2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020
THE POWER
PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
OF YOUR GIFT
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020
THE POWER
PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
OF YOUR GIFT
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From the President
THE POWER
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“Thank you for your contribution and financial support. Through these trying times, not only has it provided great financial relief for me and my family, but it has also alleviated a great amount of stress for me personally. Thank you for your contribution and allowing me to continue pursuing my seminary education with less of a burden.” COVID-19 Relief Fund Recipient
MDiv Middler
Dear Princeton Seminary family, In these days, we are acutely aware of how much we value the ties that bind us together in the enduring presence of the Spirit. I have been encouraged and filled with gratitude by the many ways that our community has adapted to meet the challenges of this moment. Faculty have taken great care to move their courses to digital formats. Students have been creative in participating in community life through worshiping and gathering online. Administrators and staff have continued to keep our campus safe and operational, and our mission advancing. And you have continued to support this work, as a vital part of our community. We remain committed to nurturing the bonds of covenant community within the Princeton Seminary family. It is how we train the next generation of leaders to serve Christ in the church, academy, and public arena. Your support has made it possible for this mission to continue — and to deepen — without interruption in this season. You have invested in the leaders whom God has called and gifted for just such a time as this. It is a proclamation that our community of faith and scholarship continues to offer hope to the world. Thank you for your partnership in this sacred mission. Faithfully, M. Craig Barnes
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
THE POWER OF YOUR GIFT
OF YOUR GIFT
Donors Help Students Navigate the Pandemic
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The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply shaken the United States economy. At Princeton Theological Seminary, the hardship for students, particularly those who lost offcampus and summer jobs, is palpable. “It became pretty obvious to us very early in the pandemic that our students were going to have additional needs due to lost income and costs inherent with online learning,” says Mike Livio, director of student administrative services. “So right away, in March and April, there was a desire to reach out to Seminary donors to see if we could raise additional money to help students in their time of need.”
Donors and friends stepped up in a big way, raising about $500,000 in a matter of a few weeks. Thanks to their incredible generosity, students can apply to receive special funding if they’re suffering any sort of financial hardship related to the pandemic. Peter Whitelock, DMin ’03, ThM ’89, a member of the Princeton Seminary Board of Trustees, says leadership at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church unanimously supported making a gift. “This is a difficult season for our students, with many lost opportunities to fund their educational pursuits. We pray these resources will help them stay the course in pursing God’s call to service in and beyond the church.” Heather Sturt Haaga, a member of the Princeton Seminary Board of Trustees, and her husband Paul were among the donors. “Summer internships are a time to learn but also a time to earn. It became quickly apparent that this COVID summer was going to prevent our students from earning their ‘summer money’ which would cause them hardship going forward. Paul and I so believe in internships. They let you learn what you like to do, what you are meant to do, or what you should avoid. So funding internships is at the top of our philanthropic list. Giving money
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THE POWER OF YOUR GIFT
Incredible generosity is helping ease Princeton Seminary students’ hardships
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“Because of the generous financial gift that I received, I am able to pay for my summer courses and my basic living expenses without worrying about additional
this summer was even more critical and I am sure our students learned something despite lack of traditional placements.” Their donation contributed to the $100,000 of the fund designated for field education stipends, which allowed students to serve a combination of 45 congregations, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations. Other challenges the fund helped to address include loss of income by a student or spouse; technology costs related to online learning like upgrading laptops, speakers, and microphones; and making up for additional living expenses, since the pandemic forced campus dorms to close this year. “As one of many students whose life was unexpectedly changed by the current pandemic, I am so grateful and proud of the Princeton Seminary community for continuing to adhere to student needs and doing all that they can to alleviate our financial burdens,” says one student recipient. “Because of the generous financial gift that I received, I am able to pay for my summer courses and my basic living expenses without worrying about additional loans or debt.” So far, three rounds of grants (in July, September, and October) have aided more than 170 students. “The students have been very forthcoming with their situations, explaining why they need the money, in some cases in very great detail,” Livio says. “It hasn’t been difficult for the committee to read through the applications and understand exactly what our students are facing.” By the time final awards are given in January, Livio estimates that around 200 students will have been helped. “That’s more than half of the student body,” he says. “This was done to help students at a very difficult time and it’s really come as a blessing.”
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
THE POWER OF YOUR GIFT
loans or debt.”
