During the Pastors College year, students benefit from a wide variety of instructors, both seasoned pastors within Sovereign Grace Ministries as well as guest instructors from outside of Sovereign Grace. 

This year, the Pastors College (PC) welcomed multiple outstanding guest instructors including Jerry Bridges on Grace and Sanctification, Dr. Stephen Wellum on Hermeneutics, Dr. Mike Bullmore on Theology & Practice of Spiritual Life, and Dr. Steve Nichols for Church History 3. In June, the PC welcomes Dr. John Woodbridge for Church History 2 and Dr. Iain Duguid for Old Testament 3 (The Prophets), and Dr. Michael Haykin will join the PC in July for Church History 1. We are most grateful for these outstanding instructors and the investment they make in the training of our future pastors and church planters.

This week the Pastors College is privileged to welcome Dr. Ray Van Neste for New Testament 4 (General Epistles).

Dr. Ray Van Neste serves as an assistant professor of New Testament, Greek, and pastoral ministry at Union University, where he also directs the R. C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies. After his week teaching at the Pastors College last year he described the qualities he observed among the students, staff, and leadership:

...there was a unified eager, humble, servant spirit, loving one another and ready to revel in the beauty of God as we experience Him in His word. A humble graciousness permeated the place from students, to staff, to leadership. I am encouraged to see the work they are doing and excited to see the men who are being sent out whose love for Christ is translated into shepherd hearts for the people of God.

Along with Dr. Van Neste, we are excited about the Class of 2013 and look forward, Lord willing, to seeing God use them in the future to plant new churches and build up existing ones for the glory of Jesus Christ. 

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The Sovereign Grace Pastors College welcomes Mark Prater, Ian McConnell, and Tim Shorey as our missiology instructors this week. These men bring a combined history of nearly 50 years of pastoral ministry that includes church planting, replanting, and short-term missions work.

Mark Prater's opening lecture sprang from Colossians 1:24-29. He drew our attention to Paul's ambition to proclaim the person and work of Jesus Christ, even amid difficulty, so that everyone might be found mature in Christ. He then shared the following: 

The Mission

There are certain quotes that stir my soul. Let me share one with you for I believe it may stir your soul as well.  

“Between Eden and the eternal state, between Abraham and Armageddon, between Babel and the beast’s confinement to the lake of fire, few biblical topics are as important as mission. This is because mission, while purposed by God prior even to sin, is inextricably linked to man’s sinfulness and need for redemption and God’s provision of salvation in the person and work of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This ‘good news’ of salvation in Jesus, however must be made known. Thus mission is the ingredient that both precedes Christian existence and constitutes a major motivation for Christian living: the saving mission of Jesus constitutes the foundation for Christian mission, and the Christian Gospel is the message of mission, a mission that is not optional but mandatory.” (Kostenberger and O’Brien, Salvation to the Ends of the Earth). 

This brings tears to my eyes not only for the provision of salvation I have in Jesus Christ but also because sinners, like you and me get to participate in something grander and greater than us, the “mandatory mission” of making known the good news of Jesus Christ.

Church Planting

For the last 32 years our family of churches has participated in the “mandatory mission” of making known the gospel of Jesus Christ primarily through church planting. Why church planting?  Because it’s what you see in the New Testament, the good news of Jesus Christ being made known through ordinary people that participate in the planting of churches. 

We don’t plant churches to replicate the sending church, nor do we plant churches to grow Sovereign Grace Ministries. We plant churches because you and I live “between Eden and the eternal state” which means we don’t have much time to make known the person and saving work of Jesus to those who don’t know Him as their Savior. We must not grow numb to the truth that people all around us need God’s provision of salvation in the finished work of Christ.  Quite simply, that’s why we plant churches.

