About Us
Greetings from the School of Theology and Missions at Union University! As dean, I want to thank you for visiting our school's website. If you look around, you'll find helpful information about our academic programs, meet our faculty, hear from some of our alumni, and discover links to some helpful resources.
According to our mission statement, The School of Theology and Missions exists to advance the Kingdom of God through theological education by integrating rigorous academics, skill in teaching, deep devotion to Christ and His Church, and a commitment to reaching the nations with the gospel. We pursue this mission by offering degree programs for undergraduates, graduate students, and adult learners who believe that God has called them to a variety of ministry vocations in service to Christ and his kingdom. Our alumni serve all over the world as pastors, youth ministers, missionaries, professors, and other types of ministry leaders. Many of them also serve as gospel-centered, mission-minded professionals, business people, teachers, NGO workers, and other occupations often (but falsely!) considered secular.
Our professors are committed to what we call the "three greats" of a Christ-centered theological education. Our chief motivation is the Great Commandment to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:36–40). Our calling is the Great Commission to advance Christ's kingdom through reaching the lost and making disciples among all peoples (Matt. 28:18–20). Our intellectual vision is rooted in the Great Tradition of Christian thought as it has been recorded in the Scriptures and passed down from our forefathers and foremothers in the faith. These are the values we seek to foster among our students.
Prospective students, if this vision of theological education resonates with you and your sense of calling to serve Christ and his kingdom, then I would encourage you to email me or contact one of our faculty members to learn more about the School of Theology and Missions.
Ray Van Neste
Dean and Professor of Biblical Studies
We regularly publish books, edited by Ray Van Neste and Jacob Shatzer, that feature our best senior student papers each year. These are available to purchase on Amazon.
