Many of you already know that as of August 15, 2020, that I left Talbot School of Theology as a full-time professor (you can read why in my post “Why I’m Leaving Talbot School of Theology”). So you won’t be surprised to hear that since May 13, 2019, when I found out I would be leaving Talbot, our lives have been interesting, challenging, sometimes sad, but also exciting.
Leaving Talbot?
Let me explain why I titled this “Leaving Talbot?” with a question mark. I’m still heavily invested in our students and still speak for our department in our “Biola on the Road” conferences. Also, if someone takes the course Why God Allows Evil, they will find that I did several of the course lectures for the distance version of the course.
What’s Next for Us?
In the last fifteen months since we found out I was leaving Talbot, we have prayed and fasted over what we should do next. Our conclusion is that we should keep doing what we’re doing but, God willing, do even more of it!
Teaching
I’m going to continue to teach wherever I get the opportunity. As you know, the world has changed because of Covid 19. That has led to doing more online teaching. Since March 2020, I’ve done no fewer than 44 podcasts, Zooms, and radio interviews all over North America and throughout the world. I’ve spoken live or in podcasts in Malaysia, India, and South Africa. God willing I hope to do much more than this. If you click on “Venues” here on this website you can see the list of my speaking. Also, I will be teaching a required course for the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics on World Views and the Problem of Evil.
Jean E. teaches women’s groups and is recording videos to augment her Bible studies (some churches won’t use Bible studies unless there are teaching videos).
Writing
Immortal was released in April 2020 and I’m now writing a book on suffering! Seems natural since I’ve already written a book on evil and death! By the way, just prior to going on the air recently, the radio host asked me if studying evil, suffering, and death, wasn’t kind of a bummer? I told him “No, it’s exhilarating.” Since then I’ve been interviewing Navy SEALs because if you have a robust view of eternal life in Jesus then the sufferings of this life which prepare us for eternal glory are not unlike how SEAL recruits viewed the sufferings they endured to become SEALs. God uses our suffering here to prepare us to inherit the Kingdom! I also intend to do more blogging and writing for the Christian Research Journal (a great publication, by the way, I encourage you to subscribe).
Jean E. will soon start the manuscript for her fifth women’s Bible study with Harvest House, is finishing her second video series, and blogs. (Each of her first three Bible studies have received an award from the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association).
Mentoring
Since this is my first public mention of it, few of you know that I have been mentoring groups of five guys at a time. I hope to continue mentoring guys, and Jean E. and I intend to start mentoring couples. How I’ve done the mentoring is to have the guys come out and spend a couple of days with me at least twice over the course of a year (many of the guys have flown in from out of state). Mentoring lets me get to know some guys more deeply and has been a wonderful time of fellowship, prayer, and eating some good food. Thankfully, we live close to Dana Point Harbor and Laguna Beach so there are always great restaurants to enjoy.
Counseling
Although I don’t intend to do weekly counseling, many people ask me for ministry advice; for answers to questions about evil, death, and suffering; and sometimes for spiritual and relationship guidance (if a woman seeks counsel, then Jean E. always joins me). Yesterday I counseled a fellow who was afraid he had committed the unpardonable sin (people seek me out on this topic because of my article, “What Is the Unpardonable Sin?”).
Live for Eternity!
I’m thrilled that via the Internet I’m able to teach people in faraway places (to speak recently to a group in India, I had to be online by 7:00 a.m. to be live with them at 7:30 p.m. IST). But you can imagine that groups in other countries often don’t have the means to give us an honorarium. So we thank God that some people have volunteered to support our ministry. To support them in their giving we have started a non-profit, 501(c)(3), called Live for Eternity (the website is liveforeternity.net). So, if you would like to help support our ministry, please check it out.
How Are We Doing?
As you can imagine, learning that I would no longer be employed full-time at Talbot has been a significant time of readjustment financially, ministerially, and spiritually.
Financially
We’re now in a position of having to trust God to meet our daily needs and we’re good with that—the Lord likes us being in the position of having to trust Him!1 That doesn’t mean it’s not sometimes hard on us but one of the passages I’ve pondered much in the last 15 months has been the one about Peter walking on water in Matthew 14:30-31. Peter’s out there walking on the water to Jesus. All’s going well, “but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” I love this. Peter’s walking on water until takes his eyes off Jesus! But when he cries out to Jesus then Jesus “immediately” saves him. So, occasionally, when I look at our financial circumstances, I remind myself “and when he saw the wind he began to sink” and then I refocus on Jesus. That always encourages me!
Ministerially
This may sound strange but I don’t think Jean and I have ever ministered more than we have in the last six months. With her co-authors, Jean E. is writing award winning books,2 making videos to go with those books, and blogging as she gets the chance. She’s also been helping me get our non-profit off the ground. We are thankful to be of service! As one door has closed, the Lord has opened many others.
I’m presently the chairman of the board for Ratio Christi, a university apologetics ministry, and if you want to see what else I’ve been doing in the last six months, click here.
Spiritually
I no longer mourn leaving Talbot. I did mourn it for quite a while, but that time has passed and we’re excited about the future. I find myself living a more godly, self-controlled life than I ever have. Trials are purifying after all! We’ve also added more worship into our lives. I’m thankful to have been an encouragement to others regarding standing up for what you believe—for being men and women of integrity. When I posted “Why I’m Leaving Talbot School of Theology, my website received over 8,500 views in the first 48 hours. Professors and pastors have reached out to me from all over North America saying that they were encouraged by my faithfulness. But the comment that touched me most deeply was from a young woman who has worked in the broadcasting industry:
“Dr. Clay I just heard the news and am praying for you, fervently. You don’t know this, but I was offered a job last month that would’ve doubled my previous salary, if only I could affirm and promote their mission of LGBTQ. I wish I could say it was an easy decision, but I’d been out of work for over a year. I turned it down, only for them to up my benefit perks. Ultimately, I said no, but I wrestle with whether or not I should’ve taken it and tried (somehow) to not compromise my own beliefs. With that said, hearing why you left Biola not only encouraged me in my decision, but inspired me to stand my ground on all future offers. Thank you for being a beacon of light…”
Please pray for her and if you know of a broadcasting position for a woman of integrity, please let me know. Ultimately, the Lord God omnipotent reigns and he will take care of us all! And you can help us by your prayers.
Just in case you might want to check our our books, here they are.
- Thankfully, in November 2019 the Lord enabled us to pay off our house and Jean E. is now receiving Social Security—I’m still a little too young. [↩]
- The Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (ASWA) awarded her book Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament the Golden Scrolls 2020 Best Non-Fiction Book of the Year; Discovering Joy in Philippians the Golden Scrolls 2020 Best Bible Study (it tied for first place); and Discovering Hope in the Psalms the Golden Scrolls Best Bible Study the year it came out. [↩]
