Hello all! My name is Reverend Jennifer Long and I am an ordained elder in the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church. I am currently appointed as the Director of Religious Life/Campus Minister at Oklahoma City University. I graduated with my MDiv from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in 1997 and had a fantastic experience. Seminary was such a blessing for my life and a wonderful preparation for ministry. It challenged me to work in a hospital for my Clinical Pastoral Education and to bring out my gifts of arts in ministry.
I now get to experience Garrett-Evangelical anew as I celebrate two young women, who were former parishioners, in their first year at Garrett-Evangelical. They have the same excitement I did. They are enjoying the community and making connections with the same joy I did. They are learning and having themselves challenged by classes and peers as I did. And they are suffering through the Chicago winters as I did. It is such a humbling experience to see these young women grow in their faith as they head towards ordination as elders in the United Methodist Church. I remember my time at Garrett-Evangelical with great fondness and look forward to watching these new students grow through their experience.
As I hear from these students, I am brought back to a time of great joy in my life. The things I learned, that I still use, are a blessing to me. Having my hand hurt from taking so many notes from Dr. James K. Stein still brings a smile to my face. Even today, I use some of the prayers he used to open class in my ministry. I am constantly thanking Ruth Duck for her resources and Jack Seymour for his help in teaching us how to teach the church. My time in CPE prepared me for difficult pastoral care situations and David Hogue, who made us write out a premarital counseling plan, gave me one of the most practical resources in my ministry. I won’t mention each one of my professors but I do remember each one of them and can easily recall a way that they influenced my ministry.
When I think back to my time at Garrett-Evangelical I am thankful for the laughter with friends and the permission for creativity that helped make me the person I am today. The variety of theological opinions prepared me to minister to people all over the theological spectrum. When I talk to students about seminary I tell them to take advantage of the great experiences they will have. I tell them to open their minds to learn and to question. I remind them that God can always handle their questions and that God continues to want to teach us each and every day. They may not yet know exactly where God is calling them to serve, but seminary will be a blessing as they walk on that journey of giving themselves, heart-mind-soul-strength, to God.
It is important to go to a place that will not just allow you to leave the same person you were when you came. Garrett-Evangelical was that place for me. I changed, for the better (I believe), because of the things I learned, the people I met, and the worship in which I participated. Choose to be challenged and be prepared to grow!
Rev. Jennifer Long (G-E, 1997) is the Director of Religious Life/Campus Minister at Oklahoma City University .
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