July 31, 2025
From Balcony Longing to Seminary Calling
My husband, Ryan, and I have attended Ardmore Baptist since 2015. Once we knew we would be planting roots here, we joined the church as an engaged couple in 2016, and were married in the church in 2017. Soon after, we welcomed our daughter in 2021 and became tired parents who couldn’t wait for Sunday- for the community, the fantastic childcare, and the free coffee! (Located on the second floor lobby in case you, too, enjoy your theological conversations with a side of jitter juice.) It has certainly been a place that has shaped us in every stage of life for the past ten years.
In the fall of 2023, Ryan and I experienced a death in the family. Heartbroken, we trudged through the five stages of grief (are there really only five?!). As we slowly began returning to some sense of normal, we found ourselves at church on what turned out to be DeNeal Fowler’s final Sunday as a staff member at Ardmore. DeNeal, the previous Coordinator of Invitation & Hospitality, is one of the warmest people you will ever meet. She is empathetic, bubbly and kind- all of the qualities that made her so fantastic in this role. As she announced she would be focusing on her three beautiful children and stepping down from her current role, I looked at her longing from the balcony thinking, “I wish I could step into this role.” And, as quickly as the thought entered my mind, I quickly dismissed it. At that time, I was a full-time stay at home mom and assumed my schedule and expertise were not conducive to this role. Little did I know, God was working.
A few weeks later, I received a call about interviewing for this exact position. Weird “coincidence,” huh? Doors began to open one after another, and I began to see God’s plan unfold before my eyes. In a season of loss, I was also seeing God’s loving hand. After many answered prayers, I officially joined the staff in March 2024. Each week, I continued to deepen my relationships with the members of the congregation, God, and myself. And, each week, I would feel a gentle nudge, inspiring me to continue in the work I was doing.
In May 2024, I attended a staff spiritual formation retreat with the theme Solitude. For hours, (yes, hours) a day we were challenged to sit in complete silence with ourselves, our thoughts, and God. Sounds like the ideal vacation, right? One day in particular, we were challenged to sit in solitude with God and wrestle with our struggles, doubts, or fears. To this day, it is one of the hardest things I have ever done. That afternoon, with tears streaming down my face on a sunny bench at St. Francis Springs, I had to look death in the face and tell it that the battle had already been won. I felt God’s warm embrace and reflected on the beauty of the relationships that had supported me during the past year. Congregational care is beautiful in that way. We are able to walk through every season of life with you: birth, graduations, weddings, hospitalization, and yes- even death. For months after, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wanted to continue learning and would be honored to give back the empathy and care that has been so vital in my own faith journey.
I am reminded of how Jesus models the importance of solitude. Jesus spent a significant amount of time in silence with God, listening to His direction. Jesus would retreat frequently to pray, modeling that alone time with God is essential to our walk with Christ. It is in times of silence and solitude that we hear God the loudest.
As I began researching different programs, I found that the Master of Divinity program at Central Baptist Theological Seminary offered evening classes and was adapted for individuals who had careers, families, and busy lives. This program, I learned, is also incredibly diverse. With students primarily from Korea, Myanmar, and the United States, I was drawn to its cultural richness. I spent many weeks prayerfully discerning this call with my fellow staff members, my husband, and family. In January 2025, I officially became a full-time seminary student at Central Baptist Theological Seminary.
Jesus would retreat frequently to pray, modeling that alone time with God is essential to our walk with Christ. It is in times of silence and solitude that we hear God the loudest.
So far, I have explored aspects of biblical interpretation, exegesis, and personal spiritual formation. I have had the most delightful professors who have encouraged me and challenged me both academically and spiritually. My cohort has already become some of my greatest lifelong friends. My cohort is composed of both men and women, multiple ethnicities, languages, and various faith upbringings. This has made my learning experience invaluable. If you ask me my favorite “lesson” so far, it is that the Old Testament is more exciting than I would have ever thought! (But please don’t ask me to interpret your Leviticus passage, yet.)
I am still amazed at how God led me here. Looking back, He was always working, and used a time in my life when I least expected to propel me into a career of ministry. God is working in and through us all, and He loves a good redemption story.
Thanks be to God.
Kathryn Packett
