Tyndalehousebrochurejan2014

T y n da l e H o u s e C A M B R I D G EEquipping the World Church

T y n d a l e H o u s e Equipping the World Church

T oday the most dominant voices in education and the media are

non-Christian and often anti-Christian. Never has it been more urgent to train those who can lead their culture away from secularism and help believers grow in confidence and encourage their faithfulness to Scripture.

The call is for many more servant-hearted

leaders who have spent years deeply

engaged in the study of the Bible in a context

where Christian character is formed. That is

what Tyndale House is all about.

Seventy years ago, when Tyndale House

was founded, there were few evangelical

Bible scholars. Those that did exist were far

less well trained than their counterparts

of other theological persuasions, and had

produced only a handful of reference

tools on the Bible. As a result, evangelical

Christians were ill equipped to express

their convictions regarding the Bible and

sidelined in public life and in education.

Yet today there is a growing band of

highly-trained evangelical Bible scholars

serving the world church – with Tyndale

House having played a substantial role in

bringing that about. But this can only be

the beginning.

It takes 10,000 hours

Author Malcolm Gladwell argues that it

usually takes at least 10,000 hours to master

a field. Tyndale House sees this as the

minimum period of study to develop into a

Bible expert – and is making that possible.

Such experts become able to read the

Bible in its three original languages, are

deeply familiar with other ancient sources

and what modern writers have said about

them, and have a specialist area they know

better than anyone else on the planet.

Tyndale House is not a college, rarely runs

courses, and offers no qualifications. Rather

it is a study centre – based round one of the

world’s finest academic libraries of the Bible

– dedicated to generating Bible experts

in the service of the Church.

Housed amid the buildings of the

University of Cambridge, at any one time

Tyndale House is home for fifty scholars

from all over the world and staying for

between a week and four years. Some are

in the formative years of their PhD. Others

have already written many books and visit

to work on a project.

The outcome is at least ten new Bible

experts released for the global church each

year, along with the continued development

of many others. At the same time we are

making the results of the very best biblical

scholarship easily available for all through

print and the internet.

This means those ultimately impacted by

our scholarship can be counted in millions.

But despite all this progress – and faced with

the ever growing need – we know this is

simply not enough.

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THE wORlD CHURCH URGEnTlY nEEDS MORE EvAnGElICAl BIBlE ExPERTS.

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that is why, with God’s help and yours, we are committed to –

Doubling our in house capacity to have

100 study spaces in our library.

Providing even more active training to

those who are becoming Bible experts.

Expanding our online resources for

the world church.

To do this we need your partnership through

prayer, advocacy, and financial support.

Together we will honour God by seeing his

Church grow and lives and nations changed.

Peter Williams, Warden of Tyndale House

“Tyndale House is a study centre dedicated to generating Bible experts in the service of the Church.”

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“ Without Tyndale House, Haitian churches would have very limited access to solid theological education and leadership development.”

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The churches of poverty-stricken Haiti greatly need leaders who

have an effective theological education. However, this is an immense challenge – due to the limited number of people in the developing world qualified to teach and equip others for ministry.

Making the situation an even larger challenge

is the fact that Haiti often loses its

credentialed leaders to the developed world.

This is why I am so thankful for the

resources of Tyndale House. Indeed, without

it, Haitian church leaders would have very

limited access to solid theological education

and leadership development.

For my part, serving as the President

and Professor of Old Testament at Haiti’s

Emmaus Biblical Seminary, I had quickly

sensed the urgency to earn a PhD in Old

Testament studies as a response to the

need for sound theological education.

This led to me enrolling in a distance

learning programme with St. John’s College

in nottingham, England – allowing me to

pursue a degree without abandoning my

post. This included four weeks at Tyndale

House each year to conduct research in

support of my studies.

In addition, my time at Tyndale House

linked me with many others who share the

Emmaus Biblical Seminary’s commitment to

providing top-quality theological education

to developing nations. This has led to greater

levels of prayer, finance, and practical support

as we train pastors, missionaries, church

planters, evangelists, Bible teachers, and

Christian educators to impact communities,

large and small, across the nation.

Indeed, the contribution of Tyndale House

has served to raise the bar of educational

quality in Haiti to an unprecedented level.

Matt ayars, President and Professor of Old Testament, Emmaus Biblical Seminary of Haiti


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BUIlDInG THE GlOBAl CHURCH BY EqUIPPInG ITS FUTURE TEACHERS AnD PASTORS


“A great door for effective work has opened to me.”

1 CorInthIans 16:9

I left my middle-class family in Hong Kong for college in the United States

as a “B+ Christian” – who knew her Bible stories sufficiently well but not much more. My goal was to enter a field that guaranteed a stable career path. God had other plans.

