News & Updates

By William D. Shiell

As we celebrate Black History Month this February, I am thrilled to share that four of Northern’s own have pastoral installation services in February and March at historically Black churches in Chicagoland. All have trained at Northern Seminary and are fruit of the good work of the Urban Leadership, Master of Divinity, and Contextual Theology programs.

Original Providence Baptist Church in Chicago will install Rev. Daniel E. Jones on February 19. Greater Bible Way Temple in Joliet will install Elder Steffan Allen (class of ’21) as pastor on February 26. Monroe Baptist Church in Bellwood will install LeAundre Hill (class of ’20) as pastor on March 5. Broadview Missionary Baptist Church in Broadview will install Rev. Jasper Paul Taylor (class of ‘18) on March 18.

Here are Northern, we are praising the Lord for these leaders. Since Miles Mark Fisher first attended Northern in 1914, we have had a longstanding commitment to the Black Church. This generation of pastoral leaders continues that legacy. Pastoral leadership is more demanding than ever, but these four men—along with many other women and men at Northern—are saying yes to the challenge. As we have equipped these leaders, we have only done so because of the gifts and support of many and the faithful teaching and mentoring of our faculty.

All four men are an inspiring reminder of why Northern is so passionate about leading the church and engaging the world.

Pastors in historically Black churches are role models for the kind of biblical leadership that we teach. They proclaim the Word of God prophetically and work tirelessly to secure jobs, organize neighborhoods, redeem families, and deliver justice to the oppressed. They pastor their communities and mobilize the church for the mission of God in the pew and on the block.

To spend a day with a pastor of an African American church is to learn what it’s like to be a shepherd, CEO, mentor, nonprofit president, chaplain, fundraiser, and administrator all rolled into one person. If you watched Tyre Nichols’s funeral in Memphis, you may have noticed how many pastors attended, including Northern Seminary professor and pastor Marshall Hatch, Sr.

Because of the scope of the work of pastor, those trained well can lead just about any organization. There are few callings quite like it in the world.

I had the privilege of teaching two of these men while they were students. All of them were in pastoral ministry before they accepted these roles as senior pastors, and I assure you that I learned as much from them as I taught to them. I follow their work on social media, and they are already off to an amazing start—baptizing, welcoming new members, and preaching the gospel.

Northern cannot take credit for any of their work as pastors, but we can say with joy how grateful we are to be part of their journey and to see them take the next step as they “tend the flock of God under their care.”

Congratulations Daniel, Steffan, LeAundre, and Jasper.