The School of Christian Ministries will be hosting a lecture with guest speaker Dr. Walter Strickland II on March 29. Strickland’s lecture title is “The Gifts of the African-American Christian Tradition.” Strickland has a heart for discipleship in the context of teaching and education.
He said he plans to discuss three characteristics of African-American faith within his teaching presentation. These characteristics will likely include Christology (the study of Jesus — his life, ministry and suffering), pastoral ministry and spiritual formation.
“I’ll establish each from historical figures and draw out practical implications for us today,” Strickland said.
Strickland is an assistant professor of systematic and contextual theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as teaching pastor at Imago Dei Church in North Carolina.
He is passionate about teaching his students and congregation how to live according to God’s original design. He wears many hats in the world of theological teaching and discipleship; he is a professor, pastor, speaker, author, husband and father.
Maigen Turner, the School of Christian Ministries secretary, shared that the lecture will encourage students to view culture by which God uses and relates to his people.
“Dr. Strickland’s talk will help students both understand and appreciate how God uses various cultures to advance his purposes,” Turner said.
Strickland sadi he is passionate about both culture and theology and how we can learn from each other’s different cultures and backgrounds in light of our shared love of Christ.
“Every faithful manifestation of Christianity has unique and wonderful characteristics that others can learn from,” Strickland said.
Lauren Sanner, freshman theology major, feels this lecture is a great opportunity for future ministry workers.
“I would love to learn more about the African-American Christian tradition,” Sanner said. “I feel like we only learn one side when it comes to Christianity, but it’s so important for people going into ministry to know more than what they’ve grown up around.”
This lecture is designed to help Christian Ministry majors understand the significance behind Revelation 7:9, which states, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (NKJV).
In this verse, we see people of different cultures and backgrounds coming together. The School of Christian Ministries is hopeful students will walk away from this lecture with a more profound sense of the depth and meaning behind this verse.
