Covenant Theological Seminary has chosen Dr. Richard Joe to affix the school as affiliate professor of world missions and the primary occupant of the Paul D. Kooistra Chair of World Missions. He’ll start his place in August 2025. Joe has been serving with Mission to the World for a number of years because the Persian World regional director. He additionally served because the Persian World director for Mosaix Multiply.
With this appointment, Covenant has develop into one of many solely Reformed seminaries with a full-time missiologist and endowed chair for missiology. MTW helped Covenant to search out the appropriate candidate to fill the place, and in asserting Joe’s appointment, Covenant President Tom Gibbs thanked MTW Coordinator Lloyd Kim and his employees for his or her steering and help.
Kim praised Joe as a superb alternative for each his tutorial {qualifications} and years of discipline work.
“Richard and his spouse, Hyeyoung, have served faithfully as missionaries with Mission to the World for a few years in some difficult contexts,” stated Kim. “He’ll convey not solely tutorial experience to this function, but additionally invaluable discipline expertise. We’re excited for the seminary and the various college students Dr. Joe will equip, practice, and encourage for international missions.”
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Joe first traveled to the Center East in 1993 and sensed a calling to serve Persians. After pastoring a PCA church in California for a number of years, he moved along with his spouse and son to Europe in 2006, the place he pastored a Persian church. The Joes then returned to the U.S. for additional research after which moved to the Center East the place Joe taught and educated worldwide church leaders. In 2017 they returned to the U.S. for his doctoral research whereas persevering with his ministry to Persians abroad.
He holds a Ph.D. in intercultural research from Trinity Evangelical Divinity College, a grasp’s diploma in skilled research in Persian from the College of Maryland, a grasp of divinity diploma from Westminster Theological Seminary, and an undergraduate diploma in worldwide research from Muhlenberg Faculty.
The place is known as in honor of Covenant’s third president, Paul Kooistra. After main the seminary from 1985-1994, Kooistra went on to work as coordinator of Mission to the World from 1994-2004, and president of Erskine Faculty from 2014-2016. He was additionally elected moderator of the PCA Common Meeting in 2008.
The endowed Paul D. Kooistra Chair of World Missions was accomplished in 2022 with funds raised as a part of the seminary’s $43 million Hope for the Future capital marketing campaign and in partnership with MTW. Kooistra’s emphasis on the doctrines of grace and want to coach future church leaders to share the Reformed religion in a heat and gracious method profoundly formed the tradition of Covenant Seminary. The institution of the Kooistra Chair ensured that Dr. Kooistra’s legacy of coaching gospel-centered, mission-minded pastors and ministry leaders will proceed for generations to return.
Joe stated that as coordinator for MTW, Kooistra laid “a basis of gospel-centered grace for each missionary.” He hopes this new place “can be very strategic in elevating up and equipping many new missionaries, church leaders, and students to have interaction in God’s mission. God has used Covenant Theological Seminary to coach generations of Christian leaders to make an influence for his Kingdom, and the creation of the Paul D. Kooistra Chair of World Missions displays Covenant’s ongoing dedication to take that influence to all of the nations and to the ends of the earth. I’m deeply honored, and I humbly ask for a lot of prayers, as I serve on this new place.”
