g
Gifts
for Leadership
Winter 2008
President’s Message
Callin� Ananias
“The Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go, for Saul is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
A
t Columbia Seminary we know that God still speaks to folks like Ananias and sends them to those God is calling as our new leaders. We also know that we desperately need spiritual leaders in these days. And, thanks be to God, the witness of our students convinces us that God has not left us in this time without leaders. Consider the original road-to-Damascus conversion (Acts 9:1-19): Saul, that notorious persecutor of Christians, sees a bright light and hears a voice, yet it is not until Ananias comes to him that Saul’s eyes are opened, he is filled with the Holy Spirit, and eventually becomes the leader for Jesus’ disciples, the very people he’d been harassing. But what if Ananias had not gone to Saul? What if Ananias had decided that it was none of his business to help Saul understand what God was telling him? What if Ananias had let his own fears and concerns about Saul keep him from believing God could use a man such as this as a leader for Christ’s church? Had Ananias not responded to his own call from God, Saul might have spent the rest of his life stumbling around Damascus, raving about the great light he’d seen on the road and the voice he’d heard. He might never have stepped out to start new churches among Gentiles as well as Jews. Without Ananias to help Paul discern his call, we would not have those New Testament letters which continue to point us to Jesus Christ, the head of the church. Paul was called by God but could not discern that call without the help of Ananias. God still calls us to be an Ananias, to speak to those who have been called by God for leadership in Christ’s church, to speak to them even before they discern that call for themselves. We cannot dismiss the calling by saying it is none of our business, by being unwilling to take a risk on those God may be calling as our leaders. I cannot imagine that God has not called leaders for us. What I can imagine is that there are many people waiting for a voice from the outside to give them the courage to believe the inner voice calling them to offer their lives to Christ’s ministry. The church has always depended on folks like Ananias to help our new leaders discern their call, and many seminary students can quickly identify those who have been Ananias in their lives.
Mar k D o u g l a s W i n s I n C h arac ter P rize for Op /Ed W r i t i n g o n V i rtues Mark Douglas, associate professor of Christian ethics, has been awarded an honorable mention prize by In Character: A Journal of Everyday Virtues. Douglas was recognized for his editorial and opinion writing. His award-winning articles, “Give Me Patience Right Now” and “Waiting and Wanting,” appeared in consecutive December 2006 issues of an Atlanta weekly, The Sunday Paper. Douglas received the $5,000 prize, one of two awarded, at an October 18 ceremony at New York City’s Yale Club. In Character is a publication that seeks to illuminate and illustrate how human virtues shape our vision of the good life. Douglas is one of the founding editors of @ this point, the seminary faculty’s free online journal, which is published twice yearly and can be accessed at www.atthispoint.net. Douglas’s first book, Confessing Christ in the 21st Century, was published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2005.
The truth is that most of us simply cannot see clearly enough to discern God’s call on our own. We must allow others to consider with us what we cannot consider on our own. Perhaps, then, the leadership crisis in our time is simply our own hesitancy to became an Ananias in someone else’s life. Is God calling you to help another discern their gifts for leadership? Let us invite those with gifts for ministry into a deeper understanding of vocation, an understanding of life as an offering to God. May we all be worthy of God’s calling to us.
L AURA M ENDENHAL L President
Kat h y Wo lf ’ 0 9 Inquirer, Presbytery of Ohio Valley First Presbyterian Church, Bloomington, IN B.A., English, Indiana University Hutton Honors College
I
was 20 years old when I sat across from Doug Bauder, former Lutheran minister and director of the GLBT student center at Indiana University, and proceeded to tell him why I could never pursue ordination. I listed my complaints without hesitating: the church is exclusive, the church is hypocritical, the church has its priorities all wrong, the church is so caught up in political issues it has forgotten the teachings of Jesus Christ...Why would I want to be a representative of a system this broken? Doug smiled. “Kathy,” he said, “this is exactly why God is calling you to ministry.” I don’t claim to be any sort of savior to my denomination, but I will admit that the injustices that have been done in the name of Christ were what haunted me as I discerned my call to seminary. At Columbia I have found my peers and professors similarly haunted by those same injustices. In our daily study and worship, we work as a community to better understand Christ’s call to us so that we might go out from this place with renewed vision of what it means to live faithfully in a broken world.
@
this point Creation on The Cross
We are more concerned than ever about energy usage and global warming, recycling and renewable resources. The latest issue of @ this point grounds our action toward environmental justice in the Bible and our Christian life together. Join Professors George Stroup and Stan Saunders, plus Lifelong Learning Interim Director Kim Clayton, as they respond biblically, theologically, and liturgically to a provocative proposal on the role of God in creation from Luther Seminary’s Dr. Terence Fretheim. You will also find practical resources for congregational engagement on the topic. Join the con v e r s at i o n at www.atthispoint.net
2
Seminary’s 180th Year Begins with Convocation and Dedication of Montreat Collections Columbia celebrated the start of its 180th year on September 6, 2007, with a convocation service at Columbia Presbyterian Church. Erskine Clarke, professor of American religious history, gave the convocation address. Following the traditional community lunch, the John Bulow Campbell Library hosted a ceremony to dedicate the Montreat Archives. Now occupying the third floor of the library, the Montreat Archives include significant portions of the holdings of the Presbyterian Historical Society’s Montreat branch, which closed last year. The materials include local Presbyterian church records, congregational histories maintained by Presbyterian Women, personal papers, a collection of rare books, and museum artifacts from 500 years of Presbyterian history. All will be available to scholars, church historians, family genealogists, as well as seminary faculty, staff, and students. Speakers at the dedication included President Laura Mendenhall; Lois Stroman, Dublin, GA, vice-chair of the Board of Trustees; Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA); Sara Myers, director of the library; and Professor Clarke, who is also director of the seminary’s new program in Presbyterian and Reformed History and Theology. For information about courses, visit www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learning > Special Programs.
Preaching as Testimony N ew Book by A nna C arter Floren ce Anna Carter Florence, associate professor of preaching and worship, is the author of Preaching as Testimony. Recently released by John Knox Press, the book explores the historical, theoretical, and practical elements of the tradition of testimony preaching. In this much-anticipated book, Carter Florence seeks to establish the historical and contemporary validity of women’s preaching and to introduce testimony to a new generation of preachers and teachers. She begins with the stories of three women from earlier centuries whose preaching was often described as testimony: Anne Marbury Hutchinson, Sarah Osborn, and Jarena Lee. Then, reflecting upon the more contemporary work of thinkers like Paul Ricoeur, Walter Brueggemann, Rebecca Chopp, and Mary McClintock Fulkerson, she examines biblical and theological perspectives on testimony. Finally she explores how testimony plays out in a preacher’s life, offering constructive proposals for preaching as well as helpful guidelines, direction, and exercises. Preaching as Testimony may be purchased from the seminary bookstore, bookstore@ctsnet.edu or 404-687-4550.
Frank Skinner , who served as a member of the Board of Trustees for 13 years, five of those as chairman, received the John A. Conant Distinguished Lay Leadership Award during the seminary’s annual Founders Dinner, on October 2. The award recognizes gifts of time, talents, and lay leadership within the seminary community as well as in the wider church. It was presented for the first time, in 1999, to John Conant by then President Douglas Oldenburg. Skinner is the second recipient. Presenting the award, President Laura Mendenhall noted that any conversation with Frank Skinner always concludes with his asking, “What can I do for you?” She acknowledged that the seminary has learned from Frank to also ask that question of the church: “What can Columbia Seminary do for you? “It is tempting for us to assume that we know the answer. Faculty, students, staff are in church each Sunday teaching or preaching, leading worship or a youth group, sharing in the mission of Christ’s church in a variety of ways. Still, few of us as full-time employees or students at Columbia are also full-time pastors and church leaders. We are not the ones who hear the whispered prayers, not the ones who mediate the most destructive pain, not the ones who must make the most difficult decisions. “We thank Frank Skinner for all the ways he has led us at Columbia, for teaching us to ask what the church needs, or holding us accountable to what we hear and calling us to step up to the task of leadership.”
Pastor No minating Co mmittees I nvited to C all Fair
February 29
Columbia Theological Seminary will host its third annual Call Fair for Pastor Nominating Committees on Friday, February 29, 2008, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. The event is designed to help connect graduating seniors with congregations and organizations that have openings for leadership positions. “The best way to interest students in open positions is to come to campus and share your needs with graduating seniors,” says Dean of Students John White. “We would love to see churches looking for pastors and associate pastors, as well as those looking for Christian educators, youth directors, and leaders in non-ordained positions.” Columbia’s Web site also offers information about students who are seeking a call. On the home page (www.ctsnet.edu) under What’s New?, click on the link for placement. Information is updated continuously, and students graduating in 2008 will begin posting information in early January. For more information about the Call Fair and student placement, contact Judy Graves at gravesj@ctsnet.edu, or 404-687-4523. VANTAGE
Winter 2008
3
This fall many Columbia students joined hearts and hands and hammers with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity in a special building project. Combining forces with dozens of volunteeers from Agnes Scott College, Georgia Tech, and the Westminster Schools, CTS folk worked alongside future homeowner Shelley Griffin and her son Brandon (and some skilled supervisors!) on their beautiful, threebedroom house. Beginning with floor installation and wall-building/raising on September 8, volunteers worked for seven consecutive Saturdays until the house dedication on October 20. Some of the other work included framing, window and door installation, porch construction, insulation, truss-raising and roof installation, dry-walling, painting, shingling, siding, miscellaneous jobs, and finally … flower-planting and laying the new sod lawn! No job was too small (although some jobs seemed too big at times!). Folks from First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta provided hearty lunches for hungry volunteers each week, as Rev. Charles Black led us in prayers of thanksgiving. Shelley and Brandon moved into their new home around Thanksgiving and are expecting lots of life to soon pulse through their
From left: (front) Steven Hernandez ’08, Maggie Leonard ’09, Peter Crooke ’10; (back) Laura Palmer ’10, Matt Bussell ’09, Claudia Aguilar ’08, Jillian Embrey ’10, Dan Jessop ’10.
rooms and halls and kitchen and porch and lawn! We join them in their excitement … and on behalf of the CTS Outreach Committee, THANK YOU to all those who joined hearts and hands and hammers in the building of God’s Beloved Community here in Georgia, through Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. Rejoice! P e t e r R. C ro o k e ’ 1 0
S t. A n d r e w p r e s b y t e r y, M i s s i s s i pp i
A team of Columbia students participated in the 17th annual Aids Walk/Run Atlanta on October 21. Students have participated in this event for the past five years.This year, Daniel Seo ’10 placed third overall in the race. L to R: Laura Palmer ’10, Jenny Sumner ’10, Robin Humphreys ’08, Sarah Chamberlain ’08, Melissa McNair ’10, Daniel Seo ’10, John Lattimore ’08.
