Dr. John Witvliet Appointed Senior Scholar at Belmont University

Charlotte and I are announcing today some big news in our lives—news we could not have begun to imagine a year ago.   We have accepted new positions at Belmont University and look forward to moving to Nashville this summer.

John and Charlotte Witvliet Senior Scholars Belmont | Belmont University

We look forward to contributing to the ecumenical, Christ-centered, student-focused mission and vision of Belmont University, and are grateful for the insightful and inspiring conversations we have had with Belmont students, staff, faculty and administrators as part of our discernment journey.

We are profoundly grateful for Charlotte’s 28 years at Hope College and John’s 28 years at Calvin University, Calvin Theological Seminary, and the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and we look forward to proactively supporting the work of these institutions in the years to come. The departments in which we each serve are blessed with exceptionally gifted colleagues, and we look forward to supporting them and learning from them in the years ahead.

In this new season of life, we are grateful for the opportunity to work together.  For 32 years, we have commuted in opposite directions, first in graduate school and then in West Michigan.  We’ve loved serving in different, complementary institutions.  Now we have the opportunity to drop the commute, to use the same software and calendar systems, and to work together on mission-central themes at the heart of our vocations.

We have long marveled at the mix of career pathways that unfold in universities, where some are called to serve in one place for their entire career, some are called to mid-career moves, and some are called to serve bi-vocationally as adjunct faculty. Universities thrive as places of both continuity and innovation with a beautiful mix of these complementary pathways.

We are also grateful for how our current sabbatical travels have given us deeper awareness of the many networks of communication and collaboration that strengthen institutions of Christian higher education, including partnerships that already exist between some of our current colleagues at Calvin and Hope and some of our new colleagues at Belmont.  We look forward to strengthening these networks of collaboration at a time where mutual support is particularly crucial for everyone.

In a moment like this, it is remarkable how many emotions come together:  excitement about what may unfold, gratitude for so many wonderful people we’ve worked with along the way, grief that comes from knowing how much we will miss current colleagues, vulnerability in light of all the inevitable unknowns, and then something like a ‘peace that surpasses understanding’ which really can’t be put in words, and for which we are grateful.

Thanks in advance to everyone involved in some of the many aspects of this transition. Your support and encouragement is a gift to treasure.

I am deeply grateful for the students, staff and faculty colleagues, administrators, board members, alumni, and supporters that I have worked with over the past 28 years at Calvin Theological Seminary.

As student at CTS, I loved exploring how theological learning shapes faithful Christian living in every sector of society.  Classes I took many years ago on the Psalms, on church history, and on Trinitarian theology continue to shape my daily work, as does the continuing work of our colleagues at the Meeter Center for Calvin Studies.

As a professor, I have particularly appreciated the invitation to teach courses that both explored the deep roots of the Reformed tradition as well as rich resources from the early church and from Christian communities in Korea, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Nepal, Egypt, Northern Ireland–with particular gratitude for all I have learned from students about these contexts.

As a faculty colleague, I have been particularly grateful for collaborative work that launched the Center for Excellence in Preaching and on the last two rounds of seminary curriculum renewal (c. 2012, c. 2022), with particular attention to strengthening engagement with churches and ministries, promoting whole-person formation, and helping students experience the  deep connections across every theological discipline and practice, including the study of the Bible, theology, history, culture, ministry practices, and personal spiritual life.

Even as I take up new responsibilities, I look forward to continuing opportunities to teach and mentor advanced research students at CTS with interests in worship, supporting those called to future teaching in the area of worship at CTS, and encouraging colleagues leading CTS’ growing number of innovative grant-funded initiatives, including the generative programs envisioned and led by Scott Hoezee, Cory Willson, and Gabrielle Tijerina-Pike.

I am particularly grateful to Jul Medenblik and the Faculty Status Committee for their support and guidance.

Collegially,

John Witvliet

You can read more about Dr. Witvliet’s new role on Belmont University’s website.