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people of the book

VANTAGE

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AN OLD BOOK FOR NEW VOICES A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT

In the book of Exodus, the story is told of Moses receiving from God the two tablets of the law, “written on the front and on the back” (Exodus 32). In the book of Ezekiel, God commands the prophet Ezekiel to eat the scroll that is given to him. On the scroll are words “written on the front and on the back,” words that are ominous and foreboding for the house of Israel (Ezekiel 3).

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like that small detail in both of these Scriptures: The central importance of the Bible is evident the word of the Lord—in the first instance on stone everywhere at Columbia Theological Seminary. Our and in the second instance, I imagine, on either students learn Greek and Hebrew; they learn exegesis and vellum or papyrus—is written on the front and on the interpretation for their preaching; they learn how to use back. This small detail gives the reader the impression the Bible as a gift in pastoral care; they encounter how that every word is important; every word must be the Bible is a solid rock in our commitments to justice and recorded; every word is revelation. mercy; they experience how Scripture is a deep river of The center of the new logo of nourishment for meditation and prayer.

Columbia Theological Seminary depicts Our professors are leaders in exploring how an open book, a visual reference to the Scripture speaks to us today again and again in multiple Bible. The book links to the trunk of a contexts and cultures. Last year, Dr. Brennan Breed tree and then the trunk extends down was given the prestigious Manfred Lautenschlaeger into the earth through deep roots. Our Award for Theological Promise for his first book logo evokes the fact that Christians are Nomadic Text: A Theory of Biblical Reception History Dr. Leanne Van Dyk PRESIDENT a “people of the book,” both the written (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2014). This book of Scripture and the book of creation. The importance of The center of the new logo of Columbia the Bible in the Christian traditions can scarcely be overstated. For many people all Theological Seminary depicts an open book, over the world, from the very beginning of a visual reference to the Bible. The book links to the church’s story until today, a translation the trunk of a tree and then the trunk extends of the Bible into their own language was down into the earth through deep roots. their entrance into the faith. It is also a guide for faithful living, a comfort in grief, a defense in temptation, and a witness to Jesus Christ book explores how the text of the Bible is endlessly as revealed by the Holy Spirit. It is our book of prayer adaptive and creative and transformative in all its that gives us words when we have none and our book of multiple contexts. Most Sundays, Dr. Ralph Watkins psalms that are tuned to both our joys and our sorrows. preaches the word of God to the congregation of 2

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“Sister Time”: Fellowship and Networking

On February 28, 2018, the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) marked the 20th anniversary of the Women in Leadership (WIL) initiative with a gathering designed to celebrate the work of the initiative, discuss the current status of women leaders in ATS institutions, and develop strategies for the next phase of WIL at ATS. In addition, a group of 25 emerging women were selected to participate in a special mentoring program associated with the event. Participants enjoyed the wit and experiences of seasoned leaders paving the way for women, engaged in challenging small group sessions called “wisdom table gatherings,” and learned from interactive panel discussions. Representing CTS, pictured left to right: Ruth-Aimée Belonni-Rosario, Chief Enrollment Management Officer; Ann Clay Adams, Academic Administrator; Leanne Van Dyk, President; Mindy McGarrah Sharp, Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Pastoral Care; and Kelly Campbell, Associate Dean for Information Services.

Wheat Street Baptist Church, an historic AfricanAmerican congregation finding new energy and vision for their mission in the city. Just last week, we celebrated the inauguration of Dr. Martha MooreKeish as the new J. B. Green Chair of Theology. In her wonderful inaugural lecture titled, “Divine Freedom and Human Religions: A Reformed Theologian Approaches Comparative Theology,” she built a theology of interfaith dialogue that was rooted in both her Reformed theological identity and her deep connection to Scripture. I hope you take an hour to listen to that inaugural lecture; it is available on Columbia Theological Seminary’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/ ctsmedia).

I have the great joy and privilege of observing our faculty, our staff, and our students daily seeking to follow the call of God on their lives. I believe our seminary logo, with the central image of the open book, is genuinely descriptive of our life together. We all encounter Scripture as a text “written on the front and the back,” written with words brimming with urgency and direction and comfort. It is a precious gift of God for the people of God. Many Blessings,

Leanne Van Dyk President

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUE

DEPARTMENTS

VANTAGE POINT

pg 2

HYPERFOCUS

pg 15

REASONABLE SERVICE

pg 14, 20

LIFELONG LEARNING

pg 24

TAUTA PANTA

pg 31

NEWS FROM COLUMBIA

pg 31

ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

pg 33

FACULTY & STAFF

pg 42

BEST OF THE BLOG

pg 47

VANTAGE / VOL. 110, NO. 2 SPRING 2018

EDITORS

Michael K. Thompson Corie Cox

DESIGN

Lucy Ke

In 2018, what does it mean to be “People of the Book”?

PHOTOGRAPHY

Michael K. Thompson

CONTRIBUTORS

FEATURE

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK PG

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THE BIBLE AND THE CHURCH

The role of the Bible from the second century to the 21st.

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MEET THE EXTERNS

How did they experience Columbia Theological Seminary?

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NEXT STEPS FOR EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

What next?

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SUPPORTING PTHE COLUMBIA EXPERIENCE G

This issue of VANTAGE is available online at www.ctsnet.edu.

Also: How a life of giving can be life-giving

An educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

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Jess Adams Julie Bailey ’09 Kyle Brooks Mary Lynn Darden Donna Enerson Sarah Erickson ’03/DEdMin ’10 Alexia Ford Israel Galindo Catherine Gunsales Gonzalez Heidi Gleason Beecher Mathes ’92 Stephanie Smith Matthews Brandon Maxwell Steven Miller Emily Peterson ’16 Caitlin Reeves Katie Ricks ’02 Robyn Davis Sekula Valrie Thompson Leanne Van Dyk Debra Weir

THE BIBLE AND THE CHURCH B Y C AT H E R I N E G U N S A L U S G O N Z Á L E Z , P R O F E S S O R E M E R I TA O F C H U R C H H I S T O R Y

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ROM THE EARLIEST DAYS OF THE CHURCH, THE BIBLE HAS BEEN THE ESSENTIAL FOUNDATION OF ITS LIFE. EVEN BEFORE THERE WAS A NEW TESTAMENT, THE CHURCH HELD TO THE HEBREW BIBLE, AND THERE WERE MANY STRUGGLES OVER THAT FACT WHEN THE CHURCH CEASED BEING LARGELY JEWISH AND BECAME MOSTLY GENTILE. The second century saw the struggle with Marcion and the many Gnostic groups that would gladly sever the church and Israel. Gradually in the second century the New Testament took shape, but the gathering of the four Gospels and Paul’s and other letters added to—but did not eliminate —the Hebrew Scriptures.

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THE BIBLE AND THE CHURCH continued

Imagine the situation: most of the new Christians probably did not read. We know that among the Gentile converts most were from the lower classes, including slaves. The literacy rate was not very high. So how were people to learn the Bible?

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The basic structure of the church’s worship from the earliest we know began with the reading of scripture— at first, only the Old Testament—but by mid-second century, the “memoirs of the Apostles” (the Gospels) and epistles were added to the reading. The worship was very early in the morning, before dawn, since most of the Christians had to be at work once the day began. There were no clocks, so the gathering began with someone reading Scripture out loud, and this continued for an hour or more, until it was clear that the congregation had completed its gathering. At least the Sunday worship consisted of two parts. The first was the “service of the Word,” where Scripture was read and commented on. The second was the “service of the Table.”

What concerns us here is that first part.

Scripture was so essential that people came early in the morning to hear it. If you wished to become part of the church, it might take two years of preparation before baptism would be considered, and a good bit of that time would be learning Scripture, both Old and New Testaments. But such learning had to be with the church, as part of its gathering.

Imagine the situation: most of the new Christians probably did not read. We know that among the Gentile converts most were from the lower classes, including slaves. The literacy rate was not very high. So how were people to learn the Bible?

First of all, they had the advantage of retaining some of the characteristics of an oral society, so it may have been easier for them to memorize than it is for those of us dependent on the written word. Second, they heard Scripture constantly in the worship and the teaching. It was reinforced by the preaching.

But the literacy rate was not the only issue. Books themselves had to be handwritten, and both the time and the materials involved were expensive. If a small congregation had an entire Old Testament and all four Gospels plus at least the collection of Paul’s letters, it must have amassed them at some cost.

Perhaps a member who could read and write had copied some of this from a nearby church. But manuscripts were costly and therefore probably treasured highly—highly enough that people would get up and go to the place where they could stand and hear it read to them.

Compare that to our own situation.

Bibles are everywhere. They are inexpensive.

The literacy rate in Protestant churches is high.

We can read the Bible at home, comfortably, alone. We do not necessarily connect the Bible and the church.

We can have the Bible without the church.

The Middle Ages was a very different situation, but the Bible continued to be considered the foundation of the church. Literacy was probably even lower than in the earlier period because of the chaos of invasions and the loss of educational institutions. Where reading and study became central was in developing monastic foundations, and eventually these led to the late medieval universities. Within monasticism, the Bible, especially the Psalms, were central to daily life. But for the common layperson, until almost the dawn of the Renaissance, the Bible was honored, but knowledge of its contents was probably limited to what was learned from the various celebrations of the church year and the art and drama of the time.

Compare that to our own situation. Bibles are everywhere.

They are inexpensive. The literacy rate in Protestant churches is high. We can read the Bible at home, comfortably, alone.

We do not necessarily connect the Bible and the church. We can have the Bible without the church. We may even think of it as a word to us, privately. This is especially true in English where we have lost the difference between the second person singular and the second person plural. If the Bible says “you” it means “me,” not necessarily “all of you who are called to be the people of God”—which is what a Christian in the second century would have assumed it meant. After all, it was a plural “you” very clearly, and it was heard in the context of the gathered church, or in the context of the gathering of those who hoped to be accepted into that church.

We have many advantages precisely because we can read and we have copies of the Bible. But we also have some disadvantages. In many Protestant churches, members immediately reach for their Bibles as soon as Scripture is to be read. It is as though they cannot hear it unless they can read it. We need to learn how to hear Scripture, and that means hearing it in community, in the presence of other Christians who are hearing the same Word, who are hearing it as a word to all of us, calling us as a church to be and to do certain things. Private study is good, but if the church is to continue being the church; if the Bible is to continue being the foundation of the church, we shall have to hear it and study it together as the church, gathered to hear a word from its Lord.

