Testimonials

Dan Norman

I’ve just completed the two-year Pastoral Training Course at London Seminary in Finchley, North London. I want to thank you for your support over this period, which has been instrumental in enabling me to study the scriptures full-time and on site (living with my wife and three children), in preparation for a lifetime of making and maturing disciples of the Lord Jesus, for his glory. The grant from the Particular Baptist Fund has been a huge encouragement and help to my family as we’ve relied on the Lord, stepping out in faith; we’ve seen him provide us with all the finances needed to pay for the course, accommodation and living costs, and the PBF has been a significant part of that provision.

The Lord has provided for all my needs over this time – giving me the energy and presence of mind to remain focused during theologically rich lectures, and sometimes very challenging language lessons – I’ve studied both Greek and Hebrew to a proficient level now. I’ve also had a number of health issues which has made studying more challenging, but again the Lord has sustained me and given me all I’ve needed to carry on and even catch up with the few lectures I had to miss.

It has been a joy and delight to be given the privilege of studying God’s word every day – I know many would love to do so themselves but can’t – and to be taught by so many godly pastors (some of whom travelled great distances to lecture at the seminary). This has been a great blessing to me. I’ve also enjoyed building relationships with fellow brothers in Christ who are all answering the Lord’s call to pastor his people; there have been many opportunities to pray together and encourage one another as we’ve grown in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.

I have just started working for Wheelock Heath Baptist Church in Cheshire as
the Assistant Pastor and have been appointed for a period of three years. After this appointment I anticipate answering the call to pastor a church wherever the Lord leads me, so I would very much appreciate your continued prayers for the Lord’s direction in this matter.

Oli Butler

I studied a Graduate Diploma in Theology for two years at Union School of Theology in Wales. This was mostly a distanced course, held in a learning community with two other students in Worthing and facilitated and led by a local pastor. I took the course alongside working for Grace Church Brighton as the Students and Young Adults Worker and Pastor-in-Training. The course took 20-25 hours of my working week during term time.

I particularly enjoyed studying Systematic Theology, especially the early church heresies about the nature of Christ and the Trinity. I also found the Preaching and Pastoral module stimulating, especially in relation to church planting and pastoral ministry. My learning community proved a helpful environment in which to talk through some of the issues and their practical application for life and ministry.
The exercise of revisiting all that I’d learnt for exams, and the discipline of researching for essays, were challenging but formative experiences for me. I’m thankful the Lord enabled me to maintain a good discipline of covering most of the primary reading for my modules, as well as achieve high grades This was despite the challenge that came with working from home and supporting my wife in raising our two young daughters.

In the coming academic year (2024-2025), I hope to start the Masters in Scripture and Theology, also with Union, in which I hope to go deeper in my love for and appreciation of God and his Word and prepare for a lifetime of teaching and serving the church and the world. I will continue in my two ministry roles within the church, supporting students and young adults through hospitality, Bible study, and personal contact, and training for pastoral ministry by things like participating in elders’ meetings, preaching, prayer, and administration.

The PBF grant has helped make all this possible, by paying my tuition fees. I give thanks to God for his abundant generosity in providing through the PBF and other like-minded trusts and individuals. I also would like to extend my heart-felt thanks to the PBF trustees who granted me this opportunity.

Sonny Simak

I am writing to inform you that I concluded Pastoral Theological Course (four years part-time) at London Seminary in June 2024. I would like to take this moment to say thank you for your support and prayers for the completion of my studies. Juggling between my local church responsibilities and studies was not without challenges, but I thoroughly enjoyed studying there. I was able to complete the course over the past four years by the help of the Lord.

It is difficult to tell what my favourite subject was because each module/subject brought something unique and intriguing to the table, but I enjoyed studying The Old Testament, Systematic Theology, Pastoral Studies and Church History in particular. The Biblical languages were difficult but I’m glad I got to study them.

The essays and reflections programme has been designated to help students read extensively and think deeply and bring out applications as widely as possible. The lecturers made us work hard on our write ups. Similarly, the presentations for the seminars on any given topic required much work. These seminars were designed to help us become better communicators and speakers and answer any question or critique that might come our way as preachers of God’s Word. We also had to take the morning worship and preach once or twice during each term. Getting the feedback on the sermon that was preached in the morning was valuable and edifying.

The whole course is designed not only to deepen the understanding of scriptures but also to encourage its practical application in the life of the local church. The relevance of the Scripture and the depth and breadth of its application in the local church today was always at the forefront of the thinking of the lecturers.

Most of the lecturers were or are seasoned pastors, so their understanding and practical ideas are helpful when it comes to my day-to-day ministry post-seminary.

One of the highlights of studying at the seminary is the interaction between the lecturers and students in the classroom. This led to agreements and disagreements expressed in a respectful manner. Hearing a question or an answer that you had not thought about always brought a great joy and fascination during these discussions.

The fellowship with the fellow students was a blessing from the Lord. Every student had mutual respect. Some of us indeed have become friends with each other for life. We prayed together, we laughed and even cried together as every one of us sought be an encouragement to the others. It is always a joy to bump into your fellow students in a communal event every now and then. I look forward to events organised by London Seminary for old students and those in pastoral ministry.

Thank you for the financial contribution made by you for my seminary studies.