Letter from the Provost

Volume 22 No 1 | Winter 2008-2009

Dear Bethel family,

Many years ago during my first term at Bethel Seminary, I was privileged to work closely with Chaplain Chet Lindsey, retired commandant of the U.S. Army Chaplain School at Fort Wadsworth, N.Y., and veteran of two tours in Vietnam. Gordon Johnson, then seminary dean, had brought him to Bethel to assist in his office.

Chet knew that he was dying of cancer, and I will never forget the words he said to me during a moment of reflection, “If I had been asked to write about my life at its outset, my imagination would have been too impoverished to describe all the good things that have happened.”

As I approach the end of 25 years of service at Bethel Seminary (and 20 served in church positions) I find Chet’s words resonating in me. Indeed, the providence and grace of God are exceedingly good. But that statement needs some interpretation, doesn’t it?

Reality Check #1: We live on earth, not in heaven. This planet suffers from tornadoes and hurricanes, earthquakes and floods, famines and plagues. We experience tribulation, persecution, illness, temptation, betrayal, injustice, failure, sin, and death. So how do we explain the superlatives we use to describe the abundant life that Jesus offers?

Reality Check #2: Jesus extends to us His presence in tribulation, perseverance in persecution, sustenance during illness, escape from temptation, healing for betrayal, courage to face injustice, new beginnings after failure, forgiveness for sin, and hope in the face of death. As we live the adventure of obedience, we participate in work that lasts for eternity, we benefit from treasured relationships, we find pathways of guidance and direction, we are gripped by a purpose that’s anchored in heaven, and we grow in an ever deepening relationship with God made possible through Jesus Christ and His indescribable gift of salvation. And even then, the magnitude of the gospel we proclaim far surpasses it all.

Fifteen years ago the seminary faculty voted unanimously by closed ballot to adopt our vision/mission statement, opening with, “The passion of Bethel Seminary is to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ among all people in culturally sensitive ways.” To paraphrase Chet Lindsey, if you had asked me 15 years ago to predict what would happen, my imagination would have been too impoverished to describe it!

A great example is found in the pages that follow. Bethel’s new Master of Arts in Community Ministry Leadership degree (Power to the People) is designed to equip and empower leaders to work in areas where many churches have pulled away—areas with weaker schools, higher crime rates, and often rampant unemployment. To launch the program with more than 50 new students this fall realizes a 15-year-old dream. Imagine the impact as these students are mobilized to serve where the challenges are greatest, but where the light of the gospel shines brightest!

Mine has been a great journey. I have been privileged to be part of the ongoing growth and development of Bethel Seminary. The adventure continues, and I believe the seminary is positioned so that its best days lie ahead. Join me in earnest prayers for President Jay Barnes and his team, and for the Board of Trustees, as they seek to expand and develop the seminary’s capacity to fulfill its unique mission within Bethel University.

Leland Eliason
Executive Director and Provost