Heart & Mind
Bethel University Launches $105 Million Comprehensive Campaign
$67.3 million raised during campaign’s leadership phase
In October 5, Bethel University launched
the public phase of a $105 million comprehensive
resource campaign, announcing
that $67.3 million has been raised during
the leadership phase. Called “Taking the
Next Step,” the initiative is intended to secure
commitments for new facilities, build
Bethel’s endowment, and increase Annual
Fund giving.
David Pride (left), campaign
chair for Bethel Seminary
San Diego, visits with Ron
Harris, consultant to the
campaign. “This is the moment for a transformation
in stewardship to match the transformation
of Bethel into a nationally leading Christian
university. It will be achieved by those who
care passionately about the kingdom mission
of Bethel University, and it will set a
clear standard for the next generation of
leaders who will need to take the next step,”
said President George Brushaber.
The six-year campaign – the largest in
Bethel’s history – extends from 2002 to 2005
and includes the following components:
• $55 million for facilities, including a
new university commons building and
fitness center, as well as expansions to
seminary buildings in St. Paul and San
Diego, and a new residence hall built in
2005;
• $10 million to grow Bethel’s endowment;
• $25 million for Bethel’s annual fund and
other current gifts and grants; and
• $15 million in planned gifts for long term
support of Bethel.
Planned improvements to seminary facilities
include a $1.5 million renovation of the
St. Paul facility, where rapid enrollment and
program growth have created numerous
space needs. A shortage of faculty offices
and classroom space will be addressed, with
renovation and enhancement of underused
space in the gymnasium providing two
large classrooms with current technology,
more faculty and staff offices,
and an elevator to make the
seminary accessible to the
handicapped.
In San Diego, a proposed $5.3 million expansion will provide needed space for larger classrooms, offices, a preaching lab, library expansion, an instructional technology classroom, a student lounge, and a 350-seat auditorium for worship, conferences, and celebration, enabling the seminary to prepare for a new chapter in outreach and impact.
President Brushaber and the Board of Trustees hosted a kickoff celebration at Bethel in St. Paul the evening of October 5 to thank leadership donors and encourage their continuing support.
“Bethel’s history is the story of faithful men and women who have taken bold steps forward in their desire to build a place dedicated to educating persons who would in turn transform our world for Christ,” campaign steering committee chair David Monson told the gathering. “Today, we stand prepared to take another bold, history-making step.”
Transformational Church Series 2006
“Journey to Another Level”
On October 12 and 13, Bethel Seminary
sponsored its 11th annual Transformational
Church Series, “Journey to 
Pastor John Jenkins presented
two challenging messages.Another
Level.” This year’s event again utilized a
two-day format to provide opportunities
for spiritual formation, growth, and challenge
for pastors, church staff, lay leaders,
and seminary students.
On Thursday, October 12, “Journey: A Day of Spiritual Formation,” was held at the seminary. The day began with worship led by Dan Adler, Bethel University worship pastor, and members of Heart of the City worship band. The morning plenary speaker, Efrem Smith, pastor of Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis, energized the crowd with his unique and exuberant style. Breakout sessions featured six seminary faculty and administrators addressing various perspectives on spiritual journeying, and the afternoon plenary session was presented by Pastor John Jenkins Sr., senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Landover, Md.
The momentum of Thursday’s events
carried over into Friday’s conference,
when attendees were encouraged to take
their “Journey to Another Level.” Pastor
John Jenkins presented two challenging
messages highlighted by humor and storytelling.
Members of the church’s worship
team, led by Minister of Music Stephen
Hurd, 
Stephen Hurd led worship
in music.added energy with their hand clapping
versions of hymns and worship choruses.
The day also featured 13 different breakout
sessions, including topics like growth,
missions, and conflict resolution, where
attendees learned practical and applicable
details for their particular ministry roles
and challenges.
