UPDATE Magazine Spring 2020

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PREPARING SPECIALISTS IN THE BIBLE

by S. M. Baugh

PREPARING SPECIALISTS IN THE BIBLE

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

by S. M. Baugh

by Michael S. Horton

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

by Michael S. Horton

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BUILDING FOR FOR MINISTRY MINISTRY BUILDING

by Jeff Jeff Landis Landis by

LEARNING BY

BY EXAMPLE EXAMPLE LEARNING

by David David Chong Chong by

THE NECESSITY NECESSITY OF OF THE SEMINARY SEMINARY EDUCATION EDUCATION by

by Jonathan Jonathan Moersch Moersch

INTO THE THE DEEP DEEP END END INTO

by Adriel Adriel Sanchez Sanchez by

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

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s we kick off our celebration of 40 years of the Lord’s guidance and blessings over Westminster Seminary California, the COVID-19 global pandemic has served as a sobering reminder that while we devote our best efforts to serving God, ultimately he is in control. And what a comfort it is that the Lord of hosts is with us. Like most schools in the United States, WSC has moved to online education for the remainder of the semester in order to protect the health of our community and neighbors. This is a disappointment for us since we remain committed to face-to-face, residential seminary education. But I am thankful for the support and patience of our faculty and students, as well as the hard work of our staff, in ensuring that WSC’s tradition of excellent instruction continues in this temporary arrangement. Our weekly faculty-student prayer groups and chapels have continued as crucial components of our students’ spiritual formation. And yet our community longs to resume our regular seminary life on campus.

During this pandemic we have often found ourselves praying the prayer of Jehoshaphat: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chron. 20:12). As we turn our eyes to the Lord, we trust that he will continue to protect, guide, and provide for his people. Please know that the seminary community is praying for you – our churches, friends, and alumni – during this time. Thank you for your prayers and support for the seminary.

In this issue, Dr. S.M. Baugh explains how WSC’s curriculum integrates intensive study of the biblical languages in order to prepare, as Dr. Machen once put it, “specialists in the Bible” (p. 4). In addition, Dr. Michael S. Horton discusses the biblical teaching on Christians and fear during times like our current pandemic (p. 8). Also in this issue, four WSC alumni representing each decade of the seminary’s existence reflect on their time at Westminster and how their seminary experience prepared them for ministry. Finally, Trustee Roger Swets describes his experience serving on the WSC Board (p. 30).

As always, we covet your prayers and faithful support as WSC seeks to work for Christ, his gospel, and his church.

Cordially in Christ,

“GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE. THEREFORE, WE WILL NOT FEAR…BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD...

THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US.”

Joel E. Kim WSC President

Psalm 46:1, 10, 11 2

UPDATE | SPRING2020

UPDATE | SPRING2020 PRESIDENT Joel E. Kim EDITOR Marcus McArthur DESIGNER Megan York

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S. M. BAUGH

PRINTER Precision UPDATE magazine is a publication of Westminster Seminary California.

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Westminster Seminary California 1725 Bear Valley Parkway Escondido, CA 92027 PHONE (888) 480-8474 FAX (760) 480-0252 EMAIL development@wscal.edu WEBSITE www.wscal.edu PERMISSIONS: UPDATE grants permission for any original article to be photocopied and distributed, permitted that the wording is not altered in any way, no fee is charged beyond the cost of reproduction, and no more than 500 copies are made. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by Westminster Seminary California. Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: This article originally appeared in UPDATE, a publication of Westminster Seminary California (WSC) and is reprinted with permission. For more information about WSC, visit www.wscal.edu or call (888) 480-8474.

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MISSION: The purpose of UPDATE is to showcase Westminster Seminary California’s distinctively Christ-centered, graduate education through the work of its faculty, students and alumni who are serving as pastors, teachers, missionaries, and leaders worldwide in light of our overarching mission “to glorify God through graduate theological study. . . for those who will serve in the Christian community and the larger society.”

Since 1979, Westminster Seminary California has offered a distinctly Reformed and rigorous education in order to glorify Christ, promote His Gospel, and serve His Church. The strength of our degree programs lies in our faculty’s unified commitment to the inerrant Scriptures and the Reformed confessions. Westminster Seminary California is the only dually accredited seminary in the Western United States serving confessionally Reformed churches.

2019-2020 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mr. Richard J. Blauw, Jr. Mr. Daniel J. Bryant Mr. Lyle Faber The Rev. Thomas K. Groelsema The Rev. Dr. David W. Hall Mr. Milton D. Hodges The Rev. Dr. Terry Johnson The Rev. Dr. Lloyd H. Kim The Rev. Scott R. Korljan Mr. Mark Memmelaar Mr. Pete Sara Mr. Roger A. Swets The Rev. Charles A. Tedrick Mr. Kent Van Groningen The Rev. Derrick J. Vander Meulen The Rev. Dr. Eric B. Watkins Mr. Brett A. Watson ©2020 Westminster Seminary California All rights reserved.

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20 JONATHAN MOERSCH

SANCHEZ 21 ADRIEL

INFOCUS

ONMISSION

4. Preparing Specialists in the Bible 8. What Are You Afraid Of?

18. Building for Ministry 19. Learning by Example 20. The Necessity of Seminary Education 21. Into the Deep End

ONCAMPUS 10. Introducing Bradley J. Bitner 12. Introducing Nick Brennan 15. Capital Campaign 16. Four Decades with WSC Timeline

INPERSON & INPRINT 24. 2020 Annual Conference Recap 28. Barnabas Foundation 29. Honorarium and Memorial Gifts 30. Up Close with Roger Swets 3

INFOCUS

PREPARING SPECIALISTS in the BIBLE

by S . M . B A U G H

A

t the inauguration of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, J. Gresham Machen delivered a remarkable address where he outlined the increasing specialization of various professions and academic disciplines in his day. Yet contemporary seminaries, interestingly, were at the same time broadening out with instruction into a generic form of “religion.” He remarked, in contrast: Let it never be forgotten that a theological seminary is a school for specialists. We are living in an age of specialization. There are specialists on eyes and specialists on noses, and throats, and stomachs, and feet, and skin; there are specialists on teeth— one set of specialists on putting teeth in, and another set of specialists on pulling teeth out…. Amid all these specialties, we at Westminster Seminary have a specialty which we think, in comparison with these others, is not so very small. Our specialty is found in the Word of God. Specialists in the Bible—that is what Westminster Seminary will endeavor to produce. (J. Gresham Machen, “Westminster Theological Seminary: Its Purpose and Plan.”)

This focus on producing people who are experts in the Bible was clearly expressed in the seminary’s curriculum with considerable instruction in the biblical languages and a Bible focus in all of its classes and departments.

Fifty years after its founding, Westminster decided to branch out from Philadelphia to Southern California for what was originally to be a daughter campus in the West. The problems of administering a campus more than two thousand miles away, though, soon led the new school to have its own board and relative independence, but it retained a shared culture and vision shaped entirely by that of the original school. Specifically, that same vision to prepare Bible specialists was taken out West with the original Westminster Seminary California (WSC) faculty, and it continues to guide the school today.

As can be expected, the original curriculum at WSC was taken over directly from the parent school in Philadelphia when it opened its doors in 1980. Nearly all of the WSC faculty at that time had either been professors or former students of Westminster Seminary, and they were endeavoring to provide the same education on the opposite side of the country where

confessional Presbyterian and Reformed communions have had relatively little impact. Let me briefly trace that original curriculum within the M.Div. degree track.

Students first experienced seminary in a four-semester-hour intensive Greek class in the summer before the fall semester began. This class was conducted over a four-week period meeting in class three hours per day Tuesday through Friday.

(Westminster has always tried to avoid classes on Mondays due to student and faculty ministerial involvement—sometimes requiring travel over considerable distances in order to serve on Sundays in the churches.) The text for the summer class was the first half of Machen’s New Testament Greek for Beginners, originally published in 1923. The follow-up to this summer was a three-semester-hour Greek II class in the fall semester when the Machen book was finished.

Between fall and spring semesters the seminary conducts a four-week January semester. Originally, this was the time when our M.Div. students on track to finish in three years took the three-hour intensive Hebrew I course. Once passing this class, the students moved on to the spring semester of their first year with a four-semester-

"THAT SAME VISION TO PREPARE BIBLE SPECIALISTS WAS TAKEN OUT WEST WITH THE ORIGINAL WSC FACULTY, AND IT CONTINUES TO GUIDE THE SCHOOL TODAY." wscal .e d u

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hour Hebrew II and a three-unit Greek III. This completed the focused Greek instruction for the degree with a total of ten semester hours of Greek and seven hours of Hebrew in the first year, while further Hebrew instruction was integrated into the four-unit Historical Books class in the fall semester of the students’ second year.

Other classes in the first year consisted primarily of introduction to the doctrine of Scripture and apologetics in the fiveunit Christian Mind class, then classes in church history and introduction to pastoral theology. The spring semester offered the five-unit New Testament Introduction class, which surveys text criticism and the other various disciplines involved in exegesis of the New Testament (NT) text. The idea behind this early focus is that students do not normally have enough Greek and Hebrew to start their focused work in the Bible yet.

