A NNUA L REP ORT 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
35th Anniversary Letter
6
A HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF
8
Reflections on God’s Faithfulness to Support TMS
10
TMS Financials
12
Programs by the Numbers
14
The Master’s Seminary
FACULT Y SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Brad Klassen
16
TMS Publications
20
MacArthur Center for Expository Preaching
22
Spanish Department Overview
24
2021 Graduates & Alumni Highlights
26
STUDENT TESTIMONY
Caleb Cunningham
35TH ANNIVERSARY LETTER FROM OUR CHANCELLOR As I reflect on thirty-five years of ministry at The Master’s Seminary, the word that best captures all that has transpired is providence. I am continually amazed by the remarkable providence of God. His hand is at work in every detail, coordinating countless circumstances and coincidences to accomplish His perfect purposes. The scope of providence confounds the finite mind. It highlights His immeasurable wisdom and reminds us that He is God, and we are not. Like Job, we find ourselves speechless, left simply to respond with thoughts of wonder and worship. It was providence that launched the seminary in 1986, making it possible for the school to begin with 90 students and full accreditation. It was providence that, from the beginning, brought us world-class professors— including scholars like Robert Thomas and James Rosscup, both of whom were my professors when I was in seminary. Both are now in heaven, but they left an enduring impact on the lives of the men at TMS. It was providence that connected us with The Believers’ Foundation in 1991, making it possible for our graduates to start pastoral training centers across the globe. Out of this partnership came The Master’s Academy International, a sister-organization committed to establishing like-minded seminaries around the world. It was providence that provided a building for the seminary, completed in 1998. Providence enabled our library to assemble a premier collection of exegetical and theological research tools. The seminary’s current holdings number in the hundreds of thousands of volumes. This reservoir of resources has furnished future pastors with the precise instruments needed for their ministerial preparation. In God’s providence, we have trained approximately 2,000 pastors and church leaders, serving hundreds of churches in dozens of countries around the globe. In addition to English-speaking alumni, last year the seminary graduated the first cohort of Spanish-speaking students. The Spanish language program continues to flourish and grow, providing another example of the Lord’s evident hand of blessing. Finally, it is providence that has connected us with you. We are so grateful that God has blessed our school with faithful partners like you. Without your prayerful support, the seminary would not be able to fulfill its mission: to train up the next generation of faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). We have been blessed by your partnership, and we give God all the glory for what He has done. The past 35 years stand as a testimony to the unwavering faithfulness of God. His hand of providence has worked in ways above and beyond anything we could have thought possible. Consequently, we eagerly anticipate all that lies ahead for the seminary. The future at TMS is bright, not because we can determine what will happen, but because we serve a sovereign God who controls every detail and directs it to accomplish His perfect purposes. To Him be the glory,
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 5
A Historical Timeline of
THE MASTER’S SEMINARY
K EY CONT R I BUTOR:
DR. IRV BUSENITZ
1997
1992
The MacArthur Study Bible (with editorial contributions from TMS faculty) is published.
A second degree, the Master of Theology (Th.M.), is added to provide advanced training in exegesis and theology. Word Publishing publishes Rediscovering Expository Preaching, the first book authored entirely by TMS faculty.
1977 Talbot Theological Seminary opens an extension campus at Grace Community Church.
Word Publishing also publishes Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, a second volume from the faculty of TMS.
1995
1986
The Master’s Seminary opens its headquarters, including the 23,000 square foot Master’s Grace Library, on the campus of Grace Community Church.
1998
The Master’s Seminary is founded as a graduate school of The Master’s College. During its inaugural year, the school has ninety-five students and four full-time faculty members on the campus of Grace Community Church, and it offers a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree program.
2012
2017
Library reaches 250,000 print volumes, complemented by several million theological resources available online.
2000
The Master’s Seminary begins Master of Biblical Ministry (M.M.B.), its first Spanish program.
The Master’s Seminary launches its first terminal degree, the Doctor of Theology (Th.D.).
First extension campus opens in the Washington D.C. area.
2015
On its thirty-five-year anniversary, TMS has nineteen full-time faculty and nearly 650 students. Approximately 2,000 alumni now minister in nearly 50 countries. And the school has not compromised its foundational commitment to training men for pastoral ministry.
