COVENANT The magazine of Covenant Theological Seminary
Spring/Summer 2010
L iving theGo s pel, L oving one A nother
SPRING/SUMMER 2010
FROM THE PRESIDENT
LIVING THE GOSPEL, LOVING ONE ANOTHER
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace . . . in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” — 1 Peter 4:8–11 As this and many other passages of Scripture suggest, the church is called to live the gospel at all times and in all ways. Indeed, we are called to be the gospel—to embody its message of love and grace—so that others will see and be drawn to the light of Christ that shines within us. To the extent that we, in the power of the Holy Spirit, live out this calling faithfully, hearts and lives are changed, God’s Kingdom grows, and his name is glorified. This life- and world-transforming way of living is a gift of God’s unmerited grace, something that neither we as individuals nor as the collective people of God can ever bring about on our own. But our merciful Father in heaven, from whom all good things come, has seen fit to work in us in such a way that, despite our foibles and failings, despite our personal and corporate sins, his message of hope still comes through. To be the church well—to live, learn, worship, and grow together in grace for the sake of the world—we need strong leaders whose lives have been shaped by the power of the gospel. We need leaders whose hearts have been made new by what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for them and whose greatest desire is to help others know that same all-encompassing, all-transforming power. Cultivating hearts like these from the seeds of grace that God plants is what Covenant Seminary is all about. Our heart is to shape the hearts and minds of future pastors and ministry leaders to the heart and mind of our Savior, so that his church will be renewed and all creation transformed. In these pages, you will read about some of the many ways in which, by God’s grace, we are attempting to carry out this gospel mission. As you read, please pray that God would continue to bless and use this ministry to build up his church. And pray as well that through the lives and ministries of those he calls to service through this place, many hearts would be won for Christ and many souls would be added to his Kingdom—for Jesus’ sake and for his glory.
FEATURES
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Gatherings of Grace
Bound Together
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S haping Hearts to Share God’s Grace
An Indispensable Education 9
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Ministry Matters
15 Serving Those Who Sent Them 17 Schaeffer Fellows
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DEPARTMENTS ALUMNUS PROFILE
Bryan Chapell, President
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Eric Larsen
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ALUMNI NEWS
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STUDENT PROFILE
COVENANT | Spring/Summer 2010
arewell to an F Old Friend
COVER
SEMINARY NEWS & EVENTS
Rick Whitlock
VOL. 25, NO. 1
arewell to an Old Friend
As 2009 ended, so did an era in the life of Covenant Seminary when we said goodbye to the old Administration Building that had graced the entrance to our campus since the early 1960s. This venerable structure was dear to all of us but had become too costly to maintain and infeasible to renovate. Though its removal saddened us, it has provided the opportunity to create a new parklike area that will, when finished, add greatly to the beauty of the campus and our neighborhood. The new Founders Hall (pictured at left) is now home to our administrative and faculty offices, a teaching chapel, and several classrooms.
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Gatherings of Grace When we engage others beyond our inner circles of community, the gospel is gloriously manifested.
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From our Communion Into the Crowd
grew up in the South, where dinners on the church grounds were commonplace. Now the mere mention of one gets my attention and provokes my saliva glands. As a kid, I didn’t contribute much to the gathering—other than my appetite. It didn’t cost me anything really, just a little playtime. Because my parents contributed on my behalf, I was allowed to enjoy the benefits of the community “without money and without price” (Isa. 55:1). My family moved around Texas and Louisiana a good bit when I was in grade school. I began to notice that you learn a lot about a congregation from these church socials. I’m not referring so much to different ways to batter fried chicken or cook gravy as I am to the composition of the crowd. Churches who saw themselves as part of a larger community seized the opportunity to invite friends and family who usually didn’t attend Sunday morning services. Those who defined the limits of their community by names on the church roll did not. Nowadays I’m the one bringing the “covered dish” and my kids are the freeloaders; but they—much more than I—invite friends from their networks into our community. They’ve never taken a seminary class, but they know something about church growth and group identity: before you are ready to join the communion, your place must first be acknowledged in the community. Of course the decisive work that motivates church membership is the regenerating, adopting grace of the Holy Spirit. But, the Spirit calls, gifts, and uses human witnesses, and Jesus, “the friend of sinners” (Luke 7:34), is our model. It seems he was constantly in trouble with the bouncers who stood at the gates and checked names to decide who could get in. Instead, as the Lord of the Banquet, Jesus teaches his disciples to invite people to his feast who can’t pay the cover charge and who aren’t the most polite company (Luke 14:12–24). Like Jesus, my kids know that the first steps toward building community are taken out from our communion and into the crowd.
COVENANT | Spring/Summer 2010
If Christ’s followers are sent into the world as he said (John 17:18), then we are the church in all that we do—not just when we gather for corporate worship. The benediction in Sunday worship also serves as a commission reminding us that we are Abraham’s children—blessed, so that all the families on Earth might be blessed through us (Gen. 12:3). As we step out of our communion and into the crowd, our parenting, shopping, volunteering, business building, gardening, and recreating should bear witness to our Savior and the image of our Creator. Not only when we act as individuals and families to show hospitality, but even more so when we as churches, presbyteries, and denominations orchestrate ways of adding value to our communities do we fly the flag of Christ’s just and good Kingdom. Quoting Moses, the apostle Peter reminded the Christians of Asia Minor that they were God’s priests to a watching world: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you might proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9; see also Exod. 19:5–6). What do priests do? They broker the relationship between God and humanity. They communicate knowledge of God to human beings and knowledge of human beings to God. Remarkably, in 1 Peter that knowledge is conveyed first and foremost by deeds (1 Pet. 2:12–17) and then by respectful speech (1 Pet. 3:13–17).
From the Crowd Into the Community Before we speak, we must listen and come to know our neighbors. As we move out into the crowd of nameless faces and take the time to notice the benefits and needs
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of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities, those faces take on names. The crowd becomes a community of people from many different backgrounds, from many different faiths. As we take our place in the wider community by attending school plays, supporting the Scouts, volunteering to tutor, and (perhaps more importantly) as we acknowledge our own need to learn how to parent teenagers, find new jobs, and care for aging parents, we meet our neighbors and make friends. Only as we Christians—both individually and corporately—step out of our communion into the crowd, will we find the community where God has sent us to serve as neighborly priests. On a recent visit to the Carondelet Park area of St. Louis, my friend Chris Smith showed me around the neighborhoods and introduced me to some of his new friends. His family and several others are planting Resurrection Presbyterian Church (RPC) there. Of course, Chris has met other local pastors from mainline, evangelical, and Catholic churches, but he also knows the area alderman, patrolmen, restaurant and theater owners as well as the staff at the local YMCA—and they know him. The purpose of RPC is to serve and to be served by the community, to be good neighbors and by doing so to glorify our Heavenly Father (Matt. 5:14–16).
From the Community Into Communion However, RPC is also in Carondelet to worship God as his gathered people, to proclaim the Good News, to administer the sacraments. Their service and ours as neighbors is also a call to worship the Lord and Giver of Life. As our friendships and neighborly relations develop, as our intercessory prayers are answered, God expects and deserves our praise, our publication of his good news about Christ to others. He is the one who is good; we are not. His grace—not ours—is amazing. We are not mere social servants; we are his servants on his mission to reconcile all things to himself (Col. 1:20). The power for that transformation—the transformation from community to communion, from friendship to family—is in the gospel of Jesus Christ alone. Family members talk about their families; parents brag on their kids. When a family member brings particular credit to the family name by winning an award or accomplishing a long-standing goal, that family celebrates, spreads the news, and posts pictures so everyone will know. So, every Sunday we celebrate; we feast in honor of our elder brother and Savior, Jesus the Righteous One. In his common grace as Creator, God has given all his image bearers an appetite for community. In his special grace as Redeemer, he has provided food and drink that satisfy. Our job as his servants is to go out into the crowds and take our place in the community by getting to know our neighbors and to faithfully deliver his invitation to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8). To hear Dr. Perry expand on this topic, visit www.LivingChristToday.com. Click on “Daily Messages” and then select “View All Webcasts.” The interview was featured on 4/5/2010. DR. GREG PERRY Dr. Perry serves as associate professor of New Testament. One of his passions is exploring new ways to provide access to biblical educational resources to believers around the world.
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Bound Together
A group of seminary student families who live in off-campus apartments learn what it means to love and serve each other and grow into a community.
