Board of Directors

As approved at the October 2020 meeting of the University of Redlands Board of Trustees, a new governing body, the San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) Board of Directors, was created to provide direction through spiritual and ecclesiastical leadership to the Seminary. This addition will incorporate the important creative contributions of a spiritual governing body in decision-making moving forward. In this bicameral system of governance, the U of R Board of Trustees maintains authority over facilities and budget, while the SFTS Board of Directors presides over matters related to the church.

Visit www.redlands.edu/sfts to read more and learn about the members of the board.

Members of the SFTS Board of Directors

• Rev. Jeannie Kim ’01 (M.Div.), president of SAM Inc. and CEO of KPP

Beer Inc.; PCUSA teaching elder, and

SFTS Distinguished Alumna 2020 • Rev. Joey Lee ’85 (M.Div.), executive presbyter, San Jose Presbytery,

Cameron House, San Francisco; First

Chinese Presbyterian Church of New

York; University of California, Berkeley • Rev. Michael Livingston, interim senior minister, Riverside Church,

New York; International Council of

Community Churches; president,

National Council of Churches, 2006-2007 • Rev. Ana Lugo ’85 (M.Div.), regional gift planner, Evangelical Lutheran

Church in America, Florida-

Bahamas Synod; PCUSA ordained teaching elder • Alvin McLean Jr., Ph.D., dean of the College of Psychology at John F.

Kennedy University; The Worship

Cluster, co-chair, Allen Temple

Baptist Church, Oakland • Rev. Dr. Paul Nazarian ’84 (M.Div.), pastor, Northwoods Presbyterian

Church, Houston; PCUSA teaching elder, 1984 • Chris Ocker, Ph.D, assistant provost and interim dean, Graduate School of Theology

• Rev. Dr. Bear Ride ’78, (M.Div.),

’91 (D.Min.), director, Ride Family

Foundation; interfaith and queer activist; PCUSA teaching elder, 1979 • Rev. Dr. Ji-il Tark ’97 (M.A.T.S.), professor of religion, Busan

Presbyterian University, Busan,

Republic of Korea • Rev. Mary Lynn Tobin ’85 (M.Div.), owner, Giocoso leadership coaching and development 9

Message from the SFTS Board of Directors

By Rev. Mary Lynn Tobin ’85 (M.Div.)

In spring 2020, San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) filed a remedial complaint with the Presbyterian General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC). This complaint resulted from claims by the Committee on Theological Education (COTE) that due to the merger with the University of Redlands, SFTS no longer exists as an entity and should not be considered a Presbyterian seminary.

Feeling constrained by the judicial process and being concerned about animosity and potential broken relationships between the two entities, the new Board of Directors suggested to COTE that the two groups request a temporary stay from the GAPJC to sort out our differences via mediation. COTE agreed to our suggestion, and when we jointly requested the stay, the GAPJC granted it.

Mediation is not simply sitting down together with a mediator to talk—but rather, it requires finding a mediator that both parties accept (the General Assembly staff and our co-moderators, Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart and the Rev. Gregory Bentley, provided a recommendation). There is also much preparation that the professional mediator assigns the two groups in advance of any “face-to-face” conversation. Both groups have completed those assignments, and we had our first meeting of the two groups on May 18, using video conferencing.

We are praying for the ability for all of us to see past words and into hearts. We hope you will continue to pray for the representatives on both sides of this mediation, that we may emerge from our video conferencing mediation process transformed by the Spirit, healed from the wounds we have felt, and strengthened by the love of God. 9

Please keep those prayers coming. We remember the words of Julian of Norwich: All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.