IACE’s Inaugural Fall Conference Draws International Audience
Fort Worth, Texas -- The International Alliance for Christian Education’s inaugural Fall conference September 20-22 drew attendees from as far away as central Asia as speakers focused on Evangelism, Discipleship and Apologetics. View Conference Photo Gallery
In all, 120 participants representing 33 institutions, 12 organizations and 18 churches gathered in the Riley Conference Center on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. In six plenary sessions that began Wednesday, September 20 and concluded midday Friday, presentations focused on practical definitions and applications of evangelism, discipleship and apologetics.
“This event was the first Fall conference for IACE,. We are so pleased with the quality of presentations, the overall attendance, and the interaction and engagement of those who were present with us,” said IACE president David S. Dockery.
John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, led the first session, examining “Culture and the Question of Plausibility.” He said Christians have used the word culture as a synonym for what is bad in the world, and yet they underestimate the influence culture has on their own lives and families.
Stonestreet identified three cultural areas he called “ripe for Gospel engagement:” Death and dying, the protection of children, and meaning of life.
In session two, Travis Dickinson presented “Putting Apologetics in its Place.” Dickinson, professor of philosophy at Dallas Baptist University, said apologetics can be defined as defending the truth, goodness, and beauty of Christianity, adding “that Christians also should ask hard questions about their own faith, not out of skepticism, but in the same way two lovers ask questions to get to know one another better.”
Session three was conducted as part of Southwestern Seminary’s campus chapel service featuring Robert Sloan’s presentation titled “What is Evangelism?” Sloan, president of Houston Christian University and an IACE Board member, traced the origins of evangelism from Old Testament times to the current message that “now is the time for repentance” -- a time that will end abruptly and without any warning.
Ed Stetzer, an IACE senior fellow and dean of Talbot School of Theology, looked at “Our Mission in this Moment” in light of John 20:19-21. Stetzer used the analogy of a big tent in reference to Billy Graham’s famous tent revival in Los Angeles in 1949. He said the center pole, often called the king pole, holds up the tent and makes everything under it possible, while the many ropes that anchor the tent have a common goal but dissimilar origins. He said conversion is often viewed as the king pole of mission.
“I believe God calls us to work on mission in all the ways He’s at work in the world,” Stetzer said. “Let’s just live for the Lord and serve Him. Let our students see the centrality of the Gospel through conversion. Then join Jesus on mission in the world.”
Nathan Finn, editor of IACE’s online academic journal and campus historian at North Greenville University, led an examination of “How God Has Used Colleges and Universities in Spiritual Awakenings and Mission Mobilization.” He described the long-term effects of campus revivals at Yale in the 1700s, the awakening on college campuses from 1945-1960, and the 2023 revival at Asbury University. He ended with a prayer that all campuses might see revival in the months ahead.
Session six featured three speakers. C.S. Lewis scholar Hal Poe, Charles Colson professor of faith and culture at Union University, addressed “Evangelism and Apologetics: Learning from C.S. Lewis.”
Poe observed that for Lewis, apologetics was about clearing away stumbling blocks to help people understand the Gospel. Even his works of fiction feature important aspects of Gospel truth.
“What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but books about other subjects where the author’s Christianity is latent,” Poe said. “That’s the reason this organization (the IACE) exists. What are the presuppositions and what is the Christian point of view on these issues?”
Jeremiah Johnston, dean of spiritual development at Prestonwood Academy, identified three concern on the horizon for Christians.
He lamented the siloed nature of study for terminal degrees as well as the rising influence of artificial intelligence approaches to issues that utilize search engines like Tik Tok.
Johnston explained how he departed his academic comfort zone to study authenticity claims about the ancient Shroud of Turin. He said he started as a skeptic before his extensive research points to the strong possibility the artifact is genuine.
“This study has offered me evangelical and apologetical opportunities,” Johnston said. “You never know what opportunities God will make available to you.”
The final speaker, Robert Smith, the Charles T. Carter professor of preaching, looked at “Beyond the Border” in light of Acts 8 and 9 and the story of Phillip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch. Both men crossed artificial borders of their times to sit together and consider a prophesy about Jesus in the book of Isaiah. The eunuch, a Gentile and a man of color, accepted the Gospel and was baptized.
Smith pointed out that historians often trace the origins of the Coptic Orthodox Christian Church in Africa to the Eunuch. He said the story encapsulates evangelism at its finest.
“Our evangelism ought to produce learning,” Smith said, “not just feeling good. Feeling good ought to grow from truth.”
In addition to the plenary sessions, there were eight workshop meetings addressing subjects such as the New Atheism, God’s Global Commission for the Church, Creating Confident Converts, and New Testament Evangelism and Apologetics practices.
A pre-conference, hosted by IACE and the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Seminary, included multiple discussions on public theology. Land Center director Daniel Darling led the sessions on September 19-20.
Dockery expressed deep appreciation to the sponsors who provided financial resources to make the conference possible.
The Platinum Sponsor was Witness to Win; the Gold Sponsor was Impact 360 Institute; the Silver Sponsor was Crossway, and Bronze Sponsors were B&H Publishing, Texas Baptists Apologetics, and the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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