About

BIO

I am Doug Beaumont - a college professor, ordained minister, armchair philosopher, back seat theologian, and all around righteous dude. I was not raised in a Christian home and almost no member of my family was religious. I had a Jehovah’s Witness babysitter for a while, and another was a Christian, but I was too young to know or care about the difference. I was sent to vacation Bible school, and I did raise my hand and “say the prayer” with my best friend at one point – but it didn’t really take. During high school, my closest friends were agnostic except one Mormon girl whose beliefs I found strange even though she was pretty cool. Some of my classmates turned out to be Christians although I did not know it then (they had a shock at our reunion!).

The first big turning point for me was, oddly, a visit from a chimney sweep my senior year. I was at the house to allow him in and within minutes he was witnessing to me. I gave my standard retorts about faith not being trustworthy but for the first time in my conversations with Christians, I was being given respectable answers. He spent half the day doing what was probably a one hour job because every time he would say something and I would argue he would not only answer me but give me a new problem to deal with. Up and down the chimney he went with every round and by the time he left (although I didn’t let on) he had utterly destroyed my arguments.

That night I began to realize that I had no more rational reasons to continue in my unbelief. Not long afterward a crazy guy that I worked with shared the gospel with me as well. My pride led me to stupidly offer the same arguments as before but he too answered them. My worldview had finally crumbled and I “said the prayer” (again) that night – this time reading from the back of a tract that he gave me. I was still, however, not a Christian. Although I had become a theist that Spring when I experienced what I believe was a miracle, and had “said the prayer” (twice now!), it was not until the following summer that I really became a follower of Christ.

After graduation my girlfriend and I decided we wanted to work together over the summer. We applied for jobs as counselors at a summer camp she had attended when she was a kid. It turned out to be a Christian camp (my application must have been pretty pathetic – no pastor’s recommendations or statements of faith – I really didn’t know what I believed). I remember during my interview that I basically told my future boss that I would tell the kids anything they wanted me to! Well, God’s providence prevailed over good judgment and I got the job. The first week was training in the normal camp stuff plus learning how to teach Christianity to children. For the first time in my life I saw what Christianity really was – following Christ, not just going to church. Before the first campers arrived I was fully committed to the faith and knew just enough to make me dangerous. God was graceful though, and despite my massive shortcomings some kids got saved and I spent the summer getting a crash course on the faith from real live Christians.

After eight of the most intense and wonderful weeks of my life, I came back home and back to my old habits. The following year was a downward spiral for me. I basically had no Christian friends or family, I did not attend church, and I was starting college and a new job. By the next summer I was in worse condition than I had been a year ago. I re-applied at the summer camp, was hired on again, got serious, joined a band, and returned home ready for battle. This time I did not back down.

My college days were true testing grounds. I finished my undergrad in a college town where “anything goes,” but fortunately I got involved with a Christian campus group and was soon involved in leadership. My interest in cults led to an interest in theology and apologetics. Having come from a skeptical background I wanted to be ready with answers when someone came along demanding them (1 Peter 3:15). I did not wish to be like those who had attempted to witness to me and ended up getting stomped (sorry guys, but thanks!!!). It was not long after I began my studies that God brought a pair of Mormon missionaries to my door, and later two Jehovah’s Witnesses. I spent a fair amount of time with both groups in discussion and debate and while I obviously did not end up converting, I grew to a much better understanding of the foundation on which each group built their particular beliefs. This led me to study other religious beliefs which I find fascinating.

After graduating college and taking the requisite Europe trip, I married my sweet wife and we moved to North Carolina to go to seminary. I am now pursuing a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion, teaching at Southern Evangelical Seminary, and speaking for various venues.

• Curriculum Vitae