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the Gospel to India. And the Ethiopian eunuch, who was converted through the ministry of Philip (Acts 8:26ff ), took the Gospel home to East Africa. One of the remarkable things about the Church over the centuries is that God’s people have been called to translate the Good News of Jesus into different times, places, and cultures O n e o f t h e c o u r s e s I have enjoyed teaching without losing the central message. The Church in every place here at Columbia is titled “Emerging Models of looked different, but the people served the same Lord. Church Life.” As an exploration of everything from Yes, context is important to all of us—the physical context the “new monasticism” to the “internet church,” where we learn and teach, the community context where we it’s a way of helping students see that these days love and serve, and the church and society contexts in which we the Church is changing as rapidly as the world. are called to lead. As Columbia nurtures and prepares men and Some denominations are shrinking while others women for the many ministries of Christ and are expanding. The center of the global Christian One of the remarkable things the leadership of the church, we, too, must take church has moved from the northern hemisphere about the Church over the to the southern hemisphere. Styles of worship vary centuries is that God’s people context seriously. First, we must take seriously the context from which students are coming widely (even within single denominations) from have been called to translate (their backgrounds, church experiences, and life indigenous folk expressions to ancient liturgies. the Good News of Jesus situation). Second, we must take seriously the Truth is, this is a course that aims to help students into different times, places, context of the global church. We need to help and cultures without losing understand that today’s Church is happening in an the central message. The future pastors, lay leaders, missionaries, educators, infinite number of contexts, including some that Church in every place looked and so on move into a diversity of church cultures were unimaginable just a few years ago. different, but the people and contexts. Third, we need to prepare leaders One of the primary characteristics of Christian served the same Lord. who imaginatively, lovingly and courageously will faith is that it is centered on the person of Jesus move into changing societies with the truth of the Gospel and the Christ, and Jesus always takes context seriously. Just look at the power of the Holy Spirit. different ways that he dealt with individuals when he walked on this Columbia has always been about context, and as we continue earth—from Nicodemus, the religious leader who came to Jesus with that tradition, we’re grateful that you are part of that work. a question late one night (John 3), to the demon-possessed man in the region of Gerasenes (Mark 5)—from his ministry among peasants in the Galilee and Samaria regions, to his preaching in the Temple in the capital city of Jerusalem. After Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, God’s people began to take the Gospel of Jesus into even more diverse contexts. Paul pioneered work to the Greek world. Thomas, it is said, took
Van tag e Vol. 101, No. 2, Winter/Spring 2010 Published quarterly by Columbia Theological Seminary Periodicals postage paid at Decatur, GA Circulation: 12,000 Edito r Genie Hambrick Assista n t E d i to r s Cinda Gillilan ’10 (MATS) Laura Neely ’11 Desig n Lucy Ke Photo g r ap h y Ed i to r Ben Beasley ’10 Cont r i b u to r s David Bailey ’82 (DMin) Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81 David Cameron ’82 Kim Clayton ’84/’08 (DMin) Sydne Check ’10 Pam Cottrell
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Sue Crannell ’05 Sarah Erickson ’03 Robert Gamble ’82 (DMin) Jarred Hammet ’85 Steve Hayner Charles Heyward, Sr. ’88/’94 (DMin) Scott Hill ’11 Stanley Leary Doug MacMillan Linda Morningstar ’98 (MATS) Elizabeth Orth Oxford University Press Chris Paton Barbara Poe Jody Sauls Lauren Scharstein ’11 Sandra Taylor Gregor Turk
Joyfully,
S t e v e H ay n e r
Cov e r G r e g o r T u r k Urban Flash Cards Wax-oil rubbings 5" x 5" each In Urban Flash Cards, Atlanta artist Gregor Turk focuses on fragments of raised imagery (logos, insignia, etc.) and surface designs found on bronze plaques, sewer grates and other cast-metal objects found in the urban environment. Elsewhere in this publication are images of Mr. Turk’s convex ceramic tables from Series X, inspired by his experience as a participant in the Middle East Travel Seminar. Measuring 14" x 14" x 4", each tablet serves as a meditation on center points and intersecting lines. In January of 2010, Mr. Turk gave a lecture and a tour of public art in the city of Atlanta to Columbia students participating in the Alternative Context course based in the inner-city.
A b o u t t h e a rt i s t www.gregorturk.com Gregor Turk is an Atlanta native. He received his BA from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, and his MFA from Boston University. Between degrees he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia, West Africa. Utilizing a variety of media, his work typically incorporates mapping imagery. His 49th Parallel Project, which was exhibited internationally, focused on the 1,270-mile section of the U.S./Canadian border which he traveled by foot and bicycle in 1992. He has completed several public art commissions including a permanent installation at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
c r e ating strong new pastors
Columbia’s New Leadership Initiative
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o l u m b i a h a s l a u n ch e d t h e N e w L e a d e r sh i p I n i t i at i v e
to encourage students to serve year-long, full-time internships following their second year of seminary. Students selected to participate will receive a salary during the internship and a scholarship for their senior year on campus. “Our goal,” says Kim Clayton, director of contextual education, “is to help students spend more time practicing ministry before they graduate. They will be immersed in theology-in-context as they are mentored by pastors with proven skills in congregational leadership. Then they return to campus to integrate that experience with the third year of academic work.” The first intern selected for the New Leadership Initiative will practice ministry during the 2010-2011 academic year with congregations led by two Columbia graduates. They are David Bailey ’82 (DMin), Central Presbyterian Church, Anderson, SC; and Annette Graham ’98, Good Hope Presbyterian Church, Iva, SC. “The New Leadership Initiative is an exciting way for Columbia to engage in teaching partnerships with congregations and presbyteries,” says President Steve Hayner. “Together we are creating a new generation of resilient, strong, faithful leaders for Christ’s church.” V For information about Columbia’s New Leadership Initiative, please contact Kim Clayton (claytonk@ctsnet.edu, or 404.687.4518).
The Seven Pillars of Creation Ne w b o o k b y P ro f e s s o r W i l l i a m P. B row n
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P. B r ow n , p r o f e ss o r o f O l d T e s ta m e n t , is the author of The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of Wonder, released this month by Oxford University Press. Adapted from the announcement on the publisher’s website (www.oup.com), here is some of what is in store in Dr. Brown’s new book. illiam
In their fight against “soulless science,” creationists champion a view of creation so narrow that it is decidedly unbiblical. At the other extreme, certain scientists condemn religion as the enemy of knowledge and progress. As a result, many people of faith feel forced to choose between the theory of evolution and the Bible’s story of creation. But which biblical story are we talking about? Dr. Brown shows that no fewer than seven different biblical perspectives on creation can be identified, each saying something profound about the created order. He espouses a new, ecologically responsible way of reading the Bible in light of current scientific knowledge. Both scientific inquiry and theological reflection, according to Brown, are driven by a sense of wonder, which “unites the scientist and the psalmist.” His own wonder at the beauty and complexity of the created world is evident throughout this intelligent, well-written, and inspirational book. V A Review “ Fresh, generative work at the interface of faith and science requires a scholar of uncommon erudition and acute interpretive sensibility, who can boldly make connections and remain resilient in the face of demanding data. Bill Brown is precisely that interpreter, who here provides what will be a defining benchmark in our ongoing work in ‘faith and science.’ Readers will be dazzled by his range and depth of discernment. This book is an inviting challenge to people of faith and practitioners of science—to all who find the interface a source of wonder beyond curiosity.” — Wa lt e r Bru e g g e m a n n, Professor Emeritus, Columbia Theological Seminary
The Seven Pillars of Creation is available now in the seminary bookstore. To order, e-mail bookstore@ctsnet.edu, or call 404.687.4550. To read more reviews, see Vantage Online at http://vantage.ctsnet.edu VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010 3
Colloquium 2010 A n In v i tat ion for C olumbia’s A lumni/ae
O ne C hurch , O ne H ope , O ne L ord T h e I n a u g u r at i o n
of
S t e ph e n A. H ay n e r as Ninth President of the Seminary
April 12–13, 2010 All Columbia alumni/ae are invited to join in celebration, in fellowship, and in thought-provoking conversations about the future of Christ’s church and Columbia’s mission in the 21st century.
