The Calvin Theological Seminary Forum magazine is published two times every academic year. Questions and comments may be directed to forum@calvinseminary.edu.
The Forum Magazine Committee
Jonah Gollihugh
Leah Jolly
Jul Medenblik
Margaret Mwenda
Phillip Palacios
Jeff Weima
Brenna Otte
Letter from the President
FEATURES
Where are the Pastors? BY REV SUSAN LACLEAR
Formation of Leaders in a Liminal Season BY GEOFF VANDERMOLEN
Where do Pastors Come From? BY JUL MEDENBLIK
The Minister as a Manager of the Mysteries of God BY JEFFERY A.D. WEIMA
Pastors are There and Will be There BY GABRIELA TIJERINA-PIKE
Who Will Disciple the Next Generation of Disciple-Makers? BY
DAVE BELDMAN
Raising up Ministry Leaders from the Next Generation BY
MARY HULST
Training
Hope in the Ruins BY GAYLE DOORNBOS
A Journey Through Seminary in the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin) BY SAM HA
Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Raising up Church Leaders from Within the Local Church BY SCOTT VANDER PLOEG
SEMINARY NEWS
A Day of Worship: Adoring God in Every Moment
The Old Testament, Calvin, and the Reformed Tradition The Wars of the Lord
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
May I suggest an alternative thought as you read the following articles? “ “
Many of us are familiar with the phrase “Here I am, Lord, send me.” We often have a picture in mind when we imagine someone following a call into pastoral ministry. We imagine a singular experience or call, an idea that, like Isaiah who first uttered that phrase, the call into pastoral ministry is an individual, solitary event. This may be the case for a few, but for many, and maybe even most who have followed a call to ministry, they would describe a vastly different experience. They would describe a communal experience that results from perhaps years of discipleship, mentoring, and encouragement.
When we have this singular or individualistic perspective on call, we risk the unfortunate side in the church, of disengaging from the body of Christ, the priesthood of all believers. “Some are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.”
May I suggest an alternative thought as you read the following articles? Move from “Here I Am, Lord” to “Here We Are, Lord.”
As you read the various articles and angles on pastoral ministry, I invite you to remember that the topics are not just for one person to work through. This topic is vital for Christian communities throughout the world. It is a topic of discipleship, community, and body; not only in our churches and classis but in our homes, our friendships, and our relationships with each other.
It is a question for “we” to learn more about and consider our individual role in the development and deployment of Christian leaders. It sometimes begins with just a brief word of encouragement. “You have such a gifted way of discipling people, Have you ever thought of going into the ministry?”
At Calvin Theological Seminary, we are grateful for people who dedicate time, talent and treasure to support the ministry of Calvin Theological Seminary. We pick up the baton from you who are in the thick of discipleship and partner with you to expand and continue that discipleship to develop holistically formed leaders, ready to serve the church in new ways.
As Paul writes in Ephesians we in Christ do this together. Or put another way we cannot do this without each other. May we be challenged to find our voice to respond to God from our various roles, positions and callings:
Here [we are], Lord. Is it [us], Lord? [We] have heard you calling in the night. [We] will go, Lord, if you lead [us]. [We] will hold your people in [our] heart.*
In His Service With You,
JUL MEDENBLIK PRESIDENT
Where are the Pastors?
REV SUSAN LACLEAR
DIRECTOR OF CANDIDACY FOR THE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA
40% of pastors considered leaving “
As the 21st century brings ongoing changes for the global church – such as staffing, attendance, training, programs, and more – these shifts are especially and tangibly felt when considering pastoral training. Demands on pastoral leadership and capacity are increasing, and seminaries around the globe are adjusting their curriculum and program offerings to meet the needs of churches. Rev. Susan LaClear, Director of Candidacy for the Christian Reformed Church in North America, recently visited Calvin Theological Seminary for a video conversation on challenges churches are facing as they seek out a pastor, as well as how churches can proactively work to meet the need for pastors.
The Challenge of Finding a Pastor For LaClear, today’s challenges can be summarized in five core areas:
Burnout: Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, pastors and leadership teams were feeling the exhaustion of intense programming, preaching schedules, and much more. The addition of political and racial tensions, decreased in-person attendance, and the pressures of caring for congregants in a time of a global pandemic prompted pastors to leave their positions at an alarming rate. Recent surveys show that 4 in 10 pastors considered leaving their position at least once since 2020, citing pandemic burnout as a primary reason for their departure. Another survey of pastors by Barna reveals increased satisfaction and confidence in their ministry roles. Despite this mix of statistics, vacant pulpits remain abundant throughout the world due to burnout.
Watch Susan LaClear’s Video Interview: bit.ly/susanlaclear
Discernment: Another challenging aspect of identifying and training pastors is the reality that many today are taking a longer route of discerning their calling. LaClear noted that most people don’t want to go directly from college to seminary, and instead take small steps in their career and ministry before making a full commitment. While this longer timeline of discernment can be frustrating, LaClear noted with gratitude that these pastors who have a longer discernment process earlier in life come to the pulpit with more life experience than those who go directly from college to seminary.
Underdeveloped Training: In addition to burnout, CRCNA classes leaders cite underdeveloped training processes, with 78% reporting they don’t have clear, consistent training programs for pastors and others interested in pursuing pastoral ministry. One example of underdeveloped training in many CRCNA classes is the training provided for ordination as commissioned pastor, which is a local ordination to a specific role of pastoral support within a church. With the absence of commissioned pastor programs and other training routes, it’s difficult for a local church or classis to equip those they’ve identified as prospective leaders.
Relocation: In her conversations with church councils and classes, LaClear noticed a repeated reason people aren’t entering the pastorate: no desire to relocate. Most people don’t want to uproot their families from a community they know and love to move to a new place. Others are dual income or bi-vocational, making relocation financially difficult to justify. LaClear addresses this concern by reminding people that, in addition to the commissioned pastor program, many Calvin Seminary programs and degrees are offered entirely online or in a hybrid format, removing the pressure of relocation.
Pressure to Specialize: LaClear noted that in the 1990s, the demand for pastors was much lower. Oftentimes, someone would attend seminary and have a difficult time finding a call because all the pulpits were full. But things are dramatically different today – not enough people are going to seminary, and consequently there are a lot of vacant pulpits. Some of these vacancies can be attributed to the pressure to specialize as a pastor. Young pastoral candidates are hesitant to take on a senior lead pastor role, as they feel the pressure to have a training or knowledge level they don’t think they have. Other candidates feel pressure to specialize to meet a programming need. Today, many churches are program driven, increasing the demand for pastors to work in a particular area of ministry. This pressure to specialize has resulted in some churches enjoying a large pastoral staff, when many smaller churches in their own classis don’t have a pastor at all.
The challenges posed to churches and future pastors -– burnout, discernment processes, underdeveloped training, relocation, and pressure to specialize -- are frustrating and, at times, seem impossible to overcome.
Addressing the Need for Pastors
How to remedy today’s critical need for pastors? For LaClear, five ideas come to mind:
Finances: A significant barrier for many prospective pastors is the financial burden of pursuing additional education. Churches and classes should be quick and consistent in reminding these students that financial support is available in abundance, both through their own classis, but also through Calvin Seminary. Calvin Seminary awards over $1.6 million in scholarships every year to students across all degree programs, including our Master of Divinity. In fact, it is possible to receive a seminary education without incurring debt!
Programming: Another way of addressing the need for pastors begins in the local church and the training programs it offers. Both individual churches and classes can work with the CRCNA’s Candidacy Committee led by LaClear to develop a commissioned pastor program that helps them source and train pastors locally. Pastors and councils should also seek to identify potential leaders in their own congregation and have regular conversations with them, whether it’s a high school student, current college attendee, or a layperson serving as an elder. As these people are identified, they can be directed towards the commissioned pastor route, connected with Calvin Seminary (who recently launched a Commissioned Pastor Certificate), or otherwise assisted in pursuit of pastoral training and vocational ministry.
Stories: The heightened burnout and tensions in the church -–not just the CRCNA, but on a global scale -– not only cause pastors to depart their ministries, but turn off potential future pastors from entering ministry. Now more than ever, storytelling is a key technique for addressing this pastoral shortage. LaClear advises individual churches and classes to regularly gather and disseminate stories of how God is at work in their local context and around the globe.
Connect to Calvin Seminary: A significant way of addressing the need for pastors is making your church aware of the programs and opportunities Calvin Seminary offers, not only for aspiring pastors, but all seeking to go into ministry, whether as a professor, counselor, teacher, or non-profit leader. Many commissioned pastors struggle to find a seminary education that meets their needs because they don’t know what’s out there.
Candidacy Committee: The CRCNA’s Candidacy Committee exists to help guide people through the ordination process so they can become Ministers
of the Word in the CRCNA. Susan LaClear and her team are excited to partner with churches and classes seeking to address the need for pastors in their local context through developing a commissioned pastor program that fits their community’s needs, connecting interested students to seminary education, and much more.
The cultural and social shifts impacting the global church aren’t reason for panic. Rather, they’re an opportunity to recognize and address current challenges, such as burnout and lack of local training. These shifts serve as a moment for local congregations and classes to regroup and reunite in their pursuit of identifying and training pastors. For better and worse, the pastoral landscape is changing. Let’s be a body of believers who addresses this need for full pulpits and confronts it head-on with collaborative solutions.
FORMATION OF LEADERS IN A LIMINAL SEASON
GEOFF VANDERMOLEN
DIRECTOR OF VOCATIONAL FORMATION
CO-DIRECTOR OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY PROGRAM
Arnold van Gennep was born in Germany in the 1870s, and dabbled in numerous areas of study including Egyptology, primitive religions, Islamic studies, the Arabic language, and more. In the end, however, van Gennep narrowed his focus to the discipline of anthropology, focusing especially on tribal rites of passage. While engaged in this work van Gennep coined a term frequently used these days to describe the combination of learned certainty mingled with rapid and unpredictable change – be that culture or specifically within ministry settings. The term? Liminality.
Rooted in the Latin word for “threshold,” liminality was used by van Gennep to describe the moment when a person simultaneously has one foot in the space they are leaving while the other foot lands in the space they are entering. Since van Gennep’s first use of the word, other writers use liminality to describe the potentially disorienting space in-between the known/ familiar and the yet-to-be-discovered. uncertain future.
The parallels aren’t precise, but liminality provides a framework for understanding the changing face of the individuals who enroll at Calvin Seminary. In many ways our students are living with one foot in a known past, and another in a yet-to-be-discovered ministerial future.
That said, it is worth noting a few general qualities our students share in common:
They still arrive eager and committed to serve Jesus, surrendered to his redemptive mission in his world.
They still study systematic theology, original languages, preaching, and pastoral care along with other vital areas of study in the hopes of finding their specific ministry calling.
They still are wracked with nerves about first sermons, about providing effective pastoral care, and about the incredible variety of demanding ministry opportunities they encounter through in-context learning and everywhere the curriculum takes them to engage in the praxis of ministry leadership and service.
Students still pursue pastoral roles in the Christian Reformed Church, and/or in the varied denominational backgrounds that have nurtured their faith in Jesus.
Attentiveness to our student body also means that important differences should be noted among those matriculating through their chosen degree. Some of these changes are best expressed through simple, data-based observation.
For instance:
Calvin Theological Seminary (CTS) students come from over 20 countries around the world.
Within the CTS student body there is a rich plurality of expression regarding the Christian faith if only because one in three students come from a context outside of North America.
Nearly half of the students at CTS are pursuing theological education through our hybrid or fully online degree programs.
A high percentage of our distance students are serving full time (or nearly full time) in ministry as solo pastors, church planters, worship leaders, youth leaders and more. The result of this vocational diversity is a potent mix of ministry leaders for whom theological education is informing their existing vocational call and ministry praxis, in comparison to earlier times in which ministry praxis via ordination was the product of a student having obtained a theological degree.
