IN L RA U G e AU issu
Vol. 120 no. 1 Spring 2010
herald the official magazine of asbury theological seminary
a community called to prepare theologically educated, sanctified, Spirit-filled
men and women to evangelize and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the world through the love of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of God the Father.
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Dear Friends, I’m being watched! That was the powerful refrain that rang repeatedly in my ears as Dr. Barry Corey, President of Biola University, delivered the formal charge at my inauguration as the eighth President of Asbury Theological Seminary. Dr. Corey challenged me to remember four areas in which the church and those in theological education are watching my leadership. First, Dr. Corey said many people would be watching to make sure I protected the core values of Asbury against the temptation toward what he called “rudderless opportunism.” Second, I am being watched to make sure that I lead this community in imagining new vistas for Asbury’s future. Third, Dr. Corey said I was being watched as I help to engage Asbury globally over and against the tide that naturally pulls an institution toward narrow provincialism. Finally, he said I will be watched as I seek to model “a life of Christ-like authenticity and spiritual holiness against the stereotype of presidential self-importance.” As Christians it is so important to remember that we are all being watched. Jesus said “by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). The world is watching. They are looking to see if we truly believe and live out the gospel. Jesus said it is by its fruit that we are able to identify the true nature of a tree (Matthew 7:15-20). This generation is longing for authenticity. Sports heroes have disappointed us. Political leaders have filled our lives with empty promises. We have all seen a steady parade of religious leaders whose lives have denied the very gospel we claim to uphold. The world is watching. The world is waiting. May Asbury be a community of men and women who live faithfully and who are truly marked by the transforming power of the cross of Jesus Christ. Yes, Dr. Corey, I’m being watched. We are all being watched. Most importantly, God is watching Asbury Theological Seminary. May we hear his voice and follow his leading. For if we are found to be faithful, then the world will truly capture a glimpse of the glory of the resurrected Christ. Let us be found faithful!
Dr. Timothy C. Tennent President, Asbury Theological Seminary Professor of World Christianity
Dr. Timothy C. Tennent President asbury seminary Dr. Tennent comes to Asbury Seminary from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where he served as Professor of World Missions for 11 years. He also has annually taught in India for 21 years. He is ordained in the United Methodist Church and is the author of several books, including, Theology in the Context of World Christianity.
bottom, from left: President Tennent delivers the Presidential Address during his Nov. 9, 2009, Asbury Seminary inauguration. Dr. Barry Corey gives the Charge to the President.
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asbury theological seminary Publisher
dr. timothy c. tennent
Editor in Chief
amanda esenbock-stamper
Managing Editor
teresa vander molen Designer
The Asbury Herald is published by Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY 40390-1199. This issue is dated Spring 2010, Vol. 120, No. 1. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Asbury Herald, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY 40390-1199. Asbury Theological Seminary is a religious, not-for-profit, educational institution, which has long enjoyed the benefit of estate stewardship of many friends. If you are considering a bequest, please use our full legal name and address: Asbury Theological Seminary, 204 N. Lexington Ave., Wilmore, KY 403901199 or call 800.2ASBURY for specific information. Find The Asbury Herald and other Asbury Seminary resources online at asburyseminary. edu or e-mail communications. office@asburyseminary.edu.
c o n t e n t s
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letter from the president
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faculty welcome
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student welcome
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planned giving
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For Such a Time as This
Dr. Timothy C. Tennent
Dr. Catherine Stonehouse Rev. Victor M. Artreche
t h e i n a u g u r at i o n o f d r . t i m o t h y c . t e n n e n t 16 17 19
faculty and staff publications news and events on the journey
Dr. J. Ellsworth Kalas
from the cover: Asbury Seminary Trustee Bishop Alfred W. Gwinn leads a prayer of dedication as others place hands of blessing on Dr. Timothy C. Tennent at his Nov. 9, 2009, inauguration. Surrounding Dr. Tennent, from left, are Asbury Seminary Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Leslie A. Andrews; Oral
Roberts University former Vice President of Spiritual Affairs and Chaplain Robert J. Stamps; former Asbury Seminary President and current Senior Professor of Homiletics J. Ellsworth Kalas; Biola University President Barry Corey; and Asbury Seminary E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism Robert G. Tuttle Jr.
below: A tree-lined path traces the grounds outside the President’s Rose Hill home.
Going green The Asbury Herald is published three times per year and is mailed to more than 17,000 households. This quarterly magazine (including annual report) is the official magazine of Asbury Theological Seminary and provides information on a variety of topics. It is also published in electronic format (asburyseminary.edu/publications) to reduce paper consumption and increase access.
800.2ASBURY
asburyseminary.edu
Please let us know if you are interested in receiving your Herald in an electronic format instead of print (advancement@asburyseminary.edu or 800.227.2879 ext. 2305).