I n a u g u r a l E v e n t s M o n d ay , A p r i l 1 2 Alumni/ae Reunion and Awards Dinner 5:30 pm Worship Service 7:30 pm Preacher: D av i d B a rt l e t t , Distinguished Professor of New Testament Music: S t e v e S way n e , Associate Professor of Music, Dartmouth University
T u e s d ay , A p r i l 1 3
R e u n i o n C l a ss e s 2009 • 2005 • 2000 • 1995 • 1990 • 1985 • 1980 1975 • 1970 • 1965 • 1960 • 1959 & earlier Please return the reply card you receive with your printed invitation no later than March 22, 2010. For information, please contact Barbara Poe at 404.687.4566, or PoeB@CTSnet.edu.
Inauguration Service 10:00 am Luncheon 12:30 pm Symposium* 2:30 pm “The Future of Christ’s Church and Columbia’s Mission in the 21st Century” Moderator: L a n e A l d e r m a n ’ 8 0 (DMin) Pastor, Roswell Presbyterian Church
Library launches new archives online catalog
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at Columbia Theological Seminary provides public access to records of archival holdings relating to Southern Presbyterian history. The holdings, part of the Special Collections and Archives of the seminary’s John Bulow Campbell Library, include records of more than 800 congregations, 500 individuals, and 80 presbyteries. Formerly located at the Presbyterian Historical Society in Montreat, NC, the records were transferred to Columbia in 2007. The archives include primarily materials from the Southern Stream of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and its predecessor bodies. The Southern Stream is identified as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Virginia. At present the archives online catalog contains records for about half of the materials transferred from Montreat, with more records being added regularly. Legacy-finding aids are attached to the catalog records when available. While books and periodicals are not included, they can be searched through CALVIN, the library’s online catalog. V n e w a r ch i v e s o n l i n e c ata l o g
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Among thousands of items in the seminary’s archives are those that capture everyday life of Presbyterians in the nineteenth century. (Right) sermon notes from G. B. Bracken of Charleston, SC; (left) report of the building committee of Columbia Theological Seminary (rope for the well was listed in expenses reported for May 1, 1877 – May 1, 1878).
To access the archives online catalog, go to http://www.ctsnet.edu/Library/ArchivesOnlineCatalog.aspx.
CALVIN, the library’s online catalog is at http://web2.ctsnet.edu.
For additional information please contact archivist Chris Paton at 404.687.4628 or archives@ctsnet.edu.
contextual education for ministry by Kim Clayton ’84 / ’08 (DMin) Director of Contextual Education
It was early June of 1981 when I arrived as the new summer intern
We want to help our students gain practical experience, but these days we also want them to learn to be resilient and imaginative as they work with laypeople in leading the church into a new, changed, and changing landscape.
at First Presbyterian Church, Auburn, AL. My supervising pastor, the Reverend Coy Franklin, helped me settle into my little office and then said, “I want you to know that I am here for you whenever you need me, but I will not be looking over your shoulder every moment.” I was grateful for the trust implied in his statement, especially since I was young and inexperienced and not even sure whether I was called to ministry in a congregation at all. I sat down at my new desk in this new church and thought, “Now what do I do?” That is the question many a seminarian has asked when beginning an internship. Figuring out what to do (and how to do it) is exactly what supervised ministry courses are all about here at Columbia. And, while we have a new name, the Office of Contextual Education, the intent of this part of our curriculum hasn’t changed all that much from 1981 to 2010. Contextual education helps students integrate what they are learning in the classroom with hands-on experiences in various contexts of ministry. Our students have always been required to engage in one congregation-based internship. Last year, the faculty voted to require an additional contextual education course. Many students do a C. P. E. (Clinical Pastoral Education) internship, often in a hospital setting. Others intern in non-profit organizations. Students work full-time in the summer or part-time during the academic year. We are also developing partnerships with presbyteries to offer yearlong, paid congregation-based internships. Columbia students practice ministry in local contexts, or go somewhere else in the country, and some even go across the world. In each setting, though, we work hard to find a supervisor who will model faithfulness, integrity and “best practices.” Often, one’s supervisor becomes a mentor for life. What I learned from watching Coy and working with him that summer gave me a sense of what kind of pastor I hoped always to be. Students today go out to get experience in the same things I did long ago: preaching, teaching, visiting in homes and hospitals, praying and leading worship, working with children and youth and all ages of adults, too. They want to learn how committees work, how mission shapes the life of people, and what to do during the baptism when the baby cries louder than the pastor can speak. Those who work in agencies concerned with justice, the environment, and meeting basic human needs learn how to engage in acts of compassion while working on systemic change. They learn how organizations function and how to write grants and ask for money and how to advocate on behalf of others. But some things have changed since 1981. The church has become more diverse, and ministry has become increasingly complex. More pastors drop out of ministry within the first five years than used to be the case. The need for mentoring has never been more acute. We want to help our students gain practical experience, but these days we also want them to learn to be resilient and imaginative as they work with laypeople in leading the church into a new, changed, and changing landscape. We hope that in every contextual education opportunity, students will have a clearer sense of call and a better understanding of the vocation that will become their life’s work. By the time I left Auburn, AL, that summer, I knew that I loved parish ministry. And it is a joy now to see a new generation learning to love and understand ministry today in a variety of contexts I couldn’t have imagined years ago. V VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010 5
context How An Internship Began My Practice of Ministry by David J. Bailey ’82 (DMin)
Entering Columbia Theological Seminary in the summer of 1978, I had a firm foundation
Unlimited Mulligans
Gregor Turk, Series X
David Bailey in a tee-shirt provided for him to wear in the dunking booth at the children’s fall festival. He says, “That’s another thing they don’t tell you about at seminary!”
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for graduate theological studies. At Davidson College, I had taken Hebrew, Greek, and a lot of Old Testament, and I had learned to write. And, having grown up in the manse, a “p.k.” [preacher’s kid], I had been a regular participant in Sunday School, worship, youth group, summer church camp, and various retreats. In spite of these advantages—perhaps because of my “insider’s Physicians practice knowledge”—I was keenly aware that I lacked experience and medicine, and expertise in the practical aspects of ministry. I needed time out of attorneys, the law, the academic setting to work in a church, so I was happy to have yet we pastors the opportunity for a year-long internship. As it turned out, that say that we “do” year between my second and third in seminary was one of the most ministry. Ministry is valuable experiences of my life. a practice, too, that Bethpage Presbyterian Church, in the country just outside continues through Kannapolis, NC, was the setting for my internship, and Dr. Ken an entire career and Meeks, my supervising pastor. Now the executive presbyter of lifetime—and through Northeast Georgia Presbytery, Ken included me in every aspect of God’s grace there is, church life. I participated still, the occasional in committee and session mulligan. meetings. I preached once a month, taught Sunday School, worked with the youth group and Vacation Bible School, and designed and conducted the confirmation class for that year. I visited in homes and hospitals, both with and without Ken, and participated in funerals. I met regularly with Ken and with a committee formed to give me support and encouragement as well as constructive criticism and feedback. The people in the church knew I was a student and that they weren’t stuck with me forever, so they could laugh off my mistakes. It was like playing a round of golf with unlimited mulligans! Mid-year, I returned to the seminary for a week to share experiences and learning with other students who were doing internships. We could see that our internships were helping us bridge the gap between classroom learning and ministry in the church. Internships do allow seminary students to practice ministry, but since my own experience at the Bethpage church, I’ve come to wonder why we drop the word “practice” after we graduate. Physicians practice medicine, and attorneys, the law, yet we pastors say that we “do” ministry. Ministry is a practice, too, that continues through an entire career and lifetime—and through God’s grace there is, still, the occasional mulligan. V David Bailey is pastor of Central Presbyterian Church, Anderson, SC. As part of the New Leadership Initiative, he and his congregation, along with Annette Graham ’98 and Good Hope Presbyterian Church. will provide the settings and supervision for a year-long seminary internship. For more information about the New Leadership Initiative, see page 3.
