Columbia Theological Seminary Vantage, 88, number 1, Spring 1996

COLUMBIA
THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY

Vantage

SPRING 1996

Capital Campaign
surpasses goal

President Douglas W. Oldenburg has
announced the successful completion
of the seminary's capital campaign.
The campaign goal, one of the most
ambitious in theological education,
was $31,450,000. On December 31,
1995, the official conclusion of the
campaign, a total of $34,417,320 had
been received and pledged.

The campaign's theme, "Rooted in
Tradition, Growing with Vision,"
reflected Columbia's roots in the
Presbyterian tradition. The theme also
reflected the seminary's commitment
to grow with sensitivity to the needs
of the local church, to the candidates
for ministry, for the continuing
education of clergy and laity, and to
the changing context of ministry.

The seminary's Board of Trustees
undertook the capital campaign in
1988 in response to changing circum-
stances. "We found that, in several
critical areas, demand for the
seminary's resources exceeded what it
could supply with its limited fund-
ing," Oldenburg said.

The board selected John A.
Conant, who chaired the board from
1989-95, as campaign chair and John
H. Weitnauer, Jr., chair of the board's
Development Committee, as co-chair

of the campaign. Conant was a senior
vice president of the the Harland
Company, and Weitnauer was execu-
tive at Richway, Inc. Their selection
was indication of the board's confi-
dence in their ability to lead the
campaign to success.

Campaign funds will address
several areas of need at Columbia.
Twenty million dollars will be added
to the endowment, and $11.4 million
will be used for capital needs.

The campaign was balanced
between student needs and faculty
needs, between undergirding estab-
lished programs and starting new
ones. As a result of the successful
campaign, a number of important
advances have been accomplished
and are in progress.

One of the main campaign goals
was to provide additional space for
books and an endowment for new
books. The John Bulow Campbell
Library is receiving at least $6.9
million for expansion and renovation
and a substantial amount in endow-
ment for books and maintenance. The
new addition to the library will
increase space by 100 percent for
computer facilities, archives and
special collections, stacks, study areas,

The largest construction project of the capital campaign is the addition to and
renovation of the John Bulow Campbell Library.

and offices. In addition to the con-
struction, the seminary's quadrangle
and landscaping are being refur-
bished.

Campaign funds have established
or completed faculty chairs in wor-
ship, pastoral counseling, Christian
ethics, and Old and New Testament.
The money raised will also supple-
ment underfunded faculty chairs and
faculty development.

The campaign will enable Colum-
bia to increase student scholarships,

including special scholarships for

recruiting and retaining merit and

racial / ethnic applicants.

Programs begun or strengthened

with campaign funds include

Columbia's Center for Theological

Studies in Florida; Theology, Media,

and the Church; the Lay Institute of

Faith and Life; supervised ministry;

and the international and cross-
cultural programs.

seminary's urgent housing problems.
Student family apartments have been
renovated, and faculty accommoda-
tions have had major repairs.

Since it began on July 1, 1988, the
campaign has received broad-based
support, with gifts from more than
1,200 individuals, churches, founda-
tions, and corporations. More than
800 individuals have given in excess
of $12,450,000, and more than 300
churches have given over $6,630,000.
Twenty foundations have given more
than $7.5 million, and alumni /ae have
contributed another $700,000.

The cost of the campaign was only
2.1 percent of the total. This compares
very favorably to most capital cam-
paigns, which generally have ex-
penses in the range of five to 15
percent. "We believe that this demon-
strates our strong commitment to
good stewardship," Oldenburg said.

Commenting on the campaign,

'A strong Columbia lies at the heart of a vibrant church.

The seminary grounds are also undergoing a major transformation which includes new
sidewalks and landscaping.

The campaign will also fund
construction for a Center for New
Church Development, which will be
an addition to the W. Frank
Harrington Center for Continuing
Education and Church Growth.

After more than 30 years without
a makeover, the Richards Center
received a major renovation. Changes
included an expanded bookstore and
improvements to the kitchen, refec-
tory, meeting and dining rooms, and
lounges.

The campaign provided badly
needed funds to address the

John Conant said, "The campaign's
success is proof of the high regard that
those who know the seminary best
have for Columbia. We are grateful to
them. Their endorsement has made
the campaign a success."

