Storm The Gates

Mike Lowry, Bishop Emeritus offering historical and pastoral perspective on Methodist sacramental theology. Leah Hattie Gregory, Bishop and Wesleyan teacher focused on prevenient grace and liturgy. They unpack baptism and communion as God’s means of grace. They debate infant baptism, the role of water and signs, open table practice, frequency of communion, and restoring ordinary elements in worship.

Rev. Clark Atkins, senior pastor and Global Methodist Church leader, shares stories from church planting to conference formation. He talks about rapid global growth, the process of creating emerging conferences, cultural adaptations like oral ordination, and the logistical challenges of vetting and equipping leaders across continents.

Bishop Leah Hitty Gregory, a serving Global Methodist bishop who shares pastoral reflections, and Bishop Mike Lowry, Bishop Emeritus and seasoned doctrinal teacher, discuss core Christian teachings. They explore Scripture as living and written Word, the canon’s role for faithful belief, means of grace like prayer and sacraments, and keeping Christ central in interpretation. Personal stories about treasured Bibles add warmth.

Rev. Dr. Kelly McQuig, lead pastor and author of Good Guilt who holds a Doctor of Ministry, explores repentance as a continual, freeing spiritual practice. He contrasts shame and guilt. He traces repentance’s role in revival, explains confession before communion, and offers practical ways churches and leaders can restore regular confession and renewal.

Bishops Mike Lowry, Bishop Emeritus known for pastoral teaching, and Leah Hitty Gregory, a Global Methodist bishop with pastoral and theological insight, discuss Christian future hope. They explore why hope matters, why predicting dates is wrong, how hope shapes faithful living and mission, pastoral care around death and grief, and the renewal of creation—including playful thoughts about animals.

The Wesleyan/Methodist movement represents a vital theological tradition that needs more exceptional theologians who are committed to teach the faith! This is at the heart of the conversation today with Dr. David Watson, President of Asbury Theological Seminary. Dr. Watson came to Asbury Seminary from faculty and administrative roles at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He served as United’s Senior Vice President, as well as Professor of New Testament, Academic Dean, and Vice President for Academic Affairs.During his years at United, his leadership was instrumental in revitalizing the Seminary, strengthening its theological commitments, expanding its global reach, and increasing student enrollment. He demonstrated exceptional leadership in theological education, faculty development, strategic planning, and institutional growth. He oversaw the development of a new Master of Arts degree, the Hispanic Christian Academy, and early advancements in online theological education.Dr. Watson has built meaningful partnerships across denominations and continents, working with Christian leaders in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. His passion for equipping Spirit-filled leaders extends beyond the classroom and into real-world ministry, where he has actively engaged in church renewal, mission work, and theological discourse on a global scale. His global perspective aligns with Asbury Seminary’s vision to serve the worldwide Church.In other aspects of his professional life, Dr. Watson is Lead Editor of “Firebrand”, an online magazine “intended to promote theological reflection in various related traditions, including Methodist, Arminian, Holiness, Pentecostal, and others.” He also writes a Substack and serves as one of the hosts of the "It's Elementary" and "WesWorld" podcasts. Dr. Watson has been published extensively in Christian journals and magazines and has contributed numerous chapters in books and commentaries. His latest book is “Scripture and the Life of God: Why the Bible Matters Today More than Ever” (Seedbed, 2017).Dr. Watson and his wife, Harriet, have three children: Luke, Sean, and Ciara.Links for Dr. Watson's work:Podcasts: https://asburyseminary.edu/about/office-of-the-president/podcastsSubstack: https://davidfwatson3.substack.comFirebrand: https://firebrandmag.com

Leah Hitty Gregory, a Global Methodist bishop offering pastoral reflections on oneness in Christ and church life. Mike Lowry, Bishop Emeritus and theological teacher, explains Methodist ecclesiology and doctrine. They explore the catechism’s role in discipleship. They define the church as Christ’s community, unpack four traditional marks, contrast oneness with cultural unity, and celebrate diverse faithful congregations.

