Candler Coffee & Conversation

☕ Coffee and Conversation: Rev. Dr. Eunil David Cho & Rev. Marisa Sifontes on Calling, Community & Formation

In this episode of Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, we welcome Rev. Dr. Eunil David Cho and The Rev. Marisa Sifontes, JD for a rich and deeply reflective conversation about calling, second‑career discernment, and theological education as formation. Rev. Sifontes, an Episcopal priest and Associate Rector at St. James Church in Manhattan, reflects on her mid‑career transition from a 20‑year legal career into ministry, navigating seminary with children, and discovering how God uses every skill and season of life. Rev. Dr. Cho, Assistant Professor of Spiritual Care and Counseling at Boston University School of Theology and an ordained Presbyterian minister, shares how his journey as an educator, pastor, scholar, and immigrant shaped his vocational path and his work with refugee and undocumented communities. Recorded live with students, this episode explores seminary as a place to bring your full self—questions, uncertainty, and all—while learning to show up with humility, courage, and care. ☕ In this episode, we explore: • Second‑career discernment and mid‑life vocational pivots • Balancing family, formation, and ministry • Con Ed, CPE, and learning to “show up” in unfamiliar spaces • Ministry beyond the church: law, education, refugee support, and advocacy • Integrating lived experience into scholarship and pastoral care • The role of community in sustaining ministry before and after seminary • Seminary as a safe place to struggle, ask questions, and become whole Rev. Dr. Cho also reflects on his book (adapted from his dissertation), which centers the stories of undocumented young people and draws from his theological formation, pastoral practice, and lived experience. Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, creates space for alumni wisdom, student listening, and honest conversations about faith, vocation, and becoming. Grab your coffee and join the conversation.

☕ Coffee and Conversation | Rev. Ted Goshorn on Calling, Sabbath & Purpose Beyond the Pulpit

In this episode of Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, we’re joined by Rev. Ted Goshorn (MDiv ’15, DMin ’21) for a powerful and deeply honest conversation about vocation, loss, faithfulness, and discovering purpose beyond traditional ministry. Rev. Goshorn shares his unexpected journey from serving congregations in the United Methodist Church to becoming a financial advisor with Edward Jones after a serious health diagnosis and an unplanned career transition. What began as loss—of health, position, and assumed calling—became a story of redemption as Ted discerned what it means to practice ministry through presence, pastoral care, and trust in a new setting. This episode invites listeners to rethink calling, productivity, and identity—especially for those navigating vocational shifts or seasons of uncertainty. ☕ In this episode, we explore: • Calling beyond the local church • Ministry as a transferable skill across professions • Faith, finance, and pastoral care • Sabbath as spiritual practice, identity formation, and burnout prevention • Abundance vs. scarcity mindsets (inspired by Walter Brueggemann) • Contemplative prayer and grounding practices • Redefining success after loss and disruption • Living and leading from purpose instead of pressure Rev. Goshorn reflects on how his formation at Candler continues to shape his work today—through deep listening, interpretive skill, spiritual presence, and care for the whole person. Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, creates space for alumni wisdom, student listening, and honest reflection on faith, vocation, and the many ways God’s call unfolds over a lifetime. Grab your coffee and join the conversation.

☕ Coffee and Conversation | Dr. Lindsey Hardegree & Rev. Jenelle Holmes on Calling, Pivots & Community

In this episode of Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, we’re joined by Dr. Lindsey Hardegree (DMin ’24) and The Rev. Jenelle Holmes (MDiv ’15) for an honest, practical, and deeply encouraging conversation about discernment, pivots, community building, lay leadership, and the many ways theological education shapes who we become. Dr. Hardegree, Executive Director of the Episcopal Community Foundation for Middle and North Georgia, shares how her DMin research explored spirituality in secular spaces, the role of laypeople in God’s mission, and what the church can learn from the spiritual practices people are already embracing outside traditional congregations. She also reflects on the intentionality required in hybrid learning, discerning the “right time” for seminary, and how spiritual life must be nurtured beyond one’s job. Rev. Holmes, organizing pastor of Ormwood Church in Southeast Atlanta, discusses her many life pivots—from MTS to MDiv, from academic interests to preaching, and eventually into church planting. She reflects on preaching politics in “spicy times,” the importance of imagination in ministry, practical skills pastors actually need, and how becoming grounded across multiple communities protected her identity and well‑being throughout seminary and beyond. ☕ In this episode, we explore: • Pivoting into new vocational paths during seminary • Spirituality beyond the four walls of the church • Discernment, timing, finances, family, and intuition • Church planting, nonprofit leadership & practical ministry skills • Preaching politics with courage and theological grounding • Hybrid formation, online community, and intentional spiritual rhythms • The power of community, imagination, and diverse support systems • Seminary as formation of the whole person—not just a career path This conversation is full of wisdom for students, alumni, and anyone navigating calling, community, and life’s unexpected turns. Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, creates space for alumni wisdom, student listening, and thoughtful reflection at the intersection of faith and work. Grab your mug and join the conversation.

