Crossings Fall 2015 by Canticle

FALL 2015

A season of renewal New faculty greet throng of new students

In love with the divine How spiritual practices sustain ministry

The Rev. Winnie Gaines Scholarship honors ministry pioneer

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

Letter from the Dean It is a pleasure to greet you once again as dean and president of CDSP. It is a time of great energy here for our students, faculty and program, and for our efforts to enhance our campus and maximize its value. Speaking of ‘great energy,’ we are working on an agreement with the City of Berkeley to install solar panels on three large buildings —Shires, Parsons, and Easton. Once the panels are in place, they will constitute the largest solar installation of any seminary in the U.S. This signals three things about CDSP: we want to build greater moral accountability in our relationship to the environment and to embed this into the way we reflect and practice theological commitments; we want to be good financial stewards of the resources we are given; and we are committed to excellent theological education into the future. We are, I believe, the first Episcopal seminary to join the interfaith coalition promoting environmental stewardship. This is surely one of the great moral and spiritual concerns the next generation will face, and we have an opportunity to lead and partner with others who witness the need for transformation. I will be attending the United Nations Climate Change conference in Paris in December as an official delegate of the Episcopal Church, along with Bishop Marc Andrus and others. This is a growing edge for me, and an opportunity for the entire school. CDSP is growing in other ways, too. Our enrollment is high both in numbers of students and in the quality of character and leadership they demonstrate. The Rev. Andrew Hybl, director of recruitment and admissions, is the chief evangelist in this turnaround. The low residency summer and winter intensive program welcomed 19 new students, 16 of them in the Master of Divinity program. What a super class! And they bring a wide range of experience to their theological education. This fall we welcomed 26 new students into our residential program, who also impress us

with their strength, experience and diversity. They are prepared to make good use of this unique context that combines the ecumenical and interreligious strengths of the Graduate Theological Union, the breadth of cultural opportunities provided by the University of California, and the experience of living in an urban center like the San Francisco Bay area. Last year at this time we announced searches for four new faculty. We filled these positions on time, but more importantly, we invited fresh and exciting new talent to carry on the rich theological tradition of CDSP. In these pages and in issues to come, you will learn more about them—Professors Julián González, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Jennifer Snow, and Scott MacDougall. This year our advancement team, led by Patrick Delahunt and Laurel Johnston, has hosted events to thank friends and donors who have been so loyal to CDSP and to tell our school’s story. In that same spirit, we are grateful for your support, and we are doing our best to carry forth the excellence in theological education for which CDSP is known. We are also taking steps to refresh and redesign our campus space to make it more inviting and to make best use of our facilities. On page 7, you can read about how the Rev. Bob Rybicki, director of operations and personnel management, turned this effort into an opportunity for our students to learn about leading change in the church. I am also grateful for the teamwork and exceptional capacity of our staff and board of trustees. The relationships that we have and continue to build have increased my appreciation for every member of the staff and administration and for our trustees, who support CDSP in many ways with their fiduciary and policy oversight. This issue of Crossings narrates the story of CDSP today. I hope you will enjoy reading about our invigorating life.

Turning point

Faculty News

A season of growth begins with the arrival of new faculty and a surge in enrollment and alumni support.

Dean Mark Richardson’s series on faith and science and Professor Ruth Meyers’ new book highlight a busy season for CDSP faculty.

A space transformed Staff and students collaborate to remodel campus and learn how to lead during a time of change

“A Theology of Prayer”

Active Alums

Crossings FALL 2015

A Trailblazer’s Way Through a scholarship established with her husband, the late Rev. Winnie Gaines gives another gift to the church.

Cover photo of the CDSP faculty by Thomas Minczeski

President and Dean

At the core

The Very Rev. W. Mark Richardson, Dean and President Editorial: Canticle Communications Photography: Thomas Minczeski, Janet Vincent Design: Barbara Nishi Graphic Design Crossings is published by Church Divinity School of the Pacific 2451 Ridge Road, Berkeley, CA 94709-1211 © Church Divinity School of the Pacific, all rights reserved. For additional print copies, e-mail communications@cdsp.edu. Crossings also is published as a pdf online, at www.cdsp.edu/news/crossings, with archive copies available.

— T he V ery R ev . W. M ark R ichardson , P h D

21 A renewed focus on mission, discipleship and evangelism is the first fruit of CDSP’s revision of its curriculum.

The Rev. Suzanne Guthrie, new St. Margaret’s professor, will help students explore spiritual practices and make room for “an inner turning.”

Alumni Council convenes, Chicagoland alumni greet Louis Weil, and Robert Brooks and Eliza Linley receive honorary degrees at convocation.

We want to know what you think of our magazine. Please send your comments, story ideas and suggestions to communications@cdsp.edu

Go Green with CDSP: Email communications@cdsp.edu to subscribe to our monthly email newsletter, and stay connected on Facebook at /cdspfans, on Twitter @cdsptweets, and on Instagram @cdspstudent. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

Turning point

Faculty News

A season of growth begins with the arrival of new faculty and a surge in enrollment and alumni support.

Dean Mark Richardson’s series on faith and science and Professor Ruth Meyers’ new book highlight a busy season for CDSP faculty.

A space transformed Staff and students collaborate to remodel campus and learn how to lead during a time of change

“A Theology of Prayer”

Active Alums

Crossings FALL 2015

A Trailblazer’s Way Through a scholarship established with her husband, the late Rev. Winnie Gaines gives another gift to the church.

Cover photo of the CDSP faculty by Thomas Minczeski

President and Dean

At the core

— T he V ery R ev . W. M ark R ichardson , P h D

21 A renewed focus on mission, discipleship and evangelism is the first fruit of CDSP’s revision of its curriculum.

The Rev. Suzanne Guthrie, new St. Margaret’s professor, will help students explore spiritual practices and make room for “an inner turning.”

Alumni Council convenes, Chicagoland alumni greet Louis Weil, and Robert Brooks and Eliza Linley receive honorary degrees at convocation.

We want to know what you think of our magazine. Please send your comments, story ideas and suggestions to communications@cdsp.edu

With new faculty, increased enrollment and remodeled facilities, CDSP is a seminary on the move.

