When Dr. Michael Colucci (Bible ’98, M. Div. ’00, D. Min. ’11) was considering his college options, he was drawn to Pensacola Christian College partly because of its clearly outlined expectations for students. With a heart for ministry, Dr. Colucci wanted a school that would prepare him for service, and he felt that PCC was concerned with both Bible content and student testimony.
Three years after completing his master’s at PCC, Dr. Colucci decided to apply to serve on faculty. “I was already comfortable with the mission and practice of the ministry and believed that if the Lord opened the door for me to serve here, it would be a very good fit for my family and me. Since then, I have looked forward to coming to work every day.”
Having now worked at PCC for 17 years, Dr. Colucci is thankful for both the investment that the Campus Church has made in his family and the camaraderie he has with his coworkers. “When I go to work, I have Christian fellowship with my coworkers. That is really something special,” Dr. Colucci said. “I have worked plenty of jobs in the secular workplace. It was rare to find that kind of fellowship with one person let alone the entire workforce of the company.”
But there is another aspect of working at PCC that Dr. Michael Colucci is thankful for—the college students themselves. As a Bible and biblical languages instructor, he is constantly surrounded by students, many of whom are training for full-time ministry. “What I enjoy most is being surrounded by college-age students.”
This semester, Dr. Colucci’s classes include three graduate-level courses: Advanced Greek Syntax, Greek—James, and Hebrew—Micah. In addition to teaching these courses, he manages both sections of the Church Ministries Internship class. In the first semester (PR 327), Dr. Colucci works with ministerial students as they observe various ministries of Campus Church and reflect on what they’ve learned. In the second semester of the course (PR 328), he explained that he “assign[s] each student an area in which to serve for one semester and put[s] each student in contact with the person who leads each respective ministry.” Through this course, each student gains hands-on experience working in ministry.
As he works with students and helps them prepare for ministry, Dr. Colucci has found that his students often end up encouraging him. “College students have a tendency to be idealistic. That is a good thing when it comes to ministry,” he said. “As I age, I find that rubbing shoulders with people who still carry the ideals of youth helps me to be ever mindful that anything is possible if God is in it.”
Dr. Michael Colucci said that since he started working at PCC, “the mission of the ministry has not changed, and I have never sensed that the Lord has anything else for us [his family]. Until He moves me, I am here to stay.”
Read more about how God is directing and working through PCC faculty and alumni.