Columbia Theological Seminary Vantage, 85, number 3, Winter 1993-1994

COLUMBIA
THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY

Vantage

WINTER 199 3-94

Forum f 94 features
speakers and reunions

Columbia Seminary invites all
alumni/ae and friends to its 1994
Forum, January 24-26. The three-day
event will feature a noted lecturer and
preacher, a faculty forum, and class
reunions.

This year's Smyth Lecturer is
Terence Fretheim, professor of Old
Testament at Luther Northwestern
Theological Seminary. He is the
author of Exodus (Interpretation
Series), The Suffering of God: An Old
Testament Perspective, and the forth-
coming Genesis (New Interpreter's
Bible).

Dr. Fretheim's theme for Forum is
"God in Genesis"; the titles of his three
lectures are "God, Sodom, and
theWarming of the World," "God,
Abimelech, and the Sins of the Right-
eous," and "God, Abraham, and the
Abuse of Issac." His lectures are
scheduled for January 24 at 3 p.m. and
January 25 and 26 at 11:30 a.m.

Barbara Brown Taylor, rector of
Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church in
Clarkesville, Georgia, is guest
preacher for Forum. Before moving to
Clarkesville, Ms. Taylor spent nine
years in urban ministry at All Saints'
Episcopal Church in Atlanta, during
which time she wrote two collections
of sermons, Mixed Blessings and The

Seeds of Heaven, and was the 1990
preacher for the Episcopal Series of
the Protestant Radio Hour. Her latest
book, The Preaching Life, was issued in
1993. Her sermon titles are "Dream-
ing the Truth" and "Striving with
God." Ms. Taylor will preach January
24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m.

This year's Alumni/ae Lectures
will feature a forum of Columbia
faculty members addressing the
theme, "Conversations on Our
Common Future." Ronald Cram,
associate professor of Christian
education, will moderate the three
discussions. Faculty participants will
be Will Coleman '85, assistant profes-
sor of theology and hermeneutics;
Charles Cousar '58, professor of New
Testament; Catherine Gonzalez,
professor of church history; Stanley
Saunders, assistant professor of New
Testament; and Victor Yoon, director
of the Center for Asian Ministries.

During the faculty forum, the
audience will be invited to submit
written questions for the panel. The
panel will spend a portion of the hour
on January 25 and 26 responding to
submitted questions. The discussions
are scheduled for January 24 at 1:30
p.m. and January 25 and 26 at 9 a.m.

Alumni/ae activities will be held

Terence Fretheim

Barbara Brown Taylor

throughout Forum. On Tuesday,
January 25, Dr. Joanna Adams '79 will
speak at the alumni/ae luncheon and
association meeting at 12:30 a.m.

Dr. Adams is senior pastor of
Trinity Presbyterian Church in
Atlanta. She has also been pastor of
North Decatur Presbyterian Church
and associate pastor and minister to
the community of Central Presbyte-
rian Church in Atlanta. She will
speak on "Who We Actually Are."

Alumni/ae in reunion classes will
have a luncheon on Wednesday,
January 26, at 12:30 p.m., Forum's
concluding event. Members of the
classes of 1939 and earlier will be
honored guests at the luncheon. The

Continued on page 2

Joanna Adams '79

Media program-
interpreting the signs

Professor hvan Russell-Jones directs the Program of Theology, Media, and the Church.

In a society already flooded with
video images, many seminaries are
training students in video production.
At Columbia students are also learn-
ing to discern the cultural and theo-
logical messages within media.
According to Dr. Iwan Russell-Jones,
associate professor of theology, media,
and the church, "Very few seminaries
offer courses on media as a central
dimension in contemporary culture."

In seven new courses taught by
Dr. Russell-Jones, students view and
discuss television commercials, music
videos, and films. "Most of the people
in the pews on Sunday mornings have
spent at least three hours a day
watching television, probably more,"
he explains. "They encounter it at
home, in restaurants, even in grocery
checkout lines. In a real sense, the

video world is where they live. As
ministers, unless we can connect with
that world, we have no gospel to
share."

Dr. Russell-Jones' fascination with
media began during his eight years as
senior producer of religious programs
for the British Broadcasting Corpora-
tion (BBC). Fresh from his doctoral
studies in theology at Oxford Univer-
sity, he joined the BBC with high
hopes.

"I came to the BBC with a mis-
sionary zeal," he recalls. "I had a
straightforward belief that media was
simply a tool I could use to present
viewers with Christian ideas they
might not otherwise encounter.
Despite the many criticisms I now
have, I still believe there are great
Continued on page 3

Two seminaries

Douglas W. Oldenburg, President

One of the exciting things happening
at Columbia is our developing rela-
tionship with the Christian seminary
in Nanjing, China. Three years ago
we received a grant from the Luce

Foundation to expand our interna-
tional program to the Peoples Repub-
lic of China Henry Luce was one of
the early Presbyterian missionaries to
China, and it seemed appropriate to
request funding from the Luce
Foundation for such a venture.

In the summer of 1992, we sent 21
people from the seminary community
to China faculty, students, staff, and
board members. Their experiences
were reported in the fall 1992 issue of
Vantage. In October of 1992, we
hosted a major conference on "Christ
and Culture: Sino/American Perspec-
tives" attended by over 100 American
scholars and several Chinese scholars
from the seminary in Nanjing. Last
summer, we sent another contingency
of faculty, students, staff, and board
members to China for a second visit.

As a result of these experiences,
our relationship with the Protestant
leadership in China and the seminary
in Nanjing has been growing. We
now have two students on our cam-

pus nominated by the seminary in
Nanjing, and they are enriching our
life and faith. Their seminary is the
largest Protestant seminary in China,
with 130 students and a resident
faculty. It is one of 30 seminaries in
China but is considered the national
seminary and draws students from all
areas of China. We have been invited
to join them in China next summer for
a major consultation on "The Church
in a Changing Society," and we will
be sending 15 of our faculty, staff, and
board members for this second
consultation.

One of the exciting results of this
growing relationship is a three-fold
invitation from Bishop K. H. Ting,
president of the China Christian
Council. First, he has invited us to
host a gathering next fall of all the
former missionaries to China and
their children. This will provide an
opportunity for renewed official
contact between the leadership of the
church in China and the former
missionaries. We are beginning to
plan for this event.

