Bethel Southwest Spring 2011

From Navy to Ministry Page 2

From Karate to Spiritual Formation Page 2

BethelSouthwest www.bethel.edu Spring 2011

Opening the Resources of Bethel Seminary San Diego to All Friends of Bethel University in the Southwest U.S.

Arlene Coleman: Continuing a Legacy of Support

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ormer missionary to Ethiopia Arlene Coleman grew up in a Christian home, but by age 21 she had become an agnostic. “Having to test if these things were really true is why I became a missionary,” she says. Now she is a cheerleader for Bethel Seminary’s global mission program in San Diego.

After finishing her education at Moody and the

University of Minnesota, Coleman set off for Ethiopia in 1954. Her training was in public health and her ministry was to start clinics in three towns with no medical services. For two years, she lived on a dirt floor – quite a challenge in heavy rain, she remembers – but she enjoyed every minute of it. “I loved to talk to people about Jesus and see their lives changed.”

Bethel: An Evangelical Haven

DEAN’S CORNER

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n just a few short weeks, Bethel Seminary San Diego will celebrate its 32nd commencement exercises. A recordbreaking sum of 46 students, along with their families and loved ones, will enjoy this significant milestone in their Christian pilgrimage and ministry.

Although we will miss having them as John R. Lillis part of the active Bethel family, we are excited about the potential that each one represents for kingdom impact throughout the world.

The Class of 2011 reflects the overall composition of Bethel Seminary – diverse in age, ethnicity, education, ministry background, and Christian tradition. With students from more than 20 major Christian denominations, as well as many different independent movements and agencies, Bethel Seminary San Diego is known in Southern California as an evangelical haven for biblically orthodox theological reflection and education. Students know they will receive a quality education that respects both their individuality and their Christian traditions. Read on for a glimpse of how Bethel makes that happen. •

Those memories are what fuel her love for building up the next generation of missionaries.

Coleman traces her history with Bethel Seminary back to Minnesota when her father collected food goods from farmers to help Bethel students who didn’t have sufficient resources. Today her heart is connected with Bethel Seminary San Diego through the influence of Cliff Strom, a friend since 1947. “He pushed to start Bethel Seminary at College Avenue Baptist Church,” she recalls, “and it was his enthusiasm for what could happen through a seminary that shaped my vision.”

Also influential were Bethel legends Virgil Olson and Cliff

Anderson, who shared what she calls “a global vision for the lost.”

“Bethel Seminary San Diego was brave enough to start a global mission program,” she observes. “You are the only guys who speak the language I “You are like to hear!”

Thank you the only Arlene. We guys who may not be speak the the only ones, but we need language you to keep I like to cheering us hear!” on.

To help support Bethel Seminary San Diego programs or contribute to our Annual Fund, contact Mark Pearsey at 760.214.8372. •

Arlene Coleman

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Seminarians Speak to the Uniqueness of Bethel Seminary San Diego

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ean John Lillis, who serves with the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools, notes that “Few seminaries marry both scholarship and community the way Bethel Seminary San Diego does.” Mark Rantz, Master of Arts (Theological Studies) student, echoes that sentiment.

“Unique at Bethel, compared to other theological seminaries, is the strength of diversity within a profoundly biblical context,” he says. “Some seminaries reflect only one point of view, denomination, or form of polity. Among the greatest strengths of Bethel is that Bethel professors teach from various viewpoints, yet in none of them is the integrity of God’s holy Word compromised.”

Master of Divinity student Dan Vandewarker notes that, “Bethel professors are not out to recreate themselves and their beliefs in their students, but rather to help shape people who are able to think for themselves and to engage a changing world with biblical relevance and truth.”

Students also credit Bethel professors with expanding their educational horizons beyond the walls of the classroom to embrace and dialog with the community at large. “What has most impacted me during my time at Bethel has been the time that I have spent with my professors outside of the classroom,” Vandewarker observes. “The professors aren’t just teachers; they are also actively engaged in ministry alongside their students.”

One might say Bethel Seminary San Diego is more an evangelical haven than an ivory tower. “Bethel is a community,” says Professor of Marital and Family Therapy Keith Olson, Ph.D., “professors, students, and staff who recognize we are all a part of the family of God and His community, and we are growing each other.”

To find out how to enroll in classes and join the Bethel Seminary San Diego community, contact Caleb Hummel at 619.325.5233. •

A Single-Minded Diversity

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ethel Seminary has a 140-year history of educating men and women for service in a variety of churches and ministry agencies throughout the world.

