Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
spring 2021
In this Issue Senior fellowships | 4
Education at the Edges | 6
Alumni awards | 19
Preparing leaders for Christ’s church
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AUSTIN
AUSTIN PRESBYTERIAN
PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGI C AL
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
SEMINARY
spring 2021 President
features
Theodore J. Wardlaw
Education Beyond the Walls 6 Theological Education
Board of Trustees Keatan King, Chair
James C. Allison Lee Ardell Janice L. Bryant (MDiv’01, DMin’11) Kelley Cooper Cameron Katherine B. Cummings (MDiv’05) Thomas Christian Currie James A. DeMent (MDiv’17) Jill Duffield (DMin’13) Britta Martin Dukes (MDiv’05) Beth Blanton Flowers, M.D. G. Archer Frierson II Stephen Giles Jesús Juan González (MDiv’92) William Greenway John S. Hartman Ora Houston John A. Kenney Steve LeBlanc Sue B. McCoy Matthew Miller (MDiv’03) W. David Pardue Denise Nance Pierce (MATS’11) Mark B. Ramsey Stephen J. Rhoades Sharon Risher (MDiv’07) Conrad M. Rocha Lana Russell John L. Van Osdall Michael Waschevski (DMin’03) Teresa Welborn Elizabeth C. Williams Michael G. Wright
Volume 136 | Number 2
at the Edges By Melissa Wiginton
6 Cover: Austin Seminary’s lifelong learning project, Education Beyond the Walls, is poised at the edge of traditional seminary education and whatever is beyond. Jump in! Illustrations by Marta Wu.
8 Workshops By Erica Knisely 9 LatinX Learning By Mónica Tornoé 10 The 787 Collective By Martha Lynn Coon 11 Pastoral Leadership for Public Life
By Erica Knisely
12 The College of Pastoral Leaders
By Melissa Wiginton
13 Voyage to the Next Dimension
By Martha Lynn Coon
14 EBW Springs & departments
Trustees Emeriti
Lyndon Olson B. W. Payne Max Sherman Anne Vickery Stevenson
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2
seminary & church
3
twenty-seventh & speedway
16 faculty news & notes 18 alumni news & notes 20 live & learn
back cover
ASA Board
Sheila Sidberry-Thomas (MDiv’14), President Melinda Hunt (CIM’16), Vice-President Josh Kerr (MDiv’14), Secretary Sarah Allen (MDiv’07) David Gambrell (MDiv’98) John Guthrie (MDiv’06) Carl McCormack (MDiv’95) Denise Odom (MDiv’99) Jean Reardon (MDiv’05) Valerie Sansing (MDiv’00) Rita Sims (DMin’15) Paul Sink (MDiv’00) Ayana Teter (MDiv’06) Marta Ukropina (MDiv’06)
Editor
Randal Whittington
Contributors
Selina Aguirre Nancy Benson-Nicol Sylvia Greenway Erica Knisely Gary Mathews Alison Riemersma Sharon Sandberg Mona Santandrea Kristy Sorensen
21 teaching & ministry
Windows is published three times each year by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Austin Seminary Windows Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary 100 E. 27th St. Austin, TX 78705-5711 phone: 512-404-4808 e-mail: windows@austinseminary.edu AustinSeminary.edu ISSN 2056-0556; Non-profit bulk mail permit no. 2473
seminary church
from the president |
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President’s Schedule April 25: Preach, First Presbyterian Church, Waco, Texas May 23: Preach, Central Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, Georgia
WebXtra: Our 2021 MidWinters were conducted entirely online this year. If you missed it, or want to re-live it, recordings of the lectures and other events are found on our website:
rica Knisely, director of educational design in the Office of Education Beyond the Walls, delivers a profound metaphor. She’s talking about EBW Cookies—scone/ cookie hybrids that are wholesome, nourishing, and a little sweet. She says, “We craft our workshops a lot like we make our cookies—as hybrids of practical experience and the latest Christian scholarship …” In an instant, we’ve moved on from cookies to workshops; and from workshops to ethical dimensions that sustain, in these pandemic times, such a great variety of caregivers and justice-seekers. In the halls and meetings and creative programmatic life that buzz throughout the EBW Offices, Erica and her colleagues who dream into being this rolling metaphorical river of energetic and imaginative faith-talk are forever coloring (or paddling?) outside the lines—to the glory of God. Erica is joined in this issue of Windows by Martha Lynn Coon, Mónica Tornoé, Melissa Wiginton, Mikala McFerren, and I dare you to read their descriptions of what is going in this seedbed of vocational creativity without wanting to know more. Hint: it’s edgy! Look for such words as creativity, intersections, community, and diversity. Like I said, it’s edgy. “Here at the edges,” writes Melissa, “our work catches up many strands of learning and locations, people and practices.” The rolling river is heading toward new life for the church and the world! The greatest measure of this issue of Windows is devoted to what is going on in these halls of creativity. Read also of the latest news from campus. Meet the Reverend Keatan King and alumna Denise Pierce, Austin Seminary Board’s new Chair and Vice-Chair; and celebrate Dr. Philip Browning Helsel’s recent chairing service in which he was inducted into the Nancy Taylor Williamson Distinguished Chair in Pastoral Care. Nan Williamson and her husband, Hugh (the donor of the chair), joined us virtually, by the way, to celebrate the occasion. Read of senior students receiving various fellowships during our virtual MidWinter Lectures, and of ASA Awards honoring two distinguished grads—the Reverend Cindy Kohlmann, and the Reverend Steve Miller. Note the births, the ordinations, commissions, and the passings of various alumni and their families. Celebrate various faculty accomplishments and new publications by Professors Suzie Park, Carolyn Helsel, and Bill Greenway, enjoy Professor Bobbie Kaye Jones’ recommendation of a good read, and welcome faculty member Andrew Zirschky who shares with us a pandemic-era reflection on “presence.” All of what follows, really, is a treasure-trove of scone/cookie hybrids: wholesome, nourishing, and a little sweet!
