FACULTY HIGHLIGHT Geoff Chang

Meet TYLER HOLLOWAY

If you are looking for an example of what it looks like to be both plugged in to the seminary community and be a servant leader, Tyler Holloway is a great example. Tyler is a Timothy Track student—meaning a portion of his on-campus experienced takes place in the local church getting real life ministry experience—and he currently serves as vice president of the seminary’s Student Leadership program. We had a chance to sit down with Tyler and talk about his experience thus far at Midwestern Seminary.

MBTS Thanks for joining us, Tyler. Tell us a bit

about which program you are pursuing and how far along in the journey you are.

TYLER HOLLOWAY Thank you for having me! I am currently pursuing my M.Div. through Midwestern’s Timothy Track program. I am only one year into my program.

MBTS This year, you also serve as the vice

president of the Student Leadership program. How has the program helped you as a leader and a member of the Midwestern and Spurgeon College community?

TH Serving as vice president has been such a blessing to me this semester. The role has helped me as both a leader and community member in terms of how I relate and communicate with people in various forms of ministry life. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone at Midwestern and Spurgeon College wants to be a pastor in a local church. Some want to be missionaries and some want to work in higher education, just to list two examples. Learning how to lead and relate to these types of men and women has been a valuable lesson to absorb. MBTS While you are not at the end of your

schooling, how has formal theological education aided you thus far in training for ministry?

TH It has helped by providing access to such a vast pool of scriptural resources and books to help in various ministry situations. This has provided a breadth of ministry resources that I would not have gotten elsewhere and tools to supply myself in coming days in ministry.

MBTS For those prospective students

considering Midwestern Seminary or Spurgeon College, what piece of advice would you give them as they consider their options or as they start their educational journey?

TH Look for ways to get connected immediately with the Midwestern and Spurgeon community. The community here is edifying and vibrant. I would not trade anything for the friendships I have made through the programs here at Midwestern, including the Timothy Track and Student Leadership. It can be easy to come to seminary or college and remain comfortable by sitting alone; take a chance and interact with those around you. You will not regret it.

Geoff Chang

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHURCH HISTORY AND HISTORICAL THEOLOGY; CURATOR OF THE SPURGEON LIBRARY

Dr. Geoff Chang recently joined the Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College faculty and serves as assistant professor of church history and historical theology. Dr. Chang is also the curator of the Spurgeon Library, which houses around 6,000 volumes of C.H. Spurgeon’s personal library. In each issue of the Midwestern Magazine, we choose a faculty member to highlight and it was a joy to sit down with Dr. Chang for this issue focusing on saints of the past.

MBTS Dr. Chang, thanks for joining us for this inter-

view. It has been a busy year for you and your family as you have graduated with your Ph.D., moved to Kansas City, and started a new role at Midwestern. Tell us a bit about your dissertation and the current role you are serving in at the institution.

GEOFF CHANG My dissertation explores the doctrine of the militant church in Spurgeon’s ecclesiology and pastoral leadership. Even though Spurgeon hated war and leaned towards pacifism, he did not hesitate to teach that the church was engaged in a spiritual war against evil. This truth shaped Spurgeon’s imagination and influenced his practice of church membership, discipleship, preaching, and more. One of the things I love about studying church history is the way it often challenges our modern sensibilities. Here in the 21st century, we are nervous about any martial imagery associated with the church. Yet the Bible is full of these

images and is constantly pointing us to the reality of spiritual warfare. I think there is a lot here that could be of help to pastors and churches.

After finishing my Ph.D. at Midwestern this past spring, I have had the privilege of joining the faculty this fall as assistant professor of historical theology. Having served as a pastor for the past ten years, I have come to see that church history truly is a pastor’s best friend. I am looking forward to helping students connect church history to their faith and ministry. Additionally, I also have the privilege of serving as the curator of the Spurgeon Library, which is probably the coolest space on campus. My hope is that this place continues to grow as a center for exploring the treasures of Spurgeon for the church.

MBTS As curator of the Spurgeon Library,

you have some rare and important books just steps away from your office. What are a few of your favorite volumes from Spurgeon’s personal collection?

GC There are so many wonderful volumes in the Spurgeon Library. Just the sheer fact that these near 6,000 volumes were owned by the “Prince of Preachers” himself makes every one of them valuable. One of my favorite volumes is Spurgeon’s copy of Calvin’s Institutes. Not only is this one of the earliest English translations of the Institutes, but it was also previously owned by Benjamin Beddome, a leading Baptist pastor in the 18th century. Another important part of our collection are Spurgeon’s copies of The Sword and the Trowel, the monthly magazine that he edited. There are a few other libraries in the world that can claim to have a complete set of these magazines, but we are the only one that has the set that belonged to Spurgeon, complete with his handwritten marginalia in them. The heart of the Spurgeon Library is the books that came from Spurgeon’s personal library and we are constantly looking for new acquisitions. This past fall, we have acquired a collection of more than fifty handwritten letters and manuscripts, as well as a near complete library of his publications, along with many other historical artifacts. MBTS Given Spurgeon’s fame, many people

are surprised to hear there are still a number of underdeveloped areas of research concerning his life and ministry. For those interested in researching Spurgeon, what areas would you enjoy seeing developed in the future?

GC This surprised me when I was choosing a dissertation topic. For someone as significant as Spurgeon, it was shocking that so little academic work has been done on him. In the past decade, a new wave of Spurgeon scholarship has arisen, led in large part by the Spurgeon Library. However, much work remains to be done. For those interested, I would encourage them to look for a way to combine an area of interest with their study of Spurgeon. In all likelihood, there is a large field of research still unexplored in those areas. For those who are more theologically-minded, this might look like being part of the effort to organize his theology and analyze his theological method. For others who prefer historical work, there is still so much to explore in terms of the impact that Spurgeon had on his context and vice versa. Also, it goes without saying that if you are interested in researching Spurgeon, there is no better place to do so than Midwestern Seminary!

MBTS During your student years and now in

your time spent as part of the faculty, what have you grown to appreciate about the Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College community?

GC We lived on campus during our first few months in Kansas City, and, I must say, this is a wonderful community for families with small children. My kids loved the nearby parks and playgrounds and fishing ponds. As far as the seminary, I have grown in my appreciation of Dr. Allen’s vision of being “for the church.” As a doctoral student, I got to see how that vision shaped the classroom. Now, as a faculty member, it has been encouraging to see firsthand how it shapes the faculty, administration, and even the student body. I have also been encouraged by the students that I have met and their commitment to the local church and missions. My wife and I are looking forward to building relationships here for many years to come.