Candler School of Theology

Atlanta in itself is a beautiful place.
There's this perfect balance of suburbia with the beautiful houses, the tree-lined streets that wind up hill and down hill with parks and picket fences; but there's also this great city life where the different parts of town come alive through live music, countless numbers of small businesses in areas like Little Five Points, Midtown, etc. where you can find anything you want to eat, buy or look at all within walking distance. There's the space downtown that holds the CNN headquarters, the famous Atlanta Aquarium and iconic eateries like The Varsity.
And while I have attended all of these places, one of my most favorite places in Atlanta is Emory University, home of the Eagles, and home to Candler School of Theology!



We gathered in the Admissions Office with Candler's Associate Director of Admissions, Kerr Ramsay. He started by explaining the "World of Candler" in one sentence that really encompasses what I feel the school is about. He said this,
"It would be easy to make everything the same, but that's not the point."
What a way to start the day!
We "meeted and greeted" each other and then learned all about the exciting and bold things Candler has to offer it's students.
At Candler, all students take their core classes together. They do this because they feel as though it's important for everyone to be on the same basic page, to build a solid theological foundation before moving forward. Color me impressed!
They also require TWO years of field education working at some kind of community center and then working in a local church setting so that the things students learn in class can be made real by actually doing it.
A couple of the classes described to us really stuck out to me. For instance, Candler requires a World Religion class for the Masters of Divinity degree. They value the importance of the conversations and the growth that happens when those of other cultures and religions take time to understand each other. It's vitally important, especially in this time, that those in ministry are well-rounded, "outside of the West."
Along with these classes, some certificate programs, and a faculty partnership with the Desmond Tutu Center in New York City, Candler presents several dual-degree programs through Emory- one of the perks of being affiliated with a larger University! This could be so helpful if there's a super specific area that someone has been called to and provides an opportunity to further narrow their academic and spiritual focus area.

...Whoa. That was a lot of stuff.

From that meeting we got to choose a class to go to. I have to admit, I was a bit of a follower that morning just because I wasn't feel very confident in my navigation skills (or lack there of) so I joined the majority and went to the Old Testament II class taught by Dr. Joel LeMon (no, not Lemon). I was so glad I did because not only is this one of those core classes that I was talking about earlier that everyone has to take, but I got to play scientist and observe the class to see how the students interacted.
I saw a large majority of them were young adults but make no mistake, there were older folks in the room and they were just as engaged and excited as their other classmates. I saw everyone soaking in information, laughing at the professors jokes, contemplating what all of this means in their own lives and ministries. It was a perfect picture of discernment.
I was sitting there and I started thinking...
As I continue to think about where to go for seminary-which, let's be clear, is still very much up in the air- I actually got worried. And not so much worried about the work load or relocating to a new place or finally having to realize I'm like, a big kid now; but I worry about what seminary will do to the belief system that I've been building for 2+ decades. I wonder if sometimes I let my own beliefs of theology impact the expectations that I have when thinking about the different schools. Then as I thought more about it, I started to realize how much I was doubting the strength of my own stance and my own sentiments about faith.
So if I'm so worried about finding the "right" school with the "right" beliefs, am I really open to the process that seminary is offering regardless of where I end up?
What I saw in the classroom at Candler were students that were trying to figure out what "right," looks like for them and the more I went about my day on campus I found that each student does it differently. But they still cling to their community of seminarians and staff and faculty to support and guide them.

Again...a lot of stuff.

The rest of the day was wonderful.

We went to chapel to experience what their service was like. Spanish, Korean, African Spirituals, traditional hymns- you name it, they did it. It was like being on a Christian Small World ride at Disney. There were moments of meditation and prayer, beautiful solos and harmonious congregational singing. It was probably one of the best parts of that day for me.



Later we were led through the blooming campus, past the Tuesday Farmers Market (yum!) and into the dining hall by two current students to lunch and were able to talk about what it's like for them to be in school at Candler. When asked about the concept of Spiritual Formation, one student said that there's really no formal approach to it, but rather it is experienced through things their chapel services and a supportive staff. She said that the students are the ones who are responsible for their own spiritual formation and that there are plenty of healthy and available opportunites to make that happen, you just have to be open to them.
Afterwards, I attended another class, Theology of Wesley & Methodism with Dr. Rex Matthews. Now talk about interesting! And maybe a little controversial? I liked that a lot.

Meanwhile, back at the Admissions office...
As we wrapped up our visit, Mr. Ramsay was able to give one of the kids in our visitors group, who happened to be an admitted student, an envelope telling him he had just received a full scholarship to Candler! Yay! And not only was this kid really excited, but so was Mr. Ramsay! He said one of the best parts of his job was to tell people that their calling would be possible. Now if that doesn't say something about the school, I don't know what does. I feel like there will be a running trend with all of these admissions directors: the joy of giving people money :)
Moral of the story? Don't ever be afraid to ask these people for the help you need to get to where you feel you should be! They want to help you- they LOVE to do it.


Candler has this way of encouraging their seminarians to grow deeply into this intellectual and spiritual place to which each of them has been called; to further explore the diverse gifts that they have and utilize them for not only the betterment of the United Methodist Church, but also the surrounding Atlanta community and the extensive world.
The people at this school are happy and proud to say that Candler's staff, faculty, and academics are "second to none." And I am blessed to say that I could be a part of that for a day!

Candler is a wonderful place :)