WINTER 2013
A PUBLICATION OF WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
The Commons
The Bald Guy (and Gal) Challenge! Facing the prospect of losing his hair from high-dose chemotherapy, Dr. J. Todd Billings threw down the gauntlet: “Shave your head with me, and a donor will give $100 per head to a research group focused on my cancer!” Additional donors upped the ante, and 15 brave ones accepted the challenge, including the seminary’s president, four professors, one staff member, and eight students. Rev. Jon Brown, son of President Timothy Brown, was an innocent onlooker but took up his father’s challenge to fill an empty seat and got his shaved too, putting the total to 16. On Friday, February 22 in the atrium of Western Theological Seminary, the group submitted their heads to stylist volunteers from Tulip City Beauty College and Engedi Salon. Shavers clicked on and the buzzing began! When all the hair had fallen to the floor, over $3100 had been raised to go to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) for the purpose of (cont.)
Dr. Billings joined the crowd via Skype from his hospital bed in Butterworth Hospital with his own barber at hand.
WINTER 2013
back: Rev. Jon Brown, Dr. Kyle Small, Rev. Travis West, Kevin Slusher, Dr. Todd Billings (on screen), staff member David Becker, President Timothy Brown, Dan Claus, Dr. Dennis Voskuil and Stephen Shaffer. front: Sung Hwan Kan, Dr. Jim Brownson, Grace Miguel, Trevor Berrien, Ron Radcliffe, Andy Rogers, and Dan Unekis.
cancer research. In addition, Grace Miguel donated her long hair to a nonprofit that makes wigs for people who have lost their hair due to medical treatment. Congratulations to all who supported a great cause and showed their solidarity with Dr. Billings! After learning last September that he had a form of blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma, Dr. Todd Billings, Associate Professor of Reformed Theology, has gone through five Out in Kansas, regular rounds of Todd’s father, chemotherapy. The Tom Billings, MD, most critical stage gets his shaved too. of his treatment is the stem cell transplant, which takes place in March. During this time, he will not have a functioning immune system, but eventually it will begin to recover. For three months he will be unable to go to school, church, or public places, apart from exceptional circumstances. The WTS community has gathered around Todd and his wife, Rachel, in many ways. Students, staff, and faculty have volunteered to help with 2
household tasks and to take care of the Billings’ children, Neti and Nathaniel. Several prayer services have been held, filling every chair in the chapel. Yet, in typical fashion, Todd is giving back more. This journey has been a testament to his faith, beginning with the announcement of his diagnosis, in which he reminded us of the biblical truth in the first Q & A of the Heidelberg Catechism: What is your only comfort in life and in death? That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. In November he held a Community Conversation on the topic of “God is Bigger than Cancer: Providence, Lament, and Life in Christ.” His CarePage is often filled with theological reflection as he continues to teach us in the midst of his pain and suffering. (go to carepages.com and search for “ToddBillings”) Truly we have been blessed by this man, and we are praying for a deep, long remission. “The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) To find out more about multiple myeloma or to donate to the cause, visit tinyurl.com/toddbillingsmmrf/.
A PUBLICATION OF WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
A Tale of Two Class Gifts In the last year, graduates from two Western Theological Seminary classes participated in unique fundraising projects for their alma mater. Prior to graduating, the Class of 2012 accepted the challenge of “giving back” by contributing toward the purchase of a class gift. Classmates were urged simply to participate rather than be concerned about the size of their contribution. At the end of the six-month challenge, they had raised the funds to purchase a custom wooden candle stand for the newly renovated John R. Mulder Memorial Chapel. Significantly, they increased the percentage of class members who contributed to WTS. Typically about 5% of a class will give when they first graduate from seminary. Comparatively, 25% of the Class of 2012 participated in the gift challenge. They have established a good start toward an ongoing pattern of giving back to WTS in appreciation of the help they received from donors to keep their own education affordable. Did you know? The seminary’s ability to successfully request and receive grant money from foundations improves when we can report a high percentage of alumni/ae giving. Your participation makes a difference. Visit us at www. westernsem.edu/give to make your alumni/ae gift today.