Joanna Adams, chair of the Board
of Trustees and pastor of Trinity
Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, said,
"Once again Presbyterians have
proven that they place a high priority
on theological education. They know
that a strong Columbia lies at the
heart of a faithful, vibrant church."
Timothy Read '98

//

Vision 20/20

//

Douglas W. Oldenburg, President

I Musi confess that almost ten years
ago when Columbia's Presidential
Search Committee invited me to
interview for the position, I wasn't
very excited about it. I was open to a
new call, but my love for the pastorate
made me very hesitant about consid-
ering any other calling.

After the first interview in the
Atlanta airport, the committee gave
me a copy of a long-range plan the
board had adopted in 1984. Called
"Toward 2000," it lifted up a vision of
what the board hoped the seminary
would become toward the year 2000.
As I read it on the return flight to
Charlotte, the Spirit started moving
within me, and I felt a rush of enthusi-
asm for the possibility of becoming
part of fulfilling that vision.

It is very gratifying to look back
and see how many of the components
of that vision have become a reality at
Columbia. An enhanced international
program, a greater investment in lay
education (the Lay Institute of Faith
and Life), the need for a media
program (Theology, Media, and the

Church Program), a greater focus on
continuing education (the Harrington
Center for Continuing Education and
Church Growth), the need for more
adequate library resources (the library
expansion and renovation project), the
renovation of the Richards Center, a
more diverse faculty and student
body, the desire to become a more
national seminary, a greater focus on
worship, evangelism, and spirituality,
a more interdisciplinary curriculum, a
larger endowment all were envi-
sioned directly or indirectly in the
"Toward 2000" report and have now
become living realities at Columbia.
In order to fulfill that vision, the
Board recommended a major capital
campaign, and we are grateful to God
for all who helped bring that cam-
paign to such a successful conclusion.
With the completion of our capital
campaign and the wonderful news
about being the recipient of a large
trust from J. Bulow Campbell, I
believe we are now positioned to
dream about the future once again. I
am proposing to the Board of Trustees

that we establish a long-range vision-
ing committee ("Vision 20/20") to
seek to discern what God is calling
Columbia Seminary to do and to
become in the first two decades of the
twenty-first century. Surely, our focus
will remain on training women and
men for ordained leadership in local
congregations, especially the Presby-
terian Church (USA), but how can we
fulfill that mission in a more effective
way? In the midst of major changes in
the world, in our culture, and in the
mainline Protestant Church, especially
our own denomination, are there
other things we can do that will serve
the church of Jesus Christ?

The composition of the "Vision
20/20" committee has not been
determined, but it will certainly
include board members, faculty, staff,
alums, and others. I hope the commit-
tee will take a year or more to do its
work, receiving suggestions from all
who will share their ideas with us. I
invite you to pray for God's guidance
as we undertake this important task,
and I urge you to send me whatever
suggestions you may have. We
promise to take them seriously. The
future of Columbia Seminary is
exciting, and I hope you will be part
of it! D

This portrait of Mr. Campbell hangs in the John Bulow Campbell Library.

Columbia receives major gift

continued to support the seminary
generously until his death in 1940. In
his history of Columbia, the late
president of the seminary, J.
McDowell Richards '28, said of him:
"Clearly without J. Bulow Campbell's
great vision and generosity, there
would be no Columbia Seminary."

In his Bible, Campbell underlined
1 Timothy 6:17-19. That passage,
among others of his favorites, was
read in the December chapel service

Columbia Theological Seminary has
announced that it is the beneficiary of
a trust of $55 million established more
than 60 years ago by J. Bulow
Campbell, an Atlanta businessman
and devoted Presbyterian layman. It
is one of the largest gifts ever received
by a theological institution in the
United States.

In 1927, Campbell was influential
in moving the seminary from Colum-
bia, South Carolina, to Decatur. He

announcing the trust.

According to seminary officials,
the income from this generous trust
will be used for strengthening the
financial base of the seminary by
reducing the draw on the endowment,
staffing a Center for New Church
Development, and increasing scholar-
ships and financial aid to students. It
will not be used for constructing new
buildings or renovating existing ones.
The full financial benefits of the gift
will be phased in over several years
after the Board of Trustees has en-
gaged in long-range planning.

