35th Anniversary Letter

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,