Combining Truth and Experience —Daniel N. Dupuis

I became a member of the Ottawa RPC in the summer of 2010, roughly five years into my walk with the Lord. Having been introduced as a young believer to the great truths of the gospel recovered by the Reformers, the confessional stance of the RP Church was a refreshing reminder of the connection between the health and vitality of the body and its understanding and application of the truth found in Jesus. The opportunity to sharpen my theological understanding through courses offered at Ottawa Theological Hall only deepened my excitement and appreciation.

I had spent the prior few years thinking and praying about the ministry and whether or not it was something God was calling me to. However, it had not been feasible for me to begin courses at seminary due to my work in a long-term-care pharmacy. In 2009, I left my job to return to school full-time to work on a degree in history at Carleton University. Dr. Rich Ganz, pastor of Ottawa RPC, offered me the opportunity to study part-time at Ottawa Theological Hall. I immediately began my studies at OTH and in 2011 was taken under the care of the St. Lawrence Presbytery. Recent OTH graduate and now associate pastor Steve Zink took me under his wing and continues to actively mentor me, drawing me deeper into the glorious and liberating truths of the gospel of God’s Son.

On reflection, I cannot but raise my hands in thanksgiving to my heavenly Father for His providence in my life. The education that I have been receiving at OTH has served to mature me, not just as a seminary student, but also as a disciple of Christ. The broad range of gifts exercised by both Canadian and visiting professors has deepened my appreciation for diversity within the body of Christ, and, at the same time, has rounded out my learning experience here. Also, opportunities to serve in the local church, to observe pastoral counseling in action, and to sit under the care and teaching of older and wiser mentors have all been helpfully woven into my experience. Finally, the blessing of serving and learning alongside other students will, I trust, remain impressed upon my mind for years to come. Relationships have been forged, laughs have been shared, and tears of both joy and sorrow have been shed. But above all, a surge of excitement comes upon me when I am reminded that the Lord’s kingdom, in this generation, is being advanced by such men as these and others.

A commendation to Ottawa Theological Hall for 30 years of faithful ministry in Canada cannot be extended without at the same time acknowledging and expressing gratitude to our faithful God who has carried it forward from day one. May the Lord continue to strengthen and carry Ottawa Theological Hall forward into the future, as it remains faithful to His Word, sensitive to the voice of the Spirit, and open to the needs of the church today, of the lost of this generation, and of those who have taken up the call to herald the good news of Jesus Christ to all.

Training to Serve —Troy Kenny

I grew up attending an independent Pentecostal church until about the age of 10, at which point I ceased attending public worship altogether. Throughout my teen years, I can’t remember a time when God was even a moment’s reflection of mine. He was in none of my thoughts. I lived for the recognition and praises of my peers, and found my identity primarily through personal athletic performance. Immediately following my last year of high school, in summer 2008, God graciously intervened in my life. As a result of the tragic death of a close childhood friend, the weighty questions of life began to bubble up in my mind and trouble my soul. In seeking answers to these questions, I knew that there was something infinitely important about this man named Jesus; so I began reading the Gospel of Matthew. In His merciful providence, the Lord also led me to a web site that clearly explained the significance of what took place at Calvary.

Shortly thereafter, God opened my blind eyes to behold His fatherly, forgiving love in the cross of Jesus Christ. Upon eventually arriving at the Ottawa RP Church in August 2009, I began attending all of the OTH classes I possibly could. It was then through the encouragement of Steve Zink, the associate pastor in Ottawa, that I started taking courses for credit and testing the waters of ministry.

There are a couple of things that stand out with respect to my experience thus far. In the first place, OTH is a great place to learn from pastors. Almost all of the visiting professors have pastoral experience, and all three of the resident faculty members are currently ministers in the RPCNA.

It is difficult for me to communicate how much I’ve gleaned from these three local men in particular (Rich Ganz, Steve Zink, and Matt Kingswood). In terms of ministerial gifting, Rich’s biblical counseling abilities are second to none; Steve is the most brilliant theologian and thinker I’ve ever met; and Matt is the epitome of a pastor-scholar. Yet these men also speak with their lives—Rich’s undying passion for Christ and his evangelistic heart; Steve’s intentional, time-sacrificing mentorship of students; and Matt’s pastoral warmth and tireless labors for the kingdom. These are the leaders who have spoken the word of God to us, and as I consider their lives, I see faith worthy of imitation (Heb. 13:7). Though they’re quite different from one another in many respects, each of these men has been a unique blessing in my life.

