Why is Seminary a worthwhile investment? Why do I devote my life to impacting lives through providing a rigorous education for ministry? Why is it a significant ministry for you and me to support this financially?
There are lots of answers to this. But I want to focus on one of the biggest: it’s worthwhile because of the scope of impact–both where our alumni end up and who they impact for decades after graduating.
Urbana Seminary alums minister in Central Asia and East Asia in restricted access countries. They’re also in Thailand and India. And yes, they stretch from coast to coast in the good ol’ USA, with a concentration in the Midwest. Pretty impressive for a school that first graduated students in 2005.
When I came to teach here at the founding of the ministry I expected we’d prepare people to be pastors and missionaries. Well, yes indeed, we have alums who pastor and serve Christ as missionaries or campus workers. But the great surprise along the way was how many others God sent our way to touch who weren’t the stereotypical seminary alum. A great gift from the Lord has been the broadly diverse student body we’ve had, who grow in understanding their faith, the Bible, and our God in Seminary. Then they take this training and live it out in all sorts of different locales and settings.
They range from professional drivers to construction contractors. They work in fast-paced corporate settings–marketing and consulting and researching. They pursue doctoral studies and careers in nursing, and hold a variety of positions in business. There are university administrators and EMTs, retirees and research scientists, engineers and photographers, civil servants and church administrators, computer programmers and counselors. Even with this kaleidoscope of pursuits, they share in common a desire to live out a godly lifestyle, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, and actively engaging in many avenues of creative ministries. These range from lay preaching to a discipleship ministry conducted in tandem with rigorous athletic training, from serving in a retirement community to medical school.
It’s your generous support that makes this range and scope of impact possible! Thank you–we know that we can’t do it without you, and God is using each and every one who donates to minister to those who seek to follow God’s leading. A simple goal for Seminary faculty, staff, and supporters as we anticipate 2017: Train even more, increase what we can offer them, and give them tools they will use to magnify our Lord! Would you consider joining us in ministry by making a year end gift to Urbana Seminary?
Thanks,
Ken
Ken Cuffey
President; Professor of Biblical Studies
(if you would like to donate using Paypal or a credit card go to this address, and follow the link at the bottom of the page: http://www.urbanatheologicalseminary.org/giving/
