Bart's Blog

My doctoral dissertation, focused on how successful church revitalization pastors act to develop and empower next-generation leaders. A Phenomenological Study of Pastoral Leadership Development Behaviors in the Revitalization of Small Evangelical Churche s Available at https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/4002 Abstract Church revitalization has received renewed interest in the last several years. Rainer (2014) says that a congregation’s failure to develop and empower next-generation leaders is one of the leading contributors to church closure. Likewise, Clifton (2016) and Stetzer (2007) highlight the importance of developing next-generation leaders during church revitalization.  The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the leadership development behaviors of senior or solo pastors who successfully led revitalization in a small evangelical church. This study defined a small church as one averaging 65 or fewer in attendance at the beginning of the past...

by Bart L. Denny, Ph.D., Th.M. I wrote this article years ago, and while I still see value in some of the arguments presented, my view has become more settled with time. Let me say it plainly: No, the early church fathers did not believe in a pretribulation rapture —at least not in the way John Nelson Darby and modern dispensationalists since the 1800s have taught it. They didn’t believe in it for one very good reason: the Bible didn’t teach it that way , and they were far closer—both chronologically and culturally—to the apostles than we are. But what did they believe? Let’s explore. Reading the Fathers with a Clear Eye Some scholars and popular writers have tried to find early traces of the pretribulation rapture among the church fathers. The argument often goes like this: If these early Christians believed in the imminent return of Christ and held to a millennial reign, then maybe—just maybe—they also believed in a secret rapture of the church before a Great Tribulation. Sounds in...

by Bart L. Denny, Ph.D., Th.M. If you’ve ever read 1 Corinthians 11 and found yourself puzzled by Paul’s instruction that women should cover their heads in worship “because of the angels” (v. 10), you’re not alone. This passage has sparked confusion and debate for centuries. Some, like K. P. Yohannan, argue that Paul’s words are a timeless command for all women in every church to wear head coverings in church. The reference to angels, they claim, seals it as a universal directive. But is that really what Paul intended? Let’s take a closer look. While 1 Corinthians 11 teaches principles that still matter today, the practice of head covering appears rooted in a specific time, place, and culture. And the reference to angels? It’s important, but perhaps not in the way some assume. What Did Paul Actually Say? Paul’s only mention of head coverings is in 1 Corinthians 11, a letter written to a first-century church navigating issues of gender roles, worship practices, and public witness. The p...

by Bart Denny I don’t watch much television, but when I do, I enjoy Jeopardy! It’s a quiz show with a twist: contestants are given the answer, and they have to come up with the right question. A friend of mine once joked that he is a Jeopardy! person living in a Wheel of Fortune world. Sometimes life feels the same way. We are given the answer, but we do not always recognize the question. “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” (Matthew 28:6) That is it. The answer. To death, despair, doubt, and to the deepest questions of the human heart. The Followers Who Saw Early on that first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” went to the tomb. An earthquake shook the ground, and an angel rolled away the stone. His words were simple and history changing: “He is risen.” They ran to tell the disciples, and on the way they met Jesus Himself. They touched His feet. They worshiped Him. These women were unlikely witnesses in their culture. If the resurrec...

Have you ever been job hunting?  Sure you have unless you’re lucky enough to be independently wealthy or were born with the proverbial silver spoon in your mouth.  After theIt’s great when you find that dream job. Well, okay, maybe it’s not a dream job, but at least you don’t have to go through the grind of a job hunt anymore.  Then, suddenly, your company downsizes, you tick your boss off for the last time, or you just plain get tired of your job and know you need a new one. Time to go job hunting again. So, where do you start looking for your new job?   Before the internet, we all went to the newspaper “help wanted” ads.   Today, you go to Indeed.com or Monster or to the website of companies that you are interested in, and you look up the available jobs.   You look at an overview of the job.   You check out the qualifications for the job:   Do you have the minimum education and experience needed?   Are you overqualified?   You pay pa...

by Bart Denny What does it mean to preach the gospel in a world where truth feels optional and everyone seems to have their own version of it? That’s the world we live in. And for pastors and preachers today, it can be disorienting. We know we’re called to proclaim God’s unchanging truth. But how do we do that in a culture where people are skeptical of authority, suspicious of institutions, and increasingly allergic to absolute claims? This isn’t just a communication problem—it’s a theological one. And it’s not new. In 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, Paul writes, “I have become all things to all people so that by every possible means I might save some.” Paul understood what missionaries and preachers today must remember: faithful preaching must also be culturally aware. So how do we preach timeless truth in a postmodern world? Let’s start by revisiting what preaching actually is. Preaching Isn’t Optional—It’s a Divine Assignment Preaching isn’t just a tradition—it’s a theological n...

This paper will show that “Old Landmarkism," or "Baptist Bride" theology, is an extreme variant of Baptist ecclesiology that is historically untenable and far out of line with traditional Baptist ecclesiology. Further, Landmarkism is also far removed from the New Testament practices Landmarkism purports to champion. This paper will briefly examine the historical roots of the Landmark Controversy and its influence on Baptist groups and denominations, particularly in the southern United States. The author will paper will examine the tenets of Landmark ecclesiology—including “Baptist succession” (or “Baptist perpetuity”), the marks of a “true” church, Baptist separation, and the Lord’s Supper. In all cases, this paper will show Landmark views of Baptist separation, succession, and the ordinances of the church—while emerging from valid concerns—are taken to an unbiblical extreme. A Brief History of the Old Landmark Movement It is beyond the scope of this paper to trace the c...