JULY 2019
FEATURES
6 LAUNCHING THE PASTORAL INNOVATION NETWORK OF NEW ENGLAND
8 MACDONALD CENTER ASSEMBLES A STELLAR LINEUP
19 GETTING TO KNOW DEENA GRANT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF JEWISH STUDIES
03 President’s Message 20
Fall Courses
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A Culture of Philanthropy
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Obituaries
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Ways to Give
04 Alumni Council Message 12 Alumni in Action 18 Alumni Notes
Editor Susan Schoenberger Design Steven Havira Director of Philanthropy Kaaren Van Dyke President Joel N. Lohr
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"OUR MESSAGE - EXPLORING DIFFERENCES, DEEPENING FAITH - IS ONE OF HEALING AND HOPE."
Dear Alumni, What a first year it's been. Each day I am moved by our incoming students, our current students, and our alumni, and the difference you are making in the world. The meaningful work before me, and your lives of hope, faith, and peace building, help me see how blessed I am. What a wonderful gift. One thing I was delighted to learn recently is that our alumni—you—are our most important recruiters of new students. Each year we survey our entering students as well as our outgoing graduates. Of the last three years' entering students, many found out about the Seminary through various, important means: our webpages and social media (19%), a faculty member (19%), or a religious leader (also 19%). But the largest category was you, our alumni. Some 36% of our new students found out about Hartford Seminary through a graduate. Wow! The data also show that you love Hartford Seminary. Consider these remarkable statistics from our graduating students survey this year: 89% of you said you would “Yes, definitely” refer others to Hartford Seminary, and 7% said “Yes, probably.” Together that’s 96% of our graduates. Additionally, 74% of our graduates this year said that their time at Hartford Seminary exceeded their expectations or met their highest hopes. An additional 22% said it met their expectations. I’ve looked at a lot of data in higher education, and these figures are phenomenal. Why share this? Because we need you, and we value you. I am so pleased to sense a new wind blowing at the Seminary and among our alumni. I am delighted to see that you care so deeply about our mission and are telling others. Please continue to spread the word. We need you now more than ever, in a world so in need of peace, hope, and reconciliation. Our message—Exploring Differences, Deepening Faith—is one of healing and hope. We are not seminary as usual. When I tell people about what we are doing at Hartford Seminary, and about our students, they are genuinely amazed. Thanks for being the great group of people you are, and for helping us make a real difference in the world. And thanks for spreading the word. May God bless you and your important work.
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Joel N. Lohr President
amos lys for the alumni council Dear Fellow HartSem Alumni, It has been an honor to serve as the chair of the Alumni Council for the past year, and I hope to continue to be of service for the next academic year. The mission and commitment of our Alumni Council remains the same: to keep our alumni connected to the Seminary and to each other, and to support future HartSem graduates. This has been a very rewarding and successful year for the Alumni Council, and I personally want to express my gratitude to all the council members for their commitment and dedication to the Seminary. Because of their efforts, we were able to start a mentoring program and currently have many students being mentored by alumni. We also had a pizza party at the Seminary to give Alumni Council members the opportunity to meet with current students and listen to their concerns. The Alumni Council has been very busy recruiting new members and keeping them connected to the Seminary: we were very active at the graduation ceremony; we attended the Black Ministries Program banquet; we worked with President Lohr and the Board of Trustees to contribute valuable inputs for the next strategic plan; and we made efforts to inform the graduating students about the importance of staying connected to this special institution. The Alumni Council will endeavor to build upon the existing projects and initiatives to ensure that we continue to serve our members and the Seminary. Please join us on Facebook (Hartford Seminary Alumni) to be informed about activities and events and to be engaged with other alums. We are very passionate about the Alumni Association because it provides us with an excellent opportunity to connect with an amazing community and make it much stronger. One of the best
ways to show our commitment and gratitude to Hartford Seminary is by contributing financially to help the Seminary educate current and future students. You have received so much from Hartford Seminary, please consider signing up for the Seminary’s monthly donation option. Even if all you can afford is $1 a month, I believe that seeing this amount on your credit card statement will remind you of the Seminary and the important work we are doing to build bridges and deepen faith. Just imagine: One day, when you are old and gray, you will be able to say that you have been a regular supporter of Hartford Seminary! My hope is that we will always remember that we are Hartford Seminary graduates who continue to embody the values of this special place. Those are values to build stronger communities, to be a voice for the voiceless, to stand with those who are being marginalized, and to show kindness, compassion, understanding, and love to everyone. The Seminary has taught us to love the people we serve, whether you’re a pastor, a community leader, a church organizer, an Imam, a Chaplain, a Rabbi, or in any capacity that touches other human beings. Love them enough to give them the best you have in response to what God has given you. I urge you to be an example of being spirituality engaged with the world around you. Never allow yourself to be comfortable or complacent as long as people are being marginalized and injustice is being perpetrated. My hope is that we will find joy in a life of service.
Sincerely, Rev. Jean Amos Lys, MA, MFT
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Launching the Pastoral Innovation Network of New England with a $1 Million, 5-Year Lilly Endowment Inc. Grant
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t's no surprise that Mainline Protestant clergy in New England are worried about their ministries. The number of people who claim no affiliation with a religious tradition grows every year, and many New England churches are seeing fewer young adults and families joining their congregations. The future is challenging, to say the least.
That’s why Dr. Scott Thumma, Director of Hartford Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program and the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, applied for – and received – a $1 million, five-year grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry initiative. The grant will fund a program for early-career clergy that will address many of those concerns in a creative way. Called the Pastoral Innovation Network of New England (PINNE – pronounced “pine”), Hartford Seminary’s program will create a crossdenominational innovation hub where 20 creative, young clergy interact with experienced coaches to highlight effective approaches to ministry in the New England context. In 10 gatherings over the first 2 ½ years, the PINNE Fellows will problem-solve, identify resources, grow professionally, maximize their creative and innovative potential, and move toward their visions for ministry revitalization. The coaches are: the Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper, the Rev. Dr. Michael Piazza, the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Watts, the Rev. Dr. George Cladis, the Rev. Dr. Larry Peers, all of whom teach at Hartford Seminary, as well as the Rev. Dr. James Latimer, a recent graduate. After an application process that attracted a number of high-quality applications, the fellows learned in late May about their selection. Dr. Allison Norton, Faculty Associate in Migration Studies and Congregational Life at Hartford Seminary, will serve as PINNE’s project director. The program is somewhat unusual among the grants Lilly is providing, she said, because of its focus on early career clergy. “They were selected and chosen because each one has a demonstrated and proven record of creative approaches to ministry in the New England context,” she said. “They are aware of the challenges in Christian ministry in New England, but they are also invigorated and excited about doing something about that.” The first cohort will meet for 2 ½ years, and then some will serve as mentors for the second cohort. Dr. Thumma said the ultimate goal is to develop an ongoing initiative that will foster and sustain clergy innovation and creativity. “New England’s congregations need original approaches tailored to the region’s unique challenges in order to thrive,” he said. “We hope these innovation incubator gatherings not only help clergy thrive in their ministries but also create new strategies for revitalization that will spread out to all New England religious.”
