For the Cause of Christ: In the Church

Judson students have a heart for the local church. Some feel particularly called to exposit and preach the word. Others desire to use their gifts to lead worship, make disciples, or mobilize their congregations for missions. When Hunter Lee first came to Judson, he quickly realized that this was where God wanted him to go to be trained for pastoral ministry and to be cultivated in community.

Read more about Hunter’s story as he describes his journey to Judson College and how, during his time here, he was equipped to give his life for the cause of Christ in the church:

In the Church

In June 2016, I traveled with my mom and my girlfriend, who is now my wife, from Mobile, Alabama, to Wake Forest, North Carolina. There was a flood of emotions as we traveled to visit Judson College to determine whether or not I was going to move 12 hours away from my hometown. I will never forget, however, the feeling of driving home afterwards with absolute certainty that I was going to Judson College so that I too could fulfill the Great Commission. I could have never imagined what God was going to do in the following years, but I will forever be grateful for all that he did during my time there.

Fast forward to the present, and I now serve at First Baptist Church in Ocala, Florida, where I have the privilege of making disciples as the pastor for students. For three and a half years I have met, baptized, and taught some of the most amazing middle and high school students. For me, so much of this is full circle. I did not come to know Christ until my senior year in high school. For most of the years that I would have spent in student ministry, I spent following the course of this world. Alcohol, drugs, and partying was all I cared about. I wasted those years of my life.

However, after finding Christ my senior year, I got plugged into a local church and began to serve in the student ministry. The student pastor, Nathan, was a graduate of Southeastern and was the first person who ever discipled me and taught me the importance of discipling others. He was also the first person to call out my giftings and encourage me to pursue ministry. God grew in me a desire to disciple students so they would not give their lives to trivial things like I did, but rather they too would give their lives for the cause of Christ.

Shortly after my visit in 2016, I applied to the 5-year Timothy Scholars Program and moved to North Carolina. For the next five years God would use Judson College to equip me in a multitude of ways. First, God used Judson College and the Timothy Scholars Program to equip me in my thinking. I was surprised to see how effective my history of ideas classes were in helping me to think through modern cultural issues. They gave me a foundation to engage students who are trying to think through the tough cultural issues we face today.

Second, God used Judson College and the Timothy Scholars Program to give me examples to follow. Professors like Dr. Steven Wade and Dr. Jim Shaddix, just to name a couple, did not just give me a treasure trove of biblical wisdom — they also modeled for me what a pastor should look like. The truth is, I do not believe there is a professor at Judson College or Southeastern Seminary that is not worth imitating. They all model what they teach, and students are given the opportunity to learn from them both in and out of the classroom.

Third, God used Judson College and the Timothy Scholars Program to give me friends to lean on. From this day to the day I enter God’s presence, I will forever be grateful for the House System at Judson College. When I was put in the Fuller House, I would have never imagined the friendships that it would give me that would echo our motto of “hold the rope.” Ministry is both the greatest and hardest thing I have ever done in my life. However, at Judson College, God gave me friends that are there on the best and worst days.

Most of all, my time at Judson College and Southeastern Seminary solidified in me a conviction to go to the ends of the earth with the gospel. Now more than ever, I am grateful for the fact that every classroom is a Great Commission classroom, because every day that I serve the local church, I am reminded of God’s goodness and the fact that people all over the world need Him. God so clearly used Judson College and Southeastern Seminary to prepare me to make disciples in Florida so that they too can give their lives for the cause of Christ.

Please join us in praying for Hunter and his family, that God would be near to them and sustain them throughout their service in ministry. As Hunter continues to pour into and disciple the youth in his church, pray that many would come to see Christ as most valuable and that God would stir in their hearts a passion for his Great Commission.