The Master's University Magazine | Winter 24-25

Dr. Dunkin the Move to Newhall

A Campus Staple with a Fresh Twist

THIS YEAR, THE REESE CENTER FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS UNDERWENT A MAJOR RENOVATION. SHOWN HERE IS THE NEW FAÇADE AND COURTYARD. THIS WAS ONE OF MANY BUILDINGS COMPLETED DURING THE PRESIDENCY OF DR. JOHN DUNKIN, THE FEATURED FIGURE IN THIS ISSUE’S HISTORY ARTICLE.

Newhall

During Dr. John Dunkin’s 26 years as president, he oversaw TMU’s relocation to Newhall, the construction of many buildings that remain cornerstones of campus, and the securing of regional accreditation. His labors and faithful Christian character helped lay the foundation for what the University is today.

A Case for Christian Education in the 21st Century

Dr. Grant Horner examines the modern landscape and historical tradition of education. Ultimately, he argues that the biblical truths about God, man, the Fall, and about knowledge and truth and wisdom — which guide every aspect of TMU’s curriculum — are the most effective and, more importantly, the most Christian foundation for education in the 21st century.

TMU made headlines this year when it finished No. 1 in the Wall Street Journal’s rankings for Character Development. While this was a high honor, the University is concerned about more than producing good citizens who contribute to society. When TMU talks about character development, it means pointing students to Christ and His Word as both the standard for godly living and the power to live it out.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

My World-Class Father-in-Law

In 1965, I was introduced to the organist at my church in Burbank, California. Less than a year later, Ellen Dunkin and I were married, and it remains one of the absolute best decisions of my life.

What I didn’t fully understand at the time was that I was also gaining a world-class father-in-law.

You may know Dr. John R. Dunkin as a longtime president and pillar of our institution. He served in the role from 1959 to 1985, overseeing our move from Los Angeles to Newhall, helping secure our first accreditation, and keeping the school firmly rooted in its commitment to Christ and Scripture. His support for Dr. John MacArthur becoming his successor as president in 1985 was also pivotal in the history of our school. We have many reasons to thank the Lord for Dr. Dunkin.

To me, he was also a mentor, colleague, and friend. When my own father passed away in the late 70s, Dr. Dunkin became a father figure to me. I could go to him with any problem, and he would help me think about it from a wise, biblical perspective. He never shied away from speaking his mind, and I respected him for that. He led with conviction, worked tirelessly, and maintained a pastor’s heart. I have always aspired to follow his example in those areas.

He was also profoundly committed to his family, and when I married Ellen, I was immersed into the Dunkin clan. I count it as one of the great blessings of my life.

I cannot say enough about my father-in-law, and that’s why I’m so excited for you to read about his life and impact on our school in this edition of TMU Magazine.

Dr. John Stead EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY

TMU's Alumni Association provides opportunities for alumni to connect with their alma mater — and each other.

LEARN MORE AT MASTERS.EDU/ALUMNI events | communications | job listings

TMU doesn’t usually get a white Christmas — but in 1974, the campus enjoyed a snowy January! In this photo, the staff parking lot in front of Under the Oaks is shown buried in snow, with the gym visible in the background on the right.

TMU is in the middle of a busy year! Read on for updates from around campus — including a new conference and an exciting student trip to Florida — as well as insights from our faculty, staff, and alumni.

PHOTO

TMU Receives High Marks in College Rankings

The Master’s University once again received national recognition in The Wall Street Journal’s 2025 rankings for colleges and universities. These rankings demonstrate TMU’s ongoing commitment to Christ and Scripture in every aspect of campus.

“Career Preparation”

second

ATHLETICS

Women’s Cross Country Wins National Title

Lady Mustangs become first program in school history to win NAIA team championship.

BY DAVE CALDWELL

For the first time in The Master's University athletics history, a team has won an NAIA national championship.

The women's cross country team finished ahead of Taylor University by one point to win the NAIA women's cross country national championship on Nov. 22 at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri.

Hannah Fredericks finished second individually with a time of 20 minutes, 45.3 seconds on the 6k course. Ellen Palmgren finished eighth (21:08.6), Emma Nelson ninth (21:11.2), Suzie Johnson 37th (21:47.1) and Rebekah Niednagel 42nd (21:54.8).

"I feel like the Lord just blessed us more than we could have ever imagined," Fredericks said after the race.

Each placement of the runners for TMU mattered in this championship effort, but perhaps none greater than the fourth and fifth Mustangs runners, Suzie Johnson and Rebekah Niednagel. At the 4,000-meter checkpoint of the 6k race, Johnson was five points behind Taylor's fourth runner and Niednagel was four points behind Taylor's fifth runner. But when the two crossed the finish line, Johnson was four points ahead and Niednagel was two points ahead.

The Mustangs men's cross country team finished fourth in their race, with Jack Anderson coming in fourth place individually with a time of 23:47.5 on the 8k course, his highest finish at the NAIA national championships.

Connor Ybarra finished 24th (24:30.0), Emmanuel De Leon 59th (24:55.2), Nate Day 62nd (24:55.9) and Hunter Romine 83rd (25:04.0).

After the races, first-year head coach

Daniel Rush was named the NAIA women's cross country coach of the year.

TMU Athletics has now transitioned from fall to winter and spring sports. For schedules, stats, and scores from each team, visit gomustangs.com

TMU’s women’s cross country team after winning the NAIA national title in Columbia, Missouri on Nov. 22.

ACADEMICS

Starting with the Essentials

Essentials of Christian Thought prepares students for their time at TMU.

BY ANDIE VALDES

ON CAMPUS

Dr. MacArthur Speaks on Scripture’s Sufficiency

TMU’s chancellor preached out of Psalm 19 in chapel this fall.

BY KAELYN PEAY

On Sept. 4, Dr. John MacArthur preached in chapel at The Master’s University, encouraging students out of Psalm 19 to know and treasure God’s Word. He described the psalm as “a testimony to the sufficiency of Scripture.”

“How remarkable it is that God has deposited everything He wanted us to know, definitively — with regard to redemption

Freshmen begin their time at The Master’s University with an essential class — Essentials of Christian Thought.

Dr. Abner Chou, TMU’s president, is one of the professors who regularly teaches the course. He says the class is intended to introduce students to the fundamentals of why and how to think biblically.

“It also allows students to understand the entire experience they are supposed to have at TMU,” Chou says.

The class is split into three segments — bibliology, hermeneutics, and worldview — which map out the curriculum of TMU. Bibliology is explored in theology classes, hermeneutics is practiced in the Bible survey classes, and worldview covers all of the general education and major classes, where students learn to apply the Word of God to every discipline.

Throughout the semester, students tackle a variety of writing assignments where they apply these principles to real-world issues like voting and medical ethics. The goal is to help students learn how to discern through questions that come up in everyday life.

Chou also recently redrafted the class so when the second edition of “Think Biblically: Recovering a Christian Worldview” is released, it will become the new textbook for the course.

BY

and salvation in all of its fullness, from eternity to eternity — contained in one book,” MacArthur said. “To know this book is to know everything that God intended to give you in this life.”

He went on to say that Scripture “forms the structure of your life — in the sense that, if you were a body, the Bible would be your skeleton, your structure. It’s what gives form

to every aspect of your life. So you have to know what it says.”

TMU livestreams chapel every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at masters. edu/live. See masters.edu/chapel for more information and to see the upcoming speaker schedule.

PHOTO

ANDREW TRUONG

FACULTY FOCUS

Pursuing STEM for God’s Glory

Dr. Joey Kim is passionate about equipping STEM students to shine for Christ.

BY KAELYN PEAY

At the beginning of his career, Dr. Joey Kim thought the most important thing was to make a comfortable living. He was sold on studying chemical engineering at the University of Delaware when his advisor said, “In chemistry, you take reactants, and then you make products. In chemical engineering, you take reactants, and then you make profit.”

However, ever since the Lord saved him, Kim now sees himself as a missionary to the STEM community. He works that out by teaching undergrad students at The

OUTSIDE THE CANYON

Master’s University to love science not for their own gain, but because it is a ripe mission field where believers can declare God’s glory.

Kim earned his doctorate in chemical engineering from Caltech and gained experience at renowned research centers like Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and Berkeley Lab in the Bay Area. He began teaching at TMU in 2020, and his goal ever since has been to equip STEM students to excel in their careers while shining as lights for Christ.

Leadership Initiative Flies to Florida

Students learned from company leaders committed to honoring Christ at work.

BY KAELYN PEAY

The Leadership Initiative — a new group launched by the Office of Career Services at The Master’s University — took 13 students on an excursion to Naples, Jupiter, and West Palm Beach, Florida, this fall. The group visited a variety of companies, including TMU partners Red Rhino and Entrusted. These visits gave students a window into different examples of how to honor Christ in the workplace.

“Those in STEM today are regarded as possessors of knowledge and truth,” Kim says. “As such, it is vital that believers place themselves in these roles and excel because we, as believers (not primarily as scientists or engineers), have the essential knowledge and truth. Thus, in pursuing STEM with excellence, believers are placed in positions where the gospel can be professed with a great degree of credibility and acceptance.”

Eden Chow contributed to this story.

Hannah Mitchell, coordinator for TMU’s career services and development offices, says that the design was “for students to see the intersection of business and the local church. Not only the priority of the local church for choosing a career, but also the uniqueness of businesses owned by Christians and full of Christians who are a part of the same local body.”

The Leadership Initiative was organized last year with a stated mission “to cultivate leadership in students of proven character, equipping them to serve Christ in strategic fields of ministry and vocation.”

Learn more about the group at masters.edu/leadership.

Thirteen TMU students participated in a leadership development trip to Florida this fall.

March

Learn more at masters.edu/tbc

Think Biblically Conference Spring Career Fair

April

May

For a full calendar, visit masters.edu/events. February

Learn more at masters.edu/career-fair

Passion Week Concert

Get tickets at masters.edu/arts-and-events

Commencement

TMU students and alumni are invited to meet approximately 100 employers. This is an opportunity to build your network and engage with a variety of business partners and community leaders. Bring your resume, make connections, and land your next job!

TMU’s 98th annual commencement ceremony will be held on the University’s campus. More details will be available at masters.edu/commencementday. All are welcome to join via livestream at masters.edu/live

RESOURCES

In April 2025, the second edition of “Think Biblically: Recovering a Christian Worldview” is set to be published.

The book is a series of essays on how to think biblically about many aspects of life, from psychology and science to worship and history. These essays are written by TMU faculty members, edited by Drs. John MacArthur and Abner Chou, and

Come be refreshed during an event designed to help refine your biblical worldview. Hear from some of your favorite TMU professors and connect with like-minded believers interested in deepening their understanding of science, business, media, and other disciplines from a biblical perspective.

TMU is excited to perform Heather Sorenson’s Requiem as part of its annual Passion Week Concert. This year’s event will be held at Bel Air Church in Los Angeles.

published by Crossway. This second edition, published 22 years after the original, will contain six new chapters — on science and origins (Dr. Matthew McLain), complementarianism (Dr. Shelbi Cullen), mental illness (Drs. Ernie Baker and Greg Gifford), hermeneutics (Dr. Abner Chou), mathematics (Dr. Tai-Danae Bradley), and Christian liberal arts (Chou). “What’s happened in our society is that confusion has escalated as clarity

about the truth has eroded, and it has raised questions that we never even asked back in the day,” Chou said. “We have degraded our understanding of so many issues to such a basic level that recapturing them is necessary, and that’s what this book does.”

The book is available for preorder on Amazon.