This all changes in the second and third years of the M.Div. curriculum when the students are now grounded enough in the biblical languages that they can start working with texts in the original. The NT classes, covering the Gospels, Acts, Pauline and the General Epistles, as well as Revelation, are all conducted from the Greek text 6

"PRACTICAL THEOLOGY CLASSES ON PREACHING PRODUCES STUDENT SERMONS DERIVED FROM EXAMINATION OF THE BIBLICAL TEXTS IN THEIR ORIGINAL LANGUAGES." in order to make the students more competent to interpret these texts themselves. The professors may delve deeply into sample texts, but the goal of the classes was and is always not to survey every verse to know what the professor thinks, but to bring the students themselves into the interpretive process so that they can grow as “specialists in the Bible” who are competent to preach and teach “the text, the whole text, and nothing but the text”—as Derke Bergsma, the original practical theology professor, was fond of saying.

One thing that distinguished and continues to distinguish the seminary’s curriculum from other schools, however, was a prerequisite for the biblical languages not only for upper-level biblical classes but for the main systematic theology and preach-

ing classes as well (covering the doctrines of God, of Christ, Christian ethics, preaching from various types of texts, etc.). The reason for this is one of the most attractive features of Westminster instruction: students learn systematic theology not from isolated Scripture proof texts in translation but from classroom examination in detail of extended passages in the Bible in their original languages. The result for the students is deeper conviction of the truths of Scripture articulated in its system of doctrine. As you can imagine, the faculty believes that those who are expert in biblical doctrines must arrive there by first being experts in the Bible, since that is the only infallible source of all our teachings. From the student side, this comes clear not only from their experience going over biblical UPDATE | SPRING2020

passages in depth in class, but in their final exams where only the Greek and Hebrew/ Aramaic Bible is allowed, forcing them to grapple with various biblical texts in their original forms with great care and to develop their biblical expertise further. Equally important is that practical theology classes on preaching produces student sermons derived from examination of the biblical texts in their original languages as well.

That was the WSC curriculum at the beginning, but what about now? The biggest change to the curriculum was demanded by one of our accrediting agencies, which thought that the total hours of required classroom instruction was excessive for masters degrees. As a result, the seminary was forced to trim the total required hours by about ten percent. To adapt to this situation, it would have been easy to start with trimming our Greek and Hebrew language requirements. Certainly, there would have been good precedent for this from other schools where instruction and requirements in Greek and/or Hebrew is sometimes minimal or optional, and not only systematic and practical but biblical classes are conducted without biblical language requirements.

Our solution, however, was to duly trim the course hour requirements for all but the Greek and Hebrew classes. Furthermore, we changed the sequence of the classes and fixed the imbalance between Greek and Hebrew instruction. In the old structure, the student who took Greek II in the fall semester then jumped immediately in January to an intensive Hebrew class only to resume Greek III in the spring, which created real trouble with continuity of Greek; students grew in their abilities with Greek up until the early part of December only to put it on hold until early February. Through no fault of their own, students tended to have a significant setback during this break from Greek at a critical stage in their learning. Hence, the first several weeks of Greek III under the old curriculum tended to be remedial to get students back to the basics of Greek with which they were understandably quite rusty.

To deal with this situation, WSC changed its scope and sequence in language instruction to what it is now: fourwscal .e d u

unit Greek I over a five-week period in the summer (or the same class offered in the spring semester) that covers the equivalent of Machen’s beginning Greek book using a book written by one of our professors designed specifically for this class. Then in the fall semester, the three-year M.Div. student takes a three-unit Greek II class covering some of what used to be provided in the old spring semester class and begins Hebrew with a three-unit Hebrew I class. January now has both Hebrew II (one unit) and Greek III (one unit), so that students do not have that big lull in Greek exposure in particular during this period.

first is that entering students often say that they chose to come to WSC because of our academic rigor and sometimes specifically mention our biblical language requirements. One of the happiest results of this for the professors is that students coming to us are prepared to work very hard in their classes, and they sincerely give their language studies their best effort, even if they have little or no prior exposure to foreign language study. Yet, what is sometimes surprising to students when they get here is that we do not teach the languages for their own sakes—as attractive as that might be. No, our single-

"STUDENTS LEARN SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY NOT FROM ISOLATED SCRIPTURE PROOF TEXTS IN TRANSLATION BUT FROM CLASSROOM EXAMINATION IN DETAIL OF EXTENDED PASSAGES IN THE BIBLE IN THEIR ORIGINAL LANGUAGES." The first year finishes with a two-hour Greek IV class and a four-hour Hebrew III class in the spring semester, while two units of Hebrew IV are conducted in the fall of the second year. As you can see, both Greek instruction continues as before with ten total semester hours of classes, and Hebrew also now has ten hours; instruction in both languages is just distributed a little differently and, we think, more effectively.

What is equally important to the amount of language instruction is that the biblical language requirements for required upper-level biblical, preaching, and systematics courses remain unchanged as before, because the classes are still conducted in the classic, effective way to focus on making specialists in the Bible through focused attention on biblical texts in their original languages.

This brings us to two important points that are worth stressing as we have looked at our past and look forward. The

minded goal is to help them to delve into the Scripture with greater confidence and competence so that they themselves can master “the whole council of God” (as written in Greek on the school’s seal) as expert workers in the divine Word. The faculty of WSC remains committed to that goal in our course-work.

A second and final point to stress as we go forward is perhaps subtler but no less important. We have always attracted international students to our school. If we can make students experts in the Word of God, they will not be dependent on English translations for their teaching, but on the Bible directly from its original languages. Christianity does not belong only to the West! Our desire is for these students from other lands to translate, preach, and teach directly from the original, which is always our main goal for our students no matter from where they come. The world all around us needs more specialists in the Bible!

S. M. BAUGH is Professor of New Testament at Westminster Seminary California. He and his wife, Kathy, have two grown daughters and a son and live in Valley Center on “The Lazy B Ranch.”

W H AT A R E YOU AFR AID OF?

by M I C H A E L S . H O R T O N

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ccording to Wall Street’s “Fear-Greed Index,” it is “Extreme Fear” that is driving the market right now in the wake of COVID-19. It’s not just the coronavirus. Everybody seems to be anxious, checking the 24-hour news cycles for the next jolt to our insecurity. Besides their health, many are afraid of losing their job or personal freedom. Many are gripped by the fear of economic collapse, while others are anxious about environmental collapse. Many Christians are fearful of the collapse of a thinly-veiled Christian order. Others worship security and therefore are fearful of anyone and anything that leaders or the media construct as threatening it. You get my point. It’s all about control. What we’re most afraid of losing tells us who or what we worship, where we place our trust.

It’s not that people don’t believe in God anymore, just that it doesn’t seem to matter. And that suggests that there is little knowledge of the “God” to whom a majority (though declining) number of fellow Americans tip their hat. The first test of whether we are actually worshipping the right God is fear.

That’s right: Fear. While being afraid of all sorts of things is a sign of sanity these days, the fear of God seems quite insane not only to unbelieving neighbors but even in the church. It’s not surprising that the God of the Bible is increasingly rejected in wider American society, since even in evangelical circles he is frequently reduced to a supporting actor in our life movie: a means to the end of our own health, wealth and happiness. In ordinary conversations, even among Christians, we express fear of just about any threat to our well-being, but meet stares or raised eyebrows if we mention fearing God. We worship most what we fear most. So, for some right now, the fear of catching COVID-19 dominates the headlines.

People don’t worship a virus, of course, but many do worship health—physical and mental well-being. Fear is an index of the object of our worship, the one ultimately in whom we place

"PEOPLE DON’T WORSHIP A VIRUS, OF COURSE, BUT MANY DO WORSHIP HEALTH—PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. FEAR IS AN INDEX OF THE OBJECT OF OUR WORSHIP, THE ONE ULTIMATELY IN WHOM WE PLACE OUR TRUST." 8

our trust. Personal peace and well-being or political and social utopia become the “heaven on earth,” here and now, that we demand. If God can help with that, great. The philosopher William James said that in America, “God is not worshipped, he is used.”

Jesus has become a mascot for our cause, party or nation, rather than the mediator apart from whom we face God only as “a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). Instead of witnessing to the redeeming God of history, public pronouncements from some evangelical leaders give the impression that Christians are fearful, resentful and anxious. Looking to powerful leaders for security, we often seem to be telling our neighbors that we don’t really trust the one who said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

We imagine that we are not a little flock, certain to be wiped out were it not for God’s grace and mercy, much less that we’ve been given a kingdom. Instead, we seem to be fixated on the one we’re building. When Jesus warns of coming persecution, it’s not to stir his disciples to fear but to hope in him alone, based on his victory: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).

It’s not just the coronavirus. It has already caused great harm and will do greater before it has run its course. Other calamities will come and go, claiming lives. They make us feel small, helpless. But the real question is whether it turns our hearts to fear the one who holds the keys of death and hell.

We don’t really fear the coronavirus. It’s just a symptom of our deeper disease. What we fear most is losing imaginary control over our lives. Building its technological towers reaching to the heavens, humanity ascends in promethean defiance of God’s sovereignty. But then appears a microscopic agent for which we have yet no vaccine, capable of copying itself. We become anxious, not just because we may know people who are infected or even perhaps may die from it, but ultimately because it dispels the illusion of sovereignty. It doesn’t make sense, especially in 2020. Who’s in charge? How did this happen? Someone must be blamed for failing to prop up the tower.

To protect the illusion of sovereignty, some will see COVID-19 as a random accident. There is no one above us who permitted it as part of a meaningful plan to bring him glory by raising our eyes to him. We’re still in charge. It will be over soon.