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xactly 11.35 miles from the Covenant Theological Seminary campus in St. Louis, Missouri, you’ll find the Seminary-owned Gulf Drive apartments, a place my husband and I call home.
My husband, Jamie, and I drove 1,000 miles from our Florida home with all our possessions packed into a moving truck. We arrived on July 21, 2006, on the heels of what has been described as the “Storm of the Century” in St. Louis. A WorldNetDaily writer described the July 19 weather as a “freak storm,” explaining that “a weak front moving down from Iowa into Indiana set the stage for a microburst of rapidly moving cold air, which in turn created conditions for ‘The Perfect Storm.’ ” Our first taste of St. Louis weather also provided our first taste of Gulf Drive hospitality. With its widespread power outages, this storm which, according to WorldNetDaily, “terrified residents and paralyzed the city for almost five days,” ushered in (for many of us) a time of instant community at Gulf Drive. While most residents left the city to seek refuge in homes with electricity and air conditioning, the handful who remained ventured out of their hot apartments within 15 minutes of our arrival. Hot, sweaty strangers unloaded our life in a record 30 minutes and were instantly no longer strangers. This story typifies many of our initial experiences of seminary community at Gulf Drive. As I spoke with other residents, it became apparent that our arrival and reception was not unique. Kent Needler, who serves in the Seminary’s Admissions office, had sent out an emergency e-mail to our neighbors who remained after the storm. Steve Allen (MDiv ’07), Luke Morton (MDiv ’09), Chris Bryan (MDiv ’09), and Tom Galpin (MDiv ’09) responded, setting the stage for our life at Gulf Drive. Such perfectly imperfect strangers showed up at our front door in the evening with a lasagna dinner to welcome us to the adventure. For many of us, community life was a new and strange phenomenon. One resident describes moving to Gulf Drive as “forced community—in a really good way.” Additionally, she
Current residents are from South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Tennessee, and New Zealand. Our former occupations range from bank tellers to baristas, dieticians to data entry administrators, teachers to transcriptionists. We, the residents of Gulf Drive, have grown into a beautiful community. As we each prepared to leave our homes, churches, families, and communities to attend Covenant Seminary, a question we asked was, “Where will we live?” The fear of the unknown that comes with moving to a new city and starting down the seminary path is certainly magnified when you have no idea where you will live. The neighborhoods are unfamiliar and you have no church family to rely on for recommendations. For many, it was immensely disappointing to discover that on-campus housing was full and we were placed on a waiting list. Living on campus seemed a safe and sure thing. However, new Gulf Drive residents quickly found out that the Lord’s plan for our community life during seminary would prove to be a wonderful and surprising gift.
We are from Nebraska, Georgia, Virginia, and Ohio. We have been teachers, pharmacy techs, recent college students, office managers, pastors, graphic designers, waitresses, and ballroom dance instructors.
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above, left to right: Picnics are common at the seminary-owned Gulf Drive housing complex. Residents frequently gather in yards and on porches for no reason other than to spend time together. Building a garden proved a community-enhancing activity.
says, “Whether I need a cup of sugar or a shoulder to cry on, I don’t have to go far. I can look out my window and see people sharing life together and know that I am welcome to join in.” For many, becoming first-time parents has been another opportunity to receive the blessings of community life through the love and generosity of our Gulf Drive neighbors. An e-mail group lets us constantly share information about the joys of life: baby showers, meals for new moms and dads, birthday celebrations, Girls’ Nights Out, and evenings of Bunco. Additionally, through this group, we also share sorrows: family deaths, illness, loneliness, and disappointments. When sadness comes, instead of dwelling on these things alone, we encourage one another through prayer and time together—often on our front porches. The fear of the future, current struggles with the academic pace, and financial pressures are common ground. We are blessed to have one another in this interesting season of life. Like that literal storm that blew through St. Louis, we have weathered many other storms during our time in seminary. This community has shared joy and sorrow, death and new life, failure and redemption, laughter and tears, coming and going. Whether we enjoy a Thanksgiving meal or share leftovers, go on a walk or play Ultimate Frisbee, garden or serve together, pack shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child or warm up at a bonfire, we do it together. It reminds me of Luke 15:9, which says, “she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying ‘Rejoice with me.’ ” The beauty of our unique living situation struck me last May, when we gathered in the grass island at the center of our apartment complex to share one last barbecue with those who had just graduated and were about to leave. As I snapped pictures and paid attention to the laughter and tears and the deep friendships I had watched form over the previous years, I thought to myself, “This is amazing! We really love each other and the Seminary does not have to coordinate this. It just happens. The relationships that form here are wonderfully organic.”
At the time of this writing, Gulf Drive comprises 87 adults and 24 children (whose ages range from infant to 12). The number of children seems to increase daily in our little world. We also lovingly lay claim to almost as many dogs—22 in all.
And though we are a seminary community, God has providentially placed us in the middle of a St. Louis neighborhood that gives us many opportunities to share the love of Christ with a small portion of the “real world.” When the weather is right, it is a joy to see and hear neighborhood kids laughing and playing among us. They know we love them and that they can always count on a drink of water, a Popsicle, or a snack. And snow days lend themselves to sharing sleds, extra mittens, and, of course, hot chocolate!
We are from California, Illinois, Michigan, and Florida. We have owned coffee shops, worked in family businesses, and played soccer. We are nurses, nannies, engineers, administrators, and activists. When each of us arrived, we all had leaving on our minds—and no idea what God would do with our hearts in between those points in time. But each May, as the moving trucks begin appearing on Gulf Drive, there is a bittersweet cloud that settles in. These are folks who have been dear friends and family for several years. As one former resident said, “Gulf Drive is a little piece of heaven that I still hold on to. Living with other believers was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that was unique and special.” As another year concludes, we are excited and humbled to see how God will use us to build his Kingdom in all parts of the world. We are sad and afraid to say goodbye and for some to step into the unknown once again. But our unknowns are never hidden from our gracious God who says, “Do not be frightened… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). He is our Eternal Friend and the most complete community we could ever hope for—though for a season, he has blessed the residents of Gulf Drive with each other. JULIE SELLERS Julie Sellers serves as the counseling center administrator and assistant to professor Jerram Barrs. Her husband, Jamie, graduates in May 2010 with an MDiv. They have four children and one grandchild.
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left to right: Seminary staff and professors participate in Covenant Groups. The Family Nurture program provides many childcare opportunities to enrich families. Day of Prayer offers an intense time of personal and corporate prayer. The seminary community worships at twice-weekly chapel services.
Shaping Hearts
McElmurry sees this up close through his frequent meetings with students. “God is doing a special concentrated work in each of them. We try to be sensitive to that process and facilito share God’s grace tate it,” Mark says. Both McElmurry and Anderson have seen firsthand how the Covenant Seminary’s Student Life staff walks Lord accomplishes this work in people’s lives. McElmurry served beside students to foster spiritual growth and for 15 years with The Navigators evangelism and discipleship form character for ministry. organization, 13 of them at the University of Kansas, before coming to seminary; Anderson spent nearly a decade pastoring “Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, churches in Nebraska and Montana before coming back to his Tune my heart to sing Thy grace . . .” alma mater to help shape future pastors. Both men acknowledge These words from the classic hymn “Come, Thou Fount” capthat the process of spiritual formation cannot be reduced to a ture well the spirit behind the efforts of Covenant Seminary’s particular methodology. What God is doing is different for each Student Life staff to help prepare future church leaders for student. Nevertheless, Student Life staff have developed several ministry. Most students come to seminary expecting to face a ways of being present in students’ lives—and helping them to be rigorous academic program of Bible study, preaching instruction, present for each other—that facilitate the formation process and and practical ministry internship; but many are caught off-guard foster integration into the Seminary’s living, learning, by the other curriculum that awaits them as part of their worshiping ministry formation experience. community of Mark McElmurry (MAC ’08), director of Student grace. Through Life for the Seminary, puts it this way: “Students come this process, in believing that they’re here to study the curriculum Student Life they paid for—and they are. But about the middle hopes students of their first semester, most of them hit a wall. They will develop wonder what they’re doing here and discover that God mutually benhas other, deeper plans for them than just studying the eficial relationBible in its original languages.” ships, rooted in God’s grace, “Streams of Mercy, Never Ceasing . . .” that will last Important as the academic aspect of seminary is, With a passion for people and a heart to see God at wor k, a lifetime and Rev. Brad Anderson (left) over McElmurry notes, it’s what happens outside of the sees the Student Life departm ent. enable them to classroom that often has the most profound impact on support each other through many years of fruitful ministry. how a future pastor comes to understand his own life and call “We can’t create these relationships for them,” Anderson to ministry. Rev. Brad Anderson (MDiv ’99), vice president of explains, “but we believe that if we provide opportunities for student development, concurs. “Student Life is essentially at the them to come together in ways that encourage intimate sharing intersection of the curricular and the cocurricular,” he explains. and mutual self-discovery, God will use that to build the rela“Our job is to help students build on their classroom learning by tionships they need to sustain them.” being there for them when they begin to experience the ‘disrup To this end, Mark and his staff attempt to meet personally tion’ God has in store for them. We help them be more open to with all first-year Master of Divinity (MDiv) students (and their these times of self-discovery and try to encourage them as God spouses, if they are married) over the course of their first year reveals levels of emptiness in them that he wants to fill with in seminary. A similar structure has long been in place for the good things.” Seminary’s Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program but COVENANT | Spring/Summer 2010
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left to right: Student Life helps families transition to the Seminary. Ministry lunches connect people and inform about ministry opportunities. Covenant Groups foster deep relationships as students share their experiences in and out of the classroom. A group for international women offers support and encouragement.