The Class of 1963 already had a strong history of giving to WTS—more than $75,000 in total giving over the years and a 65% participation rate in the last fiscal year. With their 50th reunion approaching, an idea emerged among them to make a Class of 1963 legacy gift. Twenty-five years ago, class members established a Faculty Development Fund for the professional and academic benefit of the seminary faculty. While the fund had grown, they realized now that it could become a lasting gift to WTS if it was permanently endowed. A committee from the Class of 1963 formed to take on the challenge. Committee members contacted classmates or surviving spouses and asked them to consider making a planned gift for the Faculty Development Fund. To date, their efforts total more than $350,000 in planned gift commitments. When the Class of 1963 gathers for their reunion in May, not only will they reminisce about their seminary days, they will also celebrate the impact their class will have on Western Theological Seminary for years to come.
The candle stand given by the Class of 2012. A candle is lit before each chapel service to symbolize the light of Christ in the world.
Did you know? Planned gifts allow the seminary to keep tuition costs affordable and provide a solid financial future for WTS. They are easy to make and can be designated for specific areas of need. To discuss planned giving opportunities, contact Mike LeFebre in the Advancement Office at (616) 392-8555 or mike@westernsem.edu.
AlumLine May 13, 2013
News
On to glory...
Alumni/ae Day: For questions, call LuAnne VanSlooten at 616-392-8555, x109 or email luanne@westernsem.edu
I. John Hesselink ‘53 and Jaeseung Cha ’00, ‘01 (ThM) have essays in a book recently published in the Netherlands: Restoration through Redemption: John Calvin Revisited. Associate Professor of Reformed Theology J. Todd Billings also contributed. These essays were originally lectures given at the meeting of the International Reformed Theological Institute in Aix-en-Provence, France, in July, 2009.
William John Miedema ‘53 b. Grand Rapids, MI 1/18/27 d. Vista, CA 12/23/12 Hope ‘50; WTS ‘53 Reformed Churches served: (1953-56) Faith, Traverse City, MI (1957-83) El Dorado Park, Long Beach, CA (1983-91) Immanuel, Grand Rapids, MI
12:00 Luncheons for 25th, 40th, and 50th reunions (Classes of ‘63, ‘73, ‘88) Luncheons are $10/person. An invitation packet will arrive in April. 2:30 “Confessions of a Bookworm,” presented by Commencement Speaker Lauren Winner, Assistant Professor of Christian Spirituality, Duke University. Location: Mulder Chapel, public invited. 5:00 Alumni/ae Banquet in the Western Theological Seminary Commons Honoring Distinguished Alums, Gordon Laman and Vicky Menning Dinner is $20/person. 7:30 Class of 2013 Commencement held in Dimnent Chapel, Hope College No tickets are needed to attend; doors open at 6:45pm.
Robert Todd Wise ’86 has left Balamand University in Lebanon and is now an associate professor in the School of Psychology at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. He reports that he has hit the ground running on many exciting projects. In August of 2012 Dennis Scheibmeir ’05 became the Clinical Chaplain at El Dorado Correction Facility in El Dorado, KS. Lalrosiem Songate ‘05 (ThM) is studying for a PhD in Missiology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN. He is the Principal (Elect) of Evangelical College of Theology, Churachandpur, Manipur, India. Last October Brad Gray ‘09 became a teaching pastor at Central Wesleyan Church in Holland, MI. Brad also continues to lead in-depth biblical study trips to Israel and Turkey.
Roger Dale Vander Kolk ‘61 b. Grandville, MI 6/18/36 d. Hamilton, MI 12/25/12 Hope ‘58; WTS ‘61 Reformed Churches served: (1961-65) First, Kalamazoo, MI (Associate Pastor) (1965-72) Laketon Bethel, Muskegon, MI (1972-2000) Haven, Hamilton, MI
3
WINTER 2013
James V. Brownson James and Jean Cook Professor of New Testament Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2013).
Dr. Jim Brownson discusses his new book with Jeff Munroe, Vice President of Advancement and Communications. You’ve labored several years to write your book. What is its main point? I want to help the church come to a vision for human sexuality that is deeply grounded in Scripture. To do so, we must first uncover the moral logic shaping the witness of Scripture. Why does the Bible speak the way it does about a subject? When we can name the underlying values and commitments, we can apply the teaching to difficult questions.
of their arguments. Those arguing for a more open posture in the church toward gay and lesbian people emphasize the large gap between biblical teaching on sexuality and the contemporary experience of gay and lesbian people wanting to follow Jesus. The impression is that the Bible has little to say about sexuality relevant to life today. I strongly disagree. I’m convinced the church needs a deeper engagement with the Bible on sexuality, not a diminishing one. On the other hand, many who are cautious about a more open posture also need to explore
further issues about why the Bible speaks negatively about same-sex relationships. Their answer is something like this: “These relationships violate divinely intended gender complementarity.” What does that mean?
