Pastor

Dr. Terence Z. McCrimmon

I barely graduated high school and pursuing higher education was not on my list of priorities. However, I enrolled into Sandhills Community College the Fall after graduation, merely because I felt it was the right thing to do. I honestly was not prepared for college. It was not that I did not have the capacity to learn. I simply did not apply myself.  Needless to say, I had an unsuccessful semester at Sandhills. I did not continue my studies that following Spring.  I felt that perhaps college was not for me. So, I decided to enter the workforce full-time.  While working, I took courses here and there, accumulating college credits. It was not until 2006 that I decided I was ready to obtain a degree and attended a small Bible college.  By the grace of God, I obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Theology.

Excited about finally obtaining an undergraduate degree, I enrolled in Liberty University School of Divinity in Fall 2008. I will admit that I did not do very well the first two semesters at Liberty. It was very rigorous, and I did not do a very good job with balancing school, working full-time, and pastoring, which resulted in me taking a few semesters off. In 2012, I decided to re-enroll in Liberty. With a determined mind, learning time management skills, and remaining focused, I obtained two master’s degrees in May 2014 and December 2015, respectfully. In Spring 2016, I was accepted into the Doctor of Ministry program at Erskine Theological Seminary. However, being more confident and wanting to prepare myself for a career in higher education, in Fall 2016 I dually enrolled in the University of Sioux Falls (USF) and Gardner-Webb University (GWU).

In Fall 2017, I earned a Master of Education in Adult and Higher Education Administration from the USF and in Fall 2019 I received my Doctorate in Education from GWU. Wanting to better serve my congregation, I have already resumed the Doctor of Ministry program at Erskine.

This academic journey was not easy. I had a lot of obstacles along the way, was on academic probation at one point, and had given up several times. However, with making up my mind not to be defeated, having faith in God, and surrounding myself around people who achieved what I desired to achieve, I am humbled to be Dr. Terence Z. McCrimmon today. I pray that my determination and achievement inspire someone to pursue their goals.