Seizing the opportunity

If you have ever thought about what students at Regents Theological College do after their studies, here’s Alex Hunt’s story told by members of Elim’s National Leadership Team

“When I was a Minister-in-Training,” writes James Glass, “one of Elim’s great leaders used to say, ‘You don’t have problems, you have opportunities.’

“Well, for about three years there was exactly this type of ‘opportunity’ in seeking a pastor for Elim’s Motherwell church. It’s a great church with a really capable and supportive team, so finding a new pastor should have been straightforward. However, that was not the way it worked out and there didn’t seem to be any obvious solution.

“That’s when the ‘problem’ became an ‘opportunity’. On a visit to the Elim International Centre in Malvern, where our theological college and training centre is also based, I was introduced to Alex Hunt who shared his desire to pastor in Scotland. Alex was about to complete the second year of his BA (Hons) in Applied Theology at Regents Theological College with a focus on church leadership.

“With support from Principal of Regents, Michelle Nunn, and Stuart Blount (Elim’s Director of Ministry), things moved very quickly.

“We arranged an interview and were soon making plans for Alex, his wife Stacey and their two children to move to Scotland, where he became pastor at the Motherwell Elim church in September.

“The opportunity enabled a Regents student to fulfil his call and begin pastoring as he was coming to the end of his studies. It has been really encouraging to see all the parties embrace the way forward so enthusiastically, and impressive to watch Alex and Stacey step out in faith.

“I’m equally impressed to see the way Regents can so effectively train a new young leader for our movement, and how the Motherwell church seized the opportunity.

“Of course, none of this would have happened without the support of Regents who have been exceptional in the way that they have made it possible. Who knows, this might be reigniting another chapter in our continued partnership between Regents and the Elim churches in releasing students to pastoral ministry in a church-based context whilst they continue their final theological studies and training in leadership.”

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.