Cont. pg. 2

INSIDE

WELCOME:

DR. JIM BELCHER

DR. JIM BELCHER

JOINS THE KNOX FACULTY

PREACHING CHRIST IN

THE OLD TESTAMENT

A FRESH VISION

WHO IS THIS GOD . . .

SEEKING THE PEACE

OF THE CITY

SEMINARY ADVANTAGE

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

CLASSES 2012

KNOX THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

WINTER 2011/2012

LEGACY

Many in the sports world who follow basketball were glued to their television set as LeBron James made his grand announcement that he would sign as a free agent with the Miami Heat. Season tickets for the Miami Heat games surged, LeBron game jerseys became a hot item at the local sports equipment store and the Heat organization popped the champagne, toasting their new team addition.

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15.

With the signing of Dr. Jim Belcher, I now know how the Heat

management felt when they signed LeBron. Dr. Belcher will head up

the Practical Theology Department here at Knox. I only hinted at the

possibility in my previous article, but now I can make it offi cial. Dr.

Belcher is every bit a superstar in Christian education. His book, Deep

Church, is a staple in the curriculum of many American seminaries.

Dr. Belcher brings an impressive resume which includes serving as the

Senior Pastor at the Redeemer Presbyterian Church, a very large PCA

Church in Newport Beach, California. A powerful voice in Reformed

circles, Dr. Belcher will be a key player on the team of an all-world

faculty we now have at Knox.

When I look at the faculty at Knox, I know that it is among the best in the world. Students who

study here are going to have a major impact for Christ—if He tarries. Your gift of any amount

will go directly to training students and paying for faculty. LeBron wasn’t cheap; we need your

help!

2

Dr. Belcher

Continued from page 1

The faculty and staff of Knox Theological Seminary extend their condolences to the family of Dr. Cortez Cooper who went to

be with our Lord on October 25, 2011.

Dr. Cooper was President of Knox Theological Seminary from July, 1994 through December, 1995. He served on the KTS Board of Directors

from the summer of 1994 through the fall of 2007.

3

The Board of Directors at Knox Theological Seminary is pleased to announce that Dr. Jim

Belcher will be joining the faculty as an Associate Professor of Practical Theology. Dr.

Belcher’s responsibilities will include teaching in the areas of pastoral theology, preaching,

missional theology, worship, and church planting. He will chair the Practical Theology

Department and give leadership to the Doctor of Ministry program.

“Our desire at Knox is to be Christ centered, gospel driven, and mission focused in all of our

programs. That is precisely why we are thrilled to have Dr. Jim Belcher join us as resident

faculty and chair of our Practical Theology program,” said Dean of Faculty, Dr. Warren A.

Gage. “Jim’s heart for Christian unity is Spirit driven, yet it is a passion informed by a deep

commitment to the church and to the Reformed faith. Jim brings many unique gifts to our

faculty and we believe that he is God’s choice to help us cast the pastoral vision here at Knox

Theological Seminary.”

Dr. Belcher taught a Doctor of Ministry course at Knox in August entitled Mission and

Tradition: Seeking a Balance in Ministry where he was greeted warmly by faculty, staff,

students and local pastors. He said, “What excites me about Knox is their commitment to

church planting in South Florida, missional Christianity, and an international focus.” Assistant

Professor of Systematic Theology Dr. Michael Allen, who co-taught the Doctor of Ministry

course with Dr. Belcher said, “We are thrilled that Dr. Belcher will join our faculty. He will

bring many new talents, gifts, passions, and experiences to our faculty, even as he shares

our common commitment to Christ-centered, gospel-driven, mission-focused theological

education.”

