In what ways does Calvin Theological Seminary equip local CRC people and churches to do Kingdom work?
Our mission to serve the church is what Calvin Seminary was founded on 151 years ago, and it has been our focus ever since. At our core from the beginning, we form leaders for the church and provide theological education and formation for those leaders. We have been challenged over the past decade and a half by major cultural and societal shifts. Despite these shifts, we see a continuing need for our academically robust and holistic programs that support that mission. Although we are adapting to the changing needs of the church by expanding learning methods, including distance, hybrid, and competency-based education, our new student housing center demonstrates our commitment to in-person instruction.
This all serves the church by providing well-equipped pastors, preachers, and leaders and by forming teachers, professors, counselors, and nonprofit leaders to pursue all aspects of Kingdom work wherever they are. We continue to support them and the wider community through resources such as The Forum, a magazine created by the seminary.
What are the core values that undergird Calvin Theological Seminary’s work? How do you ensure the work aligns with those values?
This is a great question. We can easily point to a mission or vision statement, but that often doesn’t tell the whole story. When I think about the values shared among our faculty, staff, and students, I see a deep commitment to Reformed theology. Many of our students come from outside the CRCNA yet are welcomed into our teaching and formation, which is shaped by the Reformed confessions. This value is multifaceted, including our connection to the CRCNA as the only seminary directly connected to it. We are closely aligned with the church and adapt to meet its needs.
A second value is equipping our students with the tools to sow the gospel as missionaries in whatever context they find themselves—including helping them navigate our changing cultural and societal contexts. This starts by understanding those contexts and training and forming our students to provide an academically robust, holistic education in a meaningful and lasting way. For example, our “vocational formation” emphasis, from day one, fosters personal and spiritual growth in our learning community that connects to local churches.
What’s one thing about Calvin Theological Seminary that you wish people knew?
I wish people knew just how many students we have at the Seminary, and from over 30 different countries. Yes, we have had a steady and now growing portion coming directly from the CRCNA community, but it is a joy to see just how important our Reformed theology is to the global church. Our enrollment numbers buck the trend in theological education, with steady growth over the past four years, and we now exceed 400 enrolled in our programs. And our MDiv program has remained steady throughout this time, while the vast majority of seminaries in North America have seen a dramatic decline in MDiv enrollment. This is a testament to our faculty and staff’s efforts to tell our story and to the significance of Reformed theology in the world today. Also of significance is our affordability. Our strong, supportive community has made this possible.
What has been a highlight of Calvin Theological Seminary in the past year?
A highlight for our community has to be the opening of the Harry and Bernice Vermeer Family Seminary Housing Center, a 46-unit apartment building at 3300 Burton St. SE, immediately across the road from the seminary. This beautiful new building is a space that fosters and encourages community. This facility will set us up for years of safe, efficient, and beautiful housing for our students, allowing us to continue offering highly affordable theological education to those students able to participate in person.
How do you see higher education changing in the next five years, and how are you adapting to meet that need?
I see Calvin Theological Seminary remaining faithful in the Reformed faith and faithful in addressing the needs of our church. Our partnership with Susan LaClear and Gabriela Tijerina-Pike to develop the Spanish-language EPMC program and certificate options for our emphasis on church planting, to our pilot of competency-based learning, to the relaunch of our doctor of ministry program to also directly address the needs of the CRCNA in church planting, I see the common word as “faithful.”
How can we pray for you?
Our community is entering a time of transition. As I wrap up my time here as president, I ask for your prayers for the seminary community as we prepare for the transition ahead. For my family and me, for us to transition to a different type of ministry as we move on to a new stage of life, and for the seminary community, that we would all be preparing to welcome in a new leader with encouragement and a posture of service.