Church and ABC History – C105

SPONSORED BY ABCGI-IN-KY

ON THE CAMPUS OF FRANKLINCOLLEGE

March 26, April 9 & 30 and May 14th, 2011

Dr. George H. Tooze, D. Min.

(H) 317-257-9344

(C) 917 912 9871

NATUREAND PURPOSEOFTHE COURSE

This course is intended to help students look at the early beginnings of Baptist life against the backdrop of the larger Church and to trace the influence of these early beginnings in Baptist life today. It is hoped that each student will become more knowledgeable about the ecclesial, theological, sociological, and political understandings of Baptists, and particularly of the American Baptist Churches, USA. It is anticipated that they will make an effort to translate this increased knowledge of American Baptists into effective participation in their local church, Association, Region, and National denomination. Additionally, there will be a thorough examination of Church life, structure, and ministry/mission, and there will be a strong focus on the meaning and application of individual Baptist Principles.

ABOUT GEORGE H. TOOZE – PERSONAL NOTES

(My Credentials to Teach Baptist Polity)

Very shortly after my birth in May of 1939, my parents put my name on the Cradle Roll of the First Baptist Church of Randolph, Massachusetts. The wonderful Christian folk of that church taught me in their Sunday School and guided me in their youth group. Recognizing an emerging call to ministry and acknowledging that they did indeed see gifts of ministry in me, they gave me what then was called a “License to Preach the Gospel” in 1958. I began GordonCollege in the fall of 1958 after a year as a Chemistry Major at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Following GordonCollege, I entered GordonDivinitySchool, graduating in March of 1965. In that time, I worked as a Student Assistant in the First Baptist Church of Gardner, Massachusetts under the direction of the Rev. Elizabeth Thompson. In the fall of 1964, I received a call as Associate Minister at the First Baptist Church of Beverly, Massachusetts, and I was to remain there on staff for thirteen years. In 1977, I accepted a call to Malden, Massachusetts as Senior Minister of the First Baptist Church of Malden. In 1983, I accepted a call to the First Baptist Church of Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2003, I clearly felt that God had released me from my call to ministry, and I retired in December of that year recognizing that God seemed to have yet other work for me.

While always active in local and national Baptist organizations, these years have seen an intensity of that involvement. I have served on the board of Northern Baptist Seminary, and continue to serve on the Board of Trustees of Franklin College. For the past seven years, I have served as the President of the Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board. With that position, I am placed on the General Board, and the Executive Committee of the General Board, ABCUSA. It was my privilege to have been on the Mission, Vision, Planning Team which was trying to capture a vision that would take us through these trying times that now afflict us. Most recently, I have served on the Structure committee which is guiding the new ABCUSA structure and bylaws to a vote at the June 2011 Biennial meeting in Puerto Rico.

For the past thirty years I have been collecting information on the life of Emily Chubbuck Judson, who was the third wife of the venerable missionary Adoniram Judson. That work has ended in seven volumes, The Life and Letters of Emily Chubbuck Judson (Fanny Forester). Volumes I and II are already in print, Volume III is due out in May, and Volumes IV through VII are to be released over the next several years of the Judson Anniversary.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

  1. Students will grow in their knowledge and understanding of the historical origins and the theological, cultural, political, and sociological context out of which Baptists emerged in the early seventeenth century, and then more specifically the varying Baptist denominations which followed.
  2. Students will struggle with issues, concerns, patterns of functioning, and relationships, all of which say something about who we are and how we do our work as individual Baptists and as Baptist congregations. This will include our concept of lay and ordained ministry, the meaning of a personal call to ministry, defining ordination, and consideration of standards for ordination.
  3. Students will explore the riches of congregationalism, uncovering this form of polity and its particular expression in the ABCUSA. Questions of church structure, governance, power, authority and relationships, mission, and ministry are important polity issues and will need to be examined in light of congregationalism in the ABCUSA.
  4. Students will discuss in some detail the dimensions and diversity of individual Baptist Principles, and dialogue around varying interpretations and applications of them. This will include Soul Freedom, Biblical Authority, the Autonomy of the LocalChurch, Regenerate Church Membership, the Priesthood of the Individual Believer, the Separation of Church and State, the Lord’s Supper, and Baptism.

REQUIRED TEXTS

(We would note that the best price foundfor A Baptist Manual and Baptist Ways ison Amazon.com.)

