The Criswell Experience

W.A. Criswell picture 

"My vision for Criswell College...It is to be a school dedicated to the inerrancy, infallibility, inspiration and authority of Holy Scripture...It is to be an institution whose purpose is to prepare men and women for the work of the Christian ministry, church-wide and kingdom-wide. This includes lay people and those called by the Holy Spirit to be pastors, missionaries and Kingdom workers. May God grant that the college may achieve the heavenly purpose and be true and faithful to the vision until Jesus comes again."     - W. A. Criswell

 

 

  

"God still has plans for HIS college..."

 

  • I was born and raised in Ethiopia. I received the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior when I was 12, and I have been in the Lord ever since then. I experienced the Lord's call to ministry when I was a 10th grade student.  I started to write literature for spiritual magazines and actively serving in the high school Christian small Bible groups as well as church. After high school I joined a theological college in Ethiopia and worked on my diploma of theology. I came to the USA for further study in theology and worked on my bachelors in Arlington Baptist College. Today, fourteen years after I decided to be a minister, I haven't lost the enthusiasm for ministry! I am still actively serving in my present local church as a coordinator of home cell group Bible study groups and a Sunday school teacher. To be an effective worker in the Lord's Kingdom, I know that I should study the Bible more and learn different skills I need for ministry, and that is the reason I came to Criswell College! - D. Denboba

 

  • I have been the pastor of Calvary Baptist of Cottonwood for over a year. I drive 240 miles every week from my home in Plano to serve Him at this little church. It is a church that was spiritually wounded from a church split. God sent me there to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to proclaim His inerrant word to a thirsty and hungry country church. Criswell College has equipped me to do a job for the glory of God. I am currently on schedule to finish my Master of Divinity this coming spring. When I finish the Master of Divinity, I will once again bow down and ask the Lord Jesus Christ, "Now what?" I cannot wait to hear God's answer. Criswell College has met all of my expectations and then some. This school has the finest professors in the country, teaching and living out the word of God. The professors take special interest in their students by coming alongside students and praying for them. They encourage students to press on in some of the most difficult studies one could imagine. I cannot conceive of a finer institution anywhere in this country than Criswell College. All this is to the glory of God, including Him leading me to Criswell College. - Steven Bidwell

 

  • The first time I set foot on the Criswell College campus, I immediately felt the Holy Spirit alive and active in that place! It was also then that I was able to fully comprehend the vision of W. A. Criswell for this college. I feel humbled and privileged to be part of carrying out Dr. Criswell's vision. More than anything, he wanted the gospel message of Jesus Christ to be preached in all its fullness and perfection, as the infallible Word of God. I wish that everyone could step onto the Criswell campus and see first-hand what happens in the classrooms - and as a result, what gets sent out of the classrooms! I have never seen or experienced a campus where students come not only to learn but to pour themselves out into ministry to the very deepest level possible. The faculty are solid instructors and spiritual mentors. Dr. Jerry Johnson is also a godly leader and mentor and has continued to uphold the vision of W. A. Criswell. I can say with confidence that my life and my ministry on this earth were shaped, molded, and strengthened through my time at Criswell College. I praise God for this institution - its past, present, and future. - K.L.

 

  • As I sit here and write this letter, I am in Athens, Greece. I just completed teaching a one-week intensive class, and am in the midst of packing my suitcase. In my mind, it is surreal. How could some Turkish former Muslim ever end up the president of a Seminary, and teaching in such exotic locations? When I arrived at Criswell College, I doubt if I had read sixteen books. Now, I have written sixteen books. How is that possible? It is because God used the professors and staff and fellow students of Criswell College to form me, mold me and make me. Criswell College is a biblical boot camp. Thank God for it. I am a graduate of Criswell College (MA 1992). Criswell College was the first place I taught as a full time faculty member (2000-2002). It is holy ground to me. It is where I was pushed and challenged further than I have ever been. It is where I learned that "truth is immortal." Professors such as Drs. John Pretlove and Roy Metts poured their lives into their students. It was there, as a slacker student, that I sensed God's call to teach. It was there that such godly men as Drs. Richard Wells and Lamar Cooper took a chance on me. To use an apt metaphor - I bleed Criswell College blood.  History will record that Criswell College was the incubator for the Conservative Resurgence and its leaders. Institutions, colleges, denominational entities and seminaries are packed with Criswell College alumni and former faculty. Under the able and wise leadership of President Johnson, Criswell College will reach even greater heights. He has already proven it is possible. Ministries such as Criswell College are treasures to be preserved. 

