Northwest has a big vision for the future of its ministry. While we are not a large seminary, we have a large sense of what God can do through us as we pioneer innovative ways of pursuing ministry leadership development in partnership with our churches. We are all about developing Christ-centred ministry leaders in the church, for the church, and in partnership with the church.

In our vision, Northwest is preparing significant numbers of students who are committed to their Bible and who know their theology, having forged these commitments in the context of real-time, ground-level ministry in the church under the close scrutiny of seasoned and caring pastoral and academic mentors. We see Northwest, in the fore-front of a new wave of integrated learning structures that ensure we have leaders who not only know their stuff, but who can live it out in relationship with actual people.

To see this vision through, we rely upon our friends. We appreciate that not everyone can join our faculty or staff. We also understand that the passion for this ministry does not exist only among our employees. Many of you are looking for ways by which you can participate meaningfully in this work of Church Based Ministry Leadership Development.

Compelling Reasons to Participate

There are several reasons a person might feel compelled to get involved…

If you are an Alumnus and God has used Northwest to shape you personally, you will want to give back so that Northwest can continue to work to shape the next generation of leaders like yourself.

If you love the Fellowship and you are committed to the work of this particular group of churches, you will want to join us as we own the responsibility for the next generation of leaders for our movement.
Perhaps you are an innovator, and you value creativity. You, then, might want to seed the next great direction in ministry leadership development – our Church-Based Training Program.

It may be that you simply love the gospel and you want to see it preached. If so, you will want to support those whom God is calling to give their lives to this great work.

Opportunities for Involvement

In the desire to develop new teams of people who are willing to get behind this compelling vision, we have identified a number of levels at which you could participate.

If you have received this newsletter, you are a part of The Northwest Network. Members of the Network are alumni and others who have reason to be interested in the work that we are doing.

Many of you have gone beyond simple interest, to participate in some significant way. We call this group The Friends of Northwest. These “Friends” are anyone who has recently given to Northwest, volunteered for Northwest, or demonstrated potential as one who might show commitment to the ministry of the Seminary. We look forward to welcoming our “Friends” to a series of free “Friends of Northwest Barbeques” to be held later in this year.

Some of our “Friends” will want to become Student Sponsorship Partners. These Partners are donors who commit to give on a monthly or annual basis due to their interest in supporting a particular student. For example, if we can find ten people who would give $50 per month, we could completely cover the academic costs of one student in the Church-Based Training program.

We trust that some of you will want to take this to another level, becoming members of The President’s Circle. This Circle is a group of patrons who have given significantly to the ministry of Northwest, demonstrated either through a recent large gift, or a committed pattern of giving, or who have shown significant commitment to the ministry of Northwest as a volunteer, advocate, or student mentor. Members of the President’s Circle will receive a complementary invitation to an annual President’s Circle dinner, and will receive regular e-mail communications from the President, through which they will receive current news items, significant invitations to prayer, and the opportunity to advise the President on questions of significance.

In addition, we will be developing a group of Northwest Advocates, who will serve as volunteer “cheerleaders” for the ministry of the Seminary. Made up largely of alumni, board members, and enthusiastic donors, Advocates will work to support the Development Team within their church and geographic region, identifying and encouraging potential supporters for our ministry.

Finally, some of our Friends will want to become Legacy Partners. These partners are distinguished patrons who have shown an exemplary level of commitment as a Friend of Northwest and/or a member of the President’s Circle, either through making Northwest a part of their estate, by giving a significant financial gift toward some special purpose, or by giving extraordinary service to the work of Northwest over a significant period of time.

Gaining Benefit from your Involvement

People that get involved in this ministry find it extremely beneficial on a personal level. One donor and former board member recently told us that, “being involved with Northwest was one of the most meaningful experiences of his life.” When you consider that this comment came from a former high-ranking business executive in a major Canadian corporation, you can appreciate the significance of what he had to say.

Of course, the primary benefit of participation has more to do with the ministry impact on our students and upon those that they will serve. There are, for example, a number of ways that a financial gift can be of help.

$400    – provides financial aid for one course for a student.
$1,000 – provides the development cost for one church-based training course.
$1,250 – provides financial aid for one full-time student for a full semester.
$2,500 – provides for a faculty member to teach in an international mission site.

