Ministry is a strange vocation (sometimes)

“Ministry is a strange vocation sometimes”, says Rev. Aaron Miller. With both surprise and admiration, he reflects on students who continue to feel a call to ministry and on the remarkable ways new generations are responding to that call.

“I love the people responding to that call. I want to nurture that,” Aaron shares. “I try to offer each student the possibility of being candid and honest about the work, and the space to navigate what it means to bring their theology into the real world.”

Amid a constant spirit of change and within an increasingly secular context, Aaron reflects on how the Field Education program at the Vancouver School of Theology plays a vital role—not only by integrating learning and practice, but also by embracing the diversity of students who come from very different contexts into ministry.

“The diversity of the classroom at VST is a very different experience from other denominational seminaries,” he notes. “The gift I see is that students are learning to embrace diversity both in the classroom and in their congregational placements, while having the opportunity to return to a space where discussion and reflection are deeply nurtured.”

Practical experience within the pathway to ordination is, for many students, one of the most formative aspects of their education. Field education offers a crucial space where theological reflection meets lived reality, encouraging future faith leaders to continue learning, adapting, and evolving in their Christian identity.

“One thing is to be confident in your theology, and another is to put it out into the world,” Rev. Miller adds. “Having the opportunity to learn from real-life situations is key. Through them, students learn how to be honest about what is required to do the work God has called them to do.” This, he suggests, also sheds light on something essential to spiritual formation: the need to nourish oneself.

According to Aaron, there is a constant temptation to separate ministry from discipleship. For him, however, a mentor’s primary role is to encourage students to develop practices and skills that shape them not only as leaders, but as whole people—grounded in self-awareness and attentive to their own spiritual formation, which becomes the source of their accompaniment of others.

“When students begin, some have little or no experience leading congregations,” he explains. “They may come in with learning goals that evolve in unexpected ways. Ministry is rarely straightforward. There is a real challenge in learning how to manage disappointment and unmet expectations—not as something that undermines your sense of calling, but as something that grounds you and helps you find your true north.”

Aaron understands mentorship as a supportive branch that allows a strong tree to grow—one that honors the uniqueness of each student’s roots while offering wisdom drawn from lived experience, including both successes and failures.

“I was blessed to have good role models in ministry,” he reflects. “How you are supported at the beginning matters deeply. That’s why I felt called to be a mentor: to share my experiences and help students build the confidence they need to step into ministry, even as they continue learning how to inhabit and lead it.”