Denver Seminary

F DETOUR TO SEMINARY: THE DARK BEFORE THE DAWN After years of ministry, Dan sought counsel during his darkest moment and found himself reconsidering seminary. DAN STEINER IS PURSUING A MASTER OF DIVINITY DEGREE AT DENVER SEMINARY. HE SERVES AT WATERSTONE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN LITTLETON, COLORADO AND IS A WORK STUDY STUDENT IN THE ACADEMIC SERVICES AND TRAINING AND MENTORING DEPARTMENTS AT DENVER SEMINARY. HE IS MARRIED TO ANNA AND HAS THREE CHILDREN. HOLY INTERRUPTION From as early as high school, I felt called to be a youth pastor. The path seemed straightforward. I pursued an undergraduate degree in youth ministry and planned to attend Denver Seminary after graduation. During college, however, I found a home in my local church and interned with the youth group. Graduation came and went, and about five months later I was hired onto their staff. For more than eight years, I ran the student ministry. I learned a lot in my time on staff and had many good experiences. But, as is common in ministry, I faced some difficult things along the way. Only through hindsight did I realize the impact of those events. Eventually, I resigned from my position. My family and I stayed on at the church for a while after I resigned, primarily because we thought we had to. Yet after a few months, it became obvious that we couldn't remain any longer. Our transition out of the church proved even more painful than my resignation. At my darkest moment, I reached out for wise counsel from my childhood pastor. He works with churches and pastors in the midst of unhealthy and dysfunctional situations, and his knowledge of the subject is both professional and personal. He too experienced a painful season of ministry. For the first time, I was able to share with someone who truly understood what I was going through. Together we navigated my pain and confusion. Though I felt like my whole ministry life had been derailed and interrupted, he suggested that I finish what I set out to do almost a decade prior: go to seminary. My wife and I prayed about it, and the more we considered seminary, the more I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. Denver Seminary was part of my original plan, so I scheduled a campus visit to see if it would still be a good fit. Everything about the trip confirmed that I was headed in the right direction. I hoped that seminary would be a season to heal from what we had just gone through and to recalibrate my thinking about ministry, theology, what it means to be a pastor, and the role of Scripture in everyday life. Having completed my first year of studies, I couldn't be more thankful for where I am and how God is equipping me for kingdom work. I could easily view those first years of ministry as a wrong turn, but I prefer to see them as a detour. Though a little unconventional, my journey to Denver Seminary turned out to be one of the greatest blessings I never expected. 6 FALL 2014 Ryan McVay/Digital Vision

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