Tyndale's 38th Commencement Ceremony Student Address

Dear board members, President Gunnar, faculty, staff, honored guests, family and friends, students, and fellow graduates: I had a dream… that I only started writing this speech right before the graduation ceremony began. It seems the Tyndale deadlines have followed me even into my subconscious right until the very end. 

This pressure cooker called the full-time Masters of Divinity program was not a light yoke, nor was the Masters of Evangelical Theology program easy for my fellow students who wrestled through their theses. Maybe you have heard your family member or friend answering your weekly, "How are you?” with a tired but honest: “yeah, so much to do.” So, I can truly say with all my heart that it was God who pulled us through, and that His mercies were and are new every morning. 

I am honored and filled with joy to stand before you today on behalf of the 2025 graduating class of Tyndale Theological Seminary to praise God for His work through Tyndale, its faculty and staff, and through us and in us as students. 

In my first week at Tyndale, the professors reminded us that the years ahead of us were going to challenge us. But, also that we will not walk alone. From the very beginning, we were reminded and encouraged to keep our eyes on Jesus. To turn to Him, and not forget that He was the One who led us to this place. Throughout my time studying at Tyndale, this has been my anchor, and I have seen this in my classmates as well. In times when things were easy and light, and when everything was overwhelming, I kept hearing, “Well, God is still good.” And He was and still is. As such, I praise God first and foremost for His goodness, His grace, and His faithfulness. They are truly never-ending. He has shown His sovereignty over all of our situations. For in Christ, all things were created, and in Him all things hold together. Even when our lives may have seemed to fall apart before and during finals week. 

I thank God for all the people I have spent these three years with: the professors, the staff, my mentor, and my fellow students. I could have never imagined that I would be so deeply shaped by them academically, in my faith, and as a person. Tyndale is truly more than a school, it is a community. A family. It has been so enriching to learn from this group of wonderful people who come from different countries, cultures, and church backgrounds. It has been marvelous sharing the laughter and all the heart-cries with you, spending time in study sessions and prayers, and having conversations about the Bible or theological topics that could range from mellow to intense to downright explosive.

Class of 2025, we have had great years together, and I have seen you all go through moments of joy, and I have also seen you persevere through hardships. You have all been such an inspiration to me, and probably also to those around you.

Some of you persevered through long separations from your loved ones. I thank  your spouses for their sacrifices as well, allowing you to spend your years here. Some of you had families here to take care of and, in addition, the responsibilities of jobs and ministry in the church. Thank you to my fellow colleagues for teaching us what faithfulness looks like in all of this. Some of my classmates took on new leadership roles during their time at Tyndale and still proved faithful to their studies. All of my classmates have stirred my heart with your theological passion and boldness. Thank you, my fellow graduates, for sharing your deep-rooted faith and for allowing your passions to overflow to others. Class of 2025, thank you for bringing your unique characters into the Tyndale community, making our time here forever memorable. 

Our journey would not have been possible without those who poured into us behind the scenes and at the front of the classroom. To the faculty: thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights with us, teaching us with depth, conviction, and a lot of patience. You have shaped our minds, hearts, and characters. Whether it was the very careful feedback on our papers, the dedication to your calling, your open-door conversations, or your prayers for us when we didn’t even ask for them, you have been shepherds and mentors to us in more ways than we can express.

To the staff: thank you for keeping Tyndale running smoothly and with great care from administration to housing, IT, and the kitchen. Perhaps your work may seem unnoticed, but do know that we, the students, deeply appreciate you and your work. Your faithfulness to your tasks is incredibly valuable to the school. You make Tyndale feel like home with your smiles, how-are-you’s, and your extraordinary generous hospitality. 

One of the most remarkable qualities we have witnessed in both faculty and staff is the consistent humility with which you have served God and this community. You have not only taught us in the classroom and took care of our administration, but you’ve also walked alongside us in daily life. Whether it was cooking, cleaning, sitting with us at lunch, or simply listening to what was on our hearts, you have modeled what it means to lead like Christ. Not to lead from a distance, but by being with us. You mentored and discipled us not just by what you said, but by how you lived. Thank you for showing us that true leadership looks like service, and that theology without the love of God is incomplete. 

Thank you also to those students who came before us: you have been an inspiration to us as we have seen you work hard through Tyndale and succeed with joy. To the students who still have a year or more to go: thank you for the great time and conversations we had with you as well. We are thankful for your friendships. In your upcoming years, don’t just persevere, but enjoy, because soon it will be the good old days. What will your memories be when you look back? We know the pressure, the doubts of whether this was the right choice, the long nights and early mornings. But we also know the joy, the growth, and how much it was all worth it. 

Finally, I also want to thank all the donors, all those who supported Tyndale, the school, and the students financially. You have made all this possible for us! Through your generosity you have made an incredible impact on our lives and also on the lives of many all over the world whom we will disciple, teach, pastor, or have conversations with. May God bless you. 

Today, we are not only celebrating the completion of our theology degree. We are also celebrating the work that God has started in our lives and look forward to where He will lead us next. We are celebrating the loving and patient support from our family and friends, because we could not have done this without you. We are celebrating the prayers that were prayed over us when we didn’t have the strength to pray ourselves. We are celebrating the laughter that carried us through the stress, the tears that were shed, and the friendships that turned strangers from different nations into family. We are celebrating God’s faithfulness, how He carried us, shaped us, challenged us, and sustained us. 

And now, as we step out of this place, I know that many of us carry both excitement and uncertainty. For some, it is clear what the immediate next step is, and some are still waiting for direction. Wherever we will go, let us go with the unshakable reminder that God is with us. The same God who carried us through every paper, exam, prayer, doubt, mental trial, or health difficulty - He was and is the same now and forever and ever. So, may we go with courage into the next step, because we know the One who goes before us. 

Congratulations Tyndale Theological Seminary Class of 2025. With grateful hearts, we give glory to the Father who called us, to the Son who redeemed us, and to the Spirit who sustains us. Amen.

Hadassa La (the Netherlands) MDiv - June 2025