December 4, 2000

Wayland students ministers in the making
___By Teresa Young
___Wayland Baptist University
___PLAINVIEW--By the standards of either a college student or a pastor, Nathan Rush is a busy guy.
___Maybe that's because he fills both roles, working toward a bachelor's degree at

GINGER NOBLETT with the youth group at Calvary Baptist Church in Lubbock.

Wayland Baptist University and serving as pastor of Rocky Ford Baptist Church near Amherst.
___A senior religion and history major, Rush has his usual class load to contend with, plus studying for exams, writing papers and doing projects. Then on the weekends, he puts classwork aside to put his education to work.
___Rush serves as pastor of the rural congregation, located 45 miles from his dorm room on the Wayland campus. The church has been his chance for the past year to get hands-on experience in ministry.
___Rush is just one of many students at Wayland who get involved in practical ministry work while working on their degrees--whether they are studying religion or not.
___Of the 132 ministerial students on the Plainview campus, about 80 percent are involved in ministry of some kind, whether on a church staff or as volunteers, said Micheal Summers, director of Wayland's office of church services.
___"The school has really developed a reputation for producing ministry students throughout the United States," he said. "A lot of these smaller churches (in the region) wouldn't have anyone if it weren't for Wayland students and staff."
___The benefits go both ways.
___Besides filling a staff position, students who serve in churches are receiving invaluable experience toward their careers in ministry, with all the challenges that brings.
___"Ministry is lived, not just learned. They can't simply be instructed in ministry; they have to experience it first-hand," Summers added. "If we're to be true to their education, we have to get them into those situations."
___Rush is a perfect example, he said.
___The son of a Navy chaplain, Rush grew up wanting to be in the military. But when he felt the call to preach during his junior year of high school, his goals changed. Ater Rejoice, a singing group from Wayland, visited his home church in Clovis, N.M., Rush applied to Wayland and was accepted.
___Since enrolling at Wayland, Rush has done pulpit supply work in eastern New Mexico and West Texas, preaching his first sermon just a month after he graduated from high school. Then last fall, he was called to Rocky Ford.
___"They have a real ministry there of hiring guys like me, real preacher boys, to give us a chance to get some experience," Rush said. "The last few months have been far more than I ever imagined. The people there are great, and I wouldn't trade this for the world."
___Initially, the challenge of juggling his schoolwork with sermon preparations and other pastoral tasks was daunting. But once he got everything in order, the going was smooth.
___His experience has been rewarding and has even enhanced his classwork, he said.
___"There are times you think, 'I'm glad we talked about this in class; I can use this,' and there are times I'll sit in the classroom and wonder how I'd ever use something," he said. "But ... there's no substitute for getting out there and doing the job."
___Ginger Noblett has found a similar education in hands-on church ministry.
___As interim youth minister at Calvary Baptist Church in Lubbock, she's helped paint a youth room, planned all youth activities, led Bible studies, trips, lock-ins and taken a group to youth camp--not to mention a lot of "hanging out" during the summer while youth were out of school.
___A senior religion/religious education major, Noblett is firm on her calling.
___She's felt led since age 16 to be in Christian ministry. But her leanings are toward Christian filmmaking, and she intends to pursue graduate work toward that career goal. The youth ministry stint, she said, was an opportunity from God to make an impact while at Wayland.
___"I wanted a ministry job for the summer, but figured fat chance. I prayed for two weeks straight about it and then got a call from Calvary about a summer job as a youth intern," she said. "I knew it was God giving that to me, so I accepted."
___Since then, she's stayed busy. The youth group has grown to about 40 regular members, and she calls the job "an unforgettable experience, a huge blessing."
___The same is true for Jason Mayfield, a senior from Wichita Falls, who has served as minister of music for First Baptist Church in Halfway the past year. The experience has added to his education as a music education major, he said.
___"There's a lot of stuff you learn in a church that they don't teach you--some things you just have to experience," Mayfield said. "It gives you more of an education because you're applying what you're learning."
___Though Mayfield isn't quite sure whether he'll end up in music ministry or teaching music, he said he knew the opportunity was from God and had a purpose. A former member of Rejoice, Mayfield said a trip to First Baptist Church in Hurst opened his eyes to God's leadership.
___"Our group leader asked me if I would lead the service, and I did," he recalled. "In between the church's two services, I felt God saying that I needed to be in a church doing this."
___

Get printer-friendly version of this story


Send this story to a friend

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!