My mission is to keep an ear pressed against the chest of God and to live my life in the rhythm of that beat.

Tony Nolan was born in a mental institution in Macclenny, Florida, to a homeless prostitute. After suffering abandonment by his biological mother and unimaginable abuse in the foster care system, he was adopted at age four. Living with his new family in a crime-ridden, impoverished neighborhood, Tony’s heart was crushed by the shooting deaths of several friends and even a family member. While grateful to be adopted, life with his new father presented its own share of struggles. Tony grew accustomed to drunken rages and verbal assaults from his father who said he regretted “purchasing” his adopted son.

But God had a plan for Tony that this terrifying childhood could not quell. The Lord called Tony to pastor and has faithfully used him in countless settings since – campus pastoring, megachurch pastoring, and now touring with Christian bands, such as Casting Crowns, David Crowder, and Hillsong, to minister to jam-packed arenas. None of this was Tony’s plan for himself, but he has learned that his sole mission in life and ministry is “keeping an ear pressed against the chest of God to hear his heartbeat for a hurting world.” Tony says he “lives his life in the rhythm of that beat.”

It serves him well. One night on tour, Tony logged in to his Richmont online class, right there at work in an arena in Portland, Oregon. The Wi-Fi connection was poor, causing him to constantly walk around to maintain his connection. Not only that, but the lights and sound of the practicing band, the band members’ attempts to jokingly distract him, and the early arrivers to the concert provided a terrible setting for a studious pursuit. But in the end, Tony’s perseverance paid off: later the same night, he found himself using “that very class content” to counsel a suicidal student.

Tony is grateful that God has led him to Richmont to complete a graduate degree in ministry. “Richmont is a place where you can grow in your gifting and hone your skillsets through the interaction and investments of others,” he says. His professors have shown him individualized care, even inviting him to lunch simply to get to know him better. Richmont has provided Tony a unique mix of love and academic preparation that has “blessed and uplifted” him, and he looks forward to the next steps God has in store.