Coleman uses experience as a missionary kid to guide her calling

In evangelical circles, people use the terms “missionary kid” and “pastor’s kid” for those who grow up as children of missionaries or pastors. Molly Coleman*, a 2022 graduate of Texas Baptist College, claims both terms as her father was a pastor and her family served with the International Mission Board (IMB) as missionaries in Zambia, Africa. While some children of ministers try to avoid ministry, Coleman looks to follow in her parents’ footsteps as a missionary.

Coleman said she was “always in church” as a kid. She was born in Costa Rica while her parents served with the IMB in Central America. After their time in Central America, Coleman and her family went to field training in Richmond, Virginia, and followed God’s calling to serve in Lukulu, Zambia.

“I was actually saved at the field training in Richmond right before we went overseas,” Coleman recounted. “I was talking with one of my friends and I realized that it was something that I had never done.”

Coleman said that she knew all about the Gospel from growing up in a pastor’s home, but accepting Christ was something she had never done before. “In that moment I decided I was going to turn my life over to Christ at age 12 and my father baptized me as soon as we got out in the missionary field,” Coleman said.

Following her commitment to Christ, Coleman felt that a life in missions would be the last thing she would want to do. However, she realized that her calling from God was to serve Him internationally to help a specific group of people.

“The Lord gave me a heart for counseling, so when I was looking at colleges, I wanted somewhere that would equip me to get my master’s degree in counseling,” Coleman said. “I came to school saying that I never want to do missions, but after meeting my husband, Brandon*, I felt the Lord saying, ‘No, I want you to do missions,’ and so I am surrendering to that call to reach refugees in Europe.”

One way Coleman is following her calling is by pursuing a Master of Arts with an emphasis in counseling at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She said she feels called to provide counseling for the growing number of refugees living throughout Europe and pursuing this degree will assist her in that way.

Her husband, Brandon, is currently pursuing a Master of Arts at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The two believe that they are called to reach the Muslim refugees that are living in Europe and feel that their two degrees will work together to provide a strong ministry to a people group they feel called to minister.

Molly Coleman, a 2022 graduate of Texas Baptist College, and her husband, Brandon, sense the Lord is calling them to serve refugees in Europe. Coleman grew up as a missionary and pastor’s kid and senses a call to provide counseling for the number of refugees who have relocated to Europe.

While at TBC, Coleman felt her calling further solidified through the way she interacted with her professors and other students. While her Bachelor of Arts in humanities degree was not in counseling, “Through people like my husband and others,” she said. “I was able to recognize that my college degree doesn’t mean I have to give up on counseling. Instead, they might go hand-in-hand, and that is what the Lord has shown me.”

Through her experiences as a child in a missionary family, her shared experiences with her husband, and interactions with professors at TBC during her undergraduate studies and Southwestern through her employment as an administrative associate on campus, Coleman hopes to utilize those in following the Lord in her own calling.

She said that she enjoys the environment of Southwestern Seminary and that people should not discount the impact of theological education and the work being done by the Lord at a place like Southwestern.

“If I were to give any advice to someone thinking about pursuing theological education, I would say to find the place that the Lord plugs you into,” Coleman said. “Find a degree that excites you and that you can either use your experience in or learn more about because you will take those skills far beyond your time at seminary.”

She feels that Southwestern Seminary is a place those who are called to missions should highly consider for their theological education and practical training. She also enjoys the fact that she is able to fit in well with the environment as she spent most of her life outside of the United States.

“Southwestern is a super sweet place to me because it feels like a little piece of home here in the States as a lot of people I met through Southwestern know people I was around when I was overseas,” Coleman said. “It’s also very encouraging knowing that you can learn from people who have 20-plus years of missionary experience and getting to sit under them. Even beyond class, you can talk to them and learn from their experiences.”

Through her time at TBC, Coleman feels that she was molded by the Lord through the professors and other students with whom she has interacted. Though her initial thought was to run from missions, she feels confident in her calling because of what she has learned at TBC.

“I think that people should go to TBC because they are honestly surrounded by professors who care about them,” Coleman said. “They care that you do well in school and succeed. You will be challenged in ways you never knew possible but those challenges that you work through in the classroom setting will shape you to be a better well-rounded individual but most importantly a well-rounded believer in Christ.”

*Names changed for security reasons.