We will contain it. Others will see it as a business opportunity, like the disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker selling his snake-oil or Kenneth Copeland, as he invites viewers to touch the TV screen for protection and healing—for a “seed gift,” of course.

UPDATE | SPRING2020

Still others will cower in fear, ransacking the stores and trembling in their bunkers. But everyone is afraid. Mainly, of death.

It seems that over the last few generations there has been a shift, away from “the fear of God” being something positive to a condition ranging from inappropriate to a troubling neurosis.

In churches where sentimentality reigns and each of us gets to decide who “our god” is, the assumption seems to be that “a nice God wouldn’t allow this to happen to nice people like us.”

After all, God exists for our happiness. That’s the sort of thing we hear on the street and also from many popular preachers.

Even in more conservative contexts, the reading of a “fear of God” passage is often followed up quickly with explanation, dying the death of a thousand qualifications. The upshot is that fear doesn’t really mean fear. It means something more like respect. But respect may be registered in no more than a polite gesture. No, fear means fear. It means that God alone is terrifying in his glory, righteous in his judgments, and merciful to all who call on his name. The right kind of fear, godly fear, “casts out fear” and leads to trust and love (1 Jn 4:18). The downgrading of the fear of God is misguided for at least two reasons.

First, sanity requires that we live with the grain of reality and the sovereign God is more real than we are. In fact, he is life and gives life—creaturely life—to us and to everything he has made. Like the visible sun, God exists and sends forth his rays of goodness regardless of whether we acknowledge him. Even when the clouds of his inscrutable providence obscure his presence, he is there, drawing our eyes to him.

Remember Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Strolling on his palace rooftop, he marveled at “this great Babylon which I have built,” and God drove him into the desert, living like a wild animal. Happily, that wasn’t the end of the story. God used it to show the king that he was insane, not living in reality.

As Nebuchadnezzar discovered, we recover our sanity when we lift our eyes to heaven. We’re back in line with reality. We’re not in charge, and never have been. We can’t create or save ourselves. But we have been created and saved by God in Jesus Christ! Now we can see the needs all around us, our own and those of our neighbors and the creation, as opportunities rather than threats. We want to play our part in curbing the spread of the virus. We are called to defend the life of our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable: the unborn, our aging elders, the poor, orphans, widows and all victims of injustice. We are called to be good stewards of God’s creation. But this is because we fear God rather than anyone or anything else.

Not even death threatens us because it is the “last enemy” whose claim on believers in Christ has been rendered null and void (1 Cor 15:50-57). We care for this world not because it will be destroyed but because it will be restored (Rom 8:1825). Our lives are now driven outward to our neighbors instead of being turned in on ourselves. We are fueled by freedom, not fear, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:7). The real headline should be, “It’s Easter!” Indeed, each Lord’s Day we gather to celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

When we fear God, all other fears become not manageable by human pride but subdued by the God of promise and deliverance. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we sometimes need to learn it the hard way. But since we’re made for communion with God, the outcome justifies the hard providences. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10) and the wisdom of God is Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30).

The fear of God leads to trust and trust bears the fruit of the Spirit, for a harvest of blessings for ourselves and for others.

If God uses difficult providences to cure us of our insanity and to bring us to rest in him, what outcome could be better? It’s not just “Keep Calm and Carry On,” but

"FEARING GOD EXTINGUISHES PARALYZING FEAR OF ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE."

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done? At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me (Dan 4:34-36).

Second, the good fear of God dispels the bad fear of anyone or anything else. Downplaying the fear of God, we are not only failing to give God his due but are depriving ourselves and each other of the only antidote to the crippling fears that haunt us.

Fearing God extinguishes paralyzing fear of anyone or anything else.

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones (Prov. 3:5-8).

A longer version of this article originally appeared on the White Horse Inn blog

MICHAEL S. HORTON is the J. Gresham Machen professor of Theology & Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, and the cohost of Core Christianity.

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ONCAMPUS

BRADLEY J. BITN NAM E D A SSOCIATE PROFESS

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estminster Seminary California (WSC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Bradley J. Bitner as Associate Professor of New Testament, effective July 1, 2020. Dr. Bitner has been serving as Lecturer in New Testament, Greek, and Biblical Theology at Oak Hill College in London since 2014. Administratively, he has served Oak Hill as Acting Academic Dean and Director of Learning, Teaching, and Assessment in recent years.

President Joel E. Kim commented, "We are delighted to have Dr. Brad Bitner join the faculty as we prepare specialists in the Bible for Christ's church. Dr. Bitner is an exceptional scholar of the New Testament whose work on Paul is widely respected and an engaging teacher of the Word. Moreover, he is an experienced churchman, and I am excited that our students will benefit from his years of ministry experience. We give thanks to the Lord for His gracious provisions for our institution."

"HE IS AN EXPERIENCED CHURCHMAN, AND I AM EXCITED THAT OUR STUDENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM HIS YEARS OF MINISTRY EXPERIENCE." JOEL E. KIM

Q U I C K F A C T S

Lived in 5 countries

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Born and raised in

Peoria, Illinois

UNIT E D STAT E S

ISR AE L

E NG LAND

AUSTRALIA

SWIT Z E R LA ND

Married with 7 children

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W H AT I H O P E T O I N S T I L L IN MY STUDENTS

OR OF NE W TESTAM E NT Dr. Bitner grew up in the PCA in Illinois, and has since lived in various places in the United States and around the world. After receiving his B.A. from Taylor University, he earned an M.A.R. in Biblical Theology and Exegesis from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Dr. Bitner served as a pastor for three years before pursuing doctoral studies. He completed his Ph.D. in New Testament and Early Christianity in 2013 at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

Dr. Bitner has taught New Testament, Greek, and Biblical Theology at Oak Hill College and Macquarie University. In 2015, he authored Paul’s Political Strategy in 1 Corinthians 1:14:6: Constitution and Covenant (Cambridge University Press).

He has two other book projects in progress on the biblical theology of Geerhardus Vos and Paul’s paradigm for building up the church in 1 Corinthians. He also serves as co-editor on the Ephesus volume in New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity (Eerdmans, forthcoming). In addition to these works, Dr. Bitner has published essays in edited volumes and articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Novum Testamentum and Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies. As a churchman, he serves as a Ruling Elder in the only Free Church of Scotland congregation in England, frequently preaching and teaching Christian education classes.

Dr. Bitner and his wife, Kathi, have seven children. He joins Dr. Nick Brennan as new faculty additions in the New Testament department at WSC.

Research interests include

1 & 2 Corinthians, Pastoral Epistles, Hebrews

"My hope is that my students would be formed by the Spirit of Christ into skillful gospel ministers.

I pray that I might help to cultivate in them a love, a humility, and a quiet resilience that is rooted deeply in the gospel. As they study for ministry I want students to grasp their weakness afresh and thereby grow in their knowledge of the power of Christ resting upon them - divine power that is able to wonderfully manifest itself through ministerial weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10)."

Interests

Hiking & Camping Favorite Sports

Running Making music with family Reading fiction and poetry wscal .e d u

Baseball

Soccer

NICK BRENNAN NAM E D A SSOCIATE PROFESS

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estminster Seminary California (WSC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Nick Brennan as Associate Professor of New Testament. An alumnus of WSC, Dr. Brennan has been serving as Lecturer in New Testament at Queensland Theological College in Australia since 2017. Due to COVID-19, Dr. Brennan will join WSC faculty in December.

"We are so grateful that Dr. Nick Brennan will be joining the faculty of WSC,” President Joel E. Kim commented. “Dr. Brennan is a wonderful biblical scholar who has done remarkable work on Hebrews and a seasoned pastor who will bring years of pastoral ministry experience into the classroom. Preparing specialists in the Bible for the church is our mission, and I am excited that our students will get a chance to learn from such a wonderful scholar-pastor."

A native of the United Kingdom, Dr. Brennan received his MSci. in Theoretical Physics from the University of Durham

"PREPARING SPECIALISTS IN THE BIBLE FOR THE CHURCH IS OUR MISSION, AND I AM EXCITED THAT OUR STUDENTS WILL GET A CHANCE TO LEARN FROM SUCH A WONDERFUL SCHOLAR-PASTOR." JOEL E. KIM

Q U I C K F A C T S

Lived in 5 countries

12

Born in

London, England

E NG LAND

NE W Z E ALAND

"I’m also a NZ citizen, having lived there for much of my 20s and 30s."

UNIT E D STAT E S

JAPAN

AUST R ALIA

Married with 3 children

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W H AT I H O P E T O I N S T I L L IN MY STUDENTS

OR OF NE W TESTAM E NT (U.K.). He earned his M.A. in Biblical Studies from WSC in 2012. Dr. Brennan completed his Ph.D. in Theology at the University of Otago (New Zealand) in 2018. His dissertation, which was named a 2018 Exceptional Doctoral Thesis at the University of Otago, is titled, “The Son as God: The Theological Salience of Divine Christology in the Epistle to the Hebrews.”

Prior to his appointment at Queensland Theological College, he served as Lecturer in Greek and Systematic Theology at Grace Theological College in Auckland, New Zealand.

