By Joy Bouwman

Guest Writer

On January 1, 2002 an old friend will return to the seminary to relearn the institution. Neal Plantinga, who for five years has been dean of the Calvin College Chapel, will move into the position of Calvin Theological Seminary president.

As president Plantinga hopes to effect a change in the seminary's atmosphere. Plantinga already is working toward that goal, trying to build a Christian learning community that is hospitable and that works in the virtue of Christ. Seminary faculty and staff recently participated in a retreat to bring them together as brothers and sisters in Christ before starting the school year. The goal of the retreat was to establish brothers and sisters in Christ before becoming staff and faculty. The retreat focused on Colossians 3, which tells us to clothe ourselves with patience, kindness and humility.

Plantinga believes that a Christian learning community must be marked by hospitable and encouraging classrooms. The seminary is practicing this by wearing name tags for the whole month of September to get to know each other more personally.

Another way Plantinga hopes to improve the atmosphere is through bringing terrific ministers back to the seminary. He would like them to take part in a core course to be an example to the seminary students. He wants to show the students that what they are learning, the theories and practices, have important implications for the life of a pastor.

Plantinga's goals reach further than just inside the seminary. He has a vision of connecting the seminary to the college in various ways. Plantinga has a great love and respect for Calvin College, having spent much time here. He hopes to broaden the relationship through joint worship services in Calvin's chapel. The process already has begun with chapels on Thursdays at 4:30.

Another of Plantinga's interests is to identify early on students who have a calling to ministry. His goal is to have people around the college campus nurture that calling. He believes that if the atmosphere on campus is more hospitable to these students they will be more likely to follow that path.

Plantinga will be speaking on campus on this issue on October 23. The speech is entitled ``A Minister's Calling in a Troubled World.'' In his speech he will touch on the events of the last couple weeks and show what ministry could be like in a world very different from the present.

Chaplain Dale Cooper said that Calvin will only be richer with Plantinga as president of the seminary. Cooper and Plantinga are close colleagues and friends.

When Cooper heard Plantinga was to be president of the seminary he said ``Nuts and congratulations!''