In 2022, Midwestern Seminary’s faculty approved revisions to the Ph.D. in Systematic Theology degree emphasis, giving doctoral students added specialization in the great doctrines of the Christian faith. Lance English, a current Ph.D. student in Systematic Theology, is a great example of what it means to study for the Church. Along with his wife and three kids, Lance is in the process of helping plant a new church in South Kansas City—Trinity Church KC. In addition to his studies and ministry pursuits, Lance serves as an editor at Credo Magazine, and a Home Inspector in the Kansas City area.
Mbts: What initially drew you to Midwestern Seminary?
Lance: My wife and I moved to Kansas City to study at Midwestern Seminary in July of 2019. Being from Nebraska, the draw of attending a seminary in the Midwest was appealing, and it was apparent to us at the time that Midwestern was an institution that was gaining momentum. We also were intrigued by the prospects of becoming members at one of the many strong churches with close connections to the seminary that offered a pastoral residency. In the end it was an easy decision for us to move here and benefit from the great work that the Lord is doing through Midwestern and the many churches that benefit from it.
Mbts: What are the benefits of studying theology at Midwestern Seminary?
Lance: Two big things stand out to me. The first is that our faculty is truly a team, which is indispensable for theology. By that I mean they value cross-disciplinary interaction and though each has their own area of expertise, they really value and even implement the work of their colleagues who study in different areas. The faculty understands how they work together to benefit students and we experience this benefit in the classroom. To study theology, one must be able to systematize, which can be difficult if you are studying the parts and your professor has no interest in how they fit into the whole. This has not been my experience, as my language, history, and ministry professors have always clearly articulated the task of theology and made the connections within their classes.
The second is the methodology of the theology program. Recent controversies have exposed the different ways of doing evangelical theology. I’m thankful to be studying here, where classical theology and retrieval are valued and encouraged. It’s been a joy to study classical doctrines from primary sources, such as the Church Fathers, Medieval Scholastics, Protestant Reformers, and Protestant Orthodoxy. This vast heritage shows that doing theology for the Church is best done when doing theology with the Church throughout history.
Mbts: In this magazine edition, we are focusing on the joy of serving the local church. How is joy related to the task of theology?
Lance: The task of theology involves contemplating God and all things in relation to God. Since He is the creator of all things, God is the very fount of all joy and therefore, seeking Him is our highest good. This means that theology, rightly done, leads to joy and delight in God, but it also allows the theologian to take great joy in God’s creation. This joy is multiplied when theology is done in its natural context, the church. As many have said before, everyone is a theologian, but the task of the Christian is to be a good one. One of our responsibilities as Christians is to help each other become good theologians so that we can worship and live rightly.
Teaching theology in the local church through counseling, teaching, and preaching invites church members to partake in the joy of knowing God. Furthermore, reading theology with the universal church invites us to share in the joy of knowing God with Christians from different centuries and continents as we look forward to the day when the saints from every tribe, tongue, and nation will no longer know God partially as through a veil, but fully as we see Him face to face. What a joyous day that will be!
Mbts: Can you tell us more about Trinity Church and your experience in the planting process?
Lance: Trinity is an outflow of the abundant blessings that God has bestowed on our sending church, Emmaus, which is in many ways a direct outflow of the ministry of Midwestern. A few years ago, our pastoral residency cohort started praying about planting a church in Kansas City, which was something that Emmaus had wanted to do for a long time. We watched Emmaus send out many dear brothers and sisters to churches and ministries across the globe, but never was there any momentum to plant locally. That led to our initial discussions and the Lord started to impress upon us a love for South Kansas City. Here we are a few years later, and several families have moved down south and found jobs to help support a fledgling church plant.
Far from being a hindrance to my studies, the church planting process has been the wood that fuels the intellectual fires. To be clear, there are sacrifices of time and money, but being a part of a church plant has given me opportunities to utilize what I’m learning in the classroom by doing real ministry. More importantly, it has given me a covenant community to walk alongside me and my family that loves us and points us to Jesus.
Mbts: What are your aspirations in life and ministry after you graduate?
Lance: I aspire to be an elder in a local church. I’d also love to be a pastor-theologian who leans more on the “pastor” side of the spectrum, ideally serving primarily in a local church context. Maybe someday that will include full-time vocational ministry or a teaching job, but for the time being, I am happy serving as a Home Inspector here in Kansas City, which allows me the flexibility to support a growing family while studying and planting a church.
