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Meet A Graduate: Shane Lems (M.Div., 2007)
 “Why
did you choose Westminster Seminary California?” I have
heard this question many times since I came to Escondido
three years ago, and my answers have always been these three
reasons:
Gospel-centered Teaching
The biggest reason why I moved my family 2000 miles away
from home to study here is because WSC cares about the
gospel. I don’t think I sat through a single class without
hearing something about Christ. The counseling classes
emphasized the gospel; the homiletic department’s motto was
clearly, “Preach Christ;” the NT and OT lectures were
saturated with the good news. I could go on! I remember one
professor warning future pastors like myself: “If your
sermon doesn’t have Christ in it, don’t step behind the
pulpit.” An Outstanding Faculty
When I was looking for a seminary, I found that WSC has a
better faculty than any other Reformed seminary. After three
years of classes, I say the same: the professors at WSC are
indeed experts in their respective fields and are not afraid
to work their students academically! I have benefited from
the rich academic atmosphere which has prepared me to
interact with intellectually robust theological topics –
whether critical or conservative.
A Solid Commitment to Reformed Theology
Another reason why I came to WSC is because of the emphasis
on Reformed confessional orthodoxy. Each professor has an
evident love for the Reformed faith. From the lectures in
systematic theology to Hebrew or Greek exegesis to homiletic
critique, the Reformation shines through. This emphasis on
confessional and historical Reformed theology has given me a
solid foundation, and I have come to appreciate and enjoy it
more than ever.
I believe WSC equips students for future ministry with a
solid rooting in exegesis, theology, and history. I have
already experienced how WSC has given me the tools to engage
people on a practical, every day level. My education at WSC
has prepared me to teach and preach the gospel to those who
face the everyday sufferings and joys of the Christian life.
If you are considering studies at WSC, be prepared. Be
prepared to learn how to read the Bible; be prepared to
learn so much about Christ it’ll make you laugh and cry at
the same time; be prepared to wrestle and sweat over Hebrew
and Greek; be prepared to enter into the very ethos of
Reformed, historic orthodoxy and all the other uniquely
wonderful Reformed truths. This is the Christian faith of
our fathers: if you want it, it is here at Westminster
Seminary California. |
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Iwan Baamann
(MDiv student)
Sunny Chung
(MA '07)
Paul Ekk (MA '03)
Brannan Ellis (MA '07)
David Holmlund
(MDiv '02)
Daniel Kok
(MDiv '02)
Shane Lems
(MDiv '07)
Brad Lenzner (MDiv '07)
Marcus
MacArthur (MA '04)
Mark Vander Pol
(MDiv student)
Katie Wagenmaker
(MATS student)
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