Windows: Summer | Fall 2023

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2023 Master of Arts in Youth Ministry graduates

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President

José R. Irizarry

Board of Trustees

Keatan A. King, Chair

James C. Allison

Lee Ardell

Janice L. Bryant (MDiv’01, DMin’11)

Kelley Cooper Cameron

Gregory Lee Cuéllar

Thomas Christian Currie

James A. DeMent (MDiv’17)

Jill Duffield (DMin’13)

Britta Martin Dukes (MDiv’05)

Peg Falls-Corbitt (CIM’20)

Jackson Farrow Jr.

Beth Blanton Flowers, M.D.

G. Archer Frierson II

Jesús Juan González (MDiv’92, DMin’23))

Cyril Hollingsworth (CIM’16)

Ora Houston

Shawn Kang

John A. Kenney (CIM’20)

Steve LeBlanc

Sue B. McCoy

Matthew Miller (MDiv’03)

W. David Pardue

Lisa Juica Perkins (MDiv’11)

Denise Nance Pierce (MATS’11)

Mark B. Ramsey

Stephen J. Rhoades

Sharon Risher (MDiv’07)

Conrad M. Rocha

John L. Van Osdall

Michael Waschevski (DMin’03)

Sallie Sampsell Watson (MDiv’87)

Elizabeth C. Williams

Michael G. Wright

Trustees Emeriti

Cassandra C. Carr

Bruce G. Herlin

Lyndon Olson Jr.

B. W. Payne

Max Sherman

Anne Vickery Stevenson

ASA Board

Paul Sink (MDiv’00), President

Josh Kerr (MDiv’14), Past President

Candy Cubbage (MDiv’89)

Glenn Dunn (CIM’16)

Matt Edison (MDiv’18)

Kristin Galle (MDiv’01)

David Gambrell (MDiv’98)

John Guthrie (MDiv’06)

features

The Certificate in Ministry

6 10 years on: The Certificate in Ministry

By Usama Malik (MDiv’20)

9 Certificado en Ministerio

By Ángel Gallardo

10 Teaching in the CIM

By Carolyn Helsel

8

COVER: These five members of the Class of 2023 received prestigious Graduate Fellowships (from left): Becca Edwards, The David L. Stitt Fellowship; Bis Thornton, The Pile-Morgan Fellowship; Allison Angell, The AlsupFrierson Fellowship; Allen Roberts, The W.P. Newell Memorial Fellowship; and Sam Innanen, The Janie Maxwell Morris Fellowship.

Photograph by Usama Malik (MDiv’20).

Center: The 2022-23 Honor Roll of Donors & departments

2 seminary & church

3 twenty-seventh & speedway

12 the class of 2023

18 faculty news & notes

20 live & learn

21 alumni news & notes

Ezequiel Herrera-Rodriguez (MDiv’19)

Felicia Hopkins (MDiv’96)

Lindsay Conrad Jacaruso (MDiv’13)

Amy Litzinger (MATS’15)

Joe MacDonald (DMin’19)

Carl McCormack (MDiv’95)

Jean Reardon (MDiv’05)

Devon Reynolds (MDiv’19)

Amy Sergent (MDiv’92)

Tony Spears (MDiv’15)

Marta Ukropina (MDiv’06)

Editor Randal Whittington

Contributors

Selina Aguirre

JR Barden

Sylvia Greenway

Usama Malik (MDiv’20)

Gary Mathews

Mikala McFerren

Alison Riemersma

Sharon Sandberg

Mona Santandrea

Kristy Sorensen Mary Wall

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

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from the president |

Contrary to sensible conclusions about the sway of secularism in today’s society, religious values and language have not been banished from culture. Instead, language and beliefs that found their source within the institutional church have found new messengers in the vast ecology of the public and of social media. Those who want to remain faithful to the teachings of the church and to long-standing Christian tradition(s) need to find their voice in the conversation, and this may require developing sharper skills to interpret and communicate those traditions with higher levels of authenticity. This is where theological education becomes an essential companion in the development of faithful believers. By providing tools to help Christians give reasons for their faith, theological education equips Christian believers—clergy and layperson alike—to be the bearers of a meaningful gospel that refuses to be reduced to simplistic sound bites or dogmatic clichés.

President’s Schedule

Sept. 17 – Preach and Teach, St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, New Orleans, Louisiana

Sept. 23 – Bring Greetings to Grace Presbytery Meeting, Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas

Oct. 8 – Preach, Brenham (Texas) Presbyterian Church

Oct. 13 – Attend the Presidential Inauguration, Princeton Theological Seminary

Oct. 22 – Preach, First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, Louisiana

Nov. 2 – Host, Fundraising Luncheon in Ft. Worth, Texas

Nov. 3 – Host, Fundraising Luncheon in Dallas, Texas

Understanding this important responsibility, Austin Seminary is committed to offering high-quality educational opportunities through its certificate programs (see pages 6-11) to those who serve as church leaders in various local ministries and to other lay people devoted to growing in their knowledge of faith. Offered in English and in Spanish, these programs take learners through a sequence of courses designed to introduce them to the most important questions of theology, biblical interpretation, Christian ethics, church leadership, and ministry. We strongly believe that once you discover how such conversations open minds and strengthen the spirit, you will find value in the continuing cultivation of Christian wisdom—wisdom that is necessary to sustain life in a secularized world. The old sage who penned the Book of Proverbs was more succinct in his counsel: “whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life” (Proverbs 10:17).

As you will read in the stories that follow, many have heeded instruction by engaging our certificate programs and have discovered, as Austin Seminary’s former colleague C. Ellis Nelson (MDiv’40) stated, “how faith matures.” We pray that whatever is learned through these certificate programs is already guiding the path to life, to growth, and wisdom.

Faithfully yours,

José R. Irizarry President

John Kenney (CIM’20) has recently published a book, The Cardinal in the Snow: Where do I go from here? based, in part, on his experience in Austin Seminary’s Certificate in Ministry program. He says, “It describes the next-phase-of-life adventure the CIM program has opened up for me. More importantly, it describes a process that can help readers find their own fulfilling future.”

Austin Seminary receives $4.3 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant to manage the Hispanic Summer Program

With a $4.3 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. Austin Seminary is poised to support the next phase of development of The Hispanic Summer Program (HSP). The program will be housed at the Seminary as they launch new undergraduate and scholarly initiatives.

Founded in 1989, HSP is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the development of Latinx theological leaders. Nearly forty university departments of theology, seminaries, divinity and theological schools representing Protestant, Catholic, evangelical, Pentecostal, and interreligious traditions have joined the roster of HSP sponsors during its three-decade history. More than 1,800 graduate students, mostly Latinx, have studied at the HSP under more than 100 Latinx professors. Many students now serve on the faculty or administration of institutions across the Americas, have become ministers in a variety of religious institutions throughout the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico, or become organizers, activists, or political leaders in their communities. Austin Seminary Professor Emeritus Ismáel Garcia was the second director of HSP (1999-2002).