For those who missed the Transformational Church Series, or who would like to share its message with friends or ministry associates, individual plenary, general, and breakout sessions are available on CD for $8 each. Go to http://www.bethel.edu/specialevents/ tcs/ for ordering information.
The 2007 Transformational Church Series is scheduled for October 12. Mark your calendar now so you won’t miss another incredible opportunity for spiritual formation, encouragement, and challenge! Complete information and registration materials will be mailed this summer.
San Diego Celebrates First-Ever Homecoming
Bethel Seminary San Diego celebrated its
first-ever alumni homecoming weekend
October 21-22. The weekend was a chance
for faculty
Alumnus Binh Phan, David
Walden, and Jennifer Lowe
enjoy San Diego's premier
homecoming celebration. and staff, alumni, students,
and friends of the seminary to reconnect
and network, as well as for new guests to
be introduced to the many opportunities
available at Bethel. On Saturday, attendees
gathered at a networking social and buffet
dinner, then heard from keynote speaker,
best selling author, and former atheist Lee
Strobel. He has written nearly 20 books,
including the award-winning A Case for
Christ and Inside the Mind of Unchurched
Harry and Mary. “Strobel’s presentation
was amazing,” said Paula Bunn ’05.
“I’m 
Alumni and Friends of Bethel
Seminary San Diego at
homecoming
still thinking about his talk.”
The festivities ended Sunday with a
homecoming brunch buffet featuring
entertainment hosted by Bethel
Seminary’s Student Senate.
Glen Scorgie, professor of theology, observed that the homecoming celebration generated “a very upbeat, positive atmosphere.” He continued that he found it “quite gratifying to hear confirmations that the seminary’s educational objectives are being accomplished through the lives and ministries of our alumni. If we are serious about our stated educational mission, we will be very attentive to monitor these ‘outcomes’ in terms of the work of our graduates.”
Bethel Enrollment Rounds Out at 6,000
Bethel University nears another milestone
with final enrollment numbers for 2005-06
totaling 5,993 - just nicking the 6,000 mark.
This number includes all students enrolled
in the university at any point during the
academic year. Dan Nelson, assistant to
the president for institutional research and
planning, reported the historical high as
part of his annual report on university-wide
statistics about the past academic year.
Enrollment is up 13.7 percent overall since 2003-04, when there were 5,272 students across Bethel. The fastest rate of two-year growth has been in the College of Adult & Professional Studies with 44.3 percent; followed by the Graduate School with 39.6 percent; Bethel Seminary with 10.5 percent; and the College of Arts & Sciences, which gained 3.5 percent more students since 2003-04.
For the first time, Bethel University enrolled students from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Students also hailed from Puerto Rico and 34 foreign countries. Measured by total enrollment, Bethel University is the largest institution in the 13-member Christian College Consortium; among the top five in the 105-member Council of Christian Colleges and Universities; and among the three largest private colleges or universities in Minnesota.
Note: The all-year enrollment totals in this report are “duplicated totals,” meaning students enrolled in more than one Bethel school were counted multiple times—once for each school in which they take classes. There were 63 such students in 2005-06, making Bethel’s unduplicated total enrollment 5,930
| All schools of Bethel grew as follows: | |
| School | ’05-’06 Enrollment |
| Bethel Seminary | 1,418 (+119 from ’04-’05) |
| College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) | 2,916 (+11 from ’04-’05) |
| College of Adult & Professional Studies (CAPS) | 753 (+147 from ’04-’05) |
| Graduate School (GS) | 906 (+115 from ’04-’05) |
Bob Merritt is Bethel Seminary Alumnus of the Year
Nearly 300 attendees gathered recently for the annual Bethel University Luncheon to honor Bethel Seminary’s 2006 Alumnus of the Year Bob Merritt and to hear from luncheon speaker Jay Kesler.
