Last week I passed my oral comprehensive exam and dissertation defense.

• Comprehensive exam: On Thursday, March 19, Drs. M. Daniel Carroll R. (my advisor) and Richard Schultz grilled me on the field of OT studies and what it means to be an OT scholar who holds to evangelical convictions. They pushed to see what I knew, how well I could articulate it, and how I connect the dots across a variety of areas in OT scholarship. It was a pleasure to learn from these two amazing scholars who earned PhDs from the University of Sheffield and Yale respectively. For them to give me their stamp of approval as an OT scholar means so much.

• Dissertation defense: On Friday, in front of the Wheaton PhD students and faculty, Drs. J. Andrew Dearman, Richard Schultz, and Amy Peeler interrogated me from m 9:30 to 11:15 am. It was intense, difficult, rigorous, and fun! What an honor for these scholars to take the time to read the 337 pages of content that I wrote. They pushed me to clarify different parts of my dissertation and gave me ideas for how to make this work better. I passed with minor revisions!

From this experience, it could not be clearer to me that Wheaton desires to produce scholars who engage the academic world with rigor, seriousness, and evangelical convictions and pursue their vocation as service to Christ and His church. It will be an honor to walk across the stage in May to receive my Wheaton PhD.

But this leads to an important question…

Why did we spend so much time (five years!!!) and effort on pursuing this degree?

Adriana and I have asked ourselves this question countless times. Often the cost seemed far too high. But we kept coming back to the same thing.

This degree sets us up to address one of the greatest needs in the Latin American church: providing high-quality and contexualized pastoral and ministerial training.

In Latin America, most ministry leaders have no formal ministry or Bible education; there are very few high-quality resources being produced in Spanish, and few institutions exist that are dedicated to equipping Christian leaders. People that want training often must leave the country.

Think about that for a second… can you imagine having to leave your country to pursue training?

My dream is to train pastors, professors, and writers who go on to teach other pastors, professors, and writers so that the next generation of evangelical Peruvian leaders do not have to leave the country, as I did, to gain the training they need.

Earning a Wheaton PhD helps meet these needs in three ways:

• It provides me with the credentials that the government will want to see as institutions strengthen and formalize.
• It opens doors for writing and producing materials from and for the Latin American church. I can’t wait to begin to reflect theologically on different areas of the Peruvian reality to support the church in pursuing faithfulness to Jesus.
• Far more important than credentials, Wheaton pushed me to my limits, causing me to reflect deeply and grow in countless ways. In short, thanks to Wheaton I will be much more useful!

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 To conclude, I’m posting the “Acknowledgement” section of my dissertation to say a big THANK YOU to the many people that have supported our family on this journey.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I have heard it said that finishing a dissertation is like giving birth. However, having witnessed the births of my four children, I can safely say that the similarities are minimal. I offered Adriana little more than moral support when my kids were born. We were thankful for the presence of doctors, but Adriana really did all the work. In contrast, I could not have produced this dissertation without a host of people.

Dr. M. Daniel Carroll Rodas, when we met, I was visiting Wheaton as the Director of Admissions for the seminary I attended and was recruiting students for our programs. One of my professors recommended that I meet with you and express my interest in the Wheaton PhD program. Honestly, it was a dream I had already decided not to pursue; I did not think I had a shot. But that first conversation turned this recruiter into the recruited. I found a kindred spirit, a person living betwixt and between cultures. From that day, you made me feel welcome and capable. Throughout this process, you have taught me so much about how to read the OT, how to bring my whole person to interpretation, and how to be a scholar. Your encouragement, wisdom, and feedback have sharpened my thinking and improved my writing. I am thankful to not only call you my advisor but also mentor, friend, and (of course always) Dr. Carroll. ¡Gracias! And Joan, thank you for your hospitality and care!

Dr. Richard Schultz, thank you for your prompt and precise feedback. Thanks to your green pen, I believe I finally (mostly) understand how to use commas and dashes. Your input made this project much better! To the entire PhD committee—Drs. Andrew Abernethy, Marc Cortez, Amy Peeler, Doug Moo, and Esau McCaulley—your investment in students makes the Wheaton program unique. Dr. Daniel Treier, we share a seminary alma mater and a love for the Lions. I was so looking forward to hearing your thoughts on my work. Soon after we met, you told me that you had been praying for my family for years. In your last email, after your diagnosis, you told me that you still hoped to chair my defense “or at least party from afar.” I never imagined that you would party from heaven. You made me a better scholar and theologian.

