Finding the true image of God

Our hope must be that those seeking Jesus will find the true Jesus, not the one hijacked by Christian Nationalists, writes Michelle Nunn.

One of the blessings of ministering at Regents Theological College is meeting lots of young and mature people who are desiring to know and serve God.

Often encouraged by teachers and parents to progress their education by getting a degree, they are choosing to take a study path where they will g ain a qualification whilst getting to know God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in a deeper way by studying theology.

During three years of study our undergraduate students are spiritually formed as they practise their faith through prayer, worship, study and service.

Historically, Pentecostals have been often fearful of formal education and known for being anti-intellectual and discouraging academic study.

This has its roots in the origin of the movement, which was birthed amongst the poor, uneducated classes at a time when eschatological urgency prevailed across society.

This belief in Jesus’ imminent return and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit gave believers a fervour for evangelism that is rare today.

There was no time for formal education, the gospel had to be proclaimed, with urgency, to the ends of the earth.

A further fear compounded the situation as Pentecostals believed that it was the institutionalisation and intellectualisation of early Christianity that had driven the Holy Spirit out of the church.

story continues …