[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/undergraduate\/bible-major-becomes-lead-minister-at-23\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/undergraduate\/bible-major-becomes-lead-minister-at-23\/","headline":"Bible Major Becomes Lead Minister at 23","name":"Bible Major Becomes Lead Minister at 23","description":"Trevonte Peterson Eight-year-old Trevonte Peterson sat with his family in the wooden pew, singing and listening to the preacher give the message like they did every Sunday morning. For generations, Peterson’s family had attended the same little church in Greenville,…","datePublished":"2019-07-31","dateModified":"2019-07-31","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/#Person","name":"Rebecca Burylo","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Faulkner University","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","width":480,"height":128}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/P8B9429.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/P8B9429.jpg","height":3840,"width":5760},"url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/undergraduate\/bible-major-becomes-lead-minister-at-23\/","about":["Biblical Studies","Undergraduate"],"wordCount":628,"articleBody":"Trevonte PetersonEight-year-old Trevonte Peterson sat with his family in the wooden pew, singing and listening to the preacher give the message like they did every Sunday morning. For generations, Peterson’s family had attended the same little church in Greenville, Alabama, but on that particular Sunday morning, his eyes grew wide as dozens of people made their way to the front of the church to kneel and pray. It had been a powerful service, and the scene made an such an impression on Peterson, that he calls it a turning point in his life. It was the moment he discovered his calling to be a preacher.\u201cThey came forward with tears in their eyes. They were heart-felt tears and I had this feeling. I thought if I could help someone get to that point that would be an amazing thing,\u201d Peterson said. After that pivotal service, Peterson went to his minister, asking to preach his first sermon. Instead of telling Peterson to wait until he was older, the minister took him under his wing and teaching him the scriptures three days a week.During a Christmas service eight months later, Peterson preached his first sermon, and he\u2019s been preaching and sharing the Gospel ever since.Now, at the age of 23, Peterson is often introduced as the youngest pulpit minister in the Church of Christ. He preaches full time at a church in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and has spoken at conferences and gospel meetings, during Chapel on Faulkner’s campus and has led devotionals for fellow students.“If you give it over to God and are serious, doors will be open to you,\u201d Peterson said.\u00a0He came to Faulkner University in 2014 and again in 2017 to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies with a Ministry track and plans to graduate in December.\u201cEven when I was a young age, I knew about Jesus, I had knowledge of right and wrong and I had a strong desire to work in the church and share the Gospel,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m here. This is my mission and I need to be about my Father\u2019s business.\u201d\u201cI go back to what Paul said to Timothy when he said, \u2018Let no man despise your youth.\u2019 Never allow what you see to be the hindering of your dreams. There\u2019s no such thing as I can\u2019t if you are willing to put in the work to make it happen.\u201dThe Sweetwater Church of Christ in Jacksonville, Fla. is looking forward to Peterson stepping into their church\u2019s lead minister position after he graduates according to Richard Coffey, Sr., who has served as the church\u2019s minister for the last 42 years. Two years ago, Coffey began looking for someone who could take over the\u00a0 role. When he heard Peterson preach at the Sylvania Heights Church of Christ in Fort Walton Beach, he knew he had found the right man.\u201cWe were just in awe of his message after we heard him and we knew we had to bring him to Sweetwater so everyone could have a chance to hear him,\u201d Coffey said. \u201cThe entire congregation of all generations and our elders have really taken to him and that was the most important thing. We\u2019re just so blessed. With God\u2019s help, he will go far.\u201dPeterson is excited for the chance to serve the people at Sweetwater, but more importantly for the chance to continue the Lord\u2019s work there.\u201cI have nothing to boast or brag about, only in the cross of Jesus Christ. I am only able to be called righteous because of Christ\u2019s righteousness,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cIt\u2019s a free gift. Because he died for me, I will live for him.\u201d"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Undergraduate","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/\/undergraduate\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Bible Major Becomes Lead Minister at 23","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/undergraduate\/bible-major-becomes-lead-minister-at-23\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]