Some of the initial questions have been, "What is the relationship between God and God’s people?" "What am I called to do?" "Is there only one true way to salvation?" and "What does it mean to live within the Body of Christ?" Students in EFM spend a lot of time discussing these issues and they mostly agree that the process is just as important as the answers.

     The Education for Ministry program, called "EFM" for short, was created 22 years ago, and is administered at The School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is a four year program covering the Old Testament, the New Testament, Anglican and Episcopal Church History, and Comparative Theology studies. Students commit to one year at a time, and classes meet for two and a half hours, once a week for nine months. At Christ Church, we are currently meeting during the traditional school year.

    EFM is open to everyone. Worldwide today, there are over 10,000 people enrolled in EFM, and almost every American diocese has at least one EFM program. At this time, Christ Church has eleven first-year students, six second-year, and four fourth-year students. The students come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and have travelled many different paths to come together in the same classes. However, a common thread is that everyone seems to view themselves as lifelong learners. Everyone wants the answers but really enjoys the process of learning.

    Within the EFM group, we honour our diversity and it is this diversity that helps us learn. Have you ever tried to define "faith," or "belief," or "love?" Have you ever tried to do that in a group? Can you imagine doing that in a group where everyone agreed with each other? It is one thing to buy into someone else’s definitions, but it is entirely different to be able to listen to and debate with that other person while each of you is developing individual answers.

    Although the rumour is that you get all the answers in the last chapter of the fourth-year book, EFM does not provide "official answers." It does provide the process for you to develop your own.

    Another common thread among EFM students is that many did not realize they had so many questions. For instance, read Genesis 1:1 through 2:4a. It should sound familiar, as it is the description of God’s creation of the heavens and the earth. Now, read Genesis 2:4b through 2:25. This should also sound familiar, as it is the other description of God’s creation of the heavens and earth.

    Picture yourself in the very first lesson in EFM, trying to figure out why there are two different versions of the same events in the same book. It goes on from there. Do we know who wrote the early books of the Bible? Do we know for whom they were written? Does it matter? If we are trying to learn lessons for our life today from books written hundreds and thousands of years ago, maybe it does matter who wrote them. Is there historical accuracy? Does that matter? Why were these books chosen to be part of the Bible and other contemporaneous writings omitted? How did their culture and tradition affect their writing and their learning? What does our culture say about these questions? What does our religious tradition say? The process of analysis, study, and discussion in EFM is based on recognizing our culture and tradition.

    One of the very common questions about EFM is, "What do you do after the fourth year?" While there is talk of writing a fifth-year course of study, that begs the question. Does EFM prepare you to go to seminary? Well, it is not intended to be a primer for the priesthood, but it can be a primer for personal ministry. If a student begins with the question, "What am I called to do?" he or she will spend a lot of time with some wonderful people discerning that call. Again, picture yourself developing your own idea of what it means to live within the body of Christ. Imagine you are in a group in which your perspective is valued and your ideas are respected. It is a safe environment to discuss and develop your answers and questions, based on your path, with all of your culture and tradition as points of reference. What will you do with this experience?