Rick Wadholm Jr. speaks with PneumaReview.com about a new online academic journal, The Pentecostal Educator.

PneumaReview.com: Introduce us to The Pentecostal Educator and tell us what you want the journal to accomplish.

Rick Wadholm Jr.: The Pentecostal Educator is an e-journal biannually publishing scholarly and practical articles related to theological education within the Pentecostal tradition to encourage the continuing maturation of Pentecostal theological education. It is intentionally practical, applied and international. The journal is intended to provide materials related to worldwide Pentecostal theological education like: institutional case studies, critical engagement with current newsworthy events, educational trends and trajectories, pedagogical analysis, and book reviews.

PneumaReview.com: How did the journal come into being? Who had the vision for this new publication and how did it progress from a vision to reality?

RW: The journal is the result of Paul Alexander being elected as chairperson of The World Alliance for Pentecostal Theological Education in the fall of 2013 at the consultation in Kuala Lumpur. It was his desire to see an e-journal provided with open access to resource Pentecostal theological educators globally where often minimal resources are available of this kind. Through his vision for this, he asked me to serve as the Executive Editor (with himself as Senior Editor) and begin pulling together a team (Justin Evans as Book Review Editor; Roland Dudley as Editorial Advisor; and Derek Simonsen initially, with Robert Wadholm currently, as Technical Services). We solicited a number of articles for our first issue to offer an inaugural issue (Fall 2014) on “The Future of Pentecostal Theological Education”.

PneumaReview.com: Are there any denominations or institutions directly involved with the journal? Who is contributing to the journal and who you would like to see writing for it in the future?

RW: The journal is under the umbrella of The World Alliance for Pentecostal Theological Education (WAPTE) which is a global cooperative fellowship of Pentecostal/Charismatic theological associations, denominational offices and missions agencies affiliated with a member body of the Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF) that provide educational services to theological and/or ministry training schools. It exists to assist and encourage these organizations in their endeavor to promote the development of Pentecostal theological education and leadership training. WAPTE is affiliated with the Pentecostal World Fellowship and its member bodies.

As far as contributors, when I solicited writers we received submissions from William Kay, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, and Byron Klaus. There are several other well-known Pentecostal scholars I have spoken with who will be contributing to future issues. However, we would welcome submissions from anyone writing a quality article pertaining to issues of Pentecostal theological education. We would be especially welcoming of those writing from the majority world context. Academic credentials are not included in the articles nor considered for submissions. Quality research and writing on issues of Pentecostal theological education are the only issues under consideration.

Rick Richardson, Experiencing Healing Prayer: How God Turns Our Hurts into Wholeness (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 249 pages, ISBN 0830832572.

Introduction

In his new book, Experiencing Healing Prayer, author Rick Richardson contends that true biblical healing is much more than the removal of physical pain or the alleviation of a physical disease. Instead, he argues, biblical healing is a journey in which the believer trusts in God for the healing of the whole person. Such healing may include deliverance from addictions, identity crises, negative imaginations, bitterness, social ills, and other problems that may be related to one’s soul or inner being.

According to Richardson, Jesus practiced a “whole-person” approach to healing (p. 27). He writes: “Healing is primarily about the transformation of the person into a truer and more whole follower, worshipper and lover of God” (p. 27). He further writes that healing is a process that affects people on different levels of their being. He asserts: “Healing is an inside-out deal. We are transformed from the core of who we are. As we experience and live out that transformation, we are healed on every level” (p. 30).

Richardson is associate director of evangelism for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. He is also an ordained priest with the Anglican Mission in America, and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Northern Baptist Seminary. He is coauthor with Brenda Salter McNeil of The Heart of Racial Justice.

His new book is a practical guide that explains “how God turns our hurts into wholeness.” In addition to offering tips and guidelines for those who need healing, it provides a model for those who wish to have a healing ministry. The book offers insight into the ministry of Christ and makes a strong argument for a ministry that brings healing to the whole person.

An overview

Richardson covers his topic in 17 chapters. Most of them conclude with discussion questions and a healing prayer. He includes a detailed Appendix section that highlights the need for healing in race relations. In the same section, he provides a model for a healing prayer ministry. He also offers advice for accountability.

