As Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) begins its new chapter at Trinity Western University (TWU) and launches its inaugural academic year at the Langley, B.C. campus, we take a moment to hear from TEDS dean, Dr. David Pao.
His story is a walk of faith—following God's calling to new places and seeking to be faithful in every season.
David Pao: forming faithful readers of Scripture
Dr. Pao's path into theological education began at Harvard, where he trained in Greco-Roman studies before devoting his life to the study and teaching of the New Testament in its historical context. He has now taught and mentored students at TEDS for nearly three decades.
Along the way, he found his true calling. “My deepest passion is not simply studying the Bible, but helping the church read Scripture faithfully and equipping leaders to proclaim the gospel with conviction,” he says.
That conviction centres on what he calls the subversive power of the gospel found in the inerrant Word of God. “The good news of Jesus Christ cannot be reduced to any political, cultural, or philosophical agenda,” Dr. Pao says. “Rather, it challenges and transcends every secular ideology, calling us to wholehearted allegiance to the crucified and risen Lord.” His hope is that students come to see Scripture not as a subject to master, but as the living Word that transforms God's people.
For Dr. Pao, teaching and preaching are inseparable: one unveils the power of the biblical text, the other calls God's people to hear, receive, and respond to it. This motivates him as he preaches nearly every weekend, serving in churches across North America and abroad, a practice that continually reminds him that theological education exists to serve the local and global Church.
“Theological education matters because the Church matters,” he says. “When pastors and ministry leaders are deeply rooted in Scripture and shaped by the gospel, churches are strengthened.” Seeing former students faithfully serve Christ around the world, he adds, remains one of the greatest joys of his calling.
Dr. Pao describes this as a historic season for TEDS—one built on a rich legacy while embracing new opportunities as the divinity school of TWU. “As part of a vibrant Christian university community, TEDS is enriched by the expertise of faculty across a wide range of disciplines, creating unique opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement on the pressing issues facing the Church and society,” he says. TWU's location on the Pacific Rim, along with the diversity of its faculty and student body, positions TEDS to serve what he observes is “an increasingly interconnected global Church.”
What gives him even greater confidence, he says, is that these new opportunities are anchored in what does not change: a shared commitment to the authority of Scripture and the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Those convictions give us the freedom to engage every academic discipline, every culture, and every contemporary challenge with both conviction and humility,” Dr. Pao says. His hope is that TEDS becomes known as a place where rigorous scholarship serves the Church and every classroom points to the proclamation of God's Word.
When asked for one word of advice for students, Dr. Pao chose faithfulness:
“Faithfulness begins with recognizing that we have been ‘entrusted with the gospel’ (1 Thess. 2:4),” he explains. “We are called to guard that trust by holding fast to the authority of Scripture and the centrality of the gospel, refusing to let the spirit of the age redefine God's truth.”
“Yet faithfulness is more than guarding the gospel; it is persevering in the gospel,” he continues. “Whatever God has called you to, you are called to embody the gospel in both word and deed.”
“At TEDS, our aim is to form leaders who are faithful to the gospel and faithful in the gospel until Christ returns.”
This September marks the beginning of a new era for TEDS. As classes begin on the Langley campus, the school will welcome its inaugural cohort of students, the first to experience theological education at TEDS' new home at Trinity Western.
About Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Founded in 1897, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is one of the world’s leading evangelical divinity schools, known for its commitment to Scripture, rigorous scholarship, and global ministry impact. Now part of Trinity Western University, TEDS continues its mission of forming faithful servant leaders for the Church worldwide.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students for life. Uniting faith and reason through Christian teaching and scholarship, TWU is a research institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the humanities and sciences as well as in several professional schools. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, and Ottawa.
Learn more at twu.ca or follow @TrinityWestern on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. For media inquiries, please contact media@twu.ca.