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It’s Complicated: Confronting Complex Scripture
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Lisa Bowens tackles African American understanding and interpretations of Paul
Lisa Bowens, PhD ‘14, is the first African American woman to earn tenure in Princeton Theological Seminary’s Biblical Studies Department.
But when she arrived in academia, she realized it wasn’t so simple for many people. One example that stands out to her is the story theologian and civil rights leader Howard Thurman often told about his grandmother. She was a slave and never learned to read, so Thurman would read passages of scripture to her — with one exception. “She would hardly ever let him read anything from Paul, except on rare occasions 1 Cor. 13, and one day he summoned the courage to ask her why,” Bowens says. “She said when she was a slave, it was preached from Paul that slaves must obey their masters. She promised herself that if freedom ever came, she wouldn’t want to hear anything from Paul again.” This story moved Bowens to learn more about the complex history between the African American community and the teachings of Paul. The culmination of her research is African American Readings of Paul: Reception, Resistance, and Transformation, a new book published in September 2020, which examines interpretations from the 1700s through the civil rights movement. The research for this book was supported by a grant awarded for the 2017– 2018 academic year from the Louisville Institute, called the First Book Grant for Scholars of Color. This grant is specifically designed to provide funds for a first or second book that completes a major research project on an issue pertinent to North American Christianity. On the one hand, Bowens’ research confirms the use of Paul to support racism, slavery, sexism, and other forms of discrimination and violence. “We have to reckon with that,” she says. “People want healing, and the first step is recognizing the way scripture has been used to dehumanize people and legitimize murder.”
On the other hand, Bowens was surprised to find that, more often than not, there were many positive interpretations of Paul in African American sermons, speeches, essays, autobiographies, and letters, from a 1774 petition that used Paul to argue against slavery to numerous mentions by Martin Luther King, Jr.
“It was an interesting journey for me to get a more robust picture of how African Americans have utilized Paul for liberation, freedom, and justice,” she says. But these interpretations don’t need to reside purely in history. Bowens is motivated and inspired by these interpreters, who offer lessons applicable to America’s ongoing struggle with racism. “We have a rich legacy of interpreters who have gone before us and paved the way for how scripture can be used as a force for justice,” she says. “This is in our DNA as Christians, and these interpreters do a wonderful job showing us that.” Bowens’ work has received recognition from her peers. Upon the unanimous recommendation of the Princeton Theological Seminary faculty and President Barnes, Bowens was promoted to associate professor of New Testament with tenure by the Seminary’s Board of Trustees, effective July 1. Of Bowens’ promotion, Jacqueline Lapsley, dean and vice president of Academic Affairs and professor of Old Testament, says, “I am thrilled that a scholar of Dr. Bowens’ caliber will continue to grace the Princeton Theological Seminary faculty for years to come. Her teaching and scholarship are critical for the church and the world today and Princeton Seminary is blessed in every way to have her on our faculty.”
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THE POWER OF YOUR GIFT
Growing up in a Pentecostal family, Bowens had a straightforward relationship with the biblical writings attributed to Paul. “Paul was venerated in my tradition,” she says. “I grew up loving Paul.”
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Campus Highlight A New Curriculum Is Approved ptsem.edu/new-curriculum
Differentiating this curriculum from previous iterations are its five unique core commitment areas, beginning with a Life Together course, a small, capped-enrollment course taught by a faculty member, with assistance from an administrator. Other core commitment areas include spiritual practices of the faith (integrating those practices across disciplines); Theological Imagination courses (placing a theological lens on current topics and issues facing church and society); Christian leadership; and renewal of creation, self, and communities. “Our goal is to form leaders within a flourishing Princeton Seminary community, who will pass along these attributes to their future communities and congregations,” says Jacqueline Lapsley, dean and vice president of Academic Affairs and professor of Old Testament.
Princeton Theological Seminary Announces Plan to Repent for Ties to Slavery slavery.ptsem.edu/action-plan
On October 18, 2019, the Princeton Seminary Board of Trustees unanimously endorsed the implementation of a multi-year action plan to repent
for its ties to slavery. The approved series of new initiatives, ranging from increased student financial assistance to curriculum changes to added support for the Center for Black Church Studies, was a direct response to a report the Seminary published in October 2018 after conducting a two-year historical audit. “The report was an act of confession,” says John White, dean of students and vice president for Student Relations. “These responses are intended as acts of repentance that will lead to lasting impact within our community. This is the beginning of the process of repair that will be ongoing,” says White.
