Today, for our Easter to Pentecost profile, we highlight Dwain McKay, a student at Nazarene Theological College (NTC) – Manchester, currently studying online while living in Northern Ireland.
- Background: Tell us a little about your family background, and how you came to faith in Christ.
I grew up in a non-Christian family, and we never went to Church unless it was for a wedding or a funeral. When I was younger, I always wanted to be in control of my life and felt stressed and suffered much anxiety. If I’m being honest, I didn’t trust anyone and felt very alone and scared most of my teenage life and into my early adult life. I always felt that there had to be more to life, a higher power, a creator, and that this world was not made by mistake. I felt drawn to go to Church where I learned about Jesus and God’s love for me, but still I struggled for a few months after I started to attend church to fully accept and trust Jesus in my life because I still wanted to be in control. Then one night at work I knew I couldn’t live this life in my own strength anymore and asked Jesus to come into my life and change it, and have full authority over it. God took me from not trusting or liking most people to having a burden for them and a desire to serve and work alongside them, so that they might experience and feel the same love that God has shown me.
- You were well settled in Northern Ireland, with your own business. How did you come to feel God nudging you to step away from your business and study full time – and how did you respond?
I always wanted to own my own business as I had a real passion for selling and marketing. I was truly blessed to have a furniture shop for 5 years until I felt God began to change my direction, and give me a new desire and passion towards his Church and his people. He began to open doors of opportunity within the Church and to close other doors within my furniture business. However, for some time I resisted God’s call and felt God was calling the wrong person for the job, and I convinced myself that I wasn’t good enough to go to university to study and that this feeling of Gods calling would pass. I would make excuses and create new ways not to pursue God’s call in my life. For example, I said if I was going to go back into full time education to prepare myself for full time ministry, I only wanted to do my time with NTC, as I had read and heard many good reports regarding them. However, being married with 3 children and living in Northern Ireland, this just didn’t seem possible until I attended a district event, and it was announced that NTC was now starting to offer online courses in theology. In that moment I prayed to God and asked, Lord if this is something you want me to do, please help direct and show me. I had no sooner the prayer said when a lady turned to me and said, “this is something you should consider doing.” God answered prayer in that moment and provided a way for me to stay in Northern Ireland with my family and still study with NTC online. This began my journey into full time education with NTC and after much prayer and consideration I decided to close my business and focus all my attention on my studies as I continue to trust and follow God in my life.
- Your studies have been online – so not sharing a campus or classroom with others. In what ways have you felt God’s presence in this time – either on the journey towards study, the people you encountered supporting you, or the work you’ve done in your studies.
My time with NTC so far has been a very positive experience as I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing people from across the world. Being able to hear their stories and experiences they have had with God in their lives has been a real encouragement to me as well as learning together online. We begin and end most classes in a time of prayer, and I am reminded that God is not restricted to one location, but he is everywhere, whether that’s Africa, Manchester or Northern Ireland.
- Tell us where you see God leading you when your studies are done: what are you most excited by, and what are you most anxious about?
I feel God is leading me into full-time ministry in a Pastoral role when my studies are completed. However, I’m reminded that God is in control of what my future holds. Although I have never seen myself as an academic person and was anxious about how well I could do the work that was required of me, thanks to the lecturers I have learned so much in my first year at NTC and feel I have adapted well. I’m encouraged and excited to continue with my studies as my faith, knowledge and relationship with God is continuously growing thanks to my time in NTC.
For more information about Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, check out their website nazarene.ac.uk
