ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- Dr. Michael Andres, associate professor of religion at Northwestern College, organized a session on Christian community development at the recent annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in New Orleans. He presented a paper entitled "Christian Community Development and the 'Both-And' Gospel: Introducing the Whole Gospel Through Evangelism and Social Justice" and was joined by Dr. John Perkins and two other presenters.

Andres also gave a lecture at L'Abri in Rochester, Minn., on Nov. 13. He spoke on "Whole Gospel, Whole Witness, Whole Communities," an exploration of holistic Christian witness and the relationship between evangelism, apologetics and justice, with a special focus on Christian community development. He touched on various models, including that of L'Abri. 

L'Abri Fellowship began in Switzerland in 1955 when Francis and Edith Schaeffer decided to open their home to be a place where people might find satisfying answers to their questions and practical demonstration of Christian care. They named it the French word for "shelter," because they sought to provide a shelter from the pressures of a relentlessly secular 20th century. So many people came that others were called to join the Schaeffers in their work and more branches were established. The Minnesota branch was begun in the late 1970s.

A member of Northwestern's faculty since 1998, Andres teaches systematic theology, philosophical theology, Calvin and Calvinism, and Christian witness. A graduate of Arizona State University, he earned a doctorate in philosophy of religion at King's College, University of London, and a master's degree in theological studies from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Miss. He served for six years on the Commission on Theology for the Reformed Church in America. He is currently working on a book on holistic Christian witness that integrates evangelism, apologetics and justice.