Connect • Renew • Equip
“In the beginning, God created … .” And He created all things perfectly — including man and woman, giving them value, dignity, and the purpose of glorifying Him. Then sin entered the world and damaged God’s image in man, but it did not damage the value of persons made in His image.
Now God’s design for personhood is under assault. Everywhere we see extreme expressions of self-identification and self-worship, such as devaluing unborn children, childhood, gender, sexuality, ethnic differences, the disabled, and the elderly.
Join us as we go back to “the beginning” to strengthen our understanding of the theology, implications, and applications of personhood regarding who we are created at conception and who we are recreated in Christ.
CoRE Conference 2023
Jan. 30 – Feb. 1
Schedule
Monday, Jan. 30
| 3–6:45 p.m. | Check-In Seminary Rotunda First Floor |
| 7 p.m. | Session 1: Personhood from the Beginning Steve Pettit — Stratton Hall |
| 8:45 p.m. | Reception Welcome Center Second Floor |
Tuesday, Jan. 31
| 8:30 a.m. | Check-In Welcome Center |
| 9 a.m. | Session 2: Theology of Personhood Paul Tautges — Stratton Hall |
| 10:30 a.m. | Fellowship Break with Coffee and Snacks Welcome Center Second Floor |
| 11 a.m. | Session 3: Personhood and the Image of God in Man Jim Newcomer — Stratton Hall |
| 12:30 p.m. | Lunch Tickets for sale at the dining common, or enjoy restaurants in the area or The Den |
| 2 p.m. | Breakout Sessions 1 What Is God Doing Through Disability? Paul Tautges — Seminary 214 Hurting Image Bearers: A Brief Theology of Grief for Christians (Handout) Jim Newcomer — Seminary 113 Gender Roles and Responsibilities in Marriage as Image Bearers Stuart Scott — War Memorial Chapel The Blueprint for Grace Relations Nicolas Ellen — Levinson Hall (Welcome Center) Do You Know Who You Are? Jim Berg — Seminary Rotunda Second Floor |
| 3:30 p.m. | Panel: Personhood and Bioethics Alan Benson, Marc Chetta, Jessica Minor, Renton Rathbun — Stratton Hall |
| 5 p.m. | Dinner Tickets for sale at the dining common, or enjoy restaurants in the area or The Den |
| 7 p.m. | Session 4: Personhood and Redemption (SELF in Christ v. Self IN CHRIST) Stuart Scott — Stratton Hall |
Wednesday, Feb. 1
| 9 a.m. | Session 5: Personhood and Race Nicolas Ellen — Stratton Hall |
| 10:30 a.m. | Fellowship Break with Coffee and Snacks Welcome Center Second Floor |
| 11 a.m. | Session 6: Personhood and Sanctification Jim Berg — Stratton Hall |
| 12:30 p.m. | Lunch Tickets for sale at the dining common, or enjoy restaurants in the area or The Den |
| 2 p.m. | Breakout Sessions 2 What Is God Doing Through Disability? Paul Tautges — Seminary 214 Hurting Image Bearers: A Brief Theology of Grief for Christians (Handout) Jim Newcomer — Seminary 113 Gender Roles and Responsibilities in Marriage as Image Bearers Stuart Scott — War Memorial Chapel The Blueprint for Grace Relations Nicolas Ellen — Levinson Hall (Welcome Center) Do You Know Who You Are? Jim Berg — Seminary Rotunda Second Floor |
| 3:30 p.m. | Seminary Rotunda Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Reception Seminary Rotunda First Floor |
| 5:30 p.m. | Banquet Registered guests will RSVP via Punchbowl invite (coming soon) Alan Benson — Davis Room (Dining Common) |
Speakers
Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University and BJU Seminary, leads the next generation of evangelists and disciple-makers with emphasis on character that serves and loves people and with a commitment to God’s inerrant, relevant truth.
Paul Tautges, senior pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, is a biblical counselor who is a fellow for the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) and a prolific author who helps others grow in God’s all-sufficient grace and truth.
Jim Newcomer, senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan, is an ACBC-certified adjunct professor for biblical counseling at BJU Seminary who is committed to practicing and teaching biblical pastoring and counseling.
Stuart Scott, director of biblical counseling at BJU Seminary who also serves as executive director of One-Eighty Ministries and fellow and director of membership services for ACBC, pastored and now teaches biblical counseling with the conviction that every pastor is a counselor.
Nicolas Ellen, senior pastor of Community of Faith Bible Church in Houston, Texas, serves in numerous counseling and teaching roles as an ACBC fellow, including adjunct professor at BJU Seminary and founder of Expository Counseling Training Center, where he equips saints for ministry.
Jim Berg, professor of biblical counseling at BJU Seminary, teaches and writes on leadership, counseling, and discipleship and, as an ACBC-certified counselor with addiction specialization, leads Freedom That Lasts®, a local church-based addiction ministry he and his wife founded.
Alan Benson, executive vice president for student development and ministry advancement at Bob Jones University, applies his over-25 years of local church ministry to training the next generation and overseeing student discipleship, leadership, conduct and counseling.
Marc Chetta, faculty member of BJU’s School of Health Professions, teaches human anatomy and physiology courses, having previously worked as a full-time medical doctor for 10 years in private family, obstetric, and surgical practice and 20 years in the emergency room.
Jessica Minor, dean of BJU’s School of Health Professions, specializes in medical ethics with an emphasis in preventative and organizational ethics and wrote her published dissertation on informed consent in predictive genetic testing.
Renton Rathbun, director of BJU’s Center for Biblical Worldview and BJU Seminary apologetics teacher, helps faculty, staff, and students understand and communicate a biblical worldview by working with them to integrate it into every course.
Registration and Pricing
Early Bird Discount
$100
$25 for spouses
General Admission
$125
$25 for spouses
BJU Community*
FREE (no need to register)
*faculty, staff and students
Early bird discount ends Jan. 13.
Registration closes Jan. 25.
FAQs
Will the conference be livestreamed?
There will be no livestream, but we plan to make session recordings available on our CoRE archives page.
Can I attend just part of the conference?
Attend as much of the conference as you can! However, we do not offer partial refunds for registered guests if you do not attend every session.
Is food included in the conference cost?
We offer refreshments in the mornings, but you can choose from a variety of options to purchase lunch and dinner. See the schedule or accommodations for details.
Location and Directions
The conference is hosted by BJU Seminary on the campus of Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.
1700 Wade Hampton Blvd.
Greenville, SC 29614
Accommodations
Food
There are several options for purchasing meals on campus at The Den as well as the University dining common. Or you’ll find many restaurants close by.
Hotels
Coming from out of town? You’ll find a variety of local hotels that offer a special BJU rate. Check out these hotels.
Questions?
Email or call (864) 242–5100 ext. 4210