Asbury Theological Seminary’s Focus on the Holy Spirit Continues
For the 2018-2019 Academic year, our President, Dr. Timothy Tennent has declared a special emphasis on being empowered by the Holy Spirit in ministry and in our personal lives. We have continued with this emphasis well into our Spring semester, and have begun to intentionally talk as a community about holiness of heart and life, as well as some of the common pitfalls that keep us from living the lifestyle of holiness that we are to be characterized by as Christians.
Our community talks have revolved around personal holiness, being filled with the Holy Spirit and how his work keeps us close to God, convicting us when we are in error and bringing us to repentance. Student services has coordinated multiple conversations raised by our Wesley Waddle to talk about human sexuality and the terrible impact modern human slavery has on the people who participate or are victimized. Talks about celibacy in singleness and faithfulness in marriage as well as sessions on avoiding pornography, understanding the theology of human sexuality, and more have been explored in our community. These steps toward holiness are critical for our seminary community to be able to thrive and grow, with our graduates going out into the world as safe people who can share the gospel of Jesus Christ in the midst of a world deeply broken in terms of sexuality. They will also be better equipped to avoid pitfalls in their own lives that could compromise their ministries. At Asbury, we talk about the hard topics and how dropping our standard of holiness is detrimental to the kingdom.
As always, you can check out Dr. Tennent’s messages on living a Spirit-filled Life on Asbury Theological Seminary’s Chapel Archives.
As an ATS alumnus (’64), I am pleased and blessed to know about this special emphasis that seems to be gradually neglected more and more in Wesleyan circles.
I trust that you emphasize and explain the second crisis experience which is biblical and essential to the deeper life of holiness. God bless ATS going forward.