Welcome Summer Seminarian

One of the key pieces of our church's identity is being a place where faith is nourished, and servant leaders are grown and sent out. This summer, we look forward to welcoming a new seminarian for the fourth year of our Summer Seminarian Fellows Program.

Because of a generous grant, St. John the Divine can house and host Episcopal seminarians to work and learn ministry alongside us. They will have opportunities to preach, serve liturgically in our services, learn pastoral care from our gifted clergy and lay volunteers, teach our youth and young adults, discover how a large parish operates, and receive an inside look into the life of a healthy and vibrant Episcopal church.

Meet Karlie Keller

Karlie Keller is a seminarian who has just finished her first year at Duke Divinity School. She has an academic interest in systematic theology, but is also pursuing a certificate in Anglican-Episcopal studies. Karlie is originally from McDonough, Georgia, but she spent three years in Cleveland, Tennessee, attending Lee University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Biblical and Theological Studies. She loves spending time outside, reading, and watching Duke basketball!

Q: What are you most looking forward to this summer at St. John the Divine?

I am looking forward to experiencing a little bit of everything going on at St. John the Divine this summer, to meeting a whole host of new people, and hearing their stories!

Q: Who is the most important theological influence on your life?

Over the last year or so, I would say my theology has been most influenced by my previous church history professor, Dr. Skip Jenkins, who was constantly stretching my theological imagination in conversation with the voices of the historic church. Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, Blaise Pascal, and Karl Barth have certainly been the most dominant among those voices.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island and can only bring one book, one movie, and one musical recording, what would you bring?

• Book: The New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV with Apocrypha
• Movie: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
• Musical Recording: Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

Q: Who is the most underrated biblical figure and why?

I spend a lot of time thinking about Jephthah’s daughter from the narrative in Judges 11. Her story is a tragedy, but to me it is an incredibly moving testimony for everyone who has ever been harmed because of someone else’s understanding of a faith commitment. She dances in celebration for her father, who has decided to kill her, which I can’t help but view as a beautiful image of Christ in the world.

Q: What do you love most about ministry?

I love that ministry requires using many different skill sets, so there is always something new to try and something new to learn! I also love getting to know and being with people!