DTS Magazine Spring 2019

Spring 2019 | Vol. 5, No. 1

DALLAS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

INSIDE:

LET’S CROWN CHARACTER IN TODAY’S CULTURE

FROM A POSITION OF BROKENNESS

PRIDE AND HUMILITY AT WAR

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Achieving Our Highest Standard FROM: DR. MARK L. BAILEY

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here’s a question that always occurs to me as I read Jesus’s words in Matthew 10:25, a passage that has left a haunting ache in my heart from the first moment I read it. Christ tells His disciples, “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master.” Did you hear it? Does it haunt you too?

Wouldn’t it be enough if we could be just like Him? In context, Jesus is giving the disciples instructions— preparing, encouraging, and commissioning—before sending them out to a hostile world to proclaim the nearness of the messianic kingdom. Christ knew His followers would face persecution, trials, and tribulations. “Don’t be afraid,” He comforted them, “you are worth more . . .” (Matt 10:31).

What a great thought! Especially in today’s adverse culture that rejects those who seek to be like Christ—selfless, loving, and merciful.

Despite our culture, as believers, we should have the desire to grow in spiritual maturity and Christlikeness. At least, I hope we all do. We all want to become what we are in Christ—to put aside sin and unrighteousness and to replace them with patterns of holiness. Ultimately, we want to become like Christ, to think how He thought and to behave how He behaved. We should aspire to the highest standards of holiness and godliness.

But the flesh is always pushing, challenging, harassing us and trying to control us. It’s revealing when something unpleasant happens to us, and we end up showing our true inner personalities. Pride steps in and we struggle to keep it all under control and not give in to “fleshly” impulse that we later regret.

It’s so easy to let this happen; at times these actions seem like our natural impulses. Think about it. Sometimes it’s easier to filter out the evil in ourselves, and it’s easy to judge others and not see God’s goodness in them. Maybe we prefer superficiality because we are too concerned with others’ perceptions of us than the reality of our hearts. How about when we neglect others only to seek attention for ourselves?

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Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). We need to let Him be the authoritative voice in life. Let His Spirit control. Only with His help can we escape from the powerful control of pride and we can practice “the fruit of the Spirit” which includes “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22–23).

Jesus goes on to say, there will be no condemnation for those who walk in the Spirit and put into practice these “fruits.”

Jesus says being like Him will be and is enough for us—it will completely satisfy us, give us peace and inner rest, bring soothing relief into our souls, and give us purpose.

These blessings are what is promised to us from the one God designated to be our personal character trainer, Jesus.

Trust Him. He is the One who offers us the way out of sin and protects us even from ourselves. He provides the bridge from living for ourselves to walking in His footsteps.

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Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

—Gal 5:25–26

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DALLAS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Our mission is to glorify God by equipping godly servant-leaders for the proclamation of His Word and the building up of the body of Christ worldwide.

IN THIS ISSUE

DTS Magazine® Spring 2019 Vol. 5, No. 1 ISSN 1092–7492 ©2019 Dallas Theological Seminary. All rights reserved.

Published three times a year by Dallas Theological Seminary 3909 Swiss Avenue Dallas, Texas 75204

Mark L. Bailey, President Edward Herrelko, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Raquel P. Wroten, Editor Jeanette Feng, Amelia Palmer, Matt Snyder, Layout and Design

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Debbie J. Stevenson, Production Manager

LET’S CROWN CHARACTER IN TODAY’S CULTURE Dr. Charles R. Swindoll explains the six important traits listed in Scripture for godly living.

Ryan Holmes, Elijah Misigaro, Don Regier, Christine Zhang, Photographers Kathy Dyer, Melanie Munnell, Margaret Tolliver, Amy Zacaroli, Copy Editing Matt Snyder, Ad Designer Aeriel Eichenberger, Greg Hatteberg, Alumni Connection SUBSCRIBE Subscriptions are free of charge to addresses in the United States. Go to voice.dts.edu/magazine or call 800-DTS-WORD and ask for the DTS Magazine subscription office.

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DONATIONS For information on how you can support the ministry of DTS, call 214-887-5060.

ONLINE/SUBMISSIONS Visit voice.dts.edu/magazine to view the editorial policies or DTS Magazine online.

Send email address changes to ckirchdorfer@dts.edu or mail to DTS Magazine 3909 Swiss Ave. Dallas, Texas 75204

Current ThM student Duncan Perry writes about his struggle with pride and his journey to finding the wholeness of God.

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BOOK EXCERPT: PRIDE AND HUMILITY AT WAR

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STAY THE COURSE: PROFILE OF ROBERT P. LIGHTNER (THM, 1959; THD, 1964)

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FOR HIS KINGDOM PURPOSE: SEVENTY YEARS OF “DALLAS WEEK” AT MOUNT HERMON

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WHAT KIND OF CHARACTER DOES A LEADER NEED? EXPANDING OUR VISION FOR ENGAGING THE WORLD

EMAIL Contact admissions@dts.edu for information about DTS’s graduate degree programs.

Contact rwroten@dts.edu to submit articles, request reprints, or make comments.

FROM A POSITION OF BROKENNESS

Humility’s surprising essence is God-centeredness—living for the glory of God rather than self. Senior research professor Dr. J. Lanier Burns (ThM, 1972; ThD, 1979) explains the unfamiliar connection between true significance and a humble dependence on the Lord.

Unless noted otherwise, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Let’s Crown

CHARACTER

in Today’s Culture

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ormer presidential speechwriter Peggy Noonan has written several fine books. One has a title that stands out above the rest. It is the one she wrote about our fortieth president, Ronald Reagan: When Character Was King. In the book, she writes, “The one thing a man must bring into the White House, if he is to succeed, is a character that people come to recognize as high, sturdy, and reliable.”

I fully agree. It’s the absence of “high, sturdy, and reliable” character that troubles me the most about our current culture. Today, character has lost its crown; it is conspicuous by its absence.

We live our lives in a day when moral purity and ethical strength are rare even though they are invaluable in every career, trade, and calling. The presence of character is needed as much among educators as it is among journalists, physicians, plumbers, carpenters, attorneys, coaches, referees, and athletes for that matter.

Professors, as well as pastors, corporate leaders, and those who engage in sales, need character. It is needed by those who serve as judges as well as those who occupy a seat on the jury.

Character belongs in our military, for those taking orders as well as those giving the orders. While I’m at it, I’m going to add the obvious—parents need it too because character starts with a mother and a father who take the time to sit with their children and explain what it means to have a reliable, high, and sturdy character.

A child is not born knowing what that means or how having character is cultivated. Children learn it from their parents, and later they model it. If it doesn’t come from the home, they deal with its absence later in life. They will face the lack of it in marriage or when they live on their own.

Let’s remember it doesn’t get much better than spending time with our kids—and, over time, with grandchildren—especially those moments of teaching, addressing, and modeling great character. It will not happen on its own. Ideally, it is first crowned in the home.

But I write to more than parents—godly character needs to be crowned in all of God’s children. When one deals with character one goes deep into the roots of life. Character lives in the heart and it starts in the mind—where we come to terms with life’s issues. One of the ways the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines character is “moral excellence.” In a word, integrity.

Though many lists exist in the Scriptures, Philippians 4:8 mentions six important traits for godly living. It’s the only account that links together this particular group of virtues.

Rare, but ideal, this list describes a well-rounded life of godly character.

Concerned for his friends in Philippi, Paul addresses what goes on in their minds because it all starts there. People are what they are, and then do what they do, because of what is in their mind. Let’s work our way through this excellent list.

WHATEVER IS TRUE

Truth opposes anything deceptive, phony, unreal, and unreliable, so Paul starts here. He aims at the heart because a life breaks down when people begin to tell themselves lies. If facing a choice, go with what’s true. Regardless of any feelings, let truth guide, not the majority opinion. Be quick to speak the truth. Truth-tellers stand out (and often, alone).

Even among good friends, truth has to fight for its existence.

I love James Russell Lowell’s words, “Truth forever on the scaffold. Wrong forever on the throne.” See the struggle in those words? Forever on the scaffold—forever fighting for its existence.

Truth, by the way, is a mark of maturity. Mature people value honesty more than anything. Paul illustrates this beautifully

When one deals with character, one goes deep into the roots of life. Character lives in the heart and it starts in the mind—where we come to terms with life’s issues.

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Blazing through life as a truth-teller is not the ultimate goal. Soften that with love, blend it with grace, while clinging to the truth.

in Ephesians. “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ” (4:14–15).

Don’t miss the mixture of truth and love. Keep them together; otherwise, the risk of bludgeoning people with the truth can cause divisiveness and conflict. Blazing through life as a truthteller is not the ultimate goal. Soften that with love, blend it with grace, while clinging to the truth. Keep the critical ingredient of love. A child who learns to tell the truth must know he or she is loved. It’s out of love that parents teach and enforce the importance of truth.

A person with integrity is not pretending. That’s hypocrisy. “He or she is ‘whole’; life is ‘put together,’ and things are working together harmoniously. People with integrity have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. Their lives are open books.”

People who have integrity live integrated lives—their convictions and lifestyles match. An honorable person models consistency, remaining honest to the core.

WHATEVER IS RIGHT

Right or just has to do with conforming to God’s standard.

What a great goal in life! It means seeking what’s fair and square in dealing with others. It’s treating people with respect, kindness, and thoughtfulness, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, and philosophies of life. Perhaps the word greathearted would be a good synonym. It comes to the surface in how we treat other people.

Years ago, Cynthia and I, along with Dr. and Mrs. Howard Hendricks, accepted an invitation offered to us by Mr. William Johnson, the owner of the Ritz-Carlton, to go to one of their great hotels on the island of Maui. After praying about it for one-third of a second, both couples agreed! This would be a great way to spend a few days together, so we went as his guests.

What a wonderful time we had as we talked with Bill about the hotel and what they believed. While explaining, he shared the motto of the Ritz-Carlton hotels with us, reducing it to nine words. “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.”

WHATEVER IS NOBLE

Why do they teach that specifically? Because he was convinced that they were, in fact, ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen . . . because they care about respecting others.

The church would not have a problem reaching out to a neighborhood if God’s people focused more on what’s honorable in dealing with men and women. How important it is for us to do what’s just and what’s right for others!

Statements with double meanings lead the mind into the gutter, but this character trait pleads for higher ground. Everything is good about a sense of humor. Everything is wonderful about a moment of fun. Unless, of course, it requires trafficking in the sewer to make others laugh. An honorable individual will not go there.

WHATEVER IS PURE

One expositor writes, “Noble [or honorable] is a word that has the dignity of holiness in it.” I like the analogy in that statement. Want to live a life of holiness? Start with honesty. It includes having proper motives, proper manners, and proper morals. The opposite overflows in our culture. Cheap, coarse, flippant, shallow, and shameful things surround us all.

This word honorable has to do with remaining worthy of another individual’s respect. That worthiness directly connects with honesty. Respect usually follows honesty.

The Oxford English Dictionary explains the word integrity as, “Coming from the Latin integritas,” which means wholeness, completeness. Warren Wiersbe writes in his book The Integrity Crisis, “Integrity is to personal or corporate character what health is to the body and 20/20 vision is to the eyes. A person with integrity is not divided.” That’s duplicity, explains Wiersbe.

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This fourth word is oh-so-valuable in one’s life. The word means morally uncompromising and undefiled. It means maintaining a mind that stays scrubbed clean and sustaining a life that is free of secret escapades—disciplined enough to resist even the thought of sensual promiscuity, even in the imaginary. When it comes to having character, purity is a nonnegotiable.

