COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Vantage SUMMER 2003 Columbia confers degrees on 117 students On the eve of Columbia's 2003 com- mencement ceremony, Cleophus I a Rue told graduates that the only thing certain in ministry is that what- ever comes, they will be able to say, "The Lord stood by me and gave me strength." La Rue, professor of homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary, preached on 2 Timothy 4:1-18, encouraging students to follow Paul's example in staying the course of a life in service of the Gospel. On Saturday, May 17, at Atlanta's Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Columbia recognized the completion of an important step along that course for its graduates: 49 Master of Divinity, five Master of Arts (Theological Studies), nine Master of Theology, 53 Doctor of Ministry, and one Doctor of Theology. As part of the ceremony, a number of awards were presented. Mary Ann McKibben Dana received the Wilds Book Prize, given to the M.Div. student graduating with highest academic distinction. She was also awarded the Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery of St. Andrew Preaching Award, given to the student who preaches the most outstanding sermon at Columbia dur- ing the academic year. David Knauert was awarded the Harvard A. Anderson Fellowship, which recognizes the student demon- M.Div. graduates Man/ Ann McKibben Dana, David Knauert, and Shelia Council 'trie among those receiving special recognition at Columbia's 2003 commencement The first graduating class of the D.Min. program in new church development celebrated lit commencement The graduates represented the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and the Church of Scotland. They are: front row (l-r) Martin Nabor and Fred I hummond. Second row: Ti/fc Blair, director Stan Wood, Doug Cuslung. Craig Williams Third row: David Boumgarden, Andrew Ritchie. David Fzekiel strating the most potential for future academic study, as well as the Dewitz Old Testament Award for the best Old Testament exegesis paper. Shelia Council received the Columbia Leadership Award, given to a senior demonstrating uncommon potential for outstanding leadership in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Jeff Ross received the George and Sally Telford Award, given to a D.Min. student demonstrating exceptional ability for congregational leadership in the area of social justice. The Toms-McGarrahan Award in Theology was given to Michael Kirby. The new award honors the Rev. Russell Toms '51 and his daughter, the Rev. Eunice McGarrahan, and recognizes outstanding achievement in theological studies. The Florrie Wilkes Sanders Prize in Theology, for the paper best demonstrating sound theological scholarship revelant to the needs of Christians in the contem- porary world, went to Jim Wells The William Dudley Award in evangelism and church growth was presented to Thomas Daniel and Barnabas Sprinkle. The Fuhrmann Prize, recognizing outstanding achievement in church history, went to Rebekah Close LeMon. The Riddle Book Fund Award, given to a student demonstrating outstand- ing skills in pastoral care, particular! \ with the terminally ill, was awarded to Sarah Erickson. The Boyd Bcx)k Fund Awards, for students thought to be good stewards of personal theological libraries, were given to Ken Sikes, Elizabeth Goodrich, and Scott White. The Columbia Friendship Circle Continued on pa Columbia launches Partners in Ministry On May 21 more than 400 friends of Columbia Seminary gathered for break- fast at the Atlanta History Center to help launch Partners in Ministry, a new initiative to raise awareness of the semi- narv and to encourage multi-year gifts for its students and programs. Shelia Council and Thomas Daniel, both 2003 graduates, were featured speakers at the event. Council, the recipient of the 2003 Columbia Leadership Award, told those gathered. It takes a whole com- munity to prepare God's servants for ministry." At Columbia her own faith had "expanded to help proclaim the mission the message of the Good News to the rest of the world." Daniel, who was presented with the William Dudley Award in evange- lism and church growth, described the revolutionary role young pastors can play within the overall mission of the church. He believes the seminary plays an important role in encouraging new ministers to know the transforma- tional power of the Gospel firsthand. According to Daniel, such transforma- tion is one way the church can contin- ue to find "new and creative ways to proclaim the Gospel for each new gen- eration." He says, "I am excited by the possibilities for tomorrow's church." President Laura Mendenhall reminded listeners that Columbia and the church share in the task of prepar- ing pastors for ministry. She called on those present to speak personally with individuals who may be gifted for ministry, encouraging them to explore