCNE REFRESH

Friday, August 9Saturday, August 10, 201 3 | Hamilton Ca

Gordon-Conwell is teaming up with The Gospel Coalition

England to host REFRESH, a summer conerence desig

encourage, challenge and reresh lay leaders, ministry le

and the pastors who care or them. Hear rom Paul David

Stephen Um and Jeramie Rinne.

Learn more at www.centerforgospelculture.org/2013/05/

tgcne-refresh-tripp-um-and-rinne-aug-9-10.

S. Douglas Birdsall (M.Div. 79)

Dr. S. Douglas Birdsall is President and CEO of American Bible Society. Dr.

Birdsall previously served as Executive Chairman of the Lausanne Movement

and Founding Director of the J Christy Wilson, Jr. Center for World Missions at

Gordon-Conwell. He and his wife, Jeanie, were missionaries with Asian Access in

Japan, where he also served as President for Asian Access.

What are some recentdevelopments in yourlife aside from your ap-

pointment as President ofAmerican Bible Society?

is has been an exciting year for us. I defended my Ph.D. thesis

with the Oxford Centre for M ission Studies in February. Also, asa result of my work with the Lausanne Movement and then ourwork here at Gordon-Conwell and in Japan, Im very pleasedto have been named by my alma mater, Wheaton College, asthe distinguished alumnus of the year for . at is reallya great source of joy to me.

How did Gordon-Conwell prepare you for your cross-cul-tural work?

Gordon-Conwell prepared us very well for our cross-culturalministry. I came to seminary to do the M.Div. and had everyintention of going back to the Midwest where I was raised. Iwas inuenced by a number of professors and students; fore-most among them was Dr. J Christy Wilson, who expanded m yhorizons and opened up my mind to the world. I only took onemission course the entire three years [at Gordon-Conwell]. Itwasnt the academic curriculum so much as the environmentof being with people who t hink globally. Im very grateful thatGordon-Conwell provided us with a foundation for a lifetimeof work.

How do you see your cross-cultural experience as prepara-tion for your new role at American Bible Society?

Our own country is much more global. It is a much dierentsociety than it was a generation ago. Having worked cross-culturally, you learn to listen carefully. You also learn to real-ize the variety of gis and perspectives that come from other

cultures. Working in New York City, as global as any city inthe world, working with American Bible Society, which is partof the United Bible Societies [organization], I will be travelingjust as much as I have been the last few years with Lausanne.God providentially uses everything in our life not only for themoment but also to prepare us for whats ahead.

Tell us something about American Bible Society that peoplemay be surprised to know.

I am the th President of American Bible Society, which wasfounded in . It means well be celebrating a th anniver-sary in about two and a half years. Its relationship to Americanhistory and its engagement with the global Church are thingsthat oen surprise people. American Bible Soc iety is very muchinvolved in Bible translation around the world. It also surprisespeople when they realize that the American Bible Society wasfounded by leaders of [our] nation. e rst president of theAmerican Bible Society was the president of the ContinentalCongress. e second president was John Qincy Adams. It isan organization that has been woven very much into the fab-ric of American society.

MARSHALL HUDSON SUMMER CONFERENCE

Thursday, June 6Friday, 7, 2013 | Hamilton Campus

From the Garden to the Sanctuary: The Promise and Challenge o Technology

Technology comes out o our God-given creativity, but brings with

it unintended consequences. Todays most thoughtul and respected

Christian minds on this topic will refect on the git s and challenges

o technology during the Marshall Hudson Summer Conerence.

Learn more at www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/Summer-

Conference.cfm.


19/21


Alumni Connect

In 2012, more than 250 alumni and friends gathered in the U.S.and abroad in cities including Bangkok, ailand; Seoul, South

Korea; and Lancaster, PA. Gordon-Conwell hosted events atdenominational meetings for the EPC, PCA, CCCC, PC (USA), andat conferences such as the Evangelical eological Society (ETS) andthe Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). Some events were initiatedby alumni. e purpose of the events is to connect alumniwitheach other, Gordon-Conwell and faculty.

A 50th reunion was held in October. Alumni from classes 1960-1964 came together to Remember when they walked the halls ofGordon Divinity School. Alumni visited Frost Hall at the GordonCollege campus, dined in the seminarys newly renovated AlumniHall and toured the North Shore with Drs. Garth Rosell and DavidHorn as part of New Englands Spiritual Heritage Tour,* a series ofday trips designed by Dr. Rosell.

