Alumni Updates

Alumni Updates 1980s

David Chadwick DMin ’80, authored a new book, Moving Beyond Anxiety: 12 Practical Strategies to Renew Your Mind (April 2020, Harvest House Publishers).

Mark Jumper MDiv ’82, is co-editor of The Holy Spirit and the Reformation Legacy, featuring academic presentations made at Regent University's Reformation 500 conference in 2017. The book addresses the Holy Spirit's role and ministry in various streams of the Reformation, up to the present. The book is sold on Amazon.

Dan Graham MDiv ’87, recently published a novella, Quality Control: Flying and Crashing. The ebook and paperback are available through Amazon. Dan and Judith Ann live in St. Augustine, Florida.

Barbara Flynt MAYM ’89 serves as Director of Christian Education since January 2017 at The Brandermill Church in Midlothian, Virginia.

1990s

Sid Burgess MDiv ’90, has a new noncommercial, non-political blog, http:// storytimerevisited.com, featuring autobiographical stories; stories about his imaginary friend, "The Rev Ralph, Snakehandler Extraordinaire;" and a lighter side of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Karen Rogers MDiv ’92, completed a year of CPE at Ochsners Medical Center, New Orleans, in August 2019, and accepted a call as pastor to the First Presbyterian Church in Woodward, Oklahoma, in October 2019. Karen thanks her classmates, especially for their compassionate support during the years at Columbia Theological Seminary.

2000s

David Dault MATS ’02 has been appointed assistant professor of Christian Spirituality at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago this fall. He continues his work as a radio and podcast producer. "The Roots and Fruits of U.S. Exploitation of Immigrant Labor," which he helped produce, received the Wilbur Award from the Religion Communicators Council for best audio documentary series of 2019.

Dan Stephens MDiv ’04 is named the Executive Director of the Rotary Club of Birmingham, AL as of July 1, 2020.

Julie Jensen Higbee MDiv ’05, was married to Dr. James Higbee on September 5, 2020 in Fernandina Beach, FL. Julie serves as Associate Pastor for First Presbyterian Church, Fernandina Beach. James is a Pharmacist and Pharmacy Manager for Walgreens in Fernandina Beach.

Andrew Wing MDiv ’08 began serving as a US Air Force Chaplain, Active Duty in January 2020 stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Va.

Erin Kobs MDiv ’09, serves as the Pastor & Head of Staff at Punxsutawney Presbyterian Church in Punxsutawney, PA. since October 11, 2020.

2010s

Jenny Sumner Carswell ’10, was selected as one of the four employees from Tampa General Hospital to represent the Tampa Bucaneers at the Super Bowl this Sunday. Each NFL team selected 4 vaccinated local healthcare workers.

Daniel Vanek MDiv ’13, installed as Chaplain and Pastor, Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church since October 2019, the first full-time Installed pastor at AHPC since 1970s. Adopted sons Samuel October 2019 and Jesse October 2018.

Joseph W. Taber, IV ’14 accepted a new call as Pastor of Culpeper Presbyterian Church, Culpeper, VA, in the summer of 2020.

Chris Peters MDiv ’14, accepted a call as Head of Staff of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Lincoln, NE, beginning September 14, 2020.

Mary Kate Brearley Buckley ’14 was ordained on October 25, 2020, by Savannah presbytery. She has recently published her first book, Bless It: reflections from a pandemic, available on Amzon.

Betsy Lyles Swetenburg ’14 serves as Senior Pastor at Northridge Presbyterian Church, Dallas, TX since 2020.

Matthew Benz-Whittington MDiv ’15, accepted a new call as Pastor, Highland Presbyterian Church, Maryville, TN, since May 2020.

Robert Newman MDiv ’15, graduated from Duke University’s Master of Theology program in May 2020 where he developed the thesis “A New Confession: How a Letter from Jail can Reform the Reformed”. The work interprets The Rev. Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham City Jail” by placing it in conversation with Reformed theology and the current ten confessions comprising The Book of Confessions. The jail epistle awaits a potential vote among presbyteries for its inclusion into the BOC. Bobby relocated to Bethlehem, PA where he serves as a pastor of The Presbyterian Church of Catasauqua, in Lehigh Presbytery starting in 2021.