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MEET THE EXTERNS

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HIS YEAR, COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY HAS BENEFITED FROM THE PRESENCE OF TWO EXTERNS: KYLE BROOKS AND STEPHANIE SMITH MATTHEWS. BOTH CAME TO US BY WAY OF VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY AND ARE SPENDING ONE YEAR WITH US WHILE THEY FINISH THEIR DISSERTATIONS. VANTAGE SAT DOWN WITH THEM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE HERE AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. Vantage Tell us what your experience at Columbia Seminary has been like so far.

Kyle Brooks (KB) This experience has pushed me to know a new community. It’s helpful to learn about a new institutional culture. There are new questions I can engage with students and faculty here. It further clarifies how I want to teach and meet with students, and juggle institutional and family responsibilities.

Stephanie Smith Matthews (SSM) I have been out of my comfort zone quite a bit before coming to Columbia Seminary. For me, this has really been a time of putting everything together—church, teaching, family. While I’ve been here, I’ve been mentored by Brennan Breed, and also Bill Brown. This has very much been a healthy environment for me, where faculty are not competitive.

We all have the same goal.

KB Anna Carter Florence has been my mentor with additional input from Jake Myers. We are collaborating on a course called “Preaching and Public Proclamation.”

I first met Dr. Florence 3 years ago in Denmark with my then-advisor Dale P. Andrews. When my advisor passed away, Dr. Florence helped me get my bearings

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The faculty share a genuine collegiality, which provides a rich context for me to learn how to be a good colleague.

There are more women here, than some other places.

It is a gift and a challenge to be a woman in ministry and in the academy.

KYLE BROOKS

S T E P H A N I E S M I T H M AT T H E W S

academically, but also invested in my well-being. She wanted to see me flourish as scholar. Beyond just doing good work, I have become the person I wanted to be, growing as someone who is dependable and helpful to students and colleagues.

SSM I co-taught the Old Testament introduction, and have been taking notes on other classes as well.

I observe the pedagogy and tools used, and then debrief each class with the professors. Dr. Breed has been especially generous with his time. I think students have appreciated a female voice in Old Testament during this time, while Christine Roy Yoder has been busy with her duties as the Interim Dean of Faculty. There has been an openness to adding some articles to the reading list out of my experience at Vanderbilt.

KB There was a day when we were playing flag football as a community. I had just tagged out for a break, and a little girl—a daughter of one of the students—invited me to join her for chalk drawing. I moved over and we started talking. At the end of the game, her dad stopped by, and she asked if I could come home with them for dinner. That’s something that might not happen elsewhere. It was a beautiful experience of the community here.

SSM Early in the fall term, a student invited me to meet with the Women In Ministry (WIM) bible study.

It was a gift to interact with them and model how to approach difficulties. There are more women here, than some other places. It is a gift and a challenge to be a woman in ministry and in the academy.

Vantage Say more about your observations about the culture at Columbia Seminary.

Vantage As you finish your doctoral work this year, what will be your next step in the journey?

KB As a stand-alone, denominationally-tied institution, Columbia Seminary has a special character. There is a smaller body of people invested in one another. The faculty share a genuine collegiality, which provides a rich context for me to learn how to be a good colleague.

Everyone works to help students flourish and nurture community life generally.

KB I’ll be looking for a full-time tenure-track position, but may do a post-doctoral position first. I want to teach and write.

SSM The faculty bring their full selves into everything with passion and excellence. There are more roles for staff and faculty to play, but they do it in such a personal way.

Vantage Tell us one story that characterizes your experience here.

SSM This fall, I will be serving my denomination as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies in the School of Theology and Christian Ministry at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA.

Vantage Wow! Congratulations, Stephanie, on your new position. We wish you both many blessings for the journey ahead. Thank you for all the ways you invested in students while you have been here.

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NEXT STEPS FOR EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION B YB Y R ADCRH. E L AVA NEK IVA R KNMDAT V T’ 18 LE NN Y KH, EPW R SE,SM I DDEIN

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N THE SPRING OF 2016, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES VOTED TO COMMIT ALL CONSTITUENTS OF THE SEMINARY TO THE IMPORTANT WORK OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (EDI). I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THE ONGOING WORK ON THIS IMPORTANT ENDEAVOR. ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS ON EDI ARE TAKING PLACE ACROSS THE CAMPUS WITH STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FACULTY, AND SPECIFIC PROJECTS HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED. One project was the Campus Climate Survey that was taken by our community last April 2017, guided by survey specialists at McKnight Associates, Inc. The intent was to assess faculty, staff and student perceptions concerning the interactions between members of the CTS community of varying races as well as perceptions concerning fairness and equity in the treatment of all members of our seminary community. A summary of that report and all the survey data has been reviewed by the community. One of the findings was the need to be transparent in our communications about equity, diversity, and inclusion. So, it is our goal to have regular updates for the community on campus, and for you as alumni and supporters of Columbia Seminary through mediums such as Vantage. We want to include each of you in this important work.

Another project that is still going on is a faculty consultation with two experts from the Wabash Center, Dr. Lynne Westfield and Dr. Jack Seymour. They will visit our campus four times in the space of a year to help the faculty think carefully about issues of inclusion and hospitality in the classroom. The faculty are hard at work learning to analyze their teaching, their syllabi, and their classroom leadership in ways that will help create an inclusive and equitable environment for all students.

In addition to these projects, the seminary will also engage the help of a specialized consultant, Marti Fessenden, J.D., M.Ed., to help us draft new policies and update existing policies. We need policies that will help us live according to our commitments. For example, anti-racism and anti-sexism policies will help us to put our heart’s desires into actual practice and create procedural justice in our community. Expert help will be important for us as we draft policies because there are a number of legal requirements and privacy requirements with which we must comply.

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Finally, we have launched a new EDI Council, an elected group of faculty, staff, and students chaired by Dean of Students Brandon Maxwell. This Council will work collaboratively with the Office of the President to more fully live into our commitments and will be responsible for offering to me strategies and recommendations to create structural and procedural justice at every level of the institution.

I certainly welcome advice regarding this deep commitment. As always, we are open to your questions or concerns. But most importantly, we need your prayers and support to move forward in our relationships together.

DR. DEBORAH FLEMISTER MULLEN RETIRES Last year, Dr. Deborah Flemister Mullen, Vice President of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion announced her retirement from Columbia Theological Seminary effective December 31, 2017. Dr. Mullen served the seminary for over 7 years, starting as Dean of Faculty and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs.

With that appointment, she became the first AfricanAmerican woman to hold the position of chief academic officer at any of the ten seminaries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Dr. Mullen holds the honor of many

Dr. Deb Mullen (in golden tunic) surrounded by well-wishers.

important “firsts” not only in Columbia Seminary’s history but in theological education in general. In addition, she served as Acting President for several months during the difficult final weeks and months of Steve Hayner’s life.

Since her arrival at Columbia Theological Seminary in late 2010, she led the faculty in curriculum and accreditation reviews including the development of a quality enhancement plan (QEP). Dr. Mullen has also engaged in the development of strategic partnerships with Presbyterian theological institutions in South Korea, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. Eleven faculty were appointed during Dr. Mullen’s term in office. More than half of these appointments were faculty of color representing what is becoming the “emerging majority” in the United States, including voices from around the world. Faculty of color now constitute about 40% of the faculty, with similar growth among staff and students.

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THE COLUMBIA EXPERIENCE— YOUR ROLE

BY STEVEN MILLER, V I C E P R E S I D E N T F O R I N S T I T U T I O N A L A D VA N C E M E N T B Y R A C H E L VA N K I R K M AT H E W S , M D I V ’ 18

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N 1996, OUR FACULTY AND TRUSTEES ARTICULATED A VISION THAT HAS PROVEN TRUE TO ITS NAME. Vision 2020 established a long-range plan that has been reviewed twice in the last 12 years. This past fall the Board adopted four strategic priority initiatives that continue to build on the foundation and vision of 1996.The new strategic initiatives call for bold steps in the areas of: post graduate pastoral leadership development; online degree programs; key next steps to improve and update our campus for the mission of the seminary as we approach our 200th anniversary; new endowed scholarships to attract strong students and defray the rising costs of education; and using the resources of faculty to be partners with congregations and church members in creative presentations for enhanced biblical and spiritual formation in the local setting.

These are truly exciting!

At the same 2017 fall Board of Trustees meeting, a funding initiative was embraced that will pave the way for the implementation of the above strategic priorities.

The funding initiative is comprised of three sections: • The Columbia Experience: Equipping Today’s Leaders • The Columbia Vision: Planning for the Future • The Columbia Story: Preserving our History In upcoming editions of Vantage, I will write about the Vision and Story. For now, I want to share with you “The Columbia Experience.”

The Columbia Experience: Equipping Today’s Leaders For Columbia Seminary to fulfill its mission and vision of educating future leaders of the church and the world today and the future, you will have the opportunity to consider support of student formation, faculty development and what we have come to call The Big Table, namely the Seminary’s efforts to be a welcoming and supportive place for all members of the community.

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To equip today’s leaders, key areas that could use your support are: Center for Academic Literacy More than 720 consultations over two years in all degree programs empowering all students in research, writing and framing student presentations.

Spiritual Formation A combination of spiritual formation, discernment and disciplines and traditional counseling all to support students in their ministerial self-understanding.

Disabilities Accommodation Services Making the availability of a response to a call to seminary education as accessible to persons with disabilities as the seminary can make it.

Student Explorations An academic and experiential “exploration” of the church and the work of God in locations like urban Atlanta, Hungary, India, Ghana and Jamaica.

Faculty Development Students are not the only ones who need time and support in continuing to grow in their knowledge or to find time to engage in the work that provides for new insights and writing. Support for faculty development grants is essential to keep professors abreast of their fields of study.

The Big Table This is about equity, diversity and inclusion.

How does Columbia provide a setting for students, faculty and staff to engage in the essential, and sometimes hard, work of dealing with the issues that allow for all to be present at the table that unites each of us? Our goal is for all students to be equipped graduates to create similar tables wherever they are called into ministry.

Columbia Theological Seminary has, for almost 200 years, offered up a place of learning and transformation for those heeding God’s call. We have been humbled and honored in our mission to cultivate faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders who will transform communities in Christ’s name.