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Macdonald Center Assembles a Stellar Lineup The country’s oldest center for Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations is experiencing something of a renewal this year with the addition of fresh faculty and staff.
Top Left, Dr. Bilal Ansari | Bottom Left, Dr. Suheil Laher | Bottom Right, Dr. Hossein Kamaly
We are confident that our students will be in good hands with the dedicated and accomplished group we have assembled for 2019-20. Meet our new faculty below.
Dr. Bilal Ansari Brings Unique Skills and a New Specialty: Muslim Pastoral Theology After an international search, Hartford Seminary found the new Co-Director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program among its alumni. Dr. Bilal W. Ansari, ICP ’11, will soon begin co-directing the program, the first of its kind in the United States and the continued leader in a growing field. He has also been appointed Faculty Associate in Muslim Pastoral Theology, a new field in which he has been in the forefront and continues to develop. Dr. Ansari currently serves as Director of Campus Engagement for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity at Williams College in Williamstown, MA, a role he will continue to play through a joint agreement with Williams. “Dr. Ansari brings a unique skill set to this position, the Islamic Chaplaincy Program, the Seminary, and our faculty,” Interim Academic Dean David D. Grafton said. “He has a
wonderful mix of both practical experience as a chaplain in various settings and the teaching experience as an important and cutting-edge American Muslim theologian. We look forward to exciting ventures with him as part of the Macdonald Center and the Chaplaincy program of Hartford Seminary.” As co-director, Dr. Ansari will join Dr. Timur Yuskaev, Associate Professor of Contemporary Islam and Co-Editor of The Muslim World journal, in running the premiere program in the country for training Muslim chaplains. Hartford Seminary launched the Islamic Chaplaincy Program (ICP) in 2001, and for many years, it was the only accredited such program in the country. ICP students must earn a total of 72 credits, which includes a Master of Arts in Religious Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy – the equivalent of a Master of Divinity according to the Association of Theological Schools, one of the Seminary’s accrediting bodies. Chaplains educated at Hartford Seminary have gone on to work in hospitals, corrections facilities, community settings, hospices, and the military, as well as colleges and universities, among them Duke University, Yale University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Williams College, Tufts University, New York University, Cornell University, Wesleyan University, Trinity
College, and Georgetown University. “God is the best of planners,” Dr. Yuskaev said. “And Dr. Ansari’s return – to lead the program from which he graduated eight years ago, and to make Harford Seminary the home of the new and groundbreaking field of study, Muslim Pastoral Theology – is nothing short of providential.” Dr. Ingrid Mattson, the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College at Western University in Canada and a prominent leader in the Muslim community, was the founding director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program at Hartford Seminary and taught Dr. Ansari when she directed it. In recommending Dr. Ansari for the position, she called him a person of great integrity with a deep commitment to education, to the faith community, and to social justice. “Bilal has worked and collaborated successfully with diverse American Muslim communities, [and] Bilal is a wonderful male ally to women in the faith community,” she said. “There is much more I can say about Bilal, but I will end with the reason why Bilal is particularly suited to fill the role of Director of Islamic Chaplaincy. Bilal has worked as a chaplain in three of the main institutional settings for chaplains in America: corrections, health care, and education. His many years of practical
experience, combined with his education and training, make him one of the most knowledgeable and experienced Muslim chaplains in the country.” Dr. Ansari spent 16 years working as a prison chaplain and community organizer, focusing on inequities in race, gender and religion. He has been named to the list of top 100 American Muslim social justice leaders. A first-generation college student, Dr. Ansari earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services from Springfield College. He completed Hartford Seminary's Islamic Chaplaincy Program in 2011, and from 2011 to 2014, served as the Muslim chaplain for Williams College and Assistant Director at the college’s Center for Learning in Action.
Enas Ghassal will teach Tajweed this fall. Before returning to Williams in 2017, Dr. Ansari served as Dean of Student Services and Director of Student Life at Zaytuna College in Berkeley, CA. While there, Dr. Ansari began doctoral studies
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at the Pacific School of Religion, which he completed this year. “Hartford Seminary is the place where I began to reflect deeply about pastoral theology as it relates to my ministry as a Muslim chaplain,” Dr. Ansari said. “It is the place where Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholar-activists scripturally challenged and spiritually developed my passion for social justice. Now, it is the place where God has honored me to return and teach Muslim Pastoral Theology as a scholar-practitioner. I am excited to have the opportunity to develop tomorrow's religious leaders among caring staff and talented faculty. All those called to ethical leadership and social justice work, I have returned to tell you Hartford Seminary is the place to learn to discern and respond to the voice of God.”
Dr. Hossein Kamaly to Fill Imam Ali Chair for Shi’i Studies Another addition to the Macdonald Center faculty is Dr. Hossein Kamaly, recently named Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and holder of the Imam Ali Chair for Shi’i Studies and Dialogue among Islamic Legal Schools.
