ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT Brandon Freeman

MEET BRANDON FREEMAN

M.DIV. | 2019

With each passing year, the number of faithful Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College graduates grows. Brandon Freeman is a great representative of the kind of student Midwestern hopes to graduate. With a deep love for both biblical theology and pastoral ministry, Brandon embodies what it means to think and serve For the Church. Currently enrolled as a Ph.D. student and serving the institution as the executive assistant to the Vice President of Institutional Administration, Brandon is still using his time and talent for the good of Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College. We had the chance to sit down for an interview with Brandon for this issue’s alumni highlight.

MBTS Brandon, you’re a bit unique for an alumni spotlight in that you are both an alumnus and a current student. Which program have you completed, and which are you currently pursuing?

BRANDON FREEMAN In May 2019, I graduated with the Master of Divinity degree and am now pursuing the Ph.D. I’m delighted to continue my education with friends and mentors at Midwestern Seminary.

MBTS Since graduating with your M.Div., you have pursued both pastoral ministry in addition to Ph.D. studies. How did your M.Div. prepare you for both of these endeavors?

BF My preparation was enhanced through the friendships I enjoyed. The residential M.Div. created a context with professors and peers that fostered conversations about all of life, including the Ph.D. and local church ministry. That pool of conversation partners shaped my thinking about a wide range of subjects and gave me a model for who I want to be as a minister. Overall, residential theological education provided me with godly friends whom God has used to humble and edify me.

MBTS As a student interested in biblical theology, which courses or professors have been particularly beneficial to you?

BF Three courses stand out to me as having the most direct effect on my appreciation for biblical theology. My independent study with Dr. Matthew Barrett on the doctrine of revelation solidified the possibility of biblical theology through the affirmation of Scripture’s inspiration, inerrancy, and clarity. Dr. Andreas Köstenberger’s class on the Gospels evidenced the fruit of the inductive hermeneutical method in rendering careful biblical-theological

insights. Finally, a Greek exegesis course on the book of Hebrews with Dr. Todd Chipman demonstrated the immense value of the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament for biblical theology.

“THE RESIDENTIAL M.DIV. CREATED A CONTEXT WITH PROFESSORS AND PEERS THAT FOSTERED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ALL OF LIFE, INCLUDING THE PH.D. AND LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRY.”

MBTS You are on the other side of a theological Master’s degree, what advice would you have for those who are just beginning their graduate work?

BF Aim for habits of mind and heart that will advance you in personal devotion, exegetical precision, and soul care. Concentrate on the skills that will most dictate your ability to minister God’s Word. Take an exegesis course in Hebrew and Greek. Prioritize writing excellent papers. Read through the works of a respected theologian. Spend time with professors and peers whom you admire. Be a good church member. Bless your family through your education.