Several years ago I came across an article in Leadership Journal entitled, “The Consequences of a Moral Tumble” by Randy Alcorn. In it, Alcorn spells out the consequences if he fell morally. Alcorn writes quite openly: Whenever I feel particularly vulnerable to sexual temptation, I find it helpful to review what effects my action could have: grieving the Lord who redeemed me;

People who have integrity live integrated lives

—their convictions and lifestyles match.

An honorable person models consistency, remaining honest to the core.

dragging his sacred name through the mud; one day having to look at Jesus, the righteous judge in the face, and give an account of my actions; following the footsteps of people whose immorality forfeited their ministries and caused me to shudder; losing my wife’s respect and trust; hurting my daughters; destroying my example and credibility with my children; causing shame to my family; losing self-respect; forming memories and flashbacks that could plague future intimacy with my wife; wasting years of ministry training; undermining the faithful example and hard work of other Christians in our community; and on and on.

be able to compel people to maintain certain minimum standards by stressing duty, but the highest moral and spiritual achievements depend not upon a push, but a pull. People must be charmed into righteousness.” Isn’t it delightful to be around a charming person? The adjective charming—it’s a synonym for magnetic . . . contagious.

People will not be able to stay away from someone who “charms them into righteousness.” There isn’t a neighbor who is turned off by grace. When others find themselves around a captivating individual, they want to know why. It’s a part of the lovely quality that depends on a pull and never on a push.

Don’t think that because “everybody’s doing it,” it’s now okay.

Always remember the subtlety of the enemy. I love Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s great little book entitled Temptation. In it, he writes, “When we’re tempted we’re not filled with thoughts of hating God. The enemy fills us with thoughts of simply forgetting God.”

WHATEVER IS ADMIRABLE

That’s what David did with Bathsheba at the zenith of his great career. As lust took over, he simply “forgot God.” Always keep in mind the value of purity. If you’ve gotten soft on purity, now is a good time to stop! It is never too late to start doing what is right.

I remember admirable people with gratitude. I can recall many admirable teachers I had in school. And I discovered while in the class of that teacher, I felt better about life because of the attractive appeal of that person’s life.

WHATEVER IS LOVELY

I so appreciate that Paul included loveliness in his list. Lovely sounds almost feminine in today’s culture. Around other parts of the world, such as Australia, people freely describe each other as “lovely.” What do they mean by lovely?

It means to be pleasing, to be winsome. It’s the absence of offensiveness. Staying agreeable and amiable, causing pleasure and delight to others. Talk about a characteristic needed among Christians today!

Loveliness is a quality found among peacemakers. Those with this virtue can step into a hostile and highly charged setting and because of that winsome graciousness they soon end the fight and resolve the conflict. It’s beautiful to have people around who are lovely. By the way, modeling grace is all about demonstrating loveliness.

I came across a statement made by Reinhold Niebuhr years ago that I’ve appreciated (and quoted) ever since: “You may

The original word for admirable means fair-speaking. It is a word that carries with it appealing and attractive qualities. A person who is admirable makes a good impression the first time. Such individuals stay positive, not negative. They give constructive, not destructive, feedback.

Regardless of our difficulties, sufferings, and disappointments, focusing our minds on things that build our character will quench the flames of anxiety that otherwise fuel stress and disunity. When the Philippians needed encouragement, they looked at Paul’s example. He provided them a course to follow—one focused on the person and work of Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Though we don’t have Paul around us today, God always places in our lives observable models of those who have made godly character king in their lives. Their example spurs us on to growth and helps us to cultivate similar qualities and experience the peace of God as our minds are fixed on Christ alone (Phil 4:9).

CHARLES R. SWINDOLL serves as the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. His leadership as president and now chancellor of DTS has helped prepare and equip a new generation for ministry. Chuck and his wife, Cynthia, have four grown children, ten grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

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hroughout my life, pride has plagued me. It often shadows and colors my thoughts, ambitions, dreams, and desires. If not for God’s grace, I think it would have destroyed me long ago. And yet, I find something safe about pride. Dr. Larry Waters once taught me that certain sins act like “pacifiers” in our lives. We return to them in times of great stress as a distraction from the issues at hand.

A COMFORTABLE SIN In a way, pride is that sort of familiar, comfortable sin that I tend to chew on when life feels overwhelming. In a much darker sense, I have found that pride develops a fibrous root that reaches far and deep and produces a harvest of other sins. Beneath a surface of piety, hidden pride proves the most malignant means to my selfish ends.

I want to acquit myself, when falsely accused. When I speak before praying or even thinking, I want to distract people from my stupidity with a joke. When I give in to temptation—no matter what kind—I run to cover it up. In the Garden of Eden, the first couple sewed fig leaves. Pride is my fig leaf, and it fails just the same.

Challenged to take an inventory of my life, I went through the painful process of excavating my sins, tracing them out, discovering the deadly role they play in my life, and learning to “walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4, esv). The deeper I dug, the more I learned of the cancerous reality of pride. It had not just impacted my actions, but it had affected, and continues to influence, my motives.

IN THE BEGINNING For me, it started during my formative years in childhood. And by the time I got to my junior year of college, pride had already skewed my ambition and tainted my motives. It was destroying me from within. I continued in an ungodly relationship founded on my desire, lust, and selfishness—a relationship attached to my pride.

At the time, I dreamt of attending dental school and joining the US Navy. I wanted and craved the title of the first medical doctor in my family that includes a long line of teachers, businesspeople, and journalists. My desire to help people in need and work in pop-up clinics in third-world nations around the globe only made me look better in the eyes of other people. Although not all my dreams seemed sinful, my motives proved otherwise.

Over the next three years, instead of achieving my aspirations, I watched them crumble. In that season, I lost two close friends to tragic accidents—a car wreck and a drowning. My relationship with my girlfriend ended, and both of my grandmothers went to be with the Lord following painful, debilitating diseases.

I never did make it to dental school despite applying to about fifteen universities in three years. I didn’t receive a request for an interview or a callback.

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In the process of God’s dealing with my prideful heart, I have found this to be true: God uses any and every situation to bring me back to Himself.

God had another purpose, other plans for me. By His grace, He broke my heart, allowing my dreams to shatter before my eyes, and called me to communicate the message that changed my life, the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s when DTS came into view.

IN CHECK AND CHALLENGED In His sovereign resourcefulness, God had excised the pride that had rooted deep in my heart, but it didn’t end there. Once in seminary, I can recall the turbulence of my first week of classes.

I heard a confident, “No.” The president of the seminary had asked a question in class, and I thought I had the answer. His response fell heavy, like the door of a concrete vault on the tomb of my pride. Although I sat near the front in Bible Exposition 101, I felt as if I were watching the whole scenario from across the room.

I felt a strange sensation swirling inside me that seemed to indicate something between melting and burning. My face reddened as reality sunk deep. I’m a twenty-four-year-old, dental school “wannabe” who thinks he could handle seminary.

And look! Dr. Mark Bailey just dropped another shovel’s worth of dirt on the grave of my pride.

I know God called me to DTS with classes like Dr. Bailey’s to challenge and check my heart because who I am does not match who I desire to be. I have come to realize that even something as innocent as holding the door for an elderly couple will cause my head to swell with egotistical thoughts. (I’m amazed that I can still squeeze it into a sweater!) My eyes remain open to the depths of my depravity, and I pray every day that God will continue to deal with me.

Unfortunately, however, I have discovered that God’s dealing with sin doesn’t produce a painless procedure. It’s a dangerous and risky undertaking. He cuts open hearts and pours the contents out before the eyes of those He loves. Why? Because His children need to see it the way that He does. That’s when change happens.

OPEN-HEART SURGERY A. W. Tozer once said, “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply.” This thought doesn’t sell in today’s market where God is treated more like a holy vending machine and less like who He is—Sovereign Holy Creator.

However, in the process of God’s dealing with my prideful heart,

from a position of Brokenness

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I need Someone able, qualified, and strong to meet me in my unable, unfit, weakness. My pride requires a broken heart, and even then I am incapable of breaking it myself.

If any thought, word, or action offers me a platform to elevate myself to the point that I do not consider the loveliness of Christ, the outcome is always pride. That may seem extreme or abstract, but it is true.

Bernard of Clairvaux, a medieval Christian mystic, described this as the lowest level of love: to “love ourselves for our own sake.” When something causes us to love ourselves and not consider Christ, pride is at work.

I have found this to be true: God uses any and every situation to bring me back to Himself.

Once I see the problem, I work at combatting it with three stages of remembrance.

In His kindness, He will not allow me, His beloved child, to continue in sin—a habit, an addiction—that leads to a life of separation from Him and the purpose He has for me—to look like Jesus (Rom 8:28–29). His heart toward me exudes a gracious blessing, which means that sometimes my wayward, pride-filled heart will need to die to look like His.

I remember the sorrow of my sins. Recalling past mistakes is healthy if we do not fall back into them. When I remember how pride has ruined many good gifts in my life, it causes me to repent and reorient my gaze.

Even now, I still wrestle with these questions: What do I do with my pride? How do I deal with it? As the root of all my other sins, how do I heave it from the soil of my soul and kill it? After all, what has pride accomplished in me?

In his sermon “Pride and Humility” Charles Spurgeon explained pride this way:

Pride is a thing which should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of. . . . In almost every other sin, we gather up the ashes when the fire is gone; but here, what is left? The covetous man hath his shining gold, but what hath the proud man? He has less than he would have had without his pride, and is no gainer whatever. . . . Pride is the maddest thing that can exist . . . Pride wins no crown.

Indeed, pride has left me broke, broken, and breaking. It has robbed my heart of joy. It has emptied my soul of assurance. It has eroded my character. Pride has taken all and left nothing but decay in its wake. What can I do?

FIGHTING PRIDE Taking this question before the Lord and opening the Scriptures, the answer will always appear clearly. What can I do? Nothing. In and of myself, I can do nothing. I cannot solve the issue of my pride.

In the same way, a patient cannot perform delicate surgery on themselves. I need Someone able, qualified, and strong to meet me in my unable, unfit, weakness. My pride requires a broken heart, and even then I am incapable of breaking it myself.

Pride will continue as a deeply rooted issue for me. It distracts my thoughts and derails my worship. Although it often rears its head in the quiet of my heart where no one around me can see, I have learned how to identify pride in its early stages. How?

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I remember the sweetness of community. Through prayer and Scripture reading, in the context of the believing community, I find help to kill my pride. I cannot always see the effects that it has in my life. Being alone with God, however, seeking Him in prayer and His Word, and staying committed to an authentic Christian community will reveal the blind spots in my life, and it will provide space for confession.

I remember the splendor of my Savior. Dr. John Hannah teaches that “preaching and teaching, telling the story of Jesus, is giving people Someone beautiful to believe in.” When I remember the beauty of my Savior, it reminds me of who I am because of Christ’s work, and this crushes my pride.

Although pride has plagued me throughout my life, from a position of brokenness I have discovered the wholeness of God to be utterly satisfying. God has opened my eyes to my need and has taught me to cry out to Him with a heart broken like David’s.

“Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. . . . For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Ps 51:8, 16–17, nasb).

And so, like David, I continue to pray for a breakable heart—a heart that sees the world and people and circumstances the way that God does. The Lord will continue to break my prideful heart, and in the breaking I have hope in knowing that I will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him ( Jas 1:12).

Current ThM student DUNCAN PERRY is studying pastoral theology.

He is passionate about learning effective communication and loves a good pun over a cup of coffee. Duncan is currently commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy’s Chaplain Candidacy Program. You can read more about him at mylifeinthefunnypapers.wordpress.com.

