LCSW to Pastor
How I moved from a career in mental health to full-time ministry
On a sunny day in 2005 in Central Indiana, I was handed a piece of paper that signified the completion of my college career. I was finishing my time at a smaller Evangelical liberal arts college with a degree in history.
A few days later, I found myself at home in New Jersey wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I had a job driving a truck but knew that wasn’t it. Then my mom suggested I try out a job in social services.
I initially rebuffed this suggestion but eventually decided to give it a try. I thought there was nothing to lose. After several months of searching, I was offered a full-time job at a homeless shelter for the princely sum of $25,000 per year. Thus began my career in mental health and social services.
The Least of These
Over the years that followed, I held a variety of positions within my chosen field. I worked in in-home case management with foster children, in community crisis de-escalation, and in other similar jobs. My work embodied caring for the least of these that we find in Matthew 25.
I found that while the work was challenging mentally and emotionally, it was deeply rewarding. Being able to help the hurting fit my personality and gifting quite well. It fit so well that in 2012 I decided to head back to school to earn a Master’s in Social Work (MSW).
Upon graduation, I began working toward becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), which would allow me to work independently as a therapist. It was a goal I had set long ago and was excited to achieve.
The year 2016 arrived and with it came my LCSW. I remember seeing it for the first time and feeling a significant sense of accomplishment. Goal achieved. But I was then faced with the question of “what next?”
Let’s Back Up
Before we get to what comes next, let’s look at what came before. I briefly mentioned attending a Christian college. I also attended Christian schools from kindergarten through high school.
I attended a small, rural United Methodist church every week with my mom and dad. I was involved in various ministries growing up and moved into some leadership roles as I got older.
I came to know Christ as a child in Sunday School. Over the years, I knew that I loved Jesus but didn’t place much focus on that relationship until my adolescence. That was when I began to understand what a relationship with Christ was.
My college and young adult years were less grounded in my faith. Until I met the woman who became my wife. She is the one who God used to draw me back into my faith.
I write all of that to communicate that even though I wasn’t particularly active in my faith when I was younger, the foundation it gave me for my moral thought was intricately intertwined with my newfound career in social services.
I saw my work as a calling, not as a job. And that was because of the faith foundation I was given and to which I returned.
What Next?
By the time I earned my LCSW, I was married, and we had twin sons. I left the job that had allowed me to earn the license for a new one working within a public school system. But I was left with a nagging sense that there was more to work than what I was experiencing.
I was discussing this with my wife one evening and she offered some of the most insightful advice I’ve ever received from anyone. She told me the three most important pieces of my life were family, faith, & work. If I wanted to be fulfilled, I should try to combine my faith and my work.
In retrospect, this seems incredibly self-evident but I was gobsmacked when she said it. I began researching integrating faith and counseling. I completed some education around that and became board certified.
Around this time, I initiated a conversation with the Senior Pastor at our church. I was on the Elder Board and knew we were looking to hire someone full-time. I also knew I didn’t have the skill set we were looking for.
I met with our Senior Pastor and told him I was interested in working for the church but knew I didn’t fit the current skill set. Over the next 6 months or so, we continued discussing the idea.
This resulted in me taking a full-time position at the church and opening a small private practice with my wife for additional income. In the Spring of 2018, I looked around and realized I had successfully combined my work and faith. And it was incredible!
The Journey Continues
Several years have passed since I began my position on the pastoral staff at our church. My responsibilities have evolved and so has the staff I oversee. My private counseling practice has grown.
I have found that as I seek to pursue the path I feel God calling me to that my life is filled with blessings. That doesn’t mean it isn’t hard.
Life continues to present a host of challenges. My father died unexpectedly last year. I have five children who present a consistent stream of challenges. I continue to spend most of my professional time interacting with people who are suffering. All of this is challenging.
But. In the midst of the challenge of life, I have found a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in pursuing the calling of God in my life. He is the rock on which my life stands and will stand for eternity.