A time of

HOPE and PROMISE by

Jim Naughton

On a mid-September evening, dozens of people filled All Saints Chapel at Church Divinity School of the Pacific for the opening Eucharist of the fall semester. CDSP has celebrated the beginning of the academic year with a Eucharist for more than half a century, so while the event was rooted in tradition, the size and composition of the group assembled in the chapel made it clear that a new day has dawned. The seminary has its largest and most diverse entering classes in many years. There are 11 new students seeking the Master of Divinity and 15 more pursuing other degrees and certificates. They hail from dioceses as disparate as Ohio and Los Angeles, Massachusetts and Navajoland, and countries as culturally diverse as India, the Philippines and England. “There is so much leadership talent in this student body,” says the Very Rev. Mark Richardson, president and dean of CDSP. “A particular kind of student is coming. We are seeing people who can appreciate an urban C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Photos by Thomas Minczeski

setting, an interreligious setting and an academic setting, and who don’t need to stay within the parish gates.” As large as the current residential class is, it tells just over half the story of CDSP’s recent recruiting success. The seminary’s low-residency program—in which students spend two two-week sessions on campus each year, pursue the remainder of their studies online, and are mentored in their home faith communities—has become successful in a hurry. Launched in 2014 with an inaugural class of three students, the program now has 24 members from

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

With new faculty, increased enrollment and remodeled facilities, CDSP is a seminary on the move.

A time of

HOPE and PROMISE by

Jim Naughton

Photos by Thomas Minczeski

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Julián González

Scott MacDougall

Cynthia Moe-Lobeda

Jennifer Snow

13 dioceses, 16 of whom are studying for the Master of Divinity. In the low-residency program, students are “adding a new element to a vocation that was already there,” Richardson says. “They are being formed by the people in their own dioceses, but they also are seeing the church from a different angle, forming new relationships. It’s expanding their consciousness.” The new influx of students is being taught by a well-rounded and revitalized faculty that includes newcomers Julián González, a native of Colombia, who recently received his Ph.D. in Hebrew scripture at Southern Methodist University; Scott MacDougall, a systematic theologian who received his doctorate from Fordham University; Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, professor of Christian ethics, who taught previously at Seattle University; and Jennifer Snow, who earned her Ph.D. at Columbia University and was previously associate for discipleship ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of California. González and Moe-Lobeda hold joint appointments with Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, while Snow is CDSP’s new director of extended learning and assistant professor of practical theology. MacDougall is a visiting assistant professor of theology. The Rev. Ruth Meyers, CDSP’s academic dean, says faculty members began working together at the annual opening faculty retreat in August. “As we talked about our scholarly work and about the curriculum, we had rich conversations about the significance of the Gospel for the world today,” she says. “I’m sensing renewed energy and enthusiasm for the work of teaching and learning.” Students and faculty are not the only newcomers to CDSP. Six Episcopal Service Corps interns sponsored by the Diocese of California arrived on campus in August. During the day, interns work with organizations such as the diocese, Episcopal Community Services and Interfaith Power and Light, and in their off hours have an opportunity to participate in the life of the seminary. “We’re so delighted that the Episcopal Service Corps program has found a new home at CDSP and for the ongoing development of young adult intentional community we are exploring and birthing in the Diocese of California,” says Bishop Marc Andrus. “Their diverse backgrounds bring new perspectives to how we in the Bay Area live, and we are all continually learning from one another.”

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

All of the activity is taking place in facilities that have changed in both subtle and dramatic ways in the last year. CDSP is leasing Shires Hall on Ridge Road to the University of California at Berkley’s School of Engineering and to the Berkeley Geochronology Center. The seminary’s new front door is now at Parsons Hall on LeConte Avenue, across the street from the Graduate Theological Union. Faculty and staff offices occupy the second floor, while students live in dorm rooms on the third and fourth floors. Parsons has undergone a thorough renovation, as has Denniston Commons, which received a new white oak floor, and is now home to “conversation pits,” a small library and a television for Skyping, Google hangouts and the occasional special event, such as a Super Bowl party. “I think the changes have given people a sense of pride in the place,” says Bob Rybicki, director of operations and personnel. “I think it has led to more community formation because we have nicer spaces for people to gather. More people are eating together. There’s more mixing. It’s more supportive.” (A story on page 7 explores how Rybicki used the move from Shires and subsequent renovations to teach students about managing change.)

“I’m sensing renewed energy and enthusiasm for the work of teaching and learning.” — The Rev. Ruth Meyers

Outdoor spaces also have a new look, including potted gardens of geraniums, olive and orange trees in St. Margaret’s Courtyard and outside second floor windows at the rear of Parsons Hall. The project is led by Gyllian Davies, a senior from the Diocese of Kootenay in the southeastern corner of British Columbia. “What we are looking to create is a softening of the courtyard and a little bit of shade,” Davies says. “I am hoping to be able to prune these trees in a way that will create a nice canopy.” The renewal at CDSP extends to the ways in which students are being prepared for

CDSP students are on campus and online this year in bigger numbers than before.

ministry. Last year, Richardson and the seminary faculty began revising the curriculum to focus on the academic areas and ministry skills most essential to leading a changing church. (See column, page 20.) “The faculty began our curricular work by reflecting on and sharing with one another the core theological concepts and principles of teaching that inform all of our work,” Meyers says. “Over the past year, we’ve knit those together into key learning outcomes for the curriculum, and we honed these goals in conversations with alumni and trustees. This year we’re turning our attention to specific coursework requirements and to chapel and other aspects of formation.” CDSP’s bottom line also reflects change and growth. The seminary has just completed one of its most successful fundraising years in recent memory, raising more than $1.5 million through 1,030 individual gifts in fiscal 2015, an increase of 320 percent over the previous year. “In the last year we coordinated six regional receptions as well as a churchwide get-together at the General Convention,” says Patrick Delahunt, who joined CDSP as director of development early in 2014. “This gave us the opportunity to communicate directly to hundreds of our alumni, donors and friends. For CDSP to succeed in this economic climate, it is critical to have their support for the Annual Fund, which directly supports student scholarships.” In fiscal 2015, the seminary received more alumni gifts than it has in seven years. That momentum has continued. CDSP received twice as many gifts in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 as it received during the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. The seminary has also received a number of planned gifts totaling over $350,000, targeted for scholarships. “Many prospective students were under the impression that finances would prohibit them from studying at CDSP,” says the Rev. Andrew Hybl, director of recruitment and

Julián González

Scott MacDougall

Cynthia Moe-Lobeda

Jennifer Snow

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

“I’m sensing renewed energy and enthusiasm for the work of teaching and learning.” — The Rev. Ruth Meyers

CDSP students are on campus and online this year in bigger numbers than before.

