Danny Akin: Biblically-Illiterate SBC Pastors, NOT CALVINISM, is the Problem with the SBC!
On my way to the SC Baptist Convention’s Pastors’ Conference this morning, I couldn’t help but to “prepare myself” for the onslaught of “Calvinist Bashing” that I suspected would take place (a relapse of Greensboro). Yet not one pastor, from the pulpit, bashed Calvinists . . . amazing!!! And, to my surprise, Danny Akin addressed the REAL PROBLEM in the SBC. Dr. Akin was given the topic, “The Pastor as Theologian,” to preach.
This is Akin’s Intro: (all his actual quotes. . . . I was there. . . .I bought the CD. . . . This is acurate.)
Akin: “I run a risk. . . I have been struggling with this all weekend. . . because I realize that some of you will be angry with what I am going to say this afternoon. . . . . Some of you will perhaps think I am being arrogant, prideful and unloving. But I will say to you that I have examined my heart as carefully as I know how. Although I realize the deceitfulness of the human heart.
I have a tremendous burden of the fact that evangelicals. . . .Southern Baptists. . . are in serious, serious trouble. Much of that fault comes from the pulpit with men who are not filling the assignment of being the pastor/teacher, the pastor/theologian.
So in 2 John, he recognized the danger of all this. So he writes to a church. . . I believe that is what is represented by the metaphor, “The elect lady and her children.” Here’s what he says,
1 The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth,
2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 Walk in Christ’s Commandments I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.
5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.
6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
7 Beware of Antichrist Deceivers For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;
11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
12 Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. (2 John 1-12) NKJV
In December of 2003, the Barna group that issued a report that revealed only 4% of Americans have a simple, basic Biblical worldview way of thinking. That did not surprise me. But what did surprise me and disappoint me greatly is that,
in that same survey, it was said that only 9% of those, who claim to be born-again have a simple basic Biblical world-view of thinking, as a Christian. Barna made this observation from that survey: ’ The primary reason that people do not act like Jesus is because they do not think like Jesus.
Behavior stems by. . .WHAT WE THINK.’ Even the secular culture is realizing that there is a crisis within the evangelical
community and I would add, specifically, Southern Baptist Life.
Time Magazine, November 6th,2006, ’In touch with Jesus: sugarcoated, MTVstyle youth ministry is SO OVER. . . .
Biblebased worship is packing teens in pews now.
Youth ministers have been on a long and frustrating quest, on their own,
over the past two decades or so, believing that a message wrapped in popculture packaging was the way to
attract teens to their flocks. Pastors watered-down the religious content and they boosted the entertainment.
But in recent years, churches have began offering their young people a religious style of instruction grounded in Bible-study and teachings about the doctrines of their denomination.
Their conversion has been sparked by the recognition that sugarcoated Christianity, popular in the
1980’s and early 90’s has caused growing numbers of kids to turn away,
not just from attending youth fellowship activities, but also from practicing their faith at all. Even more worrisome to many youth ministers was, the survey found, that 61% of the adults polled,
who are now in their 20’s, said they have participated in church activities, as teens, but they no longer do so.’
My good friend, Al Mohler, commenting on this said, ’The fact that TIME found this story interesting is a story within itself.
Now if only we could encourage these parents to be as serious as their teenagers; and their pastors as serious as their youth
ministers.’ We, indeed, are facing the day a crisis within the evangelical and Southern Baptist community.
November 13th, 2006, the coverstory of Newsweek: The politics of Jesus: Sex vs. social justice.
Evangelicals at a crossroads. The first line of the article: ’an evangelical identity crisis.’ We are having a crisis as evangelicals.
Some, today, think that when you
speak of ’evangelical,’ you are talking about someone who reminisces about the good ole’ days of the moral majority,
who always votes republican, and their cult heros are people like: Rush Limbaugh, Shawn Hanety, and Bill O’Rielly. . .
they think that what it means to be an evangelical. On the other hand, you have emerging types like Rob Dall,
who now pastors a church running in excess of 10,000 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who says, ’an evangelical, oh, that’s
about believing that God can use people through humble acts of compassion and service.’
