ABC Student Stories – Josh H
Josh, a 3rd-year Bachelor of Theology student, talks about how he came to be a student at ABC and how his time here has changed his understanding of himself, God, and the relationship between faith and learning.
How did you hear about ABC and what made you decide to study here?
My aunt used to come to ABC to lead worship in Chapel. One time, she invited Christina and I to come and help. We did and that was how I got introduced to ABC, I met Cory and Stan. This was just after I graduated high school. Later, Christina and I were invited by Cory to lead worship for a PACE Chapel. My mom came too and she always had a good vibe about ABC. She would bring it up and suggest that I go to ABC. I had planned to go to SAIT but it turned out that program wasn’t really what I wanted. I had a tour with Shannon and met David Ford and I started in Winter 2020.
What degree program are you in and why?
I’m in the Bachelor of Theology program, technically in my 4th year, and the reason I chose it is because… I could have chosen a shorter program to get my feet wet but I wanted to commit to a place and get more of a degree. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do with it. I liked the sound of it and I knew I could change it later.
What’s something you’ve learned about yourself?
I’ve learned that I actually have a gift for academics. In grade school and high school I did fine but it was never really things I was super into. As soon as we put bible and theology in the picture, that’s when I light up. Something clicked for me here and I’ve been inspired to become a lifelong learner here. I’ve been inspired to continue in academics and be a scholar.
How has your understanding of God and your faith changed?
A lot of things have changed but one thing is that this place has taught me that it’s ok to think. In other Christian circles it can be anti-intellectualist. God has given us brains and wants us to use them. I think that ABC has helped heal my view of God because before, at the previous school i went to, there was the idea that God was angry and vindictive. My parents, my good friends and ABC have come along and shown me who God really is, the God of the Scriptures who loves all of us. I can trust Him, I don’t have to fear him. “Perfect love casts out fear.”
What’s been the most valuable part?
The community. I came here to figure out what I wanted to do and get a degree and learn a bit more about the Bible but the most valuable part by far is the community. I’ve gotten close to my peers, the professors, and I try to attend every event to hang out and have good fellowship with everyone. That’s the gift of this place that keeps on giving; how wonderful everyone is. That’s how I want to give back to this place that has impacted me so much in my walk with Christ.
It’s more comfortable to speak up and disagree because we have community already. So if we speak up about something, even if they disagree they’ll respect you because its a safe space. The professors here have taught me how to think not what to think which is so important.
What challenges have you faced during your studies?
The biggest challenge occasionally for me, depending on the time of year, is juggling everything and making a good work-life balance. The last few years I’ve put too much on my plate and ended up cramming things at the end of the semester just to get things done on time and done well. The way ABC has helped me is that the staff are very available and talk through things. They were once students as well. David Ford has really helped me knowing when I should drop something or push through. I was going to drop one of my courses this semester and David convinced me not to and to build endurance. I trusted his wisdom and right now I’m doing fine.
What advice would you give to a new bible college student?
Go to every community event and talk to as many people as you possibly can. Every single person in this place cares about you and is interested in your well-being, your education and what you have to offer. Being part of the community, you get an idea of how much people care. Some of the fun events are just really fun! Being able to lean on people because people here are trustworthy. Get plugged in 100%.
What do you plan to do after you graduate?
After ABC, my hope is that after I graduate in 2025 and then right after I’ll start my Master’s. Regent, Wycliffe, Asbury, etc. I’ve looked at but what I want to do is get my Master’s and come back here and teach. That’s my dream and eventually get my PhD. ABC has really helped me balance everything between academics, my personal life, and my faith walk. Academically, how to write a good paper, intellectual honesty, and languages have been really important. This will continue to be the place where it all started. I’m particularly interested in NT scripture; Greek is something I’ve particularly been good at and I can specialize and hopefully teach some courses on that in the future.