Molly Routson

M.Div. General

“I decided to pursue seminary training while I was leading a Bible study in college,” says Westminster M.Div. student Molly Routson. Then a student at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, where she received a B.A. in Financial Management and Classical Studies, Molly still remembers the moment she knew for sure that she wanted to attend seminary. “I was commenting to a friend that I wished I could spend more time in the Bible, preparing for this Bible study, instead of going back to my finance studies. My friend responded, ‘Well, if you go to seminary, that's the sort of thing you'll be doing all the time.’ I knew that if I went to seminary, I would be forced to delve into God's Word at a level that I never had before, and I would come away equipped to help others do likewise.”

Molly wanted to be educated in the Reformed tradition and was interested in the Westminster’s affiliation with the Christian Counseling & Education Foundation. “I chose Westminster for my seminary training because it was highly recommended to me,” she says, “and I appreciated its rigorous academic reputation.” Her favorite courses so far include Ancient Church, Old Testament History and Theology 1 & 2, and Methods of Biblical Change. She plans to graduate in May 2005.

During visits home, the Billings, Montana native relaxes in the great outdoors with a four-wheeler, skis, or a pair of hiking boots. In the rare moments free from her studies, she enjoys cooking, photography, and classic literature. She’s also an animal lover. “When I was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian--until fourth grade when I fainted watching a dog getting spayed. Throughout my growing up years, however, I had quite a variety of pets, including dogs, cats, mice, rats, a salamander, and a Vietnamese potbellied pig named Grunt.”

Molly currently serves as a small group leader for the high school youth group at church and works with the Westminster Student Association on campus. Although she hasn’t settled on a specific career goal yet, her time at Westminster has helped narrow her focus. “I came into seminary hoping to work with women,” she explains, “and I still have a burden of getting biblical teaching in the hands of women, making it practical to them, and trying to instill in them a desire to know the Lord and excitement to dig into his Word. One of the fun things about seminary, however, has been discovering the broad spectrum of opportunities there is for me to use a seminary education in serving God. I am excited to see where the Lord actually does lead me!”