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	'''Dr. Thomas (Tom) Kennedy Ascol''' is an [[Reformed Baptist]] [[pastor]], author, and president of [[Founders Ministries]]. He is the founding president of the [[Institute of Public Theology]]<ref>https://instituteofpublictheology.org</ref> as well as the senior pastor of [[Grace Baptist Church (Cape Coral, Florida)]] in [[Cape Coral, Florida\|Cape Coral]], [[Florida]], where he has served since June 1, 1986.<ref>http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/faith-of-our-founders-an-interview-with-tom-ascol</ref>		'''Dr. Thomas (Tom) Kennedy Ascol''' is an [[Reformed Baptist]] [[pastor]], author, and president of [[Founders Ministries]]. He is the founding president of the [[Institute of Public Theology]]<ref>https://instituteofpublictheology.org</ref> as well as the senior pastor of [[Grace Baptist Church (Cape Coral, Florida)]] in [[wikipedia:Cape Coral, Florida\|Cape Coral]], [[wikipedia:Florida\|Florida]], where he has served since June 1, 1986.<ref>http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/faith-of-our-founders-an-interview-with-tom-ascol</ref>

	==Biography==		==Biography==

BrantleyRider: Created page with "{{Infobox_person | image = Tom Ascol 2021.jpg | birth_name = | birth_date = January 20, 1957 | birth_place = Beaumont, Texas | hometown = | residency = Cape Coral, Florida | occupation = Pastor, author, theologian | education = Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Texas A&M University | theology = Reformed Baptist..."

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Created page with "{{Infobox_person | image = Tom Ascol 2021.jpg | birth_name = | birth_date = January 20, 1957 | birth_place = Beaumont, Texas | hometown = | residency = Cape Coral, Florida | occupation = Pastor, author, theologian | education = Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Texas A&M University | theology = Reformed Baptist..."

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{{Infobox_person
| image = Tom Ascol 2021.jpg
| birth_name =
| birth_date = January 20, 1957
| birth_place = [[wikipedia:Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont]], [[wikipedia:Texas|Texas]]
| hometown =
| residency = [[wikipedia:Cape Coral, Florida|Cape Coral]], [[wikipedia:Florida|Florida]]
| occupation = [[Pastor]], author, theologian
| education = [[Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary]] [[wikipedia:Texas A&M University|Texas A&M University]]
| theology = [[Reformed Baptist]]
| affiliations = [[Founders Ministries]] (president & founder) [[Grace Baptist Church (Cape Coral, Florida)|Grace Baptist Church]] (pastor)
| spouse = [[Donna Ascol]]
| children = [[Joel Ascol]] (son) [[Hannah Ascol Ellis]] (daughter) [[Sarah Ascol]] (daughter) others (unknown)
| relatives = unknown
| website = [https://founders.org founders.org] [https://truegraceofgod.org truegraceofgod.org]
}}

'''Dr. Thomas (Tom) Kennedy Ascol''' is an [[Reformed Baptist]] [[pastor]], author, and president of [[Founders Ministries]]. He is the founding president of the [[Institute of Public Theology]]<ref>https://instituteofpublictheology.org</ref> as well as the senior pastor of [[Grace Baptist Church (Cape Coral, Florida)]] in [[Cape Coral, Florida|Cape Coral]], [[Florida]], where he has served since June 1, 1986.<ref>http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/faith-of-our-founders-an-interview-with-tom-ascol</ref>

==Biography==
Tom Ascol began serving as pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida 1986 when he moved with is wife, Donna, and two oldest children from [[wikipedia:Ft. Worth, Texas|Ft. Worth, Texas]]. Prior to this move he served as a pastor and associate pastor of two churches in [[wikipedia:Texas|Texas]]. He has a [[wikipedia:Bachelor of Science|B.S.]] from [[wikipedia:Texas A&M University|Texas A&M University]] (1979), a [[wikipedia:Master of Divinity|M.Div]] and [[wikipedia:Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D]] from [[Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary]] in [[wikipedia:Ft. Worth, Texas|Ft. Worth, Texas]]. He has served as an adjunct professor of theology for various colleges and seminaries, including [[Reformed Theological Seminary]], the [[Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary]], [[African Christian University]], [[Copperbelt Ministerial College]], and [[Reformed Baptist Seminary]]. He has also served as a visiting professor at the Nicole Institute for Baptist Studies at [[Reformed Theological Seminary]] in [[wikipedia:Orlando|Orlando, Florida]].

