I’m starting a new blog series today that will run periodically throughout the summer. I’m calling the intermittent series “Monday Morning Ministers.” I’m blessed as a pastor to have many faithful and mature “ordinary” people in our congregation. I learn from them and benefit from their service to Christ in their respective professions. I’ll be asking various people from my church about how their regular life and Christian faith intersect. Posting these interviews will give people from our congregation a chance to get to know their fellow members (if they read my blog!). And perhaps hearing how these faithful brothers and sisters walk their Christian walk will be an encourage to all the other remarkable “ordinary” folks out there.
Today I’d like to introduce you to Sean Duffy (43 years old). He is an engineer at GM, a good musician, has a wonderful family, and is an all around great guy.
1. Where did you grow up?
I was born in Pennsylvania but moved to Stone Mountain, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, when I was in kindergarten. We moved to Ohio for three years during elementary school but we moved back to Stone Mountain when I was in seventh grade. My parents and sister’s family as well as my in-laws live in Georgia and I consider it home.
2. Tell us about your family—the family you came from and the family you have now.
I grew up in a family of four with one sister who’s two years younger than I am. My dad worked as a public accountant and at several colleges. He’s one of the most honest and hardworking people I’ve ever known. My mother was a high school French teacher until I was born when she opted to become a stay-at-home mom. She took great care of us growing up.
I married my wife, Christy, in 1992. We knew of each other in high school but didn’t start to date until I had graduated from college. I quickly fell in love with her (and her beautiful blue eyes) and like a typical engineer I called every Wednesday to ask her out the following Friday. She has always taken her faith very seriously and played a big part in me becoming a believer. We have three wonderful kids: Michael (15), Amy (12), and Rebecca (9).
3. How did you become a Christian?
I grew up going to church every Sunday but didn’t really know the Lord until much later. It wasn’t until I attended a summer music festival and heard – and understood – the gospel for the first time. Over the next year I understood what it meant to have Jesus as my Savior, joined a Bible study, changed churches and learned the difference between performing and leading in worship on Sunday.
4. Describe your current vocation and why you decided to do what you are doing.
I have always loved cars and enjoyed math and science so I decided to study engineering. I earned my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from GMI Engineering and Management Institute (now Kettering University in Flint) while working as a co-op student at General Motors’ Doraville, Georgia, assembly plant. I was hired in full time after graduation and worked at the Doraville plant in various roles for 20+ years before being given the opportunity to move to Lansing and launch the new plant here.
My current position is the Manufacturing Engineering Manager at GM’s newest North American facility, the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant. I manage a group of controls and mechanical engineers who support production operations and plan future model change activities. We build the Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, and GMC Acadia for sale worldwide.
5. What are some of the blessings of your vocation?
I love new cars and can get a whiff of “new car smell” every day! I also get to drive and evaluate a different company car every six months – that’s a huge perk for a car guy. It’s great seeing a car or truck on the street knowing that I had a part in building it. I also love to show people around the plant. No one can fathom how amazing it is to take 10,000 parts and turn them into a car that starts up at the end of the line – until they see it themselves.
I also love working in the manufacturing sector in general. Our nation’s economy cannot survive or hope to thrive only by pushing paper or providing services. The current economic downturn has walloped all manufacturers with incredible drops in demand almost overnight. I’m excited to be a part of repositioning and reworking the company, and in turn, the country. (Not to sound like a sore loser, but even the foreign car companies like Toyota are struggling – not just the American ones. The media regularly fail to report that.)
6. What are some of the challenges?
The constant pressure is sometimes hard to handle. We have to make production, meet quality standards with fewer engineers, smaller budgets and ever-increasing environmental and government regulations all while satisfying the customer. I get up before 4:30 am each morning to be at work before the line starts at 6:00 am. And my day is long – even with the early start. I usually get home around 6 in the evening.
7. How is your commitment to Christ challenged, strengthened, and exercised in your vocation?
The language used in any manufacturing facility can be coarse. My testimony is often that my strongest curse word is, “Dadgumit.” Now, that doesn’t exactly point to Jesus but it opens the door for people to ask why I behave the way I do. And there my faith is challenged: am I going to tell the truth? Will they treat me differently if I talk about Jesus?
8. How has your life and/or vocation been affected by the downturn in the economy?
Well, I work for GM… need I say more? As I write this I’m waiting for the announcement that GM will declare bankruptcy. It is a difficult time as morale is certainly suffering and it seems no one knows who will be let go next; I’d built an excellent team of engineers and have had to let many of them go. However it’s a great opportunity to trust in the Lord and remember who’s ultimately in charge.
9. What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you were younger?
My value is not in what other people think of me; my value comes from what Christ has done for me. And it’s okay to be wrong sometimes because I can’t always be right (even though I’d like to be!).
10. Any good books you are currently reading or would recommend to others?
I just finished Why GM Matters by William Holstein. It’s an excellent look into the way our American life and economy is intertwined with the auto industry and manufacturing in general.
The book I’m using during my private devotional time is The One Year Book of Hymns that my mother–in-law gave me. It’s the text of a different hymn each day with corresponding scripture and commentary. I find myself meditating on the words all day. There’s so much truth in the hymns.
Of course, my son Michael and I pour over Car and Driver and Motor Trend each month – I highly recommend them over Consumer’s Reports!
