Dr. Beth Doriani

Did you know God can use your heart’s desire to serve Him in more than "ministry?" What I mean is, you do not have to work for a church in order to honor God (although yes, we need those people too!).  Think about the idea of serving God through your career in a different way.  God will help you to discover how to use your gifts.  He will help you to discover, in fact, how to use your gifts to His glory.  And yes, you can actually be employed at the same time.

I explore with students (like you) just what their heart’s passion is.  What do you care about?  That will be what influences your job choice, not simply or only your major.  What do you need to discover about yourself to understand your passions, and how could you gain the opportunity to use those passions?

I, long ago, started my career "in ministry" because I thought this was my calling.  I worked for a campus ministry at Kent State University.  The result, ironically, was that I became even more committed to college students, but not to church work!  Surprising to me, the work in campus ministry only solidified my own heart’s passion: the study of literature and philosophy.  There wasn’t any bucking what the Lord had put into my heart, body, and mind: He had made me good at certain things, and not good at others.  I was not cut out for campus ministry.  I was cut out for graduate work in English.  I eventually completed an M.A. in English at Kent State while teaching freshman English.  I began to discover that God wanted me to be a teacher.  I had never taught before, but this new world of teaching was a good one for me.  I went on to the University of Notre Dame to complete a Ph.D. in English.  Last, I married a philosophy major (so I am still satisfying my hankering for philosophical discussions!).

So, for me "ministry" meant graduate school.  It meant publications and an opportunity to enter the scholarly dialogues as a Christian, talking to non-Christian scholars about American literature in ways in which I strove to be faithful to Christ.  For me, it meant committing my life to working with students like you, who grapple with wanting to be faithful to Christ not only in their personal lives but also with their intellects.  For me, ministry meant ultimately becoming an academic dean at a Christian university to help others work out their hearts’ passions.

Regent can and will prepare you (and so many others) for the Christian leadership position you seek.  If you can remain open to possibilities, Regent can shape and prepare you for the Christ-centered service, living, learning, and leadership you desire.

Dr. Doriani's Bio

Dr. Beth Doriani holds a B.A. in English from Calvin College, an M.A. in English from Kent State University, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Notre Dame.  She has a number of publications in American literature, most notably a book entitled Emily Dickinson, Daughter of Prophecy (University of Massachusetts Press, 1996).  Before coming to Regent University in 2005, she served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Montreat College and, before that, as Academic Dean at Malone College.  She has continually served as a professor of English since 1990.  In 1998, she was selected by the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities for its Executive Leadership Development Institute, and she continues to study leadership in academe.  Doriani serves as the academic dean for the School of Undergraduate Studies as well as professor of English in that school.