Introduction To The Doctrinal Statement
Throughout its history Moody has held to the essentials of biblical orthodoxy. In addition, it has defined itself in other distinct ways in terms of more specific interpretations of Scripture. These positions are reflected in the Doctrinal Statement documents and policies published by Moody. These Institutional Positions Related to the Moody Bible Institute Doctrinal Statement were produced to clarify and make explicit the doctrinal positions of the institution.
While Moodys particular definitions are important to its position, it is readily recognized that they do not define orthodoxy for the whole body of Christ. Moody gladly embraces all who faithfully adhere to the essentials of biblical Christianity as fellow believers and colleagues in Christ’s cause.
Whereas biblical Christianity is defined by the central tenets of the faith, throughout the history of the church various groups have employed more specific definitions to define themselves.
Historically Moody has maintained positions that have identified it as non-charismatic, dispensational and generally Calvinistic.
To maintain continuity and consistency with the heritage entrusted to its care, Moody expects faculty and administration to agree with, personally adhere to and support Moody’s doctrinal distinctives as noted above and defined in the following Institutional Positions Related to the Moody Bible Institute Doctrinal Statement .
What Social Movement Did Dl Moody Advance
Sankey, a hymn writer, and with him became noted for contributing to the growth of the gospel hymn. They made extended evangelical tours in Great Britain . Moody shunned divisive sectarian doctrines, deplored higher criticism of the Bible, the Social Gospel movement, and the theory of evolution.
Chicago And The Postwar Years
The growing Sunday School congregation needed a permanent home, so Moody started a church in Chicago, the Illinois Street Church.
In June 1871 at an International Sunday School Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, Dwight Moody met Ira D. Sankey. He was a gospel singer, with whom Moody soon began to cooperate and collaborate.Four months later, in October 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed Moody’s church building, as well as his house and those of most of his congregation. Many had to flee the flames, saving only their lives, and ending up completely destitute. Moody, reporting on the disaster, said about his own situation that: “… he saved nothing but his reputation and his Bible.”
In the years after the fire, Moody’s wealthy Chicago patron John V. Farwell tried to persuade him to make his permanent home in the city, offering to build a new house for Moody and his family. But the newly famous Moody, also sought by supporters in New York, Philadelphia, and elsewhere, chose a tranquil farm he had purchased near his birthplace in Northfield, Massachusetts. He felt he could better recover in a rural setting from his lengthy preaching trips.
Moody founded two schools here: Northfield School for Girls, founded in 1879, and the Mount Hermon School for Boys, founded in 1881. In the late 20th century, these merged, forming today’s co-educational, nondenominational Northfield Mount Hermon School.
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Nyquist & Thornton Side With Macdonald
I also reached out with similar questions to Moody Senior VP of Media Greg Thornton and Paul Nyquist, who was the president of Moody at the time. Neither Thornton nor Nyquist responded to me.
However, I talked to Dave Corning, who was chairman of the elder board at Harvest for 21 years before leaving the church in 2010. Corning said that in 2012, President Nyquist called him, saying that Moody was getting a lot of complaints about MacDonald and wanted to hear his perspective.
Corning said he told Nyquist in no uncertain terms that MacDonald had done incredible harm to numerous people he knew from Harvest. Corning said Nyquist kept asking whether Corning thought MacDonald was redeemable.
Corning said he responded, Why are you focusing on redeeming him? What about those hes hurt? Corning said he got emotional towards the end of the call and pleaded with Nyquist to do something to stop this.
Corning said he heard a few weeks after the call that Moody had met with a very carefully selected group from Harvest who convinced Nyquist that the situation wasnt as bad as Corning described.
MacDonald actually talked about that meeting at a senior pastors retreat in January 2013, which was recorded and transcribed.
According to MacDonald, he, Bill Molinari, former executive director of Harvest Bible Fellowship, and two to three elders met with President Nyquist, Greg Thornton, and Gene Getz, a former MBI board member.
Fast Facts: D L Moody
- Full Name: Dwight Lyman Moody
- Known For: One of the most successful revival preachers of the late 19th-century and founder of the Moody Church and Moody Bible Institute in Chicago
- Born: February 5, 1837 in Northfield, Massachusetts
- Parents: Edwin Moody and Betsy Holton
- Died: December 22, 1899 in Northfield, Massachusetts
- Spouse: Emma Revell Moody
- Children: Emma Reynolds Moody, William Revell Moody, and Paul Dwight Moody.
- Secret Power Heaven Prevailing PrayerWhat Hinders It? Weighed and Wanting: Addresses on the Ten Commandments .
- Notable Quote:“Character is what a man is in the dark.”
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Institutional Positions Related To The Moody Bible Institute Doctrinal Statement
Notes elaborating the 1928 Doctrinal Statement
1 The Bible is without error in all it affirms in the original autographs and is the only authoritative guide for faith and practice and as such must not be supplanted by any other fields of human learning.
