When his Bible study group named spiritual gifts he’d never claimed, Rev. Larry French heard God’s call and found a clear path to ministry.
REV. LARRY FRENCH
Battle Creek: First and Kalamazoo: Sunnyside UMCs
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of articles highlighting call stories from recent Course of Study graduates, who were honored at the 2026 Michigan Annual Conference. Course of Study is a required theological and leadership education program for licensed local pastors in The United Methodist Church. Read the whole series.
It all started with a Bible study. It was the last session of a Disciple II class, where each participant calls out the spiritual gifts they see in one another. When it was my turn, the first spiritual gift called out was teacher. I could see that, since I had done quite a bit of teaching in my previous job and during Sunday school at church.
The next few spiritual gifts made me pause and consider what God was saying to me. They all highlighted the gifts of prophet and apostle, noting that there were times I spoke for God during our studies and could evangelize the Word of God with the authority of an apostle.
I was stunned and deeply affected by these revelations from people I had spent a lot of time with over the past 34 weeks. If people could see these attributes in me, I knew I had to take the time to honor them and to look at myself in the mirror differently.
God was calling me through these folks. God was calling me to be more than the introverted man who could barely stand social situations. I knew that pastoral ministry would push my personal boundaries like nothing else.
Here is the problem: I didn’t know how to live out this call. The only path to pastoral ministry I knew required a master’s degree. I’d never been to college, so that meant starting from the beginning. I knew this path wasn’t for me, but what was?
I spent months in this place of confusion, knowing I was meant to do something more in the church, something more with my life, but not knowing how. I was torn between this call and the reality that, deep down, I knew the college route wasn’t for me.
It wasn’t until breakfast with Rev. Dwayne Bagley, the district superintendent of the Greater Southwest District at the time, that everything became clear. We used to have breakfast occasionally because his kids were in my Sunday school class, and we would talk about how the youth ministry was going.
One day, mid-breakfast, he asked if I had ever considered Course of Study and becoming a licensed local pastor. I asked him to tell me more, but I had a feeling this was what I had been waiting for. This was a way to live out my call; I just knew it.
As Rev. Bagley laid out the basics of being a licensed local pastor and explained what Course of Study was all about, I became increasingly excited. This was the way!
Things moved quickly after that conversation. I applied for the next School for License as a Local Pastor session and took my psychological exam. Before I knew it, I was in licensing school with others on the same path. I still connect with folks from that class. I recently graduated with a few of them and was recognized at this year’s Annual Conference alongside them.
I’ve now been a licensed local pastor for the past seven years, and I have loved every congregation I’ve had the privilege of leading. I am thankful for this vocation. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit has brought people to me at just the right time, inspiring me and helping me follow God’s path for my life.
This series of articles is made possible by generous financial gifts from local United Methodist churches in Michigan through Ministry Shares. Thank you! Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on October 19, 2026