In the past year, on the kind invitation of President Jeff Johnson, I made a move to a small but growing seminary in Conway, Arkansas: Grace Bible Theological Seminary. It has been a wild ride in 2021 for us all, but by God’s grace, GBTS is experiencing a season not of drought but of harvest. We have recently brought on four new professors:
James White, teaching apologetics and church history
Jeff Moore, teaching New Testament
Scott Aniol, teaching pastoral theology
Ryan Bush, teaching missions
We are very excited about these men joining our faculty. Each of them is a godly man, filled with the Spirit and bearing fruit in their lives. While each one is very sharp and will teach with excellence and erudition, we first want the men who train future pastors to be humble, holy, and God-centered. In God’s kindness, each of these men fits that bill.
Enrollment has matched the progress seen in other areas. We are experiencing a major increase in student enrollment due in part to these moves: our student body is up over 50% from fall 2021 to spring 2022. Men are moving to Conway for education, while others are joining us online. What a joy to welcome these men (and in many cases young families) to the fellowship at Grace Bible Church.
On the campus, our classes feature live lecture accessible to both residential and distance students. This is a non-negotiable priority for us; students benefit tremendously from lectures and live interaction with their professors. As a GBTS student, you are not left to your lonesome in your education. Our model is innovative and modern, so you can take courses online. But do not misunderstand: while we work with our students, this is not “the easy way.” There is no “easy way” to a sound ministry, only one that costs you (but is worth every sacrifice).
All students at GBTS hear hour upon hour of lecture, and all students have the opportunity to ask live questions of their professors. Though such training may be going out of style, we at GBTS will not be giving it up, now or ever. As a result of this God-given growth, we have added several classes to our rotation. On yet another front, that of development and financial support, this fall brought a number of unexpected gifts, for which we thank God. Churches are seeing the need for what we do, and are adding us to their regular course of donation.
We are grateful for your prayers as we seek to build GBTS for the glory of God. In a time when schools are allowing wokeness to make inroads, we are cheerfully, profoundly, and immovably unwoke. As a taste of this commitment, President Jeff Johnson published an excellent critique of "social justice," and I wrote a book on wokeness as well. In a time when God's people seem to have little leadership and clarity, we are seeking to stand on the Word of God, and speak it clearly.
Indeed, we stand for Bible-driven education that renders the man of God thoroughly “complete” in every dimension (see 2 Timothy 3:17). This ripples throughout our curriculum, and leaves us teaching biblical systematic theology, biblical studies, biblical counseling, biblical missions, biblical (presuppositional) apologetics, and more. In a time when we sadly see fellow evangelicals embracing Thomism and even the very method of Catholic theology, we are holding to the Word of God as our all-sufficient source for truth. (For context, see this terrific book and this enriching one as well.) Let me put it this way: if it is wrong or somehow sub-academic to steep our students in the Word of God, then we are wrong as wrong can be.
But in God’s kindness to us undeserving creatures, we are not wrong. The Word of God is true, and every man is a liar. We are all-in on the Scripture. As the year closes, let me ask a question of you, the reader: would you consider supporting us financially? We have begun a campaign called the Sound Churches Initiative that seeks to raise $250,000 for GBTS. This campaign will enable us to add faculty, enhance our programs, increase our staff, and more.
The people of Grace Bible Church—alongside numerous other partners—have given very generously to establish the work as GBTS. But as God would bless, we hope to do more ministry, train more men for the work of ministry, and bless God's people more through convictional proclamation. If you can give to us, here is the link to our online donation page.
Thank you for your time and consideration. May God bless you richly in the year to come. Whatever comes our way, we will stand for divine truth, and pray that you do the same.