Student Profile: Rebekah Graff

While Baylor’s Truett Seminary was formed within the historic Baptist tradition, the halls and classrooms are filled with a diverse group of seminarians representing a myriad of faith traditions and denominational backgrounds. In particular, as Truett continues to gain prominence as a global leader in training students to be thoughtful, faithful ministers, the students and churches of Wesleyan traditions have increasingly turned to Baylor’s Seminary for theological education.  

In 2020, the formation of the Wesley House of Studies at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary served as the intentional and formal step to serve better Wesleyan students by ensuring they are nurtured and networked for the ministries into which they are being called.

“The Wesley House of Studies feels like coming home. I feel so supported and loved by anyone I meet in the Wesley House. I can’t wait to see where the Wesley House goes, and I am so glad that I will have these memories of its early stages to look back on.”

REBEKAH GRAFF

Rebekah Graff, a second-year Master of Divinity student at Truett, attended University of Mary Hardin-Baylor for her undergraduate education and knew then that she was called to ministry. Though she grew up in a Methodist church family, when it came time to choose an institution for her theological education, Truett was always on her radar. But not without some hesitation.

“I was mainly worried about not getting to dive deeply into my Methodist roots in my studies,” Graff said. “I initially decided to attend a different seminary that was in the Methodist denomination, and I was initially super excited about it. However, about a month before school started, I woke up one morning quite suddenly with the overwhelming thought and feeling that I needed to attend Truett Seminary. I didn’t know why I was feeling this way, but deep down, I knew that this feeling was from God.”

In Graff’s first year at Truett, the Wesley House was still only a concept. However, she first saw her Wesleyan roots and her Baptist theological education intersect through her work as a graduate assistant in the Truett Dean’s Suite.

“One day while I was at work, Rev. Rusty Freeman—now Coordinator of Recruitment for the Wesley House—and Rev. Ryan Barnett—current pastor of First Methodist Waco—walked in for a meeting with Dr. Still,” Graff said. “I immediately recognized them both because I grew up going to ministry camps put on by Rusty for six years. 

“I went up to Rusty and Ryan Barnett and re-introduced myself, and it was honestly so good to see them and re-visit some of my Methodist connections. On top of all of this, I received my call to ministry at a youth leadership conference put on by Rusty and Ryan back in 2014, so I finally got to tell them about that moment and how I ended up at Truett. Coincidentally, Rusty told me later that their meeting with Dr. Still was about starting up the Wesley House at Truett, and seeing me in the office confirmed to all three of them that there were numerous Methodist students at Truett. They knew there was a need, and they decided to move forward with getting the Wesley House off the ground.”

With the establishment of the Wesley House of Studies, Graff has only seen her seminary experience enhanced, finding a true sense of belonging in attending a Baptist institution complemented by the presence of the Wesley House.

“When people find out that I grew up in the Methodist denomination, I don’t think anyone sees me differently,” Graff said. “I don’t see anyone differently when they tell me that they grew up in or are currently a part of the Baptist denomination. In fact, I think those differences bring more to the table for both sides. I’ve also gotten to see how Methodists and Baptists overlap and how they are different, and that knowledge, to me, is invaluable.”

As the Wesley House of Studies enters its second year at Baylor’s Truett Seminary, students like Graff are enjoying the benefits of its growth while also participating in the formation of a welcoming community for students from Methodist church communities. 

“The Wesley House of Studies feels like coming home to me. I feel so supported and loved by anyone I meet in the Wesley House,” Graff said. “I’ve also been a part of the dreaming process with Rusty, Ryan, Dr. Still, and the inaugural director of the program, Dr. Billy Abraham. I honestly can’t wait to see where the Wesley House goes, and I am so glad that I will have these memories of its early stages to look back on. It is such a great community. The faculty and staff genuinely care for its students, and I will forever be grateful for that.”