By supporting Columbia Seminary’s Annual Fund or by making a gift to support one of the key areas listed, you are helping to educate faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders for the sake of the church and the world. Monthly giving is always an option at www.CTSnet.edu/give. If you would like to create a legacy through your will or trust, please contact me, Steven Miller, Vice President, Institutional Advancement at MillerS@ctsnet.edu or 404-687-4568.

We are blessed by God’s gracious leading, and remain thankful for your faithful financial support.

A LIFE OF GIVING IS LIFE-GIVING A fourth-generation minister, Columbia Seminary alumna Beecher Mathes (MDiv ’92) says she inherited the spirit of giving from her family. “My parents contributed toward the arched gate on Columbia Drive in memory of their parents. The ironwork overhead contained the name, Columbia Theological Seminary, because there was no sign at all then to let the neighborhood know of our campus.” Following in her parents’ footsteps, Beecher has faithfully contributed to The Annual Fund each year since graduation.

Beecher’s parents, Al (MDiv ’41) and Jacqueline Mathes, also established the MathesWoolfolk scholarship fund. Beecher’s 103-year-old mother contributed to this fund until she turned 100, having lived in Simons-Law dormitory as one of the few married couples on campus.

“So I guess I saw from my folks what can be done, with small but steady giving, and just kept the tradition going,” Beecher writes. “My parents taught me as a youngster, whenever I got a dollar, to give 10 cents to the church first, then save 10 cents, and then pay your bills and have fun with all the rest. That’s an easy pattern to keep up, and I send my small gift to Columbia Seminary every January to give new life to the seminary that gave me so much years ago, as well as today through the Center for Your contributions to The Annual Fund ensure that Lifelong Learning.” students at Columbia Seminary receive a challenging Beecher has been the Associate and transforming education that will enable them to Pastor for Covenant Presbyterian effectively serve the church in the 21st century. Even the Church in Athens, GA, since September smallest, most faithful gifts from alumni, friends, faculty, 1993. It was her first call after staying at staff, and churches allow us to provide scholarships, Columbia Seminary a fourth year to finish housing, enhanced computer equipment, new library coursework for her ThM in 1994. “They material and more to a dedicated student body. have been a good and loyal congregational Your gift is appreciated and will make a difference relationship through all the changes these in the lives of students at Columbia Seminary. You may past 25 years,” she notes. give online now at www.CTSnet.edu/give.

Photo: Beecher Mathes (left) and her sister Martha (right) from a visit to the Columbia Seminary campus in 1964.

Martha, who died in 2011, was married to Barron Hopper (MDiv ’86). Martha and Barron were living with their three children in Columbia Seminary’s Village apartments when he was a student here.

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REASONABLE

SERVICE

A GROWING IMPACT ON STUDENTS AT THE CENTER FOR ACADEMIC LITERACY B Y M I C H A E L T H O M P S O N , D I R E C T O R O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

IN NOVEMBER 2017, EMILY PETERSON (MDIV ’16) BECAME THE NEW (AND FIRST!) FULL-TIME DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR ACADEMIC LITERACY (CAL). SHE JOINS WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A NEW TEAM THIS YEAR, INCLUDING PART-TIME WRITING COACHES ANITA DENSON AND TYLER JONES.

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ll three members of the CAL staff bring extensive experience in writing and coaching others, and all share enthusiasm for empowering students to succeed at Columbia and beyond.

This team of three has developed several new programs, and students are eager for every opportunity. In February, CAL hosted a workshop on time management to help students improve productivity and stay healthy in the midst of a hectic life. A second workshop in April will offer students guidance and hands-on practice for integrating the voices of others into their writing. Between these two workshops, during the March midterm assessment week, CAL and Healthy Seminarians Healthy Church, Inc., co-presented Shut Up & Write!, a space for focused writing with coaching, resources, and nourishment at hand. A similar event will be hosted again during finals.

Along with developments in staff and programming, CAL’s physical space has recently undergone change as well. New whiteboards have been added throughout the center as CAL continually assesses and improves its use of learning tools. The upstairs study room has been reconfigured to make it more conducive to student use. A CAL-specific resource room has also been established to offer students and coaches easy access to helpful reference materials, such as exegesis handbooks, style guides, and CAL-created handouts.

CAL seeks to foster a welcoming environment for students; equip them with knowledge, strategies, and tools; and collaborate with faculty and other departments on campus to best help students thrive over the course of their studies. While some additional attention is given to English language learners, CAL welcomes anyone seeking to improve their academic literacy. The center’s holistic approach to support—including both one-on-one coaching and group events—helps to develop students’ competencies in organization, clarity, argument, grammar, research, critical reading, and more. As a new chapter in the life of CAL begins, the center continues be a resource that enriches students’ skills and confidence to engage their studies, the church, and the world.

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H Y P E R F O C U S

VOCATIONAL SERVICES — WHAT’S THAT? B Y K AT I E R I C K S ( M D I V ’ 02), A S S O C I AT E D I R E C T O R , V O C AT I O N A L S E R V I C E S A N D S T U D E N T L I F E

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wenty years ago, when I came to Columbia Theological Seminary as a student, I and many of my peers came as a result of a discernment process.

Discernment meant asking questions about what kind of church one wanted to serve, what responsibilities they wanted, and where the congregation may be on the theological spectrum. Phil Gehman, the Dean of Students at that time, walked students through the ordination

process—which was extensive but was the same for the vast majority of us who were Presbyterian. Most of us expected to leave seminary with a church call. There was no need for a vocational services program to assist with discernment and job placement.

Twenty years ago, this was the experience of most people who went to seminary. Presbyterian folks went to Presbyterian seminaries, Methodist people went to Methodist seminaries, Baptists to the Baptist seminaries, etc. We enrolled in seminary to become ministers in our respective denominations.

Seminary was to prepare us for service in churches belonging to those denominations. The world has changed drastically and is continuing to do so. Seminaries are experiencing the same uncertainty and

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H Y P E R F O C U S

VOCATIONAL SERVICES continued

ambiguity as the rest of the church and world. Seminaries have seen great shifts in: • Student demographics Diversity has grown in terms of race, ethnicity, and denomination • Availability of church calls The number of positions is diminishing, and the majority of openings are in very small towns • Attitude towards church work A lot of students are disillusioned by the church and not interested in traditional church ministry • Reasons for coming to seminary Some incoming students know pastoral ministry is for them.

The rest are here for chaplaincy, teaching, camp and conference ministry, non-profit work, or have no idea.

There is no cookie cutter way of doing vocational services.

When I was hired as Associate Director, Vocational Services and Student Life 14 months ago, there was no designated person to provide vocational services, even for those few students who were seeking to go into ordained ministry. I found that those doing this work at other Presbyterian seminaries, who had been around through these shifting decades, have, for the sake of practicality, landed on providing good support to those persons seeking ordination or heading into further study, while getting others connected to resources outside of the seminary.

This method doesn’t work for our students at Columbia Seminary.

Our Vocational Services program enables us to dig deep into helping students with discernment, as well as provide support around the work they have done . . . .

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Our Vocational Services program enables us to dig deep into helping students with discernment, as well as provide support around the work they have done in their contextual education, introductory, and capstone coursework. My goal is to create a path for all students to clarify their identity—who God has created them to be and do; act to “try on” some of these understandings of self; and reflect with faculty/staff, peers, mentors, counselors, and spiritual directors. In addition to my work, which focuses a lot on the reflection piece—either oneon-one or through administering a mid-point discernment conversation with faculty and peers, The Office of Student Life and Formation provides subsidies for counseling and spiritual direction, so students can reflect off campus if desired.

We create space for students to clarify, act, and reflect by providing: • Resources and programming for students to learn life-long discernment techniques • Resources and pathways for students to discover, develop,

KATIE RICKS: MY FAITH JOURNEY

and refine their vocational passions, values, and skills • Guidance and support to students in the ordination process • Programming in practical job search strategies and techniques—résumés/PIFs, interview skills, networking • Opportunities for students to network with alumni, employers, and others engaged in local ministry and work—through job postings, programming, and on campus/virtual interviews As you think of ways that you can support our current students at Columbia Seminary—through mentoring; sharing your story of vocational discernment; providing internships; and encouraging colleagues, congregations, and non-profits to hire our students, I invite you to contact me and join us in supporting students on this journey together.

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s an Army brat and a cradle Presbyterian, I learned about the church’s connectional nature through the nurturing of several congregations that remained faithful to the vows taken at my baptism, even though they were not present when the waters washed over me. During our frequent moves, my parents’ priorities were to find good schools and a church community. When no Presbyterian Church was near, we worshipped on the base at the Protestant Chapel.

The Presbyterian Church became my home. I could worship anywhere and know the hymns, the creeds, the commitment to education, and the presence of a nurturing and loving community.

My experience of the diversity of God’s people, as we moved from place to place, helped me witness the power of the Spirit’s ability to unite us—even when we had nothing in common beyond our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

After college and graduate school, I worked in higher education at schools in Barnesville, GA, and here in Atlanta. While doing that

work, I felt a strong call to journey with young people as they wrestled and grew in their life and faith. That call led me to Columbia Theological Seminary and to come under care of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.

In the late 90s, the Presbyterian Church had just voted G-6.0106b into the Book of Order, which made it a challenging time to be an out lesbian who was seeking ordination in the church.

While some may find this hard to reconcile, my relationship with God, my trust in God, and my relationship with God’s people were strengthened a hundred-fold after I came out. That realization in my life removed barriers to my faith— some of which I didn’t even know existed. My interactions with those in my life became more authentic and honest. Instead of maintaining walls around my heart, I was able to recognize the love that God had heaped upon me and allow it to overflow to the people God placed in my path. In seminary, I was able to learn with integrity—wrestling with the text, my colleagues, and my professors.

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FAITH JOURNEY continued

While some people go to seminary and lose their faith, I went to seminary and became an evangelical—a sinner saved by grace . . . a believer striving to live and proclaim Christ’s presence and call in my life . . . a child of God sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own—forever. I served as an elder at Ormewood Park Presbyterian Church, as an intern and interim Educator at Central Presbyterian Church, and as a student member of the Board of Trustees at Columbia Seminary. I got to know the church in varied and complex ways.

Following graduation, I was called to serve at the Church of Reconciliation in Chapel Hill, NC. I served as the Associate in Ministry for the first 10 years

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and as Associate Pastor for the next two following my ordination in 2012. During that time, I served on the Christian Education Committee and Council of the Presbytery of New Hope.

