Alumni Spotlight – Miki Mathioudakis, MDiv 05’, MA Comm ’85

This alumni story is from CTS’ Oral History Project, A Century of Crossroads, which captured the stories and memories of our alumni from our first 100 years in printed and digital formats. 

I had a long history with CTS because of the Repertory Theatre. In the late 1960s, I did voices on a show called ‘Time for Timothy,’ which was sponsored by the Church Federation. Over almost ten years after I graduated from high school, I felt I was called to ministry and didn’t consider going anywhere else but CTS because of what I experienced through the theatre. I got to know a lot of CTS students during that time: Larry, Jim, and Steve. Those were all people who served in the church, yet they also were very active in the theatre. I got my degree in communications and realized as I was writing a paper about doing ministry in the theater community that I was a self-proclaimed chaplain to the Indianapolis Arts Community. 

I started doing a lot of chaplaincies, but I wasn’t paid as a chaplain. I earned my living as an actress and a minister. It wasn’t until 12 years later, that I did a play at IRT Theatre. I got in and took a unit in Clinical Pastoral Education. That led me back to CTS because I didn’t have a master of divinity degree. To be a board-certified chaplain, I had to have a master of divinity degree. It has really been wonderful, and I am getting ready to retire. Almost every professor I had was a favorite professor. They are people who influenced me and encouraged me during my first time in the seminary. There were some people who were willing to help me look outside the box and see ministry in a creative way. Charles H. Ashanin came up to me in the hallway one day, and he would close his eyes and put out his hands. He prophesized and said, ‘You are like the Greek fire that is not to be put out.’ He taught Church History and Greek Orthodox History of the Church. He was really an encouragement in terms of connecting with my roots. It opened my heart and eyes to just how very Greek I am. I am currently serving on the CTS Alumni Board, so I still feel very connected to a lot of people or graduates of CTS.