Our Graduates

Graduates from Messiah's Department of Biblical and Religious Studies possess skills that enable them to pursue a wide variety of vocations. Some go straight to seminary, graduate school, or law school. Others go directly into Christian ministry. All in all, our department has done extraordinarily well in placing our students into ministry positions and graduate programs around the country.

Please meet a sampling of our recent graduates and listen to their stories:

Julian (Jay) Forth, graduated in 2006 with a degree in Christian Ministries (Global Ministries concentration) and a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies. He entered Duke Divinity School in fall 2006, where he is working on a master’s degree in Christian ethics. His longer-range goal is to help churches integrate their faith and practice with struggles for peace and justice.

" My time at Messiah was incredible and enriching. I thoroughly enjoyed the close relationships I developed during my time there, both with fellow students and with faculty members in my department. My professors were always open for impromptu discussions, and they took interest in my personal education with the utmost sincerity. Through the courses I took in the Biblical and Religious Studies Department, I learned that the Christian faith is far more relevant to our world than I had once believed. I came to learn the importance of facing the world “with the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other.” The Scriptures calls us not to run away or ignore the war, poverty, and hatred in the world, but to meet them with the Kingdom of God."

                         

After graduating from Messiah College in May 2005 with a degree in Religion, Mindy Harmeling returned to her home state of Colorado to work with AmeriCorps, mentoring at-risk youth ages 6-12 through various avenues. In fall 2006, Mindy entered an M.B.A. program in International Economic Development at Eastern University’s School of Leadership and Development. She plans to live permanently in a developing country after graduation.

  "So much of what I absorbed at Messiah has guided me toward the passions that drive me today. When I arrived as a first-year student, I was confident that God was calling me into some type of mission work, but I had no direction and was spiritually immature. The environment at Messiah was like a sunny, well-watered garden. God was growing me and leading me during my time in college through my courses, professors, mentors, and peers. The Biblical and Religious Studies Department became a home where I could freely explore the larger world and identify my international, spiritual, and personal interests."

 

Keith Miller graduated from Messiah in 2005 with a degree in Christian Ministries. He is currently Pastor of Student Ministries, Manor Brethren in Christ Church, Lancaster.

"My Christian Ministries major at Messiah was a fantastic experience as I grappled with new ideas alongside other students who were studying the same field, and amidst professors that challenged and encouraged me to own my faith and ask difficult questions."

Read more about Keith's story at Messiah College: Career Center

Derrick Whitmore received his degree in Christian Ministries in May 2002. Since then, Derrick has served as a youth pastor in two different churches—first at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and currently at Shepherd of the Hills Church (United Churches of Christ) in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania. In addition, Derrick continues to develop a ministry that uses various forms of media to share the Gospel with young people.

 "I'm so grateful for all the Messiah professors who shared with me their passion for ministry and for God. Now I hope to share that passion with future generations. I am currently using everything I was taught in my Christian education, curriculum instruction, and youth ministries courses almost every day! My involvement in various campus activities gave me a good start, teaching me how to work in a team, serve others, and share the joy of the Lord."

 

  Sarah Mae Eisele graduated from Messiah in 2001 with a degree in Bible. She then accepted a year-long ministry assignment at  her Assemblies of God church in Marcy, New York, where she worked with youth and children, participated on the worship team, and preached in evening services. In 2003 she  joined Youth With A Mission (YWAM), eventually working with a variety of people  groups--Indigenous Australians, school children and prostitutes in Thailand, and teenagers in Australia. She is now living in Boston, studying for a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Public Health at Boston University while working at a non-profit organization. After graduating she hopes to be involved in community development work.

"Upon graduating from Messiah College I immediately found my education rewarding, not only for the biblical studies abilities I gained, but also for the general education classes that gave me a wider view of the world and a greater appreciation for all that God has created. As I go further into the field of social work, I look back on my experience at Messiah and notice how my professors’ views of God as a just and compassionate God influenced me, an undercurrent to everything I learned. My Messiah education allowed me to see this just God as important to every society and culture, though each place in the world has injustices that we are called to affect and hopefully change. As I step more into the calling God has given me, I find encouragement in various places--through other Messiah grads who pursue similar paths, from the activities of current Messiah students who serve others while on break from school, and from various professors and administrators who continue to offer me their friendship and support."

Dan Wilt graduated from Messiah in 1987 with a degree in Religion. He is currently the Global Worship Resource Coordinator for Vineyard Music. Read more about Dan's vocational journey here.