Dr. Brennan has taught many New Testament courses, including Jesus and the Gospels, Early New Testament Church, Epistle to the Hebrews, John’s Gospel, Romans, Principles of Interpretation, Christian Worship, Advanced Preaching workshops, NT Greek, and Advanced NT Greek Exegesis. In 2019, he taught The Divinity of Jesus Christ in the New Testament at Westminster Seminary California. Dr. Brennan has delivered several papers at academic conferences, including the ANZATS Annual Meeting and the ACT Academic Research Seminars. He is proficient in Koine Greek, biblical Hebrew, academic French, academic German, and Japanese. Dr. Brennan is an ordained Teaching Elder in the Grace Presbyterian Church of New Zealand (GPCNZ), having served as a pastor in two churches from 2012-17.

Dr. Brennan and his wife, Inge, have three children. He joins Dr. Bradley J. Bitner as new faculty additions in the New Testament department at WSC.

Interests

Japanese food, culture, and language

"I want to help students grow in skill, knowledge and sophistication in handling the writings of the New Testament, alongside a deepening love for and wonder at the God whose character and work is revealed in its pages.

My hope is that students will then be formed as approved workers, right handlers of the word of God, who are able to lead others to the streams of living water from which they are already themselves happily drinking."

Hobbies

Playing musical instruments Favorite Sports Research interests include

Hebrews, John’s Gospel, New Testament Christology

Basketball

Rugby

Snooker

Jiu Jitsu

JULIUS J. KIM NAMED PRESIDENT OF THE GOSPEL COALITION

T WSC HOSTS LIGONIER MINISTRIES EVENT On February 18, Westminster Seminary California hosted Ligonier Ministries on campus for a special “Ask Ligonier” event featuring Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, WSC President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Church History. Dr. Godfrey also serves as Chairman of Ligonier Ministries. He joined the Ask Ligonier team to answer biblical and theological questions live online from the WSC Chapel. Friends from local churches joined WSC students, faculty, and staff to form a live audience for the event. This is the first time in its history that Ligonier held a live Ask Ligonier event in front of an audience.

Nathan Bingham, Ligonier’s Director of Communications, collected questions from the public online to present to Dr. Godfrey for answers. Some of the questions that Dr. Godfrey answered included the topics of double predestination, how to preach the psalms, the origins of the Baptist tradition, and the illegitimacy of Mormon baptism.

You may view this Ask Ligonier event with Dr. Godfrey at the following address: wscal.edu/news-and-events/news/ ask-ligonier

"WE HAVE TO BE ACTIVE SERVANTS IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH AS WELL AS RECIPIENTS OF THE BLESSING OF GOD IN AND THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH." W. ROBERT GODFREY 14

he Gospel Coalition (TGC) has named Westminster Seminary California (WSC) Professor of Practical Theology Dr. Julius J. Kim as its second president. Dr. Kim succeeds co-founder Dr. D.A. Carson as president of TGC full-time in July 2020. Dr. Kim will remain in Escondido, CA, and continue to serve WSC as Visiting Professor of Practical Theology.

After earning his M.Div. degree at WSC in 1997, Dr. Kim obtained his Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has been a professor at WSC since 2000, teaching practical theology and missions, serving as Dean of Students, and also serving as Associate Pastor at New Life Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Escondido. Dr. Kim has authored several books, including Preaching the Whole Counsel of God: Design and Deliver Gospel-Centered Sermons (Zondarvan, 2015). He has also served on multiple boards, including Covenant College, the Cambridge School, and Peacemaker Ministries. In 2015, he joined The Gospel Coalition Council. According to its foundational documents, TGC is “a fellowship of evangelical churches in the Reformed tradition deeply committed to renewing our faith in the gospel of Christ and to reforming our ministry practices to conform fully to the Scriptures.”

In an announcement of the appointment on the TGC website, Dr. Kim said, “I am profoundly humbled and grateful that the Board and Council of TGC has granted me this privilege to serve Christ as its next president. It is my sincere hope and prayer that as the Lord has so faithfully blessed this ministry for the past 15 years, he will provide even more blessing as we strive to make Christ and his gospel known to the church worldwide.”

WSC President Joel E. Kim commented, "My dear friend and colleague has been a tremendous blessing to me personally and to Westminster Seminary California for decades. I am delighted that his gifts and talents will serve the

"JULIUS IS AT HEART A PASTOR, WITH A DESIRE TO...SEE THE GOSPEL TAKE ROOT IN THE LIVES OF GOD’S PEOPLE." KEVIN DEYOUNG

church even more broadly through his ministry at TGC. Our prayers are with Julius and his family as he takes on this new responsibility and look forward to continuing our labors together as we prepare servants for Christ and his church."

Tim Keller, vice chairman of TGC’s Board, observed, “We are excited about the appointment of Julius Kim. He is both an academic and a pastor, with long years of teaching students how to apply theology to practical ministry and life.” Chairman of TGC’s Board Kevin DeYoung added, “Julius is at heart a pastor, with a desire to build into others, strengthen the local church, and see the gospel take root in the lives of God’s people…. Relying on God’s grace, we are confident that Julius is the right man to champion our theological vision for life and ministry, shepherd our growing staff, and lead this global and dynamic ministry for years to come.”

Please join Westminster Seminary California in praying for the Lord’s blessings on Dr. Kim, TGC, and WSC as they seek to serve Christ, his gospel, and his church.

UPDATE | SPRING2020

WESTMINSTER VILLAGE The Westminster Village has 64 individual apartments. This design has enabled the students and their families to remain in their homes while they are studying online to complete the Spring Semester coursework.

Westminster Seminary California is grateful for the generosity and vision of those who have made it possible for the Westminster Village to become a thriving community of faith.

Westminster Village 100% occupied

64

1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments fully occupied for 2019-2020

202

Residents

81

Students

73

WHOM SHALL I FEAR? THE LORD IS THE STR ONGHOLD OF MY LIFE; OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID? wscal .e d u

P SA L M

THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION;

2 7 : 1

Children

15

FOUR DECAD Westminster Seminary California

1980

First class begins in The Center at San Marcos with 25 full-time students

2000

1984

1980

1997

1990

WSC is accredited

by Association of Theological Schools (ATS)

1982

2000

Chapel is completed;

Classes begin on new campus in Escondido; WSC receives accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

RO B E RT B. STRIMPLE

retires

2002 The first endowed chair, the Robert B. Strimple Chair of Systematic Theology & Christian Ethics, is established

1993

RO B E RT B. S T R I M P L E

W. R O B E R T G O D F R E Y

appointed first president of WSC

appointed third president of WSC

1993

1988 RO B E RT G. D E N D U L K

appointed second president of WSC

16

The first three WSC presidents at commencement in Spring 1993

UPDATE | SPRING2020

DES

2018 Westminster Village opens to provide on-campus housing for students; DR. DENNIS E. J O H N S O N retires

2010

2004 2008

2006 The second endowed chair, the J. Gresham Machen Chair of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, is established

WSC alumni exceed 700

Capital Campaign begins to raise money for the on-campus student housing project

2017 J O E L E . K I M appointed

fourth president of WSC

D R . W. R O B E R T G O D F R E Y retires

2010

First WSC Annual Faculty Conference on campus ("The Foolishness of the Gospel")

2015

2020

WSC's 30th Anniversary

2014 D E R K E P. BERGSMA

retires

2016 Construction starts on newly acquired land for student housing

2009 Library is renovated

wscal .e d u

The inaugural Dennis and Jane Johnson Lectures on Missions is held on campus

2019

17

ONMISSION

1985 J EF F

LANDI S

BUILDING FOR MINISTRY

W

hen my wife, Donna, and I visited Westminster Seminary California on a Spring day in 1982, we were directed to an office building in San Marcos. That afternoon we, along with other prospective students, boarded a bus and were driven to an empty hilltop. There we were told to imagine a seminary campus overlooking Escondido.

For my first two years, Westminster remained in the San Marcos office complex. But my third year started on Bear Valley Parkway with the completion of the first phase of construction. It was a significant upgrade!

I chose WSC for two reasons. First, I felt called to pastoral ministry and wanted a seminary that would prepare me for that calling. Second, I did not want to live in the snow (my alternative was Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia).

I believe I made the right call on both points. Academically, the school gave me a great preparation. Years later while I was working on a D.Min. degree at another seminary, John Frame taught the same class I had at WSC in my first semester with him. My fellow students were overwhelmed; they had never had such a deep and stretching class in their seminary training. WSC gave me the academic foundation that I needed and desired.

The faculty in the early years of the seminary were extraordinary. WSC, from its beginning, was blessed by men with hearts for God, love for his church, and the gift of communicating the things of God to their students. Dr. Robert Strimple’s lectures were invaluable to me. His lecture style of moving from one scripture text to another has continued to serve me well. Good theology must be grounded in Scripture. John Frame challenged me; I came to WSC with very little philosophy in my background, but I left appreciating his clarity on theology and his teaching on presuppositionalism. Church history was already a favorite subject of mine, but Dr. Robert Godfrey made church history come alive for me. And you always knew that his lectures would contain as much systematic theology as church history!

In the Biblical Studies Department, two men especially stood out for me. Dr. M.G. Kline was instrumental helping me understand the structure of the Old Testament and the importance of suzerain treaties towards that end. He gave me insights into the covenants of Scripture that transformed the way I read and understand the Old Testament. I still have a small piece of art he gave us when he and Mrs. Kline came for dinner. Dr. Dennis Johnson was not merely an excellent professor in New 18

Testament, but was and is one of the warmest and most gracious men I have known. He set an example for me of what a godly pastor looks like.