Even as partner seminary for Converge Worldwide congregations, Bethel in San Diego is the seminary of choice for students representing more than two dozen different denominations.

“Bethel Seminary has become a safe place for men and women studying for ordination in various traditions,” says Dean and Executive Officer John Lillis. “Nowhere is this more apparent than in the strong partnerships we have with denominations like the Presbyterian (PCUSA) and Anglican (ACNA) churches throughout Southern California.”

Father Larry Eddingfield (M.Div. ’02) serves as associate rector of Christ the King Anglican Church in San Diego.

Prior to coming to Bethel, Eddingfield spent 31 years in the Navy, most recently charged with atsea training for all surface forces in the Pacific Fleet. When it came time to prepare for Anglican priest-

hood, his choice was clear. “Bethel is a place where the Holy Spirit is alive and well, the Word of God is preached, and there is a real sense of community,” he testifies.

Community was a key factor when Taeler Morgan (M.Div. ’10) chose Bethel Seminary. “When I came to Bethel, I felt at home,” remembers the former karate instructor. Morgan serves as associate pastor of spiritual formation and mission at University Place Presbyterian Church in University Place, Wash., expanding the impact of Bethel all Taeler Morgan the way up the west coast. “The relationships I formed at Bethel prepared me in ways I couldn’t have anticipated,” she says.

There is no cookie-cutter version of a Bethel Seminary San Diego student.

Our students and alumni alike represent a great diversity of races, genders, and denominations, but one thing they share in common is a deep desire to see a world transformed by the liberating power of the gospel. •

Larry Eddingfield

Bethel Seminary Seeks Accreditation Comments

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ethel Seminary, a school of Bethel University, is seeking comments from the public about its educational programs in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its accrediting agencies.

Bethel Seminary will receive a required 10-year comprehensive evaluation visit Oct. 17-19, 2011, by teams representing The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association of Theological Schools.

Bethel Seminary’s current accreditation by both organizations is at the doctoral degree level and includes degree sites at various locations nationally. The teams will review institutional compliance with the criteria and standards of both organizations.

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Comments must: • address substantive matters related to Bethel Seminary’s quality and/or academic programs; • be in writing and signed; • be mailed to: The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413, and/or Accreditation Comments, Bethel Seminary, 3949 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112; • include your name and address; and • be submitted by Sept. 15, 2011.

Comments may also be offered electronically at hlcommission.org under the link “File Third Party Comments” and/or to gotnews@bethel.edu. •

Faculty Footnotes

Left: Existing structure. Right: Architect’s rendering of addition’s possible appearance.

Building Permit Granted for Addition and Renovation

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he city of San Diego recently issued a building permit that allows Bethel Seminary San Diego to begin construction of an addition and renovation of its existing facilities. The structure that was on the site of the expansion has been demolished, and construction must begin within 180 days from March 30. Bethel must secure the final $2.5 million in gifts, pledges, and other commitments in order to authorize work on the $6.8 million project by the end of September.

“We are very excited by the potential of the Bethel Seminary San Diego project and for the opportunity to bring God glory. This addition and renovation will allow us to do just that, by increasing the number of people to whom we can deliver Christ-centered, transformational education,” says Bethel President Jay Barnes. “It will also offer an improved learning environment for our current students and enhanced facilities for greater service to the community.”

The project includes a two-story, 14,500-square-foot addition and a 6,800-square-foot renovation allowing for a 380- to 400-seat chapel and conference center, additional classroom spaces, offices, and an expanded student center.

“In addition to serving a larger student body, this new and remodeled space can be used as a center for spiritual renewal for the community,” notes Dean John Lillis.

“It will allow Bethel Seminary to resource the broader evangelical community of San Diego in new ways by creating a venue for summits, workshops, and weddings.”

Look for future updates on the project. •

James D. Smith III, Ph.D., professor of church history, wrote “Baptism: A Brief History” for Baptist World; contributed “Calvary Remembered: 1975-1985” to Glimpses of Grace, a history of the 136-year-old Boston church he once pastored, celebrating its Diamond Anniversary on the present site; and taught “Eras and Pioneers of the World Christian Movement” for Perspectives courses offered in San Diego and Tijuana (Youth with a Mission Mexico).

Pamela Powell, D.Min., faculty associate for pastoral care, attended “A Leadership Consultation” in Orlando, Fla., in April, a consultative meeting of 600 U.S. leaders following up the III Lausanne Congress in Cape Town South Africa which she attended in October 2010. At the Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association 72nd Annual Clinical Conference in May, she delivered the keynote address “The Susceptible Soul” in keeping with the conference theme “Soul Care.”