Merritt, who earned a master of divinity
degree from Bethel Seminary in 1983, has
pastored Eagle Brook Church in 
Provost Eliason (left) congratulates
Alumnus of the Year Bom Merritt. White Bear
Lake, Minn., since 1991, guiding his flock
through a period of explosive growth. “We
celebrate and honor the ways you lead a
prevailing church that reaches lost people,
model unwavering commitment to excellence,
show humility necessary for personal
growth, and communicate the gospel with
gripping life applications,” quoted Executive
Vice President, Executive Director and
Provost of Bethel Seminary Leland Eliason from the inscription on Merritt’s award.
Merritt cited mentors Eliason, Director of
Church Ministries Ralph Gustafson, and
Bethel University President George Brushaber for influencing his spiritual growth and
ministry direction over the years.
“Jay Kesler is an enormously gifted man, deeply committed to Christian ministry,” said President Brushaber when he introduced the Taylor University president emeritus. Author of 23 books including Being Holy, Being Human, Kesler pastored First Baptist Church of Geneva, Ill., from 1972 to 1985. During that time Kesler also was president of Youth for Christ, an organization he served in various capacities for 30 years, and was heard on more than 400 radio stations worldwide when he hosted YFC’s syndicated program “Family Forum.” Among seminaries, Bethel “is one of the solid anchor points of the Christian faith,” Kesler noted in his address, “Solid Foundations in a Changing World.”
The World as a Classroom:
Bethel Launches New D.Min. Emphasis
Because the world has become a global village,
leaders need to be equipped to work
in a variety of cultural settings. To prepare
these kinds of leaders, Bethel Seminary has
launched the Doctor of Ministry degree in
Global and Contextual Leadership. The
program, which includes some overseas
intensives, focuses on building skills that
transformational leaders will find essential
to work cross-culturally and internationally.
It will benefit anyone interested or
involved in cross-cultural ministry leadership,
including missions pastors, overseas
missionaries, cross-cultural workers in
the U.S., urban ministry professionals,
denominational leaders, and international
non-profit leaders.
Wilbur Stone, director and lead faculty of the seminary’s global and contextual studies program, says that the curriculum is one of the more unique aspects of the new emphasis: “There is an international focus on preparing people for cross-cultural leadership roles, especially in major urban complexes. Three of the six intensives will be held at overseas locations, thus affording students an opportunity to experience different religious and cultural contexts as well as meeting some key Christian leaders from those contexts and visiting some key ministry sites.”
The program’s first cohort, a group of 13 students, began in July 2006 with a residential intensive on the Bethel campus. Their first overseas intensive will be held January 15-19, 2007, in Amman, Jordan, facilitated by Doug Magnuson, associate professor of intercultural programs and director of Muslim studies, and Sam Rima, director of the doctor of ministry program. Magnuson has lived and worked in North Africa and the Middle East since 1983, and, according to Stone, “brings a wealth of knowledge and ministry experience to the task.”
The Amman, Jordan, intensive will introduce students to models and theories that will serve as a foundation for leading in a global setting. A variety of guest lecturers will address topics of global concern, and students will meet with a delegation of Palestinian Muslims to discuss the current conflict in the Middle East.
A second overseas intensive is planned for the following year, when students will travel to Vijayawada, India, for work on Contextual Theologizing. The program’s third year will feature a course in Urban Ministry conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Stone anticipates holding future intensives in locations such as Cameroon; Nice, France; South America; and Eastern Europe.
Fifteen prospective students have already shown interest in a second cohort now forming for launch in July 2007. If you or someone you know would like more information on this unique program, contact Bethel Seminary’s Office of Admissions and Recruitment at 651.638.6288 or bsemadmit@bethel.edu.
