I went to seminary hoping to prove myself, hoping to learn more, and hoping to be equipped for my calling—and I came out realizing I had nothing to prove. My calling is enough. My identity as God’s beloved daughter is enough. Seminary did equip me; it did give me the confidence and learning I desired, and ended up being an inflection point in my life. What I sought was inside me the whole time—but it was seminary that gave me the tools to excavate it.

And that is why I would choose seminary all over again.

Stefanie Coleman has a Master’s of Divinity from Emmanuel Christian Seminary. She has worked in various roles from youth ministry leader to international church planter to Christian college adjunct instructor to her current role as the Adult Ministry Director at Community Christian Church Lincoln Square. Having lived on three continents, she can now be found in coffee shops in Chicago.