the possibility of God's call to seminary. She also spoke of the importance i >f supporting those students financially and encouraged those gathered to pray for the the seminary and the church. Fifty-eight individuals and couples attending the event pledged to become Partners in Ministry by making multi- year pledges to Columbia's Annual Fund. Their gifts will provide the Fund with more than $135,000 per year through 2008. Brueggemann: scholar and poet When John Ci *YP( i introdui ed Prof. Walter Brueggemann at a publii lecture on prea< hing .it the M( ^fet School of Theology this spring, he said, "Walter Brueggemann can tame the untamable I le < an explain the inexpli( able, and he i an uns< rew the inscrutable Claypool's language is quintessen tiallj Brueggemannesque three par- allel clauses, strong verbs, wordplay, echoing, and a surprise tv\ isl .it the end. But as lovel) as the language is, and as appropriate .is it is foi this poet-preat her s* holar-teai her, it is not full) at i urate. Rather than taming and explaining, Prol Brueggemann relishes wild ness I lis work points to and insists upon the untamable, inscrutable ( >themess that infuses the Bible and i hara< terizes its ( lod Walter Brueggemann is a poel ol the wild Freedom ol ( lod. I [is words push away from a domesticated deity the one who preserves things as the) are and defends our waj of life toward the trans< endenl ( Hhei the (mc who trees slaves from bondage and i alls them to a life ol justii e mutual reverence, and worship Prof Brueggemann reflects pro- foundly upon the untamabilt) ol ( !od in his magnum opus, entitled theology of the Old Testament Testimony, Dispute \dvoi en 1/ l his ri< hi) poetic, personal book is .1 tow do ton c It has unseated dominant Old testament theologies of the last centur) It is a man) -voi< ed conversation with the I >ld restament, with plural methods ol interpretation, and most remarkably, also with a \ ariety oi other dis< iplines, including linguistics, literal \ critii ism, postmod- ern philosophy, I Iolo< aust testimonies, Marxist ^mi Freudian analyses, to name only some I le first writes about God, constant <.md sustaining, knowableand available, faithful and present. Hut despite the comforting predominance ol biblical testimonj to ( lod's fidelity, Prol Brueggemann demands we take w ith equal serious- ness testimony to ( lod's ambiguity, hiddenness, silence, frightening anger, m~\ Proti stants do not have a formal process for identifying our saints. Our informal process may be that point in time when people cannot talk about a communitv be it church or seminarv without also telling stories about particular people whose lives reflect the grace of God. I am not certain when it happened, but at some point during the last 43 years Charlie Cousar became one of the "saints," one of that great cloud of witnesses people think of when they say "Columbia Theological Seminary." Like God's grace, Cousar stories abound here. Stories like the one about when Charlie was spending too much time in Betty's judgment in the library, and she rearranged his books by color and size. Or the one about when his son Bill drove a golf ball through the Tiffany window in Campbell Library. Since he joined the faculty in I960, Charlie has served the seminary in many roles, including academic dean and interim president. But throughout his 43 years Charlie has always been a professor a teacher and he has taught the rest of us many things. First, Charlie has taught us that the New Testament is not simply a description of the historical context and social world of churches in the first century. For Charlie, the New lestament is first ^nd foremost a theo- logical book, a book about God and God's grace in Jesus Christ. When we read Charlie's books, we learn a great deal about the Apostle Paul and the circumstances in which he wrote his letters. For Charlie, however, the central issue in Paul's letters is God. "The point is that Paul interprets the event of the cross r/jco-logically. His Christology makes it possible to see Jesus' action" (A Theology of the Cross, 27). The lesson Charlie has taught us is that in the midst of all the things that concern us at Columbia, the most important, the pearl of great price, is the good news in the Bible about God. Second, Charlie has taught us that the Bible is the church's book. We can- not properly read and understand the Bible apart from the life of the church. Both in what he writes and in what he does as a teacher, Charlie makes it clear that the New Testament is writ- ten by the church, for the church, and is to be lived by the church in its mis- sion in the world. That the Bible is the church's book does not mean that the New Testament is captive to either the church or the culture that surrounds it. In the Bible's stories about Israel and Jesus, the church is given a memory and, as Charlie puts it, "In the face of domestication