by Tony van der Hiele

Starting January 1, Dr. Don McNaughton, lovingly known as Dr. Don by his students, will be retiring from his professorship at CBT. Even though CBT has faculty members that have served for more than twenty years, Dr. Don has been associated with the school the longest. Twenty-nine years ago, he started investing in our school – which was then only eight years old – by providing counselling services to CBT. Eleven years later, he became the first Canadian full-time faculty member serving as Professor of Counselling and Director of Student Formation. The tremendous value he has brought to CBT over the years goes beyond his role as an experienced and skilled counsellor. His ministry experience reaches far beyond that. He has been an evangelist, pastor, chaplain, and counsellor in the wilderness of B.C. and northern Canada. Everyone at CBT thoroughly enjoys his amazing stories of his adventures and testimonies from the time he was a mission pilot. He also models openness and vulnerability. His deep love for the Lord, his family, his wife Kathleen – who also invested eighteen years in CBT in her role asRegistrar – and his passion for golfing are known by students and co-workers alike.

Sharp observation, listening, and his ability to read between the lines are some of Dr. Don’s many gifts which are always accompanied by a calm demeanour. One alumnus says, “He seemed to know what I was thinking before I said anything!“ His students love his unique manner of teaching, involving humour, soul searching, and open, meaningful class conversations. As another alumnus summarized, “it was the openness he created for each student who contributed his or her thoughts, learnings and challenges related to spiritual formation” that helped so many CBT students grow in Christlikeness. Watching “trunk monkey”videos and examining the lines of song lyrics are some examples of Dr. Don’s unique teaching methods to train students toward a deeper analysis of situations.

In addition to his classroom teaching, many current and former students emphasize the impact that he had – and still has – on them personally, which includes kind gestures and genuine care in personal crises. One alumnus shared that during a difficult time in life Dr. Don had come out of the building, smiling and not making a fuss about the cold, “all because he wanted to make sure that I was ok. That brought feelings of peace, comfort, and tremendous gratitude.” Even though he administers the dreaded Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis to all incoming students and his exams usually go accompanied with certain amounts of stress levels, his students know Dr. Don’s door is wide open, always ready to encourage and care for them. A former student shares, ”his willingness to take time with me in his office and to help me work through significant sin issues in my life are moments and acts of great kindness that I hope I never forget.” Many students recall how formative Dr. Don has been in their Christian life. His go-to prayer, “Lord, what would you most enjoy for me to do right now?” is one that stuck with many. A current student points out that “Dr. Don’s ministry here at CBT is evidence that he has an intimate relationship with the Lord and seeks the answer to this question on a daily basis.”

He does not just leave a deep impact on his students. His co-workers will have to adapt to not having him around. One CBT staff member mentions how she will miss his bright, colourful shirts, his warm personality, and how he genuinely cares for everyone on the team. The faculty will miss the way Dr. Don articulates prayers for students and alumni during CBT’s weekly faculty prayer time, as his prayers are inspirational and insightful. His coffee brewing skills will be a loss as well. “Don is our faculty coffee guy. As the first one in the office most mornings, he makes a pot of coffee for the rest of the faculty to enjoy,” says Dr. Kevin Peacock.

The faculty’s gratitude for his work and ministry at CBT was expressed during the 2023 Commencement Ceremony earlier this year when Academic Dean Dr. Steve Booth chose Don McNaughton to be the recipient of CBT’s Faculty Achievement Recognition Award. The Dean pointed out that the manner in which Don helped the school achieve its mission is, in many cases, “quiet and unassuming and behind the scenes.” Yet, he has led the development of the Certificate of Spiritual Care/Chaplaincy in collaboration with three other sister seminaries. Dr. Don also has the “unique perspective that God often does his best work in the midst of conflict,” and that is why he has implemented a core seminary course called “Dealing with Conflict.” He equipped students with tools to help them love and counsel God’s people and navigate conflict in a healthy way.

Dr. Rob Blackaby, CBT’s president, looks back on Dr. Don’s ministry at CBT and has the following to say,

When I arrived at CBT in early 2007, I was thrilled to be able to work closely with Don as our professor overseeing spiritual formation and facilitating training in counselling and conflict management for our students. How could we talk about training God-called men and women for twenty-first century leadership in tough places without the extraordinary and influential involvement of Don? He has had a distinct role in helping us to effectively live out our mission. His careful regard for students and colleagues alike is easily observed by anyone who has had the privilege to pray with him. In him is a humble spirit that cries out to God in unrelenting faith.

From his first days on our faculty, he has remained active as a Christian counsellor. I think his counselling practice, coupled with years of pioneer ministry as an aviation missionary in northern Canada, have created in Don a beautiful and wondrously unique style of spiritual leadership. 

As Dr. Don humbly reflects on eighteen years of teaching ministry at CBT, he points to the work he has seen God do in so many students and how privileged he feels to have been a part of that. He shares,

I would get butterflies of excitement for every single class – excited to give something that could help students in their life journey with God, and frightened that that might not happen. My prayer before each class was “God, please be active in this moment. If you don’t show up, not much good will happen.” It was a humbling experience to be given such access into the lives of the Lord’s servants.  

When students come to CBT, they come with hopes, vision, goals or passion to go forward with God…and God moves in them! It is not that the Lord simply punches their ticket and sends them off to serve. There are obstacles to overcome, wisdom to apprehend, skills to hone, experience to gain, adjustments to be made, resilience to acquire, and above all, a relationship with God to deepen and strengthen. These are souls who long to be shaped by God. And it happens! It is inspiring to see what resultswhen students give Jesus Christ permission to take complete hold of their lives. Whether they are younger or older, whether they are being outfitted or refitted, they are discovering the joy of enduring service that overflows from their own intimacy with Christ. I have been privileged to see God doing this many times over at CBT. Praise the Lord, it is awesome and I will miss being part of what happens here.

Moving into a new season, we have no doubt that CBT’s beloved Dr. Don will continue to pray,“Lord, what would you most enjoy for me to do?” and we know that he will lean closely into the Lord for what is next. Dr. Blackaby echoes the sentiments of the entire CBT community when he expresses that “Don is dearly loved, profoundly appreciated, and deeply respected. And he will be greatly missed!”

Thank you Dr. Don McNaughton!