Dayton Reformation Conference
In 1997 Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church offered the Dayton community the first
annual Dayton Reformation Conference. The first year began as the pastors and elders
of Redeemer and Covenant OPC offered a conference on covenant theology. We were excited
that over seventy people attended our first little conference. From that small beginning,
the Dayton Reformation Conference has grown every year.
Our goals have always been threefold. First, we wanted to offer our own church members an
opportunity to hear expert teachings from scholars who are the best in their field. This
creates a refreshing chance for our folks to hear different speakers on different topics
that we think will encourage them towards greater faithfulness to Christ. Second, we also
wanted to offer the greater Dayton Christian community the same thing: an opportunity to
learn and to be inspired to glorify God and enjoy him. Third, we wanted to reach out to
the community with the message that Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church may be of interest
to them if they share similar interests in Biblical faithfulness and the reformation of church
and state.
From time to time, the puritans of England were known to irritate their beloved Queen
Elizabeth I when they held similar conferences sometimes called "prophesying" meetings.
Here they would preach, teach and encourage the church towards purity, excellence, and
they used the Bible to promote cultural change. Yes, the queen began to learn that these
agitating Christians had the audacity to teach that even kings and queens are under the
authority of King Jesus and his word. The Dayton Reformation Conference attempts to offer
the community precisely this kind teaching service. May the Lord bless you as you consider
joining us for this year's conference.
1998
This year brought us faculty members from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Professors John Carrick and Ben Shaw blessed us with historical presentations of Reformation
figures and their ideas. We were inspired by snippets from the audacious life of Martin Luther.
We were also challenged to see that many of the principles the reformers developed in the 1500's
are still indispensable for us today.
Back to Top
1999
No, the world did not end that year, but our topic was related to the issue of "the end of
life as we know it" that was swirling around us in those days. Our speaker, Gary DeMar, offered
refreshing insights into why we should not even spend our efforts delving into such matters in
biblical prophecy. He taught us from his outstanding book, Last Days Madness. Instead of focusing
on endlessly flawed predictions of the end of the world, the church should concentrate on faithful
obedience in the kingdom of God
Back to Top
2000
Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry was our featured speaker. Dr. Gentry covered the constantly debated issue
of creation in six days. He offered an in-depth study of a few of the more popular but flawed
positions that differ from the literal six-day approach. Finally, he presented a rigorous and
scholarly defense of the literal six days of creation as given in the plain words of Genesis chapter 1.
Back to Top
2001
Having Dr. Morton H. Smith was as much like having a grandfather in the faith as it was having a
well-trained scholar. Dr. Smith taught about the history and growth of the church in America. He
gave particular attention to the history and development of the Presbyterian Church in America.
Likewise, he offered personal and relevant insights to help us understand the issues that face the
church today.
Back to Top
2002
Cal Beisner, associate professor of historical theology and social ethics at Knox Theological
Seminary, was our featured speaker. His topic was "The Christian Response to the Environmentalist
Movement."
Professor Beisner supplied a biblical answer to today's propaganda, demonstrating the Christian
worldview to be distinct and different from all others, including that of the environmentalist's.
He provided answers to such questions as: Are we really running out of all our resources? Is the
world moving towards a terrible end at the inevitable progress of global warming? Do animals have
rights? Is the earth overpopulated and moving towards a population disaster? What is the destiny
of the earth? Does the environmentalist message of doom and gloom really comport with the words of
Genesis, which says to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it?
Back to Top
2003
Our speaker was Dr. Leland Ryken. Dr. Ryken is Professor of English at Wheaton College, where he
has taught for 34 years. His academic achievements are only a small part of his credentials. He
has authored, edited or co-edited close to thirty books on a variety of topics. His work for our
conference focused on the Puritans. Dr. Ryken's presentation of the Puritan view and style of life
is perceptive and accurate. His book, Wordly Saints, is academically rigorous yet popular and readable.
He allowed the Puritans to speak for themselves as his work is filled with insightful quotes on various
topics. Furthermore, he covered a wide range of issues moving from "Church and Worship" to 'Money,
Marriage and Sex'. He didn't overlook their faults, but put them into seventeenth century perspective
and painted a sympathetic portrait of a group of people grappling with what it means to be a worldly saint.
Back to Top
2004
The speaker was the Rev. Alan Strange, who spoke to us on the subject of Justification. Rev. Strange
is Associate Professor of Church History and Theological Librarian at Mid America Reformed Seminary.
His education includes the following: B.A., Centenary College, 1984 M.A., College of William and Mary,
1986 M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary, 1989.
Rev. Strange has extensive experience in the church including over nine years as pastor of Providence
Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Glassboro, New Jersey. Along with his work at seminary he is currently
the associate pastor at New Covenant Community Church (OPC) in New Lenox, Illinois. His ecclesiastical
contributions extend far beyond his local church and presbytery. He serves in a denominational capacity
on committees and consistently contributes to the OPC denominational magazine New Horizons.
Professor Strange frequently preaches and teaches in a variety of churches across the nation. He has done
extensive youth and college student work over the course of his ministry and has published historical works
for use in Christian education and homeschooling. Rev. Strange not only has the educational and ecclesiastical
credentials you would expect of a conference speaker, but his wit and his speaking skills make him a pleasure
to hear. Presently he is working with Great Commission Publications on a book dealing with the doctrine
ofjustification, which will be the focus of our conference.