is relatively new for the MDiv. Mark sees this as an increasingly vital part of the Seminary’s training program. “A big part of my job is helping students understand their own hearts better,” he says. “I help them uncover the areas of brokenness in their own
will never see small groups or pastoral ministry in quite the same way. It leaves a mark on them for the rest of their lives. As some of our professors like to say, ‘The greatest gift we can give our students is each other.’ That’s a good summary of what we’re trying to do.”
“O to Grace How Great a Debtor . . .”
, meets with first-year director of Student Life Mark McElmurry (right), r experience. thei cess through students to help them pro
stories and apply the gospel to them. My role is really to help them remove the obstacles that get in the way of them doing what they came here to do. Hopefully they will become better pastors or ministry leaders because of it.” McElmurry also facilitates three Covenant Groups—small groups of students who meet together weekly under the guidance of a professor or other Seminary staff person for times of reflection, personal sharing, and prayer. All incoming MDiv students join a Covenant Group as part of their first-semester Covenant Theology class, and they have the option of continuing in a group throughout the course of their seminary years. One purpose of the groups is to discuss and internalize the themes and concepts raised in classes. But as McElmurry notes, this is only a small part of what actually goes on in group meetings. “We reflect on class themes with the widest possible application,” he says. “Our time together really is more about life investigation, character formation, ministry skills processing, and heart awareness than it is about academic debriefing.” In the course of time, personal barriers are broken down, relationships are forged, and future pastors are formed. McElmurry observes, “After this experience, most students
In addition to such direct means, Student Life also attempts to facilitate spiritual growth by caring for students and their families in a number of other significant ways. The goal is partly to nurture a sense of community between them as well as to disciple them to disciple each other in the life-transforming power of the gospel. “We try to provide comprehensive care for students while they’re with us,” Brad notes. “Our desire is to create a caring infrastructure—a model of the gospel lived out every day—that will enrich their lives and hopefully follow them beyond graduation. Hearts shaped by God’s grace in this way can’t help but be more powerful instruments of that grace for others.” A few of the many important elements in this “comprehensive care package” include: • twice-weekly chapel services in which relationships formed in other areas of seminary life are deepened through joyful worship of the Creator. • Ministry Lunches, held several times each week, in which students meet and interact with seasoned pastors, missionaries, and other church leaders. • the Day of Prayer, during which, once each semester, classes are cancelled so students, faculty, and staff can participate in an intense time of corporate and individual prayer. • the Family Nurture Program, which offers free childcare for seminary couples during certain foundational classes or special events so that husbands and wives may participate together. • the campus Free Store, which offers free access to clothing, small household goods, toys, and a variety of other items donated by members and friends of the seminary community. • personal support and encouragement for international students—an increasingly large percentage of the student population—who often need help adjusting to life in a
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culture that may be radically different from their own. • the Emergency Student Fund, which provides emergency financial assistance to students who need help with utility bills, groceries, hospital costs, crisis counseling, or other expenses.
“Here’s My Heart, O Take and Seal It . . .” As all of this makes obvious—and as students quickly become aware—seminary life is only partly about the academics. It is also about educating the heart in the ways of the gospel. “God changes us not only through the message of the gospel; he also fully includes us in that process of change,” Brad notes. “The strength for change comes entirely from Christ’s work in us, but God truly uses each of us to help sanctify one another.” Mark agrees wholeheartedly. “It’s a privilege to enter into that process with students and see change happen before your eyes,” he shares. “So often we can’t perceive what God is doing in our lives, but when we do, it’s a great thing. We provide the crucible for students to be more aware of and open to that process and allow it to occur.” And so it goes year after year at Covenant Seminary, as the hearts of future pastors and ministry leaders are tuned ever more finely to the beautiful sounds of the gospel and the glorious song of God’s grace goes forth ever more strongly to people and places across America and around the world.
an
To read more about how our covenantal community of grace is helping to shape the hearts of future pastors and their families for ministry, go online to www.covenantseminary.edu/live/StudentLife.
The Spouse Teamwork Scholarship provides 100% tuition to spouse’s of full-time students, enabling couples to train together for future ministry.
RICK MATT Rick Matt (MATS ’05) serves in the Communications department at Covenant Seminary, where he writes and edits publications in a variety of media. He particularly enjoys telling stories of how God is working in and through the lives of his servants. Rick is also a ruling elder in the PCA.
Your Support Helps Shape Future Pastors Every dollar makes a difference! We couldn’t do this work without you! For information on ways you can partner with us, contact our Development staff at 314.434.4044 or 1.800.264.8064, or visit us online at www.covenantseminary.edu and click on
GIVE NOW
COVENANT | Spring/Summer 2010
Indispensable education
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pon returning home from Bangkok, Thailand, in May 2008, after a two-year stint as missionaries with Mission to the World (MTW), my husband, Andrew, and I were eager for many things. We longed to be back near family and friends, to worship in English, and to begin our lives as students at Covenant Seminary. Although we enjoyed our time in Thailand and grew to care deeply for the Thai people, we also learned firsthand the serious challenges of ministry and the unique barriers to the gospel there. With about 95% of roughly 66 million people claiming Buddhism, Thailand is the most thoroughly Buddhist country in the world. Less than 1% of the population is evangelical Christian. Like Christianity in America, the Buddhism of Thailand is predominantly cultural and deeply rooted in national identity—making Thailand one of the most difficult places to reach with gospel transformation. Although Andrew and I participated in a variety of ministries in Bangkok, we noticed a pattern. Of the Thais who came to church, attended outreach events, and studied in English classes, 90% were women! The men of our missionary team were working with Thai Christians to lead ministries mostly attended by women, while missionary wives were mostly at home in full-time ministry to their families. We wrestled with this pattern: how could we more intentionally have women
Free Degree for Spouses
ministering to women and at the same time maintain both the calling of many missionary wives to be mothers responsible for their homes and the biblical mandate for formal male leadership in the church? I felt that if God were calling us to long-term service in Thailand, I would want to be an active part of the ministry. An education at Covenant—made possible by the Spouse Teamwork Scholarship—seemed to be a direct answer to prayer about this. A Covenant Seminary education would be foundational for equipping us both for ministry to the millions of Thais who have no knowledge of a personal or loving God. I couldn’t feel more blessed to be here at Covenant because it has enabled Andrew and me to learn simultaneously, discuss our experiences, and process through our time as missionaries even as it propels us toward future ministry in Thailand. We are well aware of the many challenges that face cross-cultural missionaries when they go overseas, and this education has already helped us prepare for that road. In the last year, my classes, assignments, interactions with professors, and my own “re-entry” experience has played a crucial role in developing me as a Christian and a missionary. The Lord knows just how to prepare his children for his work, and the Spouse Teamwork Scholarship was his chosen means for me; for this I am extremely grateful!
Because Covenant Seminary believes that Christian ministry involves the whole family, we provide qualified spouses of all full-time students with the opportunity to attend classes.
Here are just a few details. n Spouses may audit classes for free or take classes for credit at no charge if they are working toward a degree. n Spouse Teamwork Scholarships q are awarded up to the number of hours the primary student is taking each semester. q are available to spouses in all degree programs but is limited to a 50% scholarship for spouses in the MAC program. To find out more about preparing with your spouse for a lifetime of ministry, contact our Admissions staff at 1.800.264.8064 or admissions@covenantseminary.edu.
