President's Newsletter - Fall, 2007

  Institute for Biblical Research Newsletter
                       (Fall, 2007)

                                                        By:
                                             Lee M. McDonald

                              http://www.ibresearch.ORG

September 20, 2007

 Dear IBR Colleagues:

 I trust that your new academic year is off to a good start and that you are enjoying your ministries of teaching, preaching, and mentoring.  I am pleased to share with you some news items that will be useful to you at our San Diego meetings this coming November 16-18, as well as information about our new IBR website.

Our program this year will include the following:

Friday Evening (Room: Douglas A-GH)

7:00     Devotions: John Hilber, Dallas Theological Seminary

7:15     Annual Lecture: “Old Testament Theology and the Canon,”
           John Goldingay, Fuller Theological Seminary

8:15     Formal Response: Christopher Seitz, University of Toronto

8:30     Response from the floor

8:45     Reception hosted by InterVarsity Press

Saturday Morning  (Room: Manchester I-GH)

8:30     Devotions: Robin J. DeWitt Knauth, Lycoming College

8:45     Old Testament Paper: "Canons on the Right and Canons on the Left: 
           Finding a Resolution in the Canon Debate" Stephen Dempster,
           Atlantic Baptist University

9:30     Formal Response: Tim McLay, St. Stephens University

9:45     Discussion from the floor

9:55     Coffee Break

10:20   Business Meeting

11:00   New Testament Paper: "The Catholic Epistles as a Canonical Janus:
           A New Testament Glimpse into Old and New Testament Canon
           Formation" Peter Davids, St. Stephens University

11:45   Formal Response: Robert Walter Wall, Seattle Pacific University

12:00   Discussion from the floor

12:15   Adjournment 

Sunday Morning  (Room: Salon C – MM)

7:30 a.m.   Worship Service. Our worship leader this year is Wayne Johnson (Trinity Evangelical divinity School) and our guest preacher this year is Bishop N.T. (Tom) Wright of Durham, England.  He is a very effective communicator and will have an important word for all of us.  Do plan to be with us for inspiration and challenge.  Invite a friend. This service is open to everyone.

We have been pleased and indeed gratified by the willingness of Baker Academic, InterVarsity, and Zondervan publishers to supply our refreshments on Friday evenings for several years now.  This year IVP is the sponsor and we will hear from the publishers about their new projects and publications that should be of interest to all of us.

I should bring to your attention that in the past we have had considerable difficulty with our web site and I am happy to say that Ted Hildebrandt (Gordon College) is rebuilding our site with useful information to all of our members.  The site should be ready for you soon and we will advise you when it is ready to go.  If you have any suggestions, please feel free to offer them to Ted. 

On behalf of your Board of Directors, I look forward to your participation and attendance at this year’s IBR meetings.  As usual, we have very stimulating papers and discussions, but we are also blessed with the fellowship of colleagues in the ministry of teaching, research, and writing.  We will see you in San Diego!

 Warm Christian greetings to you!

 Lee M. McDonald,
President