Josiah Forton
Josiah Forton, Music Business Major, started his journey at Geneva College excited for the future ahead. Three years later, he has witnessed God’s continual guiding hand on the path of his life.
As a child, Josiah never had a strong calling for any single profession. During high school, however, God’s plan for his life began to unfold. Taking his faith as his own, Josiah became an active member in his church by serving through missions trips, attending youth group, volunteering in children’s ministries, and joining the worship team. As his faith was ever strengthened, the Lord gave Josiah a strong desire to share this newly solidified faith with others. Although the mode of this witness was rather unclear at the time, Josiah did know one thing with great clarity: he absolutely loved music.
“I love music because it is a beautiful medium through which to communicate the thoughts of the heart,” Josiah states. “Music has no barriers; it is a language that is capable of communicating provoking thoughts and ideas that otherwise may be misunderstood and forgotten.”
Desiring an education where Christ was the cornerstone, Josiah visited Geneva College. Here, when he heard the president exclaim, “Geneva College is unashamedly Christian,” he was immediately impressed and knew this was where God wanted him. With Geneva’s campus located practically out his back door, Josiah commuted and initially joined the Geneva family as a history major. However, as he worked through his first year, God nudged him toward the major that combined both his desires – music and building up people’s faith.
Now, as a Music Business Major, Josiah takes private music lessons, plays piano in the Geneva College Jazz Band and also enjoys singing melodies to the Lord through The Genevans. As a part of his Music program, he plans on attending the Contemporary Music Center (CMC) in Nashville, Tennessee during his senior year. With many diverse career options open before him, Josiah trusts God to lead him to His perfect plan, but he hopes to be hired by a record label or become a music producer, writer or worship leader. Confident in God’s providence, Josiah stated, “God always guides me in an immediate fashion. My calling is not about the profession; it is about using my profession to impact humanity eternally for Christ. It is more about the outcome of the job than the job itself.”
Through his time at Geneva, Josiah has learned many truths that have impacted his life and walk with the Lord. One of these truths continues to resonate with him and captures the underlying theme of his time at Geneva. “You are not in control of your own destiny nor can you step outside of God’s will,” Josiah states. “As you walk through life, you continuously plan your next move only to look back and realize that God’s hand was actively involved, moving you toward the next step of His perfect plan.” Pondering his decision to attend Geneva, change his major, etc., he sees God as the orchestrator of each and every step.
Although Josiah does not know what the future holds, he has faith that God is in control. He is soaking in the knowledge and skills he's being taught at Geneva, all from a foundation of faith. He's being prepared course by course, professor by professor and friend by friend in ways that he doesn't even yet know. He trusts in the Lord and he's in the place that God called him.
-Olivia Forton ‘19