Welcome from the CAO!

September 14, 2012

Westminster Chief Administrative Officer, Steven J. Carter, begins a new series of updates from the business office and the office of development.  Below is the second of his monthly reflections on Westminster's progress as it seeks to train Christian leaders to proclaim the whole counsel of God throughout a changing world.

The Joy of a New Semester

“Welcome to Westminster!” The banners hung from Machen Hall in late August trigger excitement in us who work here year round. In the pleasant rhythm of the academic year, a new class of students is arriving for the fall semester. It’s a joy to meet them. They come from all over the world and each has a story worth hearing.

They will be trained to handle the Word of God for the benefit of the church and the world. Who knows how many people will come to faith in Christ through their work? Who knows the stories that will be told of blessing to the churches where they proclaim and teach the whole counsel of God?

As new students come in, old students are passing from the scene. Last month I received this note from an alumnus from the class of 1972: “I am retiring after 40 years of ordained ministry…. I’ll continue doing supply preaching, perhaps doing interim ministry if chosen to do so. I am continually grateful for my education at Westminster which has enabled me to preach Jesus Christ all these years.”

That simple testimony captures Westminster’s mission: It enables people to preach Jesus Christ over the long haul. That kind of staying power doesn’t come easily. By the end of this year, most new students will say they never worked so hard or were ever so challenged academically. The curriculum is like building a house, Professor Jeff Jue told new students this year at orientation; it begins in the first year with digging a deep foundation.

As the theological construction rises, they’ll learn that the Scriptures are self-authenticating. Jesus Christ, who has been granted all authority, speaks clearly in Scripture. Those who hear Him react like the Emmaus disciples: “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures” (Luke 24:32). Out of that fullness of heart, they will proclaim Jesus Christ year after year. Even in the monotonous flow of life for those who have left Westminster, the mercies of Him who speaks in Scripture are new every morning.

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