Columbia Theological Seminary Inform, 67, number 6, October 1973

Inform

Vol. 67 No. 6 Oct. 1973 News Bulletin From Columbia Theological Seminary

Decatur^ Georgia

SMILES BROADEN ON CAMPUS

V-^ LARKE TAKES
ROLE OF DEAN

After two weeks of summer Greek
School, the beginning seminarian was
a bit shaky, ripe for some ministerial
attention.

But before the verb endings and noun
declensions got to the student in the
worst way, he was paid a calming visit
by the seminary's resident minister and
"official confessor," Dr. T. Erskine
Clarke, new dean of students.

With an unflappable temperament,
Clarke's bit of personal ministry was
the difference between a harried, nail-
gnawer and a young ministerial candi-
date who was to flower in the language
of John and Paul.

Dean Clarke comes to Columbia with
an impeccable background as a student
of theology and practical experience as
a parish minister. Educated at Colum-
bia and Union Theological Seminary in
Richmond where he received M.Div.
and Th.D. degrees, respectively, Clarke
was minister of the Belton, S. C,
Church before accepting a call here.

As pastor to the Columbia commu-
nity. Dean Clarke's ministry regularly
will carry him into the homes and
apartments of seminarians. In addition,
he has administrative responsibilities in
the areas of pastoral counseling and fi-
nancial aid.

Married to the former Nancy Warren
of Summerville, S. C, they have two
children.

Dean Clarke and "'Jap" Keith. See stories on pages
1 and 3.

i^ EW YEAR FINDS
SURPLUS ON HAND

A different hue of the ink on the fi-
nancial side caused some broad smiles
among the administration this fall as
Columbia Theological Seminary geared
up for its 146th year.

Vice President for Development Ste-
phen A. Bacon said the seminary began
the year further "in the black" than any
other time in a decade. "In past years
we would begin about even or with a
deficit, but this year there is a small
surplus," Bacon said. "This is a healthy
position for the seminary and shows
genuine interest by Presbyterians in their
seminary," he added.

The capital funds campaign netted
more than $1 million in contributions
last year, the largest amount in semi-
nary history and the first time more
than $1 million has been given in a
single year. Bacon said.

Heaped onto the good news of finan-
cial stability and another cause for joy
at Columbia is an increased enrollment.
The entering class is up about 25 per
cent over last year.

The seminary likely will complete its
$5 million campaign by the end of this
year. Bacon said. Gifts and pledges now
amount to more than $4.5 million.

E

RIENDSHIP CIRCLE
SEEKS $25,000 FOR BOOKS

Columbia Friendship Circle's project for
1973-74 is Books for the Library. The
financial goal is $25,000. With this
money books will be purchased and
prepared for use in the John Bulow
Campbell Library. According to Mrs.
Emily Wood, president of the CFC
Council, ". . . this year's project will
help not only the students at the Semi-
nary, but also the ministers in our
churches . . ."

Mrs. Wood's sentiments are echoed
by Harold Prince, Columbia's librarian.
He says that the CFC gift will ". . .
improve our book collection and there-
by improve the quality of service to
our students, faculty, pastors, and other
friends . . ." Specifically he says that a

Inform

good many pastors make regular use of
the library and it will be a better source
of help for them in their sermon prepa-
ration and general reading. Also, books
are loaned to ministers through the mail.
As far as students are concerned, the
CFC book purchase will primarily bene-
fit them since they use the library more
than any other group. This project will
mean that there are more good books
and material available so that they can
do a better job of class preparation.

Mr. Prince remembers previous CFC
gifts to the library, including an elevator
and shelves for the top floor, which he
says "improved our whole operation tre-
mendously." He also says that he has
always felt "warm feelings" for CFC and
that "this gift is another indication that
CFC is supporting the library and that
it wants to help develop the best pos-
sible library collection and service."

Those who contribute $5 or more
form CFC's Banner Circle and receive
Columbia's newsletter "Inform." Those
who contribute $15 or more will be
recognized by the use of a book plate
bearing the name of the donor.

mm

FOR THE LIBRARY
AT COLUMBIA SEMINARY

1973-74 PROJECT

Columbia Friendship circle

F,

ROM THE PRESIDENT

Each September about two weeks be-
fore school begins the faculty of the
Seminary and the student officers go to
the hills of North Georgia for a three-
day retreat. We plan for the year and
explore together a theme. The time to-
gether is always a productive and en-
riching experience.