These experiences helped me to understand the church better, understand myself better, and understand God better. I became keenly aware of the “called out” nature of the church—meaning that we inevitably end up in community with people we would never choose to be with on our own . . . people who imagine, dream, think, hope, fear, and— even—vote differently than we do. In these communities, God calls us to live into the unity that God has already gifted to us. Our invitation/calling/responsibility as people of faith is to learn to be a

community of faith in the midst of these differences, rather than split because of them.

The five years since my ordination have included significant changes in my understanding of vocation, call, and community. At a discernment retreat three years ago, I experienced a call away from congregational ministry and found myself working and teaching at the Apple Store, while serving as a teaching assistant for a preaching class at a divinity school. In those years, I learned as much as I ever did in the church about longing and hurt, faith and resilience.

As I approach this new work at Columbia Theological Seminary, where I journey alongside students who are seeking to understand God’s call on their lives, I draw upon the wrestling and learning in my own life to ask them challenging questions, encourage theological reflection, and broaden the conversation about vocation.

I am thrilled to return to the Greater Atlanta Presbytery to engage in this new work and work alongside the church to discern how God is calling us into the Kingdom until all things are new.

NEW @CTS MEDIA We continue to create more great videos on behalf of Columbia Theological Seminary to share news on campus and tell the story about our programs. View them and share them with friends!

Below are a few of our latest videos in this series:

ADVENT LECTIONARY DISCUSSIONS: • Week 1 Drs. Brennan Breed, Tim Hartman, and Christine Hong • Week 2 Drs. Mindy McGarrah Sharp and Beth Johnson with extern Kyle Brooks 22:29

• Week 3 Drs. Stan Saunders and Anna Carter Florence with extern Stephanie Smith Matthews • Week 4 Drs. Bill Brown and Ralph Watkins

ADVENT MUSIC FROM CHAPEL SERVICE

BY THE CTS CHOIR: • Emmanuel 3:12

• Jesus, the Light of the World

I N AU G U R A L S E R V I C E A N D L E C T U R E F O R DR. MARTHA MOORE-KEISH, J . B . G R E E N A S S O C I AT E P R O F E S S O R OF THEOLOGY 1:14:09

(See story on page 20.)

For these and other videos, please visit us on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/ctsmedia.

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SERVICE

NEWLY PROCESSED J.B. GREEN PAPERS O N D I S P L AY AT T H E J O H N B U L O W C A M P B E L L L I B R A R Y

BY CAITLIN REEVES, PROCESSING ARCHIVIST

THE C. BENTON KLINE, JR. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES ANNOUNCES THE FRESHLY PROCESSED PAPERS OF JAMES BENJAMIN GREEN. THE PAPERS, DOCUMENTING DR. GREEN’S LIFE AS A PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND A MEMBER OF FACULTY AT COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, WERE UNAVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS FOR MANY YEARS DUE TO THEIR CONDITION.

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s they were unwrapped, unfolded, and organized, archivists unearthed such treasures as correspondence detailing the revision of the standards and theology exams from the 1920s. Exploring Dr. Green’s collection gives us some idea as to why, when he announced his retirement in 1946, the seminary’s alumni association initiated a successful movement to endow the Chair of Theology in Dr. Green’s honor.

Dr. Martha MooreKeish delivered her inaugural address on Wednesday, February 28 becoming the fourth faculty member, and the first woman, to hold the J. B. Green Chair in Theology. The

Professor Martha Moore-Keish talks with John Tribble, grandson of J. B. Green, just before her inaugural lecture.

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address was titled “Divine Freedom and Human Religions: A Reformed Theologian Approaches Comparative Theology.”

Preserving faculty collections like Dr. Green’s gives us a glimpse of what the seminary was like 100 years ago, how things have changed, and what things are remarkably similar. Considering their importance, the archives prioritizes making faculty collections available. Stay tuned for the release of other collections from chaired positions, including the William M. McPheeters and J. Davison Philips papers.

In the meantime, the library presents an exhibit highlighting the excellence of current and past faculty chairs. The exhibit showcases items from Dr. Green’s papers, as well as work from those who both lend their names to and hold chaired positions.

Projects related to the seven endowed positions at Columbia, which include the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching, William M. McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, J. Erskine Love Professor of Christian Ethics, Peachtree Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth, J. Davison Philips Professor of New Testament, and the Benton Family Professor of Christian Education, are on display through the end of the spring semester.

Each of Columbia Seminary ’s endowed positions is supported by families, churches, and/or alumni. An endowed position brings prestige to its occupant, and the endowment funds help provide for salary and research. When the J. B. Green Chair was established in 1947, it was common for $100,000 to cover the upkeep of a chaired position. Today the price is three million. If you are interested in learning more about supporting an endowed position, please be in touch with Steven Miller, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. He may be reached at (404) 687-4568.

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BOOKS AND AUDIO-BOOKS B Y 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 FA C U LT Y

FOR THE ENTIRE SELECTION, PLEASE VISIT W W W.C T S N E T.E D U /A B O U T-U S /M E D I A / L AT E S T-B O O K S -FA C U LT Y A N D W W W.C T S N E T.E D U /A B O U T-U S /M E D I A /A U D I O -B O O K S -FA C U LT Y

Audio

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Certificate in Spiritual Formation presents:

Audio

This course is for people interested in biblical spirituality as a resource for validating and supporting the faith of people in emotional pain. with J. Marshall Jenkins July 26-29

Audio

visit www.ctsnet.edu/events for more info and registration

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LIFELONG LEARNING

REIMAGINING LEADERSHIP AND REIMAGINING LEARNING

BY DONNA ENERSEN Photo by Cassie Boca

Donna Enersen has taught for 54 years (not counting when, at age 8, she bossed around the neighborhood children, forcing them to attend “Donna’s School” in the basement of her house).

After 22 years of elementary school teaching, Donna went to Indiana to Purdue to become an Educational Psychologist. But only two years after receiving her degree, she felt a strong call to ministry. Listening to the needs of both the churches and parishioners in her Presbytery, she and a group of others saw an opportunity to reimagine lay pastoral training. Donna, who now oversees the Presbytery of Wabash Certified Elder Program tells how it all came together.

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n 2002, I graduated from [The Presbytery of Wabash Valley and the Synod of Lincoln Trails] Commissioned Lay Pastor program. It was the second class of the program.

The program met six times a year for two years, bringing a professor from a seminary to teach each course at our presbytery's camp. We received books and assignments for the next course at the end of each course. We had excellent professors (McCormick, Louisville, Valparaiso, etc.) and a face-to-face, sequestered, three-day experience for each of the 12 meetings. We worked hard and grew to care very much for one another.

In 2003 I was called to a church, and today I am still serving that church. Time passed, numerous people went through the program, then financial considerations made it less doable for many. A little more time passed, and our presbytery needed more and more part-time pastors to lead small, especially rural, churches.

But something else was growing too: a desire among church members to help pastors, to fill pulpits, to provide sacraments, to visit the sick and elderly, etc. And it was clear that not everyone wanted—or could—become a lay pastor.

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So, last year a group of us (two lay pastors serving churches—one who was a member of the Commission on Ministry, three ministers of Word and Sacrament—one who was moderator of the Commission on Preparation for Ministry, and our Visioning and Connecting Leader) got together to think about what we could design to meet all sorts of needs in our presbytery.

Our goal was a revitalization and support of the commissioned ruling elder training and service, but more than that, we wanted an opportunity for those wishing to grow in faith and understanding, so they could more fully take part in the ministry of their congregations or other congregations in their presbyteries. We attended Synod-wide gatherings of people who were doing the same thing in their presbyteries, we reviewed successful programs from places all across the country, and we reviewed online training resources provided by seminaries of our denomination.

Here's what we developed: The Ministry Formation Program (MFP): A Growth Opportunity for Church Members.

I went to Decatur, GA, to take a continuing education course from Columbia Theological Seminary's Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL), where I snooped around and discovered what was going on there—and began to see how we might be able to work together. I met with Israel Galindo, Associate Dean of Lifelong Learning—and left pretty excited about his expertise and willingness to work with us.

We had our scope—the courses we wanted to offer—and the sequence fairly well decided, and as Israel showed us what CLL was already doing with other entities, we were able to easily fold our desires with CLL's proven programs. It was a great fit.

Now our plan had some feet under it, and we moved ahead to advertise the MFP. We had a general information meeting, and a cohort was formed. We detailed a two-year, two-track program that combined online classes with cohort live meetings.

Ryan Bonfligio leads an Old Testament class, Wabash Valley.

We are in the first year of our first cohort. The group took an Old Testament course online with the Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Seminary in the fall and is preparing to take the New Testament course beginning in April. They have met once live and twice by Zoom technology (which they don't much like, but Indiana winters are tricky).

Many in the cohort had never taken an online course, and were anxious about it. They were hesitant to post for the discussions, which were to be commented on by everyone as well as the instructor. It was sparse at first, and some tried to create mini-papers for their comments instead of being more free-flowing and spontaneous. By the end of the class, most had eased into the format and are now more confident about their next class. It will be the same instructor, so they know what to expect and say they are looking forward to it.

As the instructor and I evaluated the course afterward, we agreed on texts and amount of readings and all the other elements to stretch the participants as they go forward. We are very grateful for the guidance—and the knowledge—and the camaraderie that we feel from CLL. Except for the youngest ones of our cohort, who are accustomed to learning online, all had only face-to-face classroom experiences to recall, and all have said that if they had their choice, they prefer it. On the positive side, several who are working and traveling like the option of doing their work at any time of the day or night from anywhere they happen to be.

As for the live portions, we are building that bridge even as we cross it. There are topics that must be addressed, and then there are topics that arise from the cohort. At the live meetings, we invite pastors to lead worship (appropriate for different venues and styles) who also share on a topic we choose.

We check in with one another, get prayer focus for each one, share resources, discuss the online information, and hear about the experience. It is a work in progress, and we are energized by the challenge and the purpose and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

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REIMAGINED LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING continued

W H A T T H E S T U D E N T S A R E S AY I N G I have enjoyed the course, and have learned a lot from it. Reading other students answers and comments to the questions has been enlightening. They responded in completely different ways than I had ever considered.

That's learning. You learn from each other, from the book, from the professor’s questions and comments, and from God. Now for the NT. The questions posed throughout the forums were thought provoking and allowed for a delightful exchange among the students. The Instructor did a great job of allowing us to express our own thoughts while making sure that we stayed on task on the specific subject for that session.

