I grew up in a broken home in southwestern Pennsylvania. My dad and Grandma Rose raised me with a knowledge of the Lord, yet on the other side of the family I lived a life full of sin. Unfortunately, this caused me to say and think I was a Christian, while loving sin more than God. To me, God was just a way to love sin yet escape the punishment of hell. Praise God, he showed me what salvation really is at age 19 when I was in the Marine Corps boot camp. I was truly convicted of sin, hating the sin I was enslaved to, and loved the Savior who died for me. I went from being a slave to sin to being a slave of Christ.

Before my first deployment, I began to talk to my pastor’s daughter, Rebekah, and we started dating when I returned to the States. By God’s kindness to me, we were married before I went on my second deployment, which was a combat deployment to Afghanistan. It was in Afghanistan, fighting in actual war while reading of spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6, that I began growing in the Scriptures and felt a deep conviction to share the Word. Halfway through the deployment I was wounded by gunshots to my arm and hip. The Lord had spared me from death, and I returned to the States where my wonderful wife nursed me back to health.

We are currently attending, serving, and being served, at our home church, Covenant Baptist, in Uniontown, PA, where I have the blessing of having my father-in-law as my pastor and my mentor at RBS. My wife and I have four children— Noah, Elizabeth, Idelette, and McKenzie.

RBS has been a huge blessing in my life. RBS met all the criteria as I searched for a seminary to be more equipped for ministry. The most important thing was that it is biblically faithful and local church oriented. My time at RBS has been fruitful for me personally through the teaching of the professors as well as through the support and help from our brothers and sisters at Covenant Baptist.

The format of learning at RBS not only teaches but convicts me, and I appreciate how the focus is on understanding biblical truths and growing spiritually rather than simply memorizing facts or checking off assignments. The goal is to learn and for it to affect your heart to prepare you for ministry. This was both challenging and a blessing for me. The professors and Dr. Gonzales all have a pastoral heart and were so gracious to me throughout my time at RBS.

As I graduate with a MTS in Practical Theology, my wife and I, along with the elders and our church, are praying to see what the next step is as I desire to go into full time ministry. I plan on continuing my education at RBS by working on the new Master of Arts program. No matter where the Lord leads me, I am grateful for all I have learned and grown in at my time with RBS.

For the Glory of Christ!

Fellow slave of Jesus Christ,

Jesse Alan McGee