MISSIONARY INTERNSHIP
The summer of 1957, following my graduation from Columbia Bible College (now Columbia International University) I had a summer job at Chrysler's in Chatham. During that time I started thinking about my next step. I had gone to CBC at the suggestion of Elmer Thompson who wanted me to have more education. Now I was thinking I still needed more training. I had heard of Missionary Internship which was an internship ministry in Detroit and Chicago for prospective missionaries. I wrote to the West Indies Mission asking if I should apply to MI. They responded that since I was not an accepted candidate with WIM that I could go to MI but would have to pay my own expenses, which was my transportation and registration. The church where I would be assigned would look after my board and room, car expenses and a few dollars pocket money.
So I applied to Missionary Internship, was accepted and on about the third week of September went to an orientation week at Gull Lake Bible Camp, Gull Lake, Michigan. There were close to 100 candidates at Gull Lake and none of us knew, until our orientation was completed, where we would be assigned, Detroit or Chicago,. At the end of that week, I was assigned to serve a seven month internship at North Shores Baptist Church, St. Clair Shores, MI. St. Clair Shores is a suburb of Detroit.
I began my internship at North Shores Baptist the latter part of September. Up until then I had never owned a car and was waiting to see where I would be assigned before purchasing a car. Well, now that I was in St. Clair Shores, about 90 minutes from Chatham, it was close enough that I could drive home occasionally and visit my folks. As a Canadian, I would not be able to take an American car into Canada, even though I could have purchased one very cheaply. So within a few days of settling into St. Clair Shores, I went by bus back to Chatham and bought my first car.
North Shores Baptist Church was a recent church plant with the Conservative Baptist. It had been meeting in a school for about two years. The pastor, John Trate, worked a full time evening shift at Chrysler's in Detroit and only served the church as a part time pastor. I was a full time pastoral intern. I met with the pastor one morning a week to discuss my ministry and any new areas of ministry or people that he would like me to see. I was assigned the mid-week Bible study and prayer meeting, which met in a member's home. I also had a weekly ladies Bible study, did one on one follow up with new Christians and did some visitation. I taught the young peoples Sunday School class and occasionally had the privilege of preaching. NSBC was a friendly congregation numbering about 75 to 100 people. I was warmly received and enjoyed my time there.
I boarded with a young couple who had one preschooler. The few months that I lived with Herb and Dorothy blossomed into a lasting friendship. Herb passed away a few years ago, but Leona and I still exchange an annual Christmas letter with Dorothy. We were able to connect with them a few times when we visited in Chatham. That little preschooler is now a grand-mother.
In addition to the ministry at North Shores Baptist, all of the interns, approximately fifty of us in the Detroit area, met from 9:00am to 4:00pm each Friday at a Baptist church in southwest Detroit. There we had two or three sessions on varying topics related to our ministry and future mission. We enjoyed the fellowship and inter-action with fellow interns and also gleaning from the experience of our leaders. There were four leaders. Dr. R.E. Thompson, who had been a missionary, was the founder of Missionary Internship. Fred Renich, husband of Jill Renich who was an author and popular conference speaker, was the director for the Detroit interns. There was a navigator leader, whose name I have forgotten, who encouraged us to memorize scripture. Fourthly, Dr. Henry Brandt a Christian psychologist from Flint, Michigan was always there. He offered to meet one on one with each intern for one hour. The hour that I spent with him was the most productive and informative lesson that I ever had in counseling. His counseling was solely based on scripture. In my years of ministry, which followed, I sought to help people in the way in which he had helped me.
I will forever be grateful for all of the lessons that I learned at Missionary Internship. Though my goal at that point in time was to be a missionary, the experience, as an intern and the Friday sessions, helped me in some of the things that I faced in the pastoral ministry, which ultimately became my life-long ministry. I would highly recommend an internship of some kind to any young man or woman going into full-time ministry.
My first car - 1951 Plymouth
North Shores Baptist Church was a recent church plant with the Conservative Baptist. It had been meeting in a school for about two years. The pastor, John Trate, worked a full time evening shift at Chrysler's in Detroit and only served the church as a part time pastor. I was a full time pastoral intern. I met with the pastor one morning a week to discuss my ministry and any new areas of ministry or people that he would like me to see. I was assigned the mid-week Bible study and prayer meeting, which met in a member's home. I also had a weekly ladies Bible study, did one on one follow up with new Christians and did some visitation. I taught the young peoples Sunday School class and occasionally had the privilege of preaching. NSBC was a friendly congregation numbering about 75 to 100 people. I was warmly received and enjoyed my time there.
Pastor John Trate & Dan
I boarded with a young couple who had one preschooler. The few months that I lived with Herb and Dorothy blossomed into a lasting friendship. Herb passed away a few years ago, but Leona and I still exchange an annual Christmas letter with Dorothy. We were able to connect with them a few times when we visited in Chatham. That little preschooler is now a grand-mother.
I will forever be grateful for all of the lessons that I learned at Missionary Internship. Though my goal at that point in time was to be a missionary, the experience, as an intern and the Friday sessions, helped me in some of the things that I faced in the pastoral ministry, which ultimately became my life-long ministry. I would highly recommend an internship of some kind to any young man or woman going into full-time ministry.
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