Publication contains six new chapters from TMU faculty members.

BY ANDIE VALDES

OUTSIDE THE CANYON

Explore the Roots of the Reformation

New study-abroad trip allows TMU community to experience Germany.

The Master’s University is excited to be running a German Reformation Tour this year! The trip will take place May 16-31. Led by Drs. Greg Behle and Jason Beals, the group will travel throughout Germany, exploring the history of the German Reformation and visiting sites associated with Martin Luther and other key figures. These sites include the Castle Church in Wittenberg (where Luther posted the 95 Theses), the city of Worms (where Luther gave his famous “Here I stand” pronouncement), Erfurt, and more.

For more information, see masters.edu/germany

WHAT’S IN YOUR OFFICE?

With Professor Jo Suzuki

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH

PHOTOS BY HUDSON LIND

DALLAS GIFTS

“I’m a big Cowboys fan, so over the years people keep giving me Cowboys stuff. I’ve been given a football, a sign, a helmet, and lots of mugs.”

‘KEEP SUZUKI’ STICKER

“This sticker was on a box of my stuff from when we redid our office. It says ‘Keep Suzuki,’ so I kept it. And then people started writing on it. It says, ‘Why? To make everyone else look good.’”

‘SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT’ BY R. C. TRENCH

“This book was published in 1864. It was originally purchased by Philip Schaff, who was a famous church historian. I bought it from the Biola library for only 50 cents.”

FATHER’S CALLIGRAPHY

“It says ‘Faith, hope, and love,’ from 1 Corinthians 13:13. This artwork was done by my late father. He was a professional brush calligrapher, and his passion was to have the Word of God in

Semester Snapshots

1. CHAPEL HIGHLIGHT

In October, Paul Twiss preached in chapel on how God brings new life to sinners through Christ. Twiss is a professor at The Master’s Seminary and the teaching pastor at Bethany Bible Church in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

georgia gastelum ('28)

Freshman from Bishop, California. Liberal studies major with an emphasis in teacher education. Hopes to become an elementary school teacher, and possibly to teach high school theater.

2. MAN CAMP

Every fall, TMU organizes a camping trip for the University’s men. Students, faculty, and staff spend the weekend fellowshipping, worshiping, and studying God’s Word together. This year’s event took place at a campground in Malibu.

3. ORCHESTRA CONCERT

In November, TMU’s School of Music put on a concert titled “The Harmonies of Sounds.” The Master’s University Orchestra performed a selection of works by Brahms, Prokofiev, Satie, and Haydn, along with a special feature by the TMU Percussion Ensemble. Pictured here is choral activities director Dr. Marius Bahnean.

3 Things I Learned Last Semester

with Liberal Studies Major Georgia Gastelum (’28)

How To Glorify Christ in the Arts

“I had the amazing opportunity to be part of Theatre Arts’ fall production. In the varying Christian theater groups I have been a part of, people always say ‘for the glory of God,’ but never go further than that. TMU Theatre Arts functions for the glory of God. We learn that we get the privilege of pursuing an excellent product through a biblical process in order to give a good gift to the audience for the honor and glory of God.”

The Sufficiency of Scripture

“Even after years of growing up in the church, I am in constant awe of the magnitude of truth we see every day in our Bible classes. There was never one Essentials of Christian Thought class where my jaw did not drop. I was given the opportunity to learn not only how to study the Bible, but also how to interpret and understand it more deeply. TMU has given me a whole new love and admiration for Scripture.”

There Is a Community of Young People Seeking Christ

“When I first visited TMU, I heard all the voices singing in chapel, and I realized that they were truly seeking a life ‘for Christ and Scripture.’ It has been so encouraging to be able to do life alongside other believers who strengthen my faith and are constantly pointing me towards Christ.”

PHOTO BY ELLA PAM

PHOTO BY ANDREW TRUONG

PHOTO BY ANDREW TRUONG

PHOTO BY HUDSON LIND

ALUMNI FOCUS

with Todd Sorrell Q+A

Alum, adjunct professor talks about his book, ‘The College Choice.’

BY TMU STAFF

What drove you to write “The College Choice”?

The book arose directly from my time at TMU while I was studying biblical counseling. One of the things about biblical counseling is the idea that the Bible has all we need to live a godly life. It doesn’t talk about everything, like how to change the spark plug in a car, or how to fix a broken bone. But it certainly has what we need to live a godly life. Because it’s that practical, during my studies I would deal with issues that came up in class and in my personal life and write on them.

When I got toward the end, I wrote a thesis on college because my kids were coming up on college. And that’s what turned into this book. The premise of it is from 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Do all things to the glory of God.” Because it says “all things,” there’s no decision or activity that we’re supposed to engage in that’s not to the glory of God. Therefore, choosing a college is supposed to be done for the glory of God.

Todd Sorrell is an adjunct professor of biblical counseling at The Master’s University and author of “The College Choice: A Biblical Guide for Students and Parents.” In addition to practicing law, Sorrell has earned an M.A. in Biblical Counseling from TMU and is an ACBC-certified biblical counselor.

We recently sat down with him to discuss the story behind his book and his advice for the parents of prospective college students.

Why is someone’s choice of college so important?

Life is about influence. We’re going to either influence or be influenced. And college is about influence. When people go to college, they’re going to be influenced — by peers, by textbooks, by professors, by extracurricular activities. When you think about that from the Christian perspective, you have to think about which place overall would be the best environment for God’s grace to grow. Parents have to think about stewarding the child God gave them, and students need to think about stewarding the mind God gave them.

There are exceptions to my overall rule, but I think that most students should end up at a genuinely Christian college if they claim Christ.

What do you think are some key issues to consider when choosing a college?

There’s a checklist of questions and answers included in my book. For example, does the college encourage students to move toward God? But you want to be even more specific than that: Does the school believe in six-day creation? The sovereignty of God?

That Scripture is inspired, sufficient, infallible, and authoritative? What kind of fellowship is there? Is the school teaching students to engage in righteous speech and conduct? What is the faculty required to teach and affirm there? Does the school equip students to live in and influence the world for Christ through excellent skills and character?

Ultimately, they have to consider the glory of God. Can you choose whatever university you’re looking at to the glory of God?

compares to what I get, and the refreshment that I get, when I go to a school like Master’s and just spend time there.

How has your time at TMU impacted you?

I have traveled and worked with various institutions and high-level people, and there is nothing that

Also, I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in applied theology with an emphasis in biblical counseling at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This course of study is a direct result of my studies at

TMU, which prompted me to want to learn more and apply God’s Word more in daily life.

PHOTO BY HANNAH BARRETT

Todd Sorrell loves visiting campus — he’s shown here hosting the final interview for last semester’s interview competition.

“The College Choice” is available for purchase on Amazon.

Why I Work at TMU

With Steven Inabnit, Director of Events & Production

BY ANDIE VALDES

As director of the events and production team at The Master’s University, Steven Inabnit plays an integral role in the University’s chapels, conferences, and events. He graduated from TMU in 2018 after majoring in music with an emphasis in composition, and joined the school’s staff the following year.

When asked what he enjoys about working at TMU, he said this:

“I can’t imagine doing anything better than getting to work day in and day out to love on these students, create awesome things to communicate the gospel, and support our campus and the mission of being ‘For Christ and Scripture.’ I get to work with our entire campus and help pull together talented students, faculty, and staff to bring to life exciting events and conferences — all around the idea that everything we do is to bring glory to Christ. It’s all about the mission, the heart, and the students. I love serving these people, and it’s a joy.”

how well do you know

What was The Master’s University first known as?

A. PLACERITA CANYON BIBLE COLLEGE

B. LOS ANGELES BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

C. CALIFORNIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

D. LOS ANGELES BIBLE COLLEGE

For how many years was Dr. John Dunkin president?

A. 24 YEARS

B. 30 YEARS

C. 26 YEARS

D. 21 YEARS

D. SLIGHT 03

Which dorm features an apartment-style layout with multiple roommates?

A. HOTCHKISS

B. WALDOCK

C. SWEAZY

How many presidents has TMU had?

A. 10

B. 7

C. 18

D. 14

answers on page 87

SOUNDBITES

Quotes from around The Master’s University

We have been working hard to be a unit. To push each other at practice. To not be selfish, and play with the Lord, for Him and each other.”

Annett Davis

TMU WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL COACH

Article, “Mustangs Win GSAC Regular Season Title”

The best place to start thinking about relative to end times is looking at the beginning. Because we need to understand … [God’s] plan and His purpose as He’s laid it out from the very beginning. If you don’t have clarity on that, then the end doesn’t have a context.”

Dr. Abner Chou

TMU PRESIDENT

Podcast, “How to Study the End Times | The Art of Discernment”

When we look at ourselves, we don’t see how we can be saved. But when we look at Christ, we don’t see how we can be lost.”

Dr. Adam Ashoff

TMS ALUM

TMU Chapel, Nov. 4, 2024

The biggest lesson I’ve learned at TMU is resting in this grace and knowing I don’t have to work for my salvation. It’s brought a lot of peace into my life, and that’s what I needed to grow.”

Alayna Fraser

TMU STUDENT

Article, “What’s Life Like at TMU? | Alayna Fraser”

If you want to study geoscience or paleontology at a school that takes the Bible seriously, this is it. Part of our hope is that prospective students can hear about this research and know that they can come here and actually do science for their undergrad … [and learn] how to do science and have a positive impact on these fields and this world for Christ.”

Dr. Matthew McLain

TMU DEAN

Article, “Science Students and Alumni Present Research Abstracts at Geological Society of America”

4. SELFLESS CONFERENCE

TMU hosted its annual women’s conference in September inside The MacArthur Center. This year’s theme focused on seeking the approval of God rather than men, based on Galatians 1:10, with guest speaker Costi Hinn.

Snapshots of what TMU professors are teaching this year.

Vocal Literature Modern British Writers

Prof. Sarah Dixon Dr. Kurt Hild

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, MUSIC PROFESSOR, ENGLISH

“Vocal Literature is a course that essentially walks through music history, but from the specific perspective of solo art song. We begin the semester in Germany in the Classical period and end with current day composers, listening to and discussing art songs from around the world. Students learn to speak about the music they hear with specific and descriptive terminology, and they discover anew that the songs they sing are composed by real people and influenced by various cultures and life events, in turn allowing them to become more thoughtful singers themselves!”

“The 20th century in British literature shows the sense of loss of Empire and the shrinking of the human soul in its fragmentary focus on the world. The writers with few exceptions demonstrate how they have abandoned Scripture and seek to replace it with their individual perceptions of the world. Their thinking grows ever darker as they grope for some certainty in a world that seems to see little hope. We sense their yearning, but as Paul says to the church at Rome: ‘Their foolish hearts were darkened.’ I look forward to showing the contrast of the hope we experience in Christ with their plea for light.”

TMU To Host New Conference

The Think Biblically Conference will highlight God’s sovereignty over all disciplines.

BY ANDIE VALDES

Intermediate Hebrew I

Prof. Jared Kingsley

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, BIBLICAL STUDIES

“In Intermediate Hebrew I, we translate through Genesis 37–50, and it’s beautiful seeing the power of God in turning evil into good. Whether that be within an individual (Gen. 38:26; 44:16-34), between brothers (Gen. 45:14-15), between a father and a son (Gen. 46:29-30), or even between the whole world one day (Gen. 49:1012), God breaks the impossible and makes it possible.”

For nearly 100 years, The Master’s University has focused on equipping its students to think biblically about every aspect of life. This semester, the University plans to create an opportunity to serve and encourage Christians at large.

