Our Faculty

Faculty Distinctives

Through a pastoral approach to Reformed academic study and a deep understanding of God’s grace permeating their own lives, professors cultivate a learning environment that allows you to wrestle with honest questions about faith and life. Simultaneously, they help you discern why the academic knowledge they impart is relevant for real-life ministry.

Understanding of Grace

Students at Covenant Seminary often comment on the harmony that exists among the faculty. Simply put, they “get” grace. Beyond the gift of salvation, they understand how it motivates sanctification and sustains holiness—and this affects how they teach and live. At Covenant Seminary, we seek to live in light of the truth that God delights in us solely on the basis of the perfect righteousness of Jesus, and it is by unmerited favor that we enter into relationship with him.

Unity Among Themselves

We believe that if faculty relate to one another on a professional level only, the effect would be destructive. Therefore, the faculty consistently spends time together as a whole and in smaller groups in formal and informal settings. This produces a group of educators who delight to be together and learn from one another—even when challenges arise. Their unity is strengthened through academic and social gatherings where they also renew their friendships.

Activities include:

• Weekly faculty meetings
• Collaboration on publications and various ongoing ministry service commitments
• Social events that include professors’ families and are hosted by various faculty members
• Faculty retreats and colloquia
• Biweekly chapel services
• Team-taught courses (e.g., the MDiv required Covenant Theology)

Through a profound understanding of God’s grace extended to each of them, our faculty of pastor-scholars emulate the gospel in their unity. This respect for and enjoyment of one another brings a unity than translates into the classroom and stretches beyond through opportunities that bring them together.

Scholarship for the Church

Faculty members are committed to the academic disciplines of research and writing. Alongside a commitment to train pastors, our faculty remain committed to the highest-quality scholarship with the goal of expanding the influence of the church. They often make edifying a broad base of believers the goal of their efforts. While they do write for university presses and academic conferences, in keeping with our mission of training pastors, the focus of their scholarship is to write books that edify the church. Therefore they often take the best insights from their critical scholarship and translate them into accessible works that benefit and encourage laypeople. Many also minister abroad, taking Reformed theological training to Christians in other countries.

Scholarship Contributions

• Nearly 20% of the contributors on the forthcoming ESV Study Bible are current or former Covenant Seminary professors or students. (This is by far the most significant percentage associated with one school.)
• Professors frequently produce commentaries for pastors.
• Our professors regularly write books on church practices, the heritage of the church and critical issues facing the church.

A Pastoral Approach

One of Covenant Seminary’s greatest strengths is its faculty of pastor-scholars—highly qualified teachers and scholars who also possess considerable experience in ministry and a pastoral approach to training for ministry. They care deeply for students and take as many opportunities as possible to encourage and mentor them—especially through weekly Covenant Groups that focus on sharing and prayer. They all keep office hours that are not academic-focused, and several consistently go beyond their hours. Some find creative ways of expanding their time with students. One, for example, uses office hours to go lunch with students. Another spent more than 200 hours during the semester in one-on-one meetings with students. As much as possible, professors give of themselves to nurture and encourage future church leaders.

Students learn alongside professors in formal and informal settings such as:

• Weekly Covenant Groups for sharing and prayer
• Office hours
• Independent studies
• Ministry practicums
• Chapel
• Social activities and special campus events
• Ministry together in local churches