BECKY BRONSON
For more information on how you can help couples as they train for gospel ministry around the world, contact our Development staff at 314.434.4044 or 1.800.264.8064, or visit us online at www.covenantseminary.edu/give.
Becky Bronson hails from South Texas, where she grew up loving year-round warm temperatures and hunting and fishing near the Texas coast. She graduates in May 2010 with a master of arts in religion and cultures. She has spent the past months trying to stay warm while missing the more temperate winters of the South. Becky and husband Andrew (who is pursuing an MDiv) hope to pursue their call to church planting in Bangkok, Thailand, upon his graduation in May 2011.
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Ministry Matters
A foundation for women to flourish in ministry
A new two-hour breakout session of the Ministry Leadership class helps wives of future ministry leaders prepare for the realities of life as a ministry couple.
ives of current seminary students often gaze at their future role as the spouse of a ministry leader with great hesitation—especially if their spouses are preparing for an ordained pastoral job in a church. Wives of many MDiv students often don’t fit their own preconceived notions of an ideal pastor’s wife. “One of the Enemy’s basic tactics is to get us alone and feeling isolated,” explains Rebecca Douglass, wife of Covenant Seminary professor Dr. Phil Douglass. “We don’t want that. We want to get these women connected.” As a veteran pastor’s wife (she and Phil have planted six churches and served in two others over the course of their 35 years of pastoral ministry), Rebecca speaks with wisdom and insight when she declares, “A wife is key to her husband’s success in the pastorate.” She delights in helping women understand that “they can be their unique selves and be used of God. Our concern is to see women in their place of giftedness.”
class is the message: ‘You are not just here for your husband. The Lord has purposes for you too.’ ” The Lord gave Rebecca the title “Ministry Matters” 20 years ago—but she didn’t know how God would use the play on words until the fall of 2008, when inspiration and ideas for a class came to her. Technically the class is a two-hour breakout session of Ministry Leadership, the “senior” installation of Spiritual and Ministry Formation (SMF)—a required class for all first-year students, with spouses encouraged to attend—both of which are taught by Rebecca’s husband.
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Wives
With a shepherdess’s heart and an increasing burden for women who were scared to enter the ministry, Rebecca prayed that God would use her to help prepare women to partner with their husbands in their gospel-centered vocations. “We want ministry couples not to just survive being in the pastorate, but to thrive,” she says. She found kindred spirits in Tricia Agan (wife of professor Jimmy Agan), and Beth Dalbey (wife of professor Mark Dalbey). “The faculty wives as a whole have such a heart for the wives of students,” she shares. “The heart behind this COVENANT | Spring/Summer 2010
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Ministry Matters is a 12-week, topic-oriented class (see box on page 13) that seeks to encourage women and foster enthusiasm about the Kingdom work to which they are being called. In order to help the women develop realistic expectations about a couple’s or family’s life in ministry, Rebecca recruits 24 guest speakers (usually two per week) to address specific topics. After the women share about that week’s topic, they then present real case studies from their experiences. “Ministry is not like being married to a businessman,” says Rebecca. “This work is a team effort.” The class does include single women who are students. Many seek to prepare for ministry as single women and also for the possibility of one day partnering in ministry with a spouse. Whether married or single, the overarching goal is the same: “I want each woman in this class to be the woman of God that he has created her to be and to walk in the freedom that Christ has purchased for her,” Rebecca emphasizes.
Learning From Women Who Have “Been There”
Practically Prepared
Utilizing knowledge about the women’s personalities and giftedLeesa Barber, a former participant whose husband now ness learned from their time in SMF, each year Rebecca tailors serves as solo pastor of a church, recalls a particularly the class content to meet the particular needs of that group of poignant way in which the class prepared her for daywomen. For example, if a large number were preparing for misto-day life in ministry. sion work, perhaps Rebecca would find guest speakers with this “One of the speakers shared with us about a peculiar experience to addresses the various topics. Overall, she leans on pattern that she has seen with people when they want the Lord to determine who to invite to speak. to confide in her. She explained that a person tends to Intentionally the speakers for each topic may have very start by sharing less sensitive—but still personal—pieces different ideas and approaches. “I don’t ever want these women of information so that they may check your reaction to think there is only one way to be in ministry,” explains and decide if they should risk sharing deeper thoughts. Rebecca. “We encourage them to follow the principles not She also said that a person typically waits until the end the patterns that the speakers share.” The class does revolve of your time together—for example when you have takaround the vulnerability of these local pasen them home and are in their driveway— tors’ and professors’ wives to finally spill their as they share candidly most significant about the true heartaches concerns. She exand great joys of ministry. “I plained that this is was greatly impacted just by a way of providing being in the presence of these safety for themgodly, transparent, and humble selves, as they will women,” admits Debbie have a way out if McCormick (MATS ’08), a you don’t respond participant in the inaugural in a favorable way. class. “I learned something I was fascinated different each week and was both by this concept when I heard encouraged and challenged in my walk with it in class, but I have also thought the Lord, in my role as a wife, and as a spouse of it many times since, as we have in ministry with my husband.” As women find definitely found this pattern to be support, encouragement, resources, friendships, true even in the short time we have and hopefulness about ministry, they set a Students an been in ministry.” foundation to help them flourish beyond d student w ives gather Douglasses’ at the ho me for a sp seminary life. ecial minist ry lunch. And though Rebecca, Beth, and Tricia help connect the women in practical ways, they recognize the spiritual reality of For Leesa, the following are some of the most helpful this class and need for God to work, so they intentionally pray tips she gleaned from the class. for these women, that God would give each of them lifelong n Take your day off! Don’t schedule anything on friends to serve as support networks in ministry. this day. This was a common piece of advice that was expressed by almost all the speakers. A Life Transformed n Shepherding God’s flock is a tremendous A personal note from one of the founding class participants privilege and a wonderful opportunity but also gave Rebecca great delight as it captured well the class purpose. very challenging. Remember that the church is full of sinners who need a savior and that just “Hello Rebecca! because they are believers does not mean they I’ve been trying to put into words (at least in my own will not have conflict. mind), what the Ministry Matters class is doing to n My righteousness is in Christ and not in what me, in me, for me! I don’t think [my husband] needs people think of me or my husband or whether or my words because I know he can see and feel some not they are happy with the decisions we make. very distinct transformations taking place in me that
Wise Words
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I didn’t even know I needed. But we all know the One who does know what I need. I think the best way to put it right now is that this Thursday night time with you and the beautiful variety of real women that you have brought to us is making me yearn for what is ahead instead of being fearful of it. Also, it is giving me a very real sense of anticipation because I know God is at work and it’s not all on me. And it’s helping me know I’m okay being me, and there are specific places God will use me because of and in spite of who I am. I’m excited and at peace again about being at my husband’s side as God leads him/us to wherever. Lastly, it is comforting to know that I won’t be leaving here alone but have resources for years to come.
I thought I came here with all of this. The Lord has helped me see that I did not, although I had a good “front”—and God knew it. He has helped me confess it and move forward through time here and this class. Thank you, thank you.” As Rebecca considers what has taken place and as she presses on toward what is ahead, she’s certain that God has good plans for the women. Her work and this class are truly for God’s purposes. “The Lord has raised this up,” Rebecca says. “I feel like I’m being carried along in God’s stream.” Which is exactly what she desires for the women in the Ministry Matters class to experience in their ministries. JACKIE FOGAS Jackie Fogas serves in the Communications department at the Seminary where she is continually encouraged and blessed by its ministries and members of its community. Her husband, Michael, graduated with an MDiv in May 2009 and is serving as a chaplain resident at a local hospital. They are trusting God to lead as they consider their future ministry together.
below: Rebecca Douglass (center) regularly hosts Seminary-related gatherings at her home on the edge of campus.
Typical Class Format
Sample Class Topics
n Prayer n Introduction to topic and speakers n Each speaker talks for about 30 minutes. n Questions for speakers from class participants n Case studies from speakers’ personal experiences
n Maintaining Your Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical Health n Friendships and Support Networks n Handling Criticism of Your Family n Male/Female Relationships in the Church n Panel: “What I Wish I Knew Before I Began in Ministry”
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Covenant Seminary is committed to
lifelong learning.
