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N ew !
Center for L i fe l o n g L e a r n i n g to Offer L e a d e r s h i p I n Ministr y Wo r k s h o p s “When I come out of a subway in a big city, when I get off the roller-coaster at Six Flags, when I cross the state line and stop at the Welcome Center, I look for a map. And it is not only for a map that I look, I look for the words: YOU ARE HERE!” said James Lamkin, pastor of Atlanta-based Northside Drive Baptist Church. “That sense of location—of discerning where I am, myself, in relationship to all the other selves about me—this is what I get out of Leadership In Ministry.” As part of its renewed emphasis on leadership development, the Center for Lifelong Learning is pleased to announce a partnership with Leadership In Ministry (LIM). Beginning in the fall of 2014, the seminary will be a site for this two-session, affordable, annual workshop for clergy and ministry leaders. The workshop format emphasizes a reflection-on-learning, small-group, peer learning experience. Since its beginning in 1992, the goal of the LIM workshops has been to help leaders discover a way of conceptualizing how emotional phenomena impacts their ministry contexts, and their own functioning, rather than merely teaching techniques for handling specific counseling or ministry problems. According to Lamkin, “Participating in LIM keeps me working on myself and how I see life. It has helped me see the connections between how I functioned in my family of origin, how I function in my family now, and how I do my work as a pastor. This way of seeing has given me choices regarding how I live and where I stand in relationships; and ministry is all about relationships. This grounding has given me perspective and traction. It has strengthened my preaching, pastoral care, and leadership. I am less anxious and more joyful in my location of ministry: I AM HERE. Yay!” To find out more about the workshops and to register, visit www.ctsnet.edu/leadership-in-ministry. For more information on LIM, visit www.leadershipinministry.org. 2
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Lenten Ar t Exhibit B l e n d s Po e t r y, V i s u a l A r t, and Imagination The Center for Lifelong Learning will mark the Lenten season with Poetry, Art, and the Spirituality of Imagination: A Lenten Meditation. This exhibit combines Scripture, poetry, and the ink drawings of Israel Galindo, Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning. The exhibit will be on view at the Harrington Center from February 28 through May 17, with an artist’s reception on March 4 at 4:30 pm. “For several years my daily devotional practice involved reading Scripture and poetry with meditation on the text of both,” said Galindo. “Later I incorporated sketching as part of the daily discipline of lectio divina.These ink drawings are a result of that practice.” “After reading and meditating on the text, I focus on the meaning and feeling of the message,” said Galindo. Each drawing is accompanied by poetic texts. The viewer is invited to see the art as an interpretation of the poetry, and consider his or her own response. A Lenten study guide will be available as well. “The final sketch is merely an expression of the end of a process—an end to a means, so to speak. Each sketch took no more than fifteen minutes to complete.” By spending such a short amount of time on each sketch, Galindo was forced to accept the pieces as they were. Mistakes were accepted as part of the process and the pursuit of perfection was abandoned. As a result, the final pieces help evoke a raw emotional response to the Lenten narrative. Poetry, Art, and the Spirituality of Imagination: A Lenten Meditation will be available for viewing Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm at the Harrington Center. To make an appointment for after-hours viewing, please contact Janie Young at youngj@ctsnet.edu or 404-687-4577.
V antage P o int
On the Anc h o r i n g o f S o u l s “We have this hope , a sure and ste a d fa s t a n c h o r o f t h e s o u l , a hope that enter s the inner shr i n e b e h i n d t h e c u r t a i n … ”
T
h e w r i t e r of h e b r e w s g i v e s u s a powerfully poetic description of Jesus as:
a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. Many philosophies leave us with the sense that our souls are just floating about—a placeholder for unexplained emotions and thoughts. Here, Jesus adds weight to our very existence and advocates on our behalf as tangible hope for a new reality. We are affirmed as embodied souls with a depth of character centered in Christ! For some of us, it is uncomfortable thinking about ourselves as “souls.” But it can be just as difficult thinking about ourselves as “leaders.” In this edition of Vantage, we are talking about what it means for us to be “anchored influencers who can serve stable and growing faith communities.” It’s not enough for us to find ourselves. We are called to lead others also, as we grow together. It is the nature of Christ’s church to grow in faith, in number, in relationship, and in mission. Sometimes we can see the growth immediately, and other times it may take years before we fully appreciate what God has done in our lives and the life of our community. The assurance we are given is that under Christ’s leadership, we are moving in a definite direction. Christ anchors us, and Christ’s Spirit also leads, empowers, and motivates us. In the fall, Columbia Seminary was named to a list of “Seminaries That Change the World.” This list was created to recognize schools as “part of a movement to reclaim the important historic role that theological education has played in promoting community and justice while training and launching local and world leaders in all areas of society.” This is just one sign among many that our efforts are being noticed. But being on a list, getting an award, or any other human recognition is not exactly what we are looking for. We respond to God in the hope that lives will be changed, and that the world as a whole will look a bit more like God’s Kingdom. How is God using you to provide stability for your community? How is God loving your neighbor through you? How are we growing together? Here, our Faculty and Staff have great influence with the students. It always brings me joy to see how everyone here supports one another through a diverse set of relationships. I suspect that you may have a mentor in mind, past or present, who has been an anchor for you. I pray that God is using you in the same way to make a difference in someone else’s life — even today.
Joyfully,
Steve VANTAGE Winter 2014
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Pilgr image t o Ko re a
I
b y d r . k e v i n pa r k
a m b l e s s e d to c a l l t h r e e co u n t ries
h o m e . I was born in Korea, raised in Canada, and have been living in the U.S. for the past twenty-one years. Although I visit family and friends in Toronto often, I have not been back to Korea since our family immigrated in 1974. In November 2013, after almost 40 years, I travelled to the country of my birth. Dr. Paul Huh and I, with the help of Dr. Kathy Dawson, organized a DMin/DEdMin travel seminar to Busan, Korea, for the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches. Seven students, four alumni/ae, and three faculty members from Columbia Seminary went on a pilgrimage to Busan to experience global ecumenism in action. The Assembly was an unforgettable experience for us all. Experiencing Korea again was a priceless gift for me.
Wo r l d Co u n c i l o f C h u rc h e s 10 t h A s s e m b ly The theme of the Assembly was, “God of Life, Lead Us to Justice and Peace.” With a thousand official delegates representing 350 denominations in 110 countries, and over two thousand additional participants from all over the world, the event felt like God’s provisional Kingdom. All nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues were gathered to worship God and to engage in the work of justice and peace around the world. We participated in moving morning and evening prayers, compelling plenary addresses, and Ecumenical Conversations where we interacted with Christians from around the world in small groups, discussing specific, contextual issues of justice and peace. Workshops, Bible studies, madang (“court yard”) activities and performances, as well as Assembly business meetings dotted the schedule. The promise of global ecumenism was palpable throughout the Assembly — the largest and the most diverse Christian gathering in the world. However, the limits of ecumenism were also sadly apparent. Because of a lack of consensus in Eucharistic theology, there was no common table upon which to celebrate the Lord’s Supper — a glaring hole in our claim to Christian unity.
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Ko r e a n C h u rc h e s a n d E x t r avag a n t H o s p i ta l i t y We were blessed to participate and/or lead worship services in three Korean churches. Rev. Im Joong Seo, the senior pastor of Pohang Central Presbyterian Church, a ten thousand member church near Busan, invited our group to lead every aspect of their seven Sunday worship services. It was a fabulous opportunity for our group to engage in cross-cultural liturgical leadership. We were also invited by Rev. Dojin Won to participate at Dong Shin Presbyterian Church’s Wednesday baptismal service where our group helped lead prayer and administer the Lord’s Supper. Lastly, we attended the early morning prayer at Myung Sung Presbyterian Church in Seoul. Myung Sung is the largest Presbyterian Church in the world with more than one hundred thousand members. Early morning prayer was attended by more than two thousand people. It was amazing and humbling to know that so many people gather before dawn for prayer every morning in churches throughout Korea. Our church hosts extended an exceptional welcome, rolling out the red carpet for us with gifts, tours, transportation, lodging, amazing and unforgettable meals, kindness and friendship. Their hospitality was so extravagant that, to our American individualistic and utilitarian sensibilities, it sometimes felt “over the top” and almost uncomfortable to receive. P e r s o n a l P i lg r i m ag e I had a couple of personal days in Seoul to venture out to my old neighborhood near Choongmooro 4th street. My old residential neighborhood was now a printing district, completely saturated with shops and businesses. Still, after all these years, I could recognize the streets and alleys where I played with my friends and found old landmarks like the Dae Han movie theater where my aunt took me to see “The Sound of Music.” Memories and a warm feeling of
advanced pr o fessi o nal studies
nostalgia flooded over me. Everything felt, at the same time, both familiar and strange. I met extended family members I had not seen in almost forty years. When I left Korea, my uncles were young men in their twenties. Now they are grandfathers well into their sixties. Although they have aged, their personalities and mannerisms were exactly as I remembered. My cousins I played with as a child are now in their early fifties, busy with their professions and families. It felt like I was traveling both back in time and forward into the future. Gratitude filled my heart as I was able to reclaim this important part of my life and identity. It has been a year and a half since I came to Columbia as the Associate Dean for Advanced Professional Studies and Assistant Professor of Theology. I have enjoyed every moment of my new vocation and I am thankful every day that I get to interact with the Columbia Seminary community.This travel seminar to Korea was an extra gift that was unexpected sheer grace. I am going to visit Korea again, but this time I’ll make sure it won’t take another forty years to do so.
On February 6, Dr. Justo Gonzalez received the Ecumenism Award from the Washington Theological Consortium
A noted historical theologian and leader in Hispanic theology, Dr. Gonzalez has taught in Puerto Rico, at the Candler School of Theology, the Interdenominational Theology Center, and CTS. He helped found the Association of Hispanic Theological Education, the Hispanic Summer Program, and the Hispanic Theological Initiative. The author of over a dozen books, Dr. Gonzalez also penned the widely-used three-volume History of Christian Thought, and the two-volume Story of Christianity. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Dr. Catherine Gonzalez.