Rather extreme opposites I would submit to you.
Then let’s step into our own family: oh, were at a crisis: We’re having debates about Baptism, both, the lack of them,
and just what constitutes Biblical baptism. . . We’re talking about tongues . . . We’re talking about alcohol. . .
We’re talking about church discipline. . .and we’re talking about church membership. . . and we’re talking about worship. . . and of course. . . WE’RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT CALVINISM.
And, yet, much of what I hear, today, IS SLOPPY . . .IT IS ILL-INFORMED. . .
THEOLOGICALLY AND BIBLICALLY, WE OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF OURSELVES!!! . . . OF SOME OF THE TRITE PUNCHLINES THAT WE HEAR COMING OUT OF
THE MOUTHS OF SUPPOSED LEADERS WITHIN THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION!
Now lest you misunderstand me. . . I am not a fivepoint Calvinist. . . . BUT I CERTAINLY BELIEVE WHEN YOU CRITIQUE SOMETHING,
YOU OUGHT TO DO IT WITH INTEGRITY. . . .YOU OUGHT TO DO IT
FAIRLY. . . . AND YOU OUGHT TO DO IT WITH SOME SEMBLANCE OF KNOWING WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. . . BUT WE DON’T DO VERY GOOD AT IT RIGHT NOW! BECAUSE WE’RE NOT TEACHING
THE BIBLE. . . WE’RE NOT TEACHING THEOLOGY. . . AND WE, INDEED, HAVE LOST SIGHT OF OUR CALLING. . . .AS THE PASTOR/TEACHER OF EPHESIANS 4:11. . . OR IF YOU LIKE, THE CALLING TO BE A PASTOR/THEOLOGIAN.” (Excert from Dr. Danny Akin’s Sermon at the South Carolina Baptist Convention’s Pastors’ Conference at Brushy Creek Baptist Church in Greenville, SC on Monday, November 13th.)
November 14, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Has Danny Akin ever built a church? Has he ever pastored? His CV lists no pastorates.
http://www.sebts.edu/president/about/index.cfm
If he has never pastored, then by what right can he ask these questions? It seems like he and Mohler know everything that is wrong with churches when neither one of them has ever done it. I find that very strange.
If the “SUPPOSED LEADERS”, i.e. pastors like Johnny Hunt, are complaining about Calvinism then maybe they know something that Akin doesn’t. In fact, I’m sure they do.
The “Calvinism” that the “SUPPOSED LEADERS” are complaining about is not the Calvinism of Spurgeon but the Calvinism of the Founders, Southern Seminary, R.C. Sproul, and the like. It’s a big difference, and probably not one that Akin realizes, having never pastored a church and seen the devastation that the “Founders Calvinism” can bring.
Charles
The Calvinist Flyswatter
http://calvinistflyswatter.blogspot.com
November 14, 2006 at 7:10 pm
Chad,
All I can say is thank you to “Founders Ministry” for posting a link to your blog. Here are some reasons: (1) It was good to hear what Dr. Akin had to say. (2) I read your short bio and well I could put my name in there almost. Replace PRCA with IPRA (and remove some of the accomplishments) But other then that you and I could sit around and tell some stories. I broke my shoulder on a Bob Barnes saddle bronc which led me to my bullfighting career in the PRCA and some other associations. God saved me from one of those wrecks and divinely (as if there is any other way) brought me to him.
I am currently finishing up my M.Div at NOBTS and have plans to teach on the Seminary level.
Anyways, it was good to find you. I live in GA and wouldn’t mind talking to you some more in the future.
Quick question do you not at times find yourself desiring to get back on a bareback horse minus the temptations of the normal rodeo crowd. God only knows how at times I would love to get on any bronc and I would really love to make a couple of rounds with a good free-style bull.
Thanks for your time.
Joshua “flea” Stewart
November 15, 2006 at 12:14 am
Brother “Flea,”
Thank you for your kind words. I have been on a few Bob Barnes Horses. . . I got on “Skoal’s Choosen One,” at Dawton Georgia in, I think, 1995. Everytime I get the urge, I just throw in one of my old rodeo tapes. . . and the urge goes away quickly. Send me an email. . .I would love to correspond with you. You probably have a few good “bull-fightin” sermon illustrations.
