The Candler community gathered in Cannon Chapel on April 23 for the school’s annual Honors Day Convocation, celebrating award recipients in vocational and academic excellence.
Learn more about the honorees and how Candler has helped to shape their callings.
Student Honors in Scholastic and Ministerial Leadership
The Berta Radford and James T. Laney Award in Contextual Education is given annually to a third-year MDiv student who has successfully completed both the first and second years of Contextual Education and whose engagement with ministry practices exemplifies H. Richard Niebuhr’s concern to do theology as simultaneous reflection and action carried out within the personal and social context of love of God and neighbor. This year’s recipient is Tanner Short, who has come to believe that theology is never merely academic—that to pray is to do theology, and to do theology is to work. He leaves Candler deeply grateful for a community, especially his first Contextual Education reflection group, in whom he continues to see the love of God and neighbor made flesh.
The Charles O. Smith Jr. Scholarship Award honors a rising senior who demonstrates exceptional commitment to ministry within the Baptist tradition. This year’s recipient is Tameka Francis, described as a passionate and resilient student who has embraced community and creating connections. Her love for ministry is evident in her pursuit of learning and her desire for continued growth.
The Pitts Theology Library Student Research Award is given to a Candler student who demonstrates creativity in research, maturity in theological thought, and excellence in using library resources to mount an argument. This year’s recipient, Dongyeol Lee, has developed a deep interest in the Hebrew Bible, especially in its formation and reception history. During Dongyeol’s time at Candler, his intellectual horizons have expanded through studying the Hebrew Bible in its ancient Near Eastern context and through interdisciplinary engagement with memory studies and migration studies. He hopes to continue bringing the study of the Hebrew Bible into meaningful conversation with the wider world through rigorous scholarship and practical engagement.
The Russell E. Richey Award is presented to a Candler student who has demonstrated excellence in Wesleyan studies. This year’s recipient, Hanna Cain, says that it is an honor to receive the Wesleyan studies award. In fact, it makes her heart feel “strangely warmed.”
The Erskine-Smith-Moseley Award was established to honor Candler’s earliest Black academic appointments and is given annually to a Black Church Studies Program student who portrays prophetic and compassionate leadership. This year’s recipient is Cydnei Williams, who has deeply valued the ways Candler is forming her at the intersection of faith and community, shaping both her voice and vocation. Through her experiences and Black Church Studies coursework, she has been grounded in a theology that affirms Blackness as holy and understands the Black Church as a cornerstone of social life. She intends to continue learning and leading from that place, bridging her research aspirations with her call to compassionate community building.
Student Honors in Vocational, Liturgical and Creative Arts Excellence
The Fellowship Seminarian Award is presented to the senior(s) who displays outstanding leadership in worship and arts. This year’s award has two recipients:
Diana Itzel Guzman Lugo: For Diana, worship—particularly praise dance—has been near and dear to her heart since she was six years old. Getting to be part of Candler’s Liturgical Dancers, The Sacred Arts Collective, and Youth Theological Initiative has allowed her passion for worship to grow. She appreciates all the opportunities she has had to participate in worship and says it has been extra special getting to share it with others.
Grace Norton Rogers: While at Candler, Grace has found solace, joy, and peace when given the opportunity to worship with peers and leaders. Participating in Candler Singers, Voices of Imani, and doing slides (sometimes all three things at once!) has been fulfilling to her soul week after week. She believes worship should be a time where all are earnestly represented in the House of the Lord, that it can be their home too, and it has been one of her deepest delights to participate in the formation of that space.
The Hoyt L. Hickman Award of the Order of St. Luke honors a senior(s) who has significantly contributed to the worship and prayer life of the school of theology through acts of liturgical leadership and pastoral care. There are two recipients of the award this year:
Britt Carnahan: Creating inclusive spaces has always mattered to Britt, and worship is no exception. During her time at Candler, she has loved and found deep meaning in planning and leading worship that reflects and serves the whole community. Candler has helped her see how worship becomes most faithful when the fullness of who we are is brought together, revealing the richness of God’s image already present among us.
Ng Tsz Nok Christopher: During his time at Candler, Christopher has learned to appreciate previously unfamiliar forms of worship. He is humbled in the process of noticing the diversity of how God’s beloved can gather as a worshipping community, and the creative possibilities that transform those who congregate. He encouraged his peers to speak from their religious convictions while being genuinely curious about unfamiliar expressions of faith.