A Church Planting Story

Last September I attended the memorial service of my friend Gunter Kiesewetter in the Pittsburgh area. Church planting is very dear to me because in 1996, Covenant Fellowship Church sent me, my family, and about 12 adults to plant a Sovereign Grace church in the South Hills of Pittsburgh (Providence Church).  One of the members of our church planting team was Dirk Kiesewetter who was sent from Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, PA. Through Dirk our church got to know, befriended, reached out to, and shared the gospel with Dirk’s father Gunter. 

Gunter along with his wife Helma (who was already a Christian) immigrated to America during W.W. II. Gunter was successful in business and was a “hard working, hard playing” type of guy whose heart was hard toward the gospel. However, the members of Providence Church spent time with him, loved him, and shared the good news of Jesus with him. At some point Gunter was born again and trusted in Christ as his Savior. I’ll never forget the day when we, as a small church family, gathered around Gunter’s pool in his backyard and baptized him as a Christian. 

That memory was in the forefront of my mind when I attended his memorial service in September. I pondered the joy Gunter was experiencing as he gazed into the eyes of Jesus and heard “well done my good and faithful servant.” But I also found my heart filled with gratitude to God for the members of the Providence Church church planting team. Ordinary people, like you and me who participated in something grander and greater than themselves, making known the good news of Jesus. Because a church was planted, this memorial service had an element of joy, for our friend Gunter heard the good news, responded to it, and now will spend eternity at the throne of grace. I tell you this story because it embodies why we plant churches and participate in the “mandatory mission” Jesus gave us.

Your Participation in the Mandatory Mission

Never forget there are people like Gunter Kiesewetter living all around you who need to hear about the saving work of Jesus. Pray for opportunities to befriend them and share the gospel with them for one day you will stand around a pool or baptismal and rejoice like we did on the day we baptized Gunter.

As I consider the church plants Sovereign Grace Ministries has planned this coming year,  I pray for and anticipate the conversions of many like Gunter as we participate in our “mandatory mission" together. 

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The Pastors College welcomes Jerry Bridges as their guest instructor this week covering Grace and Sanctification. This marks the 13th year Dr. Bridges has served us through his teaching and example at our Pastors College. We are most grateful!

Dr. Bridges is the author of numerous excellent cross-centered books like:

• The Discipline of Grace
• The Gospel for Real Life
• The Pursuit of Holiness
• Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate
• The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness
• The Bookends of the Christian Life 

Over the years Dr. Bridges has conducted interviews with us on a variety of topics. The audio from these interviews has been gathered below:

Train yourself for godliness [Audio]

Learning to preach the gospel to yourself every day [Audio]

An explanation of "union with Christ" for the new believer [Audio]

Counsel for stuck-in-the-mud Christians [Audio]

Five life truths learned from over six decades as a Christian [Audio]

C.J. Mahaney interviews Jerry Bridges [Audio]

 

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Author and speaker Jerry Bridges will join the Pastors College next week as their guest instructor covering Grace and Sanctification.

Mr. Bridges is 83 years old, and he's been walking with the Lord for 65 of those years. A couple years ago Tony Reinke had the opportunity to sit down and interview Mr. Bridges. During that interview Mr. Bridges shared five life truths he's discovered during his six decades in the faith. Wise words from a man who never ceases to stir the listener's affections for God. 

To listen to this 8-minute conversation, right-click to download, or listen here:

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What is the role of the Mosaic Law?
Where are people most vulnerable to misinterpretation of Scripture?
What priorities should pastors have for their ongoing study?

These questions (and many others) were answered by Dr. Stephen Wellum in a recent interview with Jeff Purswell, Dean of the Sovereign Grace Pastors College. For 45 minutes they explored covenant theology, hermeneutics, and biblical theology with application for the busy pastor in mind. This interview concluded a very fruitful week in the Pastors College where Dr. Wellum served as our guest hermeneutics instructor.

