July 19, 2010

Grand Rapids Theological Seminary trains its students so well that many go on to teach at other seminaries.

Several of them – including Daniel Treier (M.Div. ’96, Th.M. ’98), Henry Kim (M. Div. ’98), Jon Laansma (M.Div.’89) and Andrew Hill (M.Div. ’84) – are now serving at prestigious Wheaton College.

Treier, Laansma and Hill teach in the biblical and theological studies department, while Kim teaches in the sociology and anthropology department at Wheaton.

“GRTS did an excellent job of giving me a well-rounded master of divinity degree, preparing me for a variety of specific ministry fields, while at the same time providing a taste of advanced scholarship,” said Treier, associate professor of theology at Wheaton. “A particular strength of my GRTS education was its integrating core of biblical theology.”

Laansma agreed.

“My preparation [at GRTS] for undertaking a doctoral degree in New Testament at the University of Aberdeen was excellent,” said Laansma, associate professor of ancient languages and New Testament at Wheaton. “I possessed the analytical and research skills, the critical competencies, the theological and disciplinary knowledge, and the ability to communicate my findings that enabled me to step right into doctoral research and writing.”

Both Laansma and Treier emphasized the advantages inherent in learning at a small institution like GRTS.

“GRTS professors and fellow students are a crucial segment of God’s building my life,” Treier said. “Any building I have done has had to be with materials given to me and placed upon a Christ-centered foundation.”

“Take advantage of the personal mentoring that is available through a smaller program such as this,” Laansma advised current and future seminary students. “Put your theology to work as soon as possible in your teaching and ministry. [I had] a rich, rounded experience that was both theologically and personally forming.  It did not lack in academic rigor but it shaped my faith and my life of faith in deep and permanent ways, all for the better.”

Another alumnus of GRTS, Stephen Spencer (’78, M.Div. and ’81, Th.M), has worked at Wheaton. He was collection development librarian for Wheaton’s Buswell Memorial Library and professor of theology there until recently.

To find out more about GRTS, visit http://www.cornerstone.edu/grts/.