Under the leadership of Dr. Daisy L. Machado, the HSP has been awarded a series of grants (including from the Forum for Theological Exploration and Lilly Endowment) to establish new programming and infrastructure that builds upon the historic vision and mission of the

organization. With these new funds, the HSP has been able to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving Latinx community—one that is more religiously and linguistically diverse—while ensuring that it continues its ongoing work of shaping the next generation of Latinx theological and academic leaders.

From its new home, HSP will continue highly acclaimed programs like the HSP Summer Session, HSP J-Term, Latinx Discernment Workshop, HSP Exchange, and El Semillero Workshop on Finance, Fundraising, and Development (in partnership with the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving). Exciting new initiatives include:

• launching HSP for Undergrads, a credit-granting program for undergraduate students discerning graduate-level studies

• hosting the Latinidad in the Context of Theological Education Summit to produce public materials on Latinidad and theological education.

• expanding the HSP Fellows Program which will now hire early career professionals

alongside Latinx master’s students to gain tools in nonprofit management while supporting the work of the HSP

• creating Through Hispanic Eyes @ Workshops, an initiative that will equip graduate-level faculty with tools to better serve Latinx populations

• expanding the HSP Pedagogy Workshop to equip Latinx faculty with teaching tools for graduate courses across multiple modalities

“Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is excited to partner with the Hispanic Summer Program for this next phase of service,” says Austin Seminary President José Irizarry, who served as the executive director of the Hispanic Summer Program from 2003 to 2006. “The Seminary’s proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border in a state with a Hispanic majority population makes this a natural fit for the organization’s next stage of growth. This grant will open new avenues of collaboration for the HSP and Austin Seminary as we embrace a shared mission of service to Hispanic/Latinx communities and to the diversification of scholarly sources for theological research and learning.

“We are delighted to welcome the Hispanic Summer Program to Austin Seminary as a concrete expression of our vision to widen our place,” he continued, “not only by intentionally welcoming diverse cultural and linguistic communities into this site of learning, but by deliberate engagement with the ways those voices enrich our capacity to do theological education well.” v

Two begin teaching career on the Austin Seminary faculty

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary has called The Reverend Patricia Bonilla as instructor in Christian education, effective July 1; upon the successful completion of her doctoral work at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, she will be promoted to assistant professor of Christian education. Her dissertation topic is “Anticolonial Latina Feminist Praxis: Toward a Decolonial (Re)framework of Christian Religious Education with/for Latinx Youth, A Case Study of the Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy.”

Bonilla has served in several roles with the Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy including national program director. She co-coordinated and implemented programing for a $100,000 grant from the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for the Young Clergy Initiative (2015-19). She has teaching experience with the Hispanic Summer Program and at Lexington Theological Seminary, Garrett

The Reverend Crystal Silva-McCormick (MDiv’10) began a two-year appointment as visiting instructor in evangelism and missions on July 1; she will be promoted to assistant professor upon defense of her dissertation. A native of El Paso, Texas, Silva-McCormick began her education at Lubbock Christian University. After earning her MDiv at Austin Seminary, she completed a Master of Theology degree (2016) and matriculated into the PhD program at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. With an emphasis on Christian-Muslim relations and world Christianity, her research interests include Christian Zionism, post-colonial studies of global Christianities and world mission, Latine theologies, and the intersection between colonialism, imperialism, and Western missions.

She is a Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI) Doctoral Fellow (2021-present) and has been an adjunct instructor at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (2022-present). She also has teaching experience from St. Edward’s University, Texas Lutheran University,

Seminary, and Drew University.

A native of Illinois, Rev. Bonilla received her education from Lake Forest College (BA, international relations and French), Drew University (MPh), and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Master of Arts in Christian education and PhD in Christian education and congregational studies, ABD). An ordained United Methodist (UMC) deacon, Bonilla has served churches throughout Illinois since 2005, primarily in the area of Christian education and youth and family ministries. She has served as the chair of the Hispanic/Latinx Ministries Committee of the Northern Illinois Conference of the UMC since 2019.

Among many awards and honors, she is a 2022-2023 Hispanic Theological Initiative / Lilly Dissertation Fellow and was named United Methodist Woman of Color Scholar (2018-21). Her professional affiliations include the Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana (AETH), the Association of Practical Theology (APT), and the Religious Education Association (REA, 2022). Bonilla has published in Religious Education, the official journal of the REA, Connecting Faith and Justice: Junior High Curriculum, Lectionary Year C (UMC Church and Society, 2018), and Wellsprings, A Journal of United Methodist Clergywomen (2015).

the University of Texas at El Paso, and Elmhurst College.

An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC), Silva-McCormick has served as a pastor, chaplain, director of youth ministries, and immigration advocate for congregations and hospitals in Texas and Iowa. She serves the UCC denomination as treasurer for the Colectivo de UCC Latinx Ministries (2021-present) and is the moderator for a new church plant in the Rio Grande Valley. Professional affiliations include the Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana (AETH), the American Academy of Religion (AAR), and La Comunidad AAR/ SBL. v

Scott follows up fund-raising success with Peace Corps experience

Donna Scott, vice president for Institutional Advancement, leaves her position in August to pursue a lifelong dream of volunteering with the Peace Corps. She will be stationed in Thailand for twenty-seven months, teaching English to elementary-age children.

Scott directed the Seminary’s largest ever fund-raising initiatives raising more than $57 million for capital improvements, endowing the College of Pastoral Leaders, eleven student fellowships and scholarships, and three faculty chairs. Additionally, more than $18 million was raised for annual operating expenses under her watch.

“Serving on the Institutional Advancement Board Committee for many years, it was truly amazing to witness her consistency,” says board member John Van Osdall. “Donna was even-keeled—with the planned destination in mind and her sails to the wind. Donna will be a blessing to the people she serves half-way around the world just as she has been to all of us for many years.”

During her tenure, the Advancement Office— which comprises donor, church, and alumni relations

as well as database management and marketing and communications—tightened its focus on cultivating support for the Seminary’s programs and facilities. She oversaw an expansion of the donor prospect base with the introduction of regional fund-raising events, new sustained-giving and legacy-giving plans, and a robust alumni and church relations program, along with newsletters, dedicated marketing functions, a strategic branding campaign, and a revitalized website and social media presence.

At its May meeting, the Institutional Advancement Committee of the Board presented a resolution in “praise and gratitude” for Donna’s service which said, in part, “Donna has, with the aid of the Holy Spirit and those who also love and serve the Seminary community, helped cultivate among the supporters of the Seminary a spirit of devotion and generosity without which the Seminary would not be the exceptional theological institution it is today.”

The Seminary has begun a national search to fill the vice presidency. v

The faculty hosted brunch for students during exam week in the spring.

Student Amy Nelson visits with Professor Donghyun Jeong.

The “Teaching Borderlands” conference, April 24-25, brought together new and treasured friends for this timely conversation.

