Joshua McConnell graduated from The Master's University in May, and he now plans to attend The Master’s Seminary this fall.

In high school, when friends told Joshua McConnell (’23), “Hey, you seem to get really excited about the Bible. Why don’t you pursue that?” he brushed them off with a quick, “No, no, no.”

McConnell had spent his life in England, where his parents have been faithful missionaries for over 20 years. He says he was tired of the sacrifices that went along with being a missionary kid. And when it came time for college, he wanted to come to America to pursue a 9-to-5 career. “I just wanted to live the middle-class American dream,” he says.

That all changed shortly before McConnell arrived at The Master’s University. And in his time at TMU, he says his love for Christ and His Word continued to grow. In May, he graduated with a degree in theology, and he now plans to attend The Master’s Seminary this fall.

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In McConnell’s last semester of high school, a phone call threw a bucket of cold water on his perspective. His best friend, then a freshman at TMU, told McConnell, “Hey, I’ve been praying about it and I’m seriously considering double-majoring in both Bible and business and seeing if God will have me go into ministry.”

McConnell knew his friend had been an entrepreneurial business whiz ever since they were kids. He was struck that he would be willing to consider ministry. “That openness to see what God would want for him really convicted me,” he says.

McConnell realized his desire for the comfort of a 9-to-5 career had become idolatrous. “I was holding on to my desires with a closed hand rather than an open hand,” he says. Shortly before entering TMU, McConnell changed his major to biblical studies with an emphasis in theology.

McConnell describes his development at TMU as one of maturing from a kid to a young adult. Transitioning from English to American culture, he arrived in the States feeling somewhat isolated. But he says the strong friendships he developed at TMU and his involvement in a local church helped him develop both socially and spiritually.

He also credits TMU’s Bible program with giving him a new joy for studying Scripture.

“So many professors here have impacted me in so many ways,” McConnell says, highlighting the methodical way that Dr. Todd Bolen works through Scripture, the love for biblical languages he gained from Prof. Jared Kingsley, and the opportunity to study hermeneutics under Dr. Abner Chou.

McConnell says he especially appreciates one reminder he received from Dr. Jason Beals.

According to McConnell, Beals bluntly told his End Times class that they didn’t know the Bible well enough. “Probably the most profound thing that any of my professors said. I took it as a personal challenge to myself to study the Bible more,” McConnell says.

McConnell’s heart is now fully oriented toward ministry. He intends to pursue a children’s ministry internship at Grace Community Church before beginning his studies at The Master’s Seminary in the fall. His long-term desire is to return to England and become a missionary and assistant pastor, using his training to teach Bible and survey classes. “Understanding the full canon of Scripture is essential for everyone,” he says.

McConnell says he would encourage other students not to miss out on learning from TMU’s Bible professors — even beyond the general education Bible courses that everyone takes.

“If you have any extra credit classes or electives you’re able to take, I highly recommend you study the Bible,” he says. “There’s no other place on Earth where you’re going to have undergraduate teachers who understand the Bible this well, who are going to communicate it with as much clarity and honesty, as at The Master’s University.”

Learn more about how TMU’s biblical studies program is preparing students for lives of faithful service to Christ, here.

Josephine Lee is a senior double-majoring in communication and interdisciplinary studies.