Blessings To You,
Chadwick
November 15, 2006 at 12:27 am
Dear Calvinist Flyswatter,
I believe if you search Akin’s history carefully, you will find that he has, indeed, pastored two churches. Brother, please understand that it is not about Calvinism, but the Holy Scriptures. Also, I urge you to please make a motion at next year’s SBC, in San Antonio, to have the Election Article DELETED from the 2000 BF&M. . . and while you are making motions, make another to BAN every Historic Southern Baptist from the SBC. . . .you go and swatt away at em’, brother
Chadwick
November 15, 2006 at 5:08 pm
Brother Chadwick, Hello!
Since you have carefully searched Dr. Akin’s history would you please provide the names and locations of the churches he has pastored, and the dates he was there? Were these full time pastorates or student pastorates? It’s interesting that these pastorates are not listed in the link I provided which appears to be his “official” CV on the Southeastern Seminary web site. I wonder why he did not wish to list his former pastorates? Maybe he feels his dissertation on Bernard of Clairvaux is an adequate substitute for pastoral experience.
As for the election article of the Baptist Faith and Message, why would I want it deleted? Brother Bob Ross has shown that the BF&M refutes hybrid/hyper/neo/extreme Calvinism’s strange “born again before faith” heresy as it is promoted by The Founders and others.
http://calvinistflyswatter.blogspot.com/2006/04/baptist-faith-message-vs-pre-faith-new.html
Charles
The Calvinist Flyswatter
http://calvinistflyswatter.blogspot.com
November 15, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Brother Swatter,
I know that I am not going to convince you about anything. I respect your straight-forward, factual dialog. As for Danny Akin, why don’t you e-mail him directly . . . that way you can hear it “straight from the horse’s mouth!” (I don’t have the time to do all that comprehensive research. I would rather be exegeting the Scriptures and seeking the LORD’s guidence in my sermon preparation.) I have corresponded with Brother Akin a couple of times; and if you insist, I will email him tonight after my church service.
Concerning your distaste for the Founders, Tom Ascol HOLDS TO THE SAME VIEWS OF CHARLES SPURGEON. For your strong claims of heresy to be consistent, why don’t you publicly profess that Spurgeon a heretic too
Why don’t you make another big swat and condemn Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for housing a “heretic’s” library? (See my last post.) I seek to be consistent with my Theology. Please seek to be consistent with who you label as a heretic.
If the Founders are “heretical,” as you claim, you need to get on the horn to Dr. Frank Page and have him help you do some swatting
I know Brother Page doesn’t want heresy in the SBC. Brother, as your brother in Christ, I would caution you not to label anybody that does not fit your mold of Theology a “heretic”. . . That is a stout charge.
Spurgeon held to the 1689 London Baptist Confession.
The SBC Abstracts is right in line with the 1689 on the faith article:
1. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.
( 2 Corinthians 4:13; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:14, 17; Luke 17:5; 1 Peter 2:2; Acts 20:32 ) (1689 LondonBaptist Confession)
X. Faith:
Saving faith is the belief, on God’s authority, of whatsoever is revealed in His Word concerning Christ; accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and is accompanied by all other saving graces, and leads to a life of holiness. (SBC Abstract of Principles)
I am not going to take you seriously until you call Spurgeon a “heretic”!!! Please be CONSISTENT with your “heresy” claim.
If you want to take the “ultimate swat” to end the “Calvinists” threat in the SBC, please make another motion in San Antonio to ban every Founders Friendly Friend & Church listed on the Founders Sight from the SBC. . . I’m sure you will get a second to your motion.
One more thougth, to really put the “finishing swat” on the issue, why don’t you make another motion for the SBC messengers to annihilate, the SBC Abstract of Principles.” That will really “swat” things staight in the SBC.
