About New Aberdeen
Statement of Faith
1. The Triune God
We believe in but one true and living God: without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and sustainer of all things. He is an incomposite spiritual being, self-existent, uncaused, fully actualized, and without limit in his perfections. Omniscient and benevolent, he governs all according to his sovereign will.
In unity of this Godhead there are three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These are consubstantial, co-equal, and co-eternal, working inseparably and distinguished only by relations of origin.
2. The Holy Scriptures
The Holy Scriptures are the Word of God written and contain all things necessary for salvation and godliness of life. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, they are inerrant and infallible, and the final authority for faith and practice.
The Canon of the Holy Scriptures is the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, wherein the New does not abolish the Old, but fulfills it. The Holy Scriptures are to be translated, read, preached, taught, and obeyed in their plain and canonical sense, respectful of the Church’s historic and consensual reading.
3. Creation
Through his Word and out of nothing, God spoke all things into existence in six normative days. On the seventh day God rested, prescribing a temporal order of work and rest for human flourishing. The doctrine of Creation establishes an absolute distinction between the Creator and His creatures.
Having declared all things good, God made man and woman in His image, declaring them very good. He established their union in marriage, commanding them to be fruitful, to multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and take dominion. Any denial of the sexual difference between men and women, or alternate version of marriage, violates God’s order in creation.
The doctrine of Creation does not oppose the sciences; rather it establishes them, for a rational Creation is the foundation of all inquiry. Any science which denies the Creation departs from God and defeats itself.
4. Humanity and the Fall
God made man to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Of our own fault we sinned by disobeying God, whereby we incurred his judgment, were driven out of Eden, and now deserve his just condemnation. Corrupted and inclined to sin and evil, man is unable to repent or return to God of his own power. Nor can the works of sinful man earn him any favor before a holy and righteous God.
Though fallen, man retains the image of God, for which reason God prohibits murder and establishes a right to life. This right is in force for the entirety of human life, from conception to natural death. And God made in his image the people of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, promising through his people to bless all the nations of the world. Regardless of race or ethnicity, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and all are called to repentance and redemption in Christ.
5. Christ and Redemption
In His mercy and by His sovereign will, God has purposed the redemption of man in the Covenant of Grace, for those predestined and chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world.
Under the Old Covenant, He called a people to himself, revealing His righteous law, holy worship, and the necessity of sacrifice for sin. Under the New Covenant, God sent His eternal Son Jesus Christ, to be incarnate of the Virgin Mary and made the God-man. One person of two natures, fully human and fully divine, Jesus obeyed God’s law, fulfilled all righteousness, and became the final sacrifice for human sin on the cross. There Jesus made atonement for our sin in his blood, dying the death that we deserve, that we might be justified by grace through faith in Him.
Jesus resurrected bodily on the third day, appeared to His disciples, and sent them to proclaim forgiveness of sins in His name. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, where He intercedes for the saints and empowers them with His Holy Spirit.
6. The Church
The church is the body of Christ, His bride who submits to Him as her head. She is visible in the congregation of the faithful, where the pure gospel is preached and the sacraments duly administered according to the discipline of Christ. At present the church is militant, sent out to disciple the nations, to teach the commandments of Christ, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. In the end the church is triumphant, even over the gates of hell.
Christ will return bodily at the general resurrection to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
We proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our only Savior from sin, judgment and hell, until He comes. In our studies and our service, our prayer and our work, He sanctifies us by his Holy Spirit to be his holy people, glorifying Him in the love of God and neighbor.
The Value of a Classical,
Liberal Arts Degree
A classical, liberal arts degree contributes toward the moral and academic development of the student in a manner unique to modern colleges. This is the education of great men such as Marcus Aurelius, John Calvin, Isaac Newton, Franz Joseph Haydn, and Thomas Jefferson. These men, all champions of Western culture, exhibit the type of influence that persons trained to think liberally – literally, “freely,” able to think independently – can have on culture. In this tradition, New Aberdeen College cultivates virtue and wisdom to present our students mature in Christ (Col. 1:28).
