With Spiritual Formation being one of the first courses taken by theology majors at Oakwood University, Dr. Ifeoma Kwesi’s class was likely the first place I crossed paths with many of the men who are now in ministry.
I have fond memories of them, of her, and of the retreat where we struggled to contain ourselves during a communion service led by Dr. Kwesi and Dr. Agniel Samson, a preeminent New Testament scholar. We were made to break bread and pass it along, drink from the same literal cup, and engage in an experience that was as spiritually profound as it was unsettling.
In the late 2000s, Spiritual Formation wasn’t exactly a priority in Seventh-day Adventist academia. Whether it has found more favor now, I can’t say. However, Dr. Kwesi took us on a journey, introducing different ways to enhance our communication with God. That was especially relevant for someone like me, raised in the Haitian SDA tradition, where certain forms of devotion felt rigidly defined.
I never took another course with Dr. Kwesi, but she stood out. She was the only woman in an otherwise all-male theology department. This department would later become the School of Religion.
Still, none of that stopped the occasional run-in, especially since the department was housed in a one-floor building connected to a chapel. But those moments were brief. I had the distinct sense that her calling was different, that she wasn’t just a professor but an on-campus chaplain, particularly to women pursuing ministry.
From a distance, I watched as she embraced and made herself available to the only minority group in the department. Their champion, she carried herself with a strong presence, a seasoned voice, and an unwavering conviction. She was always standing ready to affirm that they, too, belonged.
While the church argued endlessly over women’s ordination, Dr. Kwesi did the work. And as the conversation dragged on, I saw the next generation of champions, women whose calling was undeniable, heirs to the struggle that she no longer engaged in.
They are queens in their own right, but the Queen of Black Adventist Religion and Theology—at least the one I know—will always be Ifeoma Kwesi.
I’m grateful to have witnessed a little bit of history up close. I’m honored to have shared space with a legend. Some people can never be removed from the friend’s list.
Jerry Jacques
Spiritual Formation, 07 Fall Semester