From Engineering to Pastoral Leadership: The Impact of Theological Study
25 at 25 | Everton McLennon (CMU '15)
Everton McLennon (CMU ’15) earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies while balancing full-time work as a civil engineer and his role as a pastor. Today, he leads Miracle of Life Apostolic Fellowship in Winnipeg, where he continues to draw on the theological grounding he gained at CMU.
When Everton McLennon stepped onto CMU's campus for the first time, he was not like the majority of students. He was in his 40s, with a full-time career and an engineering degree under his belt. But he had also been called to pastor his congregation, and he took that call seriously.
"I wanted to educate myself to better serve the congregation and gain a deeper understanding of theology," McLennon says. "Reading the Bible, I felt, did not provide me with full background and prepare me properly for the role of pastoral ministry, and CMU did that for me."
McLennon graduated in 2015 with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. He says his CMU education instilled confidence in him for pastoral ministry. It enriched his understanding of theology and God and continues to help him as he engages with questions from his congregation. "It has been my greatest experience," he says.
"When I think back on my time at CMU, I think of the biblical education that I received—it was and is very rewarding for me." He especially appreciated a course reckoning with the question, "Who is Jesus?" and his classes studying books of the Old Testament.
McLennon pastors Miracle of Life Apostolic Fellowship, a small Pentecostal church in Winnipeg. "The church congregation that I pastor is a recipient of that education as well," he says. "It's almost like I was a receptacle of what CMU poured into me, and in turn I've opened the tap and poured out to others."
Part of the reason his CMU education has had such a lasting impact on his life is because of the professors. "They were more than a teacher; they were individuals who care and participate in my growth," he says. "I've been to other educational institutions over the years, but my CMU experience really stands out... the professors and staff that are assembled together are extraordinary people."
Although these were excellent years for McLennon, they weren't easy ones. Not only was he studying, but he was also pastoring and continuing to work full-time as a civil engineer at Manitoba Hydro. Mornings at the office were challenging after late nights of essay writing with minimal sleep, but he enjoyed it because he was learning and growing. "It was the passion and the love for what I was doing that kept me going, that drives me," he said.
"[CMU] is important today because we need individuals to champion the cause of making this world a better place... I feel that CMU is the institution that does prepare minds and equip individuals to do just that. In a time like what we're living in, CMU definitely is relevant. May the torch continue to be lit."