Scholarship Feature – Laura Davis (DMB class of 2024)

We first met Laura Davis a day or so before her husband, Thad, was set to deploy overseas for 6 months as a chaplain in the reserves.  Needless to say, it was an emotional and stressful time in both of their lives, and coming in for an interview with our Dora Maclellan Brown Committee was probably the last thing she wanted to do.  When we found out about Thad’s deployment, we asked them both to come in for the interview.  Laura, obviously, was the primary candidate, but we wanted to get a sense of the strength and grit in Laura that we had read about in her DMB Scholarship application.  

The interview did not disappoint.

At the end of the interview, we asked Thad to join us, and we got to spend some sweet time with this precious couple, interacting and laughing (and crying), and had the privilege of praying over them, as we knew their lives were both going to dramatically change over the next six months.

Laura was embarking on a 2 – 3 year journey as she pursued her Master of Arts in Educational Ministries degree at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, doing the majority of her work remotely.  She worked as a web developer by day; Thad was the Discipleship Pastor at Hixson Presbyterian Church.  They were raising two children (a middle schooler and a high schooler).  Life was going to get very busy for Laura – running a business, raising two children by herself, leading many women’s outreaches at her church, and starting a graduate program.

Now over a year into the program, and rejoicing with the safe return of Thad from his deployment, we asked Laura to reflect on how she was called into ministry, all she has learned through it, and where she sees God taking her in the years to come.

Tell us about your call to ministry. What did that look like? Did others affirm that in you and how? Have others walked with you on this journey, and, if so, what does that look like?

“My call to ministry was propelled by my husband’s call to ministry as a pastor. Through my husband’s call, I have come to love Christ’s bride so that my deepest desire is to serve and love her as Christ has called every believer to do.

“But my call started long before in my friend’s living room as 8 women gathered to study the book of John together. With our toddlers screaming and playing in the next room, we soaked in the life-giving words of Jesus. Seeing that I had a gift of communicating and a desire to understand God’s Word, an older woman mentored me to become a Bible study leader. From that time on, I have enjoyed leading women’s Bible studies.

“I grew to love serving the women of our church through cultivating in them a love for God’s Word. I am passionate about equipping women with tools for studying the Bible and helping them grow in their love for the LORD as they apply His Word to their lives. In a church of 150 women, 70 of them attend Bible study weekly. I have also had opportunities to teach God’s Word in formal settings and have found I have a gift for communicating God’s Word. I delight in it! I am astounded at Gods faithfulness through this ministry every day.

Why the decision to go to seminary/graduate school? What led you to that decision? What do you see that additional schooling will do for you and your outreach as you walk on your ministry path?

“Women need to be taught by trained women who are equipped to handle the Scripture faithfully (see Titus 2:3-5). While it’s a daunting task to go to seminary in my 40s, by God’s grace, I hope to become one of these mature women who will train up another generation to delight in God’s Word. But I didn’t always feel that way. Years ago, I listened to a personal testimony of a woman who reluctantly started attending seminary and how much she grew to love it. Her story rattled around in my mind as I contemplated whether I was called to seminary as well. Attending seminary seemed selfish as I thought about the sacrifice of time my family would endure and the money we didn’t have.

“I became increasingly dissatisfied with being a web developer and more excited about teaching God’s Word, so I became more intent on researching various seminaries. Covenant Theological Seminary was at the top of my list because I graduated from Covenant College, and I knew women who had attended Covenant Seminary. One of the top reasons I was drawn to Covenant was the emphasis on spiritual formation and equipping both men and women to serve the church, as evidenced by holding a Women’s Preview day that I attended. The first class I walked into was filled with a diverse range of people from various ages, cultures, ethnicities, and the room was almost 50% women. I learned how Covenant sought to tailor their courses to an online learning environment rather than make exact replicas of their in-person courses (something very important to me as an online student). But the deciding factor was their Master of Arts in Educational Ministries degree program, which would train me to teach God’s word to women in our local church. As I prayed with my husband about this decision, God was asking me to say “yes” and walk through that open door without clear answers to how it would impact my family and finances. I told God that if he wanted me to go, he would have to provide the finances. But I still had to take that step of faith to enroll before knowing all the details. By God’s grace, the Dora Maclellan Brown Scholarship, my church, and a seminary scholarship covered all my expenses.”

As you look forward ten years, and you anticipate those hard times in ministry that may make you doubt your calling, how do you “know that you know that you know” that you were called to ministry? What people, what experiences, what Scripture do you cling to/lean on in those tough times?

“As a pastor’s wife, I am no stranger to hard times in ministry. Everyone wants their ministry to display fruit, but often, the rotten fruit gets more attention than the mature fruit. The greatest encouragement I have to keep going is the support

of the elders at my church. They continue to affirm my calling, to ask me what I’m learning, and to notice how I’m serving the church using my gifts. The women I minister to also encourage me by giving me feedback on my teaching and seeking me out for counsel. In those times when encouragement may be lacking, I continue to go back to these verses:

‘Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.’  Galatians 6:9-10 ESV

“This reminds me that whatever famine in ministry I may be experiencing, my job is to continue to sow, and God will bring the harvest in due season. This also reminds me that I do not sow alone, but with others who are part of the household of faith. What a great gift God has given me in being part of his family!”

How has the Dora Maclellan Brown Scholarship program helped you? If you had not received a scholarship, do you believe you would have been able to go to school? What would you like to tell “Aunt Dora” if you could?

“I think I may be Aunt Dora’s greatest cheerleader! As others have talked to me about attending seminary, I tell them they must apply for the Dora Maclellan Brown Scholarship. The primary reason I give is not the money, but the prayer and encouraging support I receive each semester from the Generosity Trust. Whether I would have attended seminary had I not received this scholarship, I cannot say, but I can say with a significant degree of confidence that my ability to stay in seminary is dependent on the financial and spiritual support I receive. The financial support has allowed me to envision a future where taking a significant pay cut (if I move from web development to church ministry) is possible because I will be debt-free. It also reminds me that God supplied all my needs in seminary, and he will continue to do so in ministry. Thank you, Aunt Dora, for following God’s call to set up a scholarship in order to pave the way for me to follow God’s call to teach His Word. I am so grateful.”