ARCH Project

Sharing the gospel with your Catholic friends

We all have Catholic friends.

The question is: Are we sharing the gospel with them? If we are, how are we doing it? Although Roman Catholicism seems to be a single unified belief system, not all Catholics believe the same things or act in the same way. Therefore, when we talk about Jesus and the gospel with our Catholic friends, it’s crucial to understand their beliefs and the key issues involved. The Symposium will help you understand both Roman Catholicism and your Roman Catholic friends better, encouraging you to share the gospel with them, and empowering you to do so in a faithful, loving and appealing way. Leonardo De Chirico is an Italian evangelical theologian, pastor, and author. He serves as pastor of Breccia di Roma church and is director of the Reformanda Initiative, equipping evangelicals to understand Roman Catholicism. He teaches theology and has written extensively on Christian doctrine and the Roman Catholic Church from a biblical perspective.

Reimagining Church: Revitalizing Buildings, Reaching Communities

What if church buildings could become catalysts for community transformation? Blake Schwarz (New Church Commons, Dallas, TX) explores innovative missional engagement by sharing insights from Central Commons, a project transforming church spaces into community ventures in Dallas. He discusses the theological vision and strategies behind this model, showing how churches can leverage resources to meet local needs and create a vibrant presence.

The Roman Church: A Biblical Case For Collaboration In Trans-Denominational City Engagement

Watch as Neil Powell shares key insights from his DMin research, “The Roman Church: A Biblical Case for Collaboration in Trans-Denominational City Engagement”. Drawing on Romans 14–15, Neil explores how believers from different traditions can work together for city transformation without compromising biblical convictions. Neil, Co-Director of The London Project and part of City to City Europe, brings both theological depth and real-world experience to this important topic.

The Sacraments and the Mission of the Church

In his presentation, Blocher delves into the profound connection between the sacraments and the Christian mission. Drawing from his extensive research and biblical insights, he clarifies our understanding of the sacraments by exploring how baptism and the Lord’s Supper serve as bodily confessions to the truth of the gospel and thus fulfill their role in the Great Commission. He also reflects on the importance of our personal response to the sacraments, the role of community and institutions in sustaining them, and their symbolic witness as anthropological appeals that resonate deeply with human experience.

Seven Stages of Contextualization

What is contextualization and how should we do it? This term stands at the intersection of many diverse and conflicting ministry theories. In this symposium, Dr Brian DeVries will define the term by looking at seven distinct models of contextualization within intercultural ministry. Dr DeVries will use “cross-cultural church planting” as the specific area of intercultural ministry in which to describe and apply contextualization theory. His goal is to explain the diverse types of contextualization in a way that is both biblical and useful for contemporary ministry. This will help refine our understanding, and also improve the practice of contextualization in our ministries.

The Importance Of Elenctics in Global Missions

“Elenctics” refers to the unmasking and convicting of sin, and it appears in various forms eighteen times in the New Testament. At one time, elenctics was considered so important that it had its own department within mission departments in theological seminaries. In this symposium, Dr Dan Strange investigates the nature of elenctics and discuss why it needs to make a comeback in our evangelism, apologetics, and discipleship efforts.

Leading Diverse Team

In a polarized world, could multicultural teams be a key to bridging barriers, modeling gospel unity, and bearing witness to the Risen Lord in a Post-Christendom era? Drawing upon his experience serving on multicultural teams in NYC and Portland, Dr Stephen Stallard explores theology, history, and praxis for diverse teams. He points us back towards the blueprint in The Acts of the Apostles and seek to apply it to contemporary contexts. The conversation is wide-ranging, covering doctrine, mission, theory, and method.

Preaching Perspectives

In this symposium, we looked at perspectives on preaching by listening to a dialogue between two pastors and theological educators, one from the global South and global North: Annang Asumang (South African Theological Seminary), and Tim Ward (Oak Hill College, London). Among other things, we will look at the state of preaching in both cultural contexts, the importance of preaching in the life of the church, and what we might learn from each other given our different settings.

Relevance of Theological Retrieval

What is the value of retrieving theology of past eras when our present one has so many pressing issues of its own? In our age, the word “unprecedented” has become something of a cliché. Everything we deal with, we insist, is new. From the befuddling topic of transgenderism to the challenges and benefits of A.I., we are convinced that our ethical and anthropological debates are cutting edge—we, unlike any generation that came before us, venture into uncharted territory. But does this apply to the realm of theological disagreements as well? Are our many theological controversies insurmountably novel? In this symposium, Dr. Samuel G. Parkison defends with the Solomonic dictum that “nothing is new under the sun” (Eccl 1:9). Parkison commends the practice of theological retrieval, not for the sake of idolizing the past, but as an exercise of good stewardship and wisdom for navigating present theological concerns.

The History and Formation of Church Planting Movements

Multiperspectivalism and Global Theology

Secular Creed with Rebecca McLaughlin

Embracing Complementarianism

Exploring a Biblical Theology of Nationhood

Jeremy Fowler studied History at Oxford and Theology at Oak Hill College. He and his family spent eleven years in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq where he taught Kurdish history and ran a language consultancy, and regularly discussed the big questions of faith. Together with his wife Joy and their four children, Jeremy is now based in Oxford, sharing the gospel contextually and training people in intercultural ministry.

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The Thought and Legacy of Andrew Walls

Unity In Diversity – Contextual Hermeneutics

Elizabeth shared what we can learn from the gospels on unity and diversity and how to contextualize it in the various global contexts.

What is ARCH?

On 06 October 2021 Philip Moore interviewed Dr Bat Manyika and Dr Dan Strange on the "What Is ARCH?". As hosts of future symposia, they discussed the purpose, nature and ethos of the ARCH Project, as well as what we can look forward to in future symposia.