Vantage Summer 2019 by Columbia Theological Seminary

VANTAGE

P O I N T

DISCOVERING OUR HISTORY A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT

he history textbooks we had in high school gave us the impression that history is simple and clear, that the words on the page obviously refer to a settled fact. Some folks perhaps still think that. But it appears that history is actually a very, very complicated matter and that it raises strong opinions, loyalties, and resentments. Wars between nations are often rooted in opposing views of history. Schisms within religions display this same pattern.

We at Columbia Theological Seminary are considering our history in some new and deep ways. For example, we celebrate the upcoming publication of Professor Erskine Clarke’s new history of the seminary. His book, To Count Our Days: A History of Columbia Theological Seminary, is scheduled to be released this summer and we are excited to discover our history through his experienced and wise research and writing.

But, of course, we cannot turn away from other parts of our history. In recent years, many universities and colleges and some seminaries have undertaken extensive research into the way their institutions were shaped by and benefitted from slavery. This past year, Princeton Theological Seminary and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary both produced honest and painful histories of their school’s complicity with slavery. Columbia Seminary, too, has a similar story. Enslaved

Some of our history is worthy of deep gratitude We celebrate the determination of our early and honor. Stories of founders to provide quality theological sacrifice, faithfulness, Dr. Leanne Van Dyk education for the flourishing of the church. PRESIDENT and commitment appear We now celebrate how our community has throughout the nearly 200 years of our become remarkably diverse and global. story. We celebrate the determination of our early founders to provide quality theological education for the flourishing of the church. persons were the legal property of some of Columbia’s We now celebrate how our community has become early professors, trustees, and even students. Some of remarkably diverse and global. We celebrate the our professors supported slavery in the 19th century sacrifice of early missionaries to China and South Korea and segregation in the 20th century. and the courage of some Columbia professors in the Civil Rights movement to speak out against segregation This is our mixed history: much to be thankful for and and racism. much to repent of.

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Our commitment today is to lean into our history by learning our stories. Like those high school textbooks, we tend to valorize some of our stories and repress others. But our history should include all our stories. They should begin with the first seminary students around a dining room table at a professor’s home in Lexington, Georgia, in 1828. But they should also include the enslaved persons whose labor built the economy of that region. Our stories should include the students who died in the Civil War and the World Wars. They should include faculty and students who protested injustice of every kind. They should include the first African American student, the first Asian American professor, the first Vice President of color, the first woman president, and all the challenges and resistances they faced. They should include all the congregations and pastors and chaplains that this school has formed and shaped. Our stories that make us cheer and weep and rage—all should be included.

All these stories might tempt us to despair or defensiveness. But there is a theological conviction behind our desire to learn our stories. Our basic conviction is that God calls us to know our stories so that we will join our stories to God’s grand story of grace. Our call is to participate in God’s plans and purposes for the healing of the nations. I invite you to listen to the stories in these pages and recommit to linking your story with God’s story.

Blessings,

Leanne Van Dyk P R E S I D E N T

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TABLE OF CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS

IN THIS ISSUE

VANTAGE POINT

pg 2

NEW @CTS MEDIA

pg 21

HYPERFOCUS

pg 26

RECOGNIZING SCHOLARS

pg 27

LIFELONG LEARNING

pg 30

TAUTA PANTA

pg 35

GODSPEED

pg 35, 42

NEWS FROM COLUMBIA

pg 36

ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

pg 40

FACULTY & STAFF

pg 43

BEST OF THE BLOG

pg 47

VANTAGE / VOL. 111, NO. 3 SUMMER 2019

With the publication of Erskine Clarke’s new book, Vantage examines Columbia’s roles and perspectives throughout our history to the present day.

EDITORS

Michael K. Thompson Corie Cox

DESIGN

Lucy Ke

FEATURE

PHOTOGRAPHY

DISCOVERING OUR HISTORY

Michael K. Thompson

CONTRIBUTORS

TO COUNT OUR DAYS: A HISTORY OF COLUMBIA

An interview with Erskine Clarke, Professor Emeritus of American Religious History

“WE ARE COLUMBIA”

A photography exhibit of global fellowship on campus A HUNDRED YEARS AGO

In 1919, Korean Christian women confronted a critical juncture

MEDITATIONS OF AN AFRICAN CHILD

How symbols bolster faith, community, and connectivity

FROM THE ARCHIVES: JOHN L. GIRARDEAU (1828–1898) PG

The complex life and teachings of a theologian, pastor, and educator An educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

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Jess Adams Julie Bailey ’09 Erskine Clarke ’66 Sarah Erickson ’03/DEdMin ’10 Israel Galindo Heidi Gleason Chassidy Goggins Brian D. Hecker Khayla Johnson ’19 Griselda Lartey Steven Miller Katie Ricks ’02 Cindy Semmes Valrie Thompson Leanne Van Dyk Debra Weir William Yoo

This issue of VANTAGE is available online at www.ctsnet.edu. Art for the cover design of Vantage this year is provided by alumnus Ross Boone. Learn more about his work at http://rawspoon.com.

T O C O U N T O U R D AY S : A H I ST ORY OF COLUM B IA T HEOLO G ICA L S EM INARY

AN INTERVIEW WITH ERSKINE CL ARKE, P R O F E S S O R E M E R I T U S O F A M E R I C A N R E L I G I O U S H I S T O R Y, ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK ON THE HISTORY OF COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

olumbia Theological Seminaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich history provides a window into the social and intellectual life of the American South. Founded in 1828 as a Presbyterian seminary for the preparation of well-educated, mannerly ministers, it was located during its first one hundred years in Columbia, South Carolina. During the antebellum period, it was known for its affluent and intellectually sophisticated board, faculty, and students. Its leaders sought to follow a middle way on the great intellectual and social issues of the day, including slavery. SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

TO COUNT OUR DAYS continued

Two things slowly began to dawn on me—this white world and this black world were deeply intertwined, that each world could not be understood apart from its relationship to the other. And second, I began to realize that I knew almost nothing about this black world that was so fundamental to my own self-knowledge.

Columbia’s leaders, Unionists until the election of Lincoln, became ardent supporters of the Confederacy. While the seminary survived the burning of the city in 1865, it was left impoverished and poorly situated to meet the challenges of the modern world. Nevertheless, the seminary entered a serious debate about Darwinism. Professor James Woodrow, uncle of Woodrow Wilson, advocated a modest Darwinism, but reactionary forces led the seminary into a growing provincialism and intellectual isolation. In 1928 the seminary moved to metropolitan Atlanta signifying a transition from the Old South toward the New (mercantile) South. The seminary brought to its handsome new campus the theological commitments and racist assumptions that had long marked it. Under the leadership of James McDowell Richards, Columbia struggled against its poverty, provincialism, and deeply embedded racism. By the final decade of the twentieth century, Columbia had become one of the most highly endowed seminaries in the country, had internationally recognized faculty, and had students from all over the world and many Christian denominations. By the early years of the twenty-first century, Columbia had embraced a broad diversity in faculty and students. Columbia’s evolution has challenged assumptions about what it means to be Presbyterian, Southern, and American, as the seminary continues its primary mission of providing the church a learned ministry.

Vantage: Tell us how you first discovered your interest in history. I grew up in South Carolina and in a neighborhood in Columbia where history was in the air. Ancestors and their stories helped to shape our little world, told us who we were, and provided guidance for how we were to live in that white South Carolina world. When I was a teenager, I discovered to my great surprise that all South Carolinians were not white and that these black South Carolinians—who had been moving all around me in my little world—had their own ancestors and stories. Their ancestors and stories challenged the ancestors and stories that I knew, and they began to challenge my little world and my understanding of my place in it. Two things slowly began to dawn on me—this white world and this black world were deeply intertwined, that each world could not be understood apart from its relationship to the other. And second, I began to realize that I knew almost nothing about this black world that was so fundamental to my own self-knowledge. So early on I began what

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has been the focus of my work as a historian—probing the relationship between these two Southern worlds and trying to squint hard and look across the great distances that separate me from black Southerners and to catch glimpses in their eyes of the world as they see it and have experienced it. To Count Our Days reflects this life-long endeavor as it focuses on the history of the seminary which has been in many ways a large part of my heart’s home. You have previously led tours of the “Low Country” visiting various sites. What have you observed about how participants respond to history? I believe that despite the deep divisions of today and the general amnesia of our individualistic society, there is a genuine and widespread interest in hearing these competing stories of the South—and consequently of the “American Experience.” We are as a nation struggling to know ourselves better, to tell our stories more honestly, and to acknowledge the profound ambiguities that rumble through our lives and our history. Given that you knew much about the history of Columbia Seminary before starting the book, what stood out to you during this project? I had long admired J. McDowell Richards as one of the great figures in Columbia’s history. I knew of his support of the Civil Rights Movement, but I did not realize the radical stance he had taken years earlier against the racism that permeated the South and the nation. While always identifying himself as a child of the white South (from a very distinguished family), and calling for the church to repent of its participation in the injustices of the nation, he did not hesitate, for example, to denounce in a widely distributed sermon the racism pouring forth from Governor Gene Talmadge. He called attention to police brutality that went unpunished, to exploitation of black workers, and to shameful economic interests that consigned blacks to wretched housing and meager schools. I did not realize that a cross had been burned on the front lawn of the president’s home and that for years his family received vile and threatening phone calls because of his advocacy for racial justice. He was always modest regarding his actions and consistently called for personal repentance on the part of white Christians.

I did not realize that a cross had been burned on the front lawn of [President J. McDowell Richards’] home and that for years his family received vile and threatening phone calls because of his advocacy for racial justice.

