Some people in Ohio spell crazy this way: A-T-H-E-N-S. I know I did when I first transferred from Youngstown to Athens in order to attend Ohio University my sophomore year of college. I had fallen in love. I don’t say that casually, I mean it. I had really fallen, head-over-heels, in love with this wonderful gal. She was going to school outside of Lexington and we were over 7 hours apart, so I had convinced her that she needed to change schools and join me at OU. It was a weird move. For someone increasingly feeling called to the pastorate OU didn’t seem like the obvious context in which to nurture that ambition. But God works in every context and He was moving me here for a very specific purpose…actually a very specific person.
When I arrived at OU I got a phone call from some guy I had never met. He was the local pastor at the nearby Southern Baptist Church. A young guy who had just taken his first church and he had heard about me from a mutual friend. He called and invited me to lunch. Over the course of our relationship he found out I wanted to become a pastor and invited me to do a pastoral studentship under him. I had no clue what that meant but thought I’d give it a shot. I’ll never forget when he told me I needed to go buy this book called Systematic Theology. I was a pretty immature guy at the time and I remember thinking: what’s systematic mean…what’s theology mean?
I went to a local bookstore nearby and when I couldn’t find my book I asked the clerk if they could order it. “Oh sure we can…we don’t get many requests for books like that,” he said. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but the comment seemed to pass by harmlessly. Then came time to pick up my order. The book was massive! Like the type of text you use as a door stop, or to assault intruders. I thought if I had gotten two copies of it I could stack them up and make a decent size footstool for my rather sparse apartment. “I don’t think that’s the book!” I told the clerk. It was the only one by that name and that author, he informed me rather curtly. “I am sure that’s not the book!” I responded equally as curt. I took it determined to bring it back with some smug look (a told you so kind of smile) when my pastor laughed at my surely obvious mistake.
I can honestly say that I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I agreed to study with Steve Burchett at FBC Athens. But I can also say that I would not be the man I am today had I missed it. He not only rooted my theology in the solid foundation of Scripture, but he also helped to shape my understanding of the pastorate, of the home, of parenting, and being a husband. He helped form me into a man of God in ways that I was neither interested in being formed, or had ever thought of.
The importance of a good mentor cannot be overstated. I have had several in my life and each one I am grateful for. Steve was the first of many. He took me as 
a ridiculous punk-rock pseudo-disciple and ran me through spiritual boot camp.He drilled me on Scripture, theology, church history. He had me lead worship, teach Sunday School, preach, and he always reviewed my progress. It was all very strange…and wonderful
It was weird being a pastor-in-training at OU. I had changed my major to theology, which is not a popular one at the, then, nations 3rd ranked party school. I was one of one theology students at my college, and was known in my department as “the theology kid.” I didn’t do a lot with Campus Crusade, I didn’t have a lot of college friends, instead I spent my nights reading 17th century Puritans and my weekends attending a VERY traditional Baptist church. Why anyone in their right mind would do this I can’t say. It was just another crazy step along the way, this time running from drunken college kid to wanna-be-minister.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 