Arnell Motz, D.Min., director of missional education, delivered the keynote address for a denominational leaders conference on multicultural churches at ACTS Seminaries, Trinity Western University, Vancouver, BC. His theme: “Building Effective Multiethnic Congregations.”

III Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization

by Pamela Baker Powell

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erhaps you’re like me, at times imagining the vivid scenes portrayed in Revelation with all the faithful peoples of the world gathered around the Throne of the Lamb praising God. Some would say that attending the III Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization, October 17-24, 2010, in Cape Town, South Africa, was a bit like that.

There were people from almost every nation – 198 countries represented by 4,200 invited participants, global and national ministry leaders, and academics. I was honored to represent Bethel along with President Jay Barnes, and delighted to share the experience with my daughter, a participant professor and

delegate from Wheaton.

Many know that the Lausanne Congress began in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1973; continued in 1989 in Manila; and then in 2010 in Cape Town.

The movement originated in the Edinburgh Missionary Conference of 1910.

The Cape Town Congress featured an international array of speakers who presented Bible study and addressed global and continental issues under the theme of 2 Cor. 5:19, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.”

Returning to Bethel Seminary San Diego to teach the Diversity and Unity class, I was enriched by offering to the students on the opening day these –3–

words from General Secretary of the Bible Society of Egypt Ramez Attallah, as he spoke at Cape Town: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood – people are not our enemies. It would revolutionize the way we look at life if we stopped looking at people as our enemies….The church’s real battle is against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age….This cosmic battle is a cosmic matter, and the armor of God is our spiritual equipment that moves us forward to victory.”

The work of Lausanne III continues now with national gatherings. The U.S. gathering in Orlando, Fla., was held April 4-7, 2011 – and I wasn’t going to miss it for the world! •

CALENDAR OF EVENTS May

June

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11 32nd Annual Commencement Ceremony, 10 a.m., College Avenue Baptist Church, 4747 College Avenue, San Diego.

Reception to follow across the street at Bethel Seminary.

Distinguished Lecturer Series with Ben Patterson, M.Div., on “The Case for Prayer: Why We Must Pray and Why We Don’t.” 7-9 p.m., Bethel Seminary Chapel. Free public lect- ure and discussion. RSVP to Shannon Vandewarker by May 10 at 619.325.5225 or shannon-vandewarker@bethel.edu.

Distinguished Lecturer Series continues with Ben Patterson, M.Div., on “Fighting the Good Fight.” Noon2 p.m., Bethel Seminary Chapel. Luncheon and lecture: $15 for pastors and laypersons, $10 for students.

Register with Shannon Vandewarker by May 10 at 619.325.5225 or shannon-vandewarker@bethel.edu.

Distinguished Lecturer Series continues with Ben Patter- son, M.Div., on “The Power and Pleasure of Praying the Psalms.” 7-9 p.m., Bethel Seminary Chapel. Free public lecture and discussion. RSVP to Shannon Vandewarker by May 10 at 619.325.5225 or shannon-vandewarker@bethel. edu.

Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) gathering featuring Kim Sandstrom, Bethel MFT student and bereavement counselor at San Diego Hospice, and Kassandra Sandstrom, San Diego social media consultant and business communications student at Point Loma Nazarene University, on “Therapy and Social Media – An Ethical Approach to Navigating New Media Personally and Professionally.” 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Bethel Seminary Chapel. $5 for therapists, $3 for graduate students, interns, and alumni. For details or to register, contact Laura Simpson at 619.325.5226 or lcs53974@bethel.edu.

July

19 Bethel Preview Night. Considering seminary? Here’s your chance to find out more! RSVP to JoAnn Wilmer at

619.325.5218.

August

20 New Student Orientation, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mandatory

for all new students. Students watch for details to come by

mail.

September

19 Fall Quarter begins, classes resume.

Celebrate the Class of 2011!

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ou are invited to the 32nd Annual Commencement Ceremony of Bethel Seminary San Diego at 10 a.m.

Saturday, June 11, in the sanctuary of College Avenue Baptist Church, 4747 College Avenue in San Diego. The Class of 2011 is our largest ever, so join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of these amazing women and men.

Dean and Vice President David Ridder will deliver the commencement address, and a reception for family and friends of the graduates will follow at the seminary immediately after the ceremony. •

seminary.bethel.edu/sandiego Bethel Seminary San Diego 6116 Arosa Street San Diego, CA 92115

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