Can you share something from the book with us? The second chapter discusses the enslaved African Americans whose labors and very bodies provided the economic resources of the seminary during the Antebellum years. George Howe was a New Englander who is generally considered the founder

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TO COUNT OUR DAYS continued

of the seminary. He married in the 1830s a Georgia widow who brought with her into the marriage a Lowcountry plantation and some sixty slaves, persons with names, histories, and various strategies of resistance. The paragraph is intended as a little glimpse into the entangled lives of blacks and whites throughout the seminary’s history:

SAVE THE DATE! October 20, 2019

TO COUNT OUR DAYS: TO CELEBRATE OUR STORIES

Robert Mills House Columbia, South Carolina with Eskine Clarke lecturing www.CTSnet.edu/to-count-our-days for more information

“Tony was the carpenter on the Howe plantation, and he had responsibility for maintaining the slave cabins and building a barn when necessary and for making the trunks and gates that regulated the flow of water into rice fields. He was also rented out to neighboring planters when they needed a carpenter and were willing to pay for his work. Most of Tony’s wages were sent to Columbia to support the Howe household. But because of their importance to the operations of the plantation, Howe allowed Caesar [the head man] and Tony to begin to accumulate some property of their own—chickens, pigs, cows and even horses. In time Caesar would own his own buggy and a wagon and would be considered wealthy by the standards of Lowcountry slaves. But like most of Tony’s wages, the profits of the plantation flowed from Liberty County to Columbia. Caesar’s work and the work of all those who did their daily tasks on a Lowcountry plantation went to support the Howe household in Columbia and to supplement Howe’s salary from the seminary.” Thank you, Dr. Clarke, for sharing your insights here and all of the work you have done to preserve these histories. Erskine Clarke won the prestigious Bancroft Prize given by Columbia University for a work “of exceptional merit” for his book, “Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic” (2005), a compelling narrative history of four generations of a Georgia plantation’s inhabitants, white and black. Clarke has written several important books about religion and slavery in the American South. Just retired from teaching duties, he is Professor Emeritus of American Religious History at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, where he taught for many years. Thomas Erskine Clarke was born May 29, 1941 in Columbia, SC. He grew up in South Carolina and received his BA in History at the University of South Carolina in 1963. He earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1966 from Columbia Theological Seminary, did graduate work at the University of Basel in Switzerland 196667 and received his Ph.D. in 1970 from Union Theological Seminary, and joined their faculty soon after that. He has since lectured and served as consultant at a number of institutions including Yale University, the University of London, the University of Virginia, Wesley Theological Seminary; Nanjing Theological Seminary in China, and the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. He is publisher and editor of the Journal for Preachers, a quarterly journal of homiletics.

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“WE ARE COLUMBIA” CONTINUES TO CREATE DIALOGUE ABOUT THE PAST AND FUTURE OF COLUMBIA

“I chose this project as a creative outlet to talk about the history of our institution,” says Khayla Johnson. called “We Are Columbia” featuring Reflecting on the portraits of faculty emeriti [like those above] in the Refectory of the Richards photographs by Khayla Johnson (MDiv ’19) Center, she notes, “I wanted to figure out who these was unveiled by The Office of Student Life people were, and it was hard to get information about them because no one had really written it down.” and Formation. The photographs were located Most of the photographs are a recreation in various areas of the Vernon S. Broyles of older portraits on campus, accompanied by comparative stories about both subjects. A new Jr. Leadership Center to explore themes of video about the project provides interviews of Johnson and several members of the Columbia community, difference, and the significance Seminary community, including some subjects of of visual imagery in story-telling and futureher photography. “We do a lot of words around here, but here’s a making. Since then two more rounds of visual form of transforming peoples’ imaginations,” photography have been installed. All of the said Dr. Leanne Van Dyk, president of the seminary. “This project is really about transforming our photography continues to be available to the community’s imaginations…about who we are, what public on our campus. we were, and where we’re going.” Khayla was also recently interviewed for AIJcast, a podcast featuring conversations and performances at the intersection of art, inspiration, and justice hosted by Marthame Sanders. She talks about her call, her general interest in photography, and more about the “We Are Columbia” project. “My understanding of the theological importance of my project is that if we are going to be a multitude of nations, then we have to be able to function in that way,” Khayla summarizes. “…to get know each other in that way, to enjoy each other in that way, and also know the stories of each other. And so, I think it challenges us to open our eyes to what we perceive to be the community.” In the Spring of 2017, a new photo exhibit

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“WE ARE COLUMBIA” continued

Khayla Johnson is a native of Charleston, SC, where she is a fifth generation member of the historic St. James Presbyterian Church (USA). Khayla received her BA in Graphic Design from Coastal Carolina University. She has been an active leader at Columbia Seminary, serving as President of the African Heritage Student Association, Women In Ministry, and the Student Government Association. She also served on the inaugural Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council. At Columbia Seminary’s commencement service in May, held at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Khayla was recognized with The Robert Ramey, Jr. Christian Leadership Award. It is an award given to a graduating MDiv senior who shows promise of providing outstanding leadership to the church. The recipient has demonstrated unusual leadership qualities at Columbia, as well as spiritual depth and integrity. Find the video at www.youtube.com/ctsmedia and AIJcast interview at www.aijcast.com.

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“WE ARE COLUMBIA” continued

“We Are Columbia” photos are installed in the Richards Center, Campbell Hall, and the Broyles Leadership Center. It’s available to the public on our campus located at 701 S. Columbia Drive, Decatur, GA, near Atlanta.

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ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO KOREAN CHRISTIAN WOMEN AND AMERICAN MISSIONARIES AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE MARCH FIRST MOVEMENT FOR KOREAN INDEPENDENCE IN 1919 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 B Y D R . W I L L I A M Y O O, A S S I S TA N T P R O F E S S O R O F A M E R I C A N R E L I G I O U S A N D C U LT U R A L H I S T O R Y

This essay is adapted from a history presentation at Columbia Theological Seminary during an event sponsored by Korean American Ministries to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the March First Movement for Korean Independence on March 1, 2019.

n April 5, 1885, Horace Grant Underwood, Henry Gerhard Appenzeller, and Ella Dodge Appenzeller arrived in Incheon, an open port city on the western coast of Korea. The three Americans were among the earliest missionaries to set foot in the peninsular nation. Underwood was the second Presbyterian and the Appenzellers the first Methodists. Incheon was the site of a pivotal battle in the Korean War. On this cold and rainy evening in 1885, the three Americans landed with little fanfare. Three miles from the port, they boarded a small boat to get ashore. Despite their uncertainties about Korea, the missionaries were eager to begin their work. For centuries, Korea largely remained secluded from the rest of the world. Western merchants and missionaries had entered other Asian countries from the sixteenth century, but Korea maintained an isolationist policy until signing its first foreign treaty with Japan in 1876 and Western powers in the 1880s. Some of the earliest Western reports called Korea “the hermit nation” and “the forbidden land.” American missionaries held an ambivalent view of Korea. Their accounts initially resembled reports by American diplomats, visitors, and journalists: Korea was underdeveloped, impoverished, and caught in an intricate web of geopolitical struggle in East Asia, with Japan, China,

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ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO continued

and Russia all seeking hegemony over the peninsular nation until Japan formally annexed Korea as its colony in 1910. However, as the missionaries experienced extraordinary growth in their ministry among Koreans, they believed the work they were doing there had global ramifications. Missionaries called Korea “the Palestine of the Far East.” In the biblical era, God’s message emerged from Palestine, a weak nation surrounded by larger ones. Similarly, Korea, though small and feeble, held great promise as a nation where American missionaries could establish many churches, hospitals, and schools to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and potentially transform an entire society. In the nineteenth century, most Koreans had little to no hope of obtaining a formal education. Even upper-class women received only informal training in the basics of domesticity. Even Koreans who criticized the missionaries conceded that American mission schools advanced the cause of female education. The first generation of Korean female professionals in the early twentieth century was not uniformly Christian,

In 1939, Helen Kim became the first Korean president of Ewha College. Like other Korean Christian leaders, Kim’s relationship with missionaries was complex. She numbered some among her dearest friends, but she was often at odds with them.

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but most had studied at mission schools. One of them, Hwang Sin-dok, observed in 1933 that “almost all women over thirty who were educated and had worked in society had been exposed to Christianity, even if it was only minor contact.” Helen Kim is one prominent example of Korean Christian female leadership. Born in 1899 into a poor family of subsistence farmers, she eventually graduated from a mission school and received a scholarship to study in America because of her academic promise and her piety. In the 1920s, she earned a BA from Ohio Wesleyan College and a MA from Boston University and then returned to Korea to work as a teacher at Ewha College. In 1930, she traveled again to America to study at Columbia Teachers College, becoming in 1931 the first Korean woman to earn an American doctorate. In 1939, she became the first Korean president of Ewha College. Like other Korean Christian leaders, Kim’s relationship with missionaries was complex. She numbered some among her dearest friends, but she was often at odds with them.

One of their sharpest conflicts was about politics and the Korean independence movement. While sympathetic to Korea’s geopolitical plight, American missionaries insisted that Koreans focus on religious expansion instead of political resistance. Whereas Korean Christians were inspired by the liberating message of Christ as Deliverer to fight against their imperial rulers, American missionaries believed the most faithful approach was to imitate the example of Christ’s earthly ministry, in which he traveled throughout the Roman Empire healing and teaching people without interfering in imperial politics. American women particularly did not want their mission schools

to produce rebellious political activists. The goal was a sacred home life in which wives and mothers would win souls to Christ. But some Korean Christian women believed that their faith required them to fight for national independence. At the end of the First World War, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s calls for international justice and self-determination encouraged Koreans seeking independence. Wilson’s 1918 Fourteen Points speech championed “a free, open-minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims.” In January 1919, Korean exiles in Shanghai sent an unofficial delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, in which diplomats from over thirty countries set the terms for the defeated Central Powers. One month later, 600 Korean students in Tokyo demanded Korean independence. In Korea, thirty-three representatives planned to sign a declaration of independence and stage a non-violent demonstration in Seoul on March 1. At the event, Koreans took to the streets, waving Korean flags and shouting: “Long live Korean independence (Mansei)!” News of the protest ignited similar events throughout the country—a protest movement soon known as March First Movement. More than two million Koreans appeared at over 1,500 demonstrations. The massive Korean uprisings against imperial rule in 1919 surprised the missionaries, who had underestimated the intensity of Korean resistance,

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ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO continued

especially among their female students. As Koreans gathered in Seoul to protest, the teachers at one mission school stopped students from participating. In another mission school, one hundred students defied their American teachers, and marched toward the city gates, with hymn books in one hand and Bibles in the other, to pledge solidarity with their compatriots. Although Christians comprised little more than one percent of the Korean population in 1919, 65 percent of the 471 Korean women arrested during the uprisings were Christian. In 1928, Helen Kim gave an address at the International Missionary Council meeting in Jerusalem. She advocated for the Korean independence movement in stating how the gospel had empowered Korean women to be bold leaders â&#x20AC;&#x153;in all walks of life, not only in domestic life, but also in the industrial, commercial, political, and international life of humanity.â&#x20AC;? Korean Christian female students in the United States joined in their nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s push for liberation. At the Student Volunteer Movement (SVM) for Foreign Missions convention in Des Moines, Iowa in 1920, one Korean student lobbied for American support by calling for Americans to more directly help the country resist Japan. She praised Christ for inspiring young women like her to leave the shelter of their homes and march for justice on the streets. As Korean students continued to address the SVM convention each year, its delegates began to take notice. African American theologian and civil rights leader Howard Thurman recalled an indelible moment from when he attended the SVM convention as a

