Remembering Dr. Norman Geisler
I first met Dr. Norman Geisler through his books (as has thousands before me), as I was struggling to defend my faith with Muslims, Hindus, and Atheists in the mathematics department in college.
God had called me to ministry in 2001, and I wasn’t graduating with my bachelor’s until 2003, so I had time to research and figure out where God would have me go. During those two years, as I tried to defend my faith and engage relativism, pluralism, and every other kind of -ism. I found a few of Dr. Geisler’s books which helped tremendously.
On the back of the book, I read how he was president of a seminary in Charlotte, NC. I had planned to go to a big, popular seminary because I wasn’t sure what God had in store for me, but I KNEW I needed apologetic training. So I called every Southern Baptist Seminary and other seminaries to find out what they offered in apologetics, and the most any schools offered was “a class.” I wanted a major, an emphasis, something significant.
So in the early 2000’s, there were two schools that emphasized apologetics, and I didn’t want to go West coast, so I called up Southern Evangelical Seminary to find out more. A wonderful lady named Christina Woodside informed me that Dr. Geisler would take me out to lunch if I came for a visit!
I scheduled the visit, and Super Bowl Sunday, 2003, I left for Charlotte to have my first meeting with Dr.Geisler. I wasn’t actually interested in the seminary. I had already applied elsewhere and was planning my move that summer.
Lunch with Dr. Geisler was great! He explained the history of SES, the strategic location of Charlotte, and took me by the near finished first official building of SES. It was an amazing experience, and a major moment of my life. Again, I didn’t plan to attend SES.
Part of Dr. Geisler’s legacy is the ability to collect around him great men and women who complement his ministry. It was Dr. Barry Leventhal and his New Testament Survey class that convinced me that I needed SES. Without Dr. Geisler, there would have been no SES. No SES, and I wouldn’t have met Dr. Leventhal. Without SES, I would not be where I am today.
I called my wife and asked her how she felt about Charlotte rather than Texas, and she said the weather was better!
So we left August 2003 and I sat under Dr. Geisler’s teaching for the next 5 years. He taught me “Prolegomna” which was life changing as I had a math degree so I understood the logical process, but I didn’t have the philosophical content. My second semester he taught me “Theology Proper” and I felt like I got saved all over again! Then I took “Sin and Salvation” which solidified my doctrines, and I finished with “Church and End Times.”
Among these, I learned the 12 Points, Ethics, and at my doctorate, he taught my first seminar on Roman Catholicism. Aside from classes, numerous books of Dr. Geisler have launched my studies and shaped my thinking.
It is my privilege to the be the Director of the Norm Geisler Institute. The Institute is the discipleship arm of Norm Geisler International Ministry which exists to carry on the legacy of Norm Geisler as well as extend the ministry of Dr. Geisler now that he is gone to his reward.
I will greatly miss Dr. Geisler. It is part of my duty to not promote Dr. Geisler, but to take what he has built and continue building as Dr. Geisler’s ministry was one that edified the kingdom. He has left a wealth of resources that we will use to “reach the pews” and train the body of Christ around the world to share and defend the faith as he did for so many years. I’m deeply indebted to Dr. Geisler’s life work, and my joy is to share that life’s work for years to come.