Winter 2023
Winter 2023 CALLING
CALLING Winter 2023
The Magazine of Wesley Theological Seminary
On the cover: Oxnam Chapel. Rev. Dr. Veronice Miles’ promotion ceremony, led by Interim Dean, Sathianathan Clarke. Calling is published by the Office of Development three times a year for alumni, donors, and friends of Wesley Theological Seminary. Wesley Theological Seminary 4500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 202.865.8600 www.wesleyseminary.edu David McAllister-Wilson President Tom Berlin Chair, Board of Governors Angela Willingham Vice President of Development Jessie Houff Editor Mele Taumoepeau Aho Cesar Lodiha Akoka Chip Aldridge Kasongo Butler Jessica Courier James Driscoll Ashley Kelsey Development Team Ellipse Design, A Division of HBP, Inc. Designer Lisa Helfert Ingrid McIntyre Carlos Malley Kyunglim Shin Lee Contributing Photographers Printed with zero VOC ink on paper containing postconsumer content, and/or manufactured with hydroelectric power, acid free/alkaline, elemental chorine free, mixed credit or certified sourcing.
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Winter 2023
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FEATURES Discipleship 12 Risky How a Wesley graduate returns to Nashville and creates a village.
Life Devoted to Faith and Service 14 ARemembering Bishop Sundo Kim. Chaplain Points to Hope, Joy and Love 18 Prison Current student reflects on answering his call.
DEPARTMENTS the President 2 From Leading with purpose. 3
Forty-Five Hundred News and views of the Wesley community.
the Call 16 Answering Community members sharing their journeys to ministry. the Road 21 On Alumni and community gatherings.
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
FROM THE PRESIDENT
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he word “’seminary” means “seed bed.” I often think of myself not so much as the gardener but the guardian of this seed bed, providing good soil in the form of faculty, staff and students of quality, diversity and promise for fruitfulness. An example of this dedication is Bill Walker who is profiled in these pages. And water and sun in the form of financial resources. And protection in the form of the space and time for the seeds to germinate and the crop to grow, which is our graduates and the scholarship of our faculty. As I wrote this letter for the Winter edition of Calling, what kept coming to me were the words of the song “The Rose” by Bette Midler: “Just remember, in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow, lies the seed that with the sun’s love in the spring becomes the rose.” Nothing is as deceptively forlorn and barren as a garden in winter. Many of the churches we serve, particularly the ones in North America and Western Europe, feel this way after enduring
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the challenges of secularism, schism, and the prolonged pandemic. In the words of Shakespeare’s Richard III, they might say, “Now is the winter of our discontent.” Wesley has a distinctive call in this season. Some universities are understood to be “research universities.” Wesley has evolved to be something rare – a “research seminary.” Of course, our faculty are engaged in scholarly research, dedicated to providing the church with the rich nutrients of a confident and gracious Christianity. In addition, Wesley is a leader in experimental research to shape the future of the church. Doug Powe, Director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and Beth Ludlum, Vice President for Strategic are our leaders in this work, managing an array of research grants. Highlighted in this issue are the Pathways 2 and 3 grant programs which are designed to develop new paths of preparation for ministry to serve the churches of the future. And, a story about our Caribbean Initiative,
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Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson
which is part of the global network Wesley has cultivated. From what was once referred to as “the mission field” for churches in the developed nations, now comes the seeds of new life. We are like the agricultural extension programs in those research universities whose mission to supply the church with the seeds and the practices of ministry which will blossom and bear fruit. In the words of 2 Timothy 4, we are called to preach the Gospel in season and out of season. But what that means varies according to time and place and relies on the wisdom that comes with humility.
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Pictured from Left to Right: Titus Bryant, Evan Taylor, Kristin Berkey-Abbott, and Dr. Devon Abts.
Community Garden By Evan Taylor
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he community garden at Wesley has been a source of peace and joy during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a communal space of growth, reflection and connecting with nature. The garden is made possible by the time, seeds, funds, and labor of several Wesley offices and organizations including: The Office of Community Life, The Henry Luce III Center for Arts and Religion, Residence Life, Student Council and more. Students, faculty, staff, and families have been present at the garden workdays, and we look forward to reaping a harvest bigger than what we can grow. More information will be sent in our upcoming e-calling newsletter about how you can get involved in seeding the Spring Harvest and our 3rd bi-annual celebration of Harvest Fest. Entrance to the Wesley Community Garden located behind Carroll Hall. WINTER 2023
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THE LILLY ENDOWMENT By Doug Powe
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esley receives $5 Million from Lilly!
In November 2022, Wesley received the single largest grant in our history! This $5 million dollar Pathways 3 grant from the Lilly Endowment will help Wesley develop new non-degree courses and certificates for pastors and other church leaders. Wesley will partner with Perkins School of Theology on developing a ministry certificate in English and Spanish that will serve those not able to pursue a traditional degree. The partnership includes working with the Puerto Rico Methodist Church to expand nondegree and certificate offerings to their constituents. Director of the Lewis Leadership Center Doug Powe shared, “One of our goals is to expand the reach of theological education to those who may have an interest but cannot commit to pursuing a traditional degree.” This grant to Wesley is part of the third and final phase of Lilly’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which is designed to help theological schools strengthen and sustain their capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian Churches. 4
Pictured from Left to Right: Military Chaplain Program Director Jim Driscoll, LT Netetia K. Walker, Rear Admiral Todd, and President David McAllister-Wilson.
