As we move toward year’s end, there is much for which Calvary is thankful. God has again provided magnificently for His work at Calvary University:
God has provided financially, as Calvary was able to lower tuition across the board, finish in the black for this past year, and continue to be debt-free.
God has provided a growing number of students. Calvary’s enrollment has increased by about 27% in the past year, and Calvary is serving more students now than at any point since 1999.
The renovation of the old Seminary Building is now complete.
The new Dining Hall and Events Center renovation is underway.
The Nikao Leadership Institute launched successfully, providing leadership training and scholarships to a solid group of incoming students.
The Burnham Center for Global Engagement launched, expanding our missions/intercultural studies offerings and opportunities for students.
The Study and Work Program continues to grow.
Calvary announced plans to launch the Interdisciplinary Center for Creation Research in January, to be led by Stephen Boyd.
Calvary announced the hiring of Tommy Ice, who will officially join the faculty in Kansas City in January.
Calvary hired Gary Gromacki, who is leading the development of our Ph.D in Bible and Theology program.
This has been an incredible year of exciting growth through God’s provision, and we are deeply grateful for your prayerful support. We simply can’t fulfill our mission without you. As we conclude this year, would you prayerfully consider supporting Calvary in a specific way? Perhaps supporting one of the initiatives mentioned above – the building program, or one of the academic and ministry centers?
Of course, one of our highest priorities is to continue to reduce the overall cost of education to our students, so that they can serve effectively without the burden of student debt.Will you give a financial gift to Calvary to help us reduce our students’ costs?Calvary is committed to making high-quality Biblical education accessible to any believer willing to work hard to prepare for and engage in ministry. Your one-time gift, monthly support, or even adding Calvary University to your estate planning will help us fulfill our mission to “prepare Christians to live and serve in the church and in the world according to the Biblical worldview.” Thank you so much for your gift, and for joining Calvary in this important work. May God bless you as, together, we seek to honor Him.
I met Harry Waterhouse not long after I was appointed as president of Calvary. He had written the fascinating history of Calvary, entitled, The Making of a Warrior – a book that was tremendously helpful to me as I sought to truly understand Calvary’s history and legacy. Harry’s work chronicles the school’s journey from its founding in 1932 until recent days. I remember being so excited to talk with him and gain an even greater historical perspective. Harry did not disappoint.
In that first conversation I was struck by his vitality, energy, and sharpness – I did not believe him when he told me his age. I pray that if God allows me the longevity He allowed Harry, that God would also allow me to be as effective as was Harry – he was just remarkable.
As time passed, I also got to know and appreciate Harry’s incredible generosity and kindness. He was readily willing to give of his time and energy to bless those God put in his path. It was very evident that Harry loves the Lord, he loves the Lord’s work, and he loves the Lord’s workers. Even though Harry is now at home with the Lord, I refer to him in the present tense, because I have no doubt he still carries those traits with him even now in the Lord’s presence.
I am so thankful for Harry’s ministry to Calvary these many years – both with the radio station and with the school – but more personally, I am deeply thankful for his investment of time in me and my family. I every context I saw him, Harry was a faithful steward of the time and skills God had given him.
Harry reminds us in his book about how God built Calvary, and he showed me in his life what a true Calvary Warrior looks like. I thank God for Harry’s example and for his friendship. I pray that God will encourage and strengthen Harry’s family as they will surely miss him. We all look forward to seeing him again soon. May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word (2 Thess 2:16-17).
Dr. Christopher Cone and Dr. James Fazio have co-edited Forged From Reformation: How Dispensationalism Advances the Reformed Legacy.Forged From Reformation, published by SCS Press, and containing chapters from sixteen dispensational scholars from diverse colleges, seminaries, and universities, celebrates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation by explaining how dispensationalism is connected to the Reformation.
It has been five-hundred years since Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door at Wittenberg, fanning the flames of the Protestant Reformation. These many years later, we are no less indebted to Luther and the many who accompanied him in times of reform – who set out to return Christian thought and practice to a more biblical orthodoxy. Exemplified by Luther’s five solas (sola scriptura, sola Deo gloria, sola Christus, sola gratia, and sola fide), the Reformation represented and was spurred on by a return to biblical scholarship in the original languages, and by a more consistent application of the literal grammatical-historical hermeneutic.
Forged from the fires of the Reformation’s heightened attention to the Bible and its details, a more refined and systematic dispensational understanding has developed and continues to be shaped. This book, written by a diverse and accomplished group of dispensational scholars, articulates in each and every chapter how, five-hundred years later, dispensational thought upholds and advances the legacy of the Reformation unlike any other theological system in Christian tradition.