  • Norman H. Maring & WinthropS. Hudson, A Baptist Manual of Polity and Practice, Revised Edition, Judson Press, 1991.
  • Tooze, George, Baptist Principles. (An electronic version of this will be sent to participants upon registration. There is a $10.00 cost, payable with the registration.)
  • Leonard, Bill J., Baptist Ways: A History, Judson Press. 2003

STRONGLY SUGGESTED TEXTS

(To help you build a personal library)

  • Hunt, Rosalie Hall, Bless God and Take Courage: The Judson History and Legacy, Judson Press. 2005.
  • Shurden, Walter B. Editor, Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: The Bible. Smyth and Helwys Publishing, Inc. 1994.
  • Shurden, Walter B. Editor, Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: The Church. Smyth and Helwys Publishing, Inc. 1996
  • Shurden, Walter B. Editor, Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: The Priesthood of All Believers. Smyth and Helwys Publishing, Inc. 1993.
  • Shurden, Walter B. Editor, Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Smyth and Helwys Publishing, Inc. 1999.
  • Shurden, William B., The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms, Smyth & Helwys, 1993
  • Tooze, George H., The Life and Letters of Emily Chubbuck Judson, (Fanny Forester), Volume I.
  • Tooze, George H., The Life and Letters of Emily Chubbuck Judson, (Fanny Forester), Volume II.
  • Tooze, George H., The Life and Letters of Emily Chubbuck Judson, (Fanny Forester), Volume III
  • Tuck, William Powell, Our Baptist Tradition. Smyth and Helwys Publishing, Inc. 1993.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Below is a General Overview of what you will accomplish this term. See the “Class Calendar” to see what we will be doing in class and “Assignment Dates” for the break down of the schedule for assignments to be completed.

  1. Complete assigned reading in the texts and handouts with the capability to discuss the material in class.
  1. Complete the modified Myers/Briggs Test (The Keirsey Temperament Sorter) and the Corrine Ware

Spiritual Temperament Analysis (Discover Your Spiritual Type) before the first class session.

  1. Two papers will be due each class session. Each will be a written response to the assigned Baptist

Principle Scenario from the book Baptist Principles. These papers will be the basis of class

discussion and will be turned in for evaluation. Each paper should be 1 to 3 pages in length.

CLASS CALENDAR

March 26, 2011Introductions

9:00am-3:15pmReview of course and course material

Who are we and why are we that way? – the power of spiritual temperament and

individual personality

Baptist Formations: To introduce the emergence of Baptistsout of the swirling currents

of ecclesiastical historyin Europe

Baptist Principles: To identify the emerging principles which make Baptists Distinctive

April 9, 2011Baptist in the United States: To articulate the Baptist historical movement to America,

9:00am-3:15pmand its growth into the twentieth century.

Baptist Principles: Soul Freedom, The Authority of the LocalChurch

Regenerate Church Membership, The Nature of Authority, The marks of the Local

Church and Congregationalism, The Meaning of Church Membership, The Laity

and Ordination

April 30, 2011Leadership in the life of the church

9:00am-3:15pmBaptist Principles: Separation of Church and State, Priesthood of the Individual Believer

May 14, 2011Baptist Principles: Baptism, The Lord’s Supper

9:00am-3:15pm

ASSIGNMENT DATES

March 26:Complete the modified Myers/Briggs Test (The Keirsey Temperament Sorter)

*If you haven’t received this with your registration confirmation, please request it.

Complete Corrine Ware Spiritual Temperament Analysis (Discover Your Spiritual Type)

*If you haven’t received this with your registration confirmation, please request it.

Read Tooze, Baptist Principles— Preface, Soul Freedom and Autonomy of the LocalChurch

*If you haven’t received this with your registration confirmation, please request it.

Read Maring and Hudson, Baptist Manual Chapters 1 – 6

Read Leonard, Baptist Ways, pages 1 - 87

Papers due on Baptist Scenarios:

  • Soul Freedom (Scenario 2)
  • Autonomy of the LocalChurch (Scenario 2)

ASSIGNMENT DATES—CONTINUED

April 9:Read Maring and Hudson, Baptist Manual, Chapters 7 – 11

Read Tooze, Baptist Principles: Biblical Authority andRegenerateChurch Membership

Papers due on Baptist Scenarios:

  • Biblical Authority (Scenario 1),
  • RegenerateChurch Membership (Scenario 1)

April 30:Read Tooze, Baptist Principles: The Priesthood of the Individual Believer and Separation of

Church and State

Papers due on Baptist Scenarios:

  • Priesthood of the Individual Believer (Scenario 3)
  • Separation of Church and State (Scenario 4)

May 14:Read Tooze, Baptist Principles: Lord’s Supper and Baptism

Papers due on Baptist Scenarios:

  • Lord’s Supper (Scenario 1)
  • Baptism (Scenario 7, Part 1)

DAILY CLASS SCHEDULE

9:00-10:15 Session 1

10:15-10:25Break

10:25-11:45Session 2

11.45-12:30Lunch

12:30-1:40Session 3

1:40-1:50Break

1:50-3:15Session 4

CLASS LOCATION

March 26, April 9 & 30 and May 14th, 2011

Campus of FranklinCollege

101 Branigin Blvd, Franklin, IN46131

JohnsonCenter of Fine Arts, 1st Floor