BAPC NEWS RELEASE
On October 31, 1517, theology professor Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The first thesis stated, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Luther said such repentance does not refer to the Roman Catholic sacrament of penance, but to inner repentance that produces outward obedience. He then focused his attack on the Catholic practice of selling indulgences for the remission of sins.
Luther’s 95 Theses and his subsequent dispute with Rome brought about a series of events that formally divided the Western church into Roman Catholics and Protestants. The three major Protestant branches of the Reformation were the Reformed churches, the Anglican church in England, and the Lutheran churches, taking their name after their founder.
Luther was a fascinating individual and is worthy of study in his own right. Yet Luther cannot be disconnected from the flame of the Reformation that he sparked. It is no overstatement to say the Protestant Reformation was one of the most significant events in world history. It impacted the United States, which was initially formed by Protestants, particularly British Protestants. The Puritans established the New England colonies, Anglicans established Virginia, and the Scots-Irish brought Presbyterianism to the American backcountry.
Come learn more about Luther and the Reformation at the “Martin Luther and the Reformation” conference hosted by Bryce Avenue Presbyterian Church on Sept. 29–30. The conference speaker will be Jonathan Master, president of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Dr. Master holds a PhD from the University of Aberdeen and is author of Reformed Theology (2023). Bryce Avenue Presbyterian Church has had GPTS’s first president, Dr. Joseph Pipa, speak at prior conferences, and is happy to welcome Dr. Master to Los Alamos.
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (GPTS), founded in 1987, is located in Taylors, South Carolina. It is in the confessional Presbyterian and Reformed tradition and exists to equip men for the ministry without saddling them with a burden of student debt. The seminary’s mission is “to equip men to be preachers, pastors, and churchmen for Christ’s Kingdom among the nations in the context of biblical fidelity, confessional integrity, experimental piety, and ecclesiastical authority.”
Bryce Avenue Presbyterian Church is located at 333 Bryce Avenue in White Rock, New Mexico. The conference will begin Friday evening, Sept. 29 at 7 pm, with snacks provided. This will be followed by two sessions on Saturday morning, Sept. 30 at 9 am and 10:30 am. The church will provide complimentary lunch after, but we ask that you please RSVP for lunch at info@brycepresbyterian.org.