Reuel L. Howe was a professor of pastoral theology and founder of the Institute for Advanced Pastoral Studies in Bloomfield Hills, MI. The service begins with organ music (00:00-02:10). The speaker gives a word of prayer (02:11-03:50). Reuel L. Howe is introduced as the Spring Conference speaker (03:51-07:36). Howe’s lecture is entitled “Human Foundations for Ministry,” and he begins his lecture by describing his lecture as a dialogue of meaning (07:37-11:39). Howe describes the human ego as the foundation for ministry, and he list the negative and deficient thoughts that lead to hinder ministry growth (11:40-33:09). Howe then moves to describing the growth needs to set a good foundation for ministry, and this is ultimately found in having a healthy perspective on the call and purpose of ministry (33:10-41:33). The speaker welcomes visitors to campus, and he gives a word of prayer (41:34-42:58).
Billy H. Cline was a Trustee. The service begins with President Randall Lolley giving a call to worship and a word of prayer (00:00-02:10). Lolley introduces the Southeastern trustees, and Billy H. Cline is introduced as the chapel speaker (02:11-05:34). Trustee Warren Pearson leads in a song of worship (05:35-09:40). Cline begins his message with a joke, reading from Ephesians 4:1-6, and a word of prayer (09:41-12:18). Cline’s sermon is about maintaining unity in the church, and he says that the virtues listed in Ephesians 4:2 of humility, meekness, long suffering, and bearing one another’s burdens in love are crucial for this task (12:19-25:57). He closes his sermon by stating that the spread of the gospel is at stake if unity is destroyed (25:58-28:23). Lolley ends the service with a word of prayer (28:24-29:08).
Vann DuWayne Battle was a SEBTS student. The service begins with piano music (00:00-02:40). The speaker gives a word of prayer, and she reads from Matthew 11:2-6 (02:41-05:20). A student sings a song of worship (05:21-09:57). Battle begins his sermon with a joke about a woman who was insulted during a train ride (09:58-12:45). Battle’s sermon is about faith and doubt with his passage being Matthew 11:2-6, and he says that followers of Christ should not try to form Jesus to their preconceived expectation. Rather, they should accept and embrace the Christ who has come to redeem the world (12:46-31:56). Battle ends the service with a word of prayer (31:57-32:58).
David G. Davies was Principal of the South Wales Baptist College. The service begins with President Randall Lolley reading Psalm 24 for the call to worship (00:00-01:33). Lolley shares a prayer request, and he leads in a word of prayer (01:34-04:46). Lolley introduces the Southeastern trustees, and David G. Davies is introduced as the chapel speaker (04:47-08:43). Davies begins his sermon by reading from John 6:66-68 (08:44-10:58). Davies speaks about modern day pluralism, and he says that the main task of Christians is pointing lost souls to Jesus who is the one and only Lord (10:59-25:07). Davies ends the service with a word of prayer (25:08-26:54).
Clyde E. Fant, Jr. was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Richardson, TX. The service begins with organ music (00:00-04:41). The speaker gives a word of prayer (04:42-05:25). Clyde E. Fant, Jr. is introduced as the Adams Lecturer (05:26-08:18). The choir sings a song of worship (08:19-10:11). Fant’s lecture is entitled “The American Pulpit, Another Victim of Recent Bad History,” and he begins with Richard Baxter and John Bunyan of the Puritan tradition whose preaching were characterized as lively and personable yet legalistic and rigid (10:12-18:40). Fant moves to the Great Awakeners, George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, and Timothy Dwight, and he says that their preaching was defined by great flair, utilitarianism, and sometimes exploitation (18:41-33:08). Fant then examines many 19th century preachers who transformed the sermon into printed form for popular consumption, but they fell to the elegance of print (33:09-40:42). Fant concludes with the recent bad history of American preaching, and he says that preaching in modern America suffers from legalistic moralizing, which he calls the Massachusetts Bay Error (40:43-51:17). The service ends with a word of prayer (51:18-51:53).