Beeson Podcast, Episode #527 Aubrey Johnston Dec. 14, 2020 >>Announcer: Welcome to the Beeson podcast, coming to you from Beeson Divinity School on the campus of Samford University. Now your hosts, Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla. >>Doug Sweeney: Welcome to the Beeson Podcast. I am your host Doug Sweeney here with my co-host, Kristen Padilla. Today on the show we begin a three part series on the work of God in the lives of our December graduates. We’ve invited these friends to tell our listeners a little bit about their time here in Birmingham, the Lord’s work in their lives here at Beeson Divinity School, and their plans for the future. As you listen to their stories we invite you to pray for these dear friends as they head into the next phase of their ministries. Today’s guest is well known here in Divinity Hall. She’s been a crucial student leader here on campus for quite some time. Kristen, I know that she’s a special person to you as well. So, will you please introduce Aubrey Johnston? >>Kristen Padilla: I will. Welcome, everyone, to the Beeson Podcast. I first met today’s guest when she was a new student at Beeson. And then last semester I had the joy of becoming her mentor group leader. Just looking at her across the screen makes me want to cry. She has been such a blessing to me personally and I have been impressed by Aubrey - by her heart, her character, her leadership. And really just seeing the work of God in her life. So, I am thrilled that she’s on the show today and that you all get a glimpse into this person that I have come to love. Aubrey is a college ministry associate at Mountain Brook Community Church in Birmingham. She was our SGA President last year and did a wonderful job. This spring she received an award from the Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership here at Samford, in which they honored eleven student leaders for exemplary service during their undergraduate or graduate careers. Aubrey was our Beeson recipient. So, again, just a lot to say about Aubrey and the impact that she has had at our school. So, Aubrey, I know I’ve said a lot to set you up, but we want to begin with you just sharing about who you are, where you come from, and how you came to faith in Jesus Christ. >>Aubrey Johnston: Well, thank you both so much for having me here. Both of you have been just paramount to my time at Beeson. I don’t think either of you understand how much you’ve meant to me. Thank you for having me here. I am originally from St. Louis, Missouri. My family lives there. I have two younger siblings who live there. My extended family is from southern Illinois, so I am a true Midwesterner at heart. Just like Dean Sweeney. I came to know the Lord in fifth grade at a summer camp called Kanakuk camp in Branson, Missouri. I had known about who Jesus was and I had known about who the Lord was, but I did not have a personal relationship as my family weren’t strong believers and so came to a Christian camp where I was exposed to the gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and rang the bell there – which they call a celebration on earth to represent what’s happening in Heaven. So, since then the Lord has had me on the slow journey of sanctification, really until my time at Samford where I really learned to dig into God’s Word to learn to be a woman of the Lord, and he just keeps doing that. Keeps sanctifying me. >>Dean Sweeney: Wonderful. Aubrey, tell our listeners just a little bit more about how you first felt like the Lord wanted you involved in Christian ministry and how you decided to come to Beeson. >>Aubrey Johnston: Yeah. So, like I said, I went to Samford in undergrad and I was a family studies major. So, I knew that I loved people. I knew that I wanted to work in some type of non profit or counseling ministry. But I really didn’t know what that would look like in terms of ministry. And as I reflect on my time in undergrad I can really see how the Lord was preparing me for further education and for vocational ministry. So, these are a couple of things that I reflect to see how the Lord was calling me. I would say first my classes. The Lord really allowed me to be a part of some classes that challenged me outside of my comfort zone mentally. Some sociology of religion classes with a Beeson alum named Dr. Chuck Stokes really challenged me to think about religion on a grander scale than my own personal faith. And then some religion classes, like Women in Religion and Christian Ethics, really began to change my mind into seeing how I could use my background of faith in my calling in life. So, my class and then leadership opportunities. I was able to start a ministry on Samford’s campus called The Light Ministry for College Women. And really getting to be the team leader of that allowed me to see skills that the Lord had given me that I didn’t recognize really in myself until my peers were calling them out. And I also got to exercise some harder positions in my sorority called the Risk Manager, where you have to basically tell everyone what they’re doing that’s wrong. (laughs) And so I learned that I was actually really good at having authority over my peers in a really humble way. Which it is not the most enjoyable thing in college, but it was challenging and good for me. And last I would say really what propelled me to be at Beeson were a couple of voices that spoke into my life. Specifically Matt [Curland 00:06:14] at Samford. He was the campus minister while I was starting in ministry and he asked me to preach at one of the convocation services at Samford. He gave me Romans 8. I had never preached in public and he just gave me the text. I did not know what a commentary was. I did not know how to prepare a sermon, but I got up and I told a testimony of my brother’s addiction and after that he came up to me and he said, “I can’t wait to see what Dr. Smith is going to do with you.” And those words really meant ... That was the first time really an older male in my life had spoken into me and said, “You are called to this. You are gifted and I can’t wait to see what the Lord is going to do.” So, from there I looked into different counseling programs, all different seminaries, and ultimately landed on Beeson because I loved Samford. I wanted to stay in Birmingham. And I loved the holistic perspective of the curriculum. I just wanted to know God’s Word more. So, that was where I could do it. I could see that I could do it here at Beeson and jumped right in. >>Kristen Padilla: Aubrey, I mentioned at the beginning that I have seen you grow in your faith and in many ways. But I would love to hear you reflect on how you have seen growth in your own life from the beginning of your time at Beeson, now at the end as you look back, what were some of those areas of growth that happened in your life while you were a student? >>Aubrey Johnston: Yeah, luckily I’m a big reflector. So, this is a pretty easy question in the sense that I’ve spent probably the last week just really thinking about how has the Lord really worked in my life. I have so many thoughts, but I would say, number one, it’s just been sanctification. I have seen the Lord sanctify me in ways I just would have never imagined. I never thought that he would have such a hold on my heart that I would really let go of a lot of worldly ways, worldly relationships, worldly desires, just to pursue his call in my life. I often would describe to my friends or the girls I minister to that the first day back at Beeson in a semester felt like someone was chipping away at my flesh with an ice pick, just pulling off all of the fleshly ways that I would ... As a break I would just relax, or watch Netflix, and build up all these worldly ways. Then I would come back to Beeson and he would just strip me of those things. So, I’d say number one that’s just been the way the Lord has grown me. But really I see as I look back ways that he has just rooted me in scripture. When I came to Beeson I didn’t really have a very deep understanding of scripture. I didn’t grow up in a tradition that taught really the authority of scripture or emphasized personal scripture reading. So, I was very new to understanding how to read the Bible and what that meant for my calling. So, being able to be rooted in history, tradition, context, depth – all of those things have truly changed my personal faith, and then also the way I will hopefully minister to people in the church for the rest of my life. Another way that I’ve just seen myself grow is just a confidence in my vocational calling. I came here really not knowing what the Lord was going to do with me. And I still don’t really know. I’m 25 and feel this fresh energy and excitement for ministry and I hope he keeps using that. But I do specifically feel called to women’s ministry and ministry to women. I’m so thankful that he’s used Beeson to strengthen that in me and that it hasn’t been a place where I’ve felt that was a weaker calling, but that I’ve been affirmed that that is a gift to the Church and that this is what the Lord has put in front of me. I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to grow in that confidence, because I don’t think I could go into the world if I hadn’t been given that confidence during my time at Beeson. >>Doug Sweeney: Aubrey, you’ve been involved in the community life of Beeson in so many different ways, at every level. What would be the most cherished memories you take away from this place? Whether they be favorite professors or classes or community life experiences, or student government activities? How has God used all of these things and what do you think you’ll remember and make good on down the road from your time at Beeson? >>Aubrey Johnston: Wow. Well, I have so many memories from Beeson over the last three and a half years. I can’t really summarize just a couple. But here’s my take on a couple of the memories that have really impacted me. Number one, community lunches. I remember so distinctly those first community lunches as a first year student. How afraid I was of friendship with people that were different than me. How really afraid ... I had not spent a lot of time with male friends. I was in a major that was completely female. I was in sororities. I ran women’s ministries. I didn’t really know how to be friends with guys my own age. So, here I was on these first couple weeks of school jumping into conversations about theology and ministry and gaming and things that I didn’t know a ton about but I was here for. And I have grown so much in my understanding of people, really, from time at community lunch just getting to eat and fellowship with people. So, that’s definitely ... When I think about my Beeson memories all of those really fit in that category. Then just really all of my time serving with SGA, but also just getting to be cared for by SGA. I would say one of my favorite Beeson memories is the first annual hopefully post COVID annual Christmas Party that we had at the Sweeney’s house. It was just a delight to see the community of Beeson be a true community and get to celebrate the birth of Christ, the most glorious season of the Church, together singing Christmas carols, celebrating with the colors and the outfits and the food. So, that was just a gift of a memory. Another memory from SGA would be getting to be a part of the founding of the Minority Student Fellowship that has really been so eye opening to me, to get to listen to the stories of the minority students at Beeson. Getting to serve as the President during that time allowed me to be a liaison between some of those students and Dean Sweeney and the initial beginning of how we would better care for these students. It was such a gift to me that I will take and use for the rest of my ministry. Probably making me emotional because I’ve had my eyes opened so much more to the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ because of that time. And then last would be all of the amazing guests that we have had a chapel. I have been so personally blessed by so many of these guests. I wrote down a couple of their names just so everyone could hear how amazing just the people that we’ve gotten to spend time with. People like Dr. Russell Moore preaching at commencement, or meeting women like Dr. Valerie Pujol from France, spending time with Miriam Adney, [inaudible 00:13:55] Bailey Robinson, having Dr. Mary Wilson come in and listening to her, getting to spend one on one time picking people up from the airport, like Reverend Dr. Laura [Snit 00:14:07], or getting to have dinner with Dr. Kelly [Capig 00:14:10] a professor from Covenant College. Those are memories and times that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I don’t know many places that allow you, like Beeson, to sit at a table with world renown scholars from around the world who just want to know you and just want to care for you, want to get in your car and just talk to you, talk baseball, talk anything. It’s just been such a gift to get to have an experience that allows me to have one on one relationships with world renowned scholars who are so humble and are just leading the way in the Church right now. >>Kristen Padilla: A key component of our curriculum is our revised ministry practicums and just that whole focus on taking what you’re learning in the classrooms and applying it in ministry. I’ve already mentioned that you have been serving part time at a church while being a student. So, I would just like to hear how that has really enriched your time at Beeson as you’re studying Greek and Hebrew and church history and theology. Then ministering in a local church on a weekly basis. How has that been enriching for you? >>Aubrey Johnston: Yeah, so when I started at Beeson I was working at a different church. I was working at the Church at Brook Hills as the small group ministry assistant. I say that because, number one, it was a gift to get to watch a larger church function and learn how they do ministry from a more assistant side. I got to just be a part of really cool conversations. And it was a really good place for me to start Beeson, because I kind of got to sit on the sidelines and be more in that assistant role. Then getting to jump into more ministerial/pastoral ministry once I was more confident in my calling and ready for the Lord to use my gifts. Getting to serve on a local church staff while at Beeson is something I would never go back and change. It has been really the propeller of applying the things that I’m learning in class. It has been a gift to get to take what I’m learning and really just apply it to my daily conversations. So, I am currently serving as a college associate at a church pretty close that is just full of Beeson alum and Beeson board members and Beeson interns. So, it’s been a gift to get to serve alongside like-minded people. And really it’s just been such a gift to take, let’s say, a conversation that I have in class about the authority of scripture and turn around that same day and have a conversation one on one with a college girl who is wrestling with the laws in Deuteronomy and how what they say about women and what does that mean for her? And just getting to so quickly apply that things I’m learning in class to my conversations with girls. I hope it’s been really beneficial to them in their spiritual growth. I love my people that I get to serve, and I love these girls with my whole heart. And getting to do seminary while I’ve been able to love them, I hope it’s been really enriching to them as well. >>Doug Sweeney: Aubrey, I have to confess I’ve been a little bit sad this year that people in your class have had to end their seminary careers amidst the epidemic, during COVID-19. Could you talk a little bit about what that’s been like for you? Has it ruined your last year of seminary? How has God used it to teach you some things during your last year of seminary and how have you been processing this? >>Aubrey Johnston: Yeah, so I think especially when everything hit on March 13th, right around that date, I was actually on a mission trip in Hungary with college students. We had to come back and quarantine because we were told we weren’t coming back into the country – all this craziness was happening. I think my initial reaction was just thankfulness that we were safe. But that first month of just kind of grieving what was and what could have been, mostly with SGA plans, I think those are the things I lament the most – just we had these wonderful people that were going to come in and talk about these subjects that I thought were going to be really helpful. But the Lord had other plans. I think the part that I miss the most in that season was just being in person. Was getting to be in Dr. Webster’s preaching class. Was getting to be in Dr. Ross’s class. Sitting and listening to them in person. Especially just in that quick turnaround there wasn’t as much technology for some of these professors that were struggling with technology. The end of that semester was a bummer in that way. But the Lord really taught me in ministry that technology is a very effective way to do ministry when needed. I was able to connect with my college girls better than ever, because we were just talking on the phone constantly. I was FaceTiming girls. I was walking around the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. I was spending intimate time with them while they were in their homes. Sometimes as a college student that’s where life is the hardest, when you’re at home and you’re dealing with your parents, and all those conflicts come up. So, it was really a gift to me in that. For this semester I’ve only had to be in one class. So, it’s just been a different experience. It’s weirder on campus. But I think if there’s one thing I learned ... So, I also had COVID myself. I am a survivor. I really was pretty sick. But the Lord provided a way for me to heal. And to now be much more aware of how to care for others in that community. But I think if there’s one thing the Lord has taught me in this season of COVID it is that in the end I just don’t matter as much as I thought I did. And that might sound kind of silly, but I think as someone who struggles with a lot of pride in ministry the Lord has really stripped me just of preconceived notions that I was the savior of the students that I care for or that I had become Jesus to them. And being stripped of a lot of easier ways to minister to them, or even that time that I was sick, the Lord has just been reminding me that he’s in control, that he is the one who is going to bless ministry, he is the sender of the Holy Spirit, and I am the one who gets to faithfully serve and minister to the people in the ways that I can, but he is the one in control. >>Kristen Padilla: Aubrey, I would love for you to talk about being a woman in seminary. What that has been like for you. You mentioned a little bit about prior to Beeson not having had a lot of male friends and so that was a new aspect for you. But I wonder if you would talk about that and then specifically address women who may be listening who sense a calling from God, but wonder if seminary is right for them. What would you say to them? And secondly, how has Beeson supported you as a woman called to ministry? And on the flip side, how can we do better at making Beeson a hospitable place for women? >>Aubrey Johnston: That is a wonderful question. And honestly one of my favorite questions, especially for my college girls who I can see a stirring in them. I just love getting to see these young women, or older women, pursue vocational ministry. So, I would say, first and foremost, my encouragement to any women who are listening is prayer. I would encourage personal prayer, I would encourage communal prayer. Ask your people, ask your mentors, ask your bible study leaders, ask your parents, ask those people around you – do you see these giftings in me and do you think that further education would be beneficial to me and the Church? Starting with prayer I think is just a much more beneficial place to start than anything. Just bringing your desires before the Lord and allowing him to be the one to say, “I’ve given you these gifts. Let’s go steward them.” Because I really thin theological education is that. It’s stewarding our gifts well. And I think especially for women in the Church we need to learn to steward those better. Theological education has helped me take a bunch of, really a mess of a person, a chaotic young leader, and allowed her to become just much more rooted in God’s Word. Rooted in my giftings. And much more confident in who the Lord has made me. So, that would be my encouragement to just any woman who’s looking at any school, specifically Beeson. Also, just to believe that you’re worthy. You are worthy of receiving theological education. This is not something that’s just for men. This is not something that’s just for really smart girls. (laughs) This is not something for people who enjoy school, simply. I would say I am not your typical, run of the mill ... I’m not super gifted when it comes to things like the languages or small details when it comes to learning. So, Beeson has been very, very stretching to me. Don’t think that just because school is hard for you that means that you shouldn’t pursue theological education. Some of the most encouraging things about Beeson to me have been the women pouring into me. I would not have made it without the encouragement and support of the women at Beeson. I could go through and name 50+ women who have cared for me, who have mentored me, who have poured into me. But I would specifically say mentor groups has been just life changing for me, starting with Dr. Gaston, Kristi Harper, and now Kristen getting to be my mentor group leaders. For women like Mary [Splahn 00:24:40] who poured into us in our SMP group. But just so many of these women who came to Beeson and spoke life into us. I have been just changed by that. But I’ve also been changed and encouraged so much by so many of the pastors of Beeson. By Dr. Smith, by Dr. Webster, by Dr. Dean Sweeney, by men who have seen my value and have called me to a higher standard of ministry; that have allowed me to use my gifts and taught me I belong. Sometimes you just want to feel like you belong. Sometimes I would look around and not think that I belonged but then be valued by a professor or a friend or by another woman in the hall – was all that I needed to remember that I was supposed to be here. I just want to make a small shout out to the real superheroes of Beeson. Women like Melissa Matthews, and Sherrie and Sharon. The women who really run this place. I mean, I could say all of their names. But those are the women who have just spoken so much life into me in the hallways and in passing and have just encouraged me in my call. So, the support at Beeson for women is amazing. My flipside comment (laughs) about being a woman at Beeson. It would really just be a call to any of my fellow classmates or perspective classmates that are men who might not see the value in their peers yet. I would just encourage you to see your peers who are women in your class as equal to you and as wisdom to you. They see life differently, typically. They have different perspectives. Some of them are moms. Some of them are pastors. Some of them are wives. Some of them are single. And they’re going to represent different types of people that you will care for and co-labor with later in ministry. My call would just be to see them as equal. to listen to their stories, to allow them to sit at your tables, and to encourage them in their ministry. Even if you think extremely different than them. Even if you do not affirm them in ministry in your own denomination. Remember that the Lord has called them there. Remember that they are going to build the Kingdom with you. So, I think that would be my one encouragement to the Beeson students, specifically, as I leave. >>Doug Sweeney: That’s a great word, Aubrey. Thank you very much for that. So, last question. What’s next for you? Where do you think the Lord is taking you in your post Beeson ministry period? >>Aubrey Johnston: So, the last couple of days, honestly, I’ve been pretty sad. (laughs) I have been sad about leaving this place. It has truly shaped me to be the woman I am today. But I’m eager and excited for ministry. So, right now I think the Lord is calling me to stay at MBCC and serve. Currently I’m serving our college students. I’d love to get to serve some more of our single women. And we’re just working on seeing what that could look like full time or in the current capacity I’m in. But ultimately I am in a season of my life, currently I am single and I’m young and I don’t have any ties to Birmingham, and I just want to honor the Lord in that. I feel very confident that he is going to set the path before me. I do feel ultimately called to be a women’s minister, or women’s pastor and shepherd women in a local church capacity. But I know that right now I’m 25 and I don’t have to rush to what the Lord has ultimately called me to. I know that he is just going to keep teaching me step by step in different jobs. So, maybe I’ll be overseas in a couple years, maybe I’ll be in California, Colorado, Birmingham, Alabama. Who knows! >>Doug Sweeney: Thank you Aubrey for being with us, for making time with us today. You have been listening to Aubrey Johnston, College Ministry Associate at Mountain Brook Community Church here in Birmingham, and one of our dear graduating seniors. Aubrey, thank you for being with us. We thank our listeners for being with us. As we want to try to remember to say every time we have an interview with one of these graduating seniors, to our listeners, please pray for our Aubrey as she heads out into ministry. Pray that God will guide and protect her and fill her life, and show her the way he would have her to go. Thank you all again. Goodbye for now. >>Kristen Padilla: You’ve been listening to the Beeson podcast. Our theme music is written and performed by Advent Birmingham of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. Our engineer is Rob Willis. Our announcer is Mike Pasquarello. Our co-hosts are Doug Sweeney and, myself, Kristen Padilla. Please subscribe to the Beeson podcast at www.BeesonDivinity.com/podcast or on iTunes.