Pre-Seminary Studies Articles

Posted on 4/3/2024 - 4 minute read

John Trinklein, initially aspiring to be a forensic accountant, shifted his focus towards ministry after his family's mission field experience and his mother's health crisis. Inspired by his upbringing and his mother's faith, he found purpose in serving others, leading him to enroll at Concordia University Irvine and pursue theological studies with a desire to serve overseas.

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By John Trinklein '24
Posted on 10/23/2023 - 2 minute read

After serving with my family as a missionary in Korea from the ages of 14-19, I began college as an accounting major. After returning to the United States, I attended Christ Lutheran Church in Phoenix, Arizona, where I volunteered and became close with the senior pastor. My time at Christ Lutheran Church is where my heart started being pulled into a career of church work. The Lord led me to Concordia where I began as a DCE major, which is a great entry point for anyone wanting to pursue church work. Eventually, after great conversations with my professors, advisors, and family, I switched to pre-seminary studies.

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By Aaron Bird '13 and Dan Weber '04
Posted on 7/7/2021 - 1 minute read

For a long time I felt called to ministry but didn’t know if I wanted to be a missionary, a youth minister, a parish pastor or something else. Concordia University Irvine was a big part of that journey for me. My development as a Christian and a future church worker was especially shaped by the close-knit campus community and an amazing group of friends.

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Posted on 11/11/2020 - 1 minute read

I came to Concordia University Irvine as a communication major. But on a mission trip to Hungary, God got a hold of my heart and called me into ministry.

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