The Alex Steddom International Student Fund was originally conceived to support the financial needs of as many as four seminarians annually from theologically famished regions of the world at our Minneapolis campus.
We have entered a new phase of this endeavor. A sufficient number of prior years’ grantees have now returned or plan to return to their home countries soon such that the fund’s future use will support Bethlehem Seminary education in-country.
A larger portion of generous gifts will now go directly to the instruction of more students, on the ground, where they live, activating immediate gospel ministry where it’s needed, without gifts being diluted by the substantial expenses of international travel and U.S. costs-of-living.
Edison DSouza’s church in India granted him a four-year sabbatical to gain deeper immersion in Reformed Theology. He says, “This was the best sabbatical ever.” The Alex Steddom International Student Fund made it possible for Pastor DSouza to travel to Minneapolis, with his wife and family, and spend eight semesters of “Education in Serious Joy.” He gained a level of mastery over the biblical languages, plumbed the depths of biblical doctrines, became part of the fellowship of the local church, and served alongside an experienced pastor as an apprentice.
Now, he returns to Mysore to take up his pulpit again, encourage the saints, and shepherd his people as a Bethlehem Man. He dreams, in time, to establish an extension of Bethlehem Seminary in the model of the extension site in Cameroon. First he will focus on re-establishing himself as a local pastor, pursue a Ph.D., and formalize plans for a school. He represents both the original aim of the Alex Steddom International Student Fund and, now, its new focus on in-country seminary education.
Godspeed, Edison DSouza.
Being a pastor is challenging. The apostle Paul faced hostility from the Corinthian church—a people he had evangelized, nurtured, and cared for as a spiritual father in Christ Jesus. This summer, Boaz Prince sat in Dr. Piper’s Greek Exegesis class, wrestling through 2 Corinthians to understand why the Corinthians turned against Paul and how he responded pastorally to their accusations. They viewed his humility as weakness and falsely accused him of walking in the flesh (2 Cor. 10:1–2, 10), adopting a triumphalistic view of greatness and misunderstanding Christian leadership.
Paul models Christ’s humility by appealing to the Corinthians, asserting that God entrusted him with apostolic authority not to tear them down but to build them up (2 Cor. 10:8). Rooted in Christ who emptied himself for others (Phil. 2:6–8), his ministry relied on divine power rather than human showmanship. Unlike his detractors’ worldly weapons—rhetoric and charisma—Paul’s weapons confront human pride, spurring obedience to Christ and magnifying God’s power and wisdom.
Boaz Prince knows that the cultural bias equating leadership with success and dominance remains a challenge today. Having planted and pastored a church in India—a setting shaped by the prosperity gospel and Word of Faith movement—he has faced similar opposition. He will return home to Tamil Nadu equipped and prepared by Dr. Piper’s class to meet these challenges. Moreover, his heart has been shaped to rely on God for all things. Theology is not just intellectual exercise; it is meant to stir the heart to love and trust God. He says, “My time at Bethlehem has not only made me a better theologian but a better pastor.”
Bethlehem College and Seminary is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit institution. Contributions are tax-deductible. The Alex Steddom International Student Fund is a temporarily restricted fund that permits Bethlehem College and Seminary to borrow from it for other purposes, if necessary, at a market rate of interest.
Those interested in making larger transformational or legacy gifts of cash or securities may contact: Rick Segal, Vice President of Advancement, Bethlehem College and Seminary, 720 13th Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55415, 612.455.3420 ext. 1122, [email protected]. For recurring gifts, you may call 612.455.3420 ext. 1110 or email [email protected] to cancel or change your donation schedule or amount.
Why We Do Not File IRS Form 990