Faithfully yours,
Theodore J. Wardlaw President
AustinSeminary. edu/midwinters 2 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
twenty-seventh speedway
Keatan King elected chair of the board of trustees
Photograph by Aiden Diaz
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ollowing the untimely death of newly elected Austin Seminary Board Chair Walter Harris on November 21, Keatan King, who had been serving as vice-chair, was elected on January 4 to fill the vacancy. Alumna Denise Nance Pierce (MATS’11) was elected vice-chair, making this the first time in the Seminary’s history that two women have held the top positions on the Austin Seminary Board of Trustees. “In the wake of the sudden death of our dear friend Walter Harris, I was deeply grateful that Keatan King was elected to succeed him,” says Austin Seminary President Theodore J. Wardlaw. “Keatan is a remarkable pastor and friend, and she has begun to marshal her abundant gifts for leadership in her new role as board chair. She is a brilliant and consummate pastor, graced with administrative acumen and a quiet authority, and she and Vice-Chair Denise Pierce will faithfully steer the Seminary into the critical months and years that lie ahead. The Seminary owes a debt of gratitude to our dear friend Archer Frierson who faithfully served as board chair for five years and who has graciously offered to mentor Keatan in this new role.” King is associate pastor of St. Philip Presbyterian Church, Houston. She graduated summa cum laude from Austin College with a BA in Spanish and cultural anthropology and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She earned a Master of Divinity from Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, where she received the Field Education Award. She began her work at St. Philip in 2013. Keatan King has served on the Austin Seminary Board since 2016 and was elected vicechair during the November 2020 board meeting. She was the 2020 MidWinters Preacher at Austin Seminary. A native of Austin, Texas, Keatan is the daughter of graduate, administrator, and trustee J Carter King (MDiv’70). She and her spouse, Nathan Carlin, are parents to a daughter. v
community notes |
Shelton Chapel in a record six inches of snow in February. Cheryl Covey Ramsey died on February 20, 2021, in Asheville, North Carolina. She was a trustee (19992008) and the wife of current trustee Mark Ramsey. Tracy Allison, whose husband, Jim, serves on the Seminary’s Board of Trustees, died on March 11 in Charlottesville, Virginia. v
Williamson Chair has new occupant in Professor Phil Helsel
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onored by a special “chairing service” on March 11, The Reverend Dr. Philip Browning Helsel is the new Associate Professor in the Nancy Taylor Williamson Distinguished Chair in Pastoral Care. Helsel joined the faculty in 2016; he previously served on the faculty of Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Brighton, Massachusetts, as assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling (2012-2016). Helsel earned his PhD in pastoral theology and practical theology from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2012. He also holds the MDiv in pastoral care and counseling from Princeton Theological Seminary (2004) and the BA, summa cum laude, in Bible and religion from Anderson University (2000). Helsel is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and was parish associate for pastoral care at Freehold Presbyterian Church in Freehold, New Jersey. Dr. Helsel is the author of two books including Pastoral Care and Counseling: An Introduction (Paulist Press, 2019). He
has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters, and he serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling. He is married to Carolyn B. Helsel, Associate Professor in the Blair R. Monie Distinguished Chair in Homiletics at Austin Seminary, and they are parents to Caleb and Evelyn. The Nancy Taylor Williamson Chair in Pastoral Care was established in 2004 to ensure that resources will always be available at Austin Seminary for a full-time faculty member devoted to the study and teaching of pastoral care. Nancy Taylor Williamson of Denver, Colorado, is the wife of Hugh Williamson, a long-time trustee of Austin Seminary (1990-1999; 2000-2009; 20122015). This endowed faculty position reflects the lifelong commitment to caring for others exemplified by its honoree. “Nan has nurtured and mentored many people over the years,” said Hugh Williamson when establishing the endowment to honor his wife, “and in the process she has transformed lives and created hope-filled futures.” v Spring 2021 | 3
twenty-seventh speedway
Senior students recognized for excellence
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t is a long-standing and much-anticipated tradition during MidWinter Lectures to announce the graduating seniors selected by the faculty for special awards. These fellowships recognizing excellence in academics, character, and promise for ministry include The David L. Stitt Alumni Association Fellowship, The Pile-Morgan Fellowship, The Janie Maxwell Morris Fellowship, The Alsup-Frierson Fellowship for Excellence in Biblical Exegesis and Hermeneutics, and The W. P. Newell Memorial Fellowship. Meet the 2021 fellowship recipients here and learn why their professors championed them.
Kelly Bratkowski | Austin, Texas David L. Stitt Fellowship | $18,000 prize
Photograph by Usama Malik
“Kelly Bratkowski is one of the finest students I have had in my twenty-five years of teaching. She is intelligent, industrious, insightful, and articulate. She is theologically sensitive—inquisitive and respectful of tradition without being formulaic or rigidly dogmatic. She intends to pursue a PhD in some area of theological study; I support that goal enthusiastically. She shows great promise as a teacher and a scholar.” –Professor David Johnson
Pile-Morgan Fellowship | $8,000 prize
“Caitlin is very deserving of this fellowship. Apart from being an outstanding citizen of the Austin Seminary community, what stands out for me is her scholarly excellence combined with her humble activism. Not only will she leave here having made Austin Seminary better, but her Christian leadership will also make the world a better place.” –Professor Gregory Cuéllar 4 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Photograph by Marian Nowak
Caitlin Parsons | Austin, Texas
Photograph by Usama Malik
Audrey Burnett | Dallas, Texas Janie Maxwell Morris Fellowship | $5,000 prize
“Audrey is one of those authentic and direct people who understands what it means to minister to those in distress. She comes with a clear understanding of her ministerial identity that guides her into fresh opportunities for care of others.” –Professor Phil Helsel
Jacob Naron | Kerrville, Texas Alsup-Frierson Fellowship for Excellence in Biblical Exegesis and Hermeneutics | $3,500 prize
Photograph by Usama Malik
“Jacob’s unusual passion for biblical studies focuses on building bridges between academic and pastoral uses of the Bible. In a class on the epistle of James, for example, he used his exegesis of James 4 to create a Bible study for those undergoing hospice care, helping them to come to terms with end-of-life issues while held by the words and promises of scripture. Such pastoral imagination will serve him richly, as well as any to whom he is called to minister.” –Professor Margaret Aymer Photograph by Usama Malik
Stephen Milburn | Lancaster, California W. P. Newell Memorial Fellowship | $3,000 prize
“Thoughtful, calm, and always ready to help, Stephen’s sense of grace as well as his gentle intelligence and kindness is evident to all. It is no wonder that Stephen has served so many times as a caretaker or helper—that is, as instructional aide, research assistant, and resident advisor—of fellow students and professors; and, at times, even of the feline, canine, and avian family members of this community.”
