A Letter of Decision

For the past five months, I have been seeking God's guidance concerning my future.  What follows is a letter that I wrote and presented earlier this week to the chairman of Handong's School of Law faculty.

Dear Prof. Chi, 

At the end of the 2009 fall semester, you extended to me the University’s invitation to apply for a full-time professorship. At that time, I stated that I believed it would be wise for me to wait until near the end of the spring semester to make a decision in response to the University’s invitation. I wanted to have additional time to learn more about Handong and to seek God’s guidance concerning my future academic service. I also wanted to give my wife the opportunity to come here to Handong so that she might experience life with me on the campus and meet both my fellow faculty members and students. 

Throughout this semester, my wife and I have been praying for God’s direction and wisdom regarding our future. We have had many long talks about my service at Handong. We have also talked about the needs of our children and grand children back in the United States. During my visit to the United States during the Christmas holiday break, I also had the opportunity to meet with members of the administration of Fontbonne University where I have been teaching for the past five years prior to my visiting professorship at Handong this year. Lastly, I met with my Doktorvater at Concordia Seminary where I am currently working on PhD studies. 

Based upon these extended times of prayer and conversation, as well as my meetings with both Fontbonne University and Concordia Seminary in January, I have decided to accept an offer from Fontbonne University to return to my teaching post in St. Louis, Missouri, this coming fall term. I will also be returning to complete my PhD studies at Concordia Seminary. I believe that this is the best course for me to follow in serving God’s purpose according to His call upon my life as a teacher, husband, father and grandfather at this time in my life. As a result of this decision, I will be concluding my service as a visiting professor at Handong at the end of the current spring semester. 

My teaching experiences here at Handong these past two semesters have been wonderful. I am very thankful that the Lord has given me the privilege of serving together with you and my other esteemed colleagues on the faculty of the School of Law. I am very interested in maintaining an on-going working relationship with Handong Global University. I would look forward to opportunities to return in the future for additional terms of teaching should the occasion arise for the University to request my service again in a visiting professorship capacity. 

Please accept my most grateful thanks for your leadership and for the opportunity to serve the students of Handong Global University as we together seek the will of God and His Kingdom. 

Yours in the service of Christ,
Cordell P. Schulten