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The chair, established in 2015, is the first dedicated to Shi’i Studies in North America. Its mission is to provide a voice in the academy for Shi’i Islam, as well to encourage dialogue among Islamic schools of thought and practice, including Shi’i and Sunni law. Hartford Seminary’s commitment to dialogue includes dialogue within religions as well as between them. “I could not be more pleased that we have attracted a scholar and teacher of such high repute,” President Joel N. Lohr said. “But Dr. Kamaly brings more than excellent scholarship and teaching. He brings deep understanding of and love for interreligious dialogue, as well as a keen interest in helping to bring Islamic schools of thought into discussion with each other in a way that builds bridges of peace in the world.” Dr. Kamaly has taught in New York City for many years. He was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Barnard College and Columbia University from 2007-2017. He has also taught at the City University of New York, Hunter College, and Brooklyn College. He has a Master’s and Ph.D., both in History, from Columbia University. He is the author of two monographs, God & Man in Tehran (Columbia
University Press, 2018) and the forthcoming A History
of Islam in 21 Women
(Oneworld Publications), as well as many journal articles in both English and Persian. Funding for the chair’s endowment was made possible through numerous generous donors from around the world, including the Universal Muslim Association of America, the World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities, MARC (Mulla Asghar Memorial Library & Islamic Recourse Centre), and the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation. Establishing the chair was a community effort spearheaded by Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub, a renowned scholar who retired from teaching at Hartford Seminary in 2016 but remains an honorary Faculty Associate. Previous
holders of the chair include Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakhjanvani and Dr. Seyfeddin Kara. Dr. Kamaly said he is honored and humbled by the trust placed in him. “I look forward to joining esteemed colleagues at Hartford Seminary in fostering academic excellence and community service.”
Dr. Suheil Laher Brings Wealth of Experience to Hartford Seminary Faulty Associate Suheil Laher had a different path in mind when he moved from Zimbabwe as a young man to study electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But the events
More Macdonald Center Faculty and Staff The Rev. Dr. David D. Grafton Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations Dr. Timur Yuskaev Associate Professor of Contemporary Islam | Co-Director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program | Co-Editor of of Sept. 11, 2001, changed all that. “I had always been interested in religion,” he said, having memorized the Qur’an as a boy. The events of 9/11 turned that longstanding interest into a desire to learn more. “I guess the event and the whole situation led to me realizing the need to better analyze my own religion, and the need for dialogue with others.” First, he earned a Master’s degree in Religious Studies at Boston University, graduating in 2007, while also working in software. Dr. Laher then applied to Harvard’s Ph.D. program in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization with a concentration in Arabic. He completed that degree in 2014, and moved to Virginia to work for the Fawakih Institute, which focuses on teaching classical Arabic. He then moved back to
Massachusetts and began teaching Arabic and other courses at Hartford Seminary, as well as continuing to teach online courses for the Fawakih Institute. “I’ve been enjoying teaching here,” he said. “The students have been very engaged, very receptive. They are also pretty diverse … It allows for more to be discussed.” Dr. Laher said he enjoys being part of a seminary where students are religiously committed in contrast to other settings where religion can only be discussed from an academic perspective. In his Islamic Theology class, for example, his Muslim students were joined by a rabbi and a Christian theologian. “It’s nice to have their perspectives and questions,” he said.
The Muslim World
Dr. Yahya Michot Professor Emeritus Dr. Lucinda Mosher Faculty Associate in Interfaith Studies The Rev. Dr. Tracy Mehr-Muska Adjunct Faculty Hooman Keshavarzi Adjunct Faculty The Rev. Nick Mumejian Managing Editor of The Muslim World Adjunct Faculty Aida Mansoor Interim Coordinator of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program Enas Ghassal Tajweed Instructor
ALUMNI IN ACTION NIHAL KHAN, MA ’19, Chosen for FASPE Ethics Fellowship Nihal Ahmad Khan, a recent graduate of the Master of Arts in Religious Studies program, is among 14 seminary students and “early-career clergy” who will participate in the 2019 Seminary Program of the Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE). This two-week program brings fellows to Germany and Poland to examine how clergy and religious leaders behaved when the Nazis occupied Europe. That historical study is then related to contemporary professional ethics in five fields – business, journalism, law, medicine, and seminary. “I look forward to FASPE’s fellowship program, as understanding how fascism can root itself in society right under our noses is a real conversation we need to be having,” Khan said. Seventy FASPE fellows were chosen from an applicant pool that included students from across the world. Three groups will travel to Berlin, Krakow, Oświęcim, and Polan (where Auschwitz is located). Each fellow writes an essay about a contemporary ethical issue, some of which are published in the annual FASPE Journal.
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THE REV. DR. CHRIS ANTAL Authors Paper on Moral Injury The Rev. Dr. Chris J. Antal, D.Min. ’17, is the lead author of an article on moral injury published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology. The article is Transforming
Veteran Identity through Community Engagement: A Chaplain-Psychologist Collaboration to Address Moral Injury. It looks at “moral injury” as “an essential construct
for understanding an important dimension of suffering experience by U.S. combat-deployed veterans.” The Rev. Dr. Antal said the paper began with his work at Hartford Seminary. “I developed the moral injury group and the Community Healing Ceremony featured in the paper through my Doctor of Ministry project. My project was based at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia and consisted of the first group and ceremony. The week this paper was published we had our sixth ceremony.” Co-authors include Peter D. Yeomans, Rotunda East, Douglas W. Hickey, Solomon Kalkstein, Kimberly M. Brown, and Dana S. Kaminstein.
THE REV. DR. TRACY MEHR-MUSKA Writes Book on Resilience The Rev. Dr. Tracy Mehr-Muska, D.Min. ’17, wrote a book on resilience based on the research she did for her D.Min. project. That book,
Weathering the Storm: Simple Strategies for Being Peaceful and Prepared, was published this
year. It uses inspirational stories and scientific evidence to offer strategies for becoming more resilient. The Rev. Dr. Mehr-Muska will give a talk on her book at Hartford Seminary at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12. Please join us!
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THE REV. DR. MOLLY JAMES Has New Appointment The Rev. Dr. Molly James, who graduated from Hartford Seminary’s joint Ph.D. program with Exeter and serves as an adjunct faculty member, has been appointed Deputy Executive Officer of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. The Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, Secretary and Executive Officer of the General Convention, said, “Molly James brings enormous gifts and creativity to the work of the General Convention, becoming a central member of the talented team that forwards the governance of The Episcopal Church.”
THE REV. LAURIE GAUM, IPP Alum, Wins Same-Sex Marriage Case in South Africa The Rev. Louis Laurens Botha Gaum, a 2017-18 International Peacemaking Fellow at Hartford Seminary, was one of a group of Dutch Reformed Church clergy and members who recently won a high-profile case against the church’s policy on samesex marriages. The Rev. Gaum, his father Dr. Frits Gaum, and eight members of the Dutch Reformed Church sued in the High Court in Pretoria to have the church’s 2016 decision rejecting same-sex marriage set aside. The court said the church’s policy against same-sex marriage was “unlawful and invalid.” It also allows members of the church who are in same-sex relationships to become ministers.
