Illustrations by Neasden Control Centre

Evangelical pastor, scholar, and author Eugene Peterson popularized the phrase “a long obedience in the same direction” to describe the path of Christian discipleship. Peterson’s books and teaching have been a tether for Christians who feel called to a disciplined life in the faith, and at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, the intentionality Peterson taught has become a focal point for the seminary.

Western’s president, the Rev. Felix Theonugraha, Ph.D., said the school’s $1 million Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. has helped incubate the school’s efforts to prepare ministers with the creation of the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination. The center’s work is being used in the seminary to help prepare students to be well-grounded in the faith.

“Holistic formation is very much at the center of what animates us,” said Theonugraha, who has served as Western’s 12th president since July 2019.

The seminary identified a need for deep work in Christian foundations, particularly as ministers are facing new challenges across North America ranging from those called to rural churches to the decline of denominations and the rise of the unchurched.

“The word that motivated us was faithfulness,” Theonugraha said. “We’re in a season of turmoil, both in our world and across the religious landscape. And so our vision simply is to say, ‘Look, we are going to form women and men for faithful Christian ministry and for them to be able to participate in what is the Triune God’s ongoing redemptive work in the world.’

“So we’re going to equip them, be it for formal ministry or informal ministry.”

The seminary’s Pathways grant included the creation of the Peterson Center as well as the Hispanic Ministry Program, a way to help Hispanic students matriculate, and those efforts – along with a new mental health counseling program – have been central to the school’s work to reach new students and prepare them for ministry.

Theonugraha said the impetus for the program was to form students who would “cultivate a faithful pastoral presence and just love God’s people, regardless of where you’re called.

“We started talking about what it means for us to cultivate the kind of pastoral presence and sensibility where – regardless of the numbers, regardless of whether or not your sermons are on YouTube – you’ll cultivate a faithful pastoral presence and just love God’s people.”

This is all part of a new way forward for the seminary, which was founded in 1866 to train ministers in the region for the Reformed Church in America. Theonugraha took office as the seminary started noticing that there were more people from other denominations interested in attending Western.

 

Holistic formation is very much at the center of what animates us.

 

The board took up the school’s mission – which Theonugraha said is “to form women and men for faithful Christian ministry” – and asked what it meant “to serve the Christian church broadly.”

The board then voted to ask the denomination to release the seminary from denominational ownership to become independent while keeping its affiliation with the denomination.

Steve Spoelhof, chair of Western’s 12-member board, said that denominational ownership meant that the school was often “pulled into conversations that weren’t necessarily about preparing men and women for ministry” but instead about denominational issues. And, the denominational landscape – along with the student body – was changing.

“When you look at over two-thirds of the entering student body who are non-RCA, and over two-thirds of your graduates who go to non-RCA churches or ministries, you’re really becoming a multifaceted multi-denominational church ministry,” he said. “You have to react. And I think that’s the opportunity for any board.”

The board has moved forward with a vision of how Western will shape ministers for the times. As part of its work, the board hired The FOCUS Group and created a three-year rolling strategic plan that has focused the board on continuing to advance the mission as it reviews progress at each board meeting.

Spoelhof called the strategic plan “an anchor for our board and also for Felix and his team moving forward.”

The plans remain dynamic, and Spoelhof, who has worked as a professional fundraiser, said people are paying attention to what’s happening at Western and are attracted to the work coming out of the Pathways grant.

The school saw that firsthand when it launched a three-year fundraising campaign based around three “pillars” – the new mental health counseling program, scholarships, and initiatives and centers, including the Peterson Center. The board set a goal of $8.5 million, which was surpassed within the first 10 months – before it went public. A $10 million goal was then quickly reached while still in the private phase of the campaign.

“Funding follows vision,” Spoelhof said. “Big vision, big funding. Small vision, you have chance for small funding. We are very fortunate in this community and beyond is that we have a very engaged support base.”

Spoelhof said that the Hispanic Ministry Program has garnered significant attention, noting that the seminary was founded over 150 years ago by a Dutch immigrant. Like Western’s staff, donors had noticed the changing demographics, and he said the program is allowing Western to serve people it hadn’t traditionally served.

“One of our supporters was so excited about this particular aspect that he gave a substantial first-time challenge grant to kick that aspect of the campaign off because he saw what the Hispanic workforce had done for his business and wanted to give back,” Spoelhof said. “We are really excited about the growth in that aspect of our institution and our educational delivery.”

The school believes it is touching a need within the greater Church. The Peterson Center holds a now annual conference called Doxology, which attracts people for a few days of fellowship, worship, rest, and conversation. Winn Collier, the director of the Center and an associate professor at the seminary, said that pastors are “really exhausted, discouraged, and worried, yet they remain hungry and hopeful.”

At the most recent conference in October, organizers intentionally planned to keep the conference reasonably small to provide intimacy and create space for people to build friendships. The unhurried conference included a few keynote sessions while also featuring art, music, outings, and activities, including suggested “holy naps.” The result has been more interest than can be accommodated.

 

Western sees a call to the work of equipping the Church faithfully.

 

“The response has been very strong,” he said, noting that the Doxology conference had attracted people from a wide range of denominations. “It signifies a discerning sign that we’re moving in the right direction and that we’re asking the right questions.”

Theonugraha says the need for holistic ministry in the world and the Church is evident, and Western’s vision is to produce ministers and counselors to answer the call.

Said Theonugraha: “We want to develop pastors who will help people to encounter God anew.”