Divinity School students travel to Hell’s Kitchen

Under the leadership of Metro Baptist pastor David Waugh, a 1971 graduate of Wake Forest, eight divinity students will get hands-on urban ministry experience in the Clinton South community of Manhattan, more famously known as Hell’s Kitchen.

All Wake Forest Divinity School students are required to participate in courses designed to provide ministry experience in rural, urban or international settings. The trip to New York City is the third trip taken by divinity students this year in fulfillment of that requirement.

In January, students traveled to rural Appalachia and participated in rural church and community ministry through the Appalachian Ministries Educational Resources Center. Last March, 5 students journeyed to Cuba to explore how the church has developed in that country during a time of economic and political isolation from North American influence. Among other experiences, they led worship services in several Cuban churches, including Baptist, Moravian and Pentecostal. They also visited the Ecumenical Seminary in Matanzas and observed how students in Cuba are being formed for the ministry.

The intent of the special courses is to provide students with a cross-cultural immersion in a wide range of settings and to help them in developing the broad skills needed to meet the needs of America’s changing congregations. Development of these courses is supported by a $150,000 grant from The Henry R. Luce Foundation.

Next year, during their second year of study, students will participate in internships throughout the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County area, where Wake Forest is located. The internships will place them in diverse settings, including hospitals, community service organizations and churches.

The Divinity School opened for classes last fall. The school’s first class of students completed their first year of studies in early May.

The school’s three-year curriculum is centered in the classical theological disciplines of biblical studies, church history, theology and ministry studies, which includes areas such as pastoral care and preaching. Courses are taught by divinity school faculty, as well as faculty of Wake Forest’s undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.

Wake Forest’s Divinity School, whose mission is Christian by tradition, ecumenical in outlook and Baptist in heritage, prepares individuals for ministry in the Christian church.