May 10, 2007

The Rev. Dr. Dennis N. Voskuil, the third longest-serving president in Western Theological Seminary’s 141 year history, will complete his presidency in June 2008 after 14 years at the helm of the school.

Voskuil will continue as a teaching member of the faculty at Western, as he holds the Marvin and Jerene DeWitt Chair of Church History. He also looks forward to spending more time with his wife, Betty, their three children, and seven grandchildren.

“My experience as president has been deeply satisfying and fulfilling,” says Voskuil. “I have been blessed by a dedicated faculty willing to embrace new approaches in preparing the next generation of leaders for the church of Jesus Christ; by a wonderful staff deeply invested in our ministry; by an administrative team faithfully devoted to our mission; by a visionary Board of Trustees that faithfully guided the institution; and by hundreds of students who brought joy, energy and purpose to every day of our life together.”

Dennis Voskuil will leave a remarkable imprint on Western Theological Seminary. Student enrollment tripled as he nurtured a strong sense of community among students, faculty and staff. He led the seminary in articulating its mission of “Preparing Christians called by God to lead the Church in mission” and kept the school focused on that purpose.

Part of the seminary’s wider appeal has been a major curriculum redevelopment introduced under Dr. Voskuil’s tenure. In the new mission-based curriculum, WTS students learn and practice ministry skills in teaching church placements concurrent with their classroom studies. They grapple with relating the gospel to the 21st century culture as they clarify their own callings and prepare to take places of church leadership.

Under the Voskuil presidency, Western launched a distance learning Master of Divinity degree, restructured a continued education program called Journey, and initiated a Certificate in Urban Pastoral Ministries program. To meet the growing need for space, Dr. Voskuil promoted the construction of the DeWitt Theological Center, additional student townhouses and the Friendship House, as well as the renovation of existing facilities.

When Dr. Voskuil was plucked from the Religion Department of Hope College in 1994, he didn't realize the extent of fundraising involved in a seminary president’s job, or in the end, how much he would enjoy it. “I have been privileged to develop friendships with hundreds of people and to share with them our important and exciting ministry.” When he arrived, the seminary’s endowment fund was $11 million. Under his leadership, Western successfully completed two capital campaigns, increasing the endowment to $42 million today.

Through an extraordinary period of growth and change, the 10th president of Western Theological Seminary has made sure the institution remained true to its purpose of preparing leaders for the Church of Jesus Christ. Carol Wagner, moderator of Western’s Board of Trustees, remarked that “Western is stronger today because of the vision and leadership of the Rev. Dr. Dennis Voskuil, and he will be deeply missed as President.”

The one-year notice will ensure a smooth transition for the seminary, and the search for a successor will begin shortly.

Western Theological Seminary, founded in 1866 in Holland, Michigan, is a theological graduate school affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. The seminary offers four degree programs: the Master of Divinity (both in-residence and distance learning); the dual track Master of Divinity-Master of Social Work; the Doctor of Ministry; and the Master of Theology. Western is an accredited member of the Association of Theological Schools.