2021
The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) begins. This professional doctoral program helps pastors refine their preaching.
2004
REFLECTIONS ON GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO SUPPORT TMS When I became the dean of TMS in June of 1990, the school depended on a single donor who gave $600,000 every year. But in the fall of that year, this individual stopped giving that annual gift, or any gift, to the school. Of course, this strained our budget significantly and caused me to wonder how the Lord was going to provide for our small but growing school. Three decades later, I look back with amazement at the extraordinary adventure that unfolded as, again and again, the Lord provided the finances TMS needed to train men for gospel ministry. By the end of my first year on the job, the Lord had already provided. We needed $300,000 to balance the budget, but by May 1991, as the end of the fiscal year approached, we had received only $100,000. Humanly speaking, raising the remaining funds seemed an impossible task. However, the Lord providentially connected a Florida-based foundation to the ministry of John MacArthur and that June, they gave $200,000. Amazingly, TMS finished the school year “in the black” by a mere few cents—all to the glory of God. Over the past three decades, we’ve seen a similar providence year after year. The Lord has provided for our needs and we’ve finished “in the red” just once, and only by a small amount. In the early 90s, TMS did not have a building to call its own. The faculty, staff, and library were scattered across the Grace Community Church campus. Some occupied mobile trailers in the parking lot. We had blueprints for a three-story building with a world-class library. We had a location on the campus of GCC. But we did not have the finances. We didn’t want to 8
borrow millions of dollars and be saddled with mortgage payments for several decades. We wanted to use cash to pay for this building—this place to equip expository preachers—so we prayed that God would provide the funds. God heard. He provided. And in His perfect timing, we always had enough to pay the bills during the construction work. Multiple million-dollar gifts made the difference and displayed God’s blessing on TMS during those early years. To Him be the glory! Los Angeles is not the middle of America, and it’s not a cheap place to call home. For many prospective students living east of the Mississippi, moving to LA and living in one of the most expensive areas of the country was an obstacle. Knowing that, we committed to keeping tuition as low as possible and providing as much scholarship assistance as we could. Through the faithful giving of Grace Community Church, TMS board members, alumni, and friends of TMS, an extraordinary amount of revenue has been allotted to scholarships. Today, there are more scholarships available than ever before because of the generosity of so many who want to train men for the work of the ministry and send them to churches free of any debt from their time at TMS. Since TMS began thirty-five years ago, our country has faced several financial crises. Remember the severe recession of 1999-2002? And who can forget the horrors of the 9/11 terrorist attack and the effects of it throughout our country? Later, the Great Recession of 2007-2009 damaged economies across the globe, and impacted countless organizations and individuals. Through these and many other trials, enrollment at TMS continued to grow and God sustained us financially through generous donors who committed to abundant giving, even in those tough times. We have always been thankful for the one-time gifts (no matter how small), the regular giver (no matter how little the gift), and those few who could afford sizeable gifts beyond our imagination. Every donor is part of a “band of spiritual brothers and sisters” committed to raising up a new generation of expository preachers and teachers who will take the gospel to the ends of the earth for the glory of God.
Psalm 145:1-7 is a passage of Scripture that captures God’s faithfulness to TMS. There King David testifies, 1
I WILL EXTOLL YOU, MY GOD, O
KING, AND I WILL BLESS YOUR NAME FOREVER AND EVER. 2
EVERY DAY I WILL BLESS YOU, AND
I WILL PRAISE YOUR NAME FOREVER AND EVER. 3
GREAT IS THE LORD, AND HIGHLY TO
BE PRAISED, AND HIS GREATNESS IS UNSEARCHABLE. 4
ONE GENERATION SHALL PRAISE YOUR
WORKS TO ANOTHER, AND SHALL DECLARE YOUR MIGHTY ACTS. 5
ON THE GLORIOUS SPLENDOR OF YOUR
MAJESTY AND ON YOUR WONDERFUL WORKS, I WILL MEDITATE. 6
MEN SHALL SPEAK OF THE POWER OF
YOUR AWESOME ACTS, AND I WILL TELL OF YOUR GREATNESS. 7
THEY SHALL EAGERLY UTTER THE
MEMORY OF YOUR ABUNDANT GOODNESS AND WILL SHOUT JOYFULLY OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. To God be the glory now and forevermore! Richard Mayhue, Th.D. Research Professor of Theology Emeritus
DR. RICHARD MAYHUE joined The Master’s
Seminary as Professor of Pastoral Ministries in 1989. Before coming to TMS, he served as Senior Pastor of the historic Grace Brethren Church in Long Beach, CA. He also directed Shepherds’ Conferences at Grace Community Church from 1980-1984, and he wrote several books and articles. In 1990, Dr. Mayhue was appointed dean of the seminary, a position he served in until his retirement in 2016.
