God provides and redeems one of my failures.
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Pet. 4:11 NIV)
Upon ending our six-week stay in Japan, we returned to California in December 2011 with a practical next step: to apply as short-term missionaries to Japan with our denomination. To get the process started, we were advised to have at least one of us attend a denominational conference, held in Chicago the following month, to connect with others from the World Missions department. I had to attend this conference anyway in order to complete one last class for my credentialing requirements.
Part of this class involved a tour of the denomination’s main office in Chicago. About two hours into the tour, I was sitting in a cafe located in the basement, listening to our guide, when an impression came out of nowhere:
“North Park Seminary.”
Internal double-take. “Huh?”
The words resonated silently through my consciousness. “North Park Seminary.”
This didn’t make sense, so I began to question the words, assuming that God had sent them my way. “North Park Seminary, God? That’s here in Chicago! Didn’t you call my family to go to Japan? Didn’t you confirm that calling over and over again? Am I not here in Chicago in preparation for this mission to Japan? And didn’t you stop me from applying to a different seminary shortly before you called us to Japan in 2010? Besides, we’re based in L.A., and even if we weren’t going to Japan, do you expect my family to move to Chicago?
“North Park Seminary,” said the still, small voice.
Later that afternoon, we were given a 15-minute break in the tour and were told that if we needed to use the restroom, we’d need a staff member to swipe their security card and unlock the door for us.
I followed a group of guys down the hall and ended up last in line for the men’s room. As I awkwardly awaited my turn, the staff member asked me where I had gone for theological training. I replied that I hadn’t– that I had been called to ministry out of a completely different profession, and even though I had argued with God that I had never attended seminary and therefore was not qualified, I was called to work at a church and became a licensed pastor with the denomination in 2009. I mentioned that I had even begun the application process to another seminary in 2010, but after much prayer, felt that this wasn’t God’s plan; He instead called me to Japan.
The staff member, who happened to be a professor at North Park Seminary, casually mentioned that should I enroll there, I could take some classes online from Japan and complete my residency requirements via summer intensives.
I then explained that I had no undergraduate degree, and the other seminary offered special admissions to students who were called to ministry and have served full-time for at least three consecutive years.
This professor replied that North Park could offer special admissions as well.
The impressions I had received earlier were starting to make sense.
The professor suggested that I visit the North Park Seminary booth at the conference and talk to the director of admissions, so I did. I explained my situation, and the director confirmed that the seminary did indeed allow special student admissions on one condition: that in addition to the standard application packet and required essays, I would need to submit a sample of a research paper to show that I was academically capable.
I began working on my seminary application packet in February 2012, concurrently with our missionary application packet. It was a lot of work, as both applications required us to obtain reference letters and write papers, but my priority was the missions application.
The seminary application deadline of March 31st was drawing near, and I knew I wouldn’t have time to work on the research paper. With only a few days left, I prayed about how to proceed, and I got the sense that I should submit whatever I did have and ask the admissions director for more time to submit the paper.
I sent in my applications packet, along with a note requesting more time. Several weeks later, I received a phone call from the admissions director, congratulating me for my preliminary acceptance into North Park Seminary– I wouldn’t be formally accepted until my research paper was received.
I asked if I could have a few more weeks to work on it; the director replied that this would be fine. That night, I sat down at my computer to get cracking on the paper when a thought crossed my mind.
“I don’t have to write a new paper. I’ve already written several papers for my orientation program– all I’d need to do is add citations to one of them and make sure it’s formatted correctly.”
I emailed the admissions director and asked if I could submit a paper I had written for a theology class I had taken. “Let me see it,” she replied.
I emailed it in.
The admissions director emailed me back. The paper was accepted, and so was I.
I was thanking God, reflecting on His goodness in providing this opportunity to me when another thought wafted through my mind:
“God knows I’m a missionary with limited funds, so if He wants me to go to Japan and take seminary classes at the same time, maybe He’ll provide a way to pay for this, too.”
I had heard about some scholarships that were available, so I inquired about them, applied, and was awarded two that cover most of my tuition.
Praise God.
Things had come about full-circle. When I first sensed the call to ministry in 2005, I thought about how long it would take just to get into seminary, much less complete my studies, and although the role I served in at the time did not require a seminary degree, I had always wanted one, as I took my role as a sacred charge and wanted to be as well-prepared and equipped for the task as I could be. I thought that not having a college degree– one of the major points of pain in my life– would hinder me from ever going to seminary, but what look like hindrances to us are nothing to God.
Seven years after that voice in the night, calling me to ministry, God not only opened the seminary door to me– He carried me through it.
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor. 9:8 NIV)
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