John Gaskin

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Bruce Schmidt is a modern-day David assisting Southern Baptists in an effort to take on several Goliaths — American’s major cities — for the cause of Christ. But God hasn’t delivered this David from lions and bears, but rather, from witch doctors, bullets and even crazed buffaloes. Speaking April 4 at Midwestern […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Citing several recent examples of Christian persecution and martyrdom around the world, Al Bean, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, questioned how American Christians can rest while so many of their brothers and sisters are being martyred around the world. Speaking during a Nov. 18 chapel on […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is planning to launch a doctor of education ministry degree for church staff members in August. The D. Min. program provides ministry training beyond the master’s level for those students wanting to enhance the practice of ministry, said Robert Vaughan, assistant professor of Christian education. “There has not […]

BELLEVUE, Neb. (BP)–Jason Peters ministers in a parish that stretches from 30,000 feet above the earth to deep within an underground command post. He is living a childhood dream as a chaplain at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. “As a child I had the privilege of knowing retired Army Chaplain Arnold ‘Smokey’ Stover. […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Search committees selecting a pastor need to examine a candidate’s prayer life for three essential components — intelligence, passion and effectiveness, said Ben Awbrey, preaching professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Such are the components of a ministry built on a proper foundation of prayer, Awbrey said April 27 at the Kansas […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Citing the paradox of a nation so richly blessed by God, yet living as if God doesn’t exist, Billy Kim, a Korean Baptists and president of the Far East Broadcasting Company, issued a plea for American churches to recommit their energies to prayer that God will bring the nation’s “wandering sons and […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Tom Ascol, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Fla., advocated a time of honest March 12 at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. “Despite our accomplishments, statistics and resources of which we [evangelicals] boast, we have had very little impact upon our culture,” Ascol said. “The church has lost its voice.” Ascol […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–“If I zapped you with the power to recite 100 verses of Scripture and also gave you a $100 bill, which would it upset you more to lose? The fact is, for far too many of you, the answer is the $100 bill.” With deep conviction, Rollin DeLap, assistant director of the […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–“A god who can’t burn wet wood isn’t worth dry faith,” said James Merritt, pastor of First Baptist Church, Snellville, Ga. Speaking at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., April 14, Merritt encouraged students to throw water on the wood that feeds the fire of revival. “What we need is […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo.–Jesus’ charge to “disciple all the nations” doesn’t fit well with some aspects of church-growth teachings, according to William C. Tinsley, executive director of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention. Speaking to students at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., April 7, Tinsley said as a Baptist he cut his teeth on the […]