I want to introduce you to a Nigerian professor whom you have helped become a light in the university classroom and beyond.
Originally, Dr. Alexander Timothy studied education largely to satisfy his father’s wishes, even as he considered careers in law or the military. Over time, however, he discovered a genuine sense of fulfillment in the classroom and eventually began teaching at a leading Nigerian university. Still, the feeling that “real” ministry belonged elsewhere never fully disappeared.
That began to change around 2020, when he met Dr. Osam Temple and was introduced to the Society of Christian Scholars. Alexander helped organize a faith and scholarship integration workshop in Nigeria, supported by a Society of Christian Scholars grant. The experience was formative, not only for participants but for Alexander himself. He began to see that his scholarship, teaching, and relationships with his students and colleagues were not distractions from ministry. Rather, they were the place of ministry.
The Society’s support deepened this transformation. After a demanding three-year review process, Alexander published an article in the Journal of Christian Higher Education in 2025, aided by guidance from the Society of Christian Scholars Editorial Services. He also became involved in Program 500, a training program that equips African professors to integrate their faith and scholarship. The program reinforced for him that excellence matters, because mediocrity does not bear faithful witness to the gospel. Christians can shape conversations on important issues through rigorous research and excellent writing shaped by a biblical worldview.
As Alexander puts it:
Our disciplines are not opposed to our faith, and our faith doesn’t weaken our scholarship. There is a convergence. Look inside your discipline, and you will discover truths about God. The school he has given us is our mission field. We need to pray, and we need to be grounded and academically excellent. This mission requires all of ourselves.
Colleagues have been drawn by Alexander’s example as well. Several from his department have joined the Society after observing how he integrates faith and scholarship. Even small practices have made a difference. In Nigeria’s hierarchical academic culture, professors often overlook janitors and security staff. One Christian colleague was deeply challenged after watching Alexander consistently greet and honor these individuals, prompting a change in how he relates to others across social boundaries.
Alexander has received awards for his lectures and teaching. He says, “I think many students consider me a safe house in terms of accessibility and simply listening. This has given me opportunities for spiritual conversations.”
For Dr. Alexander Timothy, the Society of Christian Scholars named and affirmed what God had been doing all along: calling him to faithful, excellent scholarship as a means of loving God and serving the Church. Alexander is grateful to you for your support of Global Scholars and the Society of Christian Scholars. As he says, “We wouldn’t be able to go the places we are going and dream the dreams we dream without Global Scholars.”
For Christ and the university,
Stan
On this episode of the College Faith podcast, I’m joined by Jamie Noyd, the Director of the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). We discuss what ESN is and how it will be a great help to you if you are considering serving God one day as a professor.
On this episode of the Thinking Christianly podcast, we continue our discussion of the ways the realism/nominalism debate is having a dramatic impact on all we think and do, including implications for art, ethics, and spiritual growth.
Our June prayer calendar is now posted on our website. Download the prayer calendar to pray for professors, students, and current needs in higher education.
