Every institution has a few people who shape its future for decades. Dr. Dale S. DeWitt was one of them.
For more than four decades, Dr. DeWitt served Grace, first as Professor of Bible, then as Academic Dean. In doing so, he helped make Grace Christian University what it is today. His deep reverence for Scripture, his commitment to academic excellence, and his patient work through the seasons of accreditation and institutional growth gave Grace a foundation that has outlasted his years in the classroom. We do not take that lightly. We are grateful for it every single day.
Dr. DeWitt joined Grace in 1961, a time when the world was changing rapidly and the church needed men and women who could think clearly and anchor themselves in God’s Word. He provided that anchor. He was exacting in his standards, not to discourage students, but because he believed in what they could become. He saw more in them than they often saw in themselves.
Drawing Out the Best
Linda Holton remembers that well:
“I have two stand-out memories of Dr. DeWitt. First, as a student, Dr. DeWitt was both terrifying and inspiring. I can clearly remember two comments he wrote on my papers. The first, ‘Linda, I know what the author of the book thinks. I want to know what YOU think!’ I was amazed that someone as brilliant as Dr. DeWitt would want to know what I thought. It changed how I viewed myself and my (limited) abilities to speak about Scripture and theology. The second comment was, ‘Linda, this is the best thing you have written.’ To this day, I still get a little verklempt when I think about how much his belief in me gave me confidence. Dr. DeWitt was also quite the women’s ‘libber.’ He (and Mr. Olson) are the reason I have a Bachelor of Theology. Dale encouraged me from the very beginning to think outside the box and the limitations of tradition. I’m so thankful for his love and encouragement throughout my academic career at Grace.”
That was Dale. He did not simply hand students information. He challenged them to have something worth saying, and then he made them believe they were capable of saying it.
His investment in people did not stop at graduation. He and his wife Mina opened their home, their table, and their hearts to young pastors and ministry families navigating the very real difficulties of life in service to the church. Linda continues:
“As a young pastor’s wife, Dave and I were in a particularly difficult ministry. We were blessed to have dinner with Dale and Mina to talk about ministry and the bumps we were experiencing at the time. Their words of support and compassion poured life into us and gave us the determination to ‘stick it out.’ Thirty years of ministry later, and I can still remember that dinner.
A side note, Dale’s wife, Mina, played the organ for our wedding. We provided her with very specific songs for the prelude which she appreciated/wanted. On the morning of our wedding, the song I was to walk down the aisle got erased (back in the old cassette days), and Mina immediately offered to play ‘Here Comes the Bride.’ I promise you she did that without missing a beat. I think she had it memorized! I don’t know that she will ever know how much that meant to me/us.”
A Legacy That Reached Generations
Dr. DeWitt’s influence reached across generations. John Lowder grew up hearing his name long before sitting in his classroom:
“Growing up in the GGF meant I knew of him through my mom (who also went to Grace) but also through conversations. Then I had him as my professor. Wow! He made me think differently and challenged me to be more critical in my thinking. He made a huge impact, so I’m forever grateful for his legacy.”
Rick and Kim Pilieci, who knew Dr. DeWitt as students in 2001, speak to his character:
“What a blessing the two of you have been in our lives. Thank you for loving and caring for us as students in 2001. Dr. DeWitt was such a man who loved God’s Word and taught it with authentic love and care. He was a man of integrity in life.”
Caleb Befus shares:
“I recall how you hosted our Grace Bible College ministry team in the Black Hills on Spring Break 2010 or 2011. You opened your home to talk theology with young pastors in training. Dr. Dale was so encouraging. Even in my short time with Dr. Dale, he enriched my life.”
Scholar, Mentor, Lifelong Learner
Dr. Phil Long offers this reflection:
I first met Dale DeWitt in 1982 when I arrived on the Grace Bible College campus. I had no idea who Dale was at the time, but he was always in the cafeteria at breakfast, reading a Greek or Hebrew Bible. I was quite surprised when he went out of his way to talk with me, even though I was a sketchy-looking California kid without much to contribute to the conversation. In class, Dale encouraged you to go further, regardless of what you were studying. He wanted you to ask questions and explore new and different ideas. He introduced me to biblical languages and to virtually every topic in both biblical and theological studies. If you were not quite prepared for the Greek lesson, it was easy enough to get him off topic by asking about some theological issue or what was going on in politics at the time.
I joined the Grace faculty in 1998, so I taught alongside Dale for several years. Some of my favorite memories of Dale happened at “coffee time.” Every day, about 10:00 AM, the faculty and staff would gather for coffee and conversation. Almost anything was fair game at these daily chats. Bible and theology for sure, but also politics, history (the Civil War was a favorite), the origins of premillennialism, biking, or even lawn care. Dale was always interested in what I thought, even though I was a very junior faculty member with little experience (and who probably read the Wikipedia page about the topic a half hour before).
I was able to travel with Dale to theological conferences. Since these trips involved long car rides, I felt like I had Dale to myself for long conversations, which he probably thought were interrogations. I remember him taking breaks at the conference because he needed to sit and think about what he had just learned. In 2007, Dale traveled to Israel with me. This was a great thrill for me (imagine having Dale DeWitt by your side while exploring Qumran!)
The last time I saw Dale was when I visited him in his home in Arizona. I thought he might be up for about an hour of conversation, but our talk lasted nearly four hours! He wanted to know all the Grace Gossip and other news from West Michigan. We talked about several biblical topics he was working on, as well as an American History textbook he was reading. I was amazed that a man pushing 90 still was working on books and articles, pushing himself to learn something new and to find a way to communicate the application of the Bible to others.
Gentle Wisdom
Dr. Matthew Loverin shares these core memories:
I have a few “core memories” of Dr. DeWitt. I remember early morning (7:45 AM) Greek classes and leaving class with tears in my eyes trying to learn participles. He wouldn’t tolerate our “slapdash” preparations for that class, despite the early hour – he wanted us to have polished, precise answers ready every morning. Dr. DeWitt knew we would make it through – and we did! I remember him telling me to put my high-stakes, high-intensity theological questions in the “icebox,” allowing them to cool down and mature over time – deep wisdom that I share with my own students. Most of all I remember a night where a small group of us were invited into his home one evening to study Greek – this felt like such a rare honor, even though he lived right next door to campus. Dr. DeWitt believed in me and inspired me to go to the University of Notre Dame, confident that my education at Grace Bible College had prepared me for a top rate graduate school, and he was right. My prayer is to pass on that same legacy of high expectations, gentle compassion and hospitality, and world-class education to our students today.
His Influence Still at Work
On behalf of Grace Christian University:
“We honor the wonderful legacy of Dr. DeWitt and his incredible contribution to our university and the Grace Gospel Fellowship. I am forever grateful for his scholarship and teaching. I was inspired by him continually.” — Dr. Ken B. Kemper, President, Grace Christian University
Dr. Dale S. DeWitt has gone home. But the leaders he formed, the students he believed in, and the institution he helped build remain. His influence is not behind us. It is still at work.
We are grateful.
We are better for having known him.