Professor Cynthia MoeLobeda teaches a class in Christian ethics.

admissions. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors, many of those prospective students are now enrolled in their first semester here.” The incoming class includes Tamra Tucker of the Diocese of Massachusetts, who received an Excellence in Ministry scholarship. Tucker says she came to CDSP because she found it “the most stable and life-giving community that there is.” Like many CDSP students, she is excited by the opportunity to take classes through cross-registration with the other schools that make up the Graduate Theological Union. “It’s sort of like going to the source of things instead of getting an Anglican version,” Tucker says. “Rabbinical for Hebrew, Baptist for preaching. Even if I put my own Anglican spin on it, I can see what it is like to get that cultural perspective.” Joey Courtney of the Diocese of Los Angeles, recipient of a Presidential scholarship, says he is impressed by CDSP’s openness to students who want to experiment with new forms of ministry, such as working among the homeless or doing environmental work. “During the admissions process, I could talk to them very candidly about questions I had,” he says. “The other schools I talked to weren’t as proactive. … I didn’t feel like they were as interested in a seeking candidate.” CDSP’s student body is further enriched by its longstanding relationships with a number of seminaries on the Pacific Rim, including Ming Hua Theological College in Hong Kong and St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary in Quezon City, Philippines. The Rev. Stephen Ofo-ob of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines came to CDSP this fall, not long after his ordination, to earn a Master in

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Theological Studies. When he returns home, he will join the faculty at St. Andrew’s and teach liturgy. “This is my first time in the States, and I have had a lot of adjustments,” Ofo-ob says. “CDSP is a nice venue for both studying and contemplating. Whether you are faculty, a student or a newcomer, there is a sense of community, especially around the services in the chapel, but also at meals. For me, being away from home, it is good to feel that I have family here.” The global reach of the Anglican Communion is now reflected in services in All Saints Chapel. “We decided that if a lector wants to read a lesson in another language, particularly if English is not their first language, we will encourage them,” says the Rev. Ann Hallisey, who is both dean of the chapel and dean of students. “We are also announcing the Lord’s Prayer with an invitation to say it in the lan guage or translation of individual preference.” Although CDSP is in the midst of growth and change, it is, in one significant way, more stable than it has been in recent years. “Except for the non-cash item of depreciation, which we know is important and which we are addressing, we have achieved a balanced budget for the year just ended,” says Richardson, adding that CDSP is expecting to balance its budget in fiscal 2016. “This kind of financial health matters enormously. You can’t expect friends and donors to support you when your future is uncertain. But our fiscal health is there and it matches other areas of growth.” The seminary, which owns one of the rare undeveloped parcels of land near the University of California, is in a strong position as it plans for its future. CDSP, he points out, is currently working with the City of Berkeley on an agreement to install 426 solar panels on Shires, Parsons and Easton Halls. “You don’t put two-and-a-half blocks of solar energy on your campus if you don’t plan to use it,” Richardson says. “It’s amortized over 20 years, and we plan to be here to replace it.”

Practicing the Art of Change Remodeling their commons gives students insight into transforming the church by

Rebecca Wilson

When the Rev. Bob Rybicki joined the staff of CDSP in February as director of operations and personnel management, his duties included the usual complement of buildings and grounds issues, staff supervision and executive team participation. Plus, he had six months to engineer the remodeling of 3000 square feet of a campus building and move 22 faculty and staff members across a courtyard in time for classes to begin in September. “Nothing induces reason like a lack of alternatives,” says Rybicki, a former Roman Catholic priest who became an Episcopal priest in December 2014. The remodeling was prompted by an opportunity to bolster CDSP’s budget significantly and make

Photos by Thomas Minczeski

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Professor Cynthia MoeLobeda teaches a class in Christian ethics.

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Practicing the Art of Change Remodeling their commons gives students insight into transforming the church by

Rebecca Wilson

Photos by Thomas Minczeski

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

better use of its physical plant by renting space in Shires Hall, which had long been the seminary’s administrative hub, to the University of California at Berkeley. Seizing this occasion required quick work, but Rybicki wanted to slow down enough

“…in the end…it wasn’t just a refurbishment, it was a renewal of community and relationships.” — The Rev. Reed Loy

to make the renovation an opportunity for teaching CDSP students about leading a community through a substantial change. Because the building being remodeled, Parsons Hall, had previously been exclusively a student dormitory, relocating faculty and staff offices to its vacant lower floors and renovating the adjacent common space known as Denniston Refectory entailed not just a physical move, but also a culture change. “Moving faculty and admin into student housing—that’s a pretty radical change,” says Rybicki. “It needed to be holistic, and stakeholders needed to have a say and decide what they wanted to create together.” Drawing on his experience in helping non-profit social service organizations manage mergers, Rybicki invited a group of students to participate in a six-step “change process” adapted from the work of Harvard Business School professor John Kotter. “First we needed to establish the immediacy of the need to change,” says Rybicki. “That was fairly simple: like nearly all theological seminaries,

we can make use of additional revenue, and our campus, which was built for a different era, has space that we can use to generate that revenue.” The second step, he says, was to create a common vision of the project. “Students said, ‘You’re mov ing into our home, so let’s talk about how we make a space that creates a more livable community. Let’s bring people together in more viable ways.’” The Rev. Reed Loy, now assistant rector at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and assistant to the rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Portland, Maine, participated in the change process as a third-year residential MDiv student. “The renovation could have been seen as a nuts and bolts project,” says Loy. “Bob could have said, ‘We need new wood for a new floor, we need better lighting.’ That could have all been done from a soulless administrative level. Instead, Bob invested a lot of time, and we invested a lot of time. But all of that time meant that in the end when there were couch nooks and bar stools, it wasn’t just a refurbishment, it was a renewal of

Faculty and staff offices have moved from Shires to Parsons.

