Experiencing the Garrett-Evangelical Community: An Administrator Perspective

I enjoy being on the Garrett-Evangelical campus year-round, but I particularly appreciate being on campus during the fall season. There is something invigorating about fall and the start of the new school year. It gives me a renewed sense of purpose and determination to consciously make a daily effort to improve my service to the seminary and my relationship with the staff, faculty, and students.

This is my second fall at Garrett-Evangelical. I arrived in May of 2009 to take on the job of Controller. I remember walking into the seminary for the first time – from the outside, the building itself is impressive. The picturesque tower exudes all of the things you imagine when you think of a religious institution. I didn’t grow up in the United Methodist church, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from seminary life. I was raised in the Catholic faith, so my expectation was not far from a mental picture of nuns and priests silently praying as they walked the halls.

I will attribute my convoluted notion of a “seminary” to my Catholic upbringing and too many movies! Needless to say, I could not have been more wrong. I sometimes overhear discussions when I walk by classrooms, and I am so impressed by the intelligence of the students. I must confess – please don’t try to have a meaningful academic-related conversation with me. I couldn’t understand your theological discussions if I tried! And as impressed as I was with the students’ desire to learn and grow in their faith, I was even more impressed by the enormous presence of community at Garrett-Evangelical. I still see it in how the students respect and support one another, and it inspires me in my interactions with others.

When I think back to last fall, I recall Board of Trustee Finance Committee meetings approving funding for the Loder Hall and Lesemann Hall renovations. I saw how hard the leadership team and the Finance Committee worked to make the renovations a reality. Now, this fall, I am actually seeing the construction happen – along with all of the invoices the Business Office pays to our various construction vendors! But this is truly a crucial investment in the future of the seminary, and it is worth every penny (especially next winter when I don’t have to leave campus to grab lunch).

I am already looking forward to next fall when I can once again see the results of another year of the seminary administrators’ hard work. Administrative processes may not always run smoothly or perfectly, and I firmly believe there is always room for improvement in all that we do. But the one constant in the transformation of Garrett-Evangelical is the genuine desire of its faculty and staff to help the students succeed. It is so rewarding to work in a place where the priority is to support the community, both staff and students, in all that we do. For this, I am truly grateful to be a member of the Garrett-Evangelical community.

So even though I don’t understand what you are discussing in the classroom, I am always happy to help you deal with the administration of being a student. And if not before then, I will see you at lunchtime in Loder Hall next fall!

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Jessica Johnston is a Controller in the Business Office at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Are You so in Debt as to Embarrass?

“Are you in debt so as to embarrass you in your work?”

That is question number sixteen asked by a United Methodist bishop of those who present themselves for ministry in The United Methodist Church. The question sometimes brings awkward giggles and laughter at the annual conference session when it is asked. Even the episcopal leader posing the question may make a side comment to lessen the tension and unease! Some have suggested the appropriate answer should be, “I don’t embarrass easily!” Yet, the reality is, a major source of potential embarrassment is the cost of the candidate’s education.

Student debt is an ongoing subject in the media. It also weaves its way into student conversations, deliberations by academic administrators, and—when thinking about theological education—the church. Of particular concern is the size of the debt for which a student is responsible at the completion of her or his education, whether it be undergraduate or graduate studies—or theological study.

A study of graduates from a Lutheran seminary reported the total educational debt for graduates increased from $28,882 in 2000 to approximately $40,000 in 2010. The figure represents the combined debt from both undergraduate and seminary education.

A Presbyterian survey indicated the average Master of Divinity graduate in 1991 left seminary with a $5,267 debt as a result of her/his seminary education. Ten years later, the average debt had tripled, to $15,599. By 2010, the debt is likely to have increased to $23,000. When a modest undergraduate debt of$16,000 is added to the mix, a student may leave seminary with as much as $39,000 in total educational debt.

Considering modest pastoral salaries, it could take an individual fifteen to twenty years to pay back the loans. That is a long time!

Garrett-Evangelical annually awards more than $2 million in financial annually. Even with generous aid packages, students must secure loans to pursue the training necessary to fulfill their call—and meet the requirements of the church—to be an ordained clergy. The average student debt accrued from study at the seminary is approximately $27,000.

I have a modest proposal.

In United Methodism, an individual pursuing ministry goes through several steps. A criterion for being recognized as a Declared Candidate is to be recommended by the charge conference of one’s local congregation. The folk of the church, in essence, attest they believe the individual is worthy to be a declared candidate and recommend her/him to be one. A requirement to continue in candidacy is the annual recommendation by the charge conference.

Without the official annual support of the home congregation, an individual cannot continue in candidacy toward ordination!

My proposal is “support your candidate!” Support occurs in several ways. The official action of the charge conference or other sponsoring body is one. Ongoing prayer and affirmation is another. There is a third: financial support.

Underwrite the candidate(s) for ministry from your congregation with a scholarship. The annual scholarship could range from $5,000 to the total unmet financial need—as much as $8,000. Over the three years of study for a M.Div. degree, the total financial support would range from $15,000 to $24,000.

What a difference that would make when the bishop asked clergy candidates the “embarrassment” question!

It is a special moment when a United Methodist congregation has an individual emerge from their midst to declare a call to ministry. For most congregations, this happens more rarely than regularly. The needed financial support would challenge the congregation to grow their budget for a few years. Alternately, the congregation could include the cost of the scholarship investment as part of a major fundraising campaign. I am sure there are other options.