A d v a n c e d P ro fe s s i o n a l Studies Descriptions for the DMin and DEdMin programs are provided below. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.ctsnet.edu/advanced-degrees. DO C TOR O F MINISTRY Columbia’s Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program is a leadership development program designed for experienced pastors of any denomination who are currently engaged in ministry in the North American or Caribbean settings. The program of study includes an introductory seminar specific to the student’s area of concentration, elective courses and a supervised practicum. In addition, students complete a research project which focuses on renewal in ministry for the larger church and includes a significant research paper to report on their findings. Usually completed in four years, Columbia’s DMin allows students to focus their research and studies in one of the following areas of concentration: Christian Spirituality: In this advanced degree program focusing on congregational leadership, you will explore God’s relationship to persons, the community of faith, and the world, including the ethical and social dimensions of spirituality. The Doctor of Ministry in Christian Spirituality deepens your leadership skills and offers fresh approaches to planning and leading retreats, developing small groups for spiritual discovery and direction, and providing spiritual guidance to those who seek discernment of God’s will in their lives. Introductory Seminar for 2014: November 10–21. Church and Ministry: Focusing on ministry with the local congregation, this DMin concentration offers you the opportunity to become a more effective leader for God’s people. The program’s collegial approach, with shared readings and critical reflection, encourages you to examine the setting and practice of your own ministry. Your selection of electives and the direction of your research allow you to focus on an area of your own choosing, such as biblical studies, worship, preaching, pastoral care, or community ministry. Introductory Seminars for 2014: • September 9–11, 2014 CTS • October 7–9, 2014 CTS • November 4–6, 2014 CTS • December 2–4, 2014 CTS Your attendance is required at all four meetings, which will all be held at CTS this year. VANTAGE Winter 2014
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Gospel, Culture and Transformation: Addressing a pervasive need in the church for a new paradigm for relating gospel and culture, this advanced degree program enables pastors to engage the mission field of North American, postmodern, post-Christian society. As you engage in disciplined cultural analysis, you will find that familiar biblical texts, doctrines, and ethics take on new meanings as they confront the challenges of today. And you will see the emergence of new readings of the church’s situation and the human project alongside your own renewed and enlivened commitment to theological truths. Introductory Seminar for 2014: July 7-18. DO C TOR O F ED U C ATIONAL MINISTRY The Doctor of Educational Ministry (DEdMin) is open to qualified applicants currently engaged in ministries of Christian education. Applicants should have a master’s degree in religious education and at least three years in educational ministry. Usually completed in four years, Columbia’s DEdMin was created to foster spiritual maturity as well as imaginative thinking about educational ministry as it is practiced within the life of congregations, as well as in other contexts. This is a part-time program for those actively employed in an official position of educational ministry. The 45 semester-hour degree includes 33 hours of course work, a 6 hour practicum and a 6 hour final research project. Courses take place on the Columbia campus and include courses taught in two week residential intensives and hybrid courses with some web delivered components complementing on campus classroom time. The practicum and final research project are ordinarily done in the student’s place of ministry. Since 2006, the seminary has started a cohort every other year. Applications for the next cohort will be received from September, 2013 to April, 2014, with the applications reviewed as they are received. Students accepted into the cohort will begin their studies with the DEdMin Introductory Seminar in the fall of 2014. For more information, please visit our website at http:// www.ctsnet.edu/advanced-degrees.
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V antage
Vol. 106, No. 2, Winter 2014 E dit o r
Michael Thompson D esign
Lucy Ke P h o t o g r aph y
Myung Jin Chae ’15 Katie Archibald-Woodward ’12 Ralph Basui Watkins
Kim Long, Associate Professor of Worship, (second from right) teaches a class during the Winter term.
C o nt r i b u t o r s
Bethany Benz ’16 Brennan Breed Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81 Pam Cottrell Corie Cox Mary Lynn Darden C.J. Drymon Sarah Erickson ’03/DEdMin ’10 Israel Galindo Sungyuhn Ham ’15 Steve Hayner Paul Junggap Huh Robert M. Lewis, Jr. Elizabeth Orth Kevin Park Emily Peterson ’15 Barbara Poe Deedra Rich Doug Taylor Sandra Taylor Diane Thorne
This issue of Vantage is available online at www.ctsnet.edu. Go to News & Publications, then Vantage.
P lease
r ec y cle After you read this issue of Vantage, pass it along to a friend or colleague, or neighborhood take it to your recycling cent er.
reas o nable service
Reception fo r Yo u n g - I h l C h a n g
Y
by sungyuhn ham, ’15
oung-ihl chang (thm ’79) was the nineteenth president of the Presbyterian College and Theological
Seminary (PCTS), a distinguished educational institution in South Korea, until his recent retirement. He was recently awarded the Highest Order of Service Merit on February 24, 2013 by the previous president Lee Myung-bak. Prior to being named president in 2009, he served as a faculty member, director and dean of various units of the institution. Chang built on a strong foundation to continue the excellence of PCTS and strengthened Columbia’s connections with South Korea and its educational institutions. He was president when the first exchange agreement was worked out with Columbia. In contrast to the drastic declines of the Western Church over the past 50 years, PCTS accepts a maximum of 300 students per year out of 1,200 applicants. Among these are some of the world’s most talented people in theological education today. Chang built a new vision for the theological seminary: students to be mission-oriented, spiritfilled, and potent followers of Christ. They are able to confess “Lord, here I am” and are willing to go wherever the Good News is needed and to live as Christ did. The whole curriculum is centered on spiritual formation and missions. Cyber University was established to maximize the practice of evangelism and global mission in exchange with Columbia Theological Seminary and Emory University. Chang has also served as a trustee and vice-chair of the Korea Association of Accredited Theological Schools. In 2010, Chang received the Global CEO of Korea Award in the Global Talent Cultivating Management Division by Forbes, Korea. Our Columbia delegation met with him during their trip to the World Council of Churches in Busan, Korea in October 2013. Columbia’s reception for Young-Ihl Chang in November was coordinated with his receipt of Emory University’s 2013 Sheth Distinguished International Alumni Award. Chang has earned degrees from both Columbia and Emory.
Chang built a new vision for the theological seminary: students to be missionoriented, spirit-filled, and potent followers of Christ. VANTAGE Winter 2014
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Believing Aloud: Reflections on Being Religious in the Public Square
The Cry of Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Church’s Response (second edition)
Mark Douglas Professor of Christian Ethics; Director of MATS Program
Pamela Cooper-White Ben G. And Nancye Clapp Gautier Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care and Counseling
“Mark Douglas’s Believing Aloud is a wonderful book, or really two books: one a collection of his newspaper columns, the other a series of meditations (which connect the columns) on what he was trying to do in the columns, and how he thought he did. Combining theological depth, political and cultural acumen, and a vivid and sharp writing style, the book is both an education in Douglas’s wise and persuasive understanding of religion’s role in public life, and an education about how to communicate that understanding to others. A delight.” — Charles Mathewes, author of A Theology of Public Life
“Cooper–White’s original, incisive, and articulate practical theology of various forms of violence against women remains timely and relevant. While her focus is still on violence against women in the United States, she describes global developments in how violence against women has received increased attention throughout the world. In the second edition we gain another voice: the basso profundo of wisdom and compassion distilled over her many years of scholarship, teaching and clinical work. Cry of Tamar continues to be a primary textbook on violence against women: a book that must be read by anyone in religious leadership who wants to break cycles of violence against women and the church’s silence about such violence.” — Carrie Doehring, Iliff School of Theology
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By the Rivers of Water Erskine Clarke Professor Emeritus of American Religious History
“This is Atlantic history at its best. The missionary travels of John Leighton and Jane Wilson open a window onto one of the major contradictions in the nineteenth-century Atlantic world, where slave ships from Africa crossed paths with ships carrying freed American slaves back to Africa. Such contradictions were reflected in the internal struggles of John Leighton Wilson himself, who freed his own slaves in Georgia and fought a twenty-year battle against the slave traders on the coast of Africa, but still found his loyalties strangely torn by the American Civil War. We hear the voices of white and black missionaries, African American settlers, and African chiefs and merchants, all bound together in their quest to create a new kind of community based on freedom and their Christian faith.” — Robert Harms, Yale University, author of The Diligent: Worlds of the Slave Trade
Unspoken Praise: A Manual on Liturgical-Praise Dance Dominique Robinson Associate, Contextual Education
“Without question this manual on liturgical-praise dance, Unspoken Praise, is very much needed throughout the Christian community. It approaches the worshipful expression of praise dance theologically, giving meaning and directions to the participants. I salute Rev. Dominique A. Robinson for a very careful and meaningful presentation. The blessings of the Lord be upon all who continue this expression of praise to our God.” — Bishop Kenneth Monroe, Presiding Prelate, South Atlantic Episcopal District, AME Zion Church All books may be found in the John Bulow Campbell Library or may be through the Bookstore in the Broyles Leadership Center: Store Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:30am – 2:30pm (when classes in session) Phone: 404-687-4550 (10:00 – 4:30 each day) Fax: 404-687-4658 Email: bookstore@ctsnet.edu Manager: Sue Crannell
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Why I Mad e a P l a n n e d G i f t M akin g a p l a n n e d g if t to C o lu m b i a Theol o g ic a l S e m i n a ry is a decision rooted in gratitude,
inspired by joy, and motivated by hope and confidence. A gift to Columbia is one way I demonstrate gratitude for my father, the Rev. Dr. Robert M. Lewis, Sr. (MDiv ’62) and his more than four decades of faithful service as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA. My dad’s ministry and my family’s example of Christ-centered faith and service are among the most profound blessings that have nurtured me and my life. I’ve always been proud of my dad—even as a little child, I looked up in awe when he was in the pulpit, and as I’ve grown up, I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for the commitment of his ministry, his skills as a gifted and effective minister, and the impact he has had on countless lives by illuminating Christ’s steady and bright light. Columbia has been an integral part of my dad’s ministry, empowering him to preach and teach more effectively, to lead dynamically, and to respond to the ongoing direction of the Holy Spirit. At Columbia, my dad developed relationships with spiritual mentors, refined the skills that Christ’s ministry demands, and emerged with the foundational tools that have guided his service. By making a planned gift to Columbia, I express my gratitude to my dad, and to Columbia’s intrinsic role in shaping my dad’s ministry and example. I personally have benefitted from Columbia’s direct role in my dad’s life and that of the larger church—my own professional calling as a lawyer, understanding of God’s love, commitment to justice, and experience of grace are rooted in the lessons of faith my family and the church have taught me. I also give to Columbia because I want to do what I can to support the Christian church, particularly the Reformed tradition and mainline Protestantism, and Columbia’s essential role and significant responsibility in developing our future leaders and supporting the church. I am confident that Columbia will both remain true to the guiding principles of our religious identity and receptive to the new and unfolding challenges we face. Our faith and the ways we experience and communicate it are as relevant, necessary, and important as ever before, and supporting Columbia is one way I can support Columbia’s ongoing engagement as a faithful community. Columbia will—and in my view, must—continue to develop imaginative, faithful, and resilient Christian leaders, and will also remain a responsible steward of its legacy, mission, and resources. I’m thankful and glad to help support this special place, the shaper and builder of the church’s future leaders.
