by Jonathan Lumley/MBTS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MBTS) – Midwestern Seminary celebrates the addition of Samuel G. Parkison to full-time faculty as assistant professor of systematic theology, church history, and philosophy. He will begin teaching courses in the fall of 2026.
Parkison brings with him a deep commitment to rigorous scholarship, a passion for the global Church, and a heart for forming students who are prepared to serve Christ faithfully in ministry and mission.
“One of the clearest signs of God’s favor on Midwestern Seminary is the gifted and godly faculty that God has assembled here,” said President Jason Allen. “Along these lines, I am thrilled to announce the addition of Samuel Parkison to our faculty. We are grateful that as he comes back to Kansas City from teaching abroad, he will bring a heart for the nations with him.”
Parkison has been deeply connected to Kansas City and Midwestern Seminary for many years, having received his M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from the seminary while also serving as an adjunct instructor and associate professor of Christian studies.
Ronni Kurtz, assistant professor of systematic theology, said of Parkison’s return, “Having Dr. Parkison join the faculty at Midwestern Seminary marks not only the arrival of a faithful scholar, but also one of my closest friends joining the work God is doing in Kansas City and beyond. Our families have walked closely together for years, giving me a front-row seat to his growth as both a gifted scholar and a godly man. Students will be blessed not only by his teaching but by his life. This appointment is a deep professional and personal gift.”
Parkison likewise stated his joy at the opportunity to return to Kansas City: “Kansas City has never stopped occupying a special place in our hearts,” Parkison said. “So much of our family and so many of our friends are there. There is a kind of familiarity—in the best sense—but also a fresh and vital sense of excitement at the prospect of putting hand to plow back in the Midwest.”
Parkison shared how Midwestern Seminary played a significant role in developing his outlook on ministry, saying, “It was at Midwestern Seminary that I became convinced, down to my bones, that a seminary only deserves to exist insofar as it exists for the Church.”
He previously served on the faculty of Gulf Theological Seminary in the United Arab Emirates as associate professor of theological studies, beginning in 2022. Located in the heart of the Middle East, Gulf Seminary serves a culturally, theologically, and linguistically diverse student body from around the world.
He explained how teaching in such an environment stretched him in unique ways, both from serving in a culturally, theologically, and linguistically diverse student body as well as from being in a context where the Great Commission call was immediately apparent and unavoidable.
“It gave me a profound sense of connection to the Global Church, forced me to think about and teach church history from a global perspective, and was used by God to mature me as a teacher,” he went on to say. “These experiences have served me and my future students as much as—if not more than—I have been used by God to serve them.”
Parkison’s approach to seminary and the classroom is best understood as “formalized discipleship.” He stated that seminary should be a place where spiritual formation and academic rigor intersect, always aimed at forming students who are mature in Christ and prepared to serve His Church.
“I am ‘all in’ on Midwestern Seminary’s for the Church vision. This means that I am mindful of the fact that my students are a stewardship from God and local churches, who are entrusting their members to me so that I can disciple them for ministry—whether it be pastoral ministry, lay ministry, or missions,” he said.
Parkison’s teaching in the classroom is also driven by the conviction that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. He stated that this conviction shapes the way he teaches his classes “whether we are contemplating God in a systematic theology course, the givenness of reality in the cosmos He created in a philosophy course, or how Christ has made good on his promises for the past two millennia in a church history course.”
Parkison’s appointment strengthens Midwestern Seminary’s ongoing commitment to biblically educating God-called men and women to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ—both locally and globally. With his experience in both contexts, a commitment to integrate spiritual formation and academic rigor, he is poised to make an impact on students preparing for ministry, missions, and leadership.
Jason Duesing, provost of Midwestern Seminary, stated, “It is a true joy to see Dr. Parkison bring his unique gifts to our faculty ensemble as they continue to excel in serving students and modeling scholarship for the Church. These are wonderful days to study at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College.”
Midwestern Seminary and its students are eager to welcome Dr. Parkison and his family back to Kansas City, anticipating the many ways he will shape and inspire the next generation of Church leaders.