An Interview with Dr. Stephen Wellum
Covenant Theology, Hermeneutics, and Biblical Theology
Download

[0:01] Dr. Wellum: husband, father, student, pastor, and professor
[4:18] A discussion on Dr. Wellum’s latest book, Kingdom Through Covenant 
[6:50] Where does Dr. Wellum's understanding of the covenants fit among Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology?
[12:46] What is the role of the Mosaic Law?
[15:46] What about the Sabbath command?
[19:08] Is the Mosaic Law normative for us?
[22:30] A discussion on hermeneutics
[26:22] Where are people most vulnerable to misinterpretation of Scripture?
[29:38] Wisdom for the young preacher/exegete
[32:16] Wisdom for the busy pastor who recognizes his need to grow in putting the whole of the Bible’s teaching together in his preaching
[35:42] 3 prioritizes for a pastor's ongoing study
[40:05] Every pastor should read these books...
[41:48] How has Dr. Wellum’s pastoral experience influenced his academic work?

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Journeys, no matter how large or small, bring with them uncertainties and surprises. Our road to the The Pastors College was no exception.

Beyond the obvious challenge of leaving everything familiar behind to move into the uncertain, the class of 2013 also encountered some more unusual surprises. But multiple vehicle breakdowns, snowstorms impeding progress, and last minute housing changes did not shake our awareness of God’s faithful provision each step of the way.

Things that were uncertain to us just days ago are becoming less so. By the grace of God, friendships are already forming through the times our class has shared together over meals and fellowship groups. And while we’re just four days into the coursework, we’ve been richly blessed by our instruction in Systematic Theology I with Jeff Purswell, our Dean. Each one of us has been, not surprisingly, overcome by the glory and beauty of God found in Scripture. The richness of the teaching we’ve received this first week has been evidence of God’s certain plan to reveal more of himself to us through our studies here.

This journey we’re on (and for that matter, the journey you find yourself on), is sure to be filled with many things that are unexpected. It may seem that we’ve entered this year with uncertainties about our financial stability, our intellectual capacity, or what lies beyond the Pastors College year. But there is one thing that is certain. It’s that one thing we all must absolutely lean on: the love of God toward us in Christ Jesus and his faithfulness to give us everything we need to listen, learn, read, study, parse Greek, care for one another, and see Jesus with more clarity. This first week has been filled with rich teaching and an abundance of opportunities to depend on God. And that, not surprisingly, is God’s plan not just for the families at the Pastors College but for each one of his children.

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Steve is a student in our 2013 Pastors College Class. He has served in pastoral ministry since 1993 and on staff at Sovereign Grace Church, MN since 2008. 

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During the Sovereign Grace Pastors College year, students benefit from a wide variety of instructors, both seasoned pastors within Sovereign Grace Ministries as well as outstanding guest instructors. Next week, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Stephen J. Wellum as our instructor of Hermeneutics.

Dr. Wellum is Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and editor of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology. He has written many articles, book reviews, and contributed to works such as Beyond the Bounds: Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity and Reclaiming the Center: Confronting Evangelical Accommodation in Postmodern Times.

Most recently, Dr. Wellum and Dr. Peter J. Gentry authored Kingdom Through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants, which has garnered much attention for attempting to stake out a middle way between dispensationalism and covenant theology.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to host Dr. Wellum next week and benefit from his instruction and example.

For further information about this year’s guest instructors, including an exceptional trio of Church History instructors, read here.

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“No work can possibly confer a greater benefit upon mankind than the training of ministers who God has chosen, for around them spring up churches.” —C.H. Spurgeon

The Sovereign Grace Pastors College

By God’s grace, the Sovereign Grace Pastors College has trained 243 men for ministry since opening in 1997. At the Pastors College these men invest time in their studies, their families, and each other to return better equipped to serve their local church. 

Class of 2013

This week we welcomed our fifthteenth Pastors College Class to our new location in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to our lineup of Sovereign Grace instructors, this year's class will benefit from many outstanding guest instructors: Dr. Stephen Wellum, Dr. Mike Bullmore, Jerry Bridges, Dr. Michael Haykin, Dr. Steve Nichols, Dr. Ray Van Neste, Dr. John Woodbridge, and Dr. Iain Duguid. As you can imagine, the Pastors College program is an intense experience. We invite you to take a moment to look over the class roster and to pray for these men and their families.  

