The Ockenga Blog Series is designed to highlight each of Gordon-Conwell’s centers. In the last post, we featured the Mockler Center for Faith and Ethics in the Public Square and its vision, history, and staff. This week we would like to highlight ways in which the Mockler Center pursues its mission and purpose.

DR. KENNETH BARNES

The mission of the Mockler Center is to explore and promote biblical ethics, values, and insights for today’s workplaces and to bring helpful insights and experiences from workplace laity to the church and its leadership. This is carried out through three primary platforms:

Seminars & Conferences: From two hours to a week in length, the Center’s seminars and conferences bring together international thought-leaders and practitioners from a broad range of disciplines to explore what the Bible has to say about business ethics, health and well-being, civics, economics, education, law, and social justice. These events are meant to be intellectually stimulating, spiritually refreshing, and immanently practical. While the COVID-19 pandemic has rendered in-person gatherings impossible, we are hopeful that our plans for the C-Suite Sabbath (August 8-13, 2021) will go ahead as planned. This week-long retreat is designed to help over-worked executives (and their families) “think deeply, pray earnestly, and rest peacefully.” It will feature a combination of contemplative worship and prayer; biblical teaching on ethics, leadership, and character; community meals with peers from around the world; and plenty of time for rest and relaxation.

Seminary Courses & Programs: Semester length or intensive, group or individualized, we offer accredited courses in workplace theology, business and professional ethics, leadership, economic justice, Christian apologetics, and other topics consistent with our re-defined mission and the expertise of our Fellows. We will also be developing online “Master Classes” on a wide variety of issues relating to faith and ethics in the public square, including those devoted particularly to the unique role of pastors as “ambassadors” of the gospel in society. Perhaps the cornerstone academic offering is the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) track in Workplace Theology and Ethical Leadership, co-taught by Australian scholar and researcher, Dr. Lindsay McMillan. This unique program focuses on the technical, biblical/theological, moral/ethical, and pastoral issues associated with the future of work, the future of finance, and the future of globalization. In partnership with our personal and professional contacts at Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, The House of Lords, the Church of England, Melbourne Business School and others, the program is the only one of its kind in the world.

Watch a short video to hear more about the D.Min program, and learn about our recent and upcoming course offerings:

• AP/MC612 Practical Apologetics (Spring 2021 Digital Live): The purpose of this course is to help students hone their apologetic skills, and build their confidence, by combining theory and praxis in a variety of secular settings (i.e. workplace, educational settings, the public square, etc.). Students will increase their awareness of various arguments for and against the existence of God and develop an appreciation for the art of rhetoric and build confidence in the efficacy of the gospel in the “marketplace of ideas.”

• SE630 Redeeming Capitalism (Spring 2021 Online): This course helps students understand the relationship between theology and economics and how to apply what they have learned to their ministries and/or Christian discipleship.

• WTEL 4512 Workplace Theology and Ethical Leadership (New cohort from July 12-23, 2021): Consistent with Gordon-Conwell’s commitment to “equip Church leaders to think theologically, engage globally, and live biblically,” this specialization (“track”) looks at the biblical, theological, moral/ethical, and pastoral implications of life in the global marketplace, including: the quest for “purpose and meaning” at work, the impact of technological innovation, the ethics of financial management, and our stewardship of the natural environment.

Livestreams: As mentioned, we have hosted several online events on a wide variety of topics to equip people with the resources to respond to current events with facts and faith. We invite you to view our previous livestreams and to join us as we discuss the following issues in the Winter and Spring of 2021 (exact titles and dates to be determined):

• January: “Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear: Vaccinations, Masks and Loving Thy Neighbor in the Age of COVID-19″
• February: “God and Mammon: The Future of Money in the Age of COVID-19”
• March: “When No One Sees: Leadership and Character in an Age of Untruth”
• April: “Made in the Image of God: The Future of Work in a Virtual World”
• May: “The Law of Love: Justice and Grace in an Age of Lawlessness”
• June: “All Things Great and Small: Creation Care and the Cultural Mandate”

To receive notifications about these events, sign up for our Mockler Center events newsletter.

Dr. Kenneth Barnes has served as a senior international executive for multibillion dollar companies across the globe as well as in pastoral positions in the US and UK. He has received two doctorate degrees (Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Theology & Ministry) and three masters degrees (Philosophy, Divinity, Biblical Studies). Dr. Barnes has also published three books (Redeeming Capitalism, Light from the Dreaming Spires, and Business Ethics and Religious Belief) as well as numerous articles.