10 years on Austin Seminary’s Certificate in Ministry

By Usama Malik (MDiv’20)

The last thing I ever wanted to do is preach. Guess what? That’s often what I am asked to do! So I do offer pulpit supply, and I have continued to grow because I get to learn every time I preach!

– Ann Ditty (CIM’15)

Ann Ditty regularly preaches for churches in her presbytery as well as serves in a volunteer pastoral care role in the children’s psychiatric hospital in Kansas City.

Photo by Don Buss

hortly before the launch of Austin Seminary’s Certificate in Ministry (CIM) program in the fall of 2013, then Academic Dean Allan Cole wrote, “The CIM is a response to the changing needs of churches … It is faithful to our mission as a school in service to the church to offer alternative paths to training for ministry leadership along with our master’s-level degree programs.”

Ten years later, his words still ring true for a program that has found its niche. As a program designed to equip those preparing for leadership roles in the church, the CIM was ahead of its time. Well before the COVID-19 pandemic created a push for learning into virtual modalities, the CIM was already taught primarily online in a self-paced and flexible manner, accessible by learners from all across the country.

Administered through the Office of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies, with a curriculum designed and taught almost exclusively by Austin Seminary resident faculty, the CIM program is shaped to provide a strong theological and ministerial foundation for all students. The program features a total of nine courses, seven accessed exclusively online, with the other two adding one weekend of intensive on-campus instruction and experience. Students may take as many or as few courses as they wish, but in order to earn the certificate, they must complete seven courses.

Speaking to the design of the program, The Reverend Dr. Sarah Allen (MDiv’07, DMin’19), director of ministerial formation and advanced studies, shares, “The CIM was created for folks who may be working full-time and who are only able to serve their congregations on the weekends. It provides an opportunity to those who could not participate in a master’s-level program but still seek to deepen their theological and biblical knowledge.” And, she added, the Seminary faculty who teach in the program possess a deep commitment to both the academy and the church and are committed “not just to the nurture of future ministers, but also to leaders in congregations who may or may not ever seek seminary education for ordained ministry.”

Though the program initially began with a focus on those interested in becoming Commissioned Ruling Elders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Allen noted that

it has since broadened in scope, recognizing, “there are adult learners who perhaps want a little bit more than their Christian education hour is able to provide, who want to grow deeper in their faith and expand their theological and biblical underpinnings. They may not have an interest in seeking ministry leadership, but may want to understand scripture, theology, and the church.”

In the ten years since its inception, the CIM program has continued to bring diverse cohorts of students to Austin Seminary’s physical and online classrooms, representing different geographical, denominational, and professional/vocational backgrounds. CIM alumni are enthusiastic about their time in the program and their vocational journeys afterward. Many likely never anticipated coming to seminary or completing a program such as the CIM, yet the journey opened new paths. Armel Crocker (CIM’19) of Dallas shared how, throughout his extensive career in healthcare, he “had been ministering to patients without knowing it.” Now, among a variety of involvements with his presbytery, he helps organize safe and supportive camps for LGBTQIA+ youth. Ann Ditty (CIM’15) of Kansas City, felt that she was pretty clear that theological education was not for her. “I never wanted to go to seminary and deal with all that theology stuff,” she said, and yet after retiring from her career as a social worker and sensing a call to be a chaplain, she found herself in her very first class immersed in “all that theology stuff.” Others, like Tracy Ebarb (CIM’22) from Lavon, Texas, Melinda Hunt (CIM’16) of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and Sherry Kenney (CIM’19) of Denver, Colorado—who all had extensive experience within the church—felt a strong sense of call to expand their ministries and discovered the CIM was a natural next step in discerning that call.

As they reflected on their time in the CIM program, these alumni fondly recalled a variety of meaningful experiences. The accessibility of the distance-learning program was a highlight for several. As someone who was working full-time, Tracy Ebarb said, “The program fit well—I was consulting, doing stewardship ministry, traveling a great deal, and the program—being online, self-paced, and flexible—enabled me to finally get that ministry training that I found very useful.” Similarly, Melinda Hunt, who was among the first students in the CIM program, agreed, “Distance learning worked well for me because I was still working full time and traveling a lot … I could view the lectures and do readings and coursework

Usama Malik (MDiv’20) is the program coordinator in Austin Seminary’s Student Affairs and Vocation Office, but his contributions to the Seminary, including his photography and writing for Windows, go far beyond his job description.

on my own schedule.”

For many, the on-campus experiences were most memorable. Armel Crocker recalled a Maundy Thursday service during the campus intensive: “It was the very first time that I had been involved in a Maundy Thursday service where we actually washed people’s feet … I still get goose bumps when I think about that service … it gave me a different perspective on ministering to people in a loving way.”

Commissioned Pastors /

Commissioned Ruling elders are in demand … because churches are going without pastors. People still want to meet, have fellowship, and hear the Word preached. I would highly recommend the CIM to those who feel they have a calling. And it doesn’t really matter what age they might be: 20s, 30s, 50s, 60s, or even somebody in their 70s.

– Armel Crocker (CIM’19)

Teresa Burns (CIM’16) of Pulaski, Tennessee shared, “I loved the on-campus sessions … It was such a neat experience—especially as a lot of us were coming from different parts of the country—getting to

meet the other people in the program face-to-face and work together … It was pretty powerful.”

For others, learning with the Austin Seminary faculty was the biggest highlight. Ann Ditty shared, “I now call those amazing faculty teachers ‘the superheroes’... they really valued and treated us with respect … They would share a lot about their personal lives in relation to their ministries … [and] they would ask us to share in very authentic ways … All of that really created a sense of respect for our call.” Sherry Kenney mentioned that for her, “the biggest highlight was being able to learn from the Austin Seminary professors [who were] just exceptional … The knowledge and the professionalism and the insights to be able to even just scratch the surface was a real benefit to me as a person, both in my work and as a human being.”

CIM alumni experiences were not just meaningful for the duration of their studies, but even more so within their respective ministries and personal lives. Ann Ditty says, “The last thing I ever wanted to do is preach. Guess what? That’s what often I am asked to do! So I do offer pulpit supply and I have continued to grow, because every time

Armel Crocker is a commissioned ruling elder serving small churches in Grace Presbytery

Photo by Patty Vincent

I do, I learn so much and I can share that in such an honest way that people can relate.” Teresa Burns, who worked as a part-time youth minister, said, “I really feel like it equipped me to do my job better and in my own personal life. It gave me a broader understanding of theology and where to go to find some answers to my questions and encourage my teenagers to ask some hard questions.” Melinda Hunt, who does occasional pulpit supply, said, “One of the things I began to learn was how to go a little deeper into the scripture theologically … [W]hen I prepare to preach and plan and lead worship, I want the folks out in the pews to feel like they have permission to ask questions.” Sherry Kenney mentioned, “Through my previous work with the Presbyterian Foundation I continue to be involved with the Church Financial Leadership Coach Program offered to pastors, and just having had more exposure to the Seminary—knowing more about who pastors are, where they come from, and what their education looks like—helps me be a better coach for them.” Armel Crocker adds, “It certainly gave me a crisper perception of the pastoral care that I had been doing for years without really knowing. It inspired me to cultivate my ability to be a better listener [and] just that one intimate service taught me the importance of offering that hospitality and tending not only to the body but the soul and the heart … I’m very grateful for that.”

