Which seminary are you attending?
United Lutheran Seminary
Which program of study?
Master of Divinity
When did you first feel called to public ministry?
I remember joining a campus ministry while in college and started to really admire the work of the pastor. He was always there for us, answering all of our often-wild questions about faith, and feeding us every week. I started to feel drawn to this type of work and ministry in general and felt like I needed to explore it further.
Who did you first talk with about exploring the call to ministry?
I talked with my campus pastor who led Pittsburgh Students Active in Lutheran Ministry at Pitt.
What was helpful as you explored a call to ministry?
I spent a lot of time talking to current pastors and seeing what they do and hearing their call stories.
I also was provided with a lot of books and other media to help me explore my sense of call. One of my favorite books was The Rev. Emmy Kegler’s All Who Are Weary: Easing the Burden on the Walk with Mental Illness. I also was encouraged to watch the episode of Queer Eye on Netflix with The Rev. Dr. Noah Hepler. The stories of Pastor Kegler and Pastor Hepler helped me to see that my queerness and mental health struggles did not limit me from serving our God who suffers alongside the suffering and calls all people beloved.
Complete this phrase: I’m a seminarian and…
I really love video games. From open-world adventures like Breath of the Wild and Skyrim, to cozy puzzle games like Unpacking and Is This Seat Taken, I try to find time to relax and decompress through videogames!
In one sentence, offer a word of encouragement to those exploring public ministry in the ELCA.
If you feel that God is calling you to ministry, then absolutely talk to someone about it and see where the Holy Spirit is leading you!
What is your favorite biblical call story?
I am a big fan of John the Baptist. His rugged wilderness appearance and strong personality is not what we typically expect from someone called by God. But John is preparing the way for Jesus Christ and his ministry, and I feel like that is the biggest part of our calling in ministry. We are preparing the way by letting Jesus use our hands and feet to bring people into relationship with God and experience Her radical love and divine grace.