“While you’re at your most miserable, I’m going to start working on you…”

Tylor Ritz (Alumni), Creative Arts

with Gabriella De Jesus

OSL Creative Arts alumnus, Tylor Ritz, took time to sit down with me and share how his upbringing and time in OSL molded him into the pastor he is today.

Tell me about your family life growing up?

My parents weren’t pastors but they always served the church wherever they could. We were at the church every time the doors were open. We were honestly just a very close family. My parents are awesome. I love them. They are a huge part of who I am. They always taught me what it looked like to listen to the Lord and how to be obedient no matter the cost.

They’ve been shining examples of how to follow the Lord.

It has never been a stretch for me. There have been difficult times but there has never been a time where it was a hard concept of being faithful and obedient to the Lord because they modeled that for me. They were always my biggest cheerleaders and supporters in whatever I did.

Were there any major impactful moments that affected your life at that time?

When I was ten, I went on a missions’ trip to Mexico. My parents weren’t actually going to let me go because I was young and they weren’t going. My mom prayed for me every day that God would place angels around me to protect me. When she told me I couldn’t go on the trip because it was too dangerous, I looked up at her and asked,

“ Do my angels not work in Mexico?”

After that, she couldn’t say no. It was cool because while I was there, I remember God calling me to be in ministry. That was such a defining moment that impacted everything.

There was also a negative impactful moment. When I was in high school, I had a pastor who had a very negative impact on me. He constantly told me that I would never be good enough, that I wasn’t called into ministry, and basically went against everything I had heard from God. He created a lot of hurt and insecurity in my life that I had to work through and allow the Lord to heal, especially when it came to trusting pastoral authority and listening to people in authority. It was an impactful moment for me because I learned what I never want to become as a pastor and I also learned to listen to God’s voice over that of man.

Who was your role model/mentor in that season of your life, and how did they help you?

I would say one of my biggest role models would have been my old DYD, Dane Paul. From the time I was twelve, he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. He began to call it out and gave me opportunities. He would bring me alongside whatever he was doing, allowing me to be a part of those things. I worked camps for him for about five weeks straight every year for five years. I can remember sitting at his dining room table, night after night, hearing stories from him about what God had done at camp. He shared leadership and ministry advice and modeled what a pastor is and should be. In difficult times, where I was hurt badly, like the example of that one pastor, he would call me and express his love for me. He spoke the truth of God to me and encouraged me to not let it get the best of me. He helped me a lot there.

How did you come to Christ?

When I was four, I was in the car with my family on the way to church and I started asking my mom questions about Jesus. I told her that I wanted Him to live in my heart and prayed that He would. That was the day I initially accepted Jesus but there came a point when I was around seven where I could more understand the decision. Then there were several moments when I was in high school where I would make the decision again. I never strayed away from Christ but there were refining moments happening where I felt the Lord pulling me closer, as well as saying that He wanted a little bit more of me each time. That hasn’t stopped since.

Was there a specific moment that you can remember where you realized the call God has on your life?

Like I said before, I first realized my calling when I was ten while on a missions’ trip to Mexico. After that, there was a time when I was around thirteen when I was really starting to make decisions on my own and I kind of began to doubt my call into ministry. I decided I was going to be a dentist to the point where I even got a job at a dentists’ office. Then one night I was at a church service and the speaker, Robby Mitchell, called me to the front of almost two thousand people. He prophesied over me that God was calling me to ministry. He said that I was not supposed to run from my life. The Lord really used him to speak to me. After that, the Lord just confirmed that message time and time again. That was how I got into ministry and knew I wanted to be a pastor.

Can you tell me more about the struggles you had with your calling during that period?

As I said earlier, there was a time when I was convinced I had made up my calling when I was ten. I had this idea that it had just been an emotional thing. Then throughout high school, there were instances, that I think everyone has, where everything sounds great. I had a lot of moments of questioning but after that moment with Robby, I knew for sure what God was saying.

How did your story bring you to OSL?

I actually didn’t know OSL existed. I originally came here for SAGU and dove right into SAGU when I got here. I got as involved as I could and began looking for churches. After a month of visiting other churches, I decided Oaks Church was where I wanted to be. I came to the Oaks with the intention of serving in the worship department. At that time, I was actually working for Pastor Bryan Brooks in the admissions office of SAGU. I started talking to him about OSL and realized what it was. It was at a time where SAGU students couldn’t switch over, but he told me that in the spring the program would be opening for anyone to jump in. Immediately, I signed up and became a worship intern. I’ve just been here since.

How and why did you choose to be in the Worship Internship? Were you a part of any other internships?

It all just kind of organically happened. I was at chapel my first day at SAGU and the speaker talked about surrendering to God’s call and plan for your life. He gave an altar call and

I thought that I had already surrendered because I was at SAGU.