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ALUM DEBRA TYLER Displays Handmade Earth Scroll Debra Tyler, WLI '11, MA '15, (shown here, right, with mentor Dr. Miriam Therese Winter), spent three years creating a handmade labyrinthine Earth Scroll, which adds planetary rituals to those of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It took Tyler three years to complete the scroll, which was her MA project. She used block printing and hand lettering throughout, detailing the year in religious and neo-pagan readings and rituals and the cycles of nature from the perspective of her home in Cornwall, CT, and from the perspective of Jerusalem. In the center of the scroll is a representation of the tides over the Earth's crust and core. The scroll was displayed at Hartford Seminary in May.
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SAMI AZIZ Is First Imam to Direct Spiritual Life Program at U.S. College Imam Sami Aziz, who graduated from Hartford Seminary’s Islamic Chaplaincy Program in 2015 and is now a Doctor of Ministry student, was chosen in 2018 to lead DePauw University’s Center for Spiritual Life. In announcing the appointment, DePauw University said it believed that Imam Aziz would be the first imam to ever direct a spiritual life program at a college in the United States. Imam Aziz, who founded the Islamic consulting firm Common Ground Services and was a frequent presenter at Connecticut schools, libraries and places of worship, said Hartford Seminary was instrumental in leading him to this position. “HartSem opened my eyes to the interfaith community in America and the world."
Historic Call for THE REV. ERICA THOMPSON The Rev. Erica Thompson, a student in Hartford Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program, was called on Dec. 2, 2018, as the senior minister of Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford. The Rev. Thompson is the first woman to lead the 150-year-old church, which has a rich history. Previous senior ministers – nine in all – include the Rev. Joseph Hopkins Twichell, who served as a chaplain during the Civil War and was best friend to Mark Twain, who attended Asylum Hill while he lived in Hartford and fondly referred to it as the “Church of the Holy Speculators.” The Rev. Thompson’s first call was as Associate Minister at Old South Union Church in Weymouth, MA, and she has been serving as an associate minister at Asylum Hill since 2006, and as acting senior minister since 2017. She was installed on Jan. 27, 2019.
THE REV. DR. SUSAN J. FOSTER Publishes Book on Retreats Susan J. Foster, a graduate of Hartford Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program in 2014 and a pastor, has a new book out called Retreats to Go: Twelve Creative Programs that Renew and Refresh. The Rev. Dr. Foster is pastor of the East Woodstock Congregational (UCC) Church in Connecticut. The book offers: “Everything you need to plan your next retreat. Each Scripturebased theme includes resources for ice breakers, music, quotes, small and large group activities, reflection questions, worship materials, and craft ideas. Designed for those who wish to lead retreats but may not have time for research and planning, this helpful guide offers engaging, easy-to-use programs for adults and older teens. The flexible format can be used for a weekend retreat, a day away, or weekly study group gatherings.”
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MAGGIE SIDDIQI Has New Job with Center for American Progress Maggie Siddiqi, who graduated from Hartford Seminary’s Islamic Chaplaincy Program in 2016, has been named the Director of the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative of the Center for American Progress, the Washington, D.C.-based organization announced this week. Siddiqi will lead the team “in advancing a progressive vision of faith and religious liberty and engaging a network of faith leaders.” Previously, she had served as Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives at the El-Hibri Foundation. “Now more than ever, Maggie’s voice is needed to help define the fundamental values that should guide our country,” Winnie Stachelberg, CAP’s executive vice president for External Affairs, said in a press release. “She can articulate a moral vision for the nation on issues from religious liberty and human rights to criminal justice reform, immigration, and social and economic equality.”
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY, Started at Women’s Leadership Institute, Going Strong It was more than 20 years ago, but Janet Bristow well remembers meeting a woman in her Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI) class who had a Mexican serape that she used to comfort herself as her husband was dying. Both were part of the first WLI cohort launched by Professor Miriam Therese Winter, who still runs the program. Inspired by their classmate, Bristow and another class member, Victoria Galo, decided they would knit shawls for people in their lives to give comfort and live out their faith, praying as they knitted and crocheted. No sooner did they start making the shawls than others began asking for information and patterns. Before long, they had a website. Then an article in The Hartford Courant about their ministry through prayer shawls got picked up on the wires, the way information went viral before the Internet reached into every home. “It jumped across the ocean,” Bristow said during a recent visit to Hartford Seminary to talk about the ministry. They heard from people across the U.S. and around the world who wanted to put prayer shawl groups together.
After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the demand was even higher. “That’s where it got really crazy. Everyone was in such distress,” she said. “Churches flew us in to get groups up and running.” Soon they were publishing books with patterns and inspirational stories as well as prayers. The shawls most often went to those who were ill or in mourning, but later came to include celebrations such as having a baby. “There are so many areas of need where a shawl is appropriate, when you have no words to give to somebody,” she said. Often, Bristow hears stories about how a shawl helped someone to heal. One woman, for example, had lost a son. The shawl was the one thing that could console her as she put her fingers into the stitches for security. Another woman couldn’t leave the house unless she had the shawl around her.Prayer shawl ministry groups are all over the world now, too many to count. “It’s beyond anything we might have imagined,” she said, tracing the whole initiative back to the experience she had at WLI. “It was that collective energy that I experienced in those weekends,” she said. “Everyone is so filled at the end. That energy made this go forward.”
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'71 '40 '18alumni '76notes '57 '33 '67 '19 '43 '78 '91 '85
Muhammad L. Ahmad, GCIMCL ’18, works as an
assistant imam and chaplain volunteer at the Masjid Tawheed Center of Williston, ND.
Deborah Carter, BMP ’18, is entering her third year
in the Master of Art in Religious Studies program. She writes, “I'm a Field Audit working with employers and confirming the reporting of their payroll for the Department of Labor. I’m also currently pursuing a Clergy Scholar Program certification through Yale Divinity School. The program consists of four courses that are designed to enhance growth and understanding of our individual ministries.”
The Rev. Bobbie Chapman, MA ’95, retired from
Founders Congregational Church in Harwinton, CT, after 17 years of ministry in 2017, and relocated to New Hampshire. She is now the part-time pastor of Raymond United Methodist Church in Raymond, NH, and continues to write for various publications.
Emel Ficici, MA ’08, of Vienna, VA, is doing
postdoctoral research in computational biophysics.
Jean C. Woodbury Isteero, Theology ’62, of
Baltimore, MD, writes that her husband, the Rev. Dr. Albert Isteero, passed away in Cairo, in 2019. “In 1959, he came to Hartford Seminary, sent by the Synod of the Nile in Egypt, to help Dr. Elmer Douglas to teach Arabic to mission people heading to the Middle East. It was there in Hartford that I met Albert in 1962, and we subsequently married in Cairo in 1964. We had been married 53 years.”
Thomas Kermes, MA ’18, lives in Rockledge, FL, and chairs the Mission Committee at Rockledge Presbyterian Church.
Ivan Kurtz, MA ’65, is a volunteer chaplain in his
retirement community in Penney Farms, FL. He is also the instructor in a woodcarving group.
Alice O’Donovan, MA ’88, of Tolland, CT, serves the
Church of the Good Shepherd in West Woodstock, CT, as Interim Pastor.
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Tricia Pethic, MA ’17, GCIC ’19, writes: “After nearly
five years as a Muslim chaplain for the New York State Department of Corrections, I have transitioned to family care coordinator at my local organ procurement organization, Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network. I approach families who are contemplating end-of-life options for a loved one. If they consent to donation, I provide aftercare to these families who are grieving their loved one while simultaneously celebrating their gift of life. I’m also in the beginning stages of starting a nonprofit that would serve Muslim prisoners and ex-prisoners with pastoral care and re-entry assistance.”
Joel S. Rickenbach, M.Div. ’69, writes that he and his
wife Ann celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August 2018. “We have five children. The oldest was born in Hartford Hospital. I am a United Methodist Elder. I do what the pastor asks; pulpit, communion, and more, at Prairie View United Methodist Church [in South Dakota]. Ann chases the activities of grandchildren and great grands. She is sure that if the oil cools in her car, it won't start again. I keep the family homestead (1910) running with two sons. No reader will have the joy of operating a ranch with two engineers, but that is why I value my time at the Hartford Seminary Foundation.”
Kathleen Smits, MA ’04, teaches digital arts and
continues to work as a professional artist. She writes, “My latest news is adding Quinnipiac University as another institution at which I am an adjunct professor. I am the Vice President of the Art League of New Britain, and we are growing our community partnerships and education programs, looking towards offering art programs to the children in New Britain.”
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The Rev. Jeffrey C. Thomas, MA ’95, was recently
installed as the pastor at St. James Baptist Church in Woonsocket, RI. The son and grandson of pastors, he initially swore that he would never follow that path but eventually came to realize that it was his calling.
Richard Waddell, D.Min. ’86, is doing occasional
Sunday pastoral supply preaching. He writes, “Satisfying activities include singing in the church choir and the university/community chorus; serving once a week as a volunteer chaplain in our local hospital; witnessing for peace every Friday noon for a half hour in front of the Post Office; exploring Maine woods, hills and waters on foot, rowing shell and kayak alone and with other Senior College members; attending Classical and Celtic concerts, reading, and taking an occasional trip within and outside the country. I participate in Brothers and Sisters of the Way and attend occasional gatherings of Iona Community Associates in Maine."
It is very exciting to teach Jewish Studies to people who are not Jewish. I find that many students come in with open minds and hearts, but with severely mistaken perceptions about Jews. Our work in the classroom, and the education that occurs therein, help repair prejudices that originally arose from misconceptions about who we are, our history and our religious culture. For the uninitiated, what are some of the best reasons for studying Biblical Hebrew? Most people who are interested in the Hebrew Bible, by necessity, read it in translation. And yet, they don’t realize that translations of the Bible differ widely. How would they? The reason translations differ from one another is because the work of translation is actually a process of interpretation. ... For instance, there are a number of words in the Hebrew Bible for which we just don’t know exactly what they mean. Since the translator’s job is to translate every word, but there is no surety about what certain ancient Hebrew words mean, the translator is forced to give his or her opinion about what these words mean. When you begin to learn Biblical Hebrew you begin to notice when translators are interpreting.
Getting to Know Dr. Deena Grant Associate Professor of Jewish Studies After two years, Dr. Deena Grant is already an integral part of the community. In addition to teaching Jewish Studies and Hebrew, she can be seen putting up a Sukkah during Sukkot in the fall, organizing an interfaith Seder during Passover, and speaking at area mosques, synagogues, churches, and other venues. We asked her a few questions about her life and work.
You’ve been in Connecticut for almost two years now. Besides the weather, how does it compare with Miami, where you taught for six years? For one thing, Miami is a much fasterpaced town, whereas Connecticut seems to function in a less-hurried fashion. This may be why I keep finding myself walking faster than the people around me. Miami is also a very diverse city, whereas Connecticut is not especially diverse. However, I find that the people here, especially in the Greater Hartford area, recognize this and try to find ways to foster relationships across ethnicities, gender, and even religions. What immediately comes to mind, for instance, is our Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom chapter, which tries to combat prejudice by bringing Jewish and Muslim women together. How do you experience teaching Jewish Studies to students who come from different faith traditions?
Tell us about your most recent research and/or writing project. I just finished working on an article that deals with academic, Jewish and Christian interpretations of the biblical, “You shall love the Lord with all your heart with all your soul and with all your might.” Theologians and scholars have grappled with this command for many years. Does Bible really presume that people can will themselves to feel an emotion? And if we could will ourselves to love God how might we do it? What do you like to do outside of teaching? A super answer to this question would be exercising, hiking, and swimming. In reality, I do none of that, and instead, enjoy watching horror shows on Netflix.
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ONLINE COURSES AM-731: Psychology of Trauma (Keshavarzi) DI-501: Introduction to Islam for Non-Muslims (Mumejian) ET-620: Islamic Business Ethics (Moghul) HI-653: Luther, the Jews, and the Turks: The Reformation in Interreligious Contexts (Grafton) RS-536: Religion as a Social Phenomenon (Norton) SC-636: Images of Jesus in Christian and Muslim Sacred Writings (Mosher)
MONDAYS AM-550: Qur'an Recitation/Tajweed (Ghassal) AM-625: The Art of Preaching (Watts) TH-505: Christian Theology (Awad) WS-641: Spirituality in a Quantum Universe (Winter) RS-659: Contemporary Religion and Public Life (Yuskaev)
TUESDAYS HI-624: Islamic History I (Michot) LG-661: Readings in New Testament Greek I (Duffy) RS-612: None’s Religion (Thumma) SC-613: Gender, Power, and Women (Grant) Zoom Enabled SC-531: New Testament Survey (Schmidt)
WEDNESDAYS DI-530: Dialogue in a World of Difference (Lohr) SC-611: The Gospel of John (Duffy) SC-630: Foundations of Qur’anic Studies (Laher)
THURSDAYS LG-720: Qur'anic Analysis I (Laher) HI-628: Muslims in American Religious History (Yuskaev) Zoom Enabled TH-606: Looking at Jesus in the Context of the Modern World (Awad) RS-617: Shi'a Islam: Beliefs, Practices, and Traditions (Kamaly) DI-511: Introduction to Judaism (Grant)
ALL-DAY COURSES AM-720: The Vital Vintage Church (Piazza) Meets 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on 9/17; 10/8, 10/29; 11/19; 12/10 WS-551: Women’s Leadership Institute I (Winter) Meets Fridays, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 9/20-21; 10/18-19; 11/15-16; 12/13-14
SPECIAL PRICING FOR ALUMNI
FALL COURSES
The non-credit audit fee for courses is $575, but a special rate of $385 is available for many groups. The lower rate applies to the following: donors of $250 or more; persons age 60 and older; persons 55 and older receiving disability income; graduates of Hartford Seminary degree programs or the Cooperative Master of Divinity; and Hartford Seminary adjunct faculty. There is a limit of one course per academic year for all groups except those 60 or older, for whom there is no limit. To register, please contact the Registrar at 860-509-9511 or email registrar@hartsem.edu.
A CULTURE OF PHIL·ANTHROPY KAAREN VAN DYKE
and diluted. That is why I found it difficult to answer that question in my interviews. I did not want to trivialize it or offer flattened programmatic steps to accomplish it. I do not believe a culture of philanthropy is created – I believe a culture of philanthropy is lived. Philanthropy is activity, it is giving and doing and being a community with a common mission.
is the Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations at Hartford Seminary. To speak with Kaaren please contact kvandyke@hartsem.edu or 860.509.9556
Hartford Seminary’s mission exemplifies the true characteristics of philanthropy – responsibility, empathy, kindness, expansive thinking, selflessness, and gratitude.
During my interviews for the position of Director of Development for Hartford Seminary, whether it was staff, faculty or trustees, there was one prevailing question, “What is your definition of a Culture of Philanthropy?”
"PHILOS," WHICH MEANS LOVING, AND "ANTHROPOS," WHICH MEANS HUMANKIND.
When you give to Hartford Seminary, you bring the mission to life.
As graduates of Hartford Seminary, many of you have moved into positions of leadership, and you face the same question. I find it powerful to exchange the word culture for Cultivation, making it an action rather than an outcome. I especially like to apply the definition as given for farming. The preparation of ground to promote growth. To till the soil.
When you share your stories about Hartford Seminary, you build the community. When you introduce new students to Hartford Seminary, you open our doors.
At Hartford Seminary, that is what we work for – to grow and sustain a peaceful multi-faith world. We want your seeds of faith planted in rich soil.
For all that you do, I want to say, “Thank you.” If you would like to talk more about philanthropy or fundraising, I would enjoy that. If you have any questions about ways to give to Hartford Seminary, my door is open.
Then there is the potent word Philanthropy. "Philos," which means loving, and "anthropos," which means humankind. Culture of Philanthropy has developed into a “buzz” phrase, bantered about
With gratitude, Kaaren Van Dyke Director of Philanthropy
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OBITUARIES PASTOR, ACTIVIST MOON TONG-HWAN,
’56 AND ’61
his family fled to Seoul, Korea, in 1946 “escaping persecution by the local Communists,” according to his biography in the Hartford Seminary archives.
A celebrated pastor who dedicated his life to democracy in South Korea and was jailed for his activities, Moon Tonghwan was a graduate of Hartford Seminary who earned his MA in 1956 and his Doctor of Religious Education in 1961. He passed away this year at the age of 97.
In 1950, with the outbreak of the Korean Conflict, Dr. Moon served the U.S. Army as an interpreter. He came to the U.S. in 1951 and studied at Western Theological Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary before earning his MA and Doctor of Religious Education at Hartford Seminary. His doctoral thesis was titled
First Century Christ for Twentieth Century Korean Youth.
He later returned to South Korea, and in 1976, he Dr. Moon was a Christian was put behind bars and pastor who, according to served a nearly two-year the Korea Herald, “is noted prison term for his profor his fight against the democracy activities. country’s authoritarian After his release from governments led by prison, Dr. Moon found Rhee Syng-man and Park political asylum in the Chung-hee from the 1940s U.S. but then returned to through the 1970s.” Korea in 1985 to lecture Born Stephen Tongwhan at Hanshin University. Moon in 1921 in Kando, He was elected to the Manchuria, he attended National Assembly in local schools and then 1988. studied in Tokyo in Dr. Moon is survived by the early 1940s. After his wife, two sons, and returning to Manchuria two daughters. to teach school, he and
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MARJORIE HALL DAVIS, 86, of Granby,
CT, passed away on Feb. 24, 2019. She was born in Meriden, CT, and grew up in Wallingford. She attended Smith College and Cornell University, receiving an undergraduate degree in zoology and an M.S. in neurology and embryology. She taught chemistry and other science courses at Granby Memorial High School before leaving to raise her four children. Later, she continued her education, attending Hartford Seminary and Yale Divinity School. She received her M.Div. from Yale and was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1986. She worked for more than two decades as an interim minister and pastoral counselor. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at Hartford Seminary. She was active in the UCC Science and Technology Working Group; the Ecumenical Roundtable on Science, Technology, and the Church; and was a Fellow of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. She presented academic papers in several countries in Europe, traveled with the Plowshares Institute to South America and
Africa, and stayed active throughout her life in peace and social justice work.
DR. KATHLEEN D. MOODY, 62, of
Newtown, CT, died Jan. 11, 2019. From 1986-2001, she served as a clinical professor in the Department of Comparative Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine. During that time and subsequently, she served as a consultant and interim clinician for several biomedical organizations. In 2005, she decided to study chaplaincy at Hartford Seminary and graduated with her Master's in Transformative Leadership and Spirituality in 2018.