Second, he has invited us to host a
group of Chinese government officials
who are coming to America to explore
church-state relationships. We hope

to involve former President Jimmy
Carter in those discussions.

Third, he has has asked us to join
the seminary in Nanjing and other
groups in China in hosting a gather-
ing of Chinese intellectuals to reassess
the Christian missionary witness in
China. There is apparently a growing
perception that its impact was far
more positive than many historians
have suggested.

Within the next few months, we
will be going back to the Luce Foun-
dation with a request for a second
grant to continue this exciting rela-
tionship with the Christian commu-
nity in China where one-fourth of the
human family lives. We are deeply
grateful to the Luce Foundation for
providing the funding for this oppor-
tunity and to the Plowshares Institute
and the Amity Foundation in Hong
Kong for helping us make important
contacts and arrangements. We are
honored that Nanjing Seminary and
the China Christian Council have
chosen to have this special relation-
ship with Columbia. God grant that it
will enrich our faith and strengthen
the Church of Jesus Christ both in
America and in China.

Yes, two seminaries worlds
apart but growing closer together! D

Six professors will address the theme "Conversations on Our Common Future" during
Forum. Bottom row, l-r: Ronald Cram, moderator of the discussions; Catherine
Gonzalez; Stanley Saunders. Top row: Will Coleman 85, Charles Cousar 58, and
Victor Yoon.

Forum 1994
continued from page 1

following serve as reunion chairs:

1944 - Sidney Anderson

1949 - Thomas Dews

1954 - Dick Dodds

1959 - Larry Richards

1964- Jim Bowden

1969 - Alan Elmore

1974 - Harry Barrow

1979 - Chris Price

1984 - Ellis Davis

1989 - Peter Denlea

1993 - Nancy Graham.

Women students and alumnae
will meet for a dinner on Tuesday,
January 25, at 6 p.m. The dinner will
follow a 5 p.m. gathering.

In addition, participants will have
an opportunity for informal questions
and conversation with Dr. Fretheim
and Ms. Taylor on January 25 and 26
at 10:30 p.m.

All alumni/ae and friends of the
seminary are invited to the campus
for these three days of lectures,
worship, and reunions. For more
information or to register for Forum,
call 404/378-8821.

Winter reading suggestions by
Columbia's faculty

Let Justice Roll Down: The Old Testament, Ethics, and the Christian Life by Bruce C.

Birch

Grace and Gratitude: The Euchanstic Theology of John Calvin by B.A. Gernsh

Hard Living People and Mainstream Christians by Tex Sample

Dakota: A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen Norris

Race Matters by Cornel West

Dialogues of the Word: The Bible as Literature According to Bakhtin by Walter L.

Reed

How Your Church Family Works: Understanding Congregations as Emotional Systems

by Peter L. Steinke

Open Letters by Vaclav Havel

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen

Engaging the Powers by Walter Wink

Poor But Proud: Alabama's Poor Wlutes by Wayne Flynt

Collected Poems by Stevie Smith

No Other Gospel: Christianity Among the World's Religions by Carl Braaten

Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean

Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco

Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community by Wendell Berry

The Culture of Disbelief by Stephen Carter

In the Center of the Web: Women and Solitude by Delease Wear

The Once and Future Church by Loren Mead

Poetics of Imagining by Richard Kearney

Transforming Mission by David Bosch

Sexual Personnae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson by Camille

Paglia

The Holy Thief by Ellis Peters

Making Sense of It All: Pascal and the Meaning of Life by Thomas Morris

The Church Music Handbook for Pastors and Musicians by N. Lee Orr

Sisters in the Wilderness: Womanist God-Talk by Delores S. Williams

The Beginning and the End by Naguib Mahfouz

Psychoanalysis and Ethics by Ernest Wallwork

Music in the Black Church by J. Wendell Mapson, Jr.

Church in the Round by Letty Russell

Dying for Change by Leither Anderson

The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation by Harold

Bloom

Stories That Could Be True by William Stafford

The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours by Marian Wright

Edelman

Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison

Teaching and the Religious Imagination by Maria Harris

Continued on page 3

VANTAGE

Earl Smith W

Columbia alum
leads church
to jubilee

A decade ago Earl Smith '90 was a
pioneering research chemist develop-
ing alcohol-based automotive fuels.
Today he is pastor of a congregation
honored for pioneering in urban
ministry, the Lakeview Presbyterian
Church of St. Petersburg, Florida.

It all started with a raised hand. "I
volunteered to serve on the Hunger
Task Force of our presbytery," Earl
recalls. "The next thing I knew I was
co-chairing the program, speaking to
congregations throughout southwest
Florida."

Upon graduation from Columbia,
Earl believed he knew where he was
called to minister. "I had preached at
Lakeview, was impressed by their
commitment to ministry, and knew
they were looking for a pastor." The
Lakeview session heartily concurred,
and the church invited him to serve as
their minister.

Earl has found Lakeview unusu-
ally capable and willing to confront
the dilemmas of the urban neighbor-
hood. As the population has changed
from predominantly white to pre-
dominantly African American, many
other churches have retreated. "One
church, three blocks away from our
sanctuary, dismantled its building
board by board and reassembled it
three miles away."

Lakeview has no romantic illu-
sions about its decision to remain in
the neighborhood. Surrounded by
crime and crack houses, the church
has had to install a security system
and parking area lights, and provide
escorts for members and visitors to
their cars after night meetings.

Even so, people are drawn to
Lakeview almost every day of the
week, gathering for worship and
physical, mental, and spiritual heal-
ing. Ministries supported by the con-
gregation include the Johnnie Ruth
Clarke Health Center (serving 2,000
people each month); Operation Attack
(a 26-year-old program providing
emergency food, clothing, and finan-
cial support to people in crisis); the
People of Color AIDS Coalition; and a
sex offenders counseling group a 12-
step program for people under court
referral.

Lakeview Church has recently
been chosen as the pilot site for the
Jubilee Center Project of the Presbyte-
rian Church(USA)'s Urban Ministry
Support Team. After a year-long
deliberation involving applicant
congregations from 10 different pres-
byteries, the 125-member Lakeview
Church was awarded a three-year
grant for $30,000 to assist and equip
three more congregations for vital
urban ministry

"You have to listen for God's
voice within the community of fellow
believers. ..and then follow where God
leads," Earl says. Under Earl's able
leadership, there is no doubt that
Lakeview Presbyterian Church, and
its sister congregations, hear God's
voice clearly calling them to jubilee. Q
Greg Lund '95
Editor's note: This article begins an
occasional series on alums and their work.

