A Life Well Lived…Dr. Vernon Grounds

I recently read the Vernon Grounds biography, “Transformed by Love.” Dr. Grounds was the long-time president of my alma mater, Denver Seminary. He shaped the school more than any other. I wrote the following email to the following current staff: Mark Young (President), Craig Blomberg (NT Professor), Chris Johnson (Director of Development), Elodie Emig (Greek Instructor) and Marshall Shelley (Director of the Doctor of Ministry).

Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2021 12:21 PM

Mark, Craig, Chris, Elodie, and Marshall,

I am a 1992 graduate of Denver Seminary. Here are brief bios of my wife and me. Mark, I met you briefly during an alumni breakout lunch at the 2010 Cape Town conference. I use the Advent calendars that the seminary sends each fall. Thank you for doing this faithfully. Marshall, I so enjoyed the curated thoughts from Dr. Grounds’ life in the most recent edition that I bought the biography written by your father. I finished it this morning. I read a few pages each morning as part of my devotional hour.

I want to let you know how much Dr. Grounds has been an inspiration to me through the biography. I saw Dr. Grounds on campus but never had the occasion to know him.

The Vernon Grounds watch-word inside the catalog I ordered while a missionary in the Middle East swayed me towards attending Denver Seminary. “Here is no unbridled liberalism…no encrusted dogmatism…but vibrant evangelicalism.” I wanted to study where I had freedom to think. To this day I am grateful attended Denver Seminary. I received a solid, biblical education without having to subscribe to a particular system of theology.

Shirin and I were particularly grateful for the courses taught by Dr. Craig Blomberg, Prof. Ray Prigodich and Dr. Ralph Covell. Shirin was able to audit courses as a spouse. I still use the Greek I learned from Elodie and Craig. I’m trying to persuade my son and three missionary nephews to learn New Testament Greek.

I am glad to have gotten to know Dr. Grounds through his biography. He is now in my hall of heroes. He exemplified what it is to change the world by doing these three things. In particular, I am touched by

• his emphasis on love. He seemed to strike the grace and truth balance that Jesus modeled. Shirin and I have been saddened by the number of our friends who appear to have abandoned this posture in the recent election cycle.

• his broad readings in a variety of disciplines. I try to read broadly including a new interest in philosophy. Thanks to Dr. Grounds and the biography, I have Kierkegaard’s “Works of Love” next to me.

• the fact that he was aware of and active in social issues.

• his involvement in the early Lausanne movement.

• his role in moving the evangelical church out of the fundamentalist ghetto. Carl McIntire evangelicalism is not one I subscribe to.

• his thoughtfulness on aging. I have sent his “Aging Bodies — Time-Immune Spirits” article to a number of friends and family.

• his perseverance. Shirin is working on her PhD through Columbia International. When she gets discouraged about the length of her thesis, I tell her that it can’t be as bad as Dr. Grounds, “Sweetheart, Dr. Grounds’ 800 page thesis was rejected and he had to come up with a new 500 page thesis.”

• his life as a reconciler. I was on staff with Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) in Boston when Dr. Grounds preached at the restoration service of Gordon McDonald at Grace Chapel. I delayed my departure from Boston for Turkey by a week so I could attend the service. This was in 1988 before I had heard of Denver Seminary. His message was on “The Gospel of the Second Chance.” That has stayed with me all these decades. That was my introduction to Vernon Grounds.

• his care for the mind and soul. I came to the seminary to get an MA in missiology, but extended that into a Master of Divinity/Missiology. I knew Denver Seminary had a respected counseling program and now I understand why. Dr. Grounds had a passion for this.

I share these thoughts of gratitude with you because Denver Seminary shaped me as a student and now as an alumnus. Thank you.