
From left: NGU Associate Provost Dr. Larry McDonald; Andy Brown, executive pastor at the First Baptist Church in Newnan, GA; and NGU Provost and Dean of the University Faculty Dr. Nathan A. Finn at the 2019 Evangelical Theological Society Southeast Regional Conference held at NGU March 15-16.
Tigerville, SC (March 20, 2019) North Greenville University hosted the 2019 Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) Southeast Regional Conference themed “The New Christian Zionism” March 15-16 on the Tigerville Campus. The conference included 108 registered attendees, and 67 academic papers presented. Dr. Craig Blaising, distinguished research professor of theology and Jesse Hendley Chair of Biblical Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, was the conference keynote speaker.
The ETS is a professional academic society of biblical and theological scholars, pastors, and students. The organization serves Jesus Christ and His church by fostering conservative, biblical scholarship. It seeks to accomplish this goal through their annual meeting, regional meetings, and their publication, The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.
“North Greenville University is interested in hosting more conferences, symposia, and professional development opportunities on our campuses than we ever have before. We’ve hosted a number of great events this academic year, especially on our Tim Brashier Campus in Greer. The Southeast Regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society is the first scholarly conference we’ve hosted in several years,” said NGU Provost and Dean of the University Faculty Dr. Nathan A. Finn. “Dr. Craig Blaising’s plenary lectures on the New Christian Zionism were very informative, and it was a delight to have over 100 biblical and theological scholars on our Tigerville campus. We look forward to hosting more events like this in the coming days.”
Blaising earned his Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, Th.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a B.S. from the University of Texas-Austin. He delivered plenary lectures on the topics “What is New Christian Zionism,” “Canonical Hermeneutics and the Integrity of Israel,” and “Theology and the New Christian Zionism.”
ETS and EPS members attending the conference were permitted to present papers on the conference theme or other topics. Cash awards were awarded to the students offering the best paper during the sessions. NGU students Nathaniel Cranston and Dillion Davis presented papers. NGU faculty members Drs. Nathan Finn, Frankie Melton, Larry McDonald, Jeff Rankin, and Matthew Wireman also presented papers. NGU alum Michael Pardue, who serves as an adjunct instructor at the university, also presented a paper.
NGU Associate Provost Dr. Larry McDonald, chairman of the regional conference, indicates “Putting Christ first and seeing him make the difference in the lives of our students, community, nation, and world has always been and continues to be what North Greenville University is about. As NGU continues to provide strategic, reliable, and affordable education to equip leaders through theologically sound academic excellence, we seek to be used of God to see Christ’s Kingdom come on this earth. Hosting professional academic development opportunities like this ETS conference, in addition to our many academic degree programs, is an important part of that effort.”
