Kevin McGill

Reflecting on his life so far, Kevin McGill is thankful that the Lord has not given him an easy path. “Some people never seem to struggle much. In my life I’ve found that whatever the Lord gives me, it comes through challenges, and it takes everything that I am … but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Kevin’s parents were divorced when he was just a few years old. His mother denied and opposed the strong faith of his father, a committed believer. Kevin ended up staying with his father who prayed that, like Samuel, God would call Kevin into the ministry.

“My father’s guidance, along with my mother’s struggle and denial, is what shaped and molded my passion for being a minister to God’s people.”

When he was 15, Kevin became aware of God’s call. “God gripped my heart and said, ‘see what that pastor is doing? That’s what I want you to do.’ And my answer was, ‘But no one likes pastors.’ At that age, everyone wants to be liked.”

After high school, he applied to Point Loma Nazarene College. But his family told him he wouldn’t make it for two reasons: 1) he was home schooled in junior high and high school, and 2) he didn’t have the money for such an upscale college. Everyone was shocked when he was accepted.

But his time at Point Loma was discouraging, at least initially. The college was considered Christian, but was very liberal. “The professors purposefully pushed your faith and never really gave you any clear answers.” Kevin felt disturbed there, until he met Luke Navarro, who became his closest friend and a ray of hope.

“We built a bond in our Christian beliefs that was like a petrie dish, where we learned the basics of the evangelical, conservative faith.”

Luke’s pastor was a Dallas Seminary graduate, so when they were nearing the end of their college days the two looked together at the DTS catalog. “It said that DTS trains and equips pastors. That’s what I needed—all the other issues are great, but I wanted tools for ministry.”

When the time was right for him to move to Dallas, Kevin didn’t have the financial resources he needed to move. But he sensed the Lord saying, “Take the resources I have given you, and I’ll help you make a way.” Kevin had shown up at college with four boxes; now to raise money for DTS, he and a friend held a garage sale. They set their things up separately, and when the sale was done, Kevin’s side was almost completely empty while the other side was nearly full. When he packed up his remaining belongings, Kevin was back down to 4 boxes, but had enough money for a round-trip ticket to Dallas and one month of housing. He hoped one month was long enough to find a job.

During that month, Kevin took on two jobs, enabling him to stay at seminary and dig into studies. Soon after he met a fellow student named Jenny Jarrell. Neither thought much about the other then nor for some time—but a few months later, after they had a chance to get to know each other, he grew more and more interested.  “Each time I spoke with her, I was moved by this woman’s heart, her spirit, and beauty.”

Kevin wrestled with the Lord about pursuing her because he was afraid that if he did, he might not win. The Lord challenged him, “That’s not the point … I want you to pursue her.”  He did, and as he feared, she was not at all interested.  Over time though, as he pursued and prayed, her heart slowly warmed.  After two years of his waiting, they were married last autumn.

Currently, along with his studies toward his Th.M., Kevin is working as an intern with the men’s ministry at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco. He is also developing courses for an online seminary program and looks forward to future ministry with Jenny.