Sarah Wolf ’15, Associate Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA, was disappointed not to have snow this season. She is also hangry. Please send food via grub hub. For those who said they would donate if we ran this alumni update, donations can be made at www.ctsnet.edu/support

Melissa Tidwell ’15, serves as Pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Stockton, CA since November 2020.

Frederick E. “Tripp” Brogdon III,

MDiv ’18 serves as Pastor at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Decatur, AL, since January 13, 2020.

Rachel Breyer MDiv ’19, serves as Chaplain for Calvin and Phillips Towers, Presbyterian Homes of Georgia, since July 2020.

Kris “Bubba” Brammer DEdMin ’19, is the Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church, Lincoln, NE since 2017. Kris is excited about working with congregations in discerning God’s call for the future educational ministries of FPC.

Margo Richardson ’19 studied as the PCUSA Eugene Carson Blake Scholar at the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, following graduation. Margo received a certificate in Ecumenical Studies before returning to her home state. She now serves Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church as the Director for Youth and Young Adults.

2020s

Lucas Jones MDiv ’20, was nominated as new Associate Pastor, Downtown Church, Columbia, SC, as of July 12, 2020.

Alexandra Hutson MDiv ’20, serves as Associate Pastor, Children and Youth, at Government Street Presbyterian Church, Mobile, AL, as of July 20, 2020.

Vincent Jones MDiv ’20 is Servant Pastor for Executive Ministries and Vision Realization at Wheat Street Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA since July, 2019.

Emily Mooneyhan MDiv ’20 has accepted new calls to serve two faithful congregations in Saluda, SC, Mt Pleasant Lutheran Church and Saluda Presbyterian Church, since January 2020.

Murphy Davis Remembered

Columbia Seminary alumni are known to make a difference, whatever their context in ministry. The calling of Murphy Davis is a fine example.

Murphy Davis ’74 and her husband, Ed Loring ’66, founded the Open Door Community, which housed and fed Atlanta’s homeless persons for decades. She advocated for Atlanta’s homeless community until their voices were heard at the capitol. She visited and befriended inmates on death row. Her faith in God and her love for humanity was an inspiration far and wide.

“Anyone who travelled with Murphy Davis to Hardwick Prison could see that Murphy practiced lovingkindness as fiercely as she pursued justice. These monthly trips provided transportation and hospitality for people visiting their loved ones incarcerated at Hardwick. Murphy’s love of Christ was poured out to the Hardwick travelers with a warm greeting, much-needed transportation, and good food courtesy of the Presbyterian Church in Milledgeville. In between trips to Hardwick, Murphy was a fierce advocate for justice and the abolishment of the death penalty. I am a friend, and former resident volunteer of the Open Door Community. I am grateful for the friendship of Murphy and Ed who welcomed me into that ministry of service, advocacy, worship, and hospitality. My wife, Kazy, and I moved into the Septima Clark rooms at The Open Door right after we got married. On movein day, Murphy laughed when I carried our vacuum cleaner in. She said, “Joe, I guess somebody told you cleanliness is next to godliness.” I don’t think we ever used that vacuum cleaner, but every day spent with Murphy was surely a day spent next to lovingkindness and justice. Rest in power, Murphy.” — Joe B. Hinds, ’99

“My husband and I met while serving breakfast at the Open Door Community. We jokingly say that "we courted over the grit line." We were frequent weekly volunteers there, worshipped with the community often, and after we were married, while I completed my last year in seminary, moved into the Open Door Community as Resident Volunteers. When I think of Murphy, I think of her beautiful smile and the amazing amount of grace she bestowed on those she encountered. Murphy had a huge heart for the "least of these" in our midst; and she spent a lifetime dedicated to a ministry that included the love, care and compassion for ALL of God's children.” — Kazy Blocher Hinds ’00

“Murphy Davis was my friend and a beloved mentor, who had a profound influence on me as a young seminarian. Her ministry among those who are poor, those in prison, and those on death row, was as critical to my Christian formation as any seminary course I ever took, and I took some great courses in seminary! Though my heart is broken as I struggle to imagine a world without her physically in it, I know her spirit lives on in all the people whose lives she touched and in the work that she accomplished. l will continue to strive to follow her example until we finally end the death penalty for good.” — Stacy Rector ’96