SINCE 1970, DR. JOHN STEAD HAS HELPED TMU REMAIN FAITHFUL BY MODELING LOVE FOR CHRIST AND HIS PEOPLE.
Dr. Keith Palmer shares why John Newton is a model biblical counselor.
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TMU’s commitment to Christ and Scripture starts with hiring the right faculty.
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See what alumni from across the decades are doing now.
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WHEN YOU’RE AT THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY, MANY FAMOUS LANDMARKS OF SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ARE ONLY A SHORT DRIVE AWAY — SUCH AS GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY.
Few people in the last century have shaped The Master’s University more fundamentally than Dr. John Stead. He is the longest-serving member of the University’s faculty and staff, having been at TMU for more than 55 years. He has held positions at every level of the institution, taught generations of students, and hired generations of faculty. But most importantly, he has modeled what TMU is all about: grateful dependence on the Lord’s faithfulness and an enduring love for His people.
John Newton is most famous as the author of the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” but Dr. Keith Palmer wants people to know that he is so much more. We recently interviewed Palmer about his new book, “John Newton's Theology of Suffering and Its Application to Pastoral Care,” and what he hopes people will take away from Newton’s life, ministry, and writings.
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TMU’s official alumni magazine features stories of God’s faithfulness in the lives of alumni, faculty, staff, and students. It also includes the latest news from the University. You can sign up to receive the digital magazine at masters.edu/subscribe. Email alumni@masters.edu if you are interested in receiving a print copy.
For almost 100 years, TMU has been dedicated to hiring a faculty united around love for Christ and a shared set of doctrinal convictions. Maintaining this common goal requires an extensive hiring process composed of several in-depth interviews, where the only candidates chosen are those who demonstrate excellence in their field, a strong ability to teach, and a deep commitment to Christ.
FROM THE EDITOR
“CHARLIEEEE! IT’S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.”
On any given weekday, that’s the sound of Dr. John Stead welcoming my 3-year-old son into Rutherford Hall. The warm, genuine exchange never gets old, but it’s far from unique. Each semester, Dr. Stead makes a point of learning the names of our student interns, peppering them with questions as he saunters out of Rutherford’s back entrance.
Sometimes, before he exits, he stops by my office. He loves talking about the Dodgers’ newest player or the Lakers’ latest win, and he’s always interested in the progress of an upcoming issue of TMU Magazine. After publication, he’s easily our biggest fan, showering praise on everyone involved.
You can see why it’s difficult to fully express the absolute blessing it is to work with one of this institution’s most legendary figures. Words will always fall short of capturing Dr. Stead’s kindness, driven ultimately by a deep love for his Savior.
It’s equally impossible to fully convey the impact Dr. Stead has had for more than half a century on Los Angeles Baptist College, The Master’s College, and, now, The Master’s University.
That hasn’t stopped Kaelyn Peay, our managing editor, from giving the task her best effort in a wonderful profile of Dr. Stead on page 30. You’ll also find a feature story detailing the meticulous way in which TMU hires new faculty, an insightful piece from student writer Claire Burke.
If you’ve noticed a theme in this and other recent editions of TMU Magazine, I hope it is this: For nearly 100 years, God has written our story through the lives of faithful people — people like John Stead. And as we enter another century, we’re doing everything we can, with the strength that God provides, to ensure that we continue to hire and equip faithful faculty and staff to carry this legacy forward — for the glory of Christ and the good of His people.
Mason Nesbitt DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY
In January, the Paul T. Plew School of Music performed Henry Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” featuring the instrumental and vocal talents of TMU’s students.
This year’s flagship MAC event featured Ted Scott, caddie to the number one golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler. TMU athletes heard Scott’s perspective on what it means to leave a Christ-honoring legacy. 2
This semester’s Careers in Education Expo gave TMU students and alumni the opportunity to connect with participating private, public, and international schools and explore career options in the field of education.
4
TMU’s annual Truth & Life Conference featured special guest Dr. Michael Reeves, who encouraged the University community to grow in its understanding and awe of the Trinity.
For nearly 100 years, God has written the story of this institution through the lives of His people — people like you! We hope you’ll join us in celebrating our Centennial during the fall 2026 and spring 2027 semesters.
26-27
June
Learn more at math3ma.institute/symposium
June & July
June, July, & August
Learn more at masters.edu/camps
Learn more at masters.edu/camps
6-7
November
For a full calendar, visit masters.edu/events
This summer, TMU is hosting academic camps for middle and high school students in a number of subjects: science, engineering, agriculture, and coding. Members of partner schools, churches, and organizations qualify for a registration discount.
Join us at Grace Community Church for a two-day conference focused on defending Scripture’s sufficiency for every discipline and situation. Drs. Abner Chou, Nathan Busenitz, and special guest speakers will explore why we can trust God’s Word to define and direct every part of life. Learn more at masters.edu/sufficiency
TMU’s fourth annual Math3ma Symposium invites Christians in STEM to gather together for a time of testimonies, teachings from Scripture, and discussions centered around commitment to Christ in the workplace.
TMU offers a series of summer athletic camps for elementary, middle, and high school students. Sports include baseball, basketball, soccer, track and field, and volleyball.
with Sarah Dyer, DIRECTOR OF UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT
In 2004, Sarah Dyer graduated from the undergraduate biblical counseling program at The Master’s University. She spent time as a high school counselor and teacher at Santa Clarita Christian School before being hired onto TMU’s admissions team in 2011. Since then, she has earned her MABC and, through her job, played a crucial role in building TMU’s future by helping to identify and enroll the University’s incoming classes.
When asked what she loves most about working at TMU, Dyer said this:
“There is a deeper meaning behind my work here, because it serves a kingdom purpose. And my favorite thing is the
BY CLAIRE BURKE
people. I get to work with a team who loves the Lord — we have so much in common that way. That is a huge gift that not a lot of people get.”
DIRECTOR, CHORAL STUDIES
“That’s the actual poster that I used for my first DMA recital at Louisiana State University. It was a play on words: ‘Bach’s Lunch.’ And the location was interesting, because I held that recital in the Baton Rouge general hospital’s cafeteria, and the audience was mainly the staff, nurses, doctors, and patients who were in the hospital. I wanted to reach out to the community in the music process, not just make it. And it was lovely, because a lot of people felt very encouraged by that.”
“This was pencil-drawn by one of the choir members in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the church where I was music director. It was a parting gift. I had no idea that he was an artist, but he made that specifically for me because he knew how much I love and appreciate Bach’s music.”
“This was a gift from my pianist at my previous institution. It originally belonged to her late husband, who was a fine music educator, conductor, and voice instructor at Auburn University down in Alabama. And Sylvia decided to give me this because my musical style and understanding of music reminded her of her husband’s understanding of music. So this is very special — it was a very sweet gesture.”
“This was given to me at the end of my first tour with The Master’s University Chorale in May 2024, my first year teaching here. They told me I was a great ‘group dad.’ It was nice to see that after just one year, the students saw that I was someone who really cared for them beyond the music.”
“This comes from Inskip Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, where I was the music director. All the signatures are from choir members. They didn’t know exactly what to give me as a parting gift, and I thought it was a very sweet and funny gesture to write their names on a tambourine.”
“Of course, every conductor needs a metronome. We need to set the right tempo when we start putting music together with an ensemble. I’ve had this one since my undergraduate times, and it travels with me everywhere. I still use it to find all the tempi for the pieces that we do.”
Sophomore from Los Angeles majoring in kinesiology.
Daniel Lim (’28) shares his experience from fall 2025.
Every word, place, and name in the Bible matters. IBEX made that reality come to life — on a page, “Gezer” is just a five-letter word, and you skip over it because it doesn’t seem relevant to you at the moment. But when you’re standing at Gezer and see how God used His land to shape the actions of His people, it matters. IBEX really taught me that nothing in the Bible goes to waste; every part of it is valuable.
Our Jewish thought and culture teacher helped us realize that we as Gentiles have more opportunity to share the gospel with the Jewish people than Messianic Jews themselves. Because conversion to Christianity from Judaism is viewed as one of the worst betrayals, Jewish people will often immediately walk away if they hear a fellow Jewish person talk about Christ. But because Gentile Christians are not viewed in the same light, we have a unique freedom to talk with them about the gospel.