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Faculty welcome Asbury’s future with gladness and gratitude in her words of welcome at the inauguration of president timothy c. tennent, dr. christine pohl expressed the sentiments of the asbury seminary faculty when she said, “dr. tennent, we are glad—really glad—that you are here. this is a wonderful night to celebrate god’s faithfulness in bringing you to asbury. “In the first few months that you have been amongst us, we have been able to see the powerful and distinctive combination of gifts, skills and commitments you bring to this Dr. Catherine Stonehouse community. We’ve already caught Dean of the School of Practical Theology; Orlean glimpses of your magnificent global Bullard Beeson Professor of vision, your interest in personal Christian Discipleship asbury seminary relationships, and your concern for God’s kingdom and for individual faculty members, staff and students on each campus. We cherish your commitment to academic excellence and to the strong preparation of students for ministry and mission in the 21st century.” During the Inaugural Chapel in Orlando, Dr. Thomas Buchan also picked up on the theme of gratitude for “God’s great goodness” in bringing President Tennent to Asbury, and for his “willingness to serve God and our community in such costly ways in such a time as this.” To express the faculty’s commitment to their new President, Dr. Buchan offered a quote from “St. Tuttle the Enthusiastic” (known by most as Dr. Robert Tuttle): “God has delivered us into your hands!” As faculty, we appreciate President Tennent’s deep sense of call to the mission and leadership of Asbury Theological Seminary. And we celebrate God’s faithfulness in preparing him for this role. He is a scholar grounded in the practice
above: Dr. Christine Pohl, Professor of Church in Society at Asbury Seminary, brings an Expression of Greeting during the Nov. 9 inauguration.
of ministry. In addition to equipping seminary students in the classroom, throughout the past 21 years Dr. Tennent has followed the passion God placed on his heart and applied his scholarship in the development of the Luther W. New Jr.
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“As faculty, we appreciate President Tennent’s deep sense of call to the mission and leadership of Asbury Theological Seminary. And we celebrate God’s faithfulness in preparing him for this role. He is a scholar grounded in the practice of ministry.” —Catherine Stonehouse
Theological College of Dehra Dun in India. And out from that seminary has flowed the planting of many churches.
clockwise from left: Dr. Robert G. Tuttle Jr. offers an Expression of Greeting at the Nov. 9 inauguration as Dr. Robert J. Stamps, Asbury Seminary Board of Trustees Chairman Dan G.Johnson, Dr. Leslie A. Andrews, and President Tennent look on; Dr. Thomas Buchan addresses the gathering at the Nov. 17 Florida Dunnam campus inaugural celebration; Dr. Catherine Stonehouse listens during the addresses given at the Nov. 9 inauguration.
In addition to this significant preparation, Dr. Tennent was one of four potential leaders selected for immersion in the study of how effective seminary presidents lead. President Tennent comes to his role equipped to lead Asbury Seminary in strategic planning and the accomplishing of the mission God calls us to fulfill. As faculty members, we are excited about the prospect of moving forward in partnership with our new President. We are ready to join him in seeking and living into God’s will
for Asbury Theological Seminary. We offer our varied gifts of scholarship, experience and perspectives for the mission of preparing “theologically educated, sanctified, Spirit-filled men and women to evangelize and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the world through the love of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of God the Father.” We covet the prayers of God’s people for President Tennent and Asbury’s faculty and staff as we seek to be faithful to our calling.
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Student body’s prayer begins with understanding Inaugural celebration, November 17, 2009 Rev. Victor M. Artreche Student asbury seminary
it is my task today to bring words of welcome to dr. timothy tennent on behalf of the student body in florida. and indeed, i want to welcome you to this great task of ministry and to this great group of men and women who form the florida dunnam campus of asbury theological seminary.
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above: Linda Lynch, a student at the Florida Dunnam campus, applauds during the Service of Celebration honoring Dr. Tennent’s installation as President of Asbury Seminary. left: Dr. Timothy Tennent gives a message on “Rebuilding the Pulpit” during the Nov. 17 Service of Celebration. opposite page: Joining in a prayer of dedication over Dr. Tennent at the Florida Dunnam campus service are, from left, Professor of Theology Zaida Perez, Professor of Counseling Tapiwa Mucherera and E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism Robert G. Tuttle Jr.
John Locke, the English philosopher, said, “The improvement of understanding is for two ends: first, our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others.”
the climate and knew what to do. I believe you are that person for us — a man who has an understanding of the times and knows what Asbury ought to do. We live in challenging times in which theological education is tethered between the old and the new. We are called to teach and preach in a world that is ever changing, and yet we must hold true to the timeless principles of faith. We look to your talents, abilities and callings to lead us into this new day.
In your many accomplishments as an individual, Dr. Tennent, you have indeed fulfilled the first end of Locke, in that your knowledge is vast and increased; you are a world traveler, a noted spokesman, a prolific writer and a scholar par excellence. Now in this season of your life, the mantle has been placed upon you to complete the second end, which is to pass that knowledge on to others both in training and in leadership.
Proverbs 3:5 — “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not upon thine own understanding …”
The word “understand” is where I take my thoughts from Scripture for us today. I begin with the words of I Chronicles 12:32 — “men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do …” There is a great attribute of the men who joined David at Hebron. These men in particular had an understanding of the nation. While tethered between Saul and David, they understood
Implied in this Scripture is the thought that we must lean on God for understanding. Positions of power are placed upon us by God to enact change. And so we must trust in Him to properly use that power. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Power properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political and economic change.” And I would add to that statement religious change. So lean heavily upon the Lord as you seek to change the climate of Asbury Theological Seminary. Ephesians 1:18 — “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, …” It is the prayer of the student body that your eyes of understanding be enlightened. We pray that through the Word of God you would receive sight beyond sight. Colossians 1:9 — “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” And so we will not cease to pray for you and your wife — that God would give you both an understanding mind, an understanding heart, and understanding eyes for the journey that lies ahead.