Harden Selected as
Dean
Mark Harden, former assistant professor
of community development and director of
outreach and community development, will
continue his ministry at Bethel Seminary
in a new capacity as dean of multicultural
affairs and
lead faculty for the Master of
Arts in Community
Ministry
Leadership,
overseeing
the launch
and continued
development
of this new
degree (see
article on page
16). Harden
holds a B.G.S.
from Oakland
University, Michigan; master’s degrees
from Marygrove College, Michigan, and
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary,
Chicago, and a Ph.D. from Michigan State
University. He is a licensed and ordained
minister in the American Baptist Church
and has worked with organizations such
as the Neighborhood Service Organization
and World Vision U.S. Field Operations as
a church mobilization coordinator. He was
the founder and executive director of two
community organizations: Detroit Love,
Inc. (In the Name of Christ), a faith-based
partnership with as many as 72 churches
and Christian agencies; and Streetwise, Inc.,
a ministry to urban youth. For 10 years, he
served as a patrolman and Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (DARE) officer with the
Detroit Police Department. He is the author
of Making a Choice: A Practical Guide Toward
Surviving in the Street. He and his wife Sharon
Peters-Harden have four children.
2006 Class Gift Honors Seminary Professors
Seminary students, staff, faculty, and administrators
gathered recently to celebrate
the dedication of the Memorial Patio, the
2006 class gift and a permanent tribute
to Don Verseput and Ralph Hammond,
seminary professors who died in 2004. As
his 
gift to the seminary, Kevin Stormer, husband of seminary student Tedi Anne,
designed the patio, ordered all the materials,
and supervised the labor. The effort
was financed through contributions from
seminary faculty, staff, and students, who
also volunteered time to work on building
the structure.
The result, an inviting 41’ x 20’ brick area bordered by a retaining wall, hostas, and petunias, boasts a serene view of Lake Valentine and is accessible by glass doors in the seminary’s lower campus center. The patio “will function as a room of the seminary, a place of reflection and meditation,” said Bethel University President George K. Brushaber. “It is a wonderful addition to the life of the seminary community,” he continued, “and a reminder of two lives that blessed and touched this community.” M.Div. student Jim Anderson reflected on the conversations he shared with Don Verseput, associate professor of New Testament, in the months before Don’s death from pancreatic cancer. “We sat on his deck and just talked,” he recalled. “As you sit on this patio, I hope you will remember Don’s heart for Bethel, his heart for students, and his passion for Jesus.”
Steve Brooks, former Bethel Seminary employee and friend of Ralph Hammond, director of multicultural affairs and associate professor of pastoral care, spoke of Ralph’s broad smile and deep appreciation for each student and colleague he encountered. “Ralph considered each one of us a treasure that God has made uniquely,” he said. “Our time here is so short. Don’t let opportunities pass us by. That is Ralph’s message to us.”
Provost Leland Eliason concluded the ceremony with his own reflections and a prayer of dedication. “I think of this patio as a symbol and representation of the out-of-the- classroom activities of Don and Ralph,” he stated. “Both had significant ministries apart from the classroom.” Eliason mentioned the common thread of humor in both men’s lives, encouraging students to mourn their loss but also to “live centered in the peace and joy of Christ. As we sit on this patio and remember Ralph and Don, let us spread the medicine of their humor around.”
Twenty-five from Bethel Journey to South Africa
A delegation of 25 staff, faculty, and students
representing all schools of Bethel University
traveled to South Africa July 12-27. The
trip emphasized a theme of reconciliation
and was facilitated by Curtiss DeYoung,
associate
professor of reconciliation studies
at Bethel, and Seth and
Merrishia Naicker, Bethel
students from South Africa.
Merrishia is working
toward her M.A. in Marriage
and Family Therapy
at Bethel Seminary.
“South Africa’s narrative has been on the world showcase as it moved from civil crisis to a miraculous turnaround,” says Seth. “As delegates and networking partners of Bethel University, we engaged with people who are actively involved in the work of development and education in South Africa.”
On the itinerary were visits with several dignitaries, including Ismail Vadi, a member of the African National Congress, who briefed the group during a tour of worship places in Johannesburg and the Parliament in Cape Town. The delegation also visited sites that were significant in the history of the freedom struggle, as well as AIDS hospices, schools, and settlements where Christ’s work of reconciliation is occurring.