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

community and relationships.” For Margaret Cohea, a secondyear master of theological studies student, Rybicki’s third change process step—communicate—sealed the deal. “The most important thing is communicate, communicate, communicate. Bob did that really well, and things didn’t languish,” she says. “Then, one of the student spouses who is an architect said, ‘Oh, would you like me to draw that out for you?’ That really made us excited and gave us a new way to show what we had in mind.” Involving the student community in the renovation last year is yielding results this year, Cohea says. “Denniston is a great place where people can meet—a gathering point— and a great place to invite students from other GTU schools. It’s helping bring us together. Plus, we have a much larger incoming class this year, so we have more people here.” Rybicki credits both CDSP’s students and board of trustees with the success of the fourth step in his change process: attain small victories. “We said ‘We need hang-out

space, not super-efficient space, but hang-out space,’” Loy says. “Couch nooks with books that folks wanted to pass on. Bob said, ‘Yeah, we can do that,’ and the next thing we know, there are some couches in Denniston.” “It was picking low-hanging fruit for me to say to the trustees, ‘We can repurpose furniture to create conversation pits, we can bring bookcases down, and faculty have books they want to give to students,’” says Rybicki. “That success made it more possible to talk about finding the funds to accomplish the rest of the change.” Loy remembers the appearance of couches and bookcases, repurposed from other areas on campus, as a turning point. “There was some kind of symbol in that movement,” he says. “You know how hard it is to move a physical object in the church. It takes the work of the soul to do it.” While the conversation pits and other refectory updates became the outward and visible signs of progress, Rybicki says the fifth step—tackle larger issues—required the trustees to embrace change as enthusiastically as the students had done. Rybicki asked the board for funds to replace the wood floor in Denniston Refectory and to ensure that the dorm rooms on Parsons’ third and fourth floors would get the same paint, carpet and finishing updates as the faculty and staff offices on the second floor. “We heard from students that their children were playing on the floor and getting splinters,” he said. “That made the need very clear, and the board requested that I get quotes for a new floor.” Denniston’s new floor was installed in August, and refurbished dorm rooms awaited students when they arrived for the start of classes on September 8. “It’s a whole new attitude,” says Cohea. “Part of the administration changing buildings was that they wanted to make sure the change wasn’t just for them, but it was for the whole community. They wanted to make sure the students had something new. Just to take care of one group on campus would have left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth.” Loy agrees. “We talk about bringing all stakeholders to the table so much that it’s almost clichéd at this point,” he says. “But Bob did actually make sure that the end users were at the table early on in the decisionmaking process. Not just to be able to say

that we’ve talked to all of the stakeholders, but actually involved them. We give lip service to that, but he did it, and the rest of the administration supported him. It was slower for all of them because of it, but our input was shaping the process, not rubber stamping a preexisting process. We could keep investing ourselves.” Teresa Wakeen, now a third-year residential MDiv student and postulant from the Diocese of Michigan, agrees that the change process altered more than just furnishings and floors. “I love having faculty around,” Wakeen says. “We’re closer to each other in space, and that brings a feeling that we’re closer with each other in mission and our work

The Rev. Bob Rybicki (r), who led CDSP’s renovation, chats with the Rev. P. Don White, chair of the board of trustees, at the recent alumni convocation.

“The conversation spaces that were set up were a great learning about how we can facilitate communion with one another beyond the chapel walls.” — Teresa Wakeen

feels like it’s more connected. The conversation spaces that were set up were a great learning about how we can facilitate communion with one another beyond the chapel walls. It helps me to think about liturgical Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

“…in the end…it wasn’t just a refurbishment, it was a renewal of community and relationships.” — The Rev. Reed Loy

Faculty and staff offices have moved from Shires to Parsons.

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

The Rev. Bob Rybicki (r), who led CDSP’s renovation, chats with the Rev. P. Don White, chair of the board of trustees, at the recent alumni convocation.

“The conversation spaces that were set up were a great learning about how we can facilitate communion with one another beyond the chapel walls.” — Teresa Wakeen

Photo by Janet Vincent

Seminarians, be prepared. Suzanne Guthrie is getting ready to help you explore the depths of your prayer life.

Common areas are a more common occurrence in the remodeled Denniston Refectory.

space when we don’t have church buildings. There are ways to transform space in an affordable way and make an impact.” Six months after graduation, Loy is already applying what he learned through the change process to his parish ministry. “It’s easy for me to think I have a great curriculum planned and I’ll just tell people who volunteered to teach it what to do, but it turns out that’s not exactly an exciting invitation for people!” he says. “The most fun I’m having with teachers is when we sit down and I say, ‘We’re going to do a unit on the Word. Let’s create it together.’ It takes more time, but it has a much greater impact.” Back on campus, Rybicki says his sixth and final step—make the change process a part of the organization’s culture—is well underway. This fall, he convened a group of students to plan a second phase of change, which is likely to include drought-resistant landscaping, improved technology in Denniston Commons, and what he calls an “Episcopal presence”—possibly a labyrinth— between Shires and Parsons. “Students are saying this is dramatically different,” Rybicki says. “I talk about the steps with them all the time. But the strongest way to teach change process is to model it, to

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

be constantly listening to them and showing them that there’s no job below you.” He recently showed temporary workers how to strip a tile floor—a skill he learned in a Roman Catholic seminary. “You can do all the change processes in the world and you don’t have credibility unless you get the work done,” he says. “It’s so easy to go in your room alone and figure out how to change things all by yourself,” says Wakeen. “But to bring the people together and to do it in a way that’s really faithful to listening and staying with the process shows an embodied kind of care, a gift. You could do it another way, but it was so graceful this way. “It was what we want to see as the community of Christ.”

The Audacity of Prayer “A wise soul” invites students to spiritual exploration by

L u S ta n t o n L e ó n

“I’ve always wanted to help people fall in love more deeply with the divine,” says Guthrie, as she prepares for her spring 2016 course, Spiritual Practices, Devotions, and Praying. Guthrie clearly is excited about coming to Berkeley as CDSP’s second St. Margaret’s Visiting Professor of Women in Ministry. You can hear it in her voice, and if you could peek inside her home in Woodstock, New York, you’d see it in her dining room, which is covered with books, index cards, poster boards and sticky notes. “I’ve been having fun crafting this course because there’s an unlimited number of ways it can be done,” she says. “It’s like creating a palette of colors and textures for a painting.” It’s fun to explore how to develop and deepen spiritual practices; it is also important, Guthrie says. “Christian leaders need to have a deep spiritual practice in order to sustain themselves in the ordinary stress of ministry,” she says. “Also, the world is changing very, very fast, and I think ministers have to be ready for catastrophe. So I think it is important to develop a vibrant theology of prayer out of which to live an active life and be able to respond to people who are suffering, with empathy and compassion, even if not in words.” As she describes it, her class will explore how Christian leaders can help community members develop individual practices that deepen their

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Photo by Janet Vincent

Seminarians, be prepared. Suzanne Guthrie is getting ready to help you explore the depths of your prayer life.

Common areas are a more common occurrence in the remodeled Denniston Refectory.