Chadwick
November 15, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Chadwick, be encouraged, you don’t stand alone in five points here in SC, we are in Columbia I’m preached in Batesburg (interim). Alot of the founders blogs I read are from men who are strictly academic, not in the fields with the flocks. I’m happy to meet you, your welcome in my home anytime. You have put together som good thoughts. btw great thoughts on res. 5 I see you have kids, I believe Jesus will bless you for giving them cough medicication this cold season
(If a man doesn’t provide for his family he is worse than an infidel), Walk in grace, flee the chains of the Law-Matt Stevens
November 15, 2006 at 7:01 pm
Brother Matt,
Thank you for those kind words of encouragement. I definitey want to meet you. I will email you my phone numbers & we will make a date.
Blessings,
Chadwick
November 15, 2006 at 7:30 pm
I forgot one comment,
Swatter, I am an alum of the same great academic institution of Dr. Akin, we studied greek under the same man, Theology under the same men, and as the unique Patterson (archherald of “I hate Calvinsts”) states “Criswell College Alumni, are the Green Berets of Christianity” (Patterson, 2005 Conversation with class of 06. (me)) I would take caution before questioning the ability or experience of a soldier of Akin’s Caliber (especially one who falls nearer to your camp than some) A regarding Akins tenure
note http://www.swbts.edu/advancement/communications/documents/100504.swf citing FBC Dallas as His first service, I can support this claim as FBC Dallas was my last place of Staff service, also note http://www.shawuniversity.edu/SUDS/Min_Conf/presenters.htm Where Dr. Akin is noted as serving at ten churches,
This information can be found by Googling “Danny Akin served as Pastor” These deep and complex facts are provided by google in .26 seconds. Google makes even the laziest of reachers without excuse, comprehensive reseach not required
Perhaps Dr. Akin didn’t see fit to include these churches because it would be a long read for some people…
Moreover, bob ross cannot explain away the statement: Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility. (BF&M) Specifically the use of “Election” “comprehends all the means in connection with the end” and “soverign”
In regards to heritics- well you may call Luther, Augustine, William Carey, John Edwards, George Whitfield, Sam Zwemer, Dagg, Moody, lloyd Jones, Sproul, John Owens, and myself Heritics if you wish, Ironically There shown a great light from these mens lives. I would submit that one must be in great darkness not to see this light. May you see the light-Matt Stevens
November 15, 2006 at 8:17 pm
Assuming for the moment that there is a substantial difference between Spurgeon and Founders Ministry, then why does a British Baptist from the 19th century weigh more than James Boyce, John L. Dagg, and P.H. Mell?
In the past, Flyswatter, you’ve grossly misrepresented R.C. Sproul and a laundry list of others. I’ve before, so I’ll ask again. How is this a denial of instrumentality?
R.C. Sproul: Sproul does speak of regeneration being the direct act of the Holy Spirit. However he says,
“God’s call is made effectual by the Word and the Spirit. It is important to see that the Word and the Spirit are here conjoined as two vital factors of regeneration. The Holy Spirit is not working apart from the Word or against the Word, but with the Word. Nor is the Word working alone without the presence and power of the Spirit.
The call referred to in effectual calling is not the outward call of the gospel
that can be heard by anyone within range of the preaching. The call referred to here is the inward call, the call that penetrates to and pierces the heart, quickening it to spiritual life. Hearing the gospel enlightens the mind, yet it does not awaken the soul until the Holy Spirit illuminates it and regenerates it. This move from ear to soul is made by the Holy Spirit. This move is what accompanies God’s purpose of applying the benefits of Christ’ work to the elect. (Grace Unknown: The Heart of Reformed Theology, p.190 -91, 2000 edition).
You didn’t answer before, so I doubt you’ll answer now.
You and Bob appealed to A.H. Strong before, even going so far as to say to me: Don’t give me that nonsense about “The relationship is logical and causal, but not temporal.”
But when we look at Strong we find not only his statement that regeneration and conversion are so close as to be contemporaneous, we also find this:
Under this head of Union with Christ, Regeneration, Conversion (embracing Repentance and Faith), and Justification. Much confusion and error have arisen from conceiving of these in chronological order. The order is logical, not chronological. “As it is only ‘in Christ’ that man is a ‘new creature’ or is ‘justified,’ union with Christ logically precedes both regeneration and justification; and yet chronologically, the moment of our union with Christ is also the moment when we are regenerated and justified. So too, regeneration and conversion are but the divine and human sides or aspects of the same fact, although regeneration has logical precedence, and man turns only as God turns him. (Systematic Theology, hereafter ST, 793)
We can only conclude from this that you purposefully distort what these authors write, or you are illiterate.