Across the board, CIM alumni enthusiastically recommend the program, and they have been especially touched by how they had been welcomed by the Seminary as alumni and members of the Austin Seminary family. Ann Ditty said, “When we finished … we got the status forever of being alumni. Austin Seminary does embrace students and make them family. That’s who I am and it will always be a part of who I am, and for that they get a 5-star rating from me!” Sherry Kenney remarked, “I love being referred to as an Austin Seminary alumna, I do feel that connection and it’s a very positive one for me. I would recommend the CIM and theological education to anyone, without any reservations.” Teresa Burns spoke to the comprehensiveness of the program, sharing, “This is a great program. I think I would push someone in its direction who wants to deepen their walk and service in ministry … The professors and the whole process I experienced through the program was one of support; it was inclusive, it was encouraging, it was accessible. My questions, if I had any, were answered … The knowledge was just massively encouraging for me, and it is going to give you connections throughout ministry from different

Continued on page 11

The Certificado en Ministerio (CEM) is a fully virtual program intended for Spanish-speaking ministers and lay leaders who are interested in obtaining theological education. Most CEM students are currently serving in a church leadership role; a few enroll simply out of a desire to gain a deeper understanding of their faith. The program was originally designed to be the Spanish-language compliment to the English-language CIM program.

Certificado en Ministerio

by Ángel Gallardo

Currently, the CEM program has approximately twenty students. Close to 60% of our students live in the U.S.; others reside across Latin America in places such as Cuba, Columbia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Brazil (which, of course, makes scheduling synchronous sessions a breeze!). The CEM is fortunate to count on a diverse faculty—those on the Austin Seminary faculty and adjuncts who live across the country.  During the 2022-23 academic year, CEM students had the opportunity to take classes with Dr. João Chaves (mission and evangelism) and Dr. Gregory Cuéllar (Old Testament). Looking to the future, I hope to include some of the incoming Austin Seminary faculty in the teaching rotation.

In the last year, I have had conversations with representatives from local synods to explore how we might partner to better serve students who are interested in becoming commissioned ruling elders. I am encouraged by the shared commitment to equip the next generation of Spanish-speaking Christian leaders. I suspect that the demand for Spanish and bilingual theological education will increase with time, thus I am grateful to be part of a community that is ready to meet the challenges and promises that lay ahead.  v

Dr. Ángel J. Gallardo is assistant professor of church history and director of the CEM program

You know you are with special people when you feel your own faith enlivened by their company. That is how I feel leading the on-campus component of the CIM Worship and Preaching course, which I taught this past spring. More than a dozen students travelled to Austin Seminary from all over the country—Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma—and even from as far away as Brazil(!) to attend a weekend retreat where students practice leading in worship in Shelton Chapel.

At the beginning of each Worship and Preaching course, I say a prayer over the names and hope that God guides my decision in grouping them together. Without having met one another in person before, these students have to co-create a worship service together in groups of two or three. The planning takes place online over a period of a few short weeks before they come together in person for the retreat.

Teaching in the CIM

By Carolyn Helsel

A miracle seems to take place when they are together: the relationships they have formed online now bear fruit as they trust one another to try out new and innovative ways of leading worship. The prayers truly are “liturgy,” the work of the people, as these students have written their own prayers or selected favorite prayers from their home church traditions. They put into action the ideas they have been reading about for several weeks about the meaning of worship and ways of crafting liturgy.

The students come from different backgrounds and experiences of leading worship. Some are already regularly leading their small congregations as lay pastors,

preaching weekly and leading the service themselves. Some are new to this, never having led in worship before, let alone preached a sermon.

The Certificate in Ministry program is for lay people not interested in a degree program, but who want to get additional theological training. Perhaps they are on their way to becoming a commissioned ruling elder (CRE) in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), or they simply want to learn more but cannot leave their jobs to pursue theological education full-time. Some come already having earned another master’s degree at a seminary—one student this spring had a master’s in sacred music and another, in children’s ministry.

What they all have in common is a deep, abiding faith in the God who called them to this program. They are all stepping out in faith to follow the way of Jesus through a wilderness of something new—some while still working other jobs full-time, some having recently retired, some already working in the church as musicians and feeling a call to also serve as pastors.

Students in the CIM program also bring with them their love and hope for the church. They have been steeped in church ministry for decades, serving in various capacities, weathering the ups and downs of a congregation’s life together, in churches that have pastors or are without a pastor. They have lived their lives as the body of Christ as the Church in the world.

They give me hope that God is continuing to call people to serve the church in all its shapes and sizes. Some of these students are leading congregations of fewer than ten people. And those small churches will be blessed by the leadership of these students.

My faith felt renewed from our time together. Being with these students will continue to bear fruit in my own teaching: I am inspired to teach all my students to preach in ways that deepen faith and draw listeners ever closer to the God who came to be Immanuel, God with us. v

Professor Carolyn Helsel taught Worship and Preaching this spring, one of the CIM courses with an on-campus component.

Photo by Terina R. Freeman.

The Reverend Dr. Carolyn Helsel is Associate Professor in the Blair Monie Distinguished Chair in Homiletics at Austin Seminary.

parts of the country.”

Now in its tenth year, the CIM program continues to meet the needs of both a changing landscape for churches and society, preparing students in a variety of ways beyond traditional leadership roles in the church, and does so in an empowering and accessible way.

Sarah Allen notes that “Part of our work here at Austin Seminary is to equip saints for the ministry of the church—and not just those who might be in places of visible congregational leadership [but] folks in the pews— to be more biblically literate and theologically grounded. To be able to hear how God might be calling them in and of their daily lives because the learning is empowering. It is empowering for the minister to know that there

are people in the congregation to whom they can turn for support who have a depth of biblical and theological grounding. It is empowering for our churches, which subsequently become richer places where better questions get asked when we spark this curiosity.

“While this may not be a master’s-level education, students are getting a deep grounding, and that it is something they can do while working or in retirement. It is truly accessible, and the Seminary will work with you to make sure that you’re able to keep personal and professional commitments as you participate in the certificate program. Through the CIM we are equipping folks for ministry, not just traditional or parish ministry, but the ministry of life in its fullness.”

A commissioned ruling elder, Teresa Burns is ministry associate with the First Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg, Tennessee

The whole process I experienced through the program was one of support. It was inclusive. It was encouraging. It was accessible. The knowledge was just massively encouraging for me. I would push someone in this direction who wants to deepen their walk and service in ministry … You just need those tools to look at things through a different lens. This is a great program.

