Pastoral internship experiences are laying the foundation for the future minister
July 2022 – Drew Theological School knows that real world experiences contribute greatly to a modern theological education. Through internships and ministry placements, students have the opportunity to apply, test, challenge, and assess the knowledge gained in the classroom.
Through a summer internship, Master of Divinity student Tapiwa Manyonga T’23 had the opportunity to gain valuable experience with the Exploring Leadership Internship (ELI) Project, an initiative of the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) designed to support young adults exploring a call to vocational ministry and provide a practical and experiential discernment processes.
“This experience has been impactful to me because it has prepared me to be able to meet different congregations and learn from different people,” said Manyonga. “It is an opportunity to learn more about my calling and future vocation.”
During her internship, Manyonga was able to preach, lead Sunday worship and a sermon series on biblical women, Tabitha and Deborah. She also led a bible study group on the Book of Ruth and engaged in the church’s youth activities.
“Drew prepared me well for this internship because the classes I took in the spring really gave a foundation of what I am doing now,” said Manyonga. “The United Methodist History, Doctrine, and Polity and New Testament Narratives courses, as well as the many preaching classes, are really helpful in my internship.”
Manyonga also interned with Janice Sutton Lynn T’06, lead pastor at Morrow Memorial UMC in Maplewood, New Jersey, during the 2021-22 academic year.
