Mr. Givens Goes to Seminary

Dear friends,

I know it’s been a while since we’ve shared a ministry update. So I want to fill you in on a bit of what’s been going on, so that you can pray for us and our ministry in Calais.

I’ve been interested in theology for a long time.

Anyone who’s been reading my posts for a while now knows that I grew up with a harsh, controlling theology that practiced shame and guilt. It definitely took its toll on me.

But over the years I’ve been learning how to separate some of the bad teachings from my youth and trying to retain and carry forth the beautiful things I’ve inherited.

Some of the things I inherited are a community-centered way of life, a commitment to what they believe Jesus taught (even if I often disagree with their interpretations), and a sense of congregational independence, where every member has a say in church governance.

That’s part of why I’ve come to identify as Anabaptist, Mennonite more specifically.

These are a people who have known persecution. They have known violence. They have migrated numerous times throughout their history.

But they have maintained their focus on community and on trying their best to live out the teachings of Jesus in real, meaningful ways.

They are by no means perfect, and I’ll be the first to criticize some of the things I’ve discovered about them since I’ve joined. However, they have a very real commitment to peace and justice, to the Kingdom of God, that they’re trying to figure out in a very real way.

So what does all this have to do with me now?

As I said, I’ve had an interest in theology for many years. And now I feel that I have the space in my life to pursue it further, more intentionally.

And so I am going to be attending seminary.

I want to build the theological and leadership skills that will inform my work. I want to be better equipped to serve the migrant population in Calais and in France. I want to be able to better serve alongside the French Mennonite Church in following our shared calling to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Whether this will ever result in a Mennonite congregation in Calais I don’t know.

But what I do know is that I want to be equipped to provide pastoral care to all who need it, to reach out in love and faith to those on the margins, and to proclaim the Good News that Jesus has set us free to love God and to love our neighbor.

So pray for me as I follow God’s direction in my life. I need your prayers and your love more than ever.

And pray that God’s Kingdom will be evident through me and through my family in the beautiful, broken place known as Calais, France.

God bless you all, my friends.

There will be more updates soon, but for now. I pray that God will light your path.