MILITARY CHAPLAIN VISITORS By James Driscoll
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uring the weeks of October 10-21, a total of thirty-five Military Chaplain Doctor of Ministry students took part in three intensive in-person courses on Wesley’s campus. Instructors for the two weeks were President Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, Dean Dr. Sathi Clarke, and Special Assistant to the President Dr. James Driscoll. VIP guest speakers during the first week included the Chief of Chaplains of the US Army, Major General Thomas Solhjem, the Chief of Chaplains of the US Navy, Rear Admiral Gregory Todd, a lead mental health professional for the CIA, the Vice President of the
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Marine Corps University (with field trip to the University) and several other current and retired military leaders and policy makers. A highlight of the two weeks was a luncheon on Wednesday October 12 where officials of the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and Floris United Methodist Church presented Wesley with a check for $100,000 for military chaplain DMin Scholarships. Wesley’s ministry to and through military chaplaincy is a priority for the seminary and was on full display during the month of October.
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HARNESS THE POSSIBILITIES OF HYBRID SEMINARY EDUCATION By Sathianathan “Sathi” Clarke Interim Dean of Faculty
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fter two years of teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, two committed camps have emerged in theological education in the United States. The first emphasizes that the uniqueness of theological education is training concrete bodies and minds to serve the different-yet-united community gathered as the body of Christ. The second emphasizes that students have voted with their feet for online education. They want to learn from the sanctuary of their own location in the world. Theological education thus needs to harness the possibilities made available by this innovative virtual gathering of minds for nurturing the life of the Church and the world. Wesley is known for doing context-sensitive, in-person education remarkably well. We animate the wonderfully diverse students to learn from each other based on the different perspectives introduced through the lectures. But we also have been honing our online skills, which came useful during the pandemic. A few years ago, all Wesley faculty were required to complete a summer-long course on online teaching. Yet because we seek to better our skills as teachers, the entire faculty has committed themselves to complete a four-session course in 2022-23 on Online Teaching. We are excited to share that Wesley is now offering Hybrid Intensive Week courses. For the next four years, Wesley will offer sixteen Intensive Week courses to enable a new degree
pathway that provides short, immersive, Washington DCbased experiences coupled with online learning in Wesley’s non-residential degree. Wesley will offer sixteen Intensive Week courses to enable a new degree pathway that provides short, immersive, Washington DC-based experiences coupled with online learning in Wesley’s non-residential degree. Wesley rolled out its first-ever, week-long hybrid intensive from October 3-7, 2022. Forty students from across the country gathered on campus for two courses: “Art and the Sacred in Washington DC” taught by Dr. Aaron Rosen and “The Church in History: Early Church to Reformation” taught by Dr. Amy Oden. In addition to the valuable hours of in-person instruction, hybrid students were able to engage in worship, attend a Dean’s Forum on immigration, and gather in fellowship over meals provided by the Office of Community Life. Students in these courses benefit not only from face-to-face interaction with their professors and fellow students, but from the unique opportunities in the DC region. Students visited local museums, including the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Gallery of Art, and the Phillips Collection, experiencing a breadth and variety of art, history, and culture available in few other cities.
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BILL WALKER RETIRES AFTER 31 YEARS OF SERVICE By CFO Jeff Straits
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fter three decades as the Controller at Wesley, Bill Walker retired at the end of December 2022. Bill started at Wesley on September 30, 1991. Bill’s many years at Wesley span numerous major events in the Seminary’s history, including the purchase of Birch Hall at Mount Vernon Place UMC, our bond financing, and the construction of our newest dormitory. Over the years, as the Controller, Bill worked with countless students, faculty, and staff. He has been a counselor, advisor, historian, comedian, accountant, and occasionally Santa Claus. As with all of us at Wesley, I can only begin to imagine how many people’s lives Bill has positively impacted. And how his work has affected the lives and spirituality of so many. Our love for Bill was evident when we gathered a packed house in the Refectory on December 16 to celebrate him and his service. At the celebration, President David McAllisterWilson shared,
Bill’s title is “Controller.” Most people don’t know what that job is. Think of how critical “air traffic controllers” are. For over 30 years, all of Wesley’s transactions, income, and expenses went through Bill. He made sure the business of the Seminary was secure and trustworthy. He ensured our integrity. And he held the secrets of both our employees and our students because when they had financial problems, they would come to Bill. People would walk into Bill’s office anxious and leave relieved.
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Bill was always a one-of-a-kind co-worker. His experience and historical knowledge have been and continue to be a true gift. He helped me understand the accounting peculiarities of Seminaries and higher education, and over the years, Bill and I have become a team. A team of coworkers who can work through almost any problem and find a solution. As with many areas at Wesley, we do a lot with a little, and Bill has done more than a lot! Happy retirement, Bill!
“As a leader, one the greatest qualities is the authentic concern that you have for those that work for you. Taking the time to get to know them, learning what is important to them, and meeting their needs and concerns. This is what I found in working with Bill and for that I say, Thank you!” Twila Washington WINTER 2023
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OFF THE SHELF
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ome of Wesley’s esteemed Faculty and Staff have written many wonderful books over the last few years. Each of these highly praised books can be found and purchased online.
What Would Jesus See?
Sustaining While Disrupting: The Challenge of Congregational Innovation
By Aaron Rosen What would Jesus see if he looked at the world around us today? In these pages, Aaron Rosen, one of the world’s leading experts on art and religion, tackles this question--in turn helping us do the same. He invites readers to use their imagination and explore with him how Jesus saw, what he saw, and why it is important today.
