STILL FOLLOWING God’s path

Zachary Carmichael quarterbacked a regional champion but knew his true calling is leading young people to Christ

By: Bridget Chilton Wells

“I have felt many callings in my life.  There are obvious calls, such as going and talking with people about Jesus, but the bigger call I have is ministry… I know that if I trust God with every step of my life, He is going to clear the path for me and show me which direction to take.”

— Zachary Carmichael

In December of 2014, 17-year-old Zachary Carmichael, all but knew exactly what God’s plan was for his life. In his reflection, he remembered growing up in church, but his relationship with God did not truly begin until he had “been forced to go on a youth retreat” as an eigth-grader by his parents and returned transformed after accepting Christ as his personal Savior.

“My whole life changed after that,” remarked Carmichael.  

I knew Carmichael before he ever stepped foot in Anderson County High School because his father, Steve, was a fellow colleague and administrator at Anderson County Middle School, and his older brother, Seth, had already dawned the doors of Bearcat Country two years prior as a student and competitive athlete.

While I watched Zachary Carmichael compete in multiple sports all through high school, it was not until his senior year, that I began to truly uncover the heart underneath the jersey of this truly remarkable young man. 

His heart belonged to God. 

As an administrator, I wanted to continue to develop strong positive “teaching” relationships with students – not just be an office in which students were called. So, I created independent study classes for seniors like Leadership, Sports in Literature, and Theology.  In the fall of 2014, Carmichael and two of his buddies, Brice Stockton and Lane Bicknell, signed up to take my “Theology: Life of Christ” class.

During the summer between his junior and senior years of high school, Carmichael had spent time at a church plant in St. Louis. “I developed a deep love for the church,” he said. “I knew my ministry would involve something in the church setting someday.”

He came back to school that year on fire for Christ, wanting to build on that summer experience, to learn more about Christ, to grow in his discipleship, and to seek God’s call for his life.  At the end of the fall semester, Carmichael reflected in a written assignment about his independent study experience, “I know that I have grown to know Jesus more because of this class. I enjoyed the opportunity to take a break from the chaos in my day and just dig into God’s word.”

And I knew Carmichael would not stop at just ‘digging into the word.’  As committed as he was to his teammates on the football field, he was even more passionate about curbing their antics off the field and developing their relationship with God.  

“Wednesdays were a defensive practice. I knew I wasn’t going to college to play football; I was going into ministry.  So I would use that time during practice to walk around and talk to players about God,” said Carmichael, who didn’t play defense.   

Of course, most Anderson County fans do remember the Carmichael brothers as a pair of hard-working quarterbacks, who led the Bearcats to impressive regional titles in the fall of 2011 and 2013. 

Zachary said, “Hopefully, people remember that I was someone who might not have been the most talented on the field, but gave his best with everything he had.”

But mostly, Carmichael shared that people should use whatever platform God gives you to fulfill your purpose in life on His behalf.  “Sports taught me discipline and how to lead; I use those traits in my student ministry role,” he said. 

After graduating from ACHS, Carmichael spent time in Tennessee, living with an older youth minister and shadowing the work and responsibilities that come along with leading this type of ministry. He received his Bachelor’s degree and a Master of Divinity from Liberty Theological Seminary. During his educational stint, he completed an internship at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, and worked part-time at Woodland Church.

His current role is Student Minister at Journey Church in Versailles, working with young people in grades 6-12..

“With student ministry, I generally plan events, run small groups, and lead Sunday/Wednesday activities for 6th – 12th grades. I occasionally preach, too. One of the things I have been most passionate about is equipping kids to do ministry… to live out the calling they have in their life. I don’t think they have to wait until they are adults to do that,” said Carmichael.   

He also understands that there are a variety of tools and strategies he uses from his high school experiences to connect with young people to engage them in disciple-making like weightlifting, playing sports, and encouraging them in their daily interests because working with youth is all about being able to relate to them wherever they are in their lives.  

“My whole story is about how others influenced me to love the Lord,” said Carmichael.

Through his most recent work, Carmichael witnessed seven students come forward to get baptized at a church event. “We didn’t really expect it,” he said. “It was really powerful to see the Holy Spirit at work through them.”

…the Holy Spirit and the added influence of a passionate, Christian youth minister using his talents to glorify God because he listened and trusted in God’s plan.

And just like his good friend, Brayden Russell, Carmichael sees high school as a prime mission field for sharing the gospel because hearts haven’t become hardened by all the negative life experiences yet. His message to today’s teens: “Everyone is just as insecure as you are. Don’t worry about what others think. Give God your very best. Live for Him.”

Living for Him… discipline, leadership, influence, and trust– clearly, Zachary Carmichael has set an example both as a Bearcat teammate and a confident, Christian leader following the path that God has been guiding him on ever since hearing the call.

Bridget Chilton Wells is a retired school administrator from the Anderson County, Kentucky school system. Before becoming an assistant principal, Wells taught English classes, including journalism. A point guard during her playing days at Mercer County High, Wells is writing a series of stories about former students who have entered the ministry.