Clive S. Chin (PhD, 2002)

I serve as associate professor of theological and intercultural studies and academic dean of the School of Theology English at Singapore Bible College. SBC is an evangelical seminary with students from more than 26 nations and is situated in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious Asian context. Those are ingredients for an exciting, yet challenging ministry. One of my primary responsibilities is to train students to exegete the Word and the world, so that they are able to translate the eternal Gospel to transform lives and serve the body of Christ in changing social and cultural contexts. As an academic administrator, I oversee the academic programs of the school and serve and lead the faculty to ensure that our teaching outcomes are consistently aligned with the mission and values of the seminary.

A distinctive of our seminary is that we focus on taking an integrative approach to theological education. We do not only emphasize academics, which is important, but we seek to form students in terms of their intellectual, spiritual, and ministerial developments. Beyond engaging students in the classroom, I spend time with students and mentor them. Ultimately, a main passion of mine as dean is to work with faculty, students, and staff so that together we can cultivate a vibrant community of followers of Jesus Christ who reflect and live out God’s Kingdom values.

Every time I give thanks to God for the privilege of serving him and his people, I am reminded of my days at Dallas Theological Seminary. It was there that my intellectual, spiritual, and ministry foundations were challenged, shaped, and refined. I still vividly remember sitting in seminars, engaged in discussions on biblical and theological subjects. As a PhD student, I naturally spent countless hours in Turpin library to do research and write papers. Somehow God taught me that, even in times of deep theological reflection, my work as a theologian is not merely an academic exercise but takes place coram Deo or before God. DTS taught me the invaluable lesson that to think theologically necessarily involved prayer as an act of worship to God. My time at DTS was not all work, of course. I also enjoyed many games of pick-up basketball at the fitness center with fellow students and professors. Interacting with friends and classmates from all walks of life and different parts of the world truly enriched my educational experience on campus.

The greatest asset of a seminary, of course, is the faculty. I am so grateful to the Lord for the very gifted individuals who taught and guided me. Those who taught in the PhD program then were not only intellectually gifted but people who had a huge heart for God. I am indebted to Drs. Lanier Burns, Craig Blaising, Stephen Spencer, John Hannah, and Harold Hoehner for their investments in this student. I have come a long way since my start at DTS in 1992. My professors played a significant role to help shape the direction of my life and ministry.