By way of a convoluted route involving six

years of training in civil engineering, seven

working in the family clothing business, and

ten years of schooling at Fuller Theological

Seminary, I became a faculty member at

Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern

University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

I love working in an evangelical setting that

celebrates diversity among its faculty, staff,

and students – in age, gender, ethnicity,

denominational affiliation and life experiences.

I equally enjoy teaching and writing for people

in the church. My aim is for the Bible to come

alive for the average believer, taking them to

a level of engagement that is intellectually

enlivening and spiritually enriching.

The challenges involved have caused

me to think long and hard about what type

of a biblical scholar I ought to be, and how I

may contribute to the lives I touch. It is here

that Tyndale House and the Tyndale library

has been such a wonderful gift in my

professional development and discipleship.

I came initially five years ago, drawn to the

idea of spending time at a world-renowned

library devoted entirely to my field of study.

now Tyndale House is first on the list when

I plan my summer, having gone from a

nervous first timer to an eager returnee

year after year.

Here I find a respite from the heavy

academic, administrative, and ministerial

demands of the rest of the year. At the same

time the life of the mind is nurtured and

freed to roam. In the quietness of the library,

curiosity and creativity meet.

not only is Tyndale House a haven for

research and study, it is a ministry that

reaches into global congregations. Indeed, it

amazes me to see how much God has already

enabled Tyndale House to do for biblical

scholarship and the global church, given its

present limited resources and facilities.

Dr Diane Chen, Associate Professor of New Testament, Palmer Theological Seminaryof Eastern University

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“ Tyndale House and the Tyndale Library has been such a wonderful gift in my professional development and discipleship.”

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“ Tyndale House is a community devoted to nurturing both biblical scholarship and those families engaged in pursuing it.”

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My expectation, when coming from the United States to Tyndale

House for my Cambridge PhD, was that scholarship would be a largely silent venture. Something to be pursued in the isolation of a desk and books. Emerging only every so often to engage with others.

Instead, outside life interfered in every

way, from financial struggles to unexpected

pregnancies, to housing and health crises.

Had my study desk been anywhere other

than at Tyndale House these would likely

have been enough to bring my PhD to a stop.

But Tyndale House is more than a library

with desks: it is a community devoted to

nurturing both biblical scholarship and those

families engaged in pursuing it.

when my baby arrived Tyndale House did

something unprecedented – by granting me

a desk in the chapel area, where noise was

permissible. I would walk around the chapel

with him, reading while walking, and writing

while he slept on the floor.

At Tyndale House my family experienced

a communal life we’d never known – with a

genuine international dimension. Yanjaa,

from Mongolia, was able to pursue a Masters

degree in Teaching English as a Second

language, though she had never done any

schooling in English. I became her editor at

night, with her when all the children were

in bed. During the day she watched my

children while I taught at the University or

attended seminars.

Eszter from Hungary watched both our

children as her chosen ministry while her

husband studied in the library. Our three

families all sacrificed deeply for each other. In

return we received a depth of friendship and community none of us had dared dream about.

It was this amazing community that

made it possible for me to finish my PhD in

such excellent time - effectively two and a

half years – and then continue as a Junior

Research Fellow at Tyndale House. From

the rich foundation of mutual sacrifice,

commitment to scholarship, and devotion to

family life, I know God has been preparing

me for what is ahead.

Dr elizabeth robar, Junior Research Fellow, Tyndale House

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“ What proved to be a great mentoring experience was interaction – at tea, coffee and lunch – with readers, some of whom were well-known godly Biblical scholars.”

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HElPInG BIBlE SCHOlARS TO BE THEIR BEST THROUGH TRAInInG, MEnTORInG AnD SUPPORT

“Every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is master of a house who brings out from his treasure things new and old.”

MattheW 13:52

Having undertaken the initial part of my doctorate in the isolation of

a university library elsewhere, coming to Tyndale House to complete my research was a stark contrast and such an amazing and fruitful experience.

Making a significant difference was the

immediate accessibility of its rich resources

in the library. However, what proved to be a

great mentoring experience was interaction

– at tea, coffee and lunch – with readers,

some of whom were well-known godly

Biblical scholars.

The freedom to share my thoughts with

others in the same boat as myself, writing

their PhD, proved to be a good testing

ground to research ideas and preparing

me for the final viva.

Having personally experienced the

value of the training, mentoring and

support at Tyndale House, when offered the

appointment as its warden I immediately

grasped the opportunity. I had grown to

appreciate the critical role of this amazing

research centre in helping mould the

future generation of godly Biblical scholars.

now I was able to play my part in making

this happen.

