Lose Conversion, Lose Christianity

Date: April 9, 2013

Event: The Gospel Coalition 2013 National Conference, Orlando, Florida

Panelists: Albert Mohler, J. D. Greear, Jared Wilson, Mike McKinley, Jonathan Leeman, and Jeramie Rinne

The cultural forces pushing against the Christian teaching on conversion are intense. Just consider the claims of naturalism, the call to respect all religions, and contemporary ideas of tolerance. But surely the power of a church’s witness depends on people who have been supernaturally changed. How do we talk about something that both offends and gives hope? Do we call people to convert? How critical is repentance? Can they belong before they believe?

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R. Albert Mohler Jr. (MDiv, PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and host of The Briefing and Thinking in Public. He is the author of several books, including The Apostles’ Creed. He and his wife, Mary, have two children.

J. D. Greear (MDiv, PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Under Pastor J.D.’s leadership, the Summit has grown from a plateaued church of 300 to one of over 12,000. He serves as a Council member for The Gospel Coalition, and recently served as the 63rd President of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2018 through 2021. Pastor J.D. Greear has authored several books, including 12 Truths & a Lie (2023), Essential Christianity (2023), Just Ask (2021), What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (2020), Above All (2019), Not God Enough (2018), Gaining by Losing (2015), Gospel (2011), Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart (2013), Jesus, Continued… (2014), and others. He hosts Summit Life, a 30-minute daily radio broadcast and weekly TV program as well as the Ask the Pastor podcast.

Jonathan Leeman is an elder at Cheverly Baptist Church in suburban Washington, DC, editorial director for 9Marks, and the author of How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics for a Divided Age (Thomas Nelson) and Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing (9Marks).

Mike McKinley is the senior pastor of Sterling Park Baptist Church in Sterling, Virginia. He is the author of Church Planting Is for Wimps (Crossway, 2010); Am I Really a Christian? (Crossway, 2011); Did the Devil Make Me Do It? (The Good Book Company, 2013); Passion (The Good Book Company, 2013); and The Resurrection in Your Life (The Good Book Company, 2015). His most recent book, co-authored with Mark Dever, is 90 Days in Ruth, Jeremiah and 1 Corinthians (The Good Book Company, 2016).

Jared C. Wilson is the director of content strategy for Midwestern Seminary, managing editor of For The Church, and author of more than 10 books, including Gospel Wakefulness, The Pastor’s Justification, The Prodigal Church, and The Gospel According to Satan. You can follow him on Twitter.

Jeramie Rinne (MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is the senior pastor of Sanibel Community Church in Florida. He is the author of Church Elders: How to Shepherd God’s People Like Jesus (Crossway, 2014) in 9Marks’s Building Healthy Churches series.