German brothers find second home, education at Southwestern

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. “Paderborn is probably one of the most Catholic cities in all of Germany,” said Gerhard. He said this is “unusual” since the more Catholic area of Germany is typically in “the southern cities.” 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 “establish free churches not connected to the government,” 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. “I knew from a pretty early age that I was a sinner,” said Andreas. It was not until he was “about nine years old” that he truly repented, he said. Andreas explained his mother shared her testimony and the “Holy Spirit convicted” him that same night.

For Gerhard, the journey to salvation looked a little different. “When I was eight or nine, I actually repented of my sin,” said Gerhard, “but when I was 15 God spoke to me in my heart and that is when I surrendered my life to Him.”

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 “needed a biblical foundation” for being a preschool teacher. “I had a secular degree in early childhood teaching,” 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 “rabbinic studies” which eventually led him to what he “actually wanted to go into, counseling.” Both Andreas and Gerhard heard about and were encouraged to look into Southwestern from Gerhard’s relationship with Bibelseminar Bonn.

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 “very influential” in his time at Southwestern. He said that Shirley has made a “big impact on the teaching ministry of the church,” and that has allowed Gerhard to trust while his supervisor is “guiding patiently” through the dissertation process.

Shirley said Gerhard is “the kind of learner that every professor wants” as he is “willing to ask all the right questions to get the answers he is seeking.” Shirley described Gerhard as “bright and inquisitive” and believes that this will help him “make a significant difference in the education and training of future pastors and ministers.”

Andreas’s doctoral emphasis is in biblical counseling and his supervisor is Cheryl Bell, an adjunct professor of biblical counseling. Andreas said that he “took a few of her classes” for his master’s program and that he has a “great relationship” with her. He mentioned that he “appreciates her advice from the academic point of view.”

Bell said she was “immediately impressed” by Andreas when she met him. “His tender love for his wife and children and his heart for ministry” is what caught her eye about him, she explained. She said that she “enjoyed having him as a student” to watch God move in his life while he “cultivated in it a passion for biblical counseling.” Bell “wholeheartedly” commends him “as a faithful man of God.”

One of the difficult aspects of moving across the world to a completely different culture can be the adjustment to the way of life. “There is a substantial difference in German and American culture,” said Andreas, “but we faced that with a lot of excitement.” Gerhard added that while the cultures between Germany and the United States are different, “here, it’s even closer to Germany than other parts of the world.”

One notable difference between Texas and Germany is the size. “Everything is bigger in Texas,” said Gerhard. “In Germany, it’s much more stacked for such a small country.” 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. “Christianity is more culturally acceptable” in America, said Gerhard. He feels that it can “be surreal as a German Christian.”

While learning the culture is a task on its own, the brothers have learned a significant amount about theology as well. “I see a lot of different professors on a daily basis pouring their hearts into their students,” said Andreas. “And when you see semester after semester, students graduating and going on to the world to make disciples, that is the true heart of Christianity.” Andreas feels that the “reason we are still here” at Southwestern is to dive into “missions and discipleship” with the students and that he “can observe and learn from that and be driven by this part.”

Gerhard said one major aspect of his time at Southwestern is his professors who are “pushing all the time to get the best” out of him. He believes that for someone to have a good conversation in the theological realm, they must have an “informed interaction” with professors. He describes this as needing to “know the information” 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. “God has called me, as far as I know, to teach,” said Andreas. “I do not know where that will put me, but it will be an exciting journey,” he notes, adding that he would not mind “remaining in America” since this has become his “home for many years.”

Gerhard’s plans are similar to his younger brother’s, but his calling is to a different area. “The basic idea for me is to teach teachers,” said Gerhard. He explained he sees “a lot of need in family ministries, parenting, local churches, and convention-wide support for curriculum.” He added that he wants to help teachers with a “secular background and degree” so that their worldview remains “biblically grounded.”

Gerhard said that he “came to America with plans to go back” to Germany, but he sees a “strong need” in the American church for “a deeper understanding of proper family ministry.”

“I do not know where I will end up,” said Gerhard. “But I guess we will see. It is truly in God’s hands now.”

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 God’s will and trust that He will guide them.