President Douglas W. Oldenburg
said: "Words cannot adequately

As for those who in the
present age are rich, command
them... to set their hopes... on
God.... They are to do good, to
be rich in good works, gener-
ous, and ready to share... so
that they may take hold of the
life that really is life.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

express our profound gratitude to
God. As Mr. Campbell financially
undergirded the early years of Colum-
bia when it moved to Decatur nearly
70 years ago, his generous legacy
combined with our successful cam-
paign will now enable us to
strengthen our position as one of the
premier seminaries in the United
States. It is at moments like this that I
am profoundly aware of the truth that
'we build on foundations we did not
lay and drink from wells we did not
dig.-'D

Smyth Lectures
explore the
complexity of
anger

Carroll Saussy delivered the 1996
Smyth Lectures to Columbia's stu-
dents, faculty, and guests March 5-7.
Dr. Saussy is the Howard Chandler
Robbins Professor of Pastoral Care
and Counseling at Wesley Theological
Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Saussy has written and
lectured on issues of faith and self
esteem, control, resentment, and
anger. Her lectures at Columbia were
"Anger, a Complex Emotion," "To-
ward a Theology of Anger," and "A
Model for Dealing with Anger."
While on campus, Dr. Saussy shared
several meals with faculty and stu-
dents and visited a class in pastoral
counseling.

In her well-attended lectures, Dr.
Saussy offered various definitions of
anger, including her own. "I define
anger as a response to the experience
of being ignored, injured, trivialized,
or rejected, or an empathic response to
the witnessing of someone else being
ignored, injured, trivialized or re-
jected." She noted that expressions of
anger can be life-enhancing and
justice-making.

Dr. Saussy discussed the anger of
God, the anger of Jesus, and human
anger. While noting that the Bible
says a lot about the anger of God, Dr.
Saussy observed that "God's anger is
as mysterious as God's knowledge,
power and love. Human beings
cannot know God's inner life."

According to Dr. Saussy, the Bible
does not speak with a single voice on
the topic of human anger. She di-
vided instances of human anger in the
Bible into what she calls "the anger of
hope" and "the anger of despair."

Dr. Saussy is author of two books,
The Gift of Anger: A Call to Faithful
Action and God Images and SelfEstccnr
Empowering Women in a Patriarchal
Society. At Wesley she has taught
such courses as Counseling Skills for
Pastoral Ministry; Faith and Self-
Esteem; Sexuality and Interpersonal
Relationships; Family Systems
Theory; Death, Dying, and Bereave-
ment; and Anger and Pastoral Minis-
try.

The Smyth lectures at Columbia
were begun in 1911 by the bequest of
the Rev. Thomas Smyth, D.D., pastor
of Second Presbyterian Church in
Charleston, South Carolina. The aim
was to establish "a course of lectures
on the fundamental principles of the
Christian faith."

Tapes of the lectures are available
from the seminary at a cost of four
dollars per tape, 12 dollars for the set
of three. To order, send a check made
payable to Columbia Seminary to the
seminary's Development Office.

VANTAGE

Course connects sacrament and
the church's mission

Wha'I do the Lord's Supper and the
church's mission have to do with one
another? That is the focus of an
innovative course offered to first-year
students as part of Columbia's new
Master of Divinity curriculum. "The
Eucharist and the Church's Mission"
is the second part of a year-long
introduction to theological study for
ministry.

"The first part, 'Baptism and
Evangelical Identity,' is taught in the
fall and is designed to help under-
stand individual Christian identity
and the gifts God has given each of us
for Christian life and ministry,"
Professor Stan Saunders explains.
"The natural continuation of that
course is this one on sacrament and
mission, which is meant to expand the
conversation to Christian community
and pastoral formation."

Professor Lee Carroll '68 contin-
ues, "When the new curriculum was
being planned, the faculty wanted to
have a congregational-based course so
that students could see things in the
congregational context that they
would not see in the classroom."

Through class meetings, small
group participation, church visita-

of seeing the diversity of the church.
We want a strong representation of
Presbyterian churches, but we also
believe it will be instructive to see
what other churches are about."

According to Carroll, "The
concepts of this course are structured
as an interdisciplinary one to bring
together an awareness of biblical,
historical, and theological materials,
as well as the practice of the church."

The interdisciplinary teaching
team includes Charles Campbell,
assistant professor of homiletics;
Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, instructor in
world Christianity; Jeanne Stevenson-
Moessner, adjunct assistant professor
of practical theology; Lee Carroll,
associate professor of pastoral theol-
ogy and director of supervised
ministry; and Stanley Saunders,
assistant professor of New Testament.

