Once he answered ‘the phone’
Now he’s responding to God’s call

Richard S. Yost, president of the seminary’s student body, well remembers the gut-wrenching moment he experienced last year at LTSP some 30 minutes into his first class in Hebrew.

"I was scared to death," he recalls. "I hadn’t been in a classroom in nearly 30 years. I was aged 50 when I started. I found the idea of studying languages intimidating. And I was just sitting there thinking I had made this huge mistake."

At that moment Yost probably wished he was back in Upstate New York, still serving as a successful middle management executive for Verizon. His responsibilities included requisitioning and delivering field materials for technicians staffing three Verizon facilities in Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo. "I was not unhappy working for Verizon," he recalls. "I had become used to being on my own. I had a lot to say about how I spent my hours doing field work. I had a lot of freedom and control."

Suddenly, there in Hebrew class, all of that freedom had evaporated into a sense of fear. It seemed like so long ago that he had studied his way through the University of Prince Edward Island, majoring in History and Education prior to becoming a middle school teacher. In those days he had received offers to become a running back in the Canadian Football League. Now, Yost has been married for 27 years and is the father of an adult son.

"But I soon learned that both God and Professor (Elizabeth) Huwiler are good. They became a living testimony to me that there is grace. After surviving the first two weeks I felt I could do it. I could fulfill my dream to become a parish pastor."

It’s a dream that really began in high school, when he had thoughts of entering the Roman Catholic priesthood as part of the church he had belonged to most of his life. In those days a priest had advised him to pursue his sports and student interests and decide later on about becoming a priest.

Along came wife-to-be Mary Dee. The couple dated, fell in love, and Dick Yost’s dream of becoming a priest seemed to die. For years, Mary Dee and then son, Christopher, attended the Lutheran church, a background Mary Dee had known all her life, while Dick continued to attend a Catholic congregation. He enjoyed participating in his church’s musical program and being a leader in the church, but as he grew older he began to yearn for the opportunity to worship with his family intact under one roof.

In 1993, he made the move, becoming a member of St. Michael Lutheran Church, Camillus, NY, where he became a leader in the worship and music program, sang in the choir, and soon began serving on the congregation’s council.

As he grew in his new church role, an old dream began to resurface about professional ministry. "We kept putting up obstacles that seemed to be in the way of pursuing that dream," Dick recalls. At first, he felt the challenge to remain a breadwinner as Chris pursued an undergraduate education. "Mary would wonder with me if we could afford to make this kind of change. Each time we thought of an obstacle, we just gave it over to God. And the obstacle would be removed." Mary received an offer to take on a civil service job where she could receive benefits to help support the family. Son Chris gave his blessing to the dream.

After surviving Hebrew, Yost admits he had some rough spots. "But Professor (Robert B.) Robinson, my advisor, told me in the beginning that whenever I get frantic, just take a quiet minute to think about what brought me here. That advice has really helped.

"I would say that even if somehow I ended up not being ordained, I would have no regrets about coming here," Yost says. "Studying at this seminary has already made me more of a servant of God. What I’ve learned here has been such a gift. I’ve sat at the feet of learned people and it has been a benefit to me to be in their presence. I am truly filled up being here to the point of being in awe. It has been truly a joyful experience."

He discussed Timothy Wengert’s classes on the Lutheran Confessions and what it has taught him about "the role of being a Christian…We have no role in being saved. All we do and become is a gift of God’s grace." He spoke of learning from Professor Huwiler and discussed Dr. Gordon Lathrop’s passion for teaching the Lutheran liturgy. "The passion of our faculty is something you have to experience. You can put it in a brochure, but when you sit with the teachers here you can feel the passion that the faculty feels for your work and for your service to God."

Another aspect of the seminary’s life is the community sense he enjoys with other students. "Even if you feel alone for a bit you soon remember that you are set adrift in the midst of an incredible community," he says.

Being student body president "has taken more of my time than I thought it would," he confesses. "But it was an honor to be considered and elected." And he has found the time and capacity to take seriously any issues that have arisen. Twenty-three years of experience in corporate life hasn’t hurt with such administrative challenges.

Standout moments so far? Toward the end of last year, his first at seminary, he recalls second semester moments in Confessions, Liturgy and Pastoral Care classes "when being here started to really take on relevance for me. And I was inspired at commencement last year to see the looks on the faces of the graduates."

He also recalls inspirational moments in Clinical Pastoral Education duties at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse last summer. The hospital classes took on difficult theological questions that arose on the job. Then there was the moment a Jewish woman nearing death in the hospital asked him to pray with her. "So many times," Yost says, "you recognize that you are not controlling this. God is the one in control."