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

The Audacity of Prayer “A wise soul” invites students to spiritual exploration by

L u S ta n t o n L e ó n

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

“I’ve been having fun crafting this course because there’s an unlimited number of ways it can be done. It’s like creating a palette of colors and textures for a painting.” — T h e R e v. S u z a n n e G u t h r i e

Painting by Marian Nishi

inner life and bring quiet passion and meaning to corporate worship as well as personal prayer. “I hope students will come away with their own theology of prayer and a new way of forming lots of beautiful questions,” Guthrie says. “I hope, too, that we will have a really good time playing with the questions that will be raised. “I’m frontloading the course with big questions: What is humanity in terms of time and space, evolution, consciousness, perception? What do we think we’re doing when we’re praying? How many ways can we be fooling ourselves? I’d like us all to go staggering out of the first class, humbled by the audacity of the human enterprise of prayer in light of the obvious existential problems.” She also hopes students will experience a little magic. “I love teaching because you’re shaping an environment so participants can experience magic,” Guthrie says. “Like a retreat, I hope I can structure it in a way that allows for the unexpected, and an inner turning, so that together we can come out changed in some way.” Guthrie is a writer, retreat leader and Episcopal priest. She has served as a pastor, children’s priest and Christian education consultant, as well as a chaplain at Vassar College and at Cornell University. She is the author of two books: “Grace’s Window: Entering the Seasons of Prayer” (1995); and “Praying the Hours” (2000). She also curates the weekly Soulwork Toward Sunday: Self-Guided Retreat (www.edgeofenclosure.org). Guthrie’s class dovetails with CDSP’s increased emphasis on spiritual practices to help build community and enhance the formation of both faculty and students. “Leaders of faith communities, both lay and ordained, need to be people of prayer who are growing in the knowledge and love of God,” says the Rev. Ruth Meyers, CDSP’s dean of academic affairs. “Spiritual formation helps students discern

God’s hand at work in the world— and in the church—and to participate in God’s mission in concrete ways, for example, through service or advocacy or work for justice. “As an experienced spiritual director and retreat leader, Suzanne will enable students to explore spiritual practices and learn new practices,” Meyers continued, “and she’ll help them make connections between their spiritual formation and ministry leadership. I also hope that she’ll enable faculty to think about our own spiritual practices and the spiritual life of the CDSP community

“…I hope I can structure [teaching] in a way that allows for the unexpected, and an inner turning, so that together we can come out changed in some way.” — T h e R e v. S u z a n n e G u t h r i e

in ways that will strengthen us in our work with our students.” The Rev. Ann Hallisey, CDSP’s dean of students, expects the entire CDSP community will benefit from Guthrie’s deep understanding of spiritual formation, as well as her imagination and creative gifts in theater and the arts. “The whole of her vocation has been focused on spirituality and ascetical theology,” says Hallisey, who considers Guthrie as one of her oldest and dearest friends. “She’s a wise soul and a mystic herself; I’m certain of it.” Guthrie, whose hallmarks include an easy laugh and quick sense of humor, doesn’t deny being a mystic and once said, “I like being an Episcopalian because you can be a mystic without anybody noticing.” She explained. “Our way of looking

at God is very mystical, unitive. And open. You can be an Episcopalian and engage in the Christian story and be in relationship with God in multiple ways. You can be at the outer edges of faith and still find yourself at home. There is lots of room for grow ing. A mystic is someone who perceives that everything is connected, that everything is one. Our tradition allows for all stages of maturing toward that sense of oneness.” Guthrie’s interest in mysticism began when she was 22, she says. “I went through the first of two clinical depressions, and I reasoned that I had lost my faith. During that time when I was severely depressed, I was traveling in England, and my hand was drawn to a book in a bookstore, and it was the autobiography of Teresa of Avila. “It was like a pilot light went on. It made so much sense to me. Her experience was consonant with mine. During that trip I talked to an exmother superior. She helped me to understand that the book was about prayer. And I’ve been fascinated by prayer ever since. My interest has never waned after all of these years. That was in 1973. The human act of prayer and praying has been endlessly fascinating.” What does Guthrie think is her appeal as a retreat leader and teacher? “I have no idea!” she says. “But with regard to my website, which is among hundreds of lectionary websites, I think I have a niche,” Guthrie says, “I’m interested in the mystical aspects of the text and how it fits into our lives. How does the week’s Gospel reading relate to one’s own relationship to the divine? “I think churches have not been very good about helping people learn how to think and pray. I am shocked sometimes when people who are otherwise educated think that if they pray, something narrowly specific will happen. “I think spiritual formation is a part of our culture now. People have access to Buddhist, Sufi and other practices. And many Christians fold

“So I think it is important to develop a vibrant theology of prayer out of which to live an active life and be able to respond to people who are suffering, with empathy and compassion, even if not in words.” — T h e R e v. S u z a n n e G u t h r i e

those practices into their lives. Many, many people say they are spiritual and not religious, but spiritual practices outside the context of religion seem impoverished to me.” Some CDSP students are embracing the added emphasis on prayer and spiritual life. Stephen Ofo-ob, a priest from the Philippines who is pursuing a master of theological studies degree, says he hopes it continues. “Prayer life and spiritual formation should be part and parcel of who we are,” he says. “It helps you walk through scriptures as you develop your own spirituality. It helps you read scripture so that it speaks to you.” Charlotte Wilson, a third year MDiv student who is also a spiritual director, says seminary offers the perfect place to focus on formation. “Seminary is a ripe time to do spiritual formation work because our studies often push us to consider long-held practices and beliefs from new angles,” Wilson says. “We see what holds together, and what doesn’t. It’s not uncommon for one’s faith to be completely deconstructed. At that point, we have a fresh chance to encounter the Holy, free of old assumptions and with fewer blind spots. Having trusted, loving companions to sit with us in the space between that deconstruction and the awareness of emerging, new experiences of God and faith is critical. “As a commuter student, I don’t run into my classmates in my nonacademic life in Silicon Valley,” Wilson continued, “but their loving prayer support and friendship, even from a distance, has surrounded and

upheld me in difficult times. Similarly, I’ve been able to pray for and support my CDSP friends inside and outside of class.” Christie Fleming, a second year MDiv student, says she’ll be interested to see how CDSP’s new emphasis on spiritual formation unfolds. “I think it can be challenging to some people to be intentional and open about their prayer life in a more public forum.” Fleming holds a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from the University of San Diego and served as a spiritual director for 10 years before entering seminary. “At what level can each of us share our personal stories in community and still feel safe?” Fleming asks. “My experience has been that the deeper our relationship with God, the freer we are spiritually and the easier it is for others to be around us and feel safe. Perhaps one benefit of the formation program will be that we learn how our stories can be a blessing to each other.” Guthrie’s class, Spiritual Practices, Devotions, and Praying will be offered from 2:10 to 5 pm Mondays during the Spring semester.