Dr. Belcher is best known for his widely-acclaimed, award-winning book, Deep Church: A

Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional (InterVarsity Press, 2009). Tim Keller, founding

pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, applauded the book: “Jim Belcher

shows that we don’t have to choose between orthodox evangelical doctrine

Continued on page 4

Dr. Jim Belcher Joins

the Faculty at Knox

Theological Seminary

4

on the one hand, and cultural engagement, creativity and commitment to social

justice on the other. This is an important book.” Deep Church argues that

faithful Christian ministry must learn from the great tradition of classical and

Reformed theology as well as engage in the practice of discerning and creative

contextualization. It illustrates this commitment by considering a host of issues,

ranging from worship to evangelism. Christianity Today awarded the book its 2010

Book Award in the Church/Pastoral Leadership category. It continues to be read

widely and is used as a textbook in many seminaries and colleges. He is currently

completing its sequel, Deep Christianity (InterVarsity Press, forthcoming 2012),

which presents a contemporary defense of the gospel in conversation with the

great tradition as well as various modern critics of the faith. Preparation of this

new volume has involved a year of research and writing in Europe, investigating

the sources of modern doubt and skepticism as well as a number of remarkable

examples of Christian witness.

Dr. Belcher received his Ph.D. from Georgetown University, having done earlier

study at Gordon College and Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the founder and

former lead pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Newport Beach,

California, where he served from 2000-2010 and led a period of steady growth.

He is the co-founder of the Restoring Community Conference: Integrating Social

Interaction, Sacred Space and Beauty in the 21st Century, an annual conference

for city offi cials, planners, builders and architects. Jim previously led the Twenty-

Something Fellowship and co-founded The Warehouse Service at Lake Avenue

Church in Pasadena. He has served as adjunct professor at Azusa Pacifi c University

and Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been published in Leadership Journal

and re:generation quarterly. He and his wife, Michelle, have four children.

Dr. Belcher’s appointment will be effective December 1, 2011, and he will begin

teaching in the January, 2012.

If you would like more information about Knox Theological Seminary, please

visit www.knoxseminary.edu, their offi cial Facebook page, or on Twitter @

knoxseminary. For more information about Jim Belcher, please visit www.

thedeepchurch.com or you can fi nd him on Twitter @jimbelcher.

Dr. Belcher Joins the Knox Faculty

Continued from page 3

PREACHING CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:A Powerful Message From the Pulpit That is

Connecting With People in the Pews.

Jesus said that when he is lifted up he will draw all men to himself

(John 12:32). It was always God’s purpose to unify his people

to himself by the suffering and glory (the gospel) of his Son, the

Lord Jesus. Jesus was lifted up to suffer death on the cross and to

suffer the shame of death and burial.

But as Isaiah the prophet foresaw, Jesus was “raised, he was lifted up, and he was

exalted very high” (Isaiah 52:13). Christians have long read Isaiah’s prophecy to

speak of Christ being raised from the grave, of his ascension into heaven, and of his

being exalted to the right hand of the Father himself. That message–of the triumph

of the Savior over death and the grave and his glorious resurrection, ascension, and

exaltation—is the testimony of the sacred scriptures and the heart of the apostolic

preaching of the cross. It is the greatest source of hope a dying world could ever

know. It speaks of the greatest love there could ever be. Its message summons us

to the greatest adventure of faith we could ever imagine.

Our challenge at Knox Seminary is to kindle a bright and warm love of the

scriptures in our students, whose minds are trained to see the gospel in all of the

scriptures, Old Testament and New Testament, just as the Lord Jesus directed (Luke

24:27). With such a vision of the scriptures as Christ centered, their hearts, like

Jeremiah’s, will burn within them, driving them to share the gospel. That universal

message of the calling forth of the elect people of God will challenge them to go, as

the Savior commanded, into all the earth.

That is our calling here at Knox. It is our

commitment to be Christ centered, gospel

driven, and mission focused—until He

comes!

By Dr. Warren Gage

5

6 Continued on page 7

A FRESH VISIONby Dr. Michael Allen

Every so often churches and ministries reassess their mission statements,

asking if they most fi ttingly express their real passions, core principles, and

sense of calling. Knox Theological Seminary has recently gone through such

a process, involving the development of a new mission statement. At their

October meeting, the Board of Directors approved the following statement

of mission: “Knox Theological Seminary equips servant leaders for effective

Reformed ministry that is Christ centered, gospel driven, and mission focused.”

This new statement refl ects those commitments that mark our faculty and our

prayer is that it will describe each and every one of our graduates.

