I was in my 20th year of a sales and marketing career in the sporting goods industry when I started in Western Seminary’s MA in Ministry and Leadership program. It was the murder of an 18-year-old sex trafficking victim in Oakland, CA, that compelled me to apply to Western in the hopes of somehow ministering to these young captives in our midst. Shortly after enrolling, I accepted a church mobilizer and fundraiser position in a non-profit organization serving survivors of human traffi cking.
I was passionate about justice issues being part of pulpit leadership and discipleship within the church, but I had not yet grasped how integral serving the vulnerable and victimized “as a way of life” (Eph. 2:10) is to the gospel that we proclaim.
Western’s emphasis on sound doctrine and a thorough understanding of the Bible, along with wholehearted application and practice, challenged me to know the ways of God and carry out Christ’s example. I learned that the gospel invitation to abide in Christ now, and dwell with Him forever, lacks credibility if not delivered by messengers fulfilling the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) they claim to believe.
After graduation, some friends and I launched a Christian non-profit called Seek and Save to bring the gospel of Jesus to the young (foster and juvenile hall youth, trafficking and domestic violence victims, hungry and homeless kids) in under-served urban communities. We seek them as hidden treasures and minister to them with tangible demonstrations of love in authentic relationship.
In both word and deed, we strive to show weak and wounded Oakland-area young the good news: there are no second-class children in the Kingdom of God.
Explore your options in transformative training at Western Seminary:
Western Seminary is an accredited graduate school founded in 1927. It offers trustworthy and accessible training for gospel-centered transformation at both the graduate credit and personal enrichment levels for those currently serving, or aspiring to serve, in key ministry leadership roles. The Western system consists of four campuses (Portland, OR; San Jose and Sacramento, CA; and Online) and a teaching site (Seattle, WA) that together serve approximately 950 credit students annually.
