|
On January 15 and 16, over thirty Providence Christian College students, faculty, and staff drove from our campus in Ontario down to Escondido to attend the "Christ, Kingdom & Culture" conference at Westminster Seminary California. The seminary's annual conferences are offered to the students as a Weekend of Work and Worship (4-W) option. They are always a popular 4-W offering at Providence, but this was the largest turnout to date. The students who attended represented every year, from freshmen to senior, and practically every major that our college offers. Some wanted an introduction to the Christ and culture debate. Others were already prepared to cogently defend a Two Kingdoms or Kuyperian perspective. Though this year's conference was less fiery than others that our students remember from previous years, the experience was enjoyably educational while igniting plenty of debate between all who attended.
As Westminster states on its website, the purpose of the conference was to "address the sovereignty of God as it relates to his kingdom, to our role as Christians in God's world, in the state, at work, at school, and in the church." The speakers are all professors at the seminary. The conference was opened by Dr. Robert Godfrey who encouraged his fellow lecturers and the people in the audience to find the common ground that unites all Reformed Christians. The second speaker on Friday, Dr. S. M. Baugh, drew upon his knowledge of the New Testament to come up with a definition for the Kingdom of God. On Saturday morning, the speakers examined the practical effects of the Christ and culture debate. Dr. David VanDrunen outlined the relationship of Christians to the civil government, answering questions such as whether Christians may be legislators. In the second morning session, Dr. Dennis Johnson looked at education and the Christian parent. Before the conference dismissed for lunch, Dr. Michael Horton spoke on the Christian's duty to work. After lunch, Dr. Godfrey brought the lectures to a close with an explanation of the interaction between the kingdoms over which Christ rules. Finally, during the last session, the speakers gathered on the stage to answer audience questions, including at least one submitted by someone from the Providence group.
On Saturday, Westminster hosted a lunch and information session for any prospective seminary students in attendance. Several of our students took advantage of this opportunity. Admissions staff, as well as several seminary professors were on hand to answer questions from the practical to the theoretical. At least one Providence student from that group is applying to Westminster for the Fall semester, so the opportunity to clear up some last minute concerns was invaluable. The rest of our group ate lunch at a local pizza parlor where students and faculty excitedly reflected on the morning sessions.
The discussion carried over into the next week during the two 4W Reflection sessions back at our campus. Students were invited to critique the lectures, pointing out the elements with which they agreed and disagreed. The response was positive overall. If anything, many wished that the conference had been more controversial! As if to compensate, friendly, impromptu debates broke out during the sessions and elsewhere on campus throughout the week. In short, the conference was a success, because our students returned with a greater knowledge about the Christ and culture debate, and a desire to discover and discuss the subject more.
| 
