Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Jessica Duncan
Master of Divinity
from Cedar Rapids, IA

After deciding early during her senior year in college to attend a seminary and to stay in The United Methodist Church, Jessica explored all 13 UM seminaries--online, that is. She looked at cost, location, curriculum and community. "Those were the four things most important to me, especially curriculum and community." She quickly zeroed in on Garrett-Evangelical because it "really fit my needs in theological studies -- I needed a stronger background in Biblical studies and theology." She applied to Garrett-Evangelical before her first visit at Leadership Days. "From the moment I stepped on campus, it felt like home. Everyone was genuinely interested to know me and to hear the process we were going through. ... It came down to that (community). There was such a strong sense of community here." She says she embraces the seminary's atmosphere that is less about competitive academics and more about growing in faith. "The faculty and students are a support system for each other. It's a strong environment for growth."

Nazim Fakir
Master of Divinity
from Detroit, MI

When Nazim began exploring ministry as a career, he considered a number of seminaries, and he talked with a number of mentors. Bishop G.M. Ingram, formerly pastor at Oak Grove in Detroit and Garrett-Evangelical alum (M.Div. '75), encouraged Nazim to look carefully at his alma mater. "He told me about Garrett's history and his involvement in the early days of the seminary's Church and the Black Experience and Garrett-Evangelical Black Seminarians. He told me about the influence those students had on Garrett. That was appealing to me." Nazim attended Leadership Days in spring 2006 and left very impressed. "It was a wonderful, congenial atmosphere. I met a lot of great people. When I received a full scholarship, it was kind of icing on the cake. For someone like me, who quit a lucrative job and has a family, the scholarship was very important."

Brit Holmberg
Master of Divinity, plus Master of Social Work at Loyola University
from Upstate New York

"I found the incredible hospitality and warmth of the admissions office and overall Garrett community very attractive. The dual MDiv/MSW program with Loyola University was an opportunity to better integrate my passion for faith and social justice. And the location near Chicago provides opportunities for urban ministry."

Scott Carnes
Master of Divinity
from Pittsfield, IL

"When I was here for Leadership Days, the students had a real good sense of community. I think in the end it was the community that drew me here, wanting to be part of that." Scott says he only considered schools with strong academic reputations, and Garrett certainly made that cut. But with all due respect to those reputations, he says, "I realized from my undergraduate experience that the coursework and classroom education is really what you make of it." Another huge attraction for Scott was Garrett-Evangelical's "concurrent field education program -- the plethora of experiential opportunities, not just in Evanston but also across Chicago." And, finally, was the seminary's location in the heart of Northwestern University beautiful campus. "Hello," he says, "who doesn't want to be part of that!"

Amee Miller
Master of Divinity
from Lansing, MI

"I know several Garrett-Evangelical graduates, and something they all have in common is a well-developed, biblically-grounded theology. This is what inspired a campus visit, and once I visited campus and attended a class, I knew it was the right place for me. ... I'm an avid admirer of creation, and living on the shore of Lake Michigan has been a spiritually transforming experience. When classes stress me out, I head over to the lake and witness the enormity of God's loving hand."

Darrius Hills
Master of Divinity
from Alexandria, LA

I had always known of Garrett-Evangelical - its reputation for a strong blend of both the academic and ministerial realms. It is those areas which appealed to my interests most. Additionally, Garrett/Northwestern produced two scholars who have greatly influenced my own academic odyssey: eminent black theologian James Cone and womanist theologian Emilie Townes. I figure if Garrett can nurture such notable voices, then I must be in the right academic environment. Pastorally, Garrett's field education component gives students the necessary hands-on experience that will serve us well as we begin our work in the church. The key phrase here is balance. I believed (and still do believe) that Garrett-Evangelical offers the right balance for well-rounded seminary training.

Jon Wilterdink
Master of Divinity
from Littleton, CO

"What I really liked about Garrett was the very diverse community in terms of theological backgrounds, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and national backgrounds. I felt like Garrett really embraced diversity and made it OK to be in dialogue about it. ... I also really believed that going to seminary was as much about the experience as the study. Looking online, I saw the different opportunities in the Chicago area. This is a terrific experiential learning environment. ... The variety of campus groups, the field education and the seminary's community outreach were all very appealing to me."

Tung-Chiew Ha
Ph.D.
from Sibu, Malaysia

"Dr. K.K. Yeo introduced me to Garrett-Evangelical in the 1990s when he was teaching and I was a student at Alliance Bible Seminary in Hong Kong. Dr. Yeo and Dr. Kong Hock Hii, who completed a Ph.D. at Garrett-Evangelical in 2007, encouraged me to study here for my next master's degree and a Ph.D. They were right about the excellence I would find here."

