Learning from a Distance How our Students Are Connecting with Columbia
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olumbia Theological Seminary has a commitment to preparing students for a global ministry and as part of that commitment we welcome students from around the world each school year. In this pandemic-shaped year that welcome has looked very different. Instead of joining their fellow students in Decatur, they are connecting on computer screens via Zoom. We caught up with Noura R. Eid a first-year Master of Divinity student who is studying in Leuven, Belgium to find more about her experience learning from a distance.
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Q: What called you to Columbia Theological Seminary? A: While completing a Bachelor of Theology B.Th. in Lebanon, I was increasingly interested in pursuing a Master of Divinity after finishing my Bachelor’s degree. I talked with my teachers and pastors who had completed studies abroad. One of the pastors whom I asked was Jack Baca, the pastor of the Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He advised me to apply to Columbia Seminary for graduate studies. Later, I was also encouraged to consider Columbia Seminary by Tony Sundermeier, the pastor of the First Presbyterian church in Atlanta. In their perspective, and now in mine, Columbia Seminary is a great place to study, for several reasons. First, I have been told it is a warm, hospitable and diverse community. VA N T A G E