One individual has reflected that “financing healthier graduates can only benefit the church."

I see the proposal as more than finances; it is investment in Christian leadership and ministry for generations to come.

It all fits together: a demonstrated commitment to the clergy candidate by a vote of affirmation, continued prayers of encouragement, and providing the financial support necessary for the candidate to prepare for ministry.

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Dr. Jim Noseworthy is the Senior Assistant to the President at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. His personal blog is at http://drjimnoseworthy.wordpress.com/

Finding Community

I love community, which some may find an odd statement considering I’m a fairly introverted person. The truth is, as much as I need to have some alone time, I also need time in community. In fact, community was one of the reasons I decided to join the United Methodist Church.

I remember the very first time I went to youth group at First United Methodist Church of Grove. I remember being welcomed with enthusiasm and excitement. I remember the immediate sense that I was accepted by this random group of people even though they didn’t know me and I was a shy, awkward 8^th grader. I also remember leaving that night with eager anticipation of returning the next week. Looking back, that excitement was because I had found a religious community that I could call my own.

When I left to start undergrad, I had to say goodbye to my old community. My first night in my dorm room, I wondered where I would find my community now that I was in a new city and at college. I soon found that community through the Wesley Center at Oklahoma City University, where my closest friendships were created and strengthened through four years of spending time together in worship, fellowship, service, and study. It was in that community that I found comfort and love during my moments of grief, weakness, and fear. It was in that community that I found a safe place to work through my call to ministry and also be affirmed, more than once, that I was called to teach and preach the Good News. Perhaps most importantly, it was in the midst of that community where I found the courage to follow my calling and apply to seminary.

Now, once again, I am in a new place and once again, I have found that community I so desperately need, here at Garrett-Evangelical. The sense of community and their efforts to create community was something that really drew me here in the first place. I did not realize until I got to Garrett-Evangelical just how many opportunities to be in community there were:

• Chapel Services on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
• Community Dinner on Wednesday
• Community Lunch on Thursday
• The G-ETS Student Center
• Eliza Garrett Day
• The numerous Centers and Student Groups

And those are only a few of the ways to be involved in the community here. It is a poignant reminder to me that when you come to Garrett-Evangelical, you do not only get a great theological education that prepares you for ministry. You will also get a community that will love and support you on your journey through seminary as you continue to discern your call. You will get a community that will challenge you, encourage you, study with you, and pray for and with you. You will get a community that will stay with you long after you have left its stone walls.

I am grateful for the welcome the Garrett-Evangelical community has given me. I am proud to be able to say that I am now a member this community. Most of all, I am looking forward to next year when I will have the chance to welcome a new batch of students into the wonderful community that I now call my own.

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Tasha Sargent is a first year MDiv student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She regularly blogs at http://thethousandmilejourney.wordpress.com.

Reaching the Joshua Generation

In April of this year, I heard Rev. Otis Moss, Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, speak to the Religion Communicators Congress. His message was straightforward, “You cannot reach a Joshua generation with a Moses sounding message.” Put another way, eight track ministries cannot survive in an iPod world. It seems the notion of how we do ministry in the 21^st century continues to be challenged.

As we endeavor to prepare bold spiritual leaders at Garrett-Evangelical we are moving forward to embrace such change. Here are just a few of the many ways:

• The 2010 Graduates are the first class to participate in the MDiv Plus program. This first-of-its kind program will allow MDiv students to earn a certificate in not-for-profit management from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. In addition, certified mentors will provide coaching for MDiv students during their first three years of ministry. More information on this exciting program can be found at http://garrett.edu/index.php/why-garrett/mdiv-plus.
• The DMin program is expanding with three new tracks in Congregational Leadership, African-American Congregational Leadership, and Spiritual Direction. The Congregational Leadership and African American Congregational Leadership tracks also connect students with Northwestern’s Kellogg School of management for certification in not-for-profit management. You can learn more about these exciting new tracks at http://garrett.edu/index.php/degree-programs-academics/dmin.
  
• The United Library has more electronic databases and resources for students, faculty and alumni/ae then ever before. You’ll find a complete listing of these resources in the Alums section at www.garrett.edu/library/.
• Garrett-Evangelical has made a commitment to offer 12 online courses on a rotation basis for three years, including some courses that combine online and on campus weekends. A course listing for 2010-2011 can be found at www.garrett.edu/DL.
• Our Development Office has been working diligently to endow one of the first chairs in spiritual formation among any of the protestant seminaries in the United States. This chair is being named in recognition of our distinguished alum Bishop Rueben Job who has been at the forefront in spiritual formation in the Church. To learn more go to www.garrett.edu/ruebenjob.
• We are also undergoing an 11 million dollar renovation of Loder and Lesemann Halls. Each dorm room will now have its own bathroom, all of Loder will be handicap accessible, and smart technology classrooms will be installed. Most significantly, this entire project is LEED Certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) with a completion date of Summer 2011. 

These are just some of the many ways Garrett-Evangelical is addressing the needs of the Joshua generation.  I cannot help but be excited about the steps we are taking to be a seminary for the 21^st century while remaining dedicated to our core purpose of knowing God in Christ, and through preparing spiritual leaders, to help others know God in Christ.
 

I am also excited that this academic year Garrett-Evangelical welcomed over 120 new students, our largest class in decades.  These students come with amazing gifts, abilities, and a passion for ministry.  Their stories are awe inspiring and it gives me great hope for the Church and for the generations to come.

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Shane Nichols is the Manager of Communications and Events at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.