Anna Bundy has three passions: Christian community, Southern hospitality, and equality for all people. At Perkins School of Theology, she found a place to pursue all three.
“The moment I stepped on campus, I knew that there was a community of faithful leaders in ministry that were dedicated to growing closer to Christ and each other as well as leading people well in churches,” she said.
Anna Bundy celebrating with friends following a FACE worship service.Today, Anna is a 2nd year Master of Divinity student who expects to graduate in May 2020. She is on the elder ordination track in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and an active volunteer in campus organizations. She serves as president of Perkins’ Feminists Advocating for Change and Empowerment (FACE) student group, focused on fostering conversations about equality and theology. She’s also social life chair for Perkins Student Association, a member of The Order of Saint Luke and a member of the worship committee.
A native of North Carolina, Anna jokes that, as an undergraduate, she might have aspired to travel the South and write for Garden & Gun magazine. But her course changed in 2016, with a summer internship at a church in Winston-Salem, N.C.
“I realized that I was the most fulfilled when I was fostering authentic community in the local church by leading bible study, planning worship, and loving the people of the congregation,” Anna said.
After graduating from Appalachian State in May 2013 with a B.S.in Communication Studies, she chose Perkins for the well-rounded education it offered, with emphases on both theology and practice.
Anna’s favorite Bible verse, Ephesians 4:1–“Live a life worthy of the calling you have received” –serves as a guiding principle in her academic work as well as her community involvement.
“It speaks to the idea that God has called each one of us to do the work of Christ on earth and because of that, we get to choose to live a life in grace and love, spreading the Word of God and love of Christ to everyone we encounter,” she says.
Her Perkins education has opened up new vistas. Dr. Mark Stamm’s Introduction to Christian Worship class exposed her to new ideas about creating worship services;Dr. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner’s Family Systems class spurred her to add a pastoral care certificate to her degree.
But most importantly, at Perkins, she found a beloved community.
“I am called to foster authentic community and I do that best through encouraging Christians to deeper spiritual relationship with God,” she said. “I want to be a cheerleader, friend, and confidant to everyone I encounter.”