Resident Profile: Kelsey Hinely

Kelsey attends Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Ft Worth and became a Resident with us in 2017. We wanted you to hear a little about her story and how she is helping bring the Gospel to difficult places around the world.

Tell us about your childhood, education and when you met Jesus

I grew up in Kenya and Botswana as a missionary kid until I was 10 years old before moving to the US. My parents shared the Gospel with me and I realized at a young age that I had to make a personal decision to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Ever since childhood, I’ve had a heart for sharing the gospel and a passion for languages. I wanted to be a missionary just like my parents and tell as many people as possible about Christ. I studied International Affairs and Japanese at Georgia Tech in order to prepare for that.

What led you to seminary?

After college, I spent two years in Asia as a missionary. During that time, I realized that there was so much that I needed to learn about ministry, discipleship, counseling, and church planting. I desired to learn from older missionaries, pastors, and professors so that I could better serve. My time at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has definitely prepared me in those areas.

What has been your experience doing online evangelism with Need Him Global?

Every day is different. Every person is unique. But every person needs Christ. It really stretched me in sharing my faith and keeping the focus on Jesus. It helped me see how compassion and love open hearts. I found that when the Holy Spirit worked through me, that really came across and could cause someone to move towards a better view of God or even to trust in Jesus for the first time.

What has God shown you during the time with the ministry?

He showed me that He is the answer and that he will speak through us even when we think nothing is coming across. I can use seminary training, but I don’t have to be the expert on everything. Humility, empathy and patience can go a long way. I have seen God use so many different life struggles to lead people to a saving faith in Christ.

How did your experience with Need Him Global prepare you for the future?

I have spent the last two summers in Japan. Need Him helped me to be more comfortable with evangelism and with turning conversations towards the Gospel through asking questions, giving testimonies, and the use of scriptures. It also prepared me for rejection. Rejection is something I experienced on a daily basis during my internship and in Japan and I have learned to not take it personally.