FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

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.

WHEN DID YOU DEVELOP A DESIRE TO PURSUE PASTORAL MINISTRY? HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT? 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.

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

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.