Teaching less in 2025 and 2026 Goals

 

I've been spoiled. During the fall of 2025 I didn't teach. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy teaching; but I also appreciate time to channel more energy toward academic administration (i.e., course scheduling, writing accreditation reports, and overseeing the day-to-day functioning of the seminary), big picture planning (i.e, dreaming about and launching our new CoVo certificates, making connections with denominational leaders, and attending events on behalf of the seminary), and writing/editing my book.

As dean of the seminary I typically teach three courses per year. This year my load has been less. That has enabled me to work on finishing my book manuscript for the January, 2026 submission deadline. It isn't a strict deadline but I'm treating it like it is. I spent my Christmas and New Year's break eating and playing games with my family. And, because I haven't been teaching I am unburdened from the end of semester grading drudgery to write. As such, I've accomplished my goal of editing two of my densest chapters, both dealing with Paul's New Testament writings on material support for church leaders. It was a ton of work but I am thankful to have met my goal and made it this far.

Speaking of goals, my wife and I crafted a handful of them for 2026. Here are some of mine:

• Finalize and submit my book manuscript to IVP  
• Blog 1x/month
• Read the Gospel of John in Greek
• Go on a European vacation with my wife
• Teach at the chaplain school this summer
• Prepare an outline and write one chapter of my next book project
• Run 30km in one shot

This post is the beginning of my quest to accomplish the second bullet point goal. Here's to accomplishing a bunch more of them in 2026.  

Doug Moo

Ever have a flash of inspiration that leads to rejection? It happens to me fairly regularly. The inspiration and rejection. Yet, sometimes inspiration leads to a breakthrough.

One of my roles as Dean of the Seminary entails finding course instructors. This is quite a task for a school that relies heavily on adjuncts to teach courses. Since most of our courses are week-long modular intensives, it is not as daunting as it would be if I had to find locals in small town Saskatchewan to teach specialized graduate level courses. 

Since I have only been on the job five months, I am still figuring out how things work. In this case, I decided to reach out to some of the best educators I could think of. Douglas Moo was my first choice for Pauline Epistles. If you don't know Doug Moo, here's what Wikipedia says about him:

Douglas J. Moo (born March 15, 1950) is a Reformed New Testament scholar who, after teaching for more than twenty years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois, has served as Blanchard Professor of New Testament at the Wheaton College Graduate School since 2000. He received his Ph.D. at the University of St. Andrews, in St. Andrews, Scotland.

Moo has published several theological works and commentaries on the Bible; notable among them are An Introduction to the New Testament (with D.A. Carson and Leon Morris) and The Epistle to the Romans (part of the New International Commentary on the New Testament series). His current research interests are Romans, Pauline theology (and exegesis) and environmental theology. He has been a member of the translation committee that produced the NIV and TNIV since 1996, and is its current Chair. He previously edited Trinity Journal.

In 2014, a Festschrift was published in his honour. Studies in the Pauline Epistles: Essays in Honor of Douglas J. Moo included contributions from G. K. Beale, Craig Blomberg, James Dunn, Grant R. Osborne, Thomas R. Schreiner, and N. T. Wright. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_J._Moo)

Now that you know a bit more about him, you might appreciate how this "flash of inspiration" would almost certainly result in rejection. I emailed him asking him to consider coming to southern Saskatchewan to teach. In the subject line I wrote "Shot in the Dark". 

Doug emailed back and accepted my offer. Yes, you read that correctly. He's in. So, Doug Moo is coming to teach a one-week Pauline Epistles course at Briercrest Seminary. Please join us in October 2023 to learn from one of foremost New Testament scholars. Stay tuned for more details.

 

Bible College Courses

I'm in the final stages of completing a New Testament course for the college I teach at. It's down to the editing details. I hate details.

I'm getting ready to teach a New Testament course in Hanover this fall. It'll be offered at the church where I serve as the director of worship and the arts. Our office administrator helped me put together a mail out to send to the churches in Grey and Bruce counties. We included a DVD promo (check it out below).

I'm also getting ready to teach 2 new courses this fall at the college:
1. Introduction to Worship and Music
2. Arts and Symbols in Christian Worship

I love teaching.