Brushes with Faith By Aaron Rosen Contemporary artists are engaging more deeply than ever with religious imagery, themes, practices, and audiences. With a bracing, jargon-free style, Aaron Rosen—a leading scholar, art critic, and curator—takes readers into studios, galleries, and worship spaces as he paints a compelling picture of art and religion today.
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F. Douglas Powe, Jr. and Lovett H. Weems, Jr. Clergy and other church leaders often feel pressed to preserve cherished traditions even as they direct people to discern the new thing God is doing. They face this tension of sustaining tradition while guiding fresh initiatives and addressing unfamiliar issues. Frederick Douglas Powe Jr. and Lovett H. Weems Jr. guide leaders in stewarding traditions while seeking innovative opportunities for faith communities.
Willingness to Die and the Gift of Life: Suicide and Martyrdom in the Hebrew Bible Paul K.-K. Cho One particularly challenging aspect of the Hebrew Bible is its treatment of various forms of voluntary death: suicide, suicide attack, martyrdom, and self-sacrifice. How can people of faith make sense of the ways biblical literature at times valorizes these sensitive and painful topics?
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Generosity, Stewardship, and Abundance: A Transformational Guide to Church Finance (Rowman and Littlefield, 2021) Lovett H. Weems, Jr. and Ann A. Michel This book provides practical advice to pastors and church leaders tasked with funding ministry and inspiring others toward responsible stewardship and greater generosity. The book integrates the practical and theological dimensions of finance to empower congregational leaders to think critically about stewardship from a Christian perspective and use personal and congregational resources faithfully.
Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom Shaun A. Casey Many American policy makers are squeamish about religion’s role in diplomacy. Nevertheless, religion plays a crucial and complex part in global affairs, such as in sustainable development, various human rights issues, and fomenting and mitigating conflict. Shaun A. Casey, the founding director of the US Department of State’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs, makes a compelling case for the necessity of understanding global religion in Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom.
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Embodied Hope: A Homiletical Theology Reflection Veronice Miles Embodied Hope explores the implications of an embodied theology of hope for preachers’ ability to nurture imaginative abundance and purposeful hope-filled action even in the most chaotic of times. As an embodied theology, this conception of Hope is grounded in a theological anthropology that foregrounds humanity’s inherent identity as imago Dei and embodiment of God’s Spirit. Hope is the alwaysspeaking voice of God’s Spirit assuring us of God’s power, faithfulness, and redemptive presence and calling us toward loving, just, and restorative action in our world today. Over and against the voice of despair, Hope creates yearning for the wellbeing of all creation. The preacher’s task, therefore, is to amplify the voice of Hope by bearing witness to God’s redemptive presence and inviting us to lend our hands to God’s work in the world as revealed in the life, ministry, and proclamation of Jesus the Christ.
La Biblia a traves de los ojos de Juan Wesley (The Bible through the eyes of John Wesley) Philip Wingeier-Rayo This is a curriculum consisting of 52 small group Bible studies in Spanish to introduce readers to the Bible and spiritual growth through the lens of the Wesleyan tradition.
La Evangelización y la misión de Dios (Evangelization and the Mission of God), Philip Wingeier-Rayo This book challenges David Bosch’s claim that God’s mission and evangelism start with the New Testament and argues that mission emanates from God’s heart from the beginning of Creation through the Hebrew Bible and into the present. It also claims that Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is at hand, which should be the church’s primary message today.
Body Connections: Body-based Spiritual Care Michael S. Koppel Too often we think and teach in ways that reinforce a mindbody split. This can lead people to self-alienation, impeding holistic, healthy relationships between people, God, and each other. Body Connections takes a different approach, teaching us to see the connections between our embodied experience and faithful spiritual care. Author Michael Koppel focuses on the human body and its relationship to faith and spiritual care. He engages religious texts and traditions as well as scientific insights, offering accessible theology and spiritual practices for healing and care of the body. Our bodies are amazing resources, but we are too often unaware of their power, or unable to harness it in helpful ways for our own good. This remarkable book empowers pastors,
counselors, chaplains, seminarians, and caregivers to understand and provide the ministry of care in an entirely new, life-giving way.
William Taylor and the Mapping of the Methodist Missionary Tradition The World His Parish. Dr. Douglas D. Tzan This book is the first critical biography of William Taylor, a nineteenth-century American missionary who worked on six continents. Following Taylor’s global odyssey, the volume maps the contours of the Methodist missionary tradition and illumines key historical foundations of contemporary world Christianity. A work of social history that places a leading Methodist missionary in the foreground, this narrative illustrates distinctive aspects and tensions within Methodist missions such as the importance of doctrines like universal atonement and entire sanctification, a deeply pragmatic orientation rooted in God’s providence, an embrace of both entrepreneurial initiatives and networked connection, and the use of revivalism for missionary outreach and leadership development.
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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF THE LEWIS LEADERSHIP CENTER
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e are excited to celebrate 20 years of providing leadership resources for every church! Throughout 2023 you’ll find special features, including:
Leading Articles — A look back at the most popular stories of the past 20 years Leading Voices — Brief videos highlighting key learnings and themes related to leadership Leading Topics — Special editions of Leading Ideas focusing on topics of critical interest to church leaders All are welcome to sign up for the free weekly Leading Ideas newsletter for access to the 20th year resources for you and your congregation. For more information and to sign up for the newsletter, head to www.churchleadership.com. The Lewis Center for Church Leadership was formed within Wesley Theological Seminary in 2003 to promote the effective and faithful practice of Christian leadership in the church and the world. Over the past 20 years, the Center has become a trusted resource for church leadership ideas, research, resources, and training so that congregations and denominations thrive, serve, and grow. Founded on the premise that effective leadership is critical to fruitful ministry,
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the center helps seminary students, clergy, lay leaders, and denominational leaders enhance their leadership effectiveness and help develop leadership in others. Our approach is grounded in identifying the strategic issues critical to the church’s future and discerning “actionable strategic insights” that can guide congregations and church leaders. Current work is focused around three priorities essential to the future of the church:
Helping congregations and denomination reach more people, younger people, and more diverse people
Helping individual church leadership enhance their effectiveness
Helping congregations secure adequate funding for ministry
The Center is named for G. Douglass Lewis, who retired as President of Wesley Seminary in 2002 following 22 years of outstanding leadership.
