Hearts Strangely Warmed

February 13, 2026

Share

For some Candler students across generations, a call to education and ministry has also led to lasting love. This Valentine’s weekend, we’re celebrating just a few of many “Candler Couples” whose origin stories were sparked through this community. Here are their stories in their own words!

Eric Rucker 14T and Hannah Landgraf 15T

Eric and Hannah met as fellow Candler students in 2013, both native Midwesterners exploring the strange and wonderful land that is the South. The Candler community was an amazing place to together explore their emerging callings to justice and community. Their wedding was even officiated by a Candler grad: Brandon Maxwell 14T! Candler launched them into a beautiful life in Iowa working in youth ministry, affordable housing, and mental health counseling; and their time in ATL permanently conditioned them into the use of the second personal plural “y’all.”

Lisa Heilig 95T and Tammy Johnson 97T

Lisa and Tammy first met at one of the only progressive and affirming churches in Atlanta in 1993, where Tammy was a deacon and Lisa a Candler student in search of a church home.

While they had a good working relationship, it wasn’t until Tammy also started attending Candler that they became good friends, and eventually, more. Lisa reached out to help Tammy settle into seminary life, and Tammy started finding excuses to go to the seminary bookstore when she knew Lisa was working there. Between that, and long walks on campus talking about life and faith, attending Chapel together, and doing ministry together more often, feelings grew.

Finally in March of 1995, they made it official, and have been together ever since.

Lisa supported Tammy in finishing her Master of Divinity at Candler, and then a Master of Library Science at Clark Atlanta University, until she became a theological librarian at Columbia Theological Seminary, where she has worked for almost 26 years, currently serving as director of bibliographic access services.

Tammy supported Lisa in her first career of working with people with disabilities and their families, through her process of becoming ordained in the Metropolitan Community Churches, into her second career as a pastor and consultant for churches in transition, through her attending Columbia Theological Seminary and receiving a Doctor of Ministry.

That support continued into Lisa’s current third career as executive director of Toco Hills Community Alliance, a local nonprofit addressing food insecurity. As part of this role, Lisa is a site supervisor for both Contextual Education I and Contextual Education II Candler students.

Though they have been together over 30 years, and count that as their true anniversary, they were legally married in November of 2014.

As an interracial same gender couple in the South for over 30 years, who raised a child together (he’s 36 now), there have been some troubles along the way. However, faith in God and themselves, support of their family and friends, and their deep and abiding love has sustained them through it all.

Over 30 years later, neither would take anything for their journey now, a journey by way of Candler, to a lifetime of love.

Josh and Emily Miles 20T

Josh’s Version: It happened on a Wednesday. It was August 16, 2017. I had to drive to the Emory Clairmont campus to get my parking pass. Before I could turn left on Starvine Way, another star walked down the cross walk in front of my jeep. There she was, the girl in the blue dress. I had never seen her before, but my oh my she was radiant. She truly shined. I thought out loud to myself, “Wow, that girl is beautiful! But I’ll probably never see her again.” So I went on about my day… Later that day, in Cannon Chapel, orientation continued. At one point, the facilitator asked us to all get up and move to a new spot in the chapel. As I walked around, who should appear before my very eyes but the girl in the blue dress. With all of the nervous energy in the world, I reached out my hand toward her: “Hello, I’m Josh, what’s your name?” The rest is history.

Emily’s Version: On my first day of orientation for seminary, I was very nervous. Between moving to a new state, starting a rigorous masters program, and beginning a new job, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. The last thing on my mind was finding a boyfriend. Then, during orientation, Josh approached me. We introduced ourselves and took a seat. I remember thinking “he is so sweet!” But I was really focused on school. Later that day, I vividly remember praying to God that I would fall in love. What I meant by that prayer was that I wanted to fall in love with my studies in school. Turns out, I did love (most of) my education. However, I think God interpreted my prayer differently than I intended. Our love didn’t happen all at once. It happened through study sessions in Pitts Library, lunches in the courtyard, and flirting during Old Testament class. It happened through honest talks, tears, laughter, and fun. It happened in gym workouts and car rides. It happened when I was least expecting it. I am here to say that God answers prayers; it just might be different than what you imagine.