By making a planned gift t o C o l u m b i a , I e x p re s s my g ra t i t u d e t o my da d , a n d t o C o l u m b i a ’s i n t r i n s i c ro l e i n s h a p i n g my d a d ’s m i n i s t r y and example . . . . I am c o n fi d e n t t h a t C o l u m b i a w i l l b o t h re m a i n t r u e t o the guiding principles of o u r re l i g i o u s i d e n t i t y a n d re c e p t i v e t o t h e n ew a n d u n fo l d i n g c h a l l e n ge s w e fa c e . Finally, I encourage you to consider making a planned gift as a way of tangibly expressing your values and priorities, your gratitude for the church, and your desire to support Columbia’s leadership in ensuring our church remains equipped to respond to God’s call. While we might understandably delay estate and other similar planning, I have actually found it life-affirming to make decisions that reflect who I am, how I have been blessed, and how I would like to express my gratitude for all of God’s blessings in my life. Thanks be to God for Columbia: what has been, is, and will be! Robert M. Lewis, Jr. is a lawyer specializing in employment and employee benefits law. Since 2008, he has been the Regional Counsel for ERISA and Employee Benefits in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor, where he manages virtually all of the federal district litigation filed by the Department in the Southeastern United States. He is also an active member of both First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta and All Saints’ Episcopal Church.
For more in formation , please visit our website at http:// www.ctsnet.edu/giving-tocolumbia and click the link for “Planned Giving”. Whether you’re interested in supporting the ministry with an outright gift or a deferred estate gift, you may contact our Director of Development, Arnie Hulteen at 404-687-4671 with any questions.
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A nch o red influencers
W eighing
A N C HO R by brennan breed
Assistant Professor of Old Testament
even though the anchor was one of the most treasured symbols of early Christians, I must admit that I think the image is not entirely helpful in our current cultural milieu. Whereas early Christians used the anchor as a hidden symbol of the cross as well as a reminder that Christ was steadfast in offering salvation to the world, we modern Christians think of ourselves as anchored in very different ways. We are often anchored to a certain way of doing things, to very precise theological articulations, to particular cultural expressions of our Christianity, and to unmoving commitments to specific political and social customs and mores. To my mind, the anchor conveys a sense of stubbornness and inflexibility.
The phrase “anchored influencers” suggests another nuance:
T h e ocean doesn’t need t o s t ay put to retain its i d e n t ity. It also doesn’t l o o k exactly the same f ro m moment to m o m ent. And it allows fo r g reat diver sity w i t h i n itself: there are d i f fe rences ....
that it is not we who should change, but the other peoples, cultures and religions with whom we come into contact. We must remain unchanged as we change others. This model of leadership informed — and still informs — many of the problematic and disastrous Christian attempts to force communities to abandon their culture, language, social systems and religious beliefs before they conformed to the Christian faith, which carried with it an inflexible notion of the culture that carried the “true” faith. The image of the anchor also tricks us into thinking that the gospel message is the same exact message to all peoples at all times, as if the Church remains stable, and everyone else changes to fit within its theological and cultural parameters.
Instead of a tension between stability and change, perhaps the framework of “persistence, adaptation, and transformation” can guide our thought. Instead of the image of an anchor, perhaps we can think of the image of the ocean instead. The ocean doesn’t need to stay put to retain its identity. It also doesn’t look exactly the same from moment to moment. And it allows for great diversity within itself: there are differences in temperature and pressure, differences in the flow between currents and tides, differences among the various ecosystems, life forms, and inorganic
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materials that coexist within its embrace. The physical space of the ocean is always changing because the movement of water, the melting and freezing of ice, and the erosion of rock and sand create a mutually interdependent process of ongoing formation that looks more like a motion picture and less like a fixed photograph. And life in the ocean is itself always changing, because the shifting contours of the environment guide the process of biological evolution that is necessary to the flourishing of every species that continues to survive. Lest we forget, the ocean has a lot of toxic garbage within it, too-- toxic garbage that we put there ourselves. Over time, it seems like the temperature in the ocean is rising, which is also due to our own behavior.
It would seem odd to say that the ocean is “stable” like an We a re all c hanging a l l t h e time . That is a n i m por tant par t o f l i fe . So we must c o n s i der images o f o u r s e lves that help u s u n der stand and v i s u a lize the fact that p a r t of our identity * i s * c hange .
anchor, and in my opinion it is just as misleading to say that the Church, or a local church, or a seminary, or even an individual is very anchor-like. We are all changing all the time. That is an important part of life. So we must consider images of ourselves that help us understand and visualize the fact that part of our identity *is* change. And we see the importance of change thematized in the Bible: God often changes the Law to reflect changing circumstances (cf. Numbers 27:1-11), God counsels the early Christians to be attentive for spirit-led changes to cultural practices and religious convictions (cf. Acts 10:9-23), and likewise God leads the early Christian community to embrace diversity and change within its sense of identity (cf. Acts 2:1-36; 15:1-35).
At Columbia Theological Seminary we have been thinking hard about the word “resilience.” A resilient individual isn’t someone who refuses to change: that inflexibility is actually a weakness, because eventually the one who won’t bend will break. “Stability” isn’t found much in the literature of resilience, either, because resilience isn’t the ability to retain one’s shape and always bounce back. Rather, it’s the ability to bounce forward, to adapt to new situations with imaginative and productive adjustments. In the language of resilience, the word “persistence” is preferable to stability, because persistence assumes that maintaining one’s identity requires constant activity and renewed effort in a changing world. Persistence implies adaptation and transformation as core elements of one’s identity. One might think of persistence as the underlying theme in the motto, “Reformed but always reforming.”
Pe r s i s t e n c e i m p l i e s adaptation and t ra n s fo r m a t i o n a s c o re e l e m e n t s o f o n e ’s i d e n t i t y. O n e m i g h t think of persistence as the underlying theme in t h e m o t t o , “ R e fo r m e d b u t a l wa y s re fo r m i n g .”
We often see things as stable objects when instead they are complex processes, and this causes many problems. Resiliency theory asks us to shift our perspective and see things as processes, so that we will always expect adaptation and transformation. With this perspective we can appreciate diversity, we can expect change, and we can consider ways to redeploy capacities. Let’s not think of ourselves as anchored, because the Spirit is always on the move, and newness is always just around the corner. VANTAGE Winter 2014
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Called to St a y by bethany benz
(mdiv/mapt
A
’16)
bout six weeks into my congregational internship in South Africa, Geoff, my supervising pastor, walked into my office at 9 am one sunny Tuesday morning. He laid a stack of papers on my desk, then said he would be in his office when I finished reading. I smiled, eager to jump into a new project or adventure, completely unaware of what was in front of me. As I began reading, my heart sank. It was an email, a long email from a congregant sent to the entire session and the church secretary about what a terrible job Geoff was doing. Geoff was not copied on the email. At this point in my internship, I was fully aware that the congregation in which I was serving was what is known as a “clergy killer.” Two weeks prior to the email, a couple marched into Geoff ’s office and gave him an earful about how he was running the congregation (read: finances) into the ground. So, as shocked as I was at the content of the email, I was less than surprised that it had happened. A week later, as I sat at brunch with my hosts and some of their friends, one of them started railing on, again, about what a terrible job Geoff was doing. I not-so-graciously shut her down, and said if that is how she feels, then she needs to speak to Geoff directly. She brushed me off as young, inexperienced, and American. I described this encounter to Geoff the next day. As unsurprised as he was, it was still a hard conversation. I asked him, over and over, why he stays in this church. I think I used the word “martyr” at least once a week in conversation with him. I must have overlooked his real answer and only heard the fluffy stuff like “because I’ve moved my girls too many times” and “because they have abandonment issues and this will pass.” This church, with its abandonment issues, has been through seven pastors since its founding thirty years ago. No one has stayed more than six or seven years, and two left in the middle of the week without so much as a “goodbye.” Geoff is at the seven year mark, and truly does believe that they are trying to push him out, so that he won’t abandon them as well. Still, he has made it known to them his intent: not just to stay, but to retire there!
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. . . t h e c o n g re g a t i o n i n w h i c h I wa s s e r v i n g wa s w h a t i s k n ow n a s a “ c l e r g y k i l l e r.”
I watched for eleven weeks as Geoff put scuffle after scuffle to rest. He masterfully handled the angry congregant email. He took the finance issue to the session, and they worked it out together. He showed love to the woman who fussed to me. Through all of it, he was strong, but tired. It was obviously wearing him out. And yet, he stays. I saw him recently when he came to the States to begin a DMin course at Columbia. We went to dinner, and again I asked him why he stays. “Because God has called and is calling me there.”
Bethany Benz is a middler from Atlanta. She is under care of Central Presbyterian, where she has been a member for 17 years. Currently, she is working on her second internship at Oglethorpe Presbyterian doing evangelism and communications. Prior to that, she spent the summer in South Africa where she completed her first supervised ministry internship. Before coming to Columbia Seminary, Bethany completed a Bachelor of Arts in History at The University of Tennessee and worked as the property manager for Printpack, Inc. Her time at Columbia Seminary has been spent as the co-moderator of Women in Ministry (‘12-’13) and an enthusiastic Ultimate Frisbee player.
A nch o red influencers
No Place Li ke … b y e m i ly p e t e r s o n
(mdiv/mapt
’15)
I
n the three years following my graduation from college, I’ve relocated four times. That first summer, I uprooted myself from the familiar soil of Virginia and trekked southward to Georgia. There, I passed through two houses and an apartment before packing up my bags for my newest adventure. Four months ago, I left Decatur for a year-long internship with Sojourners (sojo. net) in Washington, DC. Since then, I have been in the process of building a life and community here, seeking a temporary home during my tenure. With the nucleus of my life moving so fluidly from one place to the next, knowing that I still have a few years before settling in any one place for an extended period of time, home has been an intriguing and elusive concept. I struggle to articulate what it means, and why it is so important to me and to others that we find it. So, as people of my generation are wont to do, I “Googled” it. How has home been defined by others? • Merriam-Webster “Home: the place (such as a house or apartment) where a person lives, OR a family living together in one building, house, etc., OR a place where something normally or naturally lives or is located.” • Oliver Wendell Holmes “Where we love is home — home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” • Robert Frost “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” • Emily Dickinson “Where thou art, that is home.” • William Jerome “Any old place I can hang my hat is home sweet home to me.” • Jane Sherwood Ace “Home wasn’t built in a day.” • Maya Angelou “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” • Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros “Home is wherever I’m with you.” • T.S. Eliot “Home is where one starts from.” • Hermann Hesse “One never reaches home, but wherever friendly paths intersect the whole world looks like home for a time.”