– Professor Suzie Park Spring 2021 | 5
Education Beyond the Walls
Theological Education
6 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
at the Edges
O
On long car trips, my father would begin telling my sister and brothers and me a story. Once he had us hooked, right at the suspenseful edge, he’d point across his shoulder to me in the back seat and say, “Take it.” I picked up the story, resolved the crisis, added some characters and a new conflict, and handed it to my sister, and on it would go. Who knew this would prepare me for “edge” work: stewarding a narrative, responding to plot twists, bringing new people into the story, and weaving together a community on a journey. Education Beyond the Walls (EBW) advances the mission of Austin Seminary to equip not only clergy but other people of faith and even those who are searching. The work, rooted in the institution, places us at the edges of formal theological education, the church, and the world. Ecological theory identifies ecosystem “edges” as the primary place on earth with the largest number of new life species. EBW operates in this space of great possibility. In this edge space, we lean toward practices of theological imagination, toward the underserved, toward the intersections of faith and the common good. We lean out toward searching people at the edges of Christian faith and practice and in toward those long in practice and still seeking excellence. You will see these commitments in the concrete experiences we describe in the following pages. We value creativity, community, and diversity. We craft events focused on active, experiential learning and content that is relevant to the lives of practitioners. We recognize that church, as many people know it, is beautiful and that the beauty will show differently in coming years. Here at the edges, our work catches up many strands of learning and locations, people and practices. We are at the edges of ecosystems of seminary, church, and the world to invite people in. As Daddy might say, “You take it.” Together we will find our way into the story of new life for the church and the world. – Melissa Wiginton Vice President for Education Beyond the Walls Spring 2021 | 7
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WORKSHOPS
If you have attended an EBW workshop in person, you have probably sampled one of our “EBW Cookies.” Our signature treat is a scone-cookie hybrid made with wholesome, nourishing ingredients and a touch of sweetness that always tastes like more. We craft our workshops a lot like we make our cookies—as hybrids of practical experience and the latest Christian scholarship. We design them in response to the current needs of practitioners, so workshop content varies over time and season. For instance, workshops during the recent pandemic, racial reckoning, and political upheaval have addressed the ethical dimensions of online church, preaching in a divided world, and the skills and knowledge needed to sustain caregivers and justice-seekers. EBW workshops may also serve particular categories of learners. Pastors need to continue learning over a lifetime of ministry practice. Members of faith congregations often look for deeper learning or want to explore new ideas or programs. In partnership with the South Central Region of the Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators (SCRAPCE), we continue the decades-long attention to church educators. We have eyes open for new learners as well, who may not know about all we have to offer. Workshops are shaped not only by content and audience, but also to create a robust learning experience, whether in-person or remote. We know that adults learn collaboratively and seek out practical, generative skills and ideas. We know that people are more than talking heads, even on Zoom, so we attend to the spiritual needs of learners, incorporating simple breath work and spiritual practices into the experience. The EBW staff is skilled at facilitating the creation of robust learning communities. We draw learners across the lifespan from young adults to retirees, and we delight when those communities learn together. We want folks to enjoy their time with us: to taste the richness of learning in community and to leave wanting more. – Erica Knisely, Director of Educational Design
“Offered in partnership with EBW, the annual SCRAPCE event at Austin Seminary gives us access to excellent leaders and ideas to equip those who are passionate about educational ministry. Each year, it never fails to inspire and transform.” – Jenna Campbell, member of SCRAPCE Board
8 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
… Our work as a founding partner of the Hispanic Ministries Mission Network of Mission Presbytery in 2013 emboldened our energy, confidence, and commitment to Latinx learners. This commitment now informs a significant part of EBW …
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L AT I N X L E A R N I N G
Latinos are now the largest minority group in the United States, causing some to see them as a powerful force. This is a misconception. Latino culture is not homogeneous but a complex mixture of first generation, second generation, and American born. It is a culture that still experiences oppression, particularly among those from the lower class or first generation. Their immigration status and language barrier represent hurdles to overcome. Latinos remain the least represented group in decision making, politics, and overall leadership. Their spirituality and religiosity, interwoven in the Latino culture, serve as foundations of strength in coping with life’s struggles. Christianity has flourished within the Latino church, perhaps like in no other ethnic group, and with it, its challenges of education, training, women’s changing roles, and lack of leadership. Once reluctant to do online education, the Latino community (local and abroad) is now forced to go online for everything, even their own education, so they have grown a new appreciation for it. This has given us the opportunity to tap into their specific needs. Through the Certificado en Ministerio (CEM), Certificate in Leadership for Hispanic Women, and Instituto de Maria y Marta (IMM) programs, we provide basic theological education online, in Spanish, for pastors, lay leaders, and potential leaders, and also work to empower women in these roles. Jimena Ibañez represents a minority within a minority, as a woman, Latina, and immigrant from Colombia. She has overcome language, migration status, and gender barriers. She began in EBW as an IMM student, and will now be an author, instructor, and leader in the program. This is the kind of difference that we want to make: to provide not only education, but also tools, opportunities, encouragement, and long-lasting connections that continue to flourish and multiply our work beyond our walls. – Mónica Tornoé, Director of Latinx Learning
“In IMM I have been able to see faith turn into action, and a vision turn into a reality. It has shown and inspired me to be more intentional in taking the steps to fulfill God’s purpose in my life.” – Jimena Ibañez, IMM participant and leader