    Dr. Ergun Mehmet Caner
    President, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary/Graduate School and Director, Center for Global Apologetics

            

  • God is still using the vision of W. A. Criswell to change the lives of college students. I can't even begin to tell you what Criswell College does to help us prepare for the ministry of our Lord Jesus. I did not grow up in church. I never heard the Gospel until I was about 13 years old. My parents got divorced, and my mom and I moved to a small town called Royse City. I began going to church because the friends I had made were really involved. I thought that I was a Christian just because I was a good kid. God rocked my world when I was 15 years old. I was at church camp and the preacher was talking about the tares in a wheat field and how the tares look exactly like wheat. He went on to say that people can look like they are Christians and not be. Right then, God opened my eyes and He changed my life. I have never been the same since! The following summer, God called me into ministry. I am currently married to a man that is in love with Jesus. He is the associate pastor at Orchard Hills Baptist Church in Garland, TX. I am currently planning on becoming a Bible teacher in a Christian school somewhere. I would also like to minister to kids and teens that have gone through their parents divorcing. I feel ready and prepared to enter the mission field because of the training I received at Criswell College! - K.P.

 

  • At Criswell College, I have been able to receive a phenomenal education at one of the best theological institutions in America. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was eleven years old, and since then I have been in a constant state of growth and spiritual maturing. It seems like every time I open up the Bible, I learn something that I didn't know before and then realize how much I still have to learn! Currently, I am a leader for the 7-12th grade girls at my church. My degree here at Criswell College is in Biblical Studies in Counseling, and I would like to go on to work toward getting a Masters degree in the same field. My heart is for hurting people, saved and lost. I would love to minister to people here as well as pursue ministry overseas, counseling with career missionaries. My time at Criswell College has been stretching and rewarding. The professors at this school are a true blessing from the Lord, and many of them have had a great influence on my life. Through Criswell College, people like me get to see the Body of Christ work in a beautiful way! - M. Escobar

 

  • Christ called me to Himself when I was eight. Since then, I have struggled with lots of things and have had times when I didn't think I wanted to even live anymore. But God has rescued me and transformed my life. He has used this school in a major way during this transformation process. When I was thirteen, God called me into the ministry at a youth camp. I tried to run from that calling. I wanted to do other things, but God wouldn't let me get away from Him. By the age of eighteen, I was having back surgery. All my plans for my life had to change. While I was still recovering, my pastor told me about Criswell College, and I decided to go. As a result of my experience at Criswell College, I look at myself and see a totally different person. Three years ago I was running from God. Now I am running as fast as I can towards Him. He has called me to watch over His people as a pastor. Criswell College has given me the tools I need to do this. God is good and has provided everything I need to perform the calling that He has given me. - A.S.

 

  • It never ceases to amaze me how interlinked the body of Christ is! Oftentimes we do not get to hear about the fruits of our labor or how answering God's call has made a difference to someone else. However, I am writing this letter in order that you may know how Criswell College is impacting the world for Christ! I can remember being seven years old and dreaming of being like my aunt and uncle who lived in Ecuador, sharing Jesus with people in a foreign country. My parents have never shied away from encouraging such things and always supported mission projects. As I grew older, I found that I had other dreams and passions, all involving serving God by sharing Jesus with people here or somewhere else. It was these passions that led me to Criswell College. Criswell has one of the best Biblical Studies programs for undergraduate students. Criswell feels more like a family to me than a school. I say this because not only is every other student here focused on the same goals, but the professors are too! The knowledge we gain at Criswell comes through our studies and our professors, and we also glean wisdom from our professors' personal experiences! It is incredible to see how men and women of God serve Him through such vastly different fields such as science and pastoral ministries. Opportunities to get into ministry abound at Criswell! We get to hear from professors and from chapel speakers about different things that we can get involved in. This semester a professor shared a story with his class about a missionary in a foreign country that works with children. One of his students shared the story with me. All semester I have been feeling God's calling of finding a way to go help this particular missionary in her work with the children. I prayed about it and then tried to put it out of my mind, but God keeps prompting me. He keeps sending confirmation after confirmation that I should go and is already preparing the way for me to get there. Without Criswell College, these experiences would not be possible for me! Words cannot express the deep gratitude I feel towards this school and the joy that abounds in knowing that Christians bonding together and serving Christ will further the kingdom of God! This letter only gives you a vague picture of what goes on at Criswell College and what type of students go here. I would like to extend a personal invitation to you to come and visit and see for yourself what God is doing! - Wendy P.

