HigherEdJobs this week featured Transylvania University’s director of spirituality and religious life in an article about what it’s like to work in campus religious service.
The Rev. Emily Miller, who began at Transy in January 2019, discussed her many roles on campus — from assisting student religious organizations to providing pastoral care to working with community partners.
She also offered advice for those considering careers in college ministry or chaplaincy.
“I think it’s really important to do some inner work and see what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling,” she said. “If you’re really passionate about working with people across religious lines, chaplaincy might be a really good option. Campus ministers will do interreligious work, but for chaplains, it’s part of the job description to work with people of all faiths.”
Her own career path included earning a B.A. from Bridgewater College in Virginia and serving as an ecumenical young adult volunteer for a Methodist church in Miami. She also worked on projects with Disciples of Christ in Texas, in campus ministry at the University of Louisville and earned a Master of Divinity from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where she served as director of recruitment and admissions.