Dear Bethlehem College & Seminary Friends,
As you have now heard, I have accepted a call to a new ministry post. We are so thankful for what God has done in us and through us at Bethlehem College & Seminary, and we both celebrate the strong leadership God has put in place and have high hopes for where the school is going. But we also believe that the Lord is leading us to a new stage in our ministry journey.
For over two years, my wife and I have felt a rising stirring in our hearts to increasingly give voice to the beauties of Christ by mobilizing global church leaders through my writing and teaching. And after 6 months of earnest and prayerful wrestling, I have now answered a call to move to a new ministry post at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. We were not looking for a job change at all, nor was it easy to consider leaving Bethlehem College & Seminary. But we do believe that the Lord is guiding, and that he has provided this new position as a provision for this rising desire.
We leave with continued deep alignment with Bethlehem’s theology and vision and with an eagerness to spread the same deep truths and passion for God to a new people in a new context. We leave not with a disgruntled spirit but with grateful and hopeful hearts. We are not wanting to run away from anything here, but quite the opposite, we want to run with all that we have received here into a new context. There are many elements in the new post that we believe will specifically aid my calling to serve the bride of Christ and that we hope can even bless Bethlehem. This is our prayer and hope.
Here is the basic overview:
Midwestern has invited me to serve as Research Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology. In short, my new post will:
- Allow me to continue to teach strategic MDiv classes, which I love!
- I will also begin a new role of leading PhD students. This seems strategic as I will not only be able to train future pastors, but I will now have the new opportunity to teach and guide doctoral students in the hope of preparing the next generation of biblically-faithful, Christ-exalting, nations-committed professors who will be training future pastors. I am so happy about this; please pray for me to be faithful!
- Continue my training of church leaders and care for the poor in Ethiopia (potentially taking both Bethlehem and Midwestern students with me), but now also getting to consider how to partner with the largest mission-sending agency in the world (the Southern Baptist International Mission Board).
- Devote more time to writing. It takes me long, focused time to write, and MBTS is in a position to provide this. One of my and Teresa’s special interests is to support and equip under-served church leaders in the Global South (South America, Africa, South Asia), the very location where God is most quickly building his church in the 21st century but in which 85% of the church leaders have no theological training. We are praying that my writing will help equip leaders “for the church” all around the globe. Will you pray with us that this vision can run sound and sure?
We believe the context at Midwestern is ready for us to bring our commitment to God’s greatness, our treasuring of Christ, and our heart for missions. The leadership at the school loves our deep dedication to spread a passion for God’s supremacy in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.
Please join us in praying that God will allow our cups to overflow to the obedience of faith for the sake of Christ’s name among the nations. And please pray for our mutually dear Bethlehem College & Seminary. Pray she too will run strong and clear in heart and deed, into the next decade of her history!
Dear friends, you stand with a precious school. We have loved our leaders and team, and we would want nothing more than to honor them with our very best––in the way we go, and in the way we run. We have also loved our students; we are so rich because of them! And we have loved you, those who faithfully support and spread serious joy for the mission of Christ through Bethlehem College & Seminary.
Please join us in sustained prayer for Bethlehem as they march on, seeking to be faithful to the honor they have been given to shape students in serious joy. And please pray for and with us: “Lord, let the glory of Christ pour forth through these clay pots” (2 Cor. 4:6–7), and “please keep us and this school faithful and humble and increasingly awaken more worshippers of you in this world!”
With gratitude for you,
Dr. Jason and Teresa DeRouchie and family