Update: Dr. Timothy J. Lease passed away Nov. 26, 2024. LBC sends our sincere condolences to the Lease family.
Dr. Timothy Lease (’15 & ’20) has a long history with Lancaster Bible College. His father, Dr. Stuart E. Lease (’52) served as the school’s third president from 1961 to 1979, leading the college through several historic and rewarding moments, such as the renaming of Lancaster School of the Bible (LSB) to Lancaster Bible College (LBC) in 1973, the construction of three new campus buildings, quadrupled enrollment growth and many overall operational improvements.
LBC’s third President Dr. Stuart Lease (’52)
Stuart E. Lease is recorded as giving this message to the LSB Class of 1957:
“God’s tomorrows will constantly be filled with wonders and blessings if only you remember to sanctify yourselves today. The apprehension concerning tomorrow will pass if you draw near to our blessed Lord today. Even though the future is unknown and uncertain to you, such is not the case with God. He knows the end from the beginning and He delights to lead you into the fullness of His will.”
Stuart’s son, Tim, is currently facing some uncertainty of his own. The two-time LBC graduate, along with his wife, Bridget (’17 & ’21), has been navigating cancer treatments and needs a liver transplant. Doctors have advised that Tim be matched with a live donor due to the urgency of his treatment plans.
Bridget shared that Tim was diagnosed with liver cancer in April 2023 and was put on the liver transplant list in June.
“To survive, he needs a liver as soon as possible,” she said. “We were asked by his doctors to search for a living donor because traditional liver availability is scarce, and the wait for that will likely take too long. We are hoping and praying that God can make a way and do a mighty work.”
According to John Hopkins Medicine, more than 17,500 patients in the U.S. alone are waiting to receive a liver transplant. A live liver donor must be in good physical and mental health, be between the ages of 18 and 60, have a body mass index (BMI) of less than 32, have a blood type compatible with the recipient and be free from certain diseases, such as significant organ diseases, cancer, hepatitis or active or chronic infections, among other considerations. “Living donors also need a strong support system to rely on for emotional and physical needs during recovery,” John Hopkins reported.
Because Tim essentially grew up on the Lancaster School of the Bible campus, one might assume attending LBC where his father served as president would be a familiar and natural decision. However, this journey, which was highlighted in the Winter 2024 LBC ECHO Magazine, came as a result of God’s redemptive work in Tim’s life.
Dr. Timothy Lease, third from left, receives a congratulatory hug from President Emeritus Dr. Peter W. Teague after being awarded his PhD in Biblical Studies.
Dr. Timothy Lease (’15 & ’20) celebrates his 2020 PhD graduation with his wife, Bridget (’17 & ’21).
Even though he was raised in a Christian home, Tim once turned away from God. In 2004, Dr. Peter W. Teague, LBC’s fifth president, attended Dr. Stuart Lease’s funeral, and it was here God began the journey of reaching Tim’s heart.
After the funeral, Tim met with Dr. Teague regularly, and after many conversations, returned to the Lord. God’s redemptive work changed the trajectory of Tim’s life; he not only earned both master’s and doctoral degrees from LBC but also was an Adjunct Professor in LBC’s Bible & Theology Department. As he was hooded for his PhD at LBC’s 2020 graduation ceremony, Dr. Timothy Lease shared that he wished “to exhibit the same passion and desire to share Christ with young people that he first witnessed in his father and that was modeled by those under whom he has studied.”