Even after years of observing and participating in Jesus’ ministry, Jesus still sent the disciples out two by two, acknowledging that after receiving training, we also benefit from accompaniment.
That idea forms the basis of Dr. Mike Tapper’s approach to ministerial education in his role as professor of Theology and Worship Studies at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU). IWU’s School of Theology and Ministry offers various classes that allow students to be theologically and practically prepared for service to the church (whether in marketplace professions as lay leaders or as clergy leadership in local congregations).
But no matter how much training emerging leaders experience, some aspects of congregational life are difficult to simulate. That’s especially true in the case of ministry to the dead and dying.
With that in mind, Tapper reached out to Dr. Britt Storms, an associate professor and anatomist who oversees IWU’s cadaver lab, asking if students in his church rituals class could conduct services in the cadaver lab. Intrigued, the professor agreed after outlining protocols, and guidelines ensuring a safe and respectful approach to the experience for the students.
Some of the students present had never attended a funeral nor had they been in the presence of a dead body before. Tapper’s approach allowed them to gain real-world experience before experiencing real-world stakes.
While the visits to the cadaver lab sounded like a good idea, Caden Mack said he “definitely did not see it coming when I signed up for the class.”
Naomi Rugh was shaken by the announcement of the upcoming assignment. However, with time and prayer, she recognized the value of the exercise and started asking herself, “What am I going to learn from this for other people?”
Each student received details about the deceased’s life, which they wove into a memorial service and eulogy for the deceased.
“It was a sacred event,” said Zoe Stroud. “I came out feeling way more prepared to give a funeral than I went in.”
For Tapper, one unexpected consequence of this exercise was the ensuing conversation about a theology of bodily resurrection. “I was surprised by how our students engaged with that conversation after actually seeing a body,” he reflected. Seeing students reflect on the life of the deceased — and the idea of these bodies being among those raised — gave a different tenor to the students’ interaction with that dimension of their pastoral theology.
Tapper and colleagues have given some thought to other ways of engaging pre-congregational immersion, with the idea that while churches provide “real-world” experience, university assignments can be immersive in the real world: pairing a theological grounding with an experiential competence that helps produce pastor-theologians. That rhythm of practical theology is present in experiences throughout IWU’s curriculum. Some experiences (like mock funerals and weddings, and preaching labs) have long been part of the core coursework. But Tapper and IWU’s ministry department continue to dream about how to continue immersing students into budget meetings, hospital visits and other contexts in ways that prepare them for a lifetime of service to local congregations.
To discover more innovative expressions of ministry service and preparation, visit wesleyan.org/news.
You can read more about these ministry students’ experience by reading Religion News Service’s article: Funerals for cadavers.
Rev. Ethan Linder is the pastor of discipleship at College Wesleyan Church in Marion, Indiana, and contributing editor at The Wesleyan Church’s Education and Clergy Development Division.