It will be our privilege over the course of this year and the next three issues

of Legacy to unpack each of the three new phrases used to describe our goals

here: Christ centered, gospel driven, mission focused. You will have noticed

that many of the terms in this new statement are straightforward: equipping,

leaders, effective, ministry. Such terms, or close synonyms, probably appear in

almost every seminary mission statement. They are important words and serve

a purpose: we are training folks for ministry, not for a million other things in

life; we want people to be equipped and effective, rather than

Look for us:

A Fresh Vision

Continued from page 6

unprepared and unproductive. Yet each of these terms is fairly abstract and vague.

We believe that these three particular phrases – Christ centered, gospel driven, and

mission focused – add real depth and distinctiveness to what we seek to do here at

Knox Seminary. These commitments defi ne ministerial excellence and effectiveness

and, by extension, they shape what it means to be theologically educated in a way

that genuinely equips one for a lifetime of service.

We cannot assume that the standards of business practice or therapeutic approaches

set the bar for pastoral ministry – ministry leaders are not called to be bureaucrats

or therapists but heralds of the Word. Therefore, ministerial excellence must be

defi ned by that Word and according to its faithful transmission. We did not make

up these principles on our own, and we did not borrow them from secular disciples.

We believe they mark God’s priorities communicated to us in the Bible. Because

they are to shape individual Christians, churches, and Christian ministry, we are

steadfastly committed to ensuring that they shape our educational goals. We believe

they describe our approach to our three major areas of theological curriculum:

biblical studies, theological studies, and pastoral studies. We look forward to sharing

more with you about these principles and passions in the coming months: what they

mean, how they affect our teaching, and how they play out in the ministries of our

graduates in churches and cities. In the meanwhile, know that we are here and that

we are committed to this mission – we hope that you will partner with us.

7

Who is This God who Comes to Rescue Sinners in Jesus?: How This Question Informs My Teaching

Theology can sound like a high-fl ying enterprise, but if Martin

Luther was right that “all Christians are theologians” it’s

probably worth pausing to think about what theology is and

why seminaries offer an education in it. Here’s one well-known

defi nition from an even more well-known theology professor:

“Theology is the Church’s work of testing its proclamation by the standard of Holy

Scripture.” Packed into this terse description are three crucial characteristics of

theology, all of which identify something integral to the vision of Knox Theological

Seminary: 1) theology is the Church’s work; 2) the norm or standard for theological

thinking is Holy Scripture; 3) theology’s goal is the proclamation of the gospel.

It’s important to emphasize these three facets of

theology because it puts a seminary education (and

a seminary professor!) in its proper place. The fi nal

frontier of seminary is not the exam at the end of each

course or even the handing over of the diploma at

graduation. Rather, seminary is a servant – it serves

the Church by being a place in which to do the hard

and worshipful work of listening to God’s written

and living Word so that the gospel of God’s love for

sinners can be declared afresh. Another way to say this is to

say that seminary is a place where theology happens – theology that is

8

Continued on page 9

by Dr. Jonathan Linebaugh

practiced as the prayerful labor of learning the gospel and theology that is practiced

for the mission of making the gospel known.

What this means for Knox is that our mission is not reducible to passing on

information and giving out degrees. The elements of a theological education –

reading till your eyes close, writing till your hands go numb, and thinking till your

head hurts – have an endgame: we want to graduate men and women who are

Christ centered, gospel

driven, and mission

focused. Seminary is

a time to slow down

and listen to the Word

of God, not so that we

have a database of facts

in case a biblical edition

of Trivial Pursuit breaks

out (how fun would that

be!), but so that having slowed down and listened, we can go out and speak. To

quote again the professor introduced above, “the Church’s task is to proclaim the

Word spoken by God.” Such a task means fi rst attending to what God has said, and

seminary provides a space to do that in a sustained and deep way. But Jesus sends

his disciples to go and make disciples (Matthew 28), so the listening and learning of

seminary is always moving towards the act of speaking in witness to the world and

in witness to God.

