The Rev. Emily Miller ’07 left her law career to begin her journey in ministry when she became a second career student at Pittsburgh Seminary in 2001. This blog post recounts some of Emily’s reflections on the way her time at PTS shaped her vocational journey.
Taking Time to Learn
In 2001, Emily Miller left her career to pursue a call to ministry. As a seminary student, Emily loved many of her classes. She particularly enjoyed learning from Old Testament professor the Rev. Dr. Jerome Creach and former professors Drs. Ron Tappy, Dale Allison, and Edith Humphrey. She took in all the information in like a sponge. Emily’s biblical knowledge grew through her class work, as did her understanding of how people viewed Jesus through the centuries. She was excited to return to school and explore her faith in depth.
One of her highlights was Christology with a beloved professor, Dr. Susan Nelson (now deceased). At that time, Dr. Nelson taught a class on evil, prompted by her students in the graduating class of 1998. The class incorporated a three-day trip to Washington D.C. and the Holocaust Museum, triggering powerful conversation about man’s inhumanity to man.
Emily even tackled her fear of public speaking in her homiletics class. Now, before she enters the pulpit, she still remembers key phrases taught there. She credits Dr. Bill Carl with saying, “If you wouldn’t say it that way in a dinner conversation, don’t say it that way in the pulpit.” Good advice.
Beyond Academics: Ministry Demands Holistic Preparation
Emily loved her seminary experience, but she was ready to do ministry upon graduation.
Once serving in full-time ministry, however, she soon learned that each day brought new challenges, and rarely did those challenges involve directly studying the biblical text or Calvin’s Institutes. Challenges in the church always involve people and their relationships with one another. After ministering through church conflict, a pandemic, divisive elections, and declining worship attendance, Emily wished her academic curriculum had included classes which address the things that keep pastors up at night. She cited classes that would study how people process information and relate to one another as especially valuable in preparing for ministry.
Understanding preparation for ministry to be a process of holistic formation, PTS now includes such classes in its master’s curricula. For example, M.Div. students complete “Introduction to Caring Ministry,” “Preaching and Communication in Ministry,” “Missional Leadership and Evangelism,” and an “Intercultural/Experiential Learning” course in their second year of study. Each term, faculty also offer additional, elective courses in their particular areas of specialization. For example, in Spring 2025, Dr. Leanna Fuller, Joan Marshall Associate Professor of Pastoral Care, will offer “Pastoral Listening and Communication” and “Leadership through Conflict” for those who wish to deepen their attentive listening abilities and practical leadership competencies; other electives offered will include “Pentecostalism and Charismatic Movements,” “Pittsburgh Social and Religious Ecologies,” “Global African Christianity,” “Spirituality of Thomas Merton,” and “Being the Church in a Post-Christian Society.” Most notably, “Field Education,” led this year by Drs. John Burgess and Edwin van Driel, walks students through a one-year, part-time, active ministry placement in a context chosen to suit each student’s particular sense of call. PTS knows that successful preparation for ministry includes both practical skill development and rigorous academic development.
Emily concluded her thoughts by urging lifelong learning through our the Seminary’s exceptional Continuing Education program, now under the direction of the Rev. Erik Hoeke. She also suggests getting involved with a pastor’s group following graduation, because pastors learn well from other pastors. Emily said, “Share your struggles, listen to other pastors’ struggles, and learn from one another. In this way, we can all be the family of God together.”
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The Rev. Emily Miller ’07 is associate pastor at Sewickley Presbyterian Church. A native of Pittsburgh, Emily has served two churches in the Pittsburgh area as a student pastor and five churches as an ordained minister. She holds a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and she practiced law in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.