Explore Summer Ministry Intern Highlight: Tyler Smith, Intern at Metropolitan UMC, Greensboro

Tyler Smith, a senior at Greensboro College, interned at Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Greensboro, NC, with the pastor, Rev. Diron Chloe, as his clergy mentor for the summer.

Tyler started school at Greensboro College in the fall of 2018, “I started getting involved with the religious life on campus and I met a GC alum, Will. Will was active in religious life while he was at GC and had started a bible study. When I met him, Will was looking for somebody to take over the group since he had graduated. I agreed to help him find someone. Little did I know that I would be that person. I started teaching a few lessons every now and then. This was a very small, small group at the time. It would typically be 0-5 people. I started to notice I was developing this desire to improve and teach more often even though I wasn't getting the results I expected.”

Eventually, Tyler talked with Dr. Robert Brewer, the chaplain at GC, and his recommendation was for Tyler to apply for the Explore Summer Internship. Tyler says, “.… thankfully I got in…. this summer I've focused on my internship and getting back to the place where I am excited about church, teaching, and following my call.”

Experiences that stood out for Tyler were learning more about Methodism, pushing himself through a lot of obstacles to have the opportunity to use his gifts, small situations that guided him down the path he is on now, and feeling the peace of God assuring him.