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 9
TMS FINANCIALS FOR 35 YEARS, GOD HAS SUSTAINED THE MASTER’S SEMINARY THROUGH THE GENEROSIT Y OF MINISTRY
Total Donations to TMS Annual Fund:
2.57M 2.44M* 2020 FISCAL YEAR
2021 FISCAL YEAR
PARTNERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. AS WE REFLECT ON ANOTHER YEAR OF MINISTRY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENEROSIT Y. BECAUSE OF SUPPORTERS LIKE
1.33M 1.56M*
2020 TOTAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED 2021 TOTAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED
YOU, HUNDREDS OF MEN ARE BEING TRAINED FOR GOSPEL MINISTRY.
BECAUSE OF THE GENEROSITY OF OUR DONORS: Tuition for the M.Div. has been reduced by an average of 38% Tuition for Spanish programs has been reduced by an average of 54% Tuition for the Th.M. has been reduced by an average of 31% Tuition for the Ph.D. has been reduced by an average of 100% Tuition for the D.Min. has been reduced by an average of 13% 10
Primary Scholarship Funds SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED
2020 FISCAL YEAR TOTALS
# OF STUDENTS IMPACTED
Project Timothy
$343,899
143
Spanish Scholarships
$217,655
144
Dr. Richard Mayhue Honors Scholarship
$123,356
(FULL-RIDE)
Dr. Irv Busenitz Scholarship
$129,375
(FULL-RIDE)
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED
14
12
2021 FISCAL # OF STUDENTS YEAR TOTALS* IMPACTED
Project Timothy
$120,900
53
Spanish Scholarships
$220,773
176
Dr. Richard Mayhue Honors Scholarship
$109,040
(FULL-RIDE)
Dr. Irv Busenitz Scholarship
$154,725
(FULL-RIDE)
The Master’s Academy International Scholarship
$186,129
(FULL-RIDE)
9
14
29
*A S O F M A RCH 2021
“Thank you for being a minister of God’s grace to me. The Lord has given me this incredible opportunity to study full time at TMS and I am deeply grateful for His provision through you. I recognize what a privilege it is to train for pastoral ministry, and I want to steward it faithfully to the glory of God.” JASON TOKOS Age: 26 | Hometown: Phoenix, AZ | Degree being Pursued: M.Div.
“This scholarship has increased my love for Christ and my trust in His provision as I prepare to serve Him. It has moved me a step closer to being a faithful minister of the gospel. It is incredibly humbling to receive this gift when I recognize my utter unworthiness to preach Christ. I pray that God would bless you for your kindness as you come alongside me, and so many others, in the ministry of the gospel.” NATHAN GIESBRECHT Age: 51 | Hometown: Victoria, BC Canada | Degree being Pursued: M.Div.
“I’d like to personally thank all the scholarship donors. Words cannot express my gratitude. God’s goodness and grace is demonstrated through your support of The Master’s Seminary. Without your generosity, I could not attend the best seminary in the world (I say that genuinely). May God bless you for your faithfulness. I will forever be thankful.” ALFONSO BARAJAS Age: 25 | Hometown: Modesto, CA | Degree being Pursued: M.Div.