Ascol is the president of [[Founders Ministries]] and the [[Institute of Public Theology]]. He is the founding editor of the ''[[Founders Journal]]'' (now edited by [[Tom Nettles]]), and has been a regular contributor to ''[[Tabletalk Magazine]]'', the monthly magazine of [[Ligonier Ministries]]. He has published hundreds of articles in dozens of journals and periodicals around the world. Ascol regularly preaches and lectures at various conferences throughout the [[wikipedia:United States|United States]] and other countries, and hosts a weekly podcast called ''[[The Sword & The Trowel (podcast)]]''.

==Involvement in public theology==

===Position on abortion===
Ascol believes that [[abortion]] is [[wikipedia:homicide|murder]], and is in favor of equal protection under the law for unborn children.<ref>https://founders.org/articles/toward-a-principled-pro-life-ethic-in-post-roe-america</ref><ref>https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/may/abortion-abolition-criminalize-women-tom-ascol-roe-v-wade-n.html</ref><ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/01/us/abortion-abolitionists.html</ref>

===Resolutions at the Southern Baptist Convention===
After years of being rebuffed by leaders and messengers in the [[Southern Baptist Convention]], in June 2008, Ascol was successful in spearheading [[Resolution 6 of the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting|Resolution No. 6 "On Regenerate Church Membership and Church Member Restoration"]] and an accompanying amendment that encouraged Southern Baptist Convention churches to repent for failing to maintain biblical standards in the membership of their churches and obey [[Jesus Christ]] in the practice of lovingly correcting wayward church members.<ref>https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/resolution-on-regenerate-church-membership-adopted-by-sbc-messengers/</ref><ref>https://founders.org/2008/04/30/2008-resolution-on-integrity-in-church-membership/</ref>

In 2019, Ascol offered an amendment to [[Resolution 9 of the 2019 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting|Resolution No. 9 "On Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality"]] arguing that the amendment would strengthen the resolution by acknowledging the roots of these ideologies and making it more explicitly theological.<ref>https://founders.org/2019/06/15/resolution-9-and-the-southern-baptist-convention-2019/</ref> The amendment failed in a split vote and the controversial resolution was adopted.<ref>https://baptistcourier.com/2019/06/sbc-resolution-9-statement-on-critical-race-theory-intersectionality-point-of-controversy-and-disagreement/</ref> Ascol and the staff of Founders Ministries went on to produce a groundbreaking documentary on the infiltration of critical theories and [[wikipedia:Marxism]] into the Southern Baptist Convention and other evangelical institutions. Despite massive opposition and attempts to cancel the project, ''[[By What Standard, God's World...God's Rules]],''<ref>https://founders.org/cinedoc</ref> debuted December 6, 2019. Within weeks it was viewed by 100,000s of people around the world.

In 2021, Ascol joined with others in submitting a new resolution, "On CRT/I Being Incompatible with the [[Baptist Faith and Message]];" however, the committee on resolutions declined to bring the new resolution to the convention floor despite its being signed and submitted by more than 1300 Southern Baptists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://conservativebaptistnetwork.com/southern-baptists-call-for-abolition-of-abortion-adopt-diluted-resolution-against-unnamed-theories-worldviews/|title = Southern Baptists call for abolition of abortion, adopt diluted resolution against unnamed theories, worldviews|date = 22 June 2021}}</ref> After the resolutions committee declined to bring the new resolution, Ascol led an attempt to rescind Resolution 9, adopted in the 2019 convention. That motion was ruled out of order by President [[J. D. Greear]] and the convention did not get to vote on it.<ref>https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/religion/2021/06/15/southern-baptist-convention-2021-critical-race-theory-tackled-but-not-name/7693326002/</ref>

===National involvement===
Ascol was a primary drafter of the 2018 [[Dallas Statement|Dallas Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel]], a statement of 14 resolutions and denials on topics like the church, sexuality and marriage, and racism.<ref>https://statementonsocialjustice.com/#affirmations-and-denials</ref> The statement was publicly released on September 4, 2018 and has garnered more than 17,000 signers worldwide.<ref>https://statementonsocialjustice.com/signers</ref>

In 2019, Ascol was asked to speak at the annual [[wikipedia:Conservative Political Action Conference|Conservative Political Action Conference]] (CPAC) held in [[wikipedia:Oxon Hill, Maryland|Oxon Hill, Maryland]] where he spoke on the "progressive ideological challenges" to Biblical Christianity.<ref>https://youtube.com/watch?v=QrKSyODfFic</ref><ref>https://founders.org/2019/09/04/yes-the-social-justice-movement-is-a-threat-to-evangelicals</ref>

