The Office of Recruitment and Admissions at CTS engages prospective students and assists them through the admissions process, while also helping to provide student support throughout the entire seminary journey. This important work typically involves traveling around the country, hosting events on and off campus, and meeting with people for interviews and campus visits.
Responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic, in March 2020 CTS moved all of its operations, classes, and campus events online. Since then, Recruitment and Admissions has worked creatively and collaboratively with students and faculty members in adapting to this new setting. Amanda Thrasher, Interim Director of Recruitment and Admissions, said that, “In the transition from in-person to online interaction during this challenging year, the commitment to spiritual and emotional support remains a hallmark of Christian Theological Seminary.”
Every Friday during the month of October, Recruitment and Admissions hosted a series of five “Coffee and Conversation” events that featured live-streamed conversations with current students who spoke on behalf of different degree programs at CTS. Each conversation was moderated by Thrasher and allowed prospective students to learn and ask questions about coursework, degree program details, and other aspects of seminary life. Most importantly, the conversations provided a great opportunity to hear from current students about their backgrounds, passion for ministry, and career and vocational considerations, along with their experiences at CTS.
During one of these conversations, MDiv student Michael Jefferson reflected on his choice of CTS and why it has been right for him. “I needed a seminary education that gave me the opportunity to still show up in the places that were important to me, and CTS gave me the flexibility to be able to do that,” he said. He continued, explaining, “CTS has this group of world renowned faculty and other students that challenge in ways that I didn’t expect… It’s a place of great calling. But it’s a place that allows you to look in the mirror and also at the people God has called you to serve and figure out how God is moving through you.”
Watch the Coffee and Conversation interviews with current students:
Oct. 2 – Dena Hein – Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT)
Oct. 9 – Michael Jefferson – Master of Divinity (MDiv)
Oct. 16 – Bryan Owens – Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MACMHC)
Oct. 23 – Adaliah Brown – Dual Degree MDiv/MACMHC
Oct. 30 – Shonra Abernathy – Dual Degree MDiv/MAMFT
In addition to the weekly Coffee and Conversation online gatherings, CTS students and alumni have also been meeting digitally with prospective students and accompanying them to CTS’s online chapel services, while members of the Recruitment and Admissions team have offered continual prayer and support during this time.
Members of the CTS faculty have also contributed. Over the course of several Mondays during the fall 2020 semester, faculty members posted brief “words of wisdom” videos featuring reflections on excerpts from books they have used or are currently using in class. As well, on Oct. 21, Recruitment and Admissions hosted Prof. Christina Davis, Prof. Nicole Robertson, and Prof. Robert Saler in a conversation about calling, vocation, and discernment. Watch it here.
As the spring semester recruitment season comes to an end, the Office of Recruitment and Admissions plans to continue its online work in the new year. More events and opportunities to connect are being planned for the spring semester. Thrasher said, “In partnership with Recruitment and Admissions, students, alumni, staff, and faculty continue to make tremendous efforts to ensure a warm welcome for applicants no matter the distance.”
