Sean McConnell

There are folks out there who are comforted by ambiguity, who need a Word of grace which is not covered in syrup. Who need the stark truth of what it means to be broken and blessed at the same time. Who are at home in the Biblical story; stories of anti-heroes and people who don’t get it; beloved prostitutes and rough fishermen...I am one of those people

I was born in Douglasville, GA, where I was blessed with an insatiable curiosity that was fostered by parents who taught me to question everything. After attending Chapel Hill HS, I left for Berry College in Rome, GA, where I was sure to earn an education that would provide the building blocks to make myself rich and influential. However, that attitude quickly changed. Through the love of God expressed in the patience of teachers, I learned that the value of my life could only be measured by the value I placed on the lives of others. Calmly, these saints taught me to acknowledge the privileges I experienced on a day to day basis, privileges that I did nothing to earn. Through these mentors, God instilled in me my call to social justice. In the spring of 2009, I left Berry with a BS in Psychology in my hand and a new understanding that success is better defined as finding the best in others and leaving the world a better place

During my two years at Candler School of Theology at Emory University (MTS Program,) I discovered where my passion intersected with the world’s greatest need: bringing dignity to those individuals “the world” has deemed “unlovable” or “less than” while realizing the significance that God placed on helping people discover their worth and value, through Christ

It is during my time serving as the Minister of Youth at Milledgeville FUMC that I have realized that God was using my passion for insuring all of Creation was included at His table, to lead me towards ordination. Through prayer and the council of faithful mentors I have heard God’s call to attend to the ordinances of Word and Service and as such seek ordination in the Deacon track. As an ordained deacon, I will serve as bridge from the Church to the surrounding world teaching and emphasizing the importance of acts of love and deeds of faith by Christians

In the mean time, I’m just trying to figure out what it looks like to confess the truth about being deeply faithful and deeply flawed at the same time – and how to have humility in all of it without being self-apologetic