One of the core Biblical truths that has guided our path on the journey of Christian Hedonism is found in Acts 20:35. Paul wanted the elders he was training to know one of the sayings of Jesus not found in the Gospels. It was a saying that he wanted them (and us!) not only to know, but to continually remember: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” As we study God’s Word and see the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ, we received an infinitely valuable gift. Jesus himself wants his followers to keep continually in their minds that it is more blessed to give than to receive. This does not diminish the joy of receiving, but it magnifies that joy by giving the blessing to others whether the need is physical or spiritual. It is Paul’s way of motivating us to not just be receivers but to be givers as well. Bethlehem College and Seminary (and before that the Bethlehem Institute) was created because we could not keep the enjoyment of the glory of God in the face of Christ to ourselves. We wanted to intentionally pass it on to others.
By God‘s grace in this (last?) chapter of my life, I have been given the privilege of joining with Bethlehem graduate Dieudonné Tamfu in working with a team of like-minded teachers and sharing what we have learned with those who have not yet had the same opportunity to learn. It’s hard to express the joy of being part of Bethlehem College and Seminary’s extension site in Cameroon. God has used us to start an M.Div. program and just this year a B.A in Pastoral Studies program to train pastors and Christian leaders. We have graduated two cohorts of students. Another cohort, Lord willing, will graduate this year. Two more cohorts after them have joined this journey.
Following 2 Timothy 2:2 as we pour into these men, our aim is to train them to train others who will train others and so on. One of the great delights for me was that on my first trip back to Cameroon last September, after my pancreatic cancer surgery, two students wanted to go on a walk with me. They wanted to tell me that they so loved being in the cohort together that they didn’t want to lose that connection now that they had graduated. Several of them are now pastors, but they wanted to do something together to pass on what they learned. To fulfill that desire they are currently training cohorts of pastors and leaders who do not have the opportunity for an academic program but desperately need training in the Scriptures. To facilitate this multiplication, they have decided to use TLI‘s three-year program of nine courses which some of our Bethlehem Minneapolis students helped to design.
Please pray with me that there will be an exponential growth of pastors and Christian leaders, who know how to read and preach the Scriptures in a city filled with churches susceptible to the influence of the prosperity gospel. These pastors need to be trained in how to read the Bible in context and to see the glory of God in the face of Christ. We want them to cherish the unadulterated gospel of salvation by grace alone. We are also eager to bring this to other cities, towns, and villages.
How thankful I am for the whole faculty and staff of Bethlehem College and Seminary, the churches behind us, and all of you who are giving and praying. Please continue to do so. Momentum is building amidst many trials and tribulations. The best is yet to come!
Together with you in the Greatest Cause,
Tom Steller, D.D.
Associate Professor of Biblical and Global Studies