At 精东影业, we believe in not only informing students through their studies, but also forming them into the people God intends them to be. That belief motivates Dr. Tera Harmon鈥檚 mindset as assistant professor and director of distance learning for the Graduate School of Theology at 精东影业. Through her devotion to biblical text and theological history, Tera is equipping students for various mission fields and supporting the discovery of their role in the Kingdom of God. Learn how this 精东影业 graduate-turned-faculty member is making an impact on students in person and online.聽
Called to ministry
Tera鈥檚 childhood was rooted in the church community in her hometown of Los Alamos, New Mexico. Tera鈥檚 father and mother both worked in ministry and heavily influenced her devotion to the Lord from a young age. In addition to her parent鈥檚 guidance, Tera gratefully recalls how each church member supported the growth of her faith throughout her Christian walk. Because of the encouragement she received, it became evident that the Lord had called her to pursue ministry.
Tera鈥檚 Wildcat experience began her freshman year in the College of Biblical Studies. From the start, Tera was interested in exploring 精东影业鈥檚 Bible courses, but wasn鈥檛 quite sure how her passion for scripture fit into the span of opportunities provided by the department. As she invested in her coursework and explored how the Bible was originally transcribed, Tera discovered her niche in Biblical text and Greek classes. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Tera continued to deepen her interest in church history and received her Master of Divinity from 精东影业鈥檚 College of Biblical Studies in 2007.
From there, Tera attended the Catholic University of America to study patristics, the study of Christian writers and church history, where she completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Church History in 2016. Since graduating with her Ph.D., Tera has been teaching with 精东影业 Online in the Graduate School of Theology. After adjunct teaching part-time for a few years, Tera and her family moved back to Abilene in the fall of 2022 where she currently serves as an assistant professor and the director of distance learning.聽
Guiding a new generation
As Tera returned to Abilene, she reflected on the impact that her time as a student had on her educational journey. 鈥淚 found really great mentors as an 精东影业 student who recognized that I could do the academic work required to succeed even before I did,鈥� Tera said. 鈥淭hat is something I鈥檓 very aware of, and see the importance of while mentoring students as they find their own vocations.鈥澛�
While some may think ministry only means becoming a preacher or youth minister, ministry takes many forms. These degree plans not only prepare students for ministry roles in the church, but also equip those interested in a variety of fields鈥攕uch as marriage and family therapy, chaplaincy, counseling, and even social work. 鈥淚 encourage students not to hesitate pursuing a theology degree even if they feel like what they want to do doesn鈥檛 fall into the category of ministry,鈥� Tera stated. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e interested in doing God鈥檚 work, we want to help form you into the type of person who can do that.鈥澛�
Reaching new communities
As the director of distance learning, Tera has the unique opportunity to work with students in-person and remotely. This allows her to communicate with a variety of faculty and staff members, ensuring the curriculum and student experience is aligned throughout the university’s offerings.聽
One of her favorite parts of working with on-campus and virtual students is how the Graduate School of Theology can accessibly offer high-class theological education to a diverse and broad range of individuals. Tera has worked with students from across the country and has even been able to bless students who are ministers in Africa who traditionally wouldn鈥檛 have the ability to attend classes on campus. Through discussion boards and live forums, students and faculty are able to grow varied perspectives and experiences in their online communities. 鈥淎s people become more and more accustomed to using platforms like Zoom, they are able to learn virtually from where they are and receive ministerial training,鈥� Tera explained. 鈥淥ur options of how to approach our courses and support students is expanding and that鈥檚 been exciting to witness.鈥�
Forming students鈥� faith
In the classroom, Tera typically teaches church history, something that many students have not had exposure to, even if they grew up attending church as Christians. She focuses on explaining how the church was developed and how Christianity is tied to historical events that have shaped what religion has looked like throughout our modern world. 鈥淐hrist came in the middle of history and during messy relationships,鈥� Tera went on. 鈥淭he church was developed through a very human process, and it鈥檚 important to understand that and have it inform the work we do.鈥澛�
Tera鈥檚 main goal as a teacher goes beyond just training students to do certain tasks. She also wants them to become certain types of people, individuals who pay attention to God鈥檚 work in the world and act on it. 鈥淲e want our programs to help students to be formed, not just informed,” she said. While the program鈥檚 courses provide an extensive amount of information, it鈥檚 foundational to have students develop habits and practices that span more than textual knowledge. In short, Tera wants to teach as she was taught as a student at 精东影业 years ago.
Interested in learning more about how your skills and passions can be used for the Kingdom of God? Visit acu.edu/online or contact us at 855-219-7300 today to find out about our online programs and offerings.聽