We believe our integrated 4-year Master of Theology (ThM) program offers deeper ministry preparation than a standard 3-year MDiv program, so we’re offering free tuition for the final 24 required hours to every ThM student who is enrolled in classes in the fall 2019 to summer 2020 semesters.

dts.edu/lyf

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BOOK EXCERPT J. LANIER BURNS // THM, 1972; THD, 1979

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ride, as a desirable attitude of successful living, is easier to think about because it is pervasive in our sinful world. It is easy to rationalize, when everyone around us approaches life in a self-interested way.

Scholars in Christian traditions have agreed that pride as selfcenteredness is the human condition. It is usually defined as “a satisfaction that is derived from one’s achievements or qualities that are widely admired; a sense of one’s own dignity and worth.” Pride is generally valued, but no one, ancient or modern, likes a braggart—someone who makes us feel that they are superior to us and other people. No one on earth likes to be humiliated or denigrated.

I can now list four ways that the study [of pride and humility] has changed or refined my thinking. First, I no longer perceive humility as a single virtue that can be analyzed and quantified in isolation from other traits. In fact, humility has developed throughout history as two incompatible concepts. One is the classical and modern notion of human character traits; a person is characteristically virtuous or vicious in a variety of social behaviors. Humanistic concepts are inadequate for biblical realities, because the Bible never separates a person’s character from his or her standing before God and His people, whether in truth or error. The Creator is central to understanding pride and humility in the Bible.

How should we define the concepts and their contrast?

Interestingly, we search in vain for a thorough biblical

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analysis of pride or humility, although the various aspects of our study have been mentioned in the many sources that we have consulted.

At the most basic level, the Bible defines humility as Godcenteredness and pride as self-centeredness. The latter trait is not selfishness per se, but rather an orientation away from God toward willful rebellion and disobedience. The etymology of humility is derived from humus (“earthy”), with a backward glance to the creation of humanity from the earth, inbreathed by the breath of God (Gen 2:7).

We were made creatures to be nurtured by our Maker. Philip Yancey concurs with this conclusion in the following remark: “As theologian Daniel Hawks puts it, ‘The basic human problem is that everyone believes that there is a God and I am it.’ . . . Humility means that in the presence of God I gain a glimpse of my true state in the universe, which exposes my smallness at the same time it reveals God’s greatness.”1 Jon Bloom is also on target: “Humility is essentially the recognition of what is real—simply assessing things as they really are. To be fully humble is to fully trust God (Proverbs 3:5) who is the Truth ( John 14:6; 17:17); to govern according to His just ways and perfect work (Deuteronomy 32:4); to be content with what He gives us (Hebrews 13:5), knowing that a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven’ ( John 3:27).”2 This God-centered understanding

of humility is obviously absent from the secular passions of the world.

The concepts are usually used in clusters of similar characteristics and effects. Humility as lowliness under God occurs in connection with concepts like obedience, dedication, service, or love for God and others. So when believers are exhorted to “seek humility,” they are to “seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do His just commands” (Zeph 2:3). This is a turning from pride and idols toward a renewed dedication to the true worship of God (cf. Deut 8:2–3).

Pride as presumptuous boasting occurs in conjunction with oppression, rebellion, idolatry, and factiousness. These clusters of sin should not obscure that pride and humility have been viewed as antithetical foundations of religious ethics. All of this means that the virtue and the vice describe the character of the whole person in a social context. We cannot say that a person is humble or proud without including the effects of their character on social circumstances and relationships.

Second, the concepts may be personal traits, but they are strongly social and communal. I was surprised to discover that humility of mind, a Christ-centered attitude, is biblically imperative for unity in the church. Having been frequently involved in conflict resolution, I can testify that this is true in a practical sense. It is literally true! If Christ is not given highest priority in Christian work, then the members will begin to quarrel and fight over the “best way to serve.” This makes sense when we learn that we should consider no gift as superior to others under God (1 Cor 12), and we should esteem the interests of other believers as more important than our own (Phil 2). Comparisons and competitions in the church create conflicts and are manifestations of pride that generate quarrels and godless detours.

“Humility as lowliness under God occurs in connection with concepts like obedience, dedication, service, or love for God and others.”

Third, I uncovered the valuable insight that pride at its core is competitive. A proud person gets no pleasure from personal position or possessions unless they make that person feel superior to others by comparison. Human nature naturally gravitates toward comparatives and superlatives in thinking about who is truly good or unspeakably evil. The prime possession is an illusion of self-sufficient power from status and wealth. Since the Fall, human pride has been the impossible and illicit desire to be as powerful and great as God—people blindly pursue it anyway.

Proud people try to win at any cost and generate wars to be “like all the nations” (1 Sam 8:5). Pride provokes some people to oppress and enslave others on an international scale. For personal advantage, pride is willing to betray or plunder friends and associates. In spite of the danger of broken relationships, it condones infidelity simply because some people feel entitled to have what they want without consequences. But apart from God, standards disappear. God responds with

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“One should not equate meekness with God as a human virtue—it is a divinely enabled character trait.”

judgment, “so that they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.”

God has allowed pride so that its vanity can underscore His justice in judging the self-destructiveness of futile ambitions.

Fourth, in contrast, I have learned that we cannot categorize humility and pride as virtue and vice, respectively.

This adjustment is similar to the first change in my thinking. “Virtue” has been historically understood as human behavior that reflects high moral standards; it is moral excellence that promotes individual and collective uprightness and greatness.

Classically, it was derived from vir (“manliness”) and the Middle English virtu (with a similar nuance from the thirteenth century). It refers to a human quality without theological implications.

Likewise, “vice” is human behavior or a habit that is socially considered to be degrading, immoral, or evil without connection to the Bible.

Biblical theology forbids the advantages of noble birth (in the past) or “genetic superiority” (in the present) in assessing godly character. Nothing from achievement—to wealth, to rank, or to prestige—can stand before the perfections of God. In fact, achievements usually promote our pride or blind us to our need for the Lord. Everyone “by

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their unrighteousness suppresses the truth” (cf. Rom 1:18). Besides, the great reversals in history and the Gospels mean that pride and humility are valued differently by Christ and secular cultures. This means that traits like humility are rooted in submission to God and then service for others’ needs.

Biblical humility (or loving submission to God) focuses our lives on him and draws us away from the lesser things— temporal and transitory—that haunt our days on earth. It cannot be quantified and probably cannot be proven in this world. Various Christian thinkers have pondered about how we can recognize humble people.

Augsburger puts it this way, “Humility, the tangible evidence that one loves God with heart, soul, strength, and mind is visible to others, but not so visible to the self.”3 Augsburger’s point is that someone who loves others out of their affection for God is radically different from the survival-of-the-fittest ethos around us. But he alludes that a truly humble person is not self-obsessed.

C. S. Lewis noted that we can recognize a humble person, because “He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.”4 In Paul’s words, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).

The arrogant Corinthians made themselves judges of Paul’s ministry. At first Paul cared little “that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself ” (1 Cor 4:3).

This means that humble believers judge only in the Lord according to His Word. It also means that humble people are too busy serving God to be introspectively concerned about their status.

“For I am not aware of anything against myself,” he continued, “but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me” (v. 4).

In other words, Paul knew of nothing in his ministry that required an apology.

Biblical humility is inseparable from accountability before God. Paul would eventually list his credentials that made him the greatest missionary and minister who ever lived. But he did not live to seek greatness on earth, and he knew that his weakness channeled God’s strength through his faithfulness.

Therefore, I would conclude that the Bible teaches that true humility is real in the Holy Spirit. Humanity in general, on the other hand, pursues an elusive and transitory ideal, prioritizing its power, wealth, and strength. One should not equate meekness with God as a human virtue—it is a divinely enabled character trait. Human virtue is servile, while the latter is worthy of exaltation and greatness.

Paul exhorted the Corinthians to boast only in the Lord. So we should say, “I have significance because God has worked through my submission to His will.” In view of this disparity, we must conclude that people have some sense of the ideal of humility. But humanity in general has concluded that it is elusive in the real pressures of our prideful world. Most people seek the approval and applause of the world rather than the glory of God.

let not arrogance come from your mouth . . . The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts . . . for not by might shall a man pre-vail” (1 Sam 2:3, 7, 9).

Fifth, related to the above, I have learned that the social image of humility is weakness and passivity. For this reason, it has not been respected or desired in ancient and modern societies that favor heroic significance and security.

Regrettably, some Christians, like the Corinthians, have followed suit.

With an echo of Hannah’s praise, Mary accepted the incredible gift and responsibility of mothering the Messiah.

“Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Then she sang, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant . . . He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate” (vv. 47–48, 51–52).

One Internet site, which will remain unnamed, defined biblical humility as “a quality of being courteously respectful of others; it is the opposite of aggressiveness.” I have learned that biblical humility is “aggression for God” that elevates us from our limitations and shortcomings.

Jesus was not passive when, as the Son of God, He embraced His incarnation and “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2).

In conclusion, why should we seek this humility in the Spirit for which saints have suffered so greatly through the ages?

The simple answer is that this is the way of wise living, godly significance, and eternal meaning in a dying world.

Moses, “who was more humble than anyone else on earth,” enjoyed special intimacy with God. But few people have desired to know God “face-toface” (Num 12:1–8).

Hannah was reviled for her barrenness.

In spite of her circumstances, she kept on praying to the Lord. God gave her one of the greatest prophets and king-makers in Israel’s history. Hannah celebrated by singing, “Talk no more so very proudly,

Joseph could have boasted for a long time without pause, but he humbly comforted his family, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen 50:20).

The list goes on from Genesis to Revelation! We should seek humility because it is the heart of our selfgiving God, the character of Christ, and the promise of exaltation now and in the future.

“I have learned that biblical humility is ‘aggression for God’ that elevates us from our limitations and shortcomings.”

______________________________ NOTES 1. Philip Yancey, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 37.

2. Jon Bloom, “Don’t Let Pride Steal Your Joy!,” Revive 46, 2 (2015): 14.

3. David Augsburger, Dissident Discipleship: A Spirituality of Self-Surrender, Love of God, and Love of Neighbor (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2006), 122.

4. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (1952; repr., San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1952), 128.

Excerpt taken from Pride and Humility at War: A Biblical Perspective by J. Lanier Burns, ISBN 978-1-59638-176-6, pages 193–99.

Used with permission from P&R Publishing Co PO Box 817, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865, prpbooks.com.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version.

J. LANIER BURNS (THM, 1972; THD, 1979) is research professor of Theological Studies and senior professor of Systematic Theology at DTS. For over forty years he has served as president of the Asian Christian Academy in Hosur, India. Some of his research interests include anthropology, eschatology, neuroscience, and the relationship of science and religion. He enjoys sports and spending time with Kathy and their four children and 11 grandchildren.

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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT Meet the New Professors Meet Daniel Hill. His research interests include ecclesiology, theological anthropology, political theology, and Latin American and sub-Saharan African theology. Dr. Hill desires to encourage students to delight in the vastness of God’s goodness, the richness of our inheritance in Christ, and the beauty of the community into which we have been saved.

Education: • BA, English Literature, Hampton University • ThM, Intercultural Ministries, DTS • PhD, Biblical and Systematic Theology, Wheaton College

DR. DANIEL HILL Assistant Professor of Theological Studies

Before DTS (as faculty/staff ), I was: Finishing up my PhD at Wheaton College while helping start the Field School, a Christian classical school in Chicago that seeks to make a Christ-centered education affordable and available to people of every ethnic background and socioeconomic standing.

Best thing to eat for breakfast: Bacon and eggs, chicken and waffles, or breakfast tacos.

Maybe all three?

Right now I’m currently watching: I don’t watch a lot of television unless I’m on a holiday break, and then it’s mostly cheesy Christmas movies. I sometimes watch Parks and Rec, The Office, and Community, not frequently.

Last book I read: Embodied Hope by Kelly Kapic.

Current mobile device: iPhone, but hoping to switch.