These are just some of the possible incentives. Donors with a specific interest should speak to Director of Development, Ron Sing, or to our President, Kent Anderson, about other such possibilities – for example funding the Information Technology needs of the Seminary for a year, or paying the costs involved in holding a faculty-taught seminar within a local church.

Significant Work Requires Significant Involvement

This is significant work – of such consequence that some of us have given our lives to it. Please let us know of any interest that you have.

Romans 10:13-15 reminds us that the gospel can’t be heard if there is no one there to preach it, and there will be no one there if no one has been sent. We consider training to be the critical part in sending. We would encourage you to join us as we seek to raise up significant numbers of highly qualified, ministry and pastoral leaders, for the good of our churches, for the good of God’s Kingdom, and for the good of God’s glory.

Thank you for supporting Northwest and our ministry. To make a donation please call our office directly at 604-888-7592 or Toll Free 1-888-402-3477.

Please send your cheques to

Northwest Baptist Seminary
7600 Glover Road
Langley,  BC, V2Y 1Y1,

Please make your cheque  payable to Northwest Baptist Seminary.

For  online giving please visit our “How to Donate to Northwest” page on this website.

Spring is almost here! My family can’t wait for sunny days and the promise of hot summer temperatures ahead!  For us, it also means spring cleaning around the house and garden. It is also a great time to do some “financial spring cleaning”. This is an ideal opportunity to review all your investments, update your will and ensure your estate plans are current to reflect your wishes.
A Biblical Perspective
In 1 Chronicles 29, King David leaves his wealth to a trustee to ensure the temple could be built after his death. This is a clear example of “planned giving or deferred giving”.  David bequeaths his entire wealth so that his son Solomon, could build the temple. To guarantee David’s plans and to carry out his wishes, he gave his gifts to Jehiel the Gershonite ( 1 Chronicles 29:8 ). Jehiel became the trustee of the gifts to complete the construction of the temple.
Estate Planning
Estate planning and the preparation of a legal will and/or a charitable bequest, is an opportunity to honour God with our gifts. This enables us to give back a portion of the financial growth He has showered us with during our lifetimes.
Types of Bequests
Cash Bequest:  Northwest receives a specific dollar amount from your estate.
Bequest of Property: Northwest receives specific assets (real estate, securities, or other tangible property – art or antiques etc)
Retirement Plan Bequests:  Northwest is designated as a beneficiary of the remainder of your RRSP/RRIF. This is simple to set up. First talk to your plan administrator and complete a “change of beneficiary “ form.
Tax Planning
Many people pay more tax in the year of death than in any other year during their lifetime. Complete estate planning should always include tax planning. Charitable giving upon death is an excellent way to reduce your tax liability.
In addition to your annual gift to Northwest Baptist Seminary, have you considered leaving a gift to Northwest in your will?
Thank you for your involvement in this ministry. It is through the your generous support and your financial gifts that allow us to pursue our ministry in Christ-Centered Leadership Development.
If you would like to discuss how to become a Legacy partner with Northwest please contact Ron Sing, Director of Development.  Direct: 250-821-3777 or toll free : 1-888-402-3477.

Visit Northwest’s web-page on “How to Donate to Northwest”.

This article is for general information only and does not replace consulting with your professional financial and/or legal advisors about your own situation.  

Sectarian divisions for any religion tend to occur down the fault lines of the strongest convictions.  Ron Geaves sheds light on fundamental faith issues within Islam by exploring significant religious disagreements that exist between committed Muslims. This is a scholarly work that carefully avoids ideological judgment of Islam and instead compares and contrasts the internal struggles of those topics crucial to the world of Islam.  He portrays Islam as a faith that strives to establish faithfulness, consensus and stability amidst the diversity and challenge of forces both external and internal to the religion.

Geaves begins by providing an enlightening critique of both the rhetoric against Islam as well as those “rosy” affirmative pictures commonly found in the western media and moves on to describe with notable sensitivity the current diversity of faith and practice within the world’s second largest religion.  The fundamental tenet in Islam of the uniqueness and unity of God is explored to reveal two distinct interpretations.  While reforming sects, such as the Wahhabis, emphasize the transcendence of God, other elements, e.g. the more mystical Sufi movement, find its fulfillment in an immanent concept of “oneness” through which the follower becomes one with God.

