‘Tis the season for The Singing Seminary™ to celebrate! On Wednesday, December 7, faculty, staff, students, and supporters of Grace Bible Theological Seminary rejoiced in the good things the Lord has done over the past year. Provost Owen Strachan served as master of ceremonies for the event, which featured an address by President Jeff Johnson and testimonies from three GBTS students. The entire student body assembled on stage at the close of the program to sing “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and a festive rendition of “Joy to the World.”
At the beginning of the program, Jeff Johnson gave thanks to God, first and foremost, for the mighty work that He has done in bringing together men of God from 20 states and 3 countries. As president of the seminary, Johnson emphasized that donor support is no small thing, and the seminary would cease to exist if it were not for GBTS’s generous benefactors.
Second-year student Chase Moser lauded the fact that GBTS is a church-based seminary that consists of more than just talking heads in a classroom. He noted, “It is an honor to have professors who know me and my family personally. My time at GBTS is building a foundation for me, and I am praying that the Lord would use it for a lifetime of gospel ministry.”
Native Texan Nick Benedict, the second student presenter of the evening, highlighted GBTS’s emphasis on doctrine and life (1 Tim 4:16) and its mission of producing well-rounded men of integrity. In his brief testimony, Benedict remarked, “The professors at GBTS actively and passively push me to Christlikeness—actively by their convictional adherence to Sola Scriptura and passively by being examples in living out what they preach.”
Similarly, Billy Froman, a first-year student hailing from Las Vegas, also emphasized one of the seminary’s distinctives—the sufficiency of Scripture for all of life—in the final student testimony. Froman talked about his growing confidence in the Bible’s clarity and cogency. He quipped: “Through the wisdom and instruction of men here at GBTS, the Lord Jesus has taught me that I do not need the trappings of philosophy, man’s ‘lofty’ ramblings, or any critical theories to understand that Christ is the full power and wisdom of God.”
Owen Strachan spotlighted the glorious and jaw-dropping task that the Lord has entrusted to GBTS in cultivating men who are God’s workmanship (Eph 2:10). The calling of training men for ministry involves nothing less than joining God on the assembly line as He produces the finest of His handiwork, like Stradivari making one of his limited-edition, hand-crafted violins.
Grace Bible Church of Conway graciously hosted the end-of-the-year celebratory event. As guests made their way into the foyer of the sanctuary, they were welcomed into a virtual winter wonderland. Numerous ladies from the church provided exquisite finger foods, fruit, cheeses, cookies, and refreshments for all attendees. The faculty and staff of GBTS would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our talented team of volunteers, especially Whitney Pryor and Jacquie Jarrott, for organizing the decorations and delectables that made the night so special.
For a list of Spring 2023 class offerings at Grace Bible Theological Seminary, please click here.
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