Candler's Supervised Ministry program (SM) places students in a variety of practical ministry settings. Students meet weekly in small groups to reflect upon their work, with guidance from on-site and faculty supervisors. Most say they learn something new about themselves as they work to serve people in need.
John Evans, a second-year M.Div. student, decided to pursue an internship at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Hospice in Atlanta. "During my first year of SM I worked in the intensive care and rehabilitation units of a hospital, and I had a very positive experience," Evans said."
Evans learned from these patients the importance of human touch and voice. "I really believe the best way to express Christian love is to touch and talk with people who would otherwise be alone. Some of the patients have been abandoned by their families, and the thing they need most is human contact."
The sense of calm interaction with people in need has convinced Evans to work toward moving into chaplaincy ministry. "My connection with these people feels right. This is what I was looking for in my seminary experience," he said.
Another part of Candler's curriculum that impacts students' lives personally is the academic work itself. This year, the school has increased the number of course hours required in both Bible and preaching. "Our intent is to strengthen the background of men and women going into all forms of ministry, emphasizing a solid knowledge of the scriptures and effective communications skills," said LaGree.
Elizabeth Corrie, a third-year student, began her education at Candler in the Master of Theological Studies program with plans of earning a doctorate and teaching. At the end of her first year, however, she switched to the M.Div. program and began to consider entering church-based ministry. "I read a great deal about love and justice in communities of faith, and it started to work on me," Corrie said.
Corrie spent the past summer preaching and leading worship for a small United Methodist congregation in Virginia, which gave her the chance to put what she had learned into action. "For me, preaching is a matter of taking the ministry and experience of the congregation, reading the scriptures in light of it, being challenged, and reporting back to the people," she said. "It's a great mix of theory and praxis."
-- Laura Merrill