Compromising the call
Seminary students face their own health-care coverage problems.
by Janet Elaine RasmussenPrint Article Email to a Friend
The decision to attend seminary is a step of faith. Whether a recent college graduate or a seasoned professional, the seminary student responds to some combination of nudges from the Spirit and encouragement from the church.
These are the right dynamics for future pastors and church leaders to consider when engaging seminary studies. But practically speaking, other dynamics impact the decision and may prevent, delay or otherwise compromise the call. For students in the United States, the dilemma of health-care access has become such a barrier. My own experience and those of fellow students illustrate this unfortunate fact.
With a conviction that God was calling me to serve the church, I began full-time study at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Ind., in fall 2005, after a 30-year career in higher education. I resigned my leadership post, dramatically downsized my possessions and left a beloved Puget Sound landscape of mountains and saltwater.
Arriving at AMBS, I told everyone I would be staying for a year. I later learned that many older students frame their plans this way. In this season of life, we recognize the need to weigh our commitments carefully, particularly where financial security is concerned.
Fortunately, I had access to continuing health insurance coverage through the university where I had been employed. Federal law mandates the availability of such ongoing coverage, known by the acronym COBRA, for those in transition between jobs. But this coverage is limited to 18 months, and all premium costs must be borne by the insured. In my case, this meant budgeting as much per month for health insurance as for housing. It also meant an assumption that I would need to be employed again, with benefits, by February 2007, so that I could maintain continuous insurance coverage.
The 18-month COBRA timeframe is incompatible with a seminary degree program. A master’s degree takes a minimum of two years, and the Master of Divinity typically requires a three-year, full-time commitment. I wanted to pursue a Master of Divinity but didn’t want to be without reliable and affordable health care.
Couldn’t I obtain health insurance through the seminary? As a freestanding seminary without an undergraduate population, AMBS currently has no group plan for students. But as a Mennonite seminary student, couldn’t I get a plan through MMA (Mennonite Mutual Aid)? No group plan is available there either.
As I talked with other students, the harsh reality became clear—the typical choice is between compromising seminary studies and compromising health coverage. Without an employer to broker and manage a health insurance plan, I was faced with joining the ranks of the uninsured or trying to qualify for coverage through an individual insurance plan. Individual applicants are screened carefully for preexisting conditions, however, and frequently denied. The older you are, the riskier you are seen to be, and graduate students are by definition an older student population, many of whom have family obligations and/or are preparing for second careers.
These were daunting messages to receive alongside a deepening sense of call to ministry. The broken system of health-care access casts a shadow over the entire student body, putting people at risk in ways that run counter to Christian community. Here are a few examples from fellow students who agreed to share their stories publicly.
Last winter, Paula left her nonprofit job to study full-time. With grants, savings and loans, she is barely meeting school and living expenses. Like many others, she is doing without health insurance and has no financial safety net.
When Brad and Lici arrived at AMBS, they were expecting their first child. Pregnancy is considered a preexisting condition, and the fact of it rendered them ineligible for new insurance coverage. After exploring the options, they were eventually required to spend a substantial portion of their savings on a COBRA plan. Not until after their son was born healthy would health insurers again consider them.
Both Nekeisha and her husband intended to pursue seminary degrees. Nekeisha’s husband planned to be a full-time student, while she planned also to work for their financial support. But Nekeisha had to abandon the option of a flexible part-time job. The need for health-care insurance for the two of them became an increasingly high priority, and full-time employment appeared the only route to such coverage. Much to Nekeisha’s surprise, access to health care not only became a significant factor when deciding which job offer to accept but also determined the amount of attention she could devote to graduate study.
Diane serves as a full-time pastor of two churches and attends seminary part-time, driving a long distance to campus. Her ministry would have been strengthened by full-time study before answering her call to the pastorate, but she could not risk being without health coverage. She is nearing the completion of her M.Div. degree, which has taken nearly a decade. The splitting of her focus has made it difficult to be a fully present leader for her churches and also has cut her off from seminary life. Now only three years from retirement, she wonders if the fruits of her seminary study can ever be given to the church in their fullness.
These stories illustrate the dampening effects of the health-care access crisis on emerging church leaders. Study programs and calls to ministry are compromised. The ethos of mutual responsibility that characterizes the body of Christ is put aside, while each person or family is asked to resolve individually their own health-care needs. Survey data from the AMBS student body suggest that both morale and enrollment patterns are directly affected by this issue.
A student task force, aided by AMBS faculty and staff, was formed to tackle the problem of health-care access for students. We began by placing our situation in the context of Mennonite Church USA’s Healthcare Access initiative. Hopeful that solutions could emerge in solidarity with others, we pursued church-centered strategies. A three-pronged action plan emerged.
Providing health-care information and wellness programming for the student body proved a doable first emphasis. Next, we sought to establish a network of local health-care providers so that students and their families, whether insured or not, would know where to turn for quality medical care. Thanks to the generosity of several Mennonite doctors, AMBS students are being served by three Goshen-Elkhart clinics as of last fall. At two clinics, students join the regular patient rosters and are guaranteed a financial discount on services. The third clinic guarantees access to services for new, short-term and visiting students.
The provider network represents a major step forward in meeting seminarian needs. The physicians involved are sympathetic to student budgets and, within the constraints of available time, are committed to serving the seminary population. This network also has value for the Canadian students at AMBS, who are covered by their country’s national health insurance but need somewhere to turn when illness strikes.
The third prong in our action plan relates to the development of a group health insurance plan for AMBS students. (See 'additional notes' box below.)
Now formally enrolled in the M.Div. program, I recognize a critical crossroads in early 2007, by which time I must be covered by a new insurance plan. I ask God to grant me serenity even as I work proactively for a solution. I pray that Paula remains in good health until a plan emerges. I pray that Diane’s gifts are tapped in their fullness and that Nekeisha’s goals can be realized. And I pray that as Brad and Lici take up a call in ministry, their family’s health care is seen as an ongoing priority by the congregation and conference they serve.
The church depends upon its leaders—pastors, mission workers, teachers and administrators—among them. The formal pipeline for these leaders begins with enrollment in seminary. Paying attention to the health-care needs of seminary students is thus an integral part of the church’s response to the needs of church workers.
God has blessed the church with much talent and a legacy of compassion and concern for one another. What a difference it can make if a shalom vision informs how we address the health-care crisis and respond to the needs of all our sisters and brothers! May we bring our collective wisdom and resolve to this challenge.
Janet Elaine Rasmussen is a member of Seattle Mennonite Church and serves as a pastoral intern at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind., while continuing her studies at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind.
Related Resources
Discussion Guides:
Current Stories
Articles
News stories, digests and Meno Acontecer
- Former guerrilla soldier a Mennonite pastor
- Amish school opens six months after tragedy
- Hesston basketball team goes to prison
- AICs celebrate 35 years of training in Africa
- Joy Mennonite Church given advocacy award
- Bluffton baseball team returns to diamond
Columns
Additional Notes
After this article was written, the AMBS administration announced a commitment to make affordable health insurance available to seminary students starting with the 2007-08 academic year. A contracted indemnity plan will insure all students registered for six or more credit hours.
Subscribe