Hey there!
My name is Dustin and I am one of the ministry interns this summer at Haywood Street. I am just finishing up my first year of seminary at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, GA. I have been connected to Haywood Street for a little over three years and could not be any more humbled and honored to have the opportunity to be with this community for another summer!
Though on paper I am here to learn to be a better pastor, caregiver, and church member, I have been quickly reminded of the ways in which Haywood Street affirms the simplicity of just being. Learning to say the right thing at the right time, knowing what Jesus did or didn’t say, and what the United Methodist Church has to say about ordination, is what I hear most often throughout the hallways of seminary. While my time at seminary has been important for my journey towards ordination in the UMC, and my own spiritual growth, Haywood Street has taught me lessons that no book or professor could ever teach me about Christianity. Showing up is enough, listening is enough, and affirming the voice of those around me is enough.
Again, I am so grateful to be with the community that let me listen to the way in which God has called me to ministry, the community that reminds me again and again why the Christian faith works for me, and the community that affirms everyone’s divine identity as a beloved child of God. |