In addition to groups led by these
professors, two small groups are led
by Ann Clay Adams, director of
admissions, and Rebecca Parker,
director of continuing education.
Both women are ordained ministers in
the Presbyterian Church (USA).

"The course is designed to help
students look at ways congregations

Professor Chen Zemin (centei >. vice principal oj Nanjing Theological Seminary in
China, is a visiting si holai at Columbia this year //< is writing guesi fei turing,
reflet ting upon Ins long involvement with the church in ( 'hina and working with Stacy
Rector '96 (left) and Hannah Brawley '97 (righi I, who '''til be in China this summei to
study Chinese Christianity and teach English to seminarians, Columbia' 1 ,

relationship with the church in China is made possible by Q grant from the I r / . e

I oundation

dimensions of faithfulness the
personal, interior praise and mission."

"Our hope is to help prepare
persons for ministry who know who
they are as disciples of Jesus Christ
and who understand themselves as
rooted in congregational life/' Carroll
adds. "Sometimes a church suffers
from pastoral leadership which fails
to understand the particular church's
history, its unique qualities and
character. This lack of understanding
can cause the pastor and the church to
go in different directions ''

"The congregation is the real
learning environment," Saunders
says. "By going to these diverse
congregations, we have a broadei
look at what church life is all about
and a better understanding of the
realities of the local church."

Carroll finds benefits in being part
of the interdisciplinary teaching team.
"The course has been a means of
getting to know some of my col-
leagues in a more profound way not
just in the class, but also in our
regular planning time. I have learned
wonderful things from them."

"We have grown in understand-

"Our hope is that the future pastors in this course will have a clearer sense of mission and how
the church can practice and understand eucharist. "

tions, and readings, participants in the
course develop understanding of the
meaning of the Lord's Supper and the
church's mission and how the two
relate.

In small groups students meet
with members of two local churches
and their pastors. These meetings are
held so that students can learn about a
particular church's history and its
understanding of its own identity.

Carroll explains why: "It is very
important for the students, who will
be pastors, to understand the context
of congregations in which we work
and the traditions of the church. We
want students to have the advantage

understand who they are," Carroll
explains. "Often, congregations do
not see themselves as a community
gathered around the table of Jesus
Christ. And they may not understand
themselves as engaged in mission
beyond themselves."

"Communion can become ritual-
ized and lose some of its multifaceted
dimensions," Cardoza-Orlandi says.
"Often, we gather at the table with a
sense of sadness and the sacrifice of
Christ. We rarely come to the table
aware of the theological challenge of
community and mission or of the
joyfulness of the resurrection. The
Lord's Supper encompasses many

ing together," Saunders says. "Each
of us thinks differently about mission
and eucharist and thru inextricable
connection. Our hope is that the
future pastors in this course will have
a clearer sense of mission and how the
church can practice and understand
eucharist/'

A week-long continuing educa-
tion seminar is being planned foi
ministers who are interested in this
subject. Scheduled July 8-12, the
seminar will be led by professors
Carroll, Cardoza-Orlandi, Saunders,
and Stevenson-Moessner For more
information, call the Office of Con-
tinuing Education at 404/687-4562.

Commencement
'96 is May 19

J*)si ni L. Ri IB! R i'., Jr., pastoi ol
Ebene/er Baptist Church in Atlanta, is
Columbia's 1996 commencement
speaker Columbia will conduct its
commencement exercises May l y at 4
p.m. at IV. i> htree Presbj tei ian I hur< h
in Atlanta. Degrees will be o >nfei red
to 121 students in Columbia's five
degree programs.

Dr Roberts has been pastor of
Ebene/er since 1975, when he was
called to SU( ceed Martin Luther King,
Sr. Dr. Roberts lias initiated a commu-
nity-oriented program which includes
a teenage mothers' ministry, a tutoring
program, ,i senior citizens' day care
center, <m^\ <i loud cooperate

I le is ,i member of the Board of
Trustees at Interdenominational
Theologii al I enter,, Rhodes ( allege,

and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Cenfc I
tui Non-Violent Social Change.

