MDIV, 2020
Last month, WSC invited all of our 2020 graduates back to Escondido to join the class of 2021 in-person on the graduation stage. Though the hard work of these alumni was celebrated through a virtual commencement ceremony on May 30, 2020, the seminary recognized the unusual and even anticlimactic nature of this event and desired to give the class of 2020 an opportunity to “walk” and receive their diplomas at this year’s commencement. Additionally, we are continuing to honor and celebrate the hard work of these alumni in June by featuring Pastor Collin Welch, who graduated from the MDIV program in May of 2020. After finishing their time at Westminster, Collin and his wife Nicole, along with their two children, returned to his hometown of Madison, IN to start Madison Reformed Church, a church plant of the United Reformed Churches in North America.
The work of church planting comes with unique challenges, particularly in the midst of a pandemic, and Collin has persevered through these with, in his words, “the good-old-fashioned kind” of ministry. This includes the weekly ministry of the Word in worship on the Lord’s Day as well as smaller gatherings throughout the week. Reflecting with gratitude on the ways that his education at WSC prepared him for this calling, Collin noted: “One of the most frequent refrains I heard in my WSC courses was that studying was for the sake of caring for Christ’s sheep. My professors were faithful to drive this point home often, and I am so thankful for it.” He continues to consult his class notes frequently – a reminder to all of our current students that thorough notes will be of benefit even beyond final exams!
In the coming months, Collin hopes to see Madison Reformed Church stabilize as a church plant and continue to serve their local area as a gospel-proclaiming refuge for weary sinners. To that end, he asks that the WSC community join him in praying for MRC “like you’re voting in a Chicago election –– early and often.” You might even head over the their website and Facebook page to encourage Collin in his work as he faithfully serves for the sake of Christ, His Gospel, and His Church.
