Below Dr. Lillback reflects on how he came to Westminster and how it has impacted his life. As you read, please consider giving to Westminster before June 30th. Our Board of Trustees has generously extended a matching gift challenge of $200,000 to meet our fiscal year end goal of $400,000. Visit givewts.com to support us and read John Piper’s four reasons why he is thankful for Westminster.

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I came to Westminster in 1978. My journey toward Westminster, however, began during my last two years as a student at Dallas Theological Seminary. During my studies at DTS, I was introduced to the five points of Calvinism and read an increasing amount of Reformed theological writings, most notably Calvin’s Institutes as well as works published by Westminster faculty.

All of this study had a significant impact on my view of myself and of God, and I began to realize thatI was a man without a church. I had been raised in an evangelical tradition, but had never been exposed to the Reformed Presbyterian tradition that was now influencing me so powerfully. My true conversion to Presbyterianism occurred one day when I was walking through the library at DTS and happened upon the Westminster Confession. In the following days and weeks, I intently studied the Confession in its entirety, becoming persuaded that it was the best statement of theology I had ever read. How had I studied Scripture and theology for so long and never before read this document? But at this point, I did not know anyone else who believed the Confession, and I realized that it was a document held to by the Presbyterian Church, a church with which I was unfamiliar. Believe it or not, I had never met a Presbyterian.

At about the same time, I realized that the “Westminster” in the Confession’s title was the “Westminster” of Westminster Theological Seminary and decided to pursue doctoral studies there. At that time, Westminster provided a degree that focused on Reformation and post-Reformation studies. Westminster graciously accepted me, and I began my Ph.D., studying the field of historical theology, with a focus on the Reformed tradition and the work of John Calvin.

After finishing my degree at Westminster, I was ordained to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), pastoring a congregation for six years before being called to a Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) congregation. Over a span of nearly thirty years, I’ve been privileged to pastor three different congregations.

But through all of this, what is perhaps most extraordinary is that I am now serving as the President of Westminster. How ironic, when before stepping foot on Westminster’s campus I had never met a Presbyterian!

I owe a great deal to the legacy that I’ve been bequeathed here at the seminary. It is remembering this that keeps me going. I love to contemplate the fact that we are living in the already-not-yet stage of God’s kingdom. It is in this kingdom that we get to participate here at Westminster. It is indeed a privilege to be a part of our mission to train counselors, preachers, theologians, missionaries and others in ministry to proclaim the whole counsel of God to the world for the advancement of Christ’s church.

One of the aspects of Westminster that I’ve enjoyed most, beyond the theological learning and personal development it has provided me, is the global sweep of the seminary. The longer I serve at Westminster, the more aware I become of the seminary’s international impact. I remember one time I was teaching a class and on the first day, I had all of the students go around and introduce themselves. All of them were from different countries, and I thought, “Westminster is like a little theological version of the United Nations!”

Along with the international scope of Westminster, another aspect of the seminary that I greatly appreciate is its high scholarship coupled with its deep, biblical, Christian devotion. At Westminster, union with Christ is not simply a doctrine, it is a way of life. I’m grateful that, for the past 10 years as the seminary’s President, I’ve been able to watch Westminster’s team strengthen, focus and achieve more than ever. It is my prayer that God will continue to bless Westminster for generations to come.

Read More On Reformed Theology, Westminster Confession of Faith

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