A Journey of Hope

Brad Bunn stands in front of a wall with spray paint art

February 10, 2025
Jenna Turner | Graduate Programs

During a time of personal hardship and deep questions about his faith, Brad Bunn, attended a Jesuit retreat in Atlanta. There, a Jesuit helped enhance his view of God by offering a fresh perspective that profoundly impacted him.

Inspired by this experience, Bunn, an ordained minister, knew he wanted a robust Jesuit education and discovered 91³Ô¹ÏÍø University’s online Master’s in Theology and Leadership (MATL) program.

“I wanted something totally different, and I wanted to reconnect to that kind of spiritual formation side of my faith. When I looked at the courses that were offered at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø, that was something that interested me,” said Bunn.

Beginning the program during a particularly difficult phase of his work as a minister, Bunn found his classes provided much more than academic enrichment, they became a source of hope and renewal.

“When I started the program, I was in and I’m still dealing with a little bit of burnout phase. I hit a very cynical period in my ministry, especially during the pandemic. A lot of ministers and priests were leaving. If they were able to retire at that time, they were. They saw a part of humanity that was so ugly that I think it just rocked all of us and I’m still licking my wounds, so to speak, from that experience.”

Bunn continued, “But the program helped keep me afloat, and that I still could see hope, that was a huge thing that I took from the program. I think the program needs to be proud that it does help people affirm what they’re doing is the right thing they’re supposed to be doing.”

Throughout the program, Bunn developed both theological and leadership skills that he continues to use in his work as the senior minister at the First Congregational Church in Ohio. He says the courses encouraged him to reflect and approach challenges with intentionality.

“When I find myself in a place of frustration or I'm not quite sure how to make a suggestion to someone to make sense out of what's happening in the context of congregational, ministry, I'm able to kind of slow myself down and start thinking back as ‘okay, is this an experience or is this a scenario in which people are viewing God as just totally transcendent? Or we thinking of God being imminent and being here with us right now doing stuff.’ And I think that's allowed me to be more intentional theologically.” 

The leadership courses offered Bunn a better understanding of what it means to be a servant leader. 

“They helped me reflect and ruminate on myself as a servant leader in training. Reading through some of the materials and being in those classes, helped me realize that it’s okay to be a softie and still be a strong leader, it’s okay that I don’t want to let somebody go, because I want to build them up. I always thought that was thought of as being weak leadership. However, going through the servant leadership program was the realization that that’s how you should feel if you want to be authentic when leading and helping people.”

Perhaps most surprising to Bunn was the academic rigor of the program sparking an unexpected passion for lifelong learning. 

“It stimulated me wanting to go get my doctorate. I'm 52. Why in the world would I want to work on a doctorate or that kind of thing?” 

Bunn continued, “I had a number of professors who really were very encouraging with my writing. I had one of the Old Testament professors say that something I had written was an exquisite piece of writing. Then I just got better and better at it and next thing you know; I found myself interviewing for doctoral programs. So that that really surprised me.” 

From reinvigorating his faith to building leadership skills and inspiring future academic pursuits, the MATL program left a lasting impact on his life.  

“The underlying piece was the affirmation that what I'm doing is what I need to be doing.”