 

  • I was saved at the age of thirteen. Although I grew up in a Christian home, I was not discipled properly. After high school and a couple years of junior college, I joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in England after training. It was while in England that God began to work on my heart through the ministry of a local Baptist church with a mission to reach service members and their families. It was in this church that my wife got saved, and I realized that God was placing a call on my life to surrender to Him and prepare for ministry. I prayed about going to school. As I look back, I now realize that the Lord was preparing me for the right ministry at the right time. After more then twenty years, God opened the door for me to attend Criswell College, where I am pursuing a degree in counseling. My desire is to help believers understand who they are in Christ and to help the lost see their need for Him. I could never have done this on my own. God has used this college and its professors to make it possible! - B. Lynch

 

  • I am so glad that God brought me to Criswell College! I gave my heart to the Lord when I was a senior in high school. I grew up in a Catholic home and strayed away from the church once I entered high school. It was during my senior year that my boyfriend, who had grown up in a Christian home yet also strayed away, made the decision to live for Christ again. He shared the gospel with me, and I finally understood it. It was then that I surrendered my life to Jesus. College is such an important time in a person's life, and I know that I came upon Criswell College only by God's doing. My time there was everything that I had ever prayed for in a college experience. I am confident that I grew and continue to grow even more in my walk with the Lord through the time I spent at Criswell, and I gained so much knowledge about the Bible and about Jesus. I know that I am called to ministry. My major at Criswell was in counseling, and my spiritual gifts are exhortation and mercy. I'm currently preparing to work at an orphanage, either as a social worker in the United States or as a missionary in another country. But these plans are open to change if God has other ideas - because His ways are better than mine. Thank you, Criswell College. May the Lord bless this school, and may He continue to be glorified through it! - E.D.

 

  • As an international student, I am very grateful to attend one of the best Bible schools in America. When I became a Christian in 7th grade in the Philippines, I was not eager to know much about the Bible or the Christian faith. All that mattered to me was going to heaven. However, when my dad received the call to ministry in my junior year of high school, we moved to Dallas so that he could attend Dallas Theological Seminary. The Lord started working in my life, and I began to desire to learn more about His Word. I then decided to attend Criswell College, and from there my calling started to become clearer. In my time here at Criswell, the Lord has placed a desire in my heart to reach the next generation of people with the Gospel of Christ. I want to help disciple and equip the next generation of Christians for the road that is ahead of them through the teaching of His Word and defending it against other false teachings. I believe that it is important that the next generation of Christians be given a strong foundation that is rooted in the Bible. This is what the Lord has placed in my heart: the proclamation of His Gospel to others and the discipleship of other believers. I believe that for me to do this effectively, it is important that I get training and ministry preparation. I am able to do that here at Criswell College. For Christ and His Kingdom, M. Villoria

 

  • Since I was eight years old, all I've ever wanted to do was preach the Gospel. As soon as I graduated high school, I enrolled at Criswell College. The next five years of my life were unbelievable! Criswell College helped to make my dream for life-long ministry a reality. In May of 2007, I graduated with a B.A. in Biblical Studies. I am the only person in my family to go to college. I enrolled in the M.A.Th. program at Criswell in the spring of '07. I was no longer haunted by my past, my fears, or what others told me. Criswell is more than a college to me - it is an honest and godly way out of my former life and a launching pad into the mission field. The Lord has used this school and its professors to help make my testimony! My deepest gratitude, J.M.

