Education, Learning and Growth with Dr. Perry Downs

Discipleship was the trend in Evangelical Christian circles when
I was in school. Young converts or “committed Christians” were
encouraged to talk a more mature Christian into “discipling”
them. Many made it a formal process, going through books together
or meeting at a particular time with a syllabus of sorts. For
others, it was a more informal process, making sure it included
regular contact and prayer together. For those in the recovery
community, you will know it as being similar to having a sponsor.
For those in the business or academic world, it was rather like
having a close mentor.


I had been fortunate to have some great mentors whose behavior
functioned as a discipling relationship, but none would have
allowed it to be labeled that way. Now that I had arrived at
Seminary, I figured it was time to make it official. In a new
city, a new school, and mostly lost, I looked around to see who I
could trap into “discipling” me.


To picture what it is like being a new seminary student, remember
what the first day of High School was like, or college if you
will. It wasn’t a monastery, and no vow of poverty or celibacy
was not required. I ended up landing upon a hippie-like professor
of Christian education who responded by denying my request,
pleading busyness. 


With reverse Tom Sawyer thinking, I shrugged off the rebuff and
told this Professor that I’d love to get off campus, and if he
needed any help around the house, like painting a fence or
something, I’d love to help. He laughed, asking me who put me up
to this. I didn’t get the joke. As it ends up, he had been
whining around the office about having to paint the fence the
forthcoming Saturday.


Fast forward a few days in 1979, the smell of Fall in the air
with newly colored leaves just beginning to drop. There are two
unskilled laborers with paintbrushes working on a yard fence, and
the laughter started. One might never have guessed these were
Seminary types.


The seminarian went on to graduate and plant churches. The
Professor became head of the doctoral program with a long,
storied history at the school. Today they are in front of a
microphone on Zoom during the pandemic on OC Talk Radio.


Here to discuss Education, Learning, and Growth, we welcome to
Church Hurts And, Professor Perry Downs.


churchhurtsand.org