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.