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 11
CURRENT STUDENTS BY DEGREE MASTER OF DIVINITY (M.DIV.) ∙ 287 MASTER OF THEOLOGY (TH.M.) ∙ 30 MASTER OF BIBLICAL MINISTRY (M.M.B.) ∙ 176 BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY (B.TH.) ∙ 42 DIPLOMA OF THEOLOGY (DIP.TH.) ∙ 18 DOCTOR OF MINISTRY (D.MIN.) ∙ 104 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PH.D.) ∙ 5
MASTER OF DIVINITY STUDENTS
172 LOS ANGELES LOCATIONS 63 DISTANCE 52 ONLINE
STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED ∙ 662 NUMBER OF 2021 GRADUATES ∙ 121
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DISTANCE LOCATION STUDENTS ANCHORAGE, AK ∙ 5 CENTRAL VALLEY, CA ∙ 8 WASHINGTON D.C. ∙ 17 BOZEMAN, MT ∙ 4 SPOKANE, WA ∙ 15 DALLAS, TX ∙ 14 WALNUT CREEK, CA ∙ 13
NEARLY ONE MILLION VIEWS OF THE TMS BLOG SINCE JUNE 2020
OVER 68K SUBSCRIBERS TO TMS’ YOUTUBE CHANNEL
1,650+ RESOURCES DOWNLOADED FROM THE TMS WEBSITE SINCE FALL 2020
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 13
Faculty Spotlight with
DR. BRAD KLASSEN HOW DID THE LORD SAVE YOU? Faithful Christian parents raised me, taught me the gospel, and modeled it for me from my earliest days. My dad was a hard-working farmer, a dedicated member of our local church, and a devout student of Scripture. While his example greatly shaped my behavior as a young man, it was not enough to save my soul. The Lord did that at a high school winter camp, when—at the age of 15—He opened my eyes to see the true nature of my sin, my need for a Savior, the glory of Christ, and the necessity of divine regeneration. I was born again at that camp.
Before my conversion, I wanted to be a farmer like my dad. This changed quickly after Christ saved me. I didn’t lose interest in the farm; I was seized by a greater aspiration. I noticed a new hunger to study Scripture and a new desire to be involved in our church. The leaders of the high school ministry recognized these changes and started giving me leadership responsibilities. They asked me to prepare occasional Bible studies and I delighted in the process of studying and ministering the Scriptures to my peers. By my 16th birthday, I had decided that nothing could be better than spending my life serving my Lord. I knew that meant full-time ministry.
WHEN DID YOU DEVELOP A DESIRE TO PURSUE PASTORAL MINISTRY? HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?
WHAT LED YOU TO STUDY AT TMS? At age 17, I enrolled in a Christian college in Canada, hoping it would prepare me for pastoral ministry. As I
14
progressed through that undergraduate degree, I realized the institution was in serious theological decline. One day as I listened to Grace to You in my dorm room (my dad had encouraged that habit), I heard that John MacArthur was president of a seminary in California. I knew that if I wanted to be well-trained for teaching and pastoring, I needed to study at a place like that. I wrote to Grace to You for more information and they sent me a catalogue from The Master’s Seminary. It described exactly what I was looking for. In the summer of 1996, I finished my undergraduate degree, sold my small herd of cattle, married the beautiful woman I met at college, and moved to Los Angeles to enroll at TMS. WHY DID YOU GO TO RUSSIA? WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE GETTING THERE? CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE WORK YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THERE? During my Master of Divinity studies at TMS I had the privilege of serving as an intern in the outreach department at Grace Community Church. There I became acquainted with the elders overseeing Grace Church’s missionaries, the missionaries themselves, and the ministry opportunities that were available for men like me around the world. As I finished my M.Div. studies, the elders recommended I continue with the Master of Theology degree and pursue a new ministry in Samara, Russia. I went on to complete my Th.M. degree in 2001, and then Grace Church commissioned my wife and me as missionaries to Russia. As I learned more about the opportunity in Samara, I became increasingly confident it was the place for us. First, there was a clear and compelling invitation from a key pastor in Samara. He believed the church in Russia’s greatest need was a new generation of Bible expositors. For me, nothing was more exciting than joining the effort to train those men. Second, the context in Russia was anything but easy, and the challenge of life and ministry in that context appealed to me. I wanted to attempt something difficult and see the Lord work in dramatic ways. Third, my Mennonite ancestors had lived for a time in Slavic lands (Ukraine to be exact). They had suffered dearly for their faith before emigrating to
Canada. In light of this heritage, I could not think of a better way to spend my life than ministering the Word of God to the Slavic people. WHAT LED YOU TO BECOME A PROFESSOR AT TMS? During my student years at TMS, Dr. Richard Mayhue kindly took an interest in my life and ministry. He stayed in contact with me while in Samara, and encouraged me to consider doctoral studies and a future at TMS. Once we began having problems with the Russian government in 2012, Dr. Mayhue graciously invited me to join the faculty in the Bible Exposition department. It was hard to leave the ministry and people we loved so dearly in April of 2012, but we were grateful for the new opportunity the Lord opened through Dr. Mayhue and TMS. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT TEACHING AT TMS? Jesus told us that “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Matt 10:37-38). God is a God of means, and He uses human means to send these workers into the harvest. The great blessing of serving at TMS is playing a role in the preparation of these workers. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS TMS’ GREATEST STRENGTH? TMS’s greatest strength is its commitment to God’s Word and His church.
