Life in seminary: Scott Gamble

For the January/February issue of The Canadian Lutheran, we’ve been discussing how God calls men to be pastors to serve in the Church. To that end, we asked four current seminarians for their take on life in seminary. Before reading the interview below, you might want to see the introduction here.

Scott Gamble

School: Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton)
Studies: Second year, plus one year part-time
Status: Married with two children
Interests: Skiing on fresh snow, cooking gourmet meals, taking in concerts at hole-in-the-wall venues
Favourite movie: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Claim to fame: Justin Trudeau is his Doppelganger

CL: How did you end up at seminary studying to be a pastor?
SG:As I was finishing high school and people were constantly peppering me with “So, what are your plans?” questions, I took some time imagine my life in 10-15 years. Besides driving the Batmobile, the only thing I could imagine myself doing was serving people in the Church. With that in mind, I have since operated with the ‘if God doesn’t close any doors, I’ll keep moving forward’ policy.

CL: What are the challenges of seminary life? The rewards?
SG: The challenges are often the same as the rewards: it’s incredible to devote four years of life to growing in God’s Word and Christ’s work, but it’s also exhausting and stressful. Same thing for personal formation: I never imagined I would be ‘fit for ministry,’ but God takes this lump of clay and shapes the vessel he needs— and pottery needs to be fired in an oven.

CL: Who encouraged you to become a pastor?
SG:When I decided to pursue seminary, I thought it would be a bit of a surprise to people, but I generally got more of a “of course you’re going to be a pastor!” response. Since then God has regularly placed friends, family, teachers, and pastors that affirmed that choice and encouraged me to continue on—especially my parents, Alvina Wolf in my home congregation, and Rev. Russ Howard.

I never imagined I would be ‘fit for ministry,’ but God takes this lump of clay and shapes the vessel he needs.

CL: Why should our readers consider going to seminary?
SG:If you could see the motley crew studying at seminary, you would be struck by how God provides the Church with a staggering diversity of men who will fit exactly where they’re needed. If you’re considering ministry, your gifts are exactly what some part of the Church needs. Don’t obsess over what you don’t have; thank God for what you do, and ask where you can use those gifts.

——————–

This is one of four interviews with current seminary students which appeared in the January/February issue of The Canadian Lutheran. Be sure to read the others here.

If you’re considering pastoral ministry, contact one of Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries: Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) or Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton). They can help you discern whether seminary is right for you.

Print this article