Southern Nazarene University is home to students who not only get to create relationships with other like-minded Christians and with God but also get to explore diverse majors that relate to their career possibilities. Deciding to pursue ministry should be more than just a choice, as Jim Fitzgerald, Ph.D., Professor of Theology and Ministry, mentions, “There needs to be a calling.”
Ministry is a career involved with a variety of positions, including senior pastor, youth pastor, missionary, etc. Everyone has a story–a calling that influenced them to major in theology or ministry. Pastoral ministry major and sophomore, Thomas Cruzan, shares, “I grew up in a Christian community. I went to a school called Crossings Christian where I got to meet many people who had Christ-centered lives. Some of those people ended up working at SNU, such as Dennis Savill, who helped inspire me to think critically and logically and get closer to God. I felt a calling to go into ministry through that.”
Cruzan says he wants to “become a head pastor at a church” and possibly become a professor to teach “the Word to incoming students who want to get into seminary.”
Many people hear the calling from God to become a part of ministry. However, how it’s received or what God wants it to accomplish can vary with everyone, as it does with Cruzan. “The main thing I aim to achieve in ministry is hearing what God has called me to do. I also want to lead others to find God. Overall, the main thing is to talk to people about what they believe or what they view of the world, so it can help me start a conversation and engage them in deeper questions. Then, I believe I will be able to lead people to God.”
For some insightful knowledge for ministry-major students, Fitzgerald shares, “My hope for them is that they love the church and find joy in bringing people into relationship with God. It’s a challenging but rewarding thing, and I want them to know that they should take care of their spiritual life, and family, as well as find balance in life. You are the vessels to do God’s reconciliation work, and I want them to find joy in that.” Fitzgerald ends with this final thought. “I hope they believe in the power of resurrection where there’s no situation or circumstance that God cannot change.”
Featured Photo by: SNU Creative