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Is Perfection Possible? - Debate - Bishop Scott Jones, Pastor Aaron Wright

Methodist Bishop, Dr. Scott Jones dialogues with Reformed Baptist pastor Aaron Wright. The question is one that divides some of the Reformation traditions: "Is perfection possible?" John Wesley would ultimately go further than, say, John Calvin or Luther in saying that, in a sense, perfect holiness was possible. But was he right? We do a bit of a deep dive to really focus on the kinds of issues the Reformation was all about. Thanks to Dr. Jones and Pastor Wright.

Bishop Scott Jones:

Dr. Scott Jones website: https://www.extremecenter.com

Scott Jameson Jones currently serves as the resident bishop of the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, which is officed in Houston. He was born in 1954 in Nashville, Tennessee, and was raised in Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana and Colorado. He received degrees from the University of Kansas (B.A. in Philosophy), Perkins School of Theology of Southern Methodist University (Master of Theology) and Southern Methodist University (Ph.D. in Religious Studies). His dissertation research was focused on Wesley Studies and the History of Biblical Interpretation.

He was ordained deacon in the Kansas East Annual Conference and elder in the North Texas Annual Conference. From 1986 to 1997 he served as pastor of three congregations in North Texas. In 2003-2004 he served as interim pastor at Stonebridge UMC in McKinney, Texas. From 1997 to 2004 he served on the faculty of Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. In 2004 he was elected a bishop by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to serve as the resident bishop of the Kansas Area as of September 1, 2004. Beginning September 1, 2012 he served as resident bishop of the Great Plains Area comprising the Kansas East, Kansas West and Nebraska Annual Conferences. Starting September 1, 2016 he serves as bishop of the Texas Annual Conference.

His most recent books are The Once and Future Wesleyan Movement (2016), Ask: Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age (2014) and The Wesleyan Way: A Faith that Matters (2014). Earlier books include The Evangelistic Love of God and Neighbor: A Theology of Discipleship and Witness (2003), and United Methodist Doctrine: The Extreme Center (2002), all from Abingdon Press.

Scott is married to Mary Lou Reece, who is president of Reece Construction Company. They have three children Jameson, Arthur and Marynell.


Pastor Aaron Wright:

church website: https://www.gracefamilybaptist.net

Aaron is a husband, father, pastor, and teacher. He is married to Janice, and they have five children. Aaron was ordained as an elder at Grace Family Baptist Church in 2015. Previously he served as a deacon at the church. Aaron has worked in evangelistic efforts on college campuses both formally and informally, along with prison and nursing home ministry. He has decades of experience in street evangelism. Pastor Aaron graduated from Leavell College at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministry with an emphasis in Biblical Studies. Additionally, he has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Houston Clear Lake and a Master’s in Education from the University of Texas Arlington. Currently, he is a student at the Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. Aaron has worked as a school teacher for thirteen years. Aaron enjoys doing Taekwondo with his family, being outdoors, woodworking, and currently serves on the LifeLine Pregnancy Care Center board.

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