A graduate of Union Theologii al
Seminary in New r*ori and Princeton
Theological Seminary, Dr. Roberts has

ived honorary degrees from
Johnson C Smith University and
Kalamazoo ( ollege.

Joseph S I I.iia drd. pastor of First
Presbyterian Church in Durham,
North Carolina, will preach the
baccalaureate sermon at North Av-
enue Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, at
11:00 a.m. A L966 graduate of Colum-
bia, he serves on the Columbia board.
Mr. Harvard chairs the Urban Ministry
Committee of the PC(USA).

Mr. Harvard is a graduate of
Presbyterian I ollege and Yale Univer-
sity Divinity School

On Saturday, May IK, President
and Mrs. Oldenburg will host a
reception for graduates ^nc\ guests in
the president's home. On Saturday
night, a picnic for graduates, their
families and friends, and faculty will
be held on campus. I

SPRING 1996

Continuing Education
and Lay Institute
Calendar

For further information or to register for courses, call or write:
Rebecca S. Parker, Director of Continuing Education, or
Richard S Dietrich, Director of the Lay Institute of Faith and Life

Due to the Olympics being in Atlanta in late July and early August, the summr
tZL ofnSuing education, Uy Institute, and Doctor ofM.n.stry classes have
been moved to the dates Jiown beloiv
May 9-10 Nav.gahng Chance ,n Your Congregate See article on this page.

May 20-24 Th, Practice of Pra. ek This seminar is an elective in the Certificate
in Sp.ntual Formation program, although registration is open to everyone.
Event will be held at Monastery of the Holy Sp.nt, Conyers, GA Leader.
Martha Jane Petersen, Presbyterian pastor framed ,n sp.ntual formation. Cost.
$300.

!TL D 7 DA 8 Nc C d i's "or New Dangerous Times by Walter Brueggemann,

rst^EKMCo^sSy Brian Chi.ds, professor of pastoral theology and
counseling.

June 24-27 and July 15-18 D.M.N. Project Design Workshop by Oscar Hussel,
professor emeritus.

\ Ul \JnLcy, Growth, Pi m I K and Mission: Understanding Your Congregation by
Ron Cram associate professor of Christian education, and Harry Simmons
lZSs7oHion of aging, Presbyterian School of Christian Education. Cost:

2 10 SpiRrTUAL Formation, Part II by Joan Cray, pastor, Columbia Presbyterian

Church. Cost: $50. .,

3. Computers and the Pastor by Alden Poetker media specialist .Cos t $50

4. Resources eor a Theology Novel Book Club by Rick Dietrich, director of Lay
Institute of Faith and Life. Cost: $50.

L A S "dy oe Mark by Mary Foskett, Ph.D. candidate in New Testament, Emory

University. Cost: $100. Uan n

2. Reformed Theology: Certification for Christian Educators by C. Benton
Kline, president emeritus and visiting professor. Cost: $160.
3 Preaching and the Dance of Spirituality, Lucy Rose, associate professor of
preaching and worship, and Kari Ward, M.Div. candidate and professional

dancer. Cost: $100.

4. Eucharist and Mission: The Roots of Our Faith Transforming the Church

Cost: $100. See article on page 3.

5. L.sten with the Ear of Your Heart by Elizabeth Canham Episc opal priest
and director of Srillpo.nt Ministries Retreat Center, Black Mountain, NC. Cost.

fm Bible Study: Encounters w/th Jesus: The Gospel of Matthew by Sara Covin
Juengst, author of the PW Bible study. Cost: $50.

Tulv8-19 Credit courses.*

1. Principalities, Powers, and Preaching by Charles Campbell, assistant profes-

sor of homiletics. ,. -

2. Classics of Christian Devotional Literature by Catherine Gonzalez, profes-
sor of church history.

August 6-9 Summer Lay Scholars See article on this page.
September-December A Gathering of Women for Spiritual Reflection See
article on this page.

September 26-27 Writing for Publication by Roland Tapp, publishing consult-
ant. Cost: $75.

Two-week cred.t courses: Prerequ.s.te-M.Dw. or equivalent degree. You may take one ofthe
cred.t offenngs in each two-week penod and thus earn three semester hours cred.t .n each two-
week period. Cost per course is $720.