– Teresa Burns (CIM’16)

Photo by Emma Montgomery

Class of 2023 celebrates graduation as a first for new president and dean

Commencement

for the Class of 2023 was held on May 14, 2023, at University Presbyterian Church, Austin, bestowing degrees on forty-two graduates: eight receiving the Doctor of Ministry degree; one, the Master of Arts in Ministry Practice; one, the Master of Arts in Religion; twelve the Master of Divinity degree; and twenty, the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry. One student also earned the Master of Science in Social Work degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

The Commencement Speaker was The Reverend Carol Howard Merritt (MDiv’98), pastor of Bedford Presbyterian Church in New York. President José R. Irizarry delivered

his first Charge to the Graduates (page 16). The Reverend Keatan A. King, chair of the Seminary Board of Trustees, presided over the service and Academic Dean Margaret Aymer presented the candidates for graduation for the first time.

The Baccalaureate service was held on May 13 at University Presbyterian Church. The Reverend Dr. Andrew Zirschky, director of the MAYM degree program and research professor in youth ministry, delivered the sermon, and the Reverend Dr. Philip Browning Helsel, Associate Professor in The Nancy Taylor Williamson Distinguished Chair of Pastoral Care, presided at the Lord’s Table. v

Above: The Class of 2023; Left: Alumna Carol Howard Merritt delivers the Commencement Address, “Saved Through Water.”

Master of Divinity

Doctor of Ministry

Graduate, position, and title of doctoral project

Jeffrey Lynn Craft

Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Teague, Texas

“Do Multisensory / VAK Techniques Improve a Congregation’s Memory of Sermons?”

Jesús Juan González

Pastor, Gethsemane Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth, Texas

“Considering the Implementation of the Missional Church Movement Approach”

Albert Nejib Handal

University Chaplain, Walla Walla University, Walla Walla, Washington

“Preaching as Conversation: The Development of a Dialogical Homiletic in a University Setting”

Matthew Todd Hoffman

Director of Faith in Action Initiatives, Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center, Dallas, Texas

“Listen, Lament, and Labor: A Pandemic Theology from Those Who Worked on COVID Hospital Units”

Kenneth Evan Ramsey

Manager of CPE, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, Fort Worth, Texas

“Authority: Relational and Spiritual Understandings in Clinical Pastoral Education”

Lee Ann Nolan Rathbun

Manager of CPE, Ascension Seton, Austin, Texas

“Wisdom From Within: Learning from International ACPE Educators’ Experiences in CPE”

Joshua Samuel Robinson

Pastor, Hope Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas

“Utilizing Stories, Generous Listening, and Divine Curiosity to Create a Culture of Honoring the Sacred Other”

Gillian Elizabeth Weighton

Pastor, St Andrew Presbyterian Church, Suffolk, Virginia

“Responding to a Pandemic: The Church as a Vaccine Against the Pandemics of Trauma and Loneliness”

All doctoral projects are bound and placed in the Stitt Collection of the Mary B. and Robert J. Wright Learning and Information Center at Austin Seminary.

Graduate, denomination, and post-seminary position

Allison Woodley Angell

United Methodist Church

Chaplain Resident, Ascension Seton, Austin, Texas

Ashley Mason Brown

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Dickson Pastoral Resident, St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, New Orleans, Louisiana

Aiden Nathaniel Diaz

United Methodist Church

Director of Marketing, Q Christian

Fellowship and Interim Pastor at the Michigan Conference of the UMC

Rebecca Paulsen Edwards

United Methodist Church

Climate and Energy Fellow, Texas Impact

Samantha Reid Innanen

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Chaplain Resident, Ascension Seton Austin, Texas

Susan Anne Kerr

Nondenominational

Bradley Forrest King

United Methodist Church

Pastor, First UMC, Austin, Texas

Kathleen Elizabeth Lamoureux

United Methodist Church

Pastor of Open Table Worship/Campus

Minister at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Christy Elizabeth Martin

Episcopal Church

Divinity Hospice Chaplain, Round Rock, Texas

Allen James Roberts

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Chaplain Resident, Ascension Seton, Austin, Texas

Leslie Sinclair-Worley

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Chaplain Resident, Ascension Seton, Austin, Texas

Bis Koren Thornton

Unitarian Universalist

The Class of 2023

Master of Arts in Youth Ministry

Graduate, denomination, and post-seminary position

Camille Madeline André Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Kyra Nicole Anthony

United Methodist Church

Dalton Dakotah Baker

Nondenominational

High School Director, Grace Community Church, Tyler, Texas

Hannah Louise Bardin Episcopal Church

Director of Youth Ministry, Episcopal Church of Our Savior, Jacksonville, Florida

Abigail Rebecca Barker

United Methodist Church

Beginning MDiv degree at Austin Seminary

Sarah Jane Carlson

Episcopal Church Program Director, Camp Capers, Waring, Texas

Amber Cheyanne Cloud

United Methodist Church

Director of Youth Ministries, Trinity UMC, Huntsville, Alabama

McKenna Grace Cook

United Methodist Church

Continuing Education in London, England

Hannah Elise Cooley Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Brooke Virginia Freeman

United Methodist Church

Associate Director of Youth Ministry, Dunwoody (Georgia) UMC

Sydney Celeste Harkrider

United Methodist Church

Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, First UMC, Evanston, Illinois

Sarah Annie Johnson

Nondenominational Youth Director at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, Johnson City, Tennessee

Emma Lorraine Kastens

Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod Pursuing non-profit work

Elizabeth Daisy Miller

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Youth Minister, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Pflugerville, Texas

Frieda Analiese Mottonen

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Beginning MDiv degree at Austin Seminary

Stephanie Marie Negrón Fernández Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Kristi Darks Polster

United Methodist Church

Kids’ Pastor, Christ Church, Nashville Tennessee

Kimber Haleigh Schwartz

United Methodist Church

Hannah Minton Shelly Episcopal Church

Children and Youth Minister, Grace Episcopal Church, Paducah, Kentucky

Hannah May Vickery

United Methodist Church

Director of Youth Ministry, Healdsburg (California) Community Church UMC

The 2023 Graduate Fellowships and Awards

The following awards to graduating master’s-level students, nominated by and voted on by the faculty, were announced during Commencement on May 14.

Becca Edwards David L. Stitt Fellowship

Bis Thornton Pile-Morgan Fellowship John B. Spragens Award

Sam Innanen Janie Maxwell Morris Fellowship

Allison Angell Alsup-Frierson Fellowship for Excellence in Biblical Studies and Hermeneutics

Donald Capps Award in Pastoral Care

Allen Roberts W. P. Newell Memorial Fellowship

Aiden Diaz The Chidester Preaching Award The Rachel Henderlite Award

The Ethel Lance Human & Civil Rights Award

Hannah Shelly Hendrick-Smith Award for Mission & Evangelism

Abby Barker

Carl Kilborn Book Award

Eric White Charles L. King Preaching Award

Emma Kastens Sam O. Morris Youth Ministry Award

Ashley Brown

Max Sherman & Barbara Jordan Fellowship

Charge to the Graduates: “Leading the Dance”

By President José R. Irizarry

One of the of the first lessons you will grasp as new leaders is that long-standing traditions will set the agenda for most of your work. The leader must consciously decide which traditions can benefit from a renewing touch, which ones are worth preserving as they are for their enduring value, and which ones should be tenderly packed in small memory cases and ceremoniously archived so that you can forge new directions. And yes, let’s not be fooled, long-standing traditions do not disappear, for at the precise moment someone decides things are not going as expected, a judging hand may reach out into those cases of memory to remind you of times when things were done “the right way.”

