As Eric Dorn MLC ’18 taught third grade in Antigua during his first year of ministry, he discovered a clarity of calling that would shape the direction of his ministry for years to come. Teaching those 8- and 9-year-olds was a unique and enjoyable experience, but one subject consistently captured his heart and attention. “I realized that I loved teaching God’s Word the most to my students. My deeper passion was with Scripture and worship.”
That realization became a turning point. Then and there, Eric decided that when he completed his year in Antigua, he’d return to MLC and add two more degrees to his elementary education training: a bachelor’s in staff ministry and a master’s in theological studies.
His goal was clear: to learn even more about God’s Word and how to share it more deeply, faithfully, and confidently. Maybe with that training, he thought, God might call him to become a staff minister/worship coordinator or maybe even a high school theology teacher. Teaching high school would allow him to coach soccer too, another of his loves.
As it turned out, God affirmed those plans — but with a different timetable. A speedier one.
“I returned from Antigua,” Eric said, “and four days after getting stateside, I received a one-year call to Lakeside Lutheran High School to teach theology and coach boys’ varsity soccer! They also assured me I could continue my plan to pursue my Master of Arts in Theological Studies.”
What began as a one-year temporary call became a long-term ministry. Currently in his seventh year at Lakeside, Eric teaches all the sophomore theology courses — Gospels, Acts, and a couple Epistles — and chairs the theology department. He coaches boys’ varsity soccer and girls’ JV soccer. And, according to plan, he’s now nearing completion of his MA in Theological Studies at MLC.
When Eric first started the MA program, he had specific requirements and goals that MLC’s program was uniquely suited to meet: “I knew that at MLC I would get qualified professors from multiple institutions who would be able to help me deepen my own understanding of God’s Word. I also knew I would be receiving that guidance through the Lutheran lens.”
Eric knew that a deeper knowledge of the Word would enable him to answer his students’ tough questions with accuracy and confidence — one of his goals. And he also wanted to show students how to dig deeper into the Word themselves, equipping them with skills they could carry with them all their lives.
The program met his goals and more. “I have enjoyed every class I have taken. Each one has broadened my depth of knowledge in different ways. In fact, I’ve learned even more than I thought I would.”
He especially appreciated what he learned about hermeneutics: “It isn’t just about the content of Scripture. It’s the way in which we approach studying Scripture. Growing in those skills has helped me in my own understanding of God’s Word and in guiding my students on how to study God’s Word.”
Like so many MLC grad students, Eric has found the course content to be immediately applicable in his teaching ministry. His online MLC classroom and his real-time Lakeside classroom are closely connected. “I’ve literally read something new in an evening, and then the next day I’ve gotten to share that new bit of information with my students.”
The Christian Apologetics course has been a standout. “It helped me build confidence in defending my own faith,” Eric says. “Now I can help my high school students do the same thing, all while understanding that apologetics is a tool to help clear the path in order to get to the thing the Holy Spirit uses to change hearts — the gospel.”
As he nears graduation, Eric is eager to encourage others who share his passion for teaching God’s Word to deepen their knowledge through MLC’s program too.
“MLC makes it very convenient with all of the classes being available online,” he says. “And they know how to work with you where you’re at. Though they expect high-quality work and effort, they also understand that many of us are likely working full-time and maybe even have families. I was able to continue serving in my current ministry, get married, and start a family, all while receiving instruction. It has been a great blessing for me!”
One thing has remained constant for Eric, from his third-grade classroom in Antigua to his theology classroom at Lakeside: the power of God’s Word and his passion for teaching it. Through rigorous study, faithful instruction, and daily application, God has worked through the Word to shape Eric’s ministry and faith-life — and the faith-lives of his students as well. Whether Eric is studying, teaching, coaching, or mentoring, the Word remains at the center.
Meet Eric Dorn
Family: “I’m married to Sophia (Birner) MLC ’20, who grew up in Zambia as a missionary kid. We have a 1-year-old daughter, Kyra, who is the silliest and sweetest blessing to us. I come from a family of called workers (grandparents, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides, as well as my own parents and siblings).”
Interests: “One of my favorite things is to work on our house. We redid almost the entire inside on our own. I also worked several summers on the outside of our property, putting in a patio, landscaping, reseeding, cutting down trees, etc. It is satisfying to see the work that was accomplished.”
Some miscellaneous things about Eric we’d never guess: “I got to play soccer in England when my WLC soccer team took a trip there. (Yes, I attended WLC for two years in business school before transferring to MLC.) In Antigua, I got to hold and feed a stingray. On a safari in Zambia, I was about 15 yards away from an elephant charging several lions. At our home in Lake Mills, people might think the beautiful flower beds and baskets in our yard are my wife’s doing, but I’m really the one who likes doing that type of stuff. And finally, my brother-in-law Jason Kotecki and I have won an annual corn-hole tournament here in Lake Mills four years in a row now.”