To d d Re i n sc hm i d t ’ 1 0, third from left, preached in October at Ripley church, Ripley, MS, where Bill Connolly ’89 (left) is pastor. Also pictured are Diane Hunter ’10, liturgist, and church member Bill Thompson. Todd was one of 11 Columbia students and a visiting international student who preached and taught in 10 churches in St. Andrew Presbytery. The weekend was organized by Bill Connolly and Director of Alumni/ae and Church Relations Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81.
Ti m Dodenhoff ’10 with Mary Dill, a member of Ripley church, Ripley, MS. Other students who visited churches in St. Andrew Presbytery include Collin Adams ’08, Jean Sparks ’08, Catherine Neelly ’08, Debbie Feagin ’08, Mary Cox ’09, Marc Van Bulck ’09, Drew Marshall ’09, Allen Stewart ’10, and Judith Johnson, a visiting international student from Jamaica.
< Members of the Columbia Friendship Circle Council were on campus in mid-October for their annual planning meeting. Pictured are Mary Hammett, president, Sheppards & Lapsley; Martha Knichel, secretary/historian, St. Andrew; Mary Bell Streetman, immediate past president, Central Florida; Emilie Friese, Greater Atlanta representative; Jeanne Simpson, moderator-Synod of South Atlantic, Atlanta; Janet Ward, Savannah Presbytery; Connie Herr, Central Florida; Rose Gorman, Central Florida;Vashti Crowder, Mid-South; Shirley Jones, Mid-South; Jessie Williams, Sheppards & Lapsley; Anna McIlwain, Sheppards & Lapsley; Mary Gene Fleming, Florida; Jacqueline Riddle, Holston; Judy Neas, Holston; Nancy Calkins, Northeast Georgia; Susie Cunningham,Trinity; Shelagh Wirth,Trinity.
4
Nishioka points denomination toward needs of p o s t- d e n om i n at i o n al yo u n g a d ult s Leslie Scanlon, Presbyterian Outlook national reporter
Think about this.
Church historians agree, according to Rodger Nishioka of Columbia Theological Seminary, that “we’re on the cusp of … a Reformation-type age,” one that will stand as significant with the passing of time. Nishioka, associate professor of Christian education at Columbia, has recently completed a research project involving young adults in their 20s and 30s. He says signs are all around us that a post-denominational age has arrived. “Pay attention to trends,” Nishioka advised the Presbyterian Communicators Network, meeting in Louisville in early August. “Fads are what toss us to and fro,” often as a way of marketing new products. “But trends are worthy of your attention.” His research, for example, has investigated why so few young adults stay with the Presbyterian Church (USA), even if they have been baptized and confirmed in the denomination and, in many cases, were involved in their high school youth groups. “They’re saying they’re post-denominational,” Nishioka told the Presbyterian communicators. “That denominations really and truly do not matter.” In many ways, the religious distance among Protestant denominations is collapsing, he said. Fifty years ago, a Presbyterian marrying a Methodist “was a big deal. Now we’re just glad they’re getting married.” So for many young adults, the issue of denominational affiliation is insignificant. Instead, as they consider whether to become involved in a church, the question is, “Is the Holy Spirit active in this place?” Nishioka also described what he termed eight trends for a postdenominational age. He described these not as dualisms—one way or another—but as “healthy tensions” and a question of where the PC(USA)’s weight is shifting. They are: From tribal education to immigrant education. In short, we’ve too often assumed that those in the pews are part of the tribe; they already know the language and the rules. “Peace be with you,” Nishioka greeted the crowd. “And also with you,” they responded immediately. In other words, this church crowd knew exactly what to say. But congregations would do better to consider new folks as immigrants —people unfamiliar with the landscape—than as people already familiar with the tribal ways, Nishioka contends. The PC(USA)’s Research Services office reports that about 60 percent of those who attend Presbyterian churches were not raised Presbyterian. And 15 percent of that group did not grow up attending church at all. So if someone stands up and says, “Let’s open the Bible to this familiar story” or “Let’s sing this familiar song,” that can come across as saying, “You don’t belong. The gospel’s not for you. This is just for the tribe,” Nishioka VANTAGE
Winter 2008
Eight trends fo r a p o s t- d e n omi n at i o n al ag e : • From tribal education to immigrant education. • From mission out there to mission right here. • From reasoned spirituality to mystery-filled spirituality. • From official leadership to gifted leadership. • From long-term planning to short-term planning. • From mass evangelism to one-on-one evangelism. • From “traditioning” to experience. • From duty and responsibility to “What’s in it For Me?” explained. The good news is just for “people who think like us, who are at our income levels, our educational attainment levels, all of that.” But that leaves out so many. From mission out there to mission right here. Nishioka said that in his research, “it is so clear that there is a weariness and a wariness among these young adults that mission is always somewhere far away, out there. … They’re wondering … ‘Do we have any impact right here where we live?’ ” One woman Nishioka met in a focus group told him that “our church could disappear tomorrow and people across the street would open up their mini-blinds … and they would just think, ‘Oh cool, more parking.’” She told him: “We have no impact on the neighborhood in which we are located.” Nishioka said he sees a “huge attraction” among young adults to the idea of local mission. At heart, he said, “It’s a question of authenticity. Is this really authentic? Is this really real? … Are we going to actually do something” about problems close to home? From reasoned spirituality to mystery-filled spirituality. Many young people today are drawn to a sense of mystery, awe and wonder —to an approach to spirituality that’s based on more than reason, which can make some rationally-leaning Presbyterians nervous. This generation of 20- and 30-year-olds is “supporting the whole candle industry. It’s amazing,” Nishioka quipped. But “what makes me nervous is we Presbyterians tend to do reason really well,” he said. “We have done mind really well. We’re trying to reason our way to faith.” Yet many young people are drawn to a less rational path to faith. As an example, Nishioka described what he called a “hiccup” of young Protestant evangelicals turning to Orthodox churches—in part in appreciation of the 5
rituals of that tradition. He said of the lingering scent of incense, “When you walk out, you know that whole day, you’ve been to church.” At Columbia seminary, all seniors are required to preach a sermon to the faculty. Nishioka told of one young woman who preached about Mary and the Magnificat, from the Gospel of Luke, in which, having been told by the archangel Gabriel that she will bear a child, Mary proclaims the greatness of God. Nishioka said the student ended with a series of “I wonder” statements—such as, “I wonder what Mary was feeling.” And then she sat down, without doing the traditional, “Tell them what you’re going to tell them and tell them what you’ve told them” approach. One Old Testament scholar leaned over, and Nishioka heard the professor whisper loudly: “I wonder what that sermon was about.” But “I was sitting there thinking, ‘Wow, that sermon was brilliant, it was beautiful, she just opened the text up,’” Nishioka said. “There is tension among us. We like reason … It’s going to be tough” to appreciate other approaches. From official leadership to gifted leadership. An example, Nishioka said, is the use of commissioned lay pastors in the PC(USA), a program that bubbled up from the grassroots. At first, some involved with the national levels of the church were skeptical. But Nishioka thought as the proposal flew through the General Assembly: “Good grief, is it possible that the Holy Spirit is at work in this place?” What he sees there—and what Nishioka says he sees young adults expecting—is a shift from leadership in the church based on credentials alone to leadership based on gifts among all who are willing to serve. From long-term planning to short-term planning. In a world in which change comes so rapidly, an important question is how agile the PC(USA) can be, Nishioka said. For example, he recounted how his father, a retired pastor, once served on a presbytery planning committee that took seven years to draft a 10-year plan. In a fluid world, will the PC(USA) respond to changes quickly? Or, Nishioka asked, “are we going to be this plodding dinosaur that just, gosh, can’t possibly turn?” From mass evangelism to one-on-one evangelism. Nishioka told of a friend who had worked for the Billy Graham Association. She was laid off—but then rehired, with her responsibilities shifting from planning big stadium events to training congregations. Those congregations wanted to become more comfortable talking about Jesus Christ one-on-one with people they already know—with friends, family, co-workers, neighbors. Those congregations want to learn “how to talk to people about Jesus Christ in a way that isn’t coercive or manipulative, that isn’t oppressive, but that engages them,” Nishioka said. His friend told him: “We are besieged by these requests” for such training. Often, evangelism has not been a Presbyterian forte. What do you get when you cross a Jehovah’s Witness with Presbyterian, Nishioka asked. “Someone who knocks on the door but doesn’t have anything to say.” But young adults, fluent in social networking, understand the importance of relationships. “And with some help, we can figure out what to say,” Nishioka contends.
From “traditioning” to experience. Author Leonard Sweet, a Drew University professor of evangelism who writes about postmodern experience, has spoken of young adults today being experiential, participatory, image-driven, and communal. “This is the most image-conscious and image-driven generation in history,” Nishioka said. “If they don’t see it, they don’t know it.” And the author Sharon Daloz Parks, in the book Big Questions, Worthy Dreams, says “we owe young adults when they come to worship three images,” Nishioka said. “In worship, young adults should see an image of hope. They should see the image of what cannot be allowed. And they should see an image of life in Jesus Christ.” And stories can be a kind of verbal images, Nishioka said. “Telling the story is so, so compelling,” he said. “The story in postmodernity has picked up great power, the narrative has. So be less didactic, less point one, point two, point three, and just tell the story … Tell the story of the gospel.” And congregations should consider how to offer participatory and experiential worship—not always easy for traditional Presbyterian churches. “We do on our best days ‘Turn to page 23, please, and face the backs of people’s heads,’ ” he said. “Young adults are saying, ‘I don’t get God that way.’” From duty and responsibility to “What’s in it For Me?” There’s no question: this is a consumer age. “The influence of consumer culture means we’re looking for what meets our needs,” Nishioka said. And that poses questions for religious institutions—from seminaries trying to decide what are necessary amenities to include as they build new residence halls, to congregations setting priorities for what to do next. From the September 3, 2007, issue of Presbyterian Outlook. Published with permission from the Presbyterian Outlook, www.pres-outlook.org.
