Roger Mohrlang (1978-present), Professor of Theology

Warm greetings to all of you, my former students! The big news here: on the completion of this, my 34th year of teaching at Whitworth, I began "phased retirement." This means I will teach a reduced load for the next four years (New Testament, Paul's Letters, and Christian Missions) and then hang up my hat at the end of the 2015-16 academic year. I do so with some sadness, as I've loved my calling as a teacher of scripture and the privilege I've had to work with such fine colleagues and so many fine students – and it has energized my life. But it's time to begin making the transition.

On the positive side, the reduced teaching load will give me more time for what I take to be another of my callings – my role as consultant for the team translating the Kamwe Old Testament in Nigeria. (I first began learning the Kamwe language in 1968; the first edition of the New Testament was published in 1975 and the second in 1997.) All of my extra time is currently devoted to checking the translation, and this will likely continue for the next several years. The Kamwe team now has almost all the Old Testament in rough draft. The goal is to see the entire Kamwe Bible in print.

Here's some news of my family, for those of you who remember them: my wonderful wife, Dottie, continues to supervise internships and work with the Whitworth Certification in Ministry Program. She also mentors women students and serves as a women's Bible-study teacher at our church. Our son, Mark, and his wife, Summer, both serving on the pastoral staff of Sanctuary CRC in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle, have given us the gift of a grandson, Allister. Our daughter, Becky, is completing her MFA in illustration at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and is hoping to find a teaching position.

In February I sent off the completed manuscript of my book on Paul (tentatively titled Paul and His Life-Transforming Theology: A Concise Introduction) to Wipf and Stock for publication. I deeply hope it proves to be something that God's people find useful.

If you drop by this summer, you'll find Dottie happily working in her garden and me working on Bible translation in Westminster 108. We're always delighted to see our former students. 
We would be very grateful for your prayers, both for our work with students and for the Kamwe Bible translation. I close with the words that my mom had on her front-room mirror: "Only one life will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."