Just a couple of weeks ago I learned that Austin Seminary’s tradition was for the president to give the charges to the graduates during the commencement ceremony. And I must confess that, initially, I hesitated. The reason I paused to interrogate this expectation was not that I lacked the interest to address you during this significant ceremony or that I found my well of practical wisdom drained, but because in a very concrete way, I recognize that we are standing on leveled ground as leaders of the church. After all, this is our first Austin Seminary graduation. I am as excited as you are about entering this new phase of ministry, thinking about the possibilities of what is to come next, knowing that what I have learned here among you and

with you will impact the church, our Christian witness, and God’s mission in the world. So in sharing my charge to you this afternoon I feel less presidential and more valedictory speaker, a peer learner who cheers you up with encouraging words because these are the words I also need as one who joins you in yet another attempt to make a difference in the places where God has called us to be.

I share my exhortations as a colleague in this vocational journey who knows first-hand how hard you worked for your degree, the personal and familial sacrifices being made to balance study and work and church commitments, and one who knows, as well as you do, how to get a free meal by attending every single lecture or event on campus. I am aware that such perseverance and ingenuity has prepared you to engage ministry in a world where those skills are of the essence in building ministerial and pastoral character. Whether you are a seasoned minister receiving a doctoral degree today, or a novice entering the ranks of ministry after receiving a master’s degree, or just a faithful servant who continues to discern a vocational path, we all share a common accountability for an unprecedented religious, cultural, and social reality—what many have termed a post-pandemic world.

And if we claim to be fully accountable, it will be difficult to accept that the leadership models, and even the theological perspectives, that promoted and

facilitated our Christian witness in the world decades ago, are equally effective to address the challenges of our time: one of uncertainty marked by public dissention, the loss of community, the normalization of prejudices, and an unconcealed disregard for nature, among other matters that exacerbate our collective anxieties.

But as a peer, I have watched you closely, I have seen the passion with which you engage the probing of this reality—in the classroom, while having table conversations at Stotts, or in hushed conversations at some corner of the Wright Learning and Information Center. I have seen you looking for the next opportunity to take to the streets or the state Capitol to voice your concerns and dreams in the face of injustice. I have seen you appreciate the ways in which your thoughts and beliefs have been reframed by some kernel of wisdom shared in class by a professor. I have seen you caring for the wellbeing of the community, raising your hand to serve when the occasion called for it, and seeking to build more character so that you can act with authenticity. That is the reason I can say with confidence that while the world has become a complex web of uncertainties, you have been adequately equipped to minister in it. You got this!

What is needed is the ability to re-frame all those passions and skills within a model of leadership that refuses to place such a healthy, smart, and passionate ego at the center of decisions that rightfully

belong to a whole community. Post-pandemic times necessitate post-heroic leadership. The quality of your leadership ought to be measured not by what you achieve as an individual, but by the knowledge you can add to communal discernment by careful observation and methodical analysis, by how you explore solutions with others, and by your ability to be fluid enough to recognize when to follow.

Years ago, philosopher Derek Sivers delivered a brief but impactful TED Talk on “How to Start a Movement.” He utilized some video footage of young people attending an outdoor concert. As the video starts you see a lone individual standing up and dancing to the beats of what I assume was rock music since no sound accompanies the video. The guy was, to say it kindly, not gifted with bodily grace. His movements were awkward and uncoordinated, but there is no denial the body was expressive of exuberant joy. In the mind of the sole dancer this was his moment, he took the risk, he saw no need to be accepted, he was not afraid

to be embarrassed before the eyes of dozens of observers who were certainly judging his skills. Yet something changed the predicament of the lone dancer. Another individual stood up and joined him, trying to mimic the steps. This first follower gave implicit permission to observers to join in, and suddenly those who were apprehensive at first understood this as an open invitation to collective joy. Suddenly the two became four, then ten, until dozens entered the dance.

We are facing a social media world where leadership and expertise are claimed by many individuals. You may find yourself in situations where your leadership will be challenged, and you will not be the one in a position to make final decisions. The message of the story is simple, do not underestimate the potential to effect change, not as the lone positional leader, but as the one who takes the risk to be the first follower.

We need to be reminded that Christian leadership cannot be disconnected from discipleship. What we do as Christian leaders is

always an act of following, and we follow one whose steps and moves make the social structures and cultural powers of this time uneasy. They are most fearful of this dance of God’s Kingdom and the inherent risk that others may join in. Therefore, be observant to the movements of the Spirit, and do not dwell in the somber corners of disparagement if you are not ready to join those movements. Analyze reality in a measured way so that you can point people to places where joy and exuberance and wonder are still possibilities in this world, for I am sure you have experienced those moments. Risk to be the first one to follow the voice of the Spirit and to join God’s dance however inconceivable it may look, for today more than ever, the message of the cross may seem like foolishness.

Be the first follower, so that others can join you even if they don’t understand the motives and rhythm of the “first mover,” as Aquinas refered to the divine. And always recognize that many who will join you will not be in sync with your moves, they will bump into you and clash with others more times than you wish or can tolerate. It is then when following Christ means rescuing the most neglected value in today’s cultural expressions of Christianity, the unconditional and unreserved love of the neighbor. To use the words author John Pavlovitz articulated with the poetic beauty of a mystic, “If the God you follow is Love, don’t be a jerk!”

May the One you have decided to follow continue to equip you and bless you for the work ahead. The heart of a new creation is beating loudly. Can you hear it? Then stand up, be the first follower, and join the dance. v

Professors publish books on love and mystery

Dr. Song-Mi Suzie Park, associate professor of Old Testament, has written her fourth book, Love in the Hebrew Bible, published by Westminster John Knox Press (WJK, 2023) this May.

One reviewer said, “Love can be sweet, beautiful, and joyous. It can also be daunting, jealous, and violent. The descriptions of love in the literature of ancient Israel are no different. In Love in the Hebrew Bible, Song-Mi Suzie Park … does not shy from the fraught complexities of these descriptions of love–by parents, siblings, friends, lovers, and God. Rather, she shows how these stories and poems portray unique ancient cultural understandings of what it means to love and be loved and how perspectives on love were intertwined with ancient Israelite conceptions of kinship, gender, and politics. Love in the Hebrew Bible is a must read for anyone interested in what the Hebrew Bible has to say about love.”

Dr. Donghyun Jeong, assistant professor of New Testament, has published his first book, Pauline Baptism among the Mysteries: Ritual Message and the Promise of Initiation (De Gruyter, 2023).