Micah foretells the destruction of Samaria in the Old Testament, saying that because of her sins Samaria will lie in ruins forever. In IBEX, we had an eye-opening experience seeing the fulfillment of that prophecy by reading that passage while standing on the ruins of Samaria. The Bible just comes to life when you’re in Israel — when you’re standing there where it all actually happened.
STAFF FOCUS
When Janet Tillman came to what was then The Master’s College 36 years ago, she knew the experience would be different.
“All of my previous jobs felt like stepping stones,” she says. “There was never a sense that they were where I was supposed to be. But when I stepped foot on this campus, I knew I was home.”
Tillman, known affectionately around campus as “Miss T,” is
retiring in June from her position as reference librarian, leaving behind a legacy of faithful service to the TMU community spanning more than three decades.
Since taking the position in 1989, Tillman has seen the library through a variety of remodels, technical
advancements, and natural disasters.
During her second year on the job, two semitrucks pulled up to campus carrying a 27,000-volume collection that the school had acquired. Tillman’s team spent a laborious few weeks processing each book, filing a combined one
million catalog cards.
Then, the next year, it came time for the school to move its library catalog online — which meant digitizing each of those freshly processed entries.
“You just had to laugh,” she says, “because otherwise you’d cry.”
Two years later, at 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994, the Northridge Earthquake hit the reset button once again.
“Have you ever played 52-card pickup? Well, it was like that, only with 40,000 books,” Tillman says. “I came to work, and you couldn’t go anywhere because there were just books everywhere.”
But through it all, Tillman credits her faithfulness in trials to the Lord.
“My entire life has been a reflection of the providence of God,” she says. “I have had several experiences for which I’ve been completely unprepared. Yet somehow, I managed to endure, overcome, and accomplish — all entirely by His grace, mercy, and sovereign control.”
In the midst of seeing Powell Library through a number of changes, Tillman has had the greatest influence through her impact on students.
Dr. Mitch Hopewell, TMU’s provost and chief academic officer, remembers seeking instruction from Tillman during his time as an undergraduate student.
“Her guidance and mentoring in research were instrumental. She taught me skills that I took into graduate school and beyond,” Hopewell says. “Miss T has assisted generations of students in learning to navigate ‘the stacks.’ Her years of dedication and faithfulness are exemplary to us all.”
John Stone, TMU’s director of library services, agrees: “Janet is leaving behind a remarkable legacy in reference and classroom engagement, as well as her contribution to the development of the collection itself.”
In January, Dr. Marius Bahnean (music) participated in a church music conference hosted by Grace Romanian Baptist Church of Hollywood, Florida. He was a keynote speaker discussing the musical aspects of biblical worship in the church. In March, Bahnean traveled to Romania as a visiting professor of music at Emanuel University of Oradea, conducting its chamber choir and offering lectures.
Dr. Tai-Danae Bradley (math) was recently invited to be a keynote speaker at two events: the 18th Annual Natural and Mathematical Sciences Research Symposium at California Baptist University in March, and the 25th Biennial Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in May.
This semester, Dan Dubei (engineering) updated his Design and Manufacturing class, replacing the classical way of evaluating student knowledge through assignments and quizzes with practical projects involving topical research. As part of the grade, students were required to attend a manufacturing trade show in Anaheim, California, helping them to establish contacts with realworld participants in the field of manufacturing.
Dr. Don Hedges (music) was invited to present at a conference organized by the Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory. The conference took place in March at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague in Holland as part of its 200th anniversary celebration. His presentation was entitled, “Still Taking Notes: The Improbable Trajectory of Musical Dictation in Aural Skills Pedagogy.” Hedges also currently serves as vice president of Region 1 of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the specialized accreditor of TMU’s music programs.
Dr. Grant Horner (classical liberal arts) went on sabbatical during the spring 2026 semester to focus on research and writing projects. He is currently working on four books: a historical-theological study on Calvin and Milton; a historical fiction novel set in 15th century Florence; a resource on teaching the humanities in Italy; and a history of climbing Yosemite’s biggest wall, El Capitan. In June and July, he will be at Oxford as a scholar in residence, doing archival research in the Bodleian and other Oxford collections as he looks at C.S. Lewis’s letters and manuscripts of “The Screwtape Letters.”
Dr. Gwang Kim (music) and his brass quintet, Brass Connection, were recognized as winners in the professionals category of the prestigious The American Prize in Chamber Music Performance. This prize is part of the nation’s most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts, recognizing and rewarding the best musicians at all levels, based on submitted recordings.
In February, Dr. Jordan Morton (education) presented a seminar on the assessment of teaching performance by video at the Meredith Fellows Implementation Conference, an annual statewide conference for university faculty and others involved in teacher preparation, sponsored by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This is the fourth year Morton has been invited to present at the conference.
Dr. Ernie Baker (biblical counseling) has produced a new series of booklets that connect counseling issues with the gospel, for evangelistic use. One is titled, “Jesus and the Struggles of Life,” and the other, “Jesus and Your Fear.” Baker is currently doing research for a book titled, “Biblical Counseling and the Body.” He also finished a counseling booklet titled, “Help! I'm Bitter.” These publications will be available from Shepherd Press.
BY CLAIRE BURKE
As Isaac Hopewell (’26) walked beneath the arena seats, he could hear the crowd of nearly 20,000 fans cheering above him.
Behind him walked country singer Luke Bryan, that night’s national anthem performer. Hopewell led his guest inside, the lights of Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena flashing around him.
This has become a typical day for Hopewell since accepting an internship with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League, allowing him to put into practice what he’s learned in The Master’s University’s sport management program.
Prior to his time in Tennessee, Hopewell had the opportunity to work with Formula 1, CONCACAF Gold Cup and Champions Cup, and the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, an organization focused on maintaining the iconic stadium’s status through improvements and upgrades.
His current role with the Predators, as stage manager, includes organizing the color guard, escorting anthem singers, and picking contestants for in-game entertainment, among other things.
“I am a huge fan of hockey, so to see these players on game day is very cool to me,” Hopewell said. “I get to see the away team warm up by playing soccer and throwing footballs in areas no one is allowed to go. I also get to watch morning skates from both teams, which isn’t open to the public.”
Dr. Wayne Rasmussen, chair of TMU’s sport management department, champions the idea that opportunities such as Hopewell’s are a crucial component of career preparation for college students.
“At TMU, students get a great Bible foundation, general education, and a solid knowledge base in sport management,” Rasmussen said. “But you have to go out and apply those
things. Isaac has been very good at doing that.”
Hopewell agrees that his time at TMU has helped him succeed in these areas.
“Without my previous internships and opportunities, I would not be where I am,” he said. “Through TMU, I’ve received connections that have helped set the stage for this role.”
Even more importantly, Rasmussen believes that TMU prepares sport management students to represent Christ well when they enter the workplace.
“Sport business in America is a marketplace,” Rasmussen said. “It is vibrant and active but full of people who never darken the door of a church. It gives us at TMU a great opportunity to work in that world and be great professionals who are reliable, really good at what we do, and carry the gospel with us.”
