3 minute read
A Different Calling: Finding Ministry through Storytelling
By Dr. Kimberly Eades
Camden Goff grew up in Bentonville, Arkansas. Although his parents were never able to attend college, they worked hard to make sure that their children could have the opportunity. Because of their encouragement and support, today Camden is a senior Pastoral Ministry and Commercial Music Productions major who will graduate this May and is following the passion and ministry God has called him to.
Growing up in the Bentonville Community Church, Camden heard a lot about Southern Nazarene University. His youth group attended Extravaganza each year, and there were several SNU graduates who attended his church. He shared, “Pastors and people in the church who attended SNU displayed the feel and mission of the school well and made it more of a reality to attend.” However, they were not the only ones to influence his choice to come to SNU. His brother, Preston, was also influential.
“Preston came to SNU after feeling a call to ministry. He also was involved in the ministry intern department and graduated with degrees in Pastoral Ministry and Spanish in 2014. Seeing the path that my brother took had a huge impact on me. It showed me that furthering my education was not only an option but a very viable one at that! Seeing how much Preston enjoyed his time with intern churches, serving as a campus leader, and finding friends to go through college with at SNU, choosing to attend here was very appealing.”
It also helped that the ministry program was one that he was familiar with, and that the professors cared about all aspects of the student’s life, both personally and academically.
“Without my professors and SNU staff, I would not have been pushed to change my major during my freshman year or join the ministerial intern program at the start of my sophomore year. The staff who have invested in me through conversations in and outside of the class made a huge impact in how I have discerned my calling and how I know it fits into the church today.”
Taking part in the ministry internship program gave him many opportunities he otherwise may not have had. In January, he began working at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene as the Digital Media Developer. This position allowed him to use his passion of storytelling to minister in a different way.
As he shared, “This role incorporates a lot of storytelling in visually creative ways. My passion is fueled by this… as I tell the story of God through the ways that He is working through communities in the local church. I get to meet with people and hear the ways that their lives have been changed because of the grace and love of God!”
Looking back at his college experience, Camden believes that much of his growth was because of the community surrounding him. He spent two years on Remedy, the worship band which travels to churches, camps and traveled to Nazarene Youth Conference this past July. He recalls, “Those two years gave me a lot of memories, experience, and friends that I take with me leaving SNU.” Sharing life with the community at SNU has left a mark on him. As he shared, “I wouldn’t have been able to grow as much as I have if it weren’t for the people who I was growing with!”