The Lord said that although I said yes to ministry I had still made my own plans for what it was going to look like. Then He asked me if I would do what He wanted me to do. That night I decided that I would do what He wanted and it would become a daily thing of telling God that I wanted His will for that day. It developed into that going into OSL and choosing an internship. I was an intern for a semester and then immediately became a Ministry Associate the next semester. I did not stay in that internship for long after.

At the end of that semester, Pastor Kelvin Co, the Creative Arts Pastor, asked me if I was interested in becoming his admin in the Ministry Staff. I had turned him down at first and he told me to pray about it and give him an answer sometime that summer. I went home and prayed about it daily and God told me that He wanted me to accept the position. It was one of the weirdest and hardest things I’ve done. I was switching from my comfort zone, and those I’m comfortable around, to be a part of, essentially, a group of strangers. It was huge but amazing to be able to listen to the Lord. On my first day of internship, Pastor Kelvin told me that God had told him to ask me why I made the transition. I couldn’t answer the question with anything other than that it was what God told me to do. Looking back, I can see it was what God had orchestrated to prepare me for what I am doing now. After being an intern for a semester, I was brought on staff in the following spring. I worked full-time for Pastor Kelvin for a year and a half before I transitioned out.

Were there any difficulties you went through while in OSL?

When I was in the Worship Internship, I felt very comfortable. It felt like it was what I was supposed to be doing. When the Lord asked me to move, it was very hard because I was exactly where I wanted to be. I was where I thought God wanted me to be. It was hard because I also had a lot of friends that were in the Worship Internship that I had built strong relationships with. The hardest thing was knowing that I was being obedient to the Lord but it wasn’t feeling good. For about four months, I felt miserable and although I prayed for God’s will every day, I still wasn’t sure why I was there. I couldn’t find my purpose and it was really difficult.

How did you get through this time?

I started seeing a counselor around that time. The Lord used that time of my misery to put me in a vulnerable state where I was able to talk and open up about things I had never said to anyone. I told my counselor things that were very hard for me to say. The Lord used that time as an opening, or window, to say, “While you’re at your most miserable, I’m going to start working on you, open you up, and get everything out of you that I don’t want in you.” Going to counseling was probably the best thing for me at that time.

Down the line, during your time in OSL, where did you see yourself after graduation?

Honestly, I had no idea. When I came to SAGU, I had these thoughts of the steps I would take and where I would go. The Lord just said, “That’s not what I have for you. Will you trust me?” Making that commitment was scary because I had no idea what I was doing. There was always this assurance that every step He had for me was way better than anything I could imagine for myself. Honestly, it could be scary sometimes, because I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I wanted to be. I just knew that I was going to listen to the Lord and that’s what I did.

Going off the last question, what have you been up to since graduating from OSL?

Well, I graduated debt-free because of OSL and the scholarships that I was awarded. After graduating, I continued working here at the Oaks. I went on to get my Masters Degree. I got married to my wife, Hannah. We got a puppy named Finnley. I became the Connections Pastor here at the Oaks. My wife and I built and moved into our house. Also, one of the passions I have felt like God has pushed me to pursue is speaking and preaching. In this time, I have been asked to speak at multiple retreats and conferences. It has been cool to see that even those small desires of my heart, God has not neglected.

Was the experience what you had imagined it to be? Did it meet your expectations?

I didn’t really know what I was getting into. I just knew I wanted to be a part of it. I think it shattered every expectation that I had if any. I think back on the years of God prepping me for ministry and just listening to the Lord. It’s cool to see that He brought me to OSL to prepare me. I feel equipped and prepared to do what God is asking me to do. God used OSL to bring healing to my heart and restore my faith and trust in pastoral authority. Being here also taught me how to be a pastor that is careful, sensitive, and loving to people. I have also been able to find grace for the pastor that hurt me. God used my time here to fully heal my heart. I have been able to forgive and move on.

Lastly, do you have any advice for students currently going through OSL and those looking into it?

Proverbs 16:9 says, “The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” My advice to anyone is don’t let your mind and your plans get in the way of the steps that God has directed for you. When I first got here, I had all these plans but they weren’t what God wanted for me. All of those things I had in mind were good things but they weren’t what God wanted. What God wants is so much better than what I could have planned or done. Another thing I would say to everyone is to wake up every day asking God what He wants from that day. It frees you a lot from having to plan your own future and make your own plans. You can walk confidently knowing you never have to question if you’re walking exactly where God wants you if you first ask Him every morning.

The Oaks School of Leadership (OSL) at Oaks Church was founded in 2009 and since then more than 600 students have gone through OSL. Many serve in high-caliber leadership positions throughout our nation and around the world. OSL exists to position students for effective leadership in a variety of capacities, including ministry, non-profit and business leadership, by providing students with hands-on leadership training combined with a degree from an accredited university.