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Planned giving It takes vision to transform the world Do you believe in the mission of Asbury Theological Seminary? Would you like to extend into the future the same stewardship principle that you have exercised throughout your life? Planned giving instruments give you a way to protect your holdings, provide for your family and leave a legacy to the mission of Asbury Seminary. Contact Ronnie Jones (706.217.5193) or Jay Dargan (859.858.2302) for further information.
Planned giving program grows Jay Mansur, Vice President of Advancement and Communications for Asbury Theological Seminary, announced the appointment of Ronnie Jones as Director of Planned Giving. Jones has worked directly for Asbury Seminary’s advancement office for six years. After beginning as Regional Representative in 2004, Jones became Senior Regional Representative in 2006, and he also served two years, from 2007 to 2009, as Executive Director of Advancement. He graduated from Asbury Seminary in 2000 with a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies. He is also an ordained elder in the Evangelical Methodist Church. Jones spent more than 30 years in the carpet manufacturing industry after graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Textiles in 1970. For most of his career, he was involved in manufacturing, marketing and management with his own company, which produced various raw materials for carpet and rugs.
Ronnie Jones
Jay Dargan
Dargan previously served Asbury Seminary as Vice President of the Asbury Foundation for Theological Education from 2002 to 2005, Vice President for Seminary Advancement from 2000 to 2002, and Director of Development from 1988 to 2000. He was also Asbury College’s Director of Planned Giving from 1983 to 1988.
Jones and his wife, Brenda, have been married 42 years, and they have three children, Wes, Wade and Stephanie; and seven grandchildren.
Dargan, who received the Master of Religious Education from Asbury Seminary, also earned a doctorate in sociology from South Dakota State University. He taught sociology at Asbury College for more than 12 years. In 2007 he retired from two years of service as the Free Methodist Foundation’s Southeast Regional Vice President. He is currently President of the consulting firm Dargan and Associates.
Jay Dargan, who has extensive experience in planned giving and who served Asbury Theological Seminary more than 12 years in development and advancement, will assist Jones on a part-time basis to further develop the planned giving program.
He is an active member of Wilmore Free Methodist Church, where he has had a number of leadership roles. Dargan and his wife, Margaret, have been married 47 years, and they have two daughters, Sherilyn and Debbie; and seven grandchildren.
nauguratio
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For such
a time as this
On Nov. 9, 2009, Asbury Theological Seminary inaugurated its eighth President, Dr. Timothy C. Tennent.
The full text of his Presidential Address is printed in this issue.
Dr. Timothy C. Tennent a s b u ry theological s e m i n a ry
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For such
a time as this c e l e b r at i n g t h e i n a u g u r at i o n o f
Dr. Timothy C. Tennent as President of Asbury Theological Seminary
m o n d ay, t h e n i n t h o f n o v e m b e r two thousand and nine at s e v e n o ’ c l o c k i n t h e e v e n i n g
Estes Chapel
a s b u ry t h e o lo g i c a l s e m i n a ry wilmore, kentucky
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For such
a time as this
Presidential Address, November 9, 2009 The ancient Greeks had two different words for time, chronos and kairos. The first word, Dr. Timothy Tennent chronos, is where President asbury seminary we get our word chronology. It refers to ordinary “clock time,” which is measured in history and is marked when someone says, for example, that Asbury Theological Seminary was founded in 1923. The other word for time is kairos, which has a more qualitative, not merely quantitative, dimension to it. It refers to a specially appointed time, an opportune moment, or the right “timing.” Jesus, for example, calls us to recognize the “signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3). When Jesus announces the in-breaking of the kingdom of God, he says, “the time has come, the kingdom of God is at hand.” In both of these examples, Jesus uses the word kairos, indicating that he is not merely referring to a point of chronology, but a decisive moment in the history of God’s purposes in the world. The word kairos is an important word for formulating a Christian view of history and where we stand tonight in this great stream as members and friends of this wonderful community called Asbury Theological Seminary. Kairos moments have “occurred again and again in the history of the church.”1 Remember that day, that kairos moment, recorded in Acts 11, when some unnamed disciples from Cyprus and
Cyrene preached the gospel to Gentiles for the first time? Without that obedience we would not be here tonight. What of that kairos moment when a young 22-year-old woman named Perpetua, still nursing a child, stood in the coliseum and was martyred by lions and the power of Rome? God used her death to awaken the whole empire to the fact that the light of the gospel would not be so easy to put out. I don’t know about you, but I would give almost anything to be there in the garden that day watching as Augustine, full of unbelief and immorality, heard the chant like the voice of a child, “tolle, lege; tolle lege” — take up and read, take up and read. Augustine took up the Word of God and opened it to Romans 13:14-15; and in that moment we witness one of the great kairos moments in the history of the church. That day when Gregory the Great walked through the marketplace and saw those blue-eyed, blondhaired, Anglo-Saxon boys being sold as slaves and he declared, “non angli, sed angeli” (they are not Angles, but Angels), launching the Augustine of Canterbury mission to Britain—that was a kairos moment, apart from which, we would not be sitting here tonight. The church has known many such kairos moments: The day Alopen arrived in the Imperial courts of China and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time, or the day Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg church, or the day William Carey boarded a ship for India or Gladys Aylward boarded a train for China.
