German brothers find second home, education at Southwestern
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Cross-cultural education can be a difficult task to master, but it can become easier if you are going to school with your sibling. This is the case for two Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Doctor of Philosophy students, Andreas and Gerhard Burau.
Growing up in Paderborn, Germany, a city in the northwestern part of the country, the brothers were surrounded by many Catholics. âPaderborn is probably one of the most Catholic cities in all of Germany,â said Gerhard. He said this is âunusualâ since the more Catholic area of Germany is typically in âthe southern cities.â Their family was a Protestant family in the middle of a staunchly Catholic area because of their heritage.
The brothers come from a Russian-German background. Their family left Germany for Russia many years ago but moved back to Germany during the Cold War due to persecution. They were then able to âestablish free churches not connected to the government,â said Gerhard. Andreas added that their family attended a Baptist church in Germany despite the Lutheran and Catholic influences throughout the country.
Both Andreas and Gerhard received Jesus as their Lord and Savior while growing up in Germany. âI knew from a pretty early age that I was a sinner,â said Andreas. It was not until he was âabout nine years oldâ that he truly repented, he said. Andreas explained his mother shared her testimony and the âHoly Spirit convictedâ him that same night.
Andreas and Gerhard Burau, brothers and Doctor of Philosophy students at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, felt called to pursue theological education in their home country of Germany.
For Gerhard, the journey to salvation looked a little different. âWhen I was eight or nine, I actually repented of my sin,â said Gerhard, âbut when I was 15 God spoke to me in my heart and that is when I surrendered my life to Him.â
While in Germany, both brothers felt called to pursue theological education. Gerhard attended Bibelseminar, which means Bible seminary, in Bonn, Germany. The school has been a partner school with Southwestern Seminary since 2005. The relationship between Bibelseminar Bonn and Southwestern allows students to earn a Master of Arts in Theology while remaining in Germany. Gerhard said he went there because he âneeded a biblical foundationâ for being a preschool teacher. âI had a secular degree in early childhood teaching,â said Gerhard.
Andreas attended Bible and Missions School in Ostfriesland, Germany, to receive his Bachelor of Arts in biblical studies. He explained the school is a Protestant school in Germany where he could learn more about ârabbinic studiesâ which eventually led him to what he âactually wanted to go into, counseling.â Both Andreas and Gerhard heard about and were encouraged to look into Southwestern from Gerhardâs relationship with Bibelseminar Bonn.
The Burau brothers each earned master’s degrees from Southwestern Seminary following their undergraduate education in Germany.
Although their theological education began in Germany, the brothers continued their studies in Fort Worth, Texas. Gerhard received his Master of Arts in Christian Education and Andreas received his Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling, both from Southwestern. They then both decided to continue in the academic realm by entering the Research Doctoral Studies program in the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries at Southwestern.
Gerhard mentioned that his doctoral supervisor, Dean Chris Shirley, has been âvery influentialâ in his time at Southwestern. He said that Shirley has made a âbig impact on the teaching ministry of the church,â and that has allowed Gerhard to trust while his supervisor is âguiding patientlyâ through the dissertation process.
Shirley said Gerhard is âthe kind of learner that every professor wantsâ as he is âwilling to ask all the right questions to get the answers he is seeking.â Shirley described Gerhard as âbright and inquisitiveâ and believes that this will help him âmake a significant difference in the education and training of future pastors and ministers.â
Andreasâs doctoral emphasis is in biblical counseling and his supervisor is Cheryl Bell, an adjunct professor of biblical counseling. Andreas said that he âtook a few of her classesâ for his masterâs program and that he has a âgreat relationshipâ with her. He mentioned that he âappreciates her advice from the academic point of view.â
Andreas and Gerhard look forward to God’s next step in their lives following their projected May 2025 graduation.
Bell said she was âimmediately impressedâ by Andreas when she met him. âHis tender love for his wife and children and his heart for ministryâ is what caught her eye about him, she explained. She said that she âenjoyed having him as a studentâ to watch God move in his life while he âcultivated in it a passion for biblical counseling.â Bell âwholeheartedlyâ commends him âas a faithful man of God.â
One of the difficult aspects of moving across the world to a completely different culture can be the adjustment to the way of life. âThere is a substantial difference in German and American culture,â said Andreas, âbut we faced that with a lot of excitement.â Gerhard added that while the cultures between Germany and the United States are different, âhere, itâs even closer to Germany than other parts of the world.â
One notable difference between Texas and Germany is the size. âEverything is bigger in Texas,â said Gerhard. âIn Germany, itâs much more stacked for such a small country.â For Gerhard, even aspects of Christianity seem bigger in Texas. He mentioned the shock of seeing the sheer number of Southern Baptist churches in person as the SBC is the largest Protestant denomination. âChristianity is more culturally acceptableâ in America, said Gerhard. He feels that it can âbe surreal as a German Christian.â
While learning the culture is a task on its own, the brothers have learned a significant amount about theology as well. âI see a lot of different professors on a daily basis pouring their hearts into their students,â said Andreas. âAnd when you see semester after semester, students graduating and going on to the world to make disciples, that is the true heart of Christianity.â Andreas feels that the âreason we are still hereâ at Southwestern is to dive into âmissions and discipleshipâ with the students and that he âcan observe and learn from that and be driven by this part.â
Gerhard said one major aspect of his time at Southwestern is his professors who are âpushing all the time to get the bestâ out of him. He believes that for someone to have a good conversation in the theological realm, they must have an âinformed interactionâ with professors. He describes this as needing to âknow the informationâ before engaging in conversation, and he believes this is something he has learned during his time at Southwestern.
Andreas and Gerhard are both interested in remaining in higher education, but they are not set on where they would like to do this. âGod has called me, as far as I know, to teach,â said Andreas. âI do not know where that will put me, but it will be an exciting journey,â he notes, adding that he would not mind âremaining in Americaâ since this has become his âhome for many years.â
Gerhardâs plans are similar to his younger brotherâs, but his calling is to a different area. âThe basic idea for me is to teach teachers,â said Gerhard. He explained he sees âa lot of need in family ministries, parenting, local churches, and convention-wide support for curriculum.â He added that he wants to help teachers with a âsecular background and degreeâ so that their worldview remains âbiblically grounded.â
Gerhard said that he âcame to America with plans to go backâ to Germany, but he sees a âstrong needâ in the American church for âa deeper understanding of proper family ministry.â
âI do not know where I will end up,â said Gerhard. âBut I guess we will see. It is truly in Godâs hands now.â
The brothers have the goal of being able to graduate with their Ph.D. degrees in May 2025. From growing up together in Germany, to hopefully graduating together with a doctoral degree from Southwestern, the Burau brothers have been on a journey that neither could have predicted. They simply follow Godâs will and trust that He will guide them.