The white paneled church is small. The front steps are shedding pale blue paint and next door a similar white house is condemned, its windows boarded with plywood and graffiti that reads Crip Texas in blue and black spray paint.
Mittie Muse is not discouraged.
“Whatever it is you may be going through when you get into your shaky boat, just keep your faith in Jesus and you’ll be able to step out and not just walk to Jesus on that water but you’ll be able to walk to other side.”
He scans the three rows of wooden pews. His congregation consists of six.
“Each and every one of us has a calling to God. Maybe yours isn’t to stand behind a pulpit and spread the good news, but we all need to keep our focus on the Lord.”
By day Mittie Muse, Jr., 25, is a Southern Methodist University graduate student in the Perkins School of Theology and an employee at SMU’s Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. However, every first and third Sunday of each month, he is also a minister for the African Methodist Episcopal St. Paul Church in Teague, Texas.
“It’s challenging at times to switch gears mentally from school work to church work,” Mittie said, “but my studies in seminary and my desire to help others keep me going.”
As a child, Muse said he felt like people were always trying to box him as a certain type of person. He was either supposed to be super bad or super good.
While growing up in Tyler as the only child of a Methodist minister, Muse could not understand the fascination.
“My theater teacher told me once that she thought I was so much different than all the other kids she knew,” Muse said. “She said, ‘You’re just Mittie and I like that about you.’ But I didn’t know I was supposed to be a certain way.”
When Muse graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2004, he did not want to go into the ministry. With a degree in accounting, he was auditing for a small company in Addison.
Although Muse did not wish to become a minister, he was more than willing to accept any leadership positions that would allow him to speak to people, particularly to youth.
Trying to ignore the desire he felt in his heart to serve people, Muse said it was during a Playstation match of NBA Live with some friends, that he realized his true call to Jesus was to minister.
“I can’t even remember what day it was, just that we were playing a game and out of nowhere I burst out into tears for no apparent reason,” Muse said. “I called my parents and told them I felt led to serve.”
On Feb. 1, 2004 Muse officially accepted his call to serve while in his father’s church in Tyler, during an invitational call to Christ. Most people at the church had expected it, Muse said, because he had spoken there often. But it took some time for his parents to adjust to his decision.
“My dad said, ‘I kinda prayed this would pass you by,'” Muse said. “At first my feelings were hurt, but after being in the pastoral role for about a year, I understood what he was saying.”
Becoming a minister isn’t just a leadership responsibility, Muse said, but a life altering decision that becomes apart of your entire being.
“A church guy can do this, that, whatever, but Mittie the church guy and the Reverend is elevated to a certain rule of righteousness,” Muse said. “If I even blow my nose the wrong way people will think I’m wrong.”
Not only is Mittie a full-time grad student, but he also works four nights a week at Dedman. On the weekends he makes the commute to Teague to preach at St. Paul.
Since Mittie decided to become a minister, he doesn’t go clubbing or buy rap CDs like he used to, but he still occasionally attends parties, plays basketball, likes to work out and procrastinates on his homework.
Last year, at the AME Church conference, Muse’s life changed even more when he was assigned to minister at St. Paul.
“My whole life my dad was a reverend,” Muse said. “I remember where he started. It’s like deja vu, but now it’s my turn. I’ve become a man following in my father’s footsteps.”
At the end of his service Muse helps 89-year-old Mrs. Olga May Rabon to Muse’s car, while Chauncey Parks, an SMU junior sociology major, follows.
Every first and third Sunday, Muse and the two women travel approximately three hours to and from Teague.
Parks, who works with Muse at Dedman, said that from the first time she came to St. Paul, she was knew she’d found her church.
“It was a really long service, but I remember I felt really comfortable at this church,” Parks said. “I had lived in Dallas for two years and hadn’t found a church home. In fact, this is the first church I’ve ever came to consistently.”
Before Muse and the two women make their journey back to Dallas, they typically go and eat lunch with Noami Andrews and her brother, Mr. Cox, who have attended St. Paul their entire lives.
Andrews said she knows Muse could be reassigned to a new church, but she hopes her small church can have him a little while longer.
“We’re praying for him and while we hope we can keep him for several more years, we don’t want to hold him back from going on to bigger challenges,” Andrews said. “He’s a bright man with a bright future and we’re just glad to be knowing him.”
On the way back home, Muse stops at a Family Dollar store to pick up the green rubbing alcohol Mrs. Rabon has been saying she needs for her skin.
Rabon, who has lost all sight in her right eye, said she is so grateful for Muse to give her a ride to church. With the money she saves from having to take the Greyhound to Teague, she buys her own food and tithes to the church.
“I just love Reverend Muse,” Rabon said. “I think he’s a fine man and he loves the church.”
Finally home, Muse goes to bed. He should start some of his homework, but is too tired and doesn’t have class until Tuesday.
Later in the week, while working at Dedman, he offers advice on the same note as his last sermon.
“Whatever your situation is, don’t be afraid. Sometimes people step out on that water, gently towards Jesus, and start sinking because they didn’t use their faith. Keep your faith and stay focused on Jesus and you’ll keep from sinking.”