The Doctor
of Ministry degree
offers continuing education
to further Equip
You
for life and ministry.
“In this doctoral program, relationships are as important as academics.” —Mark Hutton, Pastor for Community, Families & Congregational Life, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, VA
Continuing Education in the Context of Trusted Relationships Covenant Seminary’s new cohort-based Doctor of Ministry model provides pastors and other ministry leaders with greater opportunities for growth and learning in the midst of mutually beneficial peer relationships. Cohort members learn with and from other seasoned ministry practitioners under the guidance of an experienced faculty mentor. This model is designed to enhance the personal benefits of the DMin and increase ministry effectiveness.
Current Cohorts Include: n Christian Worship
n City Mission & Ministry
n History of Reformed Spirituality
n Church Personality & Development
n Ministry Skills
n Youth, Family, & Culture
Contact Covenant Seminary today to learn more. www.covenantseminary.edu | 1.800.264.8064 | e-mail: admissions@covenantseminary.edu
Serving Those Who Sent Them Although Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown,” these seminary graduates returned to minister to the churches who sent them out in the first place—and learned more than they could have expected.
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or some Covenant Seminary graduates, the question “Can you ever really go home?” is academic; for others, it’s at the core of their ministerial calling. Going home may be less about future possibility and more about present responsibility to serve in ministry. The graduates you’ll meet here received calls by their home churches, allowing them to minister to the congregations who initially sent them and supported their desire to pursue seminary training. Responding to such a call brings together an amazing collage of blessings, challenges, and lessons for all—as Rev. Todd Gwennap (MDiv ’09) can attest. “I grew up in this church,” says Todd, who returned from seminary to serve as the assistant pastor of Christian education and young families at his sending church, Arden Presbyterian in Arden, North Carolina. “My parents met and got married in this church. My children are now the fourth generation at Arden.” Todd spent 22 years in the congregation before going off to seminary. Returning home raised many questions. “There is always the fear of not being taken seriously. That was pretty real to me,” Todd explains. “There are people at this church who saw me in diapers. And then there is my youth. I was 25 when I was ordained. Not only was I seen as the ‘little kid’ who grew up and went off to seminary, I was the kid who grew up, went to seminary, and came back still relatively young.” How returning members-turned-pastors are received depends largely on the intentionality of the church leadership. In Todd’s case, senior pastor Rev. Chris Yates (MDiv ’87) said to the the congregation, “While it is encouraging that Todd is a covenant child of this church, we brought him here to serve because we believe he is the best man for the job.” COVENANT | Spring/Summer 2010
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Rev. Michael Wichlan (MDiv ’08), who returned to Trinity Presbyterian Chuch in Plano, Texas, to serve as assistant pastor of outreach and assimilation, received similar advocacy. “Our transition was eased by the way the session handled our coming in. On the Sunday it was announced, the senior pastor went through a list of my credentials and experience with the congregation before telling my name. People who didn’t know me could understand why I’d been called. For those we knew, it just added to their excitement.” As a result, Michael and his family entered with a great deal of trust and endorsement. The affirmation came not only from what God had done through them, but also because of God’s work in them through their brokenness. “While being introduced to the congregation that first Sunday, we told some of our story, our need for marriage counseling, and shared openly that we are a broken family in desperate need of the gospel,” explains Michael. Such vulnerability—coupled with their previous experience at the church—has opened up many doors of ministry. Erik McDaniel (MATS ’09) found similar opportunities when he returned to his sending church, Faith Presbyterian, in Anniston, Alabama. “People have turned to me for more intense help than before I left, like marriage counseling for example,” he says. “Many of my relationships with congregants had firm foundations from before I attended to seminary; I didn’t have to start from scratch with everybody. As Professor Bob Burns [associate professor of educational ministries] says, I had ‘relational capital.’ And seminary gave me immediate ‘professional capital’ with many of my friends. I have felt it, and others seem to acknowledge it; the mantle of assistant pastor and
teaching elder has been placed on me. That is a beautiful and humbling reality.” Retrospectively, people rarely know how fully situations and experiences have changed them until they are back among those who have known them longest. “One of my fears was that people would want the ‘old Erik,’ ” he shares. “I had changed while at Covenant Seminary.” Todd agrees. “Seminary was such a fundamental time. My views on everything changed—and not just theologically. There was an entire paradigm shift. People who haven’t experienced something similar don’t usually have a context for understanding how that happens. I’m not the same person I was when I left for seminary.” As certainly as these families have been shaped by their seminary experience, their churches have also changed. Arden has experienced a 40%–45% growth and turnover rate since Todd left for seminary, and Michael reentered a congregation that was 35%–40% different from the one he left. Even Erik was surprised by how many people he didn’t know when returning to Faith Presbyterian. These changes present learning opportunities as well as moments for repentance. “I started operating under the assumption that many of the ‘rules’ for new pastors didn’t apply to me,” Todd confesses. “But from the church’s perspective, I was the new guy. I thought people would be interested in hearing my ideas, but that rubbed people the wrong way. My big mistake was talking more than listening. Somewhere I missed a lesson on humility. I’ve had to repent of that, and I’ve been blessed to see the reconciliation that has come out of it.” Reflecting further, Todd says, “I hear Dr. Collins’s [professor of Old Testament] voice in my head every time I read the Bible. I also hear Dr. Guthrie [associate professor of educational ministries] saying, ‘Think systems; watch process.’ A lot of the training at seminary that I thought was less important has actually been the stuff that has mattered most. I’ve done a lot more meeting with people and building relationships than I expected. People need to see that I’m really just here to serve. If I went back to seminary today, I’d listen more in some areas—such as
my counseling classes. Ones that weren’t as exciting to me as Greek and Hebrew turned out to be really important here.” Surprisingly, there aren’t that many graduates who return to their home churches to serve after seminary. Part of this results from staffing needs. But, as Michael points out, part of a pastor’s responsibility is to confirm the external call of vocational ministry to some as well as encourage the lay ministry of many. If the Lord has planted an individual within the context of a specific congregation, it makes sense that his particular gifts and abilities are necessary. It is worth asking the questions: Did the church lose an important part of its ministry by sending this individual to seminary? Might the congregation be enriched further by extending a call to that candidate upon graduation? “It’s good to be back,” Erik reflects. “Other families have grown up while we were gone, but so has mine. And it’s been hard. People’s lives went on while we were gone, and they learned how to balance family, work, and life with one another. Now that my family is back in town, close friends who loves us are trying to open up their lives to us, but the natural working of life in this stage has prevented us from getting as close as we once were. However, I am excited about the years to come.” Todd says, “For many in the church, simply seeing a covenant child who was raised in this church return as a pastor has been the real encouragement. It is confirmation and assurance that clockwise from top: Erik McDaniel and God is working family; Michael Wichlan and family; Todd within the church Gwennap and family. All three families left churches to attend seminary and upon community.” There graduation returned home to serve those is a validation of congregations. significance—not of an individual but of a group of people living their lives faithfully before God. So, can you really go ‘home’? “I became a Christian in this church,” Michael says. “To be able to come back and minister in this context—wow! I’m serving the people who sent me. That means a lot to me emotionally and fires the passion that I put into my role. There is a degree to which I am truly home.” JOEL HATHAWAY Joel Hathaway (MDiv ’04) serves as the director of alumni and placement services. His first love is the Lord—and his great passion is the growth of the church and the encouragement of the ministers who serve it. Joel and his wife, Shannon, have four children: Jonah (9), Isaac (8), Zeke (6), and Mary Alice (1).
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Schaeffer Fellows Recent college graduates with hearts for ministry are coming to St. Louis to participate in a leadership development program that involves professional internships in their fields along with theological training at Covenant Seminary.
