After climbing the stairs of the Health Sciences Center, he met pharmacy faculty member Samson Amos, a Nigerian. Their conversation convinced Bilesanmi that Cedarville was a place he could find meaningful Christian community even in a diverse group of people. "It was a family orientation here, too, which was pretty nice,” he said. “I thought the grad students would kind of do their own thing since the program was so small, but that wasn't the case. A lot of the classmates were very open and inviting.” Bilesanmi fits in so well that he is a leader in his third-year pharmacy class of 41. He’s been class president and vice president, planned events, and led committees and orgs. He loves his class. "It's not a competitive thing,” he said. “We're all going to be pharmacists, but it's a journey of how you get there. We are all friends, we all study together on Fridays, or even throughout the week, we go to different outlets together, we go to church together. It's pretty nice when you can replicate something that worked out before at another school." Faculty leaders in residential graduate programs like the School of Pharmacy and the School for Biblical and Theological Studies love when students like Bilesanmi find their graduate schools and take initiative. The leaders of these residential programs are serious about intentionally building community. The students commune in classes together for years, but the faculty leaders know that’s not enough. They offer many special events to foster friendships and spiritual growth. They want students like Bilesanmi to enjoy their grad years as much, if not more than, as their undergrad years. CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO BE TOGETHER Billy Marsh oversees the Master of Divinity program, and he doesn’t want it to feel like a continuation of the undergrad experience at Cedarville. He wants his students, which number close to 70, to get a seminary experience like he had. “There’s no real magic wand here or trick,” he said. “We just create a lot of opportunities for them to be together outside of the classroom, on the campus, during the workhour days.” Marsh organizes Coffee Talks with some of the chapel speakers. They drink coffee, eat a donut, and get a free book. But the crucial part: Students spend an hour asking questions and gleaning wisdom. “It's enriching because it gives students a chance to hear about why their theological education is important for ministry implementation,” he said. “We always try to have the dialogue to kind of connect those dots.” Students can also participate in book studies geared toward ministry training, professional seminars that train them in resume writing, interviewing, and financial skills. Of course, there are always refreshments and giveaways. There are informal times as well, plus the big barbecue Marsh hosts every spring. Nathan Brown, MDiv ’24 is in the fourth year of his fiveyear program that will allow him to graduate with a BA in biblical studies and an MDiv. He helps Marsh coordinate events in his role as graduate assistant. He sees value in the extra activities Marsh provides. “It helps cultivate a community that promotes perseverance,” he said. “Ministry is joyful, but also it can be a little difficult at times. Just having that support structure around is important because we're all in this together.” Together is a key word for Marsh. Paul House’s book Bonhoeffer’s Seminary Vision: A Case for Costly Discipleship and Life Together has helped him see why building community among his students is crucial. “Bonhoeffer really saw that if you're going to go off and do ministry, which is visible and embodied, then your education ought to mirror that,” Marsh said. Marsh also wants the nontraditional students to feel at home. Michael Conn, MDiv ’24 pastors the church he grew up attending in nearby Washington Court House. After he finished high school in 2009, he attended Bob Jones University and finished with a master’s in 2015. He came to Cedarville for his MDiv to learn more and to meet a requirement to become a Navy reservist chaplain, which he was commissioned for in March. “When you're in a community of kindred spirits, you all have the same values and philosophy of ministry and you just really jive well,” he said. “I've gotten that really mostly in the classrooms, but also through initiating personal time just by “ There’s no real magic wand here or trick,” he said. “We just create a lot of opportunities for them to be together outside of the classroom, on the campus, during the work-hour days.” 22 | Cedarville Magazine
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