context From: Lauren Scharstein Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 7:44 AM Subject: November update
Greetings to you all. I have been back in Kenya for a little more than two months now. My time here has felt both strange and familiar, as I have gotten reacquainted with the sights, sounds, smells, foods, and customs of this place. I have joyfully eaten again ugali, fresh mangoes and nyama choma, patiently (most of the time) relearned the techniques for hand-washing my clothes in a soap-filled bucket, and laughingly attempted to join those dancing around me in worship. The past two months have begun a busy and Spirit-filled journey, and I have been blessed by amazing people and opportunities: I have preached my first sermon, participated in a wedding, led worship at the All Africa Council of Churches, helped baptize 17 babies (in one service), visited schools and hospitals, and taken countless cups of chai. Whenever I think that I should be in a hurry to get somewhere or do something, I am reminded to sit down and take some tea first. This past Sunday morning, I arrived at church ready to preach in the English worship service, but I needed to print out my sermon notes. I found the pastor, and after exchanging greetings, he asked if I had taken breakfast. “Well, kind of, but I can eat something later.” I responded. “Sit down and take some tea; then we will go,” he said. There was no arguing with him, so I sat down, and by the time we had finished our tea, worship was beginning. I took a deep breath, and we made our way to the sanctuary. The sermon was probably better without the notes anyway. A large part of my calling and service here involves taking the time to listen to the voices of the people I encounter. It means letting myself be shaped and challenged by perspectives and experiences different than my own. One particular moment that I would like to share with you all occurred during an Elder training workshop in Kiambu parish. The pastor was giving a presentation on Presbyterian polity and the reasons that we have elders who lead the church. He explained to the new session members, “If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, we go together.” I have thought back to this statement many times when I sit and take tea, when I spend half an afternoon waiting for someone, or when worship services last well beyond three hours because so many people are given a chance to speak, sing, or pray. We go together. It is a belief embodied by both the church and community: we eat together; we take tea together; we pray together; sometimes we move at a frustratingly slow pace, but we move together. We take the time to listen and connect with one another because we need each other. We discern the way forward together, because the Wisdom of the gathered community is greater than that of any one individual. The Spirit lives and moves among us when we bring together all of our gifts, voices, and experiences. As I continue to learn, grow, and serve here, I am thankful for all of the support, encouragement, cards, emails, and prayers that I have received from you. It is a gift to be a part of such a loving community.... Grace and peace, Lauren For stories and photos, see Lauren’s blog at http://www.laurenscharstein@blogspot.com
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Lauren Scharstein ’11 with Martin Mwangi Ndirangu ’08 (ThM) and Elders in Kiambu parish, where he is pastor. (Above) Lauren with the Reverend Mwangi Ndirangu’s daughter, Abigail; his niece, Muthoni; and a friend, Faith.
We discern the way forward together, because the Wisdom of the gathered community is greater than that of any one individual. The Spirit lives and moves among us when we bring together all of our gifts, voices, and experiences. VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010 7
context 300 children
The estimated who live on the streets of Odessa are like puddles of mercury.
Risen Indeed!
A Post-Easter Adventure in the Ukraine
by David Cameron ’82
The Way Home, a shelter and outreach organization serving homeless children, calls it
Street children of Odessa: (top) Roma; (above) Tanya and Vika, holding a cloth for sniffing glue, their arms covered with self-inflicted cut marks. (Right) David Cameron ’82 in the “Social Patrol” van.
8 VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010
their “Social Patrol.” It’s a daily circuit through the streets of Odessa, Ukraine, looking for boys and girls who live in crawl spaces, vacant buildings, and abandoned cars. In the van there are seven of us including Robert Gamble ’82, who lives in Odessa, and me, in search of a post-Easter adventure in April 2009. We carry a big pot of soup from a local monastery, loaves of bread, and a first aid kit. The primary goal this day is to locate some or all of 11 children who were living in the crawl space under an apartment building until local police ran them off. The estimated 300 children who live on the streets of Odessa are like puddles of mercury. When prodded, they skitter away, disappearing and reappearing, often near one of the city’s several McDonald’s where patrons come and go with pockets full of spare change. Robert Gamble resigned his position as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Daytona Beach in 2006 and came to Odessa in October of that year with permission to labor outside the bounds of Central Florida Presbytery. He came as the director of This Child Here, a 501C3 non-profit fund raising organization he began after spending part of a sabbatical in Odessa. His goal—to seek solutions to the problem of street kids in Ukraine by cooperating with organizations such as The Way Home.
Children paying the price of social and economic confusion: (left) Artur sniffs glue below an embankment; (right) Roma grins, surrounded by the trash of an abandoned building where street children like him and Sasha (below) have made a home.
Odessa seems a vibrant city on the surface even in these difficult economic times. Full of youthful energy and hopeful possibilities, it is an attractive destination on the Black Sea. But Ukraine, like other former Soviet block countries, still suffers the unintended consequences of the rapid unraveling of the Soviet system. The collapse of the Soviet Union left a social and economic vacuum. Rushing in to fill the vacuum was a raw sort of free market that brought welcome opportunity to some, but bewildering confusion for others. With families often victims of that confusion, children are paying the price. On the Eastern Orthodox calendar, Easter came a week later in 2009 than in the west, so I celebrate the holiday a second time. I wake up to a sunny morning, and Robert teaches me to say in Russian, “Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.” I keep practicing through breakfast but go blank when the preacher for the day says to the congregation, “Christos vas cras!” Argh! I had it! On the tip of my tongue! Three seconds too late I remember the response, “Va eestino vas cras!” After church we grab lunch and ride to The Way Home on one of their crazy little busses that jars your bones as they bounce along the downtown cobblestone streets. We walk into the courtyard to find several of the residents hanging around enjoying the warm spring weather. Thirteen-year-old Ruslan with the ever-ready smile is the first to shout, “Christos vas cras!” This time I’m primed for it. “Va eestino vas cras!” I call back. I surprise them, I think. I look at the children gathered there in the sunshine, and I want to tell them all that they are worthy of being cared for; tell them that all of God’s children deserve a home, but I don’t have the language for it. Then I think of the words I do know, and I say them under my breath, a barely audible prayer. “Christos vas cras,” I say. “Va eestino vas cras.” V
Learn more about Robert Gamble’s ministry at www.thischildhere.org. For the latest news see http://robert-gamble.blogspot.com and to meet other volunteers, go to http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group. php?gid=70264935896&ref=nf.
Robert Gamble ’82 (DMin) hunkers down to speak with two of Odessa’s street children.
VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010 9
context Tools for the Trade
Contextual Education
by Scott Hill ’11
Seminary undoubtedly generates vigorous interrogative development of historically appreciative and contextually astute theology that facilitates development of emerging hermeneutical approaches that can most effectively cultivate different homiletic styles for use in sundry parish frameworks. Huh? What was that middle part? Twenty-five cent academic words aside, the education I am getting at Columbia Theological Seminary has given me new and exciting tools for the trade. I felt from day one that coming to Columbia would ultimately lead me back to parish ministry. But how does that look on the ground? How do I use all those twenty-five cent theological words that I have learned? Supervised ministry didn’t answer all my questions, but it sure put a focus on what that ministry might look like and what these new shiny tools are really for. My wife and I both have lived in rural communities and feel most drawn to serving in these areas. I focused on the supervised ministry as an opportunity to explore that context further. I wanted to see if this really fit. I applied for, and was accepted to, a yoked calling in rural South Carolina with the Saint “...it doesn’t matter if you get Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Hemingway and the Indiantown Presbyterian Church near Stuckey. the worship service just right. I came at the whole aspect of preaching and liturgy cold. I’m not saying I hadn’t been trained on You just keep loving us.” campus. I had never however preached before a real live congregation, in the wild so to speak. Starting out with the prayers and liturgies on Sundays, I was painfully bad. I stammered and stuttered and shook and sweated my way through. But even though I forgot large pieces of the liturgy, no one seemed to mind. During the week, I would go see members and their family at home, or in the hospital, or perhaps even in assisted living homes. As I would bounce along the back roads of Williamsburg County, in a borrowed 20-year-old fading blue Tercel, this labyrinth of county roads gave me time to meditate. Winding in and out of black water swamps and neatly rowed cotton fields, I methodically worked my way down the visitation list the pastor gave me. The whole time I wondered, “What else am I supposed to be doing? Is this really it?” When I finally did arrive at someone’s house, I always found myself spending a little more time with each person than anticipated. After a bone jarring cross-country voyage, I found myself more open to an extended sojourn and a chance to spend more time getting to know these folks. Turns out these wonderfully real folks were exactly “what else I was supposed to be doing”… just being with them. Just being with them and all their quirks, loves, desires, and needs. One of the revered church matrons told me about six weeks through the internship “Scott, bless your heart, it doesn’t matter if you get all the 10 VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010 worship service just right. You just keep loving us. We can forgive a whole host of warts. Just love us.”
Series X
This is the reason that God called me to that place. To learn to be. Bless my heart. To be present to help “feed His sheep.” At seminary, we learn all these techniques. We learn all these things to do. We are cautioned about all these things not to do, avoid getting entangled in politics, avoid misconduct, and avoid impropriety. And yes, all of these things were there, in both congregations. Some of the folks I served as an intern even showed me some of their secrets, some of their hurts, and some of their problems in their relationships. They weren’t perfect, and of course neither was I. They were loving, and so was I. The most important parts of my summer revolved around learning how to be with and for these people, God’s people. Just be. To learn why indeed I was there. Learning what I should be, not what I shouldn’t. I’m still wrestling with “just being” one day at a time. It turns out that most of the lessons weren’t even about me. There were also lessons that involved my whole family. My wife was able to get a feel for the rhythm of life in small churches. She also learned from the pastor’s wife how to begin to set boundaries for herself, her family, and for me. She affirmed that her identity did not depend on my identity in the church. I think there is a lesson somewhere in that. I was busy learning and stammering and stuttering and shaking and sweating my way through. My wife, she was affirmed. One of my boys, who has resisted my change of career from forest ranger to pastor, even had an insight because of the internship this summer. Our last week in Stuckey he and I were sitting on the front porch after dark, listening to the spring peepers sing out amongst the cypress trees. He leaned over to me in the porch swing, put his arms around me and said “Daddy, it’s okay if you need to be a pastor. You’re still my Daddy first.” One summer amongst God’s children serving as a pastoral intern certainly didn’t answer all my questions. It did, however, affirm several things for me, in a very short time. I left Decatur as a seminary student trying to discern if I was called by God to ministry. I returned a pastor trying to discern how God is going to shape this call to ministry within me, and for my family. As a family, we came away sure that we are called into the fulltime work of vocational ministry. As for the mechanics and liturgy of worship, I did get better over the course of the internship. I have actually come to love the act of preaching. I still love all the shiny tools Columbia is helping me develop. Serving as a pastor, loving God’s people, and just being there with them is what I am really called for and why I am getting these new tools. The supervised ministry truly galvanized all that for me this summer. V
T h e C o l u m b i a An n ua l F u n d Spr i n g 2 0 1 0 P h o n at h o n Ma r c h 1 – 1 1 • 7 : 0 0 – 9 : 0 0 P.M. ( ET)
Columbia is calling! St u d e n t s at wo r k f o r Th e A n n ua l F u n d Last
fa l l ,
27 students committed t i m e —after class—to make calls during one of Columbia’s twice-a-year Annual Fund Claudia Aguilar ’12 Phonathons. As is often the case during the required training for phonathon callers, several confessed that they were a little reluctant to make calls, yet all acknowledged that the experience would be a valuable part of their preparation for congregational leadership: just like a seminary, congregations need funds for mission and operations. Over the course of eight evenings in October, Wylie Hughes ’10 with mounting enthusiasm, the students contacted more than 1,500 alumni/ae, former faculty and staff members, and friends of Columbia—all of whom believe, just as the students do, in the church’s mission to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to a world in need of God’s abiding love. From those calls, more than $50,000 was pledged to Dawn Martin ’12 Dorothy Lott ’12 Columbia’s Annual Fund! After a phonathon, every student caller has stories of affirming conversations. They hear words of encouragement and advice. They hear donors express joy in giving! And students come away filled with gratitude for the gifts and for the opportunity to extend personal thanks to members of an extended seminary community that provides financial support for theological education. If you haven’t made a gift to Rebecca Wallace ’12 James McKinstry IV ’10 the Columbia Annual Fund, we ask you to send one today using the enclosed envelope. Your gift, whatever the size, is an investment in leadership for the church’s future. And every gift is an affirmation of a student’s call Neill McKay ’11 to ministry in Christ’s church. V VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010 11
context by Charles C. Heyward, Sr. ’88 / ’94 (DMin)
Going from the Calvin Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA, in May 1996, to the St. James Presbyterian Church of Charleston, SC, was truly a significant change in ministry context for me. Philadelphia had as its backdrop the birth of colonial America, Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, the Liberty Bell, a center of American businesses, ole political fire-power, and the worst of American urbanization. Charleston had as its backdrop the Old South, the slave market, the Sea Islands and their plantations, race issues, failing public schools and the longest sitting mayor of any American city (and he is still on the job 33 years later). Understanding the context of ministry is basic to discerning God’s call to any particular local congregation, and what we are really talking about is context as situation. In Philadelphia, the situation called for the congregation to be connected to the local political scene. The congregation was aware of political leaders and their position on social issues. Connecting the human needs for children, youth, families, seniors, the homeless and those with substance addiction made the Calvin church a regarded congregation of the community, and the church grew in spirit, programs, and numbers. In Charleston, the situation called for knowing the dynamics of family. The St. James church is six times the size of the Calvin Church. Yet the historic nature of the sea island (James Island) is pronounced in the church. Saying that “everyone is family” would not be untrue. The close family ties amidst the membership are seen as the congregation’s greatest gift; yet it is also seen as the congregation’s greatest challenge. Once you’ve gotten past the family dynamics, St. James is motivated by spontaneous, inspirational, and invitational worship. Worship fuels the desire for fellowship and mission. For this, St. James continues to grow spiritually, programmatically, and numerically. What are some standard considerations when understanding the context of ministry? Are there things that will apply regardless of the geographic location of the church’s facilities? Three things come to mind in answering these questions. First, a particular congregation should have a well-defined community of service and evangelism with borders on the north, east, south, and west. While the community should not necessarily be confined within its borders, a defined territory allows for evangelistic targeting and the allocation of fiscal resources. Second, there must be a clear description or profile of the people in the pews. In other words, Who are we in terms of age and gender, as well as racially, economically, politically, socially, vocationally, and educationally? The third need would be clearly defining ways to reach targeted persons within the target territory within allocable resources. In today’s world, the context of ministry, the situation, is greatly influenced by information technology. Here, it is not a matter of who we reach, but how we reach people in our efforts to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and, for His sake, meet contemporary human needs. In Philadelphia and in Charleston, the congregations’ keen awareness of their particular situations—their contexts—has brought the blessing of healthy growth. V
Understanding Ministry Context as Situation Carolyn and Charles Heyward
Understanding the context of ministry is basic to discerning God’s call to any particular local congregation, and what we are really talking about is context as situation.
