From the Inspirational Teachers Series:
Dr. Timothy Warren, Senior Professor for Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary, casts a deep care for people to hear God's word preached through pastor's lives, passion, and pulpits. He works hard to train young and old men to care for and shepherd people to taste of God's goodness. He listens well with sincere discernment on what is being said about what is being said. His historical and contemporary perspective on pastors and people heighten his ability to refine how pastor's grow in Christ and God's word along with any skill such as preaching.
His deep voice, posture, and professional look bring immediate importance to the classroom and subject at hand. His compassion and clarity erode emotional and insecurity walls to bring students attention to help one another and see people for how God sees people. He is equally patient and helpfully corrective to students without heavy handedness or dismissiveness. He trains pastors to preach out of being loved by God and from the text in context to an audience of people God loves. He trains students to hold fast to sound teaching in the midst of an unsound world. He challenges students to discern their pastoral calling, conviction, character, and competence.
His sincere love for his wife, family, and those he works with draws students to understand real life to live and pastor. His attentiveness and approachability to students shows his understanding of God and life. Having him as a professor is a privilege that brings great gratitude. Thank you Dr. Warren!
- What inspired you to teach?
I believe God made me to teach. It was simply a matter of realizing teaching was my gift and calling.
- Why do you teach the way you teach?
I teach the way I teach, viewing myself more as a coach then a lecturer. Information is not my primary goal. Performance is my goal. I want my student-friends to be able to live and pass on their faith.
- What teacher has had the greatest influence on you (parent, elementary teacher, pastor, professor, friend, colleague, etc)?
I had so many teachers in my life. My three cousins, Gene, John, and Jack Miller, brothers in the oil business, 15 to 20 years older than me, were wonderful mentors in life, sports, work, and faith. Dave Blossom, my high school student teacher in speech and part time youth pastor, gave me a vision of what might be. He also pointed me toward Cedarville College where John Reed was my mentor, encouraging me toward Dallas Theological Seminary and eventually hiring me to teach in his Pastoral Ministries Department. James Golden, chairman of the Department of Communication at Ohio State University, helped me navigate through my Ph.D. program. Of course, I must mention my grandmother, Bertha Smith, who encouraged and enabled me to teach my first Sunday School class as a fifth grader!
