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Our Hopes and Aspirations Meet the Class of 2021

Congratulations to the Class of 2021! Despite these unprecedented times and an academic year unlike any other, the Class of 2021 not only rose to the challenge but also flourished. We commend them on their fine work and their future ministries, and in them we place our hopes, aspirations, and dreams for a better and more peaceful and more just world. We are very pleased to introduce 12 of these graduates, who are going forth to live out God’s call to serve the church, academy, and world.

EFRAÍN BELMONTES

Master of Divinity

What is your hometown and educational background?

I was born and raised in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. I attended a Christian/Methodist high school, Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas. Following high school, I wanted to start my theological education right away. As a result, I earned my bachelor’s degree in theology with a minor in family counseling. Then, after I heard about the possibility to earn a full scholarship offered by the Hispanic- Latinx Center for a master’s degree at GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary, I applied and was accepted. Now, I have successfully finished my master of divinity degree at Garrett-Evangelical.

How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling?

Being part of the Garrett-Evangelical community has allowed me to understand how the Kingdom of God was transformed and to discover effective and concrete ways to practice the Christian faith today. This faith goes beyond any closed entity; rather, it is made public and is in constant conversation with social justice. Hence, Garrett-Evangelical has offered resources and tools that have shaped my theological reflection and shaped me as a leader who accompanies, guides, and inspires others in faith and life. Garrett-Evangelical has given a new direction to my call, a more humane call that invites me to continue to draw closer to God as I draw closer to my neighbor.

What is your most transformative experience at Garrett-Evangelical?

One of my most transformative experiences at Garrett-Evangelical has been having the opportunity to explore the relationship between knowledge and practice. During these three years, I have had professors who have known well how to reconcile knowing with being in a very inspiring way. And that has been very significant in my growth and development as a theologian, and especially, as a pastor and leader. For example, the word “sentipensar” (a made-up definition of the word, to feel and think in Spanish), a phrase that I heard for the first time by Professor Nancy Bedford, has helped me to understand that my calling and vocation as a theologian consists of thinking from my heart and reasoning from my feelings.

From this combination, I have learned that theology is ultimately a response to a wound; therefore, I find myself with the task of dialoguing in favor of the most vulnerable while I embrace, approach, and respond to their needs.

What are your plans or your hopes for your future?

As I have graduated from seminary, I recognize this might be just a start as a theologian, leader, and pastor. Nevertheless, as my vocation has always been bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to those in need, I desire to find/create a space where I can help, guide, and inspire others to do the same. Overall, I look forward to where the Holy Spirit guides me, along with those who seek justice and place love first.

CASSANDRA CHEE

Master of Divinity

What is your hometown and educational background?

Home for me is Okinawa, China, and Korea, and my roots run through Los Angeles, Seattle, and Honolulu. I have a bachelor’s degree in visual communications design from the University of Washington.

How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling?

When I came to Garrett-Evangelical, the only thing I felt certain about was that I wanted to learn how to live the gospel in more liberating ways alongside those most vulnerable in my communities. At GarrettEvangelical, I found places where I was encouraged, challenged, and inspired to locate God locally and globally. It has been my women of color professors, mentors, and peers, in particular, who have supported me through this process. They affirmed that calling begins from within those we come from and determines who we are called to. Although there was much that I learned within the classroom, the times I witnessed mentors and teachers preach powerfully, listen carefully to the community, and constantly dream has most shaped my ministry. In my ministry, I am committed to divesting from harmful theologies and instead investing in more life affirming ones. Today that means co-creating and building power with local, indigenous, working class, LGBTQ+, immigrant women to grow theologies that reflect God in love and justice.

What is your most transformative experience at GarrettEvangelical?

The most transformative experiences at GarrettEvangelical were the in-between times. Getting to know peers at the coffee percolator outside of the chapel, studying and “studying” together in the library, digesting lunch and a lecture while walking by the lake, checking in with everyone in the first few minutes of a class Zoom call — it was in these spaces that I reflected on what I was learning in the classroom and was moved by the experiences of my peers and faculty.