Zack 96T and Leigh Martin 03T

Leigh writes…

Candler is part of our story. While Zack and I did not attend Candler at the same time, we met through a Candler connection. My second year Contextual Education placement was at Marietta First UMC where I met the associate minister, Rev. Laurie Moeller. At the end of my second year, Laurie introduced me to Zack while at Annual Conference in Augusta. Laurie and Zack attended Candler together in the 90s. Knowing the both of us, she thought that we were a great match.

Nothing happened right away. During my second and third year at Candler, I served at the Georgia State and Georgia Tech Wesley Foundation with Rev. Steve Fazenbaker (then Wesley Foundation Director at Georgia Tech, who I met at Candler during a lunch and learn on campus ministry.) Steve was starting a lectionary group for pastors and Zack and I both noticed our names copied on the email invitation. We played it cool at first, but he later called me and asked me out. We were married in the chapel at Camp Glisson and both Laurie and Steve officiated our wedding.

We’ve been happily married, actively serving and navigating life together for over 20 years with 10 appointments, 8 homes and two children (now teenagers). Currently, Zack serves as the pastor-in-charge at Madison First UMC and I serve in the Center for Clergy Excellence for the North Georgia Conference. Life is good!  It would not have happened without Candler. Thanks, Candler.

Malinda 07T and Disney Weaver 09T

In the fall of 2006, Malinda Jowers and Disney Weaver met while singing in the Candler Singers. Malinda was an alto from Alabama and Disney was a tenor from Florida. Our relationship began during the fall 2006 Candler Singers tour to Macon, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida, while performing at Exploration 2006.

Malinda and Disney married in May 2007 and have two daughters.

Malinda currently serves as pastor of Avondale UMC in Birmingham, Alabama. Disney is a social science teacher at Ramsay High School I.B. World Studies in Birmingham.

Emily 96T and Matthew Penfield 97T

Emily writes…

I lived in Turner Village and some of our friends invited Matthew to my birthday party in September of 1994. We got married in December of ’95, right before my last semester, and halfway through Matthew’s three years. We just celebrated our 30th anniversary. Matthew has earned two more degrees, a DMin at St. Paul School of Theology and a JD at Cumberland School of Law and now he is a practicing attorney. I’ve served United Methodist churches in North Alabama, mostly in the Birmingham area since 1997. We have two girls, Caroline and Eliza.

Janelle Hiroshige and Peter Dickson 21T

Janelle writes…

Peter and I met while we were at Candler in 2018! Peter was a second year during my first year and we met officially on the Emory Shuttle after leaving that first day of orientation, the perfect Emory meet cute! I graduated in 2021 with my MDiv, and he graduated the same year with his joint MDiv and MPH. We got married in 2022.

We included a more recent photo when we brought our new puppy to Emory’s campus to show her where we met!

Sally and Tom Oakes 91T

Sally writes…

It was January of 1988, my second semester at Candler. There was a “Community Lunch” put out every day where students could make themselves a sandwich or salad and go sit and eat. One day, I ended up at a table with three new students who were coming from their orientation.

We had the usual type of conversation people have when they first meet. Then it came time for “Where are you from?” When the skinny man named Tom spoke, my response was, “Hmm. You never really hear about anyone being from Idaho…” to which he responded, “Well, we do!” The three of us became friends.

Walks through Lullwater, a date at Mexico City Gourmet, innumerable outings at Jagger’s Pizza, and one day, he was bringing me back to my car in the Peavine Deck and as we got there, he sighed and said, “I’m in love.”

The two others served as Tom’s groomsmen that August and the following Spring, the January cohort held a party for us and gave us a nice car seat for the expected arrival. Our first anniversary was celebrated by going home with newborn Miriam.

Jin and Sam Hopson 18T

Sam writes…

Jin and I met in the fall of 2015 (first semester at Candler) at a study party before our first OT 501 exam. After offering her a simple ride home, we went on a few coffee dates, movie nights, and before we knew it, a whole life together. After three years of dating, we got engaged and then married on November 26, 2018 in Seoul, with a second celebration in Tennessee a month later.

Today, we are both clergy in the North Georgia Conference of the UMC. I serve as director of the Wesley Foundation at Georgia Tech and Jin serves as head pastor at Hopewell UMC in Tyrone. We are blessed to be raising two kids together. We’ve been together 3,701 days, and while not every day is easy, every day is better because we get to face life and ministry side by side.

Do you have a Candler love story to share? Email cstcommunications@emory.edu.