These changes in the make-up of the student body at CTS are not insignificant. And yet, in the vast majority of cases, students at CTS are vibrant, active ministry leaders from all over the globe who also happen to simultaneously be pursuing theological education. This is a sharp contrast to the reality of a few short years ago when most CTS students were North American by birth, were primarily engaged in residential theological education, and were one day hoping to enter formal ministry once credentialed.
While these trends are worth noting, the significance is really uncovered by examining the collective impact these changes have on our shared project of theological education.
One example of the impact these factors have is simply in the accumulated strength that is present simply because of the deeply varied spiritual, theological, and cultural backgrounds represented in the CTS student body. This enriches us because of the inherent goodness of the educational ecosystem which honors and values diverse cultures, languages, and theological traditions. Even more than that, the plurality of religious experience and formed faith within the student body at CTS extends and deepens our understanding of what it means to be a human being on planet earth. The kaleidoscope of experience, upbringing, and spiritual formation also deepen our theological imagination, prompting all who will be appreciative learners to further develop their comprehension of the character and nature of God.
It is a delightful and important challenge to equip our students with a Reformed theological education while also honoring
and treasuring the breadth of cultural and spiritual traditions within the student body. This richness, rightly appreciated, only prompts us to more fully discover the beauty and depth of the Good News itself.
Another example of the impact of a changing student body has to do with the internal, formational elements of theological education. More particularly, the impact of this changing student body becomes clear when we consider expressions of one’s calling.
One observable trend among Master of Divinity/Master of Christian Leadership (MDIV/ MACL) students is that many arrive at the onset of theological education with what might honorably be thought of as a “fuzziness” regarding that calling. This is not to be confused with a student being unclear if they have a calling from God. Rather, there is often a restless, muted expression of one’s calling. Students will certainly give testimony to an incredibly rich, powerful, and formative series of significant spiritual experiences. And these spiritual experiences produce a generalized calling to serve God. However, the specific nature of that calling is often still emerging. The result? There is a need for students to wrestle, pray, wonder, and dream about their calling, testing it through learning, ministry praxis, and action/reflection pedagogy. This means that there is by necessity a wonderful and mysterious nature to current theological education at CTS because classroom learning, contextual learning, peer-to-peer formation, mentors, assessments, spiritual disciplines and more all combine to bring into sharper focus what it means to be in step with the Spirit of God, and for students to humbly declare that which God is calling out of them.
When seminary degrees are completed and graduation from curricular education has taken place, the liminality of each student’s experience does not cease. Certainly, there are some students who graduate with a clear sense of calling to pastoral ministry. Even within this calling, there is a growing sense of particularity to this calling, often highlighting specific functions of ministry. In addition, there are a growing number of students who finish their MDIV or MACL and soon realize that their calling is to something entirely different than traditional pulpit/parish ministry. It is not at all surprising, given the pastoral leadership challenges and religious trauma of recent years, to see a growing number of students eager to pursue careers in some form of chaplaincy – be that in a hospital, university, or some other setting. The popularity of this vocational calling makes sense, given the Association of Theological School’s recent findings that spiritual disciplines and interpersonal competency rank among the top three most sought-after ministry areas.¹ 2
In the past few years there has also been a small but important growing edge to the vocational trajectory of students at CTS. The ambiguity of it hinders clear articulation. Adjectives such as entrepreneurial and shifting are apt descriptors. “Entrepreneurial” describes our students who realize at some point in their theological education that their calling is to be protagonists for change and inventors of new ministry systems, structures, and mechanisms suited to the times. In fact, there is a stark recognition at some point
that the ministry they feel called to does not yet exist, and God’s calling on their lives is to dream, create, reform, and lead change for the sake of the Church. The term “shifting”is used simply to indicate that even for some who might have clarity about a specific calling, the burden of that calling is significant because of the realization that they will be used by God to bring new imagination to expressions of God’s Kingdom.
These are precious and important gifts to the Church that have perhaps always been present, but seem, in this season, to be especially evident.
In van Gennep’s study of tribal rites of passage he noted that there was a singular, and vital outcome for those who encountered and endured liminality. In short, they returned to the community with a new identity. This, too, should be noted about all who follow Christ, and also those engaged in theological education. After all, we serve the One who is focused on a grace-fueled transformation of this world, to be sure, but also of our very persons. We are, according to I Peter 4, “being built into a spiritual house.” This is a divinely initiated, ongoing action without end – and we are the better for it. So it is that students, faculty, and staff at CTS all live in our liminal time. It calls us to repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and more. And, no matter how uncertain it might seem to us at the moment, the entire project of theological education is built upon the promise that we serve the One who is the same yesterday, today, and always.
(Colloquy Online, September 2024), p. 4.
1 Gin, Debra H. C., Mapping the Workforce of ATS Grads: Have Jobs and Needs Changed?
The entire project of theological education is built upon the promise that we serve the One who is the same yesterday, today, and always. ”
SWHERE DO COME FROM?
PASTORS
JUL MEDENBLIK
PRESIDENT
he gathered her thoughts to ask a question that was important to her, her local church, and the wider denomination. Standing before her was a well-known leader in the Christian Reformed Church. He was a pastor and a preacher. Over 100 people had gathered to hear his thoughts on the church and at the end of his presentation there was a time for questions to be posed.
When she was recognized, she asked concisely: “Why don’t we have better preachers in the church?” The well-known leader took off his glasses. With thanks for the question, he then used those glasses to point to all those in the room and said: “We don’t have better preachers, because you don’t call your best into the ministry. You encourage your young people to go into business, law, banking, medicine and more. If you want better preachers, you and I need to call our best into the ministry.”
I was in the room when this exchange occurred. I was an undergraduate student at Trinity Christian College and the then-editor of The Banner, Andrew Kuyvenhoven, was speaking. I was headed to law school, but that question and answer from over 40 years ago, still lingers in my understanding of my calling as President of Calvin Theological Seminary.
Yes, we need more and better preachers. Calvin Theological Seminary was formed in 1876 to develop and train more and better preachers. Through the years, Calvin Seminary has created a curriculum that addresses our need for more and better leaders for preaching, counseling, chaplaincy, Bible teaching, youth groups and so much more.
Since the fall of 2012, I have been co-teaching a class called “Leadership in Ministry.” In that class, I provide a vision that encourages all of our students to flourish in ministry.
“
WHY DON ’TWEHAVEBETTER PREACHERSINTHECHURCH? ”
How should we answer the question about where preachers (and other church leaders) come from?
I would like to start with the insights of Andrew Kuyvenhoven. While we acknowledge that it is always and ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit to call people into ministry, God has chosen to work through the actions and prayers of His people.
Naturally, parents want their children to do well and have “good lives” and for some that has meant encouraging their off-spring toward higher-paying careers and away from the challenges of church ministry. Even my own mother initially felt I should stay in the legal profession instead of entering seminary as a second-career student, fretting I might be “hurt” in ministry.
For a number of years, Calvin Theological Seminary sponsored a summer program meant to help high school students think through vocation and calling. Initially, it was a success. We had more applicants than open spots. But over time, we noticed fewer and fewer applicants. Increasingly, these young people were finding it difficult to take three weeks “off” during the summer, with some students saying they needed to keep their summer jobs and could not devote the time for “Facing Your Future.”
My challenge to the church and to anyone who asks “Where Do Pastors (and Leaders) Come From?” is framed by these three questions:
1. When was the last time someone from your church was encouraged to consider ministry as a calling?
2. When was the last time you prayed for or prayed over someone who was discerning a calling for ministry?
3. When was the last time your church leadership had a session to identify which person – young and even not so young – might consider a call to ministry?
I have visited Sully Christian Reformed Church in Sully, Iowa, a congregation organized in 1896. This congregation has raised up more than 20 young people through the years to go to Calvin Seminary. What if every local church lifted prayers and provided encouragement for people to enter into ministry? I believe the Sully congregation deliberately planted seeds over time and that intentionality resulted in people who said “Here I am, Lord.”
What if we took seriously Luke 10:2? We should remember that Jesus still says: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
I’ve noticed that our students who come from a community where there has been consistent prayer and constant encouragement for ministry will have a foundation for understanding their calling and are more likely than not to experience flourishing in the ministry.
Once a student enters Calvin Theological Seminary, we are intentional in our curriculum to help them know the Bible, know himself or herself, know others and know their context. Elsewhere in this issue of Forum, Director of Vocational Formation Geoff Vandermolen will give an overview of some of the ways we frame this work of education and formation.
Our curriculum has a purpose. We desire to educate and form leaders who are disciples of Jesus Christ and help them know they are called to serve and called to form communities of disciples.
The four curricular areas gather key biblical-theological principles that inform effective pastoral leadership. It includes GOSPEL, as we are carriers of the message of the grace of God. We want to deepen a student’s awareness of the impact of personal strengths and weaknesses, including their own, on their pastoral leadership (PERSON); increasing students’ capacity for contextual discernment necessary for effective leadership (CONTEXT); and giving students practical leadership skills needed to form communities of disciples (CALLING - GOAL).
Our curriculum has been shaped and continues to be reshaped to meet a variety of demands and callings. But the goal continues to be the same – we are forming disciples who form disciples.
One of the challenges of ministry is that while the Gospel does not change, the context in which it is shared has and will continue to change. Consider the many recent challenges in the church – the political polarization, the effects of the COVID pandemic, and the ongoing cultural storms swirling around us. We are seeking to provide students with navigational tools for ministry, including the inevitable challenges of our current context.
One of the key challenges today is recognizing that pastors and churches that find it necessary to “separate” from each other do so not solely due to theological differences, but because of “fit.” And where there is a lack of fit, there will probably be pain in the parting.
In the Christian Reformed Church in North America, one way for a church and pastor to separate is to go through what is called an Article 17, which references the Article 17 process in the CRC Church Order.
Here is a statistical trend line within the CRC that should cause us all to pause:
The 1980’s – Article 17’s affected 31 pastors and churches
The 1990s – Article 17’s affected 38 pastors and churches
The 2000’s – Article 17’s affected 172 pastors and churches
The 2010’s – Article 17’s affected 189 pastors and churches
Not all separations are painful. I know of one pastor who left their congregation to pursue additional training in Clinical Pastoral Education and they were blessed by their church to do so.
At the same time, I know that there are many stories of pain and loss. I am concerned about the impact on the generation of emerging leaders who witness such pain and do not want anything to do with church vocations.
Yet, through it all, Calvin Theological Seminary remains dedicated to training church leaders who serve well and who are used by God in the building up of the Church and the wider Kingdom.
May we again – and always – see pastoral ministry as a worthy calling and a necessary calling for the health of the Body of Christ, the Church!
THE GOAL CONTINUES TO BE THE SAME - WE ARE FORMING DISCIPLES WHO FORM DISCIPLES “ ”
THE MINISTER AS A MANAGER OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD
JEFFERY A. D. WEIMA PROFESSOR OF NEW TESTAMENT
Ivividly remember the moment when as a 20-year-old young man I told my mother that I sensed a call to ministry – to become a pastor. I expected her to be excited and affirm such a noble and important career choice. Her reaction, however, was tepid and restrained, fearing the criticism that pastors often encounter and wishing to protect me from such personal attacks. The ministry is not a profession for anyone with “thin skin.” Some church members feel entitled to criticize their pastor and liberally exercise that presumed right. It is hardly surprising, then, that an increasing number of pastors are resigning from ministry and many potential pastors dismiss a call to ministry because they are not willing to subject themselves to the unkind judgment of others.
The apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, a congregation where he faced strong criticisms about his giftedness for ministry, makes use of a metaphor that reveals an important truth about how a pastor ought to respond to the negative judgment of others. Paul in 1 Cor. 4:1-5 presents himself as a manager of the mysteries of God. Although this metaphor is by no means the only one used by the apostle to describe his leadership role (see, for example, the family triad of child, nursing mother and father in 1 Thess. 2:7a, 7b, 11), it does provide a powerful word of both comfort and challenge as to how ministers today ought to view themselves and their call to ministry.
THE CONTEXT
Paul founded the Corinthian church during his second missionary journey in AD 51. Since the apostle was the first person to share with them the gospel, he considered himself to be their spiritual “father” (1 Cor. 4:15). The apostle also ministered in the Corinthian congregation for one and half years, the second-longest tenure in any church established during his three major missionary journeys. Despite these realities, Paul did not enjoy a close and warm relationship with his spiritual community in Corinth. Many in his congregation were judging Paul, making critical comments about his preaching ability and evaluating him poorly in comparison to other supposedly more gifted preachers such as Apollos, who succeeded Paul in Corinth.
The evidence for this growing tension between the founding pastor of Corinth and his converts there can be seen in subtle ways throughout
1 Corinthians. One of the not-so-subtle places in the letter where the church’s negative judgment of Paul becomes clear is 4:1-5. Here the apostle states: “I care very little if I am judged by you” (4:3). Paul continues by reminding his readers that he and his ministry will be judged – but not by them: “It is the Lord who judges me” (4:4). This leads to his closing warning to the Corinthian church: “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time” (4:5).
THE COMPARISON
Paul responds to the Corinthian church’s negative judgment of him and his preaching ability by Comparing himself to a manager. The apostle, in fact, emphasizes this comparison by using the metaphor of a manager twice in back-to-back verses (4:1, 2). This comparison is unfortunately weakened in many older translations which render the Greek word (oikonomos) used by Paul as “steward,” a title or position that is not well understood by most modern readers. The NIV, the most popular English translation, hides the comparison completely as it takes the one Greek word and renders it as a multi-termed phrase: “those entrusted with” (4:1) and “those who have been given a trust” (4:2).
Yet the meaning of the Greek word used twice by Paul as a metaphor for how he wants the Corinthian readers to think of him (as well as Apollos and any other church leader) is clear: a manager of a household or estate. Wealthy individuals in the first century typically would not look after the many details connected with the daily operation of their home or business
themselves but instead hire an oikonomos, that is, a manager. This common practice is reflected in Jesus’ rhetorical question: “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will put in charge of his household …?” (Luke 12:42). It is also found in a parable that Jesus told: “There was a rich man who had a manager …” (Luke 16:1).
A manager in the ancient world was entrusted with all the possessions of his master. Since Paul views himself as a manager, what has been entrusted to him? Of what is he a manager? The answer is clearly stated in the first use of the metaphor in 4:1: “managers of the mysteries of God.” The phrase “mysteries of God” is Paul’s way of referring to the gospel story. The apostle considers the gospel story a “mystery” because the world does not understand or accept it. It is not a mystery, however, to Jesus-followers to whom the gospel story has been revealed by God. As Paul has already reminded the Corinthian readers earlier in the letter: “We declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began” (1 Cor. 2:7). The apostle, therefore, views himself as a manager who has been entrusted by his master with the most valuable thing in the world: the good news of the gospel.
THE CRITERION
The rich owner of a household or business often will travel and thus is not physically present to keep a close eye on his manager. The key criterion for hiring a manager or evaluating their performance, then, is that such a person must be faithful in carrying out their work in a responsible,
diligent and honest manner, even when they are not under direct supervision by the master. Paul stresses the importance of a manager’s faithfulness: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust (literally “It is required among managers that they”) must prove faithful” (4:2). Jesus similarly recognizes the importance of having a manager who is faithful in his rhetorical question already cited more fully above: “Who then is the faithful and wise manager …?” (Luke 12:42).
The most important requirement for being a manager of the mysteries of God is not being the most impressive preacher or smartest teacher or innovative leader. Nor is success or popularity the most essential criterion for being a pastor or church leader. The primary concern for any minister is whether he or she is faithful with what has been entrusted into their care, faithful with sharing “the mysteries of God,” faithful with proclaiming the good news of the gospel.
THE COMFORT
Paul is concerned that his Corinthian converts understand well that he is ultimately accountable not to them but to his master, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. After all, a manager is answerable not to other workers within the owner’s household or business but only to the owner. This is why Paul states that he cares “very little if I am judged by you or by any human court” (4:3). Obviously, the apostle is hurt when the people in Corinth with whom he first shared the gospel and who are now his spiritual flock unjustly criticize his preaching ability and become enamored with other leaders
instead of their founding pastor. Nevertheless, Paul is comforted by the fact that it is “the Lord who judges me,” not the Corinthian church. The apostle is content to wait “until the Lord comes,” a time when “he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart,” a time when “each will receive their praise from God” (4:5).
Pastors today can be similarly comforted in knowing that they are not ultimately accountable to their church council or congregation but to their master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, a wise pastor will want to work in sync with and be subservient to their church council as well as make every effort to ensure good relations with their congregational members. Nevertheless, the primary concern of a pastor is not to be a “people pleaser” but a “Jesus pleaser.” It is comforting to know the judgment of others about our abilities and results in ministry, whether that judgment be good or bad, does not ultimately matter. What matters most for those who are a “manager of the mysteries of God” is whether our master finds us faithful. Jesus knows our true motives for ministry and so we focus in the present time on being faithful to him, content in waiting for his glorious future return when that which is now hidden and not seen in us by others will be revealed and then “each will receive their praise from God.”
THE CHALLENGE
Finally, it must be recognized that the very thing that is comforting for pastors is at the same time also challenging for them. People in a congregation may not know whether their pastor is a faithful manager of the mysteries of God, but the master, the Lord Jesus Christ, does.
Ministry does not involve a traditional 9-to-5 workday. There is quite a bit of discretion given to a pastor as to how to spend their time and talents. It can be tempting in such a context to do less rather than more. After all, most members of a congregation will never know whether a pastor took that extra time and effort to improve the Sunday sermon, sign up for a continuing education seminar, visit a shut-in, or attend an open-house celebration of a church member.
Yet there is one who does, in fact, know about all these things and more; one who knows not just what we do outwardly but also the motivations of our heart. There is a challenge, then, for a pastor to exhibit in every area of their ministry that key criterion of being faithful. There is a need for a “manager of the mysteries of God” to pray for divine help through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to be the kind of church leader to whom the master, our Lord Christ, will say on the day of his glorious return: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:23).
This challenge, however, is not limited to pastors. The metaphor of a manager is also true for all church leaders (elders and deacons) and indeed all Christians who have similarly been entrusted with “the mysteries of God.” Leaders and lay folks alike have a responsibility to make known the good news of the gospel to our co-worker, friend and neighbor – those for whom the gospel remains a mystery that they fail to comprehend or accept. Leaders and lay folks alike serve the same master, the Lord Jesus Christ, who calls all of us to ignore the judgments of others and concentrate only upon being faithful. Leaders and lay folks alike need to be very clear about their self-identity: we are all a “manager of the mysteries of God.”
What matters most for those who are a “manager of the mystries of God” is whether our master finds us faithful. “ “
Pastors Are There Will Be There
GABRIELA TIJERINA-PIKE
DIRECTOR OF LATINO MINISTRIES
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF NEW TESTAMENT
“The sun seems sick.” That’s what my dad would say on sunny but cold days to mitigate my temptation of leaving my coat in the closet. I understood what he meant when I opened the door and faced the reality of the freezing temperatures. The perception that the weather was warm would fade away immediately, and I would grab my coat. In such ordinary and everyday situations, we learn the importance of knowing how to navigate an endless number of perceptions with the goal of correctly discerning reality.
Sometimes we get tired, and we wonder if the glass is half full or half empty. But on other occasions, nothing stops us until we see reality as it truly is. We perceive changes in the reality of the church, especially in its leadership, so we ask ourselves about the ways that these perceptions affect us, and we work on our perceptions by asking if there are sufficient competent pastors to take care of the church.
We are not alone asking this question in the long history of the church. As early as 1561, the Belgic Confession, anticipating our constant perception of feeling like a minority, addressed such feelings by encouraging the church to confess this:
And this holy church is preserved by God against the rage of the whole world, even though for a time it may appear very small to human eyes— as though it were snuffed out.
Our minds tend to lead us to the false perceptions that not only are we few but also small and dull, that we will not make it, that there will be no pastors in the future, and that pastors are not competent. This fear is heightened when statistics indicate that the pastoral shortage is getting critical.2 Surveys also show pastors feel a lack of confidence to serve the next generation.3 We rightly wonder where the pastors are today. But, to avoid false perceptions about pastors, we first should recognize the different socio-cultural contexts in which our pastors conduct ministry.
In a recent commentary on Acts, John D. Harvey and David Gentino describe the cultural contexts of three cities where the apostle Paul preached Jesus Christ in Acts 17. Given the Jewish presence, the cultural contexts in Thessalonica and Berea are stated as cultures with biblical “pre-understanding.”4 But they define the cultural context of Athens as without biblical “pre-understanding.” In their analysis, the commentators describe our Western culture as more like the culture of Athens,5 nourished by philosophies but not divine Revelation. These statements by Harvey and Gentino are helpful because they guide us to consider the cultural context where pastors exercise their ministry.
THEY ARE NOURISHING ZEAL FOR TRUTH
Demographic data show the number of pastors has decreased, yet it’s also true that pastors have not disappeared.6 Furthermore, the majority of North Americans still identify with a biblical worldview or pre-understanding.7 So, as I mentioned in the previous issue,8 since there are fewer pastors and a documented decrease in knowledge of Scripture, then the strategy for church growth and sustainability must be to educate and support pastoral leadership, who then in turn can nourish their congregations in search of truth and life’s ultimate meaning.
Encouragingly, there are pastors who have never ceased to seek reason and virtue. Although they seem a minority, they do not dilute their ministry quality because, like the Bereans (Acts 17:10-15), they are dedicated to examining the Scriptures for the truth of God. The ancient believers deduced through virtuous reasoning that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ.
The Bereans, in examining the Scriptures, applied two classical epistemological theories of truth: One, the correspondence theory of truth, where whatever corresponds to observable reality is true, e.g., they saw that Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus. The other is the coherence theory of truth, in which claims are true if they follow logically and coherently from a set of intermediate propositions, e.g., that because the prophecies of Christ’s resurrection were true in Jesus, then they should believe in Jesus as the Christ. The Bereans did not examine whether Paul’s claim was in agreement with their culture or was pragmatic for them; their zeal was for knowing the truth. Therefore, in subjection to the Scriptures, they examined Paul’s message and found it true.
8 Our Journey: What Does it Mean to Follow a Call? The Forum (Spring 2024, Issue 34)
The evidence of many present-day pastors who reason virtuously is in the vast quantity of sermons, books, magazines, podcasts, films, videos, courses and general material that they produce and translate into other languages. A digital search will yield hundreds if not thousands of links to free or for-sale material. Even though these pastors, old and young, might be few, they are nourishing the Church with the zeal for revealed and inspired Truth. They are caring for the sheep of Christ amid the rage of the whole world that is threatening, but not succeeding, to distort their perception and reality.
THEY ARE TRAINING THEMSELVES TO CALL FOR REPENTANCE
We do recognize that the younger generation of Americans, in general, do not have a deep biblical preunderstanding.92Anecdotally, I recently discovered that my hairdresser, a 22-yearold woman, did not know what the Bible is, and a waiter, no more than 35 years, knew nothing of Moses. But this lack of biblical pre-understanding does not prevent young people from experiencing spiritual needs. For example, a market analyst estimates that global spiritual and devotional products will grow 8.7% from 2023 to 2031 and will reach $8.3 billion by the end of 2031.¹⁰3Even the market attests to the reality of the spiritual need felt by the younger generation who often do not have biblical pre-understanding.
