“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1
On Friday evening, the sixteenth of May, two thousand twenty-five at seven o’clock, Bethlehem College and Seminary’s fifteenth Annual Commencement Exercises took place. This was a wonderful celebration of our triune God and the completion of much work by both undergraduate and graduate students. Thirty-two students completed their undergraduate degrees, and eighteen students completed their graduate degrees. Congratulations to these students, and praise be to God for sustaining them, the faculty, the staff, and all of you who remember Bethlehem College and Seminary in your prayers and with your generous gifts!
I am thrilled to share that in an era that sees the closure or shrinking of many small colleges and seminaries throughout the country, God continues to favor our small school with renowned professors, dedicated staff, and a healthy student body. Here are a few of the many examples of God watching over us this past year:
- We have more new incoming undergraduate students for the fall of 2025 that we have had in many years. It’s entirely possible—Lord willing—that we could welcome our largest ever incoming college class this fall.
- Beginning this summer, students will be able to earn an emphasis in Writing, Editing, and Content Management, Classical Christian Education, or a Master’s level missions experience. These pathways consist of a summer seminar combined with a practicum at a partner organization completed over the following 1 or 2 semesters or a year of studies on the field with Radius International.
- The recent ‘Best Christian Workplaces’ survey (taken annually) showed improving scores from the last year’s strong results and ranks Bethlehem College and Seminary among the top institutions that participate in the survey.
- Partnerships with Desiring God and both The North Church and Bethlehem Baptist Church continue to deepen as we seek ways to minister together more effectively.
- A small group of generous individuals have assembled $1,326,000 to encourage your generosity between now and June 30, 2025.
- At our May trustees meeting, all of the trustees were able to attend in-person, including trustees who need to travel (some extensively) to be here.
Bethlehem College and Seminary is a unique and special place. By God’s grace, we exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. Our approach is unlike many other institutions in that we teach in-person, with a low student to faculty ratio, often times through the Socratic method, with students organized into a cohort that they will remain a part of throughout their time at Bethlehem College and Seminary. With God’s favor towards us in mind, please pray with me for the following:
- That God would bring the right quality and quantity of student to both the College and Seminary for this upcoming year.
- That people would continue to be generous towards us with both their prayers and financial gifts.
- That God would lead our recent graduates in fruitfulness for His kingdom.
- That God would continue to preserve the school and keep us from error.
- That our zeal would remain and the joy of anyone affiliated with the school would be evident.
- That God would meet us as trustees when we gather in October for a board retreat to pray and plan on behalf of Bethlehem College and Seminary.
May we praise the Lord at all times,
Tom Lutz
Chairman, Board of Trustees