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seminary student in his book, Jesus and the Disinherited. A young Korean woman defied the organizer’s instructions to speak on her impression of American education and instead delivered an impassioned appeal for Korean liberation, concluding her speech with this comparison: “If you see a little American boy and you ask him what he wants, he says, ‘I want a penny to put in my bank or to buy a whistle or a piece of candy.’ But if you see a little Korean boy and you ask him what he wants, he says, ‘I want freedom from Japan.’” Thurman compared Koreans to the outcast Jewish minority in the Roman Empire and African Americans in the United States, arguing that the quintessential question of the disinherited in every age was to discern the right attitude toward the rulers who controlled their lives. Some Korean students in the United States related their anti-colonial resistance to the civil rights movement. After returning home from her studies at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, Induk Pahk taught African American spirituals to her Christian church in Seoul. As we gather at Columbia Theological Seminary to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the March First Movement, we may glean several insights on cross-cultural Christian partnerships and freedom

movements. The American missionaries cared for the Korean people with deep affection, but they sometimes struggled to understand the context of their ministry in Korea. They were caught unaware of the March First Movement in part because of their paternalism as they saw themselves as teachers and spiritual parents to instruct and raise Korean Christians as their students and spiritual children. Korean Christians persisted in their pursuit of liberation despite the risks of imprisonment and death. Their relationships with American missionaries were marked by faith, frustration, tension, and thanksgiving. As a secondgeneration Korean American and first-generation Presbyterian, I am grateful for the rich presence of Korean and Korean American students and colleagues at our increasingly global seminary. It also means so much to celebrate this significant moment of Korean history together with students, staff, and faculty from all over the world. With so many contexts and cultures represented in our classrooms and on our campus, we too experience the power of inclusive collaborations and the pain of intercultural conflicts. I hope and pray we can continue to listen to one another, learn from one another, repent to one another when necessary, and grow together.

I am grateful for the rich presence of Korean and Korean American students and colleagues at our increasingly global seminary . . . . With so many contexts and cultures represented in our classrooms and on our campus, we too experience the power of inclusive collaborations and the pain of intercultural conflicts.

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M E D I TAT I O N S O F AN AFRICAN CHILD B Y G R I S E L D A L A R T E Y, C ATA L O G U I N G A S S I S TA N T, JOHN BULOW CAMPBELL LIBRARY 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

EDITOR’S NOTE

These are reflections from a chapel service led by Griselda Lartey on February 14, 2019. She told her story of growing up in Ghana, before sharing how Adinkra symbols helps her bridge her faith and her culture. Shown above, The Conjoined Crocodiles. This symbol at right represents endurance.

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“Idol Worshippers. Heathen.” This is how the missionaries described my culture. Growing up, I remember being blessed by experiencing life on my grandmother’s compound. To a child, it looked big and was always full of people passing through all day long. Mannaa, my grandmother, shared this place with her female sibling and cousins. She loved cooking and always had food for anybody who visited. It was vibrant. It always seemed chaotic, but there was order in the chaos. These days I remember life on this compound often. I could call it my bliss. I always felt happy among these “heathen folk,” these “idol worshippers.” They were happy—more than happy—full of joy.

Both my parents were educated and had moved out of these communities. They were both baptized Methodists, so am I. I started out in a Catholic school, went to a Presbyterian high school, and sang with an evangelistic Ministry. School taught us Western ways. School was to give us opportunities to move out from among the “heathens.” School was to make us “civilized.” If there was dissonance in my thinking and ways of being, moving out of Africa made it very clear. School had taught me that the ways of my people were primitive. In the West, I discovered that life was more about theory…head knowledge…being logical. Do I have the right dogma? Can I defend what I believe? When I left Africa, I realized just how misinformed I had been regarding my culture. I felt the need to reclaim what I was losing. Adinkra symbols of the Akans of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire help me bridge my culture and my faith.

God’s Child

ADINKRA – WISDOM FROM THE ANCESTORS My faith has always been important and will continue to be. But the faith that I had received came in European garb. I find that to be authentically me, knowledge of my roots is essential. Adinkra helps me learn more about the values of the people I considered heathen. The more I learn about my culture, the more my faith is enriched. The values passed on through the symbols are about The Supreme God, Personhood, and one’s relationship with neighbor. Sound familiar? I realized that the Gospel will always come in one garb or the other. The Good News nevertheless needs to stand on its own merit. The Good News must inform my thinking and actions. The Good News must be transformative.

God’s is supreme

FUNTUMFUNEFU / DENKYEMFUNEFU— THE CONJOINED CROCODILES. Symbol for connectedness, interdependence, unity in diversity. This is a symbol of two crocodiles who share one stomach. Whoever eats, they both get full. To live peaceably, they have to negotiate who eats when. Although they are linked, they are individuals with their own personalities and perspectives. Indigenous societies get this. Traditional African societies get this. They emphasize the need for right relations. You always make time to greet when you meet someone. “How are you?” really means how are you, your children, and your animals. Community includes all creation. Everything belongs, and everything is connected.

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MEDITATIONS OF AN AFRICAN CHILD continued

Adaptability

Learn from the past

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Community means connectivity. We desperately seek to live into community but are we trying too hard? Our efforts to say all the right things keep us from authentic relationships with one another. Our connection has to be ‘in spirit and in truth!’ Faith that is transformative has to be authentic. When we live connected, we share both our joys and our pain, our hunger and our fullness. We do not lose our individuality. We keep our personhood and choose to join with others. Community can be messy. Community is messy. But that is how we are shaped, rubbing against one another. This is how we survive. We are each other’s Survival Kit! In African traditional Societies, when there are signs of disconnection, rituals are performed to set things right. The remedy is not left with the individual. It is communal. It involves truth telling, acknowledging our faults and asking for forgiveness. If the wrong is not dealt with, the whole community suffers. Sacrifices will have to made for atonement. It is ironic that in times of the highest forms of technological connectivity and social media, there is an epidemic of anxiety and loneliness. We are on our phones all day, and yet there is very little real connection. We have so many followers on Facebook but have no real connection. What happens when we lose our connection? When we are not connected, there is fear of the other. When we are not connected, there is mistrust. When we are not connected, it is easy to hurt one another. Fear. Mistrust. Hurt. Violence. Pain. Our pain is spilling over and hurting all in its way. Our pain will continue until live into our connected reality. What we are experiencing today is a harvest of years of sowing seeds of disunity, hatred, and discord. What was sown is ripe and we are merely reaping the fruit. We can develop community through deep listening that engages our ears, our mind, our heart and soul. Until America listens to the suffering of her own people, to address issues of discrimination and injustice, America cannot really hear or understand the sufferings of other peoples. When we are listened to, we feel connected. When we are not listened to, we feel separate. We feel we do not matter. When we listen, we understand and do not fear as much. We have compassion, one for the other. We trust more. We then can love. I pray that we can move from wounding to healing, from fragmentation to wholeness, from violence to peace. I pray that we truly see the divine in the other.

NEW @CTS MEDIA Columbia Theological Seminary uses videos to share information, introduce students, and even provide minilectures on important topics. It’s one of the best ways to tell the story about our great programs. View them and share with friends! BRITTNEY DANIEL, MDIV ’21

Brittney is just one of so many of Columbia’s students whose decision to answer her call to seminary was deeply intertwined with anxiety around paying for seminary and taking on additional debt on a pastor’s salary. Many of our students come to seminary already shouldering debt from loans they had to take to complete their undergraduate education. To support students like Brittney, go to www.ctsnet.edu/support.

2:53

A HOLY AND WONDEROUS PLACE

Rev. Betsy Lyles Swetenburg ’14, Associate Pastor for Emerging Ministries at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, and Dr. William Yoo, Assistant Professor of American Religious and Cultural History, talk about some of the many ways in which Columbia Seminary uniquely prepares students for the opportunities and challenges of ministry. For more information, visit www.ctsnet.edu.

2:56

JUNE 2019 MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT LEANNE VAN DYK

Dr. Leanne Van Dyk shares how three recent Columbia Seminary graduates, Colleen Cook, Alexandra Mauney, and Dahl Moss, are leaning into their call to ministry.

3:28

For these and other videos, please visit us on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/ctsmedia. SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

ARCHIVES AVAILABLE FOR

JOHN LAFAYETTE GIRARDEAU B Y B R I A N D. H E C K E R , P U B L I C S E R V I C E S A R C H I V I S T

Since its founding in 1828, Columbia Theological Seminary has witnessed and supported the society changing within and around it. In anticipation of the release of Erskine Clarke’s history of the seminary, To Count Our Days: A History of Columbia Theological Seminary and CTS’s 200th anniversary in 2028, the C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives is utilizing its archival material to explore historical actors whose complexities have influenced Columbia’s culture and educational experience. The brief biographical account of the life and ministry of John L. Girardeau (1825-1898) is intended to provide a historical context for archival material related to Girardeau described at the close of this article. J O H N L A FAY E T T E G I R A R D E A U was born on November 14, 1825,

to John Bohum Giradeau and Claudia Herne Freer. During his early years he attended James Island Presbyterian Church under the preaching of Aaron W. Leland, one of Columbia Theological Seminary’s founders. From 1845 through 1848, he studied at Columbia Theological Seminary.2 After completing his education at the College of Charleston in 1844, he returned to James Island to minister to enslaved Africans and African-Americans.1 Due to influence from James Henley Thornwell and his cousin Charles Colcock Jones, he continued to focus his ministry on enslaved Africans and African Americans.3 He filled the pulpit at Wappetaw Independent Presbyterian Church before his ordination in 1850 at Wilton Presbyterian Church in Adams Run, SC.4 Girardeau’s ability to draw crowds of enslaved Africans and AfricanAmericans became widely recognized in the Charleston Presbytery. In 1853, he was called to Anson Street Presbyterian Church, a plant of Second Presbyterian Church, Charleston. Opening in 1850, Anson was established by Thomas Smyth and John Adger specifically to reach the enslaved population.5 When Girardeau began his preaching ministry at Anson, church membership was at 36. Within a few years, membership grew to 600, with over 1,500 attending each week.6 The full text of this article, with endnotes, are available on our blog version of this story at www.ctsnet.edu/columbia-connections. 22

