The Lord has opened tremendous doors of opportunity for me in my life. I hold a Bachelor's degree from Emmnuel College, an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell, an M.Phil. and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. Additionally, I studied at Tübingen University in Germany, Jerusalem University College in Jerusalem, and with the Institute of Early Christianity and Greco-Roman Studies on site in Greece and Turkey. Every step of that educational journey was punctuated by God's grace and provision. I had a sense that I was being divinely called to pursue higher education not for my own sake but in order to serve the church.
Service to the church has been the hallmark of my life since I preached my first sermon at 15 years of age. Throughout my education, I served actively in ministry in various denominations and theological traditions all over the world. I have served globally in missions ministries as well as locally in local church ministries. Currently, I serve as the senior pastor of The Capital Church just outside Raleigh, NC. In total, I have logged around 30 years of service in active ministry.
Keeping both academic interests and practical ministry concerns together is part of my purpose in life and ministry. It is my conviction that the academy often answers questions the church isn't asking and that the church doesn't always even know how to ask the right questions. Many Christians live vulnerably because they have not been equipped to offer a reasonable defense of their faith even for themselves, much less for others. So, I've set out to keep a foot in the academy in my service to the church so that I can help bridge that gap.
In a later post, I'll share more of my personal testimony. That will help the reader understand what I hope to accomplish in sharing this blog. I hope it will also, along with the work I produce here, provide encouragement and support for anyone on a genuine pursuit of truth.
The name of the blog is KAINÉ KTISIS. The greek term kainé ktisis is the expression translated in the New Testament as "new creation." The phrase only appears twice in the New Testament, although the theme is operative throughout the entire bible. I have spent a number of years studying the impact of this theological theme in the Bible, and I would like to share some of those findings with others. Not all of my postings will deal directly with the idea of new creation. Rather, the concept will serve as a kind of loose guide to direct open discussion on a number of topics that impact the contemporary church.
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