봄, 여름, 가을, 겨울 사계절이 모두 아름다운 에스라성경대학원대학교입니다. 특히 가을이면 노랗게 물드는 은행나무와 백합나무, 큰 느티나무 뿐만 아니라 빨강 단풍나무는 에스라의 가을을 단장하는 일품나무들입니다. 단풍나무 잎이 카페트처럼 바닥에 깔리고 노란 은행잎이 비처럼 쏟아지는 풍경은 누가 봐도 감동입니다. 하지만 올해 에스라 교정에는 유난히 감이 탐스럽게 익어가고 있습니다. 작년에는 몇 그루의 감나무가 별로 열매를 맺지 못해서 존재감이 없었는데 올해는 다르다는 것을 보여주고 있습니다. 하긴 작년에 열매가 적게 열렸다고 올해도 기대를 하지 말라는 법은 없습니다.
제 기억속에 자리한 지난 3년간의 에스라 신입생 숫자는 정말 초라했습니다. 코로나로 인해서 모든 것이 얼어붙는 시대였을 뿐 아니라 인구절벽을 실감하는 대학들의 신입생 모집 상황, 게다가 문을 닫는 미자립교회들이 즐비하고, 10년 전만해도 신입생이 넘쳐나던 유수한 신학대학이나 대학원도 타격을 입지 않은 곳이 한 군데도 남아있지 않았습니다. 스스로 줄인 정원조차 채우지 못했다는 소식도 들었고, 하여간 그나마 미달 상태를 면한 학교는 꼭 한 곳 뿐이라는 풍문입니다. 이런 분위기에서 대학이 없이 대학원만 있는 대학원대학교는 직격탄을 맞을 수 밖에 없습니다. 한 때는 벚꽃피는 순서대로 문을 닫는다는 대학의 풍속도도 옛말이 되었고 이제는 기상이변으로 벚꽃도 동시에 피고, 대학이 입는 타격은 순서가 없는 현실입니다.
그래서 우리 학교는 세 차례 입학서류를 접수합니다. 10월에 수시, 11월에 정시, 내년 1월에 추시로 나누어 입학생을 받습니다. 이번 16일 월요일에 그 첫 문을 열었습니다. 그런데 기적과 같은 놀라운 일이 일어났습니다. 그래서 이사회와 공유했습니다. “기쁜 소식 공유합니다. 첫날 20명이 왔구요 어제까지 접수현황은 22명입니다 (ThM 8명, MA 5명, MBS 5명, MA 연구 과정 1명, DLitt3명) 감사합니다^^ 첫 날부터 소낙비처럼 부어주심도, 그리고 에스라의 형편에 맞게, 적절하게 배분하심도 모두 하나님이 하신 것임을 보여주시는 증표입니다. 남은 원서 접수 기간에도 날마다 주님의 임재를 체험하도록 기도해 주십시오~~ 가뭄도 소낙비도 주께서 주장하십니다.^^ ”
작년의 경우는 수시와 정시를 합하여 지원자가 모두 11명이었던 것과 비교해 보십시오. 이번 이틀간 입학서류를 제출한 22명은 작년의 수시와 정시를 합한 것의 두 배니까 우린 3년 6개월 가뭄 끝에 내린 소나기와 같은 기적으로 느껴집니다. 우리 학교는 주님을 인격적으로 만난 이후 성경을 잘 알고 싶은 성도들의 생래적 욕구를 충족시킬 수 있는 특별한 학교입니다. 그 이름 <성경>대학원대학교가 보여주듯이, 신학을 배우는 신학대학원이 아니라, 성경을 배우는 성경대학원입니다. 그러므로 에스라는 창세기부터 요한계시록까지 성경 66권을 배우고 싶은 성도들의 욕구를 만족시키는 소중한 학교입니다. 에스라에서 성경 말씀의 진수를 경험할 수 있는 기회가 여러분의 생애에 선물처럼 주어지길 바랍니다.
Ezra Bible Graduate University is beautiful throughout all four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In autumn especially, the golden ginkgoes and tulip trees, the stately zelkovas, as well as the crimson maples are truly exceptional trees that adorn Ezra’s autumn landscape. The sight of red maple leaves blanketing the ground like a carpet while golden ginkgo leaves rain down from above moves the heart of anyone who beholds it. Yet this year on Ezra's campus, the persimmons are ripening with unusual richness and abundance. Last year, the few persimmon trees bore hardly any fruit and went largely unnoticed, but this year they are showing us that things are different. Indeed, just because a tree bore little fruit last year does not mean one shouldn't hold out hope for this year.
In my memory, the number of new students entering Ezra over the past three years was modest to the point of sorrow. Not only was it an era when everything was frozen by COVID-19, but universities everywhere were feeling the harsh reality of the demographic cliff in their student recruitment. On top of that, self-supporting churches were closing in droves, and among prominent theological colleges and seminaries that had overflowed with new students just a decade ago, not a single one was left unscathed. I even heard news of institutions failing to fill quotas they had voluntarily reduced, and rumors went that only one school had managed to avoid falling short of its enrollment quota. In such an environment, a graduate university that exists solely as a graduate school without an undergraduate feeder college could not help but take a direct hit. The old adage that universities would close in the order the cherry blossoms bloom southward has become obsolete; nowadays, abnormal climate patterns cause cherry blossoms everywhere to burst into bloom at once, and the blows struck against universities recognize no particular order.