Lay Institute
plans Basic
Readings course

Dr. Richard Dietrich will teach the
Basic Readings course for the certifi-
cate programs in Spiritual Formation
and Practical Christianity offered by
the Lay Institute this winter. The
readings course offers an introduction
to the study of theology and related
disciplines. Students will read in the
areas of Old and New Testament,
theology, Christian nurture, and
worship and sacraments.

The Lay Institute's two certificate
programs offer prescribed classes and
electives, both study- and action-ori-
ented, designed to help students
wrestle with issues of faith and life.

The Spiritual Formation program
provides opportunities for students
both to learn about the history of
spirituality and to deepen their own
spiritual lives. The Practical Christi-
anity program offers courses and
practical work intended to help
students translate their faith so it
speaks to the difficulties they face in
the worlds in which they live in the
culture, at work, at home, and in the
community.

The Basic Readings course is a
prerequisite in both certificate pro-
grams. Winter classes will meet on
Thursday evenings (January 6, 13, 20,
27 and February 3, 10) from 7:00 to
9:00 p.m. at the seminary. Cost of the
class is $60.

To register or receive more infor-
mation about either program, contact
the Lay Institute of Faith and Life.

Reading recommendations
continued from page 2

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Culture of Pain by David B. Morris

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

by Eugene Peterson

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public

Discourse in the Age of Show Business by

Neil Postman

The Church Confident by Leander Keck

The White Ocean by James Dickey

The Power of the Cross: Foundations for

a Christian Feminist Ethic of Community

by Sally B. Purvis

Michael Chaney '95 (r) is one of Columbia's students gaining experiem e in sin h areas

as video editing and camera work mulct the dnri tion of Alien Vodka (/) ami Othi

Interpreting the signs
continued from page I

possibilities here."

Poor programming, he assumed,
was created by poor producers. "1
thought that if the media was 'going
to the dogs,' one could solve the
problem merely by changing the
people who run it." But over time, he
recognized the power of ratings. "As
we worked to satisfy viewers and
listeners, I sometimes felt that pro-
grams were running me."

"I was constantly hounding
people, saying, 'Tell me important
things that have happened to you,'"
Dr. Russell-Jones says. He finally
realized that he was so intent on other
people's lives that he was living a
"second-hand" life. "If a producer
lives a second-hand life, how much
more are consumers living a vicarious
existence?" he asks. "A family can sit
on the same sofa for hours watching
the lives of characters and celebrities
on TV, and not even talk to each
other."

A common Christian response to
the negative influence of the media is
to blame the producers. But Dr.
Russell-Jones believes we also need to
recognize that the television screen is
a mirror. "Why, for example, is there
constant violence on the local news?"
he asks. "It's because we, the consum-
ers, lap it up. Nothing makes tor
better TV news ratings than a good
disaster."

Dr. Russell-Jones is one of a
growing number of Christian scholars
who see evidence of the resurgem e ol
paganism in popular culture. Adver-
tisers know the power of religious
language and symbols, and they
insinuate these in commercials. "It is
difficult for today's Christians to feel
that what we have to offer is unique,
because our language has been stolen
to sell jeans, soft drinks, and cars."

Dr. Russell-Jones has not left his
production days completely behind.
In conjunction with Columbia's Lay
Institute for Faith and Life and a team
of staff and students, he is producing
an eight-part series, The Signs of the
Times, to air on cable TV in fall of
1994.

The series will explore the social

and theological significance of sin h

cultural Icons as the automobile, the
gun, the< omputer, the human body,

and the media Chun lus will be
notified, and study notes will be

available for each program In the

series.

In addition, Dr. Russell -|ones and
Media Assistant Alden l'oetker have
increased the use of media in the
Seminary classroom by helping prole-.
BOrS incorporate visual learning into
da8SrOOm presentations Mr. l'oetker

is also assisting faculty members In the

use ol .i i omputer-based lecture
presentation system that makes the
. hall- hoard obsolete. To la< iliate use
of the system and to increase aware-
ness of the seminary's capabilities, Mr.

Poetker has assembled a i atalogue <>i
video resources for faculty members.

Steve Mann, a senior Master of
Divinity degree student who directs
Hi. tele\ i ion ministry at I'eachtree
Presbyterian Church, has been respon-
sible for building and equipping an

editing/produi tion room and a studio,

both of which will be used fo] The '

o) the Times sei l<

Still, given the primary foi US OJ
( olumhi.i, which is to train people foi
Christian ministry, Dr. Russell-Jones
would rather develop sophisticated

viewers ol video than sophisticated

users ol video, "We , ire surrounded
with images and sign', ol OUT < ulture,"
he says "As Christians we need to
read these signs and be able to inter-
pret what they mean"

In Matthew 13, Dr. Russell-Jones
believes, is an apt description of our
i ulture. Icsus says that the people
"indeed listen, but never understand,
and ... look, but never perceive."

But the passage also contains a
promise. Jesus blesses the disciples for
having eyes that see and ears that heal
"At the heart of the gospel is a promise
of perception," notes Russell-Jones.
"Christians are not just people who
have a feeling that God loves them, but
people who understand and unmask
the signs of their times "

Through the vision of Dr. Russell-
Jones, students gain a clearer vision of
their culture and its response to the
gospel, a vision which is certain to
make their ministries to our video
culture more effective. Greg Lund '95

WINTER 1993-94

Continuing

Education

Calendar

For further information or to register for courses, call or write:
Sara Covin Juengst, Director of Continuing Education, or
Richard S. Dietrich, Director of the Lay Institute of Faith and Life
Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA 30031/404-378-8821.

January 4-6 January Seminars FOB MINISTERS Preaching on Lent and Easter,
taught by J. Will Ormond; The Book of Common Worship taught by Catherine
Gonzalez; Rediscovering the Gospel in Context taught by Stanley Saunders;
Pastoral Care in Crisis Situations taught by Jasper Keith See article on this page
for more information.