The Rebecca Redd Herring Endowed Award in Pastoral Ministry and Worship is given to an MDiv student of any Methodist denomination who is preparing for ordained pastoral ministry and who demonstrates particular ability in worship and worship planning, including but not limited to prayers, music, liturgy, and other expressions of worship. This year’s recipient, Katie Dobbins, says Candler’s worship spaces have been the perfect balance of educational, spiritual, and comforting. She has learned the importance of consistency and the beauty of diversity in liturgy, music, and leadership and will forever carry these lessons with her into her ministries.
The Gildemeister Endowed Award for Creative Writing is presented to a student who excels in the written word. While recipient Mina Song Lee has expended most of her energy at Candler pursuing formation as a future scholar and researcher, she will forever be grateful for the opportunities she has had to flourish as a fully-embodied, fully-feeling creative. She will always cherish long office hours and impromptu atrium forums with dear friends and professors.
The John W. Rustin Award is given to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, best exhibits the capacity for prophetic preaching. This year’s recipient, Malcolm Wiley II, has found Candler to be a transformative environment. He has been blessed to find a strong cohort of theologians, professors, preachers, poets, organizers, academics, and leaders who have motivated him to be creative, and to make the most of his MDiv. Without the thought partners, the late night study groups, and the chance to bear each other’s burdens, he is certain he never would have received this award.
The John Owen Smith Award is presented to the senior who, in the opinion of the faculty, is best able to communicate the gospel faithfully and imaginatively through preaching. Over the last three years, recipient Hanna Cain has learned that although she is not the loudest person in the room, people still want to hear what she has to say. She has found her voice, especially in the preaching moment, and she commits herself to being an authentic and faithful preacher as she proclaims God’s promise of love, hope, and justice.
Student Honors in Transformational Leadership and Community Service
The Nolan B. Harmon Award is given to the second-year student who has shown marked growth during the two years in the school of theology. During his time at Candler, recipient Joshua Brown feels that he has grown not only as a student, but as a pastor, husband, and father. He has gained a deeper sense of clarity and calling in each of these roles. He has become more confident, articulate, and driven, discovering both his voice and a renewed conviction that he has something meaningful to offer the Church, the communities he serves, and his fellow students.
The James D. and Alice Slay Award recognizes a second-year student who exhibits promise for pastoral ministry through outstanding academic performance and achievement. For recipient Beverly Woods, Candler has deepened her understanding of Wesley’s vision of holiness of heart and life while strengthening her connection to the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church’s legacy of resilience, dignity, and faith shaped by her ancestors’ witness. The integration of scholarship, tradition, and sacred memory has affirmed her promise for pastoral ministry, shaping her to serve with integrity, courage, and a deep commitment to the care and flourishing of all God’s people.
The Ruth Sewell Flowers Award, recognizes a senior(s) who has shown marked growth in ministerial qualifications during their three years at Candler. This year there are two recipients:
Chelsea Reid: During her time at Candler, Chelsea has been transformed by the professors and colleagues she has had the honor of learning alongside. She graduates with a deeper faith, a sharper commitment to justice, and an abiding belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every person—all values she is eager to carry into her life and ministry beyond these walls.
Maya Mengfei Su: During her time at Candler, Maya has found deep meaning in integrating her international experiences from Asia into a rigorous theological framework, learning that true leadership is forged through resilience and intellectual honesty. She has loved finding her voice within this community, discovering that her calling lies at the intersection of scholarly advocacy and a compassionate ministry of presence.
The Claude H. Thompson Award recognizes student(s)’ dedication to ensuring that the teachings of Christ manifest tangibly in the lives of individuals through acts of justice and reconciliation. This year there are three recipients:
Cate Tedford: During her time at Candler, Cate has found such joy in the rich space and community within which to “live the questions” in service of the common good. Whether in a passing conversation in the Atrium or during a 2-hour class on a Monday night, our awardee is constantly inspired and encouraged by her peers, professors, and the work of being a seminarian, for such a time as this.
