Serving as a Congregation Designated Minister at Spring Park United Church in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Nathan Zwicker has spent years walking with his community through times of transition, growth, and change.
A husband and father of three, he has helped guide his congregation through new forms of ministry, including the challenges of online worship during the pandemic. Now, as a Diploma in Ministry student at Dio, Nathan is building on his years of pastoral experience to deepen his theological foundation and renew his sense of call to ordained ministry in the United Church of Canada.
For Nathan returning to theological studies has been both a challenge and a blessing. “It’s been a wonderful time,” he says. “A time of challenges as a mature student, a time of self-doubt but also a time of great learning and great support.”
When he decided to resume his studies after several years in ministry, the transition could have been daunting. But the college’s flexibility and encouragement made all the difference. “I did not enter immediately into the first year, but started gently,” he recalls. “The school adapted to where I was and what I could do to be ready. They met me halfway.” That openness, he says, helped him regain confidence and reawaken his passion for learning.
Although Nathan’s formal theological education had been on pause for some time, his sense of vocation never truly left him. “My call never really went away,” he reflects. “I just got busy with other things.” Returning to Dio gave him the space to explore that call anew and recognise that it continues to bear fruit. “As we age and pivot through life, it helps to understand that these gifts, this sense of call, are still there and we can still explore how they might serve the church and the world.”
Before returning to studies, Nathan spent years in children and family ministry. His earlier B.Th. from UTC continued to shape his work even outside the classroom. “It was very useful for me to apply,” he explains. “Even though my education wasn’t complete, I could use what I’d learned to inform my ministry.”
Now, in the Diploma in Ministry program, Nathan feels that theory and practice are finally coming together. “What I’m learning here is not just theory, it’s put into practice. I get to see the fruits of what I’m learning almost immediately.”
The experience of studying again, surrounded by students from diverse denominational backgrounds, has also widened his view of the church. “Most of what I learned about liturgy and worship before came from watching others,” he says. “But that context can be small. Here, we get to engage with a much wider context of the church. We see new ways of being the church ways that are more contextual to the people we’re with. We can adapt and grow, with reason, thoughtfulness, and good theology behind it.”
One of the most meaningful surprises of his In Ministry Year, he says, has been “the brilliance of the other students.” Working alongside peers from different traditions has enriched his learning and faith.
“Even in our own church, we don’t always get to talk with people who can give us light and perspective on what we’re experiencing. Here, we get to hear others’ challenges, hopes, and dreams, and to struggle with that. It’s a gift to wrestle with difference and come to a deeper appreciation of each other.”
As Nathan looks ahead, he carries with him a renewed sense of curiosity and wonder. “I hope to bring to my church, from my time here, an ongoing sense of learning,” he says. “Here, you’re invited to think about why you do things, why you think the way you do, and to listen to other experiences. We need that challenge, it makes us richer. The more people we gather with, the more we see the face of Jesus.”
