A Life Changing Year At The Pastors College
An update from Edgar Flores, an international graduate from last years US Pastors College class…
It was a huge privilege to be at the Pastors College in the class of 2021. It has sometimes been said that one of the challenges that seminaries and other theological institutes face; is not only teaching the Word academically, but also personally and pastorally. Yet since the first day of the Pastors College, Jeff Purswell told us that one guideline of the college is based on the words of Paul to Timothy in 1 Tim. 4:16: "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers." And we soon discovered that this truth would form the basis our entire year.
The PC has 36 classes designed to equip future pastors in areas like counseling, preaching, spiritual disciplines, evangelism, church planting, Greek lessons, etc. Also, the teachers and pastors who work with the PC love the local church and share the values of Sovereign Grace. What a privilege it was to be in the classroom and see Jeff's passion in sharing the glories of the Gospel,to receive CJ's pastoral wisdom and experience, to glean from Bob’s advice for leading worship, and, of course, to benefit from Gary's pastoral care. And all of this in the context of the local church. The PC is more than just an academic experience. Being able to spend almost a year studying alongside my classmates - men who love the Lord, His Word, and the church - was indescribable: we laughed, cried, suffered, and had fun together. The PC was more than an academic experience.
There was always particular care for our families, especially for our wives. My wife Abby was very blessed by the love, care, advice, and friendship of women like Betsy and Julie, and by the beautiful and close relationship that she developed with the wives of the other students. Without a doubt, the PC is more than just a school. During the Pastors College, the Lord confirmed my call to pastoral ministry; it was there that I made friends that will last for many years, and it was there that I gained a clearer and more sober understanding of the weight and privilege of the pastoral call. To summarize, the Pastors College exists to prepare men for the work of ministry so that all the glory goes to the great Shepherd, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Finally, I want to thank my local church in Cd. Juarez, Mexico, especially Carlos Contreras and the pastoral team , for sending me to the PC. It was a great privilege to be equipped by the Pastors College, especially in light of what God is doing in the church in Mexico and Latin-America. My wife and I will join our local church, Gracia Soberana of Cd. Juarez, in the next few weeks. I will be a pastor-in-training, and I will begin a study with men who feel called to plant a church in Mexico, so it is exciting to contribute with what I learned in the Pastors College. Finally, in a few months, our first child (a daughter) will be born. We ask for your prayers for all these next steps. Thank you, our dear Sovereign Grace family.