I am also greatly indebted to Dr. Richard Kaufmann, our pastor during seminary at New Life Presbyterian Church. Our Sunday evening gatherings in Dick and Liz’s home gave me great insights into small group worship. Dick also taught practical theology classes at WSC. Over the years, I have continued to reference his useful lectures on church government and administration. Additionally, his evangelism class provided unforgettable evenings walking through Mallory Square in San Diego and up and down Valley Parkway in Escondido interacting with people and looking for opportunities to speak of Christ. Those stretching moments provided me with key insights on evangelism for my ministry.

When young men come to me for counsel concerning seminary, I always direct them away from an online seminary. Discussions with classmates after lectures helped clarify the points in our minds. Talking about how to apply a particular theological point to a real-life situation caused us to strengthen our pastoral muscles. My claim to fame is that I graduated with the future Dr. Steve Baugh. I warmly remember times with the Baughs and other classmates that rounded out my seminary experience.

This year will mark 34 years of ordained ministry for me.

Those years have included both ups and downs, some tremendous challenges and some wonderful blessings. Westminster was the right choice for me, and I have continued to be blessed by the foundation it provided. I am thankful the Lord led me to Westminster Seminary California.

UPDATE | SPRING2020

1993 DAV I D

CH ONG

LEARNING

BY EXAMPLE

T

ime sure flies fast! It has already been 27 years since my graduation from Westminster Seminary California in 1993. I have made many decisions in my life, and attending the Seminary in 1990 was one of the best decisions I have made. Two things stand out as I remember my seminary days.

The first thing that comes to mind is the theological training I received at WSC. I have slowly come to realize how it has stuck with me throughout my many years of ministry. My time at WSC was busy. On top of my regular studies, I was ministering to youth at a local church in Orange County on weekends and leading campus Bible studies with an organization called Korean Campus Mission. While these were great experiences, one of my regrets was that it took my focus away from my studies. I felt I lacked so many things, yet, as I began my fulltime church ministry, including two church plants, I realized the basic theological frameworks, the Bible centeredness, and the reformed theological perspectives were strongly engraved in my heart, guiding me in my ministries and personal life. Both my vision in life and the ministry is “to glorify God, to enjoy his presence, and to proclaim the gospel.” When you plant a church, you could easily rely more on people and the resources they could bring. My training, however, taught me that it is God who brings all things to fruition, and that success in ministry or personal life is not depending on knowing more powerful people or worldly tactics, but to know the sovereign God, which I think is the essence of the reformed theology. The only reason I could assuredly say that I stayed the course with this vision in Jesus Christ was the training I received from the seminary. For this, I am eternally indebted and grateful.

Secondly, it was seeing professors studying the Bible. In my seminary days, I was in a survival mode from one assignment to another and one semester to another, but seeing professors studying the Bible ceaselessly motivated me to become a lifetime

student. One of my OT professors sat with us during the NT Greek class. I asked him why, and he answered that he wanted to improve himself in Greek continually so that he could better handle the Bible in its entirety. This hunger to learn was a common theme among WSC professors. I remember passing by offices and seeing professors delved into books and the Bible.

Another incident that I so vividly remember is the late Dr. Edmund Clowney, at his old age studying among us students in a library carrel. I thought he had accomplished all things as a pastor and scholar, yet there he was studying more diligently than students. That studious attitude deeply impressed on my heart. Then I learned that finishing seminary is not an end in studying, but a beginning to a life-learning process. Whenever I get lazy in studying the Bible, I remind myself of my professors, studying their best, not only to teach students but also to mature themselves in Jesus Christ, to know God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will.

Westminster Seminary California is still living in me, guiding and leading my personal life and my ministry. I don’t want to go back (it was so hard!), but I am so appreciative of my studies at WSC. I will continue to pray that the Seminary will carry these wonderful traditions, affecting many young minds until Jesus comes to restore the world.

“MY TRAINING, HOWEVER, TAUGHT ME THAT IT IS GOD WHO BRINGS ALL THINGS TO FRUITION, AND THAT SUCCESS IN MINISTRY OR PERSONAL LIFE IS NOT DEPENDING ON KNOWING MORE POWERFUL PEOPLE OR WORLDLY TACTICS, BUT TO KNOW THE SOVEREIGN GOD" wscal .e d u

19

2008 J O N ATH A N

M O E RS CH

THE NECESSITY OF SEMINARY EDUCATION

I

’ve wanted to be a pastor my whole life. Yet the church in which I was raised did not require its ministers to attend seminary; as a matter of fact, they discouraged it.

“Cemetery,” as they jokingly referred to it, was a place where one “read too many books and became too smart for the Holy Spirit.” The assumption was that all that learning one gets at seminary would breed too much self-reliance and would hinder one from relying upon the power of the Spirit in interpreting Scripture, thus quenching his work. As I grew in my understanding of Scripture as it is faithfully summarized in the Reformed Confessions, however, I became more and more convinced of the need to attend seminary. Looking back upon my time at Westminster Seminary California, I realize that restricting the role of the Holy Spirit to that of the inward illumination of the Scriptures, severely undervalues his work in the whole church.

The first place one might see this is in study of the original languages of Hebrew and Greek. Since we believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture down to the last word, why wouldn’t we want to study those words as they were originally written? While there are many good and faithful English translations that the people of God can confidently read, a minister of the Word should be working in the original languages as they open the Scriptures to the rest of the people. Having done the necessary preparation, a man of God can boldly proclaim the words of the Spirit speaking in the Scripture. Westminster is one of the few seminaries that still requires a high degree of competency in both Greek and Hebrew in order to complete the M.Div. program, and I am thankful for that.

Another place where one can see the work of the Spirit is in the study of Church History. C.S. Lewis warns us against the error of “chronological snobbery”; that is, the idea that our present generation has it all figured out and that those who came before us must of have lived in the dark ages. At his ascension, the risen Christ poured out his gifts upon the whole Church (Eph. 4:10-12), and thus we can be confident that there has been gifted ministers of the Word throughout every age. This is true not

only in the time of the Apostles and in the Reformation (which we tend to emphasize), but even throughout the Middle Ages.

Thus when we read and interpret our Bibles, we do not do so in isolation, but, as it were, “standing on the shoulders of giants” who have gone on before us. This, too, is a work of the Holy Spirit. Not only in my Church History classes at Westminster, but also in the Biblical, Systematic and Practical theology courses we are looking to benefit from those in the past.

Not only can we look to the work of the Spirit in the past, but we can also see his work in the present as he has gifted men who have dedicated their lives to the study and teaching of the Scriptures. Seminary provides an opportunity to “sit at their feet” and learn from them, not only in the classroom setting, but also by how they live their lives. Westminster Seminary California has been particularly blessed with men who are truly pastor-scholars that are able to provide top-notch theological education, but who are also faithful churchmen and exemplary husbands and fathers. The relationships I formed with many of my professors remain to this day as I continue to learn and grow from them.

Far from breeding a cocky self-confidence, seminary is a truly humbling experience in that it shows you how little you really know. Even upon completion of my degree and graduation, I had only scratched the surface. The goal of seminary is not to learn everything there is to know, but to gain a solid footing in understanding the Scriptures and to equip one with tools for learning throughout one’s life in reliance upon the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth (John 16:13).

“SEMINARY PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO 'SIT AT THEIR FEET' AND LEARN FROM THEM, NOT ONLY IN THE CLASSROOM SETTING, BUT ALSO BY HOW THEY LIVE THEIR LIVES." 20

UPDATE | SPRING2020

2013 A D R I E L

SANCH E Z

INTO THE DEEP END

I

t’s hard to imagine where I’d be right now if it wasn’t for the training I received and the people who befriended me at Westminster Seminary California. I began my studies in 2010. To be honest I was intimidated. Not having a background in confessional Reformed theology, I felt like a bad swimmer pushed into the deep end of a pool. I was grasping for concepts to grab onto that were familiar. As an elective during my first semester, I took a seminar course called Union with Christ. It sounded easy enough! I didn’t know that union with Christ was a theological concept that was the center of no little controversy. The class that I assumed would be a cinch had me sweating, especially when I had to speak up during group discussions!

Looking back, the “sweating” that came because of the academic rigor of the program is what I’ve come to appreciate most about Westminster. Finishing seminary felt like a true accomplishment, and in the process I had changed. There’s that caricature of seminary that it’s where people go to get puffed up or lose their faith. God used Westminster to accomplish the opposite in me. I was constantly humbled to share the classroom with men and women who were tremendously gifted and wanted to serve Christ. Having brilliant professors whom I looked up to as theologians, but whom I could also speak with and befriend, made me feel privileged. My own faith grew through Hebrew, and Greek, exegetical papers, and history classes. I’m so grateful for the hard work that was required of me that helped get me ready for the trenches of ministry. Now serving as a pastor, I’d like to share a couple of the ways WSC continues to impact my ministry.

First, the training I received at Westminster gave me confidence to interpret the Bible. I’m proud to have gone to a seminary that doesn’t take short cuts when it comes to theological languages. Having undergone exegetical boot camp, I don’t feel intimidated when working through a passage in order to preach it. At least for me, the most difficult part of preparing a sermon isn’t the interpretation of the text, but wrestling with how to apply the exegetical work to my own congregation. The seminary education I received helped me to understand the Scriptures well enough to exegete them so that I could share God’s word in a way that is faithful, and thereby effective at

bringing about transformation in God’s people. Furthermore, seeing how our theological convictions aren’t invented, but grow out of the rich soil of Scripture, has encouraged me to boldly “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2).