DR. ISSA J. BOULLATA , 90, a
Palestinian literary scholar, author, educator, and translator who taught at Hartford Seminary, died on May 1, 2019. Dr. Boullata taught in secondary schools in Jerusalem and earned his Ph.D. in Arabic literature
at the University of London in 1969. He then taught at Hartford Seminary, moving in 1975 to McGill University in Montreal. According to his obituary, “Throughout his career, Issa authored both scholarly and fictional works, and was also a translator of many books of poetry, fiction, and memoir, including works by Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, Mohamed Berrada, Emily Nasrallah, and Ghada Samman. He was a two-time winner of the University of Arkansas Press Award for Translation from Arabic, and he also wrote in Arabic, including a novel,
Returning to Jerusalem,
and a biography of Iraqi poet Badr Shakir alSayyab.” After retiring from McGill in 2004, he published a collection of short stories, A Retired Gentleman, and a memoir,
The Bells of Memory: A Palestinian Boyhood in Jerusalem.
THE REV. ARNOLD PAUL MOEDE , 92,
passed away on Aug. 24, 2018, in Seguin, Texas. He grew up in North Dakota and Nebraska, graduating from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1946, with a BA in History,
Philosophy and English. He received an M.Div. from Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, MN, in 1950, and completed special studies in Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics at the Hartford Seminary Foundation in 1956. He later taught Cultural Anthropology at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO, and served for many years as a pastor, both in the U.S. and in Africa.
SALLY WILLIAMS (FULLER), 81, of West
Hartford, CT, died on March 27, 2018. Her many degrees include a BA from DePauw University, an M.Ed. from the University of Hartford, a CAGS from Wesleyan University, an M.Div. from Hartford Seminary, and a Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. According to her obituary, “She enjoyed an active role in the Presidents' College at the University of Hartford, and she supported higher education for her children and grandchildren. Sally felt blessed to have had two careers she loved. Her work in museums took her from the Honolulu Academy of Arts to the Wadsworth Athenaeum to the Noah Webster House, where she served as director. Leaving the world of objects for the world of people, she became a hospital chaplain
and served at Hartford Hospital for more than a decade, until her retirement.”
FORMER TRUSTEE & ALUMNA AMY ROBINSON, MA ’99 School.
Amy Robinson, a Trustee of Hartford Seminary who was a passionate advocate for peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue, passed away on May 8, 2019. Amy was born in 1946 in Wayland, Iowa, the youngest of five children. While attending the University of Strasbourg on a college year abroad, she met Lewis J. Robinson Jr., who would become her husband. Amy and Lew lived in West Hartford and Hartford for 46 years. Amy was the founder and principal of Robinson and Associates, a marketing communications firm. She also served in numerous volunteer positions, including as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, President of Women in Communications, and in more recent years, as a tutor at the Noah Webster Micro Society Magnet
During her time as a Hartford Seminary Trustee, from 2005 to 2014, she was the chair of the Recruitment and Communications Committee and wrote for both the Development and Communications offices, lending the expertise she had as a writer and marketing consultant. She also earned a Master of Arts in Religious Studies degree from Hartford Seminary in 1999, and was a graduate of the Women’s Leadership Institute. Even after earning her degree, she continued to take courses and stay involved in the life of the Seminary. She was often present at evening lectures and events such as Convocation with her bright smile and unflagging energy. President Joel N. Lohr said, “Amy was a vital member of this community who never stopped advocating for interfaith dialogue and peacemaking. She is someone who lived out and modeled the values we hold dear at Hartford Seminary.” Surviving, in addition to Lew, are Amy’s two sons, Ramsey Douglass and Elliot Daniel.
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RABBI STANLEY KESSLER, TRUSTEE FROM 1994-97
After a life of extraordinary accomplishment and service, Rabbi Stanley Kessler, a Hartford Seminary Trustee from 1994 to 1997, passed away on May 30, 2019, at the age of 95. Known as the founding spiritual leader of Beth El Temple in West Hartford who served there for 38 years, he was also a civil rights activist who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1960s, an activist who spoke against the Vietnam War, and a founder of Rabbis for Human Rights. Stanley Kessler was born in 1923 in Bethlehem, PA. “After his baccalaureate degree (Yeshiva University), Stanley Kessler followed the call to arms in WWII, by joining the Air Force, flying 18 missions in a Liberator bomber over Italy and Austria,” according to his obituary.
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After the war, he was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and after serving several other congregations, settled in West Hartford at Beth El with his wife Maurine in 1954. In the 1960s, he responded to Dr. King’s call and became a Freedom Rider, marching with King in Birmingham and Selma, AL. “Over the course of his long and distinguished career he continued to speak his mind on a wide range of issues from Middle East peace to human rights,” his obituary said. “He won numerous awards from organizations such as T’ruah and served in highlevel positions in several national organizations, including chairman of the National Rabbinic Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal.” The vestry at Beth El Temple was named after Rabbi Kessler in 2003 as the synagogue marked its 50th anniversary. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, among numerous other honors. Rabbi Kessler is survived by his children, Dr. Abigail K. Hanna and Jonathan J. Kessler; a granddaughter, Georgine Hoge; a brother and sisterin-law, Arnold and Naomi Kessler; and numerous nephews and nieces.
JAMES LUNDQUIST,
77, of Bolton, formerly of West Hartford, beloved husband of the late Mary, passed away on June 16, 2018. He worked and volunteered at many places, including Trinity College, Hartford Seminary, and Whiting Lane School. According to his obituary, “he had an irrepressible spirit and made a lasting impression on all who met him. In 2001, he was profiled in a Northeast Magazine cover story and receive the Hartford Courant’s Connecticut Bloomer Award for his contributions to the community.”