February 12 Spec DPics of Pi anninc a Mental Illness Program for a Congregation
A follow-up to Creating a Caring Congregation. Leader: BenGautier. Cost:
$10. See article on page 5.

March 1-3 Seasons OF Ministry: The Middle Years This seminar for pastors in
the "mid-life crisis" years will provide an opportunity for reflection and dis-
course about the issues. Pastors will gain new perspective and energy for facing
mid-life crises in ministry and in their personal life through story-sharing,
discourse, and theological reflection. Leaders: Members of the Columbia
faculty. Cost: $50.

March 11-12 Religion and iiii- Arts: Theologk M Themes in Literature See
article on this page for more information.

March 18-19 WEEKEND Lay SCHOOL in Tampa, Fiorida Elective courses will be
taught by Robert Ramey and Stan Saunders. Co-sponsored with Tampa Bay
Presbytery.

March 21-24 and April 21-23 The UNIQUENESS I >i mi Rural Ministry A course to
affirm the "high calling" of rural ministers and assist them with their continued
growth and support. This is a two-part course with reading assignments in
between. Leader: David Ruesink. Cost: $60 for both.

April 4-12 A Week in Jamaica A pilgrimage following Lent and Easter in a
Third World country where the church is strong and vibrant. A week spent in
study of Jamaica at United Theological College in Kingston, seeing urban and
rural parish work in Ocho Rios, experiencing life in another culture. For lay
persons and clergy. Leader: George Telford. Cost: $800 (includes travel, room,
and board).

April 17-22 Contemplative Retreat for Men A retreat for men at the Monastery
of the Holy Ghost, Conyers, Georgia, for reformation, relaxation, and spiritual
discipline. Leader: Rick Dietrich. Cost: $140.

April 24-27 Ministry of Laity Conffrenc E Laity and clergy will come together
to discover how God is at work in our lives in the world. Our response to God
is our ministry. What has God called us to do? At Montreat Conference Center.
Leaders: Beth Johnson, Roger Nishioka, and others. Cost: $95.

April 24-29 Contemplative Retreat for Women A retreat for women at the
Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, Alabama. A time to be apart, to pray, to
worship and meditate in a beautiful retreat setting. Cost: $175.

April 29-May 1 Fellowship Gathering of Presbyterians Leaders: Douglas
Oldenburg, Ben Johnson, Rick Dietrich, and others. At Montreat Conference
Center.

Seasons of Ministry: Middle years

Columbia Seminary will offer a con-
tinuing education event especially
designed for ministers between the
ages of 35 and 55. This conference,
held March 1-3 and led by Columbia
professors, will provide an opportu-
nity for reflection and discourse about
the issues for ministry during those

years through story-sharing, dia-
logues, and theological reflection.

The conference will begin at 1:30
p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, and
conclude at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday,
March 3.

For more information, contact the
continuing education office. D

Religion, Arts
series features
the apocalypse

"Apocalypse in Fiction and Film and
in Fact" is this year's continuing
education offering in the "Religion
and the Arts" series. Columbia
faculty members George Stroup,
professor of theology; Iwan Russell-
Jones, associate professor of theology,
media, and the church; and Richard
Dietrich, director of the Lay Institute
of Faith and Life, will lead the two-
day seminar, March 11-12.

The conference will address
questions raised by the apocalyptic
genre as it has been interpreted by
biblical scholars, theologians, media
evangelists, secular writers, and film
makers. Students will discuss Joseph
Conrad's Heart of Darkness, watch
Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now,
and explore other apocalyptic images
in literature.

Cost of the seminar is $50, and it is
open to anyone interested. For more
information or to register, contact the
continuing education office.

Lay schools
offer morning,
evening classes

This winter's Evening Lay School will
offer courses in Old Testament, in
theology, and in worship. The
courses will meet 7:30-9:30 on Mon-
day evenings, February 7, 14, 21, and
28, 1994, on the Columbia campus.
The Lay Institute of Faith and Life
sponsors the Winter Lay School.

Dr. James Newsome, professor of
Old Testament Language, will offer a
course covering the time "Between the
Testaments." In the course, Dr.
Newsome will lead a discussion of
major developments in the Greco-
Roman world, including the world of
post-Old Testament Jews, and con-
sider how those developments
influenced the writing of the New
Testament.

Dr. George Stroup, professor of
theology, will offer a discussion of
"Questions That Do Not Go Away," a
survey of questions that have nagged
theologians over the centuries and
continue to puzzle the church today.
Among the questions the course will
consider: "Is God responsible for
evil?" "Does God answer prayers?"
"What happens to us when we die?"

Dr. Charles Campbell, instructor
in homiletics, will teach "Telling Time:
The Rhythms of Christian Worship,"
an exploration of the four main
temporal cycles of worship: the daily
cycle, the weekly cycle, the annual
cycle, and the life cycle. The course
will include participation in services
of evening prayer.

The Lay Institute also offers
classes on Thursday mornings during
February.

Cost for an evening course is $35;
cost for the morning classes is $25. To
register, contact the Lay Institute.

Seminars for
ministers:
January 4-6

The annual January Seminars for
Ministers will be held January 4-6,
1994, on Columbia's campus. These
seminars offer an opportunity for
ministers, educators, and lay people to
gather for an intensive series of classes
dealing with important topics for the
life of the church.

Dr. J. Will Ormond, professor
emeritus of New Testament at Colum-
bia, will teach a 12-hour course on
"Preaching on Lent and Easter" on
Tuesday and Wednesday. Dr.
Ormond is widely known for his
ability to make biblical stories come
alive with humor and freshness.

Dr. Catherine Gonzalez, professor
of church history at Columbia, will
introduce The Book of Common Worship,
the church's new and important
liturgical aid, in a six-hour course on
Wednesday.

On Thursday, there will be a
choice of two courses. "Rediscovering
the Gospel in Context," a six-hour
course, will be taught by Dr. Stanley
Saunders, assistant professor of New
Testament at Columbia. At the same
time, Dr. Jasper Keith, professor of
pastoral care and counseling at Co-
lumbia, will offer a six-hour course on
"Pastoral Care in Crisis Situations."

