The Shadow
James McDougal will be speaking at the 11 am worship service at Edgemont ARP Church in Covington on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2021.
Pastor Intern McDougal comes to Edgemont as a member of Old Providence ARP Church in Spottswood, where he presently serves as Pastor Intern. Over the past year, his regular duties have included leading worship services, preaching, visitation of our elderly and infirmed, teaching adult Bible studies, counseling, providing youth group lessons, and conducting prayer meetings.
Having recently completed the requirements for a Masters in Biblical Studies from the Reformed Theological Seminary, Pastor McDougal has come under the care of the ARP’s Virginia Presbytery as he undergoes the trials of ministerial ordination. This degree specializes in the study of and practical applications of pastoral care, biblical doctrine, church history, and the interpretation of both the Old and New Testament writings – – but he has augmented the curriculum with language, evangelism, counseling, and worship courses so that it achieves the equivalency of an MDiv.
Pastorally, McDougal cannot think of anything more important than handling God’s Word rightly, and has an unquenchable desire is to see His people engage in the Word with a thirst for sanctification and holiness, living out daily life in joy and thanksgiving, all to His glory. Theologically, McDougal desires that our Lord’s ordinary means of grace offered to us in Scripture be practiced and enjoyed in the rich tradition reclaimed by the Reformation.
Prior to pursuing the call to full-time ministry, McDougal made a living with careers in business and in the military. As a graduate of the University of Maryland (B.S. in Accounting), he served as a CPA and auditor for Price Waterhouse in Europe. After obtaining an MBA from Boston University, he focused on helping large enterprises transform how they operate through technology innovation. Concurrently, McDougal served for 25 years as a pilot in the Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard. After numerous deployments, including theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan, he retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
The youngest son of three boys, McDougal grew up in Maryland but has lived in Colorado Springs, Charlotte, Texas, and Germany. He married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth, who is a professor at Bridgewater College. They presently reside in Raphine with our very senior beagle, Barnabas (aka, Barney). When he has the rare free time, Pastor McDougal enjoys tennis, golf, and playing guitar.