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context An Extraordinary Context by Sydne Check ’10
St. James Presbyterian Church
“Context” is probably one of the most used buzzwords on Columbia’s campus. It’s a word with which we’re very comfortable, and maybe even take for granted until the time comes to leave campus for a new experience and something out of the ordinary is staring us in the face. That’s what happened to me last spring when God called me to a summer internship at St. James Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC. I arrived on James Island on May 16th—24 hours after submitting my last final exam of my middler year. As I crossed the Robert B. Scarborough bridge (known also as the James Island Connector, James Island Expressway, or Hwy 30) carrying me from the mainland to my island summer home, I asked God to remove my exhaustion and anxiety about moving, and to fill me with a sense of openness and excitement for the adventure about to commence. I arrived at the church where a huge banner declared, “Welcome Sydne Elizabeth Check!!!” Only when I graduated from high school and college—and when I was in trouble as a child—had I seen or heard my full name, so I felt a strange mix of joy and apprehension. Gathered there to meet me were the pastors, Charles and Carolyn Heyward, and my supervisory committee who took me to my summer home. After a meal and a short visit, these members of my new community departed with the words, “See you at 7:45, sharp!” At 7:40 the next morning I arrived at St. James and received these seemingly simple instructions before worship began at 8:00: “Just follow what we do!” So I did, following the Heywards into the sanctuary as the glorious voices of the choir led the congregation into worship. Six hours later, I left the church—somehow still energized—and when I got home, I realized that this summer would move at lightning speed, and that God had truly called me to practice ministry in an extraordinary context! Established in 1865 by freed slaves, St. James is the second largest African American church in the PC (USA). It has close to 1,300 members and incorporates new members every fourth Sunday. Each Sunday, when I looked out from the chancel or moved among the congregation, I was reminded that really for the first time in my life I was part of the minority, yet I felt included, loved, and part of this unique community. I may never be able to fully articulate the personal and professional formation I experienced in my internship at St. James Presbyterian. Those ten weeks are the most joy-filled, challenging, heartwrenching, Spirit-led, and difficult experiences of my entire life. I received more from the congregation and pastors at St. James than I could possibly have given. My style of leading Bible study and Sunday school changed: instead of following my lesson plans to the letter, I learned to depend on the movement of the Spirit in the classroom. The way I worship changed: I let go of the need to be quiet and meditative and embraced the power of the Spirit that transformed the entire congregation through song, Word, and prayer. My preaching changed: the process was more fun and inspired, the Spirit carried me away from the pulpit, and I gained courage to depend less on my written manuscripts. God used St. James Presbyterian Church to teach me that ministry should never be comfortable. It requires us to be open and attuned to the people, the context, and most of all the whispering voice of God. We are often called to places where we are in the minority—racially, politically, theologically— and it is in those places that the Spirit wakens and transforms us. I completed the internship as exhausted as I had entered it, but my anxiety had been replaced with encouragement and hope. Now, a full six months after leaving St. James, I hear God whispering, “Aren’t you glad I made you do that?” And I say, “Oh, yes! Amen!” V
God used St. James Presbyterian Church to teach me that ministry should never be comfortable. It requires us to be open and attuned to the people, the context, and most of all the whispering voice of God.
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is important for anyone practicing ministry, whether a theological student or a layperson seeking to follow God’s call. For congregations and pastors interested in providing contextual experiences for Columbia students, here are recommendations from the Columbia faculty for resources about understanding and serving in context.
Models of Contextual Theology by Steven B. Bevans Explores where theology and culture intersect. $21.25 (retail $25)
Contextualizing Theological Education ed. by Theodore Brelsford and P. Alice Rogers Examines how engaging the three contexts of academy, church, and society shapes the future of theological education. $23.80 (retail $28)
Bringing together classroom and contextual education, 48 seniors completed the January term course “Integrations,” led by faculty members William P. Brown and Haruko Ward.
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Perspectives on
Awareness and understanding of context
context by Sue W. Crannell ’05
Life happens in context, so those who seek to live as faithful Christians must be diligent and intentionally aware about what that means for others. Columbia Seminary has been for years diligent and intentional in developing this awareness through what is, in effect, “context across the curriculum”: from Bible survey and exegesis classes, to preaching and pastoral care classes, to the experience of exploring alternative contexts in CPE and opportunities for emersion in other cultures through travel and ministry in other countries.
Scripture is written in context and the stories of scripture all have a context. Knowing both is important for interpretation. Knowing that the book of Revelation was written during the time of an oppressive Roman empire for the purpose of exposing and undermining that empire, rather than written as a prophecy for the end of the world, changes the way one reads and understands the words of the writer. When Jesus read the ancient Jewish laws in the temple he acknowledged the context in which they were originally established, yet reinterpreted them into the context of the new kingdom into which he was bringing the world.
To be effectual, ministry and preaching must be adjusted to fit personal and cultural context. Knowing that water poured over the head is a practice by which people are shamed in a particular African tribe, will dictate an adjustment in the baptismal methods used in that tribe. When Jesus noticed that the five thousand people listening to him preach were hungry, rather than keep on preaching obliviously, he fed them, albeit in a rather spectacular way.
Leaving one’s primary context and living in different context develops self awareness and empathy in ways that are transformative and redemptive. Choosing to live on the street and sleeping in the cold night after night with no familiar resources for a week will forever change a person’s understanding of homelessness. When God wanted to communicate grace, mercy, and empathy to humans, God left the context of “heaven” and entered the time, space, and geography of the human situation through Jesus Christ. This forever transformed all of creation and God’s relationship to it. V Sue Crannell is manager of the seminary’s bookstore.
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Alumni/ae 1950s Richard Laurens ’52 and his wife, Elsie, have moved into an independent living retirement community in Duluth, GA. 1960s William Van Arnold ’66 has retired as member-at-large, Lancaster, VA....Earl Vaughan ’66 has retired as supply pastor of Vaughn Memorial church, Fayettevillle, NC. 1970s Ford G’Segner ’70 has retired as congregational development/ global missions resource person in Northeast Georgia Presbytery.... Franklin Colladay, Jr. ’78 has retired as pastor of Dahlonega church, Dahlonega, GA....Joanna Adams ’79 was the featured speaker January 3 and 10 on “Day 1.” The programs celebrated her ministry as she retires, and they launch the radio program’s 65th year of weekly broadcasts. 1980s Ed Ayers ’80 is organizing pastor of Christ Presbyterian New Church Development in Savannah, GA. The new church was fully constituted as a congregation of the PC(USA) at a chartering worship service October 25, 2009, at First Church, Savannah, GA. The new church’s first building is scheduled for completion in late February or early March, 2010....Ronald Smith ’82 (DMin) has been called as pastor of First church, Maitland, FL....Richard Wiggers ’85 (DMin) retired as stated supply at St. John’s church, Reno, NV....George Naze ’87 recently retired as member-at-large, Lexington, KY....Norwood Brown ’88 is pastor of Rolling Hills church, Overland Park, KS. 1990s David Kunselman ’93 (DMin) is designated pastor of First Church, Springville, NY....Michelle Thomas-Bush ’94 is associate pastor for youth and family ministry at Myers Park church, Charlotte, NC....William Williamson ’94 (DMin) has retired from full-time ministry and is parish associate at Harvey Browne church, Louisville, KY....Nath Briley ’95 has been called as pastor at Pickens church, Pickens, SC....Erzsebet Szilvassy ’95 (ThM) and his wife joyfully welcome their third son, born January 7, 2009....Mark Gray ’96 has been called to Bannside church in Northern Ireland.... Jennifer McGee ’98 has begun as WeCAN program coordinator at the Hospitality House in Boone, NC. WeCAN (Watauga Crisis Assistance Network) comprises six churches and other donors in the Boone area, providing help for those experiencing financial....Noelle Henry Read ’99 and Denny Read ’02 have moved to Natchez, MS, where they are co-pastors of First church. 2000s Janelle Tibbetts-Vaughan ’00 and her husband, Peter, announce the birth of a son, James Malcom Vaughan, born May 23, 2009....
