During seminary chapel on Tuesday, we were given a special treat. Mark Lounsbrough, filling in this week for an adjunct faculty member who was unable to come teach his module, shared the story of how God brought him on board as a faculty member at FBBC.
I have heard the story before, but it’s always a blessing to hear how God worked in the life of Mr. Lounsbrough to take him away from a ministry he dearly loved and place him in a new ministry that he fulfills so well.
Mr. Lounsbrough was a missionary in Brazil for almost 20 years, teaching in a seminary for nationals down there. When Faith’s missions chair became vacant, Dr. George Houghton, the college dean, called Mr. Lounsbrough and asked him to come join the faculty. Mr. Lounsbrough politely told him that he did not feel God leading him in that direction.
After a series of events in which that position was filled and vacated again, Dr. George again approached Mr. Lounsbrough about the job. To make a long story short, Mr. Lounsbrough eventually accepted the invitation and applied for the job, despite the pain of having to leave his ministry in Brazil.
Oh how thankful I personally am for Mr. Lounsbrough’s ministry at the college! I have had the privilege of working closely with him for three years as the president of the Student Missionary Fellowship, and I have also enjoyed his classes, even at 7am. God is using him in such great ways here.
But that’s all preliminary stuff. The point of this blog post is to tell you why Dr. George sought so hard after Mr. Lounsbrough.
Today in class, we studied the topic of Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement. As we go along through history and study various Bible colleges and how they strayed from the truth, one overall theme is evident. When schools began to hire professors that did not completely conform to their doctrinal beliefs and convictions, they set themselves up for compromise, and eventually it was too late to go back.
Here at Faith, our faculty and staff are held to the highest standards. Dr. George said that he pursued Mr. Lounsbrough because he knew where he stood on the important issues, and he knew that he was in full agreement with the school’s historical beliefs.
According to Dr. George, there’s no reason to fill a position just to fill it if the right person is not available. Some Bible schools welcome teachers who are not in full agreement with them, but at Faith, that is not an option.
Hence, for 91 years, my school has upheld its biblical standards despite the difficulty of doing so. Not everyone will agree with that decision, but nevertheless, it is the one of the primary reasons why the school is still the same school it has always been.
I praise God for my school’s faithfulness, even when it sometimes means being picky.