Best studying hack: Use Excel to schedule out your day, week, and semester (e.g., I have ___ hours on this day. I can read ___ pages/write ___ words in an hour. It’ll take me ___ slots to finish this book/paper). Backwards plan for papers/ projects and write while you read.

I wish I could: Read faster and retain more!

Meet Ekpedeme Wade. She loves to help people wherever she goes. Dr. Wade is a certified family physician with a special interest in mental health. She has practiced medicine and has been a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians for fifteen years. Dr. Wade is married to Kweku and they have two children.

Education: • BS, Biology, University of MissouriColumbia • MD, University of Missouri-Columbia • MA, Biblical Counseling, DTS

DR. EKPEDEME WADE Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling

My favorite thing about DTS as a student: Learning as much as I did.

Before DTS (as faculty/staff ), I was: At DTS studying.

Best thing to do to encourage others: Listen.

Best homeopathic remedy: Sleep.

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Last movie I watched: “The Hate U Give.”

Favorite thing to do with your kids: Sing and dance around the house.

Current mobile device: iPhone.

Favorite thing to eat on a rainy day: I enjoy bananas with unsalted peanuts.

Advice for anyone who is thinking about studying biblical counseling at DTS: Just do it!

Meet the New Adjuncts MR. TODD W. AGNEW Adjunct Professor in Media Arts and Worship Mr. Agnew was born at Baylor Hospital a few blocks from DTS and grew up in the Dallas area.

He earned his ThM in 2018 and has served as a worship leader, artist, songwriter, teacher, and preacher. He has thirty years of experience traveling and working with a church staff.

He has a heart for biblical and practical training for worship leaders and currently lives in Flower Mound, Texas, with his wife and two children.

DR. RONALD T. KLASSEN Adjunct Professor for Doctor of Ministry Dr. Klassen is the executive director of Rural Home Missionary Association, a church planting and strengthening ministry. He earned his ThM from DTS, and a DMin from Bethel Seminary. Dr. Klassen is a frequent seminar leader, conference speaker, and has written articles for Leadership Journal and has coauthored two books. He is married to Roxy and they have three children and a daughter-in-law.

DR. JEFFREY J. VANGOETHEM Adjunct Professor for Doctor of Ministry Dr. VanGoethem is a native of the small town of Norway, Michigan. He is a graduate of Central Michigan University and earned his ThM and DMin from DTS where he received the John J. Mitchell Award for outstanding scholarship and effectiveness in ministry. He has pastored churches in Michigan, Illinois, and Texas. He and his wife, Karen, have four daughters and three grandchildren.

MR. CHRISTOPHER GROFF Adjunct Professor in Biblical Counseling After a career as a lawyer and a businessman, Mr. Groff felt the call to counsel families. He earned his JD at Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas, and earned his MABC and MACE from DTS. He is a licensed professional counselor for a practice he owns with his wife, Michelle. Mr. Groff specializes in substance and behavioral addictions, with a subspecialty in sex and porn addiction, and couples counseling.

DR. JOEL A. REEMTSMA Adjunct Professor in Pastoral Ministries Dr. Reemtsma, a lifelong Alaska resident, served as an associate pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Kenai. He graduated with his BA in Bible from Cedarville University in Ohio, where he played four years of collegiate soccer. He received both his ThM and PhD in Biblical Studies with an emphasis in Old Testament Studies from DTS. His academic areas of interest are wisdom literature, intertextuality, and the book of Job. DR. CARLOS A. ZAZUETA Adjunct Professor for Doctor of Ministry Dr. Zazueta earned his ThM and DMin from DTS and served as the founding pastor of Iglesia Stonebriar en Español in Frisco, Texas. For the past twelve years, he has served as pastor and the voice of Visión Para Vivir, the Spanish-language ministry of Insight for Living. Dr. Zazueta’s passion is helping Spanish speakers learn how to love God in the language of their hearts.

He and his wife, Karla, recently welcomed their first son, Asher.

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DTS AT HOME AND ABROAD 1

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Dr. James K. A. Smith, professor of philosophy and theology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was one of this year’s Arts Week speakers. During chapel he spoke about his book, You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, encouraging believers to attend to their desires honestly and reorder their imaginations to the stories of the kingdom of God found in the worship of the church.

Go to voice.dts.edu/chapel to view all of the Arts Week chapel messages.

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1 What a ride! Thanks to the generosity of a couple in East Texas, this past October the chaplain’s office hosted an International Fun Day at a 2000+ acre ranch providing lunch, dinner, and a full day of fun in between. This year’s outing exceeded all expectations with almost 100 students and their families in attendance.

2 He’s not about to let things go over his head. Greg Hatteberg (ThM, 1992; DMin, 2014) gets ready for the theological discussions at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting in Denver, Colorado.

3 The featured artists for this year’s Arts Week were Drakeford, the husband and wife songwriter duo based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. To listen to their music go to drakefordmusic.com.

4 Staff, faculty, students, and alumni gathered together during the Fall Block Party hosted by the DTS student council.

Everyone enjoyed great live music, amazing food, games, and activities for the entire community.

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5 It’s all in the family. DTS alumna Becky Broderson (MABS, 1986) stands next to her father, Charles Stanley, and her son Matthew, who started his studies this spring at DTS. 6 The 2018 winners of the annual interdepartmental Christmas decorating contest is the Marketing and Communication team! Each person decorated their office after their favorite Christmas movie. Further proof that seminary is FUN! 7 This past fall the Nathan Maier scholarship was awarded to four recipients during the Maier Memorial Series in Bible Exposition chapel. The scholarship is sponsored by David and Jean Maier Dean and is given annually to the male ThM or PhD student who shows promise as an excellent Bible expositor, who demonstrates exemplary leadership qualities, and whose life reflects the character qualities displayed in John 13, the account of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet.

From left to right: Lindsey and Alex Wolfe, Dan Park, Sam Baylis, Daniel and Belinda Blair.

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STAY THE COURSE:

PROFILE OF ROBERT P. LIGHTNER (THM, 1959; THD, 1964)

R

obert P. Lightner remembered nothing of the Piper TriPacer plane crash that killed the pilot and grievously injured him after a preaching trip to Borger, Texas.

Another survivor had to tell him later how the trim tab malfunctioned and the student pilot panicked in choppy air.

The plane crashed on its left side—Lightner’s side—and the young seminary professor suffered terrible head and face injuries. He was brought—choking on his own blood—to a little hospital near Amarillo where surgeons managed to open his airway and wire his jaw shut.

“My jaw was locked like that for a number of weeks,” Lightner recalled later in an interview, “and I had to drink nothing but liquids through a place where a tooth was out. Of course, I had just started to teach [at DTS], and it was tough.” The plane crash—on October 6, 1968—happened six weeks into Lightner’s first semester teaching systematic theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. Many would have understood if it was his last, but not Robert P. Lightner, affectionately nicknamed “Lightning Bob” by generations of students.

After several weeks in the hospital—with his jaw still wired shut—Lightner thought, “Oh, I can finish this semester.” But Dr. Walvoord (president of DTS at that time) would hear none of it. “No, no, no,” Dr. Walvoord said. “You are not going to do that.” But the plucky young professor’s perseverance paid off.

He was allowed to speak in chapel that semester about God’s faithfulness to his family during and after the crash. For one thing, his wife, Pearl, was caring for two young daughters and an infant girl, and the Seminary insurance policy went into effect on October 1, just five days before the crash. “If we didn’t have that, I don’t know what would have happened,” recalled Lightner. “And the Seminary paid me for the full semester. Just wonderful treatment.”

By January, Lightner was back in the classroom trying to put theological cookies on the bottom shelf for his students to easily grasp. From that time until his death nearly fifty years later, Dr. Robert Lightner was a faithful, persevering teacher of God’s grace at DTS and in churches around the world. “Staying the course,” he called it, and it was a character trait that defined his life.

EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

Lightner developed an early love for teaching. The oneroom schoolhouse he attended near Lebanon, Pennsylvania, provided several examples of teachers who loved their students and communicated well.

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Dunkin kindly passed it off and said, “Oh, well, you’ll learn a lot more.” And that’s how the Lightners ended up at DTS in 1955, towing their twenty-five-foot house trailer behind them through rush hour traffic to the West Commerce trailer village.

It was in a tiny storefront church that Lightner first met Jesus.

The church itself was semi-charismatic. “We were encouraged to come up to the altar and ‘pray through,’” Lightner recalled.

“Which meant praying until you felt better, and then you were supposed to be saved. Of course, later I learned that it’s not what you do but what is given [by God] that saves you. At that time I knew I was a sinner, and I knew Christ died for me, and I knew I had to accept His payment for my sins.”

With his heart set afire by God, Lightner immediately became involved in ministry to soldiers at the nearby Indian Gap Army Base. He also joined the local Hi-BA, or High School Born-Againers Club. It was well that he did, because that’s how he met a lovely young woman named Pearl Hostetter. “She needed a ride,” Lightner remembered, “and I felt sorry for her, so I volunteered to go to her house, pick her up, and take her back home.” They fell in love and were married in 1952.

At DTS, Lightner was heavily influenced by clear teachers like S. Lewis Johnson (ThM, 1946; ThD, 1949), Charles Ryrie (ThM, 1947; ThD, 1949), Merrill F. Unger (ThM, 1943; ThD,1945), John F. Walvoord (ThM, 1934; ThD, 1936), and J. Dwight Pentecost (ThM, 1941; ThD, 1956). After graduation he returned to Baptist Bible Seminary to teach theology, but was invited back to DTS to teach in 1968 after completing his ThD. “Dr. Charles Ryrie gave my name to Dr. Walvoord,” recalled Lightner.

“They needed somebody in the theology department, and he recommended that I come and be interviewed for the job. I was doubly flabbergasted at that.”

TEACHING TRUTH, LOVING WELL

After surviving the horrific plane crash, Lightner took nothing for granted. He tried to make the most of every opportunity both inside and outside the classroom. A “theology of shoe leather” he called it, where living out the gospel was as much a part of his life as preparing for lectures or writing books and Bible studies. “He was a humble person,” recalled Pearl. “He reached out to ordinary people at diners and coffee shops and became their friends. One in particular needed transportation to doctors and the hospital, and Bob was his ‘caregiver’ for that until the man died.”

Lightner’s teaching gifts blossomed after he attended Baptist Bible Seminary in Johnson City, New York [the school later moved to Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, where it was renamed Baptist Bible College and Seminary]. He and Pearl both attended the school, and during his college years, Lightner traveled with several gospel teams and a men’s quartet where he sang bass.

Dr. John R. Dunkin (ThM, 1945; ThD, 1950), dean of the Baptist Bible Seminary and a graduate of DTS, traveled with the group, and on one occasion he cornered Pearl and told her that her husband should go to DTS to get his master’s and stay right on through for his doctorate. After Pearl told Lightner, he went to Dunkin and said, “Dr. Dunkin, what else is there to know about theology?”

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“A ‘theology of shoe leather’ he called it, where living out the gospel was as much a part of his life as preparing for lectures or writing books and Bible studies.”

Lightner’s oldest daughter, Nancy Shotts, remembers that, “He was totally transparent and never felt that his position of author, faculty member, preacher, theologian, or any of the other titles that I was so proud of, made him any more special or ‘above’ anyone. I saw him build relationships with a homeless man in a coffee shop, a man who worked at Whataburger, and our next-door neighbors, whom he sacrificially served for years without any ‘glory’ or anyone even seeing his ministry. These ministries were every bit as important to him as the more ‘public’ ones, and they were, as he called it, ‘where the rubber meets the road’—this is where I saw him put his theology into practice and truly be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

In a remarkable series of events, Lightner was also called upon by the mother of convicted murderer George Lott to minister to her son while he was on death row in Huntsville, Texas.