Thus, rather than being paralyzed by the reality of fewer pastors, we might better emphasize the reality of the great spiritual need, which in turn, encourages us to persevere.
We might better act on behalf of the young pastors who are entering the classrooms of theological seminaries, because although they are few, they are also courageous. Their courage to train themselves to attend the spiritual needs of this generation is great and admirable. Because while they themselves are just learning the social infrastructure fabric, to practice skills of respect and understanding how to apply true conclusions in their calling and vocation, these students simultaneously face the aggressive cultural challenge of answering whether their preaching of repentance is authoritative or authoritarian.
Who wants to preach to an audience that has no pre-understanding of the authority and power of God? Only the courageous dares to call for repentance in a culture that resembles the Athenians. This is described by Harvey and Gentino: “Post-Christian is a polite euphemism for non-Christian and in many places anti-Christian.”¹¹2For such reasons, if we perceive the gravity of the present circumstances, then we will see the reality that pastors are courageous. This is why they want and are seeking training.
Pastors are seeking training to call for repentance; they do so by learning to evaluate arguments and conclusions, and then by showing interest and respect for true conclusions. They aspire to have the capacities of Paul when he ministered in Athens. For the apostle, the situation was not impartial perception; he could see the reality that he was very small in human terms -- as though his message could be snuffed out.¹2¹3But without being intimidated, trusting in the authority and power of God, the apostle preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Unconcerned with the mockery or rejection of the Stoics and Epicureans, he confessed the reality and truth of the resurrection of the Son of God. Unquestioning, Paul called for repentance in Athens.
PASTORS ARE AND WILL BE THERE
Pastors are there. They are preaching and representing the Gospel among our families, among the suffering, and among those who rejoice. They are, like Paul in Berea, among those who can trace the life of faith of their great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents. They are also among those who do not even know the name of their parent, much less if he or she was a believer. Pastors are there to remind us that, although “the sun seems sick,” we must seek and know the reality of the risen Lord Jesus despite the many temptations of our time to deny him. Well-trained pastors are there to be an example to new generations of young pastors. Thus, pastors will be there, they will not judge what happened to the culture and society that was once Christian. Rather, like Paul in Athens, they will call us to repentance, to teach us to stop being guided by appearances and perceptions. We cannot focus on the number of these pastors, but instead we need to focus on the quality of their character. Pastors are there and will be there virtuously and courageously, to summon all to confess that Jesus Christ has risen and that…
This church has existed from the beginning of the world and will last until the end, as appears from the fact that Christ is eternal King who cannot be without subjects.
Article 27 ¹³¹4
¹¹ John D. Harvey and David Gentino, Acts: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids: Kregel Ministry, 2023). p. 390
WHO WILL DISCIPLE THE NEXT GENERATION OF DISCIPLE-MAKERS?
DAVE BELDMAN
PROFESSOR OF OLD TESTAMENT, MISSIONAL TRAINING CENTER - PHOENIX
“Is the church today discipling the next generation of disciple-makers?” This question addresses our current state of affairs, with clear implications for the future. If pastors are disappearing, who will shepherd our churches and the churches of the next generation? Calvin Theological Seminary (CTS) has been training and equipping ministry leaders for nearly a century and a half. Although CTS has adapted and developed new programs to equip leaders for roles beyond the church and new methods of delivery, as a denominational seminary it has a necessary focus on preparing pastors and other leaders for ministry in the context of the church.
Earlier this year, a partnership between CTS and the Phoenix-based Missional Training Center was announced. Although MTC has trained plenty of pastors and has a genuine interest in church ministry, its founding vision and purpose are broader than the institutional church. Fifteen years or so ago, the originators of MTC were wrestling with a key
question: how might we equip Christian leaders for the realities of the 21st Century? How do we disciple disciple-makers, marketplace managers, non-profit leaders, teachers, parents, caregivers and more to live and lead with integrity, shaped by the biblical story? How will those leaders be equipped to live and lead in a way counter to the competing cultural stories of our day and to encourage others to do so, too? The seeds of MTC were planted, and those seeds have since grown and yielded much fruit.
Many of our students are serving in a specific field into which they feel God has called them, having a desire to go deeper in their formation process. Sometimes they want a more robust framework on which to build their lives and service. In some cases, they feel their knowledge is inadequate to meet the needs of their calling or the people they are leading. Some are serving in churches, some in non-profit organizations (Christian and non-Christian), some in civil and public service, and some in the
marketplace. We do have some students, though they are rare, who feel called to future full-time pastoral ministry (or mission activity) and are getting their education to equip them for that future purpose. The majority of our students, however, are already doing what they feel called to do and getting better equipped to fulfill that calling.
So the concern behind the question “Where have all the pastors gone?”—that is, who will shepherd the churches in years to come—is being addressed and met through the work of MTC. Although MTC doesn’t typically attract people who are not already in ministry but whose goal is full-time pastoral ministry, the labor of our students and alumni attest that
the institutional church is benefiting from our work.
First, many of the churches in the Surge Network already have a process for raising up and discipling ministry leaders in the church. For some, MTC has become an important capstone of that formation process. By the time this type of student attends MTC, they likely have been engaged in worship, pastoral, youth, children, or other kinds of ministry for years. The two-year Master of Arts in Missional Theology is intentionally stretched out over four years, which means they will have an extended period of ministry practice alongside theological education/formation. This is counter to the traditional (perhaps now fading)
understanding that positions seminary formation as a required step before doing ministry.
Second, MTC has been equipping an army of volunteer church ministry workers and/or part time or bi-vocational pastoral workers. Take Sandie White, for instance, who had a successful career at one of the world’s largest aerospace companies. After retiring she went through Surge School (a nine-month discipleship program), and since then has been leading small groups through the Surge School curriculum. Last year, Sandie enrolled at MTC because she wanted to expand her knowledge of what the Bible says to her and the world. She also wanted to better disciple the people in her small groups. We see many examples of this kind where MTC students are serving the church in vital ways alongside their full-time callings in arenas other than the church.
Finally, we have seen examples of students who have found themselves pulled into church ministry despite their prior plans. Here are three examples. Oye Waddell (class of 2019) is the founder and CEO of Hustle Phoenix, a non-profit that helps
budding entrepreneurs start viable businesses serving the common good.
Oye has a long and varied history of serving in athletics, urban education, and entrepreneurship. Recently, Oye began discipling a group of men in an urban community known as South Phoenix. He is joined in this work by Dartezeon Williams (class of 2026), whose regular job is in logistics. Together, Oye and Dartezeon are now planting Sojourn Village PHX church.
Another church plant called Beloved South Phoenix recently launched under the direction of a MTC student with a remarkable story. Juan Chavez (class of 2022) was raised in South Phoenix and his conversion at age 19 kindled in him a passion to reach the lost and struggling in his community. Juan and his wife Tina, who just started her first year at MTC, have been ministering and discipling youth in high schools in South Phoenix, eventually founding a non-profit called AZ Reach. Members of the AZ Reach team work in schools, cultivating the virtues, helping students navigate conflict, forming healthy relationships, walking through life’s challenges,
etc. Because the members of the communities they are discipling are not prone to traveling outside their community to attend church, Juan and Tina have felt the Growing need for a church in the area.
Juan, Tina, and the Beloved South Phoenix planting team have been joined by MTC alumni Emma Tautolo (class of 2021) and Aaron Dailey (class of 2018). It is worth noting that South Phoenix is not the kind of place that church planters typically target, so it is particularly beautiful that our students and alumni Oye, Dartezeon, Juan, Tina, Emma, and Aaron have a heart for this place in the sprawling Valley of the Sun. The legacy of “redlining” has had long-lasting consequences for the residents of this district. As stated on Beloved South Phoenix’s website, “South Phoenix is a beautiful place with rich history and even richer potential. Made up of primarily Latino and African-American families, there is a beautiful tapestry of culture…At the same time, if you’re from here you know there is lots of need. As we live in and travel through this community, it’s obvious that poverty, addiction, violence, broken homes, and food insecurity plague our
community.” Our students are committed to cultivating the body of Jesus in this place.
Alumnus Jason Hensley and current fourth-year student Heike (Jason’s wife) are collaborating in planting a church inside their Jujitsu school. As a family, they made the decision years ago to start a Jujitsu school that exists for the common good. The Hensleys see Jiu-Jitsu as “a good gift of creation and a tool that helps to develop self-discipline, self-esteem, self-sacrifice, and selfless service.” A community has developed, and their clients are hungering for the community and character upon which their school is built. They began a Bible study and are in the process of establishing a church from this community.
“Where have all the pastors gone?” is an important question, and we pray that God will continue to raise up women and men as servant leaders for the church. The leaders of MTC are grateful to see that some of the pastors are currently in our program of study, and some will emerge from it. We are pleased to join in CTS’s long tradition of equipping leaders for service in the church now and into the future.
Watch Jason Hensley’s Alumni feature: bit.ly/jasonhensly
The first thing it takes to train ministry leaders is to raise up people who want to be ministry leaders! “ “
Raising up Ministry Leaders from the Next Generation
MARY HULST 1995 CALVIN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY MDIV ALUM CALVIN UNIVERSITY PASTOR
Spark the imagination.
I’ve often told the story of my pastor chatting with me one Wednesday after 7th-grade catechism and saying, “You’re going to be a minister when you grow up.” Until that moment, I hadn’t thought about the ministry as a profession at all, let alone one to which I could aspire. But he sparked my imagination, and now, more than 40 years later, here we are.
Other pastors tell of a teacher, grandparent, or youth pastor who said something similar to them: “Have you ever thought about being a pastor?" “Could you ever see yourself working at a church?” “I think you have gifts [in listening/ teaching/public speaking/prayer] and God may invite you to use your gifts in the church.”
The first thing it takes to train ministry leaders is to raise up people who want to be ministry leaders! That happens one conversation at a time, starting early. Which 3rd grader or middle schooler or high schooler in your sphere of influence needs to hear from you?
Early Exposure.
Most young people (and many older people) have no idea what happens in a church the other six days of the week. Calvin University runs a summer church internship course for students, and invariably we hear the comment: “I had no idea so much happened at church during the week.” Working daily at a local congregation allows students to see the ways the church serves its neighbors, plans worship, runs meetings and welcomes guests.
Our students also are given significant responsibilities right out of the gate, coordinate a float for the 4th of July parade, come up with games for Vacation Bible School, plan and lead a men’s retreat, write and offer the congregational prayer every Sunday. These tasks teach them how to connect with members, communicate effectively, and lead in ways that allow them to step into adulthood in the church setting.
There are ways for local congregations to accomplish this. What if your youth group was in charge of planning and leading a church retreat?
What if you selected a college student to serve as an intern over the holiday break and offered them a stipend to do so? What if every Sunday service included at least one person under the age of 18 playing an active role in worship leadership?
Do the Scariest Thing Young.
Many of our younger members can’t imagine themselves as a pastor because they are scared to preach. In fact, some seminarians lean toward chaplaincy when they first begin their studies because they do not think they want to or will be able to preach. I have found that demystifying the writing and preaching of sermons by having my college students actually write and preach sermons helps allay their fears about this one aspect of the job.
In our internship course at Calvin, each student is required to write and prepare a 10-minute sermon as part of their preparation for going on an internship. I walk through the basics of sermon design (an adapted version of the 4-page model of Paul Scott Wilson is very is very effective for this), assign each one a text from the same book of the Bible, teach them how to use commentaries, and offer one-on-one time with me if they want it. I have been incredibly impressed with their sermons, and they are delighted that they can actually preach. This helps them go into the internship with the confidence they need not only to preach, but to guide a Bible study on a Thursday afternoon or lead a litany on Sunday morning.
