David Kummerow never really intended to become an academic, let alone a lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament Studies. When he finished high school, he didn’t continue other study at first, instead working on his parents’ farm in Queensland and driving trucks. But throughout his life David has been open to God’s plans, and has followed both opportunities and needs placed before him, which has led him to teaching at Trinity Theological College in Perth.
Growing up in a Christian family, David first put his trust in God around age 8. But he found he often doubted his salvation, and ended up in a cycle of praying for forgiveness again and again, not sure if he was really right with God. But at the end of high school, during a membership course, his pastor reassured him that he could trust in God’s promises of salvation.
“He said: ‘God made a promise that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart God has raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. Do you believe that?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Well, have you done that or not? If you have then you can take him at his word.’”
After a few years of working, and with people in his life urging him to, David explored the opportunity to study at Bible college. He visited some friends in Sydney and was able to sit in on some lectures at Sydney Missionary Bible College (SMBC). Still unsure about higher level academic study, he enrolled in a two year diploma. But at the last minute, his pastor persuaded him to start his study in the bachelor program, with the reasoning that he could drop to a diploma if it became too hard. So David headed down to Sydney early for Greek week.
In second year he studied Hebrew for the first time, and found that knowing the language really helped to get down to what passages in the Old Testament said. During his time at college, he noticed there were a lot of new books and research coming into the library on the area of Hebrew linguistics. Given that there was a shortage of Old Testament lecturers in Australia at that point, David saw the opportunity to do research in a new field as well as to be equipped in an area of need if that worked out. Straight after graduating from SMBC, he began a research degree at the Presbyterian Theological Centre in Sydney, now Christ College. He also continued one day a week as a research assistant at SMBC and got the opportunity to experience teaching Hebrew. After a few years he relocated back to Queensland where he finished his research studies while joining the team at the church that sent him to college.
After a few changes of topic, in the end David’s research largely centred around developing a study of Hebrew third-person pronouns and demonstrative pronouns. Through his research he became equipped to teach across the range of the Old Testament books originally written in Hebrew. After finishing his research, he continued to work for a Presbyterian church, doing extra studies at Queensland Theological College to become ordained as a Presbyterian minister. At the end of this time Trinity Theological College advertised the role of Old Testament Lecturer, so David again followed the opportunity that God presented and applied for the job.
During the week he and his wife spent in Perth getting a feel for the ministry and church context, it became clear to David that God was presenting him with both a need and the opportunity to meet it. In 2014 he joined the faculty at Trinity.
As an Old Testament lecturer, David currently teaches some foundational units as well as upper year Old Testament units. David sees the role of Old Testament study to equip people to read the OT being sensitive to its original context as well as how it points forward to Jesus Christ. “We want to understand the story of the Bible to be God’s plan to save, that climaxes in God’s work in Christ,” David explains, and he believes studying the Old Testament in light of Christ will also grow students in their faith and trust in God’s word.
For David, the highlight of his time at Trinity has been the students. “They come from lots of different churches and backgrounds and come with a particular keenness to know God better and his Word better,” he shares. “Most of them also come to college because they have a heart for people and want to equip themselves to minister God’s word more effectively, whether that’s in a mission or pastoral context.”
David also appreciates being a part of a faculty with a common purpose. “God’s kindness and grace has meant there’s a lot of trust between the faculty members,” he reflects.
David is looking forward to the opportunity for some long service leave in coming months, to rest after a long period of working and serving the College. David asks that you pray for his refreshment at that time.
Image: David (second from right) with his pastoral care group during 2026 Mission Week in Newman.