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Ann-Marie Clarke
Rev. Gareth Irvin
Ruth Phillips
Wendell McKoy
INAUGURAL CARIBBEAN CO-HORT
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esley Associate Dean of Community Life Dr. W. Antoni Sinkfield was in conversation with church leaders in the Caribbean last spring when they identified a real need and opportunity to create an educational pathway for Caribbean pastors and church leaders to earn master’s degrees from Wesley. Dr. Sinkfield hosted a Zoom for those who were interested, and he had dozens of people show up eager to learn how they could become part of our Wesley global community. During the meeting it became evident that most of the students would not be able to move to Wesley for residential studies because of ministry, work, and family commitments. So, Wesley leaders and faculty spent the summer creating a hybrid option specifically for this cohort of 12 new seminarians from Jamaica, Grenada, Barbados, Trinadad and Tobago. The students began in the fall with online courses and will experience short-term intensive courses in the Caribbean and/or conferences in DC, to solidify the cohort and add some in-person learning opportunities. The occupational/ ministerial range of our new students include pastors, chaplains, presiding elders, and Christian educators. Dr. Sinkfield shared, “The Caribbean students are zealous about the work of ministry, fervent about the strong and needful propagation of the gospel within their context, impassioned about their need to be further equipped and tooled for the carrying out their calling to the islands. They are overjoyed about the potential opportunity to be the first of (what they hope will be) a long succession of pastors, teachers, leaders, evangelists, and chaplains who will be able to grow in their ministry and education with Wesley Theological Seminary.”
This program has brought forth much fruit among our Caribbean students. If you are moved to support the program with a special gift, please take a moment to contribute online at www.wesleyseminary.edu/give, return the enclosed envelope, or contact our Director of Wesley Council Kasongo Butler at kbutler@wesleyseminary.edu.
“I believe that studying Theology [at Wesley] incorporates the fundamentals of humanity, including the ethical and moral opinions of the historical and traditional teachings that form the basis of religion that will aid in my ‘religious’ curiosity. During my study, I expect to be exposed to, gain meaningful insight, and engage in meaningful discussions about various religious beliefs. I will excel in my studies with God in the vessel.” Ann-Marie Clarke WINTER 2023
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RISKY DISCIPLESHIP
RISKY DISCIPLESHIP
HOW A WESLEY GRADUATE RETURNS TO NASHVILLE AND CREATES A VILLAGE
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n a hot day in the summer of 2021, a community gathered at Glencliff United Methodist Church for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of The Village at Glencliff, a medical respite housing program for the un- and under-housed in Nashville, Tennessee. Wesley graduate Ingrid McIntyre took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief and offer a prayer of thanksgiving after the elevenyear journey from concept to opening. When Ingrid McIntyre, MTS ’07, returned to Nashville from Washington, DC she was sure she was not called to pastor a local church. She had grown up as a “PK” (preacher’s kid) with her father leading several churches in central Tennessee and her mother working for the Upper Room Publishing House. But Ingrid has a heart for those who are literally outside the walls of Nashville churches. In a hands-on ministry with the un-housed of the city, Ingrid recognized the gaps in the safety net. She worked to mend that net as appointed Chaplain to those on the street. Then, in 2010 she cast a larger vision of building a “micro village of hope – a safe community where people can heal from the physical, emotional and spiritual trauma of being forced to live on the streets.” As founder of The Village, Ingrid led the project from design through funding to ribbon cutting and beyond for the initial 12 micro houses. The individual homes range from 200 to 400 square feet and are pet friendly – because the pet may be the only family a resident has. Glencliff UMC stepped into this “risky discipleship” after others had a NIMBY (not in my back yard) response to her vision. “We were sued,” Rev McIntyre shared. Neighbors expressed (unfounded, as it turns out) concerns about neighborhood safety, and worries about property values. “The saga is both heartening, in that the program now exists, and deeply depressing, in how difficult it can be to convince people to care about, and love, their neighbor. At times it seemed easier for a camel to understand the crisis facing the un- and under-housed than it is for a homeowner to understand what role they can play in ending cycles and systems of poverty.” “Why people are homeless is a risky question.” Rev. McIntyre says. She explains that there is no distancing way to be involved in the daily lives of the marginalized. 12
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RISKY DISCIPLESHIP
“We are disrupting systems of poverty with this program and it requires an unflagging ability to meet people where they are.” The Village aims to bring people experiencing homelessness “dignified and quality medical care” after they have been released from the hospital. “You have these medically fragile folks,” Rev McIntyre shared. “And without anywhere else to go, they are back on the street, exacerbating the medical conditions that caused them to need hospitalization in the first place.” On the street - “They don’t get well, they just die less quickly.” In offering a portion of their church land for this project, Rev. McIntyre’s congregation at Glencliff United Methodist Church facilitated the creation of this unique model of respite care. While the average stay is 90 days, residents can stay in The Village until they are able to secure permanent housing. In addition to medical care, the residents receive homemade, nourishing meals provided by The Nashville Food Project. Recently, Ingrid was joined in this remarkable ministry by Nichole Poland, MDiv ’19, who is appointed to be Chaplain to The Village and to the congregation at Glencliff UMC. Nicole is in the Deacon ordination process with the Tennessee and Western Kentucky Annual Conference. Prior to her appointment to Glencliff she was working in hospice ministry. In addition to weekly worship and administrative work with the congregation, she focuses on spiritual and pastoral care for the residents of The Village. Nicole shares, “Serving as the campus chaplain at The Commons at Glencliff is incredibly meaningful, and I am grateful for my experience of community at Wesley that informs my work. My understanding of faith and justice in action is constantly growing through relationships with the congregation, the Village residents, and the broader community.” To learn more visit villageatglencliff.org.