More importantly, this allows them to truly assess a call to ministry without the fear of preaching as a stumbling block. They know they can preach, so now they are able to listen more openly to God’s invitation for their future.
Pastors, what if the curriculum for your church’s 11th and 12th grade Sunday School was your sermon? After preaching, you could hand out your notes or manuscript and teach them how sermons are constructed. You could encourage them to write a sermon and offer to give up the pulpit one Sunday (or more!) if any of them would like to give it a try.
Invite Them Behind the Curtain. If our rising generations only see their pastor up front on Sunday, they are not going to imagine themselves in that role because they do not know the person in the role. They need to get to know
you. If you are serving as a pastor of a congregation with young people, your first job is to learn their names. Even if you have a ‘youth pastor’ on staff, you need to know the names of the students in your church. It is at least as important to know their names as it is to know the names of their parents.
Create low-pressure events where they can hang out with you: Lunch after worship with just you and the high school students. Early morning donuts and coffee at their school. And I know this
is a big one: go on the spring break trip with them. The more they can interact with you as a person, the more they can begin to imagine themselves doing what you do. As they get to know you, you can share your own story of calling to ministry, and spark their imaginations. Tell them why you are a pastor, what you love about it, and why they could consider it for themselves.
Debunk the “I’m not good enough” lie. While we may be a grace-based Christian tradition, students still think that they need to
achieve some higher standard of “goodness” before they qualify to attend seminary or be trained for ministry. They see pastors as better than they are, and they may regard themselves as having sins or defects that disqualify them for pastoral work.
To respond to the first I’ll often say, “I’m not, either,” or “No one is!” and then point out that it is God’s grace that works through all of us. The many examples in scripture of God using unlikely people to bring his good news to the world that we can point to. Remind them of the hesitancy of Moses or Esther, the blatant sins of Abraham or Rahab, or the humble origins of Mary or Amos. Most of those people that God uses would never see themselves as good enough.
The second defense needs more tender unraveling. They may indeed be struggling with a significant sin in the present or have one in their past that they can’t shake. Therapy, spiritual direction, an intentional time of confession, and/or pastoral counseling can help them receive forgiveness and find the grace they seek. Whether or not that leads to a career in pastoral ministry is obviously much less important than having them come to understand themselves as beloved children of God, forgiven and free.
Show why you love your job.
The most important factor in raising up ministry leaders is to show them ministry leaders who really love what they do. You are the best draw for any young person who is contemplating full-time or bi-vocational ministry. If you radiate joy in your work, they will notice. If you are the same person with them on the spring break trip that you are in the pulpit, they’ll pay attention.
If you are a person of prayer and easy kindness, if you are slow to anger and quick to forgive, if you love Jesus and that is obvious to everyone, they will be drawn to a life like that.
Pray with me that God will regularly nudge us to speak to those we know and encourage them to consider serving in parish ministry. Pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire many among the rising generations to invest in the church and seek training for ministry. Pray that the church of Jesus Christ will be flush with gifted,t animated young people who are eager to serve.
Soli Deo Gloria.
TRAINING MINISTRY LEADERS IN CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION
BY LEAH JOLLY THM STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS WRITER
As a graduate of Calvin Seminary working in Christian higher education, Jessica Joustra’s experience of being formed as a ministry leader now shapes her approach to cultivating leaders in her context. Jessica’s story of receiving training and formation as a Calvin Seminary student helps her in her role at Redeemer University, where she seeks to help identify and train the next generation of ministry leaders.
A DIFFERENT PATH TO CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Jessica’s path into theological education proved to be quite unexpected. Despite being raised in the Christian Reformed Church from infancy and attending Christian schools, Jessica never envisioned herself studying theology.
As a freshman at Calvin College, Jessica declared a major in biology, and later added a major in religion. The influence of the biology faculty at Calvin, especially Dr. Dave Warners, led Jessica to think theologically about the deep care and love of God revealed in creation. In studying biology, Jessica was driven deeper into Scripture to learn more about the expansive nature of God’s kingdom/kingship. As an intern in the Calvin Jubilee Fellows
2013 CALVIN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY MDIV ALUM
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF RELIGION AND THEOLOGY AT REDEEMER UNIVERSITY
JESSICA JOUSTRA
program (a program dedicated to equipping future pastors and ministry leaders through classes and internships), Jessica found herself wondering, “Why am I here when I don’t feel called to pastoral ministry? How do I serve God’s Kingdom while pursuing my interests?” Over time, Jessica’s faculty members and mentors at Calvin encouraged her to integrate her love for biology with her newfound interest in theology, asking questions about how science and Scripture overlap. By the end of her time at Calvin College, she knew – and felt an inexplicable peace — what her next ‘right step’ would be: applying to attend Calvin Seminary, a decision she never would have anticipated as a college freshman.
As a MDiv student at Calvin Seminary, Jessica’s knowledge of Scripture, theology and ethics grew, thanks to the influence of professors like Mary Vanden Berg, John Cooper, and John Bolt, who involved Jessica in his research on Herman Bavinck. By the end of her time at Calvin Seminary, Jessica was committed to a doctoral program at Fuller Theological Seminary, where she studied under Richard Mouw. Mouw’s book When the Kings Come Marching In was one of the central books for Jessica to formulate a robust answer to the question: “How does faith fit with the rest of my life?”
As a doctoral student under Mouw, Jessica dove into the work of Herman Bavinck, whose work continues to shape her teaching today. Jessica’s unexpected path into seminary and higher education now drives how she trains and equips the next generation of ministry leaders.
TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MINISTRY LEADERS
As Associate Professor of Religion and Theology at Redeemer University, Jessica finds herself teaching students from Reformed and non-Reformed backgrounds alike. As she helps students explore the Reformed tradition through the lens of God’s sovereignty, students often find themselves surprised at how much they love the Reformed tradition. Jessica cites the Calvin Seminary faculty’s influence in her teaching, even to this day. As she learned from faculty who love God, students, and their field of study, Jessica aspires to do likewise – to be: a professor who engages students in theological study through her love of God, her students, and the subjects she teaches. In her teaching, Jessica seeks to help her students discern their next steps in ministry or calling in theology. Students fill her office hours and courses, exploring what doors could be opened for their future through a MDiv degree. As she converses with students, Jessica explores three core questions:
1. What are you looking for in a seminary curriculum? – Jessica helps students consider not only the academic rigor of the curriculum itself, but also the opportunities provided for vocational and spiritual formation.
2. What kind of learning environment fits your interests? – Jessica encourages students to consider the advantages and disadvantages of a residential vs. online/distance program, what their preferred student to faculty ratio is, and the faculty engagement they’d like to experience throughout their program.
3. Is the seminary connected to a particular church or tradition, or is it broadly ecumenical? – Jessica advises students to think about how the theological tradition of the seminary will influence their educational experience, as well as how it aligns with their church background and preferences.
Through these influential conversations, many of Jessica’s students from Redeemer University pursue theological education at Calvin Seminary. Jessica’s example of a contagious love for God, students, and her field of study, combined with helpful exploration questions and conversations, provide an example for church members today as they seek to train future ministry leaders in their context.
For church members seeking to identify and train future ministry leaders, those initial conversations can look a lot like the ones Jessica has with her university students: What are you looking for in a seminary? What’s offered at a seminary that meets what you’re searching for? Does the curriculum and theological tradition of the seminary align with your beliefs and preferences? Answering those questions can help give the student - and those mentoring them - a good picture of which seminary to choose. Jessica also offers two words of wisdom for fellow Christians seeking to identify and train future ministry leaders: don’t be afraid of God’s call, and be confident in His faithfulness. Jessica’s story is evidence of following God’s call without fear, even if He calls in very subtle (or bold) ways, and even if the pathway He takes you down is different than you imagined. Similarly, Jessica’s story testifies to God’s faithfulness to those He loves. Even if He takes you down a different path, remain confident that God, in His faithfulness, will continue to guide you along the good path He has in store for you.
Jessica’s story is one of obeying an unexpected, God-given calling. From a biology lab to a theology classroom, Jessica has seen the goodness, faithfulness, and sovereignty of God in the lives of His people. As a result, Jessica finds herself in a place where she can not only proclaim the God she loves, but also equip others to do the same.
“
Jessica
also offers two words of wisdom for fellow Christians seeking to identify and train future ministry leaders: don’t be afraid of God’s call, and be confident in His faithfulness.
“
HOPE IN THE RUINS
GAYLE DOORNBOS
2011 CTS THM ALUM
ASSOCIATE PRODESSOR OF THEOLOGY AT DORDT UNIVERSITY
“…theology must demonstrate its truth, not only in the area of science [academic scholarship], but also and more powerfully amidst the awful realities of life—at the sickbed and deathbed, in suffering and want, in distress and death, to the guilt-laden conscience and to the heart thirsting for reconciliation and peace.”
-Herman Bavinck, The Certainty of Faith¹ 2
1Herman Bavinck, The Certainty of Faith, 17.
“THE WORLD IS DARK, YET THERE IS HOPE”
After speaking in the chapel at Dordt University, where I teach in the theology department, I joked with my colleagues that I sometimes feel that I have only one message: “The world is dark, yet there is hope.” While the language, examples, and text might be different, I can’t evade the texts and stories that start in the darkness and call us to find light in the hardest places. Sometimes, I suspect it’s just ‘luck of the draw’ and that I find myself assigned texts on what it means to live in the already, but not yet, nature of the Kingdom. But, as we were discussing at a recent department meeting, the courses I’ve developed for our program – “Faith and Suffering” and “Walking with God in the Wilderness” – both explore theological themes related to faith and hope in, as Bavinck describes, the “awful realities of life.” Surely it is in those awful realities of life that we need a faith big enough and broad enough to give us hope that nourishes and provides us with enduring solace and direction.
Although there are several ways I could describe the work I do with undergraduates, one of the most meaningful is how I help them find hope in the ruins. This work involves taking a long look at the world in which we live and seeking real hope that nourishes our faith and informs our action in the world. This work is neither simple nor efficient,
but it is meaningful and (I hope) transformative in the lives of students. Many students who come through the doors of my classroom carry stories of ruin, and often they view the world as a place where ruin appears to be the prevailing story. They long to know how God meets them in those hard places, and provides real hope rather than despair.
It’s not just my students who long to find hope. It seems much easier these days to traffic in despair and doomsday messaging rather than cultivating the hope that we are given as a gift by the Spirit. As we look at demographic data chronicling a rapid decline in church attendance and increased rates of pastoral burnout, combined with political polarization in congregations, abuse scandals, and denominational discord, it is hard to avoid feeling discouraged and disillusioned. So we often search for programs or sets of practices to serve as a cure-all for our collective woes.
To be sure, cultivating hope includes practices and intentionality, but it is first and foremost kindled by the Holy Spirit through whom we encounter the living Christ and by whom we are drawn into life-long discipleship within Christian communities. This hope, given by the Spirit, is rooted in the reality proclaimed in the threefold affirmation, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”
This hope does not look away from the brokenness of the world–in other-worldly escapism–but forms to be ones who name darkness, see signs of resurrection light, and bear witness to that light. In other words, we are formed to stand in, not above, the ruins of our own lives, families, communities, and nations – and proclaim the hope of Christ. Kindling hope is first and foremost a gift of the Spirit, but there are ways that we can seek to cultivate it as we engage together in our lives of faith, whether it’s in the classroom, at church, or over a shared meal.