How ironic that they have stated that this is “nonsense” and that A.H. Strong did not affirm the axiom “regeneration” precedes faith, all the while invoking him as representative of their own views, and, as we can see, A.H. Strong not only affirmed that regeneration precedes faith, but he also said that the order is logical and not chronological…but this just “nonsense,” right?
Now compare this with R.C. Sproul:
When speaking of the order of salvation (ordo salutis), Reformed theology always and everywhere insists that regeneration precedes faith. Regeneration precedes faith because it is a necessary condition for faith. Indeed it the sine qua non of faith. It is important to understand, however, that the order of salvation refers to a logical order, not necessarily a temporal order. For example, when we say that justification is by faith, we do not mean that faith occurs first, and then we are justified at some late time. We believe that at the very moment faith is present, justification occurs. There is no time lapse between faith and justification. They occur simultaneously. Why then do we say that faith precedes justification? Faith precedes justification in a logical sense, not a temporal sense. Justification is logically dependent on faith, not faith on justification. We do not have faith because we are justified; we are justified because we have faith.
Similarly when Reformed theology says regeneration precedes faith, it is speaking in terms of logical priority, not temporal priority. We cannot exercise saving faith until we have been regenerated, so we say faith is dependent on regeneration, not regeneration on faith. (R.C. Sproul, Grace Unknown: The Heart of Reformed Theology,, 2000 edition, 195).
Your reputation for honesty and well thought out study leaves much to be desired.
Once before you stated that regeneration occurs after faith and: “This was the teaching of the real founders of the SBC and as far as I can tell has been the theology of every President of the SBC since the formation of the Convention.”
Except of course, you neglect to mention James Boyce who served 8 years, and says explicitly in his Abstract of Systematic Theology that regeneration precedes faith and devotes a large part of a single chapter to regeneration articulating the very doctrines you say that these men did not believe.
You were, in July, the one using Google Earth maps to make comments about Tom Ascol’s ministry:
Let’s look at the data. Lee County is part of the Royal Palm Association, which is part of the Florida Baptist Convention. The FBC reports that after twenty years of pastoring by Tom Ascol, Grace Baptist Church has 212 total members and 201 resident members. In case the numbers are off, Google provides a satellite photo of Grace Baptist Church. (You may need to “move” the picture up a bit to see the church). To provide some context, click here to see a picture of the area surrounding Tom’s church.
Tom Ascol: An heir of Charles H. Spurgeon? Not likely.
And yet, what you didn’t do was actually look at the statistics for his association at the time.Charles does not tell us how many churches are under the association average in membership. Would you believe the average membership is just 280.
Here is the median: approx. 80
Here is where Tom Ascol’s church ranked in that ACP: approx 60th. That is to say, with 2 members being the lowest membership and 5377 being the highest, Tom Ascol’s church was ranked SIXTY of 86!
The median membership is about 80 remember. Keeping that in mind, there are 46 churches with less than 100 members.
There are about 59 churches smaller than Grace Baptist.
About 71 churches have under 300.
About 75 churches have under 400.
There are about 78 churches with under 500 members.
Ergo, the average membership, even though it is quite low already is being skewed higher by the presence of 8 large churches, defined as churches of 500 or more. Here is a sample of those churches: 563, 823,1004,1862, 4820, 5377. (FYI, I’m saying about, because I might be off by a digit or two, as I did this quickly.
Charles, perhaps you need to take a course in statistics before writing analysis of this low a caliber. In context, it seems that Dr. Ascol’s church is actually growing quite well, having added 49 by calculating the difference between the numbers you cited and the number in the 2004 ACP. I think Spurgeon would be pleased. Moreover, it is one of the larger churches in the association!
Tom also reported to me privately that his average attendance on Sunday mornings is between 300-350. His Sunday night attendance is about 150-175 and his Wednesday night attendance is around 200.