Dr. Jeong explains, “The ‘mysteries’ (or mystery cults) are the various cults that existed from Classical Greece to the Roman world in late antiquity (chronologically and geographically widespread), characterized by initiation rituals … My book seeks to answer questions such as: Why did some first-century ‘pagans’ choose to perform Christian initiation rituals? What benefits did they gain from baptism, when compared to rituals devoted to other deities in the ancient Mediterranean world? … In doing this comparative work, I seek to articulate the social realities of Pauline communities and Paul’s theology of baptism.”

Based upon his PhD dissertation, Professor Jeong’s book is intended for an academic audience. According to the publisher, this study substantiates that “Paul is an innovative interpreter of ritual who recalibrates the messages of preexisting rituals for his theological and ethical program, seeking to radically extend the implications of initiation to the embodied life of every Christ-believer. Students and scholars of New Testament, early Christianity, classics, and ritual studies will benefit from engaging this volume.”

“As a Presbyterian,” says Jeong, “I confess that ‘as a sign and seal of God’s gracious action and our grateful response, Baptism is the foundation for all Christian commitment.’ My study of early Christian baptism in the first century is a way for me to explore these theological implications in social, cultural, and historical terms. Personally, I was already attracted to things beyond human words and expressions. Although the term ‘mysteries’ and the notion of mysticism do not refer to the same thing, my study of the mysteries is partly related to my desire to explore mystic, non-linguistic aspects of religious experience.” v

Dr. Carolyn Helsel garners two new grants

Aligning with her research and teaching interests, Professor Carolyn Helsel received two grants that will enable Austin Seminary to implement projects with respect to anti-Semitism and spiritual entrepreneurship.

In the first, Dr. Helsel will research ways preachers can talk about anti-Semitism with their congregations. She plans to create videos with Rabbi Neil Blumofe, frequent Austin Seminary adjunct professor and leader of Austin’s Congregation Agudas Achim, to address some of the harmful stereotypes preachers continue to pass on unintentionally in their sermons. This program is made possible through a Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.

A grant through Princeton Seminary is designed to equip theological schools and students with tools to “inspire, equip, and lead congregations to become crucibles for ‘changemaking’ in their communities,” according to the language of the grant. As one of eleven recipients, Helsel plans to convene a small cohort of first- and second-year students interested in non-traditional ministries to develop their ideas with help from the Reverend Carrie Graham, founder of The Church Lab. This SpirEnt (Spiritual Entrepreneurs) Cohort will gather monthly over the course of eighteen months to learn ways to plan for and follow-through on their dreams for new ministry contexts. v

Professor David White retires

faculty notes |

Professor David White was the first holder of Austin Seminary’s C. Ellis and Nancy Gribble Nelson Chair in Christian Education when he began teaching in 2005. He retired in June, leaving a significant mark on the Seminary he has loved deeply.

His first book, Practicing Discernment with Youth was published just after his arrival. In subsequent years he added four more: Awakening Youth Discipleship in a Consumer Culture (Cascade, 2007, coauthored with Brian Mahan and Michael Warren), Dreamcare: A Theology of Youth, Spirit, and Vocation (Cascade, 2013), Joy: A Guide for Youth Ministry (Wesley’s Foundry Books, 2020), and Tending the Fire that Burns at the Center of the World: Beauty and the Art of Christian Formation (Wipf and Stock, 2022).

He was invited to serve as a scholar in the Theology of Joy and the Good Life project at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture; a faculty development grant on teaching diversity from the Wabash Center; and a Templeton Foundation grant exploring spoken word poetry and joy among youth. The result of each project is widely visible at Austin Seminary.

White introduced “Practicing Beloved Community Through Stories,” a

multi-year project where students (and faculty and staff) share stories about their lives and experiences—in spiritual formation groups and public events—as a way of deepening the connections within the community (2018). His experience with the Good Life project along with faculty conversations about theological aesthetics led, in part, to the “Wonder” track in the reimagined Doctor of Ministry program (2019). One of the most lasting effects he has had on Austin Seminary emerged from a conversation he shared in England with a youth ministry colleague. This led in 2016 to Austin Seminary’s partnership with the Center for Youth Ministry Training and the establishment of the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry degree. White’s advocacy for this innovative degree program has resulted in extending Austin Seminary geographically and programmatically with a near majority of our master’slevel students now studying and practicing ministry in that program. White’s many gifts and sensibilities have inspired and informed colleagues and students for nearly two decades. We will remember his Godly Play practices, his Theatre of the Oppressed demonstrations, and his guitar playing for the faculty jazz band, Faculty Meeting (in his “Straight out of Trull” T-shirt, naturally).

The fall 2023 issue of Insights (October) will include David’s final essay for Austin Seminary as well as contributions from former students, friends, and colleagues. Matt Cardona (MDiv’19) wrote, “I will always treasure the countless hours of playing, acting, improvising, and creating alongside Dr. White. Thank you for constantly reminding me that there is something magically good about the world, that we are somehow invited into it, and that beauty shows us the way.” v

Sarah Allen (DMin and CIM)wrote a youth mission curriculum for Presbyterian Camps and Conferences Association / Presbyterian Youth Workers Association. In August she will be leading a workshop and leading worship at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Denton, Texas, and participating in the Ecclesial Formation Discernment event of PC(USA) as a delegate from Mission Presbytery. In September she will keynote Westminster Presbyterian Church (Austin) All-Church Retreat and she will preach at First Presbyterian Church (Brenham, Texas) on November 12.

Margaret Aymer (academic dean) will preach at First Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth, on October 15.

More than eighty people from institutions in three countries convened April 24-25 for “Teaching Borderlands in Theological Education: Latinx Learning Reimagined” —the first Latinx conference of its kind—hosted by Gregory Cuéllar (Old Testament). The conference was supported, in part, by the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion.

Ángel Gallardo (church history) shared his paper “Slavery, Scripture, and Civil War: The Long Shadow of Baptist Missionaries in Mexico” at the Baptist Scholars International Roundtable at Christ Church at Oxford University, August 6-9, 2023. The theme for the conference was Baptists and Global Mission.

Carolyn Helsel (homiletics) was granted tenure by the board of trustees in May.

Donghyun Jeong (New Testament) serves as co-chair of a Society of Biblical Studies (SBL) program unit, “Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity.” In May he joined the editorial board for Emory Studies in Early Christianity (SBL Press).

Bobbi Kaye Jones (pastoral ministry) will be participating on September 10 in the 75th anniversary celebration for Saint John’s United Methodist Church in Austin, where she served as pastor from 2001-2008.

Ludwig Beethoven J. Noya, a PhD student at Vanderbilt University, will be an instructor in Old Testament for the 2023-24 academic year.

Melissa Wiginton (Methodist studies) is leading a cohort of Methodist clergy on a learning journey in San Antonio as part of the Texas Methodist Foundation’s Courageous Leadership Imperative. v

Keeping the Feast

In 2016, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, with funding from The Lilly Endowment Inc., founded The 787 Collective as an innovation space for ways to connect young adults and congregations. We adopted processes that start with listening to young adults and then creating spaces of trust and relationship. Twenty-seven congregations took the challenge and engaged in innovation, launching projects for healing and wholeness.

