The Board of Directors at Knox Theological Seminary is pleased to announce that Dr. Jim Belcher will be joining the faculty as an Associate Professor of Practical Theology.

Dr. Belcher’s responsibilities will include teaching in the areas of pastoral theology, preaching, missional theology, worship, and church planting. He will chair the Practical Theology Department and give leadership to the Doctor of Ministry program.

“Our desire at Knox is to be Christ-centered, gospel-driven, and mission-focused in all of our programs. That is precisely why we are thrilled to have Dr. Jim Belcher join us as resident faculty and chair of our Practical Theology program,” said Dean of Faculty, Dr. Warren A. Gage.

“Jim’s heart for Christian unity is Spirit driven, yet it is a passion informed by a deep commitment to the church and to the Reformed faith. Jim brings many unique gifts to our faculty and we believe that he is God’s choice to help us cast the pastoral vision here at Knox Theological Seminary.”

Dr. Belcher taught a Doctor of Ministry course at Knox in August entitled “Mission and Tradition: Seeking a Balance in Ministry”where he was greeted warmly by faculty, staff, students and local pastors. He said, “What excites me about Knox is their commitment to church planting in South Florida, missional Christianity and an international focus.”

Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology Dr. Michael Allen, who co-taught the Doctor of Ministry course with Dr. Belcher said, “We are thrilled that Dr. Belcher will join our faculty. He will bring many new talents, gifts, passions, and experiences to our faculty, even as he shares our common commitment to Christ-centered, gospel-driven, mission-focused theological education.”

Dr. Belcher is best known for his widely acclaimed, award-winning book, Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional (InterVarsity Press, 2009). Tim Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, applauded the book: “Jim Belcher shows that we don’t have to choose between orthodox evangelical doctrine on the one hand, and cultural engagement, creativity and commitment to social justice on the other. This is an important book.”

Deep Church argues that faithful Christian ministry must learn from the great tradition of classical and Reformed theology as well as engage in the practice of discerning and creative contextualization. It illustrates this commitment by considering a host of issues, ranging from worship to evangelism. Christianity Today awarded the book its 2010 Book Award in the Church/Pastoral Leadership category. It continues to be read widely and to be used as a textbook in many seminaries and colleges. He is currently completing its sequel, Deep Christianity (InterVarsity Press, forthcoming 2012), which presents a contemporary defense of the gospel in conversation with the great tradition as well as various modern critics of the faith. Preparation of this new volume has involved a year of research and writing in Europe, investigating the sources of modern doubt and skepticism as well as a number of remarkable examples of Christian witness.

Dr. Belcher received his Ph.D. from Georgetown University, having done earlier study at Gordon College and Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the founding and former lead pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Newport Beach, California, where he served from 2000-2010 and led a period of steady growth.

He is the co-founder of the Restoring Community Conference: Integrating Social Interaction, Sacred Space and Beauty in the 21st Century, an annual conference for city officials, planners, builders and architects. Jim previously led the Twenty-Something Fellowship and co-founded The Warehouse Service at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena.

He has served as adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University and Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been published in Leadership Journal and re:generation quarterly. He and his wife, Michelle, have four children.

Dr. Belcher’s appointment will be effective December 1, 2011, and he will begin teaching in the spring 2012 semester.

If you would like more information about Knox Theological Seminary, please visit www.knoxseminary.edu, their official Facebook page, or on Twitter @knoxseminary. For more information about Jim Belcher, please visit www.thedeepchurch.com or you can find him on Twitter @jimbelcher.

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