Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus Serves as Model at Harding Graduate School Graduate School of Religion In tile la te second century a Christian thinker nam ed Tertulli an asked a probing ques tion . "What !las tile Acad my to do w ith the church?" Whil e the context o f his inquiry was q uite d ifferent from our own env ironment , it b rings to focus the mis oncept ion many have o f a graduate school o f re ligfon . Contrary to what some may env is ion , the Harding Univers ity Graduate School o f Relig ion (HUGSR)has no t been a fo rtressed monastery secluded on the back lo t o f a for s ted acre in Memphis. Tenn . Ins tead, it l1as served as a center for the ad vancem ent o f th lov e o f Chris t througho ut the w o rld . Of the 1 90 s tud nts enro lled for c lasses at HUGSR. almost I 00 had some type o f "fo rmal" m inis try position . These s tud nts were involved in m inis tri s rang ing from educa ti on , associate m inis try. p reaching and s ing les, to camp us. youth , inner c ity, counseling and m iss ions . Whil e this in itself w as imp re s ive. th formal titl es sa id no th ing o f the countless ho urs th y spen t immersed in teaching, vangelizing and p rea h ing in loca l congrega ti ons that were not able to financially support them . When one cons idered the s taff and facu lty of HUG R, tl1e image was m uc l1 the same : the s tudents learned from and worked w ith the facu lty a t HUGSR. "I don't see how it could b o therw ise. To s top a ll minis try activ ity in order to go to graduate schoo l makes little sense."said A llen Black . associate p ro fessor o fNewTestament. B lack has served as min is ter of adu lt educa ti on at the Highland St. Cl1urch of Chris t sine 1987 . "That is w hat rm cut out , called, to do," he sa id . Minis try and th o log ica l educa tion w ere no t to be separa ted . Educa ti on brought the focus and purpose to m inis try, b ut minis try p rovided tl1e proper channe l for l1andson exp ri ence . Together , the academics and service formed the bas is for indiv idual m inis tries. both p resent and fu ture. Brad B lake int ended to gradua te w itl1in three y ars a fter beginning graduate school and tl1en leaveMemphis. However. he decided to full-time servi e in January in tile Memphis Urban Minis try and began work on h is doctorn te. ·Tt1 is ins ti tu tio n was c rea ted for m inis try, not just to fill our l1eads w ith info rma ti on . It w as brough t about to help people who arc lost,"Blakesaid. 'The p ro fessor speak notjus t from textbooks. but from experience ." Guy Dodd. a fu ll-time min ister in tlK' doctora l p rogram, sa id. As a comp lement to the high s tandards of educa tion on the Searcy campus, HUGSR has served as a cent er for minis try . Here , the mind l1as been s tre tched to unders tand the grea tness o f God , and the hands well-worn to serve tl1e people of od. Students found tl1e acaciemic demands l1igll . bu t th is was on ly because the demands for meaningful ministry were equa lly as l1ig l1. The campus was not a sanctunry frorn tl1c world . bu t ra ther a hub of ministry to the world. Those wl 10 att nded HUGSR saw thi s belie f modeled dai ly by those who taught and supported the work o f the school. What has the Acad my to do w ith the hurch? A t the Gradua te School o f Relig ion . much indeed. Tha t w as the very purpos fo r its exis tence - to g lo rify God w hile it sen t s tudents into the w orld to fulfill His p urpose. - Cra ig A ltrock / \ nmcluaw sructern spell(/S his doy slu(/ying for a resr. T/1e li/Jmry was nel'er lockino in anil'iry as s1ucle111s werealu•ays prqx 1rinf}sennons an(/ papers. PhOIO IJ~j Don Kine/er. Dr. Bi// F/a11one/ 01/wr facu/1y memlwrs uncl s1ude111s liswn 10 a chap<:'/ speaker. Daily c/Jopd prol'ided o rime of focus one/ recommllme111 for 1/1ose u1 rile qmc/uul<' school. 1'110 10 119 Don Kin<l<'r. Acanemics 22 Gran u ate Sc/Joo!
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