October 21, 2021
East Texas Baptist University hosted its seventh annual Calling Conference on Wednesday, October 20, for ETBU students who are drawn to vocational ministry. The conference provided students with a deeper understanding of identifying and pursuing their callings with opportunities to learn from experienced ministry professionals. Special guest speakers Dr. Julio Guarneri, Senior Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, Texas; Christopher Dickey, Chaplain and University of Notre Dame Army War College Fellow; as well as leaders from the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) Tom Tillman, Director of Music and Worship; Cory Liebrum, Youth and Family Ministry Specialist; Jennifer Howington, Childhood Ministry Specialist; and Erica Harnisch, Assistant Director for Go Now Missions shared their wisdom and experience with those who attended.
“I serve as a missions mobilizer which means there's a lot of details, planning, and checking off boxes, and sometimes those can get overwhelming,” Harnisch said. “So I always just go back to the Great Commission, and I remind myself the reason I do what I do. It is because God has called us to go and make disciples. So my advice is to remember that the picture is so much bigger than what we do individually. It's about growing His Kingdom.”
While the Calling Conference is intended for students who feel drawn to vocational ministry, it also provides an opportunity for students who may feel drawn to ministry but are still unsure of their future career path. Dr. Guarneri had the chance to address the entire ETBU student body during the University’s weekly chapel service, where he encouraged them to think of themselves as disciples, no matter their chosen profession.
“Jesus doesn’t go to Jerusalem, the center of religious life and culture, to call the Jews,” Dr. Guarneri said. “He doesn’t go to the best synagogues in the region to find the trained rabbis. He doesn’t go to the educated and the elite among the Jews. He goes to the beach to call fishermen, the ordinary people, the blue-collar workers of the day. That’s who Jesus calls first as His disciples. Ordinary people, everyday folks. People who have jobs, people with families, people with struggles, people with a past, people who don’t have it all together, people with hopes and dreams, people like you and me.”
Following chapel, participants attended a luncheon where they heard from the panel of guests in a question-and-answer style conversation.
“I really liked the way Dr. Guarneri specified the different ways God calls you and that not everybody is going to receive a big moment,” freshman psychology major Audrey Blaha said. “He really opened my eyes to the idea that God doesn't call the equipped, but He equips the called. I'm looking for ways to further my calling in my occupation. I really want to do counseling, so the Calling Conference is helping me understand specifically what my calling is, and I’m learning how I can use it in my profession.”