Advice on MDiv Programs - Fall 2014

[xypathos]

Hey everyone, I'm looking to apply to MDiv programs for admittedance in the Fall of 2014. So, with any luck I'll be in many of your shoes and having to sort through offer(s).

 

That said, I could use advice on potential schools that may be of interest to me.

 

First off, I'm an older student (28 now) so while not a second career kind of student, I'm not as fresh as a Spring chicken. I attended college at a small LAC in the Midwest post high school but withdrew my Junior year to work on a shattered relationship with my father who lived back on the East Coast (with the rest of my family). During this time (a period of about 5 years), I attended college part time (1-2 courses a semester), worked, and dealt with family issues. Things were nominally getting better but I could tell my father's depression that he had battled with for years and declining physical health were getting the best of him and despite our efforts to get him assistance, he committed suicide during a family event.

 

I'm since back in school full time with about 20 credits or so left to wrap up my degree in Religious Studies. I work two part time jobs (so full time hours), one is as a CNA at an Assisted Living Facility and the other is working for a local non-profit as a Case Manager, where we primarily focus on homeless veterans: we provide them permanent housing+board on the condition that they remain substance free (if they're not already) and complete the necessary training to obtain employment. The latter usually includes attending a community college to obtain vocational skills in an area of their interest (welding, carpentry, you get the idea) and then working with our contacts to line up employment. Once secured, we continue to provide them support for 90 days while they transition into their own place. My job as CM is to coordinate all of this: visiting with the person 2x a month, their instructor(s), making sure they remain eligible for the program, arranging job interviews, among other stuff.

 

Academically/vocationally: I'm interested in the theology of human suffering, spiritual violence, ethics (applied, bio, theological), gender and sexuality studies - particulary in a religious context (Feminist Interpretations of the Bible for example)

 

Other ECs are serving as an officer on a LGBT organization in college, campus ministry (the LAC and large state schools back on the East Coast when I moved home), I served a two year term and summer internship on the town's Historical Preservation Committee (appointed by the Mayor, for whatever that's worth) while in the Midwest (it's a huge passion of mine), among other pieces and pieces.

 

Brief academic info: I'm attended a state school, it's not flagship but it's well known. With 20 credits left to wrap up the degree and accounting for transfer credit I have a 3.9 GPA.

 

I'd prefer schools without the GRE as I'm already crammed for free time but I'm not opposed to it if it's an amazing fit.

 

I identify as Episcopalian but I currently have no intention to seek ordination as a Priest because I don't have an interest in serving in congregational ministry. Due to my work in campus ministry, I feel comfortable with all mainline denominations so I wouldn't be opposed to attending say a Methodist, Lutheran, or even Catholic school for that matter. My family members are split between Methodist and the UCC so I'm fine with the latter as well.

 

Vocation wise, I feel called to college ministry - specifically chaplaincy as I enjoy inter-denominational and inter-religious work, and it's the field I've spent years volunteering in.

 

I believe in living my life as an open book so hopefully my post reflects that and is capable of giving a wide picture of myself, and in turn you all are able to help me narrow down a Top 6 prospective list (or however many). If there are any questions, concerns, clarifications needed, etc - please ask.

 

Thank you.

[Lux Lex Pax]

If you go PTS, you'll have the opportunity to work in campus ministry at Princeton University or Rutgers University. PTS has produced tons of campus ministers, for instance, Luke Powery at Duke and Jonathan Walton at Harvard.

[Neem217]

I say Vanderbilt. Check out their faculty. With Emilie Townes and Laura Schneider coming, I think they will have many faculty there that you will be interested in working with (consider Ellen Armour, Dale Andrews, Stacey Floyd Thomas, and others). 

http://divinity.vanderbilt.edu/people/

[Yetanotherdegree]

You sound like a strong candidate for many programs. One thing I would suggest is that most formal ministry positions (chaplaincies etc) do expect you to have some denominational standing. You don't need to be ordained, but you do need a denomination to support you along the way. Since you identify as episcopalian, you may want to ensure that there is at least a small possibility of denominationally appropriate formation during your MDiv. While you don't need to attend an episcopal seminary, you might want to look at places like Yale or Duke, both of which offer elements of Anglican/episcopal formation within a broader divinity school setting.

[xypathos]

I did go through a PDC (Parish Discernment Committee) with my local parish and they approved me to move forward to the Bishop's committee but that's where I landed between a rock and a hard place. My parish, and myself, believes that my calling is strong enough for the priesthood and not a well enough match for the Diaconate. My Bishop on the other hand, while a moderate is conservative on the issue that if you don't have a calling or interest in parish ministry, he won't approve you to move forward in the process for priesthood.

 

My priest, the PDC, and all of its paperwork made note of my interests for ministry and that I just wasn't particularly interested in parish ministry. I want to be out on the streets working with the poor, immigrant families, those going through traumatic events, etc. Yet during my first meeting the Bishop's committee asked me questions about my ideal parish, social justice issues I would support, how I'd coordinate parish involvement in non-profits, etc. I must have looked obviously confused - I explained that while I want to do these things on the "ground" and obviously help coordinate these within a parish that I was a member of, but that ultimately I felt being a parish priest would distract from my ability to invest enough time and resources into these issues I hold dearly. The day after this meeting my Bishop called me and explained, with all good intent and obviously I'm abbreviating the conversation, that he won't approve an applicant to move forward for priesthood if they have little to no interest in direct parish ministry, and that my PDC had made it known that my ministerial calling was "over qualified" for the diaconate, so in short, he was using his authority to stop my application from moving forward and asked me to spend a year reflecting on where and how I wanted to be involved in the church and apply again.

 

My Assistant Bishop, whom I am close with, said this would happen - that the (head) Bishop will not approve an applicant to move forward in the priesthood process if there's not enough interest in parish ministry, he's simply unwavering on this matter. After this ordeal he said he spoke with the Bishop and said the Bishop "hinted" that there was simply too many applicants this cycle and he declined those whom submitted their paperwork closest to the deadline.

 

That said, I don't like the idea of putting off seminary for another year just to apply again and risk getting declined, yet again. While I can definitely start the process and go to seminary anyway, the Asst. Bishop has said that the Bishop doesn't favor this approach because he's very hands on and doesn't like applicants attending seminary outside of a school the diocese gives money to. In this case that's Sewanee and VTS, I'm not interested in attending either school. I've told my Asst. Bishop that I'm probably going to attend a school and look to start the process within a new parish, under a different Bishop. He gave me the lecture on pros and cons of this approach but said he wouldn't advise against it.

 

TL;DR - I attend a very liberal parish within the Episcopal church but my Bishop is a strong moderate, leaning right. I'm fine with ordination in the diaconate but my PDC wasn't and my Bishop felt I wasn't suited well enough for parish ministry, but felt compelled to honor my PDC's recommendation that I wasn't a fit for the diaconate either.

[xypathos]

Should have included this in the original post, but any particular school that is more open to continental philosophy (particularly existentialism) and process theology? From the works we've read in my philosophy classes and my own research, it seems Vanderbilt is engaged in continental philosophy. However, I'm not sure where they stand on process theology though I imagine from some of their reading lists for graduate programs that they do work in that field.

 

Anyone know enough about PTSEM to comment?

 

I hear Claremont may be a good fit for me as well but I've heard less than good things about their financial aid, it's also in California, which would put me far away from my family.

[Neem217]

Claremont would be a good fit for process thought, so would Drew. Both of these schools aren't great with funding, but you never know.