Reviews:
“With contributions from top scholars among leading Christian universities and seminaries across the country, Forged from Reformation will give you helpful insights into the truths of Scripture which have shaped our past and still impact our lives for Christ.” David Jeremiah, Chancellor, Southern California Seminary, Senior Pastor, Shadow Mountain Community Church
“It is an honor to endorse Forged from Reformation … I applaud the authors of this volume in demonstrating the importance of normative dispensational thought that furthers the Reformation on its 500th anniversary. It argues well that Reformed Theology does not own the Reformation, but that in fact dispensationalism continues the many great themes of the Reformation in establishing the Bible-centered theology it purports, its commitment to literal interpretation, its emphasis on salvation by grace through faith for the redeemed of all ages, its goal in the glory of God, and its focus on Jesus the Messiah, and His kingdom. I trust that the book will have a wide and fair hearing.” H. Wayne House, Distinguished Research Professor of Theology, Law, and Culture, Faith International University and Faith Seminary
“Drs. Fazio and Cone have edited an excellent collection of articles on the dispensational heritage of the Reformation. At a time when it is generally assumed that Reformed theology only gave rise to a limited form of eschatology, the contributors show that the Reformers’ emphasis on biblical hermeneutics eventually led to the dispensational understanding of progressive revelation. The contributors help us better understand the biblical, historical, and practical implications of the Reformation for dispensationalism today.” Ed Hindson, Founding Dean, Distinguished Professor, Rawling School of Divinity, Liberty University
“I’ve been waiting a long time for a book like this. I’m especially impressed by its width and depth. It’s a theological tour de force. Forged from Reformation cogently clarifies the continuity of dispensationalism within the stream of Reformation history. It will quickly become the go-to book for any historical defense or evaluation of dispensationalism, especially as it relates to the legacy of the Reformers.” Mark Hitchcock, Associate Professor of Bible Exposition, Dallas Theological Seminary, Senior Pastor, Faith Bible Church, Edmond, OK
“When evangelicals think of the Reformation, they rarely think of dispensationalism. This is a mistake. While it is true that the modern dispensational movement has been trans-denominational, especially in its American development, one should not be hasty to exclude a movement that stands in the direct path of the trajectory of Reformation hermeneutics. In fact, dispensationalism in many ways is the Reformation taken to its logical conclusion and the discussion is not just about eschatology as detractors sometimes posit. As a result of dispensational thought, the evangelical world has rediscovered in greater detail the Jewish perspective of the Bible. The volume Forged from Reformation connects the dots and allows the reader to see clearly what others overlook so readily.” Mike Stallard, Director of International Ministry, Friends of Israel, Founder and Moderator, Council on Dispensational Hermeneutics
In considering the role, responsibility, and limitations of the contemporary university in the present disunity (as displayed in Charlottesville), Chad Wellmon’s recent article, “For Moral Clarity, Don’t Look to Universities” underscores an urgency to which university leaders would do well to pay attention. Wellmon suggests that “The contemporary university, at least in its local form in Charlottesville, seems institutionally incapable of moral clarity.” He quantifies this incapability by noting that, “Universities cannot impart comprehensive visions of the good. They cannot provide ultimate moral ends. Their goods are proximate.” To address this state of affairs, Wellmon prescribes recognizing the limitations of the academy and that universities ought to be looking “outside themselves and partner[ing] with other moral traditions and civic communities.” He adds that “Our common pursuit of knowledge is richer and truer when it seeks contributions from the broadest diversity of peoples.”
In each of these assertions, Wellmon is on target. In these times we have focused so much on freedom of ideas and dialogue, that we have at times forgotten the basis of and reasons for those very freedoms and the worthiness of their pursuits. Lauding the freedoms without acknowledging the responsibilities embedded within the freedoms results in purposeless freedom so divorced from a moral center that it cannot be but ultimately abused. Once the freedom is abused in hatred, there is a cultural momentum to restrict the freedoms so that the hate can’t be expressed. Before long, the freedom of ideas and dialogue that is supposed to be such a cornerstone of our educational process becomes little more than propaganda for one side or the other. Hence our present milieu.
As Wellmon suggests, the typical ends of the university are not final ends: “to create and care for knowledge and to pass that knowledge on by teaching” is not the ultimate goal. The Apostle Paul once wrote to Timothy that “the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). The goal of the university ought not to be simply related to knowledge itself, it ought to be transparently identified in recognition of the purpose of the knowledge. Any institution of learning ought to be committed not just to promoting a body of knowledge (and a culture which values that knowledge) but to helping to contextualize that knowledge in order to help facilitate the proper use of that knowledge.
Thus, while Wellmon diagnoses that university leaders are captains of erudition and not leaders of communities bound to a common moral mission, perhaps this is actually part of the problem. We cannot divorce knowledge from worldview. As we engage and interact with knowledge, we do so from a perspective. That perspective impacts how we arrive at the knowledge, how we interpret it, and how we apply it. To pretend that the university setting provides an automatic immunity from such subjectivities is to blatantly misunderstand essential principles of worldview.
