You may not know that we have a long-standing practice (and blessing!) of getting young men through seminary and then ordained for ministry.

Starting back in the late 90s, we got to start an amazing trend of sending a ministry candidate to graduate school (called seminary, not to be confused with a cemetery). Elliot Grudem was the first candidate that we commissioned, who eventually went on to be ordained and become a church planter. Elliot is still in ministry in Raleigh, NC, and helps to now train young pastors and church planters.

At Trinity, we’re now at the point of having sent over 20 ministry candidates to seminary — so much so that once I joked (only a little) with the president of Reformed Theological Seminary, “If Publix offers BOGO discounts, does a 10th guy get a free tuition discount?”

One of those ministry candidates is David Springer, our Director for Campus Outreach, Trinity’s college ministry. David actually started his first class in 2013. But from the time he arrived here back in 2018, we heartily supported his ability to take as many classes as he could manage while working full-time.

Now, he has finally completed his Masters degree, and he is set to complete the very same process that Tony Myers just completed two weeks ago — that of being called here at Trinity as an Associate Pastor. David’s job won’t change hardly at all, except that he would become part of our board of elders, and he would be able to conduct the sacraments, both baptisms and serving the Lord’s Supper. He will still lead our burgeoning campus ministries, but now as an ordained pastor.

That leads us back to the process. In case you missed our communications back in July and August regarding Tony Myers, David now has to be called. Our elders have officially voted their approval, but that is only part of the process. Next, we need to have another congregational meeting to secure your approval as members of Trinity. And only once that is secured can David go before our presbytery to be examined for ordination. Our elders have called a congregational meeting for Sunday, October 27th, for the purpose of calling David Springer as an Associate Pastor.

David has been profoundly helpful in all of his work. He has integrity, and his family is healthy. He’s an effective leader, evangelist, and trainer. David is a skilled communicator, and he’s simply been a great friend.

Please be praying for David, that he will only grow in his trust in and love for Jesus, and the ministry to which he has been called. Please do what you can, if you are a member, to attend this congregational meeting and cast your vote. Please pray for David’s composure and recall as he eventually goes through the examination process at Presbytery. And please pray that our Lord will continue to raise up ministry candidates for the growing need both in our city, state, and beyond. It would be great to look back someday at an extended string of ministry candidates, of which David was “one of the early ones.”