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od gave you a job because he loves you. Work is not Christian faith and worldview affect how they go about their simply something we put up with, it’s for our good. jobs as lawyers, doctors, salespeople, and homemakers, etc.” When our perspective on it moves from ‘I’m just pay John is emphatic that the Christian faith must speak into ing the bills’ to ‘God takes delight in me doing this well,’ that is these areas of life. “After nine months of going through this motivation.” These words explain what alumnus John “Penny” program, men and women will be better equipped to engage Pennylegion (MDiv ’09) hopes young men and women will their vocations with their faith beliefs. And it’s not just one’s learn through the new Schaeffer Fellows program, hosted by workplace that has value; it’s a person’s whole life. There is no The Covenant Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. John dichotomy between one’s life and values. Faith doesn’t stop after serves as assistant pastor there and is executive director of the Sunday morning, nor does it stop between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.” Schaeffer Fellows. As part of the Fellows program, participants For this reason, the Schaeffer Fellows program is not simply will receive theological training at Covenant Seminary. focused on developing a holistic perspective on vocation. John Even before John attended Covenant Seminary, the school and the board of the program have intentionally structured the was equipping him for this work. weekly agenda around the local He recalls visiting with Profeschurch. Additionally, host famisor Jay Sklar while a prospective lies from Covenant Presbyterian “Beginning this fall, we will invite 10 to 14 student. “Dr. Sklar asked all about will provide room and board for male and female fellows into the program my wife, Kat, and me. He asked each student for the entire nine to help them discover how their Christian about our relationship, and he months of the program. As new asked Kat what excited her about “family members,” fellows will eat faith and worldview affect how they go about coming to seminary,” John recalls. dinner with their host families their jobs as lawyers, doctors, salespeople, It is this kind of care and attenand share the daily chores. While and homemakers, etc.” tion for others that John hopes to living in homes, they will also exemplify in his discussions about hopefully have the opportunity God’s Kingdom with Fellows parto watch an emotionally healthy ticipants. John is passionate about Christian family work through seeing the Kingdom advanced through all areas of God’s world. conflicts and challenges in a godly manner. The Schaeffer Fellows program hopes to accomplish this goal by While students are engaged with the program, they will training and developing recent college grads to integrate their also be integrated into a variety of classroom, church, and work faith with their vocations. settings. Every Monday they will attend classes taught by Cov “Beginning this fall, we will invite 10 to 14 male and enant Theological Seminary professors. The classes will cover female fellows into the program to help them discover how their topics such as worldview and biblical story, vocation, leader-
Alumnus John Pennylegion (MDiv ‘09) has been preparing to lead the inaugural group of Schaeffer Fellows. The nine-month program starts this fall.
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Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview by Albert M. Wolters
The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior During the University Years by Steven Garber n
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Engaging God’s World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living by Cornelius Plantinga
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Far As The Curse Is Found: The Covenant Story Of Redemption by Michael D. Williams . .
Suggested Readings from the Schaeffer Fellows Program
ship, and evangelism. The bulk of the learning, however, will take place outside of the classroom. Tuesdays through Thursdays, Fellows will participate in internships. John will connect students to jobs at places of employment that match their interests—such as law offices, business offices and hospitals. On Friday evenings, the fellows will take field trips together to places where various Christian businesspeople work to see how they bring grace into their organizations. In addition, the fellows will also be required to participate in local church and community endeavors. It is apparent that John is passionate that the place of the church not be lost to an exaggerated focus on vocation. “What is important is that God loves his church,” John explains. “That is an integral part of Kingdom advancement. It is not okay to be a Christian and work in your job yet disregard the church. We want to make sure that the church is important. Christians are not just called to be a part of the church; we’re called to minister to and be ministered to in the church.” The fellows program is not a new concept. The Schaeffer Fellows are one of 20 participating partners in the nationwide Fellows Initiative (www.thefellowsinitiative.com). The Schaeffer Fellows, however, is the first of its kind in Missouri. Named in honor of the late Francis Schaeffer, a pastor and theologian strongly connected to St. Louis and Covenant Seminary, the St. Louis branch of The Fellows Initiative seeks to engage with the Kingdom of God as it is manifested in all of life—a prominent idea in Schaeffer’s philosophy. “Kingdom is often thought of in the sense of a place,” John explains. “However, it’s not just that. Christ’s kingship—his authority—extends into every place. The cultural mandate to have dominion over God’s creation still extends now. We are to have responsible dominion over God’s creation. The law is part of God’s Kingdom. Politics are part of God’s Kingdom. And, as Professor Jack Collins would say, the mother who changes a diaper is participating in God’s Kingdom because she is exercising care. These things are all aspects of moving the Kingdom forward because they are pushing up against the ef
Named after the late Francis Schaeffer (pictured with wife Edith), the Schaeffer Fellows program will help recent college graduates integrate faith with all areas of daily life—a theme Schaeffer was passionate about.
fects of the fall. That’s what this program is about: the Kingdom. It is the belief, as theologian John Calvin said, that the world is God’s theater to show God’s glory— and this glory is shown in all these realms.” For many people, this is a new idea. That’s partly why the program takes place over nine months and not nine weeks. Holistic thinking like this takes a bit of retooling. Historically the church has at times taken up the unbiblical idea that the spiritual life is only that which we cannot see, touch, hear, smell, or feel. This sort of worldview leaves one’s daily life unaffected. Scripture, however, tells a different story. The Bible is filled with stories of people and places of all sorts and a God who was always is interested in being a part of that mix. Part of Schaeffer’s passion was advancing this Kingdom-mindedness throughout God’s church. It is this high and worthy calling that the Schaeffer Fellows program will seek to take up and continue. MATT SEILBACK Matt Seilback (MDiv ’09) works with the Communications team at Covenant Seminary. He is currently working on an independent documentary about a home for homeless teen boys (www. JoesPlaceDoc.com). Matt and his wife, Kelli, have two children, Maia (4) and Caden (1).
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Finding [H]o m e God uses the experiences of a former missionary kid to reach a new generation of youth who feel out of touch with their parents’ cultures.
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reathes there a man, with soul so dead / Who never to himself hath said / This is my own, my native land! These poetic lines by Sir Walter Scott capture the emotive heart and longing borne out of the life of sojourn and the solemn expression of separation that often marks the life of a thirdculture kid (TCK). TCKs are, as Dr. Eric Larsen (MDiv ’00) explains, children who spend a significant part of their lives in a culture other than their parents’ culture but never fully identify with it. Neither do they fully connect with the host culture, even if they spend years in it. Identifying more with other global nomads (synonymous with TCKs) more than people from any given culture, these children end up very much like those without home countries and are plagued by questions such as “Where is my home?” and “Who are my people?” If this sounds reminiscent of the nomadic lives of the Israelites in the wilderness, it should. All great themes of life repeat, echoing down through the ages—as Eric himself attests. Growing up as a “military brat” and a missionary kid (MK), he moved often. After his father, Sam (MDiv ’79), graduated from Covenant Theological Seminary, the family moved to Nairobi, Kenya. But Eric’s formative years were spent in Australia, where he lived until he moved “back” to the United States to start college. “If you aren’t from an area, it’s hard to break in,” Eric explains. “Back then, localized youth culture was still significantly distinct between cultures. I didn’t have some of the common binding elements that kids today have, such as the shared technological experience.” The jarring transition into a culture Eric barely identified with left him feeling isolated. “I quickly learned to bury my Australian and MK identity,”
Eric recalls. “Nobody wanted to hear about it. Nobody could relate. In order to survive, I had to kill the Australian in me.” So Eric did just that. Almost ceremonially, he boxed up all his mementos from and reminders of Australia and shoved the box into the back of a closet. “Not only did I stop responding to the letters that I got from friends back in Australia, I even stopped opening them,” he says with a sigh. Having experienced firsthand the dissidence of the alien, Eric has explored the isolation that occurs in the absence of belonging. Years went by and the unresolved sense of loss became a part of Eric. God turned Eric’s heart toward youth ministry, and after college he served as a youth minister, first in Georgia and later in Virginia. Four years later, he followed in his father’s footsteps and enrolled at Covenant Seminary, after which he accepted the youth position at Chesterfield Presbyterian Church just outside of St. Louis. But God was not content to let sealed boxes and closed-off hearts lie dormant. Through a chain of unlikely events, God took Eric back to Australia. Mission to the World (MTW) hosted a regional retreat in the Asia-Pacific region, and Eric was to address the MKs. Almost at the same time, his old friends from Australia tracked Eric down through Internet research, and with the stream of e-mails from Australia came the waves of unearthed emotions. “I thought I was going to go to the conference to serve, but God, in his divine conspiracy, was drawing me there to work on me,” Eric says. The emotions that Eric had stuffed into his heart—as he had stuffed his memories into a box—began to be exposed. His recurrent involvement with the MTW conference over the next few years provided regular interaction with other TCKs. “I began to develop a heart for the dynamics of issues that missionary families and children face and considering how we should minister to these youth,” Eric says. MTW then approached Eric about creating a global youth institute. “I have a real passion for seeing the next generation reached for Christ—not just within the church but those outside the church
Points to Ponder Parents considering taking their children to the mission field or to seminary can ask two questions of themselves and their children that will impact how that season of life is viewed.