Lightner found the experience very difficult—he was one of only two witnesses at Lott’s death—but he faithfully ministered to Lott and his family, as well as to relatives of the two men Lott had killed. In the end, Lott came to faith in Christ.

Lightner also traveled often to speak at conferences, to serve as supply pastor, or to take on interim pastoral roles—thirtythree assignments at twenty-four different churches—where he had to balance teaching hard truth with exercising practical decorum. “Interim pastor,” Lightner recalled with a laugh in 2012. “That means their pastor left, and I came to salvage what was left, to try to bring the two different camps together. I helped to avoid splits and other problems.”

Sometimes Lightner brought Pearl or one of their three daughters along with him. Each of his daughters remembers those times as special occasions with their daddy. Pearl remembers that the whole family felt it was part of their ministry to support Lightner as he preached. “We never felt neglected by his being gone most weekends,” she said. “One year we kept track, and he had been home only a few Sundays that year. I considered it a privilege to be the wife of a servant of the Lord.”

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Lightner was also a prolific writer. Over the course of fortyseven years he published twenty-five books and numerous articles and studies, with a twenty-sixth book almost ready for publication at the time of his death. Pearl was an integral part of each of those books, painstakingly typing each longhand manuscript. “She has just worked overtime in helping me,” Lightner said in an interview in 2012, “and I really, really appreciated that.”

David Gunn, director of Regular Baptist Press, noted that Lightner’s writings “were influential in shaping Regular Baptist thought for decades.” Some of his most popular works were Angels, Satan, and Demons; The Death Christ Died; and Sin, the Savior, and Salvation. He was also a strong advocate for classical dispensationalism and thoroughly presented and defended that position in several of his books.

Lightner retired from full-time teaching at DTS in 1998, but he remained professor emeritus of systematic theology and an adjunct professor of theological studies until his death in 2018. “Dr. Lightner was a clear-thinking theologian,” noted

DTS president Dr. Mark L. Bailey. “I knew him to be nothing less than faithful, principled, and a steady defender of biblical truth.” Dr. J. Lanier Burns— Lightner’s department chairman for twenty years—said of him: “He was a faithful, trustworthy professor who was willing and able to serve as needed. He loved the Lord and the hope of His soon return!”

“SERVITUDE WAS HIS LIFE”

While the world at large remembers Lightner as a distinguished author, faithful teacher, and diplomatic pastor, his family knows that his most devoted ministry was always to them.

His oldest daughter, Nancy, recalls, “I have always admired my dad’s integrity and authenticity. There was never a doubt in my mind that I could trust him completely—to be honest with me, to put his theology into practice no matter what the situation, to act on his principles when faced with challenges, and to follow through in keeping his word in both big and small things.”

Middle daughter Nadine said at his memorial service that her father always showed unconditional love. “He trained me in the ways of the Lord and His Word, giving me a firm foundation on which to build my life. He faithfully and tirelessly served me in whatever capacity was needed, constantly modeling Christ’s sacrificial love. While theology was his area of expertise and passion, servitude was his life.”

Youngest daughter Natalie recalled that her father constantly looked for ways to demonstrate God’s grace to her. As a teenager—while driving her father’s pickup truck—Natalie once rear-ended her father’s other pickup truck in the driveway. Dr. Lightner came around from the backyard and looked at the crumpled bumpers, then said simply, “Leesie [her nickname], what happened?”

She remained speechless. He responded by saying, “Natalie, I think this is an opportunity to show you grace!” Then he explained that grace was undeserved favor and that God showed us grace by sending His Son to pay for our sins.

As a grandfather, Lightner doted on all fifteen grandchildren, making them each feel special and loved. In his retirement he cut lawns and collected cans and sent all the money to his grandchildren. He and Pearl put a chart of their grandkids’ names on their kitchen table so they could pray for each one twice per month.

“Grandpa brought warmth wherever he went and had a complete love of life and love for his family,” recalled one grandchild. “He loved people with Christ’s love and demonstrated the existence of a good God to everyone around him. Our grandpa’s character has helped us to see that in the midst of our grief, this is a celebration.”

Dr. Robert P. Lightner went home to be with the Lord he loved so well on August 3, 2018, at the age of 87.

Well done, good and faithful servant. You stayed the course.

STEVE SMITH (ThM, 2012) is a freelance writer and blogger. Because of his own toxic church background, he is passionate about freeing people from spiritually abusive environments through grace and truth (libertyforcaptives.com). Steve lives with his wife, Teresa (MACM, MABS, 2012), and two sons in Cumberland, Maine.

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ALUMNI CONNECTION In Memory John Graber (ThM, 1947; ThD, 1949) passed away on July 14, 2018. John served as a pastor in Mount Ridge, Kansas, and in many churches of various denominations. He loved poetry and often punctuated his sermons and stories with these passages. John traveled everywhere in search of salmon, trout, and other types of ocean and river fish. He grew food for others to eat, served his church faithfully, and loved his wife and family.

Charles McDowell (1955) died on January 30, 2018.

Edwin Mitchell (1957–59) passed away on September 14, 2018. In Canada, Edwin pastored Wortley Baptist Church, London; Calvary Baptist, Oakville; and Maple Avenue Baptist, Georgetown. He also served as a minister of Christian education in New York City, and ministered to a retirement community in Florida.

Edwin loved the Lord, and it showed in everything he did in his life.

Richard Williams (ThM, 1957; ThD, 1966) passed away on September 10, 2018. Dick pastored in Houston, Texas, before moving to Florida where he served at Christ Community Church Tampa and later became president of Trinity College of Florida. At the time of his death, he served as pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church and chancellor of Trinity College.

Ed Plowman (ThM, 1958) passed away on December 19, 2018. A world traveler, Ed’s journalistic travels took him to sixty-nine countries for firsthand coverage of the contemporary religious scene for both print and broadcast media. Time magazine called him the “historian of the movement.”

Ed has several books to his credit as well as hundreds and hundreds of news articles he wrote for a number of magazines and newspapers (including WORLD, the Saturday Evening Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and the Washington Post). In 1997, Ed’s wife, Rose, was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), an incurable neurological disease. Ed lovingly and without complaint cared for Rose over the next eleven years until her

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death. In so doing, he became the worldwide moderator for a PSP forum, encouraging and visiting numerous families dealing with the disease.

Alan Johnson (ThM, 1961; ThD, 1964) died on November 5, 2018. Alan taught for thirty years at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, where he formed the Center for Applied Christian Ethics. He was a strong advocate for gender equality in leadership roles in churches, culminating in his book, How I Changed My Mind about Women in Leadership. Alan also wrote a variety of biblical commentaries and remained in Jewish-Christian dialogues throughout retirement. He was an effective classroom teacher who believed that his academic responsibilities did not stop in the classroom, but extended to other institutional services that would build the kingdom of God. Louis Schneider (ThM, 1962) died on October 22, 2018. While serving in the US Navy, Lou started a church service and his love for ministry began as he saw men come to Christ. He served as a youth pastor in Phoenix, Arizona, before pastoring Northwest Bible Church in Dallas, Texas; Northwest Hills Baptist Church in Corvallis, Oregon; and Conroe Bible Church in Conroe, Texas. Lou developed an equipping ministry to encourage and disciple missionaries and national pastors, traveling all over the world.

Donald LeMaster (1963) passed away on September 16, 2018. Don served the Lord for fifty years at churches in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

Jonathan Ekstrom (1969) died on May 13, 2018. Jonathan’s life passion was spreading the Word of God through language translation and through music.

Waylon Ward (MABS, 1975) passed away on June 25, 2018. Waylon founded Dallas Christian Counseling and published The Bible in Counseling, a resource widely recognized as a great tool for pastors and Christian counselors. He created Mercy Matters, a ministry focused on healing father

wounds and enabling men to minister to one another. Waylon additionally founded the Global Fathering Initiative to address the epidemic of fatherlessness and father deprivation.

His book, Who’s Your Daddy?, has helped hundreds of men, women, and children suffering from father wounds.

Tim Headley (ThM, 1976) died on September 26, 2018. Tim served as a professor at Seminario Bíblico Evangelico in La Paz, Bolivia, before moving back to Houston, Texas, where he worked as an engineer for McDermott and Fluor. He graduated from the University of Houston Law Center and entered a career in intellectual property law. Tim also worked as an adjunct professor at the College of Biblical Studies and graded Bible correspondence courses for prisoners through the prison ministry Emmaus International. Tim enjoyed flying, waterskiing, weightlifting, and bike riding.

Larry Rosing (ThM, 1980) passed away on July 12, 2018. Larry served as a youth pastor in North Plainfield, New Jersey, before pastoring churches in Runnells, Iowa; Cherry Tree, Pennsylvania; and Hailey, Idaho.

Throughout his life Larry used his skills as a drywall finisher on many home and church projects. He later worked in the pharmaceutical industry and enjoyed working as a motor coach driver. Larry earned a private pilot’s license, played the trombone and harmonica, and enjoyed creating many woodcraft projects.

Ronald Johnson (MABS, 1994) died on September 30, 2018. Ron served in the Air Force as a Russian linguist where his travels instilled a love of language, culture, and food. He worked at Weyerhaeuser, the Central Intelligence Agency, and Boeing as a computer programmer and engineer.

Ron founded the first Bible Study Fellowship men’s evening class in Kent, Texas. He was a man of wit and jokes, an expert yodeler, a beautiful singer, and a talented storyteller. Ron summited Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Victoria and would often take his family camping and hiking.

James D. Roy (ThM, 1994) passed away on September 28, 2018. Jim served in the Air Force for twenty years. His passion was nurturing his children through education and sports.

Jeffrey Dirks (1997–2000) died on September 19, 2018. Jeff retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Air Force after twenty years of service. He later flew for Delta and graduated from Texas A&M law school. Jeff and his wife, Elizabeth, regularly volunteered at Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas, teaching toddlers and serving as Sunday school teachers and premarital counselors. He also served as a leader in the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) children’s ministry for over a decade.

He will be remembered as a man of many talents—athlete, marksman, engineer, motorcycle rider, scholar, and musician—but more importantly, for his quiet strength, humility, wit, wisdom, and reliance on God. Charlie Farrell (MACE, 1998) passed away on April 13, 2018. Charlie pastored the Community of HopePrince of Peace Church in Davenport, Iowa, for nearly eight years. He was involved with Wellsprings International and Via de Cristo. Charlie enjoyed spending time in his garden and planning the next DIY project, including renovating the attic and building the deck that housed his prized hot tub.

David Hamm (MABS, 1998) died on October 17, 2018. David was a man of integrity and faith, with a witty sense of humor, and a compassionate heart for people.

Bobby Gilpin (MABS, 2005) passed away on October 6, 2018. Bobby worked with LTV Electronics, which eventually became Raytheon, for his entire career. After retirement, Bobby attended DTS where he fell in love with God’s Word, igniting his passion for knowing God and sharing His glory with all he met.

Updates: 1960s Jackie L. Katz, wife of Rev. Larry Katz (ThM, 1965) and mother of Laurie Katz McIntyre (MACE, 1989) and Dan

Katz (ThM, 1991), went home to be with the Lord on September 21, 2018.

Jackie and Larry partnered together for sixty years in marriage and ministry.

She was a beloved and gifted woman who ministered to others through singing, writing, counseling, teaching, and leading.

Congratulations to Erwin Lutzer (ThM, 1967) for his Emmy win! The documentary about Martin Luther, A Call for Freedom, won three Emmys from the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Chapter. Pastor Lutzer was the main host of the documentary, and served as an executive producer. Pastor Lutzer has stated, “The Emmy belongs to Jesus and what matters is that many more might see the documentary and believe the Gospel.”

