Anna Mutzenberger grew up knowing all about a life of ministry. The daughter of two Dakotas United Methodist clergy, Anna had a front-row seat to see pastoral ministry in action. However, her experience with campus ministry led her to believe God might be nudging her to experience it from a new vantage point. 

"I think growing up, I knew what a pastor did, and I was fully confident that I knew exactly what that position was," said Anna. "But learning more about it has been really interesting because you get different perspectives from each different pastor." 

This different perspective on ministry has come from serving as an Elisha intern with Fusion United Methodist Church and Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU) campus ministry in Mitchell, South Dakota. The mission of the Elisha Project is to create an opportunity for college-aged students to explore, discern their call, and discuss with mentors and peers where God is calling them.  

"I was super involved with campus ministry last year, and [Pastors] Taryn and Anthony were really pouring into me, making sure that I felt comfortable as a leader," described Anna. "At the end of last year, they started talking about having chaplains for campus ministry this year and what that would look like. They decided they would like two Elisha interns to be at the forefront of the chaplain mission they were trying to achieve." 

Pastor Taryn Ragels, lead pastor of Fusion and associate campus pastor at DWU, and Pastor Anthony Ragels, campus pastor at DWU, encouraged Anna to apply for the position.

"At first, I was a little skeptical. I wasn't sure if that's the step I wanted to take or if I could see myself in that role," recalled Anna. "But they really just empowered me and told me that they thought it was going to be a great opportunity and that I could learn a whole bunch."

The internship experience was the next step in a journey of discipleship and leadership development that started for Anna as a youth and continued as she got involved with campus ministry at DWU. 

"Coming into college, I wasn't sure if I wanted to lead because I had been leading in my home church and throughout high school and on CCYM, and I felt like I was always the leader and that I wanted other people to pour into me when I came to college. Pastor Anthony really helped me grow through that and mentored me back into being a leader."

The mentoring and discipling she received have equipped and inspired her to do the same for those younger than her. As part of her internship, Anna serves with the youth ministry at Fusion.

"I would say one highlight is being able to work with the high school youth group at Fusion as well as leading a confirmation class this semester," said Anna. "I didn't realize how much I would learn from helping teach them and seeing their faith grow." 

"I love helping pour into the younger church members and making sure that they have a voice and that they know  people love them and God loves them, and we love having them in church," added Anna.

In addition to working with youth, the Elisha internship has given Anna opportunities to observe and participate in other forms of church ministry leadership, in part because of Fusion's unique leadership model. While Pastor Taryn serves as the lead pastor, other clergy and some lay members are part of a teaching team and preaching rotation. 

"It's been helpful to learn how Fusion does ministry because it isn't just one pastor. They have a teaching team and lots of different people who help out and volunteer, as well as others who are on staff."

Seeing people live out their calling in different ways has encouraged Anna as she continues to discern her own calling.

"I've enjoyed seeing the different ministry positions that could be possible," said Anna.

DWU Student Ministry group.

This internship experience has deepened Anna's excitement for the work of the church and of campus ministries—continuing the trajectory of the past two years as she has served in student leadership of campus ministry.

"It's been amazing to see how important campus ministry is to me, to the Dakota Wesleyan campus in general, and to the other students who really took a step forward [in the past two years]," said Anna. "We want this to be sustainable. We want to see campus ministry grow– not only while we're here, but after we're gone. We've really focused on growing and outreach and making the faith pillar of Dakota Wesleyan not just a thing we say but truly making faith a big part of school at Dakota Wesleyan."

In addition to learning about different aspects of ministry, the Elisha internship experience has given her tools to support her as a leader in the church.

"I would say that the hardest part about being in ministry leadership is remembering to not only pour into others—although that is great—but also remembering that you need to be poured into yourself and your own faith as well," shared Anna. The rhythms and location of these two ministries has helped "fill her cup" so she can continue to lead and bless others.

"It's super special that we not only have Fusion as a church to attend every Sunday right on campus, but we also have chapel every Thursday. I feel like it's really great to kind of 'double dip' in that sense and get two different moments throughout the week that I'm guaranteed a set hour to sit and spend with God."

For anyone who might sense that God is nudging them toward ministry, Anna would encourage them to explore this through the Elisha or Samuel internship programs.

"If you're not sure you want to pursue ministry, it's a great opportunity to see all of the different aspects of ministry and really put a microscope on how you're feeling about it and help you discern really well," said Anna.

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Do you know a young adult or older high school student who has gifts for ministry or is sensing God's call in their life? Encourage them to apply for an Elisha or Samuel internship. High school and college students who complete the application process are then selected by the Dakotas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry who will assign them a church and mentor (Samuel interns are placed in their home church.) Applications are being accepted until March 1, 2025. Churches interested in hosting an intern should contact their district superintendent.