This year those three days were the
high point in my five years at Colum-
bia. Our theme was spiritual develop-
ment, the nature of true piety. Our text
was the 1972 report of the American
Association of Theological Schools Task
Force on Spiritual Formation. As a
resource leader we invited W. Robert
Martin of the Fund for Theological
Education, who was a member of that
task force. A faculty group of four
planned and led the sessions on the
need for true piety, prayer, Bible read-
ing, and the disciplined life, while four
more faculty members led small groups
in discussion and sharing.

What happened is hard to convey but
exciting and important. Honest sharing
of experiences and understandings was
part of it. Open discussion of problems
of prayer, of tendencies to view the Bi-

ble only as a source for sermons, of
struggles between freedom and discipline
was another part. Listening to different
perspectives and trying to hear what
others were saying was part of it.
Laughter and tears were part of it.

No new programs were proposed, nor
was a new committee appointed to work
out programs. No motions were passed,
nor were any made. But everyone came
away with new commitments based on
a new consciousness of the reality of
true piety and its importance in our life
on the Columbia Seminary campus.

For what we are engaged in is
preparation for ministry. That involves
providing students with knowledge and
skills: knowledge of the Bible, the his-
tory of the church, theology, ethics, the
program of the church; skills in preach-
ing, teaching, leading worship, giving
pastoral care, counseling, and adminis-
tering the program of the church. But
it also involves enaWing students to
grow as persons committed to the min-
istry of the Gospel and themselves ex-
periencing the reality of Jesus Christ.
The experience of His reality and pres-
ence was what we received on retreat
and will receive and share at Columbia
Seminary.

e. Ssnton J([im, ^x.

Inform

N

EW STUDENTS FROM
VARIED BACKGROUNDS

There's a man or woman for all sea-
sons in the entering class just arrived at
Columbia.

For starters, there's a pharmacist, a
salesman, several teachers, a lab techni-
cian, a newpaperman and a telephone
engineer, not to mention all those folks
who just finished college and who will
refine their considerable talents here in
the seminary.

The newest class has an average age
of 26. Most were born, raised and edu-
cated in the South, but one hails from
far away Nova Scotia.

In addition the first 14 persons to
enroll in the doctor of ministry in ca-
reer degree program began work this
fall. This program will give pastors the
opportunity to earn a doctoral degree
in a program designed especially for
parish ministers.

K

EITH SEEKING
CHURCH HELP

A candidate for the ministry coming out
of Columbia will have a real feeling for
what he has and what he can do.

That is the observation of the semi-
nary's new director of supervised minis-
try. Jasper "Jap" Keith, a former chap-
lain and pastor who has a long string of
experience.

And Presbyterians soon will become
familiar with Keith who says he intends
to perform his assigned duties actively
with more personal contact with local
congregations.

Even now Keith is seeking the assist-
ance of churches which are willing to
underwrite a program of ministry for
seminarians. "We need 50 churches for
summer interns and 15 to 20 on a year-
round basis," he said.

Formerly chief of chaplains at Geor-
gia Regional Hospital in Atlanta, Keith
seeks congregations that are willing to
become teaching churches, providing
places where students can do "experi-
encing of ministry."

"My ambition is to design practical
experiences in ministry for students un-

A family picnic highlighted social activities as the Columbia community returned to campus this fall. Intro-
ductory term, a special one week program proceeded the opening exercises for Columbia's 146th year. Enter-
ing students concentrated on orientation activities while second year students were involved in an introduction
to their year-long field education program in the city of Atlanta. Seniors participated in a Management Seminar
staffed by the C & S Bank of Atlanta.

der some experienced pastor," he said.

Congregations able to provide this
leadership are asked to contact Keith
at the seminary.

A native Georgian, Keith is a grad-
uate of Mercer University, Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary, Louis-
ville, Ky., and Columbia. He has held
pastorates in Georgia and Kentucky. He
is married to his high school sweet-
heart, the former Betty Morgan of Ho-
gansville, Ga. They have three sons,
Newt, 17; Mark, 15, and Jim, 11.

