October 22, 2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Midwestern Seminary’s fall trustee meeting brought together prayer, thanksgiving, and a renewed commitment to preparing faithful gospel servants. Trustees celebrated continued enrollment growth, approved faculty elections, and joined the campus community for three special presentations recognizing God’s provision for the institution’s work.
The gathering featured the installation of an endowed chair, a missions scholarship honoring Benjamin Speidel, and the announcement of the Elliff Center for Global Missions. Throughout the meeting, President Jason K. Allen encouraged trustees to consider the gospel purpose behind their responsibilities.
President’s Report
Trustee Chairman David Shanks opened the business session of the trustee meeting with a devotional encouraging trustees to seek God humbly and honestly. “God moves when you implement honest communication with Him,” Shanks said.
In his presidential report, Allen turned to Romans 10 to explain the “why” behind Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College.
“It’s not just appropriate; it is necessary that trustees and institutional leaders spend a significant portion of their time, indeed, the majority of their time, focusing not so much on the why, but on the how and the what,” Allen said.
Yet those responsibilities must remain connected to the institution’s mission, Allen stated.
“One of the ways I stay energized in my responsibility, and hope you stay encouraged in your work as trustees, is to strategically think about the why,” he said.
Allen highlighted continued enrollment growth, with total headcount reaching 5,990 students for the 2025–2026 academic year, marking a 14th consecutive year of record enrollment. Fall 2026 headcount is up 6% year to date.
Allen paused to reflect on how this is a success not mainly for the institution, but for what it means for gospel work in the coming years.
“Every one of those students represents men and women who are going to advance the cause of Christ, whether the marketplace, in the local church, or on the mission field,” Allen said.
He connected that growth to the responsibility of preparing students for faithful gospel proclamation.
“The why is lostness. The why is getting the message right,” Allen said. “God’s way, God’s plan, a message and a messenger.”
Trustee Business
Trustees elected and reelected six faculty members to continue the work of preparing students to serve Christ and His Church.
Academic approvals included the election of Samuel Parkison as assistant professor of systematic theology, church history, and philosophy.
Trustees also approved the reelections of Geoff Chang as associate professor of historical theology, Radu Gheorghiță as professor of biblical studies, Andrew King as associate professor of biblical studies, Patrick Schreiner as professor of New Testament and biblical theology, and Matthew Swain as professor of worship ministries.
Allen recognized the six faculty members during the chapel service, inviting the college and seminary community to celebrate their continued service.
Additional trustee actions included approval of designated funds for the Elliff Center endowment and two replacement trustees.
Faithfulness While Waiting
During chapel, Jon Elliff, senior pastor for spiritual growth at Crossroads Community Church in Santa Clarita, California, and son of Tom and Jeannie Elliff, preached from Acts 1:12–26, encouraging students to view seasons of waiting as opportunities for faithful preparation.
“They devoted themselves to prayer,” Elliff said. “They committed themselves to practice. They entrusted themselves to providence.”
He urged students to cultivate Christian disciplines and serve their local churches rather than assuming meaningful ministry begins in a future season.
“You’re developing your character,” Elliff said. “You’re simply opening up the Bible as they did, opening up the Bible and doing what it says.”
“Just live life, devote yourself to prayer, commit yourself to practice, and trust the providence of God.”
An Enduring Investment
Following the sermon, Allen installed Geoff Chang in the Bill and Connie Jenkins Endowed Chair of Historical Theology and Spurgeon Studies.
With the Jenkins and Chang families present, Allen explained that an endowed chair provides enduring support for a professor’s teaching responsibilities and academic discipline.
The presentation continued a longstanding partnership with Bill and Connie Jenkins, who fully funded the Spurgeon Library project in 2015 and helped fund the acquisition of the Heritage Collection in 2023.
Allen expressed his deep gratitude for all the Jenkinses have done for the institution, and for Geoff Chang’s service as well.
“The way the Lord has used you here over the years has been so encouraging to me,” Allen told Chang.
Presenting Chang with a commemorative piece, Allen added, “It’s my delight to present this to you as a commemorative piece to recognize you this day, and just to celebrate together the Lord’s gift of you to this institution for this generation.”
Honoring Benjamin Speidel
In a presentation bearing great grief and hope, Allen announced the Benjamin Samuel Speidel Endowed Scholarship for missions students.
Speidel, a Spurgeon College student participating in missions training, went to his heavenly home on August 15, 2026, at age 20. Born on the mission field, he came to Spurgeon College desiring to study Scripture and help others know Christ.
With members of Speidel’s family present, Allen reflected on the difficulty of understanding God’s providence through grief. He compared it to a tapestry whose beautiful design is visible from the front, while its underside reveals seemingly scattered and unsightly threads.
“At times we see what appears to only be the fray, the scattered, the unattractive, the unappealing,” Allen said.
Yet Allen went on to note that even amid the grief, there are glimpses of hope and God’s goodness that He graciously provides, including the opportunity to extend Ben’s testimony through a scholarship that would help others prepare for missionary service.
Addressing the family, Allen said, “We have prayed for you fervently. Know that we love you. We continue to pray for you, and we are delighted to establish this scholarship. Not just to honor a young man who is so worthy of honor and remembrance, but because it will perpetuate his sense of calling and his passion for the nations.”
A Significant Step for Global Missions
The final presentation announced the Elliff Center for Global Missions, established through a multimillion-dollar gift from anonymous supporters and named in honor of Tom and Jeannie Elliff.
Allen emphasized the announcement’s significance for expanding missions preparation in partnership with the International Mission Board and other missionary partners.
“This is a major, major step forward for this institution,” Allen said. “We don’t have to wait to see the proof of it. We sense it now.”
He described the Center as an institutional turning point because of “what it will enable us to do” and its capacity to “more broadly impact the nations for the gospel of Christ and advance the Great Commission.”
Jon Elliff received the presentation on behalf of his family as Allen celebrated his parents’ decades of faithful service.
“We rejoice in God’s guidance, His provision of resources, this institution’s commitment to advance our missions work,” Allen said.
Learn more about the Elliff Center for Global Missions here.
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