Applying to Grad School

I've recently finished up my Ministerial Credentialing through Global University. It took me two long years, but the hard work and effort was well worth it. I learned so much and gained a greater appreciate for His Word. I still can remember when I called and chatted with Dr Keith Hendrie (see post on Oct 17, 2010) in late 2010, and he advised me that if I wanted to go into ministry, he would recommend some formal training. I just didn't think I would ever go to Grad school. I went with the MC first, thinking I might some day get Licensed, but little did I know God had other plans. Going to Global was an easy decision. It worked well with my schedule since it was all on-line and you could pretty much go at your own pace, so it was certainly a good fit. By the time I finished up the MC, I was wanting to continue my education. I did a search on becoming Licensed (step 2 to Ordination) thru Global, but as I searched for ministry positions in NGOs and organizations like Compassion Int'l and World Vision, I repeatedly read that they were looking for candidates with a Master's degree (or at least a Bachelor's degree from a seminary, neither of which I had). So, we started praying about it, and through some unique circumstances, the Lord led me to Moody Theological Seminary in Chicago.

I applied to Moody, which was a very lengthy process and was finally accepted! I also found out that many consider Moody the "gold standard" of Seminaries. I would also put Gordon-Conwell, Dallas Theological and Fuller Theological Seminaries in that list. I went up to Moody for a tour on Feb 28th, 2012 and Josi (my tour guide) announced that "Congratulations, I just spoke with Admissions and you were accepted!" I initially chose a M.A. in Ministry Leadership but changed to a M.A. in Intercultural Studies. I really believe that this decision would enable me to be a better minister to the continent of Africa and here in the States. Reaching out to the lost in other cultures (Unreached People Groups all 7,000+ global UPG's) is certainly first and foremost in my heart. I decided to go the "Modular" route, where I would have 7 weeks of pre-course work, go to Moody for a full week (per class) and then have 7 weeks of post-course work. I also decided to take some on-line classes as well. I was very excited to be a student again. It will be a long, difficult 4 years, but well worth the effort.

My first class at Moody with Dr Tucker

I absolutely love taking classes! I'm one of those nerdy folks that loves to read, loves to write and loves to study. I love to learn. I love to grow. If you've ever considered going to Seminary, (I'm a salesman at heart, sorry) feel free to check out Moody:

Moody Theological Seminary Website