Student Testimonials
From Students in our Family Housing Options
“Being a student in residence at Kalas Village has been significant for both myself, wife and my children’s formation and ministry preparation. Despite only being here for less than a year to date, the deep friendships, Spirit filled moments, community gatherings, spontaneous worship and prayer gatherings that we have experienced around this community have been as important for me formationally as the academia. My wife and I have been especially encouraged to see my children thrive both spiritually, relationally and physically in this blessed environment.
The Spirit is moving in this campus and to be in the midst of it has been a privileged blessing.”
— Current Asbury Theological Seminary Student
In the last year, my family has been extremely blessed to have moved to Wilmore, Ky and begin attending Asbury Theological Seminary. We were immediately welcomed with joy and hospitality by neighbors and staff members. The transition wasn’t nearly as hard as it would have been without these loving people being here for us, helping us to settle in and feel loved so quickly.
The community of believers has allowed us to develop friendships and live in fellowship that was lacking in our lives before we got here. We have already grown and seen a difference in our marriage and our children’s lives in just these last nine months. The staff of the community formation team and the faculty have walked in humility and love and have offered much more than we’ve expected. We are very grateful to be here and blessed that God opened the door to Asbury. I am learning so much about ministry at the Seminary that I am convinced I will be well prepared for what God has for me when it is time for the next season. — Current Asbury Theological Seminary Student – Fall ’18
Why do seminary as a residential student?
I cannot imagine how much I would have been short-selling myself and my family, and truthfully, God’s call for us, had we not fully embraced seminary and moved here. The classes themselves are great – listening to the teachers, hearing from the other students. However, knowing that I can access those teachers face-to-face outside of class has been a great help. More importantly, however, engaging with classmates and their families outside of class has been of immense worth. Hearing their stories, their struggles, their triumphs, their calls from God. The conversations continue long after class. Classmates have become brothers. Families fellowship together; they get to experience life together. Kids go to school together, then play afterward long into the evening.
Removing myself from a very comfortable, former life has allowed the Lord to do deep works within me, and I have encountered Him in ways I likely would not have had I not fully sacrificed everything to come here. And He is not done working on me, and He is not done working in this seminary community.
You want to know why you come here? Because God calls you, and because He is inviting you to become a part of something so much bigger than yourself and your personal advancement. And I understand why some cannot or do not want to embrace seminary as a residential student. However, if there is any opening or possibility for doing seminary as a residential student, take advantage of it. Come be a part of God’s move.” — Current Asbury Theological Seminary Student
“What motivated me to move on campus was to be near other students and couples to grow in friendships. The Kalas Village two-bedroom home has all the room that we need for an inexpensive rent price with a nice look and nice appliances. I really like being near campus so that my commute to class, work, and the gym is very short. I have loved getting to know my neighbors who are from all over the world. I also love getting to say “hi” and to play with the kids who live in the homes near me. One of my favorite parts of Kalas Village is the community fire pit where we roasted s’mores with friends recently. I have definitely enjoyed my experience in family housing!” — Recent Asbury Theological Seminary graduate
“We moved onto campus because we felt that God was leading us to live within the community where we would be receiving our theological education, so that we could be formed and strengthened as a family to engage in ministry. While living here in Kalas Village, we’ve been blessed to have developed meaningful friendships and to be a part of a supportive community; in both receiving from others and in the giving of ourselves. There is comradery from being with other people who share similar life experiences; such experiences as occur in the transition of moving away from home, of the complexities of family life, of the rigors of higher academic learning and theological growth. This community has been an integral part of the formation that we’ve experienced while being students at Asbury Theological Seminary, and we are very thankful for the opportunity to live in this present blessing while being prepared and shaped for the future.” — Recent Asbury Theological Seminary graduate
From Students in our Residence Halls
“Despite my initial reluctance to live in communal housing, it has been one of the best parts of my Asbury experience. The women in Orlean became a mini-community for me within the Asbury community. Seminary is a short season of focused spiritual formation and theological learning. Living on campus has enhanced both my formation and learning. It has also provided the unique opportunity to live with individuals from all over the world! It has been an experience I know I will look back on with gratitude.” — Current Asbury Theological Seminary student
“I chose to move on campus because I wanted a holistic seminary experience–I knew I would receive a quality education and ample room for spiritual growth, but I needed friends and a wider community to truly feel at home. I could not have anticipated the love and encouragement I found in Asbury’s student housing. I was placed in a suite with three strangers who became fast friends, and our neighbors in Bettie Morrison as well as the other buildings soon invited me to share meals together, collaborate with music, explore the area together, and celebrate birthdays and holidays. I lost count of the number of times a simple “hello” to my roommates while passing through the living room turned into a two-hour conversation about life. Even on difficult days, the authenticity of the neighbors who became friends made me feel safe and cared for. I’m so grateful for student housing and the way it changed my Asbury experience for the (even) better.” — Current Asbury Theological Seminary student