Spring 2021 | 9
… Jimena Ibañez’s dream for faith-in-action includes providing resources for young Latinx adults in her town. Her congregation enacts this dream as a member of the 787 Collective …
THE 787 COLLECTIVE The 787 Collective is a group of congregations, young adults, artists, and seekers who desire an intergenerational response to the question, What’s next in the life of the American church? With an eye to engaging young adults in the church and through the support of the Lilly Endowment Inc., we provide experimental outlets for congregations to learn in community, grow in grace through failure and success, and strengthen relationships within the congregation to discern if and how they are called to accompany young adults. Austin Seminary, an institution with deep theological roots and a curious spirit, is a natural home for the work of the Collective. The Collective has provided opportunities for creative expression and leadership development for current students, and it is an ongoing opportunity for resources and encouragement for alumni in the field. Situated in one of the youngest cities in the United States—787 Collective comes from the 787 prefix for Austin zip codes—our Collective maintains a desire to highlight and amplify the stories and voices of young adults and to find fresh ways to share these stories and the lives they represent with the church-at-large. We build on this sense of relationship to develop work that connects young adults and congregations in ventures that deepen love for God, self, and others. We do this through creative partnerships and intentional community building and with grants to congregations. We believe God’s people are called to share the Good News in ways that are relevant, hopeful, and resonant with every generation, and we work to equip both elders and young adults for engaging in compassionate conversations around the heart of our faith. To encourage and develop a sense of creative vitality in the people and congregations at the core of our work, we employ four facets of practice in everything we undertake: Contemplation, Compassion, Collaboration, and Critique – Martha Lynn Coon, Director of Congregational Innovation
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“We have forged a much deeper connection to Fatima, our community builder, to each other, and to her vision of the work. Fatima has led us on an amazing journey.” – Carolyn Albert Donovan Pastor of 787 Collective member Peace Lutheran Church Fatima Mann, 787 Collective Community Builder 10 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
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PASTORAL LEADERSHIP FOR PUBLIC LIFE
… Carolyn Donovan’s commitment to racial healing in the community was strengthened through her earlier participation in Pastoral Leadership for Public Life …
How can I speak a prophetic word that my people can hear? Does a pastor have influence beyond her congregation anymore? What does it mean to have a call as a public theologian? These are just a few of the questions we wrestle with in Pastoral Leadership for Public Life (PLPL), a program EBW began seven years ago with a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. It is our view that pastors must engage these questions; as divisions in our society grow, they take on even greater urgency in the church. PLPL exists to help pastors develop their agency as meaning-makers at the intersection of the Common Good and the Good News. Each PLPL cohort comprises a small group of pastors who journey together over 12-18 months, learning about issues such as criminal justice and stewardship of water resources. Over that time, they form not just a learning community but receive the blessing of mutual encouragement from peers across denominations. We examine the intersection of public life with the dynamics of difference, such as race, gender, and class. Seminary faculty members help us deepen our theological reflection on the issues. Pastors also receive training on practical skills, such as crafting messages for the media and staying on message during interviews. Each pastor designs local engagement projects to extend his or her reach in their community. Those projects have included speaking at a city council meeting to meeting with an elementary school principal to writing an op-ed for the local newspaper, and convening stakeholders in a local issue. The pastors in the PLPL program bring energy, passion, and enthusiasm to our shared work, and they continually renew our hope for the church in the world. – Erica Knisely
“My PLPL cohort experience is not yet over, but my understanding of call is already richer than when I began. I am developing my capacity to provide platforms for the hearing of traditionally marginalized voices among those who live in the rural southwest.” – Cynthia Engstrom (MDiv’12) PLPL cohort member and pastor of Universal City United Methodist Church
Spring 2021 | 11
… Cynthia Engstrom experienced the power of peer learning early in her ministry when she and a group of colleagues received a grant from the College of Pastoral Leaders …
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COLLEGE OF PASTORAL LEADERS
No one knows what it is like to be a pastor but another pastor. Who else stands each week to speak to a gathering of people whose deepest individual secrets they hold? Who relies completely on voluntary gifts for their salaries—gifts from the very people they must at times challenge? The responsibility to bear a fresh and truthful word of God comes week after relentless week. Pastors rely on each other to normalize their unique challenges and to inspire perseverance in difficult times. Together, they may help one reclaim a call that seems lost or replenish a depleted imagination. They celebrate the joys outsiders may not even see. They share funny, poignant, outrageous, or miraculous stories knowing they will be understood. We all want friends, but a pastor’s need for relationship with similar others speaks of profound life-preserving reality. In Flourishing in Ministry: How to Cultivate Clergy Wellbeing, Matt Bloom argues that pastors who thrive rely on a trusted community of other pastors for the accountability, coping, and ongoing learning that marks the pastoral life. The College of Pastoral Leaders (CPL) supports pastoral colleague groups to do just those things. CPL makes two-year, $10,000 grants to small groups of pastors to pursue a self-designed program for renewal, vitality, and pastoral excellence. CPL’s grants have benefitted more than 130 cohorts since its founding in 2002: we serve the church by helping pastors flourish. – Melissa Wiginton
The College of Pastoral Leaders cohort Resistance through Preaching and Song wrote sermons and new songs to celebrate living from faith rather than from the false narratives of consumerism, racism, self-idolatry, and other cultural distortions.
