LOREN (M.Div. ‘99) and SHEILA LOVE ADERHOLD (M.T.S. ‘95) found something really special at Beeson Divinity School: each other! Sheila came to Beeson on the recommendation of her pastor. She did an M.T.S. degree here impressing everyone with her good spirit, academic work, and deep devotion to Christ. We were so impressed with Sheila that we invited her back to join our Beeson staff as the first Curator of Hodges Chapel.
That was the year Loren enrolled in our M.Div. program. Sheila used to keep a chocolate jar on her desk for students who came through her office. Though Loren was not a chocolate fan, he was a Sheila fan and frequented the jar more than anyone else (only after their marriage did Sheila discover his feigned interest in chocolate!). Their friendship deepened through one of our Beeson community groups that was reading Bonhoeffer’s Life Together at the time. I would notice Loren hanging around the chapel at odd hours and thought to myself, “Wow, what a devout student!” I later discovered his special interest in the beautiful curator of the chapel as well as the art, architecture, and meditative ambiance of this sacred space.
When Sheila was a student at Beeson, she had the privilege of studying with Dr. Carl F. H. Henry who offered a course on “Evangelicalism in the Twentieth Century.” She learned a great deal from Dr. Henry and also from our own Dr. Fisher Humphreys. Loren was attracted to the study of the Old Testament and remembers Dr. Ken Mathews having a profound impact on his life and the future direction of his academic work. After finishing at Beeson, Loren and Sheila moved to Chicago where he completed a Ph.D. in Old Testament.
They both remember being challenged at Beeson to maintain the primacy of the Scriptures. At Beeson, they also learned that “stringent academic work must be coupled with a vibrant, living faith.” For several years, Loren served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Odenville, Alabama where he honed his superb gifts as an expositional preacher of God’s Word. As a pastor, he was constantly reminded of some words he had heard Dr. Robert Smith say in class one day, “Loren, I have confidence you will read all the secondary literature and be fully prepared for your sermons. But above all else, read THIS book” (pointing to the Bible).
Where exactly are Sheila and Loren Aderhold now? Before coming to Beeson, Loren had served in the military. Both he and Sheila felt a strong calling to make military chaplaincy the primary focus of their ministry. Today Loren currently serves as a chaplain in the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, Fourth Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. He has recently returned from a one-year deployment to Afghanistan. During that time, Sheila remained at Fort Bragg, ministering to other deployed families and serving the battalion as one of the Family Readiness Group leaders. She also plays the piano for the monthly memorial services in honor of the fallen paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division. She is also the regular worship leader for the Division Memorial Chapel Protestant service each week. In these ways, she is able to put to good use both her excellent musical training and her theological studies here at Beeson.
The Aderholds have been blessed with two handsome and robust young sons, Dennis who is 14 and Dakota, age 8. Loren and Sheila are both grateful for the firm theological footing they received here at Beeson. “This gives us a place to stand in a ministry that is sometimes plagued by nebulous ideas of vague pluralism, while also allowing us to work with chaplains of other traditions for the common goal of glorifying Christ.” “We love soldiers,” they say, “and hope to continue serving these great heroes for many years to come.”
Please remember Loren and Sheila in your prayers along with a growing number of other Beeson alums who are serving as chaplains in every branch of the armed forces. Two other Beeson alums, Matt Madison and Dan Urquart, are also serving in the 82nd Airborne Division.