With so many different definitions out there, I take some comfort in realizing that I’m not the only one who struggles to pinpoint what, exactly, makes home home. Is it dependent upon the place itself, and to what extent? Is love the one defining factor? Or time? Or vulnerability? Can anywhere be home? Can you carry home with you? I shared a great conversation about this with a group of fantastic, thoughtful twenty-somethings last year. We were trying to figure out where our respective boats were anchored, if they were anchored at all, and what drew them there. It has become evident to me that the difficulty in defining home is not for lack of understanding about what home is. Rather, we have to figure out what it means for each one of us. It’s subjective. In the end, we each have our own criteria for what makes home. Some people are tied to home by a deep and true sense of place. Others say it’s entirely dependent upon where their family is. Others still argue that home is made, not found, and therefore anywhere they can lay their heads can be home. Beyond all of this, though, I’m intrigued by what our sense of home means for our sense of call. I know people who have found their call to serve out of their love for the place they came from and their deep familiarity with its needs. Home is their calling, and I have a profound respect for that. For others, home gets in the way of responding to God’s voice. The comfort and familiarity keep them from taking a faithful risk. The search for or preservation of home can either inspire us or prevent us from investing in our communities and engaging in ministry wherever we are. So where does the balance lie? How are we supposed to know whether home and our quest for it reflects or deflects our calling? I ask all these questions: questions I feel are important and worth pondering on the journey of vocational discernment, but my own answers are still in formation. I haven’t yet decided what home means for me, so I don’t know yet how that plays into my call. I’m just trying to be responsive to God’s nudges and get where I’m supposed to go. In the meantime, I make do with packing my sense of home on my back like a turtle until I figure it out. For now, that’s just fine. Emily Peterson is a second-year MDiv/MAPT student at Columbia and a native of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. She is in the midst of a supervised ministry as a development intern with Sojourners in Washington, DC for the 2013-2014 school year. You can follow her blog at emmergoes.blogspot.com for more reflections on the year. VANTAGE Winter 2014
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“ I b e l i ev e w e mu s t re c ov e r o u r a b i l i t y and willingness to speak out quite n a t u ra l l y a n d u n a s h a m e d l y a b o u t t h e l ov e o f J e s u s C h r i s t fo r a l l p e o p l e s . . .”
G . T h o m p s o n “ To m my ” B row n ( 1 9 2 1 – 2 0 14) P ro fessor E merit us G. T hompson “ Tommy” Brown died Tuesday morning, Jan uary 21 ,
in his home at Park Springs Communities in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Tommy served Columbia Theological Seminary as Professor of World Christianity from 1981–1989. There was a memorial service at Decatur Presbyterian Church on Sunday, January 26, at 3:00 pm. Tommy was born in Kuling (Lushan) Jiangxi province, China to his missionary parents serving there in 1921 and was raised by them in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province. He was a graduate of Davidson College (BA ’42), Princeton Seminary (ThM ’50), and Union Theological Seminary (BD ’49, ThD ‘63). Tommy first served as pastor of the Adams Memorial and Linwood Presbyterian Churches in Gastonia, NC. He then became a Presbyterian Church (US) missionary to Korea beginning in 1952 during the war period and worked at Kwangju and Mokpo, the southwestern part of Korea. He helped found the Honam Bible School serving as Professor of New Testament in 1955 and later as president of Honam Seminary from 1960-67. Honam Theological University and Seminary is one of the seven Presbyterian seminaries in Korea. From 1967–73, Tommy served as Area Secretary for East Asia, and later Field Secretary for Korea while lecturing in New Testament at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Seoul, Korea. From 1973–1981, he served as Director of International Missions for the Presbyterian Church (US). “I believe that the Christians of the world, with whom I have lived and worked all my life, have much to contribute to the life of our Presbyterian Church here at home,” Tommy wrote upon coming to Columbia Theological Seminary. “I believe we must recover our ability and willingness to speak out quite naturally and unashamedly about the love of Jesus Christ for all peoples and of their need for His reconciling and redeeming power.” Among Tommy’s published works are: • How Koreans are Reconverting the West (Xlibris Corporation, 2008) and Korean Translation, 2009 • Face to Face: Meditations on the Life Everlasting (Geneva Press, 2001) • Earthen Vessels and Transcendent Power: American Presbyterians in China, 1837-1952 (Orbis Books, 1997) • Presbyterians in World Mission (CTS Press, 1995) • Mission to Korea (Presbyterian Church of Korea, 1984) and Korean Translation • Christianity in the People’s Republic of China (John Knox Press, 1983) Tommy is survived by his wife, Mardia, and other family members. Tommy’s personal documents have been donated to Columbia’s John Bulow Campbell Library and are now in special collections.
T auta P anta | Alumni/ae News & Notes
The alumni/ae, faculty, staff, administration, and students of Columbia Theological Seminary are part of a living tradition that reaches back to the earliest days of God’s people reflecting on their world, their experience of God, and their sense of God’s calling. The title of this section of Vantage reminds our readers of our common connection to this venerable and ever-changing stream of witness. Tauta Panta refers to “all these things,” as in “Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6.33).
About Our A l u m n i / a e 1 9 5 0 ’s Charles Moffatt ’51 has written and recently published a book entitled A Great Cloud of Witnesses, The Presbyterian Church in Gallatin, Tennessee, 1793-2013. The book chronicles the story of Shiloh, organized on the frontier in 1793, and the Gallatin church, organized in 1828. The book begins with Shiloh’s role in the “Second Great Awakening” and unfolds the varied events in the churches over the two hundred and twenty years until the present.
1 9 6 0 ’s Tino Ballesteros ’68 was recently honored by the Association of Retired Ministers, Spouses, and Survivors (ARMSS) with the Certificate of Merit Award 2013. Because of his warmth of personality, excellent preaching, good administrative skills, and consummate pastoral sensitivities, his services in these capacities have been deeply appreciated by the congregations which he has served.
1 9 7 0 ’s Bill Lancaster ’73, ’84 (DMin) led discussion presentations at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC and First Presbyterian Church, Dunedin, FL, on the difficult and sensitive subjects of the use of guns in self-defense and race based on his 2012 novel, The Beast and the Cross. . . . . . John Sloop ’73, ’83 (DMin) has retired from First Presbyterian Church, Harrisonburg, VA. . . . . . Bill Love ’77 retired and has accepted a position with Mennonite Central Committee. (MCC) He and his wife Joann are country representatives in Viet Nam and live in Hanoi. MCC is a relief, development and peace ministry of the Mennonites and other Anabaptist communions.. . . . . .Walt Peters ’78, ’07 (DMin) was honorably retired in Baltimore, MD.
1 9 8 0 ’s Robert E. Lee ’80 was honorably retired as interim pastor of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Winston-Salem, NC. . . . . .Ronald Smith ’82 (DMin) was honorably retired as pastor of Maitland Presbyterian Church, Maitland, FL. . . . . .Martha Jane Petersen ’87 (DMin), ’91 (ThM) published a book on art, spirituality and ministry in August, entitled Imaging My Inner Fire: Finding My Path through Creating Art. The book can be purchased through her website, www.marthajanepetersen.com. . . . . .Samuel Rutland ’89 (DMin) was honorably retired as pastor of Miami Shores Presbyterian Church, Miami, FL.
