I Am Wesley
I Am Wesley
Kenneth W. Rathje, Jr. - The Four-Decade Call
Please give me your full name, hometown, major, and the year you plan to graduate.
Kenneth (Ken) W. Rathje, Jr., I currently live at Seminary in DC, after graduating with my MDiv in May 2023.
What led you to seminary?
I accepted the call to ministry after 40 years of the Lord calling me to preach.
How did you learn about Wesley, and when did you know it was the right fit for you?
I looked online and decided to go to a Seminary where I could attend class in person.
What is your major (and track), and why?
MDiv, Presbyterian track
How do you plan to be engaged in ministry or service after graduation?
Parish ministry
How are you currently serving in ministry? (In the community, on campus, church, job)
I have preached in MI, Cambridge, UK, and Jerusalem.
Currently leading a men’s prayer ministry and on a Pulpit Supply list in the DMV area. I also founded and run a nonprofit, Colonel of Hope, helping Service Members transition out of the military.
What do you like most about Wesley?
It’s in DC .
Wesley is known for its global connections, diversity, and acceptance of all faiths. What is it like to learn and study with individuals who worship differently from you?
It’s awesome, especially studying at Cambridge University as a part of 7 different denominations with the Cambridge Theological Federation. It helps develop a personal theology studying with others of different Christian perspectives.
What advice would you give someone who wants to attend seminary and Wesley?
Apply!
What is your favorite scripture and why?
John 15:15, Jesus is our Friend
Tell me one thing most people don’t know about you. (Fun fact)
I have grandkids
Is there anything else you’d like to add, or would you want people to know about you or Wesley?
They have a great 2nd year exchange program with the Wesley House in Cambridge University.
Here are some of the additional things I did last year at Cambridge University through the Wesley House. It counted as my second year at WTS, plus I was awarded a Diploma for Theology in Ministry (DTM) for going.
Additional Highlights from Cambridge University:
I studied in an ecumenical setting with 7 Colleges and 5 institutes that comprise the Cambridge Theological Federation (CTF) which included the Methodist School at Wesley House with evening classes on how to be a good Methodist, 2 Anglican Schools which included learning their perspectives on Christian Ethics, a Lutheran School, a Cathlolic School, a United Reformed Church (Presbyterian and Congregationalist) School where I learned Hebrew, and an Orthodox School where a fellow student called Cambridge the Disneyland of Theological Studies...!
I passed everything, to include Hebrew and award the DTM.
I was able to devote an average of 8 hours a week to Parish life and conducted 7 sermons at several locations to include Downing Place URC, Fulbourn URC, Wesley House, and the Church of Scotland in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. I also wrote a hymn that my music directors put to music.
I wrote my dissertation on Finding the Unplanned Liminal Moments of Personal Worship in Pilgrimages from my experiences in Iona, Jerusalem, Palestine, the Sea of Galilee, etc., and visited countless Cathedrals and other English and Scottish landmarks.
I joined several British University and College Sports (BUCS) Cambridge Clubs to include the Polo Club, where I served as Chaplain until I couldn't afford the expense of traveling, lol, and the Clay Pigeon Shooting Club where I competed in Dec against 30+ Uni's and Colleges and in Mar in the Varsity shoot against Oxford, whom we beat.
In these Clubs I had many discussions on theology with atheists, non-practicing Christians, and new Christians, all from other Cambridge Colleges such as Trinity, St Johns and Kings College. These discussions were priceless.
I Am Wesley
Master of Divinity candidate (Dec 2022)
Hometown: South Korea
“I love the zeal and passion I see in my fellow seminarians and our shared love for God and His creation.”
MB: What led you to seminary?
NJ: Both of my parents are pastors in Korea. I always wanted to help them in their ministry by doing God's work. I assumed God would call me to ministry later in my life, but God had a different plan, and I entered seminary right after graduating from law school and taking the bar exam.
MB: How did you learn about Wesley, and when did you know it was the right fit for you?
NJ: I was a law student at the George Washington University Law School, and pastors in Korea recommended Wesley when I looked into seminaries. I visited while I was still a law student, loved the environment, and felt comfort and warmth in my heart—so I decided to apply immediately.
MB: How do you plan to be engaged in ministry or service after graduation?
NJ: I'm still trying to discern God's plan after graduation. I pray I will be His faithful servant in spreading the gospel worldwide. I also plan to utilize my international background and education in different fields to help minister to youth/young adults.
MB: What do you hope to achieve with your ministry for your community, family/friends, and yourself?
NJ: I became a lawyer to help people in God's name. That is what I hope to achieve with my ministry to the community. But, I also want to be someone who lives out God's love in her daily life—radiating God's love and care for all. I pray that my life will be a witness to God's love for the world—and that my family and friends witness God's love lived out through His faithful servant. I've already received countless blessings from God, and I hope and pray that I will spend my life expressing my gratitude and love for God by being His faithful servant. I feel great joy in serving God through serving the church and His people. So, I hope and pray I can do so for the rest of my life.
MB: How are you currently serving (In the community, on campus, church, job)?
NJ: I serve in the music ministry at my church as a violist in the church orchestra, leading the congregation in worship each Sunday. I also serve God and His people by individually ministering to whomever God enables me to encounter, especially my friends who have become distant from God.
MB: What is it like to learn and study at Wesley with individuals who worship differently from you?
NJ: I loved it when I joined the school. I love my fellow seminaries and how we all love and talk about the same God from various backgrounds! It has opened my eyes, ears, and mind to converse with a greater audience when sharing the Gospel. I know and am grateful that I have become a better servant through such individuals.
MB: What do you like most about Wesley?
NJ: The loving community it is, and how we are an army of God's servants, all wishing and hoping for the best in God's creation. I love the zeal and passion I see in my fellow seminarians and our shared love for God and His creation.
MB: Tell me one thing most people don't know about you.
NJ: A fun fact about me is the latest blessing God has granted me. As I said, I pray to glorify God with every opportunity He blesses me. In January 2022, God enabled me to be a chapter author of an International Business Book by Springer, titled: International Business in the New Asia-Pacific: Strategies, Opportunities, and Threats. The chapter was a product of research I had begun over a decade ago, updated in the last few years. The best part was that I got to be a published author affiliated with Wesley Theological Seminary, amongst other international business scholars! Praise be to God!
MB: what advice would you give someone who wants to attend seminary and Wesley?
NJ: I applaud you for taking the big step in answering God's call. Sometimes you may be overwhelmed with questions, but when you are grounded in God's love and the Scripture, your faith will only become stronger and unshakable!