MARIA PENROD

Master of Divinity

What is your hometown and educational background?

My hometown is Overbrook, Kansas. I have a bachelor of science in journalism and mass communications with a minor in political science from Kansas State University.

How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling?

Before coming to seminary, I knew that I was called to some kind of professional ministry. My time at GarrettEvangelical gave me the language and discernment skills to sharpen my call. It felt like I was looking through the viewfinder of a camera, adjusting the lens, and everything started to come into focus. The education I earned at Garrett-Evangelical taught me how to be a deep and critical thinker, how to embody my theology, and how to practice solidarity with marginalized people. My calling evolves over time, and I know that those skills will serve me well.

What is your most transformative experience at GarrettEvangelical?

The most transformative experience I have had at Garrett-Evangelical has been learning from peers. From class, to lunch, to the library, to driving to Sonic for half-price slushes, the growth that came from these relationships has made me a better pastor and a better human being. I would also like to lift up my field education experience. Both of my site supervisors at Downers Grove First United Methodist Church impacted me immeasurably. They provided a space for me to try new things, fail, learn, and try again. They were excited about my ideas and treated me like I was an essential member of the team, not just a field education student. I cannot thank them enough.

What are your plans or your hopes for your future?

I am commissioned as a provisional deacon in the Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church, and I have accepted a job as the director of youth ministry at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas.

LATONYA JOHNSON

Master of Divinity | Redford Township, Michigan How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling? Garrett-Evangelical has taught me how to build self-awareness to my approach to leadership, which has enhanced my skills and provided me with a strong foundation in theology. I feel equipped to deepen my impact within the community where I serve. Garrett-Evangelical has also enhanced my skills in the areas of preaching, missional practices, and leadership. The education I obtained at Garrett-Evangelical has shaped my understanding of God’s word. I feel empowered to minister with excellence within my community. Garrett-Evangelical is a seminary that provides a well-rounded education to people of all faiths. I’ve enjoyed studying with students who reside outside the United States, as well as with students from other states. I’ve had an opportunity to learn and grow as an individual alongside other students, as well as with wonderful professors who pour their hearts and souls into teaching God’s word from various perspectives.

MICHAEL WILKERSON

Master of Divinity | Yuma, Arizona How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling? Garrett-Evangelical has given me background information in the faith tradition that has shed light on the foundation of the church and its liturgical practices. I have also been exposed to various hermeneutics, which have broadened my understanding of scripture and expanded my understanding of theology. And by studying the source languages of Hebrew and Greek, I sometimes see different ways of interpreting text that offer new insights within a given context. This has led me to new ways of exploring my faith and sharing it with others.

GRACE OKERSON

Master of Arts in Public Ministry | Miramar, Florida How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling? During my time at Garrett-Evangelical, I have learned how to de-center whiteness in my theological interpretation. This has shaped how I interact with biblical texts and how I begin to center those on the margins following God’s preferential option for the poor and disinherited of society. This has deeply impacted the work that I have done towards dismantling white supremacy and prison abolition.

What is your most transformative experience at Garrett-Evangelical? My most transformative experience has been through the reading of Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God by Kelly Brown Douglas that was written in response to the murder of Trayvon Martin. Through the reading of this text, I was reminded of the incident that initially radicalized me and brought the issue of eradicating anti-Black bias to the forefront of my sense of vocation. Through reading this text, I was able to realize where I’ve been, where I am, and where I am going when it comes to my vocation. This text was introduced to me through a class taught by Dr. Brian Bantum – “Theology, Race, and Culture.”

TOAR BANUA HUTAGALUNGM

Doctor of Philosophy in Theology and Ethics What is your hometown and educational background?

Question of home is always difficult to answer for a liminal person like me. I was born in Mataram city, on an island called Nusa Tenggara Barat in Indonesia. Yet, I had to move from one island to another island several times, until I settled in Jakarta, where I began my first calling in 2005. I graduated with a bachelor of science in theology from Jakarta Theological Seminary. Six years later, I graduated with a master of arts in theological research from Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts. Six years ago, I was fortunate to be able to start pursuing my doctoral degree at GarrettEvangelical. Although Mataram is my birth town and Indonesia is my home country, Evanston is my home, too.