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BISHOP SUNDO KIM
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BISHOP SUNDO KIM
A LIFE DEVOTED TO FAITH AND SERVICE REMEMBERING BISHOP SUNDO KIM
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n November 25, 2022, shortly before his 92nd birthday, alumnus Bishop Sundo Kim ’70 passed away in Seoul, Korea. President David McAllisterWilson shared the news with the Wesley community. “I give thanks for the life and ministry of Bishop Sundo Kim. This is a sad day. But this is also a season to be thankful for the harvest.” President McAllister-Wilson continued, “Jesus called us to be fruitful. Bishop Kim was fruitful. He was our most distinguished alumnus and built the largest and most influential church within worldwide Methodism. Millions have been brought to Christ, and thousands have become pastors or missionaries because of him.” Bishop Kim began his ministry as the senior pastor at Kwanglim Methodist Church in 1971 in Seoul with 170 members. By 1993, over 60,000 worshipers filled the sanctuary each Sunday and listened to the message from the Lord delivered. Bishop Kim was a world Christian leader and one of the world’s outstanding preachers. His son, Bishop Chung Suk Kim now leads that church and is a Governor of Wesley. Bishop Kim was very involved at Wesley and even established the Bishop Sundo Kim Chair in World Christianity at Wesley in 2007. Former President, Dr. Doug Lewis reflects that Bishop Kim did “the work of a master craftsman who [used] the medium of preaching to proclaim the historic Christian faith and his own testimony of commitment to Jesus Christ.” Vice President of International Relations Kyunglim Shin Lee, DMin ’93, attended the Bishop’s funeral in Seoul and fondly shared, “the legacy of the late Bishop Sundo Kim continues through millions of people whom he touched their hearts and lives. As a man of prayer, he prayed in front of the statue of Wesley on campus and established a tradition of prayer for the Korean students. I remember him saying, ‘I pray for Wesley every day.’ His dedication and contribution will bear more fruit over generations at Wesley and by Wesley.” Well done, Bishop Kim, Good and faithful servant. Rest in the peace of Christ.
Reflection from Interim Dean Sathianathan Clarke: “I first met Bishop Sundo Kim from Kwanglim Church in Seoul (KMC) in 2008. He came to my installation as Chair in World Christianity. He gave his Alma mater an endowment gift of $1 million dollars to inaugurate the Bishop Sundo Kim Chair for World Christianity. Because of this special relationship as the inaugural professor of the Bishop Sundo Kim Chair, I have visited him three times in Seoul, Korea. He always welcomed me with joy and pride and made it a point to send me back to the US with a prayer for strength, courage, wisdom, and humility as I served the whole world in the power of the Spirit. I have preached in his Church, which is one of the largest Methodist churches in the world, and through the last several years he has continued to support me across the oceans with encouraging letters and assurance of prayers. I will miss Bishop Kim. I will strive to live out what he taught me through his life: To joyously and courageously teach and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a spirit of love.”
“How can the church become irresistible? With what may it inspire? How can it be appealing enough to touch the minds and hearts of people? It can by practicing holiness and service through evangelism, the core of its very existence. It should reconcile with the world through service, but at the same time be distinct. Such duality can make the church more appealing and empower it to proclaim the gospel.” Bishop Sundo Kim WINTER 2023
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ANSWERING THE CALL
ANSWERING THE CALL CLAUDIA BACH
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used to worry that I didn’t have a traditional calling story. There was no moment when I heard God’s voice assuring me that there was a perfect path for me. In fact, here in my second year at Wesley, I’m still not sure what comes next for me. But I am certain that Wesley is the place I need to be right now. I’d considered ministry on and off since I was a child, always ending up deciding that it wasn’t right for me, so I wrote off seminary. I explored my other passions over the years: nonprofit work, theater, and cooking - all of which satisfied me. But no matter where I went, I knew I was still hungry for something. To know and connect with my God in a deeper way. It was the paradigm shift of the COVID-19 pandemic that finally opened my eyes. As work shifted to home, as I changed the way I thought about my time and my passions, something clicked. I could go back to school. I could study the theology I always wanted to. With the help of Wesley’s admissions team, I found there was a track just right for me: a Masters of Theological Studies, with a concentration in Theology and the Arts. As someone not pursuing ordination but still seeking a life as a theologian and artist, I am able to study and grow in the ways that are right for me, alongside a group of incredible peers, each pursuing the path that is just right for them. As a queer person, it can be daunting to step into the religious world. Historically, and as an individual, the Church has been a fraught place to bring my whole authentic self. At Wesley, I am not only welcome as I am, but I am encouraged to study theology that speaks to me as I am. In my time at Wesley, I have grown as an artist, theology student, and child of God in ways I could never have expected. I am so thankful for the final push it took for me to take that last brave step and begin the hard work of a scholar and artist. Whether or not this is God’s Perfect Path for me, I know it is one I am deeply grateful to be on.