Courses will run from 9:00-5:00
each day. JEor more information,
contact the office of continuing
education. D

Rural ministry
course planned

For the first time, Columbia Seminary
will host an event specifically for rural
pastors. A two-part conference on
rural ministry, focusing on "The
Uniqueness of the Rural Community,"
will look at the way the church and
community relate to each other and
will analyze the community that
surrounds the rural church. The
conference will concentrate on how
the rural scene is changing, on how
people make a living, on understand-
ing leadership and power structures,
and will explore how to "make
changes and still keep the job."

The first part of the conference
will begin Monday, March 21, at 1:30
p.m. and continue until Thursday,
March 24, at 4:00 p.m. The second
part will begin at 9:00 a.m. Thursday,
April 21, and conclude at noon
Saturday, April 23. A field project
will be assigned between the two
segments.

Leadership for the conference will
be provided by Dr. David Ruesink,
director of Texas A&M University's
Rural Social Science by the Extension
Program. Dr. Ruesink has specialized
in developing an extensive program
for equipping rural pastors for their
ministries.

Total cost of the conference (both
parts) is $60. For more information or
to register, contact Columbia's contin-
uing education office. D

VANTAGE

Professor Marcia Riggt

Marcia Y. Riggs was installed as
associate professor of Christian ethics
with tenure in a service of worship
and celebration on November 1 1 in
the seminary chapel. The title of her
address was "Renunciation, Inclusiv-
ity, Responsibility These Three." Dr.
Riggs joined the Columbia faculty in
1991. This year, she is a recipient of
an Association of Theological Schools'
Young Scholar Theological Scholar-
ship and Research Grant. A frequent
lecturer who is popular at scholarly
and church conferences, Dr. Riggs is
also a minister of the African Method-
ist Episcopal Zion Church.

| Lay Institute
offers courses
in literature
and film

The Lay Institute of Faith and Life of
Columbia Seminary continues to
provide ongoing opportunities for In
people to learn to "read"
theologically. Theology and Literature
focuses on works of twentieth-century
fiction. Students are encouraged to
ask questions about the presence (or
absence) of God in the worlds writers
create and to consider what their
books say about how we meet and
understand God in our own worlds

Faith and Film focuses on modern
films. Students are engaged in learn-
ing ways to watch films faithfully,
asking intelligent questions about
how they portray God and God's
world.

Both study groups meet monthly.
Faith and Film meets the first Tuesday
evening of each month. Theology and
Literature meets the third Tuesday
evening of each month. Both groups
meet in the Harrington Center on the
Columbia campus.

New students are welcome at any
time. There is a one-time $15 registra-
tion fee. For further information,
contact the Lay Institute.

Leadership for the conference on mental illness was provided by Marilyn Washburn
'81,Huntei Phillips Tom Summers Ben Cautier, Sara Juengsl '83 andjaspei Keith

(STD 79).

Conference on mental illness
helps create caring congregations

A coni I ki N< i ON "Pastoral Care of the
Senouslv Mentally 111 and Their
Families," attracted b5 ministers, lay-
persons, and medical professionals to
Columbia October 7 and 8. The event
was co-sponsored by the seminary,
the Georgia Alliance for the Mentally
111, and the Mental I lealth Center of
Northside Hospital in Atlanta

Most participants had first-hand
experience of mental illness Some
had mentally ill family members, and
others were themselves "consumers"
of mental health care. Still others
were pastors who came to develop
their pastoral care skills.

The Rev. Thomas Summers,
keynote speaker, challenged congre-
gations to build "bridges of advo-
cacy," breaking the stigma that often
isolates the mentally ill.

Summers is director of the Acad-
emy for Pastoral Education of the
South Carolina Department of 1 lealth.
Other speakers included Marilyn

.li.ignosed, so they can relax and be

themselves ["he church, then, truly

becomes -i sanctuary."

I his kind ol openness is nol
common among * turn hes, said Ben
i iautier, Eathei ol a mentally ill
daughtei "The mentally 111 and their
families are largely ignored by the
i him h, and mosl pastors are impre
pared to respond with spiritual

, omforl " At the i onterem e < iautiei

had the rare opportunity tospeal

w ith ministers who are truly Inter-
ested in Improving theii pastoral skills

|.> the mentally ill.

taothei I'.ntM Ipanl s.ml the

, uiilriciur was cspe< Lilly helpful in

the sharing ol personal experience,
,., ouragemenl given, and hope
pressed foi the betterment of

, , \ efl to these very precious and
i,il people."

"This confer. an - Is like a shot m
the arm," agrees Loin.. I i lui I ler
daughter, too, has suffered from

A community of worship ought to be a
community of healing.

Left to right: Peter Matheson, Istvan Karasszon. and Dan Antwi

Columbia welcomes three visiting professors to the campus this year. Dr- Peter
Matheson is professor of church^story at Kno* C ^^^ 1 ^^
the faculty of theology at the University of Otago, New Zealand. He is author
of book s on Cardinal ( Zontanni and the Diet of Regenburg Christianity in Ger-
many during the Nazi era, and a collection of the works of Thomas Munzer.
S Karasszfn teaches at Raday College and the Budapest Reform* ^Theologi-
cal Academy, Hungary. He is an expert in Hebrew literature and author of a
forthcoming commentary on Ezra. Dr. Antwi is vice-principal o Trinity
College Ghana. His publications include work on pastoral theology and the
deaths Jesus as atoning sacrifice. He also serves as ^^^P_ n *
Accra church. All three professors are teaching at Columbia this year. U

WINTER 1993-94

Washburn, president of the Presb
rian Mental Health Network; Hunter
Phillips, chaplain liaison with the S.C.
Baptist State Convention; Jim Mullins,
director of the Mental Health Center
of Northside Hospital; and Jasper
Keith, professor of pastoral care at
Columbia.

Churches, said Summers, can
build support through public forums,
legislative action, and even public
awareness events. In his own commu-
nity, Summers initiated an annual
March for Mental Illness that attracted
2,200 participants.

Congregations can also join in
cooperative efforts with mental health
centers. "A church can provide
physical space for a drop-in center for
the mentally ill," he suggests. "At
church, they don't feel they're being

mental illness "To see so many
I h . .pie who are truly committed to

this issue is a greal encouragement/'

Fisher's conviction, shared by the
participants, is that a community i -i
worship ought to be a community of
healing. "If worship doesn't cause us
to reach out, I question if we have
truly worshipped," she said.