by its surrounding culture, the church will never discover who it is until it recovers and reappropriates that memory in its urgency and energy" (A Theology of the Cross, 178). Third, Charlie has taught us that just as the Bible must not be separated from the life of the church, so too the Continued on page 3 VANTAGE Brueggemann continued from page 2 Cousar continued from page 2 delight, the ultimate vocation of the human community; indeed of oil cre- ation Praise is human delight because we have a resilient hunger to move beyond self." It appears to me that Walter's work is an act of worship, a steady, continual prayer, a beautiful doxology grounded in his humanity. It is wor- ship marked by fidelity to his own brilliant, blazing giftsdespite resis- tance, despite opposition, despite fatigue, and always driven by radical openness to grace. Amazingly, one can barely find anything written toda) in biblical studies in which Walter Brueggemann is not cited, referenced, quoted, challenged, or applauded. He has not merely contributed to biblical studies, he has fundamentally shaped the field. Nor can one escape his influence in other disciplines even beyond the theological. One can be reading along, perfectly innocently, perusing something on poetry or politics, and there he is lurking in the paragraphs. Walter has no successor no one person can wear his mantle but he does have a whole new generation of colleagues and students who will study, embrace, and extend his work. I dare to speak on behalf of biblical scholars, churches, pastors, our colleagues, and our students, to say "Thank you, Walter. Your texts will long linger, and your words your hauntingly beautiful words will continue to explode in ways perhaps even you cannot vet imagine! Thanks be to God." Kathleen M. O'Connot Professor of Old Testament church is the ver) lifeblood of what happens at Columbia. \s i think about Ins mmistn here, 1 cannot help but wondei how many sermons in how man) churches how mam Sunda) School classes, how mam church night suppers how mam, lectures foi pres- byteries? What Charlie has done and continues to do in the life of the church has never been separate from what he does in the classroom. I he one deepl) informs the other, and neither has been merely a job Both are a single calling. i inally, c harlie has taught us what it means to lo\ e ,)n institution. To know Charlie and all that he has done fol this seminar) is to understand, at least in part, how much he loves this place But Charlie has also taught us that to love this institution is not to presei \ < it as we have known it. to try to keep it from changing Rather, to love it is to want it to change, to grow to become something better, to be reformed and transformed by God's Word For Charlie that has meant welcoming new faculty, administrators, and staff, valuing their new voices, placing them on important committees, allowing the seminary to be changed by their pies ence, and embracing those changes Forty-three years is ,i long time to do anything For 43 years ( harlie Cousar has been a teacher, not only of students in classrooms, but of the test of us as well. A teacher in perhaps more ways than lie understands, and certainly in more ways than I have indicated here. Along with many students, colleagues past and present, and the rest of the church, I give thanks to God for Charlie's long and fruitful ministry at Columbia Seminarv. George IV Slroufi J.B. Green Professor of Theology At the faculty-staff lunch in May, Columbia recognized five individuals tor milestones m years of service Marilyn Ault of the business office and Alexander Olivei of buildings and grounds have each served 2i) i/ear> Olivet retired in Jum Erskine Claike '66, professor of Amei nan religious history, joined the faculty m 1973. Bonneau Dickson '33, of the development off* e, \ting 70 years of ordination in the PC(USA). Lee Carroll '68, associate professor of supervised ministry, joined the faculty in 1983. William I' Brown William P. Brown named professor of Old Testament In Ai'kh Coli mbia's Board <>i trustees announced the appointment <>i William r (Hill) Brown .is professoi ol old restament An ordained Minstei i pastors and la) people foi sound, relevant bibli( -il interpretation \ membei <>i the Presb) terj de ( i isto, Brov\ n ha i .'i\ ( 'd Mi.' i inn. h !. ,i Lis leadei tea< hn and ministei and understands the needs of the 1... ,il congregation While at Union l'S( I , Brown In prepared man) seminarians i<>i the pastoral life oi prea< hing and teaching as well as ..in. ating scholars in the Ph 1 1 program 01 his move to < olumbia Brown a) I olumbia's focus on pastoral mmMi\ and lifelong edui atiori foi pastors and . hun h members nukes it an Im Igorating em ironmenl foi scholars v\ ho committed to the in.' ol the church I am looking forward (< ftx used work with pastors both i urrenl and future Brov\ u s .i. adernii interests include! >ld and New lestamenl theol I parti) ././,/ //<< Imagination \ Primei to Reading tin- Psalms in an ' Pluralism i le is i urrently work ing on the Psalm 1 1 ommentarj foi Hi.' ( m,i lestamenl I Ibrar) series Brovi n Is editoi .