===Founders Ministries===
Begun in 1982, Founders Ministries exists for the recovery of the Gospel and the reformation of local churches.<ref>https://www.instituteofpublictheology.org</ref> Ascol serves as president of the organization and is a regular contributor both in the quarterly academic publication, ''The Founders Journal'' and the Founders Ministry Blog.<ref>https://founders.org/author/tom-ascol/</ref> Ascol also co-hosts a weekly podcast, ''The Sword & The Trowel'', which currently has over 200 episodes and 4.8 stars out of over 600 ratings.<ref>https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sword-the-trowel/id1334359794</ref> The podcast regularly engages with issues at the intersection of culture, politics, and theology.

===Institute of public theology and Founders Seminary===
In 2021, Founders Ministries opened the Institute of Public Theology, with Ascol as the founding president. Ascol taught the inaugural course, “The Pastor in the Public Square,” in the Fall 2021 semester.<ref>https://www.instituteofpublictheology.org/</ref> IOPT graduated their first students in September 2024. With the announcement of Founders Seminary<ref>https://www.foundersseminary.org/</ref> IOPT has now become a four-year college with majors in Public Theology, Classical Christian Education, and Business.

During the national Founders Conference in January 2025, Dr. Ascol announced the inauguration of [[Founders Seminary]] with classes scheduled to begin in August 2025. Joining him as inaugural residential faculty are [[Voddie Baucham]], [[Scott Callaham]], and [[Peter Sammons]]. Other non-residential faculty include [[Tom Nettles]], [[Conrad Mbewe]], and [[Travis Allen (Reformed Baptist pastor)|Travis Allen]]. The seminary's about page reads: ''"Sharp Minds. Warm Hearts. Steel Spines." Helping churches develop qualified men with such attributes is the goal of the seminary. Every faculty member will not only be confessionally convicted, ecclesiologically grounded, and apologetically aware, but will also be men of proven character. They will be men who have blood mixed with their convictions.

==Personal life==
Ascol and his wife Donna have six children, four sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, and 21 (and counting) grandchildren, all of whom live in Cape Coral and are members at [[Grace Baptist Church (Cape Coral, Florida)|Grace Baptist Church]].<ref>http://truegraceofgod.org/about-us/leadership</ref>

==Filmography==
*''[[Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism]]'' (Documentary | Contributor)
*''[[By What Standard? God’s World… God’s Rules]]'' (Cinedoc | Producer)

==Publications==
*''[[Founders Journal]]'' (Editor)
*''[[Wield the Sword']]' (Docuseries | Producer)
*''[[Ministry By His Grace and For His Glory]]'' (Editor)
*''[[Reclaiming the Gospel and Reforming Churches]]'' (Editor)
*''[[Truth and Grace Memory Book 1]]'' (Author)
*''[[Truth and Grace Memory Book 2]]'' (Author)
*''[[Truth and Grace Memory Book 3]]'' (Author)
*''[[From the Protestant Reformation to the SBC]]'' (Author)
*''[[Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry]]'' (Editor)
*''[[Traditional Theology and the SBC]]'' (Author)
*''[[Strong and Courageous: Following Jesus Amid the Rise of America's New Religion]]'' (Author)

==External links==
*[http://www.founders.org/ Founders Ministries]
*[http://www.truegraceofgod.org/ Grace Baptist Church Official Website]
*[http://www.founders.org/blog/ Founders Blog]
*[https://www.instituteofpublictheology.org/ Institute of Public Theology]
*[https://press.founders.org/shop/?jsf=epro-archive-products&tax=product_cat:14;pa_writer:70 List of books by Tom Ascol]
*[https://founders.org/the-sword-the-trowel/ The Sword and The Trowel Podcast]
*[https://founders.org/cinedoc/ By What Standard Cinedoc]

==References==

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[[Category:20th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians]]
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[[Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Baptist ministers from the United States]]
[[Category:21st-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians]]
[[Category:American Calvinist and Reformed theologians]]
[[Category:American evangelicals]]
[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]
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[[Category:Calvinist and Reformed writers]]
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[[Category:Reformed Baptists]]
[[Category:Texas A&M University alumni]]
[[Category:Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni]]

Tom Ascol - Revision history

BrantleyRider at 20:55, 4 September 2025