Michaela Lawrence-Jeffery never dreamed she would embark on a path to ministry when she first started college at Andrews University. In fact, she left home, her mother—the wife of a pastor—warned her to stay away from the Adventist Theological Seminary on campus because those pastoral students “are a bit too desperate.”
Lawrence-Jeffrey didn’t marry a pastor, but she did ultimately develop her own passion for ministry. Now she is director and chaplain of Advent House and director of Adventist Christian Fellowship for the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventist. Advent House is a campus ministry center for students at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
She will speak for Union’s Power PAC on Thursday, Friday and Saturday about her passion to help others see Jesus more clearly and enter into a deeper relationship with him.
After finishing an undergraduate at Andrews, Jeffery earned master’s in English Literature at the University of Illinois in Chicago, so she could teach literature. But one of her professors noticed a continuously biblical theme in her papers and her thesis.
“Have you ever thought of seminary before?” the professor asked.
She hadn’t. But she started to. When she finished her Masters, Lawrence-Jeffery decided to move back home to Canada to teach at Canadian University College (now Burman University). She felt called to start a young adult support group at her church like one she had been involved with during her time in Chicago. Her pastor agreed. “It was great. I loved it. It was not my job, but it was my passion,” Lawrence-Jeffery explained.
In her spare time Lawrence-Jeffery volunteered at a literacy center at her work. She worked with people who used English as their second language. “I enjoy the community involvement,” she said.
One night after attending a school chapel, the pastor encouraged her to pursue a pastoral job opening at the church. When she applied she decided that if she did not get the job, then she would go to seminary. She did not get that job, and the rest is history. After earning her Master of Divinity degree at Andrews Theological Seminary, she took the job at Advent House that combines her passions—ministry, young adults and serving the community.
While she didn’t marry a minister, Lawrence-Jeffrey did marry Justin Jeffrey, a graphic designer. They enjoy doing creative things, such as music and watching HGTV and the Food Network.
Lawrence-Jeffrey will speak Thursday at 9:00 p.m. in Woods Auditorium, Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the College View Church sanctuary and Sabbath in the College View Church sanctuary at 9:15 a.m and noon. The talks are free and open to the public.
By Megan Wehling, student writer