On October 15-16, hundreds of people will gather in Lebanon, Mo. for the Unshakeable Truth Worldview Conference. The conference, hosted by Heritage Baptist Church, will feature Christian leaders and scholars from across the country who will speak about biblical and cultural issues including creation, Christian political involvement, Islam, religious liberty, sexual ethics, and much more.
Speakers include, among others, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Former Ethics & Religious Liberty President Richard Land, and Answers in Genesis Spokesman Terry Mortenson. For information visit hbclebanon.com or call the church at 417-532-7518.
Who’s Speaking?
Dr. Terry Mortenson – Historian of Geology, Scholar with Answers in Genesis
Dr. Terry Mortenson earned an M.Div. (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) and a Ph.D. in history of geology (Coventry University) and has lectured on the creation-evolution controversy in 25 countries since the late 1970s. Before joining AiG, he served for 26 years in university campus ministry in the US and Eastern Europe with Campus Crusade for Christ and has written many articles and books, including The Great Turning Point and Coming to Grips with Genesis.
John Ashcroft – Former Attorney General of the United States
John Ashcroft graduated with honors from Yale University in 1964 and received a law degree from the University of Chicago in 1967. He was an associate professor on the business faculty at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield. He and his wife, Janet, have coauthored two business law textbooks, in addition to authoring numerous professional articles. He was appointed Missouri state auditor in 1972, was elected state attorney general in 1976, and was reelected in 1980. He is a former president of the National Association of Attorneys General. He was appointed by the Reagan administration to serve on the U.S. Attorney General’s Task Force on Family Violence in 1983 and in 1986 was appointed to the Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Affairs. He has served as chair of the Education Commission of the States, the Republican Governors Association, and the National Governors Association. Ashcroft was elected governor of Missouri in 1984 and held that office until 1993. He went on to win election to the U.S. Senate where he served from 1995 to 2001. In 2000, he was named U.S. Attorney General by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft currently heads the Ashcroft Law Firm and speaks around the country on issues related to Christian political involvement.
Richard Land – President of Southern Evangelical Seminary
Land is president of Southern Evangelical Seminary, a non-denominational seminary based in Charlotte, NC which offers first-rate educational programs in evangelism and classic apologetics. In addition to his presidency, Dr. Land also teaches courses at the Seminary.
Prior to becoming president of Southern Evangelical Seminary, Dr. Land served for twenty-five years as the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the Southern Baptist Convention’s official entity assigned to address social, moral, and ethical concerns, with particular attention to their impact on American families and their faith. Dr. Land graduated with the Bachelor of Arts degree (magna cum laude) from Princeton University and with the Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford University in England. He also received a Master of Theology (Honors Program) degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he served as student body president and received the Broadman Seminarian Award as the outstanding graduating student.
Dr. Emir Caner – Author and President of Truett-McConnell College
Dr. Emir Caner (Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington) was elected the eighth president of Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Georgia, in 2008. He is the first former Muslim to hold such a post at a Christian college or university. Since that time, the college has quadrupled in enrollment and added more than 20 programs of study, including a new Master of Arts in Theology. In addition to leading the college, Dr. Caner has written or contributed to 21 books, including the national best-seller Unveiling Islam. Featured on secular outlets (including ABC, CBS, and NBC) as well as Christian outlets (most recently John Ankerberg), Dr. Caner also co-hosts a weekly show, Morning Talk, on WDUN. He and his wife, Hana, reside in Cleveland, Georgia, with their three children.
For more information about Dr. Caner, visit emircaner.com.
Dr. Rodney Reeves – New Testament Scholar and Dean of the Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry at Southwest Baptist University
Rodney Reeves (Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of The Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry and professor of biblical studies at Southwest Baptist University, both in Bolivar, Missouri. Previously a pastor with churches in Arkansas and Texas, Reeves is author or coauthor of A Genuine Faith: How to Follow Jesus Today, Spirituality According to Paul: Imitating the Apostle of Christ and Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to his World, Letters and Theology. His two most recent works are Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious and Cultural Perspectives on Christ and the Matthew commentary in the Story of God commentary series. His articles have appeared in journals such as Perspectives in Religious Studies, Biblical Illustrator, Southwestern Journal of Theology and Preaching.
J. Alan Branch—Author and Professor of Christian Ethics at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
J. Alan Branch is the Professor of Christian Ethics at Midwestern Seminary where he has served since 2001. He earned his undergraduate degree from Kennesaw State College and his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Since coming to MBTS, Dr. Branch has served in a variety of roles including vice president of student development (2001-2008). He currently serves as a Research Fellow in Christian Ethics for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, is a regular presenter at the Evangelical Theological Society, and frequent contributor to Baptist Press and the Missouri Baptist Pathway. In addition, he served as a chaplain in the United States Army Reserves from 2009 to 2013 and served a tour in the Middle East from 2011 to 2012. He preaches frequently and has served as interim pastor for churches in Kansas and Missouri. Dr. Branch and his wife, Lisa, have two daughters. His most recent work is Born This Way: Homosexuality, Science, and the Scriptures.
For more information about Dr. Branch and his work, visit www.mbts.edu.
Jay Ashcroft – Christian Statesman, Candidate for Missouri Secretary of State
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Jay Ashcroft, son of John and Janet Ashcroft, is a Christian who happens to also be a politician. Jay will speak about how Christians can engage in the political arena without losing hold of their faith. Jay graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Missouri at Rolla (Now Missouri S&T) and a J.D. from St. Louis University Law School. Jay currently practices with the Ashcroft Law Firm.
Jay and his wife, Katie, have four children. Jay is currently running for Missouri Secretary of State. For more information about Jay, visit his website at ashcroftformissouri.com/.
Worldview Conference Schedule
Saturday, October 15th
9:00am—Dr. Terry Mortenson, Answers in Genesis
11:00am—Dr. Emir Caner, President of Truett-McConnell College
12:00pm—Lunch Breakout, Dr. Alan Branch, Professor of Ethics at Midwestern Seminary*
1:15pm—Jay Ashcroft
2:30pm— Dr. Terry Mortenson, Answers in Genesis
4:00 pm—Dr. Rodney Reeves, Dean and Professor of New Testament at Southwest Baptist University
5:00pm—Dinner Breakout, Dr. Rodney Reeves, Dean and Professor of New Testament at Southwest Baptist University*
6:30pm— Dr. Alan Branch, Professor of Ethics at Midwestern Seminary
7:30pm—John Ashcroft, Former United States Attorney General
*Indicates events not included in general admission. You must buy the meal tickets to attend these sessions.
Sunday, October 16th
9:00am— Dr. Alan Branch, Professor of Ethics at Midwestern Seminary (@Heritage Baptist Church)
10:30am—Dr. Rodney Reeves, Dean and Professor of New Testament at Southwest Baptist University (@Hillcrest Baptist Church)
10:00am—Dr. Terry Mortenson, Answers in Genesis (@Heritage Baptist Church)
11:00am–Dr. Richard Land, President of Southern Evangelical Seminary (@Heritage Baptist Church)
1:30pm— Dr. Terry Mortenson, Answers in Genesis
2:30pm— Dr. Alan Branch, Professor of Ethics at Midwestern Seminary
3:30pm–Dr. Richard Land, President of Southern Evangelical Seminary
6:00pm— Dr. Rodney Reeves, Dean and Professor of New Testament at Southwest Baptist University
7:30pm— Dr. Terry Mortenson, Answers in Genesis