1 9 9 0 ’s Jack Daniels ’90 (MATS) ’98 (ThM) recently published Gossiping Jesus: the Oral Processing of Jesus in John’s Gospel. https:// wipfandstock.com/store/Gossiping_Jesus_The_Oral_Processing_ of_Jesus_in Johns_Gospel. . . . . .Wil Howie ’90 has retired as executive director, Living Waters for the World, Water Valley, MS. . . . . .Jane Dasher ’93 is pediatric chaplain at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY. After serving congregations in North Carolina, the DC area, Niagara Falls, NY and an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation in the Buffalo area, she is now completing a Master of Science in Creativity and Change Leadership from SUNY/Buffalo State College. . . . . .James Horn ’93 (DMin) has retired as interim pastor, Kingston Presbyterian Church, Kingston, NJ. . . . . .Marybeth Asner–Lawson ’93 and Scott Lawson ’93 are still living and working in Hong Kong. Marybeth is serving Methodist International Church and Scott is CEO of a non-profit. . . . . .David Murad ’96 is director of development at Presbyterian Pan American School, Kingsville, TX. . . . . .Stephen Caine ’96 is pastor of Indian Hill Episcopal Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, OH. . . . . .Gregory Cruice ’97 was honorably retired in Fruitland Park, FL. . . . . .Steve Lindsley ’97 is pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC. . . . . .Eugene Diamond ’98 was the guest speaker at New Mt. Moriah Christian Ministry’s homecoming celebration in St. Augustine, FL.. . . . . .Lynn Gifford ’98 is temporary supply at First Presbyterian Church, Eufaula, AL. . . . . .Kenneth Jarvis ’99 (DMin) was honorably retired as pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Vandalia, MO. . . . . .Shannon Kershner ’99 was featured in an article from Presbyterian News Service entitled Breaking down barriers — North Carolina Pastor Shatters Glass and Other Ceilings. . . . . . Robert Sharman ’99 (DMin) is interim vicepresident for seminary relations at Princeton Theological Seminary. VANTAGE Winter 2014
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T auta P anta | Alumni/ae News & Notes
2 0 0 0 ’s Jonathan Carroll ’00 married Joy Carpenter Allen New Year’s, 2014. Jonathan continues as pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Owensboro, KY. . . . . .Keith Morrison ’00 is pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Union, SC and also stated supply at Cane Creek Presbyterian Church, also in Union. SC. . . . . Jim Simpson ’00 (DMin) is interim pastor at Faith Presbyterian Church in Blue Ridge, GA. . . . . Don Brown ’01 is pastor of Salem United Church of Christ, Bath, PA. . . . . .Ruth Lovell ’01 is engaged to Laurence Bo Bradham, Jr. . . . . .David “Oats” Dault ’02 (MATS), executive director and CEO of the Chicago Sunday Evening Club, is also the executive producer of a new, ongoing television documentary series for WTTW, the Chicago PBS affiliate, that explores how various faith communities are responding to problems in the city, such as food deserts, cyclical incarceration, and corruption. He also continues to produce his radio show, “Things Not Seen: Conversations about Culture and Faith.” www.thingsnotseenradio.com He also continues his research for the authorized biography of Walter Brueggemann, and spent a long afternoon in Baltimore interviewing Walter, during the recent AAR/SPL conference. . . . . .Donald Stewart ’02 (DMin) is working on his PhD in Theology at the University of the West Indies and is pastor of Portmore Lane Covenant Community Church in Jamaica. Outskirts Press, self-publishing and book marketing service provider, announced a dedicated Pinterest page highlighting his collection of 17 books ranging from self-help tomes to books dealing with complex religious and social issues. . . . . Jody Moore ’03 is designated pastor of Outer Banks Presbyterian Church, Kill Devil Hills, NC. . . . . John Brearley ’04 (DMin) is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Myrtle Beach, SC. . . . . .Phil Hagen ’04 and wife Michelle are proud parents of son Jack, born September 6, 2013. . . . . Mary Newberg Gale ’04 and James Gale ’04 are proud parents of a baby girl, Fiona Catherine, born Sept. 24, 2013. . . . . .John Weicher ’04 and Laurie Taylor Weicher ’05 are proud parents of a baby girl, Lucy Elizabeth, born August 27, 2013. . . . . .Elizabeth Soileau Acton ’05 and Andy Acton ’05 have a baby boy, Davis Henry Acton, born November 29, 2013. . . . . Ben Acton ’05 has been installed as associate pastor for education and youth ministries at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL. . . . . .Stuart Higginbotham ’05 is rector at Grace Episcopal Church, Gainesville, GA. . . . . .Ashley ’05 and Rebekah ’14 Lamar, along with big brother, Sam and big sister, Ann Thomas, welcomed another son, James David Lamar, to the family September 24, 2013. . . . . Ben Moravitz ’05 (ThD) is 16
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pastor of Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Marietta, GA . . . . . . Clay Thomas ’05 and Tricia Dillon Thomas ’06 are proud parents of a new baby girl, Wilder Greer Thomas, born November 25th. . . . . .Brandon Brewer ’06 is chaplain practice manager at Hospice of the Chesapeake in Pasadena, MD. He recently completed a Specialty Certificate in Palliative Care Chaplaincy from the California State University Institute for Palliative Care at California State University, San Marcos. He also serves as parish associate at Knox Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, MD. . . . . . Katie Heim Hudson ’06 and husband Blake are proud parents of twin girls Ellie and Joanna, born November 7, 2013. . . . . .Cory Stott ’06 graduated from law school at the University of Virginia in 2012 and is felony prosecutor in the District Attorney’s office in Harris County (Houston, TX). . . . . .Michael York ’06, wife Erin and big sister Vera celebrated the birth of Hattie Elizabeth York November 3, 2013. . . . . .Chris Henry ’07 and Sara Hayden ’08 are proud parents of a son, Samuel Joshua Henry, born Sept. 16, 2013. . . . . .Sharon Acton Schuler ’07 was installed as pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Fort Walton Beach, FL. Husband John Schuler ’06 preached the installation sermon. . . . . . Kendall Pearson ’07 is co-director of ministry for children and their families at First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, VA. She also works full-time as children’s and adolescent case manager at Region Ten Community Services Board. . . . . .Jill Tolbert ’07 will be working with the Presbyterian Student Center at the University of Georgia in early 2014. . . . . .Collin Adams ’08 appeared on the TV game show “Jeopardy” Sept. 23, 2013. Collin is pastor of Pollocksville Presbyterian Church, Pollocksville, NC. . . . . .Davis Bailey ’08 and Julie Bailey ’09 are proud parents of Elizabeth Maureen Bailey born Oct. 14, 2013. . . . . .Morgan Hay ’07 is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Peachtree City, GA. . . . . .John Lattimore ’08 and wife Marianne are proud parents of a daughter, Carolyn “Carrie” Elizabeth, born Sept. 26, 2013. . . . . .Searcy “Buz” Wilcoxon ’08 is pastor of Spring Hill Presbyterian Church, Mobile, AL. . . . . .Andy Wing ’08 is pastor of Ramah Presbyterian Church in Huntersville, NC. . . . . .Erin Kobs ’09 is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, St. James, MN. . . . . .David Rogers ’09 is interim pastor of Conyers Presbyterian Church, Conyers, GA.
T auta P anta | Alumni/ae News & Notes
2 0 1 0 ’s Dean Lindsey ’10 (DMin) is pastor of State College Presbyterian Church in State College, PA. . . . . . Leigh Ann Min ’10 is chaplain at Shelby Baptist Medical Center, Birmingham, AL. . . . . .Brian Powers ’10 and wife Jennifer have a baby daughter, Caroline Ashley born December 13, 2013. . . . . .Meghan Saavedra ’10 and husband Raul have a new baby daughter, Inez Sofia, born Sept. 19, 2013. . . . . .Yvonne Thurmond ’10 was featured in an article from PC (USA) news. She is a 2012 Resident of the “For Such a Time as This” program of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. She has been providing effective leadership at the Quaker Meadows Presbyterian Church in Morganton, NC for more than two years. . . . . .Tara Bulger ’11 is pastor of Friendship Presbyterian Church, Athens, GA. . . . . .Mary Kathleen Duncan ’11 and husband David are proud parents of a daughter, Mary Eliza, Sept. 21, 2013. . . . . .Christine Kaplunas ’11 is pastor of Unity Presbyterian Church in Clarksville, IA. She was ordained November 10th. . . . . .Elizabeth Meador ’11 is pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Independence, MO. . . . . .Kati Salmons ’11 is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, NE. . . . . .Daeseung Teddy Son ’11 and wife Youn Bae have a baby boy, Luke, born September 28, 2013. . . . . .Jarda Alexander ’12 was ordained November 17th at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, GA and has accepted a call at the VA San Diego, CA Healthcare System as a Chaplain CPE Supervisory education student. She is working on board certification and supervisor candidacy. . . . . . Stephanie Crumpton ’12 (ThD) is assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling at Hood Theological Seminary and delivered the message celebrating the Holy Season of Advent through the observance of the Service of Lessons and Carols on December 6th. . . . . .Heather Ferguson ’12 (DEdMin) is director of Christian education at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC. . . . . .Rose McCurdy ’12 is spiritual care coordinator at Aserna Care Hospice in Green Bay, WI. . . . . .Christin Johnson Norman ’12 is pastor of Woodland Presbyterian Church in Woodland, CA. . . . . .Jennifer Parr ’12 is a licensed minister for the Wesleyan Church and currently working at Bold Beginnings International Church in Ellenwood, GA. . . . . . Sheldon Steen ’12, ’13 (ThM) was ordained Sept. 29, 2013 and is pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Jasper, FL. . . . . . Coenraad Brand ’13 is Director of Missions/ Assistant Pastor of Advent Presbyterian Church, Cordova,TN. . . . . . Alan Dyer ’13 was ordained June 2, 2013 as associate pastor of St. Simons Presbyterian Church, St. Simons Island, GA. . . . . . Dan McCurdy ’13 is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Weyauwega, WI.
In Memoriam Durwood Broughton ’94 (DMin) . . . . . . . Jim Fisher ’93 (DMin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Burney Hay Gardner ’50 . . . . . . . . . . . Irwin P. Gates ’57 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Haden ’63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Hammond ’52, ’67 (ThM), ’82 (DMin) . . . Norman Harris II ’94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fred Lupton II ’59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Mayes ’62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sidney Maxwell ’55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hugh McClure III ’54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Ornburn ’88 (DMin) . . . . . . . . . . Robert E. Smith ’42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert E. Weaver ’64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert I. White ’54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William T. Wing, Jr. ’47 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
October 17, 2013 September 20, 2013 December 2, 2013 October 30, 2013 October 25, 2013 September 18, 2013 November 24, 2013 December 30, 2013 August 31, 2013 January 9, 2013 April 24, 2013 October 18, 2013 May 21, 2013 September 12, 2013 October 14, 2013 August 26, 2013
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T auta P anta | Alumni/ae News & Notes
Save the Date for April 25–29! | Colloquium 2014
“Loving the World Next Door” with Professor Emeritus Ben Johnson
That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (NRSV) Save the dates of April 25–29 for what will be an exciting Colloquium 2014! In partnership with the Interfaith Community Initiatives of Atlanta, the Office of Alumni/ae Relations is planning a two-part event called “Loving the World Next Door”. Colloquium 2014 will feature a large number of Columbia Seminary faculty, as well as representatives from the Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist communities. Please join us for what will be a great exploration of “Loving the World Next Door”. There will be three options for registration: 1) Friday–Sunday, April 25–27, Immersion Weekend/Interfaith Community Initiatives* 2) Monday & Tuesday Lectures April 28–28 3) OR BOTH! *Scholarships for the Immersion Weekend are available on a first come, first served basis. 18
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Register Online Today! http://www.ctsnet.edu/event?id=1442
T auta P anta | Faculty & Staff
John Azumah, Associate Professor of World Christianity and Islam, gave a series of lectures on Islamic Christology at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta on December 8, 15 and 22. On December 29, he officiated at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Resurrection Congregation, in Austell, GA, where he preached, baptized nine, and confirmed seventeen young adults. John is on sabbatical from January through June 2014. During his sabbatical, he will give some lectures on Christian–Muslim Encounters at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, in January. On February 2, John will lecture on mission partnerships in the global context at Morningside Presbyterian Church, Atlanta. He will give lectures on Christian-Muslim relations at Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC, over the weekend of February 9 and attend a Board meeting of ScholarLeaders International in Pasadena on February 12–13. John will leave for Ghana where he will spend time with family and his former Institution, the Akrofi–Christaller Institute. He will present a paper on Lamin Sanneh’s missional pilgrimage along with Andrew Walls
at the Mission Leadership Forum at the Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, CT, on April 26. During the months of May and June, John will spend some time at the Evangelical Theological Seminary, Cairo, Egypt and the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon, to consult classical Arabic manuscripts and re-work his book, My Neighbour’s Faith, for an American Christian audience . . . . . Brennan Breed, Assistant Professor of Old Testament, presented two papers at the Society of Biblical Literature conference in Baltimore in November, titled “Biblical Reception History as Ethology” and “Biblical Reception History and the Ideology of Historical Criticalism.” He taught a class at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, TN, on the book of Job on November 10, and gave a response titled “Jewish Images and the Bible” at Emory University’s Sawyer Seminar on Visual Exegesis on November 11. Brennan taught a series on the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel at Decatur Presbyterian Church on December 1 and 8, and taught a class on the Gospel of Mark at Church of the Epiphany on December 15. A piece on Isaiah 11
Educating imaginative, resilient leaders for God’s changing world! advanced professional studies introductory seminars seminar dates
application deadline
doctor of educational ministry September 29–October 10, 2014
April 4, 2014
doctor of ministry Gospel, culture, transformation of the church July 7–18, 2014
Advanced Professional Studies Kevin Park, Associate Dean AdvancedStudies@CTSnet.edu 404.687.4533 All applications must be complete (including transcripts and references) and in the Advanced Professional Studies Office by the application deadline. 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.
