JOHNNA HAYWARD, Covenant Missionary to Belgium

I am serving as a Covenant missionary/pastor at a Congolese (originally from Congo, Africa) church in Belgium. We began working together only six weeks ago after I completed four months of French study. I am constantly amazed at what happens when people from different cultures and languages come together to worship and know Christ.

My time at North Park Theological Seminary was a huge foundation for this ministry - especially the classes I took on Culture and Religion, and the way that discussions of power, race, gender and poverty were woven into every department of the seminary. The community of students and professors is a rare gift.

MICHELLE CLIFTON-SODERSTROM, Assistant Professor, Theology and Ethics, North Park Theological Seminary

I graduated from North Park Seminary in 1995 and 10 years later received my PhD in theology with a specialization in Christian Social Ethics. I am going into my third year teaching theology and ethics at the Seminary. Over the last five years I have been involved with the spiritual life of the church as a deacon, I have taught adult education courses, and I am continuing to develop my identity as a preacher. I am ordained to Word and Sacrament, and believe my work to be in service of the church. As a woman in ministry, I continue to be mentored and supported in my call. My gender is not central to my identity as a theological educator; however I am aware that I can connect with women students in a particular way, and the living out of my call may open new doors and opportunities for women interested in theology. My seminary education was a critical experience in preparing me for my call at the Seminary. In addition to a strong academic training and spiritual formation, I was mentored and befriended by faculty, staff and students who offered great wisdom.

MARCIA CARLSON CORNER, Women in Ministry student chair, 2006-07

North Park Theological Seminary has been a formative place where I have been able to work out my call as a woman in ministry. I have met many companions along the way who have supported me in my journey through encouragement, compassionate listening, shared wisdom, and making the space necessary for me to wrestle with questions of call, vocation, and identity. Both male and female faculty, staff, and colleagues have played a significant role in this process. Class discussions, reading material, and campus events have additionally been an important part of my formation as a woman in ministry. I am very thankful for North Park Seminary and the opportunities I've had here to grow and to be a companion with others on their journeys as well.

ROSE CORNELIOUS, current MDiv student and founder of Trinity Concepts, Inc.

I have greatly benefitted from being in seminary at North Park.  While most of my classes have been taken on-line, I've also taken several classes on campus, and have gotten to know many of my fellow classmates and the teaching faculty at North Park.  I certainly am not the same person I was when I started at NorthPark; The classes have shaped my theology, and I think it has enabled me to minister as a more informed and effective servant of God.

In February, I started a non-profit, Trinity Concepts, Inc. to facilitate more African Americans and people of color into mission work.  Currently, African Americans comprise a very small percentage of overseas missionaries, due to a number of factors, and I want to change that. I am also teaching seminars and workshops around the country.  This September, for instance, I was the keynote speaker for the Great Lakes Conference and East Coast Conference Covenant Women Ministries gatherings.

DEBRA AUGER, Dean of Students and Community Life, North Park Theological Seminary

I graduated from North Park with a Master's of Divinity degree as a SemConnect student in 2006 after having begun as a fulltime residential student for 2 years. My family and I relocated to Ecuador where I served at Covenant Bible College as a fulltime faculty member teaching a variety of classes, from Introduction to Christian Worship to Story of the Church, and was the Director of Ministry Arts. After six years of ministry with young adults, the ministry of CBC was forced to close due to decreasing enrollment and increasing operational debt. I was ordained to Word and Sacrament at the Annual meeting of the ECC in June 2006. This July, I began my ministry as the new Dean of Students and Community Life at North Park Theological Seminary and look forward to shepherding seminary students as they prepare for vocational ministry in the church and the world.  I look forward to coming alongside seminary students preparing to serve God and the world. It is truly a privilege which I do not take for granted. God has called me to North Park, and because God has called me, I believe it is God who will sustain and equip me for the task ahead.

CATHERINE GILLIARD, Pastor, Commissioned Disciples Covenant Church,  President, African-American Minister’s Association for the ECC, and President, Association for Covenant Clergy Women.

"North Park Theological Seminary's SemConnect program has been an answer to prayer. SemConnect is a wonderful e-community that marries life experiences with ministry call. Discernment is strengthened in community, and women who have been gifted by God to lead in His kingdom will find the SemConnect community an affirming environment which challenges us to grow deeper and dream bigger."