“Listening to the plenary speakers last week, I was impressed by their desire to ground everything they said in Scripture. Virtually every point made was supported by careful exegesis. This is crucial, since both the authority and power of preaching comes not from the one who preaches, but from Scripture alone.”

Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) hosted a faculty panel at T4G last week, as we did at TGC15 last year. I had the privilege to participate in both panels. It was my first time at these conferences and a great opportunity to see up close the New Calvinist movement. It was both exciting and encouraging to see how these conferences are providing rich biblical teaching about the truths of the gospel.

With the events of this past week fresh in my mind, I want to share five reasons why the New Calvinism is worth supporting.

1. It focuses on encouraging pastors.

Despite attendance being capped in January, 10,000 people attended this year’s T4G, with the majority being pastors. As the organizers celebrated its 10th anniversary, they reminded everyone that this conference began with the desire to encourage and strengthen pastors. (TGC conferences have a bit of a broader scope but seek to model expositional preaching for pastors in its plenary addresses.)

The work of pastoral ministry is vital for the church, so the continual training of pastors is too. At WTS we have the opportunity to begin pastors’ training, but their training shouldn’t stop after graduation. Pastors must continue to learn and grow as they press on in their duty to feed and shepherd God’s flock.

2. It emphasizes the need for sound, scriptural theology.

Listening to the plenary speakers last week, I was impressed by their desire to ground everything they said in Scripture. Virtually every point made was supported by careful exegesis. This is crucial, since both the authority and power of preaching comes not from the one who preaches, but from Scripture alone.

Likewise, the speakers didn’t shy away from unfolding substantive doctrines that arise from Scripture. They often quoted voices from the past to help explain and illuminate these doctrines. Great theological minds from church history continue to be a treasure for the church today. I believe last week marked the first time I’d heard a pastor quote Francis Turretin in a sermon!

3. It recognizes the diversity of the North American evangelical church.

By God’s grace, the evangelical church in North America is becoming more racially diverse. While at times this diversity has caused tension, there is also the opportunity for the gospel to move us forward. Breakout sessions at T4G discussed the challenges and opportunities for the Hispanic, African American, and Asian American churches. I participated in the session exploring the future of the Asian American church. It was a time of rich reflection and discussion as we look to the future work of the gospel in North America. I’m likewise encouraged to see that TGC’s women’s conference this summer had made a concerted effort to seek substantial ethnic diversity among its speakers.

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