Keeping the Feast was born out of the experiences of a group in the Collective who met online during the pandemic. We offer it to you in hope that you will find sustenance for partnership in the unfolding mysteries of life with God and each other.

upcoming from Education Beyond the Walls

Scan the QR code below to read

Keeping the Feast online:

September 5 - October 3 | Specialized Training Program in Community Engagement & Ministry | How will you enter into the work God is already doing in the community you serve? Join our new year-long training program to deepen your skills in community engagement.

September 25-27 | SCRAPCE Fall Gathering - Intergenerational Worship | Online or In Person | Join the South Central Region of the Association of Partners in Christian Education (SCRAPCE) this Fall to learn from Sarah Bentley Allred about “worship for ALL AGES.” We will learn, talk, dream, and wonder about the how, why, and what of intergenerational worship.

September 26 - October 31 | Talking the Times: Finding Connection at the Edges | Online Connect with other faith-based social entrepreneurs to talk about our work and find encouragement.

October 14 | 787 Collective Workshop: Anti-Racist Creatio Divina | In Person | Join The 787 Collective for a workshop on the sacred practice of creatio divina. Haitian-American multi-disciplinary artist Carmelle Beaugelin Caldwell will guide you in somatic exercise, art-making, and reflection to deepen relationship with self, community, and the Divine. All proceeds will benefit Six Square’s mission to preserve Austin’s Black Cultural District.

NEW WEBINAR SERIES Cultivating Ideas

This year, join us online and hear some of the most compelling, fresh ideas from Austin Seminary’s faculty. On Thursdays this fall and spring, faculty will share ideas and insights they have been cultivating in teaching and writing. Come, gather seeds of scholarship to grow in your own church and community.

class notes |

1960s

Anne Simpson Pardington (MCE’64) lives in Portland, Oregon. In 1962 Anne was one of the first women to enroll in the bachelor of divinity program, but a professor who didn’t believe in women in ministry convinced her to change to the master of Christian education.

1980s

Sallie Watson (MDiv’87), general presbyter for Mission Presbytery, and husband, Paul, went to London and “had the delight of spending an afternoon with Eunice Paul! This 101-years-young woman is the wife of Robert Paul, our late beloved professor of church history.”

Terry McCandless, wife of Mickey McCandless (MDiv’88), died June 28, 2023, in San Antonio.

Karen Ann Ledger, wife of Michael Harrington (MDiv’89) died June 17, 2023, in Seattle.

1990s

Dennis Hysom (MDiv’92) retired in June 2022 as an Army chaplain. He continues to serve as the executive director of the Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies, where he endorses Presbyterian chaplains for the Veteran Affairs, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the military. He notes, “Lenora (MDiv’95) and I love living in Western North Carolina and planning the next phase of our life journey.”

Dan Darby (DMin’96) was honorably retired by the Texas Annual Conference of the UMC.

2000s

Steven Barnes (MA’00) is now pastor/head of staff at Oconee Presbyterian Church, Watkinsville, Georgia. Kailey Gray Stephens (MDiv’21) also serves that congregation as director of children and youth ministries.)

Dale Schultz (DMin’00) was

honorably retired by the Central Texas Annual Conference of the UMC. Dale served several UMC congregations in Texas, most recently St. Paul UMC, Hurst. He continues to work as a spiritual life coach, inspirational speaker, and writer.

2010s

Jane Davis (CIM’15) serves as a commissioned lay pastor for Los Angeles Heights Presbyterian, San Antonio, Texas.

Emily Beghin (MDiv’15) has been called as associate pastor for mission and pastoral care at Palms Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

Don Moore (MDiv’16) received the Harry Denman Evangelism Award, given annually by the UMC Central Texas Annual Conference. The Denman Award recognizes those whose lives exemplify the Great Commission through word and deed.

Adrienne Zermeno (MDiv’16) currently serves as pastor for First UMC, Beeville, Texas. She wrote to us, “As the UMC goes through disaffiliation battles including those in my own congregation, I’m so thankful for my education at Austin Seminary. I was a transfer student from Asbury. I’m so glad that I was pushed to have deep roots and wrestle with my understanding of who God is and what God’s call on our lives looks like.”

Jasiel Hernandez (MDiv’18) has been called as senior pastor for First Presbyterian Church, Kerrville, Texas.

Jennifer Hallberg (MDiv’19) has been called as associate pastor, Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church, Lexington, Kentucky.

2020s

Matthew Hoffman (DMin’23) is the director of Baylor Scott & White’s (Dallas, Texas) Faith in Action Initiatives. He describes this as “the humanitarian aid and medical missions arm” for the system. His role includes

overseeing the system’s spiritual care staff support, “Sacred Vocation,” and helping combat compassion fatigue and vocational burnout.

ordinations & commissions

Matthew Beach (MDiv’17) was ordained into the PC(USA) by New Covenant Presbytery on June 17, 2023. He has been called to pastor Heights Presbyterian Church, Houston. The following alumni were ordained / commissioned on June 9, 2023, by the Rio Texas Annual Conference:

Randy Knighten (MATS’18), as a deacon in full connection. Randy serves as outreach ministries pastor at St. John’s UMC, Austin.

Curt Davis (MDiv’20), as an elder in full connection. Curt has been serving at Lake Travis UMC but on July 1 began his new appointment at Pflugerville (Texas) UMC.

Jackie Freeman (MDiv’20), as an elder in full connection. Jackie is pastor at St. Luke UMC, Austin.

Jason Surdy (MDiv’20), as an elder in full connection. Jason has served First UMC, Corpus Christi but on July 1 began his new appointment at Lake Travis (Texas) UMC.

Katie Lamoureux (MDiv’23), was commissioned June 5,

2023, by the UMC Central Texas Annual Conference as a provisional member preparing for ordained ministry. Katie is pastor at First UMC, Belton. She is the daughter of Brad Slaten (MDiv’11).

in memoriam

Correction: In the spring issue we listed Seguin, Texas, as place of death for David Sebesta. While the memorial service was held in Seguin, David and Tig resided in Laurel, Mississippi, at the time of his death.

Edward Robertson (MDiv’52), June 29, 2023, Brownsville, Texas

Dwight C. West (MDiv’58), April 30, 2023, San Antonio, Texas

G. Bruce Schumacher (MDiv’63), September 21, 2017, San Diego, California

John Ed Withers (MDiv’65), May 23, 2023, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Theodore W. Roeling (MDiv’75), March 8, 2023, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

J. Steve Sidell (MDiv’78, DMin’78), February 14, 2023, Baytown, Texas

Bryan L. McDowell (MDiv’81), April 29, 2023, Shreveport, Louisiana

James R. Bruening (DMin’84), April 3, 2023, Mesa, Arizona v