RETIRED COL. WILLIAM D. “BILL” HOSKING, of Moscow,
ID, died on Jan. 26, 2019, at his home. He was 91. According to his obituary, “He attended Knox College, graduating cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1949, and the Hartford Seminary Foundation in 1951. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, completed pilot training and was commissioned in April 1954. The following month, he married the love of his life, Barbara Ann Robinette of Chattanooga, TN. “As a lieutenant, he was aide-decamp and personal pilot to the commander of the Alaskan Air Command, during which time Alaska became a state. During the Vietnam War, as a major, he was with the 602nd Fighter Squadron stationed in Thailand. He flew 114 combat missions in single engine fighters,
receiving eight air medals, the Bronze Star and two Distinguished Flying Crosses for Valor. He was commander of the 57th Aerospace & Recovery Squadron, in Azores, Portugal, as a lieutenant commander. His last assignment was at the University of Idaho as a professor of aerospace studies. When the unit was closed, he took early retirement and returned to the University of Idaho as a student, earning a Ph.D.”
LOGAN CARSON,
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's first full-time African American professor, died Nov. 3, 2018, at age 86. Carson taught theology at SEBTS from 1994-2009. According to his obituary, “Carson was born blind due to malformed retinas in July 1932 in McDowell County, NC. However, blindness did not stop his zeal in ministry and his love for the Lord. In 1955, Carson was pursuing a degree to become a constitutional attorney when he sensed God's call to teach students the Scriptures. Carson received a BA in Bible and social science from Shaw University in Raleigh, NC, in 1957. In 1960, just three days after marrying his wife Glenwood, he received his Bachelor of Divinity from Hartford Seminary Foundation. Twenty years later, the graduate school of Drew University in Madison, N.J., awarded Carson a doctor of philosophy degree.” During his time at Southeastern, Carson also served as
pastor of Green-Bethel Baptist Church in Boiling Springs, NC. Before joining the SEBTS faculty, Carson had taught 21 years as a professor of religion in Old Testament studies at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs.
PHILIP SUSAG , 97,
of Manchester, beloved husband of the late Joanne Fletcher Susag and a Hartford Seminary corporator, passed away peacefully on Feb. 15, 2019, at home. He was born in Minneapolis, MN. According to his obituary, he had a “38year career with Pratt and Whitney Aircraft as an engineer and engineering manager. This career led to assignments in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Fort Worth, and overseas in France and in England in collaboration with Rolls Royce. He married Joanne Fletcher in Minneapolis in 1945, and they moved to Manchester, CT, in 1947. “His public service included a term on the Manchester Board of Education, Chairman of a long-term planning project known as Agenda for Tomorrow for Manchester, and as a member and president of the Manchester Community Services Council. He was also involved in Manchester Community Interfaith Services. A 73-year member of South United Methodist Church, he served as property manager for several years, and participated and led in many other
capacities. He was engaged with the Preachers’ Aid Society of New England, United Methodist Foundation of New England, Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist Development Fund, and the Board of Pensions. He was a corporator of Hartford Seminary, and a past president of the Connecticut Council of Churches.”
THE REV. FLOYD E. “SKIP” GEORGE III died on Feb. 4,
2019, in West Palm Beach, FL. Skip grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and attended Union College in Barbourville, KY. His obituary reads: “After flirting with a career in the foreign service, he decided to attend Hartford Theological Seminary to follow in his father’s, grandfather’s, great-grandfather’s, and great-great-grandfather’s footsteps and join the Methodist ministry. Skip served many parishes in Connecticut and New York." He retired in 2004, and served Rye UMC in New York for eight years in retirement.
DR. MERCILE J. LEE
died in Madison, WI, on Oct. 25, 2018.She received her BA in education and philosophy from Virginia Union University and her MA and Ph.D. from Hartford Seminary Foundation. She had a 50-plus-year career as an academician and higher education administrator, serving as a professor of psychology at Ottawa University in Ottawa, KN, where she later became a
Trustee. Her obituary said: “The impact Mercile sought to make in people’s lives extended in the greater Madison community. Her civic engagement spanned 40 years and included work on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations including Dane County Big Brothers Big Sisters; the Urban League of Greater Madison; and the Housing Ministries of American Baptists in Wisconsin. She was also a founding member of the Madison/Dane County Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition, which honored the life and work of one of her early mentors, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."
DAVID MUT passed
away on Nov. 20, 2018. He had a BA and MA from Drew University in Madison, NJ, and received a Master of Divinity from Hartford Seminary. According to his obituary, “David was ordained an elder of the United Methodist Church in 1971. He served as an associate pastor at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Middletown, NY, and as pastor of the Kensington United Methodist Church. During his ministry, David coordinated the development of a crisis intervention and drug rehabilitation program and was a member of the New York Conference on Youth Ministries. He also served as the Youth Director for the Connecticut Central
District. Before his retirement, David was the Program Coordinator of Martin House in Norwich, CT.”
THE REV. BETTY STONE LUDWIG of
Newbury, VT, passed away on Nov. 2, 2018, in Ft. Myers, FL.
She lived her early years in Meriden, graduating from Meriden High in 1944, from William Jewell College, Liberty, MO, in 1949, and from Hartford Seminary in 1953. Her obituary said: “After graduating from seminary, Betty was called to serve in the Lake Region Parish in Vermont, where her feet got frozen and her heart forever warmed! She then served on the staff of the New Hampshire Conference of Congregational Churches, helping to develop their Conference Center in Pembroke, NH From there she advanced to the national staff of the United Church of Christ (Congregational) headquartered in Boston. She lived on the shores of Boston Harbor, in Nahant, Mass., was the editor of a teacher’s magazine, Children’s Religion, and wrote a book, Here Begins the Gospel.
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I Hart Sem is the perfect way to be a philanthropist on a budget. Being a Monthly Giver is a wonderful way to be a part of a collective giving fund that does really, really big things.
WAYS TO GIVE
CASH, CHECK, OR CREDIT CARD Credit card gifts and pledge payments can be made by telephone or by mail. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Please call our Development Office at (860) 509-9556 to make your credit card gift or pledge payment. You may also send your gift by mail. Please fill out the DONATION ENVELOPE ENCLOSED in this magazine to indicate the designation of your gift to Hartford Seminary.
Your check can be mailed to us at the following address:
Hartford Seminary Development Office 77 Sherman Street Hartford, CT 06015 These gifts are tax deductible as allowed by law 25
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I loved the time I spent at Hartford Seminary as a D.Min. student. As an unrepentant perennial student, that isn’t a surprise. My amazement is in how much richer my life is because of the continuing connection I have to Hartford Seminary and the remarkable community it represents. My simple automatic monthly payment is a welcome reminder that I am helping to build and support relationships that are literally transforming our world.
Karen Bailey-Francois Hartford Seminary Alum Monthly Donor
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