w o nd e r !
S p r i n g
su m m e r
2 0 1 2
Va n ta g e
c o l u m b i a
t h e o l o g i c a l
s e m i n a r y
A l l W h o Wo n d e r
All who wonder are not lost unless you count being found by God as the total loss of control it truly is. When fear gives way to curiosity, all hope for individuation flies the way of first naiveté. But oh, the joy of life unleashed when, held in God’s mysterious palm, we uncork life’s champagne questions! The who and how of our connection weaves intergenerational tapestry as universal quilt of hope. Me and thee, thou and I become the “us” of universe, things used, people loved. Grain, grape, water morph from ordinary, daily sustenance to sacramental grace. World shrinks without claustrophobia, stories blend without conflict, love wins without suffocating. T o d d J e n k i n s , MD i v ’ 9 0 h e a d o f s ta f f / s e n i o r pa s t o r First Presbyterian Church F ay e t t e v i l l e , TN
T h e m o s t a m a z i n g wo n d e r i n m y l i f e
started when I had prayer in the Seminary chapel with a date from Agnes Scott College in 1956. She was Martha Jane Morgan whom I had met the previous month in an evening Bible class of Dr. Manford Gutzke. We had been to the four-hour movie “The Ten Commandments” at Loew’s Grand Theater. After our prayer in the chapel, I told her in so many words I would marry her. This scared her to death and resulted in her avoiding me for the next nine months! Through many “[heartaches], toils and snares” (mainly with each of us trying to finish our schooling in Princeton, New Jersey and Edinburgh, Scotland during the following four years) we did marry in 1960. We’ve been happily companioning each other ever since, wonder of wonders. H a r ry F. ( “ P e t e ” ) P e t e r s e n , MD i v ’ 5 8 B l a c k M o u n ta i n , N C
The most surprising and energizing w o n d e r in my
ministry has been becoming a fabric artist shortly after I retired. This began when I took several workshops on art held at Columbia Seminary when I was a student. There I learned the power of images, color and design. My journey into art culminated when the seminary hosted 16 pieces of my work in an exhibition for four months in 2011, and then Austin Seminary after that. As a minister-artist, I view my art as a proclamation of the Good News visually, not only verbally. To quote Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork; there is no speech, no words, yet their voice goes out to the end of the earth.” M a r t h a J a n e P e t e r s e n , DM i n ’ 8 7 , T h M ’ 9 1 B l a c k M o u n ta i n , N C
About the cover Joy Clower Patty teaches art and is coordinator of exhibitions for the art gallery at The Lovett School, in Atlanta. She also teaches continuing Mixed media. 12 x 17 education studio and art appreciation courses for Savannah College of Art and Design. Originally from Tennessee, she is a graduate of Queens College and holds a master’s degree in museum education from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. Previously she has been on the staff of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta; the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, TX; the Meadows Museum in Dallas, TX; and the Glassell School of Art in Houston, TX. J o y C l o w e r Pat t y
Q ua n t u m : Wo n d e r . 2 0 1 2
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My mixed media paintings are generated from experimentation with process, at first inspired by Abstract Expressionists of the 50s and 60s, and now by contemporary art that celebrates color and surface. With no message in mind, I simply enjoy the physicality of paint and drawing using non-traditional tools to build up layers of texture and color. The Quantum series, including Quantum: Wonder, comes from the marriage of found papers and intentional paint application. Through color and haphazard marks, each piece expresses the mysteries of matter and energy — both micro and macro imaginings. What appears to be accidental is actually a one-of-a-kind creation.
President’s Message
Seeing the Wonder Dear Friends, When I first came to Columbia in 2003, we were already asking questions like “What is God doing in the world in the 21st century?” “In a rapidly changing, pluralistic, and volatile culture, what will it take for us to be a seminary that serves the church faithfully, biblically, and courageously throughout the foreseeable future?” For most of us, the answers revolve around the need for leaders equipped with new skills and broader training to augment the biblical and theological foundations for which Columbia has become known. But what makes a leader? Are they born, or are they developed? The answer is “both”! People are born with abilities and instincts for leadership, and the church is filled with those who have the spiritual gifts required for accomplishing God’s call. But even these women and men with high leadership potential require nourishing, training, support, and wisdom for the task if their work and influence is going to reflect the character of Jesus. So what does this mean for the work of Columbia Theological Seminary? To shape the next years of our spiritual formation and curriculum planning on campus, we have been working on a quality enhancement plan. Introduced early this year, the theme of that plan is “educating imaginative, resilient leaders for God’s changing world.” We anticipate that our emerging new curriculum will reflect this theme and that our students, faculty, and staff will become more focused on how we can take new steps in leadership development. As a key tool to help us with this process, we now have the new Vernon S. Broyles Jr. Leadership Center, which we dedicated on March 7. It is a wonderful building, beautiful to look at, and amazing with its technology not only for learning, but also for operating it efficiently. None of us can fully imagine how this building will be used, or what God will do in the days ahead. In dedicating it, though, we are also dedicating our lives and our service to the development of a new generation of leaders. I’m proud to be a member of a community like this, full of people who are willing to take risks as they encounter the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Together, with you, we are seeing here and throughout the world the wonder of what happens when we follow Jesus into unanticipated places. Joyfully,
What makes a leader? Are they born, or are they developed?
The tower of the new Vernon S. Broyles Jr. Leadership Center is a welcoming portal to Columbia’s campus community. See more on page 6.
Steve Hayner Vantage Spring | Summer 2012
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News Ethics Matters: African, Caribbean, and African American Sources New book edited by Professor Marcia Riggs
Marcia Y. Riggs is co-editor, with James S. Logan, of a collection of essays titled Ethics Matters: African, Caribbean, and African American Sources (Fortress, 2011). Dr. Riggs is the J. Erskine Love Professor of Christian Ethics at Columbia. Dr. Logan is associate professor of religion at Earlham College, Richmond, IN. Along with 17 other scholars, both editors are contributors to the collection. As a social ethics textbook, this volume presents social justice not as an abstract ethical ideal or philosophical concept. Instead, social justice emerges through the contributors’ essays from the lived experiences—historical and contemporary—of particular peoples engaged in struggles to have meaningful and productive lives. Each essay offers moral visions and norms for transformation that speak out of and to the “souls of black folk” as a way forward toward a moral community of justice for all peoples and the planet Earth. In addition to numerous articles and book chapters, Dr. Riggs is the author of the books Can I Get a Witness? Prophetic Religious Voices of African American Women, An Anthology; Awake, Arise, & Act: A Womanist Call for Black Liberation; and Plenty Good Room: Women Versus Male Power in the Black Church. She has been a member of the Columbia faculty since 1991. She blogs at http://experts.patheos.com/expert/marciayriggs. n
Hip Hop Redemption: Finding God in the Rhythm and the Rhyme (Engaging Culture) N e w b o o k b y A s s o c i at e P r o f e s s o r R a l p h W at k i n s
In this new work, Dr. Watkins offers a theological exegesis of the music and culture of hip-hop, as well as an analysis of its popularity. While acknowledging that sexism, misogyny, and capitalistic greed are part of the hip-hop culture, he finds in the beat and rhyme a prophetic voice crying out and sharing the pain of African American youth in the city. Revealing what is inherently good and redeeming in the music, Dr. Watkins sees implications for evangelism, worship, and spiritual practices, and for opening the power of the Bible for ministry to misunderstood generation. Dr. Watkins is the author of several more books, including From Jay-Z to Jesus andThe Gospel Remix. He joined the seminary faculty in 2011. He blogs at http://ralph-watkins.ctsnet.edu. n
T o o r d e r f a c u lt y p u b l i c at i o n s from Columbia’s new b o o k s to r e i n t h e b r oy l e s l e a d e r s h i p c e n t e r , e - m a i l b o o k s t o r e @ c t s n e t. e d u , or call 404.687.4550.
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News
Deborah Mullen is installed as dean of faculty and executive vice president Since she arrived on campus in late 2010, Columbia’s dean of faculty and executive vice president, Deborah Flemister Mullen, has been has been running at breakneck speed. Along with overseeing the routine demands of the Office of Academic Affairs, she is leading the faculty in curriculum and accreditation reviews, which are integral parts of an institution-wide visioning process that will guide the work of the seminary for the next decade. She is also engaged in the development of strategic partnerships with Presbyterian theological institutions in South Korea, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. On March 26, with family, friends, faculty, staff, and students present, Dr. Mullen took time from her hectic schedule to be formally installed as Columbia’s chief academic officer. A seasoned administrator and an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), she is the first African American woman to hold the position of chief academic officer at any of the ten seminaries of the Presbyterian Church (USA). n For more information about Dr. Mullen, go to www.ctsnet.edu > news and publications > news releases.
