Alum, PhD candidate, and Director of Chapel Beth Quick T’03
November 2024 – Faith, advocacy, and scholarship brought Beth Quick T’03 to Drew Theological School, and continues to drive her story.
Quick has worn many hats during her time the Theological School—student, alum, adjunct professor, and now serving as Director of the Chapel while pursuing her PhD.
Read on to learn about Quick’s journey, which reflects a deep commitment to justice, advocacy, faith, and fostering meaningful connections within Drew’s vibrant community.
Why Drew?
When I was looking for seminaries, I knew I wanted to go to a United Methodist Church (UMC) seminary, and I wanted to stay in the Northeast. I had a hunch Drew was going to be right for me. I had vague but good memories of visiting as a child when a family member was working on his DMin at Drew. And sure enough: I loved Drew.
After I made my decision to attend Drew, two “events” confirmed my choice:
1. An elderly woman, a retired clergy spouse in my home church, and generally not a mystical-type of person, told me, when I announced my choice, “Oh, I prophesied that you would go to Drew.” Wow. Her words meant a lot to me.
2. I was a lay delegate to the General Conference in May 2000, a few months before starting at Drew. While I was there, I served on a legislative committee with Mark Miller [Professor of Church Music], was introduced to incoming Theological School Dean Maxine Beach [ret.], and witnessed Dr. Traci West [James W. Pearsall Professor of Christian Ethics and African American Studies] give a rousing, prophetic, justice-seeking speech on the plenary floor. I couldn’t believe I was going to learn from these amazing people!
Why did you decide to continue at Drew to earn your PhD?
Deciding to come back to Drew was easy because of my experiences the first time around. I appreciate Drew’s commitment to seeking justice, Drew’s amazing faculty, and the sense of community I experience at Drew. Aside from knowing I wanted to work with my advisor, Dr. Laurel Kearns [Professor of Ecology, Religion, and Society], I knew that the rest of Drew’s qualities made it “the whole package” for me.
Tell us about your role as the Director of the Chapel.
I am so excited to be stepping into this role. I served as a pastor in the local church for 17 years before returning to Drew. Serving as Director of the Chapel allows me to continue to use my gifts for ministry and worship leadership even as I shift toward academic pursuits. My role is to help coordinate and plan the various worship services that happen in Craig Chapel throughout the year. Some weeks, I get to craft the liturgies myself, and some weeks, I get to help our various student caucuses bring their visions for chapel to fruition. It is especially a joy to get to work so closely with Prof. Miller. (Honestly, when people hear about my work at Drew, one of the first things I typically hear is, “You get to work with Mark Miller? How cool!”) His gifts are unparalleled, and I treasure caring for the worship life of Drew Theo alongside his extraordinary musical contributions.
And your animal advocacy work.
I have been a vegetarian and then vegan for many years—most of my life now, in fact. I have long been an advocate for animal rights in my personal life, and as with all things in my life, I have sought to frame my commitments to align with my faith and theology. Eventually, I began to wonder how I could help others connect care for animals, care for the earth, faith commitments, and to wonder about what obstacles stood in the way of people making such connections. Those wonderings led me back to school. I am especially interested in how people change—how are we transformed, and how do we come to hold positions that we once opposed? How, for example, could individuals, and even institutions—whole denominations, perhaps—change their mind about the moral status of animals? The focus of my dissertation looks at the UMC, its environmental work over the last several decades, and the presence (or absence) of attention to animals in denominational polity and practice.
What are your future vocational goals?
I have been teaching for the past few semesters at Drew. I really enjoy teaching. I would love to teach at the seminary level, but I’ve also discovered that I really enjoy teaching undergraduate students. There is something precious about the self-discovery that happens in the first years of adulthood and higher education. In whatever context I find myself, I hope I am able to blend both academic and ministry experience. Drew has shown me ways I can nurture different aspects of my professional life, and I want to seek out roles that enable me to continue on that path.