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Painting by Marian Nishi

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Winnie and Bob Gaines: Scholarship Honors a Lifetime of Ministry by

L u S ta n t o n L e ó n

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

Winnie Gaines wasn’t much of a churchgoer growing up, which is hard to believe, considering she became an Episcopal trailblazer. She earned her master of divinity degree from CDSP in 1978 and in 1979 became the first woman ordained a deacon in the Diocese of Northern California. In 1980 she became the diocese’s first woman ordained a priest. Skip forward a decade, and she becomes the first woman to serve as chaplain for California’s state senate. As Winnie said last summer, “Just call me if you need a first.” Her husband, Bob, 89, wasn’t terribly faithful growing up, either, and wasn’t bap tized until he was nearly 20. He, too, went on to lengthy service in the church as a lay leader and decision maker at a long list of Episcopal institutions. Winnie and Bob have ensured that their love and commitment to their faith and CDSP will be manifest long beyond their lifetimes.

Winnie, who was 86 years old when she died in September 2015, would have been one of the first to admit that her faith continued to grow throughout her lifetime. The most recent example of the couple’s faithfulness to the church is their $100,000 challenge gift to CDSP to create The Winnie Gaines Scholarship to be awarded yearly to a seminarian from the C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Diocese of Northern California. With that gift, Winnie and Bob have ensured that their love and commitment to their faith and CDSP will be manifest long beyond their lifetimes. Last summer, Bob and Winnie talked about their faith, their love of CDSP, and two events that changed the course of their lives. For Winnie, it was losing a daughter. “She was an Episcopalian all her life, but she was not a very strong Episcopalian,” Bob says of Winnie—and Winnie confirmed. “When we got married I had to drag her to church. But then we lost a daughter and it really turned her life around. We have five children, but we had six. Our daughter (Mary Louise) died at age one and a half. “That brought Winnie to her knees and changed her life. She started going to church,” Bob says softly. “So something good came from something very bad.” For Bob, it was World War II. “I was in the Air Force during World War II. I was a tail gunner on a B-17 and I flew 35 missions; one was over Berlin on my 19th

birthday,” Bob recalls. “I really had the same kind of experience as Winnie, where I needed something, something more. My mother was an Episcopalian, but I had never been baptized. I came home on leave, and I went down to All Souls Church, Berkeley, and got baptized; I took my brother with me.” Through the church and their faith, both Winnie and Bob found the strength they sought.

“I wanted to learn more,” she said, “And the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn.” Bob, who is unapologetically proud of his wife, says it took tremendous perseverance for Winnie to earn her MDiv in 1978. “Margaret, our youngest of five, was in college, so the kids were pretty well grown,” Bob says. “It was quite a feat because we live an hour and a half away from the seminary. Winnie was restricted to going two

Winnie’s Road to Seminary Winnie’s family arrived in California during the Civil War era. She said her grandfather came from Germany, sailed around Cape Horn and landed in San Francisco. “He ended up taking machinery for the miners to use,” Winnie said last summer. “They’d come back with a load of gold from the mines. That’s how we got here. Then, he had so much money, he bought land at 50 cents an acre, all the way from Roseville to the Sacramento River. He raised sheep and wheat. The wool was used to make uniforms for those who were fighting the Civil War.” Winnie was a student at the University of California, Berkeley, when she met Bob. Bob loves to tell the story. “I was in a fraternity at Cal, and I was the bartender at a party we had,” Bob says. “She came with a friend of mine, but he had laryngitis, so I talked to her all night. She was in the Kappa house so a friend of mine from Berkeley arranged a date for us. And that’s how we met.” Winnie was a pre-med student and graduated in 1950 magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She and Bob were married in 1951 at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Sacramento, and she didn’t pursue a career in medicine, she said, because she needed to stay home and take care of Mary Louise, noting “there was no hospice then.” Years later, when four of their five children were grown, Winnie decided to attend classes at CDSP.

days a week because of the drive. She would get in the car and go down, and she’d record whatever was said in class and then she’d listen to it again on the way home. She’s a smart, determined person.” Things were quite different at CDSP during those years. Winnie said she was taking classes at the seminary when the first women were irregularly ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1974. Two years later the Episcopal Church authorized the ordination of women “There weren’t many women then at CDSP,” Winnie said. “I spent the night when we were studying Greek in the summer, and I was the

The Rev. Winnie and Bob Gaines with their daughters, Margaret Gaines Hutchinson (left) and Clare Gaines Andrews.

Bob’s service to the church spans from local to global.

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Winnie and Bob Gaines: Scholarship Honors a Lifetime of Ministry by

L u S ta n t o n L e ó n

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

The Rev. Winnie and Bob Gaines with their daughters, Margaret Gaines Hutchinson (left) and Clare Gaines Andrews.

Bob’s service to the church spans from local to global.

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

only woman on the floor. I had to get up early and get my shower first. “It was a lot of fun. I was just going to seminary to explore. Most of the professors were accepting of women. I enjoyed my time there.” After seminary, Winnie earned a master’s degree in counseling from the University of San Francisco in 1982, and in 2000 CDSP awarded her an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. She served as a chaplain for 10 years at Mercy San Juan Hospital and Hospice before serving as canon pastor at Trinity Cathedral from 1989 to 2002, when she became canon for visitation, a position she held until her retirement in 2013. In 1990, when Winnie was 62 and working at Trinity Cathedral, she was asked to serve as chaplain to the California State Senate, a position she held for two years and that included leading the Senate in prayer at the beginning of each session. When she was appointed, she told a newspaper reporter that she didn’t know if saying a short prayer would accomplish very much, “but I’m looking forward to trying.” Asked what she has enjoyed the most in her ordained ministry, she replied, “I loved chaplaincy, no matter where the people were. Unfortunately, I’ve had a stroke and can’t do it anymore. For a long time I did it

whether or not I was on the payroll. The death of one of our daughters really made me aware of the importance of ministry.” Bob says Winnie “had a wonderful ministry as a pastor. One of the things we’ve had at Trinity Cathedral that she was largely responsible for is the Stephen Ministry program, which is people going out and visiting and ministering to others. We had some 60 people involved in it at one time. It really was the defining ministry of her career.”