Romans
Dr. Jason Beals
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, THEOLOGY
“Romans is simple, yet so profound, and I remember as a student struggling to understand the flow and overall structure of the book. I try to help students make those connections, understanding each chapter of Romans and how the chapters fit an overall purpose and theme. This course is a very practical way to learn how to study Scripture. The way we go through Romans shows our hermeneutics in action and, in some sense, gives students a lab to work through and practice correct Bible study skills. A byproduct is that questions and issues that students have wrestled through are discussed, and biblical truths are exposited, in order that people might grow, be encouraged, and be strengthened in biblical conviction regarding theology and life.” — JB
Media Strategies: Ministry and Missions
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, COMMUNICATION
“This is a class I have wanted to teach since I started working at TMU. It prepares students to use media to further the gospel and support the church, both locally and globally. Communication is essential to the church and missions, and with modern technology, we have new ways to tell stories, encourage believers, and proclaim the glory of God. I spent years working in the television industry on shows that were quickly forgotten; I’m thankful to have the opportunity now to use those skills to teach, train, and support others in glorifying God through media. Whether you are a beginner or a pro in media experience, this class will better prepare you to serve the church anywhere.” — PS
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Dr. John Beck
DEAN, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATION
“We start this course with a theology of innovation. God creates ‘ex nihilo,’ or out of nothing. As His image bearers, we have the freedom to create, but we only do so by connecting things for His glory. Next comes skill building. There are proven skills that predict success in business innovation. These include associating, asking questions, making observations, networking, and experimenting. It turns out that these behaviors can be practiced and developed. We truly can glorify God by creating businesses that reflect His character and intention, and we want our students to be equipped to impact the world for Christ through meaningful and distinctive innovations that bring Him glory in the business world.” — JB
Design and Manufacturing
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
“I enjoy teaching Design and Manufacturing because I want the students to understand that it uniquely combines theory, creativity, and problem-solving (which they learn in other engineering classes) with handson engineering practice. I get to witness how this course empowers students to build real, functional products. Watching them learn from failures and improve their designs is rewarding for me as a teacher. It is humbling and inspiring for the students to see how many ideas found today in technology have roots in principles discovered in God’s creation. Through the course, the students learn to trust God when they design and build products, being inspired by His creativity and knowledge.” — DD
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November’s Summit is designed to galvanize the church to embrace and defend this essential doctrine.
BY CLAIRE BURKE
When it comes to defending Scripture’s all-sufficiency, there’s no question as to where Dr. Abner Chou stands.
“Every generation needs to fight the battle for the Bible,” said The Master’s University president. “The final battle is the battle for the sufficiency of Scripture, because if you have an inerrant, inspired revelation that cannot speak to anything that is happening today, then it’s a mute revelation. And a mute revelation is no revelation at all.”
In defense of this essential doctrine, TMU will partner with affiliated ministries to host a special event titled “The Sufficiency of Scripture Summit” in November. The gathering is designed to galvanize today’s generation of the church to understand, embrace, and defend the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture.
The Summit will be held Nov. 6-7 at Grace Community Church. Registration is open to anyone interested in learning the truth of God’s Word more deeply and advocating for its sufficiency with passion, clarity, and conviction.
Participants will experience preaching and seminars exploring how Scripture’s sufficiency applies to every area of life.
“Sufficiency is the declaration that Scripture has spoken,” Chou said. “It spoke clearly and authoritatively, and it’s binding on everything in this life and existence.”
Chou will be one of the main speakers at the Summit, alongside Dr. Nathan Busenitz (executive vice president of The Master’s Seminary) and other special guests. TMU is hosting the event in partnership with several other
ministries, including Grace Community Church, The Master’s Seminary, and The Master’s Academy International.
Immediately preceding the Summit, a group of ministry leaders, scholars, and pastors will gather to sign a statement on the sufficiency of Scripture. The goal of this statement, like with the Summit, is to embolden the church to proclaim, defend, and live by this doctrine.
“The doctrine of sufficiency is the presuppositional reality of The Master’s University,” Chou said. “The reason we have ‘Christian education,’ so called, is because we are under the absolute conviction and confidence that the Word of
God determines everything in this existence. As we approach our 100th year, we want to be the generation that fights for the Scripture and renews our commitment to the Word of God. That is what prompts the call that we want to head up for ourselves and for others at the Summit.”
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Men’s volleyball coach explains the social media strategy that helped build a national powerhouse.
BY MASON NESBITT
It’s taken only a few years for The Master’s University men’s volleyball team to become a perennial national powerhouse — a rapid pace of growth matched only by the program’s social media following.
The Mustangs, winners of the 2025 NAIA national championship, currently have more than 50,000 followers on Instagram, and that isn’t by accident.
Head coach Jared Goldberg says he had little experience on social media before arriving at TMU in 2021. But since then, he’s tirelessly posted short videos from practice and games to Instagram almost every single day. Eventually, volleyball recruits took notice. And in the case of one especially viral post, 25 million other people did too.
We recently asked Goldberg about his approach to social media, what it was like to win the program’s first NAIA national title, and about his heart for producing alumni with a passion for Christ and their sport.
Q: You guys were the first men’s team from TMU to win an NAIA national title. What was that like?
Honestly, there was a sense of relief. We had heavy expectations on us, coming off the previous two years when we fell a little bit short at the end. I don’t get too high or too low about any one thing. But once we got to the finals and won, I felt the relief of finally accomplishing our goal.
Q: What’s been a highlight of 2025-26 thus far?
One of my favorite moments was actually this fall, having our first alumni game. There are around 35 alumni in the program’s seven-year history, and I think 23 of them showed up to play. It was a pretty unique experience, providing time to look back and see the stages of the program and where we’ve been and what we’ve accomplished. I think from the outside, it’s like, “That happened fast!” But from the inside, it happens slower than that, one day at a time.
Q: What excites you most about the 2026 team?
We’re balanced. These guys are skilled, and there’s maturity, experience, and teachability. Our incoming class of players has the opportunity to sit under some really mature, faithful, godly examples who are also talented athletically. It’s a great mix.
Q: Why did you decide early on in your time at TMU to be so active on social media?
When I first arrived, I ran into the challenge that when I asked recruits in men’s volleyball circles about Master’s, they didn’t know about it. So I started attacking that from the social media side, and it grew a lot within the first few years. Another goal was trying to expose recruits to the high level of our team and NAIA men’s volleyball as a whole.
Q: On a daily basis, what does your social media workflow look like?
The strategy has always been to produce a moderate level of quality and a very high level of quantity, putting out clips from practice and matches that are seven to 25 seconds long and that need as little editing as possible. I shoot the six-versus-six portion of practice, and if I do that once a month, I can get enough content for the month.
Q: In addition to building a following, what other results have you seen?
Pretty much everyone I talk to right now in the volleyball world knows about our program. Our presence on social media has been an important part of that. I also think what we’ve been able to do on the court, playing the teams that we’ve played (like Stanford and Pepperdine), has shown the level of our program.
Q: What do you hope players take away from their time in your program?
I hope my guys are growing as men and growing in their relationship with Christ through the chapels and classes they take here, and through the deep relationships our volleyball staff builds with them. And I hope they continue to love volleyball as much as they did when they first came. I hope that they can look back and see, “Yeah, there were challenges we had to overcome, and there were some really great moments, too.” We want to provide a great experience across the board for them.
STUDENT FOCUS
Junior Eden Chow’s time at TMU has been marked by worship and a deepening of convictions.
BY AUDREY WELCH
Standing in chapel every week, praising the Lord through song alongside more than a thousand fellow college students, has been a highlight of junior Eden Chow’s experience at The Master’s University. But it’s just one example of how she’s been blessed at TMU with the kind of Christian fellowship she long desired.
Although she grew up in a Christian home in England, Chow says she didn’t truly grasp the value of a faithful community until she was saved at 16. As she grew in her own walk, her desire for like-minded friends and mentors deepened, leading her to leave her secular high school and register for online dualenrollment classes through
TMU. There, her biblical convictions continued to form.
Chow says she saw similar growth in her older brother, Daniel, who was attending TMU in person at the time. Inspired by his spiritual maturation, she decided to move across the world to attend the University.
“I saw my brother’s growth and knew I wouldn’t have to compromise my faith to attend Master’s,” Eden says. “Constantly being surrounded by young believers and developing Christian friendships were blessings that I hadn’t previously experienced.”
Now in her junior year as a TMU marketing media
major, Chow appreciates the University’s emphasis on doing all things for God’s glory.
“Whether it be in classes, conversations with friends, or when I’m working my on-campus jobs, we are constantly reminded of how we are called to live,” she says. “As Christians, we are held to a higher standard in our lives and in our work because we are reflections of Christ and His Word.”
TMU’s evangelism club is one way Chow has seen growth in her own knowledge and understanding of the Bible.
“Before TMU, I was fearful of evangelism because I thought I didn’t know what to say,” Chow says. “But the Spirit convicted me about sharing the good news, and He strengthened my confidence and deepened my desire to reach the lost. I can honestly say that I’ve never loved Christ or the Bible more than during my time at TMU.”
She feels this keenly during chapel. Chow says she experiences a remarkable joy when “people from all over the world gather to sing praises to their heavenly Father. Hearing all our voices come together is truly a little taste of heaven.”
OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS, FEW PEOPLE HAVE SHAPED THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY MORE FUNDAMENTALLY THAN DR. JOHN STEAD.
He is the longestserving member of the University’s faculty and staff, having been at TMU for more than 55 years. Over those decades, he has held positions at every level of the institution, from fresh-faced professor to interim president. He played an instrumental role in bringing Dr. John MacArthur to the school as president. He has taught generations of students and hired generations of faculty.
But more fundamentally than all of this, he has lived his life modeling what TMU is all about: grateful dependence on the Lord’s faithfulness and an enduring love for His people.
As Dr. MacArthur once said, “No one is more synonymous with The Master’s University than John Stead.”
* * *
Born in 1940, John Stead’s education began around the dinner table. His father was self-educated, a veteran of both World Wars, and an avid follower of politics who ignited lively family discussions and kindled young John’s love of history.
He pursued that passion as he wound a circuitous route through college — first at Bob Jones University, then at Westmont College, and eventually at Cal State Los Angeles, where he changed majors from history to political science.
His undergrad education shaped him, but perhaps not as definitively as another aspect of his life in those years: his friendship with one Dr. MacArthur. The two had met in high
school and bonded over athletics. Come college, they both became involved in the college ministry at their home church in Burbank as leaders and speakers.
It was through this group that Stead discovered two life-altering loves. First, he developed a deep passion for teaching, coming to the realization that this is what he wanted to spend his life doing.
Second, he met a girl named Ellen Dunkin, whom he married in 1966. In so doing, he became the son-in-law of none other than Dr. John Dunkin, then president of Los Angeles Baptist College.
“In my mind, he really became my dad,” Stead says of Dr. Dunkin. “I could have no greater respect for him. He was so, so wise, and he taught me so many things about how to lead and make decisions.”
In the Lord’s providence, the foundation of the next 50-plus years of Stead’s life had fallen into place. He knew he wanted to become a professor — and, more than that, a professor at LABC. He went back to Cal State LA for his master’s degree and then joined LABC in 1970 as a professor of history.
Still, Stead was confident that his work at LABC was the Lord’s will.
His first teaching contract at LABC paid $6,000 a year. “We were incredibly poor,” Stead says. “We house-sat, and I worked for a man in my church on the night shift, cleaning lavatories and waxing floors for JCPenney.”
“It was just one answered prayer after another,” he says. “Every one of those steps from the time I went back to Cal State LA was the Lord opening doors. So I totally give Him credit.”
In 1978, after he finished his doctorate at the University of Southern California, several senior members of LABC’s faculty recommended Stead for the position of academic dean.
Even though teaching was his first love, he accepted the new administrative role and continued to teach part time.
Though he was spending less time in the classroom, in other ways he was now shaping every classroom on campus. Stead oversaw nearly every faculty hire between 1978 and 1995, bringing on TMU cornerstones such as Drs. Tom Halstead, Gregg Frazer, Greg Behle, Kurt Hild, and Clyde Greer.
“A lot of schools go down spiritually because they hire faculty who aren’t committed to the beliefs of the institution,” says Frazer, dean of the John P. Stead School of Humanities.
“And then, eventually, when you get enough of those, they drag the school down with them.
“But Dr. Stead was always very careful to make sure his hires were solid and in line with our doctrinal statement — and, more than that, the spirit of TMU, which for the faculty is a collegiality and closeness.”
Beyond carefully hiring the right faculty, Stead also contributed to this spirit through his leadership over The March. Since the 1980s, Stead has been the unofficial ringleader of
this fixture of TMU’s faculty culture, a tradition of coffee meetings where professors gather from across campus to share news, debate issues, and build friendships.
In this same period, Stead also had a hand in one of the greatest transitions the school has ever experienced. When his father-in-law retired from the presidency in 1985, LABC was in a fragile state. It needed a new leader with the strength and influence to carry the school’s mission forward.
Stead made a call to an old friend. He arranged to meet MacArthur for breakfast, where he asked if he might be interested in the presidency at LABC.
Ever since, the downstream effects of that conversation have been incalculable. * * *
For all the positions Stead has held, and all the programs and lives he has influenced, one relationship may demonstrate his legacy best: his longtime friendship with Dr. Gregg Frazer.
Their story begins in 1974, with a Kansas City kid showing up for his first semester at LABC.
“I first met Dr. Stead on my first full day in California,” Frazer says. “I went down to the gym to see what pickup basketball game was going on. Some of the faculty were playing, and Dr. Stead was one of them.”
Afterwards, Stead invited Frazer and another student to join him at the Dodgers game that night.
“It was my first day in LA, and it ended with going to the Dodger game with Dr. Stead,” Frazer says.
Soon, Frazer was taking every class he could with his new mentor.
“My major became ‘Steadology,’” Frazer says. “That’s what I called it, because I had about 40 units with Dr. Stead. We became close, even when I was a student.”
When Frazer graduated, Stead gave him decisive advice on next steps. When Frazer got engaged, he asked Stead to officiate their wedding. When Stead decided that TMU needed a political studies program, he called Frazer and asked him to come start it.
“Most of the major events in my life, he’s been a part of it,” Frazer says. “We’ve been really close friends for more than 50 years. He’s been like a second father to me.”
This friendship has given Frazer a front-row seat to Stead’s influence at TMU.
“In my view, his biggest contribution has been stability,” Frazer says. “He’s always been Dr. Stead. You know, this is happening and that’s happening, but Dr. Stead is always steady and solid. He’s carrying on the history of the school.”
dissemination of the truth — not just in fact, but in life lived — that is the legacy that endures onwards and steers this institution. That’s the legacy of
time for us. And now as we look to the future, we say, ‘OK, Lord, this whole thing is your plan. We don’t really know what’s going to happen in the future. You have to
Since first arriving at LABC in 1970, Stead has watched the school go through presidential transitions, two name changes, and exponential growth. He has held an extensive list of administrative roles, including provost and senior vice president, interim president, and (currently) executive vice president.
“Through it all, he’s always been making sure — whatever position he’s in — that we’re staying true to the doctrinal statement and true to the mission of the school, as it’s always been,” Frazer says. “He’s been a lighthouse.”
So often, Stead has gone about accomplishing this in quiet, seemingly unremarkable ways: a phone call, a cup of coffee, or a conversation in the hall. Person by person, year by year, he has helped keep the school rooted in a mission that has remained fundamentally unchanged from 1927 to 1970 to 2026.
“I think what sums up Dr. Stead’s legacy is one word: people,” says Dr. Abner Chou, president of TMU.
“Dr. Stead has discipled faculty, he’s discipled staff, he’s discipled me and many others. And all of those conversations, all of that instruction, all of that
“THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY HAS EXISTED FOR ALMOST A CENTURY, AND DR. STEAD HAS BEEN HERE FOR THE MAJORITY OF IT. THAT THIS SCHOOL HAS STAYED FAITHFUL TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, FOCUSED ON CHRIST AND SCRIPTURE — THAT IT HAS ENDURED THROUGH TIMES HARD AND HARDER, AND HAS HAD JOY AND GODLY GROUNDING — IS DUE IN LARGE PART TO DR. STEAD.”
PRESIDENT
“I APPRECIATE HIS KINDNESS AND FRIENDLINESS. I SEE HIM STOP ON HIS WAY TO EXECUTIVE TEAM MEETINGS TO GREET VISITORS, INTRODUCE HIMSELF, AND WELCOME THEM TO THE CAMPUS. HE DOES EVERYTHING HE CAN TO MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME.”
ADMISSIONS RECEPTIONIST
“HIS LEADERSHIP HAS JUST BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO THIS INSTITUTION IN THE MIDST OF THE UPS AND DOWNS. HE’S BEEN A STABLE INFLUENCE FOR ALL THESE YEARS.”
HISTORY AND POLITICAL STUDIES CHAIR
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR OWN NOTE OF APPRECIATION?
“I LOVE DR. STEAD’S ABILITY TO TALK TO ANYONE. HE’S SO WELCOMING TO OTHERS. HE REALLY MAKES PEOPLE FEEL INCLUDED.”
EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
“HE IS VERY QUICK TO ADMIT WHEN HE IS IN THE WRONG; HE HAS HUMILITY. AND HE IS OPEN TO CHANGE. PEOPLE CAN BE SO HARD-
HEADED ABOUT SITTING IN THEIR OWN WAYS, BUT HE ISN’T. AS A SMALL EXAMPLE, HE ENJOYS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC — HE LEARNED TO
ENJOY WHAT THE YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO.”
ENGLISH PROFESSOR
“HE’S VERY FUNNY AND VERY KIND. HE HAS A SINCERE HEART AND INTEGRITY IN ALL THINGS. AND I THINK ALL OF THAT STEMS FROM HIS LOVE FOR JESUS CHRIST. HE JUST SAYS THE NICEST THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE, AND HE’S ALWAYS QUICK TO THINK THE BEST ABOUT OTHERS.”
MASTERS.EDU/STEAD-STORY.
ACADEMIC COUNSELOR AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
by KAELYN PEAY and MALIA KEITH
Q&A with DR. KEITH PALMER
John Newton is most famous as the author of the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” but Dr. Keith Palmer wants people to know that he is so much more.
From an early age, Newton was intimately familiar with suffering — and after saving him, the Lord gave Newton a widely influential ministry of providing counsel to other sufferers during his lifetime. Much of his 18th-century writing on suffering has survived, serving as a rich resource for those looking to minister to others with biblical hope.
Such ministry is core to Dr. Palmer’s life as the chair of the Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Counseling program at The Master’s University, as well as a board member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.
Drawn to the events of Newton’s life, his writings, and the practical applications they had to the world of counseling, Palmer wrote his book, “John Newton’s Theology of Suffering and Its Application to Pastoral Care,” published by Wipf and Stock in 2025.
We recently interviewed Palmer about his book and what he hopes people will take away from Newton’s ministry.
Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE A BOOK ON NEWTON’S THEOLOGY OF SUFFERING?
First, Newton helped me to grow in my faith personally by watching how he applied his own theology to life. Second, being a pastor, I was very helped by his skill in taking Scripture and applying it to care for people, especially in their suffering. I thought, “You know what, I’d love to spend some time getting to know him better — for my own heart, but also to hopefully help other counselors and pastors in their care of others.”
Q: WHY IS NEWTON A GOOD SOURCE FOR STUDYING WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS ABOUT SUFFERING?
Newton has a particular ability to take deep biblical theology about massive topics like the sovereignty of God, the sufficiency of Christ, or the value and applicability of Scripture, and bring that all into a personal conversation with somebody who’s hurting. He does this in a way that brings encouragement, perspective, and biblical hope, as he points them to the sufficiency of Christ. I have not discovered any other writer, either ancient or contemporary, who does it so well.
Q: HOW DOES NEWTON EXPLAIN WHAT SUFFERING IS AND HOW TO APPROACH IT THROUGH A BIBLICAL LENS?
There are a couple of pillars that I think really encapsulate his theology of suffering. One would be how he viewed the sovereignty of God and His rule over all things, coupled with His other attributes: His goodness, His mercy, His care. Faithful suffering is not a fatalistic, “Whatever is going to happen is going
to happen,” but the recognition, “This is my good Father.”
Another thing is Newton’s Christology — what he believed specifically about the personal work of Christ and His sufficiency. He loved to help people see how one of God’s chief agendas is to drain us of self-sufficiency through trials, so that we might see and prize and embrace the sufficiency of Christ that much more.
What Newton is getting at is that we don’t ever suffer needlessly, that there’s always a fatherly work for our sanctification in the midst of that. We can trust that God is doing something good in our trials.
Q: WHY WAS NEWTON ABLE TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT SUFFERING SO WELL?
Most people know his hymn, “Amazing Grace.” It’s autobiographical, if you know something of Newton’s history. He was raised by a godly mother who died when he was just a child. He rebelled from those roots and got into all sorts of trouble. He was press-ganged into the Navy and was later de-ranked and flogged on deck for attempting desertion. He ended up getting involved in the slave trade, and at one point his master’s mistress turned on him and enslaved him off of the coast of Africa. Newton recounts in his autobiography dozens of times where he should have died and God spared him.
When he became a Christian, he looked back over his life and recognized how God was using all of his suffering for spiritual purposes. In those things, he saw expressions of God’s mercy and goodness. These trials were designed for his good, not for his destruction, so that he would come to Christ. When he was on those ships and God was working in his heart, he read Scripture and was impacted by biblical texts on suffering, like 2 Corinthians 12. His study of these passages applied to his experiences formed this understanding of suffering that became so helpful to his ministry.
First, Newton did not abandon his theology in the more difficult counseling cases. When we take what the Bible says and apply it to someone’s situation, and it “doesn’t work” (which usually means that change didn’t happen in the timeframe we expected), we may be tempted to say, “Okay, well, I know the Bible is sufficient, but maybe there’s this psychological thing over here that has the secret in it, or maybe there’s this other intervention that is needed.”
When I read Newton, I see him facing truly difficult cases — like his dear friend, William Cowper, who was stuck in a darkness of depression because he thought God had rejected him. Yet Newton didn’t abandon his theology because of that difficulty. He actually
pressed into it more; you see him digging in, saying, “I’m confident God is going to help. I know He’s sufficient.” He continued to give his friend the gospel and trusted God to work in time.
Second, in the midst of those hard cases, Newton modeled what it looks like to apply theology to his own life. For example, Newton watched his wife suffer for decades from a chronic health issue. She was in bed in severe pain for months at a time before eventually passing away. In the midst of that, Newton was trying to care for her, point her to Christ, and remind her of God’s promises — and yet, he was grieving and suffering, too. And Newton had to apply his theology to his own heart, asking, “Am I trusting in the Lord? Am I giving in to discouragement? Am I tempted to be anxious or complaining?”
Applying theology to our own heart is the prerequisite, really, to caring for another person through counseling. And Newton says that this actually makes us better ministers, because now we can sympathize with those we’re counseling.
THE BOOK?
I love to introduce people to John Newton. He’s somebody who probably most Christians have heard of through “Amazing Grace,” and they might know a little bit of his background, but there’s so much more. I hope that this book helps readers
find an older brother in the faith who will be a friend and encouragement, and who will show them the sufficiency of Christ in ways that are very valuable.
Every Christian, according to Scripture, is a counselor. We’re all called to care for one another. We’re all called to use our gifts to build up the body. Even if the average person reading is not a formal biblical counselor, they are informal counselors in their families and churches. And I think every Christian needs help with that mysterious black box called, “How do I apply biblical doctrine to real life?” Newton shows us some of those connections in ways that are helpful and compelling.
I think people need spiritual heroes, both people we know and people from history. And I think Newton can be a spiritual hero who is accessible, encouraging, instructive, and helpful — both personally, and as we seek to care for other people in whatever capacity God might call us to do.
We teach that election is the sovereign act of God by which, before the foundation of the world, He unconditionally chose in Christ all those whom He would ever graciously regenerate, save, and sanctify (Romans 8:28–30; 9:11–16; Ephesians 1:4–11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:1–2).
We teach that sovereign election does not contradict or negate the responsibility of man to repent and trust Christ as Savior and Lord (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11; John 3:18–19, 36; 5:40; Romans 9:19–23; 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12; Revelation 22:17).
Nevertheless, since sovereign grace includes the means of receiving the gift of salvation as well as the gift itself, sovereign election will result in what God determines. All whom the Father has elected He will effectually call to Himself. All whom the Father effectually calls to Himself will come in faith. And all who come in faith the Father will receive (John 6:37–40, 44; Acts 13:48; Romans 8:30).
We teach that God’s election of totally depraved sinners is unconditional, grounded only in the sovereign freedom of God’s own will. Election is an expression of God’s unmerited favor and is not related to any initiative of the sinner’s own part. It is not grounded in God’s anticipation of what sinners might do by their own will, nor even in response to their foreseen faith. Rather, election is solely of His sovereign grace and mercy (Romans 9:11, 16; Ephesians 1:4–7; Titus 3:4–7; 1 Peter 1:2).
