We are delighted to announce that Brandon Szerlip will be joining the QTC team as our New Testament Lecturer. Please join us in welcoming Brandon, Alexa and the kids and praying for them as they start the transition to Australia and QTC. God willing, Brandon will start work with us around July 2021.
“I was educated at Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College Graduate School, and Westminster Theological Seminary. Believe it or not, I began at Moody as a missionary aviation major and in fact completed my Airframe and Powerplant mechanic’s license. However, while at Moody I discovered I had a deep passion for the study of God’s Word, so I decided to spend a decade in school and become a full-fledged Bible nerd which, I believe, is the proper scholarly term for that amount of theological education. I have been teaching Greek and the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament for Westminster Theological Seminary since 2013 while I finished up my PhD. In that time, I have managed to publish an article on the nature of glory from a philosophical and biblical perspective and I also hope to submit my dissertation on the use of the Old Testament in Philippians for publication soon. What I really love, though, is being in the classroom and letting each text show how the Bible presents a beautiful and grand story of God’s unshakeable love for his people and his determination to make all things new (including you and me) based on the finished work of the resurrected Messiah, Jesus.
I have been married for nearly 15 years to my beautiful wife Alexa, and we have three young children who cause equal amounts of joy and chaos in our lives. I thoroughly enjoy reading works of theology, but I also enjoy reading (and watching) fiction, especially in the fantasy and science fiction genres and I’m a big fan of Sherlock Holmes. These days our biggest joy comes from spending time with good friends, especially over a good meal. In fact, for the past 8 years here at Westminster, nearly every Sunday evening Alexa and I have shared dinner with a couple from church whom we will miss dearly. That, by the way, will be the thing we miss most about America, the few but very close friends we have made throughout our time at Moody, Wheaton, and Westminster.
As for more active pursuits, Alexa and I used to be white water rafting guides on the New River in West Virginia. We served as guides during the summer of our first two years of marriage and it was some of the best fun we have had together. We both love the outdoors, whether it is going for hikes or finding new places to go camping. Though I was raised in Ohio, I spent the first 8 years of my life in southern California, so I also have very fond memories of going to the beach and learning how to swim in the Pacific Ocean. That is one thing I am definitely looking forward to about living in Brisbane.
Alexa and I used to be into traditional archery, though it has been a while since we have gone to any shooting competitions. We don’t often watch sports, but when we do it is usually soccer. All in all, we would rather be playing soccer than watching. I also enjoy golf, and by that, I mean I enjoy hitting the ball well one out of every ten swings or so. Mostly I enjoy golf for the opportunity it provides to spend time outdoors with a good friend or two. In general, Alexa and I enjoy being active and are up for new adventures and/or new sports; we will try almost anything at least once.
What we are looking forward to the most about serving at QTC is the chance to meet new people and learn about a new culture, both in Brisbane and at QTC. Alexa and I both have a heart for service; we love pitching in and helping out any way we can, and we find joy in making the community of which we are a part a little bit better, whether through teaching or lending a helping hand or inviting someone over to share a good meal. Ultimately though, we desire to make our community a better place by showcasing and lifting up the person of Jesus, and we hope that this will be our main contribution to QTC.”