It refers to how God created different genders. For some, this “complementarity” includes the assumption that men should be leaders and women should follow. For others, “complementarity” refers to the Can you give an example of what you “fittedness” of male and female organs. mean by moral logic? Yet neither of these interpretations adequately reflects the basic framework motiIn the Reformation, some Christians intervating biblical teaching on sexuality. A more preted “Thou shalt not kill” very literally, constructive debate would concluding that they could address the underlying not support any use of “the meaning and motivation sword,” even by governments. From the President... of key passages like Lev 18 The Reformers argued that Jim Brownson is among my oldest and dearest friends on & 20, or Rom 1:24-27. we need to understand why the faculty. Over four decades ago when I became a Christian Scripture says “thou shalt not at Hope College, Jim’s family “adopted” me, and his father Bill What does this book say kill.” Gen 9:6 grounds the about the meaning of discipled me. I owe an incalculable debt to Jim and the Brownprohibition in this radical value: sexuality in general? son family. because all persons are created I have the utmost respect for Jim’s scholarship and work as I can’t answer in a single in God’s image. Calvin ina professor of New Testament and as a General Synod Professor paragraph, but one point sisted this meant that not only of Theology. He has served WTS and the RCA with distinction is worth emphasizing. A must I not kill my neighbor, I for over two decades. great deal of biblical teachneed to do all in my power to While I agree with much of what Jim writes in his new ing draws a vital link bepreserve his life, and somebook, I do not ultimately affirm the trajectory of his vision as it tween sexual behavior and times the sword in the hands relates to same-sex relationships. Yet, I will argue strongly for the bonding of humans of government is necessary to Jim’s right to write this book for two reasons. First, the RCA in kinship ties of mutual preserve more life. That’s why General Synod, time and again, has asked for just the sort of obligation. Gen 2:24 says most Christians believed it was continuing dialogue Jim’s book spurs. Second, educational clearly: “Therefore a man legitimate to go to war against communities like ours cannot exist without freedom of inquiry leaves his father and the Nazis. —which we call academic freedom. Our handbook says, “Each mother and clings to his member of the faculty is individually responsible to God and wife and they become one The subtitle, Reframing the must always be free to speak as led by God’s Word and Spirit Church’s Debate, implies flesh.” The Bible regards on any issue confronting the church.” that you feel the debate has sex as a language used missed the mark. Our mission is to prepare leaders, and part of that preparato express very important tion involves thoughtful discussion of areas of disagreement. aspects of who we are. I think both sides have This is a great opportunity for us to model how followers of We shouldn’t say with our problems in the formulation Jesus can disagree in respectful and loving ways. 4
—Timothy L. Brown
A PUBLICATION OF WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
bodies (by uniting sexually) what we are unwilling to say with the rest of our lives (by uniting in long-term relationships expressing the bonds of kinship). This clearly applies to heterosexual relationships. The church’s debate now concerns whether intimate gay or lesbian relationships might be shaped by the same dynamics. Whether this contemporary debate represents a deeper insight or simply a capitulation to cultural trends is the question the church needs to address as thoughtfully and carefully as it can. What led you to write this book? Eight years ago, my son told us that he thought he was gay. I’ve been on a long journey since, wrestling with what that means and how I should pray for my son. This book was prompted by my longing to hold together three deep loves of my life: my love for my son, the church, and the Scriptures. How will this book help the church? If the church is going to deal constructively with the gay and lesbian people in its midst, it needs to do so out of a deepening grasp of the heart of the Bible’s message. That message concerns not only the importance of justice and love, but also the importance of a biblical vision for sexuality in general. The church must find a way forward that addresses the deep concerns of both sides. What does the book say about gay marriage or the ordination of homosexuals? The book doesn’t take a position on those issues. I’m convinced that the church has more basic questions to explore first. How does this book affect what you teach at WTS? At the deepest level, I don’t think this book represents any change in the basic values that have shaped my teaching of the New Testament at Western Theological Seminary for 23 years. My central passion has been and will continue to be preparing gospel ministers who love the Scriptures, who are careful, close readers of the Biblical text, and who are clear about its central message—that in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see the culmination of God’s saving purpose for the world.