Conference on Ministry for Prospective Students
February 22–24, 2008 November 7–9, 2008
Dis cover
the rich offerings at Columbia.
Explore
your calling to church service and leadership.
Con firm
that Columbia is the place for you. information and registration
call 1-877-548-2817 or go to www.ctsnet.edu and click on “Visit Us.”
6
VANTAGE
Winter 2008
�ift� � �eadership W hat does it take imaginative resilient leader
to become an , for Christ’s church? Our students bring into this community truly unbelievable gifts for leadership. For Vantage, five students have offered a glimpse of who they are and why they are at Columbia. These are but five from among 167 basic degree students. This is the future of the
church.
What does the Lord
require of us? Amy Baer ’08
Two years ago,
my husband and I were selected by the seminary and the Faith and The City Program to live in intentional community at the Villages of East Lake. This community, formerly known as East Lake Meadows, was at one time one of the most dangerous housing projects in the nation. Living at East Lake has been a life-giving and call-informing contextual theological experience in so many ways, but it has been particularly transformative for me in my notions of justice and ministry. Do Justice God has called us in Micah 6:8 to “do justice,” to live our lives seeking justice, whether it is justice in our friendships, families, churches, neighborhoods, our nation, or in our world. As one who feels particularly called to advocacy for social justice, I thought I had all the answers to how one ought to “do” that justice. So, I moved to East Lake, thinking I could barrel
through with the ammunition of privilege and fix all of the injustices of urban poverty. I was going to “do justice.” What I realized in my time at East Lake is that “doing justice” wasn’t all that was required of me, I was also called to “love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” Love Kindness It wasn’t until I finally heard the stories of my neighbors and built relationships with them that I realized what it meant to love kindness. It meant taking the time to listen. It meant taking the time to minister “with,” not just “to”. I also realized that truly loving kindness meant seeking the path of liberation, not quick-fix answers that served only to make me feel good. As I got to know my neighbors, I learned that attempting to plow through the neighborhood fixing this and that was the most un-liberating, unkind, and unjust thing I could have done. My neighbors here at East Lake taught me that doing justice is not so much about “doing to” and “for,” it is also about doing “with.”
Karen F(emin�’08
W a l k H u mbly w i t h G o d My neighbors had already transformed my thinking and given me a new vision of urban ministry when I realized that Micah wasn’t finished with me. Doing justice “with” my neighbors is messy, unquantifiable, and often disordered. In terms of “doing justice,” this was where I realized the import of “walking humbly with God.” In my two years at East Lake I have continually been reminded that I can only hope to participate in the justice God is doing in the world. It is not my justice to “do for” or “do to” another. We are called to do this justice “with” one another, and we must always humble ourselves and be guided by God. Amy Baer is an inquirer under care of Grace Presbytery and a member of Woodhaven Presbyterian Church, Irving, TX. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, with a dual B.A. degree, in art: graphic design and in communications.
E d i tor of This Week
If you want to know what’s happening at Columbia, all you need to do is access the seminary’s weekly newsletter, This Week (www.ctsnet.edu > News and Events). That assortment of news, reminders, schedules (and the weekly refectory menu) represents the handiwork of the unflappable and super-organized Karen Fleming ’08 who has served for two years as This Week’s editor. Even an internship this summer at the Ohio State University Medical Center didn’t deter her from her work/study assignment, as she “telecommuted” to keep This Week on schedule. Karen is a candidate under care of Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery. She is a member of Harbor View church, in Charleston, and a graduate of The College of Charleston with a B.S. degree in marine biology. VANTAGE
Winter 2008
7
A New Name Sarah Chamberlain ’08
M
y college graduation
was a typical one. I finished all my finals, put on my cap and gown, received my hard-earned diploma and went into the summer looking toward the future. My future, however, was going to be all but typical. Instead of going right into seminary at Columbia that fall, I would take an educational detour—and quite a large detour actually that would take me halfway around the world to Kenya as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) of the PC(USA). As a YAV I was placed as a teacher in a girl’s secondary school in a small town north of Nairobi. I lived and worked on the school’s campus with my students and fellow teachers. At first I was full of hesitation. In this faraway place, how would I fit in? Where would a young, white, English-speaking woman find community in a small village in Kenya?
I was blessed, however, in that I did not have to go looking far for a community to which I could belong. I really didn’t have to look at all because I was enfolded immediately into the community of teachers and students at the school. The defining moment of my belonging came in the first week that I was there. During the morning chai (tea) break the teachers decided to hold a naming ceremony. One teacher said to me, “If you are going to live in Kenya, you need to be a real Kenyan, so we are going to name you.” Improvising in the ceremony by substituting the slaughtered goat with steaming pots of tea, hands
were placed upon my head, words of blessing said by the elders, and two Kenyan names bestowed on me: Makena, which is Kikuyu, and Mora, which is Kisii. From that moment on I was part of that family, caring for all of its members just as much as they cared for me. I was named and now I belonged. Out of all my wonderful memories and experiences in Kenya, this is the one that I hold most dear, and it is also the one that has influenced my ministry. How are we to be called together as Christians in this broken and large world? This is the question that I am continuously confronted with. And then I think
More Freedom With Dedication | Jae Kim ’08
8
of Kenya, when I was named over a cup of tea. And so it is with our experience as members of the Body of Christ. We are named over the waters, we are brought into a new family, and we are to love each member of that new family just as much as they love us. Sarah Chamberlain is a candidate under care of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area and a member of Westminster church, Minneapolis, MN. She is a graduate of Macalester College with a B.A. in religious studies.
Time flies. Absolutely I have to agree with this saying. It was a hot summer day of 2005 when I came to CTS and started the wonderful, marvelous Greek class! I just wanted to follow my gut feeling toward God’s will at that time. I was not sure about God’s calling to me but was sure that there would be no other way than to obey the irresistible voice from within. I travelled a long and winding road to get to CTS. In the beginning, I applied and was disappointed to learn that Columbia then did not accept international students into its M.Div. program.
�ift� � �eadership Practice Jazz, Practice Preaching Andy King ’08
I’ve been playing
the trombone for half my life. I enjoy playing jazz more than most other kinds of music. I came to seminary right after college to discover that seminary was a lot of work and finding a group to play with was a difficult endeavor. I began missing music. I joined a church orchestra and thought that would cover my musical bases, but it wasn’t fulfilling to me . By December, I was wearing thin and started e-mailing jazz band directors at local universities to find out if they knew of any bands in the area I could join. Gary Motley at Emory replied with an offer to audition for the school’s big band, and I’ve been a member ever since. For me, jazz band provides for a need that seminary doesn’t. It is a stress-reliever and a creative outlet. I can get off campus and be a member of a different community. I’m not a seminary student there; I’m a trombone player. My school life can take the backseat for two hours a week. I’m expected to
But, after a gracious and miraculous process, I was admitted to the program. It was really an unforgettable moment when I received a letter telling me that I was admitted. I was overwhelmed with the delights of attending CTS, the place I was not supposed to come and study. “Mystery” is the first word that comes to my mind as I think about when I started my CTS life. Now here I am facing the final round of M.Div. course work. There were times during the past two years when I stumbled and wondered about my journey. I was very much frustrated with VANTAGE
Winter 2008
play as part of a whole and not be the leader of it. It has also become a spiritual outlet for me. There’s a feeling of participating in something that transcends all the parts, kind of like worship. That feeling is heightened during a performance when it is obvious that the audience is having a similar experience. In the end, jazz band saves my sanity and balances me. Supply preaching is a newer practice for me. Unlike jazz,
the language barrier and deeply questioned the meaning of studying in a “foreign” seminary. When I thought of my blurry future as a pastor for an immigrant church in a Korean American community, I was very concerned about my calling and capacity as a pastor. But God assured me with a delicate voice and adjusted the circumstances so I came to encounter my call and recognized I was truly being nurtured on this serene campus. As I studied in English, I came to be more familiar with the American way of life and thinking, which opened and broadened my perspective on ministry in an immigrant church. Without the direct and intimate
I’ve only been preaching since I got to seminary. During my summer internship, I preached five Sundays and realized preaching is a skill I needed to keep honed. I decided to preach at least once a semester. This semester, I have already preached four times. It’s an excellent way to practice preaching, meet new people, and flex a different creative muscle. One of my funniest experiences was preaching on Luke’s “Parable of the Lost Coin.” I retold the parable with me as the main character, searching frantically for a quarter that will allow me to do laundry. At the end of the service, an Elder came up to me with a bag of quarters, smiled, and told me, “These were all the quarters from the offering. I liked your message.”
It was a good feeling to know the congregation had taken something from the sermon and appreciated my message. In some ways, these two practices in my life overlap. Music has taught me the importance of sight-reading, and that’s what supply preaching is: coming into a new setting that is unfamiliar and performing there the best one can. It takes knowing what questions to ask and how to react when something unexpected happens. There is also an element of improvisation to be able to go with the flow of the congregation. In the end, keeping up practices, whether rehearsing or challenging myself to write a sermon, is really the best preparation I can think of for stepping in front of a congregation.
relationships with American friends, I could not have found another window showing me this different world. I am really grateful that I have been able to study with all the precious CTS people at this beautiful campus. Now I want to share all the things that I’ve experienced at CTS. Trinitarian theology and the communal spirit, our intellectual legacy and the immersions toward profound spirituality…. I’d love to pass on these luxurious assets to Korean communities which are in some sense isolated from the main society because of their language limits. As I experienced the genuine meaning of freedom in CTS, I want to show the benefit of freedom
in our spiritual life to Korean communities. At the same time, I want to develop the wonderful tradition of Korean hospitality and dedication toward churches. “More freedom with dedication” could be a slogan for my ministry in the future, as I continue my journey toward the Reformed tradition of Semper Reformanda. CTS, I will never forget you who gave me a new starting point. May God Bless You.