Pictured above, Bill Taylor (ThM, 1967) received the Lifetime Service Award from Missio Nexus, a USACanada national missionary movement that represents all of the evangelical missionary organizations and leaders of North America. Bill gave up his position as professor of missions at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, Illinois, to become the director of the Mission Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance.

The second edition of The Suffering Servant of the Lord: A Prophecy of Jesus Christ (Wipf & Stock) by David MacLeod (ThM, 1969; PhD, 1987) will be published this year.

1970s Janice Edwards, wife of Jon Edwards (ThM, 1970), passed away on May 14, 2017. Janice and Jon worked as a team serving churches in Muskegon, Michigan; Fort Collins, Colorado; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Venice, Florida, before moving to

churches, particularly in situations that require the intersection of change and healthy leadership.

Dallas to serve the missionaries of Camino Global. Her purpose was to help her students learn to love Jesus, love one another, and love to learn.

Alongside his work with Crossworld in Temple, Texas, Charles Stoner (ThM, 1970) has started a new series of one-page inductive Bible study charts on the book of Romans and emails them monthly to over 200 Portuguese readers.

Pictured above is Michael J. Smith (ThM, 1979; PhD, 2004) and Joy Smith with their daughter Stephanie and Chris Reynolds. Stephanie and Chris are current DTS students.

1980s Pictured above, Heraldcourier.com recently published an article about Paul Bufford (ThM, 1977) and his celebration of forty years as the pastor of Abingdon Bible Church in Abingdon, Virginia.

Ben Bakker (MABS, 1978) with Missionary Ventures International reports that ninety-five Spanishspeaking pastors, leaders, and lay people graduated from the Hispanic Bible Institute’s extensions in Washington and Oregon.

After finishing thirty-four years planting churches in France with TEAM, Bill Boggess (ThM, 1980) teaches pastors in French-speaking Africa with Equipping Leaders International, a small mission board that sends men to help equip pastors and church-planters in areas where good theological teaching is not available. Only three out of the fortyfive pastors he taught the first week had computers. Books do not exist in some of these places.

Lynn Goldsmith and The Jeter Mountain Band, featuring Steve Briggs (ThM, 1980) on the mandolin, released their first gospel album, Wake Up Children.

Dale Johnsen (ThM, 1981) recently published MisBelieving: Unmasking ‘Fake Truths’ in the Church.

Pictured above, on his seventh mission trip to Kiev, Ukraine, Jeff Richards (ThM, 1978) taught twenty-six students in his Christ and Salvation class and preached three times at Church of the Gospel. These students are bright and knowledgeable about many Christian subjects and love to debate and clarify fine points in doctrine.

Dale Burke (ThM, 1979) spent some time in Minneapolis, Minnesota, speaking at Rockpoint Church in Lake Elmo pastored by Roy Fruits (ThM, 1992) and hosted a great evening with twenty-three DTS alumni and spouses at Rockpoint Church.

Brad McCoy (ThM, 1981) celebrated his thirtieth anniversary as the pastor of Tanglewood Bible Fellowship in Duncan, Oklahoma, where they call their town “Little D” in contrast to Dallas.

Having led several congregations through their church or leadership turnarounds, Paul Utnage (ThM, 1981; DMin, 2012) now serves as the executive pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Illinois, another church that includes both local church ministry and international media.

Paul also continues to serve as a coach and consultant to pastoral leaders and

Upon retirement from his tenure of twenty-two years as pastor of worship at First Evangelical Church in Memphis, Tennessee, Ron Man (ThM, 1982; DMin, 2009) now serves as missionary in residence, teaching the biblical foundations of worship as director for Worship Resources International. His daughter, Grace, married last year and his son, Christian, recently graduated from Penn State.

Gary Gromacki (ThM, 1984) began his studies for a PhD in Bible and Theology at Calvary University in Kansas City, Missouri.

John Johnson (PhD, 1984) published two books after retirement from pastoral ministries, Under an Open Heaven (Kregel) and Missing Voices (Langham).

Steve (ThM, 1984) and Laura (1983– 84) Spinella welcomed their first grandchild, Evangeline Joy, into the world this year.

Junias Venugopal (ThM, 1984) now serves at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, as associate dean at the newly formed school of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership. The school has the undergraduate major in Christian Formation (formerly CE) and graduate programs in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership, Evangelism and Leadership, Global Leadership, Outdoor Adventure Leadership, and Higher Education and Student Development.

On their trip to Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, Roman Hostetler (1986–88) and his six-member team had the opportunity to spend three months with the Vasui translation team and other Vasui people.

JETS celebrates twenty-one graduates from bachelor’s and master’s programs from five different countries this year.

Imad Shehadeh (ThM, 1986; ThD, 1990) reports forty-six new students in the next term.

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ALUMNI CONNECTION Donald “Baby D” Reid (ThM, 1987) celebrated thirty years pastoring and serving Aletheia Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia. He also celebrated twenty-five years serving as the founder, president, and professor of Bible and theology at the Crossroads Institute of Biblical Studies also located in Macon, Georgia.

the Mystery of Marriage conference.

These will be held in two to three seminaries or Christian colleges in the years ahead. The first conference was held at DTS hosted by the Hendricks Center in 2018. Curt also partners with Winshape Marriage and The Master’s Program creating small group retreats for couples to consider God’s vision for their next season together.

1990s The distribution of the study edition of the Gospel of John in Hindi has been well received in India. Sukhwant Bhatia (ThM, 1991) held two seminars for the BTh students of the North India Institute of Theological Studies and spent extended time with the MDiv students who are working on their theses. NIITS did not take new MDiv students this year for lack of funds, but six current students will graduate next year.

Jay Jayakumar (STM, 1992) presented a research paper on “A Critical Appraisal of the Frontiers of Evangelism in South Asian Countries for Effective and Innovative Efforts” at the conference of Academy of Evangelism in Theological Education as part of the American Society of Missiology held in Notre Dame, Indiana. His paper was well received and will be published in their journal.

Jay also visited Odisha and northern Gujarat in India to evaluate church plant spots and encourage newly deployed church planters in the area.

After twenty-two years of service in Romania, Andy (ThM, 1992) and Pam (ThM, 1992) La Breche will be moving back to the US to work full time as prefield trainers for missionaries at the Center for Intercultural Training. They will continue to serve as missionaries with United World Mission in this role.

Helen-May Nichols (MACE, 1992), a retired RN now entrepreneur, continues to live in Mesquite, Texas.

She has served at Plano Bible Chapel and assists with ESL at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas.

With his release of Marriage: Its Foundation, Theology, and Mission in a Changing World (Moody Publishers), Curtis Hamner (MABS, 1993) will host the Everyday Adventure: Living

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continued

Carlos (ThM, 2002; DMin, 2017) and his wife, Karla (MACL, 2014) Zazueta, welcomed their son, Charles Asher, into their family this past year.

Connie Cohn (MACE, 2004) recently self-published Never Too Old: God Isn’t Finished with Me Yet! The book is a biography of Mel Sumrall (ThM, 1977), founder of Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas.

Challenging Tradition: Innovation in Advanced Theological Education (Langham Global Library) features a chapter by Caleb Hutcherson (ThM, 2006) on action research in theological education.

Pictured above, Andrew Spurgeon (ThM, 1993; PhD, 2003), professor of New Testament at Singapore Bible College in Singapore, wins a chair from the Chafer Chapel at the 2018 ETS Conference in Denver, Colorado.

Danny Loe (ThM, 1998) is the new chief of staff at Ratio Christi, a campus apologetics alliance based out of North Carolina. Ratio Christi is planting student- and faculty-led apologetics clubs at universities around the world.

David Hoe (ThM, 1999; PhD, 2008) has been granted tenure and a promotion to associate professor in the engineering department at Loyola University Maryland. He regularly leads a Bible study on campus for faculty and students during the school year.

2000s Lloyd Chinn (ThM, 2002), field leader with WorldVenture in Ghana, West Africa, hosted the B.R.I.D.G.E. (Building Relationships Intentionally with the Diaspora for Global Gospel Expansion) consultation in Houston, Texas, a two-day intensive learning and networking event designed to encourage collaborative partnerships among the African diaspora. The goal was to further expand gospel movements in Africa and the world. B.R.I.D.G.E. is an impactful partnership between Crossover Bible Fellowship and the Movement for African National Initiatives (MANI).

Founder of the Lost Valley Ranch in Colorado, Tony Warnock (MABS, 2006) was recently featured on the Gospel Business Strategies podcast where he discusses the common denominators between successful leaders, stewardship, the role of the outdoors, and why it’s so vital to often reset. In addition to overseeing Lost Valley, Tony is the managing director of Goose Creek Freight and Logistics, LLC, a board member for the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association, and an advisory board member for Elevate USA. To listen to the podcast, go to gospelbusinessstrategies.org.

Andrey Muzhchil (ThM, 2007; PhD, 2016) leads Resurrection of Christ Church and trains Christian leaders in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

Michael Kramer (ThM, 2009) earned a PhD from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and recently published Everyday Disciple Making: Growing the Church Christ’s Way (CreateSpace).

On his most recent trip to Lebanon, Rob Lowe (MABS, 2009) was one of three facilitators teaching two different courses to a couple of groups that met at the same time. The team only got to meet with their BEE World students for two and a half days before returning home. To make the most of their time, the facilitators rotated between the advanced group and a new group.

2010s.

Michael Newman (ThM, 2010) moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to join a family of churches committed to planting churches in YMCAs. They planted a church last year that started with the Gospel of Luke.

Robert Wagner (MACE, 2011) selfpublished, Wake Pray Train: Glorifying God with Your Fitness.

Michael Smith (MABS, 2012) rejoices in his daughter Taryn’s marriage to Jeremy Watson in July 2018.

Pictured above, Brian N. Guenther (MACE, 2013), who currently serves as president of the Accreditation Commission of the Texas Association of Baptist Schools, was named president of San Marcos Baptist Academy in San Marcos, Texas. Dr. Clay Sullivan, chairman of the Academy Board of Trustees, described Brian as one who “has a definite love for and a calling to the Academy and its future.”

Alexander Chester Perkins was born to Luke (ThM, 2013) and Becca Perkins in October 2018 on the westbound side of RT 101 in New Hampshire. Alex later made his debut as a member of team Perkins in Haiti as they attended the missions conference at Calvary Bible Church in Derry, NH. Jenna Schmidt Wilson (MABC, 2014) received her certificate in Trauma Therapy through The Trauma Support Institute.

Pictured above, CH Mitch Frevert (ThM, 2015), CH Amy Justice (ThM, 2017), and CH Will McCall (ThM, 2011) completed CHBOLC (Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course), the entry course for US Army chaplains.

Mitch was commissioned in March

2018 and currently serves as the battalion chaplain for the CA Army National Guard 143rd Military Police Battalion (Det).

Luke Hatteberg (ThM, 2015) is an entrepreneur who owns and operates two woodworking businesses: Hatteberg Woodworks & Design, which specializes in custom furniture, and Wayfaren, which specializes in handcrafted travel-inspired products.

Daymond Wilkins (ThM, 2015) is in his second year as a PhD student studying preaching at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri.

As the pastor for New Campus Development for The Chapel in Akron, Ohio, Deering Dyer (ThM, 2018) has been charged with implementing the church’s vision and mission to plant ten churches in ten years throughout northeast Ohio.

Check out their residency website at saturatemovement.life.

Stacey Graham (MACE, 2018) is the new coordinator of student involvement: clubs and organizations, working directly with students to help plan and execute their events, and discipling several young women at Houston Baptist University in Houston, Texas.

In addition to serving as the children’s and youth pastor at Jubilee Church in Frisco, Texas, Lindsay Lee (ThM, 2018) teaches sixth grade English and Bible at Cornerstone Christian Academy in McKinney, Texas.