News from WTS New Degree Offered We are pleased to announce that WTS will offer a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry (MACM) this fall. This is our most flexible degree program and can be completed in two years. Fully half of the 48 credits needed are electives, allowing students to focus on what interests them most. The MACM is designed to provide men and women with the resources for thoughtful and competent Christian leadership in a broad range of ministry settings. It is grounded in integrated reflection on Scripture, systematic theology, and core Christian practices. See: www.westernsem.edu/admissions/ degrees/ma
New Roles After seven years of service, Dr. George Hunsberger has stepped down as Director of the Doctor of Ministry program. He will continue his work as Professor of Missiology at Western. Dr. Kyle Small has assumed the leadership of the D.Min. program and looks forward to welcoming new students and getting to know those already in the program at the next D.Min. seminars in May. More information about the D.Min program is found at www. westernsem.edu/admissions/degrees/dmin Theresa Hamm is now the Academic Office Associate and Assessment Coordinator. In this newly-created role, she will coordinate the student learning assessment process, support the D.Min program and assist the academic vice president and associate dean.
Teaching & Preaching... President Timothy Brown Mar 17 Zeeland, MI - Faith Reformed Mar 24 Des Moines, IA - Meredith Dr. Ref. Apr 7 CA - Outdoor Resorts May 5 Twin Falls, ID - Twin Falls Reformed May 18-19 Holland, MI - Ridgepoint Comm. Jun 8-9 Dyer, IN - Faith Reformed
Dr. Carol Bechtel
Professor of Old Testament
Mar 23 Muskegon, MI - First Presbyterian (Women’s Lenten Breakfast) Apr 7 Annapolis, MD - First Presbyterian Apr 14, 21, 28 Holland, MI - Third Reformed
Prof. Chris Dorsey
Visiting Assistant Professor of Theology
Mar 24 Holland, MI - Freedom Village Retirement Community Apr 7 Holland, MI - Engedi Church
Rev. Jeff Munroe
V.P. of Advancement & Communications
Mar 8-10 Lake City, MI - Third Reformed (Holland) retreat, TimberWolf Lodge Mar 31 Holland, MI - Freedom Village Retirement Community Apr 14 Sioux Center, IA - Central Reformed Apr 28 Tulare, CA - Tulare Community Jun 2 Bristol, TN - Buechner Institute
Dr. Kyle J.A. Small
Asst. Professor of Christian Leadership
bi-weekly preaching, Sawyer, MI Harbert Community Church
Rev. Steve VanderMolen
Associate Director of Advancement Specializing in Church Relations
Mar 10 Zeeland, MI - Faith Reformed Apr 14 Orange City, IA - First Reformed
Dr. Dennis Voskuil
Marvin & Jerene DeWitt Prof. of Church History
Carol Ann Bailey is now the Distance Learning Associate and Student Support Coordinator. As the former Journey Associate (for continuing education), Carol Ann developed strong skills in administration, leadership, education and hospitality that will serve the Distance Learning program well.
Mar 10 Waupon, WI - First Reformed
Dr. David Stubbs
Professor of Ethics and Theology
Apr 9 Apr 23
Mason, MI - Mason First Presbyterian (Presbytery of Lake MI meeting) Austin, TX - Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary for the PC(USA) Moderator’s Colloquium on Ecclesiology
check out our new look! www.westernsem.edu
5
WINTER 2013
The WTS-Newbigin Distance Learning Master of Divinity Degree First Cohort Arrives on Campus Two years ago, we told you about an “idea whose time had come”—a groundbreaking collaboration between Western Theological Seminary and City Church San Francisco. This collaboration would put WTS on the cutting edge of theological education by linking the seminary to a highly missional church and ministry think tank in one of the most secular cities in North America. City Church had laid the groundwork a few years earlier when it started the Newbigin House of Studies to prepare men and women for wise and relevant Christian engagement in urban centers. Dr. Scot Sherman and Dr. Chuck DeGroat, pastors of City Church front: Dustin DeVriend, Tyler Richards, Abhilash Samuel, Jeff Johnston, Jared Ayers. back: Academic and leaders of Newbigin, are both experienced Dean Leanne Van Dyk, Andrew San Nicolas, Steven Magneson, Jordan Hall, Adam Bailon, Larry Austin, Arek O’Connell, Melisa Blankenship, Dr. Scot Sherman, Pres. Timothy Brown. Missing: Stephen Gundlach teachers, counselors, and church planters. Although thrilled about collaborating on a planting, and I find that its biblical and theological new kind of Master of Divinity track, we wondered, “If we built content is conducive to my future hope in ministry. it, would they come?” This January, they did come—thirteen WTS faculty and staff are dedicated to producing students arrived on campus for their initial Distance Learning solid, Christ-exalting leaders. —Jordan Hall Intensive, which is the first time this new cohort of students (who began their academic work in September taking online courses) As an African-American man, I really felt embraced by the entire community during the intensive, met each other and their from the president and faculty to my classmates. professors face to face.