There is always the risk that a period of

doctoral studies on the Bible will turn a frog

into a tadpole – all head and no heart. This is

why Tyndale House puts such emphasis on

the spiritual life and community fellowship

– with the weekly chapel services playing a

vital roll.

The effectiveness of this approach can

be seen in that, during my nineteen years

as warden, there was not one failure at

the viva.

More than that, I have seen many who

completed their PhD return for their

sabbatical in order to research, write and

be renewed. Their testimony of the crucial

impact of the fellowship and facilities

provided by Tyndale House speaks for

itself. And they have gone on to play their

part in mentoring those following them in

the pursuit of a PhD.

Indeed, at the annual Tyndale House

Alumni breakfast, alumni often speak of the

critical and formative role Tyndale House

played – not only in securing their doctorate

but in shaping them to equip the rising

generation of pastors and teachers.

Dr Bruce Winter, Tyndale House Warden 1987-2006

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lETTInG THE ACADEMIC wORlD HEAR An EvAnGElICAl vOICE FOR THE BIBlE

Literally hundreds of commentaries and other Bible study resources, used

on a weekly basis by ministers all over the world, have been written at Tyndale House. More than that, every major modern Protestant Bible translation has been enriched significantly through the input of scholars associated with it.

This may not be obvious, as “Tyndale House”

is not normally inscribed on the covers of

such volumes. But its impact is extensive and

profound as it brings evangelical convictions

to the world of academia.

This is possible because Tyndale House

fosters world-class biblical scholarship,

which deals with some of the most critical

issues for the church in the twenty-first

century. Thus, the work done there is going

to impact the church worldwide for years to

come. Much of it also will be directly and

immediately applicable to church life and

ministry in the next decade.

I know all this from personal experience,

having almost completed my second period

of research leave at Tyndale House.

Throughout this time I have constantly been

struck by the uniqueness of this place, both

in terms of its mission and impact.

In particular, Tyndale House is no ivory

tower producing academic work in isolation

from real life. Here my family and I

experience – and can contribute to – a

unique form of Christian community. It is in

this context that Tyndale House is advancing

the cause of Christ, partnering with scholars

to help the church be better grounded in the

word of God.

I am deeply grateful for the uniqueness

of this place and the impact of its

worldwide ministry.

George h. Guthrie, Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible Union University, Jackson, Tennessee


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“ Tyndale House fosters world-class biblical scholarship, which deals with some of the most critical issues for the church today.”

“ The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

heBreWs 4:12 esV

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“ I credit my time at Tyndale House with equipping me to stand firm and clear as an evangelical in my present influential role.”

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SUPPORTInG AnD PROMOTInG A CREDIBlE EvAnGElICAl wORlD vIEw

It was while at Tyndale House that I organised and edited the ‘NIV

Proclamation Bible’ – published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2013. This robust study Bible brings together material contributed by 60 scholars and pastors from four continents – many being those I met through my connection to Tyndale House.

This is just one example of the way the

significant ministry of Tyndale House is

supporting and promoting an evangelical

world view.

It is equally true for me on a personal

basis. I credit the influence and benefit of my

time at Tyndale House with equipping me to

stand firm and clear as an evangelical in my

present and influential role as Director of

Church Society, the senior conservative

evangelical body in the Church of England.

Church Society publishes a theology

journal, magazine, books and has a

comprehensive website. It engages in

politics, both ecclesiastical and national.

And has a say in the appointment of vicars in

125 parishes across the country.

Beyond my leadership of Church Society

I am Adjunct lecturer in Church History at

wales Evangelical School of Theology, and

also the Review Editor of ‘Churchman’, the

international journal of theology. In addition,

my ministry within the Church of England

particularly involves promoting a credible

evangelical theology to the church.

It was while studying for an MPhil in Old

Testament that I first encountered Tyndale

House. I returned when starting my

Cambridge PhD in seventeenth-century

biblical interpretation, with particular

reference to John Owen’s commentary

on Hebrews.

Alongside my studies came the

networking and friendship with other

scholars. I always felt I was working in a

supportive and inspiring community. Plus,

there was the ability to bounce ideas off

people working in different fields, without

which my work would have been the poorer.

like so many others who have shared the

same experience, my much valued time at

Tyndale House has equipped, shaped and

informed me to hold fast and to promote an

evangelical world view – and communicate it

more effectively.

Lee Gatiss, Director of Church Society

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.”