Emmanuel Naweji
Master of Divinity
from Kolezi, DR Congo

"Graduate friends from the U.S. who visited Africa University when I was a student there encouraged me to consider Garrett-Evangelical. The Evangelical part of the name and also the vision statement of the school really moved me when I read it for the first time."

Amanda and Ross Baker
Master of Divinity
Amanda from South Central Kansas, Ross from Wichita

Ross and Amanda found Garrett almost by accident. Ross recognized his call to ministry much earlier than Amanda did, and as he was applying to various schools, he came across Garrett-Evangelical. He received an invitation to a Leadership Days weekend, and it was undeniable that the spirit moved in him while he was there. Even Amanda could hear it over the phone. Ross visited a couple of other schools, but when decision time came, both knew that Garrett-Evangelical was the right place. They had been very impressed with the sense of community, the emphasis on spiritual formation, the room for various kinds of ministries, and also with the life opportunities that Chicago presented. Nearly a year later Amanda would come to her own Leadership weekend and reaffirm that Garrett-Evangelical was the place that God had called them both to learn and grow and prepare for ministry.

Arionne Williams
Master of Divinity
from Kansas City

"The Music Ministry program was truly what inspired my interest in Garrett-Evangelical. In fact, I was admitted into the M.A. Music Ministry program. After arriving, I discovered that I had passionate interest in other theological fields as well. I wanted my theological education to give me a wider preparation for ministry in the church, so I switched to the M.Div."

Ai He "Luke" Zheng
Master of Theological Study
from Kunming, China

"Diversity... a wide range of theological approaches... academic excellence... easy access to Northwestern... the beautiful lake... one of the best theological libraries in the nation... location close to a big city but far enough to have a quiet environment to study... plus much more."

Beth Streiff
Master of Divinity
from Mansfield, OH

"The first thing that attracted me was the location in Chicago. I had just moved to Chicago from Ohio for a teaching job. I was also attracted to the consortium of schools around the Chicago area. I liked that it was part of the larger Northwestern community, and right on Lake Michigan. Then when I visited, I enjoyed the personality of the school and felt at home in the community. I appreciated the varying range of theological views, and the openness to discuss ideas different than one's own. The variety of worship that I experienced was important in expanding my own views of worship. Lastly, the importance of field education, as a part of the overall education, I felt was going to help me develop in ministry."

Jason Gill
Ph.D.
from Cowan, IN

"During high school I worked on a pig farm. During college I learned to juggle. After college, but before seminary, I did two volunteer years of inner-city teaching. From these experiences I have cultivated a deep respect for farmers, teachers, ministers, and, of course, circus performers. I was always attracted by the interplay between religion and economics. Though I never formally studied theology, I did two years of faith-based volunteer service and knew I wanted to more rigorously and academically study the tenets and history of Christianity."

Adrienne Trevathan
Master of Divinity
from Atoka, TN

"When I visited G-ETS for the first time, I was very impressed by the level of opportunity that I saw. It was important to me to have faculty I could know and with whom I could be "real." I was also encouraged by Dr. Margaret Ann Crain and her work with the diaconate. The G-ETS community seemed very genuine to me at the beginning, so I knew I would make my home here. The proximity to Chicago is an added benefit, especially to those of us from small towns."

Hyemin Na
Master of Divinity
from Seoul, South Korea

"I appreciated the theological diversity here at Garrett. There is an emphasis to be all inclusive and welcoming of people from different backgrounds. I'm sure you will understand that's just what I needed!"

Jason Hill
Master's of Art
from Muskogee, OK

"I love the way that my fellow students have become a family, and the staff, faculty and administration take a genuine interest in me. I love the work Garrett-Evangelical is doing to better prepare its students to be bold leaders and the way Garrett-Evangelical is striving to be a welcoming haven to everyone, a safe place to dialogue and learn."

Sarai Case
Master of Divinity
from Tucson, AZ

"When I finally got out to visit Garrett, I knew that God had found a place for me. If Paul and I were going to pack up and move 2,000 miles away from everything we had ever known, there would have to be a great group of people waiting for us. And there was! I was impressed by the sense of community on campus. When I sat in on classes, I was impressed with the respect I saw between faculty and students. I was also attracted to courses of certification, perhaps I could even try to create a Media Ministry focus in my degree. The proximity of the campus to Northwestern, Lake Michigan, and Chicago charmed me."