Emma Fairchild - '26
Fairchild Finds Her Voice and Confirms Her Calling Through Quest Ministry
Four sermons for 180 campers at Maryland’s Amplify camp–that would be a huge task for a seasoned minister. But for Emma Fairchild, a junior ministry major at SWU, it was a first. Yet the camp leadership’s response was clear: “No one could tell you’ve never done this before. You’re a natural.”
For Fairchild, this moment represented more than just public speaking success. It marked a significant milestone and confirmation from God that she was called to pastoral ministry, a spiritual journey that began at age 13 during a youth camp in Florida. That early calling to youth ministry has been steadily affirmed through her time at Southern Wesleyan University, particularly through her involvement with Quest, SWU’s ministry program designed to help high school students engage with Scripture and discover their life calling.
The path to that Maryland pulpit began in spring 2024, when Fairchild traveled to Panama through a mission trip led by Global Partners mobilizer Christy Van Steenberg, who has become Fairchild’s mentor. Working with children there transformed Fairchild’s understanding of ministry. “Seeing how the Holy Spirit moves even when you can’t communicate through language, you can communicate through music and hugs and smiles,” she said. “It was a transformational experience.”
The Panama mission experience proved to be a catalyst for Fairchild’s next step in ministry. Upon her return, she felt called to apply for SWU’s summer ministry teams. After her acceptance, Quest director Matt Irvine noticed something deeper emerging. “I really see that pastoral call,” he told her. Working alongside Quest team members Angela Parkhurst and Ethan Holland, Fairchild helped develop a curriculum from the Book of Acts.
With curriculum in hand and calling affirmed, Fairchild joined two fellow SWU students Alvaro Verdejo and Charis Mullikin for a summer-long journey of ministry. The team traveled together to camps across the Southeast, starting at her home camp in Florida, then to South Carolina’s Table Rock for both middle and high school weeks, followed by a family camp in Tennessee. Each stop prepared her for the culminating experience at Maryland’s Amplify camp.
The summer wasn’t without its challenges. On her second morning at Amplify, Fairchild woke up battling intense doubt and anxiety. “I felt this weight all over my body,” she remembered. “I was just really anxious, but I was also logically aware that God’s got this.” Through the prayers of her team and camp leadership, that weight lifted moments before she was to speak. What followed was remarkable, a powerful message that combined preparation with divine inspiration.
The impact of her ministry became clear both spiritually and practically. During one of her messages, a student shared a striking vision: she saw Jesus sitting at the drums, nodding and smiling as Fairchild delivered her sermon. This divine affirmation was matched by multiple ministry offers, including the chance to serve as youth pastor at a church in Florida. Ultimately, Fairchild accepted a position at her home church, where she’ll serve as youth intern this coming summer, leading the youth group where her own calling first took root.
Through all the summer’s triumphs and subsequent challenges, including family health concerns, Fairchild has discovered a deeper truth about ministry. “The number one thing that I have learned consistently is just how much I need to depend on God,” she reflected. “He’s helped me to know that he cares about me and loves me and wants to provide for me, and whenever I rely on him, he’s going to provide.”