WEST CHESTER – Dr. Tom Nettles, senior professor of Historical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, will speak for the September 2017 Sunday Night Theology (SNT) at The Journey Church of West Chester, PA on Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 4:30pm.
We live in a culture and nation filled with conflicting ideas on the nature of God, religion, and truth itself. Even within the church, uniform agreement on any issue seems an impossible task. Though most would claim to base their beliefs on the Word of God, doctrinal disagreement seems to be a hallmark of ecumenical engagement. To combat such problems, many churches and denominations adopt historic creeds and confessions that can be pointed to as a faithful, scriptural consolidation and explanation of specific beliefs. In Baptist circles, however, many churches have adopted the “no creed but Christ” or “no confession but the Bible” mindsets, making many suspicious of using such documents. Many important questions arise about creeds and confessions: Where did these documents come from? Are they trustworthy reflections of God’s Word? Why do so many churches use them? How have they shaped the belief and practice of churches in the past?
Dr. Tom Nettles, senior professor of Historical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is a distinguished theologian and historian who has done extensive work on Baptist life and belief throughout his academic career. Dr. Nettles’ talk — “Philadelphia: Center of a Baptist Witness” — will focus on the role the city of Philadelphia played in the 18th century development and spread of Baptist thought in colonial and early America. More importantly, it will focus on the 275th anniversary of the Philadelphia Confession of Faith as a significant document for the growth of American Protestantism.
“We are honored to have Dr. Nettles share his decades of expertise and wisdom on the topic of confessionalism in Baptist life. It is foundational to our identity as Baptists in America,” stated Raymond Johnson, Lead Pastor of The Journey Church. “We look forward to welcoming him to our church and community to help us as we seek to maintain a strong and faithful confessional identity, something that is crucial for a gospel witness in the 21st century.”
Tom Nettles serves as the senior professor of Historical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He has formerly served as Professor of Historical Theology and Chair of the Department at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, IL; Associate Professor of Church History at Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN; and Assistant Professor of Church History at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Mississippi College in Clinton, MS and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. He is the author of numerous books, including By His Grace and For His Glory: A Historical Study of the Doctrines of Grace in Baptist Life (2006), Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (2013), and Teaching Truth, Training Hearts: The Study of Catechisms in Baptist Life (2017).
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