>i the highly regarded Interpretation: I Journal oj Bibleand Theology, a membei ol the editorial board ft the Old restamenl i Ibrary in.i formei i o i haii ol the * harai tei I thus and Biblical Interpretation Working I iroup "i the Soi let) <i his appointment, President I aura Mendenhall "We ,ii.' eagei to well ome Bill Brown ii"i his famll) to oui - ampus Nut onl) i'. Bill .i highly respei ted I lid restamenl si holar, he is also > tea* hei committed i" the < hurch, As ,i long time . hun h si hool teai hei himself, Hill understands tin- needs ol la) peo pie as wll .is oi pastors and b< holars, and he lool forward to k riting foj all those who stud) I .".i Word Hill will contribute signifii antl) to ( olumbia's mission i il i >rei mi ing pastor. .iM.i leaders foi the i hurch We lie grateful thai we w ill re< 'i\'' the gift .-I Bill's i '01 I mmauel Larti u wa inaugurated 1 <\ era] rural North c arolina hun ties while also serving as professoi oi Bible and church history at King College. Upon es lining Ins I'll i ) from the I rtiversit) ol I dinburgh, Motlat returned to parish ministry, servii years aspastoi ol I Lrsl Presbyterian Church Erickson '03 joins staff Sarah Erickson '03 has been name* I assoi iate dure tO] Ol COTI tinuing educa- a newly i reated position i i i< kson, win. m her duties in June, is respi insible for the coordination of Columbia's new I.illv-funded S 1 Proja t. at well as other continuing education events and programs Pi n ir to entering Columbia's Master of Divinity program, Erkkson served for 20 years with the American Red Cross Blood Service, most recently as the education manager for their office in Mobile, Alabama, Krickson brings a strong background in non- Sarah I in I- \on '0 ; m ( edartov n ( leorgia I or 28 yea he wa i oi i list Presb) tei ian ( hun li Ol I ..ill.ihn lennessee w here he wBi eta led pastoi emeritus in 1990 ( ornmitted to local church ministry throughout his life, Moffatl also served the [argei i hun h as a membei ol the Pei manenl [udi< ial Commission the moderatoj ol two presb) teries, and a foui time delegate to the * leneral \ssembly among mam othei i onb ibutions Muipln Davis ^\u\ i d i oring founding partners oi Atlanta s ( >pen i tooi ( ommunit) tun e dedi< ated theii li\ es to ministr) among the pooi imprisoned and homeless ol Itlanta i brought iii' ministr) ol the I )pen i '""i i oring and i )k\ Is have not onlj ei \ ed meals, offered showers, and given i lothing to thousands ol Vtlanta most neglected dtizenSi the) have also been voi al advocates foi the rights ol the pooi i '.i\ la has served aa diret toi oi Southern Pi Ison Ministi j In * ieorgie ministering to I ieorgi i i death row inmates and lobb) ing foi theii rights to fail treatment and able representa don i oring has &d\ oi ated foi the ' ights ol iin' homeless to medi< al i are and protested unfaii treatment oi the i it " u b oming something ol a Fixture in fronl oi i ity 1 1. ill i >a\ la and Loring have wel ted i hun h groups and seminar) .indents to ui ki- part in theii ministr) and to reflei I on Ate t lospel through the eyea ol the pooi i hese three alums sei \ e as w it nesses to the i ross ol [esua ( hi 1st and to his resui re< Hon, theii long stru on behali ol the < li ispel hai ing I oi ne the fruits ol the inbreaking Kingdi im ITie) rej iresenl * olumbia alums an lund the w oi Id w ho are lal foi the ( lospel and sen ing the mi oi ( in ist i he Mniiiiii ae I ouni ii in\ iii". .mi alums ti i mal em iminatlons foi the 'im i i distinguished Sei * ii e \w .mi presented at I olloquium next April i oi more inn" i matii in i ontai I Hi, Miiimiii ae< Iffice ,.t mi 68! I 166 i ni.nl .iiinii-."! rSnel iii. oi i.ii www < i Snel edu I I profit irganizationi and lignifii ant i i ieni in profess a] edui ation She alsi 1 1 ii ings an uni lerstan ling i >1 the seminai j and its i m igi .mis. Speaking oi hei pla< ement, l i mrinuing I dui ation I Hre< ti I tent I ),n is(D Mm ' unit) i ted indivii lual with > >.-.. ealth "i experience am La itn I I immitment ti i the woi I ol ministi j i in gifts will significantly enhani e our work." D 1 omn menl I i ontinued from page I luate I I llovvship anil the < i .lurnln.i ' iraduate I ellowship, whi< h support itudenta with demonstrated potential foi furthei graduate study, were awarded to I aurel Nelson and [ay I Ik. mas A listing ol dissertation topii s and placement tor the class i vill appear in the next issue ol Vantage. D Robert Williamson, h 01 For the Record If you have recent news to contribute to this section, please mail it to the editor, or you may e-mail it to harperj@CTSnet.edu. 1950s Roland Perdue '59 is interim aSSOi iate pastor of Westminster < hurt h, Spartanburg, SC George Telford '58 is dire* toi ol I he Institute <>t Reformed Fheologyal Union-PSCE. 1970s Caroline Leach '72 and Nibs '75 Stroupe have written ( )// Lord, Hold < )w Hands Howa ( 'hun h Thrives in a Multicultural World Lamar Potts '74 (DMin 'NK) is honorabb retired from Trinity Presbytery. 