Second, Westminster taught me about the role of the ordinary means of grace in gospel ministry. This has been a lifeline for me in difficult moments pastoring. We planted our church nearly six years ago, and in the early days there were times of discouragement. Resting in the fact that the church was Christ’s and that he was going to build it his way kept me from trying to create a church in my own image. Knowing that the mission of the church (the Great Commission) isn’t severed from the marks of the church (preaching the gospel, administration of the sacraments, and discipline) has saved me from countless hours of trying to re-invent the wheel as a church planter. I’m comforted by the fact that I don’t need to figure out how to build the church; that’s Jesus’ job. Our work is to be faithful to the means by which he fulfills his promise. In our labors, we aren’t alone either! Westminster introduced me to a network of men and women with whom I would be able to labor side-byside in the gospel. These brothers and sisters have been a source of encouragement for me since having graduated, and I’m so grateful for their influence in my life as well as the seminary’s.

As a seminary, WSC accomplished exactly what I hoped training for ministry would. It grounded me in God’s word and gave me the confidence needed to proclaim the Scriptures boldly, and the comfort of the gospel to sustain that kind of ministry for a lifetime.

“I’M PROUD TO HAVE GONE TO A SEMINARY THAT DOESN’T TAKE SHORT CUTS WHEN IT COMES TO THEOLOGICAL LANGUAGES." wscal .e d u

21

ALUMNI NEWS Send your recent updates for future magazine issues to alumni@wscal.edu.

1984 Robert Meissner (M.Div., 1984) retired

as an Air Force Chaplain after serving 33 years and is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Talbot Seminary (La Mirada, CA).

1988 Tom Carter (D.Min., 1988) is retiring af-

ter 38 years as the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dinuba, CA. He served a total of 44 years in three churches. He recently launched TomCarterSermons.com.

Sung Park (MAR, 1988) has been prac-

ticing neurology over 25 years as well as serving in the church as volunteer assistant pastor and is finishing a Th.M. degree at Westminster Theological Seminary, under the mentorship of Dr. William Edgar.

1997 Don Collett (M.Div., 1997) has been

teaching in the Bible department at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA, since 2008 and in January 2020, he was appointed interim academic dean. His book titled Figural Reading and the Old Testament: Theology and Practice will be published in April 2020 by Baker Academic.

2003 David Barcelo (MA, 2003) is publishing

his first book (to be released in June 2020) Su Gracia es Mayor (His Grace is More). In it biblical theology and biblical counseling meet to talk to the heart and point to Christ when unfolding the gospel in the life of Joseph. David is married to Elisabet, father of four children, pastor and church planter in Spain.

2006 David Zadok (MABS, 2006) is Pastor of

Grace and Truth Christian Congregation in Gedera, Israel, and Director of HaGefen Publishing. David recently published Dr. Julius Kim’s book, Preaching the Whole Council of God, in Modern Hebrew. This is the first book on preaching ever published in Modern Hebrew.

2008 Stephen Roberts (M.Div., 2008) has

been assigned to Fort Bragg, NC, to work 22

with psychological operations soldiers. He will be moving there with his wife, Lindsey, and kids, Seth and Tabitha, in July.

2010 Matthew Mills (M.Div. 2010), his wife

Lisa, and big brother Ian welcomed Eliana Elizabeth Mills on April 19, 2019. He is serving as an English as a Second Language Instructor. Las Positas College in Livermore, CA. Peter Mulinge (MABS, 2010) completed

a Doctor of Ministry (DMIN) program in Organic Leadership Development at Bethel Seminary San Diego in 2015 before returning to Kenya, Africa, where he started leadership development programs tailor-made for church and emerging leaders. He will complete a Ph.D. in leadership studies at the School of leadership studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, in May 2020.

2010 Thomas Knox Myrick (M.Div., 2010)

and his wife, Abigail, welcomed the arrival of their second daughter, Mary Arden Myrick, last summer. Tommy serves as Associate Pastor to Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Maryland, a Washington, D.C. suburb.

2013 Shane Bennett (M.Div., 2013) was called

as a church planter at Reformation Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in September 2019.

2013 Steve Moulson (MAHT, 2001, M.Div.,

2013) planted Church Hill Presbyterian (PCA), in Richmond, VA, in September 2019.

Jiwon Helen (Shin) Wyman (MATS,

2013) will be completing her general psychiatry training and going on to additional training in child and adolescent psychiatry in June 2020, when we will be relocating to Los Angeles.

2014 Joshua Schendel (MAHT, 2014) has

is a Ph.D. candidate in Theology at Saint Louis University. His dissertation is entitled, “’A Learned Dispute Among Friends’: William Twisse and John Owen on the Necessity of the Christ’s Satisfaction.” He is also pursuing ordination in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

2015 Kennedy M. Gondwe (MATS, 2015)

works for the Centres for Apologetics Research in Africa and in 2018 relocated to Zambia where he works with ministers teaching on cults and holds seminars every three months for pastors and university students equipping them with biblical knowledge to better equip and serve their members and families.

Adrian Crum (M.Div., 2016) and his wife,

Rachel, welcomed their third daughter (Lucy Elinor) in September 2019. Adrian is serving as Associate Pastor at Reformation Fellowship (OPC) in Roseville, CA. Dabney Olguin (M.Div., 2016) was ordained to gospel ministry and called to serve as pastor at Grace Covenant Church in Parma, Ohio, in 2019. His wife, Lauren, is homeschooling their four children; Isabela (11), Caleb (10), Isaiah (7), and Isaac (5).

Brian Onstead (M.Div., 2016) started a new call as preaching pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Powell, WY, in September 2019.

Adam Smith (M.Div., 2016) began a new

position as the Director of International Operations and Chief of Staff at the White Horse Inn in January 2020.

Daniel Cortez (M.Div., 2018) has passed

the URCNA Candidacy Exam and is in the process of pursuing military chaplaincy as a United States Air Force Reserve Chaplain.

Tedd Sutton (M.Div., 2018) was or-

dained and installed as the associate pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Holland, MI, in June 2019.

been hired as the Executive Editor at Modern Reformation Magazine. Joshua UPDATE | SPRING2020

2020 ALUMNI WINTER REFRESHER

A

s any seminary graduate will tell you, a seminary education is only the beginning of one’s education and preparation for ministry. As the saying goes, the more you know, the more you know how much you don’t know! Westminster Seminary California encourages its students to be lifelong learners as specialists in the Bible.

In order to promote the continuing education of its students, WSC allows its alumni to audit any course for free. Hundreds of alumni have taken advantage of this opportunity over the years.

Each January, WSC alumni return to their alma mater for the Annual Conference, Alumni Winter Refresher, and, of course, the Southern California sun.

Churches often grant their pastors a brief sabbatical in order for them to return to campus for spiritual and intellectual refreshment and to reconnect with former professors and classmates. These alumni usually take advantage of the January sunshine by taking in a round of golf or a trip to the beach. Some of these alumni return every year for this time of pastoral refreshment and fellowship.

This tradition continued in the 2020

Winter term, which featured 11 intensive courses held through January. This year’s course offerings included “Echoes of Exodus: Tracing Biblical Motifs,” “The Ascension of Christ in the Ancient Church,” “Ministry to University Students,” and “Urban Apologetics.” A combination of full-time WSC faculty and visiting professors taught these January courses. Most Winter term courses are one-week intensives, which provides an ideal opportunity for alumni auditors without having to miss too much time from their church or other jobs. In addition to the 95 current students taking these courses for credit, 19 auditors participated in Winter term courses, including 11 alumni, 2 alumni spouses, and 3 current student spouses.

Several WSC Trustees also remained on campus after Board meetings in order to sit in on classes.

We hope our alumni plan to join us on campus for next year’s Annual Conference and winter classes, which include an exciting slate of offerings. Stay tuned for the Winter term course schedule to be published on the WSC website and social media accounts this summer.

LEARN. RECONNECT. REFRESH.

SEMINARY for a DAY V I S I T. M E E T. LEARN. EXPLORE.

This is a free, campus-wide event that is all about prospective student visitors and offers a unique opportunity to experience seminary life. Join us at one of our upcoming events!

OCTOBER 23, 2020 JANUARY 15, 2021 MARCH 12, 2021

wscal.edu/visit wscal .e d u

23

INPERSON & INPRINT

2020 ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN ADAM, IN CHRIST

W

estminster Seminary California’s 2020 Annual Conference commenced the evening of Friday, January 17, and continued through Saturday afternoon. This year’s conference attracted people to campus from 20 states and 4 countries, with many more friends from around the world viewing live online. Emcee Dr. Ryan Glomsrud and other members of the WSC faculty – President Joel E. Kim, Drs. Michael S. Horton, David VanDrunen, Bryan D. Estelle, S.M. Baugh, and A. Craig Troxel – explored the conference theme, “In

Adam, In Christ.” From creation to consummation, the Bible declares the marvelous truth that God is the sovereign ruler of all. In this grand story of God’s providential care over all of his creation, we learn some very important truths about what it means that we were not only created in the image of God, but re-created by Jesus Christ, the Last Adam. This year’s conference explored this theme of God’s love and provision ultimately found in the Last Adam.