May 1, 2014
church & ministry September 8–10, 2014 October 6–8, 2014 November 3–5, 2014 December 1–3, 2014
July 1, 2014 Mon. 1:30 pm – Wed. 12:30 pm, all sessions held on the Columbia campus. Attendance at all four is required.
christian spirituality November 10–21, 2014
August 1, 2014
COURSE SESSIONS A variety of courses offered. Electives also offered in the fall and spring. January Term 2015 is January 5–16. Summer Sessions 2015 are I: July 6–17 and II: July 20–31.
For morE inFormation
www.ctsnet.edu/degree-programs VANTAGE Winter 2014
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titled “Isaiah and the Politics of Utopian Thinking” was published online for ON Scripture which also appeared in the Huffington Post on December 2. For the past few years, Brennan has been working with the Bible Odyssey project from SBL that is funded by the NEH of which he is on the editorial board, and the project will launch in March. It will be an excellent website with scholarly information available for free to the general public. . . . . William Brown, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, led a Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) educational event at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church on September 29. He led “Faith Explorations” and preached at the Waterloo United Methodist Church in Waterloo, IA, on October 11–12 on “Fifty Shades of Green” discussing the Bible’s ecology of wonder. Bill participated in the ordination service for Leigh Campbell-Taylor (’13) on October 27. Bill presented a paper “When Wisdom Fails” at the annual Society of Biblical Literature meeting in Baltimore on November 23. He led the adult Sunday School at North Decatur Presbyterian Church in December on the theme: “Legacy of Light: Creation, Advent, New Creation”. Bill wrote a new article: “‘Wieder und wieder’: Tempus fugit im Buch Kohelet?” (“Time after Time”: Tempus fugit in Ecclesiastes?”) in Journal of the Jewish Museum Berlin 9 (2013): 13-16. Bill also preached at the ordination service of Sunghee Hammersley (’13) on January 12 at Northside Hospital, Atlanta . . . . . Anna Carter Florence, Peter Marshall Associate Professor of Preaching, was the keynote on October 22–23 for the Synod of SW Ontario, Presbyterian Church of Canada. On October 27–29, she delivered the Memorial Bible Lectures, Laurinburg, NC. On December 3, Anna gave a presentation for the Academy of Homiletics, Louisville, KY, on “Back to the Text: An Exploration of I Timothy through Ensemble Performance”. On January 13–15, she was the keynote for the Byberg Preaching Workshop, Cannon Beach, OR, Synod of the NW, ELCA. On January 26, she preached at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Atlanta. On January 27, Anna was a leader at “A Day Apart” for Clergywomen, Samford University, Birmingham, AL. On February 8, she led the Trinity Presbyterian Church Women’s Retreat, Atlanta. On February 28–March 2, Anna will be a leader at Churchwide Retreat, White Memorial Presbyterian Church, Raleigh, NC. Anna also contributed a chapter, “Preaching and the Personal,” to Preaching and the Personal, J. Dwayne Howell, ed. (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications), 2013 Kimberly Clayton ’84/’08 (DMin), Director of Contextual Education, preached for Rachael Whaley Pate’s installation at Rehoboth Presbyterian Church and for the chapel service at Clairmont Place. She is also moderating the Session at 20
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Ormewood Park Presbyterian Church and serving as Presbytery liaison for the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Pastor Nominating Committee in Tucker. Kim is co-chair of the Care of Churches team for the Committee on Ministry for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta . . . . . Pamela Cooper–White, the Ben G. and Nancye Clapp Gautier Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care and Counseling, and Co-Director of the Atlanta Theological Association’s joint ThD program in Pastoral Counseling, departed on September 15 for Vienna, Austria, to begin her Fulbright fellowship as the Fulbright-Freud Visiting Scholar of Psychoanalysis. Throughout the fall-winter semester, she has conducted research on the existential, humanistic and religious themes in the work of Freud’s earliest circle of psychoanalysts in Vienna, and has taught a seminar at the Protestant Theologie department of the University of Vienna entitled “Freud, Psychoanalysis, and Religion: Critiques and Counter-Critiques.” She presented her 2013 Fulbright Lecture at the Sigmund Freud Museum, Vienna, entitled “Beyond ‘A Dangerous Method’: Sabina Spielrein and the ‘Death Instinct’”. Beyond Vienna, she presented a series of seminars for pastors on her book Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care and Counseling and a public lecture on “Gender, Power, and Pastoral Care” at the University of Bern, Switzerland in October; a lecture on “Some Contemporary Trends in Pastoral Theology: The Turn toward Justice and Ethics” at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, in December; and a lecture on “Sándor Ferenczi, the Relational Paradigm, and Pastoral Psychotherapy to the Hungarian Psychoanalytic Society in Budapest, Hungary, in January. In addition, she gave a continuing education forum in December and preached an Epiphany sermon in January at Christ Anglican Church, Vienna, where she has also been a member of the choir throughout her sabbatical. Her article, “Why Didn’t Freud Reject Pfister?” was just published online in the journal Pastoral Psychology, DOI #10.1007/s11089013-0548-2 . . . . . Kathy Dawson ’94, Associate Professor of Christian Education and Director of the MAPT Program, along with Kevin Park, Paul Huh and about a dozen other people from Columbia attended the World Council of Churches Conference in Busan, South Korea. While there, she led two children’s services at Pohang Central Presbyterian Church and participated in worship in other congregations. She attended an Educator Certification Committee meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, serving as Vice-Moderator. She also preached at the installation of Carrie Bowers (MDiv ’11, MAPT’14) at Buford Presbyterian Church on Sunday, November 24 . . . . . Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics, taught on the church and unity
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in November at Peachtree Presbyterian Church. He attended AAR/SBL in November, where he presided at a session on “The Moral Purposes of Hebrew Poetry” which was jointly sponsored by the “Ethics and Biblical Interpretation” group and the “Hebrew Poetry” group. Mark attended the SACS conference in December. In January, Mark taught on Jewish and Christian understandings of the land/Israel at the Temple in Atlanta. In February, he taught at several churches, including First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. In March, Mark will present a paper on links between pacifist movements and environmental movements at the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion meeting. . . . . . Sarah Erickson ’03/DEdMin ’10, Director of Lifelong Learning, led a workshop in October on learning and older adults at the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network and Association of Retired Ministers, Spouses, and Survivors national conferences in Atlanta. She preached at Atlanta Taiwanese Presbyterian. She also preached the sermon and served on the ordination commission for Daniel Vanek (MDiv ’13) at Grace Presbyterian Church, Mobile, AL. In November, Sarah led a 4-week church school class, “Between the Covers,” at N. Decatur Presbyterian Church exploring Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal. . . . . . Israel Galindo, Associate Dean of Lifelong Learning, had a book review in the journal, Teaching Theology & Religion, on a book called “Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day” by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams. Alexandria, VA: The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Israel attended meetings for the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Advisory Committee on October 24–25, and the Consultants Meeting, October 25–27. He also wrote articles in the Blog for Theological School Deans, Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion: “Three Models for Curriculum Integration” in October. Israel wrote “Leading Amidst Reactivity” for the Perspectives on Congregational Leadership blog; “A Tool for Integration and Assessment: Curriculum Maps,” in Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning Blog for Theological School Deans; and “Five Stages For Effective Teaching and Meaningful Learning in the Classroom,” Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning blog, 12 Surprises When Lecturing Less (and teaching more). His book, Perspectives on Congregational Ministry, was reviewed in Journal of Religious Leadership Vol. 11 No. 2 Fall 2012. In December, Israel published “The Dean as Educational Leader: Do you know your educational terms?” for the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning Blog for Theological School Deans; “Leading in an Anxious System: What is a leader to do?”; and “Ghost hunters and exorcists: The Leader
and Secrets” for the Perspectives on Congregational Leadership blog. His book, The Hidden Lives of Congregations, was listed as a “bestseller” by the Alban Institute. In January, Israel led the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning Colloquy for Theological School Deans in Mustang Island, TX. He also published “What Matters in a 21st Century M.Div.?” in the Wabash Center’s blog for theological school deans . . . . . Joan Gray ’76, Acting Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Services, led a congregational retreat and preached at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC, during October 4–6. The pastor is Columbia alum Andy Walton (’92). She was filmed on October 7 as part of the Presbyterian Historical Society’s “Living History” project. On October 14–17, Joan was the keynote speaker at the Small Church Pastor’s Conference, MoRanch Conference Center, Hunt, Texas. Joan was in Chile November 6–16 participating in leadership training and organizational development for the national Program Board and Leadership Cabinet of the Foursquare Gospel Church of Chile. January 17–19, 2014: lead a retreat for the leadership of St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Maryland. On February 2, Joan preached at the First Presbyterian Church of Aiken, South Carolina. On February 15, she led a session training event for McDonough Presbyterian Church, McDonough, GA. Joan’s new book The Sailboat Church: Rethinking Your Church’s Mission and Program will be published in May 2014 by Geneva Press . . . . . William Harkins, Senior Lecturer of Pastoral Theology and Care, was guest preacher and taught Adult Education at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newnan, Georgia. He has served as consultant and seminar leader for “The Road Episcopal Service Fellows,” and will continue in this role through 2014. He served as an Emotional Health Faculty member for CREDO 274 at Bishop’s Ranch, Sonoma, CA. This was a “Mosaic” CREDO consisting of prospective PCUSA and ECUSA faculty. In early January, Bill was guest speaker and leader at the Officer’s Retreat for Newnan Presbyterian Church where Columbia alums Harry Barrow (’74) and DC Adams (’12) serve. In January, he served as a faculty member for the Diocese of Alabama Wellness Seminar at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Birmingham, AL. In February, he was the keynote speaker at The Vine Pastoral Counseling Center, Huntsville, AL, on Resilience and Leadership in Ministry. He served as the Retreat Leader for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newnan, GA, held at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. In February, he attended the 2014 CREDO Faculty Convocation, in Memphis, TN where he participated in curriculum development for Emotional Wellness for Clergy. Bill will serve as Emotional Health faculty for VANTAGE Winter 2014
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two CREDO conferences in 2014 at Camp Beckwith (AL) and Lake Logan (NC). He contributed several essays for “Feasting on the Gospels,” and a Book Review for the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling. Bill taught a Diocesan Adult Education class at the Cathedral of St. Philip entitled “Painting the Stars: God, Evolution, and Religion.” This class will be offered again in Spring 2014. Bill will be on sabbatical leave in the fall of 2014. . . . . Steve Hayner, President, preached at McDonough Presbyterian Church on September 15, Johns Creek Presbyterian Church on October 13, and First Presbyterian Church Gainesville on October 27. He spoke at the Restoration Anglican Church Family Conference on October 19–20, and the Glacier Presbytery/Yellowstone Presbytery (MT) on November 7–8. Steve attended seminary inaugurations for Dr. Craig Barnes (Princeton) and Dr. Mark Labberton (Fuller). He had a lectureship at the Keter Lectures, First Presbyterian Church, Gainesville, FL. He attended Board Meetings for Mission Haven, Committee on Theological Education, World Vision, and the International Justice Mission. Stephen Hayner & Mark Labberton published “The Bible and Belhar”, Special Committee on the Belhar Confession, PCUSA, 2013. Steve preached at First Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC, on February 16, and spoke to Presbyterian Women there that evening. Upcoming events for Steve include preaching for the ordination of Yeonkwon Jeong ’12 at the Korean Community Presbyterian Church on March 9. On March 16, he will preach at the First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg, SC, teach adult Sunday School, and give a Reformed Theology Seminar in the evening. On March 18, Steve will lead the Vesper Service at the Lenbrook Retirement Community. On March 20, he will speak at the presidents lunch for the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities . . . . . Paul Junggap Huh, Assistant Professor of Worship and Director of Korean American Ministries, went with a group of faculty and students to the World Council of Churches in Busan, Korea, during October 30 through November 8. He arrived beforehand to lecture on “Reformed Worship in America” at PCTS on October 25 and to plan worship at the Korean Diaspora Conference (WCC pre-conference) in Seoul, Korea on October 26. Paul also preached and led worship at Pohang Central Church, Pohang, Korea. On January 1–5, he served on the Academic committee as a delegate for new membership at the North American Academy of Liturgy, Orlando, FL. On January 9–10, Paul participated in a “Glory to God” New Hymnal promotion event at First Presbyterian, Fort Worth, TX. On January 26, he played a cello solo for the memorial service of George Thompson Brown at Decatur Presbyterian. On February 16, Paul 22
