Coveant Theological Seminary Ice Breaker

Constituencies

The overarching question I have about each of these constituents is what is their current understanding of The Covenant Experience today? What is their perception and what is reality? I have some sense of it from the student, alumni, faculty, and PCA perspectives. But not so much from the trustee and broader church perspectives. So, I’ll share some thoughts about my future hope for The Covenant Experience among these constituencies, but should I be called as the next president, having a firm grasp of the current perceptions would be a priority.

Let me start here. I would want every constituency to say at least these three things about Covenant Seminary in 2025,

1. CTS is the premier seminary for preparing pastors, counselors, and ministry leaders to serve Christ and his kingdom in the current age (deep cultural, societal, and ecclesial polarizations).

2. Second, that every constituency would affirm, without question, that men and women are indeed trained here to walk in God’s grace, minister his word, and equip his people for his mission.

3. Third, Covenant is fully invested in equipping God’s people to serve a diverse church in a diverse world.

If this were true across every constituency, it would mean that Covenant’s brand experience was consistent internally and externally.

Here’s what I mean. When I talk to fellow alumni about their experience, to a person, male and female alike, it was rich and robust. They adore the Seminary, and would make the same choice of seminary today. One pastor, who’s a CTS alum, hosts a three private groups on FB for PCA Pastors. There are about 150 pastors in the three groups. He told me recently that the CTS grads in those groups were, hands down, better equipped to be pastors because they clearly demonstrated a higher degree of pastoral sensibilities. So, there’s a disconnect between the Covenant experience of the students and alumni, and that of the broader denomination. The brand experience is not necessarily internally and externally consistent.

Here’s what I’d want to hear the PCA saying in five years. We’re delighted that CTS is our denomination’s seminary. To hear that means that we have to be hearing it at the presbytery level. I’d want to hear presbyteries saying, we’re finding that the ordination candidates coming from CTS are better prepared for the pastorate than the other candidates we see. We’re finding that CTS is preparing ministry leaders with the proper sensibilities for pulpit ministry and for ministry in a “big tent” Presbyterian denomination. We’re finding that CTS grads are deeply rooted in and formed by our biblical and theological commitments. And they know how to apply them well to the lives of people and the issues of our day. (Unity Fund)

This is the connection between what I’d want the students to be saying. As I mentioned, it would be hard for the Covenant alumni I talked with to speak more highly of the seminary. But one interesting comment that came up from some of them was not receiving a solid enough foundation in covenant theology. This was particularly related to being fully prepared for ordination exams. An amazing difference between my experience at RTS and what I hear from CTS grads is their experience of life-giving, Christ-centered, grace-filled spiritual formation during their seminary years. What a gift this is to the church! My hope would be that in addition to our students experiencing such healthy spiritual formation, they would say that they have a sound grasp of how our theological commitment informs that formation and informs our mission.

My prayer is that the alumni, if possible, would be more excited about and delighted in Covenant than they are now. I hope that they’ll be saying they’re supported, that they were well equipped by their seminary training, and most particularly, that they’re not having to defend the orthodoxy of CTS in their presbyteries.

When I spoke with the faculty committee last week, I asked them what they needed from a president. What stood out to me was this idea. Providing protection and freedom for the faculty to do what they are called to do. “A president who doesn’t do fear. Who doesn’t ask me to have his back, but who I know has my back.” I get the sense that the faculty experiences this now. What I would hope to hear in 2025 from the faculty is that even with the changes that have come in the seminary’s deepening pursuit and commitment to its distinctives and strategic priorities, they still feel supported, valued and freed to serve students, do research, and serve the church at large. I expect that we will have new faculty members come onboard over the next five years. Lord willing, we’ll see the diversity of our faculty will increase. And that these new faculty will be brought into and affirm the ethos. My hope is that they will be saying that they’ve been able to write books and white papers and be and influence even beyond our seminary.

I served on the MNA permanent committee from 2014-2019; serving on the coordinator search committee that selected Paul Hahn, and serving as vice chairman of the committee. I’m currently a trustee-elect for the Covenant College board, and am in the process of joining the board for Serge. I choose to serve as a trustee or board member less from a sense of duty and more because of my passion and heart for the organization. Now, when it comes to denominational boards, it’s true that some folks try to get on the board to put a check on the organization because they’re suspicious of it. I experienced that on the MNA board, and I know there was an attempt by one presbytery in 2019 to put someone on the CTS board for that purpose. So, while trustees have to be concerned with every aspect of an organization, what keeps me motivated as a trustee or board member is my confidence that the organization is being true to its mission and taking steps to grow in health and service. That’s what I would want our trustees to be able to say today, five years from now, and into the foreseeable future. Included in that is a healthy relationship and accountability between the board and the president.

Lastly, for the broader church, Covenant is already serving a theologically diverse student body. In my DMin cohort we had Presbyterian folk, Anglican folk, Assemblies of God folk, non-denominational folk, and Baptist folks. I want the broader church to continue to be drawn to Covenant, trusting that they’ll receive sound theological education and spiritual formation that will equip them for faithful service. I also want the broader church to be saying that they’re benefitting from the books and articles published by CTS faculty. (Anti-tribal, pro-ecumenical)