There are, however, many competing moments in church history that falsely claim to be kairos moments. This is why every kairos moment must be tested against the great kairos of all time, namely, the incarnation of Jesus Christ. All of history is a struggle between pseudo claims of kairos, which lead to destruction, and the great kairos of Christ which, through the incarnation, has inaugurated the New Creation. Brothers and sisters, April of 1923 was a kairos moment for us. The previous May, in 1922, Harry Emerson Fosdick had preached a sermon in New York that raised questions about the authority of Scripture and cast doubt upon the veracity of the Apostolic proclamation about the person and work of Jesus Christ. The country was plunged into what became known as the modernist controversy when John D. Rockefeller used his resources to publish Fosdick’s sermon in a pamphlet form and mailed it to every Protestant minister in the country. On Oct. 6, 1930, Fosdick’s picture made the front cover of Time magazine. The whole church — indeed, the whole nation — was caught up in this controversy. According to the modernists, the gospel must be reconciled with the new insight that Christ was merely an ethical teacher, but not the Son of God. The Bible was a collection of human wisdom, but certainly not the Word of God. Christianity may be “a” way, but had to accept its place as just one of many paths to God.
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above: Asbury Seminary Director of Admin-Physical Plant Dexter Porter bears the cross at the front of the Academic Procession. on pages 10-11: Dr. William C. Goold directs the Singing Seminarians, accompanied by Dr. Albin Whitworth, in a performance of the anthem “Alleluia!” by
Gordon Young during the inauguration.
However, whenever the church encounters these storms — whether it be Gnosticism, or Arianism, or Constantinian triumphalism, or Protestant liberalism, or evangelical latitudinarianism, or postmodern relativism — God raises up better readers of the Scriptures, and new kairos moments emerge once more. This is precisely what happened in our own history. As seminaries across America were being influenced by this new modernist teaching, Henry Clay Morrison, the President of Asbury College at the time, decided to cross the street and found Asbury Theological Seminary to stand against this tide. One of the kairos moments in the history of the church was that day in April of 1923 when Henry Clay Morrison crossed the street to start Asbury Theological Seminary. If you had been here on Lexington Avenue and watched Henry Clay Morrison cross the street from the College to start this Seminary, you might have stopped him and asked, “Wait a minute, Brother Morrison, don’t you know that the whole tide of the church is going the other direction? Brother Morrison, didn’t you get the modernist memo? Haven’t you read Fosdick’s sermon?” Morrison still would have crossed the street. It was a kairos moment. If you had stopped him and said, “But the country is on the brink of the worst economic depression in its history — this is not the time to start a new institution and build buildings and
commit to having every student on a scholarship … go back.” He still would have crossed the street, because it was a kairos moment. You could have stopped Morrison that day and reminded him that he was 66 years old, one of the best known preachers in America, the editor of the Pentecostal Herald; he did not need this. It was time to retire and relax and play a round of golf. He would have crossed the street, because it was a kairos moment. Morrison went on, by the way, to serve as President of Asbury Seminary for nearly 20 years after that day and he died in office, preaching a revival service in Tennessee. He died with his boots on. Henry Clay Morrison, under the providence of God, crossed the street because it was a kairos moment. It was time for the church to rise and take its stand with the great kairos of God in Jesus Christ. The story of Asbury Theological Seminary makes no sense apart from the even greater story we call the gospel and the unfolding drama that follows that great arc of God’s mighty acts of creation, redemption and new creation. It is a divine, unfolding drama — rooted in the missio dei, the mission of God, who acts, who speaks, who has entrances and exoduses — finding its center in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the in-breaking of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. These are the great kairos moments of the world, to which our own history must conform.
I am honored tonight by the amazing providence of God and the gracious invitation of the Board of Trustees to serve as the eighth President of Asbury Theological Seminary. I stand before you tonight fully committed to the mission of Asbury Theological Seminary. My vision is to explore what that mission means for us today at this juncture in history. I believe that, like Esther of long ago, for “such a time as this” God has brought us together to this place and this time and summoned us to new vistas of faithfulness to God’s Word, to the Apostolic faith and to the mission of Asbury Theological Seminary “to prepare theologically educated, sanctified, Spirit-filled men and women to evangelize and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the world.” That is the mission of Asbury, and God has granted us a vision for what that means for us in our time. Tonight, I have chosen four themes, which I believe capture how the founding mission of Asbury Theological Seminary can best be expressed and extended in our day.
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of the Triune God through worship! Asbury Theological Seminary is first and foremost a worshipping community. We have never been a mere religious studies program. We are a seminary. Maxie Dunnam has reminded us over
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the Western world. As Protestants we have never known a church that was not predominantly white and Western. When William Carey, the father of the modern missionary movement, went to India, only 1 percent of the entire world’s Christians lived outside the Western world. Even by 1900, only 10 percent of the world’s Christians were not white and Western. However, today, in the early days of the 21st century, 67 percent of all Christians are non-white and live outside the Western world. The emergence of new centers of Christian vibrancy, from Latin America to Africa to parts of Asia, including China, India and Korea, is the most important kairos of our time. Asbury must engage the world, remembering the words of Wesley when he said that the “world is our parish.” Our mission statement calls us to “spread scriptural holiness throughout the world.” We have a great task ahead of us to live into that commitment.