Update on the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) from Martha Moore-Keish, a s s o c i at e p r o f e s s o r o f t h e o l o g y, C h a i r o f t h e Q E P C o mm i t t e e
MDiv students, the Class of 2012, have completed Integrations, a required course, during which they examine what it means in today’s church to lead with resilience, moral imagination, creativity, vision, and character. During the course, students draw upon their life experiences, seminary studies, and location within the life of the church, integrating these resources to apply them to an understanding of issues facing the church. The course uses a creative case study methodology and requires students to work as ministry colleagues.
As part of our accreditation process, Columbia is developing a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), strengthening one aspect of our life together so that we can better live out our mission. After much deliberation and consultation with the wider CTS community, we have adopted this as our baseline focus statement for the QEP: Educating Imaginative, Resilient Leaders for God’s Changing World Christians are called to witness to the love of the triune God with their whole lives. Christians preparing for leadership in the church and beyond will need to cultivate joy, wonder, discernment, perseverance, and courage in themselves and others as they seek to communicate the Gospel. Wise leaders will need to cultivate habits of self-care to avoid burn-out, indifference, and self-destructive behavior. Therefore, CTS will focus its QEP on the development of resilient, imaginative leaders. In the months ahead, we will be fleshing out the details of how we will put this proposal into practice. Thank all of you who have faithfully helped us in our work so far, responding to surveys, sending in comments, and keeping us in prayer. We continue to hope that this process will help make Columbia a more vibrant and faithful school which continues to educate imaginative, resilient leaders for God’s changing world. n Vantage Spring | Summer 2012
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News Dedication of the
Vernon S. Broyles Jr. Leadership Center
W
ith its distinctive glass and steel tower, Columbia’s new Vernon S. Broyles Jr. Leadership Center serves as a welcoming portal to a global community of learning and Christian leadership formation. On March 7, the seminary dedicated the center and honored the memory of Dr. Broyles, pastor for many years at North Avenue Presbyterian Church, in Atlanta, he was also a prominent civic leader and advocate for social justice. Construction of the Broyles Leadership Center was made possible through the generous gifts of donors. The 30,000-square-foot facility incorporates the 80-year-old Simons-Law building, formerly a student residence hall, which has been recycled and renovated for small classroom space, faculty offices, study areas, the seminary bookstore, and an education technology center. New construction includes two classroom wings. One contains three 75-seat classrooms which have a mix of fixed and flexible seating and are equipped with the latest education technology. The second wing has two 40-seat classrooms. A cloistered courtyard with an arcade connects to Simons-Law’s historic arch providing a covered walkway from the Oldenburg Quadrangle at the center of campus to the outside perimeter of the building. Capitalizing on the area’s temperate climate, the courtyard will serve as a regular gathering space and occasional outdoor classroom. Designed by Lord Aeck Sargent architects, the Broyles Leadership Center is expected to earn at least LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. The firm also designed the seminary’s new student residence hall. That facility, opened three years ago, is the first in Decatur, Georgia, to earn LEED gold certification. New South Construction served as general contractor for the new leadership center as well as the student residence hall. The project manager was Morgan Constructors. The family of Rev. Dr.Vernon S. Broyles Jr. gathered for
“And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making
the new center’s dedication
all things new.’” (Revelation 21.5) Christ did not say, “I am making all
on March 7.
new things.” Rather than destroying what is given, God uses the old and transforms it. Such is the way of the new creation.
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“ Green” features of the Vernon S. Broyles Jr. Leadership Center
• Over 90 percent of the original Simons-Law structure and exterior skin is still in place in the new center. Recycled and regional construction materials were used, and construction waste was recycled and processed off-site, then reused to the greatest extent possible. The shingles, for example, are made from post-production diapermanufacturing waste. The bricks, steel, and carpet (also made from recycled materials) are from Georgia sources. • F our types of flooring are used in the center. That in the tower was milled locally from a mature oak that stood at the end of Simons-Law. The wood flooring everywhere else is made from bamboo, a grass that re-grows rapidly. The carpet is made from recycled material, and the linoleum is made from linseed oil, jute, and cork—all natural materials. • T he center uses 40 percent less energy than a typically designed building. “Green” design strategies include energy-efficient windows and above-average insulation values. A high-efficiency variable refrigerant system transfers waste heat or cooling from spaces to provide the needed heating or cooling for other spaces before reconditioning the air with electricity. • T he center’s orientation minimizes unwanted glare and heat gain and takes advantage of trees to provide sun shading. Large windows take advantage of natural light as much as possible, provide access to views, and use sunscreens to reduce direct solar gain where appropriate. • Indoor air quality is protected through the use of paints, glues, sealants, carpets, and casework that emit fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and don’t emit the unpleasant odors often associated with new construction. • R ain chains and downspouts channel water into the basement tanks. Storm water runoff is stored under the parking lot and cleaned before release for irrigation. n
“ And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” (Genesis 1:4-15)
“ Who has cut a channel for the torrents of rain… to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground put forth grass?” (Job 38:25-27)
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Lost in Wonder W i l l i a m P. B r o w n P r o f e s s o r o f O l d T e s ta m e n t L a n g u a g e , L i t e r at u r e , a n d E x e g e s i s
T
he final stanza of that great Wesleyan hymn “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” concludes with the words “lost in wonder, love, and praise.” Today, losing wonder is more the norm. The reasons are many: economic uncertainty, divisive politics, polarizing discourse, hectic schedules. As our younger daughter would say, these are all “wonder-suckers.” Add to that the relentless demands of ministry and we become a “quivering mass of availability” (to quote Stanley Hauerwas). Sustaining wonder may be the greatest challenge of ministry today. It is also our greatest blessing. Paul calls himself and his cohorts “servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries” or wonders (1 Corinthians 4:1). We are called to serve and preserve, to sustain and to share God’s wondrous works, of God’s marvelous mission in the world. We are called to be practitioners of wonder. If we lose our sense of wonder, we lose our sense of ministry. What is wonder? Definitions vary: a state of bewildered curiosity (Oxford Dictionary), the surrender to the eros of inquiry (James Miller), an affiliative emotion (Robert Fuller), radical amazement (Abraham Heschel), a profoundly unsettling pathos (Mary Jane Rubenstein), an awful-promising surprise (Sam Keen), the fear of the LORD (Proverbs), the beginning of philosophy (Plato). Is there a distinctly Christian definition of wonder? Actually no, and that is what I find so wonderful about wonder. There is plenty of wonder to go around in both faith and science, in the everyday and in the sensational: from a baby’s first smile to towering, majestic redwoods, from the most
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cosmic of perspectives (the expanding, evolving universe) to the tiniest of all reality (vibrating strings). Wonder, I am convinced, is what unites the psalmist, sage, and scientist. It is the original conversion that we all wo n d e r . p h oto b y share. But what is distinctive R o b i n W i l l i a m s o n , MD i v ’ 1 0 about wonder in the Christian m e n ta l h e a lt h c l i n i c i a n tradition are the peculiar R oa n o k e , VA agents of wonder that our faith identifies. God for one. God in Christ, more specifically. God in Christ in the world. The Word made flesh having moved into the neighborhood. Karl Barth claimed that the greatest miracle is not that there is a God but that there is a world. The Bible offers no explanation as to why God created a world. Sometimes I wonder whether God would have been better off without having created a world at all, messy as it is. Barth attributes creation simply to the “miracle of grace.” Or call it wondrous love. If the cultivation of the world is the greatest mystery, then perhaps the second greatest mystery is the formation of the church. As the visible body of Christ, the church is the sign of the new creation, and the beginning of God’s new creation is witnessed in the church’s bold proclamation of the mystery of faith: “Christ has died, Christ wo n d e r . P h oto b y is risen, Christ will come K e i t h Sp e n c e r , DM i n ’ 0 8 again!” Now that is something pa s to r to get lost in. n Trinity Lutheran Church P e m b r o k e P i n e s , FL
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Faithful Dreaming in a Time of Zombies Pa u l J o h n s o n B ot h c h i l d r e n a n d a d u lt s a l i k e
at Church of All Nations in Minneapolis were filled with WONDER as they watched their very first church garden grow. Pictured here are the children planting sunflower seeds that would soon become eight-foot tall flowers! Everyone was amazed to watch the handful of tiny seeds we planted turn into a seemingly endless harvest of vegetables that fed the congregation Sunday after Sunday through post-service meals. The metaphors embedded in gardening reflecting the process of spiritual growth brought us even closer to God’s heart as we began to witness God’s wisdom in new ways. J i n S . K i m , DM i n ’ 0 5 s e n i o r pa s t o r C h u r c h o f A l l N at i o n s M i n n e a p o l i s , MN
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I
recently came upon an article lamenting the loss of innovation in the corporate world of some of our largest technology companies. A growing percentage of the energies and finances of these businesses are being focused on the purchase and exploitation of the intellectual properties of those who are smaller or more vulnerable. Rather than engage in the deep dreaming of what might be possible in the decades ahead, companies exploit the advantages found in patents and research work already established. The case being made was that we are devouring ourselves, rather than risk ideas or concepts which are fresh and untried. Rather than innovate, it is better to play defensively, living off of past efforts, borrowing from the work of others. The dire effects of such business cannibalism will not be immediately apparent to the eye owing to the long lag time between innovation and product appearance. The warning concerned a broader cultural shift toward the recycling of ideas already born, shying away from the edges of imagination that would require us to chance the undiscovered country lying beyond the wilderness. This mindset is now a recognized rule of practice in motion pictures, where 9 of the top 10 grossing movies of 2011 were either sequels or spin-offs of earlier films. In anxious times there is a diminished willingness for risk. Why not reach for what looks like a sure thing by rebooting the past? I have a vivid memory of watching Apollo 11 accomplish the first landing on the moon in 1969. Quickly following were five other missions involving moon walks, moon rovers and lunar exploration. Those were heady days of audacious dreams pushing beyond earth with 1960’s technology that I imagine would be trumped today by a single Ipad. We haven’t been back to our nearest neighbor in space since 1972, the year I graduated from high school. I acknowledge questions of resources, priorities and any number of good arguments against the expense of the space program. But I want to recognize the loss of the “big dream” and ponder a reign of timidity and caution in responding to the wonder and mystery of life. Cultures create metaphors to speak to the felt anxiety of a population during particular historic times. After the explosion of
Zombies demonstrate a penchant for brains, the location of imagination, vision and dreaming. That organ must be destroyed at all costs.
