Things Are Progressing!

I thought it would be a good idea if I gave an update on Veritas School of Theology and what I’ve been up to.

In two weeks, Tom Pryde and I will be flying (Sept. 26th - 29th) to meet with the President and faculty of a fine Christian College to discuss a ‘partnership’ between the two schools; they will likely be donating classes to be used in our online school, and Veritas would provide online training at a graduate level and beyond for their students. They seem enthusiastic about meeting with us, and we, for our part, are very happy that an institution we both respect wants to discuss our vision. It’s becoming more and more evident that online education is the future.

I am very close to completing the recording of lectures for my course on “The Doctrine of God (1),” which means that it will be available soon! I have been working on the materials for many different courses for awhile, more specifically, for: “The Doctrine of God (2)“, “Intro to Biblical Apologetics“, “The Canon of Scripture“, and “Church History (1).” Many more courses are in the pipeline.

We are very thankful to those of you who are supporting the work financially. May God bless you all. Veritas needs a dedicated server (about $5,000?) so that we can handle more students and provide the bandwidth necessary for the lectures. We received our EIN# yesterday, which enables us to proceed on the business side of things, but we also need to complete our application for tax-exempt status as a 5o1(c)3 corporation, which will cost $750. It is imperative that we file this in October, so that we can begin processing funds for Veritas. I shall be posting a “Shopping List” on the website soon, so that any “project-oriented” individuals can see where they might supply a need.

As one might expect, Satan is unhappy with what Tom and I are doing and both of us have been hit in the pocket recently. I was laid off my part-time job (the owner is selling up) and Tom is having to go part-time at his church. But we believe the Lord will continue to supply and to prove Himself as Jehovah Jireh on our behalf.

There you have it. Plenty of work, lots of exciting opportunities, and some challenges. Please pray for us and continue to watch us move forward!

Your brother,

Paul.

The Veritas ETHOS: Principles Underlying Studies at Veritas School of Theology

THE VERITAS ETHOS

Purpose

The objective of Veritas School of Theology (www.inquiroveritas.com) is twofold:

• To restore the locus of theological training back to the local church.
• To articulate and defend a God-centered, revelational worldview.

Definition

We describe ourselves theologically as existing to promote the knowledge of God through the disciplined study of God and man, always respecting the biblical Creator/creature distinction. This means that orthodoxy and orthopraxy are viewed as opposite sides of the same truth. Thus, we do not lay stress on theology as a subject but as the divinely appointed truth without which we are without a compass in the world. This lends to theology a more necessary and obligatory aspect.

Position on the Theological Spectrum

Along with Fundamentalism and historic Evangelicalism we contend for the practical outworking of an inerrant and authoritative Word of God. For this reason we are not afraid to stand for certain unpopular positions (Young Earth Creationism, propositional revelation, consistent hermeneutics, a biblical ethic of selfless love, etc.), nor are we ashamed of standing against popular trends in the churches (egalitarianism, sign-gifts, progressive creationism, hermeneutical relativism, integrative approaches to counseling, and postmodernism).

Veritas School of Theology…

The old Puritans used to say “Man proposes but God disposes.” That certainly sums up our lives over the past few months. By now I fully expected to be writing this from Bismarck, N.D., but that has not come to pass (at least, not as yet). During the meantime I have been busy working from Texas on the online part of the seminary, and I am seeing God work in a definite direction, using outward circumstances. Even though there is much work to do we are seeing the ministry beginning to create its own momentum – it is quite exciting! Let me fill you in:

Veritas School of Theology is a venture that has grown out of a general concern of several pastors and educators with the state of theological training in America. This forward-looking theological project has sprung up because of our belief that anyone desiring a deeper knowledge of God’s truth ought to have access to it in the place where the Lord has placed them. To read more about the plan and purpose of the seminary, click here to visit the Seminary Page!

Breaking news at this point is that, as of this week, we have a website set-up to host interactive online courses.

How did the vote go?

This past Monday (26th March) there was a vote taken at First Evangelical Free Church, Bismarck, ND. The vote was on the recommendation of the elders that a new seminary be established under the auspices of the church. The church, being congregational, needed to vote positively in favor of our venture, and I am pleased to say that 84% voted for the seminary. We thank God for such a clear decision.

Now we must find the funds that will be necessary to realize the seminary, including (of course) my salary. We trust the Lord for this, understanding that obstacles still lie ahead. One of those obstacles will be to secure my salary before we can move up to Bismarck. For the present I can do nearly everything I need to do from Texas, although it will be necessary for me to spend time in Bismarck about once a month to help coordinate things up there.

As you can see, things are still very much in the Lord’s hands, which is exactly where we want them to be. In whatever God calls a person to do, it is so important to know that one is called. I would rather not teach again than to go unsent! But if God calls, he also provides. We humbly anticipate that provision to come in as this important and exciting project moves forward. Please pray with us about this.

Your brother,

Paul

Psalm 71:6

My Visit To Bismarck…

The first week of March found me in Bismarck, N. Dakota, my first visit to that region. They had arranged a nice blizzard for me – which I survived quite well. At least I can say I got a feel for the winters up there.

I really liked Bismarck: friendly, relaxed, but with a little bit of class. And the Church was just terrific. They understand the crucial importance of Christian fellowship and service (some friends of ours have just moved there and they had thirty folks waiting to off-load their truck when they pulled up to their new home).

My reason for going up to Bismarck was to promote the idea of the new Seminary to the congregation and to any in the community who would listen. I have to thank God for a very upbeat and positive visit.

The Veritas Project

Greetings!

You’re likely visiting this page because you received an invitation via one of our support letters that have gone out this week. Welcome! I am in Bismarck this week, attending conferences, meetings, doing presentations at FEFC, preaching, and networking with local pastors about the Seminary Project.

The last few months have not been easy for my family and I, and we owe you - our friends - a debt of gratitude for your prayers, concern and generosity. Again, thank you. It has been an amazing thing to see the Church in action, and we have been overwhelmed by the Christian friendship in our midst.

Both myself and others are excited beyond measure about the proposal for a new Dispensational Seminary, under the umbrella of FEFC. It seems as if the months (years even!) of waiting and preparation and seeking God’s will are now culminating in this Project. We covet your prayers as we move ahead.

Please follow the links to the “pages” and read what we have posted about our family, the church in Bismarck, and, the proposed Seminary Project. Be sure to check back for updates often!

Also, we have uploaded a few of the articles, book reviews and lectures that I have compiled during my studies and years of teaching, and arranged them into appropriate categories (see Menu on the right). In our haste to get the site up and running, it was not feasible to add some of the many footnotes included in the original documents, but I pray they will be of interest to you. More will be added as time allows!

Your brother,

Paul.