What Seminarians are Learning from the Pandemic

Every clergy leader has his or her list of learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent webinar sponsored by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), theological educators identified some of the things that seminary students involved in field education during this time are learning. James Barber, Barbara Blodgett, and Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi have been responsible for supervision of students doing their field work in the last several months. Here are some of the things they shared.

“This isn’t what I signed on for” is a metaphor for ministry. Perhaps we don’t communicate often enough to seminary students that ministry is messy. It was chaotic even before the pandemic which has added another current of uncertainty. Although most of us went into the ministry with a bit of idealism and a model of how each week would unfold, we quickly learned that needs and expectations challenged our preconceptions. Hopefully students are learning that a call to ministry is more of an invitation to journey than one to build a nest.

The role that buildings play (and don’t play) in ministry. We have been reminded so many times in recent days that “the church is the people not the building.” Fortunately, clergy leaders recognized this quickly and began making connections by all means available. Buildings are simply tools; people come first. This lesson can be very helpful not only in these times of unrest but in helping seminarians arrange their priorities in ministry.

How health, wealth, and race are intersected. The pandemic has certainly made real of the ideas that we struggle with daily and are often addressed in seminary classes. We are divided in many ways--ability to quarantine in place, access to health care, having a reserve fund to fall back on, employment that allows us to work from home, availability of digital resources for work and education. Many of us are privileged to have flexibility in our lifestyles while others are not. This is a systemic problem that the church is called to address, and clergy must face in leading congregations.

The importance of having self-care strategies. We talk about self-care a great deal in seminary classes, and we can only hope that students have absorbed this emphasis. A recent survey by one denomination indicated that churches are more aware of the need for pastoral self-care and that survey was taken before the pandemic. Perhaps student entering into their first call will find the support they need for self-care.

How to develop flexibility, vulnerability, and “all the -illities.” Although I learned much in seminary that I still use today, I have also experienced a steep unlearning curve about some other things. Fortunately, most seminaries have discovered how to educate students for the 2020’s rather than the 1950’s. Part of that is being a lifelong learner. During the pandemic, I have seen many examples of clergy coming together online to encourage and learn from each other. When we are uncertain about the next step, it is good to learn what others are trying and to feel free to experiment. If seminarians can adopt this skill set, they can thrive in ministry.

Although doing field education during these days has been a challenge, perhaps seminary students will come to see it as an unexpected gift. I hope so.

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