We Are Resurrection People
By President Javier A. Viera
Faithful Christian witness demands more than abstract theologies. As Christians, we are called to create God’s Kingdom “on Earth as it is in heaven,” and we at Garrett Seminary are committed to that labor. We are called to nurture communal healing, hope, and transformation, and our work should be measured by how effectively we do this. It’s why I’m honored to serve this institution: From the training of our students to the scholarship of our faculty, the work of our centers, and the ministry of our alums, Garrett cultivates abundant life. This is what you plant when you support Garrett!
As an example, this fall the United Methodist North Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops brought their cabinets and key leaders together for a meeting in Chicago to launch the new quadrennium and to focus their efforts on the future of the church now that the disaffiliation process has largely concluded. They invited Garrett to partner with them in the design and presentation of the event. Several Garrett professors led multiple sessions on matters of great significance for the witness and ministry of the church. Dean Jennifer Harvey led a seminar on best practices of ministry given the rise of Christian Nationalism and the approaching U.S. elections. Dr. AHyun Lee led a session on Soul Care that helped bishops and leaders process the emotional pain after the contentious disaffiliation process. Dr. Timothy Eberhart guided reflection on the Wesleyan tradition and how it can serve as a catalyst for ecological regeneration and planetary healing. After the
event, I received multiple messages from participants expressing gratitude for Garrett’s leadership, and while pleased by their responses, I was not surprised: that blend of academic depth, engaged faith, and practical ministry is what I see happening every day at Garrett.
They’re also the values that shape our seminarians. Students attend Garrett with the intention to become courageous leaders, repairing our tattered social fabric and casting visions of hopeful
Students attend Garrett with the intention to become courageous leaders, ... casting visions of hopeful futures.
futures. What rekindles my hope, however, is the way they answer this call. In a world where nuance is too often spurned in favor of a sizzling sound bite, Garrett students seek dialogue and ask penetrating questions. When political polarization is treated as if it were unfixable, they become bridge builders. Against a culture that says religion is either toxic or irrelevant, they invest in local parishes and nurture vibrant, generative faith and action.
The profound beauty of a Garrett Seminary education grounds our determination to make this experience more affordable and accessible. In the past year, we have strengthened institutional partnerships in India, South Korea,
Zimbabwe, Chile and more, in order to meet the rising global need for educated and welltrained clergy. We have invested in technology, expanding the number of U.S. students who can access theological education directly from their ministry contexts. We have increased scholarship aid, so finances won’t inhibit people’s dreams of pursuing their calling. The result is the most globally, ethnically, and economically diverse incoming class in our seminary’s history, one of the largest in nearly twenty years. And, as you’ll see, the majority still feel called to lead congregations. It is time to build on that foundation. The world’s many crises require innovative, compassionate, wise action and we believe wholeheartedly that leaders who follow in the way of Jesus will play an essential part in that response. When Ezekiel is confronted by a desolate valley, it is the breath of God amplified by his own voice that knits sinew back to bone. Every day, our alums perform that healing work. Community leadership isn’t flashy, it doesn’t often make headlines, but it is the most potent base for social change and healing. People grow best when they feel seen, known, and loved. This is the gift faith communities provide, the essence of effective ministry, the soil from which God delivers new life. Thank you to the more than 1,300 people whose individual and collective generosity helps our students answer their call to ministry. We simply could not do this work without you. United together, we serve God for the thriving of the church and the healing of the world.
Widening Our Social Impact
By The Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount
Aseminary’s influence reaches far beyond the students it currently teaches, alive in the scholarship of our faculty, the work of our centers, and our alumni’s vibrant ministries. In addition to serving as Garrett’s Associate Professor of Formation, Leadership, and Culture, I am also the co-founder of The Oikos Institute for Social Impact— helping congregations that serve under-resourced communities to harness the power of their assets to make a greater social impact in the communities they serve. In this work, I think much about how we can measure institutions’ faithfulness to their mission. If we understand social impact as an organization’s actions on a community’s social fabric, Garrett Seminary’s social impact is robust and growing.
One of the biggest changes I have witnessed in the past five years is a dramatic expansion in who the seminary considers our “community.” While we remain deeply invested in Evanston and greater Chicagoland, students now come to Garrett from across the globe, weaving their own homelands and theological concerns into our social fabric. Some places in our global neighborhood do not have the theological resources they need to flourish, and we are working to fix that. Never have Garrett’s classrooms so embodied John Wesley’s words: “The world is our parish.”
