Prospective Student Newsletter

Introducing Dr. Reuben Bredenhof
New Professor of Ministry and Mission

I am grateful for the opportunity to introduce myself to the readers of this newsletter.

Back in 1978 I was born in Surrey, British Columbia to God-fearing parents. I am one of five sons, and together with my brothers I spent my younger years busy with the labours and delights of growing up on a dairy and poultry farm. I went to a Reformed elementary school and high school in the Fraser Valley. Near the end of high school, the Lord laid on my heart an entirely unexpected and undeniably strong desire to serve his church as a minister of the gospel. So it wasn’t long before I moved to Hamilton to begin my pre-seminary training at university. I married my beloved wife Rebecca in 2001, right after my first year at CRTS. After completing my seminary training, Rebecca and I and our firstborn Abigail moved to St. Albert, Alberta. I happily ministered there for five years, after which we moved to London, Ontario. By now our family had grown to six, as God blessed us with three more daughters: Kyra, Sasha, and Tori. After a fruitful time in London, we then enjoyed a 7½ year ministry in Mount Nasura, Western Australia. Our time down under was most enriching, as we got to explore this marvellously diverse island in God’s creation and cherished a special bond with his people there.

Alongside the busyness of our family and pastoral ministry, the Lord gave the opportunity and ability to keep studying. I completed a Master of Theology degree at St. Stephen’s College in Edmonton, and then in 2016 I was awarded a PhD at St Mary’s University in Twickenham (in London, UK) for my thesis on the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man.

In 2022, I was appointed to CRTS as Professor of Ministry and Mission. This subject area is not one in which I’ve done advanced study, but the work of ministry is close to my heart. It is a great privilege to bring God’s Word through the work of preaching, teaching, counseling, and leading worship. I look forward to teaching men to do this essential work among our churches and in the mission fields which are all around us. After relocating to Hamilton in early 2023, my days have been filled with preparations for the work of teaching. I have been reading tall stacks of books, reviewing course material, preparing lectures, and talking to people who can share their insights into this field.

When I am not busy in my study, I love the company of my family, as we play games, discuss books, go for walks and hikes, and listen to (and play) lots of music. I also have a long-standing commitment to running every day, provided that the sidewalks are mostly clear and the temperatures are favourable. And of course, I’ll often be reading all kinds of things, whether it’s about preaching, or the War of 1812, or it’s a good novel by Thomas Hardy. Truly the Lord has been good to me, and I thank him daily for the opportunity to work in his Word and among his people.

Hebrew Requirements Update

Recently the Senate of CRTS updated the admission requirements for the MDiv program with respect to BibleMesh Hebrew. While the requirement for those who take Hebrew in-person at a university will remain a minimum of one year, those who take Hebrew via BibleMesh will see a change. Starting with admissions for the year 2024-2025, CRTS will require Hebrew Reading Level 1, 2 & 3 taken with the transcript service package through BibleMesh. Hebrew Reading Level 1 must be complete before your application can be considered (this also applies to BibleMesh Greek). Please contact Leanne for more information and to obtain a 10% off promo code for BibleMesh.

Tips for Honing your Hebrew from Dr. Smith

Subscribe to the Daily Dose of Hebrew (and watch it daily!): https://dailydoseofhebrew.com/

Buy a Reader’s Edition of the Hebrew OT (and read it daily!) 

Memorize all Hebrew words occurring 50x or more in the OT (Google “Mitchel Vocabulary Hebrew”)