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2011: A Year in Review

January 04, 2012

Westminster Theological Seminary has been greatly blessed this past year.

From the snow in January to the Christmas season in December, this has been an active year in the life of Westminster Theological Seminary.  111 students graduated in May, and in August we welcomed our highest M.Div. enrollment at 243. Both Kevin DeYoung and Al Mohler spoke on campus, we hosted our second annual Science and Faith Conference, and we awarded two new faculty chairs.

Through everything, God has been faithful to sustain Westminster this past year, and we look to Him to sustain us in the next.

Some highlights from 2011:

Several faculty members published new books:

Westminster hosted and sponsored several conferences and special guests:

  • Throughout the Year: Westminster held Full Confidence Conferences at multiple locations: Fort Worth, TX; Vancouver, BC; Edmonton, AB; Pittsburgh, PA; Nashville, TN; and Lancaster, PA.
  • March 2: Dr. Al Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary joined us for our fourth annual Gaffin Lecture on Theology, Culture, and Mission.
  • April 8-9: The second annual Westminster Conference on Science and Faith with Westminster faculty and members of the Discovery Institute, discussing the topic of God and Materialism.
  • June 10-11: The second annual Business Ethics Conference, jointly hosted with the Center for Christian Business Ethics, discussing the topic of the 8th Commandment, "You shall not Steal".
  • September 12: Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Jue became the first occupant of the Stephen Tong Chair of Reformed Theology.  Stephen Tong joined us at the ceremony.
  • October 25-26: Rev. Kevin DeYoung was the keynote speaker for our annual Preaching Conference.  Along with some Westminster faculty, he spoke on the theme of a "Cure for the Boring Sermon".
  • November 2: Rev. Dr. Carl Trueman became the first occupant of the Paul Wooley Chair of Systematic Theology.

This past year, Westminster faculty also participated in many events throughout the country and world.  Drs. Lillback and Oliphint attended a songwriter’s conference in Nashville, TN.  Drs. Lillback, Trueman, and Keene had papers presented at the 63rd annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society.  Dr. Beale went to Sweden to lecture at various unversities and institutions.  Dr. Trueman contributed to the DVD, KJB: The Book that Changed the World. Drs. Trueman and Lillback led a group of people on a Reformation tour through Europe, seeing the major sites where key Reformation events took place over 400 years ago.

Westminster alumni have also been busy this past year.  Philip Tachin (MAR '04, PhD '09) continues his work of spreading the Gospel in Nigeria.  At Westminster's convocation ceremony, A. Donald McLeod (BD, '63), Wayne Grudem (MDiv, '73), and Geoffrey Thomas (MDiv, '64) received honorary doctorates.  On November 2nd, 50-year alumnus Rev. Rensselaer Broekhuizen joined us for our alumni chapel.  Also, throughout the year Westminster alumni have written and published many books and articles to benefit the Christian community.

Machen

Looking ahead to 2012

James 4:13-16  reminds us that it is only by God's will that we have tomorrow.  So in relying upon God's providence for our seminary, we have much to look forward to in the coming year:

  • March 14: Fifth annual Gaffin Lecture on Theology, Culture, and Missions with guest speaker Dr. D.A. Carson.
  • April 14: Third annual Science and Faith Conference, on the topic of "Science, Human Origins, and Human Dignity"
  • June 1-2: Third annual Business and Ethics conference.
  • July 17-21: President Lillback and board member Harry Reeder will host a tour of sites in Pennsylvania related to the Civil War and the founding fathers
  • October 23-24: Westminster's Preaching Conference with guest speaker Dr. Philip Ryken

Please join with us in prayer that God would bless our work, and that He would continue to equip us to proclaim the whole counsel of God throughout a changing world.