Thoughts On Boston

Three weeks ago I went to Boston with Lindsay and Kelli. Though the trip was brief, it was amazing. The three of us travel really well together (they were also my Spring Break NYC/Pocono Mountains in PA traveling buddies,) and we had sooo much fun. First, thoughts on Gordon-Conwell.

I went to the seminary without any expectations. I had pretty much made myself comfortable with the idea of staying in Waco and attending Truett. I am quite satisfied with the program at Truett and the thought of getting to stay at my church for a couple more years was very exciting for me. I’m not going to rehash all of my ideas for staying at Truett though. You can read about them here. Going to Gordon without any expectations turned out to be a great thing. I think that I was able to analyze the school in an objective way without any preconceived notions. My objective state quickly led to many fears and concerns.

We were picked up from the airport by a student of Gordon-Conwell, (GC) and we drove outside of the city to the seminary. As we approached GC I was mesmerized by the beauty of the rolling hills and the trees that were beginning to turn orange, red, yellow, and pink. We got further from the city and I awed over the homes that were centuries old but I began to be a little concerned about the location of GC. One of the things that Baylor has a hard time with is the idea of being in a bubble. Baylor is in the midst of one of the poorest cities in the nation and yet it is almost a world of it’s own. (Though I do not feel as though this mentality fits every student at Baylor.) It seemed as if I was going to find the same thing at GC since it was so far removed from the city. We left the bustling city and drove to the Haven on a Hill.

The first thing that we did was meet with some current seminary students in a group discussion with other prospective students and asked them questions about their experience at GC. Two of the current students that we were speaking with were Texas girls. My anxiety level rose as they spoke of how difficult their transition was and how the loneliness they experienced was painful. I know that wherever I go for seminary, (unless I stay at Truett) I will have to face this kind of loneliness and transitioning difficulty. Though the transition will be exciting for me, I am still pretty nervous about it.

The next day, we attended chapel. Though the worship music in chapel was lacking in many areas, the sermon by one of their professors was great. It was a different style from my preacher, and though I love my pastor and her preaching, hearing someone else’ style was nice for a brief change.

We were able to go to a class after chapel, which was very good. I have to admit that I spent more time thinking about the seminary than listening to the lecture, but I didn’t hear any blatant heresy, (and I didn’t expect to hear any.) We went to another Q&A session about the actual programs and requirements. It was encouraging to know that I will be able to test out of many of the lower level requirements and the classes that I take at Truett this spring will transfer easily. Another thing that eased one of my concerns was their emphasis on being in a ministry while you are at school. Since their location is like a haven on a hill, I was concerned about their involvement in the great community of Boston around them. They have big, but realistic requirements for the entire time you are in seminary to be involved in a mentorship ministry within the community. They strongly emphasized the importance of this.

GC was also very strong in their academics. I was excited about their class requirements and I was impressed with the depth of the classes. It’s pretty easy for me to get excited about taking classes but I was particularly excited about the classes offered in their M-Div and the Counseling programs. I won’t go into too much more detail about this, but I am excited about what they have to offer in this area. With the emphasis on academics and ministry while you’re in seminary, I thought that GC offered a great balance on creating and nurturing a whole person mind, heart, and soul.

Something else that I liked about GC was the fact that it is non-denominational. This fact seems to provide an open opportunity for dialogue among different denominations which is a great way that I learn. I know that my thoughts and beliefs are inevitably going to be influenced by the people that I study under and I think that this would be an ideal environment for me to ask questions and learn but not be allowed to veer away from truth.

My biggest concern, (as always is the case for me with education) would be financing my years at GC. I was not disappointed in what they had to offer in this area either. They offer one scholarship which will be fairly tough to get, but if I can, I will have most of my education there paid for. They also offer need based and merit based scholarships to each of their students. This was very promising information for me.

Overall, I was quite impressed with GC. It was good to finally have something to compare Truett to, and now I know that I have another great option to look at.

In addition to a great seminary, the city of Boston had an endless supply of exciting opportunities for me to enjoy and explore. The history of Boston as you probably know is rich at it’s roots. As we would walk downtown, it was amazing to me to pass a building that was built in the 1950’s and then the next building was built in the 1750’s. We also passed graveyards that held the graves of people who lived in the 17th century. The culture was rich and booming in Quincy Market and the Boston Commons and Public Garden are some of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever seen. There were many great little towns around the capes and the beaxhes were beautiful.

The entire time I was there I could easily see myself living there and being very happy. Though it will be a tough transition for me, I think it will be a much needed one for me. I would welcome a change of pace in my life for the opportunity of stretching and challenging myself. Now I just need to learn how to deal with negative 20 degree winters.