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participated in a new building dedication service for the Korean Community Presbyterian Church in Duluth. On February 21–22, Paul participated in a “Glory to God” New Hymnal promotion event at Central Presbyterian, Atlanta. On February 25–27, he was the conference worship leader for the Council on Overseas Korean Churches for Education & Ministry KCPC in Duluth. On February 28 to March 1, Paul was the preacher and workshop leader for Grace Presbytery stated meeting at Binneri Church, Dallas, TX. On March 2, he preached at Big Tree Presbyterian Church, TX. On March 14–16, he will be at the North American Academy of Liturgy executive committee meeting in Chicago, IL . . . . . . Kimberly Long, Associate Professor of Worship, participated in a consultation on revising the Directory for Worship, Louisville, KY on September 5–7. She preached at Atlanta Taiwanese Presbyterian Church on September 8. She gave the charge (in absentia) at the ordination of Shavon Starling-Louis ’13, First Presbyterian Church, Midwest City, OK, on September 8. Kim consulted with First Presbyterian Church, Dalton, GA, regarding the design of their new sanctuary, October 7. She led a workshop on liturgical language for the Reformed Communion conference at All Souls Fellowship, Decatur, GA, on October 8. She served as liturgist at a service of worship celebrating Pride Atlanta at Morningside Presbyterian Church on October 9. Kim preached and led a workshop at the launch for Glory to God, Wayne Presbyterian Church, Wayne, PA, on October 18–19. She gave the charge at the ordination of Leigh Campbell-Taylor ’13 at Central Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA, on October 27. Kim presented a pre-conference event on marriage liturgies and served on a panel for the national gathering of the Covenant Network of the PCUSA, Chicago during October 31–November 2. She led a master class on global song at Enliven 2013, Richmond, VA during November 14–16. Kim gave the charge at the ordination of Sally Ann McKinsey Sisk ’13, First Presbyterian Church, Aiken, SC on November 24. She served as cantor for three services of Taizé prayer at Central Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA on October 1, November 5, and December 3. She welcomed the publication of Feasting on the Word Worship Companion, Year A, Vol. 1. She presented two papers at the North American Academy of Liturgy, Orlando, FL on January 2–5 . . . . . Upcoming events for Kim include leading a worship event for New Harmony Presbytery (SC) on March 1. From Westminster John Knox Press, she has published: Feasting on the Word Worship Companion (ed.), Year C, Vol. 1; Year C, Vol. 2; Year A, Vol. 1; The Worshiping Body: The Art of Leading Worship; The Eucharistic Theology of the American Holy Fairs . . . . . Martha Moore-Keish,
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Associate Professor of Theology, was one of seven presenters at the Moderator’s 2nd Colloquium on Ecclesiology held on December 9–11, 2013, hosted by Princeton Theological Seminary’s office of Continuing Education. The colloquium gave focused attention, careful consideration, and catalyzed conversation on the nature and purpose of the Church that are all at once liturgical–missional in its shape, character, essence, and orientation. She will also speak at the inaugural Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson Distinguished Scholars’ Conference at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary during March 20–22, 2014. The conference will host an international gathering of scholars (approximately half from outside North America) on the theme “Always Being Reformed: Challenges, Issues and Prospects for Reformed Theologies Today.” Martha will present on themes of Barth’s critique of religion as a resource for comparative theology, which she began during her most recent sabbatical . . . . . Deborah F. Mullen, Dean of Faculty/Executive Vice President, Associate Professor of American Christianity and Black Church Studies, addressed the ATS Roundtable and Symposium on the expectations of the Dean for Newly Appointed Faculty in Chicago last October. She was the Wednesday evening dinner speaker at the Highland Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL, on November 20, and preached at the Sheppards and Lapsley Presbytery meeting on November 21. Deb attended the ATS Board of Directors meeting in December, and the inaugural meeting of ATS African American CEOs and CAOs at Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA, in January. She preached at McCormick Seminary’s 10th Annual MLK, Jr. Service of Praise and Worship in January. . . . . . Rodger Nishioka, Benton Family Associate Professor of Christian Education, preached at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC. He gave the keynote at a Leadership Day for Salem Presbytery. Rodger preached at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC. He gave the charge to the pastor at the Ordination service for the Rev. John W. Fawcett ’13 at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church. Rodger preached on Theological Education Sunday at Western Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. He gave the keynote and preached at the Wabash Valley Presbytery meeting in Rochester, IN. Rodger spoke at the congregational retreat for the Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair, NJ. He spoke at Connections 2013, a gathering for camp and conference ministries of the United Church of Canada in Victoria, B.C. Rodger spoke at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Brockville, ON, and St. Thomas’ Anglican Church in Kingston, ON, for the Anglican Diocese of Ontario. He spoke and preached at the congregational retreat for
the First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, NC. Rodger preached at the Countryside Community Church in Esparto, CA. He spoke at the Preaching Pastor’s Retreat in Zephyr Point, CA. Rodger spoke and preached at the North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church in North Wilkesboro, NC. He was keynote speaker for the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network and Association of Retired Ministers, Spouses, and Survivors national conferences in Atlanta . . . . . Marcia Y. Riggs, J. Erskine Love Professor of Christian Ethics; Director of ThM Program, delivered the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture at the University of Northern Iowa in January and a lecture at Southern Methodist University in February . . . . . Dominique Robinson, Staff Associate, Contextual Education, preached for the Youth & Young Adult Experience at Little Rock AME Zion Church in Charlotte, NC, in January. In February, she preached at Rock Grove AME Zion Church in Rock Hill, SC, Spring Hill AME Zion Church, Solid Rock AME Zion Church, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta. Dominique was a presenter at the AME Zion’s Board of Bishop’s Preaching Institute in Salisbury, NC, and at the YES Youth & Young Adult Weekend in Denver, CO. In March, she will preach for the Lenten Observance at St. Paul AME Church in Jacksonville, FL, the Pan Methodist Observance Chapel at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, and at Mt. Pisgah AME Zion Church in Rockingham, NC . . . . . Jody Sauls, Human Resources Administrator, was ordained and installed as an elder at Decatur Presbyterian Church on January 12 . . . . . Stan Saunders, Associate Professor of New Testament, was the Bible Study leader during the 2013 Worship and Music Conferences at Montreat, June 16–28, which focused on the theme “A New Heaven and a New Earth.” He was also the Bible Study leader for the “The Main Event” in Birmingham, AL, for the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley and the North Alabama Presbytery. On October 6, Stan led a session on “New Creation and the Sustainable Church” for Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church. Stan has preached at First Christian Church of Rome, GA, First Christian Church of Marietta, and Brookhaven Christian Church in Atlanta. On November 16, he was the Bible Study leader for the Regional Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in GA. Stan serves on the Commission on Ministry for the Disciples of Christ in GA. He has been serving on the editorial board for the new Feasting on the Gospels series, edited by Cynthia Jarvis and Beth Johnson (Westminster John Knox Press). Upcoming events for Stan include the beginning of a five-week series in March on “Creation, Temple, and the Body of Christ” at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in VANTAGE Winter 2014
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Atlanta. He will preach and deliver the Davidson Lectures at Oakridge Presbyterian Church in Oakridge, Tennessee. Stan will be on sabbatical during the Spring and Summer 2014 to work on a book, “A Dwelling Place for God,” which explores the place of creation in Biblical models of redemption . . . . . . Jeffery L. Tribble, Sr., Associate Professor of Ministry, attended the 146th Session of the Georgia Annual Conference of the AME Zion Church held at Solid Rock AME Zion Church in Lithonia, GA, October 9–13. He reported on his ministry as Presiding Elder of the Augusta District, Chairman of Conference Studies, and Chairman of the Congregational Self-Study Commission. He participated in the work of the Holy Orders Committee. Jeffery received a new appointment to serve as Presiding Elder of the Atlanta District. He presided over the organizational planning meeting of the Atlanta District, held at Faith AME Zion in Atlanta on November 2, and preached the message for the celebration of worship. Jeffery participated in collaborative research on Integration in Ministry at the Collegeville Institute November 15– 16 and met with the Executive Committee of the Association of Practical Theology at AAR in Baltimore. Jeffery also wrote the foreword for a book recently published by the Department of Church Growth and Development of the AME Zion Church: For the Perfecting of the Saints: A Handbook on Small Group Discipleship by Dr. Darryl B. Starnes. On February 25, he received the 2014 Frederick Douglass Award at the 36th Annual Awards Banquet of the International Ministers and Lay Association of The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which will be held in Spartanburg, SC. . . . . . Haruko Nawata Ward, Associate
Professor of Church History, delivered a paper, “Translation of Fides in the Jesuit mission in Japan,” at the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, October 25, 2013. She presented a paper, “Images of the Incarnation in the Jesuit Japan Mission’s Kirishitanban Story of Virgin Martyr St. Catherine of Alexandria,” for Image and Incarnation; The Early Modern Doctrine of the Pictorial Image, Colloquium III: “The Visual Poetics of Incarnation in Theology and Literature,” Emory University Art History Department, Decatur, GA, November 22, 2013. Haruko read a paper, “Trent and the Tales of All These Saints Travelling East: Virgin Martyr Saint Catherine of Alexandria in the Jesuit Japan Mission,” for the International Conference, The Council of Trent: Reform and Controversy in Europe and Beyond (15451700), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, December 6, 2013. . . . . . Ralph C. Watkins, Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth, presented two papers at the American Academy of Religion in November 2013 in Washington DC titled “A Socio-Theological Approach for the Study of Hip Hop: From Ethnography to Socio-Theo-Musicology” and “Connecting with the Hip Hop Generation: A Future, A Hope and A Legacy” . . . . . . Christine Yoder, Professor of Old Testament Language, Literature, and Exegesis, attended the Society of Biblical Literature meeting in Baltimore, MD, in November. In February, she spoke at the Women’s Retreat of Central Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA. In March, she will deliver the Lenten Lectures at Lewinsville Presbyterian Church in McLean, VA, and serve as Theologian in Residence and lecturer at Grosse Ile Presbyterian Church, in Grosse Ile, MI.