Student name	Sending church
Steve Bice	Sovereign Grace Church (Bloominton, MN)
Jacob Wilson	Covenant of Grace Church (Copley, OH)
Jason Stowell	Covenant Fellowship Church (Glen Mills, PA)
Adam Prather	Sovereign Grace Church (Gilbert, AZ)
Ben Rodgers	Solid Rock Church (Riverdale, MD)
Jake Simmons	Cornerstone Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Aaron Mayfield	Grace Church (Frisco, TX)
Josh Payne	Grace Church (Frisco, TX)
Caleb Gallifant	Sovereign Grace Church (Louisville, KY)

Training Pastors And Our Mission

Training future pastors is so important to our mission that the Pastors College receives 25% of our annual Mission Fund. In this video, the 2012 graduating class recounts how this academic instruction with an emphasis on pastoral care and spiritual growth served them in preparation for pastoral ministry.

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Training Pastors

By God’s grace, the Sovereign Grace Pastors College has trained 243 men for ministry since opening in 1997. The 2012 graduating class alone included 23 men, eight of whom returned with their families to church planting residencies.

Later this month, we’ll welcome the 2013 Pastors College Class. For those of you less familiar with our Pastors College, it is a ten-month pastoral training program for men in Sovereign Grace churches. It combines academic instruction with an emphasis on pastoral care and spiritual growth. The Pastors College also provides ongoing training for current pastors in Sovereign Grace Ministries.

Mission Video

In this video, the 2012 graduating class recounts how this academic instruction with an emphasis on pastoral care and spiritual growth served them in preparation for pastoral ministry.

Training future pastors is so important to our mission that the Pastors College receives 25% of our annual Mission Fund.

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At this year’s Pastors Conference in Orlando, Jeff Purswell announced an exciting new opportunity for Pastors College graduates to pursue further studies to strengthen their pastoral ministry. A degree completion program established between the Sovereign Grace Pastors College and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) now provides a viable means for Pastors College alumni to pursue a Masters of Divinity degree from SBTS without disrupting their church ministry.  Here are the basic facts:

• Up to 35 credit hours transfer from the Pastors College to SBTS. An M.Div. in Christian Ministry at SBTS requires 94 total credit hours, so hypothetically a PC graduate is over a third of the way towards an M.Div. (The briefer but more demanding Advanced M.Div program requires only 86 credit hours). Of the remaining 59 credit hours, 41 are elective hours in the Christian Ministry program. (In the Advanced  M.Div program, only 21 of the remaining 51 credit hours are elective hours).  Transfer credit will depend upon the actual work completed in the PC.

• Flexible learning options make it possible to complete an M.Div. without moving to Louisville. Southern offers a wide array of learning options, from on-line courses to brief intensive classes at SBTS, making it possible to further one’s education without leaving a ministry position. (For more information on distance learning options, go here).

• The Ministry Apprenticeship Program. Through the Ministry Apprenticeship Program, PC graduates can earn up to 18 credit hours for doing a qualified post-graduation pastoral internship at their local church. (Pastors can also participate in this program). For more details, go here.

• Pastors College alumni are eligible for scholarships to lessen the financial burden of pursuing their degree. (Sovereign Grace pastors who have not graduated from the Pastors College and who wish to be considered for such a scholarship should contact mgoins@sovgracemin.org)

Here’s the upshot. If you graduate from the Pastors College and do the Ministry Apprenticeship Program throughout your pastoral internship the following year, you will only have 41 credit hours left to complete for an M.Div in Christian Ministry at SBTS; 23 of those remaining hours will be elective hours. You can complete those credit hours while continuing your ministry in your local church.   

So if you’re a PC alumnus and you want to pursue this opportunity, what should you do? Complete the SBTS online application, and email Melissa Goins (mgoins@sovgracemin.org) to request a transcript from the Pastors College. 

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