Alumni Profile: Jonathan Wilson '06

Posted April 17, 2008

During his time at Covenant, Jonathan Wilson ’06 pursued studies in biology, psychology, and interdisciplinary studies, before graduating with a degree in economics & community development and a minor in youth ministry. Now, two years after graduation, he’s back at Covenant taking prerequisites for medical school and shouldering a variety of responsibilities—from mentoring high school students at a local church to coordinating the annual alumni phonathon.

“Running the phonathon has been a great experience,” says Jonathan, who hails from Augusta, GA. “It’s been really fun to hear other people’s stories of what they loved and memories they had. There are people scattered all over the nation praying for this place. I’ve seen that at work. You get out and you meet Covenant alumni from all over, and you have this connection, this bond of Christ and even of prayer, that in a sense they’ve prayed for you before. Prayer changes your attitude of how you see things happening at Covenant, leaving room for God to work.”

Against the trends, Jonathan and his team of phonathon callers have reached over 1400 alumni and secured more than 660 pledges, with an average gift of $50.00, tracking well towards the goal of reaching a 25% alumni-giving percentage this year.

"Jonathan has great excitement for Covenant,” says Jenny Gienapp ’92, coordinator of alumni affairs. “He has used his wide base of friends, both for recruiting student callers, and for securing pledges from alumni. He understands the importance of alumni giving for the campaign, and has passed his love for Covenant on to others."

From his time working with Generous Giving, an arm of the Maclellan Foundation, Jonathan says his view of giving has changed.

“If we really consider that everything is the Lord’s and we are just the stewards of it, then why would we not want to give?” he says. “Education is such an important part of how the world is going to change. I would love to pump as many minds through Covenant as possible! It’s a ministry to get to give to Covenant, because you’re getting to see your resources go to a great place. The Phonathon provides an opportunity for alumni to minister to other students. In the same way that alumni were able to go to Covenant because of the giving of others, now they get to provide the same opportunity for future students.”

From soccer teammates to community development professors, Jonathan’s interactions with the Covenant community gave him a passion for developing relationships that honor Christ and make a difference in the world. There is a unique spiritual bond among the Covenant community, he says. Whether in memorizing verses together with the soccer team, experiencing the close mentorship of his professors, or participating in unique traditions with his fellow hallmates, he says that like-minded relationships “cemented by the bond of Christ” are what he will strive toward for the rest of his life.

In need of prerequisites for medical school, Jonathan spent the past summer studying chemistry at Harvard University, in a class with two professors teaching 100 students. Although the professors did make efforts to connect and communicate with students, he says, he made the decision to return to Covenant for the rest of his prerequisites.

“As a Christian liberal arts school, Covenant definitely takes the academic disciplines very seriously,” he explains. “It’s a fuller picture than what Harvard can offer, because, if we really believe that God is who He is, then if we don’t understand organic chemistry, psychology, or sociology in light of our relationship with Him, then we’re missing a major piece.”

During his time at Covenant, Jonathan was struck by the type of people with whom Jesus spent his time—the materially and spiritually poor. It frustrated him that the church didn’t seem to know how to reach out practically to those people, showing the same care that Jesus did.

“In my community development classes,” he explains, “I was given so many practical ways to empower people and apply theories of social justice, putting flesh to the mandate of Micah 6:8 to ‘do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.’ I love my community development professors and really respect them; those are men I want to emulate.”

Jonathan currently disciples a group of high school students at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, a group he has known since he began working with them during his freshman year at Covenant.

“I’ve been very thankful and impressed with the number of Covenant alumni who are willing to invest in students,” he explains. “Those folks pouring themselves into me makes me want to pour myself into younger guys.”

Beginning in May, Jonathan plans to work until the end of the year in Colorado with Training Ground, a wilderness discipleship program for young men, after which he hopes to spend some time in South America before starting medical school in fall 2009.

“Covenant really challenged me to engage culture through the different disciplines I was studying, and to view it all with a holistic approach,” says Jonathan. “My perspective changed on how we as believers engage our community, especially the poor. We can use whatever gifts and abilities the Lord has given us to proclaim the kingdom, with an emphasis on loving our neighbor in a dignifying way, doing things that really communicate that people are made in the image of God.

“As Micah 6:8 says, we are to be people who do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. My hope with coming back to school is to use medicine as a platform to communicate the gospel, by providing excellent medical care for underserved people.”