Second Career With a Second Chance3 min read

After 30 years working at General Motors, Rev. Bob Scott never intended to have a second career. He figured he would ride off into the sunset by writing a book or two and enjoy retirement. Others at Faith, Grand Blanc, where Rev. Scott was a member, had different plans. They planted the seed and encouraged him to become a pastor. God’s hand did the rest.

“The Lord doesn’t let up when he calls you,” said Rev. Scott. “He didn’t let up on me, so finally I consented.”

Scott went into the Specialized Pastoral Ministry (SMP) Program and received a call to his home church, Faith. He called it the ideal situation for him to become a pastor: “This was perfect for us, because you serve in your congregation while you are going to school, and you hopefully continue to serve after you are ordained.”

This was not the only major event, however. Last year, Scott was in the hospital for 2 months fighting for his life. He had a perforated bowel and then other complications set in, making the stay longer and the fight more difficult. “I almost died a number of times,” said Scott.

Prayers from family, friends, his congregation, and others in our district made a huge difference. He was able to leave the hospital and in April returned to doing God’s work at Faith. At his first service back, before he could finish walking down the aisle, Rev. Scott got a standing ovation from the congregation. Before the service was completed, there wasn’t a dry eye in the sanctuary. All the pain Scott suffered and all the heartache his wife Karen and their family endured weren’t enough to break their spirit.

The Scotts feel blessed and grateful for all the support they received from the community, but Rev. Scott knows who deserves the credit: “We know the Lord is the one who healed me, because I shouldn’t be here today,” he said.

Scott says he is in better shape now than before he went into the hospital. And he’s happy to be back at Faith continuing to do the job he loves with the people he loves.

Rev. Dr. Rob Kasper serves the Michigan District, LCMS as an Assistant to the President—Congregation Mission and Ministries, and plays an integral part in helping many people like Rev. Scott get their start in the ministry. Kasper would love to see more people follow in Bob’s footsteps by listening to God’s call and becoming a pastor through the Synod’s SMP program. “Bob’s story is a great example of the love that his congregation has for him and how they identified him as a Christ-centered leader: ‘Your work is not done. You’ve been a great servant in the past and we want to call you as our pastor,’” said Kasper.

To find out more about the SMP program:

• Go to lcms.org/how-we-serve/mercy/specialized-pastoral-ministry
• Email Rev. Dr. Kasper at kasper@michigandistrict.org

_{Photo courtesy of Rev. Bob Scott}