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

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.