Jim Sackett (MBTS, 2018) was appointed director of the governor’s office in Fairbanks, Alaska, to serve Governor Michael J. Dunleavy and the amazing people of Alaska.

Reunions

Pictured above, Paul Pettit (ThM, 1996; DMin, 2007), Michael Golden (ThM, 2014), Richard Yu (ThM, 2007), Gary Barnes (ThM, 1983), John Dyer (ThM, 2008), and current ThM student Chris Herrin at the RadVo Conference in Dallas, Texas.

Mark Rubio (ThM, 2004), pastor, Journey Church, Shelley, Idaho Joshua Hess (ThM, 2007), senior pastor, Faith Community Church, Maquoketa, Iowa John Frawley (ThM, 2008), senior pastor, Metropolitan Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Chad Cowan (ThM, 2010), senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Sheridan, Wyoming Cory Thurman (MACE, 2010), pastor of ministries, Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas Geoffrey Mann (CGS, 2011), executive pastor, College Avenue Baptist Church, San Diego, California

International Christian Communities hosted their annual pastors and family retreat in Nice, France. Ten DTS alumni and their families spent a week together for mutual encouragement and teaching. Pictured above, Joe Calfee (MACM, 2010) serving in Denton, Texas; Joe Batluck (ThM, 2004) serving in Kandern, Germany; James Arnold (MABS, 1994; ThM, 2003) serving in Nice, France; Ronnie Collier Stevens (ThM, 1977) serving in Moscow, Russia; Amy Jez (MABS, 2008) serving in Nice, France; Oleg Shevkun (ThM, 1997) serving in Moscow, Russia; Steve Henderson (ThM, 1980) serving in Munich, Germany; Rich Millhouse (ThM, 1994) serving in Budapest, Hungary; Gary DeSalvo (ThM, 1981) serving in Temple, Texas; and Ross Duncan (ThM, 2010) serving in Nice, France.

Pictured above, DTS alumni enjoy a great evening of fun, fellowship, and great food at the Marshall University Hall of Fame Café in Huntington, West Virginia. In attendance: Janet and Chengyu Li (ThM, 2011); Dee and Steve Willis (ThM, 1996); Barbara and Mike Neal (MABC, 1997); Samantha and Jacob Marshall (ThM, 2016); Mary and Larry Greene (DMin, 2002); Crystal and Kevin Bloomfield (ThM, 1981); Garrett Mathis (ThM, 2008). In front: Sharon (MABS, MACM, 2013) and Jeremy Napier (MACE, 2013).

New Ministries Steve Elkins (ThM, 1984), associate pastor, Coppell Bible Fellowship, Coppell, Texas Joel Williams (ThM, 1984), professor of New Testament studies, Biblical Seminary of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines Timothy Smith (ThM, 1989), senior pastor, First Christian Church, Trenton, Missouri

Subhadheer Vempati (ThM, 2018) was ordained as an assistant pastor at Andhra Bible Chapel in Vijayawada, India, in September 2018.

Michele Wilbert (MACL, 2018) is the new assistant director of women’s small groups at RiverLakes Community Church in Bakersfield, California, a position created for her after her internship while at DTS.

(ThM, 1975), Lucy Heater (MABS, 1982), Rose Roberts (1979–82), Robby Roberts (ThM, 1982), Terrance Luker (MABC, ThM, 2002), Hillary Luker (ThM, 2002), Dave Showalter (ThM, 2010). Top Row: Jim Kutnow (ThM, 1974; DMin, 1996), Jim Beerley (MABS, 1992), David Spirek (MACM, 1997), Tracy Lesan (ThM, 1995), Dale Losch (ThM, 1987), Paul Eckhoff (MABS, 1985), John Voss (ThM, 1976; ThD, 1984), Doug Williams (MABS, 2011). Not pictured: Virgil Reeves (ThM, 1979).

Mark Tobey (ThM, 1998), senior pastor, LaGrange Bible Church, LaGrange, Illinois Pictured above, DTS alumni gathered at the tri-annual Crossworld All Europe Conference in 2018. Bottom row: Jim Munn (STM, 1983), Bruce McMartin (ThM, 1980), Harry Walker

Jared Verwiel (ThM, 2011), senior pastor, Tulsa Bible Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma Adam Majerus (ThM, 2013), co-pastor, Christ First Fort Worth, Arlington, Texas Joshua Conner (ThM, 2014), spiritual formation director, Parkway Hills Baptist Church, Plano, Texas Kingsley Demakpor (ThM, 2017), associate student pastor, The Heights Church, Richardson, Texas Will Downie (ThM, 2017), director of student ministries, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Simsbury, Connecticut Robert Wiesner (ThM, 2017), pastor, Kenmore Baptist Church, Buffalo, New York Laz Reyes (ThM, 2018), director of outreach, Penn Valley Church, Telford, Pennsylvania Cheyne Rippey (MACE, 2018), academic supervisor of distance learning, Calvary Chapel Bible College, Murrieta, California

Kelley Mathews (ThM, 2000), writer, RightNow Media, McKinney, Texas David Clapp (ThM, 2003), pastor, Caney Creek Church, Wharton, Texas

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For His Kingdom Purpose:

70 Years of “Dallas Week” at Mount Hermon A delightful grove of towering redwoods sets the backdrop of the Mount Hermon Conference Center. The quiet hush of trails winding through the trees welcomes visitors away from the rush of a highway as well as the pressures of life. For those retreating to the Mount Hermon Conference Center, it means leaving the chaos behind to dedicate time for the study, contemplation, and the exposition of God’s Holy Word.

In his book, Apart with Him, Harry R. Smith wrote, “The testimony of Mount Hermon has been and will be one of wholehearted unswerving loyalty to the whole Word of God. God always keeps His promises. He has honored His Word and has blessed in the lives of countless thousands, who in the past . . . have come under the influence of Mount Hermon.

Human leaders have come and gone, but the testimony is unbroken.”

With Mount Hermon’s “unswerving loyalty” to the Word of God, it is no wonder that it has partnered with Dallas Theological Seminary to bring “Dallas Week” to families every summer. For seventy years this collaboration can attest to the continuous testimony and legacy that has impacted many.

How did this relationship start? Before their partnership, Mount Hermon had speakers from the Seminary participating in many of the conference programs. Some came for a week.

Others spoke for a day or so. It wasn’t until 1949, however, that the Seminary inaugurated its own conference. And there were some notable folks excited about the partnership.

A remarkably gifted Bible teacher, Mrs. Graeme MacDonald of San Francisco, California, had for some years taught women’s Bible classes in the San Francisco area and at several points on the peninsula. As a great admirer of the late Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, president of DTS at that time, Mrs. MacDonald went to hear him speak.

“I recall vividly the summer of 1944 when Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer spoke at Mount Hermon for the first time,” Mrs. MacDonald once told an interviewer. “Many of us were thrilled with his messages . . . and many of his words still ring in my memory and heart.”

Bringing an entourage of women leaders, Mrs. MacDonald became a regular attendee at the Mount Hermon conference programs when Dr. Chafer was scheduled to teach. He would oftentimes teach in the mornings and then she would teach in the afternoon.

Not long after, Dr. Chafer was contacted by the Mount Hermon staff to return. When the Seminary started its own conference, Mrs. MacDonald arrived at the conference along with the entourage of ladies.

As a help to the members of her classes, Mrs. MacDonald encouraged them to attend the entire conference if possible, but in any event to attend at least one day. This “day” soon developed into a mass rally with several hundred ladies driving to Mount Hermon to attend the conference sessions and to have a time of fellowship. These groups brought unsaved women from every walk of life to hear the clear exposition of the Word of God. Another woman who attended “Dallas Week” at that time was Evie. She was a contemporary of Mrs. MacDonald. Evie had a Christian broadcast down in Santa Cruz every Saturday morning telling Bible stories to children, and she loved to share the gospel. Doug Mackinnon and his wife, Jalaine, remember Evie at the conference. Jalaine recalls, “Doug and I started coming with our family twenty years ago in 1999, and Evie came to the conference when she was in her nineties.”

In 1972 Kay Gudnason wrote Rings in the Redwoods: The Story of Mount Hermon introducing the history of Mount

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Hermon in its sixty-fifth summer. In it she explains, “The only other person from [DTS] who has been on the speakers platform each of the more than [twenty] years of the Mount Hermon Conferences is Dr. John F. Walvoord, who has appeared as a faculty member, assistant to the President and from 1953, president of Dallas.”

Up until then, no one had attended the conference more than Dr. Walvoord. It was Chaplain Bill Bryan, however, who exceeded Dr. Walvoord’s attendance record. For fifty-five years, Chaplain Bill greeted and led families in worship every summer, never forgetting a name in the process. “What a joy and delight it is to see you all,” he said at his last speaking engagement at Dallas Week. “I love you. You’ve endeared yourself to Shirley and me all these years and we consider many of you a part of our lives. And you have impacted us as you have intersected with us.”

Dr. John F. Walvoord serves breakfast at Pancake Ridge

Chaplain Bill started attending in 1960 as a student and would play his horn. He attended the conference again the next year.

After he and Shirley were married in 1962, they went together.

She played the piano while Mrs. Geraldine Walvoord played the organ at the conference.

Chaplain Bill started leading the music and later, when Dr. Don Campbell became president of the Seminary, he ended up giving Chaplain Bill the responsibility. It proved difficult at first, Chaplain Bill explained. “The first time we took our son Gary was in 1964. He was six months old. Shirley was the conference pianist and in those days the people in leadership dressed to the nines.” The men would wear suits and the women would wear dresses. “Shirley was wearing high heels and whenever the music would stop, she’d run down the hill in her heels after playing the piano to go nurse Gary or change his diaper and then run back up the hill for another session.”

Chaplain Bill also remembers all of his friends who attended the DTS conference. Some came from a variety of Bay Area churches. “One of the main leaders, Garland Chen came to Chaplain in 1970 to get the famous ‘East-West’ Ping-Pong tournament started. Also Darwin and Patty Fong have been long time attendees. There was also Dr. Merrill Unger. He was the chair of Old Testament at the seminary. For two years he was my professor. He had written a lot of books. He was brilliant and respected as a Hebrew scholar. He wrote a Bible handbook and wrote multiple books. He was from Baltimore, Maryland.

He was a sharp guy.”

Many years came and went, but it was being with the families, speakers, the individual folks that Chaplain Bill loved. “Mrs. J. treated you right. She was gracious and wonderful, a good hostess. She was the head cook for years.”

In the summer of 2015, during his last week as a speaker at Mount Hermon, Chaplain Bill said, “It’s wonderful . . . to think about different ones of you here and what God is doing through your lives and how you’re ministering for the kingdom. No one is indispensable. Isn’t that good? The ministry is bigger than all of us.”

He later prayed, “Thanks for giving us the chance to be together again, and to share together and savor the moments together that we have. Give us joy today as we move about these grounds and our lives. And I pray that we will be a blessing to the people around us—be salt and light in this dark world that we live in and use us for Your kingdom purpose I pray.” Amen.

For more information on this year’s conference, please visit dts.edu/hermon

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IN MEMORY

G. WILLIAM BRYAN

// THM, 1962

his laughter was contagious. We shall miss this man who faithfully modeled grace and kindness.