1980s John White '8b is pastor of I irsl i hun \\ Ja< kson, IN Paul Henschen '8b is pastor of the Corhin, KY, ( hur< li Martin Song (DMin '88) is pastor ol Ding C Inn i hurt h in Kaohsiung, raiwan, ,iii.l assistant professor of preaching and pastoral theology at Tainan Theological Seminar) Carl Crawford (DMin '83) is pastor ol ( -nod Shepard church, I nnoln, \l Robert Lee '80 is interim pastor oi I irsl < hur< h, Staunton, VA Thomas Cheatham (DMin '87) is associate foi < ampus ministry, St. Andrews Presbytery Dean Chapman (DMin '82) resigned as pastor oi Westminster < hun h Casselberrv, I I . to ent- i medical school at University ol I lorida 1990s Keith Riddle '91 (DMin '95) is interim pastor ot ( ommunit\ ( hui. h. Lauderdale In the Sea, 1 1 . Wendy Neff '99 married Brian Shelby on Feb. 15 Mary Margaret Yearwood '97 has published In Then Heart: Inspirational ham,-} s Stories Steve Lindsley '97 is pastor oi I irsl * hurch, Mount Airy, NC Julie Walkup Bird '99 is a mis sion partner in residence in India in . partnership between ( Irace Presbyter) .md the Church of South India I lei primary focus is w ith women's advoca- cy and ministry Karla Fleshman '99 published a chapter m Understanding and Dealing with Violence, A Multi- cultural Approach Benjamin Booth (DMin L ^) retired as president /CEO of the Presbyterian I lome for C hildren in Alabama Juliann Pugh Whipple '99 is associate pastor ol Second ( lunch, Carlisle, PA, chaplain at the 1 louse ot Representatives tor the Commonwealth of Penns\ K a ma, and chaplain resen isl in the Air I orce Sidney Burgess '90 and Kelly Allen '92 are recipients oi the 2002 Sabbatical Grant for Pastoral Leaders from the Louisville Institute. ....Noelle Henry Read '99 is co-assoc i ate pastor oi South Highland church, Birmingham, AL Lynn Gifford '98 is pastor of the Donalsom ille, GA, church 2000s Mary Ann McKibben Dana '03 was one of four finalists for the David H.C Read Preacher/Scholar Award, given annually by the Madison Avenue i hun k New York I he award recog- nizes M Dh Students who demonstrate spec ial distnu tion in both prea< hing and biblical si holarsip and v\ ho are , ommitted to the parish pulpit Sung '01 and Hope '03 Lee were keynote speakers at [rinit) Presbytery's senioi high youth i onferem e ...David Roquemore (I >Min (II) is senior pas- tor .-! ( amp Hill, PA, church Guy BIRTHS lb Vickie I homas Bossuot '87 and William, a daughter,, (Catherine Mane, Feb 26,2003. lo hit '94 and ( yndy Beebe,a daughter, Erynnjoy, April is, 2003. lo |oon Won l >4 and I ivo Eun I ee a '^2 in the winter 2003 issue. He is honorably retired from First church, Tallassee, AL. Griffith (DMin '00) is senior pastor of First church, Dalton, GA Stephanie Boardman '02 is pastor oi First church, Lincoln, NF. Betsy Flory '01 is minister at Open Community United Church ot ( bust (UCC) and the Southeast ( onference of UCC, Atlanta Wain Wesberry '00 is associate pastor ot Fourth church, Greenville, SC. Denny Read '02 is co-associate pastor of South I lighland church, Birmingham, AL Paige McRight (DMm '02) is ex& utive presb) ter for ( entral Florida. Faculty and Staff Biblical area Elizabeth Johnson, professor of New Testament, taught church school class- es and an adult education series at Central church, Atlanta. She taught a commissioned lay pastor training class for Mississippi Presbytery; preached and lectured on Faith and Family at I e\\ ms\ ille church, Falls Church, VA; participated in a panel discussion on the Middle East; and preached at Queens University Kathleen O'Connor, professor of Old Testament, taught a Lenten series on Isaiah at the Decatur, GA, chim h Historical Doctrinal area Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, associate professor of world Christianity, lec- tured at the Iowa United Methodist School of Ministry. He presented at the I lispanic Lecture in Religion and Theology at Drew University and at the Lilly Conference on Theological Research, Pittsburgh. He taught at the Evangelical Seminary, Matanzas, C uba; the Association of Professors in Mission, Techny, IL; and the Hispanic Summer Program, Mundelein, IL. He has published Introduccidn a la Misidn. Mark Douglas, assistant professor of Christian ethics, taught at First, Oglethorpe, Covenant, and Rock Spring churches, Atlanta, and Pleasant Hill church, Duluth, GA. He facilitated a discussion on church mission for the Outreach Committee of Greater Atlanta Presbytery and published an article m Journal for Preachers Marcia Riggs, associate professor of (. hnstian ethics, delivered the Walter and Mary Brueggemann lectures at Fden Theological