Church Blog

Joshua and Robin Attend Colloquium

June 1 2012 at 3:25 pm 3 Comments

Mark Dever, Tim Keller, Al Mohler, and David Powlison*

Last week Josh Harris and I traveled to Louisville, Ky., and the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary which hosted the Gospel Coalition Council Colloquium. This was a gathering of about 50 evangelical leaders (of various denominations and movements) and their guests from around the nation. What we all have in common is the conviction that the gospel message is of first importance. “Colloquium” is just a fancy word for academic discussion.

The limited number of participants made it possible for extended and stimulating discussions of a range of theological and practical issues. We covered current trends in such topics as the Trinity, homosexuality, pastors and politics, the historical nature of Adam and Eve, Islam, etc. The focus of all this was to determine how these matters will affect our churches. 

The conference was led by Don Carson and Tim Keller, widely respected leaders in the church today. Because of the informal nature of the conference, there were plenty of opportunities for informal conversations with old friends (like David Powlison) and building relationships with new ones.

This was my first visit to the campus of Southern. The staff and people we encountered there could not have been kinder or more hospitable. One of the benefits for me was that Josh and I were able to enjoy unhurried times of fellowship together. We return excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our church as we serve our faithful God and pursue the mission he’s given us to make disciples.

—Robin Boisvert

*This panel moderated by Mark Dever weighed the topic of homosexuality—how public opinion has changed rapidly against the traditional view and how new laws pose new challenges for churches. What should we expect in the coming years? What can we do, and what should we change? Image credit: Carl Larsen

 





Wow! Glad you went! Rubbing elbows with old friends is always nice.

—> Definitely looking forward to seeing and hearing more of the impact of so many concerns we face.

By Jeff Truesdale on 06/01/2012

Hello pastor that is amazing. I am happy you covered sensitive topics including homosexuality. I am aware the president legalized it but we as children of God should still stand against it because it is not from God and we believers should stand firm and we will be saved at the end Mathew 24:13

By Andrew ronnie okello on 06/03/2012

Thanks for making us aware of our continued commitment to “that which is of first importance” and not allowing differences over polity to cause us to withdraw from maintaining gospel-unity and continuing to benefit from in depth intellectual communication and relationship with men who are both biblically and culturally informed. I appreciate the the humility and courage to maintain the unity of the spirit while working toward unity in other areas in so far as it depends on you. It just reminds me of living out messages preached here such as the series THE GLUE OF CHRISTIAN UNITY. It also protects our church from becoming insulated.
    And Robin, thanks for not making us feel dumb for not knowing that word that Al Mohler probably made sure was included in what the gathering would be called.

By Paul Kellen on 06/24/2012
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