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From 1858 through 1859, in order to accommodate its growing size, Second Presbyterian Church oversaw the construction of the largest church building in Charleston, SC: Zion Presbyterian Church, whose name was chosen by the attending enslaved population. The main center seating area belonged to the enslaved persons and attending or visiting whites would sit in the balcony.7 Girardeau faced strong local opposition, including multiple death threats by those who feared he would incite a slave insurrection.8 Apart from preaching weekly, his ministry to enslaved persons included delegating oversight to members of the congregation, allowing members to lead prayers, Bible study, funeral orations, participate as witnesses in discipline, and meet various diaconal needs.9 Though Girardeau could not legally teach enslaved members to read, he led them in the memorization of Scripture, Girardeau professed the catechism, and hymns.10 full humanity of Africans Most notably, enslaved and African Americans persons had both their first and surname listed on and evidence suggests that his treatment and teaching written membership rolls, to them was unlike other which differed from the plantation missionaries.21 common practice of only Yet his ministry model a first name with the last sustained and reinforced name of the individual or notions of racial hierarchy. family which owned them

as slaves.11 In 1861, Girardeau stepped down from his ministry to serve as chaplain to the 23rd Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers.12 Toward the close of the Civil War, he was captured and was sent to the prisoner-ofwar camp on Johnson’s Island, Ohio, until June 1865, a few months after the close of the war.13 During his time as chaplain and prisoner, he was noted on several occasions for his preaching and ministering to hundreds of soldiers and prisoners.

In April 1866, Zion Presbyterian Church and Glebe Street Presbyterian Church merged congregations to form Zion (Glebe Street) Presbyterian Church with members remaining in two buildings (Glebe Street and Calhoun Street) separated along racial lines.14 Girardeau began preaching to the congregation at Glebe at the merger in April 1866 but was not able to resume at Calhoun until late December 1866.15 When Girardeau resumed his pastorate at Zion (Glebe Street) the merged congregation had a membership of 440, including 116 freed persons.16 In 1869, Girardeau was among the first (in the newly formed PCUS) to ordain freed African Americans as elders and support measures for integrated worship as modeled at Zion.17 His service at Zion dissolved within a few years stemming from the PCUS 1874 General Assembly resolution favoring ecclesiastical “organic separation” from African Americans. Coincidently, that year Girardeau was the moderator and the lone dissenting vote against the measure.18 Girardeau’s treatment of Africans and AfricanAmericans prior to and after the Civil War was in large part an expression of paternalism: just as there were mutual obligations between husbands and wives, children and parents, so too there were mutual obligations between masters and slaves. Those in subservience had an obligation to obey while the head had an obligation to provide and care.19 Along these lines, several prominent antebellum Southern Presbyterians, Girardeau included, shared a belief that divine providence had given enslaved Africans into their possession as a means to civilize and evangelize them while reducing slaveholder abuses.20 Girardeau professed the full humanity of Africans and African Americans and evidence suggests that his treatment and teaching to them was unlike other

SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

JOHN LAFAYETTE GIRARDEAU continued

plantation missionaries.21 Yet his ministry model sustained and reinforced notions of racial hierarchy. He believed Africans and African Americans were “sons of Ham.”22 He also owned slaves and defended the institution as a positive benefit for them.23 These beliefs and practices infected his imagination and perpetuated his paternalism. His postwar ministry and public teaching did not depart from this ideology, he simply found new ways to cultivate and sustain it. While he might have been alone in advocating for continued ecclesiastical union with freed African Americans, his position stemmed from his fear of what would happen without white supervision and control.24 His alternative was that the freed population should have separate churches with their own elders and deacons with oversight of a white pastor from an adjacent congregation.25 On May 10, 1871 in Charleston, SC, before an audience of six-thousand, Girardeau memorialized Confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War.26 Girardeau charged his audience to not merely contemplate in memory those who died for a cause that was now lost, but to remember their death by embodying their cause in the face of new changes: “Let us cling to our identity as a people!” Girardeau’s call was to produce a culture that would promote Southern history, support monuments, and propagate a Southern lexicon. 27 With this ideology he entered the classroom at Columbia Theological Seminary. In 1876, he filled the vacancy of William Swan Plumer as Professor of Didactic and Polemical Theology.28 He combined elements of Reformed scholasticism and the teachings of James Henley Thornwell, among others, to cultivate

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Girardeau’s call was to produce a culture that would promote Southern history, support monuments, and propagate a Southern lexicon . . . . With this ideology he entered the classroom at Columbia Theological Seminary.

and preserve an “aggressive Calvinism,” a distinctly Southern Presbyterian theology.29 Girardeau’s aggressive approach is clearly seen during the trial of James Woodrow, the Perkins Professor of Natural Science in Connection with Revelation. In 1884, Woodrow was under investigation for teaching evolution at Columbia. After being exonerated by the Columbia Board of Directors, Woodrow faced trial before the four Synods governing the seminary. During Woodrow’s trial at the Synod of South Carolina, Girardeau became one of Woodrow’s most formidable opponents.30 In his opposing case, Girardeau asserted that there might be ways to sustain evolutionary claims that might not contradict the Bible, but “non-contradiction” is simply too low of a bar without “harmony.”31 More importantly for Girardeau, evolutionary claims ran counter to how the Bible had long been interpreted and received within Southern Presbyterian theology, which Columbia was intended to safeguard and propagate.32 The trial was moving too slow for Girardeau and in response he tendered his resignation at Columbia Theological Seminary on October 6, 1885. Soon Woodrow was forced to resign, and in late 1886 Girardeau resumed his teaching responsibilities. He remained at the seminary until 1895 and maintained a strong influence even after his retirement.

A R C H I VA L R E S O U R C E S

The John L. Girardeau Papers in the C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives contain correspondence, early published pamphlets, sermons, his inaugural address as Professor of Didactic and Polemical Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary, and speeches and letters by Girardeau related to the trial of James Woodrow: • Christ’s Pastoral Presence with his Dying People: A Sermon Delivered January 7th, 1872, in Zion Church, Glebe Street, Charleston, S.C. Charleston, SC: Walker, Evans, & Cogswell, 1872. • Presbyterian Church in the U.S. Synod of South Carolina. Historical Addresses and Commemorative Ode, Delivered in the Synod of South Carolina in Purity Church, Chester, October 24, 1885, at the centennial celebration of the Presbytery of South Carolina, from which the synod was developed. Richmond, VA: Whittet & Shepperson, Printers, 1885. • Individual Liberty and Church Authority: A Sermon Preached at Westminster Church, Charleston, Thursday Night, April 11, 1889, During the Sessions of Charleston Presbytery. Columbia, SC: William Sloane, 1889. • Theology as a Science, Involving an Infinite Element: Inaugural Address, Delivered Before the General Assembly at Savannah, Ga., May 23d, 1876. Columbia, S.C.: Presbyterian Publishing House, 1876.

Several handwritten items by Girardeau, including four sermons, and a 635-page loose-leaf manuscript of essays entitled, “Discussion of Philosophical Questions” are found in the archive. These sermons and collection of essays were posthumously edited and published under the oversight of his son-in-law George Blackburn.33 A 379-page loose-leaf manuscript English translation of a work by John Calvin, “Calvin on the Will: A Defense of the Sound and Orthodox Doctrine Concerning the Bondage and Liberation of the Human Will, Against Pighius of Kempen” is available as well.34 Throughout Girardeau’s academic career, he published extensively on the doctrine of freedom of the will and prepared this translation as means to support his position.35 This translation, including an introduction by Girardeau, has never been made public. Many readers may be interested to know that the archive possesses church records for Zion Presbyterian Church during the time of Girardeau’s ministry work as a pastor before and after the Civil War. • White Communicant Member Rolls, 1850-1872 • White Baptisms, 1854-1875 • Session Minutes, 1866-1885 If you are interested in accessing these historical documents of Columbia’s history, please contact the C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives. P H O N E 404-687-4648 E M A I L archives@ctsnet.edu MAIL PO Box 520 Decatur, GA 30031

• The Substance of Two Speeches on the Teaching of Evolution in Columbia Theological Seminary, Delivered in the Synod of South Carolina at Greenville, S.C., Oct., 1884. Columbia, S.C., William Sloane, 1885. SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

AN UNMISTAKEABLE CALL

B Y K AT I E R I C K S , M D I V ’ 02, A S S I S TA N T D E A N , S T U D E N T L I F E & F O R M AT I O N

AS AN ARMY BRAT, YOU RARELY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN SOMEWHERE. Everything you know—and believe—

about a place is frozen in time. The challenge is that you miss growth in yourself—and others—because your life, essentially, restarts every two to three years. This phenomenon was highlighted for me when I returned to Columbia Seminary two and a half years ago. You see, I simultaneously had some of the most amazing and painful experiences as a student here. I learned from the finest professors. I had opportunities to travel and explore. I served at an amazing supervised ministry site, where I was mentored intentionally and with great love. And I lived and wrestled with colleagues who taught me how to rely on others—how to truly be in Christian community. At the same time, the administration of the seminary and the Presbytery made it clear that I was not welcome here. As an out lesbian, two years after G-6.0106b passed in General Assembly, I was told that everything I said in my admissions essays—or anywhere else—about my sexual orientation would be reported to the Committee on Preparation for Ministry. Imago Dei, the organization some friends and I started to support LGBTQ students and allies was prohibited by two presidents from worshipping on campus. As a student board of trustee member, I sat in the room when fellow trustees reported that the single biggest detriment to the endowment was the ordination of LGBT people. I listened as Presbytery members shouted “NO!” When I went before them for candidacy. [Ultimately, the yes votes won, but people SHOUTED “NO!”] The last place you would have found me after graduation was at Columbia Seminary. What I gained prepared me well for ministry, but the painful parts left a wound that seemed too deep to heal. Fast forward 14.5 years and God, with a sense of humor that is sometimes indiscernible, led me back to Columbia with a position that integrates the study and work I had engaged in over the previous 26 years. It was an unmistakable call.