On Feb. 14 and 15, TMU will host its first Think Biblically Conference. The event’s theme will be “Sovereign: God Through the Ages,” highlighting how Christians can engage with technology,

The Business

“Every spring, I look forward to working with our creative entrepreneurs in The Business of Film, where students learn the critical skills needed to build a package that includes project pitching, market analysis, budgeting, and navigating investor negotiations. It is important for creatives to understand the business side of production, and these are market-ready skills that can be applied to any industry.”

media, business, natural science, and antiquity without fear because every single subject points to God’s sovereignty and power.

Anyone interested in a deeper understanding of these topics from a biblical worldview is encouraged to attend. Featured speakers for the

of Film

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, COMMUNICATION

Prof. Matt Green

director of vocal studies.

event — scheduled to take place inside TMU’s MacArthur Center — include Dr. Abner Chou, Dr. Grant Horner, Dr. Matthew McLain, Dr. Tai-Danae Bradley, Prof. Matt Green, and Dr. Dwight Ham.

The event will be held in partnership with the Center for Thinking Biblically, a ministry of TMU. The dates for the conference also fall shortly before the release of the second edition of “Think Biblically: Recovering a Christian Worldview,” a series of essays written by TMU faculty. Notably, the Think Biblically Conference consolidates three previous TMU academic gatherings: MUSE, TheoTech, and the Creation Summit.

Dr. Mitch Hopewell, provost and chief academic officer at TMU, said that the University seeks to “highlight and discuss how God’s sovereignty and faithfulness stretches to every area of creation. There is no created thing over which God does not exercise His sovereign control.”

Hopewell added: “There will be something for everyone, mostly because the Bible is for everyone. The goal is to provide a forum for people who are interested in a serious study of their discipline through the lens of God’s Word. This is what our students do day in and day out, but the rest of the public doesn’t always get that opportunity.”

FACULTY UPDATES

Dr. Shelbi Cullen (biblical counseling) recently attended the ACBC Annual Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, where she delivered a lecture titled “The Cost of Discipleship” and participated in a panel discussion on best practices for demystifying DSM diagnoses in biblical counseling. The conference was well attended and a rewarding experience for all involved.

Dr. Matthew McLain (science) recently conducted a research trip in South Africa to study fossils of extinct creatures called therapsids as part of his sabbatical this semester. He then was involved in presenting seven abstracts at the Geological Society of America’s meeting in Anaheim alongside TMU students and faculty on topics ranging from fossil footprints in California to fossil reptiles from the American Southwest. This fall, Dr. McLain gave talks on faith and science in South Africa, at Santa Clarita Baptist Church, and at a sixth-grade science camp put on by Santa Clarita Christian School.

Dr. Jordan Morton (education) visited a system of Christian schools in Indonesia last June as a guest of the Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan Foundation, which supports and operates the schools. The purpose of her 12-day visit was to explore opportunities for TMU students to teach in the Sekolah Pelita Harapan English-speaking international Christian schools in and around the capital, Jakarta. She was also privileged to visit several of the foundation’s Indonesianspeaking Christian schools in remote villages on the island of Papua. Representatives from the school system visited TMU in October to meet with students interested in teaching abroad. Morton is hopeful that this ministry connection will help TMU’s missions-minded students realize the possibilities of teaching overseas as a way to spread the gospel.

Dr. John Beck (business and communication) is having his International Business Marketing class research channels of distribution for Green Gold agricultural products. Green Gold is an agricultural business based in Madagascar that supports the TMAI-affiliated seminary there. Beck’s students are researching sales channels for vanilla bean, specialty coffee, black pepper, and lychee fruit. Proceeds go to equip ministers of the gospel, and TMU students gain real-world experience in marketing research. In Beck’s Global Business Strategies class, student teams are creating Great Commission company business plans targeted at Honduras. Two of the teams are working to create business plans for real Christian-owned businesses. Choices for the students include a leather company, an agricultural company, and a sports complex. Each of the businesses has a vital connection to a seminary and will host business-as-mission internships.

Dr. Gregg Frazer (political studies) taught his The Christian & Politics course at the Compass Bible Institute in Aliso Viejo, Calif., over a 12-hour weekend and did a Q&A with Pastor Mike Fabarez of Compass Bible Church. He also wrote a second article for the Spiritual Counterfeits Project Journal that was scheduled to be published in November. And he was interviewed by pastors in Orange County about the 2024 election and the roles of Christians, pastors, and the church regarding politics for the Pastor Scholar Podcast.

Dr. Keith Palmer (biblical counseling) traveled to Uganda this past summer to teach a class on the believer’s life in Christ at the Shepherds Training College (led by TMUS alum Shannon Hurley). He also taught at the ACBC Annual Conference and the Center for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship (CBCD). He is in the process of publishing his Ph.D. dissertation on the pastoral counseling ministry of John Newton.

Prof. Caleb LePore (science) presented research at the Geological Society of America’s meeting on fossil reptiles called phytosaurs. One project was an oral presentation focused on his dissertation research, and the other was a poster presentation that included TMU students.

utilize our cover letter and resume guides and scan an exclusive job board, with listings like these:

TMU Hosts Third Season of The Master Interview

Annual interview competition offers a crash course in professionalism.

BY ANDIE VALDES

This fall, TMU’s Office of Career Services hosted its third season of The Master Interview — an interview competition for students, with a $5,000 scholarship on the line. The goal of the competition is to provide invaluable career preparation by simulating the real-world task of applying to and interviewing for a job. Students submit employment applications for a job of their choice, give elevator pitches, participate in mock interviews, and meet one-on-one with industry professionals for mentorship. Competition finalists are then interviewed by professionals in front of a live audience.

Bill York, CFO of Rolling Hills Nut Company and one of the judges for the event’s live finale, was encouraged by the professionalism of the five finalists. “I have no problem giving constructive criticism, but it was hard to find things that they weren’t doing right. The finalists were really impressive, and I was ready to hire all five of them.”

This year's finalists were Leo Hu, JT Sears, Lucy Wilson, Brooke Harvey, and Jonah Stricklin. Hu, a sophomore studying constitutional law, was awarded first place.

Leo Hu (center) was the winner of the third season of The Master Interview.

PHOTO BY HANNAH BARRETT

PHOTO BY REAGAN NOLL

Semester Snapshots

As fall sports start to wind down at TMU, our winter seasons are already in full swing! Here Tiago Soares takes a jump shot against Azusa Pacific inside The MacArthur Center.

Career Tips to Propel You

This year’s Fall Fest revolved around a carnival theme, complete with festival games and ferris wheel.

HOW TO ADD VALUE

It has been said, “The more value you create, the more valuable you become.” As you do your job, look for ways to improve things. Present ideas and ask approval to implement them, whether it be automating a process, eliminating an expense, or considering a new product or service. Sometimes our fear of being replaced stops us from proposing progress. Instead, see that the more progress you initiate, the more progress you’ll be asked to propel.

5. MUSTANGS ON THE MOVE

6. FALL FEST

AI and the Christian The Art of Discernment S4 E2

Q&A with Dr. John Beck, Business & Communication

Dean

TMU Ranked #1 in U.S. for “Character Development”

TMU Students Build Rover with Assist from JPL

TMU Students, Alumni Present Research at National Conference Catch up on some of the

On this episode of the Art of Discernment, Drs. Mitch Hopewell, Tai-Danae Bradley and Prof. Jo Suzuki from TMU’s faculty answer questions related to Christians and Artificial Intelligence.

Dr. John Beck serves as the dean of TMU’s School of Business & Communication. Recently, we asked him a few questions about his life and his academic field.

The Master’s University has been nationally recognized in The Wall Street Journal’s 2025 college rankings. These rankings underscore TMU’s commitment to Christ and Scripture.

PHOTO BY TIM CANHAM

PHOTO BY EMILY WIDDERS

COURTESY PHOTO

PHOTOS BY NOAH GREENE AND HUDSON LIND

Communal Spaces

“One of the things that is absolutely essential in any sort of engineering discipline is teamwork. Ultimately the building provides an opportunity for students to not only carry out their individual roles, but for their teamwork to come together and flourish.” – Dr. Joey Kim

CNC Lathe

“There’s a few different ways to manufacture. One is called subtractive or removal manufacturing, where you begin with a slab of material, and then you begin to move out portions of the slab into exactly the form that you wanted. For that we have things like the CNC lathe machine.” – Kim

3D Printers

“There’s the other aspect of manufacturing called additive manufacturing, where instead of beginning with a large slab and then removing material, you start with essentially a blank slate, and you are manufacturing kind of like a sculptor — they add on a piece of clay and then they form it, and then add on a different portion and then they form it. For that we have two different 3D printers.” – Kim

Universal Tensile Testing Machine

“A lot of engineering does require testing, like structural analysis. So this is used to measure things like stress. It tells us exactly how strong our materials are so that we can make some assessments about failure and things like that.” – Kim

Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopes

“The optical microscope is used when stuff breaks. This zooms in to things at 1,000 magnification, so you can see these tiny things like stress fracture marks. But if these stress fracture marks are so small and you can’t use the optical microscope, then you would go in and use the scanning electron microscope to see the actual cause of the failure. It goes up to something like one million times magnification. Typically, you would use the optical microscope to figure out where you want to zoom in for the SEM.” – Kim

You can learn more about TMU’s mechanical, computer, and electrical engineering programs at masters.edu/engineering.

FFeatures

BY

PHOTO

HUDSON LIND

TMU Theatre Arts staged a production of “The Curious Savage” in October. Shown here is the show’s cast. This semester the team is hard at work on the March production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Dr. Dunkin the Move to Newhall

Longtime president helped lay a strong foundation for what The Master’s University is today.

by KAELYN PEAY

Dr. John Dunkin demonstrated unflinching Christian character as president of LABC, and his labors preserved and expanded the school’s original vision.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Master’s University (previously Los Angeles Baptist Theological Seminary, Los Angeles Baptist College, and The Master’s College) is nearing its 100th year as an institution. As we approach the milestone in 2027, this is the fifth in a series of stories about men and women used mightily by the Lord in our history.

In 1927, Dr. William Matthews founded Los Angeles Baptist Theological Seminary as a place where believers could receive biblically faithful preparation for lives of service to Christ.

For the school’s first 16 years, Matthews guided and protected that vision. When he died, he left behind a school with a clear mission but a desperate need for a leader who would take up the torch.

What followed were difficult years overseen by interim and short-term presidents. Between 1943 and 1959, LABTS saw a series of five different men lead the school. These faithful leaders kept the flame alive, but the school struggled to grow or find financial stability.

Then in 1959, Dr. John Dunkin answered the call. During his 26 years as president, he oversaw the school’s relocation to Newhall, the construction of many buildings that remain cornerstones of campus today, the flourishing of its liberal arts program, and the securing of regional accreditation. In it all, Dunkin demonstrated unflinching Christian character, and his labors preserved and expanded the school’s original vision, helping lay the foundation for what The Master’s University is today.

Trained for Such a Time as This

In 1920, seven years before Matthews founded LABTS, John Dunkin was born in the town of Aldershot in Ontario, Canada. His father was wealthy, the owner of a Cadillac agency outside of Toronto. But more than that, Dunkin’s father modeled sincere faith in the Lord and commitment to his family.

When it came time for Dunkin to attend college, his father reportedly told him, “You can go to any school you want; but I’ll pay for it if you go to Wheaton.”

So, he went to Wheaton. There, he gained two things: his bride, Jane, and his deep appreciation for Christian liberal arts education.