1 2
Is this Dad’s gig or the family’s mission? Do the kids have a buy-in, or are they being dragged along? Are the kids a priority in this mission, or are they of fourth-tier importance to it?
ALUMNUS PROFILE as well,” Eric explains. “I wanted to see a movement to recruit, train, and send cross-cultural youth ministers to lead the church in reaching the next generation around the world.” Despite the affirmations from his wife and from his senior pastor at the time, Rev. Hugh Barlett (MDiv ’90) at Chesterfield Presbyterian Church, a competing sense of call and vision caused Eric to hesitate. “My heart fully leapt within me,” Eric shares. “But I still wasn’t sure whether or not to take the job. So while at another conference, I met with Ruth Van Reken, coauthor of the book Third-Culture Kids. She pulled me aside and said, ‘Eric, Dave [fellow coauthor] and I are getting old and need to pass the baton of our work with global youth.’ Ruth then held out her hands, took mine, and said, ‘Eric, here is the baton.’ ” Overwhelmed, Eric went out to the beach to pray. “It was as if God spoke directly, saying, ‘Eric, you aren’t waiting for me to make it clear. I’ve made it clear. I’m just waiting for you to respond.’ ” In retrospect, Eric wasn’t struggling with the call or the job description or even the ministry focus. What he was wrestling with was entering into another season of total abandon to God. In 2006, Eric joined MTW in order to establish the Global Youth and Family Institute—bringing the stream of his own experience and the concern for MKs together with his desire to see MTW become more strategic in reaching the next generation. The opportunities for such a work are enormous. “You have a remarkable thing happening right now in the world—an exploding youth culture,” Eric says. “It is forecasted that by this year, 50% of the world population will be under the age of 25. And yet the resounding cry of the church, globally, is the same: we’re losing the next generation. The biggest reason for this is the systemic adult abandonment of youth.” Somewhere in the unfolding of culture, the ministry of presence was confused with the ministry of possession. Prosperity replaced provision—leaving an entire generation simultaneously feasting on the food of property while also starving from the deprivation of love. The paradox is not lost on disenfranchised youth. Given the option, they will always take more stuff—while mourning the failure of their absentee parents. The rapidity of
technological advance exacerbates the issue. Even committed parents struggle to keep up, to simultaneously learn and discern, respond, and engage. Consequently, from one culture to another, youth tend to have more in common with each other than they do with adults in their own societies. “Youth are provided with opportunities while being deprived of the value of relationship that is most important,” Eric explains. “Many people are trying to solve this problem with programs. But what we really need is to beckon the church back to its core calling to reach the nations and the next generation.” Starting in 2011, Eric will teach and facilitate a new Doctor of Ministry cohort at Covenant Seminary called Youth, Family, and Culture. The cohort (a small group of ministry leaders learning and growing together in faith and practice), will be aimed at people who are called to lead the church in reaching the next generation. “I would love to see the folks in this cohort wrestle through the widening gap between adult culture and global youth culture and to emerge on the other side as prophetic voices and influencers within the church as a whole,” Eric shares. The goal is to bring youth into the church. The goal is to burst open closed hearts and sealed boxes. The goal is to proclaim the gospel—a native land for all the world’s sojourners. JOEL HATHAWAY Joel Hathaway (MDiv ’04) serves as the director of alumni and placement services. His first love is the Lord—and his great passion is the growth of the church and the encouragement of the ministers who serve it. Joel and his wife, Shannon, have four children: Jonah (9), Isaac (8), Zeke (6), and Mary Alice (1).
below: American Eric Larsen (pictured with his family) spent a significant part of his childhood in Australia and Kenya, which prevented him from fully identifying with any particular culture. As a typical “third culture kid,” this background prepared him well to understand and identify with the loneliness of today’s youth. He serves as the director of Global Youth and Family Ministry for Mission to the World.
SEMINARY news & events PROFESSORS’ SPEAKING SCHEDULES Jerram Barrs Professor of Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture; Resident Scholar, Francis A. Schaeffer Institute MAY 19–20 St. Louis, MO; Covenant
Seminary. Teaching for the Ministry Skills cohort for the Doctor of Ministry program. MAY 31–JUNE 11 St. Louis, MO;
Covenant Seminary. Teaching for the Christ-Centered Preaching cohort for the Doctor of Ministry program. TOPIC: “Preaching to Postmoderns.” JULY 26–28 Cedar Falls, IA; Riverview
Conference Center. Annual Cedar Falls Bible Conference. TOPIC: “Evangelism and Cultural Relevancy.”
Hans Bayer
leaders from several universities in Scotland who are involved with The Navigators and UCCF/InterVarsity ministries. TOPIC: “Discipleship in Mark.” JUNE 10–12 St Andrews, Scotland.
Speaking to PhD students and pastors. TOPICS: “The Authority and Reliability of the Gospels” (Mark) and “The History of Critical New Testament Interpretation and its Evangelical, Redemptive-Historical Alternative.” JULY 26–30 Schloss Mittersill, Austria.
Lecturing during Bible & Culture 2010, a seven-week course especially for Eastern European student leaders. TOPIC: “ Discipleship in Mark.”
Bryan Chapell President; Professor of Practical Theology MAY 25–28 St. Louis, MO; Covenant
Professor of New Testament JUNE 4–9 St Andrews, Scotland.
Lecturing at conference for student
Seminary. Teaching for the Ministry Skills cohort for the Doctor of Ministry program.
JUNE 6 Cleveland, MS; Covenant
Presbyterian Church. Preaching. JUNE 24 Montreal, Quebec.
Leading workshop for Association of Theological Schools meeting. TOPIC: “Stabilizing a Tuition-Driven Institution.” JUNE 29–JULY 2 Nashville, TN;
Nashville Convention Center. PCA General Assembly. JULY 17 Roach, MO; Windermere
Conference Center. Speaking at St. Louis FamilyCamp.
David Jones Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology and Ethics APRIL 16–17 South Bend, IN;
Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church. Weekend seminar. TOPIC: “Bioethics and the Christian Life.”
Richard Winter Professor of Practical Theology; Director, Counseling Program MAY 22–27 Eger, Hungary.
Nashville Convention Center. PCA General Assembly.
European Leadership Forum. Speaking on a variety of topics including addiction; sexual sanity; loss and grief; worry, anxiety and fear; pornography; and counseling for sexual problems in marriage.
JULY 26–30 St. Louis, MO; Covenant
JUNE 14–18 Northern Ireland.
Philip Douglass Professor of Practical Theology JUNE 28–JULY 1 Nashville, TN;
Seminary. Teaching Spiritual and Ministry Formation class.
Teaching Doctor of Ministry course on pastoral counseling.
ACADEMIC NEWS Covenant Seminary welcomes back esteemed scholar Dr. Robert Yarbrough as professor of New Testament starting in fall 2010. Dr. Yarbrough was associate professor of New Testament from 1991–96. In addition to New Testament courses, Dr. Yarbrough will also teach a Master of Arts course on Jeremiah and continue his longstanding and significant teaching engagements in Africa.
Barrs Book Named Top Evangelism Resource In February, Outreach magazine’s “7th Annual Outreach Resources of the Year” issue named professor Jerram Barrs’ book Learning Evangelism from Jesus as the top evangelism resource of the year. Congratulations to proffesor Barrs!
SEMINARY NEWS
Come Travel With Us! Join Dr. Bryan Chapell and other Covenant Seminary faculty and staff as they travel from Cairo, Egypt, to Jerusalem, Israel, with several amazing stops in between! This 15-day adventure will take place in January 2011. For details, contact our Development office at 1.800.264.8064. Stay Tuned for Details about Traveling to Australia over Easter 2012!
ALUMINI—GET IN TOUCH! More information, longer news updates, and other alumni news items are available on the Alumni Portal at www.covenantseminary.edu/connect/contact or through the Covenant Seminary Alumni Facebook group.