The American Theological Library Association Serials (ATLAS) research database is available to Columbia alumni/ae. The database provides online access to more than 150,000 articles and citations — and to the full text of hundreds of peer-reviewed journals. Columbia’s library provides funding for this valuable resource for alumni/ae. It is a key tool for lifelong research, study, and sermon preparation. For more information — and a login ID and password — contact Erica Durham (404-687-4661 or durhame@ctsnet.edu).
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lifel o ng learning
March 8 The Passion: In Arts,Texts, and Music: A Contemplative Retreat for Lent This will be an opportunity to practice lectio divina with art, words, and music associated with Lent and Holy Week. Lectio divina is a meditative practice associated primarily with scripture, but may be used to cultivate mindfulness of the sacred through other media as well. Leader: Chris Glaser. March 30–April 4 Teaching Spiritual Formation in the Congregation Certificate in Spiritual Formation This course will explore many practical ways to teach spiritual formation in our congregations. Participants will create a teaching plan, share ideas and receive feedback from one another. Instructor: Jane Vennard. April 23–25 Baptism and Beyond: Scaffolding a Life of Discipleship How do we nurture all ages to live out their baptismal vows in their daily lives in ways that are counter-cultural to a life of consumption and self-fulfillment? Special attention will be given to the elementary school ages of six through twelve, but there will also be times of engaging with how these methods of discipleship may then lead to continued progression in the youth and young adult years. Instructors: Rev. Anne H.K. Apple and Dr. Kathy Dawson. April 24–27 Inhabiting Eden • Certificate in Spiritual Formation Montreat Conference Center Enjoying the Eden of Montreat and listening to Scripture, we will explore spirituality of grateful care, and of realistic hope for facing our generation’s ecological crises. Instructor: Patricia Tull.
C OMPASS POINTS
March 16–19 Compass Points: Biblical and Theological Foundations March 19-22 Compass Points: Program Design and Implementation These courses will be held at Columbia Theological Seminary and taught by seminary faculty members William P. Brown and Martha Moore-Keish (March 16–19) and Kathy Dawson and Joel Winchip (March 19–22). Compass Points is a joint certification program offered by the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA) and Columbia Theological Seminary.
May 5–9 Coming Home to Your True Self: A Lifelong Journey: A Contemplative Retreat for Women Certificate in Spiritual Formation Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman, Alabama As Christians, we know ourselves to be both deeply flawed and richly blessed, prone to attachments and distractions, all the while knowing that our true call is to become fully who God made us to be, “imago dei,” light for the world. In our time together on retreat we will look at God’s call to fullness of life, and what gets in the way. The retreat includes presentations, conversation, and ample quiet time to ponder these topics. Instructors: Lalor Cadley and Deedra Rich.
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May 5–9 Exploring the Monastic Experience: A Contemplative Retreat for Men Certificate in Spiritual Formation St. Bernard Abbey, Cullman, Alabama This retreat includes a balance of prayer, silent time, presentations, and group discussion. No prior experience at a monastery, or with contemplative prayer is required. Our goal will be to seek God’s still small voice so that we may “be still and know God” in a supportive communal setting. Facilitator: Carl McColman. August 4–6 Reconciling Paul (weekday course) 2014–15 Horizons/Presbyterian Women Bible Study Leader Training This course is designed for those who will lead the 2014–2015 Horizons Bible Study; others interested in a contemporary study of 2 Corinthians are welcome. The author of this year’s study leads this session. Course participants will dig deeply into the material, hear from a panel of leaders, participate in listening groups and receive tips for leading the study throughout the coming year. Instructor: Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty. August 7–9 NEW COURSE in the Center for Lifelong Learning: Educating In Faith Continuing a commitment to fostering excellence in Christian education and faith formation, The Center for Lifelong Learning offers this new course taught by Associate Dean Israel Galindo. Participants will explore selected theories and models concerning individual faith development and the ways persons are educated in faith formation. A primary focus will be on understanding faith development in the congregational context and its implications for educational ministry in the local church. Instructor: Israel Galindo.
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August 15–16 Reconciling Paul (weekend course) 2014–15 Horizons/Presbyterian Women Bible Study Leader Training See previous description. Instructor: Sharol Hayner. August 21–24 Evelyn Underhill: Foremother of Contemporary Spirituality Certificate in Spiritual Formation Evelyn Underhill (1875–1941) pioneered a revitalization of interest in mysticism and the spiritual life as lived by ordinary people. For Underhill the mystics were those “who knew for certain the love of God” and the spiritual life was described as “that life in which all that we do comes from the center where we are anchored in God.” This class will explore Underhill’s life and her writings on mysticism, worship, the spiritual life, the church, prayer and spiritual direction. Her insights will serve to stimulate and inspire participants to deepening our own spiritual life, our concurrence that there is “a splendor burning in the heart of things.” Instructor: Dana Greene. For a current listing of all courses, visit www.ctsnet.edu/lifelong-courses-and-events.
candlelights
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. — Corrie ten Boom, Author
Holy Sepulchre Prayer candles: Held in the same sacred sands of prayers centuries past, we find these flickering flames bearing whispered words before the face of God. Photo credit: Katie Archibald-Woodward ’12
Home is for me not a place, it is la familia — a feeling of having an inside joke with your immediate family and community…That feeling connects us like a thread and it tells you that you belong. — Cecilia Betancourt Corral, Editor–Writer One word I had throughout the first year and a half of my mother’s death was “unmoored.” I felt that I had no anchor, that I had no home in the world. — Meghan O’Rourke, Poet In search of my mother’s garden, I found my own. — Alice Walker, Author–Activist A man must be at home somewhere before he can feel at home everywhere. — Howard Thurman, Theologian If there is anything about your “self ” of which you can be sure, it is that it is anchored in your own body and yours alone. The person you experience as “you” is here and now and nowhere else. — Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, Neuroscientist Writers write to influence their readers, their preachers, their auditors, but always, at bottom, to be more themselves. — Aldous Huxley, Author
To work effectively as an agent of change in a pluralistic society, it is necessary to be able to connect with people different from oneself… We all need community to give us energy, to strengthen our voices, and to offer constructive criticism when we stray off course. — Beverly Daniel Tatum, Educator In the telling and retelling of their stories, they create communities of memory. — Ronald Takaki, Historian All communities are sites of collective imagination, social processes rather than mere locations for living and work. — Manning Marable, Scholar The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. — Soren Kierkegaard, Theologian It is to be lamented that the term irresistible grace has ever been used, since it suggests the idea of a mechanical and coercive influence upon an unwilling subject, while, in truth, it is the transcendent act of the infinite Creator, making the creature spontaneously willing. — A.A. Hodge, Pastor–Educator
Every life is a profession of faith, and exercises an inevitable and silent influence. — Henri Frederic Amiel, Philosopher
We can exert power for good, therefore, only if we are prepared to drum it into our heads that the church of Christ can never exert influence on civil society directly, only indirectly. — Abraham Kuyper, Theologian
You don’t have to be a “person of influence” to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me. — Scott Adams, Cartoonist
[The leader] stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind. — Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa VANTAGE Winter 2014
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VANTAGE P.O. Box 520
Decatur, GA 30031 404-378-8821 www.ctsnet.edu
Contents Vantage Point: President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hyper-Focus: Advanced Professional Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Reasonable Service (News). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Anchored Influencers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Weighing Anchor by Brennan Breed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Called to Stay by Bethany Benz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 No Place Like . . . by Emily Peterson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Tauta Panta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14–24 Alumni/ae News and Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Save the Date! Colloquium 2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Faculty/Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Lifelong Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 25 Candlelights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Look inside for our new section “Candlelights”! Each issue, we will highlight inspirational quotes and artwork reflective of our theme. Our next issue will be about “Spiritual Pioneers”. Feel free to submit your own ideas to thompsonm@ctsnet.edu.
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The Center for Lifelong Learning will mark the Lenten season with Poetry, Art, and the Spirituality of Imagination: A Lenten Meditation.This exhibit combines Scripture, poetry, and the ink drawings of Israel Galindo, Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning. The exhibit will be on view at the Harrington Center from February 28 through May 17, with an artist’s reception on March 4 at 4:30 pm. For more information, see page 2!
CTSeminary
Winter 2014
NonProfit Organization U. S. Postage PAID Permit No. 40 Decatur, GA