Carrington Brooks: Carrington has loved discovering at Candler that combining faith and justice is not idealistic, it is necessary. This is a conviction deepened especially through Dr. Franklin’s ethics courses, a New Testament seminar in Greece, and her work mentoring through Con Ed at New American Pathways. Most meaningful has been the confirmation that showing up fully, doing the work, and trusting the call is exactly what faithful witness requires, and she is grateful to carry that formation into her upcoming work with the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health and Caregiver Program at the Carter Center.
Derrick Hammond: Derrick shares that he has loved the formative environment that helped him understand theological sensitivity and social concern as “marks of the church” that tangibly reveal Christ’s presence in the world. This formation significantly guides his work as a pastor and city councilman as he seeks to embody Christ’s reconciling presence through community advocacy, racial healing, educational equity, and the empowerment of marginalized voices.
The G. Ray Jordan Award is bestowed upon the senior(s) who demonstrates exceptional promise for impactful ministry and exhibits excellence in integrating academic study with constructive leadership and service. This year there are two recipients:
Jason Thompson: During Jason’s tenure at Candler, our first recipient has loved the intellectual friction that occurs when ancient liturgy meets contemporary social crisis. He’s learned that the best ministry is one that combines academic rigor with pulpit needs. Candler has allowed him great opportunities to synthesize his roles as a pastor and professor, demonstrating that true pastoral excellence requires an uncompromising commitment to bringing the full weight of the mind to the service of one’s community.
Madeline Chandler: Madeline credits her time at Candler for deepening her understanding and experience of Christian discipleship. She is especially grateful to the faculty and staff at Candler who not only taught her about effective ministry but modeled the journey of discipleship in their daily lives.
The Community Service Award is bestowed upon the graduating student who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to serving the Candler community. Two students earned the award this year:
Diana Itzel Guzman Lugo: For Diana, participation around Candler has always felt like a privilege—an opportunity to be an active member in this wonderful community. If her service has been of any help to the community then she leaves happy.
Ng Tsz Nok Christopher: Christopher has treasured his time at Candler when he learnt to be present for others when communities are, at times, fragile. He endeavored to hold space with his peers for transformative, life-giving encounters that encourage honest conversations and foster trust.
Student Honors in Academic Excellence
The Boone M. Bowen Award is given to the senior who has demonstrated outstanding proficiency in biblical Hebrew. During his time at Candler, recipient Sergio Gabriel Chois has enjoyed the diversity of perspectives that make up the classroom experience.
The Chad Davis Memorial Award is presented to the student who has demonstrated exceptional performance in Old or New Testament courses. This year’s recipient, Kyul Yoon, was recognized for her work in New Testament courses and says that she came to Candler with deep love and passion for biblical studies. Her time at Candler has trained her not only as a capable interpreter of the Bible, but also as a believer who understands the weight and significance of a faithful biblical interpretation. She is grateful for the biblical studies faculty who helped her expand her hermeneutical horizons.
The Mary Katherine (Myki) Mobley Memorial Award is given to an MTS student who demonstrates both academic excellence and significant social concern. At Candler, recipient Sister Nia Joy Waterhouse has found meaning in embodying the Womanist tradition not only as an intellectual inheritance but as a call to courageous, justice-oriented living. She has learned to integrate scholarship with social concern—reclaiming African Traditional Religions, honoring marginalized ways of knowing, and cultivating a practice of study that is accountable to community, liberation, and the fullness of human expression.
Three students received the Master of Theological Studies Award for Academic Excellence, recognizing the MTS seniors who have demonstrated the highest level of academic excellence:
Luke Jenkins: During his time at Candler, Luke has deeply valued the mentorship of a world-class faculty that challenged him to refine his analytical precision and academic rigor while providing loving guidance. He found profound meaning in the intersection of biblical exegesis and systematic theology, learning to navigate the complexities of the hidden God and the problem of suffering with a confident and scholarly voice.
Sister Nia Joy Waterhouse: At Candler, Sister Waterhouse has deepened her grounding in the Womanist tradition as a rigorous intellectual and theological framework, discovering in it both critical precision and expansive possibility. She has learned to claim her voice as a scholar—one who engages African Traditional Religions, theology, and cultural expression with clarity, creativity, and depth—finding profound meaning in the disciplined yet imaginative work of shaping ideas that matter.
Chase Wolfsohn: Chase has loved the wide-range of courses he has been able to take at Candler under exceptional faculty. From learning how to critically read biblical texts, to parsing Biblical Greek and Hebrew, and engaging with modern and ancient theologians, he has appreciated the cross-disciplinary education that Candler has facilitated.