12 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
… Participants in the College of Pastoral Leaders continue to look to the Seminary for learning. Heide Ford, a cohort member, joined Voyage to the Next Dimension as she transitioned into a new ministry setting …
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V O YA G E T O T H E N E X T D I M E N S I O N
Developed over the course of a year, Voyage to the Next Dimension anticipated an in-person launch date of May 2020. Needless to say, the pandemic called forth alternate plans. But for a course that focuses on what Howard Thurman coined “The Sound of the Genuine,” it only took a few Zoom calls and some heartfelt discernment to know that someone, or something, was drawing us on. Voyage to the Next Dimension is now a virtual course designed to provide intergenerational community and context to address the deep concerns of purpose, vocation, and the integration of soul and role in our daily lives. The course provides an extension to the conversation that draws many people into the life of Austin Seminary: searching, as Frederick Buechner so eloquently stated, for “the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” If this question is at the heart of each seminarian’s experience, Voyage to the Next Dimension serves as a vehicle for sharing these institutional values, questions, and traditions with the broader community. This is one of the primary places where EBW connects with those who are not professional clergy. The course is intentionally intergenerational, with participants re-discovering purpose in retirement as well as searching for God’s call on their lives upon college graduation. Job loss, re-entering the work force after parental leave, or just a general desire to engage that special sense of “something more” are all drivers for our participants. The course material is collated from a wide range of disciplines and sources but coalesces through the metaphor of a sea-faring voyage. The seven sessions and (virtual) retreat incorporate contemplative exercises and more expansive group discussion. Each is designed to stimulate right-brained creative thinking as well as more structured approaches to strategic-planning, as participants consider the next stops on their own Voyage. – Martha Lynn Coon
“The leaders guided us on this experience toward a real action plan that we could use as we thought about who God is calling us to be.” – Bruce Schrott Member and lay leader at 787 Collective member First United Methodist Church, Georgetown, Texas, and participant in Voyage to the Next Dimension
Spring 2021 | 13
EBW SPRINGS
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In the middle of Austin is a beloved spring-fed pool called simply “Barton Springs.” People of all ages, shapes, colors, and bodies make their way here every day to find something they need in this shared place. This is our vision for EBW Springs, our online learning platform and community space for people in practice—like the ones we’ve introduced on these pages. We resource EBW Springs with imaginative events, a little inspiration, thoughtprovoking conversations, and diverse perspectives. Make sure to join EBW Springs (ebwsprings.mn.com) to engage monthly topics, stay up-to-date, and more. Participation is free and all are welcome. Come on in, the water’s fine!
CONTRIBUTORS The Education Beyond the Walls Team, from left: Mónica Tornoé, Melissa Wiginton, Mikala McFerren, Martha Lynn Coon, and Erica Knisely Learn more:
www.AustinSeminary.edu/EBW ebwsprings.mn.co 14 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Robert T. Priddy - “Beyond Bricks & Mortar” In his twilight years, when lifelong-Presbyterian Robert T. “Bob” Priddy (1918-2015) considered how he might leverage his substantial financial success in the oil industry to ensure the vitality of the church that had long sustained him, he found inspiration in the College of Pastoral Leaders, administered by Education Beyond the Walls (EBW). Created in 2002 with a $1.5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Program, the College of Pastoral Leaders offers pastors the opportunity to work collaboratively in cohort groups, supported by twoyear grants for self-directed study to seek pastoral excellence (see page 12). Priddy observed back in 2009, as he announced his decision to make a $1.3 million gift to the Seminary to benefit the College: “It was important to me to do something financially for the organized church, and I spent a long time pursuing various opportunities. It pleases me to be able to help, along with Lilly Endowment, to sustain and endow this important program of supporting pastoral leaders.” Mr. Priddy’s gift, directed by the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation, continues to uphold and enrich the ministries of those served by the College of Pastoral Leaders.
Spring 2021 | 15
faculty news notes
Professors Suzie Park and Carolyn Helsel co-write book about families–the ones in the Bible and the ones in your life
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he Flawed Family of God: Stories about the Imperfect Families of Genesis (WJK, 2021) is a new book by Professors Carolyn B. Helsel, Associate Professor in the Blair R. Monie Distinguished Chair in Homiletics, and Song-Mi Suzie Park, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Austin Seminary. In 2020 while Park was a visiting scholar for the pastor cohort gathering The Moveable Feast, she heard pastors discussing the lack of resources for thematic preaching. The seed that conversation planted blossomed when she began talking to her faculty colleague and fellow Connections commentary series editor about co-writing a book on family stories in the Bible. They began with the questions, “What does the Bible say about what it means to be a family?” and “What does the Bible have to do with the current struggles of families today?” The answers revealed that the family dramas experienced in the Book of Genesis raise issues—about married vs. single life, sibling rivalry, infertility, family relocation, blended families—which are startlingly relevant to families of today. Throughout the book the writers invite the reader to consider these and many other connections as they reexamine the joys and complications of modern family life. Designed for personal or group study, the book strives
toward three goals: to allow the reader to see the relevance and connections between the biblical texts and the struggles of today’s families; to give voice to the silent characters in the text and remind the reader to listen for what isn’t spoken in their own families; and to enable the reader to form deeper connections with their own families and communities of faith. Thomas G. Long, The Bandy Professor Emeritus of Preaching at Candler School of Theology, says of the book, “In this most creative book, Carolyn B. Helsel and Song-Mi Suzie Park have taken an unorthodox stroll through the book of Genesis. Where others find the creation story, Noah’s Ark, and the Tower of Babel, Helsel and Park find families—wonderful, human, complicated families … The authors provide insight into the frayed edges of our family life, but because the authors also find God in the broken places, they bring us profound hope.” v
Professor Greenway posits agape as moral common ground in struggle for global justice
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n his newest book, Reasonable Faith for a Post-Secular Age (Cascade, 2020), Professor of Philosophical Theology William Greenway argues there is an unrecognized, but real and potent, common core of global spiritual understanding shared by religious and secular communities. He claims that naming and affirming this core reality—the reality of agape—offers us our best chance as we face multiple global crises in the 21st century. “Across the world we face extreme and growing economic inequalities … conflict-driven mass migrations … [and] epoch-level species and habitat lost. … For the first time in history, these challenges are rising on a global scale,” writes Greenway. “Good people from diverse secular and religious institutions fight these challenges to creaturely flourishing in a multitude of concrete ways … The vast majority share a common understanding of what is reasonable and respond to essentially the same love. But the reality of this common spiritual ground is largely invisible. The transition to a global village sharing a common 16 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