In our cultural moment of contentious partisan politics, polarization, and too many Americans pledging allegiance to political party over the Kingdom of God, Dr. Steve Bezner is here to sober us up with a heavy dose from the Sermon on the Mount. Steve Bezner is Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Theology at Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. Prior to joining the Truett faculty, he served in a variety of pastoral roles, most recently serving as Senior Pastor of Houston Northwest Church in Houston, Texas, for twelve years, where he also served as adjunct faculty for Truett Houston. During his time in Houston, Steve served on the Executive Board of Texas Baptists, the board of Houston Church Planting Network, and with GlocalNet to start churches and promote peacemaking across religious and racial boundaries. One of his primary passions is coaching and helping churches and pastors succeed in their various contexts. To that end, he has taught and written curriculum in a variety of settings over the years, including World Hope Ministries International—a ministry dedicated to providing theological education to pastors in remote global contexts. Steve is married to Joy and has two sons—Ben and Andrew. He enjoys cooking, jazz music, coffee, books, hiking, fishing, and hunting. https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781587436314_your-jesus-is-too-american

Mike Lowry, Bishop Emeritus and theological educator, offers creedal and pastoral insight. Leah Hitty Gregory, bishop and revitalization leader, shares pastoral stories and liturgical wisdom. They discuss the Holy Spirit as a personal member of the Trinity. They explore balancing experience with tradition, the Spirit’s role in justification and sanctification, and practical ministry moments guided by the Spirit.

It's not everyday we get to have a conversation with a world-renowned Bible scholar of the caliber of Dr. Ben Witherington III. We pray you'll take steps to becoming a Bible nerd after this conversation. Dr. Witherington makes it clear why the Bible really matters. The Bible touches on lots of things but everyone needs to study it deeply because of who it's from and what it teaches. Dr. Witherington joined the Asbury Seminary faculty in 1995 after teaching at Ashland Theological Seminary for more than a decade. He has also taught at High Point College, Duke Divinity School and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.A prolific author, Dr. Witherington has written more than 60 books, including commentaries on every book of the New Testament, including The Gospel Code: Novel Claims About Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Da Vinci (2004), The Problem With Evangelical Theory: Testing the Exegetical Foundations of Calvinism, Dispensationalism, and Wesleyanism (2005), and The New Testament Story (2004). One of his works, The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth (InterVarsity Press, 1995), was selected as the top biblical studies book of 1995 by Christianity Today and the Academy of Parish Clergy. In The Jesus Quest, Dr. Witherington surveys the contemporary Christological landscape in New Testament scholarship, offering a helpful perspective on one of the most significant and controversial religious debates of the past decade. In 1999 he again won the Christianity Today book award, this time for The Paul Quest: The Renewed Search for the Jew of Tarsus. He was recently featured in the BBC and PBS special entitled ‘The Story of Jesus’.Dr. Witherington, who has led numerous study tours through the lands of the Bible, is known for bringing the text to life through incisive historical and cultural analysis. He is a John Wesley Fellow for Life, a research fellow at Cambridge University and a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Society of Biblical Literature, Society for the Study of the New Testament and the Institute for Biblical Research. He is also an emeritus professor of New Testament at St. Andrews University, Scotland. Dr. Witherington has also spoken to many groups about his topics of expertise, and even had the opportunity to preach at the National Chapel in May of 2006. In his leisure time, Dr. Witherington appreciates both music and sports. It is hard to say which sound he prefers: the sophisticated sonance of jazz sensation Pat Metheny or the incessant tomahawk chant of the Atlanta Braves faithful. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, he is a dedicated Tar Heels basketball and football fan. He and his wife, Ann, have one son and daughter-in-law, and one grandson.Here are some helpful links for more resources related to Dr. Witherington:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ben+witherington+iii&crid=3UX79XVB8BL6T&sprefix=ben+witherington+iii%2Caps%2C241&ref=nb_sb_noss_1https://www.benw3.comhttps://tutkutours.comhttps://asburyseminary.edu/faculty/ben-witherington