At a Glance
WTS-NHS cohort Larry Austin, Oakland, CA Jared Ayers, Philadelphia, PA Adam Bailon, Boulder, CO Melisa Blankenship, Union City, CA Dustin DeVriend, Fair Oaks, CA Stephen Gundlach, San Francisco, CA Jordan Hall, San Francisco, CA Jeff Johnston, Garden Grove, CA Steven Magneson, Rye, NY Arek O’Connell, Paramount, CA Tyler Richards, Houston, TX Abhilash Samuel, Harrisburg, PA Andrew San Nicolas, Long Beach, CA
Here are some of their impressions: Distance Learning at Western has been an amazing experience from day one. I’m newly married and already doing full-time ministry, and I find the seminary is providing me with theological training that is directly applicable to every area of my life and ministry. —Arek O’Connell
The most surprising thing to me about the Distance Learning (DL) program at WTS is the strong community ties that developed in my cohort. Previously, I had been an in-residence student at another seminary and did not know my fellow students as well as I know them in the DL program at Western. —Stephen Gundlach As someone who is invested in the urban church, this is a well thought-out program with incredible potential. WTS desires to be a nationally recognized center for church
6
The environment was one of total welcome and encouragement as I push forward in my theological studies. It made me feel like I truly have something to offer the seminary and the world for the Glory of Christ. I am attracted to the way in which those who run the program really see students as part of the family and are open to our suggestions on how to make the learning experience better for everyone. I love it when leaders model the practice of leading by listening. —Larry Austin
The people of WTS—from the receptionists all the way up to the dean and president—care about my education, and perhaps even more importantly, my spiritual health and formation as a disciple of Christ. I have completed coursework at three other seminaries and have encountered nothing like it. —Tyler Richards
Students in the WTS-Newbigin DL Master of Divinity will finish their degree in four years. They will take courses specifically geared toward their passions in church planting, revitalization, and center-city renewal ministry. We are very enthused to raise up a new generation of Reformed pastoral leaders who are trained to embrace the challenges of ministry in urban and multi-cultural contexts.
A PUBLICATION OF WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
A Dog’s Life Upcoming Events April 11-12 Living into Community with Christine Pohl April 16-18 Transition into Ministry summit for graduates from classes 2008-2012 May 1 Journey Groups Celebration (Discipleship and Social Justice) 1:00 Stories from our Journeys - public welcome May 9-10 Annual Youth Conference with Pete Ward May 28-31 Henri Nouwen: Legacy Retreat with Will Hernandez at Camp Geneva www.westernsem.edu/journey For questions or to register for any of these events, call Tara Macias at 616-392-8555, x133
Updates Ridder Church Renewal
This program is growing by leaps and bounds. In Ontario, New York, Wisconsin, and the Great Lakes, there are now 67 congregations involved, including 80 pastors and over 335 leadership team members. The four regions will each host five Renewal experiences for a total of 20 retreats over the next two years. Jim Herrington and Trisha Taylor, authors of The Leader’s Journey, are two of the presenters, along with seven RCA pastors.
