Creeds, Confessions, and the Church: A Free Will Baptist Perspective
Monday, 1:30-3:00 pm
Creeds and confessions have a long history in the Church and are often used by churches as expressions of their beliefs and included as components of worship. Such inclusion, long part of more liturgical worship, is being implemented more frequently in evangelical churches. Is this an appropriate practice? In what ways should creeds and confessions function in Free Will Baptist churches, if at all? This historically and theologically focused seminar will seek to answer this question and provide an opportunity for engagement with a panel of experts on this topic.
Rev. Derek Cominskie will outline the catholicity and confessionalism of Reformed Arminian forefather Jacob/James Arminius followed by a response from Dr. Kevin Hester who will place these remarks in their historical and theological context. Dr. Jesse Owens will provide an overview of the early English General Baptist approach to creeds and confessions. Dr. J. Matthew Pinson will provide a response that seeks to make application to the modern church and Free Will Baptist denomination. This seminar will define concepts like creeds, confessions, and catholicity, explore their use in the church historically, and examine what practical implications this may have for the Free Will Baptist Church today.