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Since the denominational rules had changed, and I had been ordained, I didn’t even think about the potential of that pain resurfacing from years before. Yet, as I began my work, I noticed that my chest would tighten anytime I presented something to the administration, even as it was welcomed with open arms. I laughed out loud— and texted my fellow Imago Dei founders—when the current leadership proposed, not just one day but, a whole week of worship in the Chapel and were granted that request. I broke down in tears after my exam and had panic attacks during my first few Presbytery meetings, because I was anticipating resounding dissension. And I encountered people who had dismissed and challenged me decades earlier, who not only welcomed me as a colleague, but had also forgotten their role in the story I remembered. I began to realize with my whole self that Columbia Seminary and Greater Atlanta Presbytery had changed just as much as I had. I realized that my heart had a lot of healing left to do. Part of that healing has been telling my story of Columbia Seminary “back in the day.” Part of that healing has been listening to the story of Rev. Connie Tuttle, who was here twelve years before I was, at a time where everything—EVERYTHING—she did was challenged and undermined. Part of that healing has involved opening myself to the present—to witness the full welcome of LGBTQ+ students and staff who live and wrestle and work at Columbia today, which has included President Van Dyk publicly apologizing, on behalf of the seminary, to Connie Tuttle and all LGBTQ+ people whom the institution has hurt throughout history. Returning to Columbia Seminary has been one of the greatest gifts I have received. I have learned that change and growth are challenging, painful, beautiful, and life-giving. And, all of this is only possible when we tell the truth, acknowledge our history, claim our pain, confess our complicity in the brokenness of the world, and commit to journeying together.

R E CO G NI Z I NG

SCHOLARS

FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS, & PRIZES FOR 2019 held its annual commencement exercises at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA. This year, 64 students were awarded 70 degrees in six graduate degree programs. Six graduates received dual degrees in the Master of Divinity and Master of Practical Theology programs. The other degrees included Doctor of Educational Ministry, Doctor of Ministry, Master of Theology, and Master of Arts in Theological Studies. COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

T H E F O L L O W I N G F E L L O W S H I P S W E R E AWA R D E D

Harvard A. Anderson Fellowship . . . . . . Columbia Graduate Fellowship . . . . . . . Emma Gaillard Boyce Graduate Fellowship Fannie Jordan Bryan Fellowship. . . . . . . Anna Church Whitner Fellowship. . . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caitlin Montgomery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yun Jeong Jeong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexandra DuBose Mauney . Carl James Dates and Hannah Grace Sucharitha Injamuri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trevor Jeyaraj Jeyaraj Samraj

AWA R D S

James T. and Celeste M. Boyd Book Fund . . . . . . . The Robert Ramey, Jr. Christian Leadership Award. . Wilds Book Prize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Dudley Fund Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buechner Award in Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abdullah Awards for Moral & Spiritual Values . . . . Julia Abdullah Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul T. Fuhrmann Book Prize in Church History . . . The John Nelsen Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George and Sally Telford Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Riddle Memorial Book Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . Florie S. Johnson Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lyman and Myki Mobley Prize . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florrie Wilkes Sanders Prize in Theology . . . . . . . . William Rivers Waddey Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dabney & Tom Dixon Creation Care Sermon Award . Buechner Award in Preaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

RECIPIENTS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cheryl Harmon Kelley . . . . . . . . . . . . . Khayla Giavonté Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jocelyn Maria Wildhack Dahl Antonio Moss and Dallas Anne Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyle Austin Stevenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yun Bin Shine Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellen Rae Gallow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rachel-Grace Breyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harmon Scott Ramsey . . . . . . .Christina Marie Berwanger Carrasco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Linnecko Lin Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bethany Love Apelquist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caitlin Montgomery . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexandra DuBose Mauney . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louden Alexander Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bethany Love Apelquist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Colleen Cook

Columbia Theological Seminary “exists to educate and nurture faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders for the sake of the Church and the world.” As an educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Columbia Seminary is a community of theological inquiry and formation for ministry in the service of the Church of Jesus Christ. Columbia Seminary offers six graduate degree programs and dozens of courses and events as a resource for church professionals and lay people through the Center for Lifelong Learning. For more information, please visit www.CTSnet.edu. SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

2019 G R A D U AT E S

CONGRATULATIONS T O O U R R E C E N T G R A D U AT E S !

ADVANCED DEGREE GRADUATES

TOP ROW

George Perry Dempsey, Harmon Scott Ramsey, Jean Seme Joseph, John W. Weems, Daniel L. Poole.

MIDDLE ROW

Wendy Diane Neff, Stephanie Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Asumadu, Kevin Doyle Knight, Nancy Ann Johnson.

BOTTOM ROW

Kyle Austin Stevenson, Christina Marie Berwanger Carrasco, Phuc Dai Nguyen, Ellen Rae Gallow, Emmanuel Oppong Peprah.

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BASIC DEGREE GRADUATES

TOP ROW

Carl James Dates, Ki hyun Park, Joffre Tyler Brock, Zachary Adam Fletcher, Thomas R. Hampton, Dahl Antonio Moss.

SECOND ROW Joshua Miles Baker, Aaron Paige Pelz, Keith Thompson, Abigail Marie Post, Louden Alexander Young, Samuel Joseph Turpen,

William Michael Gable, Jr, Jinhyuk Kim, Joseph Howard Gallagher. THIRD ROW

Onica Stewart, Alexandra DuBose Mauney, Dallas Anne Thompson, Rachel-Grace Breyer, Jennifer Colleen Cook, Khayla

GiavontÃ© Johnson, Wanda Denise Ackles, Linnecko Lin Cash, Richelle E. Smith, Cheryl Harmon Kelley, Richard Dakina Johnson. BOTTOM ROW

C. Jeanine Fulton, Jocelyn Maria Wildhack, Ann Louise Margaret Richardson, Bethany Love Apelquist, Paige Louise

Maconochie, Hannah Grace Sucharitha Injamuri, Hyojoo Hyun, Laura Nile, Caitlin Montgomery, Minah Jung, Trevor Jeyaraj Jeyaraj Samraj, Claudia Marie Ford.

SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

ENDURING VISION THE SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM CONTINUES TO INSPIRE

In 2020 the Spirituality Program will celebrate its 25th Anniversary. The inspiration behind the program came from Ben Campbell Johnson who, while on retreat at Christ in the Desert Monastery, felt he received a vision from God to start this program. This interview explains how the Spirituality Program at the seminary’s Center for Lifelong Learning continue to nurture his enduring vision.

Debra Weir, Associate Director for Spirituality at the Center for Lifelong Learning, currently leads the program. She brings expertise in spiritual direction, coordinates the Certificate in Spiritual Formation, and in 2015 she launched the Certificate in Spiritual Direction program at the Center. We asked Debra to share the story of the Spirituality Program at Columbia Seminary. CTS: What was main reason Ben desired to start such a program? DW: Ben had deep compassion for pastors of local congregations. They often didn’t have spiritual resources to sustain their ministries. This led to many church leaders burning out because they couldn’t be refueled by the Spirit in the way needed. I think his ultimate concern was the renewal of the Church through the people of God.

Dr. Ben Campbell Johnson, was the Professor Emeritus of Evangelism at Columbia Theological Seminary and the founding Director of the Spirituality program at The Center for Lifelong Learning. He served on the CTS faculty for 19 years. 30

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Many find that the program is the first step of a new ministry.

What attracts people to the program? Spirituality is a word that’s used in many ways in the current culture. Many people seek a Christian context as a framework for their spiritual growth and learning. Folks often come to take a single class with us because a topic is of interest or they are eager to learn with one of our outstanding teachers. What motivates people to return is the sense of connection. A frequent participant comment is, “I’m here because of the community and friendships formed through the program.” The program’s continuity and varied programming also attract many people. We regularly introduce new courses like the Enneagram courses offered in 2019, and Between Nothing and Everything: The Gospel of Love According to Julian of Norwich in spring 2020. We also offer online courses. These courses are accessible to a wide audience, in any time zone. We continue to develop pilgrimage opportunities to include domestic and international locations such as Northern New Mexico and Iona. The addition of the Certificate in Spiritual Direction in 2015 was in response to the many inquiries and requests for this specialized training. Several graduates of the Certificate in Spiritual Formation have completed this program.

How do participants apply what they learn? Spirituality Program participants readily share what they’ve learned in congregations and other ministry settings across the country and around the world. They create wonderful retreats, courses, and programs that set the stage for the spiritual renewal of individuals and the Church. Graduates are pastors, church educators, elders and deacons and others who seek to enrich their service. Many find that the program is the first step of a new ministry. They are empowered to invite others to draw nearer the heart of God and live from a deeper sensibility of who they are. What do participants typically say about the program after completing it? “The program gave me a needed structure, a project with which to regain my vocational bearings.” — Marshall Jenkins “I continue finding to this day (and most likely for the rest of my life) experiences, friendships, and paths to God for which I am grateful—all of which were a result of my time working in the Spiritual Formation program.” — Daphne C. Reiley “As I come near to completing the Certificate in Spiritual Formation, I recognize just how much my continued on page 34

SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

LEARN•EXPLORE•CONNECT with the Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary

Now - June 1, 2020 Certificate in Spiritual Direction Applications open for the 2020 cohort Sept. 19-22 Spiritual Direction: An Introduction with Deedra Rich and Debra Weir Sept. 23-25 Leadership in Ministry (A) Lynchburg II with Israel Galindo, Bill Pyle, Elaine Boomer, Carla Toenniessen Sept. 23-25 Leadership in Ministry (B) Lynchburg II with Israel Galindo, Elaine Boomer, Andrew Archie, Carla Toenniessen

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Sept. 25-Dec. 31 Mentor Coaching (Online) with Chris Holmes Sept. 30-Oct 25 Your Sacred Story: The Spiritual Practice of Journaling (Online) with Carl McColman Sept. 30-Oct 2 Leadership in Ministry Boston II with Israel Galindo, Margaret Marcuson, Meg Hess, Elaine Boomer Sept. 30-Oct. 3 Healthy Transitions Ministry Wellness Retreat with Beverly Buston, Bill Harkins, Robert Dibble and Clarice Dibble Oct. 1-31 In Life and In Death: Helping in End-of-Life Challenges (Online) with Hank Dunn