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ANSWERING THE CALL
CESAR LODIHA AKOKA
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aving a call from childhood, God wanted me to be at Wesley soon after being ordained within the Central Congo Episcopal as deacon. My wife, Clarice Ndaya, played a great role in helping me answer my call to come to Wesley since I did not have hope of traveling to the United States of America due to my family financial issues. However, I thank God for the way made for me. God makes way where there seems to be no way. Wesley Theological Seminary is a place where Church leaders are made to impact the world and make disciples of Jesus Christ our savior for the transformation of the world. I strongly believe that God called me for a purpose and Wesley Theological Seminary is empowering me to become the leader that the United Methodist church expects. On January 16, 2023, I participated in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. I was selected by Rev. Nelson B. Rivers III, among the three CNBC Scholars (one from Wesley, the second from Virginia, and the third from Howard University under Rev. Al Sharpton’s leadership as the president and founder of the National Acton Network.)
At the event, I was honored to meet the 46th President of United States. I believe I am the first Congolese United Methodist Church pastor to meet President Biden and I found him to be humble and wise. My experiences as a seminarian at Wesley continues to bring me opportunities I would have never dreamed of back home. Wesley keeps shaping my servant leadership as that I am currently building a program based on love into action supporting orphans, widows and destitute around the world (James 1:27). I am forever grateful to the Wesley community for their love and empowerment throughout my first semester. And special thanks to all my professors who opened my mind while teaching me to make both the world and the Church a better place where everyone wants and deserves to live in.
SHARE YOUR STORY If you would like to share your story of answering the call in an upcoming issue of The Calling, please contact us at development@wesleyseminary.edu.
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ANSWERING THE CALL
PRISON CHAPLAIN POINTS TO HOPE, JOY, AND LOVE P astor Carlos Malley is the Discipleship Pastor of the Circle Church of Alexandria located in Alexandria, Louisiana. He is also a Chaplain for the Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System. Calling spoke to Pastor Malley recently about his experiences working and ministering inside the prison system. This interview has been edited for clarity and space. Calling Magazine: One of the things that I find really interesting is that people who take up this kind of work say that it was never anywhere on their bucket list. They just found themselves. Is this similar for you? Carlos Malley: It absolutely wasn’t on my bucket list. When I began this journey in 2011, I was an active duty airman with the Air Force, and I felt the call to go into ministry. I finally stopped running--as you kind of hear that cliche in our line of work--and I answered the call that I felt God had on my life. I decided to apply for the Army chaplain candidate program, a commissioning program for aspiring chaplains. I went from being a staff sergeant with the Air Force on January 31, 2011, to being sworn in with the Army Reserve as a chaplain candidate on February 1. 18
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There are programs out there called Clinical Pastoral Education, or what we refer to as CPE. And so I graduated, and the Army had a summer internship in San Antonio, Texas, which is where I was living at the time. I met a chaplain at that Ecclesiastical Endorsers Conference from the Federal Bureau of Prisons named Antoine Barlow, and Antoine Barlow, very charismatic guy, he walks up to me and he says, “Hey, you look like you would be a great prison chaplain.” [laughs] I don’t know if that was a compliment. I didn’t know if that was good, bad or indifferent based on how how I looked and the way I presented myself as a chaplain. We sat down and we had a meal together. And he told me about the Federal Bureau of Prisons and he told me all about the ministry and just the opportunities to, in my faith tradition, to point people to Christ. But he also told me just about the robust nature of prison ministry and how you would learn so much about other religions as well, which for me, as someone whose passion is to step outside the walls of the church, that was very appealing to me, just the thought of doing that.
ANSWERING THE CALL
Calling: What was your relationship with U.S. prison system prior to taking on this role? Malley: I’ve seen many of my own friends end up either in prison or end up dead. I thought, “Wow, maybe I could make a difference.” Calling: So, after this conference, what happens? Malley: Within a month of me returning from the Ecclesiastical Endorsers Conference, I researched and started looking up opportunities to apply for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I really felt like a fish out of water. I can remember within the first week of me starting officially inside the prison and leading services, I knew that’s where God wanted me to be. I felt at home in prison ministry.
I wanted to just serve God. And I asked God, “Please. Can you find my heart something that it can do?” So God started sending people into my life.
Calling: How do you mean? Malley: How do I describe it? It’s just a melting pot of all of these different religions that you have to accommodate. In the Federal Bureau of Prisons, we have roughly 28 religious groups that we currently recognize and provide accommodations for. I provided direct support to several communities at the lower security level: the federal prison camp, satellite prison camp, and the low-security level. After serving there for three years, I was extended the opportunity to be a supervisor in the current position that I’m in. And so I’ve been here in central Louisiana now since February of 2019. Calling: How has Wesley Theological Seminary prepared you for the work you are doing? Malley: I feel it’s beneficial in both sectors because a lot of what I’m learning through this program at Wesley has really been beneficial in my prison capacity as well, just learning more about how to better accommodate other faith traditions through the lens of my own faith tradition. To love my neighbor as well and be able to learn and have a deeper understanding of other religious traditions. Calling: You mentioned you felt a call to ministry. How did that manifest itself? How did you know you had a call? Malley: Well, that’s a good question. The church really became our everything. We did everything with them. And so because of that, I really began to develop, through discipleship, just this fervor for learning God’s word, and going to Bible study, and learning as much as I can, wanting to read as much as I can. Really kind of falling in love with the concept of being a part of a church community. I wanted to just serve God. And I asked God, “Please. Can you find my heart something that it can do?”
