Ken Myers
Ken Myers is the host and producer of the MARS HILL AUDIO Journal, a bimonthly audio magazine that examines issues in contemporary culture from a framework shaped by Christian conviction.
He was formerly the editor of This World: A Journal of Religion and Public Life, a quarterly journal whose editor-in-chief was Richard John Neuhaus. Prior to his tenure at This World, he was executive editor of Eternity, the Evangelical monthly magazine. Mr. Myers has many years of communication expertise. He did his first radio interview when he was working in college radio. He was 19 at the time, and his first guest was Johnny Cash. For eight years, he was a producer and editor for National Public Radio, working for much of that time as arts and humanities editor for the two news programs, Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
Mr. Myers serves as a contributing editor for Christianity Today, and his published writings include All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular Culture (Crossway Books: 1989), and (as editor) Aspiring to Freedom: Commentaries on John Paul II’s Encyclical "The Social Concerns of the Church" (William B. Eerdmans: 1988). He has also written for numerous periodicals, including The Wilson Quarterly, TableTalk, Discipleship Journal, World, Crisis, First Things, The Washington Times, and The World & I. He has served on the Arts on Radio and Television Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts, and he lectures frequently at colleges, universities, and churches around the country.
He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he studied film theory and criticism, and of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is married and has two children in college (William & Mary and University of Virginia) and lives in central Virginia.
Dayton
Reformation Conference
In 1997 Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church offered the Dayton community
the first annual Dayton Reformation Conference. The first year began as the pastors and elders of
Redeemer and Covenant OPC offered a conference on covenant theology. We were excited that over seventy
people attended our first little conference. From that small beginning, the Dayton Reformation Conference
has grown every year.
Our goals have always been threefold. First, we wanted to offer our own church
members an opportunity to hear expert teachings from scholars who are the best in their field. This
creates a refreshing chance for our folks to hear different speakers on different topics that we think
will encourage them towards greater faithfulness to Christ. Second, we also wanted to offer the greater
Dayton Christian community the same thing: an opportunity to learn and to be inspired to glorify God and
enjoy him. Third, we wanted to reach out to the community with the message that Covenant Orthodox
Presbyterian Church may be of interest to them if they share similar interests in Biblical faithfulness
and the reformation of church and state.
From time to time, the puritans of England were known to irritate their beloved
Queen Elizabeth I when they held similar conferences sometimes called "prophesying" meetings. Here they
would preach, teach and encourage the church towards purity, excellence, and they used the Bible to
promote cultural change. Yes, the queen began to learn that these agitating Christians had the audacity
to teach that even kings and queens are under the authority of King Jesus and his word. The Dayton
Reformation Conference attempts to offer the community precisely this kind teaching service. May the
Lord bless you as you consider joining us for this year's conference.
Past
Conferences:
1998
This year brought us faculty members from Greenville Presbyterian Theological
Seminary. Professors John Carrick and Ben Shaw blessed us with historical presentations of Reformation
figures and their ideas. We were inspired by snippets from the audacious life of Martin Luther. We
were also challenged to see that many of the principles the reformers developed in the 1500's are still
indispensable for us today.
1999
No, the world did not end that year, but our topic was related to the issue of "the
end of life as we know it" that was swirling around us in those days. Our speaker, Gary DeMar, offered
refreshing insights into why we should not even spend our efforts delving into such matters in biblical
prophecy. He taught us from his outstanding book, Last Days Madness. Instead
of focusing on endlessly flawed predictions of the end of the world, the church should concentrate on
faithful obedience in the kingdom of God
2000
Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry was our featured speaker. Dr. Gentry covered the constantly
debated issue of creation in six days. He offered an in-depth study of a few of the more popular but
flawed positions that differ from the literal six-day approach. Finally, he presented a rigorous and
scholarly defense of the literal six days of creation as given in the plain words of Genesis
chapter 1.
2001
Having Dr. Morton H. Smith was as much like having a grandfather in the faith as it
was having a well-trained scholar. Dr. Smith taught about the history and growth of the church in
America. He gave particular attention to the history and development of the Presbyterian Church in
America. Likewise, he offered personal and relevant insights to help us understand the issues that
face the church today.
2002
Cal Beisner, associate professor of historical theology and social ethics at Knox
Theological Seminary, was our featured speaker. His topic was "The Christian Response to the
Environmentalist Movement."
Professor Beisner supplied a biblical answer to today's propaganda, demonstrating
the Christian worldview to be distinct and different from all others, including that of the
environmentalist's. He provided answers to such questions as: Are we really running out of all our
resources? Is the world moving towards a terrible end at the inevitable progress of global warming?
Do animals have rights? Is the earth overpopulated and moving towards a population disaster?
What is the destiny of the earth? Does the environmentalist message of doom and gloom really comport
with the words of Genesis, which says to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it?
2003
Our speaker was Dr. Leland Ryken. Dr. Ryken is Professor of English at Wheaton
College, where he has taught for 34 years. His academic achievements are only a small part of his
credentials. He has authored, edited or co-edited close to thirty books on a variety of topics.
His work for our conference focused on the Puritans. Dr. Ryken's presentation of the Puritan view and
style of life is perceptive and accurate. His book, Wordly Saints, is academically rigorous yet
popular and readable. He allowed the Puritans to speak for themselves as his work is filled with
insightful quotes on various topics. Furthermore, he covered a wide range of issues moving from
"Church and Worship" to 'Money, Marriage and Sex'. He didn't overlook their faults, but put them
into seventeenth century perspective and painted a sympathetic portrait of a group of people
grappling with what it means to be a worldly saint.
2004
The speaker was the Rev. Alan Strange, who spoke to us on the subject of Justification.
Rev. Strange is Associate Professor of Church History and Theological Librarian at Mid America Reformed
Seminary. His education includes the following: B.A., Centenary College, 1984 M.A., College of William
and Mary, 1986 M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary, 1989.
Rev. Strange has extensive experience in the church
including over nine years as pastor of Providence Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Glassboro, New Jersey.
Along with his work at seminary he is currently the associate pastor at New Covenant Community Church (OPC)
in New Lenox, Illinois. His ecclesiastical contributions extend far beyond his local church and presbytery.
He serves in a denominational capacity on committees and consistently contributes to the OPC denominational
magazine New Horizons.
Professor Strange frequently preaches and teaches in a
variety of churches across the nation. He has done extensive youth and college student work over the
course of his ministry and has published historical works for use in Christian education and homeschooling.
Rev. Strange not only has the educational and ecclesiastical credentials you would expect of a conference
speaker, but his wit and his speaking skills make him a pleasure to hear. Presently he is working with
Great Commission Publications on a book dealing with the doctrine of justification, which will be the
focus of our conference.
