The Bible Faculty Summit is issuing a final call for papers for the 2023 Summit, to be held at Appalachian Bible College from Tuesday, August 1 through Thursday, August 3, 2023. The paper proposal period will end Friday, May 12, 2023.

• Remember to keep papers to 30 minutes to allow for discussion time.
• Your paper need not be completed till 24 hours prior to your delivering it, but we do ask that you read a paper as opposed to giving a talk.
• This year we will again have a publications committee working to help the best papers get published.

If you have a paper proposal which might lend itself well to a response from another participant, please contact Mark Ward.

The committee has heard encouraging feedback about this year’s Summit. We continue to work to improve papers and even see some published. The Publishing Roundtable was also a success.

An important announcement: the 2023 Summit will be held at Appalachian Bible College in Mount Hope, WV, Tuesday–Thursday, August 1–3.

A few more notes:

First, the BFS committee has updated the Paper Proposal Guidelines to include the following guidance for academic papers:

In order for your paper to be properly academic while being thoroughly biblically orthodox, it should:

1. demonstrate awareness of the history (ancient and modern) of the dialogue/debate/conversation surrounding its topic.
2. engage the key participants in that dialogue respectfully; i.e., with the respect you would want someone to show your best efforts.
3. extend the conversation substantively via alternate construals, additional evidence, critique of logic and/or method, etc.
4. evidence commitment to biblical authority and theological triage.

Second, please notify Paul Himes, who keeps up our Publications page, about any publications that result from your Summit papers. Popular-level publications based on Summit papers count, too!

Third, the committee suggests that busy teachers this year consider aiming some of their lecture prep at producing an academic paper. And don’t forget some other publishing tips from the roundtable: a) be ready for two to three rejections when submitting a journal article, b) format your footnotes in advance to match the journal’s standards (thank you, Kyle Dunham), c) take a look at some of Paul Himes’ advice for journal submissions.

Fourth, enjoy this little article on the relationship between writing and expertise. I (Mark Ward) think it expresses well how a lot of us frequently feel—and provides wisdom for those of us who wish to promote scholarship in service of the church. May the Lord bless your teaching and other work this year!

When Should I Write? Brief Reflections on the Relationship Between Writing and Expertise

This is Paul Himes of Baptist College of Ministry, with one reminder and one announcement.

First, a reminder: we have a page on the BFS site for “Published Papers.” Please send me bibliographical information for any BFS papers you’ve presented that later get published in any form. This will assist us as we run a “Publishing Roundtable” during lunch on Wednesday, July 27. We’ll be sharing tips on how to get published in an open forum.

Second, an announcement: Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary has asked that BFS participants be made aware of two lectures being presented by the BFS’ own Mark Ward just before the Summit begins. On Monday, July 26, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mark will speak on these topics:

1. Which TR and Why? Confessional Bibliology’s Conflicting Answers to Key Questions
2. How to Pastor Those Influenced by Confessional Bibliology and Other Forms of KJV-Onlyism

A time of Q&A will follow. Register for the lectures at the link below.

A reminder: registration for the 2022 Bible Faculty Summit will close next Tuesday, July 12. Those who have requested to be housed with church members from Intercity Baptist Church will hear from Detroit Baptist Seminary‘s Ryan Meyer by July 15. Those who need airport transportation will also hear details from him by that date.

Register for the Summit using the button below.

The committee apologizes for the late notice, but Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary has secured a group rate at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Allen Park, mere minutes from the church and seminary property.

Please use this link by July 1 to book either a king room or a double queen for the nights of July 26 and 27. After July 1, they will release all rooms that have not been reserved.