Oct. 7-9 Leadership in Ministry Kansas City II with Keith Harder, Meg Hess and Israel Galindo Oct. 15-16 Growing into Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;ŚToday (PCUSA Board of Pensions Seminar) Oct. 17 Getting In Shape Fiscally (PCUSA Board of Pensions Seminar) Oct. 17-20 Spiritualty, Spirits and the Holy Spirit with Martha Moore-Keish Montreat Conference Center

Nov. 5-7 Big Ideas in Youth Ministry II: Fearless Dialogues with Fearless Dialogues leader team, Shelley Donaldson, Tully Fletcher, Michelle Thomas Bush and more Nov. 11-13 Leadership in Ministry Atlanta I with Israel Galindo, Michael Cook, James Lamkin, Skip Johnson, Dan Koger and Vanessa Ellison Nov. 15-16 Fusion Retreat with Armandee Drew and Julie Rogers-Martin

Nov. 4-Dec 13 Introduction to the New Testament (Online) with Art Wright

www.ctsnet.edu/lifelong-learning

SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM AT YEAR 25 continued from page 31

accumulated study and relationships have shaped my spiritual life—which is the point!—but also how readily I am able to offer these accumulated experiences to others. Earlier in the process I felt some pressure to “teach” what I was learning to others. Now, I feel comfortable sharing insights as opportunities arise, so that extending the reach of the program is less formal and more organic.” — Carol Pye These comments provide a taste of participants’ experience in the program and reflect the gifts they bring to their faith communities. How can people determine which CTS spirituality certificate program is the right fit, or right for them? I encourage inquirers to reflect on the following statements and see which more accurately reflects what they are seeking: I am seeking to grow in my spiritual life and learn more about the field of spiritual formation. I would like to share what I learn with my faith community. I meet regularly with a spiritual director and I am discerning my own gifts and calling to the ministry of spiritual direction. If the first resonates, the CSF may be the first step. The Spiritual Formation Certificate program is a framework for spiritual growth and spiritual journey. There is a practical component that has to do with developing one’s spiritual leadership as an outgrowth of the coursework. The courses are open to all interested

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persons, whether they are seeking the certificate or not. The community is a revolving door. When you’re ready, the community will be here to receive you. The Certificate in Spiritual Direction, on the other hand, has a more specific focus and curriculum. It is designed to cultivate the skills and gifts of those who discern an invitation to companion with others in the setting of one-with-one spiritual direction. Admittance to this program is by application. We are now accepting applications to the 2020 cohort which begins fall 2020. As part of an individual’s discernment, we encourage conversation with us and enrollment in one or more courses in the CSF to get a sense of the possibilities, and to become more familiar with the program and leaders. What do you think the legacy of the spirituality program is? Ben Campbell Johnson’s vision left a spiritual and programmatic legacy aimed at sustaining the life and health of the leadership of the Church. The 230 Certificate in Spiritual Formation graduates and the 11 Certificate in Spiritual Direction graduates carry Ben’s legacy of encouraging spiritual development in the people of God. May the refreshing winds of the spirit continue to breathe new life into us all and into the life of the Church! Register for a course in the Spirituality Program! More information on can be found here: https://www. ctsnet.edu/lifelong-learning/spirituality-program/

T A U T A P A N T A

GODSPEED

From the Presbyterian Foundation

The Rev. Dr. Joyce Cummings Tucker [MDiv '75], a Presbyterian pastor, author, and prominent leader in theological education, died July 12, 2019, in New York City following a short illness. She lived in Princeton, N.J. Tucker, 77, is credited with bringing together the seminary systems of the two denominations that formed the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Presbyterian Church in the United States. She served as Director of Theological Education for the PC(USA) from 1986 to 1999, after working as Assistant Stated Clerk. She then became Dean of Continuing Education at Princeton Theological Seminary, retiring in 2005. “Following Presbyterian Reunion in 1983, Joyce became the staff person for the new Committee on Theological Education (COTE) which brought together the theological institutions from the two former denominations,” said the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Campbell, who served as President of McCormick Theological Seminary and is now pastor of Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Ky. “Her greatest gift was to help create a true sense of community among the presidents. This in turn paved the way for new avenues of institutional cooperation for the good of the whole church. Joyce loved the church, cared deeply about people, and was a generous friend to all.” Born July 31, 1941, in Chattanooga, TN, Tucker was a member of Monmouth Presbytery. She was ordained in 1975 by Cherokee Presbytery and served as Assistant Pastor of John Knox Presbyterian Church in Marietta, GA, making her among the first women ordained in the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PC/ USA). Her pastoral experience was the basis for her understanding of church polity and her approach to theological education.

Tucker was co-author of Presbyterian Polity for Church Officers, now in its fourth edition, with [fellow alumna] the Rev. Dr. Joan S. Gray, moderator of the 217th General Assembly (2006). The book was published in 1986, just after Reunion, and served as a guide for church officers who needed to know how the new denomination would operate. “When I came to work for the Presbyterian News Service in 1988, I was told that Joyce Tucker should be my go-to expert on Presbyterian polity,” said the Rev. Jerry Van Marter, former coordinator of Presbyterian News Service. “She was that, but more importantly, she as much as anyone I ever met knew how the church actually worked. This ‘practical polity’ was a gift from Joyce for which I will always be grateful.” Tucker had a keen eye for sexism in the church. In 1977, she edited the Book of Church Order for the PCUS, finding many instances of male pronouns used to refer to ministers. She made notes in pencil throughout the book, sending those changes to James Andrews, Stated Clerk of the PCUS. Her goal was to create a more inclusive Book of Order that encouraged and allowed women to serve the church fully. Tucker’s papers were donated to the Presbyterian Historical Society, which has scanned the pages she annotated (Joyce C. Tucker papers, Presbyterian Historical Society). Tucker graduated from Duke University, majoring in mathematics. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She received a Master’s Degree in Religious Education from Yale Divinity School and later a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary awarded her an honorary doctorate for her lifetime of accomplishments serving the Presbyterian Church.

SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

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

APRIL 6, 2019

Columbia Seminary Archives Acquires Papers Of Emeritus Walter Brueggemann The C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Walter Brueggemann papers. This collection includes course notes, manuscript drafts, correspondence, and lectures spanning Brueggemann’s career as a theologian and professor. Walter Brueggemann is Columbia Theological Seminary’s William Marcellus McPheeters professor emeritus of Old Testament. Prior to his seventeen years at Columbia Seminary, he served as instructor and academic dean at Eden Seminary from 1961-1986. In collaboration with Brueggemann and Eden Seminary, thirty-five boxes of material from the Eden archives were transferred to Columbia Seminary in January. These boxes add to the 85 boxes already housed in the C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives located in the John Bulow Campbell Library at Columbia Seminary. For more information, interested parties may contact the archives via email at archives@ctsnet. edu or by telephone at 404-687-4628. For the full stories and more, please visit www.CTSnet.edu/ columbia-connections.

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APRIL 23, 2109

Anonymous Donor Gives Columbia Seminary $1M For Walker Presidential Scholarship Columbia Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the creation of The Rev. Dr. Thomas W. and Jan C. Walker Presidential Scholarship. The new scholarship was made possible by an endowment gift of $1 million from an anonymous donor in honor of the lifetime of Christian service by the couple. “We are excited about this award which recognizes the pastoral and lay leadership of Tom and Jan at Palms Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Beach, FL,” said Dr. Leanne Van Dyk, President of Columbia Seminary. “Columbia Theological Seminary was formative in Tom’s pastoral leadership. This endowment gift will provide a permanent way to recognize their ministry and continue to support the development of future ministerial leaders at Columbia Theological Seminary.” The gift is one of the largest received in recent years. It supports a new level of scholarship for a threeyear Master of Divinity degree. The Rev. Dr. Thomas W. and Jan C. Walker Presidential Scholarship will be awarded for the full cost of attendance plus a stipend for students from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) who show outstanding promise for pastoral ministry with a preference for recent college graduates. For the full stories and more, please visit www.CTSnet.edu/columbia-connections.

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JUNE 22, 2019

Harry Barrow: A Lifetime Of Service To The Church And The World What a joy it was to chat with Dr. Harry Barrow, Columbia Seminary graduate, former CTS staff member and retired PC(USA) pastor. Dr. Barrow has led a life dedicated to service for the church and the world. I was treated to stories about his time at Columbia—both as a student and later as a staff member—and his pastorate experience, especially at Newnan Presbyterian Church. Dr. Barrow grew up in Louisiana and studied zoology at Louisiana State University. His plans to go into medicine were changed after a mission trip to Mexico during his junior year. A call to ministry was now directing his future. Reflecting on the trip, Dr. Barrow shared, “I never had done anything like that, the mission trip let me see faith in a new light and made me ask a bunch of questions.” The questions led Dr. Barrow to an MDiv degree at Columbia Theological Seminary with 33 classmates — only two or three of whom were women. He graduated in 1974. For the full stories and more, please visit www.CTSnet.edu/columbia-connections.

NEW FACULTY

APRIL 9, 2019

Dr. Mitzi J. Smith Appointed J. Davison Philips Professor Of New Testament Dr. Love Sechrest, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Columbia Theological Seminary announced that Dr. Mitzi Smith was appointed by the Board as the new J. Davison Philips Professor of New Testament, effective July 1, 2019. The position was previously held by Dr. E. Elizabeth “Beth” Johnson until her retirement last December. Dr. Smith currently serves as the Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Studies at Ashland Theological Seminary in Detroit, MI. “Dr. Mitzi Smith is a distinguished scholar of New Testament engaged in some of the most important discussions about womanist and African American biblical interpretation happening today,” said Dr. Sechrest. “She has already made significant contributions to scholarship, and will serve as an effective mentor for our students.”

APRIL 30, 2019

Wonchul Shin Appointed Visiting Assistant Professor Of Christian Ethics And Theology Dr. Love Sechrest, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, announced that Wonchul Shin will be called as the Visiting Professor of Ethics and Theology, and Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia Theological Seminary, effective August 26, 2019. “Wonchul Shin is a rising star in the area of Ethics and Theology,” said Dr. Sechrest. “He is sure to challenge our students with new ways of thinking about the church and the world and I am delighted that we will all be able to learn from him during his two-year fellowship.” For the full stories and more, please visit www.CTSnet.edu/columbia-connections. SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

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FACULTY PROMOTIONS

COLUMBIA IN THE NEWS

Dr. Jeffery Tribble Sr. was appointed Associate Dean for Advanced Professional Studies.

