A few weeks ago, we had the joy of celebrating the 2019 graduating class of the Pastors College. What a memorable day it was as we gathered with the 11 students and their families and friends, rejoicing in all God has done this past year!

Drew Williams, along with his wife Maria, came to the Pastors College from Cornerstone Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He gave a testimony during the graduation ceremony, representing the entire class.

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It’s an honor to represent the class to you today, and share about how this year has affected me. The verse I’ve chosen to sum up what I’ve received this year is 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised again on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

If we’re being honest, this verse may seem a bit simplistic to sum up the year. A lot has been delivered to us: Preaching training, counseling, theology, languages . . . But most importantly, the gospel has been delivered to us. Like a traveler looking for a guide as he sets out on a journey, I have been pointed to the true north of pastoral ministry this year: the good news of Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Pastors do a lot of things, but receiving this news and delivering and applying this news is the main thing. I want to share a bit about how I’ve received the gospel as the true north of my ministry compass this year, and how this year has equipped me to deliver the good news to others.

I’ve received the gospel in the classroom: The very first week of class, Jeff taught us that God’s revelation in Scripture is always centered on redemption. Some weeks later in biblical theology, he showed us how the whole story of Scripture fits together with the central thread of God’s saving work in Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, there is ONE main message to convey. This has profoundly shaped how I read and teach the Bible. I want to show people the centrality of redemption throughout Scripture and the classes have equipped me to do that. Jeff, thank you for teaching us this year. Whether it was you, or another professor you picked out, the gospel has been delivered to us in the classroom. It has sharpened our minds and changed our lives.

I’ve received the gospel in our care groups: I came to PC expecting to be sharpened theologically, but I didn’t expect I would grow so much personally and in my marriage. Gary and Betsy taught us to be more aware of God’s activity and grace in each other’s life than where we need to grow. This simple advice, applied over and over again, has made me a more gracious husband, a more gracious person, and a more gracious pastor…Thank you Gary. By God’s grace and your effort, I am a more gracious husband than when I came to PC. You have delivered the gospel to us and shown us how it affects our marriages.

I’ve received the gospel from all of you guys right here. It’s hard to believe that 10 months ago, I didn’t know any of you…You have challenged me in specific ways, exhorting me by both your words but more poignantly by your example…Thank you for delivering the gospel to me. I want to be more like you men. I can’t wait to see what the future has for us, and I pray we’re serving together in Sovereign Grace for years to come.

I’ve received the gospel from you, Sovereign Grace Church Louisville: From the very first day, you have served us, fed us, partied with us, prayed for us, and showed us what it means to be a community formed by the gospel. Your joy is compelling… Finally, maybe the most important mark you’ve left on me, is how you love and support your pastors. As I’m leaving Louisville, I’m more excited to be a pastor than when I first came, and a big part of it is seeing how you receive the leadership of your pastors with joy.

Finally, I’ve received the gospel from your pastor: CJ. There are so many things you have taught me this year, but the most important one is to “keep the main thing the main thing.” The gospel is the true north of your preaching and your life, and I leave this year wanting to follow your example. Charles Spurgeon once said something like “just as there is a road to London from every town and village in England, so there is a road to Christ from every text of Scripture.” Your preaching has taken us down the road to Christ. I know each time I hear you preach, I’m going to take a trip to a hill called Calvary and see my Savior there. This has served my soul, and it has also left an example for me. I want to preach sermons full of Christ. Full of grace. Full of gospel-rooted motivation for holiness. But it’s not just your preaching that has delivered the gospel to me, it is your life as well: You taught me that there should be a special shelf in my emotional life reserved only for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and you’ve shown me what that looks like. You’ve exhibited what John Newton called “gospel simplicity”: you are aware of the depth of your sin and it humbles you, but you are more aware of your Savior. His work on the cross has changed your life, and you live to proclaim it to others. Thank you, CJ. I pray you see the gospel-centered legacy you are leaving, a legacy that will far out-live you.

So, what have we learned this year? There are many things, but above all we’ve learned to apply Christ’s finished work to our lives, our families, our studies, and our ministry. My prayer is that as we leave to serve in various roles and various places, we would deliver what we have received this year. May the gospel of God’s grace ring out from us. May our lives and marriages and sermons be “full of Christ” for the good of his church and the glory of his name. Amen.

Two weeks ago we kicked off the 21st year of the Sovereign Grace Pastors College. The beginning of the school year never becomes rote for us, and we are marveling yet again at the quality of students and their families sent to us by our churches. Thank you for investing in these families, and for entrusting them to us for the next 10 months! They are truly an expression of God’s kindness to Sovereign Grace.

This year, we have 11 students, ranging in age from 22-41. They come from 7 different churches in 6 states. It’s our most international class in a while—if you trace their country of origin, the men and their wives hail from 7 different nations and speak 7 different languages (British English being one of them). Let me introduce you to the class of 2019.

back row • Matt Turner – Pratville, AL • Drew Williams – Knoxville, TN • Ben Shaw – Louisville, KY • Nate McLaurin – Winona Lake, IN • Todd Santee – Aurora, CO

front row • Jon Bendo – Louisville, KY • Cale Benefield – Dayton, OH • Mark Waite – Dayton OH • Andres Contreras – Juarez, Mexico • Fengyu Ji – Louisville, KY • Karl Sauter – Juarez, Mexico

All of our labors and good intentions profit nothing without the Lord’s hand of blessing. Would you please join us as we pray for our students and their families? Here’s what we’re asking: that hunger for God and his word would be kindled and burn bright and continuous throughout the year, that marriages and families would be strengthened and find new life and joy and godliness, that minds would expand and grasp truth and its contours and relationships and implications, that a passion and faith for God’s purposes in the local church would be galvanized, that gifts for ministry would be discovered and sharpened and empowered, that dimensions of God’s calling would be discerned and vision for ministry clarified and inflamed, that teachers would be strengthened and sharpened and graced to teach their courses like never before—that in everything, every context and in every way, Christ would be magnified in every mind, heart, and life associated with the Pastors College. Thank you for your support.

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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.

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.

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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.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Douglas Moo is scheduled to return to the Pastors College December 11-14, 2018. He will be teaching a course entitled “Paul for Pastors.” The course will focus on the theology of Paul, including both its substance and its implications for pastors and the churches they serve.

Dr. Moo is currently writing a book on Pauline theology that promises to be one of his most enduring contributions. We as pastors will have the privilege of benefitting first hand from Dr. Moo’s scholarship, pastoral heart and his lifetime of reflection upon Paul.

Dr. Moo is the Kenneth T. Wessner Professor of New Testament at Wheaton Graduate School, where he has taught since 2000. Before this, Dr. Moo taught for over 20 years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also serves as the chair of the Committee on Bible Translation for the NIV Bible. Dr. Moo has authored commentaries on Romans, Galatians, Colossians & Philemon, James, 2 Peter & Jude. His Introduction to the New Testament, co-authored with D.A. Carson, serves as the standard text in our New Testament courses.

It was a highlight having him at the Pastors College in 2016 where he taught on Paul’s epistle to the Romans

In addition to our core courses, each year the Pastors College offers special courses that both strengthen our curriculum and provide ongoing training for our existing pastors. We would encourage you to consider bringing your pastoral team to this important course.

Registration will open in July.  For more information or questions regarding the Pastors College, please contact us.

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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.