Central Newsletter
February2011
The Heart Conference 2011
Over the past dozen years I have attended 10 of the 12 annual Heart Conferences at Northland Camp. Even though the weather is usually cold and snowy (this year I woke each morning to minus nine degree weather!), the encouragement that I receive from the fellowship of like-minded men has been refreshing to my soul. I think what makes the Heart Conference beneficial to me are three necessary ingredients: the philosophy of the host, the speakers, and the interaction with fellow participants.
The desire of this conference is summed up by its title: “Heart Conference.” Northland presents an exciting, spiritual atmosphere but projects a genuine attitude of humility as they minister to the hearts of the larger Body of Christ.
This year there were 23 speakers focusing on the theme: “The Gospel in a Changing World.” It was a wonderful opportunity for all of us to hear passionate, plenary sessions from both pastors and missionaries, as well as to attend a variety of workshops—from how to do theology, to church planting issues, to the development of biblical sermons, to what are the latest trends in cross-cultural missions.
Though the host and the speakers were a great blessing this year, my greatest joy came from interacting with prospective college grads considering CBTS and from fellowshipping with seven CBTS grads in full-time ministry. Four CBTS grads were senior pastors (Daniel Lowe, MN; Mark Ring, WI; Craig Kirsteatter, WI; and Mike Osborne, DE), one assistant pastor (Tim Hill, WI), one grad, Deborah Lowe, is married to senior pastor Daniel Lowe, and one grad is on the NIU staff working in their grad program (Greg Dietrich). All of these grads are serving the Lord and are passionate about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Whether you normally attend conferences or not, I encourage our seminary family to consider making Heart Conference 2012 a part of your schedule—I would love to see you there!
-Dr. Daniel Davey President
Dr. Daniel Davey speaking at the Heart Conference 2011
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February 18-26 Dr. Windsor will be traveling to Romania to participate in the Union Mission Pastor's Conference.
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March 3 Women of CBTS meeting: A time for the ladies at CBTS to get together. The meeting will be from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Email Kris Keiser for more details: krissppie@gmail.com
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March 6 Bonhoeffer's Corner: A time for the seminary family to discuss the Text. The gathering will be from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Call Central for more details: 757.479.3706.
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March 14-18 Central Seminary spring break: Dr. Kyle Dunham will be on campus teaching Exposition of Haggai and Malachi during this break.
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March 27-30 Ransomed for God Conference: Colonial Baptist church would like to invite you to their annual mission's conference.
Prayer Requests
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We have a number of prospective students for the fall of 2011. Please be in prayer that the Lord will bring the right students to Central.
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We have been very blessed this year with financial support. Please pray for continued support for Central.
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18 students will be graduating this May. Please pray for them as they trust the Lord with the next stage in ministry.
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Alumni Jamey Stout
Praise God! “We are moving to North Carolina to pastor an existing ministry or church plant,” or so we thought. Then the pastor withdrew his resignation and the help promised for the church plant did not materialize. What were we doing here? So I called Academic Dean Eric Lehner and he suggested letting churches know that we were available. I asked and visited a church and the answer was no. I asked Jon Rinker and he sent me a list of churches that had contacted Appalachian Bible College looking for a pastor. I sent out eight resumes and two churches showed interest. God said no to one and the other looked more and more like God’s direction. We are going to be ministering at Bethel Bible Church in Argyle, Iowa. They unanimously voted to call me as their pastor. My family and I can’t wait. We will be moving in a couple of weeks. God led us to North Carolina to send us to Iowa.
What God has been teaching us through this process has been bittersweet. I believe that God’s call to pastor is on my life, yet all these doors were shutting in my face. The Lord graciously gave me a janitorial job to keep us going financially. The lesson that fell on my heart was “contentment with Jesus” even if the pastorate never happened. Had ministry become an idol? Did I adore ministry more than the Lord of glory that ministry is about? By the grace of God, I know I could be content scrubbing toilets for the rest of my life with my Christ who is my greatest treasure. Thank You, Holy Spirit.
Was North Carolina a mistake or is God sovereign? Today, sitting in a Denny’s with my boss and his brother in an accountability meeting they initiated months before, they told me that each of them had been praying separately for someone to help them spiritually. They looked in my face and said I was an answer to that prayer. I broke down in tears. During these months we had been studying the book of Romans, and for the first time, my boss was illumined by the Spirit to the truth of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. “You mean I can’t get any more righteous before God?” Nope! You could see the joy bells ringing. His brother was born again while reading Romans on his own and now wants to live a cross-centered life. We would talk for hours each week at Denny’s about the Word and the book, Desiring God, that we had started reading together. God is sovereign and we are in His plan not ours. I am so glad.
My final thought for you, my brothers and sisters in the gospel, is let us exult with holy joy in our Prophet, Priest, and King. When indwelling sin lies to us and Satan hisses and the world seeks to pull us in, let us look at our treasure sitting at the right hand of God. "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4). Sola Dei Gloria!
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