LIFE AND MINISTRY In 2015 Chaplain Bill Bryan retired after thirty years of faithful ministry at DTS. An online article commemorating his faithfulness and service recounted how he came to faith and how God changed his life. In it Karen Giesen writes about how the love for his wife, Shirley, transformed Chaplain Bill and how, with a trumpet in hand, he impacted those at DTS. Giesen wrote:

C

haplain G. William (Bill) Bryan, DTS graduate, beloved chaplain, pastor, friend, devoted husband, father of three, grandfather to nine, great-grandfather to one, and spiritual mentor to many, passed into the presence of our Lord early in the morning, Friday, December 14, 2018. While our hearts are saddened by this news, we have the hope of the resurrection that will take place with that final trumpet sound. Please be in prayer for the Bryan family, especially Chaplain Bill’s dear wife, Shirley.

MEMORIES Dr. Mark L. Bailey, current president of DTS: Chaplain Bill Bryan was one of a kind—a skilled musician on the trumpet, a kindhearted counselor whom you could trust to be confidential, and a pastor who loved the people he served. We came on the DTS faculty together in 1985, and we have walked and served together since. Bill is deeply loved by faculty and students alike, and he certainly raised the level of true joy for all of us in the seminary community.

Chaplain Bill lives and loves with unique vigor. And that love spills over in contagious laughter. And fun. Students once saved their newspapers for an entire semester to fill his office with crumpled wads. Bill thought it was a hoot.

At other times, startled students visiting Student Services for the first time thought the rapture was at hand when the trumpet sounded from the corner office.

According to Mike Lawson, “A chaplain has got to be the commensurate people person. On a scale of 1 to 10, Bill is probably a 12. He remembers people’s names. He is deeply devotional himself. His love for God is very intense and very transparent. He prays for people. If you’re experiencing grief, he knows what grief feels like. He knows when to be quiet.

He knows when to speak. There is no malice in this man. No false motive.”

Even after retirement, Chaplain Bill and Shirley remained joyful, encouraging others and taking every opportunity to tell people, “I love you.”

We love you too, Chaplain Bill.

Dr. Charles R. Swindoll, chancellor of DTS: I have known and loved Bill Bryan since 1959, when I first arrived on the DTS campus. He and I were friends from then until he left us—a close friendship of almost sixty years.

Bill was the “consummate encourager,” whose love for others and devotion to Christ flooded every room he entered. It was such a pleasure to minister with him as he led the music with his winsome voice and clear-sounding trumpet, always turning our attention heavenward. His joy was constant and

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What Kind of Character Does a Leader Need?

EXPANDING OUR VISION FOR ENGAGING THE WORLD

When Drs. Howard Hendricks (ThM, 1950) and Don Campbell (ThM, 1951; ThD, 1953) founded The Center for Christian Leadership (now the Hendricks Center) in the 1980s, the character of the leader was their primary concern. Many who sat under Prof. Hendricks can recall hearing him say, “The greatest crisis in America is a crisis of leadership, and the greatest crisis of leadership is a crisis of character.”

In an article in the student publication, Kethiv Qere, Dr. Campbell explained his purpose and vision for the Center: When we think of the term “leadership” today, we have too many examples of the type of leadership the Pharisees practiced, and few examples of the type of leadership God prizes. Worldly leadership exalts the independent “strength” of a “self-made” man. God prizes dependence on His strength and enablement.

Worldly leadership exalts self-focus and egocentricity. God prizes the God-focused leadership of a Lewis Sperry Chafer, who exhibited Christlikeness in every aspect of his life and ministry. God prizes those who build up others and who succeed through their service to others.

For too many years, some people in the broader Christian community have been developing leaders using the world’s model and have ended up with men consumed by their egos. In the face of this danger, why then should any Christian aspire to lead?

Why is [DTS] expanding its emphasis on leadership?

When [DTS] was founded in the face of the hurricane of liberalism in the 1920s, the crying need of the generation was men of God who had the skills to interpret and relevantly preach God’s inerrant Word accurately. The great need continues and [DTS] continues to produce students who are increasingly better equipped for the task.

Our graduates rarely fail to reach their potential because they can’t accurately handle Scripture. But the ones who do fall short of their potential usually fail in the areas of leadership—personal character flaws, interpersonal conflicts, disorganization, lack of vision, etc.

Flash-forward to today: the need for effective leaders continues, and the call for godly character has become more intense.

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Recent biblical work at the Hendricks Center (THC) and interactions with leaders show that the constant culture shifts are what trouble leaders significantly. The demand for attention, wrestling with the pace of information, and the way the environment continues to change has led THC to focus on what engagement with today’s connected world requires. One of the goals has included equipping godly servant-leaders with what THC likes to call biblical agility in these complex times.

What is DTS’s vision for these changing times?

As THC continues to strive to apply truth through Scripture, four significant points of interest have come into focus as we aim to process and engage with this ever-changing world.

Comprehension. The first quality a leader needs to develop is a switch-hitting comprehension that includes an un-derstanding of Scripture, an understanding of the world, and the ability to read and react. For leaders, this demand for awareness emerges because we live in a fallen and flawed world. Life is messy, and it does not go as God originally designed it.

Most seminaries teach the Bible and then move to apply it to life. That is an essential way to learn and read Scripture. But most Christians read Scripture in the opposite direction. They have a situation in life or God has them in a space where they are trying to sort it all out biblically.

Leaders need such a comprehension that they can go either direction, from the Bible to life or from life back to the Bible.

This latter way of reading requires an in-depth understanding of Scripture and an appreciation of how the Bible itself discusses the tensions of living in a fallen world. It involves reading that is not about single passages on a topic here and there, but an engagement with the whole Bible at a canonical level with all the angles Scripture gives, aware of the array of texts that address the topic.

Most of the resources at THC start with situations and scenarios that read the Scriptures in light of the context. The goal is to make sense out of what the best biblical applications are for all cases. Sometimes reading Scripture makes people aware that no answer is crystal clear or completely free of issues in a fallen world, but comes with tension or discomfort because the world is not what it ought to be. It requires believers to do the one thing God has called us to do—to have faith that all things (good or bad) will work together for those who love Him.

Compassion. Leaders need compassion, empathy, and appreciation for life in a fallen world. They should be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” ( James 1:19).

Leaders working with people also need to appreciate their experiences, which requires excellent listening skills.

Understanding allows for a better assessment of what to do. It also means seeking where the common ground may exist in the culture to draw people into an appreciation for the gospel or for the way God calls people to live through Scripture.

A HENDRICKS CENTER GALA

Leaders often have to challenge people to do better or to see things they might miss. That happens after they get some understanding of what others are seeing and why they see it that way. Tone matters in how leaders engage, and challenge works best when the person across from you knows that you care and have made a respectful effort to understand them. All of this takes compassion and the patience of working relationally with another. It comes as part of what it means to love your neighbor as yourself, and what Jesus called the great commandment (Matt 22:39–40; Mark 12:30–31).

W E I N V I T E Y O U TO J O I N U S FOR OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY C E L E B R AT I O N

Courage. The leader must have courage to go against the flow.

Scripture challenges the way people live when they go by their independent instincts. Confrontation and difficult conversations often come with the territory. As culture often rapidly moves in directions that produce a distance between God’s way and common practice, the courage to reflect biblical commitments becomes a necessary ingredient for the leader. The leader needs courage to stand for what is right while possessing an ability to explain that stand and show compassion. Paul says it this way, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Tim 1:5). In other words, it is comprehension, compassion, and courage working together to show the way through challenging times.

Character. At the base of all of this is character, a spiritually grounded life that reflects God’s power and presence. A solid character finds its roots in drawing on the Spirit for the relational fruit God produces (Gal 5:22–23). The character qualities in these verses show that the work God does from the heart is designed to make us better able to relate to the people and circumstances around us, even when things may be changing rapidly. Such grounded character means we react not from the basis of popularity but from a place of humility that says “this is the right thing to do” with a sensitivity for how to get there relationally. Leaders must pastor and counsel. They need to care for their sheep with courageous compassion.

MARCH 26, 2019 SPECIAL ADDRESS FROM

DR. TIM KELLER FOUR SEASONS — LAS COLINAS IRVING, TEXAS

DTS.E D U /GAL A

DTS’s and THC’s work with leaders over the most recent decade has only confirmed that these four qualities prove essential for all leaders today. Dr. Campbell explained it best:

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Leadership success is not measured by size or type of ministry—but by faithful and full use of our God-given talents in dependence on Him.

empowered leadership develops skills through dependence.

God’s leaders serve by leading.

A great need exists to develop leaders at [DTS] who are Goddependent, and Holy Spirit­empowered—servant leaders who can break through the barrier of mediocrity and turn their communities, nations, and the world upside down for Christ.

Today, THC’s vision continues to strive to produce biblical agility in leaders to read and react to the changing environments they now face on a daily basis. Effective leaders need relational skills that show the fruit of the Spirit and require a character that is shaped by the heart and ways of God.

We need a double-emphasis on both service and leadership; on both God-dependence and skill-development. God

That is the task before us, and we invite you to find a place to participate with us in it.

Faith and Work Conference | Dallas MARCH 26, 2019 • 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM • Dallas Theological Seminary

TIM KE L L E R

There was a time when pastors routinely visited parishioners at home and also at their farms, stores, shops, and workbenches. But in today’s economy, when does a pastor even ask, “Can I stop by your cubicle?”

TOM NELSON

However it’s happened, all the research shows that while most churches provide plenty of resources for family life, they undervalue the importance of the workspace, both as a primary context for discipleship and as a catalyst for the church’s mission.

Can we afford to ignore such a strategic setting—where Christians spend the majority of their productive hours, and also engage people who desperately need the light of the gospel?

FEATURING

Join the Hendricks Center and experienced ministry leaders for Equipped: Ministry that Works. Understand how equipping believers for the workplace—in addition to the home and the church—produces a robust model of discipleship that transforms lives and ministry.

dts.edu/fnw

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F R O M T H E C H A N C E L LO R

Ask Dr. Swindoll DR. CHARLES R. SWINDOLL

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everal times a year, Dr. Swindoll preaches in chapel at DTS and engages in a question-and-answer time with prospective students. Here are some of the questions he answered recently.

Do you have any advice for the older, nontraditional student who, with the call to DTS, may also be facing a major career change?

Pursue the career change cautiously. Remember your decision to come at this time of your life and make this career change is not a mistake . . . nor an oversight . . . nor an afterthought.

Age is not the factor that we make it out to be, especially nowadays. You may think you’re an oddity starting seminary at your age, but you’re not. It’s amazing how many current students are in the same position. Some are in their late forties to early sixties.

If you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of advice for seminary or ministry, what would it be?

My advice to you is that you pursue seminary with your eyes open. It takes a little while to get rid of the idealism that surrounds something like going to a theological seminary, but once you’re here, you’ll lose it fairly quickly.

One of the best pieces of advice I received when I came to DTS was to remember that the old nature that everybody has comes with them when they arrive on campus—no matter what age. And that helped me keep from getting disillusioned when I had to deal with disappointments in my life.

Some people wouldn’t think about switching careers because there’s a lifestyle they’re used to, or they think they can’t handle the change. Others are job-locked into their salary, and they refuse to let it go. They choose not to pay the price that it would require to make those changes. I commend you, because it is not easy.

Christ’s command to multiply our faith in the lives of others doesn’t change as we get older. If anything, some of us have lived long enough to be able to pass along wisdom distilled by our experiences of success and failure and that alone is a gift from God.

This question is almost impossible to answer because I can’t go back in time. It’s taking what I know now of life and assuming I would have it back then.

Most likely I would wrestle less with my grades. They would not mean as much to me as they did. It’s easy to say that now because I’m not in the classroom. However, when I think back over the years, no one has ever asked me about my grade point average.

Instead, I would say the goal in life is to do our best forever.

Grades then take care of themselves. If I studied believing that and ended up not doing well, then there’s a reason for it, and I would have discovered how to change and improve. I would have learned from my mistakes much sooner than later.

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Christ’s command to multiply our faith in the lives of others doesn’t change as we get older.

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