“This was an opportunity for Bethel people to explore firsthand the roots of systemic injustice and the process of recovery,” says Seth. “That kind of experiential learning is unique.”
Three Faculty Honored in Presentation Services
Bethel Seminary holds presentation services
to formally dedicate and affirm faculty who
have recently joined the community. The
following faculty were recently recognized:
Kyle A. Roberts, assistant professor of
systematic theology
Justin Irving at Bethel Seminary St.
Paul, who joined the Bethel Seminary community
in fall 2005, coming from Chicago
where he completed his dissertation at Trinity
Evangelical
Divinity
School.
He holds a
B.A. from
Wheaton
College, an
M.Div. from
Midwestern Baptist
Seminary,
and recently
completed
a Ph.D. in
biblical and
systematic
theology
from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
His dissertation addressed Kierkegaard’s
understanding of the role of Scripture in
the development of authentic selfhood.
He recently contributed two chapters for
Kierkegaard and the Bible, the first volume
of the forthcoming project Kierkegaard Research:
Sources, Reception, and Resources.
He has also presented numerous other
theological papers.
In a presentation address titled “Owning
Truth,” Roberts explained that Kierkegaard
encourages a reader to enter imaginatively
into the biblical text, allowing it to become
more than just something to look at, but a
mirror in which the reader can
Kyle Roberts see himself
and experience personal transformation.
Dan Gurtner, assistant professor of New
Testament at Bethel Seminary St. Paul,
spoke on the topic “‘Unveiling’ Jesus in
a Postmodern Age,” arguing that today’s
postmodern bias against absolute truth is
entirely contrary to the biblical witness.
“We have dethroned God as the sovereign
of truth and enthroned ourselves,” he stated.
“Biblical revealed truth is not ours from
which to pick or choose.”
Gurtner holds a B.A. from Grove City College, an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a Th.M. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Beth lived for two years in St. Andrews, Scotland, where Gurtner pursued his Ph.D., and then moved to Cambridge, England, while he finished his dissertation and conducted post-doctoral research. Gurtner’s dissertation addressed the tearing of the temple veil in Matthew and will be published by Cambridge University Press as part of its Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series in 2006. He has also authored or co-authored numerous monographs, commentaries, essays, and more than 50 academic articles and reviews in 15 different journals. Gurtner was recently appointed to the editorial board for the Bulletin for Biblical Research.
Justin Irving, assistant professor of ministry
leadership at Bethel Seminary St. Paul,
addressed the seminary community with
“Rooted and Relevant: Compelling Leadership
for Changing Times.” He described
the mixed reactions to our changing times
as running the gamut from energized
to dizzied, calling for
leaders to address these
responses and consider
what type of leadership
is best suited to them.
Dan Gurtner “Today’s leaders face
new complexities…that
heighten the need for
clarity among Christian
leaders more than ever
before,” he said. He then
detailed three essentials
for rooted and relevant
Christian leaders: 1)
God-centered; 2) embrace
the broad metanarrative
of God’s story throughout history; 3)
committed to service and self-sacrifice.
Irving earned a B.A. from Northwestern
College, Minn., an M.Div. from Bethel
Seminary, and a Ph.D. in organizational
leadership from Regent University, conducting
research on the relationship between
servant leadership and the effectiveness of
teams. He has served as an instructor at both
Northwestern College, in biblical studies,
and Bethel Seminary, in ministry leadership.
He also served as pastor of leadership
development and outreach for four years at
his home church in the Phillips neighborhood
of Minneapolis.
Irving’s most recent publications are in the areas of self-sacrificial leadership, meta narrative and leadership effectiveness, team leadership in the global context, and the relationship between servant leadership and the effectiveness of teams. His work is being published in the International Journal of Leadership Studies, the Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, the International Journal of Qualitative Methods, and the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences E-Journal.