language has been achieved in the natural and social sciences. … I believe that a common understanding of a spiritual dimension of reality is shared by multitudes across faith traditions and cultures … and I argue that naming this shared spiritual reality is vital for the flourishing of life on earth.” Greenway writes as a Christian, but he argues that virtually all faith traditions, from Buddhism to Humanism to Wiccan, are rooted in agape—the reality of finding oneself seized by love for others. He illustrates how the moral reality of agape also rests at the heart of the ethics of those who are secular. Greenway explains how the “philosophical distinctions between secular metaphysics and the metaphysics of the world’s great faith traditions have collapsed,” and urges us to see this as a promising development, because it opens up interfaith and intercultural moral common ground, unveiling a basis for united ethical struggle against life-threatening global challenges. In his endorsement of the book, Keith Ward, former Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University, says: “This set of essays is a penetrating philosophical critique of philosophical naturalism and a defense of a more open concept of rationality that is able to take religion seriously. A very important contribution to debates about philosophy, metaphysics, and faith.” v
faculty notes | Bridgett Green (New Testament) delivered, with Dr. Andrea Holman, the Bishop E.T. Dixon Lecture at Huston-Tillotson University on January 28. For two Sundays, March 14 and 21, she was the guest Bible study instructor at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Nashville, on “Connecting to Kairos in Lent.” Bobbi Kaye Jones (pastoral leadership) preached on January 10 for worship at Saint John’s United Methodist Church, Austin. Jennifer Lord (homiletics) authored the 2021 Celebrate the Gifts of Women Resource, an annual publication of the Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries of the PC(USA). She published the essay, “Baptismal Liminality: The Church’s Betwixt and Between,” in Reshaping the Liturgical Tradition: Ecumenical and Reformed (OSL publications). She and others will lead an EBW webinar on April 16, “Online Worship: Is It Really Accessible for ALL?” She is an accepted presenter for the Center for Applied Special Technology’s seventh annual Universal Design for Learning Symposium: The Future Designed. v
WebXtra Austin Seminary faculty preach each week. Listen to the most recent sermons here:
austinseminary. edu/academics/ faculty
good reads |
G
ood. Reads. Two words companionably situated near the center of my selfunderstanding as long as I have selfunderstood. Earliest memories include learning to read at such a young age I was promptly sent to “kindergarten” as a three-year-old! By the time I hit first grade my reading was so good I was booted up to second. And thus has it ever been. Read. Good. Until March of 2020. While some have sought solace in old and new books these past many months, my pandemic precautions shut that party down. My husband consumed books at his usual strong and steady rate, but I couldn’t stomach even the act of sitting with a book, turning its pages, and losing myself to a different world. Oh, I read. My screentime soared with Twitter scrolling and scientific journal scanning and the multiple on-line newspapers to which I subscribed. But I could not read for pleasure. “When we read, we open ourselves up to connection and feeling,” says one friend. Exactly. I felt plenty open and exposed enough, thank you. For the first time in memory, reading became a defensive maneuver. A vital precaution. I read to know what news was new to keep self and family safe. People were dying from pandemic, politics, and the poisoning of community through racismon-overdrive. No letting down from the hyper-vigilance I seemed to need. I’m not happy with my reaction, I’m simply sharing my story. I read a few books and articles for teaching, but stories had fled my scene. Christmas brought a book gift from a daughter. For weeks it lay on my
nightstand. Just lay there atop a tall and dusty pile. Then one recent Sunday afternoon I reached and it responded, almost tipping itself into my outstretched hand. We both opened up. I read my way into the world of words again. And it was good. Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger, the memoir by Lisa Donovan, did all the things. I laughed, I frowned, I questioned her choices and cheered her successes. And my little worried heart felt a little lighter when I’d done. I’ve now read two more books and even some magazines! Twitter time is down and I read more headlines than full articles. I have hope for our world because of science and frontline workers. I have hope for our denominations and congregations because of the Gospel, the resilience of the human spirit, and the astonishing commitment and competence of our students. I even have hope that book of poetry I ordered still wants to be my friend. I am praying for the coming time when we will go out and be among people open-heartedly. I am praying this experience of separateness increases our appreciation for joining together. I am praying we are good for each other going forward. Very good. And reading. v
—Written by Rev. Bobbi Kaye Jones, Professor in The Louis H. and Katherine S. Zbinden Distinguished Chair of Pastoral Ministry and Leadership
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alumni news notes
WebXtra
class notes |
Presbyterian Church, Seguin, Texas.
1960s
Christopher Kennedy (DMin’17) has written a book on spiritual warfare, Equipped: The Armor of God for Everyday Struggles, Concordia Publishing House.
Linda Williams, wife of John L. Williams (MDiv’65), died February 22, 2021, in Skillman, New Jersey. John and Linda were married for fifty-one years.
2000s
“The Spiritual Significance of Beauty,” episode 3 of Insights: the podcast The publication of the spring issue of Insights: the faculty journal of Austin Seminary, coincided with the release of Episode 3 of the podcast by the same name. The conversation between Dr. David White, The C. Ellis and Nancy Gribble Nelson Professor of Christian Education, and Dr. William Greenway, professor of philosophical theology and the editor of Insights, provides space for Professor White to develop and explain the themes in his centerpiece essay “Tending the Fire that Burns at the Center of the World.” Look for the podcast on our website: AustinSeminary.edu/ Insightspodcast and on more than a dozen podcast platforms.
Last May, Margaret Talbot (MDiv’09) earned the PhD in biblical interpretation from Brite Divinity School. Her dissertation was: Bat-Yiphtach And Her Bleeding Body: A Child-Oriented Reading Of Judges 11:29–40.
2010s Melanie Tucker (MDiv’11) earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology at Antioch University in December of 2018. She currently serves as a chaplain at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital as she works on her certification for chaplaincy and license as a marriage and family therapist. She recently married Sean Butler and reports they, “love playing music and singing together, golfing, camping, and going to the beach.” Sean’s son joined Melanie’s five children as part of the family. Scott Spence (MDiv’12) has been called as pastor to Somers Congregational United Church of Christ in Somers, Connecticut.
