Nathanael Anderberg is making the most of his summer break.
Anderberg, a pastoral ministry major, is set to graduate next May, meaning this is his last college summer. He decided to stick close to campus this summer with an internship at Grace Community Church in Bartlesville.
Anderberg is originally from Mitchell, South Dakota. Both of his parents are graduates of OKWU, and he’s the nephew of OKWU Volleyball Coach Tracie Gillette.
“I have family connections here at OKWU,” he said, “but the biggest reason I decided to come to OKWU was because of the ministerial scholarship.”
Eligible students in the School of Ministry and Christian Thought can receive a 75% tuition discount, and that caught Anderberg’s attention as he considered college and the cost associated with it.
He grew up attending a Wesleyan church in Mitchell, and he experienced his own call to ministry while he was a student at a Christian high school.
At a worship service at a service weekend during his sophomore year of high school, Anderberg was prayed over by a pastor.
The pastor prophetically spoke of Anderberg serving others, preaching the gospel, and caring for the needs of others.
“And I thought, ‘Okay, this sounds a lot like ministry.’”
The moment affirmed something in Anderberg that he had already thought about, and he began to think more purposefully about what it would mean to follow the call into ministry.
Fast forward a couple of years, and Anderberg made the decision to spend his college years at OKWU, studying pastoral ministry with an emphasis in youth ministry and pastoral counseling.
Affirmation
Anderberg credits the professors in the School of Ministry and Christian Thought as a true highlight of his OKWU experience. Anderberg often goes to them to ask questions about things happening in the world or things that come up in class with them.
“They always know their stuff, I like to say.”
Another highlight came in the form of a unique opportunity. As a sophomore, Anderberg was given the opportunity to preach in chapel at OKWU.
“I hadn’t taken homiletics yet,” he recalls, “and I was doubting whether or not I had done a good job. And then Jim Dunn texted me and invited me to meet with him.”
A couple of days after his sermon, Anderberg met President Dunn in his office.
“He sat me down and said, ‘I just have to say, God is giving you a gift. I want to see you continually work on your craft and keep growing.’”
The encouragement helped to once again affirm to Anderberg that he was on the right path, both in his studies and in his decision to be at OKWU.
Anderberg also serves at OKWU as an RA, first in Scott Hall and then Wert. He believes the RA experience has been important in developing skills he’ll continue to use as a pastor down the line.
“Part of being an RA for me is just getting out of that shell, even though I’m an extrovert,” he said. “Being an RA has put me into this position to develop relationships and host events and create a community on my floor.”
A Summer of Learning
Heading into his final year at OKWU, Anderberg knew that he wanted to stick close to Bartlesville and his fiancée while also getting some firsthand experience at a church or ministry. He’s been attending Grace for the last 18 months or so, and when the opportunity came to do a summer internship, he was eager to make it work.
Anderberg has served at Grace in a variety of areas this summer, including Vacation Bible School, youth camp, Celebrate Recovery, and shadowing the different staff members in their roles. One of the most valuable parts of the experience, Anderberg said, is the chance to talk to the different pastors about their time and what ministry looks like for them.
“It’s been really helpful to pick up little bits of wisdom from the pastors,” he said. “Asking questions like, ‘What are situations in ministry that can sometimes get a little tricky? How can you handle it?’”
Anderberg believes his calling is to youth ministry, so he is also making the most of his experiences with the church’s youth group. He was a counselor at youth camp and attends youth services and weekly hangouts, where the youth are invited to the church to play games and have fun together.
As the summer winds down, Anderberg is also looking forward to his senior year, which will include being an RA in Drake Hall. He and his fiancée are set to get married next May after graduation, and while he isn’t certain what all the future holds, he feels equipped to follow his call into ministry.
“I don’t have a specific where yet,” he said. “What I know for sure and what I’m focused on right now is my senior year. I want to try and grow and learn all I can and let God shape me in that amount of time.”