the first atomic bombs in the mid-1940’s over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the 1950’s found the movie monster Godzilla arising out of the sea off of the coast of Japan. Something was loose in the world that ignited our deepest anxieties, and our awareness of this was expressed through a film creature capable of immense devastation, a monster that could never be completely controlled. Zombie movies have had their origination and blossoming into a mini-industry in the United States over the past forty years. Shuffling and lurching out of the late 1960’s in television, film and literature, we have the zombie, mindlessly devouring the living and bent on the fanatic consumption of all that is around them. These creatures don’t sleep, and so they do not dream. They are limited in expression and affect. They are literally falling apart in every way. Cultural critics have noted the correspondence between our contemporary consumer mindset and its zombie parallels. Both demonstrate mass group behavior, following the path of least resistance, obsessive-life in their dedication to an oral fixation to consume without thought or reflection, living only in the moment. Zombies demonstrate a penchant for brains, the location of imagination, vision and dreaming. That organ must be destroyed at all costs. And there is always the potential for infection among the dwindling band of survivors, so that those who are still dreaming may be stopped and either converted or cannibalized. Among the aboriginal people of Australia there is a tradition of “dreamtime,” a connection to a mystical place from which all that is, all that was and all that will be has its origins. It is possible for human beings to access this special dreaming, but it requires preparation and discipline, an immersion in imagination and wonder. High definition special digital effects are dull distractions and numbing diversions considered against the vividness of these life giving dreams. One must cross into the wilderness and be willing to move into the margins, toward the “thick darkness” where God can be found. And one must be willing to bring back a powerful word that might spark the dreaming of others and call them to restoration. Here at CTS, that is our task and calling. n
A b i g a i l wa s 7
when we went to Ghost Ranch. “The storms rush in and flood the aroyas” we were told. “Don’t wait when you see the clouds.” We walked the labyrinth together and saw the first clouds roll in. Saints before us had deposited treasures in that place: trinkets of trust. Rocks, wrappers, coins, ribbon, glass. Abigail knelt in the center on the hard, dry desert earth. The clouds now billowed, pressing in. Abigail silently, carefully rearranged the items. We waited because waiting seemed necessary. The first drops brought her back to us. We laughed, running across the great expanse. Drenched. Laurie Furr-Vancini, MDiv ’99 d i r e c to r o f
Paul Johnson is senior lecturer in pastoral theology. This article is adapted from a sermon given during chapel. The complete sermon is available in Vantage Online, vantage.ctsnet.edu.
children’s ministries Palm s P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u rc h J a c k s o n v i l l e B e a c h , FL
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Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? Genesis 18.14
K at i e A r c h i b a l d – W o o d w a r d ’ 1 2
I
Angel in the D r i v e w ay It was a Sunday
in 1962. A traveling salesman attended the church where I was pastor, though I wasn’t there that day. Fed up, I was in Florida, accepting a secular job, and would soon resign as pastor. The stranger found out, talked with my wife, and waited hours for me in my driveway. When we met, he said, “You cannot give up your ‘call’ to preach.” I thought, “Who is this man?” We talked all night. His message was clear. I broke down and had to turn around. Then I called and cancelled the plan to take the new job. The stranger left without a trace, and we never saw him again. I’m still preaching: The wonder never ends. C l i f f o r d H . B r e w t o n , BD ’ 5 9 Pa s t o r emmanuel presbyterian church j o n e s b o r o , GA
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f you had told me a year ago that like the Apostle Paul I would be pursuing tentmaking ministry—mixing chaplaincy with photography and poetry, developing devotional materials, and becoming a Pilates instructor—I would have laughed out loud like Sarah flabbergasted with disbelief. Then, once I had caught my breath, I would have said, “That would be a dream!” and added, “Are you serious?” And the answer now—I cannot believe I am saying this—is yes! The direction of my ministry endeavors reminds me of a quotation from Ignatius: Regardless of what is sensible, and regardless of what you “ought” to do, which of the courses ahead makes you feel alive, makes your heart feel wider, makes you feel hopeful and as if the future is opening up and not closing down? That is the route you should go. I have kept this quotation next to my bed for the last three years, always thinking, Let’s be realistic. Nevertheless, I kept the quote up and continued to read it hoping perhaps God’s way could be so good. Now it appears to be so.
I am discovering the wonder and delight of being called to minister outside the typical framework of a parish. I am discovering the wonder and delight of being called to minister outside the typical framework of a parish. During my 26 years of life, I have been blessed by extensive travels, during which I developed a love of photography. Photos are powerful. They have the ability to capture magnificent sights and re-present them in an accessible form. They enable us to capture and later reflect on sights too overwhelming to fully appreciate in the moment. I intend to use the artistic eyes of photographs as a means for contemplation. I hope to develop books and lead classes that utilize photos paired with poetry as ways for encountering God. I call it Visio Divina. I hope this ministry will serve as a catalyst for igniting in the hearts of others the same joy and awe I feel seeing these wondrous sights. What has given me courage to pursue such a path is great affirmation, including from National Geographic which selected my picture “Blue Dragonfly” for their Stock Photos. By teaching the Pilates exercise technique, I also hope to minister in a holistic way, reflecting God’s care for our physical well-being as well as spiritual nourishment. I am nervous about pursuing something so free-form and feel vulnerable putting my whole heart out there. Yet, amazingly, God keeps opening the doors so I keep going forward. My call to tentmaking ministry appears to be timely as people’s spiritual curiosity seems to be growing, even as mainline church attendance declines. Our communities need people who bear a ministerial witness to the body of Christ outside the church — Community Chaplains. I see this as someone who is at the coffee shop, park, Pilates studio, art gallery, bar, or dance club. Someone with whom people can have an honest conversation about faith matters, asking hard questions and receiving responses that have been informed and shaped by theological education. God is on the move, doing something new. It is exciting, mysterious, and wondrous. Will we let ourselves be moved and take part? For me the answer — I still can’t believe I’m saying this — is yes! Adventure awaits! n
I wa s a v i s i to r to a n u n fa m i l i a r h o u s e o f w o r s h i p,
invited by friends. I watched with amazement as tens, then hundreds of worshipers gathered—old and young, rich and poor, some well dressed, others still dirty from work, different races, contrasting cultural identities. What a sight to behold! Was I witnessing God’s Pentecost again, when all the tribes transcend their differences and unite to praise and serve their one Lord God? Why could this not happen every Sunday in MY church? Then I realized with a jolt; I was not in a church, but in a mosque. Robert G. “Bob” Newman MDiv ’61/phd ’65 professor of religion (emeritus) U n i v e r s i t y o f C h a r l e s to n ; s ta f f r e s o u r c e p e r s o n a n d d i r e c to r o f t h e L ay Ac a d e m y o f R e l i g i o n First Presbyterian Church C h a r l e s to n , W V
S u n d ay w o r s h i p at the Jerusalem Baptist Church
in Fort-Liberté, Haiti, begins at 6:30 a.m. There is not a seat to be found. Every Sunday is Easter in Fort-Liberté. Every morning begins with prayer and song at 5:30 a.m. After a week of worshipping and working alongside our brothers and sisters in that corner of God’s beloved community, in the midst of poverty beyond anything I’ve witnessed, I stood in awe of the remarkable human beings who live out their faith so fully in a land of such need. The saints of Fort-Liberté fill me with wonder. J o e C l i f f o r d , MD i v ’ 9 7 pa s t o r , F i r s t P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h D a l l a s , TX
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tauta panta
TAUTA PA NTA
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).
