Schedule a Debate
Debate Rules& Procedures.
For pastors, theologians, laymen, and leaders of other worldviews who wish to debate a pastor, elder, or lay leader of this church. The terms below are open for review before anything is scheduled.
Section I
General Purpose.
The purpose of these debates and formal discussions is to provide an orderly, respectful, and substantive examination of the theological differences between the participants. All parties agree to conduct themselves respectfully and to provide one another with a reasonable opportunity to present, defend, and examine their respective positions.
“Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
- Personal attacks
- Speculation about motives
- Attacks upon character
Section II
Preliminary Submission Requirements.
To ensure that prospective participants are appropriately identified and that each debate is conducted with proper respect for church authority and participants’ qualifications, all prospective contestants must provide the information applicable to their category below.
Pastors, theologians, professors, and other individuals who publicly teach or hold recognized theological positions must submit the following:
- 01
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
A current curriculum vitae or professional biography detailing relevant education, ministry, teaching, academic, and professional experience.
- 02
Doctrinal Statement
A current statement of faith or doctrinal statement that identifies the participant’s principal theological beliefs.
- 03
Teaching and Publication Links
Links to publicly available teaching or published material, including, where applicable:
- Podcasts
- YouTube channels or videos
- Sermons
- Lectures
- Articles
- Books or other publications
- Other publicly available theological material
- 04
Church Membership
The name of the church of which the participant is currently an active member.
This information is intended to provide sufficient background regarding the participant’s theological position, experience, and publicly expressed views before the debate is scheduled.
Christian laymen who wish to debate one of Christ the King Baptist Church’s lay leaders must submit the following:
- 01
Church Membership
The name of the church of which the participant is currently an active member.
- 02
Church Leadership
The name of the participant’s pastor, elders, or other appropriate church leaders.
- 03
Contact Information
Current contact information for the participant’s pastor or elders so that Christ the King Baptist Church may communicate with the appropriate church leadership.
- 04
Church Leadership Approval
The participant’s pastor or elders must be in agreement with the participant’s decision to participate in a debate with one of Christ the King Baptist Church’s lay leaders.
The purpose of this requirement is to recognize and respect the authority and oversight of the participant’s local church. It is not intended to place the participant’s pastor or elders into the debate, but to ensure that they will hold the participant accountable for his conduct during the debate.
Atheists, imams, rabbis, and leaders or representatives of other non-Christian religious, philosophical, or worldview communities must submit the following:
- 01
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
A current curriculum vitae or professional biography describing relevant education, professional experience, religious or philosophical leadership, and other qualifications.
- 02
Publications and Teaching
Links to publicly available publications, teachings, lectures, interviews, podcasts, videos, articles, books, or other material that represents the participant’s stated worldview.
- 03
Worldview Synopsis
A brief written synopsis of the participant’s worldview, including the participant’s understanding of such matters as:
- The existence or nonexistence of God
- The nature and origin of reality
- Human nature
- Morality
- Knowledge and truth
- The participant’s understanding of Christianity, where relevant
The synopsis is intended to establish the participant’s stated position before the debate and to assist in identifying appropriate debate topics.
General Submission Procedure
- TimingAll preliminary submission materials should be provided before a debate is formally scheduled.
- ReviewChrist the King Baptist Church may review the submitted materials to determine the appropriate format, participants, topics, and procedures for the proposed debate.
- No ObligationSubmission of these materials does not, by itself, constitute an agreement to debate.
Section III
Debate Formats.
The parties may agree to one of the following three formats.
Each Topic, in OrderSuggested times · Side A then Side B
- OpeningStatements
- Rebuttals
- Cross-Exam
- ClosingStatements
The Full Terms
01Participants
Each side will consist of:
- One principal contestant/debater
- Pastors and Christian theologians will be expected to enlist three laymen or students to participate as part of his panel.
- Non-Christian principal contestants/debaters will be expected to enlist three men from their group or ideological camp to participate as part of his panel.
Thus, each side will have four participants at the debate table, with the moderator serving independently of both parties.
The three additional participants/debaters may participate in designated portions of the debate as agreed upon in advance, but the principal contestant will remain the primary representative for his side.
Both sides must agree on the third-party moderator.
02Location and Schedule
The debate will be held at a mutually agreed-upon location, either in a physical location or via an online format.
The parties will agree in advance upon:
- The dates and times
- Location
- Number and length of sessions
- Recording arrangements
- Public attendance and/or livestream arrangements
A proposed target date for the debate of 45 to 60 days from the initial agreement should be used whenever reasonably possible to allow both parties sufficient preparation time.
03Topics
The formal debate will consist of four predetermined topics.
Each topic will be agreed upon by both parties in writing before the conference.
Each topic should be sufficiently specific that both sides understand the proposition being debated and the burden of proof associated with it.
The final wording of each proposition should be approved by both parties before the debate.
04Opening Statements
For each topic, each principal contestant will receive an equal amount of time for an opening presentation.
The parties will agree upon the specific time limit before the debate. A suggested format is:
05Rebuttals
Following the opening presentations, each side will receive an equal amount of time for rebuttal. Suggested format:
06Cross-Examination
Each principal contestant will have an opportunity to question the opposing principal participant.
The moderator will enforce the agreed-upon time limits and ensure that questioning remains related to the topic under discussion.
Questions should be concise and relevant. The person answering may provide a reasonable response without being required to answer compound or unclear questions.
