Julie Jin, an associate campus pastor, decided to go to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) at a time when she had a lot of questions about the Christian church. “I was asking, What is church?,” she said. As she was seeking God about what He wanted for His church, she felt prompted to explore seminary, a place where she could hear voices beyond her immediate ministry context and learn from those who had gone before her. “I wanted to be in a space where I could pick up a Christian book and have church history and Christian thought curated in a way that would speak to me.” She chose TEDS because she trusted it theologically. “It was a safe place where I could hear from God,” she says.
There have been many impactful moments at TEDS for Julie, who is in her final semester of her Master of Arts in Educational Ministry. The “most memorable moment was my first class, when I went for our Zoom discussion, knowing that there were people all over the world in different time zones on that call. I was in a place of wanting to understand what God’s Church is supposed to look like. To see a tangible, visual representation of the global Church at that moment was super impactful…it helped me visually see the global Church and understand what it means to be a part of the global Church.”
It’s tough for Julie to pick her favorite class. “I really enjoyed every single class I’ve taken actually, even the ones I hadn’t originally anticipated. There was always so much to glean and learn on a practical and a personal level.” While she initially expected theology courses to be dry, she found herself completely riveted, saying, “They made Scripture come alive.”
Additionally, she learned a lot about how to think while at TEDS. “One of the things they really stress—you keep hearing it—is ‘We want you to be meta-thinkers.’ I think I have grown in the art of knowing how to think and ask questions. That has helped me not only in my studies but also in my actual day-to-day ministry context with people.” She found her experience at TEDS so personally enriching that she is considering pursuing a PhD! “This has been such a valuable education that has gone beyond books and theories, tying everything into real application of ministry.”
TEDS challenged Julie in ways that impacted her personal walk with God and her ministry as a pastor. “I think I grew in my faith, in knowing how to go deeper in my understanding of who God is and looking at Scripture…and setting it in the context of when it was written. I’m able to look at Scripture and understand it from a different perspective than I had before. I grew in my ability to hold things in tension, like how the more you know, the more you realize how much you don’t know.” She also learned about how to engage with those who hold opposite viewpoints and humbly accept that “only God has the full picture.” This has helped her practically shepherd those in her church.
Julie appreciated the community with other people in ministry that she found at TEDS, which also helped her process her deep questions about God’s Church. “Oftentimes we feel like we are the only ones going through something in ministry, that the challenges of ministry—we’re alone in them.” She continues, “The opportunity for education at TEDS has been so therapeutic because you realize that you are not alone…being at TEDS has allowed me to have language for things that I’ve experienced and known.”
When Julie graduates in December, she plans to remain in her pastoral position at her church, a role that she is filling with new confidence and courage because of her time at TEDS. “I feel so much more equipped to do the work that God has given me to do, not only in terms of pastoring people but also in knowing how to be a Christian leader…I am much more equipped to lead.”
Julie is grateful to the many donors who make TEDS’s work possible. A recipient of several scholarships, including the Waybright Diversity Scholarship and The Eckman and Wedell Award, among others, she knows firsthand the powerful impact of faithful donors, who helped ease the financial burden of her education. “Every little bit helps,” she says. “Giving matters in that it impacts lives, and it is one of those things that continues to pay it forward. When you give, you are helping to create or maintain a safe space where those in ministry can not only be further equipped to do ministry and Kingdom work but also find God-given confidence in their calling. You’re creating space for Christian thought leaders and those with the gift and love of learning to come and be sharpened in a way that will help others grow.”
