2022 den Dulk Lectures

Nearly 30 years ago, Westminster Seminary California established the Robert G. and Nellie B. den Dulk Lectures on Pastoral Ministry in honor of Dr. den Dulk and his wife. The den Dulks were instrumental in the founding and development of the seminary. The annual lecture series brings an experienced pastor to campus each year to address WSC students and guests in order to encourage them and share the wisdom he has acquired throughout his ministerial career. The seminary established the lectures in appreciation for the den Dulks’ years of service to WSC and in recognition of their passion for the preparation of pastors to preach the Word of God faithfully and to serve their congregations well.

This spring, the seminary was blessed to welcome Rev. Ted Hamilton as the 2022 den Dulk Lectures' speaker. Rev. Hamilton earned his bachelor's and law degrees from Stanford University before practicing corporate and tax law for 14 years. Despite a successful career as a lawyer in which he worked his way to Partner at O’Melveny & Myers, Rev. Hamilton sensed a call to pastoral ministry, enrolling at WSC in 1997. He has served as Senior Pastor at New Life Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Escondido since 2001. Over the years, Rev. Hamilton has pastored many WSC faculty, students, and staff; mentored WSC pastoral interns; and serves as Adjunct Professor of Practical Theology and at-large board member of WSC. His son, Jim, graduated from the seminary in 2012. Rev. Hamilton’s lectures centered on the theme, “Is the Local Church Too Small a Thing for You?” He examined the impact and challenges of dedicated service to one congregation based on his experience serving the same congregation for more than two decades. Cultural values and the pride of our hearts influence our attitudes toward ministry and our actions in ministry. God’s Word provides the corrective paradigm that shapes how we should see ourselves and how we should pastor, lead, and live with God’s people. In his lectures, Rev. Hamilton reflected on how this biblical paradigm of humility helps pastors focus on serving their flock rather than themselves.

Audio and video recordings of the 2022 den Dulk Lectures are available to view on the Westminster Seminary California website and YouTube page.

REV. TED HAMILTON

At its May 2021 meeting, the Westminster Seminary California Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the Robert G. den Dulk Chair of Practical Theology. This chair honors the life and work of Dr. Robert G. den Dulk, who served various important roles at the seminary, including founder, Vice President for Administration, President, and Chairman of the Board. Over the course of nearly three decades, Dr. den Dulk and his wife, Nellie, served as champions of WSC through prayer, cultivating a faithful group of supporters, and encouraging prospective students to attend the seminary. Dr. den Dulk entered glory in 2007.

The WSC faculty enthusiastically voted Dr. A. Craig Troxel to be the inaugural occupant of the den Dulk Chair at its January 2022 meeting. Prior to joining the faculty in 2019, Dr. Troxel served successive 12-year tenures as pastor at Bethel Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Wheaton, Illinois, and Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Dr. Troxel filled the WSC faculty vacancy created by the retirement of Dr. Dennis Johnson at the end of the 2017-18 academic year. In addition to his numerous publications, classroom engagement, field education oversight, and 24 years of pastoral ministry experience, Dr. Troxel has become known on campus for his sincere love and care for WSC students and their families, frequently meeting with them outside of the classroom for meals, prayer, and counsel.

On January 12, the WSC Board, faculty, and staff joined the den Dulk family for a special dinner in celebration of Dr. Troxel being named the Robert G. den Dulk Professor of Practical Theology. The dinner, held at Meadowbrook Village Christian Retirement Community in Escondido, coincided with the January 2022 meeting of the WSC Board of Trustees. After a welcome from President Joel Kim and dinner, President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Church History, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, delivered a devotional on a psalm. Dr. Troxel followed with a moving expression of gratitude to the den Dulk family for their role in the life of the seminary and to the faculty and Board for the honor of granting him this appointment. Dr. Troxel highlighted the den Dulk family’s history of dairy farming, noting that he understood the character and work ethic required for this hard work because he grew up doing farm work in rural Nebraska. Farming demands hard, persistent labor and patience. The fruits of one’s labors take time to become visible. Preparation for pastoral ministry is similar in many ways. One must devote many hours of hard, sometimes tedious, work in training for the ministry. Dr. Troxel promised he would commit a farmer’s diligence to his role preparing the next generation of pastors.

The seminary is thankful for Dr. den Dulk, the den Dulk family, and Dr. Troxel for their commitment to Christ, his gospel, and his church.

Did you know the Resource Center on the WSC website contains audio and video recordings from nearly 20 years of the Robert G. and Nellie B. den Dulk Lectures on Pastoral Ministry? You can access them all for free!

RECENT DEN DULK LECTURES

How What You Learn in Seminary Can Inform Your Preaching

KIM RIDDLEBARGER

Reflections on Church, Seminary and Bivocational Ministry

CARL TRUEMAN

JON PAYNE

CJ DEN DULK