My name is Tim McKeithen. I am a graduate of Nazarene Bible College, class of 2001. My current ministry is a faculty member and program director of the Hispanic Pastoral Ministries degree programs at Nazarene Bible College. So I have an interesting twist on the NBC story because I was both a student and then, 20 years later, a professor and faculty member at the same institution. Obviously, I love NBC very much because I’ve seen both sides. I’ve seen the dedication of the professors and I’ve seen the hard work and sacrifices of the students. I’ve also seen behind the scenes of the administration and staff, the whole NBC family that we’ve been experiencing on and off for 20 years.
Every class was preparing me for ministry. I honestly did not see it at the time, but every class was preparing me in some way. I was receiving tools for the ministry. I might not have realized it, and it may not have been obvious to me when I was studying, but later in the ministry, I saw: oh, yes, this was explained by my professor, this showed up in one of the lectures or something like that, and it helped me in ministry. I felt very well prepared. That was kind of a surprise to me, that I felt absolutely prepared for the ministry that God gave me subsequent to my graduation when I went overseas. In my case, I was called into missions, and it served me well.
If I had something to suggest to the students that they probably don’t realize is how much you’re being prepared. You’re being given tools for your ministry toolbox, and I definitely experienced that. Now as a faculty member, I’ve actually said to students, “Guys, you’re probably not going to appreciate this until maybe 10 years later.” But I definitely saw it's something that made all the difference.
When I mentioned that the administration, the staff, the faculty, the students, we’re all part of a community, and it doesn’t stop when you graduate — I see it in my colleagues, my classmates. I see it in the church, because most of us are affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. We don’t have an official alumni get-together, but I notice that it pretty much happens at church events, denominational events, and even outside the denomination we’ll get together. This community reflects the church, because our church is that way. I’m not talking about denomination; I’m talking about the church of the Lord. It's got the same thing: we’re family and so we come alongside each other, and I think that's because it started that way. It was supposed to be that way in our local churches, it's supposed to be that way in our educational institutions, and then it just keeps growing. I think that's important to remember.