Seminary and led \\ orship at the Luce Consultation on Theological Scholarship for the \ssot iation oi Theological Schools. Practical Theology area Ron Cram, associate professor of Christian education, published Bullying: A Spiritual Crisis and led a seminar on childhood violence with Susan I lecker Cram at Immaculate Heart of Mary church, Atlanta Bill Harkins, assistant professor of pastoral theology and care, attended the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Conference, St. Simon's Island, GA, and spoke at Northwest church, Atlanta, GA. ...Emmanuel Lartey, professor of pastoral theology and care, spoke at the American Association of Pastoral Counselors conference, Newport, RI. ...Laura Mendenhall, president, attended a Committee on Theological Education meeting in Louisville, KY; spoke and preached at the General Assembly Theology Convocation, Pittsburgh, PA, and at First church, Tyler, TX; preached at First church, Charlotte, NC, Central church, Anderson, SC, and was guest speaker at I list church, Thomasville, GA, Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery, and the 215th General Assembly Rodger Nishioka, associate professor of Christian education, led workshops and preached at the Shelby, NC, church; Guilford Park church, Greensboro, NC; and New Providence church, Maryville, TN. He led a retreat and preached at the Roswell, GA, church and preached at Trinity church, Atlanta He spoke at Tampa Bay Presbytery, the racial-ethnic and immi- grant church development consulta- tion for Synod of Mid-Atlantic, and at First church, Charlotte. Nishioka spoke at the Reclaiming the Text Conference, Montreat, and lectured at the Princeton Seminary Institute for Youth Ministry Forum Brian Wren, professor of worship, lectured and preached at Greenfield Hill, CT, Congregational church and at First church, Charleston, WV, and preached at Asbury Methodist church, Uniontown, PA. He led two workshops at West Virginia Presbytery Festival of Faith. Wren published articles in the AC PE Advocate. Journal for Preachers, and The Abingdon Worship Annual 2004. Directors and Staff Ernestine Cole is acting vice president of student life/dean of students. She was co-celebrant of the Eucharist with Moderator Fahed Abu-Akel '74 at the opening worship service of the 215th General Assembly and served as rep- resentative for the Advocacy Committee on Women's Concerns. She preached at Pilgrimage church, Lilburn, GA. ...Dent Davis (DMin '89), director of continuing education, led a retreat for the council of Flint River Presbytery, preached at the Society for the Advancement of Continuing Education Continued on page 7 Vantage Volume 95, No. 1, Summer 2003 Published quarterly by Columbia Theological Seminary Circulation: 27,000 The Office of Development and Seminary Relations Editor: Juliette Harper Director of Publications and Publicity Postmaster: Send address changes to Vantage Columbia Theological Seminary P.O. Box 520 Decatur, GA 30031-0520 VANTAGE For the Record continued from page 6 in Ministry meeting, lectured j\k\ preached at the retreat of the SequO) ah Hills church. Knowille, TN. He la hired at the universities of Georgia and lennessee and presented at the Adult Education Research Conference in San Francisco. He is serving on the Educator Certification Council of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators John Knapp (MATS '95), president of the Southern Institute for Business and Ethics, was comment e ment speaker tor Kennesaw State University's spring 2003 graduation. He spoke at the annual meeting of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Conference on Corporate Governance, the Independent Counselor's Forum, and the Carrolton, GA, Rotary Club and facilitated ethics training tor the Georgia Board of Education 1 le was a panel moderator for Harvard Business School Club, Atlanta, DeKalb County Colloquium on Faith and Community Initiatives, and panelist for the annual conference of National Urban League's Black Executive Exchange Program Bonnie Shoemaker, administrative assistant for the international pro- grams office, was named volunteer of the year by the Atlanta Convention and Visitor's Bureau Stan Wood, director of the Center for New Church Development (NCD), taught an NCD seminar for the Presbvterv of Mid- Kentuck) an evangelism seminaj foi the Presbvterv of North \lahama and trained mentors for the I a\ I eader Training Program tor I atinos for Santa Barbara Presb) terj I le conducted an NCD consultation tor the Church of Scotland and preached -it Covenant church, Hunts\,lle \| Emeritus faculty Oscar Hussel was presented a Red Giraffe \\ indov\ .it Si [oseph's on the Mountain I piscopal Church. Mentone AL. \km\ of his sermons there have included conversations with the red giraffe, an inspiration from a stained glass window in C olumbia s chapel Shirley Guthrie lectured ^nd preached al I irsl churches, Dallas. i\, and