Training Pastors for a Purpose
For Rev. John Beasley, the road to ministry didn’t begin in his local church pew, but thousands of miles from home, in a military uniform.
John spent four years in the Marine Corps and four years in the Army, serving as an interrogator in Iraq. While there, he worked alongside a Saudi linguist who taught him about the Qur’an. As someone with no religious upbringing, Christian or otherwise, he says he was struck by the devotion he witnessed in Muslim families who stopped to pray five times a day.
“I thought, ‘They really take their God seriously.’ I didn’t see that so much in the States, especially growing up outside of the church,” he recalls. “I started researching the Qur’an and Islam, and the Gideons had also given us soldiers the New Testament. I started reading that, looking at the differences, and that’s what started me on my path of exploring Christianity.”
After Iraq, John was also deployed to Turkey, where he had the opportunity to visit the ancient city of Tarsus.
When he finally returned home, he met his future wife, and together, they began attending a Christian church. As he listened and learned, he heard about Paul.
“I thought, ‘Hey, I was in that town of Tarsus.’”
His interest piqued, John went on to earn both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in religion from Liberty University, all while serving as a bi-vocational pastor at a non-denominational church.
But his path took a turn the day he attended a Lutheran service out of curiosity.
“I went with a notepad and wrote down everything I thought they were doing wrong,” he said.
“I was shocked by the absolution, not understanding John 20:23 about the binding of sins. I thought they were doing everything wrong and that it was all ritualistic, but I started studying my notes, and step by step, found myself becoming what I believed to be Lutheran. From there, I got a copy of the Book of Concord and that really opened my eyes.”
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” – John 20:23
He says his turning point came out of Luther’s understanding of the Sacrament of the Altar.
“That really did it for me — it changed my whole view of what the church was, why I was going to church and who I was as a pastor.”
As he learned more, he wrestled with the disconnect between his church and the Lutheran confession.
“I found that I was preaching myself out of that church. It was a struggle because I was learning and exploring and changing my beliefs, and people didn’t understand,” he said.
In 2014, his congregation actually joined the LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ), but in that part of the country, there were no other Lutheran churches, and he says it didn’t stick.
Several years later, while facing a near-death battle with COVID, John says he spent two weeks in the hospital seriously examining what he wanted to do with his life.
“I was determined to go into full-time ministry with the LCMC, and so when I got out of the hospital, I put my house up for sale. I was ready to go wherever the Lord led, to whatever congregation called me.”
That calling was to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Stendal, Indiana, and eventually, to further his education with Luther House of Study, where he found not just a seminary program, but a ministry partner — one that trains pastors with a purpose.
Tell us how you first got connected with Luther House of Study.
I saw a real need to study and get an education with a Lutheran seminary, but I also knew how hard it is to work, pastor, and care for my wife and family. It had to be worth the time.
I’d looked into a variety of different programs, but when I talked to Deirdre at LHOS, she made a comment that really struck me. She said that every student starts with the Reformation class because ‘you might find out you’re not Lutheran.’ That showed me they really wanted to teach students to know and understand their beliefs. They weren’t just trying to hand out degrees.
What sets LHOS apart from other seminary experiences you’ve had?
The thing is, you don’t know what you don’t know until you start studying, and I have found LHOS to be one of the greatest programs I’ve ever been through because they care about the students, the church, the pulpit and the congregations.
To use military terminology, they’re boots on the ground, and they’re right there with you in the trenches. They know what you’re going through, and they train you to be a pastor. The focus isn’t just head knowledge, though it is very academic. They care about the role of the pastor and the Gospel.
How has your preaching or pastoring changed since starting seminary at LHOS?
One thing LHOS stresses is to never leave your congregation stuck in the law. I hate to say it, but I feel like that’s what I had been doing for all the years I’d been pastoring. I was keeping them in the law, trying to climb a theological staircase. Now, when I listen to preaching, I can tell which pastors have been through LHOS.
I’ve noticed a big difference in my congregation. I’m giving them the promise of the Gospel now, and the freedom and joy they have because of that is huge.
There’s also more desire to be a part of the church. We went through the “Why I Am a Lutheran” resource from the LHOS website in our adult Sunday school, and from that I’ve got a few ladies who have started teaching confirmation classes using the LHOS curriculum.
Why is seminary training so important for pastors?
It’s not about the degree or credentials — it’s about knowing the role of the pastor, what the church is, and that the Word of God is actually doing something.
I’m no longer giving TED Talks and leaving people in the law. Too many think a pastor is just an informational or motivational speaker, or a counselor. Luther House teaches you what’s important, and you discover your real role.
You also have the support of professors and other students. I’ve learned as much from fellow students as from the classes. I could say, ‘Oh, I study on my own,’ but I’d be missing out on so much teaching from the professors, and also from the other students.
And that’s another reason you need a seminary-trained pastor — to understand the Book of Concord and the confessions, in order to continue teaching and strengthening the church. The jewel that we have, being Lutherans, is our theology. With training, you’re able to take that theology and train others up with it. They may not be pastors, but you have different leadership roles within the church, within each of the different ministries. Training the pastor to be a trainer of other people strengthens the whole body.
What would you say to someone considering LHOS?
This is by far the most purposeful training I’ve had. It’s walking alongside you, showing you why you’re a pastor and what you’re doing.
It’s kind of like a family. I’ll go to LCMC gatherings and see classmates, connect on Facebook, share ideas. You’re not doing it alone. And through that, you’re building up others to lead in their own congregations.
John’s journey from the front lines of military service to the pulpit of a Lutheran church is a testament to God’s calling — and to the power of intentional, theologically-grounded pastoral training.
For him, Luther House of Study isn’t just a place to earn a degree. It’s a partner in ministry, equipping pastors to faithfully preach the Gospel, lead their congregations, and raise up future leaders for generations to come.
As he puts it: “They’re not just giving you head knowledge — they’re training you for a purpose. They walk alongside you so you can walk alongside your congregation.”