2 Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is fully God and fully man possessing both deity and humanity united in one person, without division of the person or confusion of the two natures.
3 An individual receives the benefit of Christ’s substitutionary death by faith as the result of responding to the message of the gospel. Salvation is the free gift of God’s grace through faith alone, in Christ alone, therefore not dependent upon church membership, intermediaries, sacraments or works of righteousness to attain or sustain it.
4 It is Moodys position that this refers to the premillennial return of Christ at which time He will set up His millennial reign, during which time He will fulfill His promises to Israel.
5 This affirms that the first human beings were a special and unique creation by God as contrasted to being derived from any pre-existing life forms. Further, God created everything “after its kind,” which excludes any position that allows for any evolutionary process between kinds.
MOODY BELIEVES MENU
Doctrinal Qualifications For Students
To maintain continuity and consistency with its heritage, Moody Bible Institute requires all faculty and administration to agree with, personally adhere to, and support the school’s doctrinal statements. These distinctives identify what is believed and taught in our classes.
The school recognizes, however, that its specific theological positions do not define orthodoxy for the whole of the body of Christ. For this reason, Moody Bible Institute accepts students from other theological traditions within conservative evangelicalism.
To be admitted and to graduate, students must personally adhere to and support the following doctrinal positions:
- the inspiration, authority, and inerrancy of Scripture
- the Trinity
- the full deity and full humanity of Christ
- the creation of the human race in the image of God
- the spiritual lostness of the human race
- the substitutionary atonement and bodily resurrection of Christ
- salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ alone
- the physical and imminent return of Christ
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Former Harvest Members Say Nyquist/thornton Ignored Pleas
Two other former members at Harvest told me they also reached out to leadership at Moody, expressing grave concerns about MacDonald, but were ignored.
One of them is Mike Bryant, a Moody graduate whose church was ejected from Harvests former church planting network in 2012 because Bryant objected to T.D. Jakes speaking at the Elephant Room conference.
Bryant sent an email to Nyquist in May of 2013, urging Nyquist and Moody trustees to reconsider their support of Harvest and Walk in the Word.
Nyquist, who according to Bryant and former Harvest Elder Dan George, attended Harvest for a time, replied to Bryant that it is easy to discern that you have serious issues with the Harvest Bible Fellowship.
Nyquist then explained that Moody leaders had met with Harvest leadership twice and have continued to ask the hard questions. He added that concerns exist, but we are sufficiently satisfied with the answers we are receiving.
Nyquist then urged Bryant to trust in the considered opinion of several mature leaders from Moody who have been engaged in this process.
He added that concerns exist, but we are sufficiently satisfied with the answers we are receiving. Nyquist then urged Bryant to trust in the considered opinion of several mature leaders from Moody who have been engaged in this process.
Bryant said Nyquist did not respond to the second email.
Richardson said Thornton never responded to his email.
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The schedule was well thought out to include wonderful speakers, promotion of MBI, world outreach, personal growth, and a great variety of Christ-honoring praise & worship.
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Reaching England And Beyond
Moody sailed to England in 1872, then returned to that country in 1873. His partner in evangelistic campaigns was Ira D. Sankey, a talented singer and musician, who entertained the crowds and led hymns.
A religious revival was sweeping the United Kingdom at the time, with Moody and Sankey playing a major role. Everywhere they went, masses of people overflowed the buildings.
Against the advice of friends, Moody and Sankey went to Ireland, where Catholics and Protestants had been fighting for centuries. Moody was a simple man who trusted implicitly in God. Denominations and differences meant nothing to him. His burning desire was to take the gospel to as many people as possible. As a result, the Irish campaign was a resounding success.
Shoe Salesman To Preacher
Moody’s conversion happened in the stockroom of his uncle’s store. Since living in Boston, Moody had been regularly attending Mount Vernon Congregational Church every week at his uncle’s insistence. He was touched by the kindness of his Sunday school teacher, Edward Kimball, who spoke to him of the love of Christ.
One Saturday afternoon, on April 21, 1855, Kimball visited Moody at the shoe shop, where he found the young man alone wrapping shoes in the back room. There he talked with Moody about his need for a savior and led him in a simple prayer of salvation. Many years later, Edward Kimball recalled that no one at the church would have ever imagined that Moody would go on to become a great spiritual leader throughout the English-speaking world.
In the fall of 1856, Moody moved to Chicago to pursue the shoe business there. He prospered beyond his wildest dreams, earning over $5,000 a year, an enormous amount in those days.
To serve the neglected youth of the city, Moody taught Sunday school and worked as a janitor at the local Young Men’s Christian Association . His Mission Sunday School catered to orphans, the uneducated, the poor, and abused. By 1860, Moody left his business pursuits to minister full time.
After the war, Moody continued to teach and preach in Chicago. In 1871, the Chicago fire devastated the city, and Moody reassessed his life. He yearned to preach the gospel to the world.