“Wheaton was by far the best evangelical Christian liberal arts college at the time,” says Dr. John Stead, executive vice president of TMU and Dunkin’s son-in-law.

After Wheaton, Dunkin went on to Dallas Theological Seminary, where he earned his master’s degree and doctorate. While there, he served as an interim pastor at a nearby church, and the Dunkins began to grow their family, ultimately having a son and five daughters.

Soon, his career veered toward education. Dunkin moved to Johnson City in New York to serve as a dean and instructor at Baptist Bible Seminary. After several years, in 1958, a group of California Baptists contacted him, asking if he would be willing to serve as president of a brand new seminary in Oakland called San Francisco Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary.

He accepted. However, his daughter, Ellen Stead, recalls that Dunkin soon realized that the venture was not a good match for him.

So, when he was approached the following year by a different Baptist seminary in California — none other than LABTS — he embraced the opportunity.

For LABTS, Dunkin was a clear choice for president. Though he came from a nondenominational background, Dunkin found agreement in convictions with the General Association of Regular Baptists (GARB), the conservative Baptist organization affiliated with LABTS. Dunkin quickly became a prominent speaker and scholar within the GARB. More than that, he had a broad education in the liberal arts, a deep background in theology, and lived experience as a school administrator.

He and LABTS also shared the same heart: training Christian young people for lives of service.

On July 30, 1959, he received a call from LABTS’s board chairman. On Aug. 4, he visited the school to meet with the board and faculty. And 10 days later, he received and accepted the offer to become president — a position he would hold for more than a quarter century.

Brought Out Into a Broad Place

When the 39-year-old John Dunkin arrived in Los Angeles in 1959, he found LABTS trying desperately to survive in a challenging situation. Then located on a tiny half-acre lot at

Dunkin believed that Christians should have not only a liberal arts education, but a distinctively Christian liberal arts education.

560 South St. Louis Street, the school was cramped, even with a meager 50 students. It was also tens of thousands of dollars in debt and unable to reliably pay its faculty.

Dunkin immediately went to work. Rallying the board of trustees to cover the cost, he ensured that all salaries were paid at the end of his first payroll cycle.

“Under the previous administrations, the bills were paid first, and the faculty was paid if there was money left over,” says Dr. John Hotchkiss, whose father, Herbert, was a professor at LABTS in 1959. “But when Dr. Dunkin came, that policy was one of the first things he reversed.”

Starting his first month as president, Dunkin launched an aggressive communication and fundraising campaign, mailing monthly LABTS updates to churches in the GARB and other friends of the school, always with requests for donations in order to cover payroll and other expenses. He also took up an exhausting travel schedule, driving to visit and preach at far-flung Baptist churches to drum up support.

After payroll, debt reduction was a top concern for Dunkin. Over the course of his first year, he persuaded donors to help reduce LABTS’s debt from $41,798 to $28,792. But LABTS’s financial situation was far from the only problem to solve. What they needed as much as anything was a new campus.

“Dr. Dunkin was determined that the school would continue,” says John Hotchkiss, who graduated from LABC in 1967 and later taught under Dunkin. “And he was known for saying, ‘We cannot continue and grow the school in this place.’”

The search for a new campus was frustrated by LABTS’s finances. Any affordable properties had unworkable problems. Any usable properties were prohibitively expensive.

But then, in early 1961, they found it. Far up the road on Sierra Highway, tucked away in a rural valley community called Newhall, a 28-acre piece of land was up for sale. Used in part as a ranch-style youth camp called the Happy Jack Ranch, the land had a few old buildings, a

In 1961, LABTS found its new home in Newhall. This photo of Placerita Canyon was taken that same year.

hillside topped with a pool, and oak trees sprawling in every direction. Across the street, a flock of sheep grazed. The immediate neighborhood consisted of a few homes and a dairy farm.

The price was steep — $152,500 — but the location was ideal.

Dunkin and the board got to work, and the school held daily prayer meetings for the project. The closing deadline was set for May 5. When the day rolled around, LABTS had raised a total of $19,200 to offer as a down payment. The owners accepted.

“Finding and financing the campus was absolutely huge,” Hotchkiss says. “I don’t think the school would exist if Dr. Dunkin had not been a man of vision and faith.”

Expanding the Borders

The widening of LABC’s physical footprint paralleled a simultaneous expansion on a conceptual level.

From the early days of Matthews’ administration, the school had aspired to offer a broad undergraduate education for Christian young people. But a web of interconnected problems — limited facilities, a small faculty, and uncertain finances — had stifled the school’s ability to execute that vision. By the time Dunkin came, the school had largely shrunk back to its initial focus on offering a theological education to aspiring ministry workers.

But Dunkin was committed to the vision of Christian liberal arts education he’d caught at Wheaton. In the first few years after moving to Newhall, the school (by then called Los Angeles Baptist College)

added new programs in fields like English, history, music, and science, exponentially increasing the school’s undergraduate offerings alongside the existing graduate seminary program.

“His heart was in ministry and missions,” Hotchkiss says. “But he believed that congregations and pastors and Christian workers should have a broad knowledge base and be familiar with the issues of the day, as well as a grasp of the major events of history.”

In fact, Dunkin believed that Christians should have not only a liberal arts education, but a distinctively Christian liberal arts education.

In an August 1961 note to supporters, Dunkin wrote, “The new birth is indispensable — but it is intended to be nourished (educated, trained, disciplined) and cared for by spiritual guardians, not by strangers to God and to grace. It is our conviction that every young Christian should spend at least two years in a Christian college, if they attend college at all.”

Dunkin aided that goal by broadening LABC’s scope, making the school a better option for a wider variety of students.

The school started its first academic year in Newhall with 71 students and the new, mostly finished Powell Library.

More new buildings went up in quick succession: the “White House” (then a residence for the Dunkins, now the Chancellor’s House) in 1962, Rutherford Hall (an administrative building and dining center) in 1963, Hotchkiss Hall in 1965, and Bross Gymnasium in 1967.

How did they manage to expand so quickly? “Volunteer labor,” Hotchkiss says.

Many plumbers, electricians, and other professionals donated their time. Henry Vider, the namesake of Vider Hall and a prolific local contractor, oversaw many of the building projects as a labor of love. Students, faculty, and staff alike worked on the building sites, mixing cement, laying bricks, and painting walls.

“Dr. Dunkin initiated a prayer circle tradition,” Hotchkiss says. “Once the footings of a building were built, all the students, faculty, and staff would assemble, encircle the foundation footprint, hold hands — if there were enough of us to make it around — and then we would pray, asking for God’s provision for the rest of the building.”

In addition to new buildings and programs, another significant project held Dunkin’s focus through much of his presidency: accreditation.

Throughout the first decades of its history, the school had fulfilled its essential mission without regional accreditation. But as Dunkin leaned into LABC’s liberal arts aspirations, the lack of widely recognized accreditation presented itself more and more as a limitation.

The benefits of seeking and securing regional accreditation were well known to the faculty and trustees: credits from LABC would be transferable to other accredited institutions; alumni would be greatly helped in gaining entrance to a wider range of graduate schools; and donors, parents, and prospective students would be given added confidence in LABC’s academic quality.

In 1964, the school’s board voted to pursue regional accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

The original goal was to complete the process within two years. In

the end, it took 11 years of tireless development efforts from Dunkin and others to raise the money needed to meet WASC’s standards, which included a balanced budget and greater educational resources available to students.

But on March 3, 1975, a letter arrived on Dunkin’s desk minutes before chapel was scheduled to start. He brought it with him to the gym and, in front of the gathered student body, read its message. It was a notice from WASC that LABC had officially received accreditation.

Dr. Gregg Frazer (dean of TMU’s humanities school), who was one of the students in the room that day, remembers the uproarious cheers that broke out.

James Rickard Sr., who served on the board during Dunkin’s administration, says, “Accreditation was one more step forward into solidifying the future of the college.”

And the school’s future was always in need of solidifying — particularly in terms of funding. The treadmill of financial needs had Dunkin almost constantly representing the school on the road and reaching out to prospective donors.

“It was tough, but I never saw him discouraged,” Rickard says. “He was always upbeat and positive. His sweetness and his loyalty to the Lord and to this school helped it through those tough times.”

So did his love for the students. Dunkin loved getting to know them, and he had an excellent memory for their names and stories.

“He did not mind being considered the father figure of what then was a very

Dunkin was a regular presence behind the pulpit in chapel at LABC.

small student body,” Hotchkiss says. “And so we referred to it as the college family.”

Rickard agrees: “His whole life was LABC. He loved the school. He had a deep, deep love for the Lord, the Lord’s work, and the Lord’s people.”

Finishing the Race

For the next several years after 1975, LABC saw gradual, healthy growth in enrollment, climbing to nearly 400 students.

Then in the early 80s, a recession hit. The school lost dozens of students in a short span, bringing about familiar financial instability.

Tough times were back. But by then, Dunkin was in his 60s, and his health was beginning to fail. He didn’t have the strength he had decades earlier to do the grinding work of keeping LABC afloat. At the same time, some of his longtime friends on the board were beginning to pass on to glory.

It had been an amazing run. During Dunkin’s presidency, LABC went from offering two undergraduate majors to 14. The school moved to its new home in Newhall, ensuring it had room to grow, and it pushed through

the arduous process of securing accreditation. The student body grew from 50 to a peak of nearly 400.

After a fruitful but wearying 26 years, in 1984, Dunkin informed the board that he felt it was time for someone else to shoulder the weight of the presidency.

“At that point in time, we had a major decision to make,” John Stead says. “LABC was part of the GARB, which had very little influence on the West Coast in terms of recruiting students. And Dr. Dunkin realized that the school had to get out of that doldrum or it would face financial disaster.”

When a certain nondenominational pastor named Dr. John MacArthur was approached about leading LABC, and responded positively, Dunkin threw the entire weight of his support behind him.

Rickard believes that Dunkin’s support was instrumental in swaying the board — which included a significant number of pastors and laymen in the GARB — to accept a leader from outside the association.

“Dunkin respected MacArthur,” Rickard says. “John MacArthur loves the Word of God. John Dunkin loved the Word of God. They were two peas in the same pod.”

Dunkin’s support of MacArthur cost Dunkin some of his closest friends within the GARB. And when LABC named MacArthur president in 1985, it cost the school its relationship with its longtime association.

“To have the courage to turn it over to Dr. MacArthur, which was not popular in the GARB, took a lot of courage for Dr. Dunkin,” Frazer says.

His whole life was LABC. He loved the school. He had a deep, deep love for the Lord, the Lord’s work, and the Lord’s people.

JAMES RICKARD SR.

In 1975, Dunkin stood before LABC’s student body and read the letter from WASC announcing that the school had officially received accreditation.

“It hurt him,” Frazer says. “That act was a personal sacrifice for him, but it caused the school to burgeon and grow and have a greater impact for Christ.”

The same year, the school changed its name to The Master’s College — a name that reflected an important reality: The school was not first and foremost an institution for Baptists, but a school for believers who love the Master and want an education submitted to His lordship.

For his part, Dunkin became the chancellor of TMC and remained very active on campus, enjoying a frontrow seat to the tremendous growth that took place under MacArthur’s administration. He continued to raise money for the school using the network he had built, and he maintained friendships with the faculty.

Frazer remembers that Dunkin loved to invite people over for lunch and talk with them about what they were reading.

One time, when they were both attending a party, Dunkin walked up to Frazer on the patio and said, “John (Stead) tells me that you need to be doing a Ph.D. Why aren’t you doing it?”