ALUMNI FAMILY UPDATES Beth and Wes Alford (MDiv ’93) welcome Nancy Estelle, born October 5, 2009. Barry and Graham Waterhouse Behnke (MDiv ’03) welcome Arthur John, born September 12, 2009. Jane-Ellis and Robbie Griggs (MDiv ’04) welcome George Lowell, born, July 16, 2009. Kristen and Tim Jones (MAC ’06, MDiv ’07) welcome Naomi Isabel, born October 2, 2009. Amie and David McIntosh (MDiv ’99) welcome David Martyn, born August 3, 2009. Ryan (MDiv ’08) and Ada Appling Moore (MAEM ’08) welcome Margaret “Mae” Lanier, born May 15, 2009. Holly and Walt Nilsson (MDiv ’05) welcome Susanna Joy, born November 17, 2009. Walt recently became senior pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Lexington Park, Maryland. Laura and David O’Connell (MDiv ’05) welcome William Walker. Michelle and Jamie Peterson (ThM ’05) welcome John “Jack” Brandon, born November 23, 2009. Jamie recently planted Christ Community Church in Frisco, Texas. James (MDiv ’08) and Katherine Quadrizius (MATS ’07) welcome Peter James, born December 2, 2009.
news
1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood in Texas.
TRANSITIONS & UPDATES Bob Clarke (MDiv ’91) to serve as the director of ministerial relief at PCA Retirement & Benefits, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. Brett Eubank (MDiv ’02) to church planter for Presbytery of Mid-America (EPC) in Springfield, Missouri. Daniel Henderson (MDiv ’08) married Sarah Ashley Wylly on October 10, 2009. Sam Hettinger (MDiv ’02) to assistant pastor at Good Hope Presbyterian Church in Fulton, Maryland. John “Jack” Hudson (MA ’78) celebrates 22 years of ordained pastoral ministry. His primary work has been with couples in the midst of separation or divorce. In recent years he was president of the PCA Foundation. Tommy Lee Jr. (MDiv ’98) to senior pastor of Decatur Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Alabama. Matt Lucas (MDiv ’01) to pastor of Reformation Presbyterian Church (ARPC) in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Marti and Mark Mylin (MDiv ’92) are working in France with local church leaders to train, encourage, and equip others in church planting efforts.
Kelly (MAC ’06) and David Richter (MDiv ’07) welcome Luci Jane, born November 29, 2009.
Hope and Wes Parsons (MDiv ’09) to Mission to the World missionaries to Bogota, Columbia. They welcomed Isabella Faith, born October 26, 2009.
Sam Rico (MDiv ’03, MAET ’05) married Wendy Chantile on October 26, 2008.
Chris Peters (MDiv ’00) to church planter of Cross Creek Church (PCA) in Hoover, Alabama.
Michael (MDiv ’04) and Susan Bach Subracko (MDiv ’05) welcome Samuel Julius Bach, born September 15, 2009.
William Plott (MDiv ’04) to church planter of Valley Presbyterian Church in Madison, Alabama.
Joy and Erik Swanson (MDiv ’07) welcome Micah Patrick, born December 1, 2009.
Matt Seilback (MDiv ’09) to director of communications at Covenant Seminary.
Matt (MAEM ’08) and Emily Wicker (MAC ’08) welcome Benjamin Matthew, born July 13, 2009.
Stephen Smallman Sr. (BDiv ’67) published The Walk: Steps for New and Renewed Followers of Jesus (P&R Publishing).
Leslie and Lanier Wood (MDiv ’09) welcome Randall Lanier Jr., born July 29, 2009.
Gary Trotnic (MATS ’92) to senior pastor of Open Door Baptist church in Columbia, Missouri.
ORDAINATIONS & INSTALLATIONS
Wes (MDiv ’07) and Stephanie Vander Lugt (MATS ’08) to PhD studies in Scotland at University of St Andrews in the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts.
Todd Gwennap (MDiv ’09) to assistant pastor of Christian education at Arden Presbyterian Church, Arden, North Carolina. Wes James (MDiv ’07) was recently ordained as pastor of Courtland Presbyterian Church in Courtland, Alabama. Wes and wife Angie also welcome a son, Charles Thomas. Chris Weinrich (MDiv ’08) to active duty chaplain with the 1-227th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion,
Executive Editor Stacey Fitzgerald Managing Editor Matt Seilback Editors Jackie Fogas Rick Matt Design and Production Allison Dowlen Editorial Contributors Becky Bronson Jackie Fogas Joel Hathaway Rick Matt Greg Perry Matt Seilback Julie Sellers Photographers and Photo Contributors Becky Bronson David Brown David Cerven Allison Dowlen William McConkey Kelly Park Julie Sellers Covenant Theological Seminary 12330 Conway Road St. Louis, Missouri 63141 Tel: 314.434.4044 Fax: 314.434.4819 covenantmagazine@covenantseminary.edu Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Volume 25, Number 1. ©2010
CONDOLENCES & PRAYER To Steve Benson (MAC ’09) on the passing of his father, Robert J., on July 2, 2009. For the daughter of Kristine and Artis Celmins (MATS ’09), Paula Anna, who suffers from a rare lung disease.
Covenant is published by Covenant Theological Seminary, the Seminary of the Presbyterian Church in America. The purpose of Covenant Seminary is to glorify the triune God by training his servants to walk in God’s grace, minister God’s word, and equip God’s people ~all for God’s mission.
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STUDENT PROFILE
A Passion for Discipling God’s People
G
o and make disciples . . .” Jesus’ words from the Great Commission in Matthew 28 resound down the centuries as the essence of the lply about he cares deep ck church’s mission. Yet all tlo . hi ity W ur Rick ristian mat grow to Ch too often we interpret ing people this command to mean “proclaim the gospel and make converts”—neglecting to help believers understand more fully what it means to live out their faith. Such was the case for Rick Whitlock (MDiv ’11), who grew up in a Christian home, attended church regularly, and yet early on sensed a gap between the faith that many church members said they believed and the way they lived their lives. “For many people I knew, faith was just something you did on Sunday,” Rick remembers. “Church didn’t seem to relate to what was going on in their lives the rest of the week. I knew all the Bible stories backward and forward but could not relate them to the larger picture of redemptive history. There wasn’t much focus on intentional discipleship.” This sense of disconnection grew even worse for Rick in college. “My faith gave me a strong moral compass; it protected me from the darker side of the party life so common on college campuses—but it also separated me from my peers because I wouldn’t participate in a lot of those activities. I drifted into a kind of spiritual apathy. I didn’t lose faith, exactly; I still believed in Christ, but I didn’t really understand how he related to the rest of my life.” Rick began asking questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? “I just knew there had to be something more. I was hungering for some authenticity in the churches I attended—when I attended, which was sporadically at that point. I wanted more spiritual depth.” A friend introduced Rick to another Christian who was on fire for his faith, and this led to Rick’s involvement in a campus ministry that revived his own faith and stoked a fire in his heart for God’s Word. The ministry gave him a chance to preach through Ephesians every other Saturday night for a year. “It transformed my life; it gave me a great
love for people in the church and a desire to help them reach maturity in the faith. I wanted to help them see that God cares about all of our life choices.” The son of a deacon and the grandson of a ruling elder (both in the PCA), Rick resisted God’s call to ministry for a long time. Yet his experience in campus ministry, along with other strong affirmations along the way, eventually led him to consider attending Covenant Seminary. During his time here, his desire to disciple others in their faith has been continually confirmed and strengthened in many ways. For example, a class on discipleship in the gospel of Mark gave clarity to Rick’s own vision for discipleship ministry. His participation in two Covenant Groups and an internship at a local church showed him again how vital small groups can be for fostering intimate relationships and opportunities for mutual discipleship (see story on page 7 for more on Covenant Groups). And his developing friendships with students and professors offer a network of support necessary for long-term success in ministry. “The professors here have been great both in and out of the classroom,” Rick says. “They’re not just interested in educating our minds—they go after our hearts. They understand that learning is not about regurgitating information. It’s about getting at the core of who you are. And the friends I’ve made here are the best friends I’ve ever had. They’re willing to go deep—to not only have fun, but also to call me out when necessary without shaming me. I hope we’ll stay connected as brothers and allies for life.” Though Rick initially came to seminary with thoughts of being a church planter in a multicultural setting, God has definitely used this time to shift his focus somewhat— and that’s fine with Rick. “It’s up to the Lord, of course, but I can see myself serving as part of a ministry team focused on small groups and discipleship. My passion is to help people grow to Christian maturity. I’m not sure yet what this will look like. I just try to walk with open hands and an open heart, trusting God. It’s exciting to think about what he will do!” RICK MATT Rick Matt (MATS ’05) serves as editor of print communications for Covenant Seminary, where he writes and edits a variety of print and electronic materials to support the Seminary’s mission of training pastors and ministry leaders for Christ’s church.