Opening the conference, Dr. Horton examined the imago dei in his lecture, “Created in the Image of God.” A crucial part of being God’s image bearers, Horton observed, has to do with something between us and God; that is, a covenantal commission.

God gives this commission only to humans through our father

“THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST IS THE GUARANTEE. IT GUARANTEES THE RESURRECTION OF ALL WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS." PRESIDENT JOEL E. KIM

24

UPDATE | SPRING2020

Adam. This reality of being created in the image of God bears importance in our contemporary culture. In a day and age that seeks to discover one’s true identify by focusing on oneself, scripture points us elsewhere. Fallen man’s nature is to focus inward on himself, as we see throughout history. Horton explained, “Plato wants us to find ourselves by looking inside ourselves, but the Bible shows that we find ourselves by looking outside ourselves to Christ.” It is only by looking to our Creator and Savior that we can understand truly

who we are and who we were made to be.

Dr. VanDrunen closed the first day by taking up the topic “Righteousness and Life.” He explained that in order to grasp the meaning of Christ being the Second Adam for God’s people, first we must understand that all of humanity was represented by the first Adam in the covenant of works in the Garden. According to the terms of this covenant, Adam was to obey God in perfect righteousness with the promise of everlasting life if he did so. When our first parents failed to fulfill this covenant,

humanity plunged into sin and death.

But Jesus, as our Second Adam, won this everlasting life for God’s people through his perfect righteousness in his life and death.

Though we deserved death, God gave his people life through Christ. As VanDrunen noted, “The Lord Jesus Christ is the answer to the unease we have to feel as those who have fallen into sin and those whom God holds before us life.”

Saturday’s sessions began with Dr. Estelle’s “The Creation Mandate Through the Bible.” In the opening chapter of Continued on page 26

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2020 Conference Attendees

Attendees singing together at the 2020 Annual Conference

BY THE NUMBERS

235 total attendees

739

total livestream plays

20 states represented represented 4 countries Genesis, God gave the “creation mandate” as a command to Adam and Eve – to be fruitful, multiply, fill and subdue the earth, and rule over creation. Estelle traced the various ways scripture repeats this mandate throughout the Old and New Testaments.

But how does this mandate, to which many refer as the “cultural mandate,” apply to us today? He noted that Jesus was “born of a woman, born under the law, to do two things: ransom us from our sins and adopt us as his children.” As a result, Christ’s kingdom – and our mandate in His Great Commission – is spiritual rather than political, as some have claimed.

Dr. Baugh followed with “Creation Kingship and the World to Come,” which featured an examination of Hebrews 2. He walked listeners through a close read of the text and the importance of punctuation in exploring the nature of the Christian’s role and rule in the new creation through the pioneering role of Jesus Christ as the Last Adam. Baugh explained that Jesus had to become like us, flesh and blood, in order

to ransom us. He observed, “Our Lord Jesus has purchased us out of that heritage of death.”

In “Sojourners East of Eden,” Dr. Troxel focused on our identity as a saved sojourner living in the already/not-yet dynamic on this side of glory. Just as the Israelites were sojourners in the land of Egypt, we experience the reality of already being made joint-heirs with Christ while simultaneously not yet fully experiencing our glorified, sinless everlasting life. Troxel discussed how our gratitude for this redemption from sin’s bondage ought to evoke our compassion and empathy for fellow sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, as well as inform the ways in which we reach out to them. Our message to the world is simple, he explained: “Come to Jesus. He is more than sufficient for all that you need.”

President Kim brought the conference to a close with his lecture, “Finding Hope in the Last Adam.” He pointed listeners

to 1 Corinthians 15 as a balm for those struggling with life experiences that can leave many feeling hopeless. This passage reveals the peace-inducing hope that comes to those who put their trust in the Last Adam, Jesus Christ. Our comfort comes in knowing that our hope does not depend upon our own works and fidelity. “The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee,” President Kim explained. “It guarantees the resurrection of all who are in Christ Jesus.”

In the midst of our trials and temptations, scripture reminds us of the encouraging reality of Jesus’ person and work, and how only he can provide the hope and confidence we desperately need.

In addition to providing a time of deep spiritual nourishment and encouragement from WSC faculty speakers, these annual conferences also provide an opportunity for alumni, friends, and faculty to fellowship together each year. Please plan to join us next January for the 2021 Annual Conference.

“COME TO JESUS. HE IS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FOR ALL THAT YOU NEED." DR. A. CRAIG TROXEL 26

UPDATE | SPRING2020

FACULTY WRITING For more faculty books, see the bookstore ad on p. 31 or visit us online at wscal.edu/bookstore.

BOOKS

WITH ALL YOUR HEART

Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will Toward Christ

by A. Craig Troxel

In our world, we use the word heart to refer to our emotions. But the Bible uses the word heart to refer to the governing center of life.

We need to grasp the true meaning of the heart in order to better understand ourselves, our sin, and our need for redemption. As we rediscover the heart as the source of all our thoughts, fears, words, and actions, we will discover principles and practices for orienting our hearts to truly love and obey God with all that we are.

POLITICS AFTER CHRISTENDOM

Political Theology in a Fractured World

by David VanDrunen

Politics After Christendom explains what Scripture teaches about political community and about Christians' responsibilities within their own communities. As it pursues this task, Politics After Christendom makes use of several important theological ideas that Christian thinkers have developed over the centuries. These ideas include Augustine's Two-Cities concept, the Reformation Two-Kingdoms category, natural law, and a theology of the biblical covenants.

ARTICLES

bryan d. estelle

“Controlled Chaos: Relevance Theory and Judges 20:29-48,” Westminster Theological Journal, Vol. 82, No. 1 (Spring, 2020).

ryan glomsrud

“Johann Heinrich Heidegger (1633-1698): His Life and Times,” in The Concise Marrow of Christian Theology, trans. Casey Carmichael, ed. R. Scott Clark (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2019).

“Barth and Schleiermacher,” in The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Karl Barth, eds. George Hunsinger and Keith L. Johnson (Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, 2020), vol. 2.

michael horton

“Affirming Moser’s Well-Qualified Totus Christus,” Pro Ecclesia, Vol. 29, No. 1 (February 2020).

joel e. kim

“The Relevance of Dort for Today,” in The Synod of Dort: Historical, Theological, and Experiential Perspectives, eds. Martin Klauber and Joel Beeke (Vandenhoek & Ruprecht, April, 2019).

david vandrunen

“Presbyterians, Philosophy, Natural Theology, and Apologetics,” in The Oxford Handbook of Presbyterianism, ed. Gary Scott Smith and Paul C. Kemeny (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019), 457-73.

“A Contested Union: Union with Christ and the Justification Debate,” in The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls: Justification in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective, ed. Matthew Barrett (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 469-503.

ACCESS RESOURCES ON THE WSC MOBILE APP The mobile app is the most convenient way to access WSC resources, including Office Hours, Morning Devotions, Annual Conferences, and lectures. Download the app today to start listening.

SUBSPLASH.COM/WSCAL/APP

wscal .e d u

27

The CARES Act and Charitable Giving

CASH GIFTS If you are among the 90 percent of American taxpayers who take the standard deduction, you may now deduct $300 in charitable gifts from your gross income.

This above-the-line deduction applies only to cash gifts made directly to ministry; they cannot be made into a donor-advised fund.

1 0 0 % C H A R I TA B L E DEDUCTION You may deduct cash gifts up to 100 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI) in 2020. Gifts made directly to charity, regardless of whether they relate to Covid-19 relief, qualify. The previous deduction limit for cash gifts was 60 percent.

TALK TO A PLANNER 28

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The massive $2.2 trillion stimulus package is intended to provide swift relief to individuals and organizations alike, in the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to direct payment and other provisions that may benefit your family, here are several CARES Act items and other considerations related to your charitable giving.

GIFTS FROM YO U R I R A

STOCK AND OT H E R NON-CASH ASSE TS

Because of the market downturn, and in order to help individuals retain funds in their retirement accounts, Congress opted to waive the required minimum distribution (RMD) from IRAs for 2020.

However, loyal supporters over 70 ½ can still make a qualified charitable distribution to ministry if they wish, since this remains a cost-effective way to give.

Giving appreciated stock, real estate or other non-cash assets remains the most cost-effective giving option since you will receive a fair market value deduction at the time of your gift and avoid capital gains on the sale of appreciated assets. If you have already made gifts of stock or other assets into a donor-advised fund, now is a great time to make distributions from your account.

C ORPORAT E GIFTS

GIFTS IN A WIL L

Corporations can now deduct outright charitable gifts up to 25 percent of income rather than the previous 10 percent limit. For contributions of food inventory, the deduction limit went from 15 percent to 25 percent of income.

Many people make their most significant contribution to ministry by leaving charitable gifts in their will. An “ultimate gift” allows you to retain access to your God-given resources for as long as you need them, while ensuring your favorite ministries continue to make a difference, well beyond your lifetime.

Through Barnabas Foundation, you have access to trusted planning support from a Christian perspective. At no cost to you, a Barnabas Foundation planner will explain all of your tax-wise giving options, helping you develop a plan that honors God, cares for the needs of your family and furthers the causes closest to your heart.