Bob’s Devotion to Lay Ministry Although Winnie was the one with the clerical collar, Bob’s life has been equally devoted to serving God and the church. He has done well in business, first in insurance and then with his walnut orchards. He was founder of Gaines Insurance agency in Roseville, California, a company now headed by his son and daughterin-law, California State Senator Ted Gaines and California Assemblywoman Beth Gaines. Winnie and Bob’s other four children are Clare Gaines Andrews of Carmichael, Margaret Gaines Hutchinson of Granite Bay, Bob Gaines, Jr. of Chico, and Peter Gaines of Modesto. Bob’s service to the church spans from local to global. He is a long-time

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

member of Trinity Cathedral, where he has served on the vestry and as senior warden. Bob also has served as chairman of CDSP’s board of trustees and as a trustee for the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, and he is a member of CDSP’s Gibbs Society for planned giving. In 1980 CDSP awarded Bob an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. On the diocesan level, Bob has served as chair of the endowment fund for the Diocese of Northern California, and he’s been elected numerous times as a deputy to the Episcopal Church’s General Convention. He served on the Advisory Council of the Episcopal Church Foundation and as vice chairman of the wider church’s Board for Theological Education. He also served on the Hispanic Scholarship Trust Fund and was on Executive Council from 1979 to 1985. Even that lengthy list probably leaves out some of Bob’s churchrelated activities, but it’s a pretty good indication of where his heart is. Which brings the story back around to Winnie and Bob’s love of CDSP and their gift that will benefit so many. “I think the atmosphere of the place is just excellent,” Bob said of CDSP. “One of the things that makes it unusual is the Graduate Theological Union, which is an outstanding ecumenical effort among the seminaries. We have eight schools that have gotten together … Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists and Unitarians. It’s a grand mix. “Fortunately CDSP has a very fine faculty, beautiful campus, so that is very attractive. And academically it is very good. I’m sold on it, it’s a great school. I hope our gift encourages others to give.”

Faculty News

President Mark Richardson presented “Science and the Spiritual Quest,” a three-week series at All Souls Episcopal Parish in Berkeley that explores assumptions we hold about the relationship between contemporary science and long-held beliefs in the Christian tradition. In April, Academic Dean Ruth Meyers gave a forum at CDSP on her new book, “Missional Worship, Worshipful Mission,” which was published by Williams B. Eerdmans in November. The forum, convened by Dean Richardson, included Professor Susanna Singer and Professor Jennifer Davidson of American Baptist Seminary of the West. The book was reviewed by the Church Times in July. Meyers led a spring clergy conference for the Diocese of Oregon on “The Beauty of Holiness: Weaving a New Tapestry of Liturgy and Mission.” She also contributed to “Inclusive Marriage Services: A Wedding Sourcebook,” published by Westminster John Knox in October, and has been appointed to the Episcopal Church’s Task Force on the Study of Marriage. In April, Professor Singer gave the theme address to a Gathering of Leaders in San Mateo. She has been appointed to chair the General Convention Task Force on Clergy Leadership in Small Churches. Professor Jennifer Snow’s essay, “Immigration and Asian American Religion,” recently appeared in “Asian American Religious Cultures,” published by ABC-CLIO. Professor George Emblom’s article “Musical Formation at Church Divinity School of the Pacific” was published in the April issue of The Journal of the Anglican Association of Musicians. He has recently been reelected as sub-dean elect/sub-dean of the San Francisco Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). In July, Emblom performed a joint organ recital with his husband, Jonathan Dimmock, in Muri Abbey in Switzerland. Professor Emeritus L. William Countryman has a new blog, titled “Bill Countryman Talks About...” Find the blog at www. billcountryman.com. Visiting Assistant Professor Scott MacDougall is the author of “More Than Communion: Imagining an Eschatological Ecclesiology,” published in May by Bloomsbury. He was recently interviewed on the Homebrewed Christianity podcast At the October 2015 PNEUMA conference at Bishop’s Ranch, Professor Singer presented a workshop called “Lifelong Christian Formation: Becoming a Helicopter Pilot;” Professor Snow served on the leadership team as the workshop coordinator, recruiting and supporting leaders for 17 workshops and leading the closing Open Space workshop; and MDiv student Br. Brendan Williams, OSB presented a workshop called “Preferring Nothing to the Love of Christ: Prayer, Quietude, and the Balanced Life-a Benedictine Perspective.” Snow will co-chair the planning team for the 2016 conference.

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Faculty News

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Our Active Alums

The Rev. Katharine Flexer ’97 was installed as the 11th rector of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, a 207year old Episcopal church. She is the first woman to hold the position. The Rev. Peter Fones ’05 has been called to serve as the interim vicar at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Waldport, Oregon, and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Newport, Oregon. The Rev. Terri Hobart ’14 has been called as rector at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Woodland, California. The Rev. Reagan Humber ’12 is the new pastor of the House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, working alongside Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber.

The Rev. James Richardson ’00 has been called as priest-in-charge of Church of the Incarnation in Santa Rosa, California.

The Rev. Shannon Kelly ’99 has been named the Episcopal Church’s missioner for campus and young adult ministries. 18

The Rev. Reed Loy ’15 has been called as assistant rector at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and assistant to the rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Portland, Maine.

The Rev. Debbie Royals ’05 became vicar of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Holbrook, Arizona, on March 1.

The Rev. Salying Wong ’05, has been called to serve as the rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sunnyvale, California.

St. Francis’ Episcopal Church in Fortuna, California, has dedicated a new window in memory of its long-time rector, the Rev. Ken Samuelson ’49.

Clemence Yanke-Ngijoe ’10, MTS has published a book of poetry titled “Gratitude: An Act of Love and Humility.”

Above: In September, Professor Emeritus Louis Weil hosted a day of reflection on September 14, Holy Cross Day, for clergy and lay leaders in the Diocese of Chicago. Pictured: The Rev. Dr. Weil with CDSP graduates serving in the Diocese of Chicago. (L-R) Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, ’97, Dominic J. Barrington, ’95, Andrea Wight ’03, Louis Weil, Emily Mellott ’05, James McKnight, ’99, David Gibbons ’94.

Below: On October 8, CDSP held its annual alumni convocation in All Saints Chapel. The Rev. Dennis Tierney ’02 preached at the service, and the Rev. Canon Robert J. Brooks ’73, Dr. Ronald C. Johnson and the Rev. Eliza Linley ’90 were awarded honorary degrees.