That is why our university accepts admission applications in three rounds: rolling admissions in October, regular admissions in November, and supplementary admissions in January of the following year. This past Monday, the 16th, we opened our doors for the first round. And then, a wondrous thing like a miracle occurred. So I shared the news with our Board of Trustees:
“I share joyful news. On the first day, 20 applicants arrived, and as of yesterday, the total number of applications received stands at 22 (8 for ThM, 5 for MA, 5 for MBS, 1 for the MA research track, and 3 for DLitt). Thank you so much! ^^ That the Lord poured them out like a sudden cloudburst from the very first day, and distributed them so fittingly according to Ezra’s circumstances, is a clear token that this is entirely God’s doing. Please keep praying that we may continue to experience the Lord’s presence each day throughout the remaining application periods~~ Both the drought and the pouring rain are in the hands of the Lord. ^^”
Consider that last year, the total number of applicants across both the rolling and regular admissions rounds was only eleven. These 22 individuals who submitted their application papers over just two days represent twice the combined total of last year’s rolling and regular rounds, making it feel to us like a miraculous downpour breaking a drought of three and a half years. Our school is a unique place that satisfies the innate longing of believers who, having encountered the Lord personally, yearn to know the Scriptures deeply. As our name, “Bible” Graduate University, indicates, we are not a seminary that primarily teaches abstract theology, but a biblical graduate school dedicated to learning the Scriptures. Ezra is therefore a precious institution that fulfills the heartfelt desire of believers who wish to study all 66 books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. May the opportunity to experience the very essence of God's Word at Ezra be given to your life as a wonderful gift.
Ezra Bybelse Nagraadse Universiteit is beeldskoon in al vier seisoene: lente, somer, herfs en winter. Veral in die herfs is die goue ginkgo- en tulpbome, die groot selkowas, sowel as die bloedrooi esdorings werklik uitsonderlike bome wat Ezra se herfslandskap versier. Die gesig van rooi esdoringblare wat soos ’n tapyt oor die grond lê terwyl goue ginkgoblare soos reën neersak, raak enigeen se hart wat dit aanskou. Vanjaar word die persimmon-vrugte op Ezra se kampus egter met ’n buitengewone oorvloed ryp. Verlede jaar het die paar persimmonbome skaars enige vrugte gedra en byna ongemerk gebly, maar vanjaar wys hulle vir ons dat dinge anders is. Trouens, net omdat ’n boom verlede jaar min vrugte gedra het, beteken dit immers nie dat ’n mens nie vir vanjaar hoop mag koester nie.
In my herinnering was die getal nuwe studente wat die afgelope drie jaar by Ezra aangesluit het, werklik skreiend min. Nie net was dit ’n era waarin alles weens COVID-19 bevries was nie, maar universiteite het die harde werklikheid van die bevolkingsafgrond in studentewerwing tasbaar beleef. Boonop het talle hulpbehoewende kerke hul deure gesluit, en onder vooraanstaande teologiese kolleges en kweekskole wat nog maar tien jaar gelede van nuwe studente oorgeloop het, het nie ’n enkele een ongedeerd gebly nie. Ek het selfs verneem van inrigtings wat nie eens hul eie verlaagde kwotas kon vul nie, en volgens gerugte was daar maar een enkele instelling wat daarin kon slaag om nie tekort te skiet nie. In so ’n klimaat moes ’n nagraadse universiteit sonder ’n voorgraadse toevoerkollege noodwendig ’n direkte hou kry. Die ou gesegde dat universiteite sou sluit in die volgorde waarin die kersiebloeisels suidwaarts blom, is nou iets van die verlede; weens klimaatsafwykings blom die kersiebloeisels vandag gelyktydig oral, en die slae wat universiteite tref, ken geen rangorde meer nie.
Daarom hanteer ons universiteit aansoeke in drie rondes: deurlopende aansoeke in Oktober, gewone aansoeke in November, en aanvullende toelatings in Januarie aanstaande jaar. Die afgelope Maandag, die 16de, het ons die deure vir die eerste ronde geopen. En toe het daar iets wonderbaarliks, soos ’n wonderwerk, plaasgevind. Ek het dit dadelik met die Raad gedeel:
“Ek deel vreugdevolle nuus met julle. Op die eerste dag het 20 aansoekers opgedaag, en teen gister staan die totale aansoeke op 22 (8 vir ThM, 5 vir MA, 5 vir MBS, 1 vir die MA-navorsingskursus, en 3 vir DLitt). Baie dankie! ^^ Dat die Here van die heel eerste dag af soos ’n stortbui uitkoms gegee het, en dit so paslik volgens Ezra se behoeftes verdeel het, is ’n duidelike bewys dat dit alles God se werk is. Bid asseblief saam dat ons die Here se teenwoordigheid ook elke dag tydens die oorblywende aansoektydperk mag ervaar~~ Sowel die droogte as die stortreën is in die Here se hande. ^^”
Dink daaraan dat daar verlede jaar vir die deurlopende en gewone toelatings saam slegs 11 aansoekers was. Hierdie 22 persone wat binne net twee dae hul aansoekdokumente ingedien het, is twee maal soveel as verlede jaar se twee rondes gesamentlik; vir ons voel dit soos ’n wonderbaarlike stortbui na ’n droogte van drie en ’n half jaar. Ons universiteit is ’n besondere plek wat voorsien in die natuurlike verlange van gelowiges wat, nadat hulle die Here persoonlik ontmoet het, die Skrif diepgaande wil leer ken. Soos ons naam, “Bybelse” Nagraadse Universiteit, aandui, is ons nie ’n kweekskool wat hoofsaaklik abstrakte teologie doseer nie, maar ’n bybelskool wat toegewy is aan die bestudering van die Bybel self. Daarom is Ezra ’n kosbare instelling wat die hartewens bevredig van gelowiges wat al 66 boeke van die Bybel, van Genesis tot Openbaring, wil bestudeer. Mag die geleentheid om die ware kern van God se Woord by Ezra te ervaar, as ’n kosbare geskenk in u lewe gegee word.