Frazer replied, “Well, to be honest with you, Dr. Dunkin, I don't want to saddle my family with tremendous debt.”

“You let me worry about that part of it,” Dunkin said. “You get the process rolling.”

“So I applied, and he arranged for a 90-something-year-old lady in San Luis Obispo to pay for my entire Ph.D. bill,” Frazer says. “I never paid a cent, even for books.”

Remembered for Faithfulness

One of the last building projects during Dunkin’s presidency was a new student center. It was completed in 1984, and the school elected to name it after the president himself.

“We wanted to honor him with that because he loved the students,” Rickard says. “He was their dad. He was a father to them.”

After he became chancellor, Dunkin’s health continued to decline, a neurological condition leaving him first weak and then wheelchair-bound. His wife, Jane, passed away in 1998, and he followed her in 2005 at the age of 85.

It is easy to appreciate Dunkin for some of his most visible contributions to TMU: helping to secure a new campus and accreditation. But those who knew him say that his most

What would Dr. Dunkin think if he saw TMU today? “He would be singing the Doxology at the top of his voice,” says James Rickard Sr.

important legacy is one of faithfulness to the Lord and to Scripture.

Frazer says, “I think the biggest part of Dr. Dunkin’s legacy was keeping the faculty and administration tethered very tightly to the Word and to a love for Christ and the church.”

Rickard agrees: “Dr. Dunkin was a true biblicist. He loved the Word of God. He loved the people of God. He loved the college — it was his life. And it came out in so many different ways: the way he spoke, the way he acted, the way he led the chapels. He was LABC.”

What would Dunkin think if he saw TMU today?

“He would be singing the Doxology at the top of his voice,” Rickard says. “He would love every minute of it. He would feel like that’s his legacy being carried on.”

DEFINING

character development

[ kar-ik-ter dih-vel-uhp-muhnt ]

noun

TMU received top marks from the Wall Street Journal, but the school’s focus runs deeper than rankings.

By Andie Valdes

Jonathan Popadics sat quietly in his Waldock Hall dorm room reading the book of Romans, contemplating the culture shock of being immersed into The Master’s University community with little knowledge of the gospel or the Bible.

“I had all these people ask me penetrating questions that were piercing my heart,” Popadics says. “I almost wanted to push them away, but then began to understand that they actually cared about me.”

He quickly realized he was not a Christian, and the weight of his sin pressed down on him. Popadics repented that fall semester in his dorm room and found hope in Jesus Christ. His life has never been the same.

TMU made headlines this year when it finished No. 1 in the Wall Street Journal's rankings for Character Development. While this was a high honor, the University cares about more than producing good citizens who contribute to society. When TMU talks about character development, it means pointing students — like Popadics, who now works for TMU’s development office — to Christ and His Word as both

the standard for godly living and the power to live it out.

As Dr. Mitch Hopewell (TMU’s provost and chief academic officer) says, character is “aligning someone’s life and practice with God’s Word.”

“It’s our job to live out the biblical definitions of any character trait — honesty, integrity, love,” Hopewell says.

The WSJ rankings were determined by responses from current students and recent alumni of roughly 2,000 schools across the country. This year, the survey included a new category, Character Development, based on questions related to how they feel their universities have helped them contribute to society, how often they promote good no matter the circumstances, if they’ve become more wise and just, and how well they have been equipped to positively change the world.

The fact that TMU scored well in these categories, Hopewell says, is a byproduct of the school’s mission.

“We set out to help students understand what it means to have a life of enduring fidelity to God’s Word, and to love Him,” he says. “Building good citizens with high character is something that comes out of pointing our students to God’s holiness.”

Russell Moir is TMU’s new vice president of student life and campus pastor. He also led student life from 1985 to 1991, giving him a long-term perspective on the consistency of the University’s mission.

“What character development meant back then, wonderfully, is the exact same thing it means now,” Moir says. “The very principles, ideals, biblical truths — we believed them then, and we believe them now. We are so rock solid on our commitment to

“In every discipline, there is a battle that people fight to capture thinking and discipline under the authority of Scripture, and that’s what produces deep character because you are exercising your mind and your will to conform to what God has for you.”

Scripture, and we are not going to let the culture redefine what character is.”

Moir says chapel is one of the most important elements for building character. “We work as hard as we can to bring in the best preachers that we can. And we don’t let chapel drift. We don’t let chapel be about a bunch of really interesting things. We keep chapel all about preaching the Word of God and worshiping the Lord. I think that’s a real cornerstone.”

Another key aspect of character development at TMU happens in the classroom.

“Our professors demonstrate the godly character and discernment that students need to have in the workplace,” says TMU President Dr. Abner Chou. “You have to learn how to apply the Bible rightly in your life.”

Chou continues, “In every discipline, there is a battle that people fight to capture thinking and discipline under the authority of Scripture, and that’s what produces deep character because you are exercising your mind and your will to conform to what God has for you.”

Jonathan Popadics’ own life changed primarily through his athletic career at TMU. When he came to the University his first year to play baseball under Coach Monte Brooks, he didn’t know the Lord.

But within the first week of school, Popadics experienced a deep heart change.

“I started to observe and listen to those around me, and I realized these people weren’t fake but genuine,” he says. “It was the most uncomfortable comfort. I remember thinking, ‘What these people have, specifically their trust

and clear intentionality in life towards God, is incredible.’”

Popadics adds, “God used every aspect of life on campus — the classroom, baseball field, dorms — and the people God brought into my path to bring me to faith.”

Popadics now serves as TMU’s director of development. He says, “The Lord saved my soul through these ministries, so I can tell people with conviction, ‘The Lord is at work here.’ And I’m certainly not the exception.”

Caleb Williams, a current TMU senior studying English, understands this heart change. He says he’s grown spiritually because of chapel and classes, but most of all through the accountability of fellow believers who “follow Christ with such diligence and discipline, always putting Him first.”

“Being here reminds me of how much I have to grow,” Williams says.

For almost 100 years, The Master’s University has worked to foster a deep love for God and His Word in its students, which in turn produces the kind of people even the world observes to have high character. Some things may have changed — the property, presidents, buildings, and students — but the commitment to Christ and Scripture has not. And the fruit of this commitment is being displayed to a watching world.

In the words of Popadics, “It was never about personal character growth for the sake of personal advancement, but it’s for something bigger — for the church, the kingdom of Christ.”

IIn AD 782, the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne invited Alcuin of York to come to the Carolingian court at Aachen to teach him, his sons, and the clerics and scholars of the realm.

The still relatively young Alcuin, from the backwaters of Northern England but with a reputation as a brilliant scholar, taught the Emperor and his family a course of theology structured around what is now known as the classical liberal arts. Charlemagne’s goal was to shed learned light on what we now call the Dark Ages of Late Antiquity and the early medieval period.

He understood that education was crucial to preserving and growing a healthy society, central to human flourishing, and helpful to the development of virtue. Alcuin and Charlemagne also both knew that learning had always been held in high esteem in the Christian tradition. They knew the Latin infinitive verb educere carries the idea of being led out of yourself and your natural state of ignorance.

Certainly, Scripture warns that knowledge puffs up and that intellectual arrogance is among the worst human traits. At times, the apostles were mocked as ignorant and unlearned men — which they took as a compliment. At the same time, no one can deny the brilliance and wisdom of men like Paul, Apollos, Moses, Joseph, and Daniel, who demonstrate a deep understanding of their cultural context.

This was acquired knowledge. Moses

was learned in “all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22), Daniel had mastered an aggressive foreign culture where he was essentially a hostage, and Paul could casually cite the pagan philosophers of his Mediterranean Graeco-Roman world (Acts 17:28), while Apollos was exceptional in his rhetorical power in handling Scripture — a kind of Christian Cicero.

God uses all kinds of people. The mind can be used wonderfully in the service of God and man, as well as for selfishness and evil. Stupid evil is awful; intelligent evil is terrifying. Mindless “crime of passion” murder is one thing; technologically advanced industrial death camps are another.

But learning never just “happens” — it takes hard work and time, and that is costly for humans. “Studying,” one of my colleagues likes to say, “is what we do to interrupt forgetting.” It is forgetting that is cheap and easy. Learning is hard and pricey. And exhausting!

Nonetheless, nearly everyone seems to value education, and we spend a lot of our hard-earned money on it, from kindergarten classes to Ph.D.s.

But in the 21st century, many thoughtful people who are otherwise pro-schooling have been turning against education as currently practiced, especially college. Contemporary education, in most contexts and at almost all levels, seems perversely to aim at creating confusion over clarity, to focus on subjectivity and feelings over reality, and to cultivate an uncharitable suspicion toward all truth claims — without recognizing that incredulity is itself a claim to a kind of technique of superior knowledge.

Many college graduates have been

EDUCATION THAT’S GROUNDED IN THE REALITIES OF GOD’S WORLD AND TRUTH ENJOYS A RICH HERITAGE AND REMAINS WILDLY WORTHWHILE.

BY DR. GRANT HORNER

programmed to categorically deny truth as truth, or edge as close to that as they dare. They major in nondisciplines of dubious value. They often find themselves unemployable, in debt, and angry. Their professors are largely to blame.

It is therefore unsurprising that people with advanced degrees and high-level professional expertise — the “intelligentsia” — often make statements like “no one can know truth,” and “you have your truth, I have mine.” That these people are taken seriously at all as intellectuals shows the breadth of education’s effects on the American populace.

I believe this is deliberate, and it has resulted in the most utterly foolish generation we have seen in a very long time. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are watching Romans 1 unfurl in front of our eyes, as those who profess wisdom are shown to be foolish.

Perhaps we misunderstand the second half of Paul’s chapter when we see the extensive list of increasingly depraved activities only as what leads to punishment from God. It might be more accurate to say that those negatively cascading depravities are the punishment of those who have already suppressed the truth of God.

Education forms the soul. Mal-education forms souls badly. If you believe, as the

Bible teaches, that humans are already malformed by their sinful nature, then education that deforms the soul further is like poisoning a sick person.

Education — good education, grounded in the realities of God’s world and the truths that He has taught us — is a part of the antidote under God’s common grace that can restrain sin and even help the soul regrow toward its proper form. It prunes and trims, and sometimes cuts and hacks, those aspects of our fallenness that are grounded in lies as opposed to truth. And when practiced well according to biblical principles about human fallenness, it fertilizes and irrigates and grows the soul toward Christ. But only if Christ is both the foundation and the goal. Jesus is wisdom personified and enfleshed (Prov. 8).

So when you have an educational system that is built on a faulty psychology and a faulty anthropology and a faulty view of truth, you are necessarily going to still be forming souls, but you will only be further malforming souls already born bent by sin. Students will actually increase their bent toward sin but with a fancier vocabulary, all the while thinking that they’re educated, intelligent, knowledgeable, and wise. The human capacity for selfdeception appears infinite. Luther said we are incurvatus ad se — curved inward to

ourselves.

On the other hand, most Christians have long held a very high view of study, learning, and education, and have from the beginning appreciated the complex relationship between wisdom and knowledge.

One of the first great thinkers on the subject is the brilliant North African Augustine, the most influential of the early theologians in the postapostolic age. He understood that the goal of the teacher did not end with the teacher — it was to remake the soul of the student so they became learners on their own: “Teach that students may become their own teacher. Let us feed our pupils with the right food so that time will come when they will be able to provide their own food.”

Augustine also believed true learning is based on love and curiosity, not fear or force, and that learning is always a beginning, never an end: “Let our searching be such that we can be sure of finding, and let our finding be such that we may go on searching.”