Shreveport, I V Shandon chun h. Columbia. SI , and I orest I ake chun h. Columbia. SC Walter Brueggemann spoke at the UCC Clerg) e onferen( < Miami, FL; All Saints I piscopal chin, h Atlanta; and tor the Peace ( onsultation for Greater Atlanta Presb\ terv I le led a retreat for Innit\ church, Atlanta, preached at PI) mouth UCC, Coconut Grove, FL, and Westminster chun h. Snellville, GA; and lectured at Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Men ei School of Theology, and at I piscopal Cathedral, Kansas Cit) His [wed to Heaven Rooted m I arth was published by Fortress Press and he published articles in A God So Nem. Biblical Th Bulletin, and Journal fo\ Preachers Charlie Cousar '58 is honorably retired from Trinity Presbytery. 19.00 16.15 1100 11.05 26.00 26.00 From the Bookstore No. of Retail Columbia copies price pri< New titles by Columbia faculty members: Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth Prayers of Walter Brueggemann (hardback) by Walter Brueggemann (paperback) In I iving Color (second edition) by Emmanuel Lartey *Prices subject to change as determined bu publishers. Total amount for books Shipping and handling: orders under $20.00, add $4.50; from $20.00 to $49.99, add $6.00; $50.00 and over, add $7.50. Add $1.00 for residential deliveries. All books shipped via United Parcel Service. Georgia residents: add 7% sales tax on books and shipping Total Method of payment (please check one): check payable to CTS Bookstore (included with order) VISA MasterCard No\ us (please print information below | Visa /MasterCard /Novus # Exp. date Name (as it appears on card) Street address for UPS delivery: City State. PLSE initiative addresses PC (USA) pastor shortage \ new bffori is underway to address the growing ums ot leadership within the Presb) terian Church (I S K) \ joinl endeavor with the I und tei I heoloj i du< ation, Pastoral I eadership Search i rrbrl (PI SI | works i loselj w ith the i Iffice ot the c ieneral Vssemblj but Functions as K m independent la\ led initiative 1 'hi- program is funded by the I ill) i ikIow men! and individuals' i onb ibutions. We are in a moment ol 1 1 isi: I belies e. in pastoral leadership in the church, and thai causes i on< em says [oanna Adams 79 i o pastoi oi c hicago's Fourth Presb) tei ian ( hun h and former chair ol ( olumbia'9 Hoard .I trustees "This is also a moment that can be in< redibl) i reath e Beginning this fall, the PI SI initiative will work loscl\ v\ ith congregations throughout the country to identify talented young people who ma) want to considei w hethei i !od is calling them to ministi \ I ongregations will be asked to talk to those young people, en< ouraging them to explore ministr\ as a \ 0 ation "1 hear rninisters and seminai ians tell me that it someone hadn't spe< ifi< all) challenged them to considei a careei in the ( lospel ministry the) might well nut be ministers today/' says I lifton Kirkpatrit k, stated * lei k ot the PC it SA) Vlctoi Pente, pastor ci \tlarita 's Tea- frtree Presb) tei ian ( hun h, notes, "it e\ ei \ >i mgregation in the Presbyterian I him h encouraged at leasl one young person into min isti\, th.it would mean I I HI III new prospective Pri'sln terian pastor. Once identified/ those young pec pie w ho are interested will be enterei I into PI SI s Presbyterian I eadership i database whi< h will pn>\ ide a cen tralized means oi communicating w ith prosper ti\ e seminai ians I his w ill enable P< (1 S \> ministers in theii area i'i support ^\n\ to set \ e as men toi s i he database v\ Ql also dto\ ide edu. ational resources pertaining to pastoral ministr) an online forum foi i onversation among potential seminai ians and a means for seminaries to contact prosper tive students to dis< uss seminar) edui ation. PI ''i pai iu ui, a fo us will be on identif) ing high school and colle students who may be interested m entei ing seminar) v\ ithin the first few \ ears aftei < ollege graduation I he PI SI inihati\ e is impOl tan! he> .uise w e need the energj ol j oungei adults/' says Rodger Nishioka, assoi late professoi ol t hristian edui ation at ( olumbia W< need theii freshness and the wa) the) \ iev\ the world and then abilit) ! i onne< I to othei young people in their congregatii ins i he program s foundei fohn Udi idge .in eldei al Peai htree Presb) terian ( hun h and a b ustee ol i olumbia, notes that PI SI addresses one aspet I ol w hat is a large and inulti faceted challenge that I the hun h "No one initiath e and no one program alone v\ ill pro> ide an adequate solution/' Ba) Udi ii I " I he good news is that the depth and breadth ol this < i isis are beginning to i"' ie ognized and dis< ussed espe i iall) at the uppei levels ol the oi ni/e.i i him h Aldridge hopes the pi SI initiath c w ill be one fa< tor in transforming that crisis into a i M.iie e opportunity. Robert Williamson h 01 "At the Hilltop" from "Holy Week in M.U hoa< dn, Mexii o' Entries sought for 'On the Edge' Zip. Phone Please send this completed order form to: CTS Bookstore, P.O. Box 520, Decatur, GA 30031; fax 404 687-4658; e-mail: Bookstore@CTSnet.edu (in Lay iNsrm re's interest in the arts continues with "< >n the l dge/' a juried exhibition scheduled foi < >< tobei I November 15. Artists interested in submitting work ma) i ontai I institute director, Kick Dietrich al W4 687-4578; e-mail: dietrichRi@C r/Snel edu. Submission deadline is August I Judges' decisions will be made by September 1. In I ebruary and March, in con- jum Son with the Black Seminarian Assoc i . 