The author next examines the tensions between the law of God in Islam, Shari’a, and cultural or contextual legal systems.  The following chapter considers the concept of brotherhood, Umma, which provides a monolithic image to the outsider while harboring deep divisions. These divisions are explored in greater detail through the contrasting Sunni view of “manifest success” revealing God’s favor versus the Shi’a doctrine of a remnant remaining faithful in suffering.  The figure of the prophet of Islam is looked at through the eyes of those Muslims who see him as the greatest prophet, albeit human, and those who have attributed almost divine characteristics to him. A holistic view of Jihad is then presented that includes both a personal, internal struggle and a political, external effort that are part of the universal war between God and Satan. It is the military expression of the latter, such as the revolution in Iran, as well as the imposition of Shari’a law to defend Islam against the infiltration of western values that gains the attention of outsiders. He concludes with an examination of the attempt of Muslim women to achieve liberation through the application of Islamic teaching rather than western feminism.

For each of these areas of tension within Islam, Geaves examines the historical roots for the dichotomy of thought and delves into the underlying faith assumptions that perpetuate the diverse practices and thinking current in the world of Islam. Although the author’s secular bias is revealed at times, such as the attempt to “get at the real Muhammad,” p. 144, and in assuming cultural sources for faith positions (e.g., the speculation that the Christian veneration of Christ may have influenced pious Muslims in attributing divine attributes to Muhammad, p. 163), he is exceptionally sensitive to the danger of allowing his assumptions shape the views he wishes to portray and the theological descriptions provided would most likely satisfy their proponents.

Although not an easy read for those unfamiliar with Islam, there are three features that keep the themes clear for the reader and enhance its value as a reference text on Islam:  Each chapter begins with a clear synopsis of the content, each chapter ends with a conclusion that summarizes the points made, and a glossary with helpful definitions of Islamic religious terms is provided.  This well researched and erudite book is highly recommended for those who wish to understand the tensions and struggles within Islam that often find their expression through conflict with western systems and ideals.

Douglas Moo, Ph. D.

Northwest is excited to announce the inauguration of the new Centre for Biblical and Theological Literacy.

The Centre endeavours to enable people to understand and apply scriptural truth (i.e. wisdom) for salvation and shalom individually and collectively in Canadian society. It is an agency of Northwest Baptist Seminary, striving to “give Scripture its voice” within the church, but also within Canadian society. Dr. Larry Perkins, professor of biblical studies and past president of Northwest Baptist Seminary, directs the Centre.

The inauguration was a two-day event held here on the TWU campus and featured Dr. Douglas Moo as the guest speaker. Dr. Moo is the Blanchard Professor of New Testament, Wheaton Graduate School.  He is also the Chair of the Committee on Bible Translation for the NIV 2011.

Go to the CBTL website for more information and view the videos of the event.

Thursday, November 3

• 10:00 to 10:45 am – ACTS Chapel Address
• 12:30 to 1:45 am – ACTS Faculty Reception: (RSVP required)
• 2:00 to 4:00 pm – Symposium
  Paul’s Universalizing Hermeneutic in Romans : Dr. Douglas Moo
  Respondents:  Dr. Brian Rapske and Dr. Archie Spencer
• 7:00 to 8:30 pm  –  Public Presentation
  The Bible in English: Translating for the World: Dr. Douglas Moo

Friday, November 4

• 1:00 to 3:00 pm  –  Symposium
  What I have learned as a Bible Translator : Dr. Douglas Moo
  Respondents: Dr. Mike Walrod and Dr. Larry Perkins

Download the event poster.  You can also:

Download a CBTL image file that you can insert into a presentation or bulletin insert (once the file opens in your browser save it to your computer)

Download a CBTL PowerPoint File

Why People Don’t Believe: Confronting Seven Challenges to Christian Faith

By Paul Chamberlain, Director of ACTS Seminaries’ Institute of Christian Apologetics (and guest author on this site. Ed.).

Headliner: Those who desire the eradication of Christianity should think carefully about what they wish for.  The beneficial impact of Christianity upon the world is nothing short of breath taking.