PsaLM 119:105

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SUPPORTInG THE GlOBAl CHURCH wITH THE SCHOlARSHIP ITS lEADERS nEED

It was with thirty-four years of combined experience, through two

mission organisations, that my wife and I came to Tyndale House. We did so having gathered a large number of colleagues from all over the world, both indigenous ministers and expat missionaries, serving in a variety of fields from evangelism to church planting to leadership training.

This collective experience confirmed that

most are stretched thin just doing the work

of the ministry. Meanwhile, although some

of humanity’s questions are timeless, others

are new and demand new answers.

As C. S. lewis said, “To be ignorant and

simple now – not to be able to meet the

enemies [of the gospel] on their own ground

– would be to throw down our weapons,

and to betray our uneducated brethren who

have, under God, no defense but us against

the intellectual attacks of the heathen.

Good philosophy needs to exist, if for no

other reason, because bad philosophy

needs to be answered.”

My mind goes to those serving God, for

example, in northern Siberia, the savannas of

Kenya and the mountains of Peru. we must

resource these faithful pastors, teachers and

mission personnel in the midst of their busy

and pressured lives. And Tyndale House,

through its senior staff and the readers

there, comprise a premier league think tank

to do so.

For some this will be by spending time

personally at Tyndale House. For my part,

while there, I have learned to think more

critically and with greater intellectual

integrity. I have also been pointed to the

help I need through caches of both print

and online articles and journals.

But there are also those, in large numbers,

for whom time at Tyndale House is not a

possibility. For them it is we, its alumni, who

are part of the answer – even more so as

the Tyndale network grows and knowledge

base spreads.

However, for most, it is about creating

and making available the increasingly rich

resources of the Tyndale House Scripture

Tools for Every Person [STEP] programme.


Bringing them, wherever they are serving

God, the vast treasure of resources to equip

them for their task.

adam richardson, PhD student, Tyndale House

“Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

1 Peter 3:15

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“ We must resource these faithful pastors, teachers and mission personnel in the midst of their busy and pressured lives.”

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In my role training pastors, missionaries, and Bible school teachers worldwide,

I have experienced much joy – but also felt great sorrow.

The joy has come from teaching highly

productive servants of the Church from

every continent. The sorrow has been from

seeing how few Biblical resources many of

these students and ministerial colleagues

have at their disposal.

I’ve always wished that what I can so

easily access at Tyndale House was available

to everyone – including throughout the

Majority world. That’s why, when I heard

this was the plan, I wanted to be part of it.

Tyndale House’s commitment is to build

Scripture Tools for Every Person [STEP]. Put

simply, STEP is an ongoing project to give easy

access to its wealth of resources previously

only available to specialist scholars. Even if

users lack access to reliable internet or

powerful computers, they will receive it on

micro-SD cards able to run on the most

modest of equipment including older

laptops, cheap tablets and smart phones.

I am able to be involved because my

mission agency seconded me. They had

quickly grasped the game-changing potential

of STEP for my students and colleagues in

the many Majority world seminaries and

Bible colleges where I lecture.

I’ve now led a team of volunteers tagging

the English Standard version [ESv] with

codes that link it automatically with the

Greek and Hebrew. I’ve also been developing

a way to automatically tag the Bible in any

language. we already have 280 languages

for which we can provide partial information

about the Hebrew and Greek. Though this is

presently in English, we want to eventually

provide it in everyone’s mother-tongue.

As for the colleagues and students that I

teach, I’ve already introduced hundreds to

some of these tools through the Tyndale

Toolbar. And been thrilled to see them using

this software, searching for the information

they need, and doing in-depth biblical studies

with tools never before in their reach.

I thank God for Tyndale House and its

dedication to the highest levels of biblical

scholarship together with a dogged intention

of making it available everywhere – no

matter how much effort it takes.

Dale a. Brueggemann, STEP Director of Distance learning

EqUIPPInG THE MAJORITY wORlD wITH HIGH-qUAlITY BIBlICAl MATERIAlS THROUGH DIGITAl RESOURCES

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“I’ve always wished what I can access at Tyndale House so easily was available to everyone, including throughout the Majority World.”

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UnDERPInnInG EvAnGElICAl SCHOlARSHIP THROUGH A wORlD-ClASS BIBlICAl RESEARCH lIBRARY


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“ The Tyndale library has provided me with all the resources I could conceivably need to satisfy my research needs.”

I am from Slovakia – where less than 1 per cent of the population are

evangelicals. And, consequently, where evangelical biblical scholarship is on the fringe of the spectrum.

The resulting lack of resources and absence

of a stimulating environment eventually

brought me to Tyndale House. This was to

commence my postgraduate studies at the

University of Cambridge – with a special

interest in the textual criticism and

manuscripts of the Bible.

