Reaching the Nations While Still in Seminary

“Was Jesus a Christian and a Jew? How does that work?”
“Are we all Adam and Eve’s children? How do we all look different?”
“How is Jesus God and also the Son of God?”

These are all questions that I have had the joy of discussing this fall with young girls from across different regions of Africa who are living right here in Raleigh, NC. Sitting on the floor, crisscross, with an Easy-to-Read Version Bible in my lap, amidst lots of loud laughter, we talked about the life and ministry of Jesus. This is how I spent my Friday afternoons this fall semester, and I am amazed at God’s kindness in allowing me to do it.

I had served in youth ministry before, led Bible studies in my local church, and walked through Scripture with women I was discipling, but I had never engaged in frequent cross-cultural ministry before—and it changed me.

As a cross-cultural counseling major at Southeastern, conversations about contextualization were frequent, but they were all hypothetical. Now, for the first time, they weren’t.

Everything I had learned in seminary started naturally flowing out of me as I sought to respond to questions and issues we saw in the biblical text.

In Old Testament class with Dr. McKenzie, I learned about God’s plan to reconcile the nations to Himself, evident throughout the prophets’ writings. In Contextualization class with Dr. Hildreth, I remember discussing how God’s plan for creation was always diversity. The diversity of language that resulted from the Tower of Babel wasn’t a deviation from God’s design, but a means by which He used humanity’s sin for His glory. These theological implications grew legs and walked as I saw them come alive in my conversations with these girls.

Sitting there with young women whose primary language isn’t English, seeking to communicate the gospel to them in a way that was comprehensible and real, I was more grateful than ever for the training I have received at Southeastern.

While walking through the life and ministry of Christ, we covered Jesus’s teaching in Luke 6:27–36, where He instructs His followers to love their enemies and bless those who persecute them. As I was preparing for that week’s study, I remember thinking to myself, “Oh, love your enemies—okay, this one will be easy.”

We always have the girls take turns reading the passage aloud, and as the words “love your enemies” were read, the entire room erupted in shouts of disbelief and disagreement. A chorus of “no way” and “absolutely not” rose from these girls in response to the provocative teaching of Jesus. This was the man who had just flipped tables in the temple—how could He now tell us to “turn the other cheek” as well?

For me, an American girl who has suffered hardly any persecution, the idea of loving my enemy isn’t that radical. But for most of these girls, given the situations they fled when coming to America as refugees, this idea is almost inconceivable. While the discussion was difficult—and we clarified that Christ is by no means condoning abuse here—that day’s discussion stands out as one of my favorites. The girls were engaged, they cared, and they wanted to understand Christ rightly.

This is the challenge and joy of cross-cultural ministry. Passages that feel incredibly familiar to you are seen anew from a completely different perspective as you witness someone’s lived experiences affect how they approach the text, showing just how much one’s cultural background influences how God’s Word impacts them.

As we moved through the narrative of Christ, we eventually made it to His crucifixion, where Jesus states, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). As we read this, the energy in the room was somber and quiet, and I explained that this is Christ living out His teaching of “loving your enemies” to its fullest extent—asking God to forgive them as they killed Him, and ultimately how He has forgiven us. Though our sin makes us enemies of God, Christ died for us.

I would not have been able to explain the gospel narrative to these girls as fully if not for my training at Southeastern. I have gained so much knowledge through my studies, been sharpened by my peers as we discussed eschatology after class, worked together on case studies, and shared the gospel on mission trips. However, none of that preparation matters if I am not putting it into practice and doing the work of sharing the gospel with those who have not heard.

Getting to meet with these young girls, share the gospel with them, and answer their questions about the Bible has made me feel that all the training I have acquired is being put to use. The affection for God that my education has grown in me is being poured out as a drink offering for others. I almost can’t believe I have been in seminary for years without this ministry avenue. If you want to learn more about the ministry of Refugee Hope Partners, you can click here.

Don’t let your time at Southeastern be marked by theological education alone but use this season to pour out all that has been poured into you. The Great Commission commands it, and your soul will be ministered to as you watch others fall in love with Christ the way you have. My encouragement to anyone reading this would be to pray and humbly ask the Lord how He desires them to fulfill the Great Commission during their time at Southeastern. Don’t let it be a waste.