*New Englands Spiritual Heritage Tour book is available online in hard copy andelectronic forms. Visit www.gordonconwellstore.organd click on Books.

Some potential upcoming Alumni Connect events include:June: PCA General Assembly (South Carolina)

June: UMC Conference (North Carolina)

June: EPC Conference (Colorado)July: CCCC Family Conference (Minnesota)

Fall 2013: New York or Philadelphia with Dr. Hollinger

October 2013: Divine Presence Conference (Gordon-ConwellHamilton)

November 2013: SBL (Maryland)

For a complete list of events, and to connect with other alumni, visitthe Alumni Services website at: hp://my.gordonconwell.edu/alumni.

Alumni Impact

As a way to recognize the impact of Gordon-Conwell alumni andhonor Christs work through them, an alumni chapel servicewas held on April 16 in Kaiser Chapel at the Hamilton campus. Fouralumni spoke about the work that God is doing in their lives andhow Gordon-Conwell had an impact on them. Speakers included:

Grant (M.Div., .M. '09) and Miho (M.Div. '10) Buchholtz,Missionaries, Evangelical Covenant Church, Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan

Holgie Choi (.M. ' 06), Associate Minister for Youth & Families,Acton Congregational Church, Acton, MA Sandra Whitley (M.Div., MACO '04), Pastor, People's AME Church,Chelsea, MA

Dr. Gary Parre closed the service with benediction and prayerfor Gordon-Conwell alumni around the world. A luncheon withPresident Dennis Hollinger and Dean Richard Lints followed in thePresident's Dining Room adjacent to Alumni Hall.

Gordon-Conwell alumni work in a variety of vocations,including business, the arts, medicine, law, missions, churchministry and teaching. We are grateful for all of our alumni, inwhatever vocation God has called them to serve, who faithfullywork on behalf of Christ and his church.

As part of the Alumni Hall renovation project, alumni authorswere asked to contribute books for an Alumni Library. e AlumniServices oce has record of over 270 alumni authors. To date, 101 havedonated over 350 books. Many thanks go out to those who donatedbooks to help ll our shelves. e Alumni Library is part of thePresidents Dining Room adjacent to Alumni Hall. If you are an alumniauthor and would like to contribute your books, send them to:

Alumni Services OceGordon-Conwell eological Seminary130 Essex Street, South Hamilton, MA 01982

Check out the Alumni Authors list online at:hps://my.gordonconwell.edu/alumniauthors.

Please Tell Us What You ink

Does your graduation year end in 3 or 8? If it does, this isyour year! e seminary has implemented an alumni survey

model to target a dierent segment of its graduates each year. As aresult, each graduate will receive a request for general feedback onceevery ve years. Watch your email in June for a link to the onlinesurvey.

Alumni News and Notes are updated regularly at hp://my.gordonconwell.edu/alumni. Join the Alumni Services website toview current news about your classmates.

AlUmnI news AlUmn

In MemoriamHarold L. Allen (B.D. 52), 87, passed away on Wednesday,October 17, 2012, at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick,ME. He served in the Army during WWII and was later adevoted pastor at several churches in Vermont and Maine.His lifes priority was serving others. He is survived byhis wife, Mildred.

Francis F. Crisci (M.Div. 52)passed away on April 27, 2012.He pastored the Second Baptist Church in Newton UpperFalls, MA, for years. In retirement, he was a volunteerchaplain in Mobile Estates Mobile Home Park in Sarasota,FL, until a week before he died. Francis was a man of faith,and even though he was blind since he was years old,he still preached the Word faithfully. He leaves his wife,Elizabeth; daughter, Katherine Lee; and son, David. He isburied in the veterans cemetery in Sarasota, FL.

Maurice E. Farr (B.D. 52) died on March 27, 2012, at the ageof 87 aer 14 years of struggle with Lewy Body Disease. Heis survived by his wife, Verna; children, John of Belvidere,N.J., Cheryl of Walnut Creek, CA, and Joel of Trumbull,CT; and grandchildren

Contact Spring 2013: Faith Under Fire

Documents

Transcript of Contact Spring 2013: Faith Under Fire