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

The Rev. Randy Knutson ’11 has been called as priest-in-charge at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church and pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA), both in Ft. Bragg, California.

The Rev. Matthew Seddon ’12 has been called as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas.

The Rev. Barbara Miller ’14 has been called as rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Paso Robles, California. The Rev. Timothy D. Raasch ’84 has been called as rector of Grace Episcopal Church in St. George, Utah. The Rev. Brian Rebholtz ’11 has been called as priest-in-charge of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Auburn, California.

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Our Active Alums

The Rev. James Richardson ’00 has been called as priest-in-charge of Church of the Incarnation in Santa Rosa, California.

The Rev. Shannon Kelly ’99 has been named the Episcopal Church’s missioner for campus and young adult ministries. 18

The Rev. Debbie Royals ’05 became vicar of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Holbrook, Arizona, on March 1.

The Rev. Salying Wong ’05, has been called to serve as the rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sunnyvale, California.

St. Francis’ Episcopal Church in Fortuna, California, has dedicated a new window in memory of its long-time rector, the Rev. Ken Samuelson ’49.

Clemence Yanke-Ngijoe ’10, MTS has published a book of poetry titled “Gratitude: An Act of Love and Humility.”

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

The Rev. Randy Knutson ’11 has been called as priest-in-charge at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church and pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA), both in Ft. Bragg, California.

The Rev. Matthew Seddon ’12 has been called as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas.

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

Mission. Discipleship. Evangelism. by the

Rev. Ruth Meyers, Academic Dean

When the CDSP faculty began a year ago to reimagine our core Master of Divinity program, our conversations turned again and again to these three core concepts, each deeply rooted in Christian tradition and vital for the church in the 21st century. Mission. In the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion, we talk about mission much more than we did when I was in seminary thirty years ago. We’re beginning to understand the church as a community of faith en gaged in mission, which takes place both locally and globally. The church participates in God’s mission by pro claiming and enacting God’s love for the world. The MDiv curriculum will not only enable graduates to articulate a theological understanding of mission, but to respond creatively and compassionately to present-day needs and challenges in the world and in the church.

In October, the CDSP Alumni Council met during Alumni Convocation The Rev. Dr. Brian Grieves ’72 The Rev. Laurel Johnston ’06 (Director of Alumni Affairs) The Rev. Dr. Dennis Tierney ’02 The Rev. Dr. Dina Ferguson ’08 The Rev. Kate Lewis ’02 The Rev. Canon Lynell Walker ’96 Lauren Lukason ’14

In Memoriam The Rev. Karen Johanns ’06 died on August 31. The Rev. David E. Knight ’58 died in June. The Rev. James G. Leovy ’56 died in February.

(not pictured) The Rev. Sherman Hesselgrave ’85 Rhian Alice Jeong ’13 The Rev. Anne Smith ’10 The Rev. Sarah Quinney ’15 (class representative)

The Rev. Ralph Edwin Parks ’62 died in November. James Cary Smith ’02 died on July 24. The Rev. Winston Lee Shaw ’92 died in June. Marian Nishi (1915-2015) died in September and her service was held in All Saints Chapel. She was the widow of the Rev. Dr. Shunji F. Nishi ’44, ’85, professor of philosophical theology at CDSP from 1959-1985. May light perpetual shine upon them.

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Discipleship. For generations, teaching and learning at CDSP has taken place in a community of worship, prayer, and service. As we renew our curriculum, these core Christian prac tices continue. Through intentional spiritual disciplines, students at CDSP grow in their ability to gather and form Christian community and in their ability to call those communities to join God’s mission of reconciliation, justice, and mercy. Evangelism. Episcopalians have historically shied away from speaking boldly about evangelism. Today we recognize more clearly the need to articulate and embody the good news of God in Jesus Christ within the

church and in our pluralistic world. The revised curriculum will help students to develop their ability to communicate the transforming power of the gospel in their daily lives, and to encourage the communities they lead to do the same. With mission, discipleship, and evangelism at the heart of our curriculum, CDSP will foster students’ skills in critical reflection, contextual analysis, and public conversation, so that they can minister effectively in our quickly changing world. Critical reflection. It is not enough to impart knowledge about Scripture, Christian history, theology, ethics, and worship. Leaders in the church also need to be able to think critically, that is, to analyze scripture and Christian tradition in order to imagine their im plications for Christian practice today. We will continue to give particular attention to this essential discipline and help students see its importance for their ministry. Contextual analysis. Our Anglican heritage includes a sensitivity to con text. In 1549, the first Book of Common Prayer in English was issued so that people could understand what was being said in worship. Two and a half centuries later, when the Episcopal Church was formed in the United States, our forebears claimed

the freedom to adapt the English Book of Common Prayer to local circumstances. Ministry today occurs in a context of cultural and religious pluralism. Demographers predict that by 2040, no single racial or ethnic group, including white Euro-Americans, will be in the majority in the US. CDSP’s curriculum will help students read their context and build communities of faith responsive to the needs and concerns of their neighborhoods. Public conversation. Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple is reported to have said that the church is the only society that exists for those who are not its members. At CDSP, we have been asking how our students can be prepared to lead public conversation, bringing the gospel to our changing world. The curricular emphases on mission and evangelism turn us outward, to the world. Students will learn the skills of community organizing not only to build up their congregations but also to lead them in fostering conversations that listen to the wisdom outside the church and offer the good news of Jesus to a world hungry for a word of hope. Our revised MDiv curriculum is ambitious. As we continue our commitments to academic excellence, spiritual formation, and skills for ministry, we are introducing new emphases on mission, discipleship and evangelism. Our goal is to equip students to lead the church in participating in God’s mission, forming Christian disciples, and proclaiming the Gospel.

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

Photo by Thomas Minczeski

Mission. Discipleship. Evangelism. by the

Rev. Ruth Meyers, Academic Dean

In Memoriam The Rev. Karen Johanns ’06 died on August 31. The Rev. David E. Knight ’58 died in June. The Rev. James G. Leovy ’56 died in February.

(not pictured) The Rev. Sherman Hesselgrave ’85 Rhian Alice Jeong ’13 The Rev. Anne Smith ’10 The Rev. Sarah Quinney ’15 (class representative)

C R O S S I N G S Fall 2015 • Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Church Divinity School of the Pacific • Fall 2015 C R O S S I N G S

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