Robert Thieme
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Lt. Col. Robert B. Thieme, Jr. was pastor of Berachah Church in Houston, Texas from 1950-2003. Affectionately called "the Colonel" by his congregation, he is a prominent dispensationalist and theologian who wrote over a hundred books and conducted over 10,000 sermons on various theological topics during his 53 years as a pastor. He is currently retired in Houston, Texas.
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[edit] Biography
Thieme was born and raised in Southern California. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School and went on for his undergraduate studies at the University of Arizona where he majored in Greek, lettered in football and boxing, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. During World War 2 he served in the Army Air Corps where he eventually was in charge of training Army Air Corps cadets. In 1946, he entered the reserves as Lieutenant Colonel, from which his nickname "the Colonel" originates.
At this point, he attended Dallas Theological Seminary where he graduated summa cum laude. In 1950, he came to Berachah Church in Houston, Texas where he was pastor until his retirement in 2003 due to the onset of Alzheimer's disease. His son, Robert Thieme III, was elected by the congregation of Berachah to serve as the new pastor.
Over the years, Thieme has ordained dozens of men to the ministry. While a comprehensive list is not available, an internet search turns up a number of pastors including [1], [2], [3], [4], and [5].
As of March 2007, Thieme is still retired and R.B. Thieme Ministries has shifted focus to compiling Thieme's sermons and notes into new books, and reformatting and revising existing material into modern formats (eg. DVD, MP3, and Powerpoint).
[edit] Theology
Thieme attended Dallas Theological Seminary and was heavily influenced by its founder, Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, in his theology. He has, in turn, been influential in the ministries of other prominent Christians, including author Hal Lindsey, and in the personal lives of figures including former US Vice President Dan Quayle.[1][2] He can be described as a dispensational, non-denominational Protestant who believes in Biblical inerrancy.
He developed his systems of vocabulary and doctrinal study based on what he called ICE: Isagogics, Categories, and Exegesis. Isagogics means studying the Bible in terms of the historical context in which each book was written, including both the human writer, the audience, the times in which they lived, etc. Categories refers to a topical categorization of doctrine, so that one can approach the Bible on a step-by-step basis and cross-reference scriptures effectively. Exegesis means studying the Bible in the original languages (or as best as is available) so that one is not relying on an intermediate chain of language translations which may obscure or lose meanings. Through the ICE method, Thieme sought to uncover all of the deepest truths of Scripture.
[edit] Ministry
Thieme's style of teaching and vocabulary hearkens strongly to his military background. For example, he refers to believers as "Christian soldiers" and has written a number of booklets on nationalistic topics, including War: Moral or Immoral, Follow the Colors, Christian, at Ease!, and The Christian Warrior. This style is appealing to people with an analytical or regimented bent and, added to his extremely anti-Communist stance (as illustrated in many of his books), his teachings have been popular among military personnel, especially overseas.[3][4]
Berachah Church supports both United States and worldwide evangelism, especially through an outreach group called Operation Grace: World Missions. OGWN currently supports missionaries in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Thailand, Korea, the Philippines, Africa, England, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldovia, and Kazakhstan.
Thieme's teaching and theology has been disseminated widely, and has been the topic of numerous articles, some unreservedly critical, including those of Miles J. Stanford[5] and Russell L. Harris.[6]
In addition, he has been both commended and criticised in doctoral dissertations by ThD. candidates at his alma mater, Dallas Theological Seminary, such as by Joe Layton Wall[7] (note the forward by DTS president John F. Walvoord). Some writers critique and some support, but all acknowledge the influence his ministry has had and continues to have on Christianity.
Even after his retirement, Thieme's ministry has continued to grow world-wide in a number of ways. As of January 2007, many of his books have been translated into a dozen languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, German, Hungarian, Romanian, Korean, Chinese, Thai, and Russian. Currently, his sermons are broadcast on the radio in a number of US states, Africa, and the Philippines.[8] Study groups have also been formed by so-called "tapers", a term hearkening to the pre-internet era of messages recorded and distributed on cassette tapes, in the US, England, Canada, Germany, and the Philippines.[9] To facilitate easier world evangelism, tape distribution centers have been opened outside the US in Australia, England, the Philippines, and Germany.[10]
[edit] Financial Policy
A key position of Thieme's theology is that the Word of God should be based on the same Grace shown to believers by God. As a result, his ministry has never charged money on any materials, including books, tapes, and DVDs, of his doctrinal teachings. This facet of his ministry is so important, that in the cover of all of his booklets, the following note appears:
Financial Policy
No price is placed on any of our materials for two reasons. First, this is a Grace ministry, dependent entirely upon the freewill offerings of believer-priests. To place a price on Bible Doctrine is incompatible with grace. Second, people who are positive toward doctrine may be financially unable to purchase books or tapes. We do not wish to limit the positive volition of any believer.
Therefore, no price list for tapes or publications is furnished. No money is requested. When the Lord motivates a believer, that individual is free to give. When a believer, regardless of financial status, is positive toward doctrine, he has the privilege of receiving the teaching of the Word of God. This is grace.
This financial policy has been instrumental in expanding the teaching of the Bible worldwide, as many millions of people in developing nations would not be able to pay for Biblical books or tapes. These poorer countries are reached through individual missionaries, the evangelistic ministries noted above, and now over the internet.
[edit] Selected Publications
Most of Thieme's books are compilations of his notes and sermons from his years of teaching. Many are out of print, although R.B. Thieme Ministries does keep many in print as well. The below list is a small subset of his total work.
- The Barrier
- King of Kings and Lord of Lords
- The Blood of Christ
- The Trinity
- God's Perfect Gift
- Heathenism
- A Matter of Life & Death
- The Night Before Christmas
- Anti-Semitism
- The Plan of God
- Apostasy in the Land
- Slave Market of Sin
- Armageddon
- Canonicity
- Daniel Chapters One through Six
- Isolation of Sin
- The Divine Outline of History
- Old Sin Nature vs. Holy Spirit
- Dispensations and the Church
- The Prodigal Son
- Freedom through Military Victory
- Rebound & Keep Moving!
- In Harm's Way
- Rebound Revisited
- Levitical Offerings
- Satan and Demonism
- Victorious Proclamation
- Better Things for Christmas
- Christian, at Ease!
- Christian Integrity
- The Prayer for Eternal Life
- Christian Suffering
- A Prayer for America
- Divine Guidance
- Dying Grace
- Creation, Chaos, and Restoration
- The Origin of Human Life
[edit] References
- ^ Adherents.com quoting Tarpley, et al. George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography, 2005.
- ^ Time Magazine A New Second Lady. January 23, 1989.
- ^ Voice of the Soldier Newsletter of SpecialForces.com. December 2006.
- ^ S2 Company
- ^ The Green Letters ~1972.
- ^ Wolves in Sheep's Clothing revised March 2007.
- ^ Bob Thieme's Teachings On Christian Living 1982.
- ^ RB Thieme Ministries Broadcast messages, retrieved January 2007.
- ^ Berachah Church Study groups, retrieved January 2007.
- ^ RB Thieme Ministries Foreign tape distribution, retrieved January 2007.
