I’ve known for a long time that God was calling me to ministry. But I was unsure of the kind of ministry God wanted me to be part of until I came to seminary. At first, I thought God was calling me to ministry with the poor and that my role should be limited to offering some sort of assistance whenever it is needed.
But when I was serving as a missionary, I realized that God was using the people around me to point me toward my calling, which I now believe is to be a pastor.
I am from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am the sixth child in a family of eight. My parents are devout Christians and they were the first ones to show me the way of Christianity. They instilled in us their children many values and principles that were hinged on the Christian faith.
For college, I traveled to Zimbabwe to study Agriculture and Natural Resources at Africa University. I got my degree four years later with a major in Agribusiness. I got married five years ago to Muka Kambol who I met at Africa University. We have two beautiful daughters.
It’s hard for me to just pick a favorite class, because I’ve enjoyed most of the classes I’ve taken so far. But, if I am to choose one, “Teaching Jesus”, taught by Dr. Crutchfield would be my favorite. In that class, I learned a lot about the Historical Jesus, and the discussions we had in class were very thought-provoking.
There is a great deal of information that was very surprising to me in most of my classes. But the most surprising thing is that I have learned to be comfortable in conversation with people who hold different beliefs, which until I started seminary made me uncomfortable to even talk about. I have been surprised to see myself taking time to listen to people I disagree with.
In my time at MTS, I have attended the events and luncheons organized by the Methodist House of Studies, and I have gained some significant insights with regards to ministry in various settings.
I have enjoyed every step of my walk here at MTS. I am grateful to my professors for their dedication to Scholarship, Piety, and Justice. I came at MTS as a lay person but I will graduate as a pastor who has been equipped with leadership and ministry skills, and nurtured by theological insights, to go and make a difference in the church and the world at large. For this, I love MTS.
–Jacques Kambol,
M.Div Student