We had the privilege of celebrating our 20th graduating class of the Sovereign Grace Pastors College on Saturday, June 2nd. It was a joyful, yet bittersweet time, as we bid farewell to the 10 men and their families who comprised the 2017-18 class.
Bart Lipscomb, who came from Redemption Hill Church (Round Rock, TX), shared the following words during the ceremony, summarizing his Pastors College experience:
When we were praying and making the final decision to come to PC, one of the main verses that God used to guide us was the verse on the back of your program – 1 Timothy 4:16, “Watch your life and your doctrine closely.” And so, when we sat down way back in August for orientation, unbeknownst to us Jeff started talking about how the entire program is designed around those words. It was the first of many, many times throughout the year where God confirmed this was exactly where we needed to be. We’ve been blown away at the rigorous equipping, intentional care and genuine fellowship that has spurred us on to watch our doctrine and lives. It has marked every aspect of PC…
I can say, without a doubt, the content and the world-class scholars we had every week in the classroom were second to none. Beyond that, the quality of the professor’s character was just as instructive as their lectures. People ask what my favorite class was and I really have a hard time deciding. The Lord used the Parenting class with Brian Chesemore and Bob Kauflin to reveal to me what it means to parent by faith in Christ. And I thought I knew what it meant to serve as a pastor before, but I spent the entire class we had with C.J. Mahaney on pastoring having my view lifted to see responsibility and privilege beyond imagination. The same thing could be said for Greek, Church History, Apologetics and Theology courses. Each class caused me to understand the Gospel better, to love Christ more deeply, and to desire to serve with passion and precision…
The joy of all these things was multiplied by getting to spend this year with my fellow classmates. I didn’t know you could experience such a bond in such a short period of time. But, these men and their wonderful families –people I’d never met before—are now lifetime friends. I eagerly looked forward to fellowship group to spend time with and learn from them. These men love Jesus, they are extremely gifted and at the same time they are humble servants. They truly were part of my education this year. I have so much respect for them and anticipation for how God is going to use them in the future…
As we return, I can’t help but shake my head and think “Why me?” Why did I get to experience so much of God’s grace this year? But, that is what makes grace, grace. And our desire is to steward and pass on what we have received here. When I think about the effects of the PC upon 10 students and their families, being multiplied in the lives of all those we’ll encounter in our home churches and new church plants in years to come, I truly marvel at God’s kindness and grace.
As Director of Theology and Training for Sovereign Grace, Jeff Purswell is the Dean of our Pastors College, leads our theological training, and helps develop theological resources. He is also an elder at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. He and his wife, Julie, have two sons.