A l u m n i / a e N e w s a n d N ot e s Fahed Abu-Akel ’74, director, and Lisa Majoros ’93, associate director, Atlanta Ministry with International Students (AMIS), can be seen on Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters television and internet network doing a six-month series about AMIS and international students. The first program was January 3. It is available online at www.aibnet.tv. Emily Zeig ’08, Kristin Stroble ’11, and Ross Reddick ’11 have been awarded the Terry Award for 2011. Awardees are chosen for their commitment to ministry and for their interest in the kind of pastoral concerns that are the mission of Desert Ministries, Inc. Richard Cromie, a former seminary trustee, is the organization’s president. Joe Harvard ’66 and Allen Verhey are co-authors of Ephesians— Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible (Westminster John Knox). Joe is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Durham, NC. Allen Verhey is professor of Christian ethics at Duke Divinity School. After a month as a n e w d a d with all the
baby smells, sights, and sounds, God’s “WONDER”—creation, relationship, grace—feels right in my wheelhouse. And yet, I believe “WONDER” often reveals itself in the lower-case. In ordinary routines and rituals of bath-time, in messy efforts like changing diapers, in the frustration of trying to get a little one to sleep, “wonder” reliably breaks in, transforming the tasks into something sacred. In the ordinariness of water, bread, and wine, and of those who come to the font and table, the church knows this truth as well. B e n Ac t o n , MD i v ’ 0 5 a s s o c i at e pa s t o r y o u t h a n d y o u n g a d u lt m i n i s t ry First Presbyterian Chur ch
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C o n c o r d, N C
A gathering of alumni/ae in Destin, FL. (L to R) John Tarrant ’81, Randy Calvo Jr. ’81, Billy Wade ’80, Don Frampton ’82, Bob Gamble ’82
Just after I shared c o m m u n i o n with youth
atop Chimney Rock at Ghost Ranch, a full moon rises. C h e s t e r C r a i g To pp l e , MD i v ’ 0 6 pa s t o r
1940s D. Clyde Bartges ’42 had an article titled Old ChurchesNew Union Churches in the December 12 issue of Presbyterian Outlook.
Westminster Presbyterian Church S a n ta F e , NM
1960s Dan McCall ’60/ DMin’87 completed 50 years of ordained ministry in 2011. He continues as minister of pastoral care at Fairview Presbyterian Church, N. Augusta, SC. . . Wayne Hoffmann ’62 has been elected to the Board of Trustees of San Francisco Theological Seminary. . . Robert Wallace ’68/DMin ’81 was honorably retired as pastor of Cocoa Presbyterian Church, Cocoa, FL. 1970s Etta Rossman ’74 was honorably retired from chaplain services of the Churches of Virginia Inc., Rockville, VA. . . John Carothers ’75 continues as pastor at Webster Groves Presbyterian Church. He and his wife, Peggy, recently celebrated 39 years of marriage. . . Joan Gray ’76 is interim pastor at Clairmont Presbyterian Church, Decatur, GA. . . Bill Nisbet DMin ’76 is on the staff of Roswell Presbyterian Church, Roswell, GA, as an assistant pastor for congregational care. 1980s Stephen Vance ’81/DMin ’91 is serving Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Simpsonville, SC, as interim pastor following interim stints at Easley Presbyterian, Easley, SC, and Fourth Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC. . . Mark Jumper ’82 is endorser for chaplains for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. He continues as senior pastor of Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, IL (Chicago area). . . Charles Davenport DMin ’86, is associate director of supervised ministry and vocational placement at Union Presbyterian Seminary, Charlotte, NC. 1990s Ann Kelly ’92 is interim associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Oxford, MS. . . Mike O’Neil ’93 is serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Angleton, TX. He will be awarded a diploma in Christian studies from Regent College in Vancouver BC, Canada, this April and continues to work on a master’s in Christian studies with a church history emphasis through Regent College. . . Ann Pitman ’93 is interim pastor at First United
I w o n d e r at the courage
and faith of my transgender friend, Michele Locktosh. In a sermon Michele shared: “I remember being different back as far as the mid-late 40’s. I really never liked boy things. And what led me to think something was different about me was the fact I have a step sister who is about 13 years older than me, and I always got into her make-up and clothing. . . . How did I deal with this lifetime of adversity? I knew this: I am not a mistake. God created me to be a female.” C h r i s Ay e r s , DM i n ’ 9 7 pa s t o r Wedgewood Baptist Church C h a r l ot t e , N C
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I s ta r t e d w a l k i n g with a
parishioner who had lost her son to brain cancer. God chose to reveal the world to both of us in an unexpected way. The North Dakota cold was least on Eva’s mind. “Where is the comfort of God?” Looking down, she found the first “heart” rock of the many we found that year. When God’s heart appears it’s a spiritual blessing. This “Heart” of fire illustrates that fires of life burn everywhere but God’s heart protects and guides us. God is with us. Praise and thanks be to God! S h e r r y E d w a r d s , MD i v ’ 0 0 retired from G l a c i e r P r e s b y t e ry ( MT ) A r l i n g to n , WA
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Presbyterian Church, Collinsville, IL. . . Laura Dunham ’94 had a book published recently by Cascade Books. Path of the Purified Heart: The Spiritual Journey as Transformation traces the classic Christian spiritual journey toward transformation into the likeness of Christ. Her own journey is woven throughout. . . John Ragsdale ’94 is serving as interim pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Green Cove Springs, FL. He continues as mission coordinator-leadership for the Presbytery of St. Augustine. . . Bonnie Habbersett ’95 was honorably retired as pastor, Kingsville Presbyterian Church in Kingsville, OH. . . Becky Burton ’97/ DMin ’05 is executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley in Birmingham, AL. . . Shannon Kershner ’99 is a new member on the board of trustees of Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA. 2000s Emily Heath ’01/ThM ’05 announces her engagement to Heidi Ward, a UCC seminarian. The two will be joined in marriage next fall in Boston, MA. Emily is pastor of West Dover Congregational Church (UCC), West Dover, VT, and a religion writer for the Huffington Post. . . Ruth Lovell ’01 continues to work at the Mid-South Transplant Foundation in Memphis, TN, as manager of family care services. She was recently commissioned as parish associate for preaching and worship at Shady Grove Presbyterian Church in Memphis. . . Louise Johnson DMin ’02 was appointed to a five-year term as a trustee of the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation in Princeton, NJ. . . Connie Lee ’02 is the recipient of the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Grant for 2012. Her focus will be on reconciliation and unity in church and society. . . Casey Thompson ’05 is pastor of Wayne Presbyterian Church, Wayne, PA. . . Robert Thomson ’05 was ordained January 14, 2012 at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Stone Mountain, GA. Catherine Taylor ’92/ DMin ’03 preached. Robert is the director of older adult ministry at the church. . . Ginny M. BrewerBoydston ThM ’06 was awarded the Ph.D. in biblical studies with a minor in Jewish studies by Baylor University in December . . . Michael York ’06 and his wife, Erin Shealy York, announce the baptism of their daughter Vera June York, born October 18. Jeri Perkins ’87 preached and celebrated the baptism at Oakdale Presbyterian Church, Clover, SC. . . Chris Henry ’07 was the featured preacher February 26, the first Sunday in Lent, on “Day 1,” the nationally syndicated ecumenical radio program,
I n a t o w n with a dark
history of disunity among houses of worship, 30 churches within a 30-mile radius in drought stricken Central Texas representing diverse denominations—Assembly of God, PC(USA), Southern Baptist, Church of Christ, Non-denominational, Pentecostal, AME, United Methodist—worked together for six months in order to host a two-day Women’s Conference, (February 10-11, 2012), led by author/speakers Jennifer Rothschild and Stormie Omartian. In the two weeks following the conference the region has received over five inches of rain, a visible, measureable sign and wonder of the movement of God whose Spirit is bringing life not only to the parched earth but to heretofore brittle bodies of Christ. M a ry D. D ’ A l e s s i o , MD i v ’ 9 2 pa s t o r Union Presbyterian Church B r o w n w o o d , TX
also online at Day1.org. . . Sharon Schuler ’07 is serving as interim pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. . . Collin Adams ’08 has accepted a call as pastor at Pollocksville Presbyterian Church in Pollocksville, NC. . . Erin Keys ’08 serves First Presbyterian Church, Greenwich, CT, as associate minister for congregational life . . . Maryalice Moses ’09 was ordained December 11 at International Christian Fellowship Ministries, Atlanta, GA. . . Pamela Gnagy ’10 was ordained January 29 at First Presbyterian Church, Cooperstown, NY, with Nancy Meehan Yao ’09 giving the charge. Pam is pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Winona, MN. . . Robin Williamson ’10 is working with a mental health support service agency in Roanoke, VA. . . Lynda Brooks ’11 has been named assistant treasurer for Church Extension Financial and Missional Resources Inc. with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). . . Neill McKay ’11 was ordained and installed as pastor at Beth Shiloh Presbyterian Church, York, SC, on October 30. . . Katie Owen ’11 was ordained July 31 at First Presbyterian Church, Topeka, KS. Dr. Martha Moore-Keish preached. Katie was installed as the Presbyterian campus minister at Duke University October 2 in Goodson Chapel with former faculty member Dr. Charles Campbell preaching for that service. n
In Memoriam Arc h M a c Nair ’39
January 2, 2012
Edward Hallman ’54
December 10, 2011
George Telfo rd ’58*
February 28, 2012
Robert M. Horne ’59
August 23, 2011
C . Drayton Cooper ’61
May 28, 2011
Roy M. Miller ’60
January 15, 2012
Richard P. Stone ’67 September 10, 2011 Jerrold C . Burnside ’70
July 31, 2011
*G eorge Telford served as associate professor of theology and church, and as director of advanced studies at the seminary.
