Covenant Seminary Establishes Paul D. Kooistra Chair of World Missions

Covenant Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the establishment of The Paul D. Kooistra Chair of World Missions. The endowed faculty chair is funded partly through the Seminary’s Hope for the Future capital campaign and in partnership with Mission to the World (MTW). It is named in honor of Dr. Paul D. Kooistra, who served as President of Covenant Seminary from 1985–1994, and Coordinator of MTW from 1994–2014. Many of the influences that Dr. Kooistra began at Covenant Seminary continue to this day, including building a faculty who emphasize the need for pastors to be rooted in God’s grace in order to flourish for a lifetime of ministry.

Rev. Dr. Thomas C. Gibbs, President of Covenant Seminary, said, “Covenant Seminary has long held that our commitment to training pastors and ministry leaders for the church is has its roots in the Great Commission of our Lord. Everything we do, in fact, at Covenant is an outgrowth of faithfulness to Christ and His word, and in service to His mission, making the Gospel known to every tongue, tribe, and nation. How appropriate, then, is it that the Chair of Missions be named in honor of the Rev. Dr. Paul D. Kooistra, who faithfully led both Covenant Seminary as President and Mission to the World as its coordinator! It is my hope that his legacy of leadership and passion for the grace of the Gospel will inspire future generations of missions-minded pastors and ministry leaders who train at Covenant.”

Honoring a Legacy of Reformed Mission

Dr. Kooistra became the third president of Covenant Seminary in 1985. When he was appointed President, he emphasized that Covenant must be faithful to the teaching of the Bible and “hold tenaciously to our understanding of what it means to be Reformed.” He said, “We must, however, be Reformed in a warm and winsome way, not believing that we must do battle with believers who differ. If we are going to build a reformed movement in America we must see Satan as the enemy, not those with divergent views in non-essentials. Simply put, faith which is not expressed in love is not biblical faith, and therefore is not Reformed.”[1]

During his time as President, Dr. Kooistra hired Prof. Jerram Barrs to begin the Francis Schaeffer Institute at Covenant Seminary. Shortly thereafter, he brought a psychiatrist named Dr. Richard Winter to Covenant Seminary from England in order to begin the Master of Arts in Counseling program. Both initiatives continue to flourish at Covenant Seminary to this day.

Having served as a faculty member under Dr. Kooistra, Dr. Dan Doriani, Professor of Theology, said, “Paul Kooistra was a highly effective, even brilliant, president of Covenant Seminary. He was a bold, creative, and wise leader. Kooistra proved his leadership skills again as head of the PCA’s Mission to World and in other strategic roles. Whether his job title included the word “Mission” or not, Paul is always a man on a mission – God’s mission. It is fitting for Dr. Kooistra to receive this honor, that his legacy be recognized, and his voice heard and remembered as widely as possible.”

After leaving Covenant Seminary in 1994, Dr. Kooistra served as the Coordinator for Mission to the World, the Presbyterian Church in America’s missions agency, a position he held for twenty years. MTW sends over 600 missionaries into more than 100 countries around the world to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ

Empowering the Future of Missions

The establishment of the Paul Kooistra Chair of World Missions will train future generations of pastors and ministry leaders to take the gospel to the world. Covenant Seminary has currently sent out over 5,000 graduates to all 50 states and 100 countries. Through partnership with MTW and the generous provision of faithful donors, these numbers will continue to increase with the help from this endowed faculty chair.

The need for church leaders to be trained in the Bible and the Reformed faith will only grow over the next generation. Having a full-time faculty member devoted to training future students in World Missions will honor Dr. Kooistra’s legacy by equipping students to proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for generations to come.

[1] As quoted by Dr. David Calhoun in By His Grace, For His Glory: 50 Years of God’s Faithfulness; Covenant Theological Seminary, 2006