Thanks to probe Ministries, Dr, Lawrence

MY PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY

We live in age obsessed with technological progress and advancement. My mission as a Probe Research Associate is to address the concerns these innovations have on Christianity and bring the light of the gospel of Christ to bear on the global trajectory. I believe a pressing need exists for Christians to understand the nature of technological society and exercise our critical faculties in order to provide a conscience to a conscienceless social development. Jesus calls us all to be light and salt to the world (Matt. 5: 13-16). At times this will appear abrasive; no one likes to be told that innovation may have negative ramifications. At other times, we may need to affirm the direction technology takes us because it brings glory to God. We are poised at a great threshold where science and technology are ready to transform the human condition and human nature itself, so some assert. It is imperative that the Church maintains a witness in every field from genetic research and cloning to nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and robotics, from education to politics and popular culture.
Our age is losing the distinction between fiction and reality and between the natural world and the technological one. The Church too is held captive by a loss of discernment. Christians either radically affirm technology as a blessing or viscerally deny it as a curse—usually the former. Society often cannot discern science fact from science fiction. As believers, we need to analyze and critique popular culture while ourselves creating popular culture through novels, plays, video and film.

Much of today’s science stems from yesterdays science fiction. This genre provides incubation for many of the new developments we will see tomorrow and offers a critical appraisal found nowhere else. We are remiss in our witness for Christ if we do not bring a biblical worldview to bear through analysis, critique and discussion. My goal is to help believers in this awesome venture.
I have an earned doctorate from Dallas Theological Seminary where I focused on Theology of Culture and now I am studying culture at The University of Texas–Dallas pursuing my second doctorate in humanities to assist me in this mission.

Why Probe?

Probe Ministries is a unique parachurch and paraschool organization. We do not presume to replace either church or school but to come alongside them and assist them in their mission to reach the lost and disciple believers. In Acts 16, the Apostle Paul was forbidden to speak the Word of God in Asia. Instead, the Lord gave him a vision of a man in Macedonia pleading for him to come and preach: “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16: 9). Paul concluded that God had called him to preach in Macedonia. Everyone must know their Macedonian Vision to operate effectively in ministry.
Our Macedonian Vision, if you will, is to reach millions of culturally captive Christians who are ensnared with the worldly spirit of ignorance and spiritual lethargy. Christians do not understand the spiritual and social forces shaping their minds and hearts. They often do not even know what they believe in terms of the basic tenets of the Christian faith. If Christians do not know what they believe how will they serve as effective witnesses in every aspect of society? Probe exists to help both church and school understand and confront the social currents and spirit of the age shaping our world today. The church is often ill–equipped to address complex social issues, having numerous pastoral preoccupations. As well, schools are laden with curriculum and institutional mandates that prevent them from focusing on relevant problems.

As a community of scholars, scientists and theologians Probe offers its expertise to the entire Body of Christ and society at large. The Apostle Paul argued that the Church consists of many members some serve as a foot, others as an eye, others as the ear. Yet, we are all members of one body with different roles to play. One part is not better than the other, but each has a distinctive function (I Cor. 12). As a parachurch and paraschool organization, Probe offers its services to both—again, not in order to replace them, but to help them and to help those who are not part of either school or church. People are crying “come over and help us!” Woe to us if we do not preach the gospel in all its fullness (I Cor. 9: 16), having first removed the barriers and paved the way.