Andrew Foster Connors ’01 was featured in a Presbyterian News Service article describing the experiences of members of his congregation who traveled to El Salvador as part of an investigation into the disappearance and subsequent death of a Salvadoran mission colleague....Maggie Frampton Beamguard ’02 is pastor of Trinity church, Winston-Salem, NC....Elizabeth Goodrich ’03 was featured in “More Protestant Flocks Are Led by Female Pastors,” an article in the The Birmingham News....Hope Italiano Lee ’03 and Sung Lee ’01 are moving back to the south. Hope will be the pastor at Kirkwood Church in Bradenton, FL. She has completed her DMin at Gordon-Conwell, and Sung is beginning his DMin in Marriage and Family Therapy....Lauren Nelson ’03 has moved to Sparta, NY, beginning a new call. She and her husband, Rick Castor, are starting a “gap year” program for young adults, ages 18-22, with the purpose of exploring personal calling/identity as well as “sacred manual labor”....Nancy Oehler Love ’04 preached the ordination sermon for Teresa Bartlett November 21, 2009, at United church, Keokuk, IA. Nancy is the pastor of United church, Crawfordsville, IA....Kate Richmond Rascoe ’03 was installed October 18, 2009, as designated pastor of Pipe Creek church, Pipe Creek, TX....Michael Sorrell ’05 is the new pastor of Smyrna church, Conyers, GA....Matt Schlageter ’05 and Sara Varnado ’07 have moved to Asheville, NC, where Matt is chaplain with Missions Hospital.....Jo Nygard Owens ’06 and her husband, BJ, celebrate the birth of their daughter, Amelia Catherine, on October 17, 2009.....Carson Mouser ’07 (DMin) is interim pastor at Central church, Geneseo, NY....Jule M. Nyhuis ’07 (DMin) is the pastor at Church of the Cross, Hoffman Estates, IL....Karen Fleming ’08 has accepted a position as a CPE (chaplain) resident at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, NC.... Sara Hayden ’08 is coordinator of the Tri-Presbytery New Church Development Commission for Greater Atlanta Presbytery..... Robin Humphreys ’08 is working as the Director of Outreach and Church Growth with Friendship church, Concord, GA....Christie Ashton ’09 was ordained November 15, 2009, in Marietta, GA, and was installed in January as pastor of Hope church, Huntsville, AL....David Hawkins ’09 has received a call as pastor of First church, Plainview, TX....Erin Kobs ’09 has been called as pastor of First church, Parkesburg, PA.
In Memoriam B a s i l Hi c k s ’ 4 3 S h e l d o n Ko e s y ’ 5 2 G e o r g e M e r r i n ’ 5 3 Ha ro l d M ac e ’ 5 4 Wi l l i a m Ch i l d r e s s ’ 5 5 G e o r g e G a n e y ’ 6 6 Ri c h a r d Davi s ’ 6 9 Davi d K n au e rt ’ 0 3
November 24, 2009 October 9, 2009 July 27, 2009 May 24, 2009 September 12, 2009 October 20, 2009 May 20, 2009 November 14, 2009 VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010 15
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Sid Harmon ’87 (DMin), pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Cleveland, MS, with CTS students Lloyd Kabaiya Kanga and Marc Van Bulck.
Faculty, Faculty Emeriti, and Staff David Bartlett, the Distinguished Professor of New Testament, preached at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Boise, ID; The Congregational Church of New Canaan, CT; St. Paul’s School, Concord, NH, First Baptist Church, New Haven, CT. Dr. Bartlett led a panel discussion at Society of Biblical Literature’s annual meeting, and he continues work as co-editor (with Barbara Brown Taylor) of volumes in Feasting on the Word (Westminster John Knox).... Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81, director of alumni/ae and church relations, taught an adult Sunday school class at First church, Cleveland, MS, during a weekend trip during which he and 12 seminary students preached and taught in several congregations in the Mississippi Delta region. He also preached at First church, Covington, GA.... Carlos F. Cardoza-Orlandi, professor of world Christianity, gave the commencement address for his high school, Wesleyan Academy in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. This past summer, he taught courses at Brite Divinity School (Texas Christian University), in the Lay Ministers Program for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), at Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico; at Perkins School of Theology (Southern Methodist University), and Programa de Educación Teológica de la Mesa Conjunta de las Iglesias Discípulos de Cristo e Iglesias Unidas de Cristo, San Luis Potosí, Méjico. His fall speaking and preaching activities include the New Church Development event of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Distinguished Saltsburg Lectures at the Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, IN; Davidson College church, where he preached for World
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T h e f i r s t w e e k e n d i n N o v e m b e r , 12 seminarians and Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81, director of alumni/ae and church relations, traveled to the Mississippi Delta region for a weekend of preaching and teaching. The visit was coordinated by Bill Connolly ’89, and the travelers hosted by First church, Cleveland, MS, where Sid Harmon ’87 (DMin), is pastor. The congregations, in St. Andrews Presbytery of the Synod of Living Waters, included Black Jack, Senatobia, Tunica, Greenwood, Batesville, Leland, Independence (Batesville), Calvary (Greenville), and Cleveland. The students included Camille Josey, Craig McDonald, Sydne Check, Todd Reinschmidt, Diane Hunter, Travis Allen, Tim Dodenhoff, Cassie Todd, Marc Van Bulck, Claudia Aguilar (Brazil), Lloyd “Kabaiya” Kanga (Kenya), and Natoya Thomas (Jamaica). V
Communion Sunday. His recent publications include “Qué lindo es mi Cristo: The Erotic Jesus/Christ in the Caribbean, Latin American, and Latina/o Protestant Christian Music,” a chapter in Jesus in the Hispanic Community, Harold Recinos and Hugo Magalanes, eds. (Westminster John Knox, forthcoming); “Mission in the Caribbean Islands” and the “Valladolid Debate (1550),” entries in The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity, Daniel M. Patte, editor (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming); a revision of Justo L. Gonzalez’s essay “The Religious World of Hispanic Americans” in World Religions in America, edited by Jacob Neusner (Westminster John Knox) to include a time-line/table of Latina/o religious and social history, expansion of content, and an updated bibliography; “Gospel, Border, Mestizaje, and Testimony: Notes for a Historical-Missional Hispanic/Latino Matrix,” a chapter in Los Evangélicos: Portraits of Latino Protestantism in the United States, Lindy Scott and Juan Martinez, eds. (Wipf and Stock); a translation and revision of Evangelio, historia, frontera y misión: Apuntes para una misiología desde la perspectiva hispana/latina, “capítulo en Cuadros del protestantismo latino en los Estados Unidos, eds., Juan F. Martinez Guerra y Luis Scott (Buenos Aires: Ediciones Kairos y CEHILA); “The World Missionary Conference, Edinburgh 1910, ‘The Evangelization of the Whole World in this Generation,’” a chapter in Christianity: An Illustrated Guide to 2000 Years of the Christian Faith, Ann Marie Bahr, ed., (Millennium House), forthcoming. He has been selected to be a delegate at the 100th anniversary of the Edinburgh Missionary Conference, and will participate in a pre-conference event sponsored by Asbury Theological Seminary on the topic of revitalization movements.... Erskine Clarke ’66, professor emeritus of American religious history, spoke in New Harmony Presbytery at Mt. Zion church (200th anniversary), at Salem Black River church (250th anniversary), and at First church, Sumter, SC; chaired the selection
