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While other people see Jimmy McCarty as a devout Christian and a natural leader, he thinks they might be surprised to know how often his faith is tested. After living and working in India, Uganda and Kenya, as well as volunteering for projects in urban neighborhoods, McCarty says he’s left with questions he can’t answer. “Holding dying orphans in my arms and seeing poverty up-close has led me to struggle with the question, ‘If God is so good, why is there so much pain and suffering? Is my faith placed in the right thing?’ Yet McCarty has found these questions actually deepen his faith—and he says he’s found a place working with those who struggle the most. “I’m drawn to the poor in our society, those we try to avoid when we walk down the street…those who are ignored and those who no one wants to serve.” Growing up in his home town of Tacoma, McCarty was always active in church, particularly in youth ministry and church camp. “People constantly mentioned ministry as the right path for me,” he remembers. McCarty’s initial answer was “no, that’s not for me.” “I grew up in a lower middle-class family. I was wary of ministry in part because of that. I don’t think that’s unusual—I find a lot of people look down on ministry as a poor choice for those who could ‘do more,’ who could make more money and live what we are told is the ‘American dream’.” After high school, McCarty went to work in construction for a couple of years, until he realized that “I was just getting a paycheck. I was not fulfilled...and I knew I had to go back and pursue ministry. I talked to a youth minister I’d worked with at church camp, and he encouraged my decision.” McCarty says his undergraduate religion studies at Pepperdine University changed his understanding of church, Christianity and ministry. “My ultimate goal is to be more like Jesus—to get beyond concerns about myself…to live and serve with concern for others. I hope to do that in ministry, teaching, writing, and in my marriage.” Now pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at the Claremont School of Theology, McCarty hopes to encourage other young people who find themselves drawn to pastoral ministry. “I’ve realized how important it is to encourage the call when people catch it, and to value theological education on a cultural level. Teachers and preachers used to be the most respected people in a community. It’s sad how far that image has fallen in society’s view.” McCarty’s own view was widened during his first FTE Conference, where he “loved being surrounded by people from all across the Christian spectrum. I learned there is so much more that unites us than the things we focus on as points of difference.” |
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