by Chris Karenbauer
Dr. Ronni Kurtz is one among Cedarville College’s latest Bible professors. Initially from St. Louis, Missouri, Kurtz, his spouse Kristen and their daughter Finley dwell in Cedarville, Ohio the place Kurtz teaches at Cedarville College as a Theology professor.
“There are lots of issues that attracted me to Cedarville College,” Kurtz stated, “however one of the crucial vital was merely the energy of the curriculum and the energy of the scholars right here at CU. I really like increased schooling and need to give my life in direction of serving to establishments – and the scholars that make them up – thrive.”
Kurtz has been educating at Cedarville because the spring semester of 2022. In these two semesters, Kurtz has impacted his college students. Junior Political Science main Joshua Heath, who was in Kurtz’s Theology II class final semester, admires Kurtz for his potential to maintain Christ on the middle of his lectures.
“He introduced on the doctrine of Christ, his position as priest, prophet and king,” Heath stated. “He made positive that he was Christocentric via all of it. He taught that Christ is central to salvation; Christ is central to eschatology and his return. Every little thing about how he introduced in that class was Christocentric.”
Senior English main Grace Kohler, who was in Kurtz’s Theology I class final spring and is at the moment in his Theology II class, speaks about how one among their Christology lectures inspired her to recollect the depth of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
“He really made me cry a bit bit as a result of he was speaking concerning the glorification of God,” Kohler stated, “and it was simply so lovely to see the glorification of Christ. It was so lovely to see the precise depth of these phrases and the way Christ’s good, sinless life and his humanity and absolutely the injustice of his loss of life was for our good and for our profit.”
Kurtz needs to show school college students, whether or not they’re Bible majors or not, that each Christian is a theologian, and they should know the right way to apply theology of their lives. Theology is a pleasure; it’s an journey to recollect God and what he does for his kids. And Kurtz is a chief instance of that to his college students.
“Not solely did he educate us educational ideas of theology, however he at all times grounds it in how that’s relevant in our Christian life,” Kohler stated. “He talks about how theology must be achieved within the church, for the church.”
Alongside along with his love for his college students, Kurtz additionally loves the native church. When Kurtz and his household moved to Cedarville a couple of 12 months in the past, they looked for a church that may line up with their theological beliefs and that may assist them develop of their stroll with Christ. Kurtz attends a church plant in Dayton referred to as Trinity Church the place they’re rising alongside the church.
“At Trinity, we now have discovered deep group and expensive mates,” Kurtz stated. “The Church is trustworthy within the exposition of Scripture, the administration of the ordinances and liturgy, and within the proclamation of the gospel. We’re very blessed to have discovered a covenant household like Trinity Church.”
Due to his love for the native church, Kurtz deeply respects the native church pastors.
“Whereas the academy is a superb device for the dominion, finally, Jesus is coming again for his bride, not the academy,” Kurtz stated. “I really like what I do vocationally, however professors should not the heroes, native church pastors and trustworthy church members are.”
Kohler recollects that Kurtz’s love for the native church interprets into his lectures. She explains that Kurtz teaches his college students that the church ought to educate theology to the congregation.
Though college students consistently hear it at Cedarville, Kurtz extremely encourages college students to affix an area church.
“Different college students and professors are a beautiful present, however solely covenant church members have the duty to supervise your soul,” Kurtz stated.
Not solely do his college students benefit from the matter of the lectures, however in addition they take pleasure in Kurtz’s fashion of educating. Heath claims that Kurtz may be very down-to-earth and relatable, whereas Kohler claims that Kurtz aspires to be the Mr. Rogers of theology along with his jokes.
“He’s obtained a great, partaking character,” Kohler stated, “but in addition has a transparent construction to what he’s speaking about. So it’s simple to comply with, and it is sensible.”
In line with Kohler, Kurtz despises PowerPoints and goes old style with a whiteboard and markers. Even so, Kurtz makes positive that his college students can grasp tough ideas of theology. He stops to permit college students to ask questions, and he solutions them with Scripture references to ensure the coed understands totally.
“I felt like he dealt with class very effectively as a professor and being accessible to his college students,” Heath stated. “But in addition simply as an individual and being somebody who is ready to talk theology with pleasure and hope. He has a want for individuals to be taught. I feel there was only a clear mark in there of how a lot he cared.”
Kurtz believes that his life’s calling is to assist different Christians, however particularly his college students, “to have a look at Christ till they start to appear like Christ.” He embodies his calling in 2 Corinthians 3:18, which stated, “And all of us, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being reworked into the identical picture from one diploma of glory to a different. For this comes from the Lord who’s the Spirit.”
Each Kohler and Heath attest to Kurtz’s calling. They see that Kurtz loves the church and needs his college students to additionally find it irresistible. He has been educating Kohler that theology is not only an act of research, however can be an act of worship achieved in church.
“Theology will not be solely simply to present us extra data or sharpen our minds, but it surely’s actually to direct us to look on God and be like, ‘Wow, he’s so lovely!’” Kohler stated.
Heath stated that Kurtz embodies the best commandment in Matthew 22:37, “And Jesus stated to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all of your coronary heart and with all of your soul and with all of your thoughts.’”
“I feel he’s actually striving to like God, and in his love, in his want to know him, and his want to grasp this theology, he’s attempting to attempt to know him and love him,” Heath stated.
“I hope college students pursue their educational life as a devotion to the Lord,” Kurtz stated. “I pray that they spend their 1,000 days with us right here at CU in a approach that may trigger them to treasure Christ and cherish his gospel extra at commencement than they do immediately.”
Chris Karenbauer is a senior Journalism main and the Editor-in-Chief for Cedars. She enjoys studying and writing, hanging out with mates and listening to music.