To my cohort—Andy Iversen, Bethany Grainger, Sean Long, Virginia Johnston, David Cho, and Luke Boone—from our first days in German as we commiserated, laughed, and texted (and studied some too) through the ups and downs of the past five years, you all have been a joy! I cherish your friendship and have missed you dearly the past year-and-a-half.

To the PhD student body, I am thankful for class interactions, lunch discussions, and so much more. Our conversations varied from serious theological matters to ridiculousness galore that often put our joint venture into the realm of biblical and theological scholarship into proper perspective. To the other Carroll students—Daniel, Auburn, David, Josh, and Rachel—thanks for your camaraderie and companionship.

Gerardo Corpeño, eres un gran amigo. Me alegra muchísimo saber que seremos colegas con Mesa Global por muchos años. David Zamora, gracias por tu amistad y compañerismo. Felipe y Berni, su puerta siempre está abierta para recibirnos. Me encanta cuando nuestros diez hijos juegan juntos… es una locura hermosa. Ustedes son más que amigos, son una bendición increíble para nosotros.

I am so thankful for the many people at Fellowship Church of Carol Stream/All People’s Fellowship that supported my family for the three years we lived and ministered there: Josh, Danny and Mary, Mike and Glenda, Deb and Ron, Elliot, Barb and Tim, Phil and Penne, Mike and Jennifer, and Jonathan and Chelsea.

Redemption City Church, for the past thirteen years, you have been the family Adriana, the kids, and I have needed, first as we adjusted to life in the US, and then as we became Michigangsters and Grand Rapidians. You made leaving Grand Rapids hard and leaving a second time nearly impossible. Words cannot express my gratitude. Josh and Emily, Mike and Jamie, Stephen and Kristin, Sebastian, Zak, Katy, Susie, Alex and Abby, Kevin and Christy, Jon and Sarah, Dan, Jesse and so many more, thank you! To our many supporters, thank you for your generosity, for believing in our vision, and for committing to the global church! To my profs and colleagues at GRTS, especially Jonathan Greer and Mike Wittmer, thank you for the excellent training you provided. Thank you, David Baer and Mesa Scholars for continually inspiring me to employ my scholarship for the benefit of the global church.

ADIEL, Victor, Lucho y Camincha, Ramiro y Carmen, la gente de Gente Joven, ustedes cultivaron mi amor por las Escrituras y por la iglesia. Ustedes me enseñaron que tan hermoso es ser parte de “una familia llena de amor…”

To my siblings—Mark, Stephen, Maria, and Joshua—and their families, the past year-and-a-half living in the same city for the first time since 2004 has been so much fun. You inspire me by your excellence in your fields and by your passion. Thank you for your encouragement and support. Christina, thanks for help with French! Annie, thanks for your generosity. Flavio, tu sabes cuanto te quiero, aunque me digas mil veces “estudiador.”

It is hard to put my gratitude into words for you, Mom and Dad. Mom, you are one of four people, including myself, that have read my entire dissertation. You, more than anyone else, have made me the writer I am today. Your persistent love, dedication, and willingness to give of yourself inspire me. Dad, I have often thought, without irony or joking, “If I could become just half the man, half the father, half the Christian, half the scholar that you are, then I will have lived well.” I will keep striving to reach that goal.

Aila, Ilana, Isaia, and Imara. Se me llenan los ojos de lágrimas al escribir estas palabras. Ustedes probablemente no son conscientes de lo que han sacrificado para que yo pueda escribir esta disertación. Gracias por soportar mis malos humores, mi frustración, y mis muchas horas de estudio y trabajo. Ustedes son una alegría. Los amo.

Adriana Vilca. ¿Que te puedo decir? Las lágrimas que llenaron mis ojos ahora se están cayendo. Tu, más que nadie, has entregado de ti misma por amor. Decir gracias no es suficiente. Has sabido cuando cubrir mis debilidades y ofensas y cuando retarme a ser un mejor padre y esposo. Has sido una compañera perfecta. Te amo y estoy tan agradecido por tu amor, tu constancia, y tu presencia.

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever” (Rev 5:13)!

Andrew J. Panaggio

January 19, 2026