committee and presented the Hodges Prize in Southern Studies at the University of South Carolina, and did lectures and book signings for The Georgia Center for the Book and the Georgia Humanities Council; has an essay to be published in African American Life in the Georgia Lowcountry (University of Georgia Press, 2010); continues to be publisher of Journal for Preachers.... Pamela Cooper-White, the Ben G. and Nancye Clapp Gautier Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care, and Counseling, preached at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Decatur; taught the adult forum on “Sacred Space and the Psyche” at First church, Atlanta; presented a paper, “Freud, Jung, and Pastoral Psychotherapy: Uneasy Bedfellows (or: ‘What’s a Nice Freudian like You Doing in a Counseling Modality Like This?’),” in the Psychology, Culture and Religion Group, American Academy of Religion, in Montréal, Canada; presented a paper, “Ground(s) of Being(s): Multiplicity as ‘Third Space’ and Parallel Metaphor for Relational Psychotherapy and Christian Theology,” at the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP) annual conference in San Francisco. Her recent publications include “Feminism(s), Gender, and Power: Reflections from a Feminist Pastoral Theologian,” in the Journal of Pastoral Theology (Winter 2008); “Complicated Woman: Multiplicity and Relationality across Gender, Race, and Culture,” Chapter 1 in Women Out of Order: Risking Change and Creating Care in a Multi-Cultural World, ed. Jeanne Stevenson Moessner and Teresa Snorton (Fortress Press); “From Empathy to Justice: Loving the Other(s) Within and Without,” in Reflective Practice; “Mourning Religion: A Response” in Pastoral Psychology; edited the Winter 2009 and Spring 2009 volumes of the Journal of Pastoral Theology. Dr. Cooper-White has also been re-elected to a three-year term to the Steering Committee of the Psychology, Culture, and Religion Group, American Academy of Religion....Erica Durham ’97, public services librarian, has been invited to attend the 2010 Teaching and Learning Colloquy on The Role of Theological School Librarians at the Wabash Center....Sarah F. Erickson ’03, director of Lifelong Learning, preached and led worship at First church, Covington, GA, and First church, Jonesboro, GA. She also served as supply pastor for Presbyterian Church of the Resurrection, Conyers, GA, during the maternity leave of Leigh H. Jones ’ 07, and as liturgist at North Decatur church, Decatur, GA. Her review of the book Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide (by Sharan Merriam, Rosemary S. Caffarella, and Lisa M. Baumgartner) was published in the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of the Journal of Adult Theological Education....Jerry Gladson, adjunct professor of Old Testament, is the author of The Five Exotic Scrolls of the Hebrew Bible: The Prominence, Literary Structure, and Liturgical Significance of the Megilloth, released in May, 2009, by Edwin Mellen Press....Steve Hayner, president of the seminary, taught Sunday school classes in numerous PC(USA) congregations. He has preached at First church, Roswell, GA; Kairos Atlanta Church; Peace River Presbytery (FL); Reed Memorial church, Augusta, GA; and Foothills (SC) church. He has spoken on the
future of theological education for St. Augustine Presbytery (FL); First church, Columbus, GA; and First church, Thomasville, GA. Dr. Hayner led all-church events for Clairmont church, Atlanta, GA; First church, Washington, NC (“Evangelism for the Rest of Us”); and First church, El Paso, TX (“Becoming a Missional Church”). In Bellevue, WA, as a speaker at the 25th anniversary celebration conference of the Christian International Scholarship Foundation, he presented “What We Learn from the Global Church.” He also spoke on “Evangelism in the 21st Century” at the PC(USA) Big Tent conference, and he led the pastors’ and church leaders’ track at the Urbana09 Student Missions Conference, in St. Louis, MO. He attended Board of Trustees meetings for World Vision US, World Vision International, International Justice Mission, Atlanta Regional Council of Higher Education, Committee on Theological Education, Atlanta Theological Association, and Faith and the City....Paul Junggap Huh, assistant professor of worship and director of Korean American ministries, preached at Rock Korean church, Columbus, GA, and at First church, Savannah, GA, where he led a session retreat and gave a cello concert; preached at Anniston (AL) Korean church and at Korean church, Sumter, SC; at an ordination service at Korean church, Jonesboro, GA, and at an installation service at Auburn Opelika Korean church, Auburn, AL; offered prayer during an ordination and charter service at Jesus Hope Korean church, Suwanee, GA; led worship on World Communion Sunday at Korean Community church, Duluth, GA; was a presenter for the Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies/ SBL, New Orleans, LA; participated in the Korean American Consultation for the PC(USA) Office of Worship and Theology and in the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Songs, in Louisville, KY; was a speaker for the Asian Worship and Music Symposium, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, and a lecturer for the Korean Lay Leadership Training Program; was director for the Korean Worship and Music Conference at Columbia Seminary and a presenter for the Reformed and Liturgical Worship conference, also at Columbia, and for a family retreat offered in Panama City, FL, for Korean churches in the synods of Living Waters and South Atlantic; attended the Wabash Pre-Tenure Theological School Faculty Workshop, Crawfordsville, IN; was Bible teacher for the Presbyterian Association of Musicians Conference, Montreat, NC; led a workshop on Korean worship and preaching at the PC(USA) Big Tent gathering, in Atlanta; spoke at the first Conference on Immigration Theology, in Fullerton, CA. Dr. Huh’s publications include a Korean translation of Robin A. Leaver’s Liturgy and Music, (Liturgical Press, 1998) by Yonsei University Press, Seoul, Korea, 2009; “Worship in the Korean-American Churches,” Korean and Korean American Studies Bulletin: The Role of Korean American Churches in the 21st Century, Nos. 1/2 2009; “Power of Singing in Korean Culture,”Advocate, Fall 2009; “A Beautiful Preaching in Korean American Context: Communications in Non-verbal Languages,” Journal of the Korean American Ministries and Theology (Preaching), Vo.1, No. 2, Decatur, GA: Columbia VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010 17
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Theological Seminary, Spring 2009 [Dr. Huh is the founding editor of this journal, which is published online at www.webKAM.org/ journal; “Recovery of a Beauty: The Theology of Korean-American Worship and Preaching (in Korean 이민교회 예배설교 신학: 아름다움의 회복),” 이민신학논단 창간호, The Journal of Immigrant Theology (이민신학연구소, 2009)....Beth Johnson, the J. Davison Philips Professor of New Testament, preached at Central church, Atlanta; Mount Zion church, Pendleton, SC; Southminster and Calvary churches, Marietta, GA; at Central church, Atlanta, she taught a class titled “The Bible from Scratch”; led North Decatur church’s congregational retreat and presented a paper, “Paul’s Reliance on Scripture in 1 Thessalonians,” at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature....Jennie Law, cataloger and children’s librarian, serves on two committees of the American Library Association: ALSC Quick Lists, which creates bibliographies for PBS, Oprah’s website, DEAR, and various other projects; and the Amelia Bloomer Project, Feminist Books for Young Readers, which creates an annual list of the best feminist books published each year for ages birth to 18....Michael Morgan, seminary musician, taught worship and hymnody courses for the LPM (Leadership Program for Musicians) in the southeastern region, based in Atlanta; lectured on music and missions at Montreat; and, at the Presbyterian Heritage Center in Montreat, presented extended exhibits of rare books, one on Handel’s Messiah, and the other, which runs for a year, on Calvin. During an organ tour in Great Britain, he played at cathedrals in Salisbury, Bristol, and Ely; the Temple Church in London; and Blenheim Palace. He also gave an organ recital at First church, Kerrville, TX, and lectured on Psalms with Dr. Clinton McCann at Montreat, and on congregational song and Psalms at Union University, Jackson, TN....Cam Murchison, dean of faculty and executive vice president, led an officer’s workshop and preached the following day at First church, Gastonia, NC; presented the history of Columbia’s international program at the International Initiatives Conference at Candler School of Theology; participated in the Wabash Conference on Online Learning. Dr. Murchison’s recent publications include Theological Perspective essays on Psalm 148, Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21, and Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 in Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 1, Advent Through Transfiguration, 2009, and the Protagonist Corner, “Toward a Theology of Migration,” in Journal for Preachers, Pentecost 2009 ....Kathleen M. O’Connor, the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, presented a lecture, “Building Hope upon the Ruins in Jeremiah” for a conference, The Bible and the American Future, at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Lincoln, NE. The lecture was published by Cascade Books in The Bible and the American Future, edited by Robert Jewett with Wayne L. Alloway, Jr., and John G. Lacey. For the Catholic Biblical Association of America, Dr. O’Connor delivered her presidential address titled “Let All the People Praise You: Biblical Studies and a Hermeneutics of Hunger” at Creighton University, Omaha, NE. 18
VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010
Her article “Teaching Jeremiah” was published in the Fall 2009 issue of Perspectives in Religious Studies. She also attended the Council meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature.... Chris Paton, archivist, served on the program committee for the Society of American Archivists 2009 Annual Meeting, held last summer in Austin, TX....Jody Sauls, human resources administrator, has been recertified as a Professional in Human Relations (PHR) by the Human Resource Certification Institute. To retain the designation, recertification is required every three years by accumulating 60 educational hours....John E. White, dean of students and vice president for student services, received the Doctor of Ministry degree in May from Pittsburgh Presbyterian Seminary; preached at New Life church, College Park, GA; Columbia church, Decatur, GA; Hillside church, Decatur, GA; Glenshaw Valley church, Glenshaw, PA; and at the ordination services of 2009 graduates Shon Peppers at First church, Gainesville, GA, and Mary Cox at Roswell church, Roswell, GA.... Brian Wren, professor emeritus of worship, is the author of What Language Shall I Borrow? God-Talk in Worship: A Male Response to Feminist Theology, originally published in 1980 and released recently by Wipf and Stock. His new books include Hymns for Today (Westminster John Knox Press) and Love’s Open Door: Hymns and Songs 2004-2008 (Hope Publishing Company, USA, and Stainer and Bell, London, UK). V
Transitions Congratulations! Angela Wyatt ’04 (MATS) has been named interim registrar for Lifelong Learning, succeeding Patricia Roper, who retired at the end of July. She previously worked part-time as staff associate for Lifelong Learning. Welcome! Marvin Simmers has been named interim director of Advanced Professional Studies. He served for many years in the Christian education offices of the Presbyterian Church, both in Atlanta and Louisville. More recently he has taught in Columbia’s MDiv program. He succeeds Charlie Raynal, who retired at the end of August. Godspeed! Patricia Roper retired as the registrar of Lifelong Learning on July 30, 2009. She had been in that position since July 2004, coming to the seminary in 2002 as staff associate for the Spirituality Program. Ira Abram-Breland, bookkeeper, resigned in December to return home to family in Hattiesburg, MS. She had been at the seminary since November 2004.
T h e C h a r i s a rt e x h i b i t, “ B o u n da ry Cro s s i n g s : N e i g h b o r s S t r a n g e r s Fa m i ly F r i e n d s ,” i s o n d i spl ay i n t h e Ha r r i n g to n Ce n t e r , F e b rua ry 1 – J u ly 2 1 , 2 0 1 0 . Charis (from the Greek for gift or grace) is an international traveling exhibition of about 40 works by seven Asian and seven North American artists. The artwork includes paintings, sculptures, assemblage, fiber constructions, installation, and video projections. 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday. To arrange a group tour, call 404-687-4577or e-mail lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu. V Erland Sibuea Indonesia, Bali Must Go!, 2008 Acrylic on canvas
L i f e l o n g
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For more information and to register for events listed below, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learning > Courses and Events, and scroll to the dates of the events you wish to attend. Or contact the Center for Lifelong Learning at 404-687-4587. Unless otherwise noted, all events take place on the seminary campus. Meals and lodging may be extra. Courses that are listed as part of a certificate program are open to occasional students. April 15–18 The Spiritualities of Creation: Knowing God and Self in a Broken World (Certificate in Spiritual Formation).
At Montreat Conference Center. William P. Brown. $390. April 22–25 Discerning Forgiveness (Certificate in Spiritual Formation).
Marjorie Thompson. $265. April 30–May 1 Soul Tending (Certificate in Youth Ministry Leadership).
Jim and Anne Apple. $165. May 17–20 The Rule of St. Benedict: Ancient Wisdom for our [Troubled] Times (Women’s Contemplative Retreat). At Sacred
Heart Monastery, Cullman, AL. Lalor Cadley. $200 plus room and meals (single occupancy–$187; double–$167). May 25–28 Evangelism for the Rest of Us (Thompson Scholars). Steve
and Sharol Hayner. $165. For application instructions, see http://www.ctsnet.edu/LL/Thompson.aspx.
e
vents
July 19–22 Welcoming the Stranger: Presbyterian Responses to Immigrant Communities. At Montreat Conference Center.
Free admission for daily lectures. July 18–23 Spiritual Practices in the New Testament (Certificate in
Spiritual Formation). Stan Saunders. $370. July 26–29 Social Networking Media in Your Congregation: Possibilities! (and Practicalities). Steve Hayner, Susan Wyche, others TBA.
$125 ($100 each additional member of same congregation, registering at same time). August 16–18 Journeys Through Revelation: Apocalyptic Hope for Today
(Presbyterian Women’s Bible Study Training). Louise Lawson Johnson. $100 (includes three lunches); $90 when 2 or more persons from same church register at the same time. August 26–27 Because the Bible Tells Me So: Putting the Bible Back in Bible Study (Certificate in Youth Ministry Leadership). Anna Brown and
Victor Cyrus-Franklin. $165. September 12–17 Mission and Spirituality (Certificate in Spiritual Formation).
Steve Hayner and Jim Wood. $370.
July 12–15 Korean Worship and Music Conference. Leadership and cost
TBA. VANTAGE Winter/Spring 2010 19
VA N TA G E
W i n t e r Spring
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Periodicals Postage Paid at Decatur, GA Publication No. 124160
P.O. Box 520
Decatur, GA 30031 404-378-8821 www.ctsnet.edu
contents President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Columbia New Leadership Initiative. . . . . . . . . . 3 New Book by Bill Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 C o l l o q u i u m 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Library Launches Archives Online Catalog. . . . . . . . . 4 c o n t e x t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–14 Kim Clayton ’84/’08 (DMin). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 David Bailey ’82 (DMin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lauren Scharstein ’11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 David Cameron ’82. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Scott Hill ’11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Charles Heyward, Sr. ’88/’94 (DMin). . . . . . . . . 12 Sydne Check ’10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Sue Crannell ’05. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Columbia is Calling! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 For the Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Columbia Visits the Mississippi Delta . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Lifelong Learning Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Equipping resilient, imaginative leaders for Christ’s church.
advanced Professional studies Schedule of introductory Seminars Doctor of EDucational Ministry
apply now!
For MorE inForMATion
www.ctsnet.edu Degree Programs > Program Descriptions
September 20 – October 1, 2010 Apply by April 15, 2010
Doctor of Ministry Gospel & culture
June 21 – July 2, 2010 June 20 – July 1, 2011
Advanced Professional Studies Marvin Simmers, interim director AdvancedStudies@CTSnet.edu 404.687.4533
church & Ministry
September 13 – 15, 2010 October 11 – 13, 2010 November 8 – 10, 2010 December 6 – 8, 2010
Columbia is a seminary of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Decatur, GA. Advanced Professional Studies degree programs are open to qualified applicants from all denominations.
christian spirituality
November 8 – 19, 2010
church Planting & transformation
July 5 – 15, 2011
Two sessions meet at Columbia and two at Interdenominational Theological Center, in Atlanta. Attendance at all four is required.