Cara Pfeiffer's story

It is 6:25 on a Wednesday evening. People are gathering in apartment 67 on the AMBS campus. Nearly ten people have already gathered, but ten more are expected. Everyone is bustling around greeting one another and settling into this tiny apartment living room. As Rebeka tries to quiet the group, a few latecomers sneak in. Four people are crammed onto a couch, others are sitting on the floor, and we all shift around to find a place for the newcomers. After the room stops fidgeting, we begin with an opening prayer of praise and thanksgiving. We say our “amens” and begin to sing together. Maybe tonight we will sing a song in Spanish, or listen to our worship leaders sing to us in Japanese, because this is the international group. Five continents are represented and the room comes alive with the colorful array of culture. After our time of praise we study the Bible together and spend time sharing life circumstances and prayers. Our evening ends with fellowship—but our fellowship does not end with the evening. This group has become family.

When my husband and I were searching for a seminary, we researched countless schools. All of them were reputable in their own right, but what convinced us to attend AMBS came down to one factor—community. For us, seminary is about so much more than acquiring information. It is about formation. And we did not think that we could adequately be formed unless we were part of something bigger than ourselves—part of community. AMBS has a striking commitment to community that pervades the life of the campus. For example, during the day classes take breaks at scheduled times so that students, staff, and faculty can gather together to visit with one another. I have never seen another institution function in this way and it is a testimony to the priorities of this campus. In the classroom professors ask to be called by their first names in order to emphasize that we are all learning together—even the president goes by his first name here.

More importantly, commitment to community extends beyond the institutional level. In the opening vignette I described the International Student Fellowship of which my husband and I are a part. This group has come together in marvelous ways and we are committed to one another. One weekend we helped two of our members chop wood for an afternoon at their home; over Thanksgiving those students who remained on campus prepared and ate a traditional Thanksgiving dinner together. We take food to our members when they are sick and we celebrate birthdays and other achievements with cards and prayers. This community within the AMBS community is a wonderful example of the Church functioning as it should, as well as a wonderful example of what AMBS strives to cultivate among its students.

As I mentioned, my husband and I came to AMBS to find a seminary community. However, at that time we did not know that groups like the International Student Fellowship existed. We came here because we could sense community commitment in the air, and our senses were correct. Our expectations have been met beyond what we ever could have expected.

Cara Pfeiffer and Joe, her husband, came to AMBS in fall 2007. Cara is studying for a Master of Arts: Theological Studies degree; Joe for a Master of Divinity degree.