What's a good college for ministry?

[gogebic]

Hi all. My son feels called to go into the ministry - with a strong interest in Music or Drama ministry, or Youth ministry. Since he's gay, I wondered if there any colleges out there that he can attend and not have to be in the closet? :confused:

Anyone have any personal experience with this?

P.S. - he'd really prefer a private college, and I'd prefer in the midwest.

[BrentRichards]

I have no immediate info, except to say that I have a personal bias for people going into ministry getting a solid liberal arts education, not neccessarily at a Christian college, for their undergrad ... just my bias.

However, (a.) I'll research it, and (b.) you are a fantastic parent! What a wonderful question to ask, and how wonderfully supportive you must be of your son! If more parents were asking questions like this (instead of "how do I make my kid change?") we'd have far fewer young gay people running away from the church!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[keltic63]

I'll have to second Brent's recommendation!

Liberal Arts for undergrad, don't even worry about Christian college. For the churches where he'll end up working, they're going to want a well-rounded education, experience and ability in all kinds of music, including classical/liturgical, and of course, some good leadership skills. When the undergrad is complete (I've got a strong bias that he should do a music performance, or liturgical music degree) then he could consider seminaries that offer either a music ministry program, or even some kind of divinity papers.

[u-dog]

What denomination or tradition are you (is he) and in what denomination is he hoping to serve? With the exception of the MCC and perhaps the Episcopal church, ordained ministry is largely closed to openly glbt people.

That problem aside, Brent is correct, a solid liberal arts education is excellent preperation for ministry (for almost any career path really) . Any of the colleges associated (even historically) with the more liberal denominations (Presbyterian, methodist, lutheran) are likely to have excellent religion departments as well as excellent music and theatre programs and are more likely to be GLBT friendly. they are less likely to have programs focused directly on preperation for specialty ministries (like Youth ministry or drama ministry)

More evangelical colleges (such as Taylor University, Calvin College, or any of the Weslyan Colleges for instance will have good programs in youth ministry and ministry preparation but they are likely to be not very gay friendly.

Dave

[andrewlittle]

I know Hamline University in the Twin Cities has a working relationship with United Theological Seminary there. United is very pro-GLBT, not just accepting, but absolutely encouraging of GLBT in ministry. UTS itself, however, is a graduate school.

I knew of some Hamline students taking different classes as at UTS and transferring the credits. Hamline has a group called Spectrum that is a recognized campus organization for LGBT students and faculty.

[sailaway58]

Assuming the two posts above me are correct then I believe there is no college better than Wabash College for a liberal arts degree. One of the last of two colleges I am aware of for men only left in the country.
My eldest son was a religion major and Wabash was perfect for him. This was not indoctrination but academic studies. Your son needs to be a serious student to make it there though.

http://www.wabash.edu/

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

I'd like to recommend Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. It is a small, high quality liberal arts school operated by the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. It is Roman Catholic, but very liberal and very ecumenical at the same time. I went there for a Masters Degree in Religious Studies. I am United Methodist and my class mates included Unitarians, Evangelicals, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics---every thing. I was very much openly gay and was encouraged to pursue gay topics in my studies and projects. One of my religion professors there is openly gay as are some faculty in other departments.

Madison also has the advantage of having the very big University of Wisconsin campus--a very liberal, cosmopolitan culture (where I got my undergrad degree). Everyone can get access to the big University library.

Edgewood is very good on academics. They've had a very ambitious building program--great facilities. High quality.

Madison is something between a big city and a small town. It's not too far from Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. I love it here!

Many of the folks who get the MA in Religious Studies go on to ministry. They may take additional studies at a seminary of their own denomination depending on requirements. Edgewood would also be a great place to get the undergraduate background before going to seminary elsewhere.

Steven Webster

[Jennifer5]

...but thought I'd jump in for just a second.



Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley CA is great! One of our forum members (although he's never around anymore), attends PSR.

If you have questions just ask... I'll tell what I know. :love: Good luck! :pray:

[u-dog]

A great little book to read in this college search process -- especially if you are in search of a good Liberal Arts College is

"Colleges That Change Lives" by Lauren Pope. It profiles 40 excellent Liberal Arts Colleges (many in the Midwest).

THere is also a website http://www.ctcl.com


One college in particular that would be worth a look would be Earlham College in Richmond IN. It is a Quaker school, has an EXCELLENT religion department and is very GLBT friendly. http://www.earlham.edu



I also recommend from personal experience (got kids there):

The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH (my alma mater) http://www.wooster.edu

St Olaf College (Lutheran -ELCA) in Northfield, MN http://www.stolaf.edu

Both of these schools have excellent religion departments and are GLBT friendly.

All three of these Colleges are listed in "Colleges That Change Lives"

[gogebic]

Wow - thanks for all the good information. At least I feel like we have a place to start now. We attend a Wesleyan church, so Ben (my son) has been mainly looking at affiliated colleges like Indiana and Oklahoma Wesleyan. He really likes their youth ministry programs, but of course, they all have restrictive policies regarding GLBT students. I want him to be able to go where he wants, but I don't want him to feel persecuted (or even just out-of-place) there.

Our youth pastor has encouraged Ben to pursue the ministry, and attend a Wesleyan university, even though he knows that he's gay. He (the youth pastor) is a recent graduate, so maybe times are (slowly) changing.

[sailaway58]

All the aforementioned colleges have proven to produce great employees for Wabash men :p

[kara speltz]

...but thought I'd jump in for just a second.



Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley CA is great! One of our forum members (although he's never around anymore), attends PSR.

If you have questions just ask... I'll tell what I know. :love: Good luck! :pray:

Absolutely! PSR and all of the schools at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, are just about the best there is. PSR has The Center for Gay & Lesbian Studies in Religion and Ministry. I doubt if there is a better collection of seminaries anywhere. kara

[Jennifer5]

Absolutely! PSR and all of the schools at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, are just about the best there is. PSR has The Center for Gay & Lesbian Studies in Religion and Ministry. I doubt if there is a better collection of seminaries anywhere. kara
Agreed, and now I have someone with a little more knowledge to back me up! Corey absolutely loves it as far as I can tell! :cool:

[u-dog]

All the aforementioned colleges have proven to produce great employees for Wabash men :p

This is quite possibly the most outrageous thing you have ever said! So why do all those Wabash "Men" want to go to a school with no women? :confused: Just curious.

[sailaway58]

This is quite possibly the most outrageous thing you have ever said! So why do all those Wabash "Men" want to go to a school with no women? :confused: Just curious.
Lets just say you don't have to be gay to not want to be around a bunch of women every day. ;)

[u-dog]

Lets just say you don't have to be gay to not want to be around a bunch of women every day. ;)

WHo said anything about being gay? (methinks the lady protesteth to much :lol:)

[BrentRichards]

This is quite possibly the most outrageous thing you have ever said! So why do all those Wabash "Men" want to go to a school with no women? :confused: Just curious.

Now, see, I was going to ask an entirely different question: Are they hiring?