Paula’s Story
July 2026
If you had told me when I got married that I would be a pastor's wife and then a pastor, I would have accused you of smoking something funky. I grew up in the church and loved Jesus, but never thought I would serve God in those capacities.
My husband, Tom, was an engineer by profession but felt a call to enter the ministry. After being married for seven years, we moved our family of five 400 miles away so he could attend seminary. We were there for three years, then moved 1,800 miles for his one-year internship. A year later, the family moved again, this time 500 miles to his first church assignment.
I served alongside Tom as a pastor's wife, helping with Sunday school, singing in the choir, and leading women's Bible studies. Several years later, he began to pastor a congregation in central Wisconsin. Since we were close, we started attending the Holy Spirit Conference in the Twin Cities. There we heard about The Master's Institute. That sounded like what a seminary should be. I remember thinking, "I'd even attend seminary if it was like that."
Several years later, Tom retired from the association he had served with to join LCMC as a church planter. We were attending a discipleship conference where I was encouraged to attend MI to be a pastor. I had no idea that MI had a distance program, and there was no way that I was ready to move around the country again. But as I investigated the possibility, the distance program looked good.
My undergraduate degree is in Science, and I had worked in clinical labs for 35 years. I hadn't been in a classroom for years, and I wasn't sure my brain would handle the workload. I was extremely nervous as I walked into my first class at MI. There I found encouragement and instructors who willingly answered questions. They were serious about investing in me so I could go and help build God's Kingdom.
The instructors are very knowledgeable in their fields, and most are still serving in the church as pastors. This was very different from academics who only knew classrooms and not the real world. I feel the training I received at MI equipped me theologically, practically, and personally to serve well in ministry.
But the most valuable thing about my time in MI was the relationships I developed. These relationships continue today. I know if I am in a tight spot, I have friends I can call. If they don't know the answer, they might know someone else who does. It's like having a second family. Even if we don't get a chance to connect often, when we do, it is refreshing.
I've had the privilege of serving in three churches. First in the church plant, then in a small country church in east central Illinois while Tom pastored the church in town. Now we pastor together in Orion, IL. Tom and I not only pastor in a congregation but also online. We have a daily blog, weekly podcast, and small group videos that are available free of charge at: https://lightofchristradio.com/
None of this could have happened without my training at MI. I feel very blessed that I have been able to serve in God's Kingdom. I look forward to watching future MI grads do great things.