A one-day follow-up workshop
on "Specifics of Planning a Mental
Illness Program for a Congregation"
will be offered at Columbia on Satur-
day, February 12, from 9:30 a.m. until
12:30 p.m. The second of these annual
conferences will be held November 1-
2, 1994, and will feature Parker J.
Palmer, educator and author of The
Company of Strangers: Christians and
the Renewal of America's Public Life. U

For the Record

If you have recent news you would like to contribute to this section,
please send it to the editor.

Peggi Boyce '74 is pastor of the South
Goshen church, Huntley, WY. The
church covers an area of 1,200 square

miles and five towns Yll Bong Lee

(ThM '77, DMin '82) is pastor i i
Atlanta Dae-Han Korean church in

Lilburn, GA Charles Cousar '58,

professor of New Testament, led a
congregational retreat for First church,
Dalton, GA, at Montreat and preached
at First church, Anderson, SC. Dr.
Cousar delivered a paper at the
Pauline Theology Seminar at the
Society of Biblical Literature's annual

meeting in Washington Lucy Rose,

assistant professor of preaching and
worship, preached at the kick . M
centennial celebration of First church,

Sanford, NC A.A. Markley '62 is

pastor of Westminster church, Akron,

OH David Reynolds '69 has been

called as pastor of Central church,

Huntsville, AL Mark Diehl '80 is

associate pastor of congregational care

at First church, Nashville, TN Susan

Cavallo '96 has co-authored a paper,
"Community Building within Reli-
gious Organizations," which was
presented at the Sociology of Religion
Association meeting in Miami Tim
Kiser '90 is associate pastor at First

church, Grand Island, NE Christine

Wenderoth, interim director of the
library and assistant professor of
practical theology, attended a meeting
of the Association of Theological
Schools/ American Theological
Library Association Joint Committee
on Library Standards.

Ronald Cram, associate professor
of Christian education, has been
elected to the editorial board of
Religious Education. He presented
with Laura Bowman a paper at the
Association of Professors and Re-
searchers in Religious Education
(APRRE) meeting and served on the
Nomination Committee of APRRE.
Dr. Cram was a reader for the certifi-
cation process for Christian educators
for the Presbyterian Church (USA)
and taught at an adult educational
workshop at Peachtree church,
Atlanta, and at the Presbytery of
Coastal Carolina Leadership School
'93. He was a member of the Associa-
tion of Theological Schools' visitation
team to Southwestern Baptist Theo-
logical Seminary to review the doc-
toral degree in Christian education.
Dr. Cram has reviewed Terry Muck's
Those Other Religions in Your Neighbor-
hood for Pastoral Theology, and written
articles on the relation of children and
preaching and children and spiritual-
ity John F. Fife '72 is pastor of

Northminster church, Chattanooga,

TN Rebecca Parker, director of

admissions, was keynote speaker for
Presbyterian Women at the Roswell
church, Roswell, GA, and at North-
minster church, Macon, GA. She has
been a Sunday morning speaker at
Peachtree Road United Methodist

Church, Atlanta Paul Irwin '84 is

pastor of White Lake church, White
Lake, MI. He also owns and manages

a recording studio and has done vide i
soundtrack and radio productions for
thePCOJSA).

Deannine Haney (MAYM 84)
and Steve Shipman were married in
August 1992. She is director of
Christian education at South High-
land church, Birmingham,

Al Robert Ramey, professor of

ministry, has worked with the officers
of the Newnan, GA, church in long-
range planning and has completed a
year-long consultation assignment
with the Emory church, Atlanta. Dr.
Ramey has preached at the Conyers,
GA, church, and Rocky Springs
church, Laurens, SC. He led an
officers' retreat for the Community
church of Pinehurst, NC, and a
spirituality workshop at the Myers
Park church, Charlotte, where he also

preached Ann Fitzgerald (ThM '94)

and Frank Aichinger (DMin '94) were

married Oct. 16 in Chester, SC

Samuel Hobson (DMin '92) has
become pastor of the Point Pleasant,

WV, church Bonneau Dickson *33,

field representative, was recognized at
the October meeting of Charleston
Presbytery upon the sixtieth anniver-
sary of his ordination.

Marcia Riggs, associate professor
of Christian ethics, led a workshop,
"Re-Visioning Social Ministry in the
African American Church," at First
Baptist Church, Clarkston, GA, and
was a panelist discussing the topic,
"When Death Is Life: Womanist
Perspectives on Evil and Suffering," at
the annual meeting of the American

Academy of Religion Walter

Brueggemann, professor of Old

BIRTHS

To Mark '80 and Mary Diehl, a son,
David Alexander, Sept. 4, 1993.
To David '86 and Nancy Weitnauer, a
son, John Samuel, Sept. 2, 1993.
To Scott '88 and Carolyn Andrews, a
son, Christopher Scott, July 23, 1993.
To Rick '88 and Libby Harrod, two
sons, Zachary James, July 8, 1992, and
Joshua Levi, July 2, 1993.
To Paul '88 and Jennifer Kirbas, a son,
Bradley Riggins, Nov. 11,1993.
To Bob '89 and Sheila Early, a daugh-
ter, Kay tie Nell, Nov. 2, 1993.
To David '92 and Lucy Scofield Bower-
man 94, a daughter, Dessie Amanda,
Nov. 15, 1993.

To Jeff "93 and Jeanne '94 Reynolds, a
daughter, Carette Lynn, Nov. 13, 1993.
To Ben '93 and Amy Trawick, a daugh
ter, Hannah Rae, Nov. 4, 1993.
To Dale '94 and Vicki Sowers, a daugh
ter, Rachel Caroline, Nov. 12, 1993.
To Heemoon Lee '96 and Haekyung, a
daughter, Jiy oung, Oct. 18,1993.

DEATHS

John Land 17, Columbia's oldest
graduate, Nov. 7, 1993.
Edwin R. Wilson '53, July 16, 1993.
Hugh Esco '57, Oct. 16, 1993.
Richard Austin '65, Mar. 23, 1993.