 

  • After much prayer, the desire to enter full-time ministry was heavy on my heart. In order to accomplish what God had laid on my heart, He began to direct me to return to school and pursue higher theological studies. I believe God has led me to pursue a doctorate in theology so that I can better train and minister to people in a teaching setting. I would like to train leaders in the Hispanic community to better lead their churches. Hispanic evangelicals need trained leaders to help them reach the lost in our own community. I am very grateful that Criswell College has been part of my theological education. This school and its professors have prepared me to pursue my goal of becoming a pastor and Bible teacher. May God continue to pour out His blessings on Criswell College. Until He comes, F. Torres

 

  • I've had the privilege of attending Criswell College since the fall of 2006. I am personally convinced beyond doubt that this college is truly doing the work of the Kingdom of God. Before I came here, the Lord had been working in my life in several ways to bring me to this point. I grew up in a Christian home, raised by a single mom who, through her life and words, pointed me to Jesus and installed in me a love for the Scriptures. As I got older and my faith became stronger and my relationship with God more personal, I thought of pursuing many career paths and played with ideas of exciting fields of study. But nothing satisfied the longing of my heart for meaning and purpose until, at the age of 17, God revealed to me His call on my life to surrender completely to the plans that He had for me. I've known ever since then that His desire is for me to serve Him in the ministry of His gospel, through the preaching of His Word and the witness of the new life that He has wrought in me. Soon after I felt this call, the Lord opened up an opportunity to serve Him in the church I was then attending in my small hometown in south Texas. My pastor, being bi-vocational and a paramedic, had some Sundays when he could not be at the church. He needed someone to preach in his place on these days. This was a difficult circumstance for him as well as the church. When I told him about my sense of calling and my surrender to that call, we both began to prayerfully consider my filling in for him. This is how I began to preach. I had a limited knowledge of Scripture, but I believed that God had called me to this. I studied hard and struggled a lot. But through this time, God taught me so much! After a while, I realized that I had so much more to learn to be better equipped for the ministry. I then began to seek God about going to Bible college. In the summer of 2005, I first heard about Criswell College and subsequently visited the school that fall. I was convinced from then on that this was where God wanted me to spend my years of study. I am now finishing my second year at Criswell, and it has been difficult at times - stretching and molding - but incredibly productive. The faculty here never ceases to amaze me with their erudition, wisdom, humility, and dedication. I can't imagine a place where I would rather study the Word of God and prepare for ministry. Thank you to those who support and pray for the Criswell College. - M.W.

 

  • Thank you, W.A. Criswell, for thinking of the hearts and dreams of people you never even met! You stepped in to play a pivotal role in bringing our vision to fruition! I am a Criswell College student from India. I have been blessed to be part of the Criswell family since January 2006. Since then, it has been a memorable ride with books, papers, professors, friends, and a closer relationship with The Book and its Author. I never thought that I would come this far in all realms of life. At the end of each semester, I pray, "Lord, thank You for sending people to help me this far. Thank You for the ones who will be helping me further on." I come from a missionary family that serves the Lord in India. My birth itself was a miracle. I have been through a lot of physical complications. Medical science concluded that I would not talk, walk, or live a normal life. However, what the world concludes is not the end. I am a true testimony that my Jehovah Raphe - The Healer - still lives! I came to know Him personally at the age of seven. I dedicated my life for His ministry and strived to serve Him in every opportunity I got. My parents, being in ministry, have provided me a solid ground on which to grow. I graduated from Ccriswell in May of '08 and hope to earn a doctorate and eventually go back to India and serve the Lord where ever He leads me. In His service, S.T.

 

  • My heart is filled with gratitude for the Criswell College.  In His grace and mercy God has used this school to impact my life personally, our beloved SBC, the nation and the world for the cause of Christ and His Word. - M. Balard

 

  • As a young girl, I became very interested in missions abroad. My family divided its time between living in the States and Germany. Through those early experiences, God taught me many things about the world and His role in redeeming the nations. The desire to serve others, whether locally or overseas, and bring them the Gospel has only grown stronger with time. Through my time at Criswell College, I sensed the urgency to go someplace where God's Word has not yet been heard. Being at Criswell College, I had the opportunity to seek wise counsel from many sources, including a few of my professors and staff members of the school. God really used them to clarify and direct His calling in my life. I look around at many of my friends from Criswell, and we are fully prepared to take our passion for God's Word and work to the many corners of the globe. I thank W. A. Criswell and Criswell College for making this possible and for being a part of this exciting time in my life! - P.P.

 

  • I was born and raised in Richardson, TX and have been an active member of the Heights Baptist Church since June of 1994. On June 3, 1995 at a youth retreat in Florida, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior and was baptized in the Gulf of Mexico. I felt the Lord calling me to pursue missions in January 2002. After going on a mission trip to England that summer, I felt His confirmation that this was to be my life-ling ministry, to go and help spread the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. I know that the education and training I've received from Criswell College has been invaluable to prepare me for the work that the Lord has led me to do in both local and foreign missions. Because of the training I got at Criswell College, I hope to bless others as the college and its staff has so generously and excellently blessed me! God bless you, W.H.

