Stories of missionary calling rarely begin with a clear map. Obeying God is almost never linear. Detours, doubts, and divine providence interrupt that path. But that’s exactly how it should be.
When I talk with students and pastors about discerning God’s call, I don’t always share my own story—because I didn’t take an ordinary path into ministry. Donna and I were college students when we felt drawn to church planting and missions. I had a degree in biology and chemistry and plans for medical school, so we thought we had the future mapped out. But God had other plans.
The Disrupted Path
I’m not sure I’ve written about this before, but I signed up for the Army in college. They were offering me a scholarship opportunity for college and medical school. I even processed in through MEPS—Military Entry Processing Station—which, I can tell you, is quite the experience.
But, it was at MEPS that the physical revealed scar tissue in my left eye that disqualified me from service. That unexpected diagnosis locked the door we had planned on opening. And, it was jarring. I was a part-time youth pastor, planning to go to medical school, and become a medical missionary. But that door was suddenly closed.
But, the Lord had already working on me being open to be a pastor.
While I brushed it off at first, the Spirit kept pressing. A call from years earlier at a Christian music festival came rushing back. I was single at the time, but church planting was the theme and I was considering church planting as an expression of God’s mission.
And soon we joined that mission ourselves.
We sold most of what we owned and moved to the inner city of Buffalo, New York so that we could plant a church among the urban poor. We were 21. Our families were concerned, and our denomination turned us down for funding. In retrospect, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this pathway, but it’s the one we took—and God used it. Work as a contractor—renovating houses, insulating attics, hanging drywall—helped keep the lights on as we shared Jesus with our neighbors.
We didn’t have much, but we had clarity that the mission was worth the sacrifice, and that God had us where he wanted us.
When I talk to young adults discerning their future, I often tell them: you don’t have to have the next 10 years mapped out; just be obedient to the next right thing. Our calling doesn’t unfold in a straight line.
It looks like saying “Yes”—one step at a time.
The Importance of Preparation
If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I’d say this: take more time to prepare. I wasn’t ready for the challenges of cross-cultural ministry in the inner city. Seminary wasn’t on my radar when we started, but I quickly realized I needed theological depth and pastoral training.
So I started driving four hours each weekend from Buffalo to Pittsburgh to attend seminary classes—sleeping on the floor of an office building in a sleeping bag. Today online programs and regional cohorts (like we’re doing at Talbot) make preparation more accessible than ever.