Testament, preached at the inaugura-
tion of Glenn Bucher, former dean and
vice president at Columbia, as presi-
dent of Graduate Theological Union
and lectured at the inauguration of the
dean of General Theological Semi-
nary Dr. Brueggemann delivered the
John S. Marten Family Lecture in
Homiletics at St. Meinrad Seminary,
the Schmeichen Lectures at Eden
Theological Seminary, the William
Porcher Dubose Lectures for the
School of Theology at University of
the South, and the Dunning Lectures
at St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore. He
has preached and lectured at Cove-
nant church, Austin, TX; the Newnan,
GA, church; Second church, Lexing-
ton, KY; and Grace Covenant church,
Asheville, NC. His articles have been
published in Theology Today and

Catholic Biblical Quarterly Davison

Philips '43, president emeritus, was
named pastor emeritus at the Decatur
church, where the fiftieth anniversary
of his ordination was celebrated

also Thomas Rains '88 is pastor of

the Shades Valley church, Birming-
ham, AL.

Lee Carroll '68, associate profes-
sor of pastoral theology and director
of supervised ministry, has led
retreats for New Covenant church,
Doraville, GA, and Village Chapel
church, Charleston, WV. He has led a

study with the Forsyth, GA, church

John Patton, professor of pastoral
theology, addressed a clergy confer-
ence in Nashville, TN, on the topic,
"Despair: Sickness or Sin?" ...Jake
Marshall '93 is pastor of the Mon-
ticello, GA, church Richard Diet-
rich, director of the Lay Institute, has
preached and taught at Second
church, Spartanburg, SC; First church,
Clarkesville, GA; and Buchanan First
church, Grundy, VA. He preached at
Chapel in the Pines church, Birming-
ham, AL, and St. Peter's Episcopal
Church, Rome, GA. Dr. Dietrich
taught at First Christian Church,
Decatur, GA, and for a presbytery
elders' retreat at Grace Covenant
church, Conyers, GA. His reviews
have been published in Pastoral

Psychology and Presbyterian Voice

Ernestine Cole, associate dean of
students, preached at Interdenomina-
tional Theological Center; Trinity
church, Decatur, GA; and Rice Memo-
rial church, Atlanta Charles Talley

'63 teaches in the humanities and the
philosophy department at Edison Col-
lege.

Sara C. Juengst '83, director of
continuing education, led a Christian
education training weekend at West-
minster church, Gulfport, MS, and a
workshop on Christian education for
Northeast Georgia Presbytery's
leadership training event. She has
preached at Lincolnton and Washing-
ton, GA, and at Greater Atlanta
Presbytery and attended a planning
meeting for the Synod of South
Atlantic's New Church Professionals'
Conference. She has led retreats for
ministers and educators of Charlotte
Presbytery and the Westminster
Fellowship students from South

Carolina campuses Jung Han

(DMin '86) is pastor of Hanmi Korean

church, Atlanta Shirley Guthrie,

professor of systematic theology, has
led a course in Presbyterian beliefs for

adults at Peachtree church, Atlanta; an
officers' training event for a cluster of
churches in north Georgia and for
Idlewild church, Memphis; and taught
at the Northminster and Mt. Vernon
churches, Atlanta. Dr. Guthrie has
taught at presbytery school in Sara-
sota, FL, and lay schools at Mo Ranch

and in Athens, GA James Hudnut-

Beumler, executive vice president,
dean of the faculty, and associate
professor of religion and culture,
preached at the Oakland Avenue
church in Rock Hill, SC, and is a
founding member of a group of
progressive younger clergy Erskine
Clarke '66, professor of American
religious history, has essays published
in Religion in South Carolina, Globaliza-
tion of Theological Education, and Af-
firmation. He was key-note speaker at
a Smithsonian-sponsored symposium
on "The Rise of Black Churches in
Eastern American Cities, 1740-1877" at
Stony Brook Museum, Long Island.
Dr. Clarke served on the Montreat
Centennial Committee and as clergy
resource for the session of Central
church, Atlanta. He publishes and
edits journal for Preachers.

Will Coleman '85, assistant
professor of theology and hermeneu-
tics, participated in a panel presenta-
tion for the Association of Theological
Schools and panel discussions at the
annual meeting of the American
Academy of Religion and the annual
conference sponsored by the Christian
Council of Metropolitan Atlanta. Dr.
Coleman is revising his dissertation
for publication and co-editing a text
on black theology and African- Ameri-
can literary criticism Brian Childs,

professor of pastoral theology and
counseling, completed the training of
the AIDS, Addiction, Incarceration
Bereavement Committee of Mt. Tabor
Missionary Baptist Church in Miami,
FL, and preached there. He gave a
lecture for the Board of Medical
Regents in Ohio and taught short
courses at Northeastern Ohio Univer-
sities College of Medicine and at
Princeton Seminary. Dr. Childs has
published "Writing into the Lives of
Patients" in Report from the Center of

Vantage

Volume 85, No. 3, Winter 1993-1994
Published quarterly by
Columbia Theological Seminary
Circulation: 25,000

The Office of Development/
Seminary Relations

Editor: Juliette Harper
Director of Publications
and Publicity

Postmaster: Send address

changes to Vantage

Columbia Theological Seminary

P.O. Box 520

Decatur, G A 30031-0520

VANTAGE

For the Record
continued from page 6

The Rev. Sara C. Juengst (I) and Dr. Christine Wenderoth are leaving Columbia at the
end of December after more than 22 years of service to the seminary. Ms. Juengst
director of continuing education, is retiring to Willington, South Carolina. Dr. Wen-
deroth, interim librarian and assistant professor of practical theology, has accepted the
directorship of the library at Colgate Rochester Divinity School and will begin her
duties there January 1.

and for San Joaquin Presbytery. Dr.
Johnson gave the Bigby Lectures at
First church Bossier City, LA, and a
theological update at First church,
Hilton Head, SC. He was speaker at
the Twelve/Seventy Conference for
the Reorganized Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints in Inde-
pendence, MO, and led a Growing in
Faith preaching event for First church,
Thomasville, GA, and a clergy retreat

for Sacramento Presbytery Lib

McGregor Simmons '79 is pastor of
the University church in San Antonio,
TX.

the Center for Medicine, Literature,
and the Health Care Professions in
Hiram, OH.