S ta n d i n g ta l l a n d e a g e r
to eat from my hand, dripping its saliva down my arm, this giraffe represents all the wonder I still vividly recall from our 2011 travel seminar to South Africa. Since probably about 8 years old I’ve wanted to visit Africa, when I became fully aware of my heritage. As I’ve been told, I can testify as well to the incredibly tangible sense of home that one feels upon arriving in the Mother Land. We truly don’t have adequate words to describe it. I am forever grateful for this trip and look forward eagerly to return! C a n d i D u g a s , DM i n ’ 1 2
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tauta panta f a c u lt y & s ta f f N e w s a n d N o t e s
bartlett
A VIP tour of the new Broyles Leadership Center: (back) Bert Carmichael ’67, Wade Huie ’46, Hal Lyon ’61; (middle) Bert Taylor ’47, Betty Cousar; (front) Charlie
brown
Cousar ’58, Lee Carroll ’68.
calvo
cooper-white
W o n d e r s e e m s h o ly t o m e , touching as it
does on curiosity, thankfulness, and awe. Several years ago I launched a quest to experience the Seven Natural Wonders of the World firsthand, starting with a rim-to-rim hike across the Grand Canyon with my teenage son. We decided to try and do it in one day (a 26-mile hike), and the first “wonder” was the time we got to spend together in training. It was a great quest for us both: We were successful in our hike and in finding all we were seeking. B r a n t B a k e r , T h M ’ 9 3 , DM i n ’ 0 0 ; pa s t o r First Presbyterian Church, Mesa, Az
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David Bartlett, Distinguished Professor of New Testament: “Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent,” Journal for Preachers (Lent 2012). Preached at Battell Chapel, Yale University, New Haven, CT; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Denton, TX (for the ordination of Elizabeth Smith-Bartlett), University Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN. Taught lectionary workshop for UCC pastors at Mayflower Congregational Church, Minneapolis. Preached and taught at: Congregational Church of New Canaan, CT. (with Mark Douglas); Trinity Presbyterian Church, Atlanta . . . . William P. Brown, Professor of Old Testament Language, Literature, and Exegesis: Two papers given at the Society of Biblical Literature meeting in November: “Wisdom’s Wonder: A New Hermeneutical Lens for the Sapiential Literature of the Hebrew Bible” and “The Legacy of Light: The Genesis of Biblical Cosmology.” Lectured and preached at Shandon Presbyterian Church (Columbia, SC); participated in the Institute for Reformed Theology conference on religion and science in Richmond, VA; lectured and led worship at First Presbyterian Church (Columbia, TN); gave a paper at the Templeton-funded conference at Asbury Theological Seminary, “The Church as the Sign of God’s New Creation”; presented on the “Wonder of Food in the Bible” at the “Loaves and Fishes” Conference in Maryville, TN; gave two lectures at Hendrix College on faith, science, and wonder . . . . Randy Calvo Jr. ’81, Director of Alumni/ae and Church Relations: Preached at the McDonough (GA) Presbyterian Church . . . . Pamela Cooper-White, Ben G. and Nancye Clapp Gautier Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care and Counseling: Chapter 1: “Suffering,” in The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology (McLemore). “Intimate Violence against Women: Trajectories for Pastoral Care in a New Millennium.” Pastoral Psychology, Vol. 60/6; “Pastoral Implications, Lent IV and V, Year B,” Lectionary Homiletics, March 2012. Led
tauta panta workshop “Braided Selves: Working with Multiplicity of Self and Others in Pastoral Psychotherapy” at AAPC national meeting, Leesburg, VA; presented lecture “C.G. Jung as Artist: The Red Book,” to the Jung Society of Atlanta; Featured presenter, Clergy Professional Boundary Workshops for Western North Carolina Presbytery, and Lower Susquehanna ELCA Synod; “Fifth Friday” Lecture on “Intersubjectivity in Pastoral Care,” Care & Counseling Center of Georgia; In-service training on “Use of the Self in Pastoral Care,” Atlanta VA Medical Center; preached monthly and led Advent Quiet Day on theme “Holy Waiting” at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Decatur; Soloist for Music Gettysburg! “Christmas Offering,” Adams County School of Musical Theatre 4th Annual Gala, and “Music Gettysburg! on Tour” in Naples and Ft. Myers, FL . . . . Kathy L. Dawson ’94, Associate Professor of Christian Education and Director of the MAPT Program: Online “Opening Doors to Discipleship” course for Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, Decatur, GA. Workshops on Teenage Brain Research for The Blaze conference at Montreat, NC. Workshops for Northeast Georgia; Presbytery Leadership Event on “Spiritual Lives of Children” and “Godly Play” certification course in Human Growth and Faith Development at APCE Annual Conference; Sunday School lessons on Ida B. Wells for Black History Month series at Oakhurst Presbyterian church, Decatur, GA; Six presentations on Les Miserables for high school, boys and girls clubs, and GED students in the Greater Atlanta area . . . . Mark Douglas, Associate Professor of Christian Ethics: Nine essays published in the new Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics; co-authored the cover essay, “Teaching After the End of the World,” with Chris DePree of Agnes Scott College for the journal SciTech. An essay, “Experience and Relevance: Continuing to Learn from Niebuhr and Saiving” in The Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion as one of nine essays in a special Roundtable celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Valerie Saiving’s landmark essay, “The Human Situation: A Feminine
D u r i n g t h e pa s t y e a r , I have been blessed to
serve as the officiant for a number of friends’ weddings. While I had officiated weddings before these, these four couples were something different as at least one half of each began as a friend. Planning and counseling gave amazing insights into God’s plan for each couple; however, for each wedding there was a moment that God spoke, when true awe and wonder would descend. I have been blessed to be there with and for these friends as they embark upon their journey together.
dawson
douglas
Sc o t t L . T u c k e r , MD i v ’ 0 7 e x e c u t i v e d i r e c to r o f H o r i z o n s At l a n ta , middle school religion
I m i n i s t e r t o y o u t h incarcerated in juvenile
justice. They are about one-fourth my age. I preach to them the Word of God — transformed to their souls from the page. Ezekiel teaches: Be closer to God than to man! God-story, Youth-story, my story blend into God’s glory. Wonder! B i l l S a v o y, t h M ’ 7 3 ; M i a m i , FL
t e a c h e r at H o ly I n n o c e n t s ’
•
Read Mark Douglas’s e s s ay ,
Ep i s c o pa l Sc h o o l At l a n ta , GA
“The Wonders of Gritty Places,” in Vantage Online, vantage.ctsnet.edu.
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tauta panta
erickson
Wo n d e r i s God’s gift of a n e w b a b y.