 

  • Criswell College is a place which I hold so dear. To summarize what I have learned from this first semester presently feels nearly impossible! It is all too much, too grand, and so completely unexpected. Suffice it to say that it has been a long and difficult journey in accepting my call to this school, moving my life to Texas to attend, and making my way through the sometimes treacherous and always surprising maze of life and a calling to ministry. I've been challenged, I think, in every possible way to what feels like my limit. The rewards have been so numerous and often leave me astounded. I cannot list all of the ways in which I'm growing here. Instead, let me state to you with all sincerity that the Lord is working at this school. People here are bending to His will, pursuing His ways, and shining His light in their own communities. As for me, I accepted the Lord Jesus as my Savior when I was about nine years old. I grew up in a lot of confusing religious environments with a difficult family situation. I went through various periods of confusion and cynicism toward the Church, until I finally reached a point where I distanced myself completely from every church and Christian group as a way to protect myself. That's when the Lord used a close friend and mentor to open my eyes and my heart to the plan that He has for my life. In the period of one day, after much prayer and many attempts to surrender myself to His will, I went from being a confused student to a pre-Criswell student! I am excited to see how God is furthering His Kingdom through Criswell College! God bless, N. Gibbs

 

  • My time at Criswell College has made an incalculable difference in my life. My education and preparation for ministry at this institution has given me deeper insight into the Bible and the study thereof. In my Biblical Survey classes, I gained a greater appreciation for the continuity of the Bible, its story and theology. Study in the Humanities and Sciences revealed God's workings throughout time and space to reveal His glory and power to the nations. Finally, in Philosophy, discovering God's matchless wisdom was an entirely exhilarating experience. God has used the Criswell College greatly in His plan for my life and, ultimately, for His glory! My parents', as missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators, instilled in me - even from a young age - a love and knowledge of God. I cannot point to a specific day on which I received Christ as Savior; however, God's discipline and loving direction have been evident in my life and constitute, to this day, the defining influence in my life. He has shown Himself faithful to correct and uphold me, bringing me closer and closer into the image of His Son. As a high school student, through the influences of my youth pastor and the enjoyment that I found in serving with him, God has given me a call to ministry. At present, I am actively involved in teaching children's church, the fine arts program, and interning with the Senior Pastor at my church home. I am grateful to Criswell College and W. A. Criswell's vision for immeasurable contributions to the work which God is completing in me. - L.M.

 

  • Criswell College continues to thrive upon the vision of Dr. W.A. Criswell in training men and women for church-wide and kingdom-wide ministry. This is why our Alumni Association is represented by over 1,846 men and women (including us) who minister as pastors, missionaries, associate pastors, student ministers, children's ministers, teachers, professors, housewives, businessmen and a whole host of other professions. His vision for the College is not being thwarted nor is it being changed in any way. It is simply being fulfilled. - D. Gorena

 

  • I have been a Christian for just a short amount of time. I was saved at the Dallas Life Foundation. At that time in my life, I was homeless and also recovering from drug and alcohol abuse. I met a young man there that was the supervisor of security, and we became friends. He was a Marine at the time, and I had been a former Marine. I started working on his crew and would sit down with him for an hour or two at a time to discuss the Bible and its meaning. I grew up in a Christian home and thought I knew everything there was to the Bible. I just never really believed in it. As the young man counseled me in the deeper meaning of the Bible, I became aware that I needed Christ as my own personal Savior. I had never really given all that I had to Christ before in my life, and at that moment I realized that I really needed Him to guide my life. I had just had my appendix taken out and a bout of Staph that had almost ended my life. I made a decision that I would not go out like that and spend eternity in hell. I started following up with Pastor Keith at the Dallas Life Foundation. On the 20th of October in 2005, I accepted Christ as my Savior. Since then I have followed Christ's footsteps in Israel, dug in the sand where the Essenes lived, and have learned many things about my walk with Christ. I pray every day that He will give me strength to carry on and to live each day to the best of my ability with His help. I am now at Criswell College working on a Bachelors of Biblical Studies/Humanities as well as an Associate's Degree in Computer Science. I am a servant to all of my friends here and would have it no other way. This college and the people here have literally changed my life! Praise God for Criswell College! - David R.

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