President Tennent shares a smile with the gathered inaugural guests during his Presidential Address.
the years that a seminary means a “seedbed” to prepare men and women for effective Christian ministry. We are those who have been summoned by God into his Risen presence. As it is expressed in our mission statement, we are a “called community.” The subject is unstated because God is the great nominative of the universe — the great subject to which all must give an account. If you open up the earliest annual of the Seminary, you find these words written, just shortly after the death of H. C. Morrison: “Asbury Theological Seminary believes in and carries out a strong program based on the idea that deep and proper piety and the highest intellectual standard are not only capable of being harmonized but must be made inseparable in order to produce” an effective minister of the gospel. As Wesley once declared in that hymn, “unite the pair so long disjoined; knowledge and vital piety; learning and holiness combined; and truth and love, let all men see!” Our mission has always been to theologically educate, yes, but to also recognize that we must produce men and women who are “sanctified and Spirit-filled.” The church is the visual
embodiment of the Triune God in the world — we reflect the incarnation in our sacrificial service to the world and as bearers of the love of God. Every major building on the campus of Asbury Theological Seminary has a chapel. I do not know of another seminary in America that can make that statement. We have a chapel in every building: the Luce Prayer Chapel, the J. Ellsworth Kalas Preaching Chapel, the Richard Allan Chapel, the Stanger Prayer Room in the Student Center, the Sacred Prayer Closet across from Royal Auditorium, AHOP in Larabee-Morris, McKenna Chapel, Fletcher Chapel and where we are now in Estes Chapel. For us, it is a theological statement. Knowledge and vital piety must be united in a nuptial embrace. All of our learning must take place in the presence of the Triune God, the Risen Christ and the empowering, sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit.
renewing our vision
by engaging the global Church! The most important development in the 20th-century church has been the dramatic rise of the church outside
Henry Clay Morrison went to China because of his long-term support and encouragement of the missions organization OMS. He returned to New York harbor on the same ship as Teddy Roosevelt. When they arrived in the harbor, there was a big band playing to greet Roosevelt, and some firecrackers were set off. Morrison looked around and felt lonely because there was no one to meet him. He thought to himself, why wasn’t there anyone here to meet me? And the Lord spoke to his heart and said, “Because you’re not home yet.” That is why Morrison never retired. He knew that there was work to be done… a vision to be cast… a mission to be fulfilled... and it was global. He brought back two gingko trees from China and planted them here, just outside what is today the H.C. Morrison Administration Building. Today they have grown, as has the Seminary he planted, to be very large and very beautiful. Those trees were to remind every student in the history of Asbury that the world is our parish and that we have been called “to spread scriptural holiness throughout the world…” until the day He calls us home. If you’re a student here at Asbury, don’t you waste five minutes of your ministry complaining about your parsonage, your salary or your pension plan. Don’t waste time trying to climb the denominational ladder. All that will be sorted out later, when you get home. Don’t forget the words of that other famous Francis, Francis Xavier, who said, “Give up your small ambitions and preach the gospel of Christ.”
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restoring hope
through Spirit-filled evangelism and church planting! My former colleague and dear friend and guest tonight, Dr. Peter Kuzmic, once commented that the most defining word of our time is the word “post.” We live in a post-communist, postChristendom, post-denominational, post-Western, post-Enlightenment and post-modern world. The prominence of the word “post” is yet another signal that we are living in this seam between two epochs of history. We know we are beyond certain things, so we use the word “post” because we don’t really know for sure what is ahead. However, it is clear that the Western world is emerging as the fastest growing mission field in the world. The megachurch movement with its attractive model is facing a mega-collapse, because any church-planting model in history that separates generations— separating the old from the young— and does not emphasize discipleship has always collapsed in one generation. But, we are also moving into one of the most dynamic phases of fresh church planting in our history. Asbury must move to a post-Christendom, missionary model of training, which emphasizes evangelism, discipleship and church planting in new and fresh ways. We must train a whole new generation of Christians how to occupy the prophetic margins of culture. We must train a whole new generation of students to draw from the vibrancy of the emerging new ethnic communities in North America, which represent, by the way, the fastest-growing churches in America. They do not occupy campuses in the suburbs, but they are in the storefronts of our inner cities and they are alive and well. We also have to reclaim the ministry of Francis Asbury, that is life on the road as an evangelist and church planter, as well as pastors and teachers.
