When searching for a seminary, I kept in mind many criteria that were important in my search. Was the seminary committed to strong education in the bible and social ethics field? Can they support a candidate for deacon’s orders and help me to articulate my call to ministry? Is the seminary community diverse, welcoming, and warm? Are there scholarships available to assist me with the funding?
A resounding YES came to me as I visited the campus of Garrett-Evangelical. I knew very quickly that this was the seminary for me. And looking back I can say that I have never been disappointed in the education I received at Garrett-Evangelical. I was as prepared as one can be to live out my call as an ordained deacon in full connection in The United Methodist Church.
My education would not have been possible without the financial support I received from Garrett-Evangelical. Before seminary, I was a United Methodist missionary serving in Detroit and then worked in a small non-profit. I have such a heart for service that a paycheck was never as important as what kind of work I was doing. The seminary scholarships allowed me to focus on my classroom and field education without the burden of working full-time as well. My seminary education was a gift to me, and I am now committed to providing that gift for others.
I believe so strongly in the mission and ministry of this seminary that in June of 2010 I became a staff person in the office of development. I marvel each day at the faithful alums and friends who give so generously of their financial resources to the annual fund and capital campaign funds (like scholarships, endowed chairs, and the general endowment). These gifts are sometimes small ($5 or $10), and they are sometime large ($10,000 or more), but most are somewhere in between. Each of these gifts, regardless of their amount, allows a student at this seminary the opportunity to fulfill their call to ministry. Each gift not only impacts that student but also all of the members of the congregation or organization that student will one day serve.
One gift does not just change the seminary, but it can change the world. Now I know that sounds a bit melodramatic but it’s the God’s honest truth. I think of my dear friend, Jeff. Jeff is a pastor of a church in a suburb of Detroit, and he is a graduate of Garrett-Evangelical. On Easter Sunday this year, Jeff baptized eleven people, many of whom were adults who had never been part of a church before in their lives. Through Jeff’s ministry and the work of the Holy Spirit, more disciples of Jesus Christ are transforming the world. Jeff and members of his congregation have been to Haiti to help rebuild after the devastating earthquake. Youth in the town are playing basketball in the churchyard because they feel welcome and safe. Is this not the ministry to which Christ has called us all?
Can you be a part of this mission and ministry? You bet! I’m proud to call myself an alum and staff person of Garrett-Evangelical but I’m even more proud to call myself a donor. Would you join me?
April McGlothin-Eller is a deacon in full connection in the Detroit Annual Conference, assistant in the Office of Development, and the chairperson of Red Line Ministries in Chicago.
Nice blog... =)
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