Who is This God . . . Continued from page 8

9

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:19

10 Continued on page 11

What will it take for your city or neighborhood to fl ourish? Does this question strike

you as odd? This past summer, sixteen pastors and business professionals, hosted

by Knox Theological Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program, gathered in Dallas,

Texas to discuss this very issue. The course was entitled, “Assist Leader: When the

Church Leads the League in Assists.” The purpose of the course was to learn how

the local church can positively infl uence culture by assisting neighboring institutions

in fl ourishing.

Dr. Michael Metzger, president of The Clapham Institute, was the course instructor.

He taught that institutions are the center of cultural production and the primary

reason why the church has failed to positively affect culture rests in its withdrawal

from institutions. Over the past twenty years, evangelicals have focused most of

their attention on national politics with the hope of changing the country. But has

it worked? In a recent book entitled, To Change the World, James Davison Hunter

argues that the idea of getting a large enough political base to affect change will

never succeed in changing the culture. Rather, true change occurs “when networks

of elites in overlapping fi elds of culture and overlapping spheres of social life come

together with their varied resources and act in common purpose.” In other words,

culture – the sum total product of ideas, products, and media – is shaped by a select

few. If you have an impact on them, you will have an impact on many.

William Wilberforce is the classic example of such positive infl uence. Through

his career as a member of British Parliament, Wilberforce changed the culture of

England through his networks of Clapham colleagues who achieved over sixty

societal reforms, including abolishing the slave trade as well as reforming banking

laws and education.

Seeking the Peaceof the Cityby Jonathan G. Smith

Seeking the Peace of a City Continued from page 10

The Clapham Sect recognized that at the center of these overlapping networks

of social life are institutions that produce culture. They are businesses, schools,

hospitals, and universities. They are associations, country clubs, sports teams, and

children’s programs. The Clapham colleagues understood that, in a nutshell, culture

is the sum total output of all of the institutions within society. Put another way,

institutions defi ne reality and establish boundaries.

In the book of Jeremiah we see the faith community in exile. The people of God had

been taken into captivity and removed from their promised native land. Because

they had turned from God and not loved their neighbors (Jeremiah 1:1-3:5), God

had brought them into exile. Their instructions were as old as Genesis, to love their

neighbors by making culture. In Jeremiah 29:7, we see these words, “Work to see

that the city where I sent you as exiles enjoys peace and prosperity. Pray to the

LORD for it, for as it prospers you will prosper.” In other words, the ancient faith

community only fl ourished as their pagan captors fl ourished. This kind of mission

means the people of God were not narrowly focused on evangelism but rather they

had to redefi ne reality for the Babylonians--what biblical peace and prosperity

looks like in the “real world.” Like the Clapham Sect, the Jews could not ignore

institutions but rather worked alongside and in the Babylonian institutions that

shaped the culture.

This challenge can only be accomplished through redefi ning reality through the

Christian story of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. A different way of

understanding the four-chapter gospel story is simply to understand it in the form

of the verb “to be”: Creation (ought), Fall (is), Redemption (can), and Restoration

(will). As Christians, we understand the world as it “ought” to have been, but

because of sin, we understand and recognize the world as it “is.” Through the death

and resurrection of Jesus Christ we believe it “can” be better and because of the

promised return of Christ, we believe that Jesus “will” make “all things new” (Rev.

21:5). Therefore, cultural change is only possible by helping people re-imagine life

with new lenses in order to see that there are answers to problems. The mission of

Jesus was to change the world, and he has commissioned us, through the rich power

of the Holy Spirit, to do the same.

11

Seminary Advantage

As a former baseball player, I know there has always been one aspect

of the game of baseball that differs from most other professional

sports. It’s called the minor leagues. Most professional sports desire

to showcase the most talented athletes that they can fi nd; however,

baseball develops its talent and allows them to shine in markets that

can’t support a major league team.

While serving here at Knox I have come to realize that about 80% of the

people serving in evangelical churches today are not able or qualifi ed to

go into a master’s program at an accredited seminary. However, they

are still serving in churches and on the mission fi eld because they are

convinced that God has called them. They are faithful to go into the

fi eld of ministry even without training. It is the awareness of the need

for training these brethren that has motivated me to develop a “minor

league” system for theological training.

