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Crews challenges seminary graduates to be the best, not just ‘good enough’


SAN FRANCISCO (BP)–Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary President William O. Crews challenged graduates at the school’s December commencement not to be satisfied with being “good enough.”

Crews told 40-plus winter term graduates of Golden Gate, representing 14 states and five other countries, “The temptation is to be satisfied with good because good beats most everybody else.

“Why not be the best?” Crews asked.

Citing 49 years of ministry experience, Crews challenged the graduation audience not to be so busy doing good things that they can’t hear Christ’s call for excellence.

“Let him make you the best you can possibly be,” he said.

“Being good enough will only deprive you of the best God has for you and the fellowship of the Lord who saved you.”

Crews referenced the New Testament’s account of the letter to the church at Laodicea, which expressed Christ’s dissatisfaction with the church’s mediocre state.

“Being satisfied with good enough will leave you short of what God intended for you,” he said.

The winter ceremony, held at the historic First Baptist Church in San Francisco, also included speakers from the graduating class who shared how God refined their understanding of him and his call on their lives during their time at Golden Gate.

Steve Howell of Missouri remembered having neighbors ready to help unload his truck the first day he and his wife arrived at the seminary. A graduate in the worship leadership program, Howell said his time at Golden Gate had been “a very personal, musical, theological and spiritual journey.” He added, “My story is not over, and God will continue to mold me.”

Alyssa Eguchi of Oregon first learned of Golden Gate when she attended the seminary’s missions conference held each year in February. Eguchi explained how since that time God has given her a desire to reach out to people of other countries.

“I’ve seen teenagers give their lives to Christ and hear about Jesus for the very first time,” she said. “I’ve learned that my faith should be like a little child — full of trust and believing that God can do anything. I’ve learned that God can really transform our lives and the lives of those we come in contact with.”

Graduates included a student completing diploma studies at a Contextualized Leadership Development (CLD) center in Alaska and another completing the same in a center in New Mexico. The group consisted of students from the Rocky Mountain Campus, Southern California Campus, Arizona Regional Campus and the Northern California Campus.

Crews presented the 44 graduates with degrees including a diploma in Christian ministries-CLD, a diploma in theology-CLD, master of arts in worship leadership, master of arts in intercultural ministry, master of arts in Christian education, master of arts in theological studies, master of divinity, master of theology and doctor of ministry.
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  • Tom Jones