My seminary journey began in January 2013. At that time, the graduate program was called Christian Leadership, and it was a newly launched program. The first cohort was very small, with around ten students, many of whom were connected to the seminary as staff or ministry leaders.
To be honest, I was not naturally drawn to the idea of leadership. I often thought of leadership as authority or being the person in charge. Yet the word Christian in the program title encouraged me to take the first step, and as a lay person, there were not many graduate program options available to me.
A few months later, I began a new chapter in my professional career, and balancing work and seminary became difficult. I stepped away at the end of 2013, hoping that one day I might be able to return.
That opportunity came in 2018. By then, the program name had changed from Christian Leadership to Leadership Development. I sometimes smile when I think about it, because if that had been the original name, I might never have applied. Yet God often leads us in ways we do not expect.
When I returned, our cohort was even smaller. Including me, there were only five students, and three of them were pastors actively serving in their churches. Listening to their stories and sharing life together became an important part of my own spiritual growth.
One of the unique things about this journey is that I was there at both the beginning and the end. I entered the program during its very first year, stepped away for a season, and returned to complete it just before the seminary merged with a larger institution. In a way, I became both the first and the last student of that particular major.
Although my degree was in Leadership Development, my heart was deeply shaped by the Spiritual Formation courses. Our cohort gathered in person from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, then continued learning online between meetings. One of our very first assignments was to read In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen. Through that book, I discovered a different understanding of leadership—not as power or status, but as humble service.
This page is my quiet place to remember that journey. Here I hope to collect books, lessons, and reflections that have stayed with me over the years. I write them not as an expert, but as a fellow traveler who is grateful for God’s guidance along the way.
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” — Matthew 20:26