The medieval theologian and University of Paris professor Thomas Aquinas also thought deeply about the nature and purpose of learning in the fallen state of man. He believed that curiosity is natural in mankind, but is now

deformed by sin, and that true knowledge is always grounded in accurate belief. “To one who has faith,” Aquinas said, “no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

Aquinas knew that real learning leads to clarity about reality, for “the study of philosophy is not that we may know what men have thought, but what the truth of things is.” And in his mind, study must be driven by the magic of wonder instead of the drive of compulsion or material gain: “Wonder is the desire of knowledge.” In other words, you should study medicine not to get rich, but to revel in the magnificent design of the human body as a compass which points to the Creator. Then you can heal them, filled with a deep kind of gratitude.

In the same era, Hugh of Saint Victor, one of our greatest Christian thinkers and the author of Didascalicon de studio legendi, “On the Study of Reading,” knew that all knowledge is interrelated and interdependent, that in God’s world nothing is unimportant, and that no discipline really stood alone: “Learn everything. Later you will see that nothing is superfluous.”

Even so, Hugh did see a need for understanding human finitude. Echoing Ecclesiastes 12:12, he said, “There are those who wish to

Being a Christian is a totalizing experience.

BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY DECIMATES ANY KIND OF COMPARTMENTALIZATION OF THOUGHT AND LIFE. THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOUR FAITH DOES NOT TOUCH, CHANGE, AND EVENTUALLY RULE OVER ABSOLUTELY, WHETHER IT BE BRICKLAYING OR BOOK WRITING.

read everything. Do not try to do this. Let it alone. The number of books is infinite, and you cannot follow infinity … For where there is no end, there can be no rest; where there is no rest, there can be no peace; and where there is no peace, God cannot dwell.”

The ideas of Augustine, Aquinas, and Hugh were guiding lights when the medieval (and explicitly Christian) invention of the university — universitas magistrorum et scholariuma, a guild of scholars and students — began, and has now grown into a powerful social force that is still with us today, albeit greatly changed.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the organically related movements of the cultural Renaissance and the theological Reformation brought a renewed interest in education and learning. Both Luther and Calvin understood that the Reformation of the church depended upon individuals reading the Scriptures for themselves, and this in turn necessitated a generally

educated and literate populace. The medieval church had developed great power over an ignorant populace. Luther thus made schools an absolute priority, and Calvin started the Genevan Academy, which has since grown into the University of Geneva.

One primary goal of the university was to train teachers for primary and secondary schools, which were classically oriented in the liberal arts — teaching grammar, logic, and rhetoric (the Trivium or language-based learning), then arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy (the Quadrivium or quantitative learning), followed by philosophy and finally theology.

Near the end of the English Renaissance, the English Puritan poet and political polemicist John Milton wrote a little book titled “Of Education” (published 1644, and a book every Christian should read), where in just a few pages he outlines what he calls “a compleat and generous Education”

as “that which fits a man to perform justly, skilfully and magnanimously all the offices both private and publick of Peace and War.”

In other words, for a Christian, a great education trains you in everything, because the Christian life has no boundaries or borders. Being a Christian is a totalizing experience. Biblical Christianity decimates any kind of compartmentalization of thought and life. There is nothing that your faith does not touch, change, and eventually rule over absolutely, whether it be bricklaying or book writing.

Milton sees this totalizing vision of Christian education that is focused on the Scriptures as the ultimate interpretive guide for all knowing. He sees the building of virtues as the goal, and the specific areas of study as tools to that end, ultimately “infusing into their young brests such an ingenuous and noble ardor, as would not fail to make many of them renowned and matchless men.”

Now that is an endorsement for Christian education!

Alcuin and the court of Charlemagne attempted to reverse what is now called the Dark Ages, after the collapse of the once highly sophisticated Roman Empire and the Christian culture that followed it. In some ways they were successful, as there was deep learning during the Middle Ages to be sure, and many great achievements.

I would argue that the biblical truths about God, man, the Fall, and wisdom are the most effective, and more importantly the most Christian, foundation for education in the 21st century. And it is these very truths which guide every aspect of learning and teaching and doing intellectual work for both professors and students at The Master’s University.

That is beyond price.

Dr. Grant Horner is a professor in the Department of Arts and Letters at The Master’s University, and Senior Alcuin Fellow in the Society for Classical Learning.

Our accredited biblical counseling programs equip Christian men and women to apply Scripture to the serious issues of life.

C Connect

PHOTO

A look at this year’s Come Christmas Sing! concert series.

If you have ever felt the desire to rededicate your life to the Lord, you need more than a pep talk. You need concrete biblical realities shaping your understanding of what it means to be a strong Christian. One place we can look for these realities is 2 Timothy.

Second Timothy was the last inspired letter that Paul ever wrote. He wrote this letter as a prisoner, and tradition tells us that he was martyred not long after. He’s ready to see the Lord and receive his reward, but he wants to be sure somebody is going to pick up the work after him. In light of this, he addresses this final letter to Timothy.

In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul says to him, “I am mindful of the sincere faith within you which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I’m sure is in you as well.” In other words, Paul is saying, “I know you have a real faith in Jesus Christ. I’m thankful for that.”

But then he says in the next verse, “I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you” (2 Timothy 1:6). What gift is he talking about? It is Timothy’s gift for ministry, preaching, teaching, leading the church, doing the work of an evangelist. And Paul is saying, “I know your faith is real, but your gift has dwindled. The fire of your passion has gone out and I want you to kindle it afresh.”

Paul then goes on to say, “God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, love, and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). This leads us to believe that not only had Timothy let his gift fall into disuse, but he was even being cowardly.

So here is a man who has a sincere faith, but who is letting his gift fall into disuse and is losing the boldness that he once had in the cause of Christ. This is the person Paul is passing his mantle to. And

we see in this letter that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy is up to the responsibility. The heart of Paul’s message to his disciple is this: “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).

Paul has already experienced the road ahead of Timothy, and he knows it’s going to take great spiritual strength to survive. So he writes this last letter encouraging Timothy to be strong, and he gives Timothy multiple pictures to shape his identity as a strong Christian.

This post is based on a sermon Dr. MacArthur preached in 1987, titled “The Elements of a Strong Spiritual Life, Part 1.”

Find more posts from Thinking Biblically at masters.edu/TB

THE STRUGGLING DISCIPLE

Rod Shackelford’s ties to The Master’s University run deep.

He listened to Dr. John Dunkin’s preaching as a middle schooler, played sports with Matt MacArthur in high school and college, and later watched his own sons compete in athletics at TMU.

It was also at TMU that Shackelford (’87) grew in his love for Christ and Scripture and where he made connections that set him on a career path in the orthopedic device industry.

Shackelford remains deeply connected to the University, both as a board member and as the owner of ImpactOrtho, a medical sales

and education company and the sole provider of Arthrex medical devices in Arizona. ImpactOrtho is a corporate partner of TMU.

“I’m committed to the mission — Christ and Scripture,” Shackelford said, “and wanting to ensure the fidelity of what this institution is about for the next generation, for my grandkids and their grandkids.”

Some of Shackelford’s earliest exposure to TMU (Los Angeles Baptist College at the time) came when he was in middle school. He was attending a church in the San Fernando Valley when Dr. John Dunkin, LABC’s longtime president, stepped in as interim pastor.

Rod and Beth Shackelford (front-center) have five children and eight grandchildren.

CORPORATE SPOTLIGHT

ImpactOrtho Owner’s Ties to TMU Run Deep

Rod Shackelford has long been connected to the University, and his commitment to the mission remains as strong as ever.

BY MASON NESBITT

That was only the beginning. Shackelford competed alongside Matt MacArthur in high school baseball, football, and track. The friendship was key to Shackelford’s family eventually transitioning to Grace Community Church, where he sat under the teaching of Matt’s father, Dr. John MacArthur. A few years later, Shackelford and Matt were playing college baseball together at Cal State Northridge when they transferred to The Master’s College, where Dr. MacArthur had just become president.

Shackelford’s siblings, Jill and Danny, also attended TMC, and more recently his sons Ryan, Reid, Aaron, and Andrew attended the school,

competing in baseball and basketball.

For his part, Rod says he was most impacted at TMU by his Bible classes and by godly mentors from the school and Grace Church.

“That just built the foundation of truth in my life,” he said.

He says truth is also central to his work at ImpactOrtho, which provides equipment, training, and support for more than 8,500 Arthrex products and surgical procedures. The company’s core values — humble, trustworthy, and driven — are each based on biblical principles.

Shackelford points to Christ

as the greatest example of humility, demonstrating what it looks like to put the needs of others before oneself.

With regard to “trustworthy,” Shackelford sees two distinct aspects.

“You have to be someone who has integrity,” Shackelford said, “but also someone who is good at what you do. Otherwise, you can’t work for us because being competent serves the surgeons. They need to be able to rely on you.”

And driven?

“You have to strive for excellence even when no one’s watching,” Shackelford said.

This approach has led to tangible business results. In 2020, Shackelford

was selected as the sole distributor in Arizona of Arthrex. And in 2022 and 2024, his company was selected as the southwest regional agency of the year. But Shackelford still believes the most invigorating part of his work is getting to represent Christ in the workplace and provide mentorship to the employees God entrusts to him.

“It’s more about the people,” he says, “giving them a vision for their career and a pathway of how to be successful in this business sector.”

Since joining TMU’s board of trustees in 2022, he is also using his business acumen to help TMU steward its resources so that it can best prepare men and women

for lives of faithfulness to Christ.

“As long as I can be of value, I want to be here.”

A look inside ImpactOrtho’s facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, which includes an operating room where surgeons can practice procedures.

EXPOSITION FOR ALL OF LIFE

Our partners have made full-tuition scholarships available for all qualified students. Apply today.

The Master’s in Ministry

Highlighting Alumni Serving the Lord in Vocational Ministry.

DOMINIC AVILA GREW UP IN EAST LOS ANGELES AND SURRENDERED HIS LIFE TO CHRIST AT THE AGE OF 20 JUST BEFORE ATTENDING THE MASTER’S COLLEGE (TMC) ON A BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP. THERE HE MET HIS WIFE, JESSICA, AND GOT ENGAGED ON THE SEA OF GALILEE WHILE AT IBEX.

After graduation, Dominic taught Bible and coached basketball at Santa Clarita Christian School. Nine years later, he became the student ministry pastor at Cypress Community Church in Salinas, California. While serving, he earned his M.A. in Biblical Studies from TMC and developed a deep passion for teaching God’s Word and discipling men.

In 2016, he joined his former pastor/ mentor, Scott Ardavanis, at Grace Church of the Valley in Kingsburg, California, and served as the pastor of equipping and discipleship. After receiving a call from Seaside First Baptist Church in Seaside, California, to help in a revitalization ministry,

and after months of prayer and preparation, Avila was installed by both the GCV and SFBC elder boards as the lead pastor at the newly named Grace Church Monterey Bay on Nov. 19, 2019.

Since serving at GCMB, Avila has completed his M.Div. through TMS. He is currently on a semester study sabbatical at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., as one of Mark Dever’s interns. Pray that Avila continues to be a faithful husband, father, shepherd, and equipper of men. His desire is to raise up pastors and see more healthy churches on the Monterey Peninsula.

