Both inside and outside the classroom, international students enrich and inform the life of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Koreans bring a contagious zeal for prayer and evangelism and unrivaled passion for study. They also bless the seminary with powerful, passionate singing. And Korean missionaries serving in Uganda, Nepal, and the Philippines share the joys and struggles of work in their contexts.
A Korean singing group performs at CTS.
Nigerian, Ethiopian, and Indonesian students speak about the persecution of Christians and destruction of churches by radical Muslims.
Students from Sierra Leone and Liberia share stories about God’s preservation amidst horrific civil war. Students from China, Japan, and Malaysia tell of facing political and social difficulties as Christian minorities in their countries.
A student from Myanmar recounts how God miraculously led him to escape the clutches of his military captors.
And the contagious joy of students from Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico infects the whole seminary community.
Coming from nearly 30 countries, including Canada, about one-third of this year’s 352 students are citizens from countries other than the U.S.
Through the CTS International Friends Program, Americans, Canadians, and international student families learn about each other’s countries and cultures. The bonds formed often last a lifetime.
God has called Calvin Theological Seminary to serve not only the Christian Reformed Church in North America, but his church around the world.
About the Authors
Richard Sytsma is dean of students and international student adviser at Calvin Theological Seminary.
Matthew Cooke, director of communications at Calvin Theological Seminary