New Initiative Fosters Antiracism Formation
David Chao Appointed Director of Asian American Program
Feeding Children in Trenton During the COVID-19 Crisis
ptsem.edu/program-director
ptem.edu/feeding-trenton-children
As director of Princeton Seminary’s Asian American Program, David Chao, PhD ’19, ThM ’11, will expand the program’s reach by organizing academic programs and events, teaching courses, and mentoring students.
During the state-mandated quarantine and lockdown, many children in Trenton, a neighboring city of the Seminary, were no longer receiving breakfast and lunch as they normally would at school. These children were finding themselves amidst a food desert as local food pantries, soup kitchens, and stores serving the area were unable to keep up with the demand. In response, the Seminary donated hundreds of meals and groceries to children in the West and South wards of Trenton, in partnership with St. Bartholomew Lutheran Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, and Capital Area YMCA.
“The Asian American Program seeks to address the demographic trends,” Chao says. “We want to have innovative conversations about Asian American theology and ministry, enrich the theological formation of Asian and Asian American students, and equip and empower the practice of ministry in Asian American churches.”
antiracism.pstem.edu
Creating Community During Quarantine As the nation and church continue to reckon with the insidious reality of racism, Princeton Seminary has committed to doing justice by developing antiracism training for every member of the Seminary community. The Antiracism Implementation Task Force began this work during orientation for new and returning students and will continue with training and learning opportunities for students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni. This work is essential for people of faith.
A Reaffirmed Commitment to Help Rebuild Puerto Rico ptsem.edu/rebuild-puerto-rico
A solidarity team comprised of 18 students, facilities staff, administrators, and faculty members headed to Puerto Rico March 6–14, 2020 to serve in partnership with local church centers and social service agencies to help meet the needs of community residents who were experiencing the trauma of then-recent natural disasters. The team worked with representatives from the El Guacio Camp and Conference Center, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico to revitalize property. In partnership with the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship, the team provided a worship service celebrating the 100th anniversary of our sister seminary.
In spite of the challenges presented by the global pandemic, the Seminary dared to believe that the Holy Spirit remains unimpeded. In response to Christ’s call in this season, the Seminary formed QTeams, small groups of 12 to 15 students jointly led by a student and faculty or staff member, for the fall 2020 semester. QTeams provided a primary vehicle for navigating health and wellness guidelines, an outlet for the Seminary to welcome and incorporate new students into the community, and a network to ensure that every student received regular care and no student fell through the cracks.
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
THE POWER OF YOUR GIFT
Princeton Seminary has approved a new curriculum that builds on a decades-long commitment to intellectual excellence to also emphasize emotional, social, and spiritual development.
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2019–2020 Faculty
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M. Craig Barnes, PhD, LHD (Hon.) President and Professor of Pastoral Ministry Afeosemime (“Afe”) Adogame, PhD Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Religion and Society
The Power of Your Gift
Brown Hall
Historic Brown Hall is undergoing a significant renovation to convert dorm rooms into single-occupancy units with private bathrooms, as well as the installation of a new cooling and heating system. The entire building is being renovated to enhance space for community formation, including expanded common space on every floor, enlarged kitchen facilities, and a new central entrance facing the Seminary Quad.