- Mastery of rhetoric helps us communicate with one another either in large or intimate settings with the goal of persuading our audience. Speaking and writing well is of inestimable, timeless value – a key component of successful leadership.
- The strong emphasis in philosophy, which encompasses aesthetics, ethics, economics and political theory, enables professionals to think more critically, thus being able to solve complex problems more effectively. Training in philosophy also equips us to navigate the maze of contemporary thought trends shrewdly.
- A strong view of history emboldens students to anticipate patterns of human behavior, discern the outcomes that may proceed from a given course of action, and act decisively in occasions of both hazard and opportunity.
- Studying great literature, fine arts, and classical music – those areas where beauty, truth, and goodness often most clearly reside – amplifies the study of humanity, produces empathy, and trains us to pursue, enjoy, and emulate those transcendent qualities which are perfected in God, and which are his signature upon creation and the best works of man.
- Mathematics played a major role in the quadrivium for just cause. As the ancients discovered and modern science confirms, God built this world with mathematical principles from the atomic to the universal levels. The liberal arts graduate attains mathematical competency for both everyday life and the pursuit of many technical professions.
- The study of language develops a more nuanced and sophisticated view of our world, and enhances our rhetorical capabilities. Reading the classics in their original languages opens their full wealth to student of liberal arts.
What Distinguishes New Aberdeen from other Liberal Arts Colleges?
Most contemporary colleges that call themselves “liberal arts” are not, in fact, so.
Contemporary “liberal arts” degrees are typically less discreet in their course selection because the term has become an umbrella for any course that is not an expression of mechanical or fine arts (e.g. brick masonry, sculpture, painting, etc. ). Modern curricula are rarely rooted in classics and Great Books but focus instead on contemporary theories, most famously Critical Theory. Testing is content-oriented rather than dialogical in nature. The secular academy typically indoctrinates leftist ideologies rather than creating independent thinking scholars. Altogether, these trends have given the title “liberal arts” a negative reputation. New Aberdeen College, however, gladly embraces the rich academic tradition of the historic liberal arts, which is a valuable gift from our forefathers and the ancients, to the benefit of our students, our society, and future generations.
Meet Our Leadership
New Aberdeen College is governed by a Board of Trustees that is ecumenically Reformed. Our board consists of persons who are members in good standing of a confessionally Reformed church, who subscribe to the college’s Statement of Faith, and who give of their time and resources to support this institution in particular ways suited to their God-given abilities. The board currently consists of members of ACNA, CREC, PCA, and OPC congregations from across the country.
Holy Trinity Reformed Church in Concord, N.C., is the college’s legal agent and owns the college’s vision. The church’s Session has particular privileges to preserve the college’s doctrinal fidelity.
Music
Ryan Smith, D.M.A.
Ryan F. Smith the President of the College and Instructor of Music. He has spent his career in academia in both the classroom and in administration. Most recently he served as Fellow of Music and Director of Student Affairs at New Saint Andrews College. He previously was the Chairman of the Music Program at Coker University where he was a tenured professor.
As a musician, his performing career has taken him from Charleston to New York to Tacoma as both a soloist and collaborator. He is a performer, arranger, and recording artist. Recent performances include solo American music recitals and collaborative performances. In his studio, he teaches late intermediate to advanced pianists with a strong emphasis on keyboard wellness. His academic work focuses on various aspects of Western classical music, American music, and Southern letters.
Dr. Smith earned doctoral, masters, and bachelors degrees in music, and a master’s degree in Biblical Studies. He and his wife, Dr. Abigail Smith, have four children.
Theology
Matt Marino, M.Div., Ph.D. (ABD)
Rev. Matt Marino obtained his B.A. in Philosophy and Apologetics from Trinity College in Newburgh, IN, his Master of Theological Studies from Columbia Evangelical Seminary in Longview, WA, and his Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. He is currently completing his PhD program at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI, with a research focus on the role of reason and nature at the foundations of systematic theology. He has ABD status with an expected completion date of 2024.