Four generations stood together as I held this new addition to our family and we gave thanks. My great-granddaughter Bristol, born August, 2011, evokes feelings of reverence, awe and wonder. Each time I get a report from her parents Mark and Allyson or grandparents Barry and Liz, I learn Bristol has achieved a new milestone to amaze us all. God, in God’s good wisdom, sent his son to us in the form of a baby; what else would have caught our attention so personally and completely? R i ta E . C o c h r a n e MD i v ’ 9 4 , T h M ’ 9 5 S t. A n d r e w s P r e s b y t e ry (retired) W e s t P o i n t, MS
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carter florence
gladson
Harkins
View”; co-edited the entire roundtable with Elizabeth HinsonHasty of Bellarmine College. Elected to the Board of Directors of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. The book Believing Aloud was selected for discussion during the meeting of the Society of Christian Ethics. Teaching and/or preaching at Decatur Presbyterian Church, New Canaan, CT, Congregational Church, Sandy Springs (GA) Christian Church, First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, the Church Center for the United Nations.Member of a panel discussion on science and theology at Agnes Scott College . . . . Sarah Erickson, MDiv ’03/DEdMin ’10, director of Lifelong Learning: Chairperson of the board of Presbyterian Campus Ministry at Emory University (PCM@Emory), serving with campus minister Jill Tolbert ’07 and ministry intern/CTS student Drew Stockstill ’12. Member of the planning team for the 2013 SACEM (Society for the Advancement of Continuing Education in Ministry) Conference “Learning without Borders” in Phoenix, AZ . . . . Anna Carter Florence, Peter Marshall Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship: Served as the Meekhof lecturer for Newport Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, WA. Served as the Campbell preacher for the Presbyterian Church of Sewickley, PA. Lectured at the ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop’s Conference in Fort Collins, CO. Gave workshops for “Worship Alive!” in Chicago, IL Served as a lecturer and preacher for the Stetson University Winter Pastors’ School in DeLand, FL. Preached and lectured at Flint River Presbytery’s “Celebration of Faith” in Norman Park, GA. Delivered the Mair Lectures for the University of Glasgow, Scotland . . . . Jerry Gladson, Adjunct Professor of Old Testament Language, Literature, and Exegesis: Currently completing Better than Seven Sons: A Critical Commentary on the Book of Ruth ( Mellen Press). Preached at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Atlanta; taught course in “Theodicy & Trauma” at Richmont Graduate University, Atlanta, GA . . . . J. William (Bill) Harkins, Senior Lecturer in Pastoral Theology and Counseling: “They Need Not Go Away,” Anglican Digest, HillSpeak Press; “Couples In Conflict,” Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, Union Theological Seminary. CREDO Faculty Development Training Conference: Leadership and Integrity, Memphis, TN. Plenary Co-Speaker, “Yearning for Home: Clinical, Theological, and Spiritual Perspectives,” AAPC Regional Conference, Kanuga Conference Center, Hendersonville, NC; Panelist, “What Seminaries need from CPE…and Vice Versa,” SERACPE Conference, Greenville, SC; Guest Homilist and Stewardship Program Leader, 25th Anniversary Celebration, Episcopal Church of the Holy Family, Jasper, GA; “Finding One’s Voice in Sacred Matters,” Cathedral of St. Philip (Co-Led with Rev. Martha Sterne); “Male Spirituality in a Postmodern Age,” St. Mary’s/Sewanee Retreat Center, Sewanee, TN; Guest Homilist, Ordination of JoEllen Holmes, Oakhurst Baptist Church, Decatur,
tauta panta GA; was a speaker during Lent at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, Dunwoody, GA . . . . Steve Hayner, President and Professor of Christian Leadership Development: Speaker: Annual Stewardship Brunch, First Presbyterian Church-Atlanta. Speaker: “Reclaiming the Center: Interfaith Dialogue”, The Temple, Atlanta. Consultation of PC(USA) Seminary Presidents and Board Chairs, New York. Presenter: Presbyterian Pastors’ National Covenant Group — Orlando, FL. Keynote: Presbytery of Mississippi Training Event, Laurel, MS. NextChurch denominational conference, Dallas, TX. Speaker: Renewal Weekend, Kingston Presbyterian Church — Conway, SC. Preacher: Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, Alpharetta, GA . . . . Paul J. Huh, Assistant Professor of Worship and Director of Korean American Ministries: “Advent Preaching,” The Word, (Korean monthly journal for preachers), Seoul, Korea: Duranno; “Preaching Review of Francis Chan” Ministry and Theology, Seoul, Korea: Duranno. The Singing Church Conference, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, GA; Presbyterian Committee on Congregation Songs, Louisville, KY; North American Academy of Liturgy, Montreal, Canada; Cello Prelude and Lesson Reader for Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Decatur Presbyterian Church, Decatur, GA. Preacher, Hanbit Presbyterian Church, Duluth, GA. Cello Offertory, Columbia Presbyterian Church, Decatur, GA. . . . Kimberly Bracken Long, Assistant Professor of Worship: Participated in the ordination of Robert Thomson ’05 at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Stone Mountain, GA. Presented reports on sabbatical research on Christian marriage at the Louisville Institute Winter Seminar (Louisville, KY) and the Lilly Research Grant Conference (Pittsburgh, PA). Preached at Beulah Heights University, Atlanta. Presented a paper at the Association for Practical Theology in Princeton, NJ. Preached at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Renton, WA . . . . Mike Morgan, seminary musician: Lectures, display of English Psalters, and organist for the Calvin Symposium on Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, MI. Lectures and Psalm Festival, Baylor University, Waco, TX. Lecture and Worship Leader, Austin Seminary, Austin, TX. Bible and Psalter exhibits in area churches. Handel Messiah exhibit, Emory University. . . . Cam Murchison, Professor of Ministry (Emeritus): “Governance and Faculty Leadership” in C(H)AOS Theory: Reflections of Chief Academic Officers in Theological Education (Eerdmans); “Ministry in the Long Emergency” in Call to Worship (Volume 45.2). Appointed Earth Stewardship Theologian at Montreat (NC) Presbyterian Church. Taught series on “Biblical Clues for a World on the Edge” and preached at Montreat Presbyterian Church. Led Officers Planning Retreat at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, TN . . . . Charles Raynal, Associate Professor of Theology (Emeritus): Guest on “Walter Edgar’s Journal,” in a conversation about book on John’s Island Presbyterian Church, to be aired on
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huh
long
morgan
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Wo n d e r . B e n B e a s l e y, MD i v ’ 1 0 , pa s t o r Allenhurst Presbyterian Church A l l e n h u r s t, GA
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tauta panta I’ve found myself wo n d e r i n g a l ot ov e r t h e pa s t f o u r y e a r s . The wonderings
began with thoughts of whether a working mother of two young children had any business applying to the DEdMin. program, and how in the world I would ever make time to be a student again. As I came to know the members of Cohort 2, learning about their ministries, I wondered in awe at the creativity and passion for educational ministry that graces our churches across the country. Today, I wonder what wonder-filled plans God has in store for my dear colleagues and me. Vickie Caro Dieth DE d M i n ’ 1 2
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ward
CTS hosted Pacific Asian American Canadian Christian Education (PAACCE), a consortium of mainline denominational leaders in Asian American churches, November 1-2, 2011. From left: David Chai, Russell Yee, Ella Campbell, Steve Hayner, En Young Kim, Maki Fushii, Diane Monroe, Winfred Vergara, Sandra Lee, Prabhu Subramanyam, Paul Huh.