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ANSWERING THE CALL
So God started sending people into my life. And I ended up running into a guy by the name of Dr. Keith Rowe, who’s one of my mentors to this day. I knew him because he was the missionary that our church supported. And so while walking out, I said, “Hey, my name is Carlos Malley. I met you. I saw you come and speak to the church. I just want to let you know I’m a part of that church and I fully support what you’re doing.” He just decided to speak into my life at that time, and he began to share his testimony with me about how he was wrestling with his Air Force career and how he hated it and how God was calling him to become a chaplain. And he told me his story, and I don’t know why he told me that story that day, but it was really what I needed to hear because it was the same stuff I was wrestling with.
Calling: What is your responsibility to the incarcerated communities you serve? Reentry. In my case, faith-based re-entry through the teachings of my tradition as a Christian. Have I seen men transform? Absolutely. I have seen firsthand that the men who participate actively in these types of programs get out and become success stories. But have I also seen men lose all hope. Sadly, yes. Based on history, family dynamics, family brokenness, lack of fathers, and difficult environments—which I grew up in myself—I have seen the system eat away at their hope. My calling is to try and be one of the people who points them to hope, joy, love.
Calling: How helpful is your church in your mission? Malley: Sometimes what I have found is this: the church needs to be educated on what we do. And also the [prisons] needs to be educated on what we do. Sometimes you can feel like you’re not enough pastor. You’re not quite the pastor that people anticipate you to be in the church. But you’re not quite the professional that people expect you to be in a hospital, in the prison, or in the military setting. Right. But going back to your original question, I have found that my church has done a good job of trying to understand what I do as a chaplain. I still think they don’t fully understand what I do when I say, “Hey, yeah, I got to go and work for Hanukkah.” We just had Hanukkah for our Jewish inmates. They don’t understand, what was this Christian chaplain going to serve Jewish inmates? Or when I say, “Hey, Ramadan is coming up for our Muslim inmates and I can’t be here on Wednesday nights this month because I have to cover shifts for Ramadan. My church has been very supportive of me. I’m gone quite a bit from service because of my responsibility to both of my outreach ministries of prison ministry and military ministry. But they’ve been very supportive along the way. My family has plugged in heavily into our church. My wife leads a women’s group in our local church and our kids are heavily involved.
Sometimes you can feel like you’re not enough pastor. You’re not quite the pastor that people anticipate you to be in the church. But you’re not quite the professional that people expect you to be in a hospital, in the prison, or in the military setting. 20
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To love my neighbor as well and be able to learn and have a deeper understanding of other religious traditions.
WESLEY ON THE ROAD
WESLEY ON THE ROAD ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY GATHERINGS By Special Assistant to the President for Alumni Relations Chip Aldridge
W
e know that the early Methodist preachers rode from place-to-place to bring the word and sacraments to the scattered population in the American colonies. The modern equivalent is the itineracy that moves clergy as needed - and keeps Wesley busy trying to keep up with where our Alumni are doing their ministries. In his new role as Special Assistant to the President for Alumni Engagement, Chip Aldridge is connecting with Wesley graduates near and far. This fall included “On the Road” trips to North Carolina, and Delaware as well as an oncampus gathering of Episcopal Alumni for lunch following a Chapel Service where Dr. Jan Naylor Cope, MDiv ‘07, Canon at the Washington National Cathedral preached. Chip would love to connect with all of our graduates. Please reach out to him at caldridge@wesleyseminary.edu or 703.836.1549 and keep Wesley up-todate with how you are living out your calling to serve!
North Carolina The first week of November was a deep-dive into UMC politics for our new Vice President for Development, Angela Willingham. She and Chip Aldridge, Special Assistant to the President for Alumni Engagement, went to the Southeast Jurisdictional (SEJ) Conference at Lake Junaluska. While planning to meet up with Alumni - they also wanted to support The Rev. Tom Berlin, who had recently completed service as Wesley’s Board Chair and was endorsed by the Virginia Conference for the episcopacy. Bishop Berlin was the first of three Bishops elected by the SEJ and it was a great joy to attend the consecration service. He is assigned to be Bishop of Florida Annual Conference beginning January 1st.
When Angela and Chip arrived in Charlotte, they were hosted for lunch by The Rev. Dr. Gaye Smith, MDiv ’80 and DMin ’94, and her husband Ted. They live in Aldersgate, which was originally established by Methodists in the 1940’s for retired preachers and their widows. Gaye and Ted are active leaders in promoting ecological stewardship on the campus and advocating for stronger recycling efforts in their community.
See these moments and the connections we made! WINTER 2023
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WESLEY ON THE ROAD
Before traveling from Charlotte to the SEJ at Lake Junaluska, Angela and Chip enjoyed dinner with two alumni from the area. Rev. Stephen Combs, MDiv ‘95, and Rev. Laura Hamrick, MDiv ‘02, joined them at Firebird restaurant to share stories from their studies in DC and hear updates on new faculty, programs offerings, and how COVID impacted class offerings to now include on-campus, online and hybrid classes.