Andy King is an inquirer under care of Whitewater Valley Presbytery and a member of Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, IN. He is a graduate of Purdue University with a B.A. in English.
Jae Kim is a candidate under care of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. He is a member of Korean Community Presbyterian Church of Atlanta and a graduate of Seoul National University. 9
�ift� � �eadership No More Excuses
Maryalice Omokeye Moses ’10
M
ark 1:16-20 speaks
volumes about the call to ministry. In this text, when Jesus asked Peter and Andrew to follow him, they dropped their nets without questions. This was not the way I answered my call to ministry. Instead, I had many excuses to delay what had been purposed in my heart for several years. Even as a child, I have always been strongly attracted to the Word of God. I can remember attending tent revivals and leaving them eagerly to go and tell everybody what I had heard about this man named Jesus. Little did I know that this desire would one day lead me to the vocation of Christian ministry.
Over the last 15 years, through my professional work experience with various underprivileged groups in Atlanta, I discovered that I could no longer ignore the call to be used by God. As I continued to serve in my church, I began to desire a greater understanding of the role of church leaders in relation to the community as a whole. At the same time, the Holy Spirit worked to convict me to the point where I could no longer delay the need for a formal training at a seminary before spending the rest of my life in ministry. As I prayed about the next steps to take, I crossed paths with Dr. Harvey Newman, a professor at the Andrew Young School of
Policy Studies, who recommended Columbia Theological Seminary to me. I visited the campus and my seminary search stopped after I met the faculty, staff, and students and discovered their commitment to diversity and ecumenicity. After my first year at CTS, I was privileged to participate in a supervised internship overseas. As a result, from May to August 2007, I worked under the supervision of a pastor and lay ministers at The Bellville South Anglican Church in Cape Town, South Africa. While there, the experiential practice
allowed me to make new discoveries about not only myself but also the role of worship, pastoral care, church administration and outreach ministry. Maryalice is a student in the dual degree program with Columbia and Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. In May she will receive the M.Div. degree as well as the M.S. degree in urban policy studies. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana with a B.A. in social studies/teaching secondary education. She is a member of Providence Missionary Baptist Church, in southwest Atlanta.
A Shameless Moment for Improv Marc van Bulck ’09
I
feel called to pursue youth
ministry in no small part because of the impact youth ministry had on me. In many ways, it is easy for youth to feel forgotten or unimportant or without a role in what God is doing in the world, and I feel it is important to listen to them. Columbia alumnus Nick Yoda ’98, my youth pastor and spiritual mentor, planted the seed of ministry in my head. That’s what caught my attention, at first. Columbia has an excellent academic program and offers great hands-on ministry experience. The faculty is exceptional at what they do, and it doesn’t hurt to live near the heart of Atlanta.
10
So what about this improv theater group that meets on campus. Great Gregory’s mustache! What does improv have to do with youth ministry? Or ministry in the broader sense of the term? As I pondered what our weekly improv group has to do with my personal continuing faith journey for ministry, the answer suddenly revealed itself and became abundantly clear. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not at all. Not even a little bit. It literally doesn’t. Well, okay. Maybe something. But maybe not something obvious. You see, the improv troupe is a group of seminarians that gathers in the Harrington Center Chapel every Tuesday night at 9:30. Every week, we spend the evening performing unscripted improvisational theater based on randomly suggested ideas from our lovely audience. The group welcomes anyone who wants to
participate, or those who would just like to watch. The improv is informal and recreational, and while one might argue that the improv group does not directly equip you for theology or church polity or how to preach a sermon, it does offer many tools for the trade. The improv group offers a great way to gather together and enjoy good, harmless, irreverent humor. It’s a community. A community of future pastors taking time to play before God. Performing onstage offers students an opportunity to practice feeling comfortable in front of large groups, while also helping build confidence about public speaking. And it fuels our passion. It fuels the desire to dive into a text head first, perform it, and come out with a word of truth in love for the world.
So while one may not necessarily emerge from a night at improv ready to preach a sermon, it’s a great way to kick back, enjoy a night in community, and maybe, just maybe, make some connections between the theater and the church. Marc van Bulck is an inquirer under care of New Harmony Presbytery and a member of First Presbyterian Church, Sumter, SC. He is a graduate of Emerson College with a B.A. degree in media production: television/video. VANTAGE
Winter 2008
Fo r t h e
Record Alumni/ae 1950s Robert F. Hunt ’56 retired as pastor of St. Andrew church, Augusta, GA. 1960s Charles J. Hollingsworth ’62 is retired and lives in Round Rock, TX…..David Antonson ’66 retired as senior pastor from Northmont United church in Pittsburgh, PA; he is taking interim pastor training…..William V. Arnold ’66 retired as associate pastor at Bryn Mawr (PA) church…..Robert O. Moss III ’67 retired as associate executive for education and church development, Providence Presbytery…..John N. Payne ’69 retired as pastor of Church of the Redeemer, Weiser, ID. T h e Al u mni/ae Coun cil m e t on c am pus in Oc to b er. (L to R): Front— Ann Kelly ’92, Louly Hay ’96; Second Row—Chip Blankinship ’95, Bill Lancaster ’73, Joy Smith ’88, Ann Marie Montgomery (DMin ’06); Third Row—Jerry Utt ’02, Beecher Mathes ’92, Susannah Cook ’99, Todd Speed ’93 (DMin ’07); Fourth Row— Andy Walton ’92, Anne Apple ’01, Cory Stott ’06, Brad Walker ’89; Back Row— Ken Letterman ’92, Stephen Nickle ’87, Randy Calvo ’81, Jack Taylor ’77.
St r ength in N umbers Five members of the staff at Palms Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville Beach, FL, are Columbia graduates: Tom Walker ’89, pastor ; Carol DiGiusto ’99, associate pastor; Laurie Furr-Vancini ’99, children’s director; Andrew Kukla ’03, associate pastor; and Katie Heard Day ’06, associate pastor. Three pastors serving the three Presbyterian churches on James Island (SC) are members of the class of ’88: Mike Castronis at James Island Church, Charles Heyward at St. James Church, and Philip West at Harbor View Church.
VANTAGE
Winter 2008
1970s John J. Gleason ’70 organized and convenes a monthly support group for Islamic correctional chaplains, as a trustbuilding “bridge” ministry. He is an Association for Clinical Pastoral Education supervisor emeritus in Greenwood, IN….. Bill Anderson ’71 retired and lives in Asheville, NC. He is doing volunteer work, working in development for Montreat College, and chaplaincy at VA Medical Center in Asheville…..Gene Lassiter ’72 is pastor of St. Paul church in Hemingway, SC, and Indiantown, SC, church, which celebrates 250 years of ministry this month…..Ronald M. Thomas ’72 retired as pastor of Piedmont (SC) church…..Al Masters ’76 is interim chaplain at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC…..Etta Rossman ’76 is serving as a prison chaplain after serving as a pastor for 16 years and a counselor at a pastoral counseling center….Olin Whitener (DMin ’76) is interim senior pastor at Covenant church, Charlotte, NC. 1980s William C. Pender ’80 is pastor of First church, Knoxville, TN…..Jesse W. Hegler ’82 is temporary supply of Beaver Creek church and Kershaw First church, both in Kershaw, SC…..Steve Shive ’85 is pastor at First church, Fargo, ND….. James Cross (DMin ’87) is chaplain at Silverton Hospital, Silverton, OR…..Gail Perkins ’87 is interim pastor at Rock Spring church, Atlanta, GA…..David Keister ’88 is pastor at First church, Toccoa, GA…..Bill Patterson ’88 serves as VA Chaplain and pastor in Tuskegee Institute, AL.….Pat Wrisley ’88 has taken a call as pastor of University Place church, Tacoma, WA. 1990s Lisa Traynham Nelson ’92 graduated with a Masters of Accounting from UNCC and is working as a corporate controller….. Trisha Senterfitt ’93 is the executive director of the Craddock Center in Cherry Log, GA…..Patricia Johnson Cashion ’94, (DMin ’04) is pastor at Crystal Beach (FL) Community church…..Keith B. Freeman ’95 is in the graduate program for marriage and family therapy at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC…..Richard Shinkle (DMin’95) has retired as pastor of First Church, Yorktown Heights, NY…..Molly Clark ’96 retired as staff chaplain with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System…..Jill Middlemas ’97, who received her Ph.D. in Old Testament from Oxford University, has a position at University of Aarhus in Denmark…..David Lindsay ’99 is the pastor at the Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island, SC. 2000s Kathy Crighton ’00 is pastor of the Metairie Ridge church, Metairie, LA…..Chris Tiller Bohn ’00 married Phillip G. Bohn on June 2, 2007. She serves as pastor of Calvary church, Ann Arbor, MI…..David Bender ’01 is the new church development pastor at Faith church in Lancaster County, SC…..Lisa Eye Taylor ’02 was married Aug. 11, 2007, to Jerry Taylor at the Presbyterian church of Danville, KY, where she serves as associate pastor…..Priscilla Durkin (DMin’03) is chaplain at Southern Correctional Institution in Troy, NC…..David Ezekiel ThM ’03 has accepted a call as interim senior pastor at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Elgin, IL. He leaves his post as associate executive presbyter for congregational development at the Presbytery of Chicago…..Mary Ann McKibben Dana ’03 was named contributing editor of the new e-zine Fidelia’s Sisters. This publication is an outgrowth of the Young Clergy Women Project and will feature articles by, for, and about clergywomen under the age of 40. She has also authored a new Bible studies series in Presbyterians Today….. Kyle Goodman ’04 has taken a call as pastor of Concord church, Statesville, NC…..Thomas ’03 and Beth ’04 Daniel have returned to Atlanta to begin a new church development…..Leah Hrachovec ’05 has a call as associate pastor at First church, Stillwater, OK…..Lanny Peters (DMin ’05) co-edited the winter 2007 issue of the Review and Expositor: A Quarterly Baptist Theological Journal, on Muslim-Christian Relations. The lead article, “Pastor and People: An Interfaith Pilgrimage,” was his DMin project…..Mike ’05 and Devon ’06 Ducheneau moved to Barboursville, WV, where Mike is pastor of Bates Memorial church in Huntington, WV…..Scarlette Bostick ’06 moved to Royston, GA, and is seeking a call in the area….. Russ Blackwelder ’06 will begin medical school next summer at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC…..Chantaye Knotts (MATS ’06) is serving the First Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville, AL, as staff minister for Christian education and discipleship training…..Leslie Bethell Roper ’06 was ordained July 8 and began serving as associate pastor for youth and children’s ministries at First church, Batesville, AR…..Michael Woods ’06 was ordained Oct. 28, 2007 at Northminster church in Pensacola, FL. He will be installed as pastor at First church, Elberton, GA in December…..Chris Hill ’07 has been called as associate pastor for pastoral care at Bethel church, Cornelius, NC…..Kim Losee Justice ’07 was married to Donovan Justice October 20 at First church, Danville, VA…..Deidra Crosby ’07 is pastor at Rocky Springs church, Laurens, SC…..Keith Jones ’07 has been called by New Hope church, Chattanooga, TN…..Sharon Schuler ’07 accepted a call as pastor of Monticello church, Monticello, FL. She was ordained in her home church, Shades Valley, in Birmingham, AL, on July 15.
