Nolan Donald, United States
"The experience of coming to Asbury, living in Wilmore, going to chapel, eating in the cafeteria became sacramental experiences for me. As I was graduating with my master's degree in 2002, a friend who had started when I did stopped me and asked me if I realized how much I had changed since I started Asbury. I told her that I didn't and she explained that I was a different person! I really had changed. I came in unsure of my call to ministry, of the depth of faith, and of my confidence to do what God had called me to; my four years here were incredibly transforming!
Coming back to Asbury for the Beeson program has been a phenomenal experience. In many ways, I thought I would get to "recapture" some of the incredible experience I had here during my first Asbury experience, and I was really wrong. This year has been so different and so incredible. During my first Asbury experience, I wasn't married. This season at Asbury has been great because my wife has been able to take part in some of what Asbury has to offer. She has audited some classes and gotten to experience some of it. For me, having been appointed to a couple of churches since I graduated, I came back with a better understanding of what is really going on in the church and more willing to learn about how to effectively lead the church in the 21st century. Having had some experience, I approached this year with a whole new set of questions.
In many ways, I feel like this year has been a year of growth, healing, and preparation all geared to what God has in store for us next. In many ways, my passion for ministry has been intensified (rekindled, in some ways) and a more healthy and realistic understanding of my role in ministry and the ins and outs of ministry has been emphasized.
By far, the best part of the Beeson year for me has been the community of the Beeson group. The eleven other folks in the program and their families are incredible! This experience has really been the closest thing to living in community that I have ever known. We study together, play together, take classes together, eat together and everything else in between. Everything that we have learned in the classroom has been filtered through the other folks in the program. Learning from their experiences and growing together has been invaluable!"
