People of TFC: Dante Edwards
“I came in without the intent of winning the scholarship. I just wanted to explore the school and explore myself in the context of the school.”
It was with this attitude that Dante Edwards discovered TFC for the first time through the Future Scholars Weekend event. He never expected to win the full-ride scholarship that is offered annually to only one of it’s participants. Initially, he was just trying out another ministry school. Edwards says that he was touring other schools at the time as well and was only hesitantly considering TFC, but after Future Scholars Weekend he could not ignore God’s call to attend this school- with or without the scholarship.
It was only days later when he received the phone call from President Bob Meyers telling him he had won, that he realized just how easy God would make it for him to go here. Edwards describes the experience in these words:
“I was in the parking lot of my school getting ready to bring in some food for this ministry club that I had run and I got a call...it was crazy, it was from Dr. Bob Meyers. He called and I picked up and he said ‘Hey we’ve been calling the runner-ups all day telling them they didn’t win’ and then my heart was like ‘well, that’s fair.' Then he said, 'but this is not one of those calls.' I felt like I was watching a movie, it was so surreal."
As a kid, Edwards faced enormous challenges. Loud arguments about finances between his parents were typical occurrences in the home, before his father left the family. Edwards says “I remember when I was really young my parents were fighting about money, and I had heard a story about Solomon the Sunday before and how he prayed for wisdom and got, riches and power along with it. And so I thought I was slick and prayed for wisdom so that I’d have enough money for my parents to stop fighting.” When he grew older Edwards took on multiple jobs to try and help support his family. He had been a Christian from an early age in elementary school and says his relationship has been all about “growing closer and learning more about what following Christ looks like."
We asked Edwards what he had learned about God since coming to TFC and he responded with three simple but profound ideas.
“There are so little requirements to be used by God in big ways. It really just takes simple obedience and God will do whatever he wants.”
“He is our provider in the craziest ways.”
“He is limitless. He doesn’t fit in any boxes. He doesn’t fit our notions or ideas about him, even our collective conception of who God is, and that is beautiful.”
Now Edwards is a full-time freshman student with a major in Ministry and Leadership, fully enjoying life on the TFC campus. You can spot him starting spontaneous worship sessions by the pond or in a prayer meeting with the guys in his dorm. He loves the natural feel of the campus and the scenery that is so openly available.