A Providential Path
How the MacArthur Trust Scholarship Brought Adam Wilson to The Master’s Seminary
When Adam Wilson expresses amazement at the journey that brought him from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Los Angeles and The Master’s Seminary, he isn’t using the word “journey” as a metaphor. He is actually talking about his trip across the country the first week of August 2022. That’s when Adam wrapped up a summer of ministry at a camp in Missouri and immediately began the drive to California. In Colorado, Adam’s car started rattling and he sensed he was losing control. He managed to steer the failing car through heavy traffic until he was off the highway. A few yards from the exit ramp, Adam discovered that his brake caliper had fallen off. If he had stayed in traffic a minute longer, he would have been stuck on a fast-moving highway with no brakes.
“[My father and I] took the car to a nearby dealership where a mechanic tells us we’re lucky to be alive,” Adam says. “During a recent service appointment, someone had failed to tighten the bolts on our brakes.”
Because of the delay in Colorado, Adam did not arrive in Southern California until 4 a.m. the first day of orientation at The Master’s Seminary. After a quick nap, he began to meet his new classmates, professors, and staff. Despite the physical exhaustion, Adam was energized.
“I knew right away that this was the place I was supposed to be,” Adam says. “I immediately met some awesome people and was so thankful that this was where I was going to train for ministry.”
Adam with Dr. Steve Lawson, Professor of Preaching & Dean of D.Min. Studies
Protection through a mechanical failure was added to an already long list of God’s providences that have made it clear that The Master’s Seminary is where Adam is supposed to be. Adam grew up in a Christian home. His father served as a lay elder at their church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Lord saved Adam when he was 9 years old, using the preaching at a summer camp to convict him of his need for God’s righteousness. After high school, Adam attended the University of Northern Iowa, intending to pursue a career in law enforcement. But as he became more and more involved with youth ministry at his church and the summer camp where he was saved (and was ministering the summer before enrolling at TMS), his desire for ministry began to outpace his interest in any other career. By his college graduation, Adam knew he needed seminary. But he wasn’t sure where. And he wasn’t sure there was still an opportunity to begin school that coming fall.
“I narrowed it down to two seminaries, TMS being one of them,” Adam says. “And as I was looking at the other seminary, I began to sense that their statement of faith didn’t match what they were teaching. When I also saw the outcome of some students, I was confused, not sure what was going on there. So I called The Master’s Seminary in May, a little more than two months before the start of the new school year. I didn’t think there was any chance I could still apply and be accepted for the fall semester. But the counselor I spoke to encouraged me to apply. I also flew out to Los Angeles to visit the campus. That’s when I knew for sure that TMS was where I should be.”
Adam’s application was accepted in time, which was a wonderful surprise, but then he had to figure out how to afford seminary and the move to expensive Southern California.
“On a whim, I put my name in for the MacArthur Trust Scholarship, not expecting anything to happen,” Adam says. “But in June, I got an email saying I had received the scholarship. I couldn’t believe it. I was so thankful.”
Adam is one of dozens of students who weren’t sure they could afford to attend The Master’s Seminary without the MacArthur Trust Scholarship. It has opened doors for godly young men like Adam to receive theological training on the campus of Grace Community Church.
“I’m thankful to be here in the classroom with all the professors. Getting to know them, meeting with them, learning from them has been great,” Adam says. He’s also involved in college ministry at Grace Community Church. He knows that as invaluable as the classroom time is, his education at TMS wouldn’t be complete without training in the church. “Getting to know Austin [Duncan] in Crossroads and having a great community has definitely been one of the highlights. Through it all, seminary has shown me that I need more discipline and I also need to balance work, ministry, and life as I prepare to serve in whatever capacity the Lord has for me after seminary.”