Richardson opens his work with a discussion that illustrates the need for healing on many levels. He notes such issues as divorce, broken homes, sexual addictions, pornography and problems with gender identity, among others. He follows this discussion with a look at biblical healing. Interestingly enough, he begins the topic with a review of a television evangelist who promises miracles for money. Richardson uses this as a launching point to explain the nature of healing from a biblical perspective. He uses Christ and the Apostle Paul as examples to follow.

Rick M. Nañez, Full Gospel, Fractured Minds?: A Call to Use God’s Gift of the Intellect (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2005), 235 pages.

This book is a first of its kind. While others have tackled the issue of intellectual laxity among evangelicals as a whole, Nañez, an Assemblies of God missionary, is the first to devote an entire volume to the issue as it relates to Pentecostals and charismatics.

The first four chapters are devoted to giving a biblical theology of the mind. He makes an admirable case that God gave us a brain with the intent that we would use it for his glory. He gives particular detail to the original Hebrew and Greek meanings for the words heart, mind, etc. In the second four chapters he very ably articulates the anti-intellectual bias of early Pentecostals and is careful to set this in the historical backdrop of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He demonstrates very clearly that this phenomenon not only included evangelicals but points to the de-emphasis on the mind in American pop culture as well, implying at least that Pentecostals are, at least to some extent, people of their times.

But in my opinion, he overstates the case, occasionally comes across like he has an axe to grind, and seems to be totally unaware of the great strides that have been made in Pentecostal scholarship in recent decades. To be specific, he justly commends Don Gee for his excellent scholarship, but unfortunately does not seem to be aware of Stanley Horton, William Menzies, Gordon Fee, Vinson Synan, Gary McGee and Edith Blumhofer, to a name a few, who have made substantial contributions to Pentecostalism over the last few decades, particularly in the area of theology and history. The list continues to grow as more and more Pentecostals have found their pens! Nañez’s failure to at least mention these is egregious.

Nañez invests the second half of the book pointing the way out of our mental malaise. He calls for a retuning of our educational values so that people are taught how to think, not simply what to think. He calls for the sanctified use of reason and logic, using these mental tools in doing theology and especially in the art of apologetics. He calls for a return to studying philosophy and the sciences, pointing out that many fathers of modern science were devoted Christians. In all of these subjects he articulates very well how one can love God with their mind.

But there are two problems with this part of the book. First, although the content is quite good, a senior colleague pointed out to me that Nañez is rather late. There are any number of colleges and universities sponsored by Pentecostals that provide a Bible based, Christ centered liberal arts education. Evangel University, an Assemblies of God school in Springfield, MO, has been doing this for over 60 years.

Rick Warren in 2004.

Rick Warren, “Pastors Who Lead the Way” Enrichment 9:1 (Winter 2004).

“The good news is that while we may never achieve excellence in administration, we can learn to lead the way.”

In this article, Rick Warren states that he knows his leadership style. He is the big picture, vision-casting leader. Details do not appeal to him so he surrounds himself with staff and volunteers who gifts will compliment his giftings.

He reminds the reader that there is nothing wrong with being a vision-casting leader. What the leader needs to do is recruit team members that will enhance and supplement the leader’s style.

“There is tremendous power in cooperation. We do our best work when, instead of jockeying for position or trying to build a base of power, we work together—building on each other’s strengths and shoring up each other’s weaknesses.

He uses Nehemiah as an example prayer from a leader’s heart in Nehemiah 1.

Secondly, “Must a Pastor Lead?” He quotes from Ephesians 4:11-12 and states that by definition the pastor is a leader. Then he refers to Jesus statement to Peter in John 21:17, “Do you love me? … Feed My sheep” that a pastor must show love and care for his people.

Love being introduced into the picture you will not feel coerced into leadership but rather do what we gifted to do and lead willingly. Leadership is guiding and being an example rather than controlling and being a boss.

Third, Rick Warren discusses, “Can leadership be earned?” “We may know our gifts are clustered in the areas of preaching and teaching, not administration.”

Even though we may not achieve in excellence in administration we can still be effective leaders. He says that we need to practice habits and that habits can be learned. This will enhance effectiveness in the pulpit, in staff meetings, and in interactions with the church board.

“Leading with limited resources” is the fourth principle that he deals with in this article. Rick recognized the need for administrative leadership at Saddleback. The church was in the position in which they were able to hire someone for this position.