Is religion dangerous?  Should it, along with Christianity, be eradicated in order to ensure the very survival of the human race?  A number of influential thinkers today believe so and this is the challenge Dr. Paul Chamberlain, director of the Institute of Christian Apologetics at ACTS seminaries, addresses in his newly released book, Why People Don’t Believe: Confronting Seven Challenges to Christian Faith, (Baker Books, 2011).

Everyone has heard of the 9/11 attacks, suicide bombings around the world done in the name of religion, and acts of violence done against abortion clinics or providers.  Certain critics of religion, commonly dubbed The New Atheists, have been disturbed by these events and have capitalized on them to develop a passionate case against religion complete with arguments and supporting data.  Their contention is that religion, in its very nature, is the problem.  It allegedly breeds violence, is irrational and anti-scientific, it teaches a dreadful morality, and encourages intolerance.  To make matters worse, thanks to advances in technology in the past fifty years, especially in the art of war, our religious “neighbours” are now armed with chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.  As far as American atheist Sam Harris, a key proponent of this line of reasoning is concerned, anyone who is not afraid of the potential harm this represents, simply has not given the matter due attention.  Words like “God” and “Allah” must go the way of “Apollo” and “Baal” lest they destroy us all.

This case has been carried to a very concerned public throughout western culture by means of best-selling books and a host of other media, and it has molded people’s thinking about religion and faith.  Books by British evolutionist Richard Dawkins, Harris, journalist Christopher Hitchens, philosopher Daniel Dennett, and others have sold widely and, due to their authors’ personal standings from past works, many have come to see religion not as the solution to humanity’s problems but as the problem itself.

Many Christians are simply shocked and bewildered when they hear these allegations laid out in sufficient detail, and plenty have had their confidence shaken by what they hear.   Chamberlain became convinced this will be the mother of all apologetic issues for the next decade and, thus, thus felt compelled to research deeply into the issue, target the key questions and challenges, and respond.

This book does three things.  First, it sets out the challenges raised against religious faith, particularly Christianity, in an honest and compelling fashion .  Secondly, it provides responses to each of the main challenges issued by the new critics of religion, and thirdly, it goes the next exciting step and examines the many good and humane contributions Christianity has made to the world throughout the past 2,000 years.  Chamberlain’s contention is that not only is Christianity, properly understood, free of the main allegations leveled against religion by its twenty-first century critics, but it is the source of great good in the world.  In fact, the impact of Christianity for good upon human civilization is nothing short of breath-taking and unless readers have previously inquired into this question, he predicts they will be surprised and deeply encouraged by what they read.  Many of the good things in our world that we, in the west, simply take for granted and could hardly imagine the world without, exist as a direct result of Christian dedication and sacrifice.  He has come to see this as an integral part of replying to the charge that Christianity is a dangerous force for evil and we would be better off without it.

In the end, Chamberlain draws seven conclusions:

1) Both religious and irreligious people commit many acts of violence.

2) When they occur the vast majority of religious people around the world are outraged by them whether they are committed in the name of religion or not.

3) These acts are often driven by deep political and cultural motivations which would remain whether or not religion played a part.

4) Religion is sometimes turned into a tool to help recruit soldiers to fight these political and cultural battles.

5) While this is a horrific abuse of religion, virtually any ideal, including secular ones such as liberty, equality, nationalism and patriotism can and have been abused.

6) Humans will always divide into communities resulting in divisions and binary oppositions which lie at the heart of human conflict.  Some of these divisions are religious in nature (e.g., Protestant vs. Catholic, Shiite vs. Sunni) but most are not (e.g., Tutsi vs. Hutu, Conservative vs. Liberal) and would remain even if religion were eradicated.

7) Christianity, understood as following the teachings of Jesus, is not only free of the main allegations leveled against religion by its twenty-first century critics, but it is the source of great good in the world.  If we demand it be eradicated, we may not know what we are asking for.

This book is intended to operate as a public response to the challenges to religious faith mentioned above and also as a guide for concerned Christians seeking to interact with their friends and neighbors who harbor deep suspicions toward their faith.  Our hope is that not only will those who make the case against religion be given the chance to rethink their position, but also that Christians who read these pages will see how they could engage others around them who launch these charges against their faith.