Jackson Hayes Kennedy entered the world on February 25. He is the son of Danielle and Trevor Kennedy (MDiv’17). Adam Anderson (MDiv’18) has been called as pastor to South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, Florida.
ordinations & commissions | Allie Utley (MDiv’13) was ordained by Redwoods Presbytery on January 31, 2021. She serves as interim chaplain at San Francisco Theological Seminary and will become the Liturgy and Practical Theology Faculty Member at Phillips Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on July 1. Jennifer Hallberg (MDiv’19) has been called to be the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Jasper, Florida; she was ordained by the Presbytery of St. Augustine on January 10, 2021. Madeline Hart-Andersen (MDiv’19) was ordained by Presbytery of Twin Cities Area on November 1, 2020. She has been called as pastor to Westminster Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Alex Pappas (MDiv’19) was ordained by Grace Presbytery, December 6, 2020. She has been called as associate pastor to First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, Louisiana.
Charles and Cynthia Eschliman Mood (MDiv’15) welcomed Cyrus Alexander Mood (above) into the world on Thursday, February 18, 2021. Andrew Lemlyn (MDiv’16) has been called as pastor to First
18 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Savannah D. Demuynck (MDiv’20) was ordained September 27, 2020, by Charlotte Presbytery. She is the pastoral resident at Meyers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In this time of Covid-19, presbyteries have gotten creative with the ritual laying on of hands during the Ordination Service: above, Alex Pappas, ordained by Grace Presbytery in Dallas and Lex Allum, ordained by the Presbytery of Detroit.
in memoriam | Floyd G. Kinser (MDiv’52), December 6, 2020, Fort Worth, Texas Charles J. Freeland III (MDiv’65, DMin’79), June 26, 2020, Owasso, Oklahoma Sam Lanham III (MDiv’68), November 29, 2020, Salado, Texas Lonnie H. Dillard Jr. (MDiv’71), December 18, 2020, Austin, Texas Dick Dodds (DMin’80), February 18, 2021, Peachtree City, Georgia Richard Gilmer (MDiv’87), April 29, 2020, Paris, Texas Jim Gresham (MDiv’02), November 27, 2020, Houston, Texas
Austin Seminary Association 2021 Awards for Service
Cindy Kohlmann and Steve Miller honored with ASA Awards The Reverend Cindy Kohlmann (MDiv’99) was elected Co-Moderator for the 223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 2018, a role in which she served as ambassador, visionary, teacher, and leader for the entire denomination, taking her passion to places both foreign and domestic. While in seminary, Cindy served in the U.S. Naval Reserves as a chaplain candidate. Discerning a call to parish ministry, she was ordained in 1999 and called to pastor the New Jersey Presbyterian Church in Carlisle, Ohio. In 2006, she was called to Clinton Presbyterian Church in Massachusetts where she helped the church become multicultural in worship, leadership, and fellowship, welcoming immigrants from West Africa and Brazil into all aspects of the church’s ministry. In 2010, Cindy added a temporary position with the Presbytery of Northern New
The Reverend Steve Miller (MDiv’15) is founder of United States Christian Leadership Organization. Since graduating from Austin Seminary, Steve has demonstrated his commitment to living out his faith and calling. Steve created and gives leadership to the HBCU Truth & Reconciliation African American Oral History Project which received nationwide recognition for recording and preserving the stories of African Americans and their experiences of racism. His project collaborates with historically black colleges and universities along with other colleges with seminaries. Stories are professionally
England and two years later was asked to stay on in the newly designed role of resource presbyter. In 2015 Cindy began a full-time position shared between the Presbyteries of Boston and Northern New England. Her ascent to denominational leadership came through her passionate work there, leading congregations to be more affirming and inclusive as well as helping them envision how congregations can meet the multicultural world around them. She has a passion for justice issues and has been at the forefront advocating for churches and congregants fearful of painful decisions surrounding immigration. Cindy recently began her new call in New Castle Presbytery as their connectional presbyter and stated clerk, and she has been admitted into Austin Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program. She and her husband, the Rev. Eric Markman, live in Wilmington, Delaware.
archived, and Miller has plans to publish a book with Baylor University Press. Through his work in racial reconciliation, he has been recognized as an Ashoka Fellow and interviewed by Forbes and Christianity Today magazine. In 2019 Steve worked to organize an impactful and effective trip to the United States/Mexico border for hundreds of clergy, engaging them in meaningful dialogue around the issue of immigration and the church’s response. Steve is amplifying the voice of the church in a time when society is listening for a voice of reason, morality, and justice. Steve resides in Mt. Enterprise, Texas, with his wife, Kim, and their two children.
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live learn
The College of Pastoral Leaders
upcoming from education beyond the walls Starting April 25 | ONLINE | Voyage to the Next Dimension Explore your life’s purpose through the lens of Christian spirituality, while considering how your past and present are calling your future into form. Within a multigenerational learning community, Voyagers will move toward integration of soul and role in their life and livelihoods. This course is for anyone seeking to explore within a community God’s present call on their lives.
at Austin Seminary
Schedule: Seven Sunday Zoom sessions on April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, and June 6, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. (CT) One virtual retreat, Friday, May 21, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. (CT) & Saturday, May 22, self-guided. Cost: $30-$85-$115—pay what you can
Starting June 7 | ONLINE | Christian Faith Formation and Learning in a Hybrid Environment
“We are a group of warrior women, bound together by our love for one another and the common thread of living life to the fullest by continuing to grow in faith, ministry, and service.” – And Now What? cohort $10,000 grants to selfdirected pastoral cohorts
Application Deadline:
May 14, 2021
AustinSeminary.edu/CPL
After a year of discovering how to create disciples in a virtual world, how do you move forward to imagine and plan for the next year? Join this four-week intensive course, and together we will imagine the possibilities for teaching and learning for all ages and walk through a detailed planning process that you can apply in your own context. The course includes asynchronous content on our digital learning platform and a weekly 90-minute gathering with course facilitators, Hannah Graham and Tania Schramm. This course is intended for certified Christian educators and lay Christian formation leaders and is limited to 20 participants.