Something else that comes to mind when I think about the seminary is the joy of learning about the most interesting, awe-inspiring Being in the universe with some of my best friends. To grow in the grace and knowledge of the triune God is a wonderful, undeserved privilege. To share this experience with like-minded men whom I love makes it even better. I think I speak on behalf of my brothers when I say that we’re thankful to be students here at OTH. We also recognize that the next season of our lives, Lord-willing, is one filled with self-denial, hardship, and exhaustion—a life of being spent for the good of others. We ask you therefore to please pray for us. May God remind all of us that not even the Son of Man came to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Preparation for Ministry —Warren C. Campbell

Towards the end of my high school years I was confronted by the weight of my sin. I clearly realized my inability as a sinner to come before a holy God alone, with no representative, no mediator. By God’s grace, the gospel of His redemptive accomplishment in Jesus Christ soon became clear to me—I am only declared righteous because of the obedience of Another; and forgiven because of the substitutionary sacrifice of Another, that is, by the obedience and sacrifice of Jesus Christ! I found myself quickly loving this gospel clarity and seeking to be further established in the Word of God. I soon began to enjoy the fellowship of a friend (now a fellow student), with whom I longed for a Reformed church where we would grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and sit under the leadership of godly elders. It wasn’t long before I started attending Ottawa Reformed Presbyterian Church, becoming a member that same year.

I began my studies at Ottawa Theological Hall in fall 2011 and am currently finishing my second year. An interest towards studying theology began when I was working on a bachelor’s degree in criminology at Carleton University in Ottawa. Upon receiving encouragement from the Ottawa RPC Pastors (Dr. Rich Ganz and Rev. Steve Zink), I decided to take some OTH classes while finishing up my final undergraduate year. This solidified my desire to pursue theological training upon graduation from university, and then a longing for the pastoral ministry. I was taken under the care of St. Lawrence Presbytery in fall 2011.

While studying here, I have found great opportunity not only to go through the academic rigor required to train and prepare for ministry, but also to cultivate the gifts that are needed to faithfully carry out the calling placed upon a minister in Christ’s church. Studying, reading, writing and theologizing, along with preaching, teaching, and counseling all become an integral and integrated part of the student’s life here. Being able to engage in a variety of ministry opportunities has aided in preparation for future pastoral ministry. One must also appreciate the personal connection that can be made with the pastors and professors. Their tutelage has been a source of great thankfulness and inestimable value as the relation between student and teacher is not simply distant and formal. A student is known by his peers and professors. The resultant theological training environment is deeply personal and edifying.

In the past two years we have been immeasurably blessed to learn and study under Dr. Jonathan Watt, Dr. David Weir, Rev. Anthony Selvaggio, Rev. Andrew Quigley, and Dr. Joel Beeke, in addition to the three local pastors who regularly teach us throughout the seasons. Those studying at OTH under these men are abundantly thankful for God’s mercy upon them, giving them the privilege of knowing the One in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It is our desire and prayer that God would raise up faithful men through OTH to steadfastly and unabashedly preach Christ and Him crucified, to the praise of His glorious grace.

Bridging the Divide —Steve Zink

As I reflect on my recent privileged installation as the associate pastor of Ottawa Reformed Presbyterian Church, and on the demands of my current role in the church, I am struck by the magnitude of the debt I owe to Ottawa Theological Hall. Throughout my time of learning and growing at OTH, I received invaluable and practical instruction.

I began studying here in 2004. Throughout my time of study, I was additionally blessed with three internships: Living Hope (Toronto) under Pastor Kiernan Stringer, Hillside (Almonte) under Pastor Matthew Dyck; and finally, in Ottawa, under Dr. Richard Ganz. In September 2010, I graduated from OTH with a diploma in divinity. Although the challenges of study were compounded with work and family responsibilities, I will always look back fondly upon those years. God gave me many wise and loving teachers who both taught and modeled Christian thinking, living, and ministering.

A large divide between academic theology and pastoral ministry is often seen today. The unhappy results are sermons without a grounded message, and lectures without a conspicuous faith. A unique vision of OTH is to bridge this chasm. This is accommodated through teaching given by professors who are (or were) serving as pastors and elders. Thus, those who study here gain their theory from godly men of practice. Ideas do not remain in abstraction, but are pressed into the service of the practical demands of ministry.

Many ivory-tower theologians have arisen out of the immense theological genius of the Apostle Paul. There is irony in this. Paul himself never saw the inside of such towers. His sublime, inspired insights into the mind and plan of God came “in the trenches.” His was a theology born and developed in mission, in prison, and in hardships. Some of the most profound elements in his epistles were prompted by pastoral problems in churches. Theology was in the midst of such situations, and the theology was appropriate for such situations.

