I applied to two Methodist seminaries, Garrett-Evangelical and Asbury. I applied to only these UMC seminaries for a reason: all others required three professor references.
I graduated from college in '98, and worked heavily with three professors. One is dead, the other has disappeared (as far as I can tell) and the third was willing to serve as a reference. Library school was a pre-professional program that did not provide for many close professor/student relationships. So I only had one professor that I could count on to remember me.
Asbury only required one professor reference. Garrett requested three, but allowed for substitutions for applicants who had been out of college for several years. All others were firm: three professor references. Period.
Now some of the UMC seminaries in the Northeast may allow for substitutions, but my wife would have freaked if I even suggested moving to New York or New England.
So I only had two options: Garrett and Asbury.
Although I can understand the desire for high academic standards, this three-professor standard would exclude most second-career seminarians. The admissions departments of UMC seminaries need to re-evaluate this policy if they're going to keep up with ministry trends.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
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7 comments:
Garrett or Asbury will be great schools. If you end up at Garrett, my pastor, Michael Williams, would be a good person to talk with- he attended there and had a wonderful experience. I know that there is an absolutely GREAT theology professor out there- Stephen Long. I would love to study under him!!
Asbury I think probably has a lot in common with Trevecca, which is where I am. Ben Witherington is a great New Tesatment prof there and Paul Chilcote is a prof who really specializes in John Wesley and methodist theology.
Good luck with decisions my friend.
Candler in Atlanta didn't require three prof references back in '96, and I would be surprised if they did now given the high number of 2nd career folks (like me). I had a great experience there, and frankly they have a lot of money in scholarships to give away which isn't a bad thing.
However, if you go to Asbury look up my friend Will Sampson, who is entering there this fall.
Thanks for the advice, guys. I've already chosen Asbury, since it is conveniently close. My wife might get a job offer in Kissimmee this week, which could move us 45 minutes away.
Candler now requires three profs, so I had to exclude it.
Guess I'm lucky. Ashland Theological Seminary required three references, plus one from my pastor (That's why I had to change denominations and become a UMC}. Didn't have to have a reference from a professor.
Ben Witherington III used to be at Ashland, before I got there. I have read and reread a lot of his books.
Took one summer school class at Asbury: Methodist Theology with Steve Seamonds.
Hope you have a good experience there. I am four classes away from M.Div. at Ashland: third career for me.
John,
Welcome to the Asbury family!
OK, I looked it up in the Candler 2004-2005 catalogue. (Just to be nit-picky) It reads "If you have been out of college for more than 5 years and/or are unable to secure an academic reference, please submit additional references." One of these must be your pastor, not particularly UMC, just pastor. One other caveat, references must not be immediate family members....
On the reference form itself, it has little check boxes that read "Academic, Pastoral, Professional" reference. So, if you have been out of school, not going to church and don't have a job, you might have a problem....
Not an attack, I assure you -- just out of curosity. II am wondering if they changed it since this catalogue? I thought Candler accepted almost everybody (as long as they have room) so that they can get that first year tuition and *then* flunk you out... (OK, I'm a little cynical.... occasionally).
However, I really considered Asbury -- just too far to relocate. Garrett has an interesting culture. As does Perkins. And Erskine was *very* interesting. In a Minnesota sense of the word. Of all the seminaries I have visited/attended I like Columbia the best -- a really kind and gentle world, is Columbia. Too bad I was not pre-destined to go there....
My memory is fuzzy, but I do recall the Candler application form being quite rigid about the three-prof rule.
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