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At the Wesley Reception on the patio at the Harrell Building, Chip is showing off the new name tag that says “Bishop” Robin Dease! Newly elected Bishop Robin Dease took a moment from the excitement to join other alumni at the Wesley Alumni Dessert Drop-In at Lake Junaluska. An unexpected joy for the Wesley representatives at SEJ was being present for the election of The Rev. Dr. Robin Dease, MDiv ’98 and DMin ’10. She is the first Wesley Theological Seminary Graduate elected to the episcopacy who did both her Masters and Doctoral studies at our Seminary. Her election was one of those rare times when the Spirit moves to raise up a new Bishop nominee who had not been endorsed by a conference or caucus. Delegates knew her leadership in South Carolina and felt her potential such that she was elected “from the floor”. Bishop Dease has been assigned to the North Georgia Annual Conference.
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Wesley Alumni were pleased to greet the newly elected Bishop Robin Dease. On the Bishop’s right is Rev. Kotosha Seals Griffin, MDiv ’08, who is pastor of Heritage UMC in Virginia Beach. Rev. Griffin is also Chaplain at Virginia Wesleyan University. On Chip’s left is Kotosha’s husband The Rev. Bertrand Griffin, Pastor of Aldersgate UMC in Norfolk. On his left is Dr. Victor Dingus, MTS ‘09 and DMin ’14, who teaches for Wesley and lives at Lake Junaluska. From the reception we could see the forty-foot lighted Christmas tree in his front yard!
WESLEY ON THE ROAD
We had quick conversations with a lot of Wesley Alumni who were very busy with their responsibility as voting delegates. Jake Paysour, MTS ’12, was a Lay Delegate from Virginia Conference. He and his wife The Rev. Joanna Marcy Paysour, MDiv ‘11, live in Roanoke, where he teaches at Northside High School and is Assistant Basketball Coach. She is a pastor at Greene Memorial and Trinity United Methodist Churches.
The Rev. Caleb Frazier, MDiv ’13, was a Clergy Delegate to SEJ from Holston Annual Conference. He is Director of the East Tennessee State University Wesley Foundation in Johnson City and pastor of First UMC of Surgoinsville, TN. He lives in Jonesborough with his wife Margaret Bagwell Frazier, MTS ’13, who is a candidate for the UMC Deaconess and Home Missioner Order and serves as the Director of Youth and Family Ministries at Colonial Heights UMC in Kingsport. Chip shared, “It was great to catch up with so many alumni whom I got to know so well as dynamic and creative degree candidates at Wesley!”
Wesley graduate Tom Beall, MDiv ‘77, is retired from active ministry and lives at the Givens Estate – a senior living community in Asheville. While giving Chip a tour he told how he got from Wesley to Western NC. He and his wife Helen wanted to be in the mountains and knew there were plenty of options in WNC. Their first appointment was to the UMC in Maggie Valley, a tourist area between Lake Junaluska and the Cherokee Reservation. A bonus was that he also led worship at the Chapel at “Ghost Town in the Sky” – an old West theme park on Buck Mountain. During the Ghost Town Chapel services Helen would play hymns on the old foot-pumped organ while their infant daughter, Ginny, was held by one of the college-aged ‘Dance Hall Girls’, Angie, already in costume for the afternoon performances. Tom said he did a number of weddings in that Chapel for Ghost Town staff and performers.
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Dover, Delaware Episcoal Gathering Part of the Episcopal Luncheon group following the November 15 Chapel where guest preacher was Dr. Jan Naylor Cope, Canon at the National Cathedral. We were pleased the graduates could meet some of the newer faculty. Seated, from left: Rev. Hyemin Na, our new Assistant Professor of Worship, Media and Culture, and is Chapel Elder. Retired professor, Dr. Lucy Lind Hogan, MDiv ‘87, Rev. Gini Gerbasi, MDiv ‘07, and current Wesley MTS candidate Cesar Akoka Lodiha from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Standing, from left: Dr. Sathi Clarke, Interim Dean; Rev. Debbie Kirk, MDiv ‘15, Rev. Betsy Hague, MDiv ‘94, Rev. Paul Canady, MDiv ‘09, John Cope, MTS ‘01, Dr. Jan Naylor Cope, MDiv ‘07, Dr. David Bickel, MTS ’02, Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hill Dopp, MDiv ‘11 and DMin ‘22, Dr. Rick Elgendy, Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology, Dr. Devon Abts, Assistant Director of the Luce Center for Theology and Religion and Visiting Assistant Professor in Theology and the Arts.
On the way to a gathering of Wesley Alumni in Dover DE, Angela and Chip rendezvous at Calvary UMC in Annapolis, where they got a quick tour from Rev. Linda Motter, MDiv ‘11. The beautiful sanctuary has a stained glass reredos which is all images and pericopes of water. Linda and Calvary were in readiness for the beginning of Advent. But she still had time to express deep appreciation for Wesley’s faculty and specifically asked about retired professor Dr. Sharon Ringe, who lives at Ingleside at King Farm in Rockville, Md.
The December 1 luncheon at Fraizer’s Restaurant in Dover was a great success. From the left: Rev. Chip Aldridge, MDiv ‘85 and DMin ‘95, Rev. Karin Tunnell, MDiv ’98, Rev. Karen Bunnell, MDiv ‘87, Rev. Megan Shitama Weston, MA ‘10, Rev. Amy Yarnell, MDiv ‘01, Rev. John Van Tine, MDiv ‘73, Rev. Casey Houtz, MDiv ‘22, and VP Angela Willingham. The experiences these Alumni had at Wesley Theological Seminary spanned at least 45 years - but all named the time they studied in DC as a shaping and valuable experience which they hope all future clergy from Peninsula-Delaware Conference could share. 24
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