N,

EW FACULTY AND
STAFF BEGIN WORK

Several new faces appeared at Columbia
this year in significant teaching and staff
positions.

Dr. Frederick Bonkovsky comes from
Vanderbilt University where he taught
political science. He has been elected
associate professor of Christian ethics.
His degrees include an M.Div. from
Yale, certificate from Free University of
Berlin and Ph.D. from Harvard. Author
of "Ethics in International Politics and

Policy," Dr. Bonovsky's current interest
is medical ethics.

Glenn R. Wittig joined the staff as
associate librarian after completing a
four-year term as reference librarian at
Princeton Theological Seminary. A vet-
eran librarian, he has worked at Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School, Baylor Uni-
versity and Waco-McLennan County,
Tex. library. A graduate of Tennes-
see Temple College, Wittig has studied
at Baylor, University of Michigan and
Rutgers.

Dr. Catherine Gunsalus will join the
faculty in January as associate professor
of church history. She has been on the
faculty of Louisville Presbyterian Semi-
nary in Kentucky and previously was
associate professor of Bible and religion
and chaplain at West Virginia Wesleyan
College. A widely known preacher and
speaker, Ms. Gunsalus is a member of
Louisville Union Presbytery and has
served on numerous committees of the
United Presbyterian Church and the
National Council of Churches. She is a
graduate of Beaver College and Bos-
ton University School of Theology and
earned the Ph.D. at Boston University.
Dr. Gunsalus was a speaker at the
Women's Conference at Montreat this
past summer.

Also new at Columbia are Mrs. Lu-
(Continued on Page 4)

Inform

L

IVE ISSUES
PERK UP CHURCH

Before Bill Barton came to Columbia
two years ago he sold his electronics
business in Daytona Beach, Fla., but he
brought some of the shock along with
him.

Like this summer in field work. While
most congregations are suffering a pe-
culiar summertime malady manifest by
symptoms of goof-offs and doldrums,
Bill's church Calvary Presbyterian of
Marietta, Ga. perked up with a sub-
stantial attendance increase.

Reason? Issues. Live, real concerns
which daily smack the Christian. Prior
to summer Bill met with the session
and suggested that the congregation get
with the coming summertime program
in what Bill described "a positive" way.

This positivity took the form of a
Tuesday night congregational discussion
group on a controversial issue. The con-
gregation attacked each issue from sev-
eral angles: What society is doing about
it; what the General Assembly thinks;
what the congregation thought, and what
are the theological implications.

The congregation is described as mod-
erate on most issues. The heads of most
families are business and professional
men. Without a full-time minister for
some time. Bill began serving Calvary
twice monthly last March, went full-
time throughout the summer and now
is back on a part-time basis there.

The summer program was a super-
success. Bill said, "because we wanted

Bill and Linda Barton

to see what the Lord was leading us to
do and to see what society was doing
about the real issues facing Christians."

"This was," he declared, "a successful
format."

Bill is 32, married and the father of
three children.

2 Week-Ends

to explore

Possibilities in Ministry

1 for College Students
February 1-3, 1974

1 for Couples Considering

Occupational Change

May 3-5, 1974

for information write:

Al Jepson, Columbia

Seminary

"Putting it together
in the Parish"

Dr. James D. Glasse
1973-74 Alumni Lectures

Ministers' Week
February 11-13, 1973

Alumni Luncheon the 12th

NEW FACULTY AND STAFF

(Continued from Page 3)

cille Hicks, administrative assistant in
the development office, Mrs. Margaret
Cogswell, recorder and secretary to dean
of academic affairs Dr. Charles Cou-
sar and Mrs. Jean Richardson, assistant
bookkeeper in the business office. Mrs.
Meg Boozer has become the manager
of the Seminary Bookstore.

Columbia's dean of students. Dr. T.
Erskine Clarke and the director of su-
pervised ministry, Jasper Keith, round
out the list of newcomers.

COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY DECATUR, GEORGIA 30031

Vol, 67. No. 6/October 1973

Published 7 times a year/Jan . Feb , Apr , May. July. Oct , Nov

Inform

SECOND CLASS

POSTAGE

PAID AT
DECATUR, GA.