Dominic & Jessica Avila

Dominic (TMU ’02 & MABC ’15; TMS ’23) | Jessica (TMU ’02) Makyla (13) | Titus (11) | Judah (8)

Rick Brady (’92) met his wife, Sabina, while he was the associate director of recruitment at TMC. Sabina worked at another university, but they fell in love anyway. Rick and Sabina spent

three years working with college students in Hawaii, and Rick taught at Hawaii Baptist Academy. Rick then attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary while Sabina worked with foster children at Kentucky Baptist Home for Children.

Rick and Sabina now live in Fresno, California, where Rick serves as the pastor of Woodward Park Baptist Church. They have three children: Jack (13), Krista (17), and McKenna (19), who is in her second year playing volleyball at TMU.

Matt (’15) and Anna (Borisuk) (’18) Fukuda

met briefly at TMU in 2014 but didn’t cross paths again until 2021. From a first coffee date in Pasadena to their wedding this past summer, they are thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness in bringing them together and leading them to a new home in Seattle. Matt currently works as an emergency room physician at Tacoma General Hospital. Anna recently left her position as a nursing assistant at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and is preparing to dive into training as an ultrasound technician. They are members of Redemption Hill Bible Church in Bellevue, where they love serving in hospitality and children’s ministry.

THE BRADYS

THE FUKUDAS

Matt

Davis (’17) has been serving as a pastor at the Reformed Baptist Church of Helena (Montana) since 2011. He and his wife Evelyn live in Helena with their five children: Chloe, John, Clara, EllieJo, and Owen. In 2021 Matt earned a Master of Divinity from Knox Theological Seminary as well as a Doctor of Ministry in 2024. He also serves on the board of the 3535 Foundation.

The Davises like to spend their free time having adventures in the mountains of Montana and traveling to new and exciting places all over the world.

Nate (’18) and Anika (Mellwig) (’22)

Bonsell got married in Germany, where Anika is originally from, in June of 2024. They now live in North Hollywood, close to Grace Community Church, where they both attend. Nate works as the director of video production for both The Master’s Seminary and Grace Community Church, where he was blessed to be involved in the recent featurelength documentary “The Essential Church” as the director of photography. Anika continues her studies at TMU in the Master’s in Biblical Counseling program and is working part time for the University in the video field as well. They both serve in the high school ministry at their church and are involved in leading worship.

Brian

Harvey (’97) works as an investment advisor at Fidelity. He married Theresa in 2003 and they live in Colorado. They have three adult children: Mason, Matthew, and Brooke. Brooke is a current student at TMU. Brian and Theresa are currently assisting in a church plant called Castle Rock Bible Chapel.

Stephen (’18) and Tabby (Breneman) (’17) Gillis

now live in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with their one-year-old son, Noah. Stephen works for the Wyoming Judicial Branch on the administrative side, while Tabby is now a stay-at-home mom after working five years as an SEO specialist at Scorpion Internet Marketing. They love spending time outdoors as a family and being involved in their local church, Cheyenne Evangelical Free Church.

THE HARVEYS

STEPHEN AND TABBY GILLIS

THE DAVISES

Kelly (Linahan) Diffley

(’18) received her bachelor’s degree at TMU and went on to graduate from Radford University Carilion with her Master’s of Occupational Therapy in 2021. Since then, she has worked in a variety of settings and currently works part time in home health. Kelly is married to Nathan, a captain in the Virginia Beach Fire Department, and they live in Chesapeake, Virginia. They are involved in Cornerstone Bible Church in Virginia Beach and are thankful for the opportunities God has given them to serve their church and local community. Kelly is thankful to be able to spend most of her time at home with their daughter, Josie (20 months).

Caleb (’18) and Lizzie (Borisuk)

(’16) Friginal met and served together on student leadership staff at TMU. They were married in August of 2018 and are so grateful for six years of marriage. Caleb currently works for Pure Spectrum as a customer success lead in Westlake, California. Lizzie works part time for Adventist Health as a nursing assistant. They have two daughters, Elliott (3) and Ryn (1), who have added much joy and laughter to their home and love each other very much. They are so grateful to be a part of Grace Community Church for over eight years and have seen the impact that it has on their family.

Deken George (’23) has served six years as pastor at Pleasant Hill Bible Church in Bedford, Pennsylvania. His wife, Carla, is a gifted help to her husband and a stay-at-home mom to their four children, Amelia, Abigail, Ainsley, and Jonathan. Their family enjoys home-schooling and beekeeping. Deken has seen firsthand the blessing of a TMU education and continues to witness God’s faithfulness in rural places through the power of the gospel.

THE GEORGES

THE DIFFLEYS

A PROUD PARTNER OF THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY.

Christian (’19) and Kaila (Crawford) (’18)

Ransom got married in 2022 and have been living in the Philippines, where Christian grew up, for over a year. Christian loves his job as a software engineer with bookreport. Kaila is preparing to start volunteering part time at a local international Christian school, Faith Academy. They are excited for their toddler, Calvin, to become a big brother in March!

Daniel and Desiree (Teichroeb) (’18) Nakamura

met at TMU and married in 2018. Together they serve at Foothill Bible Church in Upland, California, in couples and men’s ministry. Daniel works for the city of Los Angeles as a firefighter and a fire chaplain. Desiree enjoys life homemaking with three boys, and they look forward to welcoming another baby in April. Their prayer is to always shine brightly for Christ wherever He places them!

Tony (’91) and Susan (Voorheis) (’91-92 attended)

Jaime

have lived in Maple Valley, Washington, since Tony graduated from TMS in 2010. Tony has been a pastor and is currently shepherding Temple Baptist Church in Fircrest. They have three girls and two boys: Laura (’19) married Ryan Salvatore (’18); Megan (’19) married Tyler Beebe; Caleb played baseball at TMU (’18-20 attended) and married Ericca (Bahr) (’21); son Brett Jaime married Alyssa Beebe; and youngest daughter Charlotte is praying about attending TMU in fall 2025. Tony and Susan cherish their time and memories at TMC and continue to use their biblical training in raising their children, serving in the church, leading Bible studies, and being involved in Christian education. They are excited to be grandparents to two grandbabies, with two more on the way.

Davis (’22) and Arianna (Ghiorso) (’22)

Boggess met at TMU in 2018 on the track and cross country team. Davis double-majored in finance and Bible, and Arianna majored in marketing media. They married shortly after graduating in 2022 and now live in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Davis works for his parents at Flagstaff Storage and as the youth pastor at their church. They welcomed their daughter, Aurora, in February of 2024 and are loving parenthood. Davis is finishing his M.A. in Biblical Studies and will be moving with his family to Washington, D.C. in January for a five-month internship with Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, where he is excited to become better equipped for church ministry.

THE RANSOMS THE BOGGESSES

TONY AND SUSAN JAIME

THE NAKAMURAS

Chris (’00) and Kim (Gibson) (’00) Kollman

met their freshman year at TMC, dated throughout college, were married a year after they graduated, and just celebrated 23 years of marriage. They live in Meridian, Idaho. Chris currently owns a lawncare business with his cousin, and Kim is a realtor. They have three kids. Kinsley (18), a freshman at TMU, is following in her mom’s footsteps by playing volleyball, while Cooper (16) and Kerington (13) keep the family very busy. Between their work, kids’ sports activities, time with family, amazing friends, and church, there rarely is a dull moment in the Kollmann household, and they wouldn’t change a thing.

Jeff (’00) and Ruth Patterson

were high school sweethearts and married just before Jeff’s senior year at TMC. After playing baseball for Monte Brooks at TMC, Jeff coached his two sons and helped start a travel baseball program in Tacoma, Washington. Two years ago, he and Ruth transplanted their family from Washington state to western North Carolina. Their oldest daughter, Trudy, swims for TMU, and her younger sister, Clara, hopes to join her at TMU in 2025. Their oldest son, Tobin, is in Oregon at Ecola Bible College. Ruth homeschools the kids who are still at home: Clara (17), Greta (15), Sam (14), and Ghennett (11). Currently, Jeff is working in sales in the flooring industry. He and Ruth enjoy serving in a small group at church as well as hosting a weekly young adults group in their home.

Shay (’06) and Bethany (Schilperoort) (’05) Thomason

met at TMU in 2002 in their very first class together, and they married in December of 2005. They currently live in Bellevue, Washington, where Shay serves as an associate pastor at Redemption Hill Bible Church alongside Joe Penberthy (’00). Bethany is a stay-at-home mom and loves caring for their five children, including little Levi, born in May of this year. Bethany also counsels women in the church. Prior to moving to Washington, they served in youth ministry at Grace Church of the Valley in Kingsburg, California, for almost seven years and even did a little stint overseas as missionaries in the Czech Republic for a year and a half. They are so grateful to be serving the Lord, no matter where He has them!

THE PATTERSONS

THE KOLLMANS

THE THOMASONS

William (’18) and Ketty (Totemeier) (’21) Maycumber

were married in 2020 and recently moved to central Texas with their two children, Callen (2) and Lottie (10 months). They have found a local church and are

Christopher (’18) and Rebeca (Birgean) (’18) Enloe

slowly getting connected to their new community by regularly hosting dinners and get-togethers in their home. Ketty finished illustrating her first children’s book and continues to find ways to use her creativity in motherhood. William works in construction sales, and he paints detailed western landscapes on the side.

Caleb (’19) and Natalie (Jackson) (’20)

Lawson were married in January of 2019 and moved to Bakersfield, California. Caleb worked for a law firm for a couple of years before coming on staff at their church, Crossway Baptist Church. Natalie works full-time at home raising their three children, Ruth (4), Clara (2.5), and Owen (1). They are hoping to church plant/revitalize an existing church with Crossway in Bakersfield in 2025.

moved to Greenville, South Carolina, this summer, as Christopher accepted a position as assistant professor of music at Bob Jones University. Christopher is completing his doctorate in music composition at Peabody Conservatory (Johns Hopkins), while Rebeca is pursuing a certificate in biblical counseling at BJU. Their hearts are overflowing with gratitude to the Lord for His gift of a little girl, expected to arrive in December.

Hannah Dupea (’11),

after graduating TMC with her bachelor’s degree in cell and molecular science, completed her medical doctorate at the University of North Dakota and her residency in Family Medicine in Casper, Wyoming. Since then, she has been working at a rural clinic and critical access hospital in her home state of Montana. In her free time, she loves hiking, cross country skiing, and traveling. Hannah is blessed to have a strong church and to be close enough to her hometown to stay in touch with her family and former church group. Her time at TMC has continued to be used by the Lord to strengthen, encourage, and grow her through these intervening years.

THE MAYCUMBERS

THE LAWSONS

THE ENLOES

DR. DUPEA

Jedi (’03) and Anne (Lawrence) (’02)

Johnson met at IBEX in 2001 and married in 2003. They live in Simi Valley, California, with their four kids: Ray (15), Max (13), Ben (11), and Emmy (9). Jedi is a partner at the accounting firm where he has worked for more than two decades. Anne enjoyed being a public school junior high teacher after college, but left when their first child was born and loves being home with their kids. They are both thankful to be able to serve in the high school ministry at Grace Community Church and on short-term ministry trips to support their church’s missionaries. Jedi and Anne love spending time with family and friends, cheering their kids on in sports, going on family road trips, and traveling together. They have visited all seven continents, culminating with their 20th-anniversary trip to Antarctica.

Amanda (Mitchell)

Usiak (’17) graduated from TMU with a bachelor’s degree in biblical counseling and married Justin the summer following graduation. Together they were involved in operations for an addiction recovery program, The Mission House, during the early years of their marriage. Justin and Amanda reside in Kitsap County, Washington, with their three children: Everly (6), Jeremiah (4), and Emersyn (1). Amanda stays busy home-schooling their older two kids and teaching local sourdough bread and fermentation classes, while Justin owns and operates the construction business they started in 2019. They continue to serve in addiction and counseling ministry through their local church and community.