To learn more and to schedule your conversation with a planner, call 888.448.3040 or email info@BarnabasFoundation.com.

UPDATE | SPRING2020

HONORARIUM & MEMORIAL GIFTS Gifts Received from October 26, 2019, through April 30, 2020

IN HONOR OF Rev. Dr. Steven M. Baugh Dr. and Mrs. Patrick O'Banion Col. and Mrs. Daniel S. Oh Rev. Dr. R. Scott Clark Dr. and Mrs. William J. Montgomery Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Wolfe Ms. Marilyn Jean Frank Mr. Burton D. Santee Jr. Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Dennis Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Garret A. Hoogerhyde

Mr. Jeffrey Karel Anonymous

Rev. Dr. Robert B. Strimple Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Van Egmond

Rev. Joel E. Kim Rev. William C. Godfrey Dr. and Mrs. Paul S. Lee The Park Family of Incheon, Korea

Rev. Dr. David M. VanDrunen Col. and Mrs. Daniel S. Oh

Rev. Dr. Julius J. Kim Dr. and Mrs. Paul S. Lee Dr. and Mrs. Marcus McArthur

Mr. Cecilio Ybarra Jr. Mr. Shawon Ybarra

IN MEMORY OF Mr. John K. Andrews Rev. William C. Godfrey Mr. Elko Brouwer Mr. and Mrs. Pete De Jong Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn Rev. Dr. and Mrs. W. Robert Godfrey Mr. and Mrs. Allan Oudman Mr. Ronald W. Prins Rev. Andrew A. Cammenga Rev. William C. Godfrey Mr. Adam Chau-Dung Chang Mrs. Su-Yin Chang

Dr. and Mrs. W. Robert Godfrey Ms. Jodi Hoogwerf Mrs. Evelyn Tos Mrs. Jeanne Friberg Mr. and Mrs. James W. Onnink Ms. Norma Heinecke Ms. Sandra J. Nonhof Mrs. Mary Lou Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn Baby Maverick Kanis Mr. and Mrs. Ian McClure

Mr. John Haruo Mikasa Mr. and Mrs. Alex Watson-Wong Mr. Robert L. Northup Rev. Dr. and Mrs. R. Scott Clark Mr. Wayne Remme Rev. Dr. and Mrs. R. Scott Clark Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn Mrs. Marsha Shaw Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn Rev. Dr. and Mrs. W. Robert Godfrey Rev. and Mrs. Jae Sung Suh Rev. and Mrs. Sam S. Suh

Ms. Grace M. Chen Mr. Michael Chen

Miss Johanna Kesting Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn Dr. and Mrs. W. Robert Godfrey

Mr. Robert L. Clark Rev. Dr. and Mrs. R. Scott Clark

Mrs. Jee Chul Kim Rev. and Mrs. Joel E. Kim

Mrs. Alice Ruth DeKruyf Ms. Gayle Aardema AG Business Solutions LLC Mr. Matthew Dawson Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn Mr. and Mrs. Kelley C. Golay Ms. Kara Raeth Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Schimmel Mr. Charles Wright Friends at Crowe LLP, South Bend, Indiana

Mr. Charles A. Klotz Mr. Kent Borsch Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn Dr. and Mrs. Marcus McArthur

Mr. Ben Van Ingen Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Korthuis

Rev. Dr. William H. Kooienga Mrs. Marilyn Kooienga

Mr. Gerrit and Mrs. Johanna Visser Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Visser

Mr. Calvin Kooistra Mr. and Mrs. Scott Korthuis

Mr. Claude Wierenga Rev. Dr. and Mrs. R. Scott Clark Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn Dr. and Mrs. W. Robert Godfrey Mr. and Mrs. John Rau

Mrs. Anna E. Dykstra Mr. and Mrs. Henry De Wit Mr. Herman L. Dykstra wscal .e d u

Ms. Gladys Kuipers Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Korthuis Mrs. Virginia Laurie Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn

Mrs. Bea Van Dam Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doorn Dr. and Mrs. W. Robert Godfrey Mrs. Wilma Wilgenburg

Mrs. Sjoerdje “Shirley” M. Vander Stelt Mr. Anthony Vander Stelt

29

U P C LO S E W I T H

ROGER SWETS

1

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED WITH WSC?

I was first introduced to WSC through two of my college roommates, Rev. C.J. den Dulk and Rev. Tom Groelsema, who came to study at WSC after we graduated from college. While I went to study law in snowy Michigan, they enjoyed studying theology in sunny Escondido, a fact that was impressed on me when I visited in January! I was impressed with what I saw at the school at the time, and their enthusiasm for their seminary training made a lasting impression on me. My experience with the seminary since that time has only confirmed for me that the training received at WSC is something really special.

2

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE SERVING AS A WSC TRUSTEE.

Serving on the board has been a humbling and enriching experience. For me personally, playing my small part on the board has exposed me to teaching that is not only benefitting the churches around the world but has helped me to see the gospel more clearly and helped me to grow in grace as I have come to more fully understand what Christ has done for me. As I have served, I have seen all of the work that is needed to run a seminary and I have seen how blessed WSC is to have so many capable people serving the seminary.

3

WHAT MAKES WSC EDUCATION IMPORTANT IN TODAY’S CULTURE?

There are so many reasons that seminary training is important today and especially a WSC education. First and foremost is our need to know Christ. WSC’s strong commitment to proclaiming Christ is invaluable in a world that grows ever more secular, and where even the church grows ever more confused about the gospel. So much of modern evangelicalism is defined by culture or politics or some other agenda. The gospel is confused with self-help or self-improvement. At WSC, students are equipped to declare the clear message of the gospel.

Even more than this, I have learned over many years of sit-

"PLAYING MY SMALL PART ON THE BOARD HAS EXPOSED ME TO TEACHING THAT IS NOT ONLY BENEFITTING THE CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD BUT HAS HELPED ME TO SEE THE GOSPEL MORE CLEARLY." 30

ting in the church pew that an educated ministry is vital. The ablest ministers are those that have a deep understanding of scripture and theology. So much in the church today is centered on emotional manipulation and entertainment. Whether we need spiritual milk or solid food, that nourishment needs to change our hearts and our minds. Not to mention that today, as much as ever, a minister must be able to identify and resist the errors that permeate society and the church. Solid training in the scriptures and theology is essential to equip a pastor for this task. This is what students are given at WSC! While there are many other reasons I could recount, one final reason I will mention is WSC’s uncompromising commitment to training ministers to work with the original languages of the Bible. While we have good translations of the Bible, that is no substitute for making the understanding of the translation of the text your own. When a pastor works his way through a text from the original language, his understanding becomes much deeper. The failure to do so definitely shows in preaching.

4

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT SEMINARY EDUCATION?

I suppose this question is pretty simple to answer, and yet it is easy to overlook. Was there a minister that played an important role in your spiritual life? Where did that minister come from?

They don’t grow on trees! While we need good seminaries to train and equip good ministers, seminaries are often not the first cause we think of when we make our giving decisions. I would challenge everyone to think twice about that. Without strong ministers, all of the other kingdom causes to which we give would suffer. Whether it is preaching in your local church or missionary efforts at home or abroad, “how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

ROGER A. SWETS works as a lawyer in Michigan, where he lives with his wife, Allison, and two children.

UPDATE | SPRING2020

FACULTY BOOKS AVAILABLE NOW NE W

!

NE W

With All Your Heart Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will Toward Christ

by A. Craig Troxel (Crossway, 2020)

The Spiritual Life

by Campegius Vitringa, translated and edited by Charles K. Telfer (Reformation Heritage, 2018)

!

Politics After Christendom Political Theology in a Fractured World

What is the Priesthood of Believers?

Basics of Faith Series

Basics of Faith Series

What is Man?

Saving the Reformation

by A. Craig Troxel (P&R, 2010)

The Pastoral Theology of the Canons of Dort

by David VanDrunen (Zondervan, 2020)

by W. Robert Godfrey (Reformation Trust Publishing, 2019)

by A. Craig Troxel (P&R, 2019)

Journeys with Jesus

Echoes of Exodus Tracing a Biblical Motif

Aquinas Among the Protestants

Every Path in the Bible Leads Us to Christ

by Bryan D. Estelle (IVP Academic, 2018)

Edited by David VanDrunen (Wiley-Blackwell, 2017)

God's Perfecting Presence in Creation, Redemption, and Everyday Life

by Michael S. Horton (Zondervan, 2017)

Introduction to the Kingdom of God in the New Testament

2-Volume Series, New Studies in Dogmatics

by Michael S. Horton (Zondervan, 2018)

Learning to Love the Psalms

by W. Robert Godfrey (Reformation Trust, 2017)

by S. M. Baugh (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017)

by Dennis E. Johnson (P&R, 2018)

Rediscovering the Holy Spirit

The Majesty on High

Justification

Ephesians

Core Christianity

God's Glory Alone

Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Finding Yourself in God's Story

The Majestic Heart of Christian Faith and Life

by S. M. Baugh (Lexham Press, 2016)

by Michael S. Horton (Zondervan, 2016)

by David VanDrunen (Zondervan, 2015)

Preaching the Whole Counsel of God

Calvin on the Christian Life

Design and Deliver GospelCentered Sermons

Glorifying and Enjoying God Forever

by Julius J. Kim (Zondervan, 2015)

by Michael S. Horton (Crossway Books, 2014)

Visit our campus Bookstore! | wscal.edu/bookstore wscal .e d u

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