Using a certifi cate program that reaches across denominational lines,

while holding fast to the essentials of the faith, we have created

Seminary Advantage. In this program we place the certifi cate training

back into the local church. In many cases it will be our graduates from

Knox who will facilitate these classes. We offer ten core classes that

take one year to complete. Much of the training is face to face with a

mentor while some is by distance learning. What really separates us

12 Continued on page 13

by Rev. Al Jiron

While serving here at Knox I have come to realize that about 80% of the

people serving in evangelical churches today are not able or qualifi ed to

go into a master’s program at an accredited seminary. However, they

are still serving in churches and on the mission fi eld because they are

convinced that God has called them. They are faithful to go into the

fi eld of ministry even without training. It is the awareness of the need

for training these brethren that has motivated me to develop a “minor

Using a certifi cate program that reaches across denominational lines,

Seminary Advantage. In this program we place the certifi cate training

back into the local church. In many cases it will be our graduates from

Knox who will facilitate these classes. We offer ten core classes that

take one year to complete. Much of the training is face to face with a

mentor while some is by distance learning. What really separates us

graduate from Seminary Advantage with a certifi cate in practical theology from

Knox, a student not only completes the class work but they must also start an

evangelistic work that will feed into their local church, or they can plant a new

church.

Our hope is to introduce and encourage students to continue in their theological

training by giving them a taste of what is offered. Seminary Advantage is also

partnering with a church plant ministry called The Timothy Insitiative. Out of each

student’s tuition a portion will be given to help plant three churches in India or

Africa.

Seminary Advantage is a win, win, win situation. Knox wins by cultivating

students into theological training. The students win by receiving practical and

theological training that they desperately need. The Kingdom wins by the planting

of new churches and evangelistic works through our students. We want all

Christians to have trained ministers and all ministers to have the opportunity to be

trained.

13

Seminary Advantage

Continued from page 12

The faculty and staff of Knox Theological Seminary

wish you a Merry Christmas

and a Blessed New Year.

14

15

DM868 Deuteronomy: Theology and Exegesis

3 credits • January 2-6

Fort Lauderdale, FL Knox Theological Seminary

A study of Deuteronomy, this class focuses on its literary and canonical argument,

drawing on the history of interpretation and considering its implications for

Christian doctrine and ministry. In so doing, we consider a number of major issues in theology

and ministry: the people of God and the place (kingdom) of God, the importance of remembrance

in the life of faith, worship, social ethics, Christian formation, and the relationship of faith and

obedience.

Taught by Dr. Mike Allen.

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY CLASSES 2012

GIVING TRIBUTE

A gift made to honor or in memory of a family member or a treasured member

of the body of Christ is a meaningful way to support the

ministry of Knox Theological Seminary.

Your tribute gift will be recognized in the next issue of Legacy.

The following tribute gifts have been received since our last publication:

IN MEMORY OF: GIVEN BY:

Mr. James D. Barty, Jr. Mrs. Rita H. Barty

Mr. Dean Clineman Mr. R. Scott Clineman

Mr. Robert Clineman Mr. R. Scott Clineman

Mr. Chris Copley Mr. & Mrs. James C. Copley

Mrs. Audra Copley Mr. & Mrs. James C. Copley

Mr. William F. Haring Mr. & Mrs. Clark Cochran

Mrs. Helen Jaworsky Mr. Matthew Jaworsky

Dr. D. James Kennedy Mr. Harry G. Rohr

Dr. D. James Kennedy Mr. & Mrs. Howard H. Wolfe

Dr. Collins Weeber Mr. & Mrs. David S. Wyatt

IN HONOR OF: GIVEN BY:

Mr. Steve Jester Mr. Edward Unser

DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 5554 NORTH FEDERAL HIGHWAY, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA 33308

PHONE: 954.771.0376 FAX: 954.351.3343 E-MAIL: rkovack@knoxseminary.edu

KNOXTHEOLOGICAL SEMINARY