Thanks to classmates for sharing insights and thoughts, and thanks to Ryan Bonfligio for your responsive comments that acknowledge engagement with the readings and offer additional thoughts.

This was a very good and useful experience for me.

My thanks to Ryan and all my classmates which made this into a positive learning experience.

This course has raised interest and questions to read and dig deeper.

Through this course I have a better understanding of the OT and how it was edited and modified over the period of

1,000 years and how the Christian books were selected and arranged. It is an amazing collection of the different literature from a myriad of sources.

This course has challenged me and encouraged me to be patient and open-minded in reading the scripture and do more research in its development to better understand the message that God is trying to deliver. To consider the OT more as a global collection of information and try to understand the truth that God is expressing to give us guidance and direction in our daily walk in life as we follow in Jesus' footsteps.

THE CURRICULUM The online portion of the curriculum, facilitated by CLL and led by CTS faculty, includes Bible I: Understanding the Old Testament Bible II: Understanding the New Testament Bible III: Exegesis (Psalms) Reformed Presbyterian Polity Worship and Sacraments Elective

LIVING PRAYER: THE SPIRITUALITY OF EVERDAY LITURGY

September 10 - October 6, 2018 Online Course with Carl McColman Certificate in Spiritual Formation

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LIFELONG LEARNING

COURSE SCHEDULE For church professionals and lay people, Columbia’s Center for Lifelong Learning provides both non-degree and post-graduate courses and events—opportunities to learn with and from others for faithful discipleship. Led by topnotch seminary faculty, our offerings are biblically and theologically grounded, with a practical focus to help participants identify and address specific, real-life needs. At the same time, we see lifelong learning as recreation—time to step out of life’s busy routines and experience renewal of mind, spirit, body, and emotion.

All classes are on the Columbia Seminary campus unless otherwise noted. For more details, registration, or to see new classes as they are added, please visit www.ctsnet.edu/events

April 16 – 18 THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS AND AFFIRMATIONS IN OLDER ADULTHOOD Older Adult Ministry Certificate Course Explore theological doctrines and concepts, with a focus on how these relate to older adulthood.

April 18 – 20 SPIRITUAL FORMATION AND OLDER ADULTS Older Adult Ministry Certificate Course The last third of life presents some of life’s richest spiritual, theological

and ethical challenges. Explore how congregations and other communities of faith can engage in conversations and practices that will allow them to actively nurture spiritual formation into older adulthood.

April 19 – 20 CHRISTIAN EDUCATOR’S THINK TANK Kathy Dawson gathers innovative congregational Christian educators from various faith traditions to explore current challenges, ideals, and hopes for the work and ministry of faith education in congregations.

Certificate in Spiritual Formation

A Dwelling Place for God: Renewing an Earthly Spirituality

October 18-21 • with Stan Saunders Montreat Conference Center www.ctsnet.edu/events

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COURSE SCHEDULE continued

April 19 – 22 “I HAVE ROOM FOR A SECOND LIFE”: JOURNEYING BY HEART WITH THE POET RAINER MARIA RILKE Certificate in Spiritual Formation MONTREAT CONFERENCE CENTER Mark Burrows invites us to explore Rilke’s prayers and poetry with our hearts. Image, gesture and memory guide our glance into the well of our deep idea of “self,” where history and legend meet us in our own experience as of the “unconscious.”

April 30 – May 4 BESIDE STILL WATERS – A CONTEMPLATIVE RETREAT Certificate in Spiritual Formation SACRED HEART MONASTERY: CULLMAN, ALABAMA Renew and refresh! Writings of the Psalmists, Saints and Desert Mothers and Fathers will inspire our contemplation. Led by Chris Glaser and Debra Weir.

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May 1 – June 1 IN LIFE AND IN DEATH: HELPING IN END-OF-LIFE ISSUES ONLINE COURSE Gain understanding of the challenges and issues faced during health crises and find ways to minister to those facing critical health or end-of-life issues and their families. With Hank Dunn, author of Hard Choices for Loving People.

May 15 CERTIFICATE IN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION APPLICATION DEADLINE Certificate in Spiritual Direction The program of study is designed for individuals who discern a call to the ministry of Spiritual Direction.

June 4 – July 6 THRIVING AS A CHURCH MINISTRY STAFF ASSOCIATE ONLINE COURSE Because most children’s and youth ministers work in the congregational setting as associates, they must understand staff relationships, staff functions, teamwork, personal professional skills, and relational intelligence in dealing with pastors, staff members, and congregational members. With Holly Inglis.

July 23 – 25 GOD’S PROMISE: I AM WITH YOU (2018–19 Horizon Bible Study Leader Preparation Course) Amy Poling Sutherlun, author of the 2018–19 Horizon’s Bible Study, will prepare participants to use the study in their circles, small groups or church school classes.

July 26 – 29 BLESSED AT THE BROKEN PLACES Certificate in Spiritual Formation J. Marshall Jenkins leads this class that explores biblical spirituality as a resource for people of faith experiencing emotional pain.

September 10 – October 6 LIVING PRAYER: THE SPIRITUALITY OF EVERYDAY LITURGY Certificate in Spiritual Formation ONLINE COURSE Carl McColman leads this class focused on ordinary habits and practices that can nurture faith and spiritual growth. The class will look at Christian “liturgy” for personal use but also as part of our family/home lives — and consider how clergy, elders, and other Christian leaders can help congregations to grow spiritually as well.

September 24 – 28 GUTHRIE SCHOLARS 2018 The Guthrie Scholars Program is a learning opportunity offered in the fall on an application basis.

October 18 – 21 A DWELLING PLACE FOR GOD: RENEWING AN EARTHLY SPIRITUALITY Certificate in Spiritual Formation MONTREAT CONFERENCE CENTER Images of temple and creation are found throughout the New Testament, from Matthew to Revelation. How might reclaiming this material, now largely forgotten or misunderstood, provide us with models of spiritual practice and imagination for people living at the edge of history? With Dr. Stanley P. Saunders.

November 1 – 30 MONEY AND YOUR MINISTRY ONLINE COURSE Using the current book by Margaret Marcuson of the same title, this course will focus on helping participants interpret and reframe their understanding about money in the congregation, and, approach the issue of money in the church from a less anxious frame of reference.

November 8 – 11 LIVING A SPIRITUALITY OF HOPE: EMBRACING ITS CHALLENGES AND PRACTICES Certificate in Spiritual Formation Dr. Luther E. Smith, Jr. leads this class focusing on living the meaning of hope in personal experience and social transformation in the face of difficult realities.

LEADERSHIP IN MINISTRY (LIM) WORKSHOPS LIM Workshops are on-going, cohort experiences to help clergy apply Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST) to their ministry settings. The postgraduate Leadership in Ministry workshops integrate pastoral and organizational leadership with BFST as a theory of practice. Workshop participants learn how the concepts of BFST can be applied to ministry through this peer-learning, theory-based leadership program. Participants gain insight by learning with others who share their unique vocational challenges and joys. Workshops are offered at five locations nationwide.

Participants must commit to attending both sessions.

OPEN COHORTS April 9 – 11 Lynchburg A: Session I (Session II: October 15-17, 2018) April 16 – 18 Lynchburg B: Session I (Session II: September 24–26, 2018) April 30 – May 2 Portland: Session I (Session II: September 17-19, 2018) May 14 – 16 Boston: Session I (Session II: October 1-3, 2018)

2018-2019 COHORTS Registration opening soon!

Kansas City MO Session I: Oct 22–24, 2018 Session II: March 11–13, 2019 Atlanta Session I: Nov 12–14, 2018 Session II: March 4–6, 2019

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COURSE SCHEDULE continued

COLLOQUY FOR CLERGY SERIES Clergy face challenges, both personal and professional, that are unique to their context and vocational trajectory. The Colloquy for Clergy Series provides opportunities for reflection on practice with peers and peer mentors. This application-based program is designed for clergy who are seeking to participate in a professional formative conversation, or to reflect on their vocational experience and assess their ability to meet the leadership demands/needs of their organization. Attention will be given to addressing common experiences and issues of clergy cohorts: facing either a normative or unanticipated ministry challenge, career transition, standing at a vocational crossroads of some sort, engaging in reflective self-assessment, and finding support among peers. Participants must commit to attending both sessions. Spaces are limited for each event. Please apply early.

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2018–19 COLLOQUY DATES AND APPLICATIONS COLLOQUY FOR LATINO/A CLERGY Application due June 1, 2018 Fall Session: September 17–19, 2018 Spring Session: February 25–27, 2019 COLLOQUY FOR CLERGY IN RURAL CHURCH CONTEXTS Application due June 1, 2018 Fall Session: August 6–8, 2018 Spring Session: February 11–13, 2019

UPCOMING COLLOQUIES 2019–20 • YOUNG, BLACK CHURCH PASTORS • PASTORS LEADING A CONGREGATION TO CLOSURE 2020–21 • SECOND CAREER CLERGY • WOMEN OF COLOR 2021–22 • MID-CAREER CLERGY • CLERGY TRANSITIONING INTO RETIREMENT

T A U T A P A N T A

WE ARE ALL 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. 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).

These are notes from our journey as alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Columbia Theological Seminary.

NEWS FROM CAMPUS

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

New Chief Enrollment Management Officer for Columbia Theological Seminary Columbia Theological Seminary announced today the hiring of a new Chief Enrollment Management Officer.

Starting January 2018, the Rev. Ruth-Aimée BelonniRosario will lead the institution’s admissions and financial aid efforts.

Belonni-Rosario has a proven record of effectiveness in leading seminary recruitment and enrollment strategies.

She served as Associate Director of Admissions at Princeton Theological Seminary and then as Dean of Admissions at Lancaster Theological Seminary. Educated both at the Universidad de Puerto Rico and Princeton Theological Seminary, Belonni-Rosario is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She has demonstrated strong commitments to Latinx voices in theological education and ministry, as well as supporting seminary students to discern their particular call.

NOVEMBER 11, 2017

Columbia Theological Seminary Begins Certification with Green Seminary Initiative Columbia Theological Seminary is one of fifteen seminaries across the United States and in Costa Rica to sign on to a rigorous 3-year certification program to integrate environmental care into all aspects of their institutional and community life.

This fall, Boston University School of Theology, Universidad Biblica Latinoamericana, Union Presbyterian Seminary at Charlotte, and Columbia

Theological Seminary joined the nine theological schools already enrolled in the Seminary Environmental Certification Program (SECP), an initiative launched in 2016 by the Green Seminary Initiative, a program of Drew Theological School and GreenFaith.