The pretended neutrality so prevalent in our university culture today is destructive in its deceptiveness, obscuring knowledge and the final ends for which it exists. This guise of objectivity provides for universities and their leaders a wall of excuse to hide behind. It is as if they can say, “We are simply providing information, and helping our students to think. We are not actually trying to lead them to any particular conclusion, and thus we are not to blame.” Yet all the while they are leading their students. The question is not whether or not universities and their leaders are setting a moral tone, the question is whether or not that tone is one worth setting and one worth following.
Instead of pretending a guise of objectivity, how helpful would it be if institutions of learning were simply transparent about their ideas of the sources, understanding, and applications of knowledge? Such transparency would be broadly beneficial to students, helping them to recognize that neutrality is not necessarily the goal – love is. And that love is not nebulous and undefined. There is meaning to it, there is a source, and there is provision for it. We can no longer pretend that there are no such particulars. Our culture is being ripped apart before our very eyes and the divisions which have long existed are becoming the narrative by which our society is defined. We can do better, and we are accountable to do just that.
As one leader of a university, I do not call on students to follow me or the university. I agree with Wellmon that the university is not the final bastion or arbiter of truth (as Wellmon correctly notes, we need to look beyond the university). However, we do seek to lead. We do seek to be transparent about the worldview vantage point we take, so that students will know what they are getting, and will be able to hold us accountable for what we are practicing and what we are teaching. They will know what our formula for love is and whether or not it is worthy.
There is an incredible flurry of activity and growth at Calvary University, and as we prepare to welcome a new class of students here in the next few days, it is a good moment to count blessings and recall from whence they come. Here’s just a little of what we have been up to this summer:
We have welcomed some new and outstanding faculty (Dr. Gary Gromacki and Dr. Joachim Braga), and we are soon to welcome more. Stay tuned. These are excellent leaders and teachers who have proven their worth in handling the word and investing in students. We look forward to serving with them.
We have formally begun development on a Ph.D in Bible and Theology program. Stay tuned as we work toward getting that up and running.
We have launched the Nikao Leadership Institute, with ten highly qualified new students who will gain excellent skills in leadership, and who will receive full tuition scholarships to help them learn and apply these skills at Calvary, in the church, and in the community.
We have launched the Burnham Center for Global Engagement, which will be a big part of our missions program, moving forward. We are grateful to Martin and Gracia Burnham for their ministry, and we are pleased to name the Center in honor of them.
We have finalized renovation plans on the Dining and Events Center (what has affectionately been known as the Student Life Center), and we expect the actual renovation to kick off in the next few weeks.
We are in the midst of renovating what was formerly the Seminary Building (the Seminary is now integrated with the rest of the university, and is no longer limited to just one building), as we prepare to relocate the Kroeker Library to be housed there. The new library will have a smaller footprint, and will be more digitally focused, as we try to serve the increasing number of Calvary students across the globe.
We are working on finalizing the purchase of a major chunk of the land which we have leased for many years, with the goal that Calvary has room to grow in property it owns outright, without incurring any debt.
In addition to these many improvements, Calvary is seeing enrollment growth at higher levels than at any point in the past five years. We are excited to see God’s blessing in so many areas. So, it is vital that we not forget or take for granted the instruments God has used to bring us to this exciting stage in Calvary’s history.
First, we thank God for using you all, and we thank you for being so willing and generous. Your prayer and support is such an encouragement and a provision. Without you, we couldn’t dream of the initiatives we are engaged in. With you, we have great confidence in moving forward. Thank you!
Also, we know that we stand on the shoulders of giants. We are nothing without those who have gone before. I am particularly thankful for Dr. Clark and his leadership – he led Calvary through some very difficult years and lean times, and he made some key decisions that helped position Calvary for this present period of growth. When we are able to reap the fruit from the labors of those who blazed the hard trails, we need to express gratitude. So, thank you, Dr. Clark, our job is easier because you didn’t shy away from the challenges. Thank you for being a giant for Calvary University.
We have a gracious God, and we stand on the shoulders of giants. Thank you all for being co-laborers with us!
If you wish to be a co-laborer in a bigger way than maybe you have before, please help with (1) the Nikao Leadership Institute student scholarships, (2) the building projects we are working on, or (3) the Burnham Center for Global Engagement. We would invite you to give a gift online by clicking this link. Whether you can help financially or not, your prayers for Calvary University are so greatly appreciated. Thank you for lifting us up! These are exciting times, and we need you more than ever.
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This has been an incredible year of exciting growth through God’s provision, and we are deeply grateful for your prayerful support. We simply can’t fulfill our mission without you. As we conclude this year, would you prayerfully consider supporting Calvary in a specific way? Perhaps supporting one of the initiatives mentioned above – the building program, or one of the academic and ministry centers?
Summary:
We have launched the Nikao Leadership Institute, with ten highly qualified new students who will gain excellent skills in leadership, and who will receive full tuition scholarships to help them learn and apply these skills at Calvary, in the church, and in the community.
