Westminster Village

It takes many hands to build a village

The 64 apartments in the Westminster Village remain fully occupied! The on-campus housing was completed and first open to students in the summer of 2018. While this community was envisioned and prayed about for many years, the fundraising efforts were launched just a decade ago. The history of this capital initiative is but one reminder of God’s perfect timing and of the faithfulness of God’s people to accomplish a vision. WSC’s second president, Dr. Robert G. den Dulk, was Chairman of the Board of Trustees when the initiative was first approved in 2006 for 48 apartments to be built on two acres of land at the back of the campus. Dr. and Mrs. den Dulk made a lead gift to provide momentum for the campaign. Mrs. Nellie den Dulk states, “We believed that seminary housing would enhance the growth and education of students, while eliminating the barrier to the cost of living in Southern California.”

Many friends believed in the benefits of this project and made the Village a reality. Dr. Derke P. Bergsma (see his memorial on p. 22) chaired the internal campaign with a gift that was matched by full participation of the faculty. Building plans had been approved by the City of Escondido, but the campaign was put on hold in 2009 when the U.S. economy was in a recession. At that time, a committee was formed to look for additional land near the campus. In 2014, the 9.5 acres of land adjacent to the 10-acre campus went on the market, and the committee of wise and dedicated trustees purchased the property and deeded it to the seminary. Plans were revamped and approved by the city to include 64 apartments on the 9.5 acres, and the fundraising campaign started in 2015.

This project was now more than doubled in scope and went from a $10- to $20-million campaign. The Lord continued to provide the funds and to keep the workers safe through the building process. Thank you for being part of this ambitious project! There was never doubt about the original vision of building a community of faith that would be a blessing for students. But we couldn’t have imagined a pandemic that would close college campuses across the country and send students home in March 2020. As you know, that was not the case at WSC where students were able to remain in their apartments while continuing their seminary studies.

The two acres of land that were the original site of the housing plan have now been turned into a soccer field with a generous gift from alumni donors – and a playing field for children in the Village!

The Westminster Village enhances the already vibrant community of faith that has been the hallmark of WSC where students thrive on face-to-face education. It provides a community where fellowship and families flourish, and life-long relationships are established for a life-time of ministry.

189

Total Residents

74

Students

64

Children

SEMINARY FOR A DAY RECAP

On Friday, March 12, the Admissions team at Westminster Seminary California hosted prospective students for a virtual Seminary for a Day event. While these events began as a response to COVID-19 restrictions, they have been a great avenue for students who would otherwise not be able to visit campus. A total of 12 prospective students were present, tuning in from Zambia, Uganda, Nebraska, Arizona, California, Michigan, Colorado, and Massachusetts. But even then, students were representing home countries such as Brazil and Malawi.

Rev. Tedrick began the event by welcoming attendees, facilitating introductions, and leading everybody in a devotional, emphasizing his desire for students to “land well” in seminary. Visitors then were treated to a faculty Q&A panel, led by Dr. Glomsrud and composed of Drs. Estelle, Clark, and Bitner. Prospective students asked questions about how to prepare for seminary, about school and church life in the area, and about our school’s distinctives. Dr. Estelle emphasized the importance of “reading well” before, during, and after seminary. In addition to Bible reading and knowledge, he impressed upon students that reading literature and poetry likewise can be great tools for understanding Scripture and its composition. The Bible is filled with poetry, prose, and narrative, and being well read in these areas can only enhance one’s seminary experience.

Additionally, the attendees were able to see the lighter side of life at Westminster through the professors. Dr. Clark was encouraged to have a fellow Cornhusker calling in from Nebraska, while Rev. Tedrick’s hopeful ally from Michigan was in fact a Chicago and New York sports fan. And as always, the professors were always quick to joke around with one another and helped the prospective students feel welcome and encouraged.

Given COVID-19 restrictions and conflicting schedules, the students were unable to sit in on live classes. However, they were able to watch recordings from class sessions from the fall semester. They were able to “sit in” on Dr. Bitner’s Greek II class and Dr. VanDrunen’s Soteriology class. It was a helpful way for the attendees to see how Westminster’s curriculum is both comprehensive and integrated. WSC’s curriculum brings insights from each class into every other class, and the prospective students were able to catch a glimpse of that in these classes.

Finally, our visitors were able to participate in two other Q&A sessions regarding enrollment questions and student life. Our registrar, Ryan Thomas, was able to join for the first session and helpfully answered several questions about our application and enrollment processes. Thankfully, many students had already applied to WSC, so many of the questions were regarding the “next steps” to get here.

The second session opened with a video presentation of the Westminster Village and was followed by general questions about student life at Westminster. There were some female prospective students in attendance, and one of our Admissions Counselors, Cassady Schulte, was able to share her perspective on the unique joys and challenges of being a female seminary student. The last session was a great time for visitors to ask questions from the event and for the Admissions team to learn more about the visitors. Overall, the event was a very encouraging experience that allowed inquiring students to learn more about what one can expect of life and studies at Westminster Seminary California.

notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to students

The Westminster Seminary California school admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

WSC Receives Rare Book

Dear friends of Westminster Seminary California gifted a very rare book to the school in February. The book is a 1648 preliminary draft of the Westminster Larger Catechism. Only 600 such drafts were printed, with a note of warning on the preliminary pages forbidding any additional printings. In essence, this served as a review copy of the larger catechism before the assembly adopted the final version. It is likely that a member of the assembly held this very copy during its adoption.

Imagine holding a preliminary, draft edition of the U.S. Constitution. For Reformed Presbyterians, this is an equally special document – a draft edition of one of our Reformed confessions! While Reformed Christians do not venerate relics, this rare book serves as a physical reminder of the wonderful legacy of faith passed down to us throughout church history. It marks an important product of the Protestant Reformation, which recovered the biblical gospel of grace. WSC is thrilled to display this rare book as inspiration for students as they prepare for faithful gospel ministry in the Reformed tradition.