Presbyterian News Service (www.presbyterianmission.org) Pastor called to become a mission co-worker in Malawi

Christine Roy Yoder was named first J. McDowell Richards Professor of Biblical Interpretation. Raj Nadella was awarded tenure and named Samuel A. Cartledge Associate Professor of New Testament. Dr. Mindy McGarrah Sharp was awarded tenure as Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Pastoral Care. Dr. Brennan Breed was awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Old Testament. Dr. Martha Moore-Keish was promoted to full professor as J. B. Green Professor of Theology. Also, Dr. Chentu Nguvugher, a visiting scholar from Nigeria, will be joining the CTS faculty as an adjunct professor beginning in August of 2019.

MAY 8, 2019

By Kathy Melvin The Rev. Cheryl Barnes (MDiv ’10) was at her computer getting ready to go teach Bible school when the Lord sent an email. Of course, it wasn’t actually the Lord. The email was from World Mission about a mission co-worker position with a strong focus on education. She went down the list. It was as though it had been written for her. Then she saw the location. It was in Malawi. She shut down her computer and went to church determined to forget all about it. But, she said, the Lord had other plans.

MAY 15, 2019

FOX 24 WGXA (wgxa.tv) 24 Forsyth student prisoners graduate from special program By Jenna Maddox A graduation ceremony was held at Lee Arrendale State Prison on May 3. The ceremony recognized offenders that participated in the theological studies program. Twenty-four students graduated from the program. They earned certificates in theological studies, and eight of those graduates received advanced certificates. The Chaplaincy Department at the former Metro State Prison and the Atlanta Theological Association first established the certificate in theological studies in 2009. The Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Columbia Theological Seminary, the

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Interdenominational Theological Center and the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University make up the Atlanta Theological Association.

MAY 15, 2019

Presbyterian News Service (www.presbyterianmission.org) Preacher at Vital Congregations gathering: ‘Rehearse Scripture together’ By Paul Seebeck During Tuesday’s devotion/reflection at the Vital Congregations East Coast gathering in Atlanta, Dr. Anna Carter Florence, preaching professor at Columbia Theological Seminary, shared a personal experience that she said changed her life. As a 19-year old in college she signed up for a theater class. The once-a-week lectures were so dense that she needed a dictionary and thought about dropping the class. But the rest of the week was brilliant because the professor stopped talking about plays. “Go unearth the scene,” he told his students. “Come back when you’ve found something true.” That phrase opened a whole new world for Carter Florence. It left her knowing that some texts need to be practiced.

JUNE 18, 2019

The Presbyterian Outlook (pres-outlook.org) Jihyun Oh named director of Mid Council Ministries By Religion News Service A familiar face in the Office of the General Assembly is taking on the leadership role in Mid Council Ministries. Jihyun Oh, who currently serves as the OGA manager of call process support and teaching elder ministries, has been named director. Oh is an ordained teaching elder/minister of Word & Sacrament who came to ministry as a very early third career student. Prior to coming to the Office of the General Assembly, she served congregations as interim pastor, associate pastor, and parish associate. She also served the patients, families, and staff in the intensive care unit of a Level I Trauma hospital as a chaplain. “I am passionate about rethinking the mission and ministry of churches and pastoral leaders to meet the transformative and reformative challenges of Christ’s Church within a society in transition, and also how we participate in the journey of sanctification, in being formed in the likeness of Jesus Christ,” she said.

SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

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ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

1950s

| Robert L. Montgomery, BD ’53, has a new 2018 book, The Secular as Methodology: A Christian View of the Benefits and Dangers of Secularization (Wipf & Stock, 2018).

1960s | Wayne W.

Hoffmann BD ’62, Chaplain (Brigadier General) AUS (Ret.), was recognized and honored at Hometown Coronado, CA, Avenue of Heroes Ceremony.

1970s | Cary Speaker

DMin ’76, will serve as Interim Regional Presbytery Executive, The Presbytery of South Alabama and The Presbytery of Mississippi as of August 1. Lib McGregor Simmons MDiv ’79, is now serving as Parish Associate at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, Mount Pleasant, SC.

1980s

| David Chadwick DMin ’80, was named Keynote Speaker at 95th Annual Singing on the Mountain, June 23, Grandfather Mountain, NC. Mark Jumper MDiv ’82, was promoted to Associate Professor, and granted tenure, at the Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia Beach, VA. He continues as Director of Chaplaincy and Military Affairs, and President of the University Faculty Senate. He published several articles in Evangelical America: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Religious Culture (ABCCLIO).

1990s

| Jim Dant DMin ’91, Senior Minister, First Baptist Greenville, presented his comedy performance “Stories I Can’t Tell in Church” at the Spartanburg Fringe Arts Festival. Dant’s most recent book is This I Know: A Simple Biblical Defense for LGBTQ Christians. Steve Montgomery DMin ’92, Senior Pastor of Idlewild Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN, retired May 5 after 20 years. Jeff Ebert DMin ’93, celebrated 20 years at New Providence Presbyterian Church (NPPC) on April 7. Trip Jennings MDiv ’99, Executive Director of New Mexico In Depth, received the Spirit of Journalistic Excellence award from the nonpartisan, statewide publicpolicy organization, New Mexico First, an organization known for convening town halls around the state to build consensus on pressing public issues. Gary Fulton DMin ’99 honorably retired as the Associate Pastor for Administration and Outreach at White Memorial Presbyterian Church, February 28.

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2000s | Kate Foster Connors MDiv ’01,

2010s | Toby Mueller DMin ’10 was called to

received a Traditioned Innovation Award from Duke Divinity for her work with The Center Baltimore.

be pastor of Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church, Franklin, TN. She is their first new pastor in 25 years.

Sarah Erickson MDiv ’03, continues to serve Columbia Theological Seminary and as the chairperson of the leadership team of the Association of Leaders in Lifelong Learning for Ministry, most recently guiding the latter into a new partnership with the Religious Education Association. As a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood since 1973, she reports that, in the last two years, two students from CTS have received Program for Continuing Education grants, and one received a scholarship sponsored by the chapter.

Neill McKay MDiv ’11, is Solo Pastor, University Community Presbyterian Church, Fairbanks, AK; State Troopers Chaplain; Faith Liaison to North Star Borough Sustainability Commission; Founding member of the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition. In 2019, he moderated a community round table between the LGBTQ and Evangelical Pastors, Hosted with the Alaska Peace Center and Alaska Native Movement, a film and discussion on the Doctrine of Discovery, journeyed on the PC(USA) Ukraine/Russia Peacemaking Travel Seminar, received PC(USA) Earth Care Congregation Re-certification, and will host Dr. Katherine Hayoe (Climate Scientist and Evangelical Speaker) in Alaska the week of September 8.

Jerry Utt MDiv ’02, was installed as pastor of Troy Presbyterian Church, Versailles, KY, June 8. Michael D. Kirby MDiv ’03, Senior Pastor and Head of Staff at Northminster Presbyterian Church in northwest Evanston, IL, delivered the address at the Davis & Elkins College Baccalaureate Service and Recognition of Graduates. Ed Glaize DMin ’03, previously the Pastor at Fairhope United Methodist Church, will serve as the district’s Superintendent beginning July 1. Andy Acton MDiv ’05, was installed as Pastor of Emory Presbyterian Church March 17. Jihyun Oh MDiv ’06, was named Director of PCUSA Mid Council Ministries. Brian Coulter MDiv ’09, Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Aiken, SC, is the featured preacher on June 9, the Day of Pentecost, on “Day 1” with host Peter Wallace, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program.

Micah S. Nutter Dowling MDiv ’16, received a new call as of August 1, as pastor, Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, NY. Katelyn M. Nutter Dowling MDiv ’17, received a new call as of August 1, Associate Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, NY. Cassie Waits MDiv ’17, was ordained June 9, 2019, at First Presbyterian Church, Marietta, GA, where she will serve as associate pastor.

IN MEMORIAM

Jerry Glenn Robinson, MDiv ’60 . . Joyce Cummings Tucker, MDiv ’75 Laura Dunham, MDiv ’94 . . . . . . John Calvin Wingard Sr ., BD ’51 . . James H . Sparks, Jr ., MDiv ’68 . . . Everett Gossett, BD ’61 . . . . . . . Benson Cain, BD ’52 . . . . . . . . John Kearfott Boyd, Sr ., MDiv ’57 . Frederick Hilborn Talbot, DMin ’87 David Lee Morgan, MDiv ’70 . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . July 15, 2019 . . . . July 12, 2019 . . . . June 15, 2019 . . . . May 22, 2019 . . . . May 19, 2019 . . . . May 14, 2019 . . . .April 27, 2019 . . . .April 22, 2019 . . . . April 11, 2019 . November 3, 2018

SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

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GODSPEED

F O R M E R D E A N O F FA C U LT Y GLENN RICHARD BUCHER DIES G L E N N R I C H A R D B U C H E R , 79, of Lititz, PA, passed away on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at Landis Homes. Born in Mechanicsburg, PA, he was the son of K. Ezra Bucher and Anna Esther Markley. Glenn graduated from Elizabethtown College, PA, and went on to Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, to earn his MDiv and then to Boston University for his PhD. As a professor and administrator, Dr. Bucher worked with both students and faculty at The School of Religion at Howard University in Washington, DC; The College of Wooster, OH; as Dean of Faculty at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA; and as the President of The Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. After 2000, he directed the Boyer Center at Messiah College, Grantham, PA, and was Assistant to President Long of Elizabethtown College, PA. Dr. Bucher finished his career as an adjunct professor at Villanova University. Glenn is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary K. Bucher, his two children, Christina and Timothy, and his three grandchildren, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Jackson; his brother, Larry L. Bucher, and several extended family members. A Requiem Mass was held on Saturday, June 29, 2019, at St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, PA, with the Rev. David W. Peck and Rev. Richard C. Bauer officiating.

