Rev. Kamilah Hall Sharp started her career as a lawyer, determined not to go back to school. As she discerned her call to ministry, she found her way to Memphis Theological Seminary because of its strong support for women in ministry and its well-rounded course offerings. She started in the Master of Arts in Religion program, but switched to the Master of Divinity when she realized she was called to preaching.
Sharp initially thought she would work in outreach and social justice ministry through a local church, based on her deep involvement at Manna House and Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, TN. One day at Manna House, she and Dr. Peter Gathje got to talking about PhD programs, and even with her hesitation about more schooling, Sharp decided that she wanted a solid foundation in biblical interpretation for the community and the world in order to fulfill her calling to “preach, teach, and work in the streets.” Dr. Gathje helped her find a program where she would be supported and where her commitment to social justice could flourish.
Rev. Sharp is currently finishing a PhD in Biblical Interpretation with a focus in Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. She is also a co-planter and co-pastor of The Gathering, a womanist congregation in Dallas, pioneering a new model of congregational leadership.
While at MTS, Sharp most enjoyed her fellow students and the professors. She was introduced to things at MTS about which she previously had no idea, like homelessness and other similarly marginalized people. She learned more about herself, the history of the church, and why Christians do and think certain things. She has been to a lot of schools (college, law school, seminary, and graduate school), and she still believes that her time at MTS has been the most transformative educational experience of her life.
