Two-day event will be held May 5-6 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Vancouver

Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today

Westminster Presbyterian Church Pastor C.R. (Chris) Wiley has been married over 30 years and he has three married children and several grandchildren. During that extensive life and career experience, Wiley has formed a very clear opinion about the impact a father can have on a household.

“The evidence is just overwhelming,’’ Wiley said. “An authoritative and loving father is a strong, positive influence on a household.”

The Vancouver pastor is inviting all dads and future dads 16-years-and-above to participate in a weekend event designed to equip participants to be better husbands, fathers and heads of household. The event – entitled Traditional Fatherhood Intensive: Purpose, Provision, Protection – will be held May 5-6 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, located at 10713 Northeast 117th Avenue in Vancouver. 

For more information, including registration, go to the Traditional Fatherhood Intensive website. Cost to participate in the two-day event is $25. This year’s event will be the first of its kind but it is Wiley’s hope for it to be an annual gathering.

The event will feature three national speakers who will attempt to help men to become better husbands, fathers, and leaders in their communities. Special sessions will be led by Pastor Wiley, Rory Groves and Nathan Spearing.

C.R. “Chris’’ Wiley

In addition to his role as pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wiley is also an author, commercial real estate investor, illustrator, and former building contractor and college professor.

“I have done a lot of writing,’’ Wiley said. “I think we have a crisis in the nature of household fatherhood in terms of how it is understood and practiced. So, it was kind of a natural thing for me to work with the church to develop this event.’’

His most recent book is, In the House of Tom Bombadil (2021). He is also the author of The Household and the War for the Cosmos and Man of the House. He can be heard weekly on the The Theology Pugcast. 

Rory Groves

Rory Groves moved his family from the city to the country several years ago to begin the journey towards a more durable way of life. Rory and his wife Becca now reside in southern Minnesota where they farm, raise livestock, host traditional skills workshops, and homeschool their six children. He is the author of Durable Trades: Family-Centered Economies That Have Stood the Test of Time.

Groves will speak on the following themes: 

The Family Economy: God’s Design for the Biblical Household

The Bible teaches that the fundamental unit of society is the family — not the individual, not a corporation, not the government. This talk explores the basic elements of a family-centered economy and provides practical steps for families to reclaim productive households that will thrive in uncertain times.

Father’s Day: Vision and Provision

Facing the cultural and economic Goliaths of our day requires more than personal convictions and a rainy day fund. It requires households that perceive the threat and stake out a measure of independence and sovereignty in a culture that would claim all.

God has brought your family together to fulfill a unique vision on earth that no other family can — a vision that begins with you.

Nathan Spearing

Nathan Spearing spent 14 years in elite U.S. Army special operations, completing thousands of combat missions during his career. He made the decision to leave the military to spend more time with his wife and five children. Today he resides in North Carolina and is a business owner, Podcast host, and life coach who is passionate about encouraging others to avoid the path of “safety” and instead live a life boldly on target.

Spearing will speak on the following themes:

A Theology of Violence

Traditionally, fathers were responsible for protecting their household, clan, and tribe. In an era where this has been outsourced to risk-averse bureaucracy and rebellious mercenaries, our culture yearns for fathers to take this role seriously again. Nathan will share how he has cultivated true meekness – the ability to do violence that is tempered with wisdom and restraint. He will share his framework for channeling this meekness toward building a multigenerational productive household.

Making the Battle

“Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.” – Heraclitus

Are you a target, or one of the nine? Building on A Theology of Violence, Spearing shares ways to become more dangerous (and free).