Identity Crisis?! Southern Baptists Clarify Who They Are
If you don't know about the Baptist Identity Conference at Union University, you should. For Southern Baptists this promises to be one of the most important conferences of the year. As far as speakers go, Dr. David Dockery, the president of Union University, is providing Southern Baptists with one of the most diverse lineups a Southern Baptist could imagine.
I think that this conference has the potential to advance the conversation about who Southern Baptists are more than anything being offered right now in Southern Baptist life. I hope that the lectures will result in a greater understanding of who Baptists are and, as a result, what we should do concerning the current areas of controversy. There will be people in attendance representing every area of Southern Baptist life in existence. Many, no doubt, will leave upset no matter what happens. And many will leave somewhat satisfied no matter what happens. Fortunately, there will be Southern Baptists in attendance open to either side. It is my prayer that they will choose to follow the direction that best glorifies Jesus of Nazareth.
Below is the schedule for the conference. It should be noted that the times tomorrow have been switched around. Under the new schedule, Page will now speak at 4 p.m., with Rainer speaking at 7 p.m. and Day at 8 p.m. Hope to see you there!!Â
Schedule
thursday, february 15 |
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2:00 p.m.
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4:00 p.m. | Session IFrank Page“the future of the cooperative program†|
| Frank Page currently serves as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He earned the Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. A champion of the Cooperative Program, Dr. Page is pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C. | |
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6:00 p.m.
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7:00 p.m. | Session IIThom Rainer“evangelism and church growth in the southern baptist convention†|
| Thom Rainer is President of Lifeway Christian Resources. One of the most influential scholars in the field of evangelism and church growth, Dr. Rainer has authored more than a dozen best-selling books. He earned the Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he previously served as the founding Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth. | |
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8:00 p.m. | Session IIIMike Day“the future of baptist associations and state conventions†|
| Mike Day is Director of Missions for the Mid-South Baptist Association, Memphis, Tenn. He earned the D. Min from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. Dr. Day, who previously served with the North American Mission Board, is highly respected for his creative leadership. | |
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9:00 p.m.
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friday, february 16 |
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8:00 a.m.
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8:30 a.m. | Session IVPaige Patterson“what contemporary baptists can learn from anabaptists†|
| Paige Patterson is President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Patterson has served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention as well as president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. A respected theologian, Dr. Patterson is author of several significant books. | |
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10:00 a.m. | Session VRussell Moore
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| Russell Moore is Dean of the School of Theology, Senior Vice President for Academic Administration, and Associate Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a Ph.D. He is author of The Kingdom of Christ. | |
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11:30 a.m.
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12:00 p.m. | Session VIDavid S. Dockery“the southern baptist convention since 1979†|
| David S. Dockery is President of Union University. He is the author or editor of more than 25 volumes. Dr. Dockery has served as the Chairman of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities. | |
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3:00 p.m. | Session VIIGregory A. Thornbury“the ‘angry young men’ of the sbc†|
| Gregory A. Thornbury is founding Dean of the School of Christian Studies at Union University. He earned a Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Thornbury is also Senior Fellow at Kairos Journal. | |
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6:00 p.m.
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6:45 p.m. | Session VIIIJim Shaddix“the future of the traditional church†|
| Jim Shaddix is Senior Pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Denver, Colo. He is the author of two books, Power in the Pulpit with Jerry Vines, and The Passion Driven Sermon. He formerly served as professor of preaching at New Orleans Baptist Seminary. | |
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saturday, february 17 |
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8:30 a.m. | Session IXEd Stetzer“toward a missional convention†|
| Ed Stetzer serves as the Missiologist and Research Team Director at the North American Mission Board in Alpharetta, Ga. and as Co-Pastor of Lake Ridge Church in Cumming, Ga. He earned a Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D. Min from Beeson Divinity School. | |
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10:00 a.m. | Session XTimothy George“the future of baptist identity in a post-denominational world†|
| Timothy George is Dean and Professor of Divinity at the Beeson Divinity School. One of he most respected historians in the evangelical world, Dr. George is the editor of The Reformation Commentary on Scripture with InterVarsity Press. He holds the Th.D. from Harvard University. | |
Union University thanks LifeWay/B&H Publishing Group, Southwestern Seminary, and
Jackson Energy Authority for their help in providing support for the conference.
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