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FACULTY & STAFF P U B L I C AT I O N S A N D A C T I V I T Y

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS

2019 July 9–12, Bill Harkins CREDO Faculty Convocation, Psychological Health Faculty, Denver, CO. July 10–13, Kelly Campbell Closing keynote speaker at ANZTLA (Australian/New Zealand Theological Library Conference) in Sydney, Australia. July 16–17, Anna Carter Florence Preach and lecture for GA UMC Pastors School, St. Simon’s Island, GA. July 19–25, Anna Carter Florence Serve as preacher in residence, Bay View Chautauqua, Bay View, MI. July 21, Martha Moore-Keish Teaching Sunday school on “Teaching Resurrection” at Central Presbyterian Church. July 22–25, William Brown Invited speaker for the Society for Old Testament Study in Oxford, UK. July 25–29, Mitzi Smith Participating in a peer mentoring meeting in Savannah, GA.

July 28, Martha Moore-Keish Preaching at Presbyterian Village in Austell, GA. July 28, Leanne Van Dyk Teaching at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA. July 29–August 1, Sarah Erickson Attending the Southern Cluster of seminaries receiving Lilly Grants at St. Meinrad Archabbey, IN. July 31–August 6, Caitlin Reeves Presenting on a panel “Future-Proofing Small Archives: Strategies for Transformative Leadership Transitions” at the Society of American Archivists Conference, Austin, TX. August 1–2, Marcia Riggs Participant at National Courageous Conversations “Bridging the Gap Between the Church and the Academy,” Atlanta, GA. August 1–3, William Brown Bible Study leader for the Big Tent in Baltimore, MD. August 5–8, William Brown Bible Keynote speaker for the Presbyterians for Earth Care Conference in Stony Point, NY. August 7–8, Lisa Weaver Speaking at conference on “Missional Worship: Connecting Liturgy and Life,” Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

SUMMER 2019 / VANTAGE /

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FACULTY & STAFF P U B L I C AT I O N S A N D A C T I V I T Y

August 11, William Yoo Teaching on “Why American Church History is Powerful, Painful, and Productive” at Central Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. August 22–25, Mitzi Smith Has been invited, along with 11 other African-descended women leaders in various religious and spiritual traditions, to attend a 4-day working Womanist Retreat in honor of Katie Geneva Cannon at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge Retreat Center in Springfield, NH, sponsored by Harvard Divinity School. August 24, Israel Galindo First Baptist Church, Roswell, GA. September 2–28, Mitzi Smith To teach a four-week online intensive course entitled “Womanist Hermeneutics and Black Church Theology” for Lexington Theological Seminary. September 4, Leanne Van Dyk Opening Convocation at Columbia Presbyterian Church, Decatur, GA.

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September 8–11, Anna Carter Florence Preach and lecture for the UK Festival of Preaching, Oxford, UK. September 9–11, Israel Galindo Colloquy for Early Call Clergy, CLL Atlanta, GA. September 16–18, Israel Galindo Leadership in Ministry Portland, OR. September 16–21, Bill Harkins Psychological Health Faculty, Episcopal CREDO, Trinity Conference Center, Outer Banks NC. September 19–21, William Yoo, Presbyterian Historical Society Board of Directors meeting in Philadelphia, PA. September 23–25, Israel Galindo Leadership in Ministry B Lynchburg, VA. September 28–29, Brennan Breed Teaching and preaching at St. Simons Presbyterian Church, St. Simons, GA.

September 29–30, Anna Carter Florence Deliver the MacLeod Lecture in Preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ. September 30–October 2, Israel Galindo Leadership in Ministry Boston, MA. September 30–October 3, Bill Harkins Psychological Health Faculty, Healthy Transitions/Ministering to Ministers. October 12-13, Mitzi Smith To deliver the annual J. Alfred Smith Sr. lecture at the Allen Temple Baptist Church Leadership Institute, Oakland, CA, and preach a sermon at the church. October 14–18, Sarah Erickson Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network Annual Conference, Louisville, KY; executive committee meeting, workshop and poster presentation.

October 16–18, William Yoo PC(USA) General Assembly Committee on Representation meeting in Baltimore, MD. October 17–20, Martha Moore-Keish Teaching a Lifelong Learning class on “Spirits, Spirituality, and the Holy Spirit” at Montreat. October 31–November 3, Sarah Erickson Religious Education Association (REA) Annual Conference/Association of Leaders of Lifelong Learning For Ministry (ALLLM) Annual Meeting and Workshops, Toronto, Canada. Moderating ALLLM annual meeting coordinating ALLLM workshops and the closing interfaith worship gathering. November 23, Martha Moore-Keish Presiding at panel at AAR on Karl Barth and Comparative Theology. November 24–25, Mitzi Smith Participating in the SBL Korean Biblical Colloquium (KBC) session devoted to reviewing the recently published Landscapes of Korean and Korean American Biblical Interpretations (SBL Press, 2019). San Diego, CA. Responding to papers presented in Women in Biblical World Section Panel on the Theme of Race, Gender, and the Politics of “Sass”: Reading Biblical Women through the Lens of Womanist Resistance. San Diego, CA. Panel entitled “Best Practices for Succeeding in Academic Publishing at all Stages of Your Career” at SBL Status of Women in the Profession Committee in San Diego, CA.

R E C E N T P U B L I C AT I O N S Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics and Martha Moore Keish, J.B. Green Professor of Systematic Theology Both contributed to The Oxford Handbook of Presbyterianism, Eds. Gary Scott Smith, P.C. Kemeny, Oxford University Press, 2019. Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics Christian Pacifism for an Environmental Age, Cambridge University Press, 2019. Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics Contributed “Direito, Religiao, Refugiados e o Eu Moderno” (“Law, Religion, Refugees, and the Modern Self”) to a new book Religiao, Violencias, e Direitos Humanos, eds. Reginaldo Braga and Wanderley Periera da Rosa, Editora Unida Press (Brazil), 2019. This book is a group of papers from the “Consultation on Religion, Gender, Violence, and Human Rights” held last year at Faculdad Unida in Vitoria, Brazil, co-hosted by Faculdad Unida and ITC. CTS helped support the conference. Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics Edited the new edition of @ this point on “100 Years of Racism” now integrated with our website at www. ctsnet.edu/at-this-point. Lead article by alumnus Will Coleman, with responses from CTS faculty Melissa Browning and William Yoo, as well as Thelathia “Nikki” Young. Martha Moore Keish, J.B. Green Professor of Systematic Theology James: Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible, Westminster John Knox Press, 2019.

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FACULTY & STAFF P U B L I C AT I O N S A N D A C T I V I T Y

Martha Moore Keish, J.B. Green Professor of Systematic Theology Contributed and co-edited with Christian T. Collins Winn, Karl Barth and Comparative Theology (Comparative Theology: Thinking Across Traditions), Fordham University Press, 2019. Mitzi J. Smith, J. Davison Phillips Professor of New Testament Published “Howard Thurman and the Religion of Jesus: Survival of the Disinherited and Womanist Wisdom,” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 17.3 (2019): 1-22. Mitzi J. Smith, J. Davison Philips Professor of New Testament Published “Paul, Timothy and the Respectability Politics of Race: A Womanist Reading of Acts 16:1–5,” Religions / Special Issue – Current Trends in New Testament Study 10.3 (2019). Open access: https://www.mdpi.com/20771444/10/3/190.

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AWA R D S A N D HONORS Mitzi Smith, J. Davison Philips Professor of New Testament, and Janice McLean-Farrell and Sheila Winborne have been awarded a $7500 Wabash Peer Mentoring Cluster Grant 2019-20: “Black Women Embodying Authenticity as Women, Teachers, Scholars and Mentors.”

Jeffery Tribble, Associate Professor of Ministry and Associate Dean of Advanced Professional Studies Became President of the Academy of Religious Leadership for 2019– 2020 at the annual meeting held April 25–27, 2019. Dr. Tribble will host the 2020 meeting April 23–25, 2020, here at Columbia Theological Seminary.

REFRESH, RESEARCH, AND REDISCOVER re:source is a unique gift for all CTS Alumni

• The 24/7 online access to a collection of religious and theological books and articles specially designed for theological alumni • Lifetime access to resources sent directly to you Contact Erica Durham at DurhamE@ctsnet.edu for login credentials or help!

BEST OF THE BLOG

APRIL 4, 2019 PLANNING AND ORGANIZING FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FORMATION

BY TERENCE LESTER

If you’re like me, you can get lost in the ocean of articles, social media updates, commentary, and all of the emotions that can stem from reading headlines in the times we live. The trauma that occurs when you read each article or update is draining and breathtaking at the same time. In fact, we are exposed to so much more bad news in the twentyfirst century in terms of receiving information digitally. If we are honest it can take you on a digital rollercoaster and almost leave you in a helpless state asking, “Why aren’t things changing?”

JUNE 6, 2019 WHAT “THEY” SAID

BY JIHYUN OH, MDIV ’06

“They” told me all sorts of things when I graduated from seminary. “You’ll be great for some Korean church somewhere,” said a small Southern church pastor after I preached to his all-white congregation. “Come back and help out our new associate pastor as his assistant,” said an elder from the Korean church where I was under-care for ordination.

“Any Korean church would be lucky to have you,” said a seminary staff person. “Why don’t you marry a pastor and be the pastor’s wife,” said multiple men from a Korean church. During seminary, when their snide comments didn’t take with me, “they” even talked to my father and told him that he should make me drop out, because what Korean church was ever going to call a woman as a pastor? Certainly not them! “They” had no reply when my father responded that he didn’t see a problem with my being a leader and pastor since I was better educated than any of their sons.

SPRING, 2019 @ this point: 100 YEARS OF RACISM BY DR. WILLIAM COLEMAN

Our faculty blog @ this point is now available on our website at www.ctsnet.edu/ at-this-point. The latest edition is titled, “100 Years of Racism” with lead article by Dr. Will Coleman of the Interdenominational Theological Center. Respondents include: Dr. Nikki Young of Bucknell University, as well as Dr. Melissa Browning and Dr. William Yoo of Columbia Theological Seminary. In his introduction, editor Dr. Mark Douglas writes, “This edition of @ this point focuses on a hard, complex, and uncomfortable topic, but one that we must continue to attend to. Exploring racism—the varied experiences of it, the political and social structures that sustain it, and the failures (and, sometimes, successes) of the church to deal with it—is neither easy nor, generally, hope-filled. It is, though, necessary.” For the full stories and more, please visit www.CTSnet.edu/columbia-connections.

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EXPLORING HUMAN ORIGINS: What Does It Mean to Be Human? presented by The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History COMING TO COLUMBIA SEMINARY 9/13 – 12/13/19 To schedule tours, learn about sponsorship opportunities, or more information visit www.ctsnet.edu/ human-origins