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Chicago Evangelization Society And Moody Bible Institute
D. L. Moody’s interest in educational endeavors took root in the summer of 1870, when he met Emma Dryer, principal and teacher at Illinois State Normal University. The following year, while ministering to the needs of thousands who were left homeless by the Chicago Fire, Dryer began developing a program of Bible study, teaching, and home visitation for young women.
Moody persuaded Dryer to stay in Chicago and carry on her Bible work under the auspices of his church. During the next decade, Moody continued his involvement in evangelistic work around the country, and Dryer developed the training program among women in Chicago. At every opportunity she encouraged Moody to start a training school for both young men and women.
Early in 1883, several Chicago residents began meeting weekly with Dryer to pray that Moody would return to Chicago and develop the new school. During a meeting to discuss evangelization in Chicago on January 22, 1886, the subject of a training school again came up. By this time Dryer’s persistent message had taken hold in Moody’s heart.
Moody addressed the gathering
“I tell you what I want, and what I have on my heart. I believe we have got to have gap-men to stand between the laity and the ministers men who are trained to do city mission work. Take men that have the gifts and train them for the work of reaching the people.”
The Chicago Evangelization Society, later renamed Moody Bible Institute, was born.
Moody Theological School And Moody Theological Seminary In Michigan
In 1985 Moody Bible Institute started Moody Graduate School to provide excellent biblical leadership training. Two name changes have followed: in 2009 it was changed to Moody Graduate School and Seminary, and in 2011 it became Moody Theological Seminary. The seminary now offers eight master’s degrees and five graduate certificates, including in-depth theological training from top-notch faculty and ministry internships that build practical skills and experience.
In 2010, Michigan Theological Seminary merged with Moody Graduate School and Seminary to become Moody Theological Seminary in Michigan. With its Bible-centered evangelical core beliefs, Moody Theological Seminary in Michigan is committed to providing its students with rigorous academic training. Students receive training to be theologically prepared and spiritually mature leaders who will serve the church community in Michigan and throughout the world.
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Evangelist Dl Moody Was Among Those Who Argued For Voluntary Abstinence From Alcohol Rather Than Outright Prohibition And Now The Chicago School That Bears His Name Is Lifting Its Ban On Alcohol And Tobacco For Faculty And Staff
The Chicago-based evangelical Moody Bible Institute has dropped its ban on alcohol and tobacco consumption by its 600-some faculty and staff, including for those who work in its radio and publishing arms.
The change in August reflected a desire to create a high trust environment that emphasizes values, not rules, said spokeswoman Christine Gorz. Employees must adhere to all biblical absolutes, Gorz said, but on issues where the Bible is not clear, Moody leaves it to employees conscience.
Employees may not drink on the job or with Moody students, who are not allowed to drink while in school.
Dwight L. Moody was an influential evangelist and the founder of Chicagos Moody Bible Institute.
Moody, seen by many as one of the more socially conservative institutions with its radio programs, books and campuses, is among several evangelical institutions breaking from its cultural past.In 2009, Focus on the Family issued new grooming guidelines that men didnt have to wear ties, women didnt have to wear dresses or skirts and pantyhose, and employees could display tattoos.
Alcohol and tobacco have been traditional taboos in evangelical and fundamentalist circles because of their ties to personal holiness and sanctity.
Founded in 1886 by evangelist D.L. Moody, the Moody Bible Institute pays the cost of tuition for its 1,600 undergraduates who attend the main campus in downtown Chicago, many of whom go into ministry after graduation.
Is Word Of Life Bible Institute Accredited
Word of Life Bible Institute is a non-profit, private education institution in Pottersville, New York. Word of Life Bible Institute is an affiliate of the Interdenominational Church. This institution is fully accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Accreditation Commission.
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Emma Dryer And Her Training School For Women
While ministering in Chicago, Moody and his wife met a woman named Emma Dryer, a successful teacher and administrator. Moody was impressed with her zeal for ministry and her educational background. He knew that women had a unique ability to evangelize to mothers and children in a way that men never could, and saw Dryer as just the person to help him encourage this group.
Moody asked Dryer to oversee a ministry specifically to train women for evangelistic outreach and missionary work. Under Dryer’s leadership, the training program grew rapidly, and so did her desire for this ministry to reach men as well as women. She continued to pray that the Lord would place the idea for such a school on Moody’s heart.
Sat Subject Test Requirements
Schools vary in their SAT subject test requirements. Typically, selective schools tend to require them, while most schools in the country do not.
Moody Bible Institute requires SAT Subject Tests if you’re submitting an SAT score, not an ACT score. If you submit an ACT score with Writing, you do not need SAT subject tests.
Typically, your SAT/ACT and GPA are far more heavily weighed than your SAT Subject Tests. If you have the choice between improving your SAT/ACT score or your SAT Subject Test scores, definitely choose to improve your SAT/ACT score.
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