By Madison Franks, Student Writer
OTTERBURNE, MB – It is no surprise that those who graduate from Providence often continue to do great things once they are gone. Some alumni become doctors, others are teachers, and some move onto the mission field. Whether Providence helps a student to get the prerequisite classes they need to have in order to move into a master’s program, or if a student goes straight into a job that uses their degree, there is no shortage of opportunities for a Providence graduate. One field of study that helps its undergrads go on to do further education is Biblical Studies, and Kate Henderson is one student who just graduated from this degree program.
In her graduating semester, Kate used her knowledge of biblical Greek that Providence gave her to apply to and be accepted at a conference at Oxford University in England this summer. The name of the conference is Logos and will have attendees looking at biblical texts and manuscripts in a workshop context. The conference name is especially fitting for Kate as the thesis she wrote to fulfill her advanced Biblical Studies degree had her looking into the word logos – i.e. Greek for “word” – in John’s gospel and Philo of Alexandria’s writings.
Kate’s love for biblical Greek began in her second year at Providence when she studied the language under Dr. Joshua Coutts. “I didn’t know that studying a language could be so transformative for my walk with Christ,” said Kate in response to what sort of impact this course had on her, “but it was. Greek was always my favourite class.” Dr. Coutts is a well-liked Seminary professor due to his ability to incorporate the gospel message into every lecture – even if the lesson is on something as seemingly tedious as learning verbs. “I always left my Greek classes wishing they could have gone on longer,” Kate reflected.
Now, even though her Greek classes have come to an end, she has the opportunity to continue pursuing what she loves. Kate’s thesis advisor, Dr. Michael Gilmour, was sent an application to the Logos conference to pass along to students who might be interested. Knowing the solid education that Kate had received from Providence in studying biblical Greek and knowing the academic excellence she achieved in her undergraduate degree, Dr. Gilmour saw that this conference would suit Kate well, and encouraged her to submit an application. She did this and, out of over one hundred applicants worldwide, Kate was one of the thirty selected. “I was really flattered,” Kate said in response to how she felt when she received the news of her acceptance. “I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to attend something like this without Providence’s encouragement.”
This summer’s conference will mark the second time Kate will have gone to Oxford through a Providence connection. Last summer, Kate attended a conference there on animal ethics with one of her professors. Having fallen in love with the English university last year through the opportunity to sit in on various lectures, it was easy for her to decide to go again this year.
Providence’s goal is to train people to grow in knowledge and character for leadership and service, and the Logos conference Kate is attending is an example of how this institutional goal is being met. Kate spent four years being taught valuable information from Providence, and now she is able to leave its halls to further grow in her biblical knowledge. “One day I think I’d like to teach the Bible,” Kate answered when asked what she sees herself doing with her degree in the future. “Teaching the biblical text is appealing to me because studying it at Providence has been so transformative for me. I’d like to help other students see the beauty in learning a biblical language.”
It may be unexpected that a small, rural university in Manitoba could equip students to go on to study abroad, but Providence does just that. If you are someone who loves academics and reading the Bible, getting a degree in Biblical Studies at Providence might be for you. What better way to learn more about God than by learning the original languages that Scripture was written in? Providence offers exemplary Greek and Hebrew education, and studying one or both of these languages through Providence may be the catalyst for further prestigious education beyond Providence’s walls.