11
Fo r t h e
In Me m or i am J o h n Talm age ’36 ...........................................February 1, 2007 Ro b ert D. Al exander ’49 ..........................June 8, 2007 D. J ames K ennedy ’59 ...................................September 5, 2007 W i ll ia m Harri son Marquis ’55 ...........July 26, 2007 A. J ac kson Morrison ’58 .........................August 19, 2007 To m Tidwell ’60..............................................September 30, 2007 H u g h Ei c helb erger ’62 . ............................November 9, 2007
B lessed E v e n t s Ron ’93 and Lisa Traynham ’92 Nelson Daughter, Aspen Noelle Nelson, May 4, 2007 Laura Cunningham ’98 and Scott Ramsey ’98 Daughter, Virginia “Ginny” Watts Ramsey, November 5, 2007 Pressley Neal ’02 and Ben Cox Son, Henry Martin Cox, July 28, 2007 Eric ’03 and Amy Dillenbeck Daughter, Sarah Dillenbeck, September 24, 2007 Wendy Yow ’03 and Mike Cochran Son, Ethan Tyler Cochran, born August 9, 2007 Russ ’06 and Dorothy ’06 Blackwelder Daughter, Taylor Grace Blackwelder, October 14, 2007 Kate ’07 and Chris Malarney Son, William Gabriel “Gabe” Malarney, born October 4, 2007
J u dy Gr av e s , administrative assistant for Student Services, was awarded the Betsey Burgess Staff Award, during the annual Convocation lunch, on September 8. Graves came to Columbia in June 1996, and served until March 2006 as administrative assistant in the Business Office. The award honors a member of the staff who has demonstrated faithfulness, dedicated service, and Christian character upholding the seminary’s purpose and mission.
Faculty and Staff David Bartlett, distinguished professor of New Testament, taught the Crusaders class at Decatur (GA) church; preached at the Congregational Church of New Canaan, CT; St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, LA; All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, CA; preached for the ordination service for Robert McClellan ’07 in Bloomington, IN; his first book, Fact and Faith, has been reissued by Wipf and Stock…..William P. Brown, professor of Old Testament, edited the book Engaging Biblical Authority: Perspectives on the Bible as Scripture, published by Westminster John Knox; gave his inaugural lecture, “Behemoth and the Beagle: The Book of Job as Gedanken Experiment,” October 23, 2007, at the seminary; as a Henry Luce Fellow, presented his work in progress in Pittsburgh, PA; continues as syllabus writer and research theologian for the Pastor-Theologian program and teaches Sunday school at North Decatur (GA) church....Walter Brueggemann, professor emeritus, preached and taught Sunday school at North Decatur (GA) church; lectured at the Fall Clergy Conference for the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta; lectured for Wisconsin Council of Churches in Stevens Point, WI; lectured at the Wyoming Conference of the United Methodist Church at Sky Lake Camp and Retreat Center, Windsor, NY; lectured at Northern Michigan University for area pastors in Marquette, MI; lectured at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rochester, NY; lectured at Colgate Rochester
12
Record Crozer Divinity School; preached at Swarthmore (PA) church; preached at Duke University Chapel, Durham, NC; published “Sabbath as Resistance” in The Thoughtful Christian, an online publication, and two articles, “Response to How Are the Mighty Fallen?” Horizons in Biblical Theology and “Dialogic Thickness in a Monologic Culture,” in Theology Today (October 2007); saw release of a Korean translation of Finally Comes the Poet (Seoul, Korea: Mustard Seed Publishing, 2007)…..Charles Campbell, Peter Marshall Professor of Homiletics, preached at Carrollton (GA) church; led a preaching workshop for priests in the Diocese of Atlanta; lectured at four schools in Seoul, South Korea: Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary, Yonsei University, Seoul Seminary, and (also preached at) Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary; lectured at a conference for Korean pastors; preached four times at Bucheon (South Korea) First Presbyterian Church; preached and presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Academy of Homiletics in Minneapolis, MN, and was installed as president of the Academy of Homiletics…..Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, associate professor of world Christianity, has received one of three “Building Bridges,” awards by the Islamic Speakers Bureau (ISB), one of metro-Atlanta’s largest Muslim organizations. ISB is an apolitical, nonpartisan educational organization and a local affiliate of Islamic Networks Group, the leading outreach institution providing education about Islam and Muslim culture since 1993, with affiliates both nationally and in England. The award, presented to him in November, honors organizations and individuals who are considered Georgia’s most effective leaders in promoting cross-religious and multi-ethnic dialogue. Ten years ago, Dr. Cardoza-Orlandi began teaching seminary courses to help Christians understand Islam in the contemporary world…..John Clark, communications specialist, created and taught a youth Sunday school class series, “Finding God in Popular Music,” at Church of the Redeemer, Atlanta, GA…..Erskine Clarke ‘66, professor of American religious history, participated in a research trip to Ghana and Gabon (Africa) and attended worship in a church established by John L. Wilson, CTS class of 1831; gave the address for the opening convocation at CTS; spoke on Gullah culture to the Ossabaw Foundation at Atlantic Station, Atlanta, GA; led a trip to the Morris Museum, Augusta, GA, on “Art as Window into Southern Religious Life”; spoke to the CTS Board on issues in Presbyterian history and polity; delivered an address at Yale University for history faculty, graduate students, and visiting scholars; delivered an address at the Southern Festival of Books, Nashville, TN; taught Sunday School at Grace Covenant church, Asheville, NC; participated in the Open Door Community advisory board meeting, Atlanta, GA…..Charles Cousar, professor emeritus, is working on a commentary on Philippians and Philemon for the New Testament Library series, to be published by Westminster John Knox; his Introduction to the New Testament: Witnesses to God’s New Work was published by Westminster John Knox in September 2006 .....Dent Davis (DMin ’89), dean and vice president for Lifelong Learning, participated in the board meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Continuing Education in Ministry; met with the Educator Certification Council of the National Leadership Division, Leadership and Vocation office of the General Assembly; participated in a meeting of Presbyterian faculty who teach spiritual formation, sponsored by the Office of Spiritual Formation and Theology and Worship in Louisville; led a youth retreat for First church, Alpharetta, GA; led an officers’ retreat and preached at First church, Savannah GA; published “Learning our Way: Engaging Laity Through Large-Scale Participatory Action Research” in the Journal of Adult Theological Education; was named a book review editor for the Journal of Adult Theological Education…..Sarah Erikson ’03, associate director of Lifelong Learning, led a workshop titled “Tips and Tools for Evaluating Theology of Church School Music” for the Tri-Presbytery Leadership event; preached and led worship at First church, Covington, GA; with Leigh Jones ’07 served as liturgist and celebrated the Lord’s Supper at First church in Bremen, GA; participated in an ecumenical Taizé service at Tremont Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Macon, GA, which was organized and led by members of an S3 group that includes Jarred Hammett ’85 and Glenn Gilstrap ’91; preached and led worship at Kirkwood church, Kennesaw, GA…..Anna Carter Florence, associate professor of preaching and worship, was featured November 4 and 11 on “Day 1,” a nationally broadcast radio program. Each show included a sermon by Florence continued on page 17
VANTAGE
Winter 2008
Columbia’s Institutional Priorities
Formation | Transformation
A Gift to the Future
G
rowing up in Reid Memorial Presbyterian in Augusta, GA, I revered my pastors for their preaching and teaching. They inspired me with their sermons and their Bible teachings. to drive purpose As I grew up, they helped me find answers to the difficult questions about God, Jesus, our faith, the Bible, and our Presbyterian Church. They showed me the way to live a Christian life. I remembered these leaders years later when Doug Oldenburg, then president of Columbia Theological Seminary, invited me to join the seminary’s Board of Trustees. Over the past decade my association with Columbia has only deepened my belief in the vital role of the pastor, as a leader of the congregation, as a leader in his or her community. More than ever, I have come to understand the importance of imaginative and resilient pastoral leadership for Christ’s church. Columbia’s mission for all of its 180 years has been to prepare leaders for the church, a role that has become more important than ever. Now, a large new generation of students is emerging—a young, Billy Morris talented, and diverse group of men and women is attracted by the Trustee seminary’s theological rigor combined with a commitment to the Augusta, Georgia preparation of pastoral leadership. As one recent graduate said, “You shouldn’t have to choose between strong academics and preparation for ministry. Columbia provides the best of both.” Formation—for leadership and for ministry—remains at the heart of everything Columbia does. The Board of Trustees has formulated a list of goals to increase Columbia’s capacity to serve the church. The next few pages describe the need to modernize facilities, strengthen key programs, and broaden our pool of potential students. If met, the goals would equip Columbia to increase master’s programs from current enrollment of 180-190 Columbia will break ground students to 225 students, a 25 percent increase. Recognizing the in February 2008 for a 34,000-square-foot residential need to sustain pastors in ministry, trustees also want to strengthen facility which will incorporate Columbia’s D.Min. degree and Lifelong Learning programs with new sustainable building practices programs that focus on preaching, leadership development, and and features. spiritual nourishment. Finally, to attract tomorrow’s leaders, who
Priorities
13
Formation | Transformation Columbia’s Institutional Priorities
The new residential facility will house a mix of single and married students.
Sustaining leaders who prepare leaders
are technology-savvy and increasingly diverse, trustees want to extend Columbia’s horizons through investments in technology that would increase our connections with the larger church in the world. In addressing these needs, Columbia Theological Seminary will attract even more talented leaders for the church. Despite our church’s recent struggles, I am filled with hope because our faculty knows how to prepare strong pastors and how to sustain them. I do not claim to know what God is planning for the church in the 21st century, but I do know that imaginative, resilient leadership will remain the key to strong congregations and vibrant ministry. We can and must make the kind of investment that communicates how much we as a church value pastoral leadership. If we do so wisely, standing on our tradition of academic excellence and looking to the future, then the next generation of leaders will transform this seminary and the church.
C
olumbia’s faculty has always been what attracts students to this seminary. The appeal has always been who the faculty members are, of course, but it is just as much what they teach—and the way they teach. They are scholars who are committed to the pursuit of their individual disciplines, but at the same time are equally passionate about developing their students’ skills for the practice of ministry. To meet the seminary’s needs now and in the future, the Board and the faculty have determined that we need a larger faculty, with new positions in Bible, theology, and preaching. While all faculty members teach the same number of courses each year, faculty in these three areas of study bear the heaviest load of required courses. This leaves very little time for them to offer the variety of courses that will expand and deepen the capacity of students in these core areas of ministry—in our Basic and Advanced Degree programs, as well as in Lifelong Learning offerings. Not only must we build Columbia’s faculty, but we must also build endowed funds to support their work. These funds will provide academic resources for the faculty as a whole in their teaching, scholarship, and research that produces materials for churches and church leaders. In addition, endowed funds will support programming in leadership development and initiatives in Lifelong Learning, thus ensuring the permanence of these programs as integral to the seminary’s mission and critical to its vision of serving as a theological resource for the whole church.
Sandy Smith Trustee Atlanta, Georgia
14
Formation Transformation
S
upporting our students financially during their studies has always been a priority at Columbia Theological Seminary, and our efforts to secure adequate resources for that have intensified in recent years in response to the higher enrollment in the seminary’s Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program. In fact, over the past decade enrollment has grown from 138 students in 1996 to more than 180 students in each of the last four academic years. We believe Columbia is growing because our faculty, our trustees, our staff, and our curriculum are aligned with the aspirations of those intrigued by the question of God’s call and seeking to learn how to use their gifts for Christ’s ministry. In a survey of the graduating classes from 1996-2006, 83 percent of M.Div. graduates reported that they came to Columbia with the intention of pursuing a religious occupation. The fact that 82 percent of respondents are now ministers of the Word and Sacrament—and that 73 percent are working in a local congregation—confirms that Columbia is “on mission” and that its graduates are making good on the church’s investment in them. The cost to a student to pursue theological education can be substantial: for this year, depending on family circumstances, the cost of a year of theological education will range from $20,000 to over $29,000. This cost represents a significant hurdle for many students who must borrow significantly to finance their education. Then, upon graduation, pastors receive salaries that make it difficult for them to repay loans and live without constant financial concern. Columbia Seminary is blessed with one of the strongest scholarship and financial aid programs in theological education today. To retain its ability to attract the finest possible students with the greatest potential for leadership in the church, the seminary must continue to increase endowed resources and support those students. In addition, if the seminary is to increase enrollment, a significant increase in resources for student support is essential.
F
ive years ago, with enrollment increasing and the seminary’s endowment under pressure from an economic slowdown, Columbia’s Board of Trustees decided to establish a strong Annual Fund as a major institutional priority. The Annual Fund had always been the primary means through which alumni/ae and other individuals gave unrestricted funds each year to support and enhance the day-to-day work of the seminary. What would happen, trustees imagined, if we prioritized the Annual Fund as a way to raise awareness of the seminary in the minds of Presbyterians everywhere? What would happen if we were able to reach everyone who felt called to make a financial investment in the ongoing mission of Columbia Theological Seminary? From those questions, trustees resolved to implement a six-year plan to increase Columbia Seminary’s Annual Fund to $1 million per year, a $600,000 increase over 2002 levels. From that ambitious goal, Partners in Ministry was born. Beginning in the spring of 2003, Partners in Ministry held events around the South with the aim of connecting Presbyterians with Columbia Seminary and its case for directly supporting Columbia students with annual, unrestricted support. From the very first event, people have responded, pledging more than $2.6 million and raising Columbia’s Annual Fund to more than $900,000 this past year. Perhaps more significantly, more than 1,700 people have attended at least one event, helping connect Columbia with supporters throughout the South. Columbia enters this year in sight of its $1 million goal for the Annual Fund, already having an enormous effect on the institution. Unrestricted Annual Fund gifts not only provide a major source for scholarships and student aid, they give the seminary invaluable flexibility in spending where the need is greatest or when special opportunities arise. Two such opportunities, making a place for the “Montreat Collection” at the J. Bulow Campbell Library, and a major new Technology Plan now underway to upgrade the seminary’s capabilities, are being implemented solely because of the Annual Fund’s success. If we’re able to reach our $1 million goal, then the Annual Fund’s support of the seminary will equal a $20 million endowed fund. That is why every gift—from alumni/ae, from faculty, trustees, and friends—can have a profound effect on our seminary.
Supporting future leaders of the church
Steve Montgomery Trustee Memphis, Tennessee
“
What would happen, trustees imagined, if we prioritized the Annual Fund as a way to raise awareness of the seminary in the minds of Presbyterians
”
everywhere?
Partnering
to build a strong Annual Fund
Lane Alderman Trustee Roswell, Georgia
15
Formation | Transformation Columbia’s Institutional Priorities
A New facilities for living and learning
Lois Stroman Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees Dublin, Georgia
s Columbia trustees examined campus facility requirements for the increase of program and enrollment, a Master Plan of the campus was developed for facilities to embrace necessary program needs for 225 basic degree students, 200 advanced degree students, and more than 2,000 participants in its Lifelong Learning program each year. Examining the physical vision of the campus as defined by the program summary, it quickly became apparent that Simons-Law Residence Hall needed significant attention. Virtually beyond renovation due to modern building code requirements, planners soon realized that replacement of Simons-Law would require the construction of a new residence hall, ideally elsewhere on campus. The most significant space need on campus—to accommodate both the existing and envisioned student body—was new classrooms. An additional net area increase of 5,436 square feet suggested a conversion of Simons-Law for educational use. The resulting solution to these issues holds transforming promise for our campus, for the seminary, and for the church. First, a new residence hall will be built adjacent to the athletic field, with ground-breaking to take place in February 2008. The 34,000-square-foot facility will efficiently organize residential units to house a mix of single and married students and provide amenities for enhanced community life, including exercise, recreational, cooking, and other gathering spaces. The design will incorporate sustainable building practices and features and seek a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation of the project. Finalizing plans for the residence hall means that a new academic building becomes the seminary’s highest capital priority. The new facility will be placed on the southeastern corner of the academic quadrangle and integrated with the Richards Center. Still to be designed, a facility is envisioned that integrates Columbia’s learning model with the innovation that modern theological study requires to meet the emerging needs of the church. The new building should enhance community life as well as Columbia’s ability to attract and recruit exceptional new students and faculty to serve Christ’s ministry for decades to come.
For more information about how you can help Columbia meet institutional priorities, contact Richard DuBose, vice president of institutional advancement, at 404.687.4568.
Columbia’s new residential facility will provide amenities for enhanced community life, including exercise, recreational, cooking, and other gathering spaces.
