D.Min., Urban Missions concentration

"My life should be an open book, a book that everyone can read about Jesus Christ my Savior," says Satish Kumar. Reading is a serious activity for this D.Min. student at Westminster.

Satish was introduced to Christ by his parents, who became believers when he was 12. They encouraged him to read the Bible for himself. He did, and cites John 12:6 as the particular Scripture leading to his conversion.

When God called him to "become a proclaimer of his grace and salvation in Christ Jesus to the millions in my own country," he decided to pursue theological training. He earned a B.Th. at Faith Theological Seminary, an institution founded by the British missionary William Carey and affiliated with Serampore University in Satish's home territory of Kerala, India. He went on to earn a B.D. and M.Th., and began teaching religion and philosophy at the Masters level at the seminary. He also served as chaplain and director of the practical ministry for several years.

He chose to pursue additional training at Westminster because "this is a seminary which stands for rightly dividing the word, which leads to sound biblical-theological foundations," he explains. That foundation will aid him in teaching "the message of the Bible in its entirety, the whole counsel of God." His professors, he says, "have profound knowledge of the Scripture," and Professor Gaffin's Theology of Hebrews class has been particularly helpful.

One of his more memorable experiences at Westminster so far was the Spring 2005 Culture Night. "The student body came together to show their rich cultural and linguistic differences, yet bound together in the bond of Christ's love."

Not surprisingly, he mentions the "rich, resourceful library" among the various reasons he appreciates Westminster. His favorite authors include Cornelius Van Til, John Frame, John Murray, Wayne Grudem, Sinclair Ferguson, Scott Oliphint, John Owen, and "a host of other Puritan writers."

He continues to teach and preach, mostly at an Indian church in Philadelphia, where he attends with his wife, Anitha, and children Johan and Janice.

Does this busy seminarian have hobbies? Two, Satish says. The second is "going for trips involving long rides," which undoubtedly gives him more time for the first: "reading!"