Anonymous Students (McCormick Theological Seminary)

To my seminary friends who are serving in silence,  I love you. 

Peace,
Marilyn Nash
1998

McCormick Seminary
Chicago

Over the years I made a number of trips to McCormick Theological Seminary, my alma mater.  With a longstanding commitment to diversity, McCormick is the only historically Euro-centric seminary in the Presbyterian denomination in which Whites are now in the minority.  This commitment to diversity has made McCormick a relatively safe place for LGBT students over the years, but that same diverse student body -- with large numbers of Koreans, African-Americans, native Africans and Hispanics  from a wide range of countries and religious backgrounds -- has kept the conversation lively around LGBT issues.  Some students have used these opportunities to come out and tell their stories; others have found it more difficult to do so in such an intense and intimate environment.

In 1998, Marilyn Nash invited me to bring stole to McCormick for the service at which she would be preaching her Senior Sermon.  Marilyn, who was "out" and an active leader in the local LGBT movement, had experienced open hostility from a couple of students that year, and she felt it important to have both the public statement and the support of the stoles surrounding her.  She received this, along with overwhelming support of the seminary community itself.  The chapel was packed for her service, with students and faculty from all walks of life sitting on the floor or standing in every available foot of space and spilling out into the entryway. 

Marilyn was aware that she was further along in her personal journey than a few other LGBT students who remained closeted, and that she was able to provide a strong voice on their behalf.  These few students were able to acknowledge that they were grateful for this gift, and for Marilyn's strength and courage.  This stole is a part of that gift, as Marilyn gracefully honored her beloved friends who were "serving in silence."

Martha Juillerat
Founder, Shower of Stoles Project
2006