Group Meeting Dates: June 7, 14, 21, and 28, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (CT); Cost: $100
Available mid-April | ONLINE | ABCs of Diversity e-course A more just future begins with our children. As ministers, educators, and parents we shape how kids think, feel, and behave toward others. This e-course was developed by Professor Carolyn B. Helsel and Y. Joy Harris-Smith, two mothers and educators, one white, one Black. It will equip you to talk to children of all ages about the topics of race, gender, class, religion, political affiliation, ability, nationality, and sexual orientation. It is a book of hope grounded in the vision of God’s beloved community. The e-course is a companion to their book, The ABCs of Diversity: Helping Kids (and Ourselves!) Embrace Our Differences. Cost:
$25
Latinx Church Leadership Renewal Grants: $3,500 each for one year Being a leader in ministry is a noble service and it can be rewarding, but it can also be hard. Leaders often lose energy over time and burn out. This can hurt them and the congregations they serve. We want to help leaders stay alive in their ministries, for their own sakes and for the sake of the church. This grant is for the renewal and refreshment of leaders of Latinx churches—to be used in the way each congregation’s leaders believe will serve them best. We hope leaders will prayerfully use their imaginations to discover what it is that they need. Grant period: July 1, 2021-July 1, 2022; Applications due: May 14, 2021. For more information, contact Mónica Tornoé at mtornoe@austinseminary.edu or 512-404-4832.
Up-to-the-minute programming and registration: AustinSeminary.edu/EBW 20 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
teaching ministry
Creating connection within physical absence By Dr. Andrew Zirschky, Director of the MAYM Nashville Extension and Research Professor in Youth Ministry
A
midst our pandemic-induced you’ve never had an overwhelming isolation this past year, I’ve spent sense of being socially present or truly a considerable amount of time “known by” this mass of others, despite considering the nature of presence, or the close proximity. Yet, when I was a what it means to feel as though we are pastor, I tended to believe that social seen and heard and “with” others. presence just naturally manifested itself It was exactly a year ago that courses in my church when people showed up. at the Seminary began to move online, Likewise, in my first years as a professor and I quickly realized that part of my I believed it just naturally manifested ministry with and to students during in my classroom. I was wrong on both this time would be to discover ways accounts. of experiencing and extending social While it’s a common idea that presence amidst physical absence. Of teaching is an exercise in knowledge course, at the same time most of the transfer, the reality is that teaching other avenues of social interaction we and learning are most truly social enjoy in American society were also The real challenge was not shutting down or shifting online. The casual social contact we experience transferring classroom content in restaurants and grocery stores ceased; many workplaces were into a digital space, but shuttered in favor of work completed helping students experience my at the dining room table; the raucous cheers at sporting events faded presence and in turn be present away; and the traditional darkness themselves in our interactions. and silence of our churches during Tennebrae services lingered into Easter Sunday morning and long beyond interactions in which ideas are as not even Christian gatherings could be exchanged and grow within us as we spared. Our usual ways of “being with” encounter others and they encounter us. others and feeling their presence were Classrooms devoid of the opportunity suddenly no longer available. Discovering for students to be known, heard, and ways to experience presence amidst seen—or where instructors stand aloof absence became a society-wide quest. from being personally present— are I noticed a few years ago that classrooms that not only feel dead (and Christians tend to have a bias for boring), but are often deadly to our showing up, as if being physically hearts, souls, and minds. present in a place is equivalent to truly As the pandemic plodded on and “being with” others. We love to count Zoom became the architecture of both Sunday morning attendees and often our churches and classrooms, I knew measure the health of our congregations that the real challenge ahead was not by how many people show up in the transferring classroom content into same place (the sanctuary) at the a digital space, but helping students appointed hour. Most especially when experience my presence and in turn be it comes to church, we assume that present themselves in our interactions. physical proximity is the same as How could I bring myself to the Zoom relational or social presence. Somehow experience and not just my content? we confuse attendance with being seen, How could I ensure that students didn’t heard, known, cared for, and loved. We just interact with content, but were able know this isn’t the case in other places to be heard, seen, and known by one in life—public transportation being a another as people? Part of the reason ready example. While standing packed these were important questions for my into a bus or subway car, I’m quite sure classroom was because these were also
important questions for the churches where my students serve. Each student in the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry program serves 25+ hours a week in a congregation, usually in the role of youth director. My students were facing the same issues with their youth groups that I was facing in the classroom. While most teenagers are unaffected by COVID-19, by midsummer they had all been infected by the malady of Zoom Fatigue. While the popular perception is that Zoom Fatigue results from too many hours of video conferencing and screen time, the reality is that this fatigue is the result of countless hours spent in front of a camera, but never being seen; too many hours in front of a microphone, but never really being heard. The real cause of Zoom Fatigue, the “other” illness we’ve faced this past year, is the lack of social presence that easily results from the transactional and sterile interactions that Zoom (and other technologies) so easily foster. In fits and starts I’ve learned how to manifest presence and minister to my students this past year, and they’ve learned along with me for the sake of their own churches and ministries. For example, while we’ve learned there are certainly ways to engage together on Zoom that allow for a sense of presence, these group interactions are no substitute for reaching out to people as individuals. This was the year that “pastoral visitation” and home calls—even if conducted on the front WebXtra: To watch a video porch at a social distance—made a about Austin Seminary resurgence in the ministerial repertoire students’ “Beloved of my students, just as personal phone calls, texts, and one-on-one meetings Community Covenant,” withgo students made a resurgence in my here: weekly rhythm. We’re discovering together that just showing up in the classroom—or the church—is not the same as truly being present with and for others. v
austinseminary.edu/ community
Spring 2021 | 21
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The pets of Austin Seminary
Potter
In this trying year, for many in the Austin Seminary community, our animals have forced us outside, supervised our work, or provided that comforting cuddle we craved. Let’s honor, with gratitude, some of our furry (or feathered) companions!
Gilbert Honey Kenai
Guiness
Ernie Calder
Belle & Aurora
Tristen & Grace Noel
Maisy Ruth
Hazel Peach & Pierre Louie
Cloey Loretta
Wildy Radar