Alumni, we hope to include more of you in the next issue’s “Class Notes.” We’d love to share a little bit about your life with the TMU community. Reach out with your update at alumni@masters.edu.

Steven and Sara Karkenny

Steven Karkenny, CPA, CFP®, serves as a wealth architect and financial planner for his clients with the goal of providing clarity and confidence in stewarding their wealth and leaving a lasting legacy. He graduated from The Master’s University in 2015 with a business degree in accounting, finance, and management. We recently asked him for advice on investing during a presidential transition.

STAY THE COURSE

All successful long-term investing is goal-oriented and planning-driven. Whenever financial markets move up or down, it’s tempting to feel emotions (such as fear or greed) and make changes to your investments. However, during these moments it is beneficial to stay the course, review the plan, and remind yourself of your family's financial goals. A good example of this would be sticking to an automatic contribution plan to one of your investment accounts.

SEEK WISE COUNSEL

There is safety in an abundance of counselors. Seeking wisdom from your financial team or other trusted individuals can help bring clarity during a time of chaos. It is crucial to listen to those who have a proven track record and have “walked their talk.” This will help cut out the “noise” society throws at us.

SUSTAIN AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

Understanding that we are merely stewards of what God has given us and that this temporary world is passing away will give us the freedom to hold “our” money with an open hand. This allows our emotions to be stable through times of volatility as our security is in Christ, not in our investment portfolio, and gives us the ability to be more generous with what we have been given to help the vulnerable and give to the advancement of the gospel.

SUMMARY

As Christians, we are commanded to be financially responsible so that we can care for our families and give to the vulnerable. During times of transition, we can find peace in knowing that God is sovereign over all things, including financial markets and political systems. By sticking with your plan, seeking wisdom, and keeping an eternal perspective, we can be good stewards of what we have been given and navigate any market with confidence and purpose.

President’s Report.

FISCAL YEAR 2024 (JULY 1, 2023 – JUNE 30, 2024)

Office of Development

The Master’s University trains every student with the highest view of God and His Word. We do not flinch on the inspiration, inerrancy, authority, sufficiency, and preservation of Scripture. We believe every word of it is inspired, every word real, every word profound, and every word must be obeyed.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SHARED CONVICTION, FAITHFUL PRAYERS, AND GENEROUS INVESTMENT BY OUR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY.

Your support has advanced the institution in being faithful for the glory of God. In recent years, the following areas have received the greatest concentration of investment: programs, faculty, scholarships, housing, and capital improvements. The Lord has used your sacrificial generosity to enable TMU to reach the next generation of the church and to stand boldly for Christ and Scripture

In the following pages, you’ll find a brief summary of some of the exciting developments the Lord has driven in recent years. We praise Him for His kindness and provision toward our beloved institution.

PRESIDENT, THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY

01 Programs.

In recent years, The Master's University has prayerfully expanded its academic offerings to align with market demand. This enables TMU to offer a truly biblical education to more students while simultaneously enhancing the institution's sustainability. Donor funding is crucial to successfully launch these new programs, particularly during the first two years to cover startup costs.

In

2021, TMU launched mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering programs under

this model.

The Department of Engineering & Computer Science is now at 120 STUDENTS , which represents 10% of TMU’s total undergraduate enrollment and nearly five times as many students as the program had in 2021-22.

“

When it comes to serving our students, we want to add degrees not for the sake of academic prestige or chasing the latest trend, but for the sake of serving our students and preparing them for a lifetime of faithfulness to Christ.”

DR. MITCH HOPEWELL PROVOST

Engineering & Computer Science

RETURN ON INVESTMENT*

The Department of Engineering & Computer Science has delivered an impressive return on investment, generating 100% return in the first three years since launching engineering and projecting to produce approximately $16 million in revenue after seven years.

PROGRAM RETURN ON INVESTMENT

*ROI is calculated on the average revenue from net tuition, room, and board per student who has enrolled in the program (minus annual program expenses). It is assumed that these students would not otherwise attend TMU because of the lack of their desired program.

Faculty.

The classroom at The Master's University is where faculty disciple students in submitting every thought and discipline to the lordship of Christ. Each faculty candidate at TMU is evaluated not only for expertise in his or her field, but for knowledge of Scripture, agreement with the University’s doctrinal statement, and passion for ministering to students.

TMU has welcomed several new faculty members in the last five years. Donor generosity has made it possible for TMU to hire world-class faculty who love Christ and His Word. Some of the new faculty the Lord has provided are included below.

NEW FACULTY:

DR. HALEY SMITH

Biology

PROF. PHILIP HAMORY

Electrical Engineering

DR. KEITH PALMER

Biblical Counseling

DR. MARIUS BAHNEAN

Music

DR. STEVE PEKOVICH

Biology

The faculty’s impact on my life and the lives of many students is a witness of the Christ-centered focus at The Master’s University. Studying under doctrinally rich professors is a blessing that shapes you both academically and spiritually. The professors encourage and challenge us in our studies to bring glory to Christ in all that we do. Their wisdom and guidance do not only occur in the classroom, but extend to the TMU community. It is a beautiful environment where students are cared for both in their academic pursuits, and as brothers and sisters in Christ. I am so thankful for the spiritual and scholastic edification I have received during my time here.”

ALEXANDRA GOMEZ

BIBLICAL STUDIES MAJOR, CLASS OF 2025

The Lydia Endowment.

The Lydia Endowment is used to support, retain, and recruit faculty at The Master’s University. As we seek to honor the Lord by offering an education that equips students for a lifetime of service to Christ, it is critical that we provide resources to support and enhance the faculty at TMU.

LYDIA FUND GIVING SUMMARY

$180,000

$160,000

More than 500 gifts, totaling over $925,000, have been received in generous support of our faculty through the Lydia Endowed Fund.

$140,000

$120,000

$100,000

$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000

$0

ENDOWMENT GROWTH

$1,400,000

$1,200,000

$1,000,000

$800,000

$600,000

$400,000

$200,000

$0

Scholarships.

Scholarship aid is key in attracting top-tier students from different backgrounds who desire a biblically sound education at TMU.

The Master’s University welcomed 425 new students to campus in the fall of 2024. This new batch of students increases the University’s total traditional undergraduate student body to a record 1,227. The majority of these students receive aid from scholarship funds supported by donors who generously give to make TMU’s education affordable.

$19.5M

In 2023-24, students received $19.5 million in financial aid from TMU. 97% In 2023-24, 97% of students received some form of financial assistance. 1% Top 1% of “Value for Money” in the far western U.S. Region.

Top Performing Scholarship Funds

THE MASTER’S GLOBAL SCHOLARSHIP

The Master’s Global Scholarship was established to attract and support exceptional students from backgrounds closely aligned with TMU and its doctrinal commitments. It provides financial assistance to three categories of TMU students: international and domestic students with a proven affiliation to TMU, GMI, TMAI, GTY, TMS, or TMU; students from churches with long-standing relationships with TMUS; and students who are children of TMUS alumni.

$2,179,793 Amount awarded 2024-25

284 Students impacted 2024-25 GIVING

FOUNDERS’ FUND

The Founders’ Fund provides scholarship assistance for new, transfer, and continuing TMU students. Scholarships from this fund are specially designated for students who have been admitted into the University but who are unable to enroll due to a funding “gap” between the student’s financial package and what their family can afford.

55 Students impacted 2024-25

$313,844

Total scholarship aid awarded 2024-25

MACARTHUR ENDOWMENT

The MacArthur Endowment represents Dr. John MacArthur’s heart to make TMU’s biblical education affordable to those who would otherwise not be able to obtain it due to financial constraints. This endowment funds several of TMU’s most prestigious scholarships given to students annually.

30 Students impacted 2024-25

$365,350

Total scholarship aid awarded 2024-25

$2,000,000

$1,800,000

$1,600,000

$1,400,000

$1,200,000

$1,000,000

$800,000

$600,000

$400,000

$200,000

$12,000,000

$10,000,000

$8,000,000

$6,000,000

$4,000,000

$2,000,000

ENDOWMENT GROWTH

Student Housing.

At The Master’s University, we are committed to discipling the young men and women entrusted to our care. We aim to guide them in applying what they learn in the classroom to their lives as they seek to live for Christ.

OUR DEDICATION TO BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP NECESSITATES A COMMITMENT TO ON-CAMPUS HOUSING.

To meet the growing demand for on-campus education with intentional discipleship, the institution has acquired properties in Placerita Canyon. These strategic and financially savvy acquisitions support our growth and demonstrate our desire to mentor students on campus.

Student Impact by Property Acquisitions

• 200+ STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE ON-CAMPUS EDUCATION BECAUSE OF THE PR OXIMITY OF THESE HOMES TO TMU

• 70% OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE ACQUISITIONS IS DONOR FUNDED

Property Acqu isitions Return on Investment | 14%

05 Capital Improvements.

Capital improvements have played a vital role in legitimizing new academic programs and attracting students to TMU. Below are a few projects that started, were in progress, or were completed during fiscal year 2024:

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LAB

ENGLISH AND HISTORY CENTER PATIO

BASEBALL STADIUM IMPROVEMENTS

FITNESS CENTER EXPANSION

AGRICULTURAL-BUSINESS FARM ESTABLISHED

OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

Communication Building Improvements

Sport Management Building

Slight Dorm Remodel

The Reese Center for Science and Mathematics was completed in 1975 and has stood as one of campus’ cornerstones ever since. This photo was taken during the 1978-79 school year, when the building was still brand new. Turn back to pages 2-3 to see what it looks like today.

SCHOLARSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

President’s Academic Scholarship

AMOUNT: $80,000 awarded as $20,000/year for up to 4 years.

This highly competitive academic scholarship is awarded based on an interview process. Full-time incoming freshman applicants must have a weighted high school GPA of 4.00 and an SAT I score (Critical Reading and Math sub-tests only) of 1,350 or ACT score of 30 or CLT score of 91. The scholarship is renewable with a college GPA of 3.5.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT MASTERS.EDU/ACADEMIC-SCHOLARSHIPS

Just Thinking Scholarship

AMOUNT: $5,000

The Just Thinking Scholarship is open to all Fall 2025 on-campus undergraduate students applying for the first time to TMU. Five scholarships are awarded each year, based on applicants’ essays that demonstrate critical thinking and biblical insight regarding the topic of “Gender Identity.”

LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT MASTERS.EDU/JUSTTHINKING

Red & Blue Scholarship

AMOUNT: $14,000 awarded as $3,500/year for up to 4 years.

This scholarship is for students dependent on parent(s) currently working full-time in law enforcement or fire departments.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT MASTERS.EDU/R&B

Ministry Matching Grant

AMOUNT: $20,000 awarded as TMU matching up to $2,500/year for all ministry scholarships per student across 4 years

The Ministry Matching Grant is designed to encourage Christian organizations whose ministries are consistent with the mission of TMU to provide corporate scholarship support for students attending the University.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT MASTERS.EDU/CHURCH-SCHOLARSHIPS

MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2025 | VALENCIA COUNTRY

CLUB

The Master’s University Annual Golf Tournament is our biggest fundraiser of the year, garnering support for students at TMU. We hope to see you for a great day of golf, fellowship, and most importantly, providing scholarship aid to students in need.

TO REGISTER, VISIT MASTERS.EDU/GOLF