Back to Top
2005
This year’s speaker was Dr. James E. McGoldrick. Dr. McGoldrick is professor of church history at Greenville
Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He has been a pastor and he has extensive teaching experience as Professor
of History at Cedarville University from 1973-2001. Dr. McGoldrick’s educational credentials include some of the
following: B.S., Temple University, 1961; M.A. Temple University, 1964; Ph.D. West Virginia University, 1974.
Dr. McGoldrick has published numerous articles in historical and theological journals. Likewise, he has published
several books including Luther’s English Connection (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1979); Luther’s
Scottish Connection (Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1989); Baptist Successionism (Lanham, MD:
Scarecrow Press, 1994); God’s Renaissance Man: The Life and Work of Abraham Kuyper (Darlington, UK: Evangelical
Press, 2000). He has contributed to Great Lives From History, Chronology of European History, Oxford Encyclopedia
of the Reformation, Dictionary of Tudor England, Dictionary of Scottish Church History And Theology, Historical
Dictionary of Late Medieval England, Magill’s Guide to Military History, Global Encyclopedia of Historical Writing.
Dr. McGoldrick’s expertise is seasoned with years of pastoral and educational wisdom. We were honored to have him
bring us lectures on the life and lessons of Abraham Kuyper from his book, Abraham Kuyper: God’s Renaissance Man.
Back to Top
2006
Ken Myers spoke on "Not a Private Savior: Honoring Christ's Rule in All of Life".
Ken Myers is the host and producer of the MARS HILL AUDIO Journal, a bimonthly audio magazine that examines issues
in contemporary culture from a framework shaped by Christian conviction.
Mr. Myers has many years of communication expertise. He did his first radio interview when he was working in college
radio. He was 19 at the time, and his first guest was Johnny Cash. For eight years, he was a producer and editor for
National Public Radio, working for much of that time as arts and humanities editor for the two news programs, Morning
Edition and All Things Considered.
Mr. Myers serves as a contributing editor for Christianity Today, and his published writings include All God’s Children
and Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular Culture (Crossway Books: 1989), and (as editor) Aspiring to Freedom:
Commentaries on John Paul II’s Encyclical "The Social Concerns of the Church" (William B. Eerdmans: 1988).
Ken’s breadth of his knowledge gave us a very excellent presentation and his wit and sharp insights made for one of the
best conference we have
Back to Top
2007
The conference was cancelled due to the weather.
Back to Top
2008
Peter A. Lillaback, Ph.D. senior pastor at Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and president of
Westminster Theological Seminary, where he is also Professor of Historical Theology. He is also president of the
Providence Forum. He is the voice of Proclaiming The Word, a daily syndicated radio program, as well as The Proclamation
Worship Hour. Dr. Lillack received a Ph.D. from Westminster Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary,
and a B.A. from Cedarville University in Ohio.
Dr. Lillaback is the author of The Binding of God: Calvin’s Role in the Development of Covenant Theology (Baker), Freedom’s
Holy Light-With a Firm Reliance on Divine Providence (Providence Forum Press) and Proclaim Liberty: A Broken Bell Rings
Freedom to the World (Providence Forum Press).
Dr. Lilback brought us an excellent series of lectures on George Washington from his exceptional book, George Washington’s
Sacred Fire
Back to Top
2009
Dr. Darryl Hart is author of several books including Recovering Mother Kirk, Deconstructing
Evangelicalism, The Lost Soul of American Protestantism, John Williamson Nevin in the American
Reformed Biography series, A Secular Faith, and with John John Meuther, With Reverence and Awe.
He is an elder at Calvary OPC in Glenside, Pa, and is currently teaching as an adjunct at Temple
University. He studied film at Temple University, church history at Westminster (PA) and Harvard
Div. School, and American history at Johns Hopkins (Ph.D.). Some forthcoming projects include a new
book on the Religious Right — From Billy Graham to Sarah Palin: The Religious Right and the Collapse
of American Conservatism, a history of the OPC for their 75th anniversary in 2011, and eventually a
‘global history of Calvinism’ for Yale University Press.
Back to Top
2010
Since 2008 Chad Van Dixhoorn has served as associate pastor at Grace
Presbyterian Church where he shares in the weekly preaching and teaching
ministry of the church. Previously he lived a double-life as associate minister
of Cambridge Presbyterian Church and as a British Academy Post-doctoral
fellow in the history department of the University of Cambridge. (A Canadian
by birth, Pastor Van Dixhoorn received his BA from the University of Western Ontario and
his Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary. While in Philadelphia
he met Emily, a native of Princeton, New Jersey and in 1998 they were married in Princeton’s Miller Chapel.
That same year he was licensed to preach by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Three years later they
moved to Cambridge, England where he completed a PhD in the history and theology of the Westminster
assembly (1643-1652). Upon completion of his PhD he was ordained to serve as an Orthodox Presbyterian
minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of England and Wales.)
Dr Van Dixhoorn has authored historical and theological essays for the church and the academy. His current
research project is a major edition of the minutes and papers of the Westminster assembly with Oxford University
Press. He organizes his free time by working on the Westminster assembly project, providing the public
with access to rare manuscripts and books by the assembly and its members www.westminsterassembly.org.
He has taught theology and history at the University of Cambridge, the University of Nottingham, Westminster
Seminary in California, Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and Reformed Theological Seminary
in D.C. A generous supply of annual study leave from Grace Church permits him to continue as a visiting
professor at these three seminaries and as a Senior Research Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge.
Back to Top
