This is my McCormick Story...
05-04-2022
By Douglas Gaines
Which McCormick tradition/practice/activity/ policy are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the collaboration and interaction with the students. As Co-Moderator of the Student Council, member of the Board of Deacons, and Board of Trustee, I was able to experience the richness of the McCormick experience. The diversity of the student body and MTS Community was rich and provided a wonderful cross-cultural experience. Also, the Wednesday Noon Day Services, under the direction of Dr. Lis Valle were powerful.
What’s your most difficult in-seminary memory? What happened and did you learn anything from it?
What was most difficult in my seminary experience was when I lost my beloved mother at age 91 in February 2018 from a terminal illness. The day after my mother’s funeral, my older brother passed. I was devastated and overwhelmed. Assistant Dean David Watkins – Office of Student Services directed me to assistance offered by the Seminary. I will be forever grateful for this assistance during a very emotional and overwhelming season in my life.
What is your memorable McCormick event?
The most memorable McCormick event was the Howard Thurman Symposium. For me, this was such an explosive event that allowed McCormick students and community to come together to engage in rich conversations about the life and legacy of Howard Thurman.
What was the most enjoyable book you had to read for seminary work?
My most enjoyable book I read in seminary was Jack Rogers, “Presbyterian Creeds: A Guide to The Book of Confessions,” by Jack Rogers. It was my desire to take a deeper dive into the inner-self in building character, and it explored some of the most complicated and challenging points of concern in the Church.
What was your favorite class and why?
My favorite class was history. I’ve always been intrigued by history to understand from which various topics and even my ancestry has shaped and developed my paradigms and lenses of today.
In retrospect, do you think the expectations you had when you were joining seminary have been met?
Yes. I believe the expectations I had when I joined seminary have been met. I came to seminary to learn more about my purpose in God! I can truly say that I didn’t know exactly what I was to do in ministry. It was seminary that put me on the track of Leadership through Social Transformation. This will be my emphasis as I enter the Doctor of Ministry Program at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary June 2022.
What is your advice to the continuing students?
My advice to continuing students are to consider getting involved in McCormick activities, Student Council, Board of Deacons, Student Activity Groups (SAG) as this is an opportunity to better understand what is going on in community and how you can utilize your time, talent, and treasure to help others.
Any parting shot(s)?
This journey could not have been successful without McCormick’s leadership – Board of Trustees, Dean of Faculty, Office of Student Services, Faculty, Staff, Administration, and you, you, and you – everyone in Community. I thank God for God’s grace and mercy in bringing us together in fellowship with God and with my brothers and sisters in community. So, as the Graduating Class of 2022 embarks upon this next phase of our journey, we should be mindful of the following:
Take the Holy Spirit wherever you go. For if God is leading you, you can’t go wrong.
Continue to be humble – remove self out of the way and replace it with Community.
Consider Steven Covey’s words of wisdom on the power of listening; “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
Continue to answer the charge of Isaiah 6:8 NRSV – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
This is you today, This is you tomorrow!
Go forth as the Lord sends you. We can transform paradigms, transform lenses, and transform lives as we transform Community.
Photo by Dose Media on Unsplash
Douglas Gaines, MDiv class of 2022