To my delight, the Tyndale library has

provided me with all the resources I could

conceivably need to satisfy my research

requirements, facilitating all my research

tasks to an incredible degree.

This is hardly surprising as the library

houses one of the world’s most outstanding

collections of academic biblical studies

books and journals. By specialising strictly on

volumes dealing with the biblical text,

interpretation, languages, and historical

background, the library is able to hold

virtually all the important academic titles

within these disciplines.

vital for me was the benefit that all the

books at the library are always available,

enabling me to use my time much more

effectively. I estimate that in six hours at the

Tyndale library I can achieve as much as I

would in one full working day at a university

library where I’d have to chase after all the

books every morning.

Moreover, Tyndale staff are constantly

updating the shelves with the latest titles and

periodicals. Indeed, their attentiveness to my

needs at every possible level is what adds to

making this place an unparalleled marvel.

I must confess that when first coming to

Cambridge I planned, upon completion of my

MPhil, to proceed with a PhD elsewhere.

However, after less than one month at

Tyndale House, I knew beyond doubt that my

heart longed to stay – and, by God’s grace

and provision, I did.

Peter Malik, PhD student, Tyndale House

What is originating in a place of study in the city of Cambridge is now

shaping minds, lives, churches and communities around the world. Indeed, the scholarship flowing from Tyndale House is impacting churches and Christian thinking from humble townships to metro-cities and everything in between.

As the result of seventy years of dedicated work –

• Almost two-thousand Tyndale House alumni

are active in 100 countries, serving in

universities, seminaries and churches.

• Almost three-hundred mother-tongue Bibles

can be accessed through the Tyndale House

online STEP resource.

• There is a growing use of the Tyndale web

resources in 100 countries by some 10,000

online users.

• Millions globally are being enriched by

publications such as the Tyndale Old Testament

and new Testament Commentary series and

the scholarship that has contributed to Bible

translations.

The challenge, in the face of growing need

and opportunities, is now to extend that reach –

through a vibrant and visionary programme

of expansion.

“Do your best to present yourself to

God as one approved, a worker who does not

need to be ashamed and who correctly handles

the word of truth.”2 tIMothy 2.15

CREATInG BIBlE ExPERTS FOR THE wORlD CHURCH

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ALUMNI ACTIVE IN

COUNTRIES

100 BEING HELPED THROUGH

PUBLICATIONS AND BIBLE

SCHOLARSHIP

Millions

MOTHER-TONGUE BIBLES ACCESSIBLE

300ALMOST

WEB RESOURCES BEING USED By

USERS ON EVERy CONTINENT

10,000

2323

AnAlYSIS OF InCOME & ExPEnDITURE FOR YEAR EnDED 30TH APRIl 2013

InCoMe: £728,263 eXPenDIture: £771,609

1% Other

5% Rental income from library

8% Conferences Publications

1% Governance

3% Fund raising

14% rental income from accommodation

34% restricted income

34% undesignated income

97% Charitable activites


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“Tyndale House is a jewel in the crown of Cambridge, boasting the most comprehensive

biblical research library in the country. So, its planned expansion

is indispensable if it is to be made available to yet more

graduate researchers.”

the reverend Dr John stott

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“The American Christian community in particular has

benefited immeasurably from the work of Tyndale House and holds a

major stake in helping to keep it strong. I urge Americans to stand behind

Tyndale House in every way possible.”

Dr Duane Litfin, President, Wheaton College, Chicago,

Illinois, usa


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“ My five-month stay at Tyndale House in 2006 was an extraordinarily productive time. I loved it. The combination of worship, fellowship over tea and disciplined seclusion surrounded by thousands of relevant books is unlike anything else I have experienced.”

Dr John Piper, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota, usa

“ The extraordinary holdings of the Tyndale House Library, reinforced by the assets of the Library of the University of Cambridge, make Tyndale House a superlative place for biblical scholars to engage in serious research and writing. It has been an immeasurable boon to both young and senior scholars in the past; I would like to think its best days are still ahead.”

Dr D a Carson, trinity evangelical Divinity school, Deerfield, Illinois, usa

“ Tyndale House has played a remarkable role in enabling fine scholarship in biblical studies, partly by virtue of its excellent library, partly as a setting for interaction between scholars there. Many important books have been written there and many an important idea first blossomed there.”

Professor richard Bauckham, emeritus Professor of new testament studies, university of st andrews

Tyndale House36 Selwyn GardensCambridgeCB3 9BA

0044 1223 566601www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk

T y n da l e H o u s e C A M B R I D G EEquipping the World Church

Created by Red & Green / Halcyon 2014

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