Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1410953
ENGAGE 19 church that reflects the true nature of 'koinonia,' which is unified not by social dynamics that appeal to human nature, but the bond of the Spirit that baptizes the individual members into the body of Christ regardless of color, culture, or social status." Church leaders play an important role in combatting social pressures: "It is difficult to overemphasize the importance of having leadership who not only are committed to an interracial fellowship, but who understand the needs of the community. These coupled with an understanding of the spiritual dynamics of fellowship as set forth in the New Testament are not geared to cultural and social standards, but to the centrality of Jesus Christ." In short, the Seminary is not new to the work of racial reconciliation. As we move forward together, the Seminary community can look back at this and other stories from its past. To be sure, there have been—and will be—challenges and setbacks. But God's call is to remain steadfast to biblical truths and the Spirit's leading as we move forward. Further commemorating this legacy, the Rev. Dr. Lyle M. Adams Endowed Scholarship has been established at the Seminary. This scholarship provides assistance to African American and Hispanic students pursuing master's degrees and who are committed to pursuing a career in ministry with a priority for service in disadvantaged and underserved communities. In short, the Seminary is not new to the work of racial reconciliation. As we move forward together, the Seminary community can look back at this and other stories from its past. To be sure, there have been —and will be—challenges and setbacks. But God's call is to remain steadfast to biblical truths and the Spirit's leading as we move forward. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Amy Carr | DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT ___________________________________________________________________________________________ In a year of tremendous uncertainty, we find ourselves yearning for those things we can hold onto that will not shift like sand beneath our feet. One of those things for me, which has become even more precious this last year, is that the kingdom of God has already been established through Christ and no power on earth or under the earth can usurp His eternal reign. It is a relief to me that the God who conquered sin, death, and hell is now building for Himself a kingdom from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation and nothing can withhold the accomplishment of his mission on the earth. I can bank on that kingdom being good news for the poor, freedom for the prisoner, healing for the sick, and justice for the oppressed. Denver Seminary champions the reality of that kingdom and the inevitable fulfillment of God's mission on earth in its institutional life and values. Our core commitment to global concern, or the urgent desire to see Christ's kingdom made known to the nations, informs our decision-making, our curriculum, our mission statement, and our culture. This commitment speaks to a driving motivation of our efforts: we strive to be wholehearted participants in the mission of God on the earth by engaging its brokenness with the redemptive power of the gospel and the life-changing truth of Scripture. This hope coupled with urgency has been a marker of my experience of Denver Seminary and has been baked into the institution for the last 70 years. Over the last five and a half years, I have seen this value draw a certain type of student to the Seminary, one who is not looking for a purely conceptual experience or an echo chamber without practical implications. Denver Seminary's students are willing to press into the tension of charitable orthodoxy because there is something greater at stake than being right at all costs. They are looking for the intersection of theology and the tangible areas of brokenness to which they have been called. They come intending to be agents of reconciliation in their locations of influence, often at great personal cost. Many are already engaged in ministry all over the world. Why? Because the world desperately needs our concern. As we move forward in our mission, it is an honor to co-labor with the students, staff, faculty, and administration who have the kingdom of God before their eyes. As the sands continue to shift, it is a rock we can stand on that the very gates of hell will not overcome. Beppe Castro/iStock