Caleb Morgan is currently studying at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. One of the requirements of his Master of Divinity program is that students connect with a local church for practical ministry experience and learning through Mentored Ministry. Caleb’s NSCBC mentor is Brian Indrelie. Caleb and his wife, Hannah, have been attending NSCBC since the fall 2015. Today on the blog we introduce to you Caleb Morgan:
Where are you from? Tell us a little bit about your background.
Having been born in and spending the first 10 years of my life in Ontario, Canada, my family moved to RI about 20 years ago, when my father took on a head-pastor role at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Pawtucket, RI. After high school, I attended Lake Superior State University, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics. I then moved back to RI and started working at a mid-sized company in Reading, MA. After working 8 years in the financial services industry, the last 5 of which were at Fidelity Investments, I came to the conclusion that God might have use for me in pastoral ministry, but this calling came with the realization that I desperately needed a solid Seminary education, which brought me to look into Gordon-Conwell. I was quite happy and comfortable with my career at that point, but I saw that God was opening my heart to this other path. In March of 2015, my wife and I began to think about Seminary for the first time (out-loud), and sought prayer and counsel from family and church leaders. The response was quick and clear: the door was opened for us, if we were willing. By April, I was accepted to Gordon-Conwell and in August we made the move to South Hamilton, having raised enough financial support through the school’s Partnership Program for at least the first of my three years of study.
What is one thing God has been teaching you lately?
God has been teaching me that He is the greatest prize there is, and that the reason I find myself discontent in certain seasons is not because He’s gone away, but because I’ve left this truth behind to pursue me again. I’ve found this especially relevant as I move from the business world into vocational ministry. Doing “church” work feeds into the temptation of finding satisfaction in what I bring to the table, which is just laughable in the presence of a God who loved me before I even existed. So in essence, God has been teaching me who He is, and I’m confident that I’m just scratching the surface.
What excites you about the heart and vision of NSCBC?
This is a question I really appreciate, and one close to my heart. First and foremost, NSCBC has a vision. It is terribly easy for churches to merely settle on having reasons for existing (what/who we are) and never move beyond that comfortable identity, but it is wholly different for a church to envision what could be and what should be (what/who we’re here for). Being on mission isn’t accidental, it requires intention and compassion, and flows out of a thoughtful and prayerful vision. NSCBC has a clear vision, and I love it not because it’s their own, but because they’ve hijacked it from Christ, the head of the church. The vision at NSCBC, as I understand it, is for every single person in our church to grow personally and communally in their love and knowledge of our Triune God, and then take that love and pour it out into every single person we interact with, first to those of the North Shore community and then beyond. That is simply an impossible task if God is not at the center of it. It is a vision that forces each of us to answer the question, just how big is your God? That’s a vision I can get behind; one that will utterly fail apart from God.
How can the church family at NSCBC support and encourage you?
Every seminarian needs direction, and I am no different there. Entering seminary feels a bit like an athlete entering a sports draft, you just have no idea which team is going to pick you up. Secondly, many of our original financial supporters (through the Partnership Program) were one-time donors, so your prayers or answers to those prayers for new donors for the next two years would be a huge blessing.