At the end of April, we held our second in-person event on the campus of Oklahoma Baptist University. In conjunction with Matt Emerson’s Hobbs Lecture on Baptist preaching and the minor prophets, we had a host of special guests join us to discuss what it looks like to seek retrieval for the sake of renewal in our churches. Among our guests included John-Mark Hart, Michael Staton, Matt Boswell, and Paul Sanchez, all of whom offered insightful and practical advice during a panel discussion, hosted by Winston Hottman, on preaching and liturgy following lunch.
Later that afternoon, we were led in worship again by Matt Boswell and enjoyed another panel discussion—this time featuring Luke Stamps, Brandon Smith, David Rathel, and Jonathan Arnold as panelists. They discussed a range of topics in Baptist hermeneutics and reminded us that premodern approaches to reading the Bible can help us navigate being Baptist in a modern world.
Below are some highlights if you were unable to join us.
A few takeaways from this year’s gathering:
Despite the different kinds of “stripes” of being Baptist, or despite different emphases in different contexts, one core component of our identity rests in being committed to the Word of God—the Word preached, the Word sung, the Word displayed, and the Word studied.
Building on this first point, many of our congregations are hungry for the Word. One of the big-picture challenges of our time together is to be unafraid of leaning on the liturgical, hermeneutical, or theological approaches of our Baptist forebears. Throughout both panels and in the Hobbs Lecture, we can look at how these historical practices of biblical spirituality have enriched the lives of church members.
The work of CBR is only beginning. As we reflect on feedback from this year’s gathering—the kinds of topics, themes, or discussions that resonated with pastors and leaders—we are excited to look forward for when we are able to gather together again and work toward our common goal of retrieval for the sake of renewal.
As a final note, we want to say thank you again to our sponsors New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Crossway. Both of these institutions generously train and resource the church, and we are grateful for their partnership in making this event happen.