Dr. Jason DeRouchie, former Northwestern Bible professor, returned to campus on Monday of this week to speak on gender roles and distinctions, as derived from a complementarian interpretation of Genesis 1-3.

DeRouchie spoke at the Gender Matters event, which was open to any students who wished to attend.

The Gender Matters club, comprised of six official members, is dedicated to “fostering discussion on campus for the submission to the authority of scripture concerning biblical manhood and womanhood.”

Jesse Scheumann, leader of the club this year, said one of the main goals for the year is to plan speakers, articles and events that provide practical, day-to-day application in the area of biblical gender roles as understood from a complementarian standpoint.

Monday, Oct. 12 was the club’s first event of the school year, the topic of the evening officially titled “The Lasting Significance of Gender Distinctions and Roles in Genesis 1-3.” 

DeRouchie walked through human beginnings, focusing on a complementarian interpretation of God-given male and female roles. He then looked at how Satan attacked these roles and how, through Christ’s redemption, gender roles are restored to their created order.

Scheumann said he chose DeRouchie because, in past experience as having him as a professor, DeRouchie brought good information regarding this issue to the table. 

“He is scholarly in knowing his Hebrew and knowing the text, but he’s very pastoral in seeing it lived out to the glory of God,” Scheumann said.

“I knew he’d be the most qualified, but I also knew he’d be just a gem to get, because he’s so loved at Northwestern.”

DeRouchie is currently an associate professor of Old Testament at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis.

DeRouchie’s position deals primarily with the seminary, through teaching of the Old Testament, and he said there is “no question” that this is where he is supposed to be.

“I loved Northwestern, and I still do,” he said. “It was a very hard decision to leave, but God has called us here ... and it is exactly right. I love it that God has called me to specifically focus my attentions on training some of the next generation of pastors who are going to be handling the word and helping the church. But I am delighted to come back to Northwestern, and I pray that I can sustain a relationship with the school and students for years to come.”

The event was held in the Riley Great Room at 7:00 p.m. DeRouchie spoke for an hour and followed up with a time of questions and answers.

The event was packed with an estimated 175 students in attendance.

Shelby Hofland, one of the students who attended the event, resonated with the subject matter. “It was amazing. I seriously felt like he was speaking right from my heart. It’s so important to continually go back to the text to truly understand and learn more about God’s creation and His desired relationship with us and His church.”

Jessica Brown, junior psychology major, said: “I thought it was terrifying, but very exciting at the same time. Marriage is a very weighty issue, and we will screw up at fulfilling our [gender] roles, but the potential and beauty of fulfilling those roles is so exciting.”

The Gender Matters group is hoping to bring different guest speakers in each month to talk about different gender issues in relation to a  complementarian biblical perspective.

On the schedule for next month is Andrew Knight, director of campus outreach for Bethlehem Baptist on the campuses of  Northwestern, Bethel and the University of Minnesota.

He will be speaking on how biblical manhood and womanhood is realized in singleness.