We’re excited to celebrate with Alex Miller, who was recently named the Assistant Director of Campus Ministries at the University of Findlay. Alex shares his story below:
My journey to Winebrenner Seminary began during my sophomore year at the University of Findlay. I was a young theatre major with hopes and dreams of being a light for Christ in the fine arts world. One morning, I woke up and found that my fire for theatre had been taken from me by the Lord. Over the next several months, I prayed in secret that God would direct my path where He willed, and I told Him that I was willing to go wherever He saw fit. Little did I know that through answered prayers and providential signs, He would direct my path to occupational ministry—something I knew very little about. However, I obeyed even though I did not know the way, and He has blessed me greatly ever since. It was later that same year that I discovered my UF program combined courses from Winebrenner, and that was where I kicked off my journey.
Along the way at Winebrenner, I have had many impactful moments and experiences. The first that comes to mind is my experience in Transformative Discipleship Practices with Professor Matt Lake. In this course, the Lord used my current experiences with discipleship and my class knowledge to broaden my thinking and creativity regarding the different ways a person can be discipled. Second, in The Ministerial Person with Dr. Kathryn Helleman, I learned and incorporated into my own life the values of healthy ministerial work and appropriate boundaries. Finally, I reflect fondly on my time in Mary Iiames’s course, Counseling the Dying and Grieving, where, for a presentation on grief, I sang songs of loss and new hope for my fellow seminarians.
Jesus has used my time at Winebrenner to grow my love for Him through His demonstration of grace, beauty, and mystery. I see Christ’s grace shining through my professors’ patience and grace toward me as a flawed learner, even when I am not the perfect student or successful at everything. I’ve seen Christ magnified higher than I could have ever imagined through the rigorous study and culminating worship of my peers. I am astounded by the vast mystery of Christ’s character and heart; my worship and love for Him could never waver when I truly remember His goodness and faithfulness.
If you are considering attending Winebrenner Seminary, I have a couple of pieces of advice for you. These are the same pieces of advice I have given to those before you and will continue to give to those after you. My first piece of advice is this: learn what works for you to learn well. For me, online schooling has been an incredible journey with many challenges, including a few moments when I didn’t think I would make it. Yet, through trial and error, I learned that I am a heavily kinesthetic learner. This meant that if I was learning something new, I needed to have my hands doing something. Some nights it was taking notes, and most nights it was building with LEGOs—but at all times, I was consistently and intentionally listening. Second, be open. You never know what you may uncover in your studies or from your fellow seminarians. Classes are half the learning, but people are the other half; be open and intentional in your relationships as well as your studies. Finally, at all times, seek the will of the Lord. There were moments when I bounced back and forth between pastoral ministry and counseling, yet God used each of those experiences to guide me wherever He willed. So, whether it’s at Winebrenner or somewhere else, seek the will of the Lord.
As the new Assistant Director of Christian Ministries for the University of Findlay, I ask only a few things regarding prayer. First, pray that the Lord, and only the Lord, be glorified in everything I say and do, both publicly and privately. May His will be done and His word be spoken. Second, pray for our students. They are the generation of tomorrow—the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers—and they need guidance and protection. Finally, pray for me. Pray that I may lead with humility, integrity, and love, and that the Holy Spirit will sanctify me and heal my wounds daily so that I can be a more devoted servant and son of the Father. My only true desire in life is to leave a legacy of love and to be a man after God’s own heart.
- Alex Miller, Master of Divinity (anticipated 2027)