DR. BRAD KLASSEN serves as an Associate
Professor of Bible Exposition at The Master’s Seminary. He received a B.Th. from Providence University College, and an M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from The Master’s Seminary. He currently serves as an elder at Grace Community Church and shepherds the Men of the Word Bible study. Dr. Klassen and his wife, Heather, have four children.
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 15
RECENT TMS PUBLICATIONS
SHOW ME YOUR GLORY: Understanding the Majestic Splendor of God Steve Lawson In Show Me Your Glory: Understanding the Majestic Splendor of God, Steve Lawson takes us to the mountaintop of divine revelation by distilling the Bible’s teaching about God Himself. Each chapter delves into the depths of God’s awesome attributes, teaching that a deeper knowledge of our Creator can lead us into intimate fellowship with and reverent worship of the One who made us for Himself.
FOLLOW ME: The Benefits of Discipleship in the Gospel of John (Interpreting Johannine Literature) Mark Zhakevich The Gospel of John heralds a unique call to discipleship. Unlike any other Gospel, the Fourth Gospel offers a multitude of benefits for following Jesus. John promises that discipleship is rewarded with adoption by the Father, royal friendship with the Son, and abiding with the Father and the Son through the Spirit. Nearly two dozen additional benefits fall under these three main categories as John persuades his readers to continuous belief in Jesus. Follow Me: The Benefits of Discipleship in the Gospel of John traces these rewards as incentives for disciples to remain loyal to Jesus in the context of hostility and opposition, in all times and all places, no matter the cost.
THE MASTER’S SEMINARY JOURNAL Volume 32-Number 1 (Spring 2021) This issue of The Master’s Seminary Journal examines the topic of justification, particularly the critical doctrine of imputed righteousness. Each article explores what Scripture teaches about the subject and demonstrates why this doctrine is so fundamental to our faith.
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 17
ESSENTIAL CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE: A Handbook of Biblical Truth John MacArthur, General Editor This concise handbook, developed from John MacArthur’s larger work Biblical Doctrine, is an entry point for studying theological topics such as the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the church, and more. As MacArthur walks through the essentials of the Christian faith doctrine by doctrine, he’ll not only encourage your heart and mind, but also empower you to proclaim the faith that was “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
JESUS UNLEASHED: A New Vision of the Bold Confrontations of Christ and Why They Matter John MacArthur Abridged from his classic bestseller, The Jesus You Can’t Ignore, Jesus Unleashed takes a revealing walk through the gospel records. Like an investigative journalist on a mission, author and teacher John MacArthur shows you a remarkable and compelling picture of Jesus unleashed. (June 2021)
LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE (LSB) A number of faculty members have been involved in the new Legacy Standard Bible. The LSB advances the aim of the New American Standard Bible. It brings out textual connections through consistent translation of words, highlights literary artistry like alliteration, and tightens grammatical structure. With this new level of precision, the Bible reader is able to see more of what is happening in the original text than ever before. While the New Testament and Psalms and Proverbs are currently available, the full LSB will be complete at the end of 2021.
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RECENT PUBLICATIONS FROM OUR CHANCELLOR
THE MACARTHUR CENTER EQUIPS A GENERATION OF PREACHERS, THROUGH EDUCATION, MODELING, AND MENTORSHIP, IN THE ART OF EXPOSITORY PREACHING.
THE MACARTHUR CENTER FOR EXPOSITORY PREACHING BUILDS ON THIS UNPRECEDENTED LEGACY OF FAITHFULNESS IN THREE WAYS. 1. IT EDUCATES.