South Carolina ETV Radio . . . . Jeffery L. Tribble Sr., Assistant Professor of Ministry: Elected to lead Georgia Conference delegation as one of three ministerial delegates at the upcoming General Conference Assembly this summer and appointed to Committees on Education-Schools and Colleges, Theological Education, and State of the Church. Preached on Heritage Sunday at Mathalama A.M.E. Church, Morrow, GA. Preached at Yale Divinity School Chapel and talked with Methodist students on ministry and mentoring in the itinerant Methodist bodies. Attended retreat of Clinton Junior College Board of Trustees at Charlotte, NC . . . . Haruko Nawata Ward, Associate Professor of Church History: Chapter 18 “Martyrdom and Religoius Violence,” in T & T Clark Companion to Reformation Theology (T & T Clark); “Women in the Eyes of a Jesuit between the East Indies, New Spain and Early Modern Europe,” in Western Visions of the Far East in a Transpacific Age (1522–1671) (Ashgate). Contributing writer, Matthew12.33-37; 38-42; 43-45 (Historical Theological Perspective). Working on “Christian Theology of Martyrdom and Women Martyrs in Early Modern Japan” with the support of a William Scheide Fellowship and Resident Membership, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ, and a Faculty Fellowship, Lilly Theological Research Grant, from the Association of Theological Schools. Presentations: “Histories Matter? And What About Reformations?: Apologia Theologica, Vocationalis, et Spiritualis” for Princeton in the Church’s Service: A Conference Celebrating the History and Heritage of Princeton Theological Seminary; “Christian Theology of Martyrdom and Women Martyrs in Early Modern Japan: Sources, Research Method, and Perspectives for Theological Education,” for 2012 Conference, Lilly Theological Research Grants, Association of Theological Schools, Pittsburgh, PA; “An Introduction to the World of Kirishitanban Literature: Translation, Gender and Theology,” for History Department Colloquium, Princeton Theological Seminary. Wrote and led “Morning Prayer: Voices of Women Martyrs in the Reformations” for 2012 Conference, Lilly Theological Research Grants, and for
tauta panta Ash Wednesday at the Center of Theological Inquiry . . . . Ralph Basui Watkins, Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth: New book, Hip-Hop Redemption: Finding God in the Rhythm and the Rhyme (Baker Academic Press; see article on page 4. Book chapter, “Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It: What’s Really Goin’ On” in Keep Your Head Up: America’s New Black Christian Leaders, Social Consciousness, and the Cosby Conversation (Crossway Publishers). Presentations: The American Academy of Religion, San Francisco, a paper, “The Virtual Becomes the Real via a Connected Africa and African Diaspora as Africana Theology Becomes Public Theology: A Method of Sharing Our Story and Recovering Our History Real Virtually”; Fuller Theological Seminary, webinar/presentation “Preaching for the Development and Cultivation of a Multicultural Church”; Retreat leadership/ preaching and teaching: Decatur (GA) Presbyterian Church, leaders retreat, “The Future of the Church is Here: Are We Asking the Right Questions?,” and six-week Lenten Bible study series, “What Does It Really Mean to be a Christ Follower?”; C. N. Jenkins Presbyterian Church, Charlotte NC, preaching and leaders retreat, “Ten Signs of a Real Disciple of Jesus Christ”; Pleasant Hope Baptist Church, Baltimore, MD, preached on Public Theologian Sunday. Preached at Seigle Avenue Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC, and led city-wide weekend conference, “Reaching Young Adults and Transforming Our Church to be a Church of the Future.” Preached at Zion Hill Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA, for Outreach Sunday. At St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Berkeley, CA, led leadership team retreat and evangelism seminar, “Reaching Up, Reaching In and Reaching Out: Transformation and Evangelism 2012 and Beyond.” n
A s a c l e r g y wo m a n a n d c a n c e r pat i e n t , I am in wonder at God’s church in action.
I marvel at my congregation as they minister to the minister with constant care and compassion. I am awed by the churches throughout my Presbytery who make real God’s incarnate love. I am amazed at the generosity of strangers in my community who shower me with kindness in Christ’s name. In myriad ways I have seen, heard and felt the Body of Christ at its very best. The outpouring of prayer and encouragement from across the country by God’s incredibly varied church is wondrous indeed!
Wo n d e r
watkins
All of these were gathered together in our neighborhood Episcopal church’s memorial garden on a deep blue fall afternoon: Me, acutely grieving the death of a friend too young; My toddling son, ready for a nap after a day at preschool; The tabby feline priest who patiently presides over the church’s comings and goings; Organ music sifting through the stained glass window beside us; The tears and hopes of some living and some dead. In an ecumenical, intergenerational, cross-species, multi-sensory moment of blessed wonder, I felt my heart begin to mend into its new shape. The truth of the Good News settled into me, and I believed again it is all true. Elizabeth Cole Goodrich MD i v ’ 0 3 member of the Board of Trustees B i r m i n g h a m , AL
A n n M a r i e M o n t g o m e ry, DM i n ’ 0 6 c o - pa s t o r , F i r s t P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h M u r r ay, KY
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tauta panta T h e b i rt h a n d t h e d e at h o f l ov e d o n e s change us.
Godspeed
Our capacity for love deepens and we are more vulnerable to awe and mystery. My father had not been particularly religious. He suffered from dementia at the end. His final days were agitated and restless. But he began to tell us an angel was following him, exhorting him to relax and saying it would be better soon. On his final day he woke early, dressed himself in coat and tie and said his father was coming to pick him up. He sat, waited and left this world.
morningstar
J o h n C a r o t h e r s , MD i v ’ 7 5 pa s t o r W e b s t e r G r ov e s Presbyterian Church S t. L o u i s , MO ezzo
Linda Morningstar MA(TS) ’98, associate director of Lifelong Learning, retired on December 31. She had been a member of the Harrington Center staff for more than 15 years, beginning as a part-time staff associate in the former Lay Institute of Faith and Life while earning her Columbia degree. Among the programs she coordinated are the annual summer Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible studies, Summer Scholars, Guthrie Scholars, the Immigrant Lay Leader Training certificate programs, a theology and literature series, faith and film series, seminars on ethics and theology in the workplace, and an eco-kayaking travel-with-a-purpose event. She also served as editor for Lifelong Learning’s newsletter, Journeying Together. We are grateful for Linda’s years of faithful service and the many well-planned, well-received events she coordinated. We are grateful, too, for her editorial and organizational skills, and her wisdom and memory about all matters of lifelong learning history and events. As we wish her Godspeed in this new phase of life and ministry, we miss a fine colleague and collaborator. Rachel Ezzo, director of prospect management and research for Institutional Advancement, left the seminary in January to become the development officer for Kate’s Club, a non-profit organization in Atlanta that serves the needs of children and teens who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling. Rachel had been a member of the seminary staff since 2007.
Welcome
carlier
hulteen
yumul
Jenn Carlier has been named associate director of Lifelong Learning. A native of the Netherlands, she has been a high school English teacher, and most recently director of youth and children’s ministries at the American Protestant Church of The Hague. She is a middler in the MDiv program at Columbia. Arnie Hulteen has joined the Institutional Advancement staff as director of development. Mr. Hulteen brings to Columbia many years experience fund raising having also worked for the American Bible Society, Crown Financial Ministries, The Salvation Army, and Boys Town. He is a member of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, Lilburn, GA. Greg Yumul has joined the staff as support technician for computer services. He has ten years’ experience performing hardware maintenance on PCs and peripherals, including Dell. n
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Vantage Spring | Summer 2012
N o t h i n g c a p t u r e s w o n d e r m o r e than seeing the
world and God’s many blessings through the eyes of our children. In this picture, our daughter Taylor Grace was looking at her reflection in the mirror: what a wonder indeed! Dorothy Taylor Blac kwelder and Russ Blackw elder, both MD iv ’06; Dorothy is assoc iate pastor, Dor chester Presbyterian Chur c h, Summerville, S C; Russ is in medical s choo l .
Vantage Vol. 104, No. 2, Spring/Summer 2012
I h av e b e e n f o r t u n at e , during
E d i to r
Genie Hambrick Design
Lucy Ke C ov e r A rt
Joy Clower Patty P h oto g r a p h y
Coenraad Brand ’13 Stanley Leary and others included below C o n t r i b u to r s
Ben Acton, MDiv ’05 Chris Ayers, DMin ’97 Brant Baker, ThM ’93/DMin ’00 Ben Beasley, MDiv ’10 Dorothy Taylor Blackwelder, MDiv ’06 Russ Blackwelder, MDiv ’06 Clifford H. Brewton, BD ’59 William P. Brown Ralph Bush Jr. Randy Calvo Jr., MDiv ’81 John Carothers, MDiv ’75 Joe Clifford, MDiv ’97 Rita E. Cochrane, MDiv ’94/ThM ’95 Pamela Cooper-White Pam Cottrell Mary D. D’Alessio, MDiv ’92 Vickie Caro Dieth, DEdMin ’12 Mark Douglas Candi Dugas, DMin ’12 Sherry Edwards, MDiv ’00 Sarah Erickson, MDiv ’03/DEdMin’10 Elizabeth Cole Goodrich, MDiv ’03 Steve Hayner Todd Jenkins, MDiv ’90 Paul “Skip” Johnson Martha Moore-Keish Jin S. Kim, DMin ’05 Randal Kirby, MDiv ’82 Ann Marie Montgomery, DMin ’06 Pete Petersen, MDiv ’58 Martha Jane Petersen, DMin ’87/ThM ’91 Barbara Poe Deedra Rich Jody Sauls William Savoy, MDiv ’72 Keith Spencer, DMin ’08 Sandra Taylor Diane Thorne Scott Tucker, MDiv ’07 Ernest R. Tufft, MDiv ’53 Laurie Taylor Weicher, MDiv ’05 Craig Topple, MDiv ’06 Robin Williamson, MDiv ’10 Katie Archibald-Woodward, MDiv ’12 Laurie Furr-Vancini, MDiv ’99 Nancy Meehan Yao, MDiv ’09
T h i s i s f r o m t h e G i a n t ’ s C a u s e w ay
on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland. I took the picture while traveling with my family during a sabbatical in 2009. During the sabbatical I followed the life of Presbyterian minister (and ancestor) John Thomson. He left Northern Ireland for the colonies in 1715 and went on to become a leader in the Presbyterian church in the North American colonies.
