Why I Chose Garrett: Voices from the Incoming Class
September 13, 2024
Seminary education is personal. Perhaps more than any other field of graduate study, it invites students to bring the fullness of who they are into the classroom. Regardless of whether they are training to become pastors, chaplains, non-profit leaders, or scholars, coursework centers life experience as a crucial theological resource. In a student body as diverse as Garrett’s—the incoming class draws from 26 states and 13 countries—many paths bring students through our doors. Still, there are broad commonalities between their stories, ones that echo the priorities of our faculty and community.
One common thread is, in fact, this broadness of the student body. While a plurality of our students are still United Methodist, 58% of the incoming class belong to different religious traditions. “I wanted an ecumenical space to explore my vocation expansively, and to enjoy being in a global community,” Medomfo Owusu (MDiv) says. “Those elements were really important for me as an incoming international student from the UK.” In a world where national boundaries too often divide us, students find hope in our halls. Oneness in diversity embodies the gospel’s own call to proclaim both uniqueness and belonging. As Nigel Tan (MDiv) describes, “Garrett is an affirming space that welcomes learners from all walks of life and validates the dignity of each and every child of God.”
Another priority that draws folks to Garrett is the focus on culturally informed ministry and emphasis on community engagement. Garrett’s leadership believes that pastors and other theological professionals are essential to cultivating communal wellbeing. Churches should be attuned to local needs and serve them by strengthening the gifts they already have. “I was looking for a theological program that also had cultural contextual study and leadership,” Zaillah Rufus Gurugulla (MAFCEL) says. “I landed on Garrett.” Our Center for Asian and Asian/American Ministry, Center for the Church and the Black Experience, Hispanic/Latinx Center and more help bring seminary scholarship into communities—and use those communities’ feedback to ensure academia is responsive to them. “I love that Garrett breathes life and provides light to the world,” Tatenda Thom (MAPCC) observes. “It tackles the world’s relevant issues and focuses on the wellness of whole individual.”
Indeed, one of the pieces that makes Garrett’s approach distinctive from other schools is its balance between being attentive to the political realities that shape people’s lives and their existential needs. “Garrett is a world class seminary in the field of pastoral care with hands on training in clinical pastoral work,” notes Charles Adonteng (PhD). “Looking for a place to do my PhD and also gain practical training in pastoral clinical work, it’s the only place that came to mind.” It’s not easy to both create structural change and attend to people’s emotional needs, but effective ministry must rise to this challenge. “Garrett is a seminary which forms courageous ministers,” Ulemu Vareta (MAFCEL) says with pride. The world needs leaders who will serve communities’ material and spiritual needs, so Garrett’s faculty models this approach through their pedagogy.
As another academic year begins, campus buzzes with energy. For some new students, the moment is also a homecoming. “Through Garrett’s Spanish course of study, I became a licensed local pastor in 2022,” Jackie Salgado (MDiv) shares. “Now, I look forward to becoming ordained and continuing to serve and grow for my community.” While students arrive from widespread places, headed toward many vocations, in the meantime they share a mission: To build one another into who God is calling them to be.