☕ Candler Coffee and Conversation | Christopher McKee on Faith, Law & Hope

In this episode of Candler Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, we’re joined by Christopher McKee (MTS ’97, JD ’97)—a practicing attorney, public‑interest advocate, and longtime law professor—for a rich conversation at the intersection of theology, law, justice, and hope. Christopher reflects on his journey through Candler and Emory Law as a dual‑degree student and how his theological education profoundly shaped his vocation as a lawyer. Now specializing in forensic science issues and teaching criminal law and experiential learning, Christopher shares how skills formed in seminary—textual interpretation, preaching, pastoral care, and community—continue to inform his work in courtrooms and classrooms. Throughout the conversation, Christopher speaks candidly about representing clients, sustaining hope through decades of difficult cases, and finding meaning in advocacy, relationships, and small acts of justice. He also reflects on gratitude, integrity, and choosing compassion over power in systems that often feel overwhelming. ☕ In this episode, we explore: • Why Christopher pursued a dual degree in theology and law • How seminary made him a better lawyer and advocate • Overlaps between biblical interpretation, preaching, and legal practice • Staying hopeful while working in the criminal justice system• Pastoral care beyond the pulpit • Translating seminary skills into work outside traditional ministry • Gratitude, community, and sustainable vocational practices • Ecumenical formation and the unique culture of Candler Christopher also offers thoughtful advice for current and prospective students on building community, cultivating gratitude, making space for sustaining practices, and listening for vocational clarity even when the path unfolds unexpectedly. 🎧 Streaming on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts Candler Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, creates space for alumni wisdom, student listening, and honest conversations about faith, vocation, and life after seminary. Grab your coffee and join the conversation.

☕ Coffee and Conversation | Rev. Robert Schoonover & Rev. Kanisha Billingsley on Uncertainty, Formation & Calling

In this episode of Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, we’re joined by Rev. Kanisha Billingsley (MDiv ’09, ThM ’13) and Rev. Robert Schoonover (MDiv ’21) for a rich conversation about vocation, uncertainty, and the long‑term formation that begins in seminary. Rev. Billingsley, Director of Spiritual Health and Education at hookup at Tampa General Hospital, reflects on leadership in complex healthcare systems, hospital chaplaincy, and learning to live with uncertainty, rest, and trust beyond a fixed vocational blueprint. Rev. Schoonover, Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC, shares his winding path through fundraising, congregational ministry, and ordination—balancing pastoral leadership, family life, and the evolving needs of the church. Recorded live with students, this episode centers theological education not just as skill‑building, but as deep formation of the self. ☕ In this episode, we explore: • Life after seminary and navigating vocational uncertainty • Ministry in hospitals, prisons, and congregational settings • Transferable “soft” skills as vital leadership tools • Learning to live in tension, nuance, and discord • Preventing burnout through boundaries, therapy, and community • Formation that shapes who you become, not just what you do • Advice for current and prospective students discerning next steps Rev. Billingsley and Rev. Schoonover offer candid reflections, memorable stories, and practical wisdom for anyone navigating calling in ministry, healthcare, or leadership beyond traditional paths. Coffee and Conversation, hosted by Candler Career Services, creates space for alumni wisdom, student listening, and thoughtful reflection on faith, work, and becoming. Grab your coffee and join the conversation. #CoffeeAndConversation #CandlerCareerServices #CandlerSchoolOfTheology #KanishaBillingsley #RobertSchoonover #FaithAndVocation #LifeAfterSeminary #HospitalChaplaincy #MinistryLeadership #TheologicalEducation #VocationalDiscernment #SoftSkills #LeadershipFormation #MinistryBeyondThePulpit #EmoryUniversity