Ben Johnson, professor of evan-
gelism and church growth, attended
the Academy for Evangelism in
Theological Education in Chicago and
led workshops for New Hope Presby-
tery; the Broadmoor church, Shre-
veport, LA; and Presbytery of the
Pacific. He led evangelism events and
preached for First church, Dalton, GA,

From the Bookstore

No. of
copies

New titles by Columbia faculty members:

Using God's Resources Wisely: Isaiah and
Urban Possiblity by Walter Brueggemann

Gender, Power, & Promise: The Subject of the
Bible's First Story by Danna Nowell Fewell
and David M. Gunn

Additional new titles of interest:

Book of Common Worship, Pastoral Edition
published by Westminster/John Knox

Retail Columbia
price price

$ 9.95 $ 8.46
$14.95 $12.71

Book of Common Worship, Daily Prayer
published by Westminster/John Knox

Total amount for books

Georgia residents: add five percent sales tax

Shipping and handling (orders under $20.00, add $4.00;
from $20.00 to $49.99, add $5.50; over $50.00, add $7.00.
All books shipped via United Parcel Service.)

Total

$25.00 $21.21

$20.00 $16.96

Method of payment (please check one):

check payable to CTS Bookstore (included with order)

VISA MasterCard (please print information below):

Visa/MasterCard# Exp. date_

Name (as it appears on card) .

Street address for UPS shipment:

Address

City.

State

.Zip.

Please send this completed order form to: CTS Bookstore, P.O. Box 520,
Decatur, GA 30031.

Development I Seminary Relations

By Frank Willey, Vice President for Development and Seminary Relations

Year end 1993: A great time for
giving appreciated property

On behalf OP all students, faculty and stall at the seminary, 1 want to express
deepest appre. iation to all of our 1993 funding partners who have supported

Columbia Seminary's important mission m service to the church ol [esus Christ.

Those of you still considering your year-end I haritable gifts may find the

following Information helpful.

According to Columbia's tax and planned giving counselors, 1993 maybe
one of the best times ever for making gifts oi StCX k. personal residences, com-
mercial real estate, or other kinds of apprei iated properh

A Columbia alumnus recently gave $40,000 in stock to initiate an endowed
scholarship fund.

In years past, some people making a gilt Ol appro lated property l< ed I On-
siderable tax problems through the Mtem.itix < Minimum Tax, which, In some
cases, allowed a donor to deduct only his or her cost basis in the property,
rather than the property's full fair market value I am Kapp) to reporl this
problem has been eliminated through this year's t.i\ reforms.

This year, a long-time friend of the seminary donated her $200,000 home to
the seminary.

Moreover, tax rates tor people with higher lm omes have been Int reased for

1993. For a person with a top marginal tax rate ol .6%, a charitable gifl
valued at $100,000 will save him or her $ 19,600 I asl year the sa\ Ing8 would
have been $31,000. In other words, now the same gill < an save a . ontnbutor
$8,600 more this year than last

A retired contributor recently gave $300,000 to the seminary in exchange for a
life income plan.

If you or someone vu know would like to evploie tin- benet its ol making a
major charitable contribution or a gift of appreciated property to < olumbia
please cut out and mail the following Request for a C onftdential Proposal to
me. A member of our development and seminary relations staff will respond as
soon as possible.

Request for a confidential proposal

I want to discover what tax advantages and benefits I could receive by making
a charitable gift to the seminary in 1993.

Name

Age

Spouse's Name,
Address

Age.

Phone Number

Type and fair market value of the property securities, real estate, etc., you are
considering giving:

Your cost basis in the property (if known)

I am interested in learning more about Life Income Plans:

I understand that I incur no obligation through this request and that this
information will be held in strict confidence by the Development Office of
Columbia Seminary.

Signature

Date

Mail this form to:

Frank Willey, Vice President for Development/Seminary Relations

Columbia Theological Seminary

P.O. Box 520, Decatur, Georgia 30031; 404/378-8821.

WINTER 1993-94

Presbyterian Women invited to
'Come See Columbia Day' on
April 14

Each year, Presbyterian Women from
across the southern United States
gather for the Columbia Friendship
Circle's "Come See Columbia Day."
This year's convocation will be April
14, 1994.

Emily Wood, president of the
Columbia Friendship Circle encour-
ages attendance. "Presbyterian
Women fom Columbia's parent
synods (South Atlantic and Living
Waters) have actively supported the
mission and students of our semi-
nary for more than 40 years. Every-
one should have the opportunity to
experience the festivities, worship,
and inspiring student testimonies on
the beautiful spring campus."

The six recipients of the 1993-94
Columbia Friendship Circle Scholar-
ships will speak: Dave Grove of
Central Florida Presbytery; Marilyn
Hedgpeth of New Hope Presbytery;
Nancy M. Hendrix of Greater Atlanta
Presbytery; Chip Blankinship of
Sheppards and Lapsley Presbytery;
Donald Winborne of Charlotte
Presbytery; and Susie Johnson of
Florida Presbytery.

In 1992-93 the Columbia Friend-
ship Circle gave a total of $31,870 to

fund scholarships and a graduate
fellowship for Columbia Seminary
students.

For more information about the
Columbia Friendship Circle or
"Come See Columbia Day," contact
Barbara Poe, CFC Liaison, in the
seminary's Office of Development
and Seminarv Relations, 404/378-
8821.

Conference
on Ministry

for prospective
students

February 25-27, 1994

To register or receive more
information, call the Office
of Admissions at the
seminary, 404/378-8821.

Available this spring! A gift for yourself
or your pastor

Columbia Alumni /ae Directory

Columbia Theological Seminary is preparing a directory of all living alumni/
ae, which will be available in spring 1994.

The directory will be sent to persons who contribute $25 or more to the
Annual Fund. To receive this limited publication, order today by sending a
check with the following information.

Enclosed is my gift of $

Send directory to:

Name (please print)

Address ^__

City_

State

_Zip_

Phone

Cut and mail to the Office of Development, Columbia Seminary, P.O. Box 520,
Decatur, GA, 30031-0520.

Vantage

Second Class
Postage
Paid at
Decatur, GA

Publication No. 124160

P.O. Box 520

Decatur, Georgia 30031

CONTENTS

Forum 1994 1

Media program interprets the signs 1

Two seminaries worlds apart 2

Winter reading suggestions 2

Alum leads church to jubilee 3

Continuing Education Calendar 4

Conference on mental illness 5

For the Record 6

Year end 1993 7

CFC's 'Come See Columbia Day' 8

COLUMBIA
THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY