Fresno, CA – In November 2005, the MB Biblical Seminary Board paid tribute to the ministry and contributions of faculty member Raymond Bystrom by promoting him from Associate Professor to Professor.
"Ray is a pastor-scholar who is deeply committed to the church," commented James Pankratz, MBBS Academic Dean. "He is an ardent advocate of an understanding of Church that focuses on the ministry of all Christians during all seven days of the week in all aspects of life. This is thoroughly Anabaptist, and it is also the driving passion of the ‘missional church' movement today. We are glad to affirm him for these many contributions and the high quality of his work through this public recognition."
Bystrom has served as a faculty member at the Seminary since 1991, teaching primarily in the field of pastoral ministries and directing the Supervised Ministry Experience program. Prior to that he served as a pastor in British Columbia for ten years, at Cedar Park Mennonite Brethren Church in Delta and Killarney Park Church Vancouver. He taught at Trinity Western University from 1978-81, and at Regent College from 1977-78 and 1981-82. He has an earned doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.
Bystrom has made a major contribution to the Mennonite Brethren denomination and beyond in the fields of ministry in daily life and missional church theology, publishing numerous articles and leading seminars in congregations and in larger settings. In 2004, his commentary on the Gospel of John, God Among Us, was published as part of Kindred Productions' Luminaire Studies series. A commentary on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus for the same series is slated for publication in 2007.