How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling?

I entered my theological journey in Jakarta intending to be a pastor. Nevertheless, I started to realize that I have a wider calling, which is to be a professor. GarrettEvangelical has shaped me to be critical and vocal in raising my concerns, to embody the idea of persistence and survival, to enjoy studying and working, to teach passionately in a class, and to value friendships and communality with the fellow students, faculty, and staff.

What is your most transformative experience at GarrettEvangelical?

Initially, I felt compelled to educate the future pastors in seminaries/theological institutions to have better doctrinal understandings. However, I started to realize that my theological perspective was too colonized. It began to gradually change when I started to learn postcolonial and decolonial studies from Dr. Anne Joh as well as from my committee members. That was (and is still) the moment of “conversion” for me when God accompanied me in my spiritual and academic journey.

What are your plans or your hopes for your future?

I want to teach and contribute to an ecclesial setting.

BECCA GIRRELL

Doctor of Ministry with a Concentration in Congregational Leadership

What is your hometown and educational background?

I grew up in rural Vermont, and notably, I was not very involved in church. My family was Catholic but not practicing. I attended Elmira College (Elmira, New York) where I received a call to ministry, and I majored in philosophy and religion. Next, I attended Boston University School of Theology. I graduated valedictorian in 2004 with my master of divinity degree. I then spent more than a decade in parish ministry before deciding to pursue my doctorate. I felt a deep longing for more robust leadership development for the lay folks with whom I serve, and I chose Garrett-Evangelical’s doctor of ministry program in congregational leadership because of its strong focus on leadership, management, and best practices from multiple fields.

How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling?

The program for the doctor of ministry degree was exciting and informative. Spending a couple of weeks on campus in intensive classes worked well for me to be able to then return to my church and immediately apply the things I was learning. The people in the church I was serving noticed the increase in my energy, confidence, and skill every time I learned and applied new information. Garrett-Evangelical’s partnership with the Kellogg School of Management’s Center for Nonprofit Management was especially fruitful in building skills from outside the church to help me be a more effective leader and become more effective in equipping others.

What is your most transformative experience at GarrettEvangelical?

I instantly loved the people in my cohort, and it was wonderful to connect with these classmates, including during our online classes. I miss them very much. I also found the Kellogg program “Faith and Leadership Week” to be transformational, and I wish every church leader at every level could experience this program!

JON ROBINSON

Doctor of Ministry in Preaching

What is your hometown and educational background?

I was born in Pueblo, Colorado and grew up outside of Denver in the 1970s and 1980s. I have a bachelor of arts in management from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois (2005), a master of divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (2008), and a doctor of ministry from GarrettEvangelical (2021).

How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling?

Garrett-Evangelical’s motto used to be “Preparing bold leaders for the church, the academy, and the world.” These words were woven into the fabric of GarrettEvangelical’s culture, and they left an indelible mark on my matriculation and my ministry. The world is in desperate need of bold leaders everywhere, but especially in the church, where we are being forced to reimagine our existence in the face of two simultaneous pandemics: COVID-19 and racism and white supremacy.

What is your most transformative experience at GarrettEvangelical?

I was profoundly shaped by the opportunity to serve as the co-chair of the Garrett-Evangelical Black Seminarians (G-EBS) during my time as a master of divinity student. The work we did on justice issues, both within the seminary and in the community, helped inform the servant leadership I now provide as the pastor of St. Peter’s A.M.E. Church in South Minneapolis, located less than a half mile from the intersection of 38th St. and Chicago Ave., where George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police.

What are your plans or your hopes for your future?

As an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, I try not to make too many plans because I serve at the pleasure of the bishop. But jokes aside (I’m kind of kidding), I plan to continue the legacy of the Black prophetic preaching tradition I have inherited, encouraging God’s people to take seriously the divine invitation for us to embody discipleship beyond the walls of our buildings.