The MacArthur Center defines expository preaching, explores its history, and researches
PURPOSE STATEMENT: Since its founding in 1986, The Master’s Seminary has trained men in the art of
expository preaching. It is our heritage,
our identity, and our stewardship from the
Lord. We believe that expository preaching is the premier form of preaching. Through a well-crafted exposition of a particular
text—one that is clear, compelling, and,
most importantly, faithful to the original meaning—God’s people encounter the
living Word of God. Lives are transformed. Churches built up. Communities impacted. Nations changed.
In today’s evangelical world, one name is synonymous with expository preaching:
John MacArthur. For more than 50 years,
his ministry has shown the power of this art
form to unleash the power of God’s Word in the lives of God’s people.
the art form. It sponsors scholarly articles, books, seminars, and podcasts from the world’s premier expositors. It helps anyone, from a brand-new Christian to a long-time pastor, know what expository preaching is, why it’s the superior form of preaching, and what it takes to deliver an expository sermon.
2. IT MODELS.
The MacArthur Center highlights world-class expositors, most of whom are faithfully preaching and pastoring without an online, publishing, or plenary conference platform. Through these examples, we show what faithful expository preaching looks like. We also dissect some of John MacArthur’s finest expository sermons, explaining why those sermons are models for the art form.
3. IT MENTORS.
The MacArthur Center’s Sermon Mentorship program invites any preacher, from a first-timer to a pastor with thousands of sermons in his portfolio, to send a sample sermon to us. The world-class faculty, staff, and alumni of The Master’s Seminary watch these sermons, then provide invaluable feedback during a Skype call.
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 21
HIGHEST ENROLLMENT NUMBERS EVER FOR THE M.M.B. & SPANISH M.DIV.
HISPANIC COUNTRIES REPRESENTED BY TMS SPANISH STUDENTS
OF STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE WITH THE M.M.B. CONTINUE INTO THE ONLINE M.DIV.
31 STUDENTS FROM
THE M.M.B. PROGRAM WILL GRADUATE IN MAY
USERS ON THE EXPOSITOR’S INSTITUTE (IDEX) PLATFORM
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90 SECONDS OF THEOLOGY TMS Spanish faculty have continued developing content for our 90 Seconds of Theology series. These videos cover a variety of topics in systematic theology in order to concisely present biblical truth. Recent topics have centered around eschatology and ecclesiology.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS Within the past year, three books have been published with participation from our faculty: La hermenéutica de Cristo, Siervo Fiel, and En ti confiaré.
UPCOMING PUBLICATIONS Our faculty are currently involved with the following publications, which will be released this year: En ti confiaré (vol. 2), Hombre renovado y orgullo, Viviendo vidas santas.
GLOBAL FACULTY ENGAGEMENT Our professors regularly participate in conferences, both nationally and internationally, to equip and strengthen the church throughout the Spanish speaking world. These opportunities uniquely allow for the seminary to expand its global impact.
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 23
121 50 31 26 3
26 25
24
M.DIV. M.M.B D.MIN B.TH.
TOTAL GRADUATES 9 TH.M. 1 DIP.TH. 1 PH.D.
COUNTRIES REPRESENTED STATES REPRESENTED
ANTON VAN STRAATEN M.Div. 2009
In preparing for seminary, I spent countless hours in my office in South Africa examining the doctrinal statements of many institutions. One day, I came across a school whose doctrinal statement brought my soul great joy—The Master’s Seminary. As I came to TMS, a four-year process began of conforming my mind and life around a biblical worldview. I left TMS prepared for the ministry God had in store. Today, I am one of two TMS graduates serving the Lord in the state of North Dakota. There is seldom a day I am not thankful for the training and equipping I received at The Master’s Seminary.
BILL NESBITT M.Div. 1987
I went to Talbot seminary from 1983-1986. However, after a conversation with Dr. Irv Busenitz, I completed my final year of seminary at TMS. Subsequently, I was part of the first graduating class in 1987. I am so grateful for that. Although I was only at TMS one year, its influence, and the ongoing ministry of Dr. MacArthur, have reminded me that the Bible is my final authority for faith and practice. I have had the privilege of serving as a pastor now for over thirty years at churches in Texas, Nevada, and presently Wisconsin.
