Timothy Boland

During my college search, with an eye toward pastoral ministry, I'd considered several Bible colleges. I became convinced, however, of the value of a liberal arts foundation for anyone in ministry. A liberal arts education instills a rich, reflective understanding of Western culture, past and present, while developing skills in critical thinking, writing, speaking, and dialogue, and all of this seemed like essential preparation for any sort of church work I might one day enter. Thus, I entered Houghton with a double-major in Religion and History.

As often happens to college students, though, God used the distinctive resources of Houghton to change my life's direction. We talk often of "global engagement" here, and it's more than merely words. I met and mingled with missionaries-in-residence and fellow students who had grown up in other cultures. I heard during New Vision Week and read in some of my Religion-major classes about the astounding growth of Christianity in other parts of the world. I spent semesters on Houghton programs in London and Tanzania. As all of these influences converged, I found myself with a growing burden to serve in theological education in sub-Saharan Africa. That particular part of the world holds well over 300 million professing Christians, and 22,000 claimed conversions every day. The demand for theologically articulate, Biblically grounded, cross-culturally sensitive missionary professors remains urgent throughout the continent.

I ended up graduating with a Religion major and an Intercultural Studies minor, and I continue to be inspired by the many faculty (Religion department and otherwise!) who blend impeccable scholarship with an unyielding commitment to Christ and his kingdom. After a year in Sierra Leone as a Global Partners Go-NET volunteer teaching at a theological college, and two years as a Houghton admission counselor, I'm now moving to Vancouver to begin graduate studies. My hope and prayer is to enter long-term work at a Bible college in Africa within the next five years, and I can't imagine a better undergraduate preparation for that field than what I found at Houghton.

Timothy Boland
Admissions Counselor, Houghton College
July 2008