EDWIN COTTO-PÉREZ

Doctor of Ministry in Preaching

What is your hometown and educational background?

I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I graduated from Luchetti Visual Arts High School in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Later, I went to Sacred Heart University, also in Santurce, where I earned a bachelor of arts in public communication. In 2003, I took a leap of faith and joined the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico. I earned a master of divinity in May 2008 (cum laude).

How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling?

It has been a journey of commitment, sacrifices, and wins. The challenges we face in the context of Hispanic/Latinx communities make our pastoral tasks more complex. Only with the commitment and certainty of the call have I been able to carry the ministry and academic burden during this process. However, I must admit that the process was enriching in so many ways, and the end result makes me a better person and hopefully, a better pastor.

What is your most transformative experience at GarrettEvangelical?

The most transformative experience while studying at Garrett-Evangelical has been community coexistence during the in-person courses. Sharing with pastors from different cultures and with diverse ministerial realities in a multicultural setting was an experience that I will cherish forever.

What are your plans or your hopes for your future?

I hope to develop leaders and lay preachers. I’d like to provoke a greater integration of church and community so that I can be instrumental in the transformation of our congregation, and the community.

DANIEL SHROYER

Basic Graduate Theological Studies (Deacon Studies)

What is your hometown and educational background?

My hometown is Wheaton, Illinois, where I lived until high school. I earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma – I’m a third generation engineer to graduate from OU in Norman, Oklahoma! Later, I also earned an MBA from Louisiana State University.

How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling?

My entrance essay for Garrett-Evangelical concluded with this line, “I find that the more I listen and serve, the clearer God’s call becomes.” Now, more than five years later, I can confidently say that the listening and service undertaken during my time at seminary has been absolutely transformative for my understanding of God’s action in the world, as well as my personal ministry and vocation. My time at Garrett-Evangelical gifted me with ways of experiencing and being in the world that I aspire to carry forward as I continue to discern God’s call in my life and to engage in servant leadership of my community by promoting justice, compassion, and human flourishing.

What is your most transformative experience at GarrettEvangelical?

I do not have a single, transformative experience to which to point, but rather a cluster of experiences centered around the theme of relationality. The interconnectedness of all things — the spiritual to the physical, the theological to the practical, human to the divine — ran as a thread through all my courses and experiences.

What are your plans or your hopes for your future?

I will attend the Texas Annual Conference Candidacy Summit to continue my discernment journey. More and more, I feel called to minister in the corporate setting as an ordained deacon. Though the path is not fully clear, I am trusting the Spirit to lead me in ways that contribute to the coming Kin-dom and bring glory to God in the diversity of ministry contexts that intersect in my life.

SANDEE PROUTYCOLE

Basic Graduate Theological Studies (Deacon Studies) and Certificate in Spiritual Formation

What is your hometown and educational background?

My hometown is Watertown, South Dakota. I have a bachelor of science degree in mathematics with concentrations in secondary education and computer science from South Dakota State University.

How has your time at Garrett-Evangelical shaped your ministry and calling?

My time at Garrett-Evangelical has reinforced my call to become a deacon in The United Methodist Church, where I hope to be a bridge to that community of individuals who are hurting, oppressed, or excluded and welcome them into the Kin-dom of Christ. The rigorous academics challenged me to expand and grow my faith and world view, along with my desire to bring to fruition transformative change in the world for all of God’s children.

What is your most transformative experience at GarrettEvangelical?

Being a remote, part-time student while working fulltime in ministry, I personally found attending intensive courses on campus and meeting other students during the J-term and summer sessions to have a profound impact on my seminary experience. The total immersion in the academic environment, along with the opportunity to dialogue with others both in class and outside of class during late night study sessions, made for a wholistic experience both spiritually and academically.

What are your plans or your hopes for your future?

I will begin the ordination process to become a deacon in the Dakotas Conference this year. I will also pursue opportunities for ministry in both individual spiritual direction and communal spiritual formation settings that allow space for God’s love to heal and transform the lives of the brokenhearted, oppressed, and excluded.

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