my 20 years in retirement, to have been invited, with some regularity, to preach in various churches. I not only experience surprise at such invitations, but also covet each opportunity to actively engage the minds and hearts of those faith communities. However, the real wonder of it is that the Spirit still opens up the Word with new, provocative and engaging contemporary meaning, evoking a “wow” with remarkable frequency. It is indeed a LIVING Word. E r n e s t R . T u f f t, MD i v ’ 5 3 Elmira, CA
R a n d a l K i r b y, MD i v ’ 8 2 ; a s s o c i at e pa s t o r F i r s t P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h , S a l i s b u ry, N C
I t s e e m s w e ’ v e l o s t wo n d e r i n o u r w o r l d . When someone says, “I wonder where
purple potatoes come from,” or “I wonder if it snows more in Maine or Minnesota,” we bust out our smart phones and find the answer rather than allow ourselves to wonder. Yet there are still big questions about which we can only wonder. “I wonder what manna tasted like.” “I wonder what the inside of that big fish looked like.” “I wonder what Jesus wrote in the sand as he waited for them to stone her.” “I wonder what God is up to now.” L a u r i e Tay l o r W e i c h e r , MD i v ’ 0 5 ; a s s o c i at e pa s t o r W ay n e P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h , W ay n e , PA
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Lifelong Learning Online! Columbia’s Center for Lifelong Learning summer schedule of courses and events is rich with opportunities for church professionals and lay leaders.
Summer Conferences
Please visit www.ctsnet.edu and click on Lifelong Learning to find out what’s available. Lifelong Learning is also launching a new electronic version of the quarterly newsletter Journeying Together. This will completely replace the paper version. If you would like to receive the newsletter, please send your e-mail address to registrar@ctsnet.edu.
Confluence Ko r e a n Wo r s h i p a n d M u s i c C o n f e r e n c e J u ly 1 6 – 1 9 , 2 0 1 2
Timothy D. Son; Kathy Dawson, Russell Ye. $150
Community: 1 & 2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude P r e s b y t e r i a n W o m e n ’ s B i b l e S t u dy T r a i n i n g August 6–8
Nancy J. Benson-Nicola $100 (includes three lunches); $90 if two or more register at the same time from the same church and August 10–11
Sharol Hayner $75 (includes Saturday lunch)
The Center of Christianity Moves South and East: What Does it Mean? P r e s b y t e r i a n H i s t o ry a n d R e f o r m e d T h e o l o g y Lecture Series J u ly 1 6 – 1 9
At Montreat, a series of four free lectures focusing on global Christianity, featuring experts from Africa, South America, the Korean Peninsula and in the field of missiology. With John Azumah, Paul Huh, Justo Gonzalez, Marsha Snulligan-Haney, Eun Shik Cho, Charles Raynal. Sponsored by Columbia Theological Seminary, Johnson C. Smith Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center, and Montreat Conference Center. For more information on these summer events and to register, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learners > Course and Events
(scroll to the date of the events you wish to attend). n 26
Vantage Spring | Summer 2012
Spiritual Formation
J u ly 2 2 – 2 7
Immersion Experience: An Invitation to a Deeper Spiritual Life This course is the starting place for the Certificate in Spiritual Formation. Participants not enrolled in the Certificate in Spiritual Formation are welcome! $315
The courses listed below count toward completion of the Certificate in Spiritual Formation offered through Columbia’s Center for Lifelong Learning. You are most welcome to participate in any of these courses without being enrolled in the program. Unless otherwise noted, events take place on the seminary campus, in Decatur, GA. For detailed information and registration, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learners > Courses and Events. Then scroll to the dates of events you wish to attend.
Growing in Wholeness: Spiritual Formation and the Adult Life Span Lou Kavar. $285 ($210 certificate program graduates)
Ap r i l 2 6 – 2 9
September 20–23
Living Prayer: Experiencing Prayer in Many Forms Roberta Martin. At Montreat Conference Center. $390 ($315 certificate program graduates)
Embodied Spirituality: Embracing the Fullness of Life Debra Weir. $285 ($210 certificate program graduates)
August 23–26
Oc t o b e r 2 – 1 2 Ap r i l 3 0 – M ay 4
In the Warmth of Love’s Flame: Exploring the Sacred Mystery of God’s Love Women’s Contemplative Retreat at Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman, AL. $568 (includes room and board)
Seminar to Greece: Pauline Theology and Eastern Orthodox Spirituality Bruce Rigdon, Deedra Rich. $2850 from New York. Register by May 1. n 2011 Guthrie Sc holars
What does it mean to be the Church? To embody the Gospel? C a l l f o r a pp l i c at i o n s 2 0 1 2 G u t h r i e Sc h o l a r s September 24–28
Open to pastors, other ministry professionals, and lay persons engaged in the life of the church, the Guthrie Scholars program offers the opportunity to pursue a program of study that engages pressing issues in the life of the church from a Reformed perspective. The scholarship provides lodging and meals for a week of study on Columbia’s campus with access to the seminary library and faculty members. Six scholarships are available for this year’s event. For a brochure and application, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learners > Special Programs. Or contact Jenn Carlier, carlierj@ctsnet.edu / 404.687.4636. n In Shirley Guthrie’s bestseller, Christian Doctrine, he said: “The church is a community of people who are called out of the world to be God’s people. The purpose of their coming together is twofold: First, it is to receive God’s judging, forgiving, renewing grace. Second, it is to be sent out again to be agents of God’s judgment, forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal in the world.”
A small, skinny five-year-old girl,
visiting the congregation, joined us for the procession of gifts that we have each Communion Sunday. I instructed all the children to lift the gifts up high, so the people could see them. Upon being giving a pew bible to carry as the Word of God, she hoisted it above her head, arms straining, legs braced for the weight and responsibility. “When I hold up the word of God, people will hear the Word of God, right?” she asked. The wonder of the incarnation, given to us in unexpected times and people. N a n c y M e e h a n Yao, MD i v ’ 0 9 ; c o - pa s t o r H e c to r a n d L o d i P r e s b y t e r i a n c h u r c h e s H e c t o r a n d L o d i , NY
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VA N TA G E
No nProfit O rga nizatio n U. S. Po stage PAI D Permit No. 40 Dec at u r, GA
P. O. Box 520 Decatur, GA 30031 404-378-8821
www.ctsnet.edu
c o ntent s President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 New books by faculty members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Installation of new dean of faculty and executive vice president. . 5 Update on Quality Enhancement Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Dedication of the Vernon S. Broyles Jr. Leadership Center. . . . . . 6 Wonder!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–13 Bill Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Paul “Skip” Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Katie Archibald Woodward ’12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 T auta P anta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14–24 Alumni/ae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Faculty and staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Lifelong Learning Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The wonder of it all A
couple of months ago, my friend and colleague, Randy Calvo, returned from a meeting and excitedly reported that the theme for Colloquium 2012 is “Reclaiming Wonder in Life and Ministry.” An excellent theme; however, I “wondered” if Randy’s sense of enthusiasm and joy was contagious—if so, we certainly had the right theme! Just the word “wonder” brings forth feelings of awe, amazement, and even admiration. Watching a beautiful sunrise or a magnificent sunset, listening to the first signs of spring with birds chirping outside a window, rising every morning to the smell of baked bread from the bakery around the corner—all create a sense of wonderment that causes us to bask in the beauty and blessings of simply being alive. These everyday wonders awaken a spiritual exhilaration that reminds us of the love, joy, and peace that is found in Jesus Christ. As we prepare for Colloquium 2012 we invite you into a place of wonderment with us as we go forth “Reclaiming Wonder in Life and Ministry” here at Columbia Theological Seminary. Your gift to the Columbia Annual Fund allows us to create an environment for students to prepare, explore, and imagine more freely the wonder and connections we have to each other in Jesus Christ. With your help, we will be able to answer the call to nourish, to educate, and to inspire those whose lives we touch/ whose lives God has entrusted to our care. Thanking you in advance for your generosity, please send a gift today. Pa m C o t t r e l l
Director of Annual Giving Photo by Katie Archibald-Woodward ’12. Selected for National Geographic’s Stock Photos.