Rev. Marino maintains a visible online presence with The Reformed Classicalist. This ministry exists to teach and pass on the historic Christian faith for the glory of God in all of life.
He serves as the Pastor of Grace Church in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (or ARP) in Winter Springs, Florida, where he also worked for Ligonier Ministries for a number of years. He is married to Emily and they have four children: Joshua, Hannah, Isabella, and Aiden.
Languages
Carter Ehnis, M.A.
Mr. Carter Ehnis is an experienced teacher from beginning to advanced Latin and Greek. Ehnis is particularly interested in the importance of comprehensible input as the foundation of language learning. In addition, he is interested in linguistics for the purpose of translating the Bible into languages. His undergraduate thesis immersed him into that process with an African people group. He currently teaches various languages through the Ancient Language Institute.
Featured article: “On Teaching and Learning Classical Languages: A Reformation of Reason and Method”
Literature
Abigail Lundelius Smith, Ph.D.
Dr. Smith is an award-winning writing and literature teacher at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She most recently taught literature electives in the undergraduate program and in the Classical Christian Studies program at New Saint Andrews College.
Dr. Abigail Lundelius Smith earned her doctorate in American Literature from the University of South Carolina where she completed her dissertation on the sacramental role of tables in American literature. Her master’s degree is from the University of Dallas where she became acquainted with Dr. Louise Cowan’s Genre Theory, which serves as the framework for New Aberdeen’s approach to literature. She and her husband, Ryan, have four children.
Dissertation:
Shall We Gather At the Table?: the Symbolic, Material, and Cultural Significance of the Table In American Life and Letters
Selected Articles:
Lay It All on the Table: Death in the American South, The Southern Quarterly. Volume 53, Number 1, Fall 2015
Critical Introduction to William Gilmore Simms’ Dramas, University of South Carolina Press (2016)
Academic Resources, Church History
Kevin Smith, M.A.
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Kevin Smith is the Director of Academic Resources and Instructor of Church History at New Aberdeen College. He has vast experience in Classical Christian Education, the pastorate, and in academia.
Mr. Smith currently the Library Director at Montana Bible College and the Chair of Humanities Department at the Logos Online School. He is completing further graduate work at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He and his wife have two young children.
Guest Instructor of Mathematics and Science
Gabriel Williams, Ph.D.
Dr. Williams is an atmospheric physicist with interests in geophysical fluid dynamics, atmospheric thermodynamics, and remote sensing. Currently, his research focuses on the physics of rotating convection systems (such as hurricane and tornadoes) and the dynamics of the atmospheric boundary layer using computer modeling and remote sensing.
Dr. Williams believes that the philosophical and historical approach to the sciences is the most valuable means of studying the world around us. He recognizes the necessity of the quadrivium (astronomy, arithmetic, geometry, and music) for the broader Christian worldview, and he strongly believes that science education should be integrated within the broader classical curriculum. He brings a wealth of knowledge on these topics, and he practices classical pedagogy in his current position.
A father of two young children, he is a committed advocate of and pedagogue of classical education at the pre-college level. He is a tenure-track professor at The Citadel. Dr. Williams is a six-day creationist with a proper understanding of the harmony between Scripture and science. He is a member of Christ Church (PCA) in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. He and the church’s pastor, Dr. Rev. Jon Payne, host a podcast together entitled, “Between the Times.”
Guest Instructor of Biology
S. J. Chewning, M.D.
Dr. Chewning retired from Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates in 2022 as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the spine. He currently works part-time as a Didactic and Clinical instructor in spinal surgery for Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Residents. He taught at Pfeiffer University in Charlotte for six years. Other educational positions have included instructor for the National Cace Rescue Commission and FAA flight instructor.
He is a passionate advocate of tertiary classical Christian education. He and his wife, Cindy, have three married daughters and 7 grandchildren. He has served on the vestry at St. Jude’s Anglican Church in Huntersville, N.C.
Dr. Chewning will lead seminars on health and safety from a medical perspective during our weekly gatherings. He will also offer an upper-level elective on anatomy and physiology.