This transformation is not just a change, but a profound responsibility. We find ourselves in a moment where the ground beneath both church and theological education has shifted—where there isn’t a “normal” to go back to. This is a time when we must listen for how God is calling us toward God-sized dreams. The urgency of this work demands that we balance our need
We find ourselves in a moment where the ground beneath both church and theological education has shifted
to remain rooted in place with our call to discipleship—expanding our reach lets us widen the circle of people we are teaching to follow Jesus. This is not just a mission, but a crucial responsibility in these shifting times.
And Garrett is beautifully situated to widen our impact. When I counsel churches for Oikos, we use the acronym F.I.S.H. to describe how they can deepen their ministry. Leaders are asked to consider their Faith Capital (money and assets), Intellectual Capital (knowledge, skills, and experience), Social
Capital (network of relationships), and Human Capital (projects and programs that affect human lives).
Our seminary has secure financial foundations, transformative scholarship, wide networks of alums and friends, and meaningful community engagement—F.I.S.H. in abundance. And our clear mission and identity brings us together with partners who are looking to share in that work.
I do not need to tell you about the world’s pressing needs. From rural villages in India to the streets right here in Evanston, we are afflicted by far too much preventable suffering. Gun violence, a climate crisis, systemic racism, widespread poverty, fractured communities— the list is daunting. But the magnitude of these crises also presents a profound opportunity for Garrett and other faith communities to create meaningful and lasting change. If we believe that all God’s people have sacred worth, we are called to labor until our material realities reflect that conviction. The moment we begin to see what is possible, we have already begun the work of enacting that transformation. And I see an institution that is not just meeting significant challenges, but doing so with abundant spirit, scholarship, resources, and love. This is a time for hope, for optimism, and for the belief in the potential of Garrett Seminary to make a real difference in the world.
Funding Our Vision
Expansive dreams require a solid foundation and continued support. As we hire additional faculty and staff to support a growing student body, expand community partnerships, and develop new programs, our operational costs have naturally risen. While fundraising and grant contributions have helped to broaden our revenue streams, sustaining this momentum requires a growing base of dedicated individual donors. With your support, we continue to strengthen our foundation and realize our vision for the future.
Current Operations and Fundraising
Leading with Love
The majority of our students complete their field education in traditional parishes, most in Methodist churches. Their faithful leadership is hope for the future of Christianity, as we train clergy to serve congregations with compassion and courage. We are also thrilled to see an increasing number of students who pursue clinical training and non-profit leadership, expanding our graduates’ reach as we work toward a healed world.
Student Worker Placements (’23-’24 Academic Year)
Organization
Church Placements by Religion
Our 2024-2025 incoming class embodies theological education’s changing landscape. The racial and generational diversity in our student body create classrooms that reflect the world around us. We’re also thrilled that our efforts to make seminary more accessible are creating new pathways for students: one-third of our new students primarily attend class online, so they can continue to serve their communities as they follow their call. The wide range in students’ intended vocation reflect the breadth of God’s own love.
Fall 2024 Entering Students by Vocational Interest
Fall 2024 Entering Students by Race
Connecting the Continents
Students come to Garrett from across the world, bringing their communities’ dreams and concerns to campus. In our classrooms, the global church isn’t just a belief, it’s a lived reality. It’s also part of Garrett’s commitment to decolonizing theological education. By removing financial barriers that prevent students from accessing theological education, we are helping to meet the world’s rising need for trained clergy and courageous leaders.
COLOMBIA
Recruitment efforts in South Korea remain strong, but new strategic partnerships in India and the African continent have also attracted significant numbers of students.
Democratic
Serving the Globe
Just as we draw students from across the world, our graduates work in 40 countries and all 50 states! Trained for courageous leadership, they faithfully serve in churches, non-profit organizations, public office, and more. Amid polarization and brokenness, Garrett graduates know healing is possible, and labor to bring God’s Kingdom closer.
United States Alums
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21
30
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149
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COLOMBIA
Want to connect with alums in your geographic area? Scan the code and reach out to our development office. We’ll try to pair you with other Garrett graduates who serve near you.
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
2121 Sheridan Road
Evanston, Illinois 60201
Abundant Love, Abundant Gratitude
Thank you! Whether you volunteer, mentor students, host field education placements, make a gift, or help us recruit, you help us expand Garrett’s reach into the places it’s needed most. Your generosity makes theological education possible for a new generation of students.
Inspired by Garrett’s work in the world? Scan the code below to make a gift today.