Kenneth Glenn Appold, PhD, Dr. Theol. Habil. James Hastings Nichols Professor of Reformation History Eric D. Barreto, PhD Frederick and Margaret L. Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament Raimundo César Barreto, Jr., PhD Associate Professor of World Christianity Carl Clifton Black II, PhD Otto A. Piper Professor of Biblical Theology Lisa M. Bowens, PhD Associate Professor of New Testament
Keri L. Day, PhD Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religion Kenda Creasy Dean, PhD Mary D. Synnott Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture James Clifford Deming, PhD Associate Professor of Modern European Church History Frederick William “Chip” Dobbs-Allsopp, PhD Professor of Old Testament and James Lenox Librarian Nancy Janine Duff, PhD Stephen Colwell Associate Professor of Christian Ethics Robert Craig Dykstra, PhD Charlotte W. Newcombe Professor of Pastoral Theology Mary K. Farag, PhD Assistant Professor of Early Christian Studies
John Rennell Bowlin, PhD Robert L. Stuart Professor of Philosophy and Christian Ethics
Nancy Lammers Gross, PhD Arthur Sarell Rudd Professor of Speech Communication in Ministry, Chair and Director of Masters’ Studies
Michael Allen Brothers, PhD Associate Professor of Speech Communication in Ministry
Jay-Paul Hinds, PhD Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology
Sally Ann Brown, PhD Elizabeth M. Engle Professor of Preaching and Worship
George Hunsinger, PhD Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Systematic Theology
Heath W. Carter, PhD Associate Professor of American Christianity
Elaine T. James, PhD Associate Professor of Old Testament
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
THE POWER OF YOUR GIFT
Dale C. Allison, Jr., PhD Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament
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2019–2020 Faculty
Bo Karen Lee, PhD Associate Professor of Spiritual Theology and Christian Formation Gerald C. Liu, PhD Assistant Professor of Worship and Preaching Bruce Lindley McCormack, PhD, Dr. Theol. (Hon.) Charles Hodge Professor of Systematic Theology, and Director of the Center for Barth Studies Elsie Anne McKee, PhD Archibald Alexander Professor of Reformation Studies and the History of Worship Gordon Stanley Mikoski, PhD Associate Professor of Christian Education, Chair and Director of PhD Studies Margarita A. Mooney, PhD Associate Professor of Congregational Studies Dennis Thorald Olson, PhD Charles T. Haley Professor of Old Testament Theology
Hanna Reichel, ThD Associate Professor of Reformed Theology Paul Edward Rorem, PhD Benjamin B. Warfield Professor of Medieval Church History Dirk Jacobus Smit, Dr.Theol. PhD (Hon.) Rimmer and Ruth deVries Professor of Reformed Theology and Public Life Mark Stratton Smith, PhD Helena Professor of Old Testament Literature and Exegesis Mark Lewis Taylor, PhD Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Theology and Culture Sonia E. Waters, PhD Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology Richard Fox Young, PhD Elmer K. and Ethel R. Timby Associate Professor of the History of Religions Administrative Faculty Nathan T. Stucky, PhD Director of Farminary and Sustainable Educational Initiatives Martin Tel, DMA C.F. Seabrook Director of Music
My journey to theological education began when I voluntarily withdrew from a bachelor’s in microbiology to attend seminary. I knew very little about Princeton Seminary before I started here in the fall of 2017. However, my experiences in the classroom with my professors, the chapel life, the dorms, and the library left me craving more, hence my decision to continue my scholarship here. Anyone who has lived abroad for awhile can resonate with what it’s like for your eyes to crave the familiar, for your taste buds to revolt sometimes, for your hands
to long for the touch of your beloved pet, for your feet to yearn to be buried in the soil of your homeland, and for your body to desire the warm embrace of loved ones. At the same time, the occasional satisfaction of experiencing the new, the joys of engaging new ways of learning, and the sheer satisfaction of participating in the realities of others in ways that strikingly resonates with yours makes the journey worthwhile. In those moments you learn that your heart can handle, loving much more than you ever imagined. That’s what my experience has been like at Princeton Seminary.
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Cleophus James LaRue, Jr., PhD, DD (Hon.) Francis Landey Patton Professor of Homiletics
George Lewis Parsenios, PhD Professor of New Testament
RUT H V IDA A M W E
Jacqueline Evangeline Lapsley, PhD Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Old Testament
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William Stacy Johnson, PhD, JD, DD (Hon.) Arthur M. Adams Professor of Systematic Theology
STUDENT FEATURE
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THE POWER
From the Board of Trustees
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OF YOUR GIFT
“Words cannot describe how grateful I am for anonymous donors for students like myself. As
Dear Friends,
I attempt to navigate through these difficult
Princeton Seminary continues to thrive in the midst of all of the unanticipated challenges of 2020, and this is due to God’s abundant grace and your faithful support.
circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been met with substantial financial difficulties and had to incur extra spending in regards to my health and overall well-being. This funding will help with my financial anxiety and provide me with peace
Your generosity has supported our students at a time of critical need and allowed the Seminary to adapt quickly in response to the pandemic so that learning, worship, and formation for ministry continue, at a time when pastoral leadership is urgently needed in our world. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, thank you for your investment in the future generation of Christian leaders. We are grateful for your partnership in this ministry.