07Closing Statements
Each principal contestant will receive an equal amount of time for a closing statement. Suggested format:
08Moderator
The moderator will be mutually agreed upon by both parties before the conference. The moderator’s responsibilities will include:
- Keeping time
- Maintaining order
- Enforcing the agreed-upon format
- Recognizing speakers
- Preventing interruptions
- Determining when a speaker’s allotted time has expired
- Resolving procedural questions
- Maintaining an orderly and respectful discussion
The moderator will not serve as an advocate for either side and will not participate in the substantive theological debate.
A one-on-one cross-examination, held virtually or in person. Primary questions are sent ahead of time so answers can be accurate and substantive.
The Full Terms
01Platform
The cross-examination will be conducted through a mutually agreed-upon virtual platform.
The session may be recorded by either or both parties.
02Questions in Advance
Dr. Thomas W. Francis Jr., Esq. (Pastor T.J.) will submit his primary cross-examination questions to the contestant in advance.
The purpose of providing the questions beforehand is to allow the other party sufficient time to prepare accurate and substantive answers.
The questions should be submitted a mutually agreed-upon number of days before the scheduled session.
03Follow-Up Questions
Although the primary questions will be provided in advance, reasonable follow-up questions will be permitted. Follow-up questions may address:
- The other party’s answer
- Clarification of an answer
- An apparent inconsistency
- A statement made during the response
- A necessary logical or biblical implication of the response
Follow-up questions should remain reasonably connected to the original question and should not be used to introduce an entirely unrelated subject.
04Time Limits
The parties will agree upon a total time limit for the session and, if appropriate, a maximum amount of time for individual questions and responses.
The moderator or designated host will monitor the time and maintain an orderly exchange.
05Scope
The cross-examination will focus on the contestant’s theological position and, where applicable, his reasons for holding those beliefs.
The discussion should remain focused on stated positions, biblical interpretation, theological arguments, and relevant historical or doctrinal evidence.
Dr. Thomas W. Francis Jr., Esq. (Pastor T.J.) is willing to appear as a guest on the other party’s podcast for a discussion concerning Pastor T.J.’s departure from dispensationalism and other related theological views.
The Full Terms
01Format
The discussion will be conducted as a podcast interview or recorded conversation.
The podcast host will moderate the discussion.
02Questions
The host may provide questions in advance if mutually agreed upon.
Follow-up questions will be permitted so that the discussion can naturally develop from the answers given.
03Recording and Distribution
The podcast may be recorded and distributed by the podcast host.
Both parties may retain and distribute recordings of the discussion unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.
Neither party will intentionally edit the recording in a manner that materially misrepresents the other participant’s position.
Section IV
Rules for All Formats.
These nine rules apply to every debate and discussion, whatever format the parties choose.
Respectful Conduct
All participants agree to conduct themselves respectfully.
Personal insults, name-calling, accusations concerning motives, and attacks unrelated to the theological issues under discussion are prohibited.
Strong disagreement with an argument or interpretation is permitted and expected; personal attacks are not.
Biblical and Theological Claims
Participants should distinguish between:
- A direct statement of Scripture
- An interpretation or inference from Scripture
- A historical or theological claim
- A personal opinion or conclusion
Participants should make reasonable efforts to accurately represent the opposing position before responding to it.
No Interruptions
Except where the agreed-upon format specifically permits cross-examination or follow-up questions, participants should not interrupt one another.
The moderator may interrupt a speaker when necessary to enforce the rules or maintain the agreed-upon time limits.
Staying on Topic
Participants should address the proposition or subject currently under discussion.
If a participant believes the other side has introduced an unrelated issue, he may raise a procedural objection with the moderator.
Sources and Materials
Participants may use Bibles, books, notes, historical documents, theological works, and other relevant materials.
If either party intends to rely substantially upon a particular source, it is preferable that the source be identified sufficiently for the opposing participant to examine it.
New Arguments
Participants should make reasonable efforts to present their principal arguments during their designated presentation periods.
New material introduced during a rebuttal should be limited to material reasonably responsive to arguments previously presented.
Burden of Proof
For each formal proposition, the parties will agree beforehand upon which participant is affirming the proposition and which participant is denying it.
The participant affirming a proposition bears the burden of establishing it.
Procedural Disputes
Any disagreement concerning the application of the rules will be referred to the moderator during the event.
The moderator’s role is procedural rather than theological.
Recording
The parties may record the debate or discussion. The parties may mutually agree beforehand concerning:
- Whether the event will be livestreamed
- Whether recordings may be edited
- Where recordings may be posted
- Whether clips may be extracted and distributed
- Whether transcripts may be published
Christ the King
Official Debate Rules
PDFThe Full
Official Debate Rules.
The complete rules and procedures in a single PDF. Review it with your pastor, elders, or counsel before you send your materials.
Section V
Final Agreement.
Once these matters have been mutually agreed upon, neither party should substantially alter the format without the other party’s consent.
The objective of these procedures is to ensure that all participants have a fair opportunity to present their positions, answer objections, examine opposing arguments, and engage in a substantive theological discussion in an orderly and respectful manner.
Ready to Debate
Send YourMaterials.
Email the items listed for your category, along with the format you are proposing. The church will review what you send and respond with next steps.
Plant City, FL 33563
Your materials go straight to the church office.
Submission Received.
Thank you. The church will review your materials and respond with next steps.