1 1 1 ( iii. the i a\ institute presentei I the works of local artist, Raymond I ody. In April and May, Wend\ Philli] photographs ol i loly Week observant es in the Me ii an i illage of Michoacan n on display. D SUMMER 2003 Jones to deliver Smyth Lectures The Acropolis a site on the tour. Columbia travels to Greece, Turkey Columbia Seminary is planning a trip to Greece and Turkey October 14-26 called "Cities of the New Testament." The group will visit Istanbul, cities of the Anatolian coast including Ephesus, Athens, Corinth, and other sites in Greece. The U.S. State Department has cancelled the travel warning to Turkey, and travel to the area is con- sidered quite safe. Charles Cousar '58, professor emeritus, will lead the tour. Final payments are due July 31. We hope you can be a part of this travel and learning experience for friends of Columbia. For more information, contact Dent Davis, director of Continuing Education, da\ isd@CTSnet.edu, or Neely Young, Development Office, youngn@CTSnet.edu; 404 378-8821. Serene Jones, associate professor of theology at Yale Divinity School, will present the 2003 Smyth Lectures at Columbia, October 14-16. The title of her lecture series will be "Jesus and the Jones Girls Jones, a clergywoman in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), holds the M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and the Ph.D. in theology from Yale University In the course of her graduate work, she also studied at Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary in India. Jones has an uncommon breadth of experience and interest, which is reflected both in her publica- tions and in her teaching responsibili- ties at Yale. In addition to her appoint- ment to the divinity school faculty, Jones serves on the faculty of the - African-American studies department and has been a frequent lecturer in the school of law. She is interested both in the classi- cal study of the Reformed tradition and in the theological opportunities and challenges presented by contem- porary life. She has published a number of works on the theologies of both Calvin and Barth. as well as theologies emerging in places such as India and South Africa. She has a particular interest in feminist theology and the rethinking of traditional theological discourse necessary to engage the experiences and concerns of women. She has written on topics ranging from the theological crises of infertility and miscarriage to the rhetorical eloquence of John Calvin and theological responses to the AIDS/HIV crisis in Africa. The Smyth Lectures were begun at Columbia in 1911 by the bequest of the Rev. Thomas Smyth, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The aim of the bequest was to establish "a course of lectures on the fundamental principles of the Christian faith." The public is invited to attend this e\ ent. For more information, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 404 687-4521, or visit Columbia's web site at www.CTSnet.edu. Conferences on Ministry for prospective students November 7-9, 2003, and February 27-29, 2004 Are you moving or receiving duplicate copies? I lelp us to be better stewards by letting us know about your move ahead ol time Please attach the mailing label from this publication. II you are receiving duplicate copies ol Vantage, please send us the labels, and ill update our records New address: Name Streel C it) State Zip. Email address. Class Date new address effective Please return to Vantage, Columbia Seminary, P.O. Box 520, Decatur, GA 30031, or you ma) e-mail changes to poeb@CTSnet.edu Vantage Periodicals Postage Paid at Decatur, GA Publication No. 124160 P.O. Box 520 Decatur, Georgia 30031 404 378-8821 www.CTSnet.edu CONTENTS Commencement 2003 1 Partners in Ministry launched I Tributes to Professors Brueggemann and Cousar .... 2 Brown named professor of Old Testament 3 Events calendar 4 Lifelong learning offerings 4 Faith and the City intern 5 Distinguished Service Awards given 5 Dean Gehman accepts new position 5 Associate director of continuing education named . 5 For the Record 6 PLSE to address PC(USA) pastor shortage 7 Lay Institute's 'On the Edge' exhibition 7 From the Bookstore 7 2003 Smyth Lectures 8 Travel to Greece, Turkey in October 8 COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY