I Always Wanted to Be President…
Posted by admin on August 24, 2014
The first time I ever spoke in public was for a student council election in middle school. I remember preparing diligently, writing out what I would say to convince my peers to elect me as the treasurer for the student council. My opponent was a tall, athletic, attractive, articulate, african-american girl, who happened to be a gifted track and field athlete. Needless to say I lost, bad. This experience dashed my young hopes of a political career. During this season I began to do poorly in school and that trend continued until I dropped out of school in the 9th grade. Lest one think my failure was due to a lack of determination, let me tell you I was in the 9th grade for 3 years straight. I was not a good student, though my teachers assured me if I would just try I could rival any of my peers. I was uninspired by it all. I found inspiration in creative commerce, illicit entertainment, and worldly wandering.
Then I met Christ as a 22 year old hippie type. The second time I spoke publicly was at my baptism. I stood and proclaimed what Christ had done to save me, and how I wanted to follow him all of my days. I was inspired, to say the least. By the end of the year some friends had given me some opportunities to teach the Bible. They encouraged me to teach more often. I loved it. The study and explanation of God’s word was such a joyful experience. Some friends then encouraged me to pursue a degree in bible. My past failures hung low over me as I considered this opportunity. All this culminated in a conversation with a professor at the college I was considering. I saw him at Barnes and Noble on a Friday night. I was studying to teach on Sunday morning. I told him of my past experience as a student. He took time and encouraged me. I was in.
Later that summer I was accepted to the College at Southeastern Seminary, despite only having a GED. That fall I started classes. The first day of class I sat down and my professor gave us something called a “syllabus”. I looked it over. The reading for that class alone was going to be at least a hundred pages a week. I had never read a book before. In all truthfulness I had never finished a book from cover to cover. That semester I would read thousands of pages. I spent the next 6 years finishing my degree in Bible and Philosophy (History of Ideas). I worked as a student pastor, ministry consultant, electricians helper, day laborer, junk sales man, and any thing else I could do to make money to support my wife and three children. I was not the best student in my classes, but I was faithful in ministry and in my home.
It was over a decade ago that I sat in that first class. I can not sufficiently express my delight in God for what he has given me through the theological education I have received from my local church and formal studies at Southeastern.
A few months ago I was talking with my 9 year old son about establishing the seminary here in the DR. This was before we had started classes, and he asked me what my job would be at the seminary. I said,”I guess I will be like the president”. He said, “Wow, you are the president?” I said, “Yeah, but we don’t have any students yet.” He said, “Oh.”
So I guess I have realized my dreams of “being president”.
In all honestly, I count what I do and have done as all God’s grace to me and my students. I have a unique position as a “sympathetic president” with my students at Hispaniola Institute of Theology. Most of them do not have more than a 9th grade education. I am sure at least one of them can barley read. We are asking them to do something in their education that no one has ever asked them to do. The bar is higher than they can jump, just as it was for me. But by God’s grace they will jump and fall and we will pick them up and tell them to jump again. We are teaching deep theology to men who have trouble telling the difference between a verb and a noun. Some would say lower the bar, but this is why they cannot jump. They have never been asked to. Pastoral ministry has become purely practical. It’s all about what works, rather than being all about God’s Word. They want to know how to read the Bible well and how to explain it to others. It is a delight to teach these men how to read the Word, and to learn faithfulness in poverty from them.
My Redeemer has taken this godless high school drop out and made him a professor of theology to some of the most needy (spiritually speaking) pastors and church leaders one can find. I want God to do this with my students. I pray he does. I pray my story and experience paves the way for a Haitian who will lead Haitian churches to a place that I cannot take them, a place of deep reform, health, vitality, and contagiousness. Will you pray with me that God would raise up a leader from HIT that will influence and reform church culture for God’s glory?
Noah…