Before anyone else has a chance to say it, let me tell you this article is not about dogma or dogmatics. Instead, it is about my dog, Maury. To say Maury leads a good life is an understatement. He is doted on by every member of our family, and his only worry is the occasional passing squirrel. I will readily admit that sometimes I’m envious of Maury’s carefree existence. Although the sight of a leash in my hand sets him spinning in excited circles, Maury’s normal day Jeff Munroe consists mainly of eating and Vice President of sprawling contentedly on Advancement and the couch. What a life! As Communications a friend of mine once wrote about his dog, “His weekend lasts all week long.” Maury embodies “living in the moment.” Spiritual directors recommend this practice as a path to inner peace and fulfillment. Jesus certainly had something like this in mind when he said those familiar words in the Sermon on the Mount about considering the lilies and not being anxious about tomorrow. Like Maury, we really don’t need to worry because we have a father in heaven that has already provided for all our needs. But unlike Maury (who has no concept of the future), we humans have the responsibility to plan. Maury doesn’t need to provide for anyone or anything—he has no dependents or causes he believes in (well, other than his wish that scientists create a tree that grows T-bone steaks). You and I do, and good planning helps us maximize our contributions to both. God has already provided resources for our future; our role is to faithfully and wisely manage those resources. How have you planned for the future? Planned giving, through various instruments like bequests and Charitable Gift Annuities, allows you to make significant future donations while not jeopardizing your current obligations. Our Advancement Team would be happy to explain these opportunities to you. Planning can take a weight of worry off your shoulders by allowing you to help shape the future after your lifetime. We can help you be just a little bit more like Maury—not anxious about tomorrow but free to “live in the moment.”
News from Abroad... Through a wonderful confluence of circumstances, my wife, Caitlin, and I are living in southern France. Initially Caitlin received a grant to teach English in France, and I applied to a little Reformed seminary in coastal Montpellier called the Institut Protestant de Théologie. To our delight, I was accepted as a visiting fulltime student. Perhaps you wonder how we planned on surviving seminary in French. Thankfully, Caitlin was a French major at Hope College—and I, her new pupil. Concurrently, Western Theological Seminary graciously awarded me the Henry J. Beukema Graduate Scholarship, a gift that made our time here possible and propelled us across the Atlantic with the sending of the seminary community. We would not be in France without the seminary’s generosity and its ongoing commitment to cultivating scholars who care deeply about the Church. We arrived at an exciting time in the Church’s history. L’Église réformée (Reformed) and l’Église
évangélique luthérienne (Lutheran) joined hands this year to form l’Église protestante unie de France (the United Protestant Church of France). Alongside this ecumenical shift, we are at a seminary richly blessed by the global church with students from Madagascar, New Caledonia, Germany, Brazil, and even the other Holland. With the psalmist, we are reminded of “how very good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity,” a unity that encompasses the globe and emanates from the light of the Resurrection. Our time here has confirmed God’s guidance toward my work in the academy. I have been accepted to enter into a Ph.D. program in New Testament studies back in the States to continue being equipped to serve the Church through the ministry of teaching. Thank you, WTS, for sending us on an adventure that is so reflective of our shared life in Christ. —Nathan ’12 and Caitlin Johnson
7
A Note from
PRESIDENT TIMOTHY BROWN
Oh my where did my hair go? This is the first time in nearly fifty years that I’ve had a buzz cut, and believe me, I would never have done it if I hadn’t been bidden by the Holy Spirit to do so. One of my faculty colleagues at the seminary, Dr. J. Todd Billings, has his back against the wall. At the tender age of 39 years old, married, and with two children under four, he was recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a particularly angry form of cancer with no known cure. On Friday, February 22, fifteen other members of our community and I shaved our heads in solidarity with Todd. We want our funny looking heads to be a 24/7 plea to our gracious God and King to heal our brother! And we want our shaved heads to be a visual cue to any who see us to pray for the healing of Todd Billings. Please join us in prayer!
March 2013, Vol. 16, No. 2 Editor and Graphic Designer: Carla Plumert Capotosto Editorial Council: Dr. Timothy Brown, Dr. Dawn Boelkins, Rev. Jeff Munroe, Dana Daniels. The Commons is published three times a year for alumni/ae and friends of Western Theological Seminary by the Office of Advancement and Communications, Jeff Munroe, vice president, 101 E. 13th Street, Holland, MI 49423. 616-392-8555; fax 616-392-7717. Reproduction in whole or in part by permission only. advancement@westernsem.edu
Holland, MI Permit No. 120
PAID
WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 101 East 13th Street, Holland, MI 49423-3622
Non-Profit Org. US Postage