First, cultivating hope means taking a long look at the darkness, discouragement, and desolation in our current contexts. While this may seem counter-intuitive, ignoring the size, scope, and depth of the ruin does not produce hope but rather blind optimism that cannot nourish or sustain faith. What’s more, to take a long look at how things are “not the way they are supposed to be” is a deeply Reformed impulse rooted in our recognition of the pervasive effects of the fall. This is not, contrary to certain assumptions, to suck the joy out of every good thing and become sullen and somber. Rather, it is because the Gospel comes to us as good news “amidst the awful realities of life,” not apart from them. Without acknowledging the universal pain and sorrow of sin-filled ruin that touches us all in ways that are not abstract but actual, we always
Many students who come through the doors of my classroom carry stories of ruin, and often they view the world as a place where ruin appears to be the prevailing story. “ “
will be left to wonder if God’s grace and redemption go to the depths of sin, destruction, and desolation. The Gospel comes in the darkness of night, with the Son of God born in a stable, and it comes into the breath taking brokenness of our lives, communities, and world.
Second, the good news is that God’s grace extends not only to the depths but triumphs over them. Thus, cultivating hope also includes proclaiming God’s abundant and glorious grace. Bavinck summarizes the triumph of God’s grace in another beautiful passage:
Sin has corrupted much; in fact, everything. The guilt of human sin is immeasurable; the pollution that always accompanies it penetrates every structure of humanity and the world. Nonetheless sin does not dominate and corrupt without God’s abundant grace in Christ triumphing even more (Rom. 5:15-20). The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin, it is able to restore everything. We need not, indeed we must not, despair of anyone or anything.2
Because of God’s abundant grace in Christ, there is no need for despair. Cultivating hope involves not merely looking at the darkness in the world but seeing that, in Christ, the light is stronger and brighter than the darkness. Christ has promised to make all things new. Hope is kindled in the light of Christ’s work as we wait for the day when all things will be made new, and it is cultivated as we wait, with trust-filled longing, for the consummation of Christ’s Kingdom. Hope nourishes us in our waiting, reminding us of the true end of the Christian story, and the
2 Bavinck, “Catholicity of Christianity and the Church,”
3
overwhelming goodness of the God who makes and keeps his promises. It also spurs us to point out and bear witness to the signs of God’s work in our lives and communities.
Third, it is within this broader story that various intentional practices start to make sense, again not as cure-alls or magic bullets, but as ways to cultivate the gift of hope – a gift we so desperately need to stave off despair. Hope is not achieved, as Kelly Kapic in Embodied Hope reminds us, by “the power of positive thinking” but received, first and foremost, through word and sacrament.2 In the word and sacrament, we remember, receive, and commune with the God who makes and keeps his promises. In baptism, we receive a new identity as those who have died and risen with Christ (Romans 6). In the Lord’s Supper, we receive an embodied foretaste of the wedding supper of the Lamb, which we will eat when all things are made new (Revelation 19). Within communities of faith, hope grows as we share stories that remind us that the God who makes promises is also present with us, even in the ruins. We find hope in the stories of triumph and testimonies of God’s miraculous and marvelous intervention, but we don’t make victory the only marker or measure of God’s presence and provision. Rather, we learn to listen to the stories of those who sit and mourn, bearing witness to the hope of Christ, especially when triumph or victory does not come. Our hope grows as we learn to share the fullness of our lives together over meals – crying and laughing together – and it grows as we learn to see God’s gracious presence in our everyday, ordinary lives. In hearing the stories of others, in telling our own, and in seeing
God’s presence in the everyday, we are reminded again and again of God’s love, steadfast care, and promises!
In the “Faith and Suffering” class I teach, we do not shy away from the hard questions or the deep pain in our world, but we do so with eyes wide open to the story of Scripture so that we can find the hope of Christ and his restoring presence in the ruins. We take a long look at the Christian story as well as the challenges we face today – a mental health crisis, polarization, rapidly changing cultural norms, and so much more. In the classroom, we see how the Christian story, our faith, and the God who makes and keeps his promises are capacious enough to find hope in the ruins. We also engage in various practices (celebration, fasting, unplugging, the Daily Examen, and memento mori), laugh, and eat together. As we do, we enter into the lifelong, patient work of learning to name darkness, see light, and bear witness to it. Our time together remains one of my favorite parts of the week because invariably, my hope is cultivated as I see God at work in the lives of those who will enter various spheres of life (including traditional ministerial vocations) after they graduate. My hope is that they leave Dordt well-equipped to bear witness to Christ in every place they find themselves. For all of us – including me – who are sometimes tempted to despair, may we find ourselves more and more drawn into the hope of faith as we engage in Word and sacrament, retell the great and grand story of Scripture, remember who God is, eat meals together, engage in spiritual practices – continually bearing witness to Christ in the ruins.
Kelly Kapic, Embodied Hope, 128.
A Journey Through Seminary in the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin)
SAM HA
THEOLOGICAL LIBRARIAN CURATOR OF THE MEETER CENTER PHD CANDIDATE
In the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin), the journey toward ministry is deeply connected to both personal conviction and communal recognition. While I cannot speak for the entire country, I can share the process as it unfolds within my denomination. Becoming a pastor in it is not merely about receiving a calling and pursuing formal education. It involves a rigorous path of discernment, guided oversight, and spiritual direction. Each step is designed to ensure that those called to ministry are truly prepared to serve the church of God.
The Initial Call: Internal and External
In the Kosin denomination, the first step on the road to ministry begins not with an application to a seminary but with a conversation. When someone feels the internal call to serve God as a minister of the church, they do not rush to action. Instead, the first person to speak with is usually the senior pastor of their local church. The pastor becomes the first checkpoint.
The internal calling must be followed by external affirmation, and this is where things get serious. The pastor, who likely knows the individual from past involvement in the church community, will carefully observe them over time, ensuring their character and calling are genuine. They may ask around, gather insights from the community, and pay close attention to the candidate’s spiritual growth. The church’s session may also become involved at this stage, adding another layer of evaluation. The goal here is to ensure that the external evidence of the calling is as clear as the internal conviction.
The Role of the Presbytery
Once the local church determines that the individual has the makings of a future pastor, it’s time to petition the presbytery. The presbytery, a governing body made up of ministers and elders from various churches within a region (much like a classis in the Christian Reformed Church), plays an essential role in the process. Twice a year, in the spring and fall, the presbytery holds meetings where petitions for permission to enter the seminary are considered.
It’s not a mere formality, though. Candidates are asked tough questions by presbytery members – questions that probe their devotional life, faith, character, and motivations. Some candidates do not make it through this process, either because the presbytery determines they are not yet ready, or because it becomes clear that their calling still needs time to mature. The next step for those who receive the recommendation is the seminary entrance exam.
Entrance Exams: A Spiritual and Academic Process
The entrance process to Korea Theological Seminary (the Kosin denominational seminary) is rather rigorous. It begins with a Bible exam that covers both the Old and
New Testaments. Applicants need to demonstrate not just familiarity but a deep understanding of Scripture. Next comes an English exam which assesses the candidate’s ability to engage with texts in English. This is important not just for navigating the global reach of the church, but also for accessing the wealth of diverse theological resources available in the language.
But perhaps the most intense part of the entrance exam is the interview process. This isn’t just a chat about their hopes and dreams. It’s an in-depth personality, character, spirituality, and academic assessment. Candidates are scrutinized to ensure they have the spiritual maturity and character needed to shepherd a congregation. For these various exams, applicants must stay on campus for a few days during these exams.
Life in Seminary: A Rigor of Study and Reflection
For those who pass the entrance exam and are admitted, life in seminary is also quite demanding. Almost all seminary students live in dorms, creating an intentional community of studying, prayer, and fellowship. Over the course of three years, they must complete 106 credits. The academic rigor and the ongoing encouragement for spiritual growth can be challenging, and some students may decide that seminary isn’t the right path for them. Others may take an additional year or two to complete their studies, allowing them the time needed to meet the high academic standards.
But it’s not just academic performance that keeps students on their toes. Every year, each student must return to their presbytery to receive permission to continue their studies. This requires a new petition, adding another layer of accountability and ensuring that their calling and character remain intact.
The seminary years are often a time of profound transformation, marked by both personal struggles and spiritual breakthroughs. The students spend these years in a communal environment, learning not only from their professors but also from each other, forming bonds that will last a lifetime.
Competition and the Changing Face of Seminary
Seminary education within the Kosin denomination has traditionally been quite competitive. In 2015, for instance, 209 students applied for just 154 available spots. While competition rates have varied over the years, this demand reflects the deep
commitment many feel toward ministry.However, the landscape is evolving. With an aging population and fewer young people pursuing ministry, the challenge has shifted. Churches are now finding it harder to call younger ministers. In that regard, Kosin seminary graduates generally do not struggle to find opportunities to serve a local church. Many are able to start as junior pastors, working alongside senior pastors to gain experience before eventually taking on the responsibility of leading a congregation.
Differences with the Christian Reformed Church
One of the differences I’ve observed between Kosin and other denominations, like the Christian Reformed Church, is how new pastors transition into ministry after graduation. Rather than jumping straight into leading a congregation, most newly ordained pastors start by serving as junior pastors. This mentorship model allows new pastors to learn from experienced leaders, gradually taking on more responsibilities while still being guided by a senior pastor. It also reduces the pressure to receive a call to be ordained.
Of course, there are always exceptions. Some graduates go on to lead churches straight out of seminary, but this is rarer. The mentorship model is a key part of the Kosin tradition, and it reflects the denomination’s emphasis on learning through experience and growing into one’s role in the church. It also creates a smoother transition into full-time ministry and provides a support system for new pastors as they begin their journey.
Concluding Remarks
Though cultures and denominations across the world may approach the formation of pastors and leaders in different ways, there is a common thread that unites us all – our deep desire to faithfully serve God and shepherd his church. In the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin), the rigorous process of discernment, training, and mentorship reflects our commitment to preparing pastors who will lead with integrity and faithfulness. In other traditions, the steps may look different, yet the underlying goal remains the same: to raise up leaders who will proclaim the gospel, serve their congregations, and embody Christ’s love.
“ “
In the Kosin denomination, the first step on the road to ministry begins not with an application to a seminary but with a conversation.
BREAKING THE VICIOUS CYCLE:
Raising Up Pastors and Church Leaders from Within the Local Church
SCOTT VANDER PLOEG
PASTOR OF SUNLIGHT COMMUNITY CHURCH, A CRCNA MINISTRY - FLORIDA
The Vicious Cycle of Church Decline
The North American church is facing a significant and well-documented decline. Congregations are shrinking, and many churches are struggling to find their footing in an increasingly secular culture. As attendance decreases, so too does the pool of potential leaders who might feel called to serve the church. In addition, talented individuals – particularly those with leadership potential – are drawn away from ministry, often pursuing more lucrative or culturally appealing career paths, leaving a vacuum in church leadership. This decline triggers a vicious cycle: with fewer people aspiring to pastoral and church leadership roles, the church becomes even less equipped to fulfill the Great Commission. Fewer disciples are reached, fewer are nurtured, and the church continues its downward spiral.
As the church declines, the Great Commission suffers. With fewer leaders to shepherd the flock and evangelize the world, fewer disciples are made, and the church’s ability to grow or even sustain itself diminishes. This deepens the cycle: fewer churches, fewer leaders, fewer disciples, and even more decline. But from this troubling cycle, there is hope. In my experience, I have identified a *virtuous cycle* that moves in the opposite direction. This virtuous cycle begins with reclaiming a long-lost art within the church—disciple-making.
the vicious cycle
fewer leaders developed
1. Reclaiming the Lost Art of Disciple-Making and Multiplication
At the core of the solution is a return to disciple-making, a practice that is all too often overlooked or assumed. The mandate for disciple-making comes directly from Scripture, with Jesus commissioning His followers to go into all the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). The key activity of disciple-making is forming intentional friendships and relationships that have a particular purpose: namely, to transmit the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that the disciple understands it thoroughly and is capable of teaching others.