16
Formation Transformation
Fo r t h e
Record and an interview conducted by the program’s host and executive producer, Peter Wallace…..Jerry Gladson, adjunct professor of Old Testament, wrote an article for Sharing the Practice, the journal of the Academy of Parish Clergy, titled, “‘Is There any Sorrow Like My Sorrow? Preaching from Lamentations”; is writing A Critical Introduction to the Five Scrolls of the Megilloth for Edwin Mellen Press…..Steve Hayner, Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth, continues to teach courses at Peachtree church, Atlanta; was on the Leadership Coordinating Committee for the Presbyterian Global Fellowship Conference in Houston, TX; was plenary speaker for the World Vision Triennial World Council in Singapore; led the all-church evangelism/mission weekend at Faith church, Huntsville, AL; taught and preached at First church, Lakeland, FL; consulted with community and church leaders regarding domestic child sex trafficking with the International Justice Mission (for which he is chairman of the board) in Washington, DC; led an all-church seminar titled “Evangelism for the Rest of Us” at Chapel of the Hills church, Duluth, GA; was a plenary speaker for the Association of Presbyterian Missions Pastors in Louisville, KY; published the article “The Story of the Missional Church” in the Aug 25, 2007, edition of The Presbyterian Outlook…..Vivian Hodo, director of financial aid, met on campus with financial aid administrators from all the Presbyterian seminaries….. Kim Long, assistant professor of worship, led a workshop for Greater Atlanta Presbytery for churches considering contemporary or alternative worship; preached at the PAM West Worship and Music Conference, Dallas, TX; led worship for the Covenant Network conference, Trinity church, Atlanta; represented the PC(USA) at the Consultation of Common Texts, New York, NY…..Laura Mendenhall, president, attended the meeting of the Committee on Theological Education, Louisville, KY; attended the board meeting of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, San Diego, CA; preached at Covenant church, Charlotte, NC; Decatur (GA) church; Fourth church, Greenville, SC; New Harmony Presbytery, NC; First church, Durham, NC; Ormond Beach (FL) church; Westminster church, Denver, CO; Presbytery of Greater Atlanta…..Michael Morgan, seminary musician and organist for Central church, Atlanta, has written a call to worship and a hymn for World AIDS Day, Dec. 2. He also recently shared with the seminary community Bibles and books of Psalms from his collection, one of the most complete private collections of English translations, including 450 of the Psalms and 900 Bibles, among them one from the first printing of the King James version in 1611…..Rodger Nishioka, associate professor of Christian education, was the keynote speaker at the PC(USA) National Communicators’ Conference in Louisville, KY; led a workshop at the Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery Leadership Event; was a keynote speaker and workshop leader at the Coastal Carolina Presbytery leadership event; was a keynote speaker and preacher at the Ethnic Concerns Consultation for the Presbyteries of Sacramento, Nevada, and San Joaquin in Lake Tahoe, NV; preached at the installation of Maggi Henderson (former CTS vice president of student services and dean of students) at Old First church, San Francisco, CA, and at the ordination of Johanna Nygard ’06 at Kirk of the Kildaire church in Cary, NC; moderated a panel discussion on the academic teaching and study of religion at the American Academy of Religion meeting in San Diego, CA, and was elected to the steering committee; and preached on multiple occasions at churches around the country…..Kathleen O’Connor, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, was elected vice president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, at their annual meeting in San Jose, CA; published the “Genesis” article for the New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible and presented two papers on the book of Jeremiah at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in San Diego, CA…..Barbara Brown Taylor, adjunct professor of Christian spirituality, led a workshop at Phillips Theological Seminary with Fred Craddock; keynoted for Mercer University’s Preaching Consultation on St. Simon’s Island, GA; delivered the Beck Lectures for the Massachusetts Bible Society, Boston, MA; participated in “Dialogues in Democracy,” hosted by Jim Lehrer Productions at the House of Burgesses, Williamsburg, VA; and preached at many churches around the country…..Jeffery Tribble, assistant professor of ministry, endorsed a new groundbreaking text in the emerging field of Black Church studies which was included in Black Church Studies: An Introduction, published by Abingdon Press; attended and participated in the American Academy of Religion meeting in San Diego, CA; submitted
VANTAGE
Winter 2008
essays suggesting pastoral implications of lectionary texts which will be published in the January 2008 edition of Lectionary Homiletics; submitted for publication essays for the Lectionary Commentary Series by Westminster John Knox Press; was elected to the board of directors of the United Methodist Publishing House and convened their Publication and Services committee in Nashville, TN; attended the Georgia Annual Conference of the AME Zion Church held at Shaw Temple AME Zion Church, Smyrna, GA; Jeffery and his family gathered in Nashville and in Chicago for services celebrating the life, love, and legacy of his mother, Mildred Thomas Tribble who passed September 8, 2007…..Monica Wedlock ’07, interim director of recruiting, was ordained to Christian ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on October 21, 2007 at Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, GA.
Students David Rogers ’09, served as supervised ministry intern at St. Andrews Presbyterian in Tucker, GA, and continues to serve St. Andrews as youth LOGOS worship skills director; preached at Shallowford church in Atlanta, November 25, 2007…..Leo Chen-Chu Chang (ThM), taught Sunday school on the subject of the history of the Christian Spirituality at Atlanta Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA…..Nancy Meehan Yao ’09, is doing a year-long residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at Northside Hospital; has done supply preaching at Ebenezer church in Hogansville, GA, and Deer Creek Shores Presbyterian in Cumming, GA…..Whitney Wilkinson ’08, Karen Jackson ’08, and Jessi Higginbotham ’09, were keynote speakers and worship leaders at St. Augustine Presbytery’s Middle School Youth Conference at Camp Montgomery in Florida….. Adam Copeland ’09 is doing a year-long internship as assistant minister at St. Columba Church in Ayr, Scotland…..Emily Martin ’09 is doing a year-long internship of supervised ministry at Government Street church in Mobile, AL….. Marci Glass ’08 taught an adult Advent Bible study at North Decatur church, Decatur, GA, looking at images of Christ as found in Advent hymns…..Scott Santibañez (MATS) is a physician working with the CDC, where he has created an official working group on the health of Muslim populations. He has an article forthcoming in Azizah magazine. Jill Ulrici, a D.Min. student, has developed interreligious programs for her congregation, Covenant church, where she is an associate pastor. In addition to her deep commitment to peace and justice in the encounter of religious traditions, particularly Islam and Protestant Christianity, Rev. Ulrici is fascinated with the spiritual practices of the Islamic faith and has discovered the history of Sufism in the United States. Ko r e a n a n d Kor e a n Am e r ic a n s t u d e n t s hosted a “meet and greet” for Dr. James Laney, former ambassador to South Korea and former president of Emory University. Dr. Laney was on campus in November to be interviewed for a video being produced by the Fund for Theological Education. Jae Kim ’08 and former FTE fellow Sarah Chamberlain ’08 helped organize the event. Pictured with Dr. Laney are (front row) Teddy Son and Sharon Junn; (second row) Jae Kim and Johanna Lee; (back row) Daniel Seo and Sarah Chamberlain.
17
Life long l e a r n i n g
Events
January Seminars January 28–30
February 7–10
Blurring the Boundaries: Preaching as Testimony Explore the interplay of your life and God’s Word, with acclaimed author and preacher Anna Carter Florence during January Seminars on the seminary campus, January 28-30, 2008. “Testimony, one of the oldest forms of Christian witness, contains both a narration of events and a confession of belief,” Carter Florence says. “We tell what we have seen and heard and confess what we believe about it. Testimony can’t be proven true or false, only believed or rejected. It raises the question, ‘Does testimony blur the boundaries of what a sermon is and who may preach it?’” Carter Florence is associate professor of preaching and author of the book Preaching as Testimony. “The plenary sessions, workshops and worship may energize your preaching, as you engage the tradition of testimony for today,” says Sarah Erickson, associate director in Lifelong Learning. Workshop leaders from five denominations and diverse ministries will assist Carter Florence with worship and workshop leadership. To view a complete schedule of the event, including schedule and registration information: www.ctsnet.edu. Also, see calendar, page 19. Note: January Seminars participants may want to extend their stay, to attend “Preaching in the Light of the Resurrection: The Lectionary Texts for Eastertide” led by Distinguished Professor of New Testament David Bartlett. The seminar begins Thursday evening, January 31 and concludes at noon Friday, February 2. (See calendar, page 19). January 31– February 2
Preaching in the Light of the Resurrection: The Lectionary Texts for Eastertide Join New Testament scholar David Bartlett January 31-February 2 for a study of the lectionary texts from Easter Sunday and several Sundays of Eastertide. Designed primarily as preparation for preaching, this seminar is open to all. The discussion will focus on the Gospel of John and on 1 Peter. The seminar begins Thursday evening and concludes Friday at noon. Participants in January Seminars—earlier the same week—may want to stay an extra day to attend this course. The program fee is $60 (lodging and meals extra).
Women of � Seminar�
Other Traditions’ Spirituality: Broadening Our Horizons In the coming year, the Spirituality Program will offer two courses aimed to broaden understandings of spirituality by including less familiar traditions. “The Spirituality of the Eastern Christian Church,” led by V. Bruce Rigdon, meets February 7-10, 2008. A Presbyterian pastor, Rigdon is a noted scholar in church history and an expert on the Orthodox Church—especially in Russia. “Eastern Orthodox Christianity includes those churches whose ancient roots extend back to the Eastern Roman Empire and the very beginnings of Christian history,” Rigdon says. “Influenced by Greek language and culture and the development of the Byzantine civilization, …these churches developed rich liturgical and theological traditions, forming the foundations for a spirituality of enormous beauty, vitality and strength.” In this course, participants will engage elements of Eastern Christian spirituality — an embodied spirituality that must be learned in and from community, says Tom Lewis, director of the Spirituality Program. “Seeking to see the life of our Orthodox friends, we will explore various spiritual practices; such as the ‘Jesus prayer’; the way Easter is celebrated; ‘reading’ icons; singing Orthodox prayers; comparing theological themes, and the ways that biblical stories are interpreted. “We will experience Sunday morning worship and liturgy with a local Orthodox community, then look again at our own traditions, in the light of what we have discovered.” “Islam Explored: Selected Stories and Spiritualities in a Living Faith” will be facilitated by Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, September 7-12. Bringing teachers and scholars from the Muslim community in Atlanta, Cardoza-Orlandi will weave together a comparative view of Christian and Muslim spirituality. On Thursday September 11, 2008, the larger community will be invited to participate in an interreligious dialogue at Columbia Seminary. For more information about the program, contact Tom Lewis 404-687-4592, or LewisT@CTSnet.edu
C A L ENDAR ORDER FOR M QTY. PRICE EACH* TOTAL
Bookstore Calendar: Women on Campus
$19.99
Georgia residents, add 7% sales tax on books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2008 C a lenda r Supports Breast C an c e r R e s e a rc h
M
any of you own, or have seen, the 2007 calendar that featured the men on campus as they have never been seen before. That calendar was such a big success that we have had many requests for a calendar featuring women of the seminary. So women on campus have posed for the camera in honor of those who have died of breast cancer, especially Ginger Kaney and Lucy Rose, as well as survivors and others currently battling the disease. Our new calendar covers 18 months from January 2008 to June 2009 and can be ordered using the form at right. All proceeds will go to breast cancer research. You may use the order form or e-mail us at Bookstore@ CTSnet.edu. If you fax or e-mail the order, be sure to include a Visa or MasterCard number and expiration date on your order, as well as a phone number and an address to which the calendar should be shipped. Bookstore Fax number 4 0 4 . 6 8 7 . 4 6 5 8
18
Subtotal & Tax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shipping & Handling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$4.50
Grand Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . METHOD OF PAYMENT: �
o Check enclosed �
o Credit card (fill out information below)
NAME SHIPPING INFOR M ATION STREET ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP TELEPHONE o VISA / o M ASTER C ARD # EXP. DATE
VANTAGE
Winter 2008
Life long l e a r n i n g
Events
Van tag e
Vol. 99, No. 2, Winter 2008 Published quarterly by Columbia Theological Seminary Periodicals postage paid at Decatur, GA Circulation: 13,000 The Office of Institutional Advancement Editor: Genie Addleton Assistant Editors: Sarah Chamberlain ’08, Karen Fleming ’08, John Clark Photo Editor: Ben Beasley ’10 Design: Lucy Ke Contrib utors Lane Alderman (DMin ’80) Ben Beasley ’10 Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81 Sarah Chamberlain ’08 Scott Chester Kim Clayton ’84 Sue Crannell ’07 Peter Crooke ’10 Richard DuBose Sarah Erickson ’03 Ron Kerr Jae Kim ’08 Andy King ’08 Ashley Lage ’10 Nelda Mays Laura Mendenhall Steve Montgomery Linda Morningstar (MATS ’98) Billy Morris Maryalice Omokeye Moses ’10 Marissa Myers ’09 Joan Murchison Barbara Poe Jody Sauls Leslie Scanlon Sandy Smith Lois Stroman Sandra Taylor Marc van Bulck ’09 Kathy Wolf ’09 Postmaster: Send address changes to Vantage Columbia Theological Seminary P. O. Box 520 Decatur, GA 30031-0520
Please recycle After you read this
issue of Vantage, pass it along to a friend or colleague, or take it to your neighborhood recycling center.
