Behold Gathering at Western Theological Seminary

“Behold” is often defined as paying close attention, seeing with intention and even awe. At this year’s Behold Gathering at Western Theological Seminary, that definition became something more than words. It became a shared practice.

More than 100 pastors and ministry leaders gathered on campus for the second annual event, joining in worship, prayer, and teaching centered on the lived engagement of Scripture. From the opening prayer session onward, participants were invited not simply to read the Bible, but to slow down and attend to it together… to listen carefully, to notice what might otherwise be overlooked, and to encounter God in what may already feel familiar.

This approach reflects the work of the Bast Center for Christian Proclamation, a partnership between Western Theological Seminary, Hope College, and Pillar Church. Through practices like Scripture interiorization, communal reflection, and oral proclamation, the initiative equips leaders to engage the Word not only as something to communicate, but as something that first shapes their own lives and ministries.

The gathering itself was intentionally structured to support that formation. Participants moved between corporate worship, teaching sessions, and small-group engagement, creating space both for learning and for reflection. In a vocation often defined by constant output, the Behold Gathering offered pastors and leaders an opportunity to receive; to be grounded again in the gospel they proclaim each week.

Events like this also highlight a broader seasonal rhythm at Western. While degree programs pause between semesters, the campus continues to serve as a hub for ministry leaders through conferences, cohorts, and training initiatives. The result is a dynamic exchange: the seminary equips leaders for the church, while those same leaders bring experience, insight, and renewed energy back into the seminary community.

*If you would like to learn more about the work of the Bast Center for Christian Proclamation, cohorts, or the Behold Gathering, please freely reach out to the leadership team for this important work, including Pastor Jon Brown, Amy Berarducci, and Pastor Chris DeVos at Pillar Church, Pastor Hannah Barker Nickolay and Dr Ron Rienstra at Western Theological Seminary, and Dr Nathan Hart at Hope College.