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through faithfulness to God’s Word! Asbury has always been known as a place that produces great preachers of God’s Word. If you don’t have confidence in the Word of God, then you will never preach it with power and unction and anointing and clarity. William Jennings Bryan said of H. C. Morri-
son, “He was the greatest pulpit orator on the entire American continent.” Wow— what a commendation. What a great treasure for us here at Asbury. If you are in a United Methodist or Free Methodist or Wesleyan or Salvation Army or Nazarene, or C & MA or Pentecostal church and you receive an Asbury graduate, you better not get a pastor who gets behind a pulpit and dishes out bland moralizing, three stories and a joke. You will get God’s Word faithfully proclaimed and applied to the issues of the day. If you get the other, send him or her back for a refit. H. C. Morrison had invitations from across the country to preach. But frequently when presiding elders (now we call a DS) got wind that he was coming, they would shut it down and not allow Morrison to preach. Remember it was John Wesley, after having every pulpit Julie Tennent smiles as her husband, President Tennent, is honored during the inaugural program. in England closed to him, who declared, “Since I have no parish of my own, I have of people in Baltimore that night. When concluded that the world is my parish.” he had the altar call, a young 14-year-old Morrison had the same experience, and boy came down to the altar. Morrison although I don’t know that he ever said went down, knelt next to him and said, this, his life witness said, in effect, “Since “Young man, what’s your name?” He I’m closed out of the churches, I have said, “E. Stanley Jones.” God always honconcluded that the camp meeting is my ors His Word! Asbury still believes that parish.” He preached in camp meetings the greatest hope for the revitalization all across America, never losing his conof the church of Jesus Christ is through fidence in the power of the gospel. Often faithfulness to God’s Word, whether you when the presiding elders shut him are preaching to five or 5,000. down, he would just go to a camp meetSo, as the eighth President of Asbury ing and keep on preaching. One night, H. C. Morrison was in Baltimore, Md. He Theological Seminary, I see myself not as the source of some new mission, or was around 41 years old at the time. He some odd new tangent. Rather, I see myhad a confirmed invitation to preach in self as the recipient of a great mission some of the largest churches in Baltiand heritage to which I have been called more and only after he arrived did he to serve. Brothers and sisters, don’t you find out that it had been shut down. He was too enthusiastic for this modernistic just feel in every fiber of your being that Asbury’s greatest days are still before wave sweeping the country. Too much us? We know that because, in the words talk on holiness and sanctification. But of Adoniram Judson, that great Amerithere were no camp meetings at that can missionary, “The future is as bright time of year in Maryland, so Morrison as the promises of God.” Amen. had no place to preach, until a young minister approached him and said, “Brother Morrison, I have just a small 1 Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, vol. 3 (Chilittle church, but we would love to have cago: University of Chicago Press, 1963), 394. you come and preach. The presiding elFor a fuller treatment of this theme, see Paul Tillich, Kairos: Zur Geisteslage und Geistesder can’t do anything to me because I’m wendung (Darmstadt: Otto Reichl Verlag, 926). already on the bottom rung.” So Morrison agreed, and he preached to a handful
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publications Faculty September – November, 2009
Dr. Kenneth A. Boyd, Groeling, J. “The Impact of Distance Education on Libraries,” Theological Librarianship: An Online Journal of the American Theological Library Association, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2009.
Dr. Meesaeng Lee Choi, “The Missio Dei in the History of World Christianity 1: The Moravian Herrnhutt Community, Its 24-7 Worship and Intercessory Prayer Ministries and the World Mission,” United Methodists in Service, Vol. 12, No. 1. The United Methodist Church Press, 2009. “The Missio Dei in the History of World Christianity 2: The Great Prayer Revival (1858) and the Modern Mission Movement,” United Methodists in Service, Vol. 12, No. 4. The United Methodist Church Press, 2009. “The Missio Dei in the History of World Christianity 3: The Faith Missions and the Radical World Mission,” United Methodists in Service, Vol. 12, No. 5. The United Methodist Church Press, 2009. “The Missio Dei in the History of World Christianity 4: Haystack Prayer Movement, Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions: World Evangelization and the First World Missionary Conference (Edinburgh 1910),” United Methodists in Service, Vol. 12, No. 6. The United Methodist Church Press, 2009. Dr. Kenneth J. Collins, “Atonement,” “Misunderstandings of Perfection,” “Forgiveness,” “Christian Perfection,” “Evil Speaking,” “Altogether/Real Christian,” “Going on to Perfection,” in The Wesley Study Bible, ed. Joel B. Green and William H. Willimon. Abingdon Press, 2009. “The State of Wesley Studies in North America: A Theological Journey,” Wesleyan Theological Journal 44, No. 2, 2009.
Dr. J. Steven O’Malley, “The Evangelical United Brethren Church: A History,” In The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies, ed. William J. Abraham and James E. Kirby. Oxford University Press, 2009. (Series ed.) The Prevenient Piety of Samuel Wesley, Sr. by Arthur A. Torpy. Scarecrow, 2009. (Series ed.) The Spirit of Christ and the Postmodern City by Viv Grigg. Emeth Press, 2009. (Director) Inside China’s House Church Network by Yalin Xin. Emeth Press, 2009. Dr. Michael Pasquarello II, “Sacramental Theology,” The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 5. Abingdon Press, 2009. We Speak Because We Have First Been Spoken: A ‘Grammar’ of the Preaching Life, Eerdmans, 2009. Dr. Ruth Anne Reese, Jay Endicott, Paul Tippey, “Christian Formation at Asbury Theological Seminary,” Technology in Theological Education. Association of Theological Schools, 2009.
Dr. Lester Ruth, “Liturgical Revolutions,” In The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies, ed. William J. Abraham and James E. Kirby. Oxford University Press, 2009.
Dr. Michael A. Rynkiewich, (foreword) Inside China’s House Church Network by Yalin Xin. Emeth Press, 2009.
“Assurance.” In The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies, ed. William J. Abraham and James E. Kirby, Oxford University Press, 2009. Dr. John Sungchul Hong, Man Born of the Spirit, 2009.
Dr. Stacy R. Minger, “Ideas and Illustrations.” Homily Service: An Ecumenical Resource for Sharing the Word. 42.4 (2009): 30-33, 41-43, 51-54, 64-66, 81-84.
Staff September – November, 2009
Jay Endicott, Ruth Anne Reese, Paul Tippey. “Christian Formation at Asbury Theological Seminary,” Technology in Theological Education. Association of Theological Schools, 2009.