Yet, in many churches, the focus has shifted away from personal, one-on-one discipleship and toward more general church programs with an aim at crowd-building. While programs have their place, they are no substitute for personal, relational disciple-making. And unfortunately, because churches have focused so much on programs, the vast majority of church members feel ill-equipped (and therefore disinclined) to personally make disciples. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul instructs Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many
churches are declining
fewer disciples made
witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” This is the model we need to reclaim. Discipleship should be personal, intentional, and replicable. The activity of disciple-making should be owned by all members of a congregation. By investing in the spiritual growth of individuals, we are planting the seeds for future leadership.
In our church, we advocate for a one-on-one discipleship model that follows this 2 Timothy 2:2 principle called 222Disciple. Every believer is encouraged to both be discipled and to disciple others, creating a natural multiplication of disciples. As people grow in their relationship with Christ and as they begin to disciple others, their gifts and callings start to emerge. This multiplication of disciples ultimately leads to the identification of future leaders.
2. Leadership Multiplication: Raising Up Leaders from the Harvest for the Harvest
As disciples multiply, something extraordinary happens: leaders are identified and called out from within the congregation. This identification is not forced; it happens naturally as people who are gifted in
disciple-making begin to sense a deeper calling to ministry. Leadership, after all, is a natural outgrowth of discipleship.
Leadership multiplication, however, requires more than just identification; it requires intentional development. This is where churches often have faltered. Too many churches are reactive rather than proactive in developing leaders. Instead of waiting for leaders to emerge in a moment of crisis, churches need to be consistently training and equipping individuals for leadership roles.
In our ministry, we have established a partnership with Calvin Seminary and the Empower Program to offer advanced discipleship training for those who have been identified as having leadership potential.
3. Church Multiplication: From Disciples to Leaders to Church Plants and Church Renewal
The natural outcome of this leadership development is church multiplication. When leaders are well-trained and equipped, they are ready to lead churches, to plant and renew congregations, and to reach new communities. Planting and renewing churches
are among the most effective ways to fulfill the Great Commission because these actions place trained, passionate leaders in areas that need the Gospel.
In the last ten years, our church has planted more than 20 new churches, both in North America and overseas. These churches are led by individuals who are discipled, developed, and trained within the context of the local church. These new churches not only have reached new disciples but have also continued the cycle of multiplying disciples, multiplying leaders, and multiplying churches.
The key to this multiplication is a focus on the Great Commission. Each of these churches is committed to making disciples who make disciples, and as a result they are growing. The virtuous cycle of multiplying disciples, multiplying leaders, and multiplying churches is self-sustaining and is rooted in the biblical model of ministry.
The Virtuous Cycle in Action
Unlike the vicious cycle of decline, the virtuous cycle is life-giving. It begins with an intentional return to disciple-making, which naturally leads to leadership multiplication
THIS TRAINING FOCUSES ON THREE KEY AREAS:
Character: Cultivating the Christ-like character necessary for leading God’s people
Competence: Developing the biblical, theological, and ministerial knowledge needed for effective ministry
Craft: Learning the practical aspects of ministry, from church administration to counseling and community engagement, with a focus on creating and sustaining a movement of disciple-multiplication
By investing in the next generation of leaders through formal training and mentorship, we can ensure that the church is not only sustaining itself but is also positioned to grow and thrive in the future.
as gifted individuals sense a call to ministry. These leaders, when properly equipped, go on to plant and renew churches, which continues the work of disciplemaking and leadership development. The cycle continues, not in decline, but in growth and multiplication.
A Call to Action
I am hopeful that the North American church does not have to continue in its decline. By reclaiming the lost art of disciple-making and investing in leadership development, I believe that the church can break free from the vicious cycle that is our current reality and enter into a season of growth and multiplication. The process sounds simple but is profound: multiply disciples, multiply leaders, and multiply churches.
Every church, regardless of size or location, can take steps toward this virtuous cycle. It starts with one-on-one discipleship—with individuals intentionally investing in the spiritual growth of others. From there, the Holy Spirit will call and equip leaders; and with proper training, these leaders will be ready to lead the next generation of churches. multiply disciples multiply churches multiply leaders the virtuous cycle
THE CYCLE BEGINS WITH US
With each church and every believer making the decision to intentionally make and multiply disciples. From there, the future of the church is bright, and the Great Commission can be fulfilled, not just in theory but in practice. For anyone who desires to join this virtuous cycle, training is available:
Seminary News
A Day of Worship: Adoring God in Every Moment
BY SAM (NEULSAEM) HA
THEOLOGICAL LIBRARIAN
MEETER CENTER CURATOR
PHD CANDIDATE
In October 2024, Sam Ha published A Day of Worship: Adoring God in Every Moment. Ha offers a compelling invitation to cultivate a life where every action is an act of worship before God. Written in Korean, this book is the product of Ha’s deep theological reflection, academic background and personal spiritual journey. It challenges readers to see God not only in formal church services, but also in the daily, mundane tasks of life.
Ha’s personal faith journey was influential in the book’s content and tone. Born into a family of church planters in Korea, Ha was raised with an emphasis on constant prayer and worship. This foundational belief carried him from South Korea to London and eventually to the United States, where he is pursuing a PhD at Calvin Seminary. His theological education and pastoral aspirations led him to write a book that bridges the intellectual and the practical, with a clear pastoral heart. His role as a theological librarian and curator at the Meeter Center for Calvin Studies allows him to interact with Reformation history and theology, insights that have deeply informed his approach to worship.
Ha challenges the reader to reframe how they understand worship. Instead of imagining worship as something to relegate to a specific time and place, Ha contends that worship is meant to permeate every moment of life. A series of letters–reminiscent of Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters–exchanged between Ha and a friend, the book reflects on how the mundane—washing dishes, taking out the trash, or walking in nature—can be an opportunity to worship God. The letters function as both theological discourse and devotional encouragement, inviting readers to consider how their daily routines can become an ongoing act of worship.
This blend of theology and pastorally-sensitive encouragement is one of the book’s most compelling features. Ha does not shy away from difficult topics like illness, death, and the struggles of everyday life. In these moments of vulnerability, the book takes on a sensitive tone, offering comfort and hope through the lens of worship. Ha encourages his readers to meditate on God’s character—His greatness, faithfulness, and loving-kindness—and let this knowledge drive them to deeper worship in every moment of life.
The practical implications of Ha’s book are profound. By urging readers to integrate worship into their daily routines, Ha challenges the modern Christian’s tendency to compartmentalize faith. Worship is not just for Sundays, nor is it limited to times of formal prayer. It is an invitation to continually acknowledge God’s presence in every aspect of life—whether it’s the monotony of housework or the joy of a leisurely walk. Through Ha’s writing, readers are encouraged to pause and reflect on the divine in their everyday experiences, transforming the ordinary into an opportunity to encounter God.
A Day of Worship is a deeply thoughtful, pastoral, and theologically rich exploration of what it means to live a life of continual worship. Ha’s personal experiences, combined with his academic expertise, make this book both practical and profound, offering a roadmap for those who seek to live with greater awareness of God’s presence in the everyday. It’s an invitation to see the divine not just in the sacred but in all of life, making every moment an act of worship.
The Old Testament, Calvin, and the Reformed Tradition
BY YUDHA THIANTO CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER PROFESSOR
OF HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY AND REFORMED THEOLOGY
In 2024, Dr. Yudha Thianto, in partnership with Brill Academic Publishers, published his edited volume The Old Testament, Calvin, and The Reformed Tradition. This volume explores John Calvin’s interpretation of the Old Testament, as well as how the Old Testament is understood and used in the broader Reformed tradition.
Thianto’s motivation for editing and publishing this volume is rooted in the 2019 meeting of the Calvin Studies Society, which met at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. At the Society’s meeting, members such as G. Sujin Pak, Scott Manetsch, J. Todd Billings, Jeff Fisher, Christine Kooi, Maarten Kuivenhoven, Allison Brown, Graeme Murdock, Thomas Davis, and Michael Vander Weele presented papers reflecting their research on John Calvin and the Old Testament. Following the meeting, presenters were invited to contribute their papers to this volume. To round out the volume’s emphasis on the broader Reformed tradition, Thianto also solicited contributions from other Calvin scholars. The end result? A diverse exploration of John Calvin’s use of the Old Testament, including his arguments against an allegorical reading of Scripture, use of Jeremiah in pastoral training, and stance on the psalms of lament as part of the “anatomy of the soul.”
Building upon centuries of Calvin scholarship, this volume reflects each scholar’s ability to go beyond dialogue with one another in order to explore new, untouched avenues of study. For example, Christine Kooi’s paper Who Were the Israelites in the Netherlandish Reformation? examines the spread of Calvinism in the Netherlands and other nearby countries. Thianto’s own paper Singing and Listening to Sermons on the Ten Commandments in Seventeenth-Century Dutch East Indies builds on his current research about the singing of metrical psalms in the Reformed tradition, tracing it to the tradition in the Dutch East Indies. By including these new avenues of study in conjunction with the Old Testament, Thianto and his contributors emphasize the importance of the Old Testament for believers today. Oftentimes, in emphasizing Christ and the Gospels, pastors and churches neglect to study the Old Testament. This volume challenges believers to pursue a deeper understanding of the Old Testament’s continued relevance for the church today.
Although this volume is written for a more academically focused audience, pastors and laypeople alike will benefit from its focus on Calvin’s interpretation and use of the Old Testament. The array of topics explored in this volume will challenge believers of all ages, backgrounds, and knowledge levels to embrace a more thorough understanding and appreciation of the Old Testament for 21st Century Christians.
Wars of the Lord
BY MATTHEW TUININGA PROFESSOR OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS AND THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY
In January 2025, Oxford University Press is publishing Dr. Matthew J. Tuininga’s most recent book, The Wars of the Lord: The Puritan Conquest of America’s First People. This book explores the Puritan conquest of New England, examining the impact it had on both the Puritans, Native Americans, and the beginnings of the United States.
Tuininga’s idea for The Wars of the Lord emerged from a long-time interest in and deep examination of John Calvin, tracing the path of Reformed theology and tradition into North America through the Puritans as they arrived in the 1600s. As Tuininga studied the Puritans, their understanding of Reformed theology, and the conquest of New England, his investigation revealed he knew much less about the Puritans and their relationship with Native Americans than he originally thought. What initially was supposed to be a journal article turned into a book, in which Tuininga seeks to faithfully tell the story of both the Puritans and Native Americans with all its complexities, nuances, and challenges.
Tuininga cites his in-person research as an influential component of writing the book. No longer were the names of Puritans or Native Americans mere names on a page, but became real people to him
as he visited museums, historical sites, and archives across the East Coast. The task of faithfully and accurately telling a complex story – the story of flesh-and-blood humans made in God’s image – motivated Tuininga to write nearly 400 pages about this understudied, critical portion of American history.
Drawing heavily on primary sources, The Wars of the Lord chronicles the arrival of the Puritans to New England, the settlement of the colonies, relationship building between Puritans and Native Americans, and the mounting relational and political tension leading to King Philip’s war. This war, largely unknown and underrepresented in most history textbooks, remains one of the bloodiest wars in American history due to the sheer loss of life experienced by both sides, especially at a time when population levels were low due to disease and malnutrition. Recovery for the Puritans and Native Americans would take years, with especially significant impacts for Native American communities, such as loss of land, displacement, discrimination, exploitation, and poverty. Mindful of the complexities of the story, Tuininga takes care to explore the political, religious, and social views of Puritans and Native Americans that prevented and abetted conflict, including the events and tensions that led to King Philip’s War.
