I was an IT professional for a goodly amount of time and did quite well. I advanced from being a computer programmer to a database programmer, then to a database analyst, then systems analyst. I finally reached the level of senior systems analyst and team leader for systems development projects.
While I was working my IT career God was steadily calling me to ministry. You may wonder what a call from God sounds like. In my case I heard it through other people. For example, I was giving a presentation at a university. After the presentation was finished one of the audience members came and asked me if I was a minister. She said something something about my manner and bearing made her think that I was. I other cases I would go into churches that I had never been and people would think that I was a minister. In one church I was even asked to give a greeting. Still in other cases I would be shopping in a grocery store and elderly people who I never met would ask me for assistance. There were other people around but they would pick me out. Finally, I often experienced people who I'd never met compelled to give me their life stories.
I tried to ignore God's call. I tried to dismiss these incidents but God is very persistent. So I enrolled in Wesley Theological Seminary and began work on a Master of Divinity degree. I graduated from Wesley and began the next phase of my professional life; that of a United Methodist pastor. My last pastorate was with a small, multicultural, congregation in Pikesville, MD.
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