Simo Frestadius, Academic Dean for Undergraduate Studies, who was recently awarded a PhD by Birmingham University, reflects on the first of the new style Elim Theological Conference. Organised and hosted by Elim Training, the conference took place at Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, and was by way of relaunching what, some 15 years ago, was a key event in the Elim Church calendar; a time for Elim leaders, pastors, theology students, and church members to address key issues that face the church in contemporary society. Rather more than a series of lectures with a biblical theme, this year’s conference addressed key and current debates taking place around questions of “humanity”. Over 200 delegates attended, with each session having a planned time to discuss and feed-back thoughts on topics including Being Human in the Economy of God; Sexual Ethics, Gender and the Implications for the Church; Understanding Transgender in a Changing Culture; and The Demise of Dignity.
Simo said, “It was a privilege to give the opening talk at the Elim Theological Conference. As a theologian, I see my role as a servant of the church. Although this “service” often has a critical edge to it, I hope it is fundamentally constructive and life giving. In light of this, I was pleased that I could bring some insights from my research on the Elim doctrinal development, to inform the movement’s current understanding of its Foundational Truth on “humanity”. The session finished with a proposal on what a revised doctrinal statement on humanity could look like, so we were not just exploring the past – as important as that is – but also suggesting a way forward. From a Regents perspective, it was great to see so many current and former students attending the conference, and contributing to the conversation”.
We will keep you up-to-date as to the dates for next year’s conference, so you can book in, if it’s something that interests you.
