BEGINNING TALBOT chapter 167

In late June of ’73 I graduated from Biola and that September I walked to the front of the campus to register at Talbot Theological Seminary. In selecting classes and paying out nearly the last of our saving I was excited but extremely nervous. I had been praying that God would open a door, change me or do whatever was necessary to let me know that I could teach. Very little happened at Biola that gave me much hope. I got the BA degree necessary to move on for a Master’s. That was step one.

Before leaving Biola completely I need to acknowledge Dr. Bill Bynum, Biola’s chairman of the Christian Education department, who opened his office and files to me to copy anything I might need. We talked a great deal and he helped me appreciate the value of the knowledge. I admit my focus was so much on learning to teach that the knowledge was losing focus. He encouraged me not to worry about memorizing and simply learn to absorb. He encouraged me to “feel” deeply about my subject. — Relax! I considered  his suggestion rather strange, but it was exactly what I needed. I still wasn’t sure how this would help me teach, but it made attending classes a lot more fun.

While waiting in line to get all the paper work completed I was reflecting on my BA classes. I appreciated being exposed to some of Southern California’s popular youth pastors. One of the guys with the largest youth group in the area actually taught the youth class. I entered that course with great enthusiasm but was quickly disappointed. As successful as he was with youth, he failed as a teacher. He stayed closely to a textbook he required and came to closest to simply reading each chapter to the class as any teacher I had ever had.

He and I were very close to the same age so, facing the issue where angels would fear to tread, I decided to approach him on the subject. I took him to coffee where we talked about teaching in general and moved toward his class specifically. He had never taught on this level before and was a nervous wreck. My heart went out to him. I wondered if that would be my own fate. I learned more about his ministry and how he did want he did at that coffee meeting than any of his classes. I encouraged him to share his experiences. We wanted to know him. We wanted to know what he was doing to attract so many youth and how on earth he could hold their attention and manage a group of nearly one thousand. He loosened up a bit but held on to his obligation to teach (read) the text. At least I got some of what I wanted in the class.

It was much easier to register at the seminary. No one asked me to get a hair cut and I had let it grow back to the length it was a year earlier.  My hair was never that long. It never reached my collar. It was considered long because it was over my ears.

After getting my schedule I wondered how I was going to keep my promise to my wife to be a husband and father who was present. There was a requirement to attend chapel but I needed that time to study so I did not take so much work home. I had only one break between classes three days a week. Fortunately it was immediately after chapel and you could miss chapel if you did not have a class right before or after chapel.  The library was always locked during chapel so I plopped myself into a small lounge area. My undergrad degrees allowed me to focus heavily on Christian Education classes. I also loaded up on counseling classes as a minor. Greek was gone and I took all the required classes in Bible and theology which were also reduced because of my under graduate studies