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 25
Student Testimony
THE SEMINARY OF SUFFERING As I write this, my two daughters are sick. My two precious girls have had seven surgeries and twelve “procedures.” Our family has spent more nights in the hospital than I can count. Each of my daughters take 840 pills per month and have two-to-three breathing treatments per day. Their lungs are deteriorating. And according to every scientific “opinion,” my daughters will live half as long as most. I discovered these hard realities after my first semester of seminary. Sadly, suffering is not unique to my family. There are unspoken hardships that every person experiences— some watch dwindling bank accounts, others watch as terminal diseases eat away at loved ones, others visit their loved ones in graveyards. In this fallen world, humanity is plagued with trial and tragedy. In the same way, all Christians experience trials. Charles Spurgeon said, “God had one Son without sin, but he never had a son without trial.” Trials will come. All kinds of trials. 26
Trials that persist and plague homes, that linger longer than we ever would have imagined. Trials that demand every ounce of energy we have to offer. Trials that silence dinner tables and car rides. Trials that leave you weeping in the stillness of the night. And one of the hardest parts of trials is that we never know which corner they are around. The question is not if trials are coming, but how we will respond when they do. I came to seminary to learn to study the Word of God, but God had also enrolled me in a different seminary— the seminary of suffering. A dear friend told me recently, “There’s something you learn in the trial that you can’t learn without it.” So, I’m learning to write these lessons down, first and foremost for my own soul; second for my daughters, that they might one day see the grace that this trial has been for my own soul; and third for anyone else who also may be suffering silently. The primary lesson I learned concerned the sovereignty of God.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD & SUFFERING Believing in the sovereignty of God is easy when life is good. That was true of my life. I was comfortable. Trials were minimal, at worst. But then my wife and I had to take our firstborn to the emergency room. It was not long before we were checked into the hospital and told that my daughter needed surgery. I watched—helpless—as my baby girl winced in pain. Then she was pulled from my arms. And for the first time in my life, I wondered if God was in control of this dark, confusing hospital room. Had His sovereignty skipped a beat? My daughter has a lung disease, and it will likely be the cause of her death. Why was, and is, a hard question to wrestle with. And it was in these moments that I realized how often I have let my circumstances shape and define my God. Without denying any orthodox doctrine of the faith, we can begin to view God through the stained glass of our trials, rather than viewing our circumstances from the perspective of the one who sits in heaven. During this period of confusion, my pastor came to visit us in the hospital. He had just finished preaching through the book of Job. He shared something simple that shifted my thinking. He said, “God never gave a reason as to why Job went through sufferings and trials. He just said that He is God. Therefore, we can trust Him.” But God still let Job sit atop the ash heap and scrape his skin with potsherds. God remained silent as Job hurt. We all want to ask why, but that’s not the point. Job lost everything. When Job asked why, God did not give him the answers he wanted. Instead, God pointed Job to Himself. Job needed to seek Him more than he sought answers. In that hospital room, I was also asking the wrong question. I wanted to know why God would allow this to happen to me and my small family. But like Job, I didn’t need to know. I just needed to know the who. The great I AM had not left His throne. The God who is “compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin” had not changed. A.W. Pink said that God is “influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as he pleases, only as he pleases, always as he pleases.” God still sits atop His throne, even amidst crushing diagnoses. God’s glory is more important than my ease. That’s what I learned.
This didn’t make the pain go away, but it made His sovereignty more real to me in the midst of the hard moments. It became real to me that my daughters and my wife were not ultimately mine. I was not in control. And as the hospital visits and surgeries became regular cadences in my life, the sovereignty of God became the pillow upon which I rested my head, as Spurgeon so well said. I began to realize that my responsibility was to care for my family to the best of my ability, and to trust God when I could do no more. Then my heart began to say along with Job, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). After all, my life is called to be one of cross-bearing. I am called to pick up my cross and follow a Savior who suffered. A man of sorrows. A man who was crushed. A man who wept and whose body was broken. As I look upon the person of Christ, I find a Savior who can sympathize with my darker moments. He is good. May my life, and the life of my family, sing His praises. All glory be to Christ.
CALEB CUNNINGHAM works at Grace Community Church and
serves in college ministry. He is an assistant to Dr. Steven Lawson at OnePassion Ministries. He also attends TMS. He is married to Hayley and they have two daughters.
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 — 27
