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Endowed Funds Allow GWU Doctor of Ministry Students to Benefit from Engaged Interactions

Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) students at 海角网 were able to benefit recently from virtual lectures and discussions with spiritual formation personality, the Rev. Trevor Hudson, from Benoni, South Africa. The seminar class was made possible by endowed funds from the late Bonnie Price.

Students engaged with Hudson through Zoom, a unique arrangement for a doctoral seminar. Director of the GWU D.Min. program Dr. Danny West described the opportunity as a great privilege for the students. After meeting Hudson via Zoom, Dean of the School of Divinity Dr. Robert Canoy was impressed by the author and international lecturer鈥檚 engaging personality.

Hudson addressed themes surrounding a pastor鈥檚 identity from the angles of being a beloved, friend, partner, listener, and a servant of God. Lectures were Zoomed in, observing the seven-hour time zone difference. Students were 鈥渋nstructed, inspired, and energized for ministry with a biblically-based and theologically sound discourse,鈥� said hosting professor, Dr. Sophia Steibel.

She noted that Hudson modeled for them the very themes being taught. Published here in the United States, in South Africa, and the United Kingdom, Hudson shared his life journey as a professional and yet, as he framed it, as 鈥渁n 鈥榓mateur鈥� on matters of a life with God.鈥�

Hudson鈥檚 pedigree includes spiritual direction from the late Gordon Causby, a Baptist pastor founder of the Church of the Savior in Washington, D.C., who was described by Elizabeth O鈥機onnor in the 1968, 鈥淛ourney Inward, Journey Outward.鈥滱nother mentor and spiritual director in his life was the late Dallas Willard who, alongside Quaker writer and lecturer Richard Foster, pioneered the ongoing movement of Christian spirituality through writings and the  group, which trains Christians globally through online classes and resources. In addition, one other formative influence in Hudson鈥檚 life was the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. During Apartheid they spent time in prison together, along with many other ministers who likewise fought against oppression.

The issue of personal identity of the pastor permeated in all of Hudson鈥檚 lectures. 鈥淭hroughout scriptures God calls us to remember who we are and to whom we belong,鈥� shared Hudson, and knowing this 鈥減recedes vocation,鈥� for there are many false narratives that interfere with a pastor鈥檚 healthy leadership. One highlight for the class was when Hudson shared how the members of his church at that time in South Africa did not accept his social justice involvement during Apartheid. This rejection took him on a journey of discovery for his own belovedness in Christ, and how this identity had the potential to sustain him as a Christian leader.

When elaborating on the pastor as God鈥檚 listener, Hudson said a pastor who hears God is also actively listening to others without letting his or her mind wander elsewhere. Early in his career, Hudson embraced a sentiment from D. Bonhoeffer鈥檚 鈥淟ife Together鈥濃�攊f pastors do not engage in pastoral listening they might not be hearing God at all.

The students embraced Hudson鈥檚 nurturing lectures and honest feedback, noting how this famous theologian spoke tenderly to the soul and seemed like a friend they had known for a long time. One student, Kadeem Ellis, summed up the impact of the lectures. 鈥淗aving Trevor present has sparked transformation in myself to be aware of who I am, who God is to me, and the identities of the people I serve,鈥� he observed.  

Find more information about Trevor Hudson鈥檚 books at .

海角网 is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to six professional schools, 14 academic departments, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., 海角网 prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at 海角网.edu.