Lincoln Christian University Hosts Final Church Leaders Conference

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Lincoln Christian University (LCU) hosted nearly 200 women and men in ministry at its final Church Leaders Conference on February 17 before it closes its doors May 31. The theme of the conference was “Still True” and featured three main sessions and two workshop sessions.

The first session was entitled “The Nations Still Need to Be Reached” with speaker Matt Proctor, President of Ozark Christian College (OCC). OCC will be endowed with several of the programs and degrees currently offered at Lincoln Christian Seminary. The new iteration of the seminary will be called The Lincoln Seminary at Ozark Christian College.

A team of musicians from OCC also led worship and singing to begin the main sessions.

The second session was a panel discussion entitled “The Bible Still Needs to Be Taught” with panelists from both LCU and OCC. The panel included Proctor, Dr. Silas McCormick, LCU President, Dr. J. K. Jones, LCU Professor Emeritus, Dr. Chad Ragsdale, Executive Vice President of OCC, and Dr. Mark Scott, Online and Graduate Studies Professor at OCC.

After a provided lunch, participants had the option to attend one of seven workshops, followed by an opportunity to attend a second of the repeated workshops in a second session. Workshops included “The Bible Still Needs to Be Preached” by Dr. Jones and Dr. Scott, “The Culture’s Worldview Still Needs to be Engaged” by Dr. Ragsdale, “The Church Still Needs to Worship Corporately” by Isaac Schade of Ozark Christian College, “The Elders Still Need to Lead Well" by Greg Taylor and the Elders of Second Church of Christ, Danville, IL, “The Believers Still Need to Be Discipled” by Tracy Thomas of Second Church of Christ, Danville, IL, “The Ministers Still Need to Be Good Stewards” by Drs. Anna McCormick and Silas McCormick, and “The Older Generation Still Needs to Be Cared for– and Called” by Mike Harney of West Side Christian Church, Springfield.

The final session was entitled “The Workers Still Need to Be Sent” presented by President McCormick. He began his sermon with the idea that we all need people to check in on us, people that we trust and who are authentic. He thanked the attendees for checking in on him and the university. He said that speaking this day was “an awful privilege,” referencing the closure of LCU and the attendant grief mingled with gratitude and hope for the future and for the legacy of LCU. McCormick stated, however, that he did not want to talk about the past, but to look to the future. He based his forward-looking sermon on the text from the New Testament book of Acts chapters 15 and 16 about the missionary journeys of the apostle Paul.

McCormick’s first point was that Making Disciples Starts with Me Right Now. He cited a book co-written by Drs. Wayne Shaw and James Strauss, well-known LCU professors, about discipleship. They wrote that Christians seem to wait for something like money, an invitation, or a sign of some kind to begin inviting others into a relationship with Christ, but Paul understood the times and the calling. He knew the time was always ‘right now.’ McCormick spoke about the general worry about the “the ministry pipeline,” meaning where will the next generation of ministers come from? Christians have to both BE better disciples and MAKE better disciples.

McCormick’s second point was Making Disciples is Messy. The book of Acts chapter 15 records a dispute between Paul and Barnabas over whether to bring Mark on their missionary journey, although he had deserted them before. This disagreement led to a split. Paul continued on to Syria with Silas, while Barnabas went to Cyprus with Mark. McCormick noted that most sermons identify the lesson of this passage as “God doubled the manpower,” however this point comes at the end of the story. Often sermons gloss over the fact that the situation starts messy and ugly. The start of the story is devastating personal loss. Loss and adversity are not abnormal. There is no way to avoid all risks.

The third point of McCormick’s sermon was Making Disciples Requires Perpetual Leadership Renewal. While on his journey, Paul recruited Timothy for vocational ministry, but not at random. The believers who knew him spoke well of Timothy. McCormick asked, “Do our own churches create spaces for the development of future leaders? Are there opportunities for young people and new believers for service whether done well or poorly? Is there encouragement to go into ministry?” McCormick stated that he has frequently and even recently heard the phrase, “You don’t have to be in the pulpit to do ministry.” McCormick’s response is, “But you might.” He said that he could not tell a room full of people that no one there will not be needed or called to vocational ministry even with the prospect of poor compensation, lack of family support, or other hardships. McCormick identified an historical cycle of older generations not making way for new leadership because the next generation is not there. How do we break this cycle?

McCormick’s final point was Making Disciples Requires Following the Leading of the Holy Spirit. He said church leaders should ask themselves: Am I reading the Bible? Am I praying? What space is the church leaving for the Holy Spirit? He also stated that “Sometimes God says ‘No’ to good, faithful people trying to serve him.” Maybe it’s not the right time or place, or maybe we never know why. Are we looking for where the Holy Spirit is working? McCormick noted that “If we make the wrong choice after seeking God’s voice, he will let us know,” referencing Acts chapter 16, verse 10 in which Paul has a vision of a man from Macedonia begging for him to come and help, even though his group was not initially planning to head in that direction.

The three principles that McCormick cited to sum up his sermon were drawn from the apostle Paul’s example: 1. Paul devotes time and energy to making disciples. 2. Paul helps to grow disciples and to make better disciples, 3. Paul keeps sharing the Gospel and making more disciples. No ministry that follows these principles will fail in its legacy.

The conference concluded with prayer and a final hymn, Doxology (by Thomas Ken, 1674): “Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.”

[Stephanie Hall]