Student SpotlStudent Spotlight:ight: An nterview with Jay B owny Bror wn An Interview with J I
• Tell us about yourself. I grew up in a Christian home in Southern Ohio where my father was an Independent Baptist pastor. I made a profession of faith at six years old and was baptized shortly after that. When I was a teenager, God was be- ginning to call me to ministry through the Spanish language and a love for Latin people and culture. I was able to go to Puerto Rico and Mexico while also immersing myself in lo- cal Spanish-speaking communities. Then, between my junior and senior year of college, I did a two-month in- ternship in Guatemala where I sensed was calling me to do. I went on to meet and marry my wife Hannah son, moved to Panama in 2015 where we served as missionaries. I pastored two small congregations, as we took over the ministry for a retiring cou- ple. While in Panama, we began to embrace Reformed theology. This led to a loss in support and a return to the United States in 2017. Just two years later, I began my Master of Divinity studies with Erskine.
• Why did you choose Erskine Seminary, and why do you recommend it to others?
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local seminary where I could continue working full-time to support my family, while also taking classes in the evenings and on weekends. Other seminary op- tions which I considered would have required me to take time off from work to working student’s schedule. One common course requirement at Erskine is the Applied Ministry Evalua- tion Report where students present a course topic in a lesson, sermon, or some other form of instruction. This has proved to be an extremely helpful exercise for me and my fellow students. Not only is this an opportunity to share a research project in a ministry context but it is also a chance to be evaluated and provided with valuable feedback from an elder or some other church leader. Also, I of- - load does indeed stretch you, but it doesn’t feel insurmountable. I believe that Erskine prepares students to be lifelong learners and equips us with the tools needed to begin this continuous journey of growth and development.
• Where do you believe God is calling you to serve in the future? I believe that God has called me to pastoral ministry. I also believe that one may have fruitful pastoral ministry in the local church, on a college campus, as a chaplain, as a missionary, or in a host of other settings. During my time at - - periences, I believe, have broadened my horizons and fueled my excitement to serve Christ’s church in pastoral ministry wherever He may lead us. The God’s leading. Currently, one of the primary options I have been pursuing is college
outreach ministry. I would also welcome the opportunity to be involved in discipleship and training among Spanish-speaking church leaders. And, in the long-term future, I would love to return to my home region of Southern Ohio and plant a Presbyterian church. Appalachia as a whole needs solid, gos- pel-preaching churches. I pray that God, in His kindness, may open a door for this someday.
Jay Brown is a Master of Divinity student at Erskine Seminary. He and his wife, Hannah, live with their three children in Greenville, S.C. They are members of Downtown Presbyterian Church where Jay recently completed a pastoral internship.
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