Alumni & Friends
Jose Torres: Theology
, August 20, 2008
« Previous
Next »
Jose Torres is busy every Tuesday evening. In fact, for the past three years, Jose has been impossible to get a hold of during that time of the week. No, he’s not sitting at some isolated desk in the library, hidden from Angwin’s spotty cell-phone service. He’s not even gulping down a quick dinner of PUC’s finest meatless loaf. No, Jose spends every Tuesday evening behind a pulpit, sharing the word of God with residents at the Silverado Orchards retirement home in St. Helena.
The difference between Jose and your “typical” theology student isn’t vividly apparent at first glance. His welcoming smile and legitimate piano skills do nothing to reveal the fact that he’s a former Marine. If you don’t take the time to get to know Jose, you probably would never know that Pacific Union College is the first Christian—let alone Adventist—school that he has ever attended. What you would notice, however, and what is abundantly clear to even a casual acquaintance, is that Jose is truly a servant of Christ.
Jose is involved in several school ministries and has taken an active leadership role in both homeless ministries and prison ministries. Jose sees his current involvement in some of PUC’s outreach programs as a small way to thank Jesus for quenching his thirst and feeding his hunger. Somehow, between the demanding grind of class work and a job in student collections, he finds the time and energy to take on a powerful ministry of his own.
Jose is a recipient of the Ernest and Alma Zinke Scholarship, a grant made on a matching basis to students who are studying toward ministerial or teaching careers. To put it simply, Jose sees the scholarship as a “gift from God.” More than just a monetary asset, the scholarship has been to Jose an indication of God’s involvement in his education. “It’s like seeing the fingertips of God.”
The difference between Jose and your “typical” theology student isn’t vividly apparent at first glance. His welcoming smile and legitimate piano skills do nothing to reveal the fact that he’s a former Marine. If you don’t take the time to get to know Jose, you probably would never know that Pacific Union College is the first Christian—let alone Adventist—school that he has ever attended. What you would notice, however, and what is abundantly clear to even a casual acquaintance, is that Jose is truly a servant of Christ.
Jose is involved in several school ministries and has taken an active leadership role in both homeless ministries and prison ministries. Jose sees his current involvement in some of PUC’s outreach programs as a small way to thank Jesus for quenching his thirst and feeding his hunger. Somehow, between the demanding grind of class work and a job in student collections, he finds the time and energy to take on a powerful ministry of his own.
Jose is a recipient of the Ernest and Alma Zinke Scholarship, a grant made on a matching basis to students who are studying toward ministerial or teaching careers. To put it simply, Jose sees the scholarship as a “gift from God.” More than just a monetary asset, the scholarship has been to Jose an indication of God’s involvement in his education. “It’s like seeing the fingertips of God.”