NOVEMBER 18, 2017

Center for Lifelong Learning Provides Online Certificate for Elders The Presbytery of Wabash Valley based in Rochester, IN recently completed its first course as part of a new effort to provide online education for leaders in local churches. A new Ruling Elder Certificate Program was created by The Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, near Atlanta.

This fall, Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio, Lecturer in Old Testament served as the instructor. “I’ve really enjoyed the online Old Testament course with Wabash Valley,” said Dr. Bonfiglio, “I love interacting with the students—plus it serves to refine my own skills as an online instructor.” (See page 24 for story.)

DECEMBER 22, 2017

Columbia Seminary Receives Major Lilly Grant for Thriving In Ministry Initiative Columbia Theological Seminary was awarded a grant of $1 million to expand the Pastoral Excellence Programs offered through The Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL). The grant is part

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T A U T A P A N T A

of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry Initiative. The initiative supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as role models and mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry.

The Endowment is making more than $20 million in grants through the Thriving in Ministry Initiative.

The Pastoral Excellence Programs include three opportunities: the Leadership in Ministry Workshops, the Colloquy for Clergy Series, and the Healthy Transitions Wellness Retreats for Clergy and Spouses. While each program is designed to meet the needs of different audiences, each builds on the best practices of clergy professional and personal development and learning.

JANUARY 20, 2018

Columbia Seminary Receives Wabash Grant For “Exercising Our Faith” Project Columbia Theological Seminary announced the award of a small project grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion for a new effort called “Exercising Our Faith: Moving Towards Greater Health and Wholeness.” The project will assess how the seminary may improve student learning and teaching regarding health and wholeness by reviewing institutional culture and curricula.

“This project idea emerged out of the data collected for my doctoral thesis, Fit to Serve: Making Seminaries Models of Health and Wholeness, which investigated the main health issues impacting the masters-level degree students at Columbia Seminary,” noted Karen Webster, a recent DMin alumna and co-founder/executive director of the Healthy SeminariansHealthy Church non-profit organization.

“This study revealed that the most prevalent health issues impacting clergy (e.g. high obesity rates, heart disease, and poor mental health) can already be found on seminary campuses.”

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JANUARY 30, 2018

New Colloquy Announced for Rural Churches and for Latino/a Clergy The Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) at Columbia Theological Seminary is accepting applications for the first new programs made possible by a $1 million grant to expand its Pastoral Excellence Program. The grant is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry Initiative.

The Colloquy for Clergy Series will build on the success of the CLL’s Colloquy for Mid-Career Clergy to offer new colloquies for clergy in particular stages or settings of ministry, and of demographic groups. The first two scheduled are the Colloquy for Rural Church Clergy and the Colloquy for Latino/a Clergy. Both will be held on the seminary campus, and include two sessions (summer and winter).

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

Dr. Gale Yee To Present 2018 Kathleen O’Connor Lectures Distinguished scholar Dr. Gale A. Yee will present the 2018 Kathleen O’Connor Lectures at Columbia Theological Seminary on March 6-7, 2018.

She has served as the Nancy W. King Professor of Biblical Studies at Episcopal Divinity School, now affiliated with Union Theological Seminary in New York City, NY. The lectures will be offered free to the public each day on the seminary campus located at 701 S. Columbia Drive, Decatur, GA. The first lecture titled “From the Bottom Up: Poverty and Inequality in Ancient Israel and Today” will be held at 7:00-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, in the Harrington Center Chapel. A reception will follow in the Harrington Center Library.

The second lecture titled “Bad Girls of the Bible?: The Construction of Woman as Evil in the Sacred Text” will take place at 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, in the Harrington Center Chapel.

For the full stories and more, please visit www.CTSnet.edu/columbia-connections.

ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES ALLEN ’92 AND ARNOLD ’66 HONORED W I T H 2 0 1 8 D I S T I N G U I S H E D S E R V I C E AWA R D S

ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY GATHERED FOR ITS ANNUAL LUNCHEON AND AWARDS CEREMONY.

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his year the Association honored two alumni with the Distinguished Service Award: Kelly Sue Allen and William V. (Bill) Arnold. The Distinguished Service Award is given in recognition of alumni who exemplify the ideals expressed in the seminary’s mission statement: “Columbia Theological Seminary exists to educate and nurture faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders for the sake of the Church and the world.”

Kelly Sue Allen ’92 was awarded posthumously and was remembered as a “very present and engaged pastor, inspiring with her courage, provoking and unsettling with her challenges, and comforting those suffering loss and grief.”

Kelly held degrees from Washington University, St. Louis, MO (BA), Columbia Theological Seminary (MDiv), and University of Birmingham, UK (MA).

Kelly served as pastor for First Presbyterian Church, Ste. Genevieve, MO; First Presbyterian Church,

St. Louis, MO; St. Andrew’s United Reform Church, Buckinghamshire, England; and University Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, TX. She also served in a broad range of roles: member of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance National Response Team, adjunct faculty for Eden Theological Seminary, and various presbytery committees including chair of the Immigration Task Force for Mission Presbytery. Kelly helped establish a local prison ministry, organize support and mentoring for at-risk elementary school students, and support for the San Antonio LGBTQ community.

Kelly also authored the small group manual for Mission Presbytery’s Multicultural Youth Conference, and wrote articles for Presbyterian Outlook, Journal for Preachers, and Review of Faith and International Affairs.

William V. (Bill) Arnold ’66 has served faithfully as pastor, chaplain, clinical supervisor, theological educator, academic dean, and author. He holds degrees from Rhodes College (BA), Columbia Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (PhD).

Bill was certified by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education as a Clinical Supervisor. Following

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his doctoral studies, he became a chaplain at Clark County Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville, IN. He then served for several years as Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care at Second Presbyterian Church, Louisville, KY. Bill moved on to become Professor of Pastoral Care at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA, where he was later named Dean of Faculty.

His final position was as Associate Pastor of the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Bryn Mawr, PA. He is the author or co-author of six books in his field, including his highly acclaimed Introduction to Pastoral Care (Westminster John Knox Press, 1982). In retirement, he is engaged in volunteer service with a local medical clinic that serves low-income people, and has become a master storyteller.

C O L U M B I A’ S A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N ’ S ANNUAL LUNCHEON AND AWA R D S C E R E M O N Y

WELCOME, CLASS OF ’92!

Professor Emeritus Erskine Clarke

Professor Raj Nadella 34

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Professor Anna Carter Florence

Above: Distinguished Service Award winner, Rev. Bill Arnold, with his classmate Rev. Lee Carroll. Top: Outgoing Alumni Council President, Julie Lehman, welcomes alumni, friends, faculty and students to the 2018 Alumni Awards Luncheon. Left: Alumni enjoyed returning to the classroom.

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ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

1950s | Robert

1990s | Todd Jenkins, MDiv

Montgomery, BD ’53, recently published Following the Human One (Wipf and Stock, 2017).

Montgomery is a missionary to Taiwan with the aboriginal Christian movement.

’90, is Transitional Pastor for First Presbyterian Church, Greeneville, TN, effective December 1, 2017.

1980s | Mark Jumper,

Polly K. Deppen-Williams, MDiv ’92, is now the Executive Presbyter for the Presbytery of Central Nebraska.

MDiv ’82, served as Conference Coordinator for the Regent University School of Divinity's Reformation 500 conference, “The Holy Spirit and the Reformation Legacy,” drawing 100 scholars to attend and present.

Kim Clayton, MDiv ’84, DMin ’08, is Transitional Pastor for the Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York, beginning March 15.

Jim Caprell, MDiv ’91, is Chaplain for the Clinton Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina.

Paula Teague, DMin ’92, was named Secretary for the Board of Chase Brexton Health Care. Teague is the senior director of the academic division, director of the system sponsored clinical pastoral education program and director of spiritual care and chaplaincy at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. She is a Society of Friends (Quaker) minister and has been a certified Association of Clinical Pastoral Education supervisor since 1989.

Ann Pitman, MDiv ’93, retired on September 1, 2017, and began working part-time as the Parish Associate for Pastoral Care at First Presbyterian Church, Fort Wayne, IN. Sophia Park, MDiv ’96, ThD ’08, is doing validated ministry at Neumann University in the Department of Pastoral Studies.

Todd Green, MDiv ’98, as associate professor of religion at Luther College, spent his 2016-2017 sabbatical year as an advisor on Islamophobia in Europe at the US State Department in Washington, DC. His new book, Presumed Guilty: Why We Shouldn't Ask Muslims to Condemn Terrorism (Fortress Press, 2018), is scheduled to be released in July.

Christine Yoder with Kim Clayton, MDiv ’84/DMin’08, who has left her position as Director of Contextual Education for a new call in New York City.

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Thank you to everyone who sent us updates!

Keep sending us your updates for “alumni news & notes” so your classmates and others can know what you are doing. Go to our website at www.CTSnet.edu/update-my-info.

2000s | Lucy Youngblood, MDiv ’01, is living in Columbia, SC and nearing

the end of nursing school. She is looking forward to learning what God has in mind for her next assignment. Her little dog, Toby Joe, is 15 and going strong.

Kandal Land, MDiv ’04, was given an Emerging Leaders Award from the Longview, Texas Chamber of Commerce.

The American Theological Library Association Serials

Julie Jensen, MDiv ’05, is now serving as the Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Fernandina Beach, FL.

(ATLAS) research database is

Elizabeth Soileau Acton, MDiv ’05, was ordained on January 8. The following fellow CTS alums participated in the worship service: the Rev. Shannon Edgerton Ball, the Rev. Morgan Morse Hay, the Rev. Shelli Latham, and the Rev. Lindsey Wade.

Elizabeth is serving as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Mission at Druid Hills Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. She and her husband Andy, MDiv ’00, and their two children, Katie and Davis, live in Lilburn, GA.

access to more than 150,000

available to Columbia alumni.

The database provides online articles and citations—and to the full text of hundreds of peer-reviewed journals.

Columbia’s library provides funding for this valuable

Kate McGregor Mosley, MDiv ’06, Executive Director of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light GIPL, was surprised by The ATL 100 campaign by the unveiling a city billboard on Marietta Street in her honor. The billboard reads “One woman. 100% determination. Clean energy for all.” Kate was selected by The Solutions Project as one of the three power people working to make Georgia 100% clean energy.

resource for alumni. It is a key

Richard Manly (“Bo”) Adams Jr., ThM ’06, has been named director of Pitts Theology Library at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and Margaret A. Pitts Assistant Professor in the Practice of Theological Bibliography.