Compare this with, say, the past SBC President who is in the same theological boat with Johnny Hunt.
2001
3506 members
203 baptisms
253 other additions
2200 primary worship attendance
2002
3812 members
296 baptisms
190 other additions
2100 primary worship
2003
4011 members
209 baptisms
137 other additions
2031 primary worship attendance
2004
4163 members
237 baptisms
204 other additions
1874 primary worship
It went from a counted Sunday morning worship attendance of 2200 in 2001 to 1874 in 2004. If my math is correct, that is a 15% decline. Granted, they have baptized 945 people during that 4 year period and they have added 784 people by other means. But the church membership only grew by 657. It took 1729 new members for the church to grow by 657 members. In addition those 1729 new members resulted in 326 fewer worshipers! This was the state of the church of the man that asked us to “baptize a million.” I am reminded of the old nursery rhyme, “Here’s the church; there’s the steeple/Open it up; where’s the people?” The men you seem to idolize can’t even get half their people into church on Sunday morning. The men whom you criticize have attendances higher than the membership of their churches. Let it suffice to say, your credibility in these parts is suspect at best.
November 15, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Dear Charles,
Brother how do you think so poorly. Even if Dr. Akin did not pastor a church (which I am not saying). How do you conclude that Dr. Akin is wrong? It does not follow just becuase a person has never pastored a church doesnt mean he is wrong about the problems of bad theology and the problems that confront the SBC.
Also, brother if you want to swat calvinism, like the beliefs of the founders movement, and still want to be an SBC person you are in a very akward position. This is because the founders movement Calvinism (which i did not know there was various forms of Calvinism- this is a position your making up)is taken exactly from the Founders of the SBC. So you are in a position of swatting the theology that your own denomination was FOUNDED upon.
Charles, I suggest you join a different denomination.
Stephen
November 16, 2006 at 12:20 pm
Hi Charles Church (a.k.a. ‘charles’) the anonymous blogger from The Calvinist Flyswatter.
November 16, 2006 at 6:13 pm
Swatter,
I suggest you find other blogs to swatt, as for me & my blog, we will stand on the truth!!!! Also Swatter, how many churches have you pastored? How many seminaries have you presided; in how many seminary classrooms have you taught? Are you in the top 50 of anything? Are you even a member of an SBC church? The truth demands an answer!
Akin is committee’s nominee as Southeastern’s sixth president
http://www.christianindex.org/338.article
Published January 1, 2004
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) – Southeastern Seminary’s presidential search committee will recommend to the board of trustees the election of Daniel L. Akin as the seminary’s sixth president.
The board will meet in special session on Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. at the school’s Wake Forest, N.C., campus to vote on Akin.
Akin, 46, is currently the vice president for academic administration and dean of the school of theology at Southern Seminary. He has connections to Southeastern, as he was professor of theology, dean of students and vice president for student services at Southeastern from 1992-96.
Akin holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Criswell College in Dallas.
Akin has pastored churches in Florida, Alabama and Virginia and has ministered in Australia, Thailand and to the Papago Indians. He was New Testament editor of The Holy Bible Baptist Study Edition by Thomas Nelson, and author of the volume on the Epistles of John for the New American Commentary series.
In 1996, Christianity Today named Akin as one of 50 emerging Christian leaders under the age of 40. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Southern Baptist Historical Society, the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Evangelical Theological Society.
Akin and his wife, Charlotte, have been married for 25 years. They have four children: twins Daniel and Jonathan, 22; Paul, 20; and Timothy, 18.
—————————————
May God continue to bless Brother Akin, a highly respected Elder, and how dare anyone question the credentials of such a fearless man of God.
Chadwick
November 21, 2006 at 11:28 am
Chadwick,
Where did you get your CD of Dr. Akin’s message. I’ve been looking for one and have yet to find it.
Blessings,
John
November 21, 2006 at 11:36 am
Pastor John,
Try calling Brushy Creek Baptist Church in Greenville, SC. They were selling mass copies of all the sermons. Its sad that it seems that I am the only one who bought Akin’s sermon
I will try to get more info for you.
Respectfully,
Chadwick