Six students received the Master of Divinity Award for Academic Excellence, recognizing the seniors who have achieved the highest academic excellence:
Hanna Cain: Hanna came to seminary not only to learn how to become a minister, but how to become a responsible, compassionate, and informed minister. Candler has helped her achieve this goal, and she is proud of the scholarship and ministry that she has completed over the last three years. She thanks this supportive community for pushing her and helping her to grow in her ministry.
Quinn Gentry: During her time at Candler, Quinn has loved building the theological capacity to bridge therapy and theology in the Black church. As a Christian innovator and emerging public theologian, she has taken full advantage of Candler and Emory’s resources, launching “You Gotta Have Faith” to reimagine churches as therapeutic spaces. Her coursework, contextual education, and time at The Hatchery have all contributed meaningfully to her pursuit of doing “the work her soul must have.”
Jacob Mason: In reflection over his time at Candler, Jacob has loved learning about the theology of the church and the ways in which theological formation can affect positive change in the wider community. He is grateful for the dedication of the Candler faculty in encouraging him to think critically and pursue excellence.
Ng Tsz Nok Christopher: Christopher appreciates the boldness of his peers in staying true to their convictions. Beyond printed texts, he treats all encountered persons as living texts and appreciates them as important theological sources. He rejects quick and easy answers, for he believes that knowledge is best created over time in communities where mutual learning takes place. He deems this process to require an authentic willingness to reach across divides, as well as learn from and with folx who deeply disagree with him.
Madeline Ormenyi: At Candler, Madeline has loved discovering connections between academic study and applied practice. In conducting ethnographic research as a participant-observer in Candler Singers, crafting lesson plans as a pastoral intern, and consulting on writing projects with fellow students at the Candler Writing Center, they focused on finding creative synthesis among diverse disciplines and developing a flexible voice that can speak across them.
Hunter Steinmetz: Hunter shares that his time at Candler has stretched his knowledge, imagination, and love for things of God. He is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be poured into as a minister of the gospel so that what Candler has poured in, he can now pour out into his community and the world.
Faculty and Staff Honors
Associate Professor of American Religious History Alison Greene received the award for Outstanding Service to the Candler Community by a Faculty Member.
Student nominators described Greene as an “honest, sharp, compassionate, brilliant mentor and interlocutor” whose teaching “creates a space where students feel heard and respected.”
They praised Greene’s guidance and support during the PhD application process, and her intentional work “to make the MTS program a second home.”
“Dr. Greene made me feel like my education mattered because of the way in which she invested in the material. Her class was challenging, but such a joy to take.”
“She will push you to be better—whatever that may mean for you,” one student wrote, “and you will be better for it.”
Tayler Johnson 21T, associate director of financial aid and admissions, received the Outstanding Service to the Candler Community by a Staff Member award. Students noted Johnson’s dedication to students from their application to Candler all the way through enrollment and graduation, and praised his “deep commitment to supporting students and ensuring they have access to the resources and guidance they need.”
Candler Coordinating Council Chair and third-year MDiv student Grace Norton Rogers, who presented the award, said that connecting with Johnson as a prospective student was the reason she decided to attend Candler. “He has taught me what it means to truly welcome others into a space, and to maintain that sense of welcome over many years.”
The “On Eagle’s Wings” Excellence in Teaching Award is conferred by Candler’s graduating class in recognition of faithful and dedicated service. This year’s recipient is Visiting Assistant Professor of Ethics Craig Ford. In his first year at Candler, Ford was recognized by students for his “exceptional commitment to student learning, growth, and formation,” along with his visible supportive presence in the community, consistently attending chapel services, student organization events, and more.
“His teaching style is both rigorous and deeply attentive, challenging students to think critically and engage complex material, while also creating a classroom environment that is supportive, thoughtful, and genuinely student-centered,” wrote one nominator. “Students are not only expected to learn, but are given the tools, encouragement, and trust to do so meaningfully.”
Says another: “One of the most impactful aspects of Dr. Ford’s teaching is an openness to and support of unique project construction. This flexibility does not lessen academic rigor. Instead, it deepens it, allowing students to engage material in ways that are both intellectually serious and personally meaningful.”
Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!