Amy Wills Visits Garrett-Evangelical.

It was windy and it was cold during my time in Evanston, Illinois but the feeling I got inside my heart was anything but cold. With a gorgeous campus, a thoughtful, kindhearted staff, and a mission to know God and to help others know God, I was able to get an extensive look into Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

I want to first talk about the lead-up to getting there. I remember meeting Reverend Becky Eberhart, Director of Admissions, during my time at Exploration 2011 and seeing how warm and friendly she and the rest of the staff was. As the months have continued on, I've received letters (which in the Seminary world is extremely common) and emails (also a frequent occurrence) both of which helped keep me up to date about the happenings around Garrett but also about deadlines and such.

Note: So far, all of the seminaries have done this and I have found it so helpful. Yes, even amidst all the other emails I get on a daily basis. I encourage you to let the schools keep you on their mailing lists. It allows you to see what each school values and supports. After all that's what they're there for...to teach you!

The thing I loved most about Garrett before I visited, was that I received not one, not two, but three personal phone calls. Now these weren't just logistical, "let's get you to our school" phone calls. Instead, these were calls that I would receive from someone like a friend that I hadn't talk to in a while; someone who was sincerely interested in my life, my call and so they took 10-20 minutes to talk with me. I really appreciated this.

We were so eager to get to Chicago. (When I say "we," I mean me and my friend Katie. She was lovely enough to accompany me on this trip even though she has followed her own call that will take her to Asbury Seminary in the Fall. Go Katie!)

We ended up getting into town about 4-5 hours earlier than we had planned...what can I say? The coffee must have worked particularly well that morning! Luckily that wasn't a problem and actually turned out to be perfect timing because the 5th Annual Student Theological Conference was going on that day! This event was co-founded by Jason Gill who serves as Garrett's awesome Assistant Director of Admissions (and knowledgeable campus tour guide!). Because of his work, both in the office and with the current student body, we were able to learn about this year's conference theme, "Church & State"- a tricky topic for anyone to openly talk about, let alone a seminary. With eloquence, grace, and tact, Marci A. Hamilton was able to give us an insight into the world of government and church. I am so grateful for that new information.

Speaking of new information, Reverend Karla Kincannon spent part of our morning talking about all of the excellent Field Education and Spiritual Formation opportunities that Garrett has to provide. Every seminarian in the M.Div. program participates in this. During your first year you will deal with the entirety of your calling and what that looks like for your ministry.  Rev. Kincannon gave us an excellent quote that I hope helps you when you think about where and what you are called to do:

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” ― Frederick Buechner

Both the Field Ed. program and the spiritual formation class and the practices it teachers you, is for you to gain a deep clarity about what God has called you to do, about who He's called you to be. We were reminded of the Hebrew people, about how their calls weren't always crystal clear, that there were times when things were uncertain and vague. Garrett believes in the importance of nurturing our relationship with God and the reflection of the countless possibilities that that relationship opens you up to. That is the purpose these academic and spiritual courses seek to do: remind us and bring us back to where we're meant to be.
 

As with the other schools, we attended a class. Though there were no current students in the class with us, that didn't stop people in the group from pulling out their paper and taking copious notes- or in my case, taking notes for this blog post. Dr. Jim Papandrea distracted me however, from doing my task! With his humor, his knowledge and his evident passion for teaching, he captivated all of our attention with information on the formation of the Christian Bible (not always an easy job I'd imagine). He encouraged asking questions during the lecture, not just after which eased my mind, especially at such an academically profound school. We were told that Garrett is home to one of, if not THE most expansive and helpful libraries of all of the seminaries, which I kind of believe since as a student at the seminary you have full access to the Northwestern libraries, too!

We met Dean Reverend Cynthia Wilson and learned all about what it's like to be a student at Garrett. The students of the school are probably some of the most diverse I've seen so far and because of this, there are several opportunities to get involved with different groups that they have established such as a women's center, centers for Latinos, Black Seminarians, Asian Americans, and couples. This was also the first school that has mentioned having a group for LGBTQ members. As a Garrett student you have the option of three different kinds of worship services throughout the week and a weekly "community lunch" with your fellow classmates and staff.

Next stop was the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful. Time of worship during these visits have consistently been my favorite part of each school. That time is always such a critical experience to me personally because each service is uniquely it's own. It is it's own representation of God and God's presence in that school. The chapel itself was exquisite. High vaulted ceilings for perfected acoustics, stained glass for eye candy, and chairs gathered together to create community. On the campus tour that Mr. Gill led us on, he spoke of the unique stories the colorful glass tells about the Old and New Testaments; about the influential people that have been forever "set in stone" in the place.

 

To accompany the the beautiful scenery was beautiful music played by a small but mighty crew of three students. They didn't know it, but they played all of my favorites: Nothing But the Blood of Jesus, Hosanna, Come Thou Fount. I had goosebumps and chills during the entire service. The sermon was given by a current Masters of Divinity student who blew it out of the water! And the gift of communion, of sharing it with other people on their own separate journeys was something that in that moment, united us.

Afterwards we were able to sit down with students at lunch that shared their experiences with us and opened the floor to any and all questions that we had. This time along with the dinner at The Celtic Knot (students only!) was an excellent time to relax and really get the inside scoop about life as a student. Which helps soften the anxiety-ridden time at least for me when the financial aid and housing parts come along. But take heart, despite the cost of higher education, the staff in the admissions office has plenty of ways to make it possible for you to fulfill your call. Check out Dollars for Scholars and don't ever be afraid to go to your local conference. Remember when I talked about gifts?

We concluded our day with a tour of the Northwestern campus. Like I've said, it is just absolutely breathtaking. From the Gothic towers to the Shakespeare Garden to the shores of Lake Michigan, God is present in that place and as students, you are encouraged to enjoy it!

Evanston is this town that is a little urban, a little hipster, a little classic, a little old fashion. It's a little bit of everything and I find it appropriate that that it is home to Garrett which so reflects that same kind of diversity. One of the women who was visiting that day brought her young teenage son with her. Simeon (I'm pretty sure that's his name- I know it was one of the 12 awesome names of the sons of Jacob) didn't say much. He stuck to his drawings and was politely quiet during our order of events. But when it came time for questions, Simeon's hand shot up in the air with the fervor of curiosity and he ended up asking more questions than the group of 15 or so of us combined. I was in awe of this kids inquisitive mind and his excitement for Garrett. With his question asking and his humble animation, I am thankful for Simeon. He fits right in at Garrett.

Garrett is a place for those thirsty for academic and spiritual knowledge to be filled.

It's a place to be challenged and to grow.

It's a place to rejoice in diversity while learning from it.

Garrett is a wonderful place.

Amy Wills is 21 year-old who is currently exploring her call to ministry.  She is a candidate from the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.  In her exploration process she is visiting all 13 United Methodist theological schools and seminaries.  You can follow her experience at http://semtour12.blogspot.com/.


Thank you to Amy Wills for granting permission to share her experience on the Seminary's blog.