One never knows how responding with a “yes” can change the course of one’s life. Eli Rolón Jeong, currently a PhD student in Ethics and Cultural Studies at Claremont School of Theology and the new Associate Regional Minister for Children, Youth and Young Adults for the Christian Church in Illinois-Wisconsin, was invited in 2006 to participate in the inaugural Disciples Leadership Institute (DLI) gathering. He says that at the time he had a good job and was involved with his local church, Iglesia Del Pueblo Christian Church in Hammond, Indiana. However, after accepting the invitation to DLI, the relationships formed and experiences gained served to redirect his life and calling: “At DLI, I encountered a diverse group of young adults who were passionate about the work of the church. Encouraged by their contagious excitement, I began exploring the possibility of ministerial work as my vocation. In the fall of 2008, after attending my third DLI gathering earlier that summer, I notified my boss that I would soon leave my position to prepare for studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School.”
After earning a Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt, Rev. Rolón Jeong received a Master of Arts in Ethics from Iliff School of Theology in Denver. An ordained minister with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he has served in positions with NAPAD and HELM, has served as a director of Chalice Press and on the Disciples’ General Board, and engages in intentional theological dialogue through the Constructive Theologies Project. In reflecting on Eli’s time serving HELM, Rev. Chris Dorsey, President of HELM, says that “Eli is a remarkably gifted person. He played a pivotal role in HELM’s recent transition toward greater financial stability. His leadership of DLI and his work in coordinating the Leadership Fellows program has contributed significantly to HELM’s success.”
His current PhD studies in Ethics and Cultural Studies have great importance in both the academy and wider church. Rev. Rolón Jeong says “My academic focus is on the formation of identity, an endeavor that requires careful exploration of historical and oftentimes contingent conditions through which those identities are formed. My goal is to curiously uncover what is often taken for granted in order to hopefully produce new and innovative ways of knowing, doing, and being.”
His recent call as Associate Regional Minister for Children, Youth and Young Adults for the Christian Church in Illinois-Wisconsin will provide new opportunities to bring together his passion for higher education and the development of leaders in the church. Rev. Rolón Jeong notes that “this position affords me a responsibility in the development of young folks. Here, my training as a theological educator in ethics and cultural studies could have significant impact.” He also expresses thanks for the previous opportunities and experiences offered through the church that have led him to serve on the Regional level: “I am grateful for Higher Education and Leadership Ministries, and especially for the DLI program, which served as the catalyst I needed to explore a call to ministry.”