Manna University exists to advance the Kingdom of God through biblical higher education – Everywhere. For some, that may evoke the image of a college planting other colleges in the manner that a church sends out leaders to plant churches. While Manna University certainly has extension sites and mentoring centers, the end goal is not that we have more buildings, but that we develop and deploy more leaders. One such leader is Jonathan Fletcher. Jonathan completed his Master of Arts in Religious Studies at Manna University in 2024 and is now a Doctor of Ministry student with Manna U. After 20 years of pastoring in various roles at churches in North Carolina, most of which were at Manna Church Fayetteville/Ft. Bragg, Jonathan and his family moved in January 2024 to Texas, where he would become lead pastor of the new Manna Church Killeen.
Jonathan has spoken of how biblical higher education, specifically Manna University, has helped him as a leader and as a pastor. He said that one of his biggest takeaways was that he had the opportunity to grow with other emerging leaders as he wrestled with theological ideas and came to understand them. He also said that in his public communication as a pastor, he has had more confidence in what he is speaking on because of Manna University: “I’ve walked onto that stage in so many places, so many times. Confident. Confident in God. Confident [in] who God made me to be, but also confident in what has been placed in me. To be able to look in the word and see what God is saying for a time, for a people, for a congregation. I feel like my life and others through my life have been blessed by Manna University.”
Jonathan concludes by sharing how Manna University not only gave him skills and knowledge, but helped him develop his worldview as well, saying, “I can’t imagine somewhere [other than Manna University] that would teach me what I believe better than Manna U. So, I am a Major all the way, born and bred.”