C o rre ction Class of 1982 Colloquium reunion photo. (L to R): Mark Jumper, Bruce Gourlay (not Randal Kirby), VANTAGE Gwin Pratt. Summer 2007
For more information about opportunities listed below, to register online, or to download a registration form, go to www.ctsnet. edu > Lifelong Learning > Courses and Events. Then click on the dates of the courses and events you wish to attend. You may also call the registrar, Pat Roper, at 404-687-4587, for more information or to register by phone. Unless otherwise noted, events take place on the seminary campus, in Decatur, GA. Some events listed below require registration through the Presbyterian Board of Pensions. January 18–20 & January 21–23 January Adventures, at St. Simon’s Island—Spiritual Maturity in a Time of Christian Conflict and Change. Two identical sessions. Sponsored by the Cooperative Christian Fellowship of St. Simons. 1.0 CEUs available through Columbia Theological Seminary. Leaders: Barbara Brown Taylor; Walter Brueggemann. For information about program fee, registration, and housing: http://www.januaryadventure.org. January 24–27 Immersion Experience: An Invitation to a Deeper Spiritual Life (Certificate in Spiritual Formation Weekend.) Explore the origins of the Christian spiritual tradition. Study formative elements of biblical, monastic, and Reformed spirituality. Includes personal reflection through guided meditative journaling, and exploring one’s own unique journey with the living God. The course is the starting place for the Certificate in Spiritual Formation and is also open to occasional students. Leaders: John Kloepfer. Program fee: $300. January 28–30 Blurring the Boundaries: Preaching as Testimony. Leader: Anna Carter Florence, Associate Professor of Preaching and author of Preaching as Testimony. Program fee: $225 (includes two meals). A few spaces are available for a reduced fee of $100 for non-CTS seminary student enrolled in basic degree programs. A few freeadmission spaces are available for CTS basic degree students, staff, and faculty. See article about book on p. 3, and article about event on p. 18. January 31–February 2 Preaching in the Light of the Resurrection:The Lectionary Texts for Eastertide. (Participants in January Seminars may want to stay an extra day to attend this. Begins Thursday evening; concludes Friday at noon.) Designed primarily as preparation for preaching, but open to all. We will focus on the Gospel of John and 1 Peter. Leader: David Bartlett. Program fee: $60. Free admission (space permitting) for CTS faculty, staff, students, spouses. February 7–10 Eastern Christian Spirituality (Certificate in Spiritual Formation Weekend). In this course we will seek to understand and engage elements of Eastern Christian spirituality, an embodied spirituality that must be learned in and from community. Together we will worship and experience Sunday liturgy with a nearby Orthodox community. Leader: V. Bruce Rigdon, an authority on Eastern Orthodoxy. Program fee: $250. See story p. 18. February 26–28 Learning Together in Ministry conference for CTS classes of 2004, 2005 and 2006. Designed for chaplains, pastors, associate pastors, campus ministers, and validated ministry workers engaged in first/early call ministry. To apply, e-mail the following information to EricksonS@ctsnet.edu: your name, church, address, daytime phone, e-mail address, and a brief answer to two questions: 1) What are some of the most important ministry concerns and needs you have discovered in the time since you graduated from Columbia? 2) Why would you like to participate in Learning Together in Ministry? Deadline: February 1. Program fee, lodging, meals provided. Cost to participants: transportation.
March 7–8 Big Three: Worship, Mission and Fellowship (A Youth Leadership Ministry Initiative [YMLI] course.) This weekend will focus on the worship, mission and fellowship aspects of youth ministry. Leader: Troy Bronsink, experienced youth/ young adult pastor and worship leader. Facilitators: Neema CyrusFranklin; Sarah Erickson. Program fee $150 (includes two meals). March 9–14 Spiritualities of Creation: Knowing God and Self in a Broken World (Certificate in Spiritual Formation). Look at the ways the Old Testament deals with creation, particularly in light of our broken world, a world that cries out for restoration and renewal. We will explore texts from Genesis to the Psalms —theologically, ecologically, and experientially. An opportunity to develop your own spirituality of creation in conversation with the texts and with each other. Mary Logan will lead contemplative workshops on the themes of Creation. Leader: Bill Brown. Program fee: $350. March 27–30 Group Spiritual Guidance (Certificate in Spiritual Formation) In a structured process developed by Lisa Myers and Judy Durff, explore and experience a way of being together in covenanted group community. Anchored in scripture using lectio divina; silence using a structured, facilitated process; prayer both silent and spoken, and listening to self and one another to hear what God might be speaking into the community and into us. Leader: Judy Durff, Presbyterian pastor and leader of group spiritual guidance. Program fee: $250. April 4–5 The Christian Funeral: Changing Culture, Changing Practice. In this Friday evening and Saturday morning workshop, we will explore the meanings and implications of changes in how our culture ritualizes death. Through lectures, discussions and workshop exercises, we will examine such topics as the impact of the funeral industry, the rise of cremation, the emergence of “open mike” services, changing attitudes toward the body, funeral sermons, and the goals of a “good” funeral. Leader: Tom Long. Program Fee: $100. April 6–10 Contemplative Retreat for Women This week offers what many women long for: rest, renewal, and quiet refreshment; spiritual discipline and inspiration; relaxation in a beautiful outdoor setting; the opportunity to restore a sense of inner peace and serenity in a quiet and unhurried atmosphere. Location: Benedictine Spirituality and Conference Center, Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman, AL. Registrations should be received before March 28th. Cullman, AL is centrally located between Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama. Leader: Rev. Carol Byrd (CTS ’88, D.Min. ’02). Byrd, a pastoral counselor and Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, has served churches in Ohio, North Carolina and Alabama. She is also a Benedictine oblate affiliated with Sacred Heart Monastery. Program fee: $275 (includes housing in a single room and all meals) April 10–13 God’s Encircling: Celtic Christianity (Certificate in Spiritual Formation) At Montreat Conference Center. Montreat, NC. Things “Celtic” are very popular today. How can we know how to find authentic tradition amidst a lot of creative invention? This course will focus on writings and artwork that truly reflect the rich beliefs of Christians living in early Scotland, Ireland, and other Celtic lands, including St. Patrick, lesser known great saints of the Celtic Christian Tradition, and those beyond the “golden age of saints” (5th to 9th centuries). This course will provide information and experiences to determine for yourself the meaning of ancient Celtic traditions, their contemporary echoes, and their relevance for our spiritual journeys. Leader: Laura Sugg. Program Fee: $378.
19
Dur i n g t h i s yea r ’ s Fall Pho n at h o n , 16 students (and the spouse of one) set a new pledge record—$30,775— and connected and reconnected with 487 members of the seminary’s faith community. Thanks to Hamilton Barnes, Dick Baxter (pictured above), Kevin Calhoun, Sydne Check, Debbie Feagin, Catherine Foster, David and Karen Hawkins, Diane Hunter, Cecilia Hurley, John Lattimore, Laura Palmer, Alisha Tatem (pictured below), Yvonne Thurmond, Norma Tyson, Marc Van Bulck, Robin Williamson.
C o ll o q u i um 2 008 | A pri l 14–16
Extreme Makeover
Christian Educ ation as Spiritual Formation
Jesus commissioned the believers to go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Ultimately the task of Christian education is spiritual formation—forming children, youth, and adults to be followers of Jesus Christ. What does it mean to do Christian education as spiritual formation?
to make disciples?
to move beyond the simple transmission of knowledge so that all ages are empowered to lead lives worthy of the calling to which they seek to respond? K e y n ot e s p e a k e r s Kathy Dawson Rodger Nishioka P r e ac h e r Eileen Lindner
Classes eunion R e a i/ n 8 Alum 1963 • 196 re •1958 • fo e b d n 3 a 9 1957 1988 • 19 8 • 1983 • 1973 • 197 3 • 2007 1998 • 200 ct e conta Alumni/a u d e net. poeb@cts
with
Jerome Berryman Nancy Blakely Anne Streaty Wimberly
More information available soon at www.ctsnet.edu
VANTAGE
Winter 2008
P.O. Box 520 Decatur, GA 30031 404-378-8821 www.ctsnet.edu
Contents President’s Message: Calling Ananias . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Mark Douglas wins In Character prize . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Convocation and archive dedication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 New book by Anna Carter Florence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Lay Leadership Award: Frank Skinner . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 February 29 Call Fair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Student Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Rodger Nishioka on post-denominational young adults. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Gifts for leadership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–10 For the record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Formation | transformation: Columbia’s institutional priorities. . . . . . . . . . . . 13–16 Lifelong Learning events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Periodicals Postage Paid at Decatur, GA Publication No. 124160