William Samuelsson waited five years to come to The Master’s University.
It hadn’t been easy. In leaving his home country of Sweden, he was forgoing the option of a free public education, and to get his visa in time for the fall, he had to make an emergency request. Even as he waited in a hotel on American soil, he was nervous that some last-minute hitch would interrupt his admission.
What carried him through those five years was simple: a desire for the biblical teaching he knew he would receive at TMU.
Samuelsson is from the city of Uppsala in Sweden — a country with Protestant roots that in recent centuries has become increasingly secular, and where Bible-centered churches are hard to find.
Around 2014, the Samuelsson family was attending a church when their senior pastor converted to Catholicism. Confused, Samuelsson’s parents began to ask themselves if what they were being taught was true. They took to scouring YouTube and social media, where they happened on the preaching of Dr. John MacArthur. It immediately stood out.
Samuelsson said, “My parents found it incredibly different from what we were used to. It was Bible-centered, God-centered preaching.”
Samuelsson soon started listening to MacArthur and other pastors for himself. As his family grew together in its understanding of the gospel, he says that they struggled to find a church that could meet their new spiritual hunger.
When his mother told him about a university associated with MacArthur, Samuelsson, who was only 14 at the time, knew that it was the only school he wanted to attend.
Over the next five years, Samuelsson and his family worked to make that possible. At age 16, he enrolled in the only English-speaking high school program in his hometown in order to become fluent in English. When his senior year arrived, the Lord provided financial means for him to attend TMU. And then, finally, he got his visa.
Despite having never stepped foot in America, Samuelsson was convinced that an education at TMU was worth the challenges: “I knew this institution was founded on the Word of God. That’s why I had all the confidence.”
Finally, in fall 2023, Samuelsson entered TMU as a biblical languages major. Since arriving, he has seen the new environment make a major difference in his sanctification and prayer life. He’s also thankful to hear biblical exposition in person each week at Grace Community Church, where he’s a part of the Sojourners fellowship group.
“I really appreciate that everything at TMU is so solidly grounded on the Bible,” Samuelsson said, “not just the teaching and time in class, but the fellowship that I have with friends, which is something I never experienced before.”
Samuelsson’s family has finally found a Bible-teaching church in Stockholm where they can grow. As for Samuelsson, he still has a few years left at TMU. His goal is to attend seminary after he graduates and take his biblical training back to Sweden.
“I love to give the truth to people, to share the gospel, and to study the Bible,” he said. “And I know there’s such a lack of good teachers in my home country, and in many other places too; because of that, I want to become a pastor.”