Dr. Daryl Smith, More Than a Great Wedding. Windmill, 2009. “Mentoring: The Opportunity to Leave a Legacy,” Preparing for Ministry, ed. G. M. Hillmann, Jr. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2009.
Paul Tippey, “Leadership Problems in Theological Libraries.” The Christian Librarian. Vol 52 (1&2), 2009. Paul Tippey, Jay Endicott, Ruth Anne Reese. “Christian Formation at Asbury Theological Seminary,” Technology in Theological Education. Association of Theological Schools, 2009.
Spring 2010
news Asbury Seminary joins in prayer, relief for Haiti Asbury Theological Seminary joins with friends near and far in mourning the devastation in the island nation of Haiti. In an effort to participate with Jesus Christ in His response to the Haitian people and to focus intercession and to facilitate agreement in petition, we invite you to join us in praying and further distributing the crafted prayer on this page. As John Bunyan once said, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you will never do more than pray until you have prayed.” In the spirit of following our prayers, our students, staff and faculty are committing financial resources to the Haitian relief fund, established by Asbury Seminary. This money will be distributed to our partner organizations on the ground in Haiti. We are exploring the possibilities of sending work teams to the region, though we think it wise to wait for the Holy Spirit’s leadership and for clear direction from our partners working there. We will be working in the coming months to encourage and resource the Church to sustain attention and compassion for the long way ahead for this nation and people. May God bless you, us and everyone else involved in this urgent work, increasing our love beyond what we thought possible.
A community ‘called’ to Phonathon This year’s Phonathon was led by Izzie Holst, Student Director. Holst built a dynamic group of students for her leadership team. As she and her team began praying over Phonathon, it became apparent that this year’s theme would be “Overflow,” based on Psalm 65:9-13. Phonathon began with phone numbers for more than 6,500 alumni. There are now less than 2,000 calls left to make. The financial goal for this Phonathon was $175,000 for the student scholarship fund. Thus far, pledges total $117,000. As we continue to call and send out our follow-up mailings, we expect to reach that goal. “One of the blessings of Phonathon is being able to connect with our alumni and hear their prayer requests and lift them up in prayer,” said Tammy Hogan, Director of Donor Development. “We have more than 700 specific prayer requests from our alumni.”
Kingdom Encounter More than 150 people gathered on the Florida Dunnam campus of Asbury Seminary February 1–3, for Kingdom Encounter 2010: A Conversation with Eugene Peterson. For three days participants had the opportunity to dialogue with Peterson about his fivebook series on Spiritual Theology. Alumni, students, friends and prospective students made up the audience for this event, which called us to a simplified way of ministry and encouraged us to follow and lead in the “Jesus Way,” incarnating in our own living the gifts of Sabbath, prayer and presence. For the first time, Kingdom Encounter was offered in conjunction with a threecredit hour course in Spiritual Formation taught by Dr. Steve Harper, with a course enrollment of more than 70 students. The combination of course/conference will be one that will be utilized more in the future.
Pray for the people of Haiti* Almighty God, our Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth, Mighty Fortress, You are our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Though the Earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging we will not fear for you have entered into and overcome human suffering in the suffering of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. We join in the prayers of your people all over the World, interceding in agreement, pleading for your merciful intervention for the sake of your people in Haiti. We believe there is a river whose streams make glad the City of God, and we pray this river of mercy to flow through the streets of Port Au Prince. In your mercy, by your Spirit, through your people and in the name of your Son Jesus, would you bless the poor, comfort the mourners, rescue the orphans, protect the widows, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, raise the dead, renew the hope, repair the ruins, restore the land, release miracles, send workers, compel relief, and cause Salvation to spring up through the brokenness of the ground as a witness to your compassionate Glory. Please hear our prayers. Make us into your mercy and show yourself mighty to save. We agree in these prayers in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. *Reliance on Psalm 46
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news Bish named Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Services President Timothy C. Tennent announced the appointment of Kevin Bish as the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Services at Asbury Theological Seminary effective March 1, 2010. Bish will oversee all student-related services, from marketing and recruitment through graduation; provide leadership for all strategic initiatives related to enrollment and student services; and will be responsible for the implementation of technology to support these initiatives on both the Kentucky and Florida Dunnam campuses. He will also oversee the development, management and evaluation of all staff in the Enrollment Management and Student Services Department. Bish most recently served as Vice President of Development for The Advancement Group, a for-profit consulting group that specializes in working with not-forprofit organizations in implementing sustainability and strategic planning initiatives. He has more than 14 years of experience working for educational institutions and other not-for-profit organizations. Prior to joining The Advancement Group, Bish held positions in advancement, administration and enrollment management.
On-campus courses available for audit Graduates can audit on-campus courses at Asbury for $20 per credit hour. ExL courses and private instruction courses (voice, guitar, piano) cannot be audited. If you are interested in auditing a course, contact Meredith Brooks at 859.858.2208 or meredith.brooks@ asburyseminary.edu.