Erica Durham (404-687-4661

tool for lifelong research, study, and sermon preparation.

For more information—and a login ID and password—contact or durhame@ctsnet.edu).

Jeremy Wilhelmi, MDiv ’07, was accepted as a volunteer to be on the Production Team for the 2019 Presbyterian Youth Triennium.

Sarah Hooker, MDiv ’08, started as campus pastor for UKirk Atlanta in August 2017.

Whitney Wilkinson Arreche, MDiv ’08, was admitted to the Doctor of Theology (ThD) program at Duke Divinity School. She studies practical theology and ecclesiology of peace and conflict, focusing on Northern Ireland, and U.S. race relations.

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2010s | Sydney and Travis

Kristin Stroble, MDiv ’11, is now serving as pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Lansing, MI.

Allen, MDiv ’10, welcomed their third son, Eli Monroe, on February 9, 2018.

Stephanie Crumpton, ThD’12, joined the faculty at McCormick Theological Seminary as Assistant Professor of Practical Theology.

John Winston Smith, DEdMin ’10, is Corporate Chaplain and Member of Technical Staff at Acivilate, Inc. Acivilate is a startup company operating out of Georgia Tech's ATDC (Advanced Technology Development Center) and develops software (SaaS) used to support persons transitioning from incarceration back into society to help reduce recidivism.

Acivilate recently achieved seed funding of $3M and had its first significant contract with the Utah Department of Corrections.

Christin (CJ), MDiv ’12, and Will Norman, MDiv ’13, on the birth of their son Jack Thomas, born January 12, 2018.

Rob White, MDiv ’12, was installed as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hernando, MS on September 17, 2017.

Barbara Johnson, MDiv ’15, was ordained by Trinity Presbytery on July 16, 2017, at South Aiken Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Peter Hobbie preaching.

CTS graduates the Rev. Dr. Christopher Crotwell and the Rev. Martha Ebel also served on the Ordination Commission. She accepted a call to Church of the Covenant in Canton, OH, and was installed as pastor on October 8, 2017. Barb and her husband Bob Freymeyer, who recently retired from Presbyterian College, moved to the Canton area in August.

Sarah Smith, MDiv/MAPT ’17, validated ministry in Northern Ireland.

IN MEMORIAM

Harry F. Petersen, BD ’58. . . . .

Ann W. Bullard, BBE ’63 . . . . .

Cyrus S. Mallard, BD ’54 . . . . .

George E. Dameron, BD ’54 . . .

James R. Hardy, Jr., BD ’67. . . .

Matthew A. Trask, Sr., MDiv ’94.

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. . . . . .

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. . .October 9, 2017 . . October 14, 2017 December 22, 2017 . . January 30, 2018 . . February 4, 2018 . February 28, 2018

Right: Alumni from the Class of ’92 plant a tree in front of the Broyles Leadership Center in memory of Kelly Sue Allen who was awarded the 2018 Distinguished Service Award posthumously.

SPRING COMES TO CTS!

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THEOLOGICAL FUND TO HONOR CANNON, OLDENBURG AT G E N E R A L A S S E M B LY B R E A K FA S T

BY ROBYN DAVIS SEKULA, THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION FUND EXCERPTS FROM WWW.PRESBYTERIANFOUNDATION.ORG The Committee on Theological Education (COTE) and the Theological Education Fund are honoring two distinguished leaders in theological education at the 2018 General Assembly.

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Douglas Oldenburg

his year’s honorees are Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon, professor of theology and ethics at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and Douglas Oldenburg, former President of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and former General Assembly moderator.

“The tremendous commitment and contribution to theological education and the Presbyterian Church of both Dr. Cannon and Dr. Oldenburg were obvious to the Committee on Theological Education,” says the Rev. Dr. Tom Trinidad, pastor of Faith PC(USA) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, former vice moderator of the General Assembly and COTE Chair. “Presbyterians and the Church owe them a debt of gratitude for many things including their advocacy on behalf of or advancement of the concerns of marginalized communities.”

The two will be recognized at the Theological Education Breakfast on June 21 at 7:00 a.m. (Central Time). The breakfast is part of the 223rd General Assembly, which will be held in St. Louis, June 16 to 23.

Those interested in attending the breakfast should sign up as part of their General Assembly registration.

The Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty is senior director of funds development for the Theological Education Fund at the Presbyterian Foundation, which will host the breakfast. He noted that the award is the highest honor in the PC(USA) for those who teach, lead, and support theological education. “Only 14 others have received this award,” Hinson-Hasty says. “Their individual and collective visionary work and frontier forging leadership promotes the value of theological education in the church and is helping us draw people into the ministry, in a time when that is desperately needed.”

About Doug Oldenburg

Doug Oldenburg dedicated his life to service in the Presbyterian Church. He was first a pastor, a seminary president and then moderator of the 210th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

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Following his graduation from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia in 1960, he served as pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. After seven years he left and began serving as a pastor at Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church in Elkins, West Virginia. His last pastor position was in the city he grew up in at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He worked for 26 years as a pastor and then decided he was called to a new role.

In 1987, he became the seventh president of Columbia Theological Seminary, a position he held until 2000. Dr. Leanne Van Dyk, President of Columbia and Professor of Theology, extends her best wishes to Oldenburg. “I want to offer warmest congratulations to President Emeritus Doug Oldenburg from the entire community here at Columbia Theological Seminary,” Van Dyk says. “In so many ways, he has embodied not just education, but the practical impact knowledge and wisdom can make in local communities and national organizations. We are grateful to COTE for recognizing his lifelong efforts to educate and nurture faithful leaders.”

Oldenburg’s ministry extended far beyond the churches he served and the campus he led. In Lynchburg, he helped to organize a downtown ministry for disadvantaged children. In Elkins, he led a successful vote on a bond levy to raise teacher salaries. In Charlotte, he was on the Board of United Community Services and was the co-founder and served on the board of Crisis Assistance Ministry. He received the Martin Luther King, Jr. award and The Order of the Hornet of Mecklenburg County. In Atlanta, he served on the board of Global Health Action and the University Center of Georgia.

Oldenburg’s leadership at Columbia Seminary was key to advancing the seminary from regional to national prominence. He recruited extraordinary faculty and built an exemplary board. His unique contribution was to the wider world of theological education. In a day when the emphasis in presidency was championing one’s own institution and gaining competitive advantage, Doug insisted that the whole was as important as the parts and that the Gospel concept of losing one’s life in order to save it applies to institutions as well as persons. He put his money where his mouth was, supporting the institution of the Theological Education Fund even though, by leaving the former funding pattern, Columbia lost and other schools gained, and always asking how any new formula or policy affected all the schools, not just his own.

Oldenburg served on a variety of committees for the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) prior to becoming moderator. He was elected to serve this position because he placed a large emphasis on theological education and social justice.

He called not only for support of the ordination of educators, but also for unity among the nation’s church related colleges and universities. As Moderator he also sought to support and pursue the study of the Bible. He called for every congregation and presbytery to engage in a program of study about what Presbyterians believe about the Bible and how they read the Bible, because he believed “how we read and interpret the Bible is a crucial issue for the church.”

Past Presidents Dr. J. Davison Philips, Dr. Stephen A. Hayner, and Dr. Douglas Oldenburg at Hayner’s inauguration in 2009.

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UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS

2018 March 21–23, Bill Brown Preaching and hosting at the “Southeast Symposium on Ecologically Informed Theological Education,” held at Columbia Seminary.

March 24, Jeffery Tribble Convene the first of four Continuing Education events for the South Atlantic Episcopal District at Shaw Temple A.M.E. Zion Church in Smyrna, GA. March 27, Debra Weir Panel Discussion among faith leaders exploring the human need for spirituality, Georgia Public Broadcasting Studios & George Levert Gallery, Atlanta, GA. March 27–28, Israel Galindo Planning and Orientation for Colloquies for Rural Church Clergy and Latino/a Clergy.

April 7, Bill Brown Preaching at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona. Afterwards he will be giving two lectures on “Thinking Theologically about the Anthropocene” at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Tucson, AZ. April 9–11, Israel Galindo Leadership in Ministry A, Lynchburg, VA.

April 10, Kevin Park Speaking at a Korean American Pastors’ Conference at Bethany Korean Presbyterian Church, Marietta, GA on the topic, “The Future of Korean American Churches.”

April 12–14, Jeffery Tribble Presenting a paper, “The Quest for Practical Theological Wisdom in Teaching Transformative Pastoral Leadership” at the Academy of Religious Leadership meeting which convenes in Minneapolis, MN. April 16, Kathy Dawson Consulting with an ecumenical group of pastors who are studying Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together on its 80th anniversary.

April 16–18, Israel Galindo Leadership in Ministry B, Lynchburg, VA.

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April 19, Martha Moore-Keish Keynote speaker at the quarterly meeting of the Synod of the South, Columbia, SC.

April 28–29, Martha Moore-Keish Keynote speaker at women’s retreat in the Presbytery of Utah, Park City, UT.

May 3–4, Bill Harkins GAMFT Clinical Conference: AAMFT Approved Supervisor Training.

April 20, Raj Nadella Chairing a seminar on immigration at the Ecumenical Advocacy Days, an event sponsored by the National Council of Churches in the USA in Washington, DC.

April 21, Bill Harkins Diocese of Atlanta Deacon Formation: Pastoral Care Amidst Grief and Crisis.

April 29, Anna Carter Florence Gilchrist Speaker at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC.

May 6–9, Leanne Van Dyk, Kevin Park, and Kelly Campbell Travel to United Theological College of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.

April 30–May 4, Debra Weir With Chris Glaser, leading Beside Still Waters — a contemplative retreat at Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, AL.

April 23–26, Sarah Erickson Attending “Dragons, Frogs & Other Fairy Tales of Women in Ministry,” the National Association of Presbyterian Clergywomen 2018 Triennial Conference at Montreat Conference Center. She will share resources for professional development and lifelong learning.

April 28, Jeffery Tribble Speaking for the Atlanta District Lay Academy at Shaw Temple A.M.E. Zion Church in Smyrna, GA on “Worship, Music, and the Laity.”

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May 10–12, Raj Nadella Co-hosting a meeting of the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches, Columbia Theological Seminary.

