Born and raised into a Christian home, I have attended church my entire life. Truthfully, I had the call to ministry and salvation experience backwards, for I was claiming that I wanted to be a preacher before I became a Christian! Once my parents and pastor clarified the appropriate order of events, I officially accepted Christ on May 11, 1995 (coinciding with Mother’s Day and the dedication of my little brother to the church). Experiences at a student retreat in 2002 confirmed for me that I had been called to some sort of vocational ministry, a call which I made official on July 28, 2002.
For the next several years, I struggled with God’s call upon my life. I became very involved in various secular leadership and extracurricular activities, which were beneficial, but also increased my desire for money and fame in the world. Even what I decided to study in college reflected the tension in my life: Christian Studies and Political Science. My intention was to pursue joint degrees in ministry and law, and somehow use my Christianity to get involved in the political realm. All of that changed on April 1, 2008.
On that day, I lost the election for student government president. It destroyed me, and completely humbled me. However, God always works in ways we cannot fully understand, and within two weeks, God had provided me with an opportunity to serve in my first church ministry position. God used the ministry to teach me who I was as a child of God and a minister of the gospel. I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my calling in life is to preach and teach the Word of God. Thus, I have dedicated myself to the further study of ministry and the Bible, and am committed to finding opportunities to proclaim the grace God has shown me.