We teach that election should not be looked upon as merely an abstract sovereignty. God is truly sovereign but He exercises this sovereignty in harmony with His other attributes, especially His omniscience, justice, holiness, wisdom, grace, and love (Romans 9:11–16). This sovereignty will always exalt the will of God in a manner totally consistent with His character as revealed in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:25–28; 2 Timothy 1:9).
TMU’s commitment to Christ + Scripture starts with hiring faculty members who share that same heart.
by claire burke
Photos by Mark Finster
In October of 2022, Dr. Marius Bahnean applied for an open faculty position at The Master's University.
The job listing was for the school’s music department, so Bahnean was understandably confused when a Bible professor, Dr. Todd Bolen, reached out to schedule a doctrinal interview.
“I said, ‘Yes, but I didn’t apply for the School of Biblical Studies. I applied for music,’” Bahnean recalls. “Todd said, ‘No, no, this is the first step. This is how we do it here.’”
The hiring process begins once there is a vacancy within a department. From there, a search committee is formed, consisting of the department chair, the faculty of the department, a representative from the Bible department, and a faculty member from a separate department. This combination of people ensures, as Hopewell explains, “that we catch everything we can possibly catch about a person.”
After an applicant is selected, the committee starts the process with a doctrinal interview, which is performed by a member of TMU’s School of Biblical Studies.
Says Bolen, “It is nice for me to know I’m one part of a unified team, all working to the same objective, and together we are going to accomplish the goal of hiring the best men and women to be the professors training the next generation.”
During this stage, the committee is trying to get to know the candidate and see how they would fit within their specific department.
If the committee approves, the candidate will be invited to visit campus in order to tour the school, teach a class, and sit for a final round of interviews with Hopewell and TMU president Dr. Abner Chou.
This story highlights the fact that, for almost 100 years, TMU has been dedicated to hiring a faculty united around love for Christ and a shared set of doctrinal convictions. Maintaining this common goal requires an extensive hiring process composed of several in-depth interviews, where the only candidates chosen are those who demonstrate excellence in their field, a strong ability to teach, and a deep commitment to Christ.
Dr. Mitch Hopewell, TMU’s provost and chief academic officer, explains the motivation behind this thorough process.
“How you hire and what kind of faculty you hire makes all the difference, because they live their doctrinal statement out every day in the classroom,” he says. “We tell our students we are committed to the Word of God — its inerrancy, sufficiency, and authority — and we back that up, because we only hire people who are going to affirm that.”
Dr. Todd Bolen, professor of Bible exposition, agrees.
“If anything defines a university, it’s their faculty,” says Bolen. “What the professors teach the students is who the students will be as graduates, representatives, and future professors.”
As a trusted and longtime professor in the department, Bolen is often called upon to execute this doctrinal check.
“Todd started in Genesis, ended in Revelation, and asked me about everything in between,” says Bahnean, who is now in his third year at TMU. “It showed me that there are still academics who trust the Lord, are strong believers, and want to teach the next generation in the right way.”
During this interview, candidates are not permitted to bring any notes or even their Bibles with them, to ensure that their answers reflect what they truly believe and know about Scripture.
“It’s absolutely essential for all of our potential hires to explain to us what their convictions are and what their theology is,” Bolen says. “We want to know not just that they memorized the doctrinal statement, but that this is actually their identity — this is who they are. We don’t want to hire professors who don’t know the Bible like their students know the Bible.”
After the candidate has passed their doctrinal review, they can move forward to the next stage, which is an interview with the full search committee.
“Nothing’s done until those guys sign off,” says Bolen.
As provost, Hopewell looks at potential faculty members to determine whether they fit the larger culture at TMU by analyzing them through “four C’s”: convictions, compatibility, Curriculum Vitae (i.e. their comprehensive academic resume), and capability.
“When we’re looking for a cultural fit for faculty members, we’re looking for somebody who’s going to settle in and fit with the faculty really well,” says Hopewell. “If you go sit at lunch in the cafeteria, you’re going to see a table with a faculty member from pretty much every department on campus. That is very rare at universities. This faculty, they love and trust each other, and that makes the hiring process for culture that much more important.”
Having experienced all of these steps firsthand, Bahnean is grateful for the unity this process creates.
“Of course, as faculty, we are all different in the way we approach things,” he says. “But our goal is always going to be the same: put everything under the authority of the
Word of Christ. That’s really unifying, because you know where to start and you know where to finish.”
The final step is an interview with Chou, who finishes the process by evaluating the candidate as a whole, focusing on their convictions and competence.
“I want to see how they are as a worshiper of Christ, and how they will disciple students toward that,” says Chou. “The paradigm for our faculty is to be a master of their discipline and a master of discipleship. That’s how I frame it, and the questions I’m asking them are meant to bring out whether they have that profile.”
Ultimately, the goal behind this hiring process is to ensure that TMU remains steadfast in its convictions by hiring faculty who are equally committed to those convictions.
“Some would say, ‘You guys are too serious for an undergraduate school,’” Bolen says. “But in another hundred years, we want to be who we are right now, and the most important way to do that is by hiring professors who are committed to what we believe.”
Hopewell agrees wholeheartedly.
“The legacy and faithfulness of faculty is worth so much more than credentials, or what we might find on paper,” he says. “We want those things, we want excellent people in their discipline, but above all we want doctrinal commitment and the ability to teach our students.”
This relates to a question Hopewell often receives, one with important implications as the University prepares to celebrate its Centennial in a matter of months: How can he be sure TMU won’t drift?
“My answer is that I can’t say for sure, because I don’t know the future. But the number one thing we do to try and make sure that never happens is hire the right faculty.”
A LANDMARK DONOR
In 1966, Dr. John Dunkin (then president of Los Angeles Baptist College) publicly announced the school’s need for its own gymnasium. At this time, LABC’s athletic teams were practicing on an outdoor concrete slab and utilizing nearby Hart High School to play their home games.
Robert Bross, a chicken farmer and LABC trustee, quickly answered the call, donating more than $250,000 (roughly $2.5 million in today’s dollars) for the construction of what is today known as The MacArthur Center and Bross Court.
During that year’s Commencement service, Dunkin announced the plans for the new gymnasium, calling it “the greatest advance in the physical development of LABC … since its move to Newhall five years ago.”
The school laid the foundation on Aug. 1, 1966, and the completed building was dedicated in Bross’ honor the following year. During the ceremony, Dunkin called Bross’ gift “a real answer to prayer,” saying, “this facility has made it possible to greatly increase our intercollegiate basketball program, our intramural program, and our physical education program.”
This gift from Bross and his wife represented a tremendous personal sacrifice, reflecting their close relationship with the school and deep commitment to its growth — which ultimately stemmed from their desire to glorify the Lord with every area of their lives. Bross was quoted as saying, “We have endeavored to put the Lord first in our entire lives and that included our business, and He has prospered us accordingly.”
G.K. Chesterton, a man known for quotable sayings, once wrote, “I believe in getting into hot water. I think it keeps you clean.”
Though Chesterton said this in the context of public discourse, the same is undoubtedly true in the private life of believers. We also know it to be true that trouble and suffering are ubiquitous. And with something so common to our everyday lives, it is essential to have a biblical perspective.
What does Scripture say about trials? Is Chesterton really correct in saying that they can be a good thing? As I work to answer these questions, I want to focus on one of the classic New Testament passages on the subject:
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him …
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:2-5, 12)
When James wrote this letter, the very first thing he wanted to talk about was suffering. And this is a very natural starting point, for the simple reason that everybody on Earth lives through trials. We are fallen creatures living in the midst of a fallen world, and that is an equation for constant trouble. For humans, suffering is always near at hand.
We expect trouble in our family and from our friends. We expect trouble at work and at school. We expect
money problems and health problems. We even expect that trouble will eventually find us out in the form of death as it strikes the people close to us.
This situation is true of everyone. And James says that if your faith in Christ is genuine, it will show up when trouble comes. If your faith isn’t strong enough to answer trials, it’s no good. The only useful faith and the only real faith is the sort that can sustain you when everything goes wrong.
Trials, then, are a legitimate test of the quality of your faith. Getting into “hot water” reveals whether your faith is living faith or dead faith, genuine faith or imitation faith, saving faith or non-saving faith.
This post is based on a sermon by Dr. MacArthur.