May 11, Anna Carter Florence Preaching for Baccalaureate service at Presbyterian College.

May 14–16, Israel Galindo Leadership in Ministry, Boston, MA.

May 23–26, Raj Nadella Presenting on the global refugee crisis at a gathering of global scholars sponsored by the Council for World Mission (CWM) in Mexico City, Mexico.

May 21–25, Anna Carter Florence and Walter Brueggemann Lecturing and preaching at the Festival of Homiletics in Washington, DC. May 28–June 4, Bill Harkins Episcopal CREDO – Psychological Health Faculty – Lake Logan Episcopal Conference Center, Canton, NC. June 9–10, Anna Carter Florence Preaching and leading workshops at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Indialantic, FL, with CTS alumna Kristy Ray, one of the pastors at Eastminster.

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June 5–18, Sarah Erickson Attending the 2018 POAMN (Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network) National Conference, “Savoring the Journey.” She will present a workshop on June 6, “Sing Me to Heaven: Music and Faith Formation for Adults.” The Center for Lifelong Learning partners with POAMN and offers the Older Adult Ministry Network Certificate program courses annually in the spring.

June 11, Kevin Park Lecturing at the Seminario Teologico de Santa Montana, City of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico on “Theology of the Cross for Pilgrim People.”

June 14–16, Mindy McGarrah Sharp Chairing Editorial Board meeting of the Journal of Pastoral Theology, and attending the Society of Pastoral Theology annual meeting in Decatur, GA. June 18–19, Raj Nadella Leading a bible study and plenary session of the 223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in St. Louis, MO. The theme is "Kin-dom of God." June 18-29, Martha Moore-Keish, Adult Bible study leader at Montreat Worship and Music Conferences, Montreat, NC. June 20–21, Israel Galindo “Perspectives on Congregational Leadership,” keynote speaker, National Association of Lutheran Intentional Interims, St. Louis.

R E C E N T AWA R D S AND HONORS June 20–23, Mindy McGarrah Sharp Attending Wabash Colloquy on Writing the Scholarship of Teaching in Theology and Religion, Crawfordsville, IN.

July 23–28, Anna Carter Florence Leading the Ghost Ranch Biblical Preaching Event at Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center, NM, with the Presbyterian clergy in the Synod of the Southwest.

June 24–29, Mindy McGarrah Sharp Attending Exeter Humanities Institute, Exeter, NH.

July 13, Raj Nadella Facilitating a planning meeting for the 2019 International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (ISBL) in Bangalore, India.

June 25–29, Anna Carter Florence Leading 2018 Washington Island Forum co-sponsored by The Christian Century and the Wisconsin Council of Churches in Door County, WI.

July 16–20, Raj Nadella Participating in the Society of Asian Biblical Scholars conference in Malang, Indonesia.

Tim Hartman, Assistant Professor of Theology Awarded a 2018-19 Sabbatical Grant for Researchers by The Louisville Institute. (See story below.)

Raj Nadella, Assistant Professor of New Testament Named by The Presbyterian Church (USA) to serve on the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches.

Doug Oldenburg, President Emeritus Recipient of one of this year's Excellence in Theological Education awards given by The Committee on Theological Education and the Theological Education Fund honoring leaders in theological

FEBRUARY 7, 2018

HARTMAN RECEIVES LOUISVILLE INSTITUTE SABBATICAL GRANT FOR RESEARCHERS The Louisville Institute has awarded Dr. Tim Hartman, Assistant Professor of Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary with a 2018-19 Sabbatical Grant for Researchers. Hartman’s project is titled “Apostle to the West: the Theology of Kwame Bediako.”

The Louisville Institute’s Sabbatical Grant for Researchers program (SGR) enables ecclesially-engaged academics and scholarly religious leaders to conduct a major study that can contribute to the vitality of Christianity in North America. Grants of up to $40,000 support year-long research projects that address Christian faith and life, the practice of ministry, and/or adaptive challenges confronting religious institutions.

In his opening thesis statement, Hartman writes, “Christianity in America is at a crossroads. Mainline denominations are in steady decline; many people are walking away from the Christian traditions that raised them. Much of the prevailing theologies that informed the founding of the United States and the growth of churches has largely run its course, complete with at least two undesirable outcomes: rapid decline in adherence to the Christian faith (including church membership) and the inability of many churches (and their pastors) to effectively engage contemporary questions about race, church-state relations, and religious pluralism.”

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education at the 2018 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) See story on page 40.

Jody Sauls, Director of Human Resources Elected to serve on the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta Personnel Committee for a three-year term.

Jeffery Tribble, Associate Professor of Ministry Named by The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, to serve as a member of the Ecumenical Faith Formation and Leadership Table of the National Council of Churches and will serve on the planning committee of the National Council of Churches’ Christian Unity Gathering which will be held in October 2018. Jeffery Tribble was also named to the editorial board of The A.M.E. Zion Quarterly Review as it has recently transitioned to a “peer reviewed” scholarly journal.

The mission of the journal is “to disseminate the best scholarship in religious thought, pertaining to ecclesial, racial, national and global perspectives critical to the advance of the Black Church and its ecumenical witness.”

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RECENT P U B L I C AT I O N S Bill Brown, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament Essay titled “When Wisdom Fails,” in “When the Morning Stars Sang”: Essays in Honor of Choon Leong Seow on the Occasion of His SixtyFifth Birthday, ed. Scott C. Jones and Christine Roy Yoder (BZAW 500; Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2018) 209-23.

Anna Carter Florence, Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching Rehearsing Scripture: Discovering God's Word in Community (Eerdmans, July 2018).

Israel Galindo, Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning and Director of Online Education The Lines on the Palms of Your Hands: An Art Journal (Didace Press, 2017); The Sense of Things: An Art Journal (Didache Press, 2018); Awake of the River of Dreams: An Art Journal (Didache Press, 2018).

Cam Murchison, Professor Emeritus of Ministry Mentoring: Biblical, Theological and Practical Perspectives, ed. by Dean K. Thompson and D. Cameron Murchison (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, May 2018).

Among the Columbia Seminary contributors to this volume are Walter Brueggemann, David Bartlett, Roger Nishioka, and Melva Lowry.

Charles Wiley, Director of Major Gifts New Worshiping Communities A Theological Reflection (Westminster John Knox, 2018); “Word, Sacrament, and New Worshiping Communities,” in Essays on the New Worshiping Communities Movement ed. Mark D. Hinds (Louisville: Witherspoon Press, 2018).

Christine Roy Yoder, Professor of Old Testament Language, Literature, and Exegesis Co-editor with Scott C. Jones for “When the Morning Stars Sang”: Essays in Honor of Choon Leong Seow on the Occasion of His SixtyFifth Birthday (BZAW 500; Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2018).

BEST OF THE BLOG

DECEMBER 22, 2017 EIGHT QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

BY ISRAEL GALINDO

I recently had the opportunity to attend several lifelong learning events. They were refreshing in the sense that I got to be a participant, and sometimes, a spectator. My family teased me about going to an event where I was not the presenter, asking, “What are you going there for, really?” As is the case with many lifelong learners, my tendency is to strive to learn on several levels. For example, being attentive to: (1) the content of the presentations, (2) the ways of thinking of the presenters, (3) the ways the presenters communicate (“teach”) their information, and (4) being attentive to what I am learning and how I am being challenged.

There’s something to be learned from all levels.

One frustrating experience at these events is seeing how few presenters practice effective presentation skills. And fewer show evidence of knowing how to apply effective learning theories. Too many of these events are “sage on the stage” experiences where participants come to sit and listen. What, if anything is learned, is left to happenstance.

JANUARY 11, 2018 MY LIFE IS NOT THIS STEEP HOUR IN WHICH YOU SEE ME HURRYING SO

BY DR. MARK BURROWS

Many of us could claim these lines, taken from one of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poems, as a true confession.

We live hurried lives, caught in the pressures of a culture—a “hurried society,” as it were—that seems addicted to speed and accessibility. The advent of the smartphone, with its wireless connection to the internet, has meant we are rarely out of range;

indeed, the expression 24/7 was birthed as a gesture to this newfound accessibility, which is both instant and constant.

This surely has some advantages. But the burdens it brings are considerable, and probably require no explanation.

How to retreat from this, how to create islands of quiet, are crucial questions for those who value sanity.

We know that the pressures of this speed-addicted society can leave us feeling depleted, empty, and alone.

Our accessibility via social media might increase our communications with others, but it is questionable whether this has done anything but diminish the quality of such interactions. They surely do not bring us closer to the places of our deepest longing, and rarely do they make us vulnerable to the sacred and transforming reality within us that Rilke simply calls “the Open.”

FEBRUARY 22 THE SEVEN DAYS OF RETIREMENT: IS IT REALLY ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE?

BY CHRIS POMFRET

Having recently retired at the ripe old age of 62 and having given it (I felt) considerable thought and prayerful preparation, I thought that some feedback on the “before and after” would be of interest to those contemplating the big step, as well as those who are already well-entrenched in retirement.

During the working years that I was planning my exit date from the workplace, I heard people who were really fearing retirement, others who had retired and said they didn’t know how they’d ever found time to work, and others who had been retired for 6 months and had to come back to work for something to do (because “every blade of grass was pointing in the right direction in their yard and every shingle was securely nailed down on the roof”).

For the full stories and more, please visit www.CTSnet.edu/columbia-connections.

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PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN + COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

PARTNERS TOGETHER!

The Presbyterian Women Histories for local churches of the PC(USA) and PCUS are kept at Columbia Theological Seminary. The collection contains over 5,800 histories from churches across the United States.

Columbia Friendship Circle includes all who participate in the Presbyterian Women’s organizations throughout the synods of South Atlantic and Living Waters. These women support students through prayer and financial scholarships, and visit the campus for Come See Columbia Day to learn more about the great things God is doing here.

God’s Promise: I am With You (2018-19 Horizons Bible Study Leader Author’s Course) July 23–25: Rev. Amy Poling Sutherlun will lead a seminar designed to prepare bible study leaders to lead during the coming year. The 2017–2018 PW/Horizons Bible study, God’s Promise: I Am with You, takes readers on a journey through scripture to consider circumstances in which God articulated God’s promise of presence. This study does not delve deeply into manifestations of God’s presence—the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, manna, the Temple, pillars of cloud and fire—but rather on God’s actual articulation of God’s promise.

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Learn more about how we work together at www.ctsnet.edu/presbyterian-women / CTSNET.EDU