Moved by this, the raison d’être of OTH is to bring theory and practice together again and raise up generations of thinking pastors for a desperate world and hungering church, both in need of light and love. May God continue to bless the ministry of Ottawa Theological Hall.

An Opportunity to Learn and Grow —Reuben Lindeman

I was born and raised in Quebec and Eastern Ontario. Christ called me early, around the age of three or four, and has been sanctifying me ever since. I am now 25 and am in my third year at OTH. While I was obtaining an undergraduate degree in business and psychology from Redeemer University College, I realized that God had given me gifts for ministry. Under the tutelage of my pastor, Courtney Miller (Hudson/St. Lazare, Quebec, RPC), I decided to go to Ottawa Theological Hall. Although OTH requires four years instead of three to complete the entire program, I decided that it was the best option for me. There is no tuition and all the courses are taught at night so I can work during the day. It also allows me to continue to be active in my home congregation and do my studies under the supervision of my home session.

One of the things I really appreciate about OTH is that the professors assign many research papers. They give us a broad range of subjects, which enables me to study in depth many particulars of the Christian faith that I am not as familiar with. Some of these have included: the identity of the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, the content of the prayers of Paul, and the purpose and place of Song of Songs in Scripture.

All of the professors at OTH either are or have been pastors. When they teach, they bring the experience of their ministry with them. I especially appreciated the privilege this past September of sitting under the instruction of Pastor Andrew Quigley from Airdrie, Scotland. His course was on aspects of pastoral ministry. It was a hard course to attend because of the potency of conviction it brought. It also dealt directly with the hard realities pastors face in the ministry. This same subject is the focus of another course I am attending under Pastor Rich Ganz. OTH is seeking to train men to be ready for the ministry, and by God’s grace I believe they are doing just that. I am glad God has put me here to learn and to grow.

The Place I Was Looking For —David Houston

I entered the Ottawa Reformed Presbyterian Church and slowly made my way up the stairs, unsure of what awaited me. I was physically tired from working all day, but that was nothing compared to the emotional and spiritual exhaustion.

I had spent the last two years at my old church fighting theological battles and felt like a battered soldier who was finally given leave to dress his wounds. The pastor and I had gone head-to-head on a number of occasions, making me none too popular with the leaders of the church I had grown up in. At first I had simply been interested in sharing with him what I had been learning about the doctrines of grace, but soon I discovered that there was a certain amount of “fuzziness” on matters such as salvation by faith alone and grace alone. After trying to reform the church from the inside for two years (older and wiser men are shaking their heads at this point), I was told to stop teaching the doctrines of grace and the great truths of the Reformation or I would not be allowed to teach the youth group or my apologetics class. I chose to leave, along with my wife, parents, several of my extended family, and a few family friends, and headed over to the Ottawa RPC. I had been impressed by the preaching of Dr. Richard Ganz when I had attended the morning worship service (not to mention surprised when he shoved a microphone in my face during the adult discussion class and asked me whether or not exclusive psalmody would stop me from coming back the following Lord’s Day!), but I didn’t know what to expect from this Ottawa Theological Hall that he had told me to attend.

I was looking for a place where they took the Bible seriously. A place where I could be fed. A place where I could be mentored by godly men. Was this it?

I walked through the doors of the classroom and took my seat. It was a small room with only about seven or eight other students. It was all men that night. If my memory serves me well, I only knew one other person in the room, Troy Kenny, whom I had met the previous Lord’s Day. He was a younger guy like me who had gone through a similar experience at his previous church, so we immediately hit it off. At the front of the class stood our professor and the pastor of the Russell RP Church, Matt Kingswood.

Matt introduced himself and informed us that this semester we would be studying ecclesiology, the doctrine of the church, with him. I groaned inwardly. The church was something that frustrated me. It was not something I wanted to devote my time to studying. Matt opened with a word of prayer in which he spoke of the church as the bride of Christ whom He had bought with His own blood and loved dearly, and how privileged we were to study it together as members of this most glorious body. I felt a twinge of guilt as I compared his words with the thoughts of my heart. I despised what Christ loved.

He ended his prayer and informed us that it was a Reformed tradition to open systematic theology classes by singing a psalm. Matt had chosen a psalm that, supposedly, was about the church—although at the time I couldn’t fathom how it related. We began singing praise to God with deep, baritone voices.

There I was sitting with a handful of men who loved the Lord and were singing praises to Him, preparing themselves for the study of His holy Word. How I had longed for this! I was glad that everyone was concentrating so hard on singing because I didn’t want them to notice me. I had stopped singing as my eyes filled with tears of joy, marvelling at how blessed I was to worship the Lord with these churchmen, my brothers in Christ. I had found the place I was looking for.