Parents of current TMU students are eligible for an exclusive scholarship in one of our online graduate degree programs.
Master of Business Administration
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Highlighting Alumni Serving the Lord in Vocational Ministry.
Josh Bridges started at The Master’s University in 2018. A Hotchkiss Hall man through and through, living on campus gifted Josh with precious friendships and fond memories, while his experiences in the classroom transformed his view of Scripture and love for Christ for eternity. After getting married to his high school sweetheart, Kim, they continued to attend TMU while living off campus until Josh was offered a job as youth pastor at his childhood home church.
In the same week of December 2021, Josh was installed as youth pastor at Grace Church Kelseyville, he graduated from TMU Online, and he became a father.
As youth pastor, Josh preaches and teaches multiple times a week while also planning events, encouraging parents, and spending time with students. Of all the biblical topics Josh studied at TMU, nothing fascinated him as much as biblical counseling; and now, counseling students has
proven to be his greatest joy in ministry. He hopes to instill in his 6-12th graders a deep, devoted love for Christ and a genuine conviction about the authority of Scripture — two things that the Lord used TMU to instill in Josh.
Please pray that Josh and Kim would truly rely on the Lord for the strength to do ministry. Please also pray for the salvation of their children and for grace for Kim in the midst of chronic illness.
It didn’t take long for Aaron Roidt to figure out he wanted to work at Hedman Partners, LLP.
Roidt was a freshman at The Master’s University when he first encountered the Santa Clarita Valley-based public accounting firm, and he was instantly impressed by the company’s professionalism and commitment to providing employees with a strong work-life balance. He knew he wanted to work with them and reached out about an internship position.
Ultimately, however, Hedman Partners talked him into something more: establishing an accounting society at TMU.
Since then, TMU’s Accounting Society and
Hedman Partners have been working together, providing TMU students with the opportunity to network and acquire skills, as well as creating a hiring pool of prospective employees who share the firm’s values.
Based in the Santa Clarita Valley, Hedman Partners, LLP is a full-service CPA firm providing accounting, tax, audit, and business advisory services to clients across Southern California. Its relationship to The Master’s College, and later TMU, has existed since the early 2000s, when Hedman began hiring alumni.
Now, a quarter of the employees at Hedman are TMU alumni — in part because of the link formed by the TMU Accounting Society.
CORPORATE SPOTLIGHT
BY CLAIRE BURKE
Mike Tonthat (’92), CPA partner, has been working at Hedman for 30 years. He says the idea for TMU’s Accounting Society came from a desire to broaden the firm’s relationship with the University.
“We realized the school didn’t have an accounting society,” he says. “That was something we could support initially and get started, and then eventually it could be student-run. We thought, ‘How can we give to the school, and how can the school give back?’”
Roidt, now a TMU senior majoring in business administration with a double emphasis in accounting and finance, has been president of the Accounting Society since its creation in 2022 and has now spent three tax seasons interning for Hedman.
“A lot of accounting firms are super work-heavy,” says Roidt. “But Hedman really emphasizes the importance of family and work-life balance. I really enjoyed working with them, and I can see myself working there for a long time.”
Since the creation of the Accounting Society, Hedman has provided students with funds for events, office tours, and alumni panels, all designed to prepare them for their future careers.
“The students often don’t have any experience coming in,” Roidt says, “but Hedman is providing that experience. It is super beneficial to the students and helps them jump-start into Hedman after graduation or into a different firm or career path.”
If you would like to partner with the Accounting Society as a mentor or potential employer, please reach out at tmuacctsociety@gmail.com.
Joel Peluffo is a CPA partner at Hedman who graduated from TMU in 2012. As someone with firsthand knowledge of both institutions, he says that the relationship between
Hedman and TMU is successful because of the values they share.
“We have a culture that, in a lot of ways, mirrors what TMU is about,” Peluffo says. “We give everybody the freedom to do things with their families and at church. We want things to be flexible because we value that. Starting with the founding partner down to everyone else in the firm, that value is shared.”
Those shared values have allowed TMU students and alumni to thrive in Hedman’s distinct environment.
“Employees who come from TMU come with a higher purpose,” Peluffo says. “They believe in working for the Lord more than anything. That brings intangibles connected to it where you give it your all, you have a bigger vision for your life, and you’re trying to make an impact. That translates
to day-to-day life when it comes to compliance work, technical work, and doing a little extra to help the client or a co-worker, and we’ve seen that come from the interns and full-time employees from TMU.”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HEDMAN PARTNERS, VISIT HEDMANPARTNERS.COM . SEE A FULL LIST OF TMU’S CLUBS AT MASTERS.EDU/CLUBS
After graduation, Derek
Brown (’02) took a job in the Bay Area as a youth ministry director at Bridges Community Church. It was there that he met and married his wife, Amy. In 2007, they moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where Derek completed his M.Div. and Ph.D. at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2011,
Derek and Amy finalized their first adoption and brought home their son, Colton, from Ethiopia. In 2014, they brought home their second son, Easton, from China and moved back to the Bay Area, where Derek joined the pastoral team at Creekside Bible Church. In 2017, Derek and Amy completed their third adoption and welcomed their daughter, Eliana, from Ethiopia. In
2018, along with his full-time role at CBC, Derek became the academic dean at The Cornerstone Bible College and Seminary in Vallejo, California, where he also serves as a professor of theology. The Browns are grateful for the countless ministry opportunities and outdoor adventures they can enjoy in the greater Bay Area.
is currently in his second year at The Master’s Seminary, with the goal of completing his Master of Divinity in May 2027. He serves as an intern chaplain with Only Hope Prison Ministries at the Super-Max (NCCF) and East Fire Camp facilities. His ministry responsibilities include preaching, teaching, and assisting inmates. Through this work, he has been blessed with the opportunity to evangelize hundreds of inmates each year. He and his wife, Sandra, have
been married for 19 years, and the Lord has blessed them with three children: Luke (14), Jase (12), and Madison (10). Over the past four years, as they have pursued training for ministry and sought to make ends meet, their family has been living off-grid in a fifth-wheel camper on a 100-acre property. Their power system is sustained by 32 solar panels, supported by six Tesla vehicle batteries, which serve as their power bank. Following the completion of his M.Div., Mark intends to continue directly into the Doctor of Ministry program at TMS.
graduated with his bachelor’s degree in business management. In the following years, he moved from Washington state to Columbia, Tennessee, where he works in marketing and as an armorer for a company in the firearms industry. He and his wife Reagan, who were married in 2024, are members of Stonebridge Bible Church. In February, they welcomed their son Jonathan to their family.
has worked a variety of jobs over the last few years, from personal training to excavation, teaching him a diverse range of skills. Since moving back to the Los Angeles area, Josh has been working for a private security company for the past year, receiving training in leadership, logistical coordination, and team dynamics. He missed the “ring by spring” at TMU and as such is still living the single life, learning to utilize his time as a single person well. His parents reside in Idaho along with his siblings, so living in Los Angeles can feel a little strange, being so far from family. However, his church, Oak Hill Bible Church in the Santa Clarita Valley, has been a great blessing in providing close friends and counselors. Most importantly, he has been learning about the provision the Lord gives even when he feels far from Him, reminding him that He is trustworthy and good.
graduated from TMU in 2022 with a Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling. She and her husband, Chris (center), are the parents of eight children, and they have 11 grandchildren. Their youngest daughter, Lainee, is a junior at TMU. The MABC program at TMU has greatly impacted Laura and her entire family. She and Chris have developed friendships with each of her professors and their wives. As owners of Vista Verde Guest Ranch in Colorado, they enjoy using the facility for various ministry opportunities, including hosting the ACBC pastor’s conference. They currently serve their church in West Michigan. Laura spends her time as a wife, mom, biblical counselor, student, and “Lolli” to her ever-multiplying grandchildren. She is currently an online student at TMU, pursuing another master’s degree, this time in biblical studies.
got married shortly after Kirsten’s graduation in 2022. After living in Kingsburg, California (Carson’s hometown), for their first year of marriage, they moved back to Kirsten’s hometown in Pennsylvania. Kirsten works remotely as a digital advertising specialist at a Christian-led company, and Carson (who attended TMU 2019-22, 2025-26) works as a sales and service specialist at a local bank. They have the joy of attending church at Grace Community of Willow Street and are so thankful for their community there. They are so grateful for all of the friends they made over their years at TMU, many of whom they still keep in touch with.