Unlike many other historical books, Tuininga takes pains to ensure the story is accessible to all readers, whether fellow historians, laypeople, or students. All readers will benefit from the careful, clear, and humble approach Tuininga employs, identifying the positive and negative actions, beliefs, and convictions of both Puritans and Native Americans. The Wars of the Lord demonstrates the complexity of history and necessity of telling stories truthfully and accurately, inviting all readers to consider anew the impact and ambiguities of the Puritans’ influence on the origins of the United States.
New Staff & Faculty
MEET
Jeff Lash
Theological Librarian
I am an Indiana native and a loyal Hoosier sports fan. Prior to working in libraries, I spent the majority of my post-college years serving as a pastor in churches across Indiana, Tennessee, and Michigan. After earning a BA in Christian Studies from Union University, I moved to Nashville to take a pastoral position and pursue my dreams of becoming a music legend. While in Nashville, I met and married my wife Annie who was also a local musician. In 2010, we moved to Grand Rapids where I completed a MA in New Testament from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and a MLIS from Valdosta State University. I served as library director at Cornerstone University before joining the CTS faculty as Theological Librarian in January of this year. I also serve as an elder and musician at CrossWay Community.
I have a wide range of study interests such as interpretations of Paul, early Christian thought and practice, theological education and librarianship, library leadership, and design and aesthetics in libraries. My recent work focused on diversity audits in academic libraries and was published by the Association of College and Research Libraries in Everyday Evidence-Based Practice in Academic Libraries.
I love the work that I do as a librarian because it affords me the opportunity to walk alongside students during their seminary journey and to be a part of their formation as they engage in research. As I meet with students, I seek to teach them how to wisely navigate the sea of information that exists, develop a process for finding and utilizing information efficiently, and form habits for engaging with information and resources that will serve them and others well.
My wife and I have two boys, Aiden and Elliott. They keep us busy with their sports and music activities. As a family, we love to watch movies, play board games, and build with Legos. When I’m not hanging out with my family or working at the library, I like to build things out of wood, play and watch sports, and read theological and Tolkien-related books.
MEET
Yani Velazquez
Accountant
I was born and raised in a beautiful coastal town in eastern Cuba, where I studied Accounting and Finance at the University of Holguin. I met the Lord at the age of 15 thanks to the testimony of a friend who courageously continued to present the gospel to me. I became the first Christian in my family.
Later, I married a pastor I would accompany on a journey through four churches that notably enriched my Christian life. My husband’s academic preparation led us to an unforgettable first international experience in the beautiful Netherlands. By then, two children had joined our family by the grace of God. Three years after our return from the Netherlands, the pandemic seemed to stop everything. But then God opened a door for us to move to the United States so that my husband could begin a doctorate in theology. The transition meant another adaptation to a new context and language.
Yet, my desire to reconcile my professional background with a new stage in our lives was very much alive. In a beautiful unfolding of divine providence, I joined the Acrisure company in downtown Grand Rapids, allowing me to reconnect with my professional background and grow in many areas.
When CTS sought candidates for my current position, it seemed to be the opportunity of my dreams. After much prayer and consideration, God allowed me to apply and be accepted into the CTS family. I enjoy the blessing of connecting my profession with my faith every day in an environment committed to forming disciples of Jesus Christ.
MEET
Ruan Bessa
Associate Director of Admissions
I was born in the south of Brazil. On my father's side, we descend from slaves, and on my mother's side from Portuguese immigrants. My father served in the military throughout my childhood, so I grew up exploring the outside world within the safety of “military villages,” as we called them in Portuguese.
I wanted to be a soccer player, but I ended up in Seminary. I obtained a Bachelor of Theology from the Baptist Colleges of Paraná (BCP) in 2014. From 2007 to 2011, I was actively involved in discipleship, preaching, and other ministries at my local church in Curitiba, Brazil.
Between 2012 and 2014, I planted a church in the city and worked as a theology tutor at BCP. I immigrated to the United States in 2015. From 2015 to 2018, I worked as a Training Manager at B Virtual, an online proctoring company serving universities, colleges, and businesses worldwide. During that time, I obtained a Master of Theology and in 2019, I continued on to doctoral studies at CTS, where I am currently a PhD candidate.
Recently, I took the role of Associate Director of Admissions at CTS. The Triune God is doing amazing things in people's lives, which often aligns beautifully with what God is doing here at CTS. My job is to be attuned to that moment when Calvin’s mission intersects with the path and call that God is giving to a prospective student.
MEET
Jessica Rowland
Associate Director of Vocational Formation
I am the Associate Director of Vocational Formation at Calvin Theological Seminary, where I’m committed to partnering with students in answering the question: Who am I becoming while learning? My work aligns with the seminary’s mission to form church leaders who cultivate communities of disciples of Jesus Christ.
Currently, I’m pursuing a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies at Radboud University, building on my M.Div. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and my B.A. in International Ministry from Moody Bible Institute. My diverse experiences in academics, administration, and ministry have shaped my approach to education and spiritual development.
Most importantly, I am a wife to Justin and a mom to our four kids, Tobias, Evangeline, Bradyn, and Graham. We attend Rockford Baptist Church, where Justin has served as pastor for 16 years. Recently, I’ve taken on the delightful challenges of training our Husky puppy and taking classes to learn Mahjong. I’m passionate about lifelong learning and creating spaces for faith to thrive, and I’m excited to continue this journey of faith and growth!
MEET Brittany DeYoung Program and Grant Coordinator
My career journey has been driven by a passion for serving others and a passion for impactful work. I graduated from Trinity Christian College in 2019 with a degree in biology. Soon after, I became a Registered Behavioral Therapist in both clinical and educational settings. It was a valuable experience and I developed a strong foundation to support diverse needs and populations while coordinating complex programs. These experiences opened doors for me to apply my skills in new and meaningful ways. I found joy in data analytics and program coordination, which led me to my current role as Program and Grant Coordinator at Calvin Theological Seminary. I have the privilege of being able to wear many hats, supporting and empowering program directors by handling the behind-the-scenes work that helps each grant succeed.
It’s very fulfilling and rewarding to be part of the community at Calvin Seminary that loves God and serves others. I am very grateful to be here and excited to see what this career opportunity brings!
Outside of work, my husband Matt and I love to spend most of our time outdoors and we love to travel. We enjoy running, hiking, kayaking, hunting and birding. We have two dogs that we often bring on our adventures with us. We have set a goal to visit all U.S. National Parks. We currently attend Harvest Orthodox Presbyterian in Wyoming, Michigan, where we are grateful to grow and be challenged in our faith as we worship within a wonderful community there.
MEET Melissa Bos Missionary in Residence
Along with my husband Jeffrey, I served with Resonate Global Mission in the Muslim majority countries of Bangladesh and Oman for over 20 years. Together we raised three children, two of whom were born in Bangladesh. Our work included education and discipleship of Christian leaders, as well as developing and facilitating cooperative efforts of interfaith engagement.
I graduated from Calvin University with a degree in Social Work and a minor in development. Before moving abroad, I worked for almost five years with people experiencing homelessness in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am an anthropologist at heart, and hold a deep fascination for fossils. Although I miss hiking the steep and rugged wadis of Oman, Michigan forests are a close second best.
I serve as Missionary in Residence at Calvin Theological Seminary, bringing practical experience to a world of theory and theology. I am grateful for this opportunity to hear the passions students, staff, and faculty have for ministry with people who are different from themselves, and to joyfully explore together the wideness and wildness of God’s love in this beautifully diverse world. Besides assisting with the missions-focused courses, I offer opportunities for the CTS community to be curious about cross-cultural ministries and to discover where God may be transforming and leading each one of us to be his vessels of love.
MEET
Isabelle Mooney
Admissions Counselor
I am an Admissions Counselor and part of the Admissions team at Calvin Theological Seminary. I recently graduated from Grand Valley State University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. During my time at GVSU, I volunteered as a Psych Friends Peer Mentor, advising fellow undergraduate students within the psychology field and increasing academic success. In my free time, I enjoy reading, being outside, and exploring Grand Rapids since I just recently moved to the area!
Before joining the staff at Calvin Theological Seminary, I worked for two years at Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center as an afterschool and summer school teacher. I found much joy in working with my 1st and 2nd grade students, serving as a positive role model and educator for them. This new position for me, as well as my academic advising experience, allows me to deepen my passion for working with students and providing academic and personal-growth guidance.
I am excited to join Calvin Theological Seminary and its mission of “nurturing a community of hospitality.” Our Admissions team desires to learn more about each student and their calling. Our goal is to understand and nurture every student’s unique skills and experiences, and I’m looking forward to helping develop those skills through our programs at Calvin Seminary.
MEET
Brenna Otte Graphic Designer
My name is Brenna Otte and I am the Graphic Designer at Calvin Seminary; a brand new position! I graduted from Calvin University in May of 2022 with an interdisciplinary studies major in graphic design, kinesiology, and Christian Ministries. I have lived in Grand Rapids for 14 years! Grand Rapids is a creative and artistic city which has aided in the cultivation of my love for all things beautiful. Starting at a very young age, I have loved drawing, painting, problem solving, and creating!
Along with art, sports also play a huge role in my life! While I was at Calvin, I played lacrosse and basketball. Since graduating, I enjoy staying active by playing ultimate frisbee at the park, being a snowboard instructor at Cannonsburg, joining several rec soccer leagues, and rock climbing. When I’m not playing sports, I’m probably playing guitar, singing, or hanging out with friends!
God has given humans an appreciation for beauty. He is the ultimate designer; the beauty of His creation makes that apparent. As humans created in His image, we have been made to create in some way, shape, or form. I believe my role and mission at this institution is to create compelling visuals in order to assist in the storytelling of Calvin Theological Seminary. I can say with full confidence that I love my job, which is truly a gift from God!
THE FORUM GAINS GLOBAL REACH
BY JONAH GOLLIHUGH COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR
Where do faith, culture, and Scripture meet? For nearly 150 years, that intersection for Calvin Theological Seminary has been located primarily in the classroom and (for the last 90 years) in The Forum Magazine. We are excited to announce an expansion of our offerings in January 2025. The start of the new year brings the beginning of The Forum platform, a digital content model, adding podcasts, articles, videos, and other resources from the Seminary and our ministry partners, such as Lifelong Learning (LLL) and the Institute for Mission, Church, and Culture (IMCC).
In the pages of The Forum Magazine, Calvin Theological Seminary has published articles and essays on Reformed thought and practice since 1935. Each issue provides insight, new perspectives, and questions for reflection to readers. But this format primarily served as a one-way conversation.
With The Forum platform, Calvin Theological Seminary continues to respond to the needs of the global church, upholding the authority of Scripture, the centrality of Christ in the world’s story, and the world’s desperate need for God’s grace.
We seek to serve the church by building upon the foundation of The Forum Magazine. We invite responses and reflections from all who pursue their call while wrestling with the enduring questions of mercy, justice, faith, and formation. As we celebrate our 150th anniversary and beyond, Calvin Theological Seminary plans to continue publishing The Forum Magazine in printed and digital formats. On The Forum platform, we’ll provide additional content from our partners that include retreats, continuing education, and written and video resources. Whether you’re working in church ministry, seeking to live out your faith in your daily life, pursuing answers to vexing questions, or simply pursuing a deeper knowledge of God, this platform is for you.
Join us in commemorating the launch of this long-awaited project! We invite you to join us at the intersection of faith, culture, and Scripture as we inaugurate the next stage of our journey with The Forum platform.
VISIT THE FORUM PLATFORUM:
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By supporting our students, you are investing in the ongoing growth of the church. To learn more or give online, visit calvinseminary.edu/give.
CONTACT
Hours: M - F, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST
Call: 800.388.6034
Email: admissions@calvinseminary.edu
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LEARN MORE
Calvin Seminary is a place where you can thrive. Visit calvinseminary.edu/ seminary-admissions.
