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ABSW DELIGHTS NEW STUDENT The first semester at American Baptist Seminary of the West is just what new student Nathalio Gray hoped for: diverse students, a variety of perspectives, rich discussions. When the 27-year-old evaluated options for seminary education, he knew he wanted to stay in the Bay Area, where he and his wife live and work. And he needed a flexible program that would accommodate his full-time schedule as an administrator at a private high school in Marin County. Reading ABSW's literature, he says he knew the seminary was the right place for him. The school's contextualized curriculum and its commitment to various ministries with diverse groups spoke to Gray's desire for an education "connected to people" rather than cut off from everyday life and church experience. Gray has found "a very nurturing environment" at ABSW. Monday evening chapel services are especially helpful. Students come into Monday after a weekend of multiple commitments, including family and church, not to mention the homework load. Gray says it's natural for students to wonder if they're going to survive. "Did I make the right decision? Can I handle this?" And then someone speaks in chapel, someone who understands the challenge of answering God's call and balancing commitments. "Just hearing those encouraging words on Mondays has been really helpful for me," Gray says. A graduate of Morehouse College with a bachelor's degree in African American studies, Gray is dean of inclusion and community growth and director of community service at the Branson School in Ross. He is also the youth minister at True Vine Ministries in Oakland. Gray is still discerning his call. But he's confident that he's in the right place, getting a very practical education. "We're not in class just discussing pie-in-the-sky concepts," he says. "We're getting down to issues that are affecting the church in the new millennium." |
"I'm loving the experience," Gray says.
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