Cessna named Director of Alumni Jay Mansur, Vice President of Advancement and Communications, announced the appointment of Tammy Cessna as the Director of Alumni at Asbury Theological Seminary effective Dec. 1, 2009. Cessna continues to oversee major events programs, a position she has held for the past six years. Cessna served as Interim Director of Alumni since spring of 2008. During that time, she launched the Alumni E-link, which reaches 24 countries and six continents; has overseen Asbury Seminary’s Alumni Facebook and Twitter fan pages; and developed an electronic Christmas card for alumni. She has also been responsible for annual conference alumni events and the Partnering Church program. Cessna is completing her Master of Arts in Christian Leadership at Asbury Seminary and plans to graduate in 2011.
events Theta Phi Lectures
Gender Issues in the Church
Kentucky campus Speaker: Dr. Terence E. Fretheim
Kentucky campus Come hear keynote speakers Kay Rader and Dr. Christine Pohl talk about the theological and practical aspects of gender issues in the church. Conference highlights will include workshops with several Asbury faculty and talkback session with Troy and Maxine Thomas. For complete event schedule and registration, visit asburyseminary.edu.
March 4-5
Q3 conference to address faith/science issues March 9-11
Kentucky campus Plans are progressing for Asbury Seminary’s first Q3 ministers’ conference, designed to assist pastors and laity who serve in a variety of ministries to perceive the integration of faith and science in their work. Speakers will include scientists, theologians and experienced pastors who will share from their knowledge of God and of the world for the practice of ministry. Q3 is funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation’s Science for Ministry Initiative. The three annual ministers’ conferences will address the “big questions” often arising in discussions of faith and science among church leaders and parishioners.
March 11-12
Admissions Preview Weekends April 16-17, Orlando, FL April 16-17 Wilmore, KY
Spring 2010
On the journey J . E L L S WO RT H K A L A S
I learned something about myself recently when I read a generous piece written by our new President, Timothy Tennent. He described me as a person characterized by hope. I hadn’t evaluated myself by that word, but I can tell you that it’s the kind of person I’d like to be. And when it relates to Asbury Theological Seminary, hope comes easily for me. These times are exceedingly challenging, but Asbury’s gifts are wonderfully apt for the times. From its conception, Asbury has been a seminary with a world view. That commitment has found unique expression in Dr. Tennent, who while having his primary ministry in the United States has for more than 20 years ministered a month or more each year in India. He brings special authenticity to the worldwide part of our tradition. Then there’s the work that Dr. Maxie Dunnam and Dr. David Rambo began less than a decade ago. It is difficult for institutions — even the most dedicated Christian institutions — to keep up with the work of the Holy Spirit. But somehow those two men saw that those countries that were once our mission field were now the center of Christian growth and that, under God, some of Christianity’s greatest leaders were beginning to appear in the developing world. They responded by starting a special phase of the Beeson program concentrating on these key leaders of the future. Only God can say how deep, high, and wide the results of this program will be. The Holy Spirit helping us, we will be in the vanguard of this work of God. That’s the world scene. Now let me turn to the theological front. If ever there was a time when the Wesleyan message was needed, it is now. Roughly a generation ago the evangelical movement came to prominence in America, and from that platform of strength it began making an impact in every direction. From Billy Graham and citywide campaigns to Bill Bright and campus penetration, evangelism was everywhere. Christian radio and television, Christian book stores, Christian movies — the growth was quite awesome; although some of us feared at the time that it was also establishing something of an evangelical ghetto. After President Jimmy Carter identified himself
as “born again,” the term returned to the general cultural vocabulary, until a third or more of America identified itself as having had some kind of religious experience that might be called “born again.” The evangelical movement was excitingly broad, but unfortunately it proved embarrassingly shallow. The mark of the movement was not a cross, but success. We loved the testimonies of star athletes, entertainers, business executives and political leaders. The idea was implicit: Become a Christian and you will also become a success. Much was said about accepting Jesus, but very little about discipleship. Evangelicals talked a great deal about being born again, but little about growing up. The evangelical movement desperately needed John Wesley’s emphasis on godly living. We needed to know that the business of the church is not simply to make converts, but to make saints. We forgot (or perhaps never knew) that Christianity’s most persuasive argument is not a four-star program, the most exciting entertainment in town, or a celebrity parade — but lives made beautiful in Jesus Christ. Decisions for Christ can happen, it seems, in a moment; it was so when Matthew left his tax table and when Saul was confronted by Christ on the Road to Damascus. But Christianity comes to its convincing and convicting glory as converts grow into what Paul called “the full stature of Christ.” This “growing up” is the Wesleyan message, and the evangelical movement of the 20th century desperately needed that element. But somehow, for whatever reason, the Wesleyan movement wasn’t there to make its unique and irreplaceable contribution. I find myself asking God, “Give us another chance!” And the hope rises in my heart that God will.
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w e l c o m e t o a community called ...
“Asbury has enabled me to better figure out who I am in Christ.” —Kevin Brenner, alumnus
Admissions preview weekends April 16-17, 2010
Visit the Florida Dunnam campus in Orlando, or the Kentucky campus in Wilmore
Meet with faculty, financial aid consultants, academic advisors and current students. Worship, share meals and attend class — experience what it’s like to be part of a community called ... Register with admissions: asburyseminary.edu or 800.2ASBURY
A campus visit helped Kevin Brenner realize God’s call for him to attend Asbury Seminary. Brenner followed the call and never looked back. “My experience in class, in worship and with the admissions team proved to be the confirmation that God was in fact calling me to Asbury,” Brenner said. “First and foremost, my time at Asbury enabled me to better figure out who I am in Christ.” “Now that I am serving full time, knowing how to learn, interpret and think for myself are the most valuable skills I have taken from my Asbury experience.” Kevin is a fourth-grade teacher at Calvin Wiley Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.