of mind. Just as God in the Scripture uses God’s
In Christ,
faithful servants to do God’s work, I am very grateful
Rev. Jeffrey V. O’Grady Princeton Theological Seminary Board Chair
to experience God’s benevolent grace and mercy displayed through Princeton Seminary and donors. Thank you again for your generosity. May God bless you, guide you, and watch over your steps.” COVID-19 Relief Fund Recipient
MDiv Senior
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
THE POWER OF YOUR GIFT
the funds provided by Princeton Seminary and
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Board of Trustees
Chair Jeffrey V. O’Grady San Marino, California
Peter E. Whitelock Lafayette, California
Margaret Grun Kibben Alexandria, Virginia
George B. Wirth Atlanta, Georgia
Hana Kim Seoul, South Korea
Steven Toshio Yamaguchi Tokyo, Japan
Secretary Karen Jackson-Weaver Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Don D. Lincoln West Chester, Pennsylvania
Sung-Bihn Yim Seoul, South Korea
Darrell L. Armstrong Trenton, New Jersey
Jane Doty MacKenzie Lafayette, California
Alison McCord Zimmerman Cincinnati, Ohio
Camille Cook Washington, D.C.
Deborah A. McKinley Craftsbury, Vermont
Michael G. Fisch New York, New York
Michele Minter Plainsboro, New Jersey
Gordon B. Fowler Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phebe Novakovic Reston, Virginia
Robert M. Franklin, Jr. Atlanta, Georgia
Scott D. Renninger Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Nancy Oliver Gray Roanoke, Virginia
William P. Robinson Spokane, Washington
Heather Sturt Haaga La Cañada, California
Ruth Faith Santana-Grace Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Charles “Chip” Hardwick Birmingham, Michigan
Mark P. Thomas St. Louis, Missouri
Thomas R. Johnson Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Robert S. Underhill Bronxville, New York
Todd B. Jones Nashville, Tennessee
Jonathan L. Walton Winston-Salem, North Carolina
The Power of Your Gift
Miller Chapel
The Seminary was able to respond swiftly to unexpected damage to the chapel that was caused by a water leak on January 1, 2020. As a result, all repairs were made, beautiful new flooring was installed, and the sound system improved. This year worship services are livestreamed from the chapel every day, connecting our community around the world.
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Shannon Johnson Kershner Chicago, Illinois
Vice Chair Leslie W. Braksick Sewickley, Pennsylvania
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2019–2020 Financial Report
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Thank You for What Your Gifts Make Possible
Annual Fund (July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020)
Income from our endowment, major gifts, and the Annual Fund allow us to offer all students generous financial support and a world-class education. Every donation helps us prepare faithful Christian leaders.
$4,895,854 Total Gifts Received During the 2020 Fiscal Year
$1,170,627 Raised by the 2019–2020 Annual Fund
(July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020; includes restricted gifts, unrestricted gifts, and endowed gifts.)
Operating Budget Revenues
1,915 Donors Made Gifts During the 2019–2020 Fiscal Year
Expenditures
(July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020)
(July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020)
Total $50,796,703
Total $50,796,703
$11,273,202 Instruction
Distribution from Endowment
$9,778,713 General and Administration
$8,204,286 Tuition and Fees
$9,239,278 Physical Plant
$3,962,378 Auxiliary Enterprises
$8,000,489 Scholarship/Student Aid
$36,366,119
(Food Services, Housing, Campus Store)
$1,255,852 Unrestricted Gifts and Grants $1,008,068 Miscellaneous (Funds Held by Others, Other Revenue)
$3,318,335 Library $3,478,577 Student Services $2,817,531 Technology $2,890,578 Auxiliary Enterprises (Dupree Center for Children, Food Services, Housing, Campus Store)
2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
THE POWER OF YOUR GIFT
The incredible legacy inherited by Princeton Theological Seminary students is made possible by the seeds of generosity sowed since the Seminary’s founding in 1812. We are thankful for each and every donor who continued this legacy by planting seeds this past year.
Gifts to the Annual Fund go directly into the Seminary’s operating budget to fund current programs and to provide money for important new initiatives. These critical unrestricted funds allow us to sustain our generous scholarship program, enrich our residential model of formation, meet unexpected challenges, and seize new opportunities.
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2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
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PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Office of Advancement P.O. Box 821, 64 Mercer Street Princeton, N.J. 08542 609.497.7756 | ptsem.edu