A PROUD PARTNER OF THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY.
Hernandez
graduated from TMU’s business program and then continued to complete her master’s in business administration in 2025, while working as the TMU women’s basketball graduate coaching assistant. Belle now lives in Franklin, Tennessee, and works at a luxury interior design studio in the heart of downtown Franklin. Her role as procurement assistant involves managing spending allocations between company credit cards, purchasing products for clients, and attending client installations. She attends Stonebridge Bible Church and enjoys the faithful weekly Bible preaching by Pastor Jonny Ardavanis, as well as fellowship with other TMU graduates and meeting like-minded believers. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside, going to sporting events, hanging out with friends, and traveling.
Lauren Hoffman (’23) completed her Master of Music in Flute Performance at Azusa Pacific University immediately following graduation from TMU. Currently, she is continuing her education by pursuing an Artist Certificate in Flute. At APU, she works as the lead music librarian and as a teacher’s assistant for the chair of the department of music. Over the last couple of years, she has started her private flute and piano studio, and she gigs in the greater Pasadena area. Recently, she had the privilege to join the TMU Orchestra as the flute coach and was hired by The Walt Disney Studios as a music librarian. She continues to attend Grace Community Church in Sun Valley and enjoys serving in the first-grade classroom for children’s ministries and the GCC Orchestra.
were married on Oct. 18, 2025, and have made their home in Chandler, Arizona. Isaiah works full-time as a video editor for Turning Point USA, where he’s navigating the organization’s transition following the unexpected death of founder Charlie Kirk. Isaiah has found purpose in using his storytelling skills to advance the mission while also pursuing freelance filmmaking projects. Tatiana began her studies at Pima Medical Institute in January 2026, training to become a physical therapist assistant — a career path that allows her to combine her compassionate heart with hands-on patient care. Together, they’ve found their church home at Shepherd’s House Bible Church, where they both serve and deeply appreciate the expository teaching of Costi Hinn. The community there has become a vital part of their life in Arizona, providing not just spiritual nourishment but genuine friendship and belonging as they navigate both professional challenges and personal growth in their first year of marriage.
After living in Santa Clarita for six years,
moved back home to Philadelphia in 2024 to be close to family and get involved in her local church. Since moving, she’s started her own freelance business, Becoming Refined, offering website and logo design. The Lord has continually provided clients, and she has even had the privilege of designing for other TMU alumni. She works as the website designer for Ascendea Creative, owned by TMU alum Sophie Taylor, and also works as a wedding venue manager. For Alexa, the biggest blessing of working in these roles is being surrounded by like-minded believers, while using the variety of creative gifts the Lord has given her. Though living on the East Coast, she still has the privilege of being connected to TMU by representing the school at various conferences throughout the year, as well as going on the TMU Turkey & Greece trip in 2025. Alexa is currently involved in a variety of ministries at her local church, The Master’s Church of Bucks County.
graduated from TMU with her bachelor’s degree in biblical counseling. The summer after graduating, Julie moved to Wyoming to become a member of Cornerstone Church, where she interned while a student at TMU. That summer, she met her husband, Ryan Reed, and they were married in September 2023. Ryan and Julie love serving their church in many ways: Ryan on security, Julie on the music team, and both in children’s ministry. In June 2025, they welcomed their daughter, Georgie. Ryan works as pit manager at Reed’s Ready Mix, and Julie loves being home with their baby girl. The Reeds enjoy good food and fellowship, all of the snow-related sports, and hikes with their dogs.
currently lives and works outside of Houston, Texas, primarily in the nuclear industry as a lead instructor. His role revolves around training the next generation of licensed reactor operators to safely operate a commercial nuclear plant. Shortly after graduation, Nate began a bi-vocational position as a supply preacher for pastorless rural churches in the Gulf region of Texas. To add more to his plate, he also began doctoral studies in applied theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where his dissertation is focused on a historical examination of John Owen and his ecclesiology. Whatever free time is left is devoted to his wife and kids, writing articles, and playing music. What the future holds is only known to God, but each day brings excitement to continue to serve.
Swedberg were married in December 2021 before graduating and moving to Westfield, Indiana, in October 2022. Recently, Annamarie began studying at Marian University for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Tyler is studying for his MBA at the University of Southern Indiana. They are blessed by their church community at Cornerstone Bible Church, where they have had the opportunity to serve in nursery, youth group, and children’s ministry.
(’24) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition and is an alum of The Master’s Chorale. He is now living in Washington state and works in music in a variety of ways, including songwriting, composing, teaching, and producing. Recent project highlights have included working on the notation for the Sing! hymnal from the Getty team and scoring his first feature-length film. In particular, he is thankful for his many relationships through TMU, including discipleship with James Street (’10). He joyfully serves at Summit Park Bible Church in Anacortes, Washington, and looks for every excuse to visit his “second home” at Placerita Bible Church.
When you tell a high school student, “You should go to TMU,” that phrase is powerful. You’re encouraging them to attend a university where everything they experience is uncompromisingly committed to Christ and Scripture.
SEND THEM TO MASTERS.EDU/VISIT.
Ben Blakey and his wife, Holly, have five children: Hannah (12), Mac (9), Jones (7), Watson (4), and Brooks (2).
Ben Blakey graduated from what was then
The Master’s College in 2009 with a degree in political studies, and he currently serves as the lead pastor of Compass Bible Church Treasure Valley in Boise, Idaho. We recently asked him to share advice on how to choose a local church.
As you make life and career choices, the local church should never be an afterthought — it should be a leading consideration for you and your family. God’s plan for your Christian life revolves around the local church.
You can start with the church’s doctrinal statement, but I’d also recommend listening to several sermons from the church. Identify pastors who are faithful expositors, explaining what the text means and how it rightly applies to life.
In God’s instruction to the church, leadership begins with godly character. God calls you to submit to your leaders and imitate their faith, so search for pastors who can say with integrity, “Follow me as I follow Christ!”
LOOK
You will never find a perfect local church, but seek a congregation where you see marks of true godliness, like humility, patience, and forgiveness, as the body builds itself up in love.
LOOK TO SERVE
Don’t just be a consumer and think about what the church can do for you. Be eager to roll up your sleeves and do whatever is needed to help your church reach, teach, and train your community for the glory of Christ!
IN MARCH, TMU THEATRE ARTS PUT ON NINE SHOWINGS OF “ANASTASIA” FOR PACKED-OUT AUDIENCES, CONTINUING A LONG TRADITION OF SHARING WELLTOLD STORIES IN ECHO OF GOD’S CREATIVE NATURE.
AMOUNT: $14,000 awarded as $3,500/year for up to 4 years
This scholarship is for students dependent on parent(s) currently working full-time in law enforcement or fire departments.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT MASTERS.EDU/R&B
AMOUNT: $14,000 awarded as $3,500/year for up to 4 years
This scholarship is for students who are first-generation college students, meaning neither parent completed a bachelor’s degree.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT MASTERS.EDU/FIRSTGENERATION
AMOUNT: $14,000 awarded as $3,500/year for up to 4 years
This scholarship is for new, incoming traditional undergraduate freshmen or transfer students. The student must be a member or regular attendee of a partnered church and provide a pastor’s recommendation from the listed church in their application for admission.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT MASTERS.EDU/CHURCH-SCHOLARSHIPS
AMOUNT: $5,000 per year
This scholarship is awarded to new students whose parents hold a degree from The Master’s University (TMU), The Master’s College (TMC), Los Angeles Baptist College (LABC), or The Master’s Seminary.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT MASTERS.EDU/ALUMNI-SCHOLARSHIPS
Nathan Busenitz Abner Chou + other special guests
November 6 - 7
Grace Community Church
At The Master’s University, we are convinced that the Bible is sufficient for every discipline and situation. The Sufficiency of Scripture Summit is designed to galvanize this generation into understanding, embracing, and defending the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture. Through preaching, resources, and fellowship, our goal is to provide clarity and instill courage in a cultural moment marked by confusion.
