FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Faculty Spotlight with

DR. NATHAN LeMASTER

HOW DID THE LORD SAVE YOU?

I am thankful for my parents, who were themselves saved in college, and began going to a community church in Colorado. It was at that community church that I was saved, at a Vacation Bible School summer program, when I was eight. The Lord worked through my family and the church to show me my need for Him. My salvation bore fruit in my life, especially in my desire to study God’s word.

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DEVELOP A DESIRE FOR PASTORAL MINISTRY? HOW DID THAT DESIRE BRING YOU TO TMS?

My desire for pastoral ministry developed when I was young. I was influenced by associate pastors at my church who would meet with me and consistently talk with me about theology and church ministry. Before finishing high school, I knew that I wanted to go into pastoral ministry. I decided to complete an undergraduate degree in linguistics, knowing that I was going to look for an M.Div. program that valued God’s word. What brought me to TMS was the high view of God’s word demonstrated in consistent, faithful preaching and teaching in the local church.

YOU SERVED AS A PASTOR IN COLORADO AND KURDISTAN. HOW DID YOUR TRAINING AT TMS EQUIP YOU FOR MINISTRY?

Before going to seminary, God was teaching me the importance of the local church. I moved away from home for my undergraduate degree and learned at that time the importance of serving in the local church. As I have moved several places in my life, I have always looked for a strong church in which I can serve. This is true of

my time in Colorado right after I finished my M.Div. and also in many other places including Kurdistan, where I served a local church as an interim pastor.

AFTER GRADUATING FROM TMS, YOU STUDIED AT SEVERAL OTHER INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING CAMBRIDGE FOR DOCTORAL STUDIES. TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR STUDIES AFTER TMS.

God has blessed me with many opportunities for study. After receiving my doctrinal and ecclesiological foundation at TMS, I worked toward and completed an M.A. in Education from Arizona State University. This was while I was helping out at my home church in Colorado. After this, I moved to Jerusalem to complete an M.A. in Comparative Semitic Languages at Hebrew University. After marrying my wonderful wife in 2017, we moved to the United Kingdom to complete my Ph.D. in Hebrew linguistics at Cambridge University.

SINCE 2017, YOU HAVE OVERSEEN DISTANCE EDUCATION AT TMS. CAN YOU PROVIDE A FEW UPDATES ABOUT INITIATIVES FROM THAT DEPARTMENT?

Distance education holds a special place in my heart. TMS rightly values the relationship between the local church and seminary education. The distance education department at TMS has sought to serve our TMS alumni while still maintaining that important distinction. Each one of our distance locations spread all over the United States does a fantastic job equipping men within the local church context. In addition, we are also excited about our Mentor Model program which was developed to serve our TMS alumni. This program continues the vision of distance education at TMS by allowing a student to be guided through the M.Div. curriculum under the mentorship of his TMS alumni pastor.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR ROLE IN DISTANCE EDUCATION, YOU RECENTLY BECAME A PROFESSOR AT TMS. WHAT LED YOU TO THAT DECISION? WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT YOUR NEW ROLE?

I value not only implementing the philosophy of education of TMS in an administrative role, but also practically in the classroom setting. Both Hebrew and Greek are my passion, and I love sparking that passion in my students. The vast wealth that is contained in the Scriptures rightly demands time and attention. And I enjoy spending that time with my students delving into the riches of God’s word.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS TMS’ GREATEST STRENGTH?

The greatest strength of TMS is their adherence to a right view of Scripture. More and more we see institutions that are theologically disintegrating because of a desire to acquiesce to the culture. Every faculty member and administrator at TMS believes that the Bible is the authority over man, not the other way around. That means the Bible is our sole rule for faith and practice. TMS’ adherence to inerrancy and the sufficiency of Scripture means that the church can trust this institution to train up men ready for ministry in a world that is quickly revealing its true colors.

HOW CAN PEOPLE PRAY FOR OUR FACULTY?

The faculty is privileged to teach the men who will be leading the church. Faithfulness to the Scripture and to the local church is critical. Pray that the faculty would continue to be faithful and wise in how they interact with the changing times. The ever-changing landscape of America demands keen insight and wisdom to be able to not only teach the truths of the Scripture to the students but also to model kindness, faithfulness, and perseverance to all who are watching.

DR. NATHAN LeMASTER serves as Assistant Professor of Old Testament at The Master’s Seminary. Since 2012, he has experienced a wide range of ministry and academic opportunities, including pastoral ministry stints in his native Colorado and Iraq, and linguistic studies at Arizona State University, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and Cambridge, where he completed his Ph.D. in linguistics in 2021. He and his wife Erin married in 2017, and he joined the staff at The Master’s Seminary, overseeing distance education. Currently, Dr. LeMaster teaches Advanced Hebrew Readings and Greek Exegesis, and he continues to oversee the seminary’s distance education.