Navigating

change in
congregations

Leadership in congregations today
means being faithful in an environ-
ment of constant change. At its best,
change engenders high energy and
engagement of people, issues, and
faith where the creativity of God
sparks new directions. At its worst,
change is an experience of fear, scape-
goating, and blame that can close a
congregation. Leaders play an impor-
tant role in congregations' under-
standing of change, helping them
realize their potential by navigating,
rather than seeking to escape, change.

This May 9-10 workshop will
introduce models of change to help
understand what a congregation is
experiencing and what appropriate
responses are; explore congregational
size as a lens to understand appropri-
ate leadership; and share tools to
diagnose change in a congregation.

Gil Rendle is leader for this event.
He is a senior consultant with the
Alban Institute and has served as
pastor and as consultant to congrega-
tions in transition, leading them with
humor, good sense, and spiritual
insight. Cost is $165. For more
information, contact the Office of
Continuing Education. D

Women's seminar
on spiritual
reflection set

This semester-long gathering is
designed to bring together women in
ministry to share common concerns
and to provide time for prayer and
spiritual reflection. Because busy
schedules often leave little time for
oneself, this event is planned to
provide community, disciplined time
for spiritual and personal reflection,
and nourishment for the soul.

Prayer, books, case studies, art,
poetry, and conversation will be some
of the tools used. The specifics will be
designed in cooperation with the
participants.

Lalor Ferrari, a Roman Catholic
trained in spiritual formation and
women's spirituality, will lead the
group with Rebecca Parker, Presbyte-
rian pastor and director of continuing
education. The group will meet every
other week beginning the week of
September 9 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. on a
day determined by participants. Cost
is $140. For more information, contact
the Continuing Education Office.

Annual Report
receives award

Columbia has received a grand award
for its 1994-95 annual report. The
annual report, produced by the Office
of Development and Seminary Rela-

Lay Scholars
meet in August

The Lay Institute of Faith and Life's
fourth annual Summer Lay Scholars
Week welcomes back Ed McNulty,
editor of the journal Visual Parables.
McNulty will join Rick Dietrich and
other Columbia faculty members to
discuss with students the theme "A
Spiritual Journey." The discussion
will be "illustrated" by recent films.
This year's program, shortened
because of the Olympics, will begin
Tuesday morning August 6. It will
run through mid-day on Friday,
August 9. Cost of the event, including
room (August 5-8) and board is $300.
For more information, contact the Lay
Institute at 404/687-4577.

Lay courses
taught in
presbyteries

Preaching and praying and the priest-
hood of all believers are at the heart of
the Presbyterian way of faith. The
questions which they raise have led
the Presbytery of Sheppards and
Lapsley to join with Columbia's Lay
Institute to offer two courses of study
for lay people.

The two courses began a year ago
and continue through May 1997.
Students study with faculty from
Columbia to prepare to be commis-
sioned lay preachers or to work
toward a certificate in spiritual
formation. Classes meet monthly
during the academic year at Oakmont
Presbyterian Church in Hoover,
Alabama.

The lay preacher training course is
the second to be offered off-campus
through the Lay Institute. Flint River
Presbytery has already commissioned
a class of lay preachers trained by the
Lay Institute. Students learn how to
preach the Word, lead worship, and
work with congregations.

Spiritual formation students are
learning about prayer and devotion
and service to church and world.
Upon completion of their program,
they will be awarded a certificate by
the seminary.

Faculty participating in the
Birmingham program include Chuck
Campbell, Rick Dietrich, Catherine
Gonzalez, Ben Johnson, Lucy Rose,
Stan Saunders, George Stroup, and via
videotape, Walter Brueggemann and
Shirley Guthrie.

tions, was entered in the Council for
the Advancement and Support of
Education (CASE) District III Ad-
vancement Awards Competition for
1995 and exhibited at the CASE
District III Conference in Atlanta in
February.

Columbia's annual report for
1993-94 received a special merit award
last year. For a copy of the annual
report, contact the seminary. D

VANTAGE

Professor Erskine Clarke and Rita Dyer of Charleston- Atlantic Presbyter]/ were at
Johns Island Presbyterian Church for a book signing of Our Southern Zion.

Professor's book tells story of
low country Calvinism

Erskine Clarke '66, professor of
American religious history, has written
a history of the Reformed tradition in
the South Carolina low country. In
Our Southern Zion: A History of Calvin-
ism in the South Carolina Low Country,
1690-1990, published by the University
of Alabama Press, Clarke documents
the strong Calvinist community in the
region since Carolina's establishment
as a British colony.

The South Carolina low country,
with the city of Charleston at its center,
has long captured the imaginations of
novelists, scholars, and historians. The
dominant images presented by these
writers are of a region distinguished
by its "Cavalier spirit" and by its
"wholehearted devotion to amusement
and the neglect of religion and intellec-
tual pursuits." While acknowledging
that these images have some founda-
tion in low country life, Clarke insists
that they are flawed because they
ignore an influential Calvinist commu-
nity that has been marked by its

Columbia Seminary and through it of
the entire Southern Presbyterian
Church." Members of Charleston
Presbytery in 1850, for example,
included James H. Thornwell, Ben-
jamin M. Palmer, John Adger, John L.
Girardeau, and George Howe, who
were all members of the Columbia
faculty and who all played decisive
roles in shaping Southern
Presbyterianism.

One important aspect of the study
was Clarke's investigation of a strong
African American Calvinist commu-
nity. This oldest African American
Presbyterian community in the U. S.,
while suffering the oppression of
slavery and racism, has remained
strong and vibrant throughout its
history. It too contradicts powerful
images of the region which portray
African-Americans as singing "sum-
mertime and the living is easy." In
contrast to such images, this commu-
nity has been marked by a disciplined
work ethic, by an emphasis on order

TheAlumni/af Association presented its 1996 Distinguished Service {ward to Neely
D. McCartei and J Will Ormondat the annual alumnVae meeting during ( olloauium
Dr. McCarter '53. left, was university pastor al the Universityoj Florida, professor
of Christian education atColumbia, professo) oj t In istian edm ation and dean al I Inion
Theological Seminary in Virginia, and president of Pacific School oj Religion I '< has
been a consultant to seminaries, a leader in the Asso< uition of Theological Schools, and
in retirement, led the three-year Lilly projei I in studying Hie role 0) the presidency in
theological education. He is author of Hear the Word of the Lord and 1 lelp Me
Understand, Lord and a graduate of Presbyterian College, Columbia. Union Theologi
cal Seminary in Virginia, Yale University, and Columbia University

Dr. Ormond '43, right, was the J. McDowell Richards Professor of Biblical
Exposition at Columbia from 1966 until 1987. lie sensed as pastor of Presbyterian
churches in Marion and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he was a faithful rone in address-
ing the racial crisis of the 1960's during the threatened closing of the University of
Alabama in the enrollment of its first African American students. Dr. Ormond is fl
graduate of the University of Alabama, Columbia, Princeton Theological Seminary, and
the University of Glasgow.

"The intellectual and institutional life of low country
Calvinism played an influential role in shaping the character
and ethos of Columbia Seminary and through it of the entire
Southern Presbyterian Church."

disciplined religious life, its intellec-
tual pursuits, and its work ethic.

Professor Edward Gaustad of the
University of California, in his review
of the book, wrote that Clarke has
produced "a monograph of singular
significance. Though his story at first
glance may appear to be a narrow
one, his sharply revisionist account
helps to illumine the far larger story of
religion in America."

In an interview, Clarke empha-
sized that "The intellectual and
institutional life of low country
Calvinism played an influential role in
shaping the character and ethos of

and education, and by the creation of
schools and churches that have served
it well. Two chapter titles give hints
about the character of this community:
"A Church Both African American
and Reformed" and "The African
American Reformed Community:
'Two Warring Ideals in One Dark

Body.'"

Throughout Our Southern Zion,
one reads the history of "The Church
Reformed, always being reformed" as
it sought to live out its life in one
influential region of the U. S. L

Chrystal Cook '98

Editor's note: We present the remarks of J.
Davison Philips '43, president emeritus
and introducer of Will Ormond, and of
Dr. McCarter as he accepted the award.

Ormond honored

Win Ormond was secretary of our
class all three years and turned what
are normally dull class notes into
hilarious readings. He always re-
ferred to people by description, never
by name, so John Leith was "the boy
from Due West," and I was "the boy
from Florida with a car." He was the
only one with a Phi Beta Kappa key,
and the only one who wore a suit and
vest so he could display the key.

Student sermons were preached
in the chapel in front of everybody.
President J. McDowell Richards was
the lead-off critic. He praised Will,
saying he had a great gift of imagina-
tion, but he needed to be careