Expanding the Meaning of Ministry

Sheila Glenn, MDiv '08, an adjunct professor at Mercy College in NY, is expanding the meaning of ministry through her teaching and work in the substance use field. 

Sheila Glenn, MDiv '08, Adjunct Professor, Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, NY) 

View more stories on HDS alumni and their career paths.

Describe the work you do today: 

I work and teach in the substance use field. 

How has your HDS degree influenced your career journey? 

Doors open because I am a graduate of HDS. The interview process is much smoother because my degree is recognized and acceptable in other fields where ministry is not as obvious as in religious institutions. 

What career advice would you offer to current HDS students? 

I would advise that HDS students widen their options when it comes to ministry. There is a place in socially active politics, ministering to immigrants/migrants, homelessness, social work and substance use to name a few other fields. And of course, post pandemic, religious institutions are struggling to maintain congregational attendance. 

“The harvest is plentiful; the laborers are few.”