On Sunday, November 1, 2020, I pushed those limits again.

In my opinion, what makes Trinity a special place is the Christ-centered community that’s fostered through the academic environment, athletic programs, and other activities on campus.

This year, 2020 is taking a toll on countless people and organizations. Unfortunately, Trinity is no exception. During these unprecedented times, I remember the campus community that played such a large role in my personal and spiritual development and my hope was to give something back.

At 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 1st, I began a Cross Run from my hometown of Darien, Illinois to Trinity’s campus. My initial goal was to run 36 miles and raise $2,000. Participating in a Cross Run meant that I would run the distance with an actual cross on my back. To put this in perspective, a marathon is 26.2 miles. Training for what I anticipated to be a grueling run, my goal was to inspire others to support the TIU community, which had been impacted by COVID-19. Now more than ever, I felt we needed to come together.

Instead I pushed myself even harder and ended the run at around 1:15 p.m. arriving at my final destination, the TIU soccer field. I was surprised to be greeted by friends, my former soccer coach, Patrick Guillian, and President Perrin, who thanked me for my support of Trinity International University. All together I ran 40.12 miles and raised a total of $3,700!

As members of the Trinity alumni family, I encourage you to consider supporting Trinity during these challenging times by making a gift to their COVID Relief Fund. This fund helps provide Trinity students with affordable education and a thriving, flexible environment where they can be mentored in the hope of Christ while growing in knowledge.  I know how my time at TIU impacted me and I pray that you’ll join with us in helping TIU continue to impact others.

Stay safe and healthy!

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” —Matthew 16:24

GIVE BACK

While serving in the Soviet military, Andrey Kravtsev received the gift of a New Testament.

His reading and some conversations with a Christian soldier ultimately led to his conversion, his graduation from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a plan to evangelize the North Caucasus region of Russia.

According to the Operation World Prayer Guide, the mountainous North Caucasus region ranks among the least evangelized areas of Europe. Another source, Mission Frontiers, counts 40 ethnic groups speaking 70 distinct languages and dialects. “Many of these nations, though only 1,000 miles from Bethlehem, have waited 2000 years for the Good News of Redemption in Jesus Christ,” says an article at MissionFrontiers.org.

Apart from his time away studying at TEDS, Andrey has worked in that region since 2001, serving as a theology professor and then as president of North Caucasus Bible Institute.

Andrey wants to work with church planting, and mobilize local Christians for outreach to their neighbors. Originally from Ukraine, Andrey earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in intercultural studies from TEDS. His dissertation focuses on mission theology, and is titled “Russian Baptist Mission Theology in Historical and Contemporary Perspective.”

TEDS awarded him the David and Sylvia Bacon Memorial Award, which goes each year to a deserving international student returning to his or her homeland.

“There are 48 unreached Muslim people groups in the remote areas of the Caucasus, and there is almost no church presence here,” Andrey told senior writer Jessi Strong of Bible Study Magazine.

“In preaching, worship, church planting, and church leadership, we need to learn from the ethnic culture as we try to find new parallels.”

As the crow flies, it is about 9,000 miles from Coffs Harbour, Australia to Deerfield, Illinois.

Coffs Harbour is located roughly halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. The pastor of nearby Sandy Beach Baptist Church, Terry Allen, has never set foot on the campus of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

But graduation records for May 2019 show Allen receiving a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MA/TS) from TEDS, earned completely online from his small office in Coffs Harbour.

Allen’s interest in TEDS dates back more than 25 years, when now-Emeritus professor of New Testament Don Carson’s writings first captured his attention.

“I noted on the dust jackets of professor Carson’s books that he taught at TEDS,” Allen says. “When I discovered Ravi Zacharias studied there in the 1970s, I thought ‘wow, this has to be some Bible seminary!’”

Years later when he discovered TEDS offered a fully online MA/TS degree Allen applied immediately. TEDS director of masters programs John Simons took on the challenge of bridging the cultural gaps. Allen had difficulty understanding the TEDS class schedule.

“In the first year, I had no clue as to how it all worked,” Allen recalls. “For example, Australians do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but TEDS almost seems to shut down for a week during that time.

“John kept me in the loop with deadlines for each semester and guided me through course selection,” says Allen. “Without John, I would have messed up so many important things.”

Some would question the need for such efforts, given the options for theological education available in his native land.

“There are Bible seminaries in Australia offering equivalent courses now,” Allen says, “but I wanted to study through the organization which had fed me all those wonderful books.

“It was one of the best decisions of my life.”

As he was working on his MA/TS degree online, Allen also embraced a ministry opportunity in Nepal. Pastors there were leading midsized congregations with no training. Many of these pastors had converted to Christianity themselves only a year or two earlier.

“It lit a fire within me,” Allen says. “I could see the opportunity.”

The congregation at Sandy Beach Baptist raised money for his trip to Nepal, which came as Allen had just completed an online TEDS class in homiletics. He immediately applied that training to the preparation of 200 pastors in Nepal.

“They desperately needed to know how to prepare Bible studies and sermons,” Allen recalls. The need he observed prompted plans for a second Nepal trip.

“I had them preach to me, and attempted to give them feedback through my interpreter,” Allen says.

Faculty members in Deerfield were impressed.

“Terry was a delight to have in class,” says James Moore, TEDS associate professor of educational ministries. “He evidenced immediate application of his online educational ministry classes both into the life of his local church and his cross-cultural mission context in Nepal.”

“I have always felt frustrated that I have not been able to attend Bible seminary in person,” Allen says. “Now I am in contact with another group of Christians who cannot attend Bible seminary and I know I can help them.”

Allen never planned to attend his own graduation ceremonies in Deerfield. One day, perhaps, he will visit the campus where he earned is MA/TS degree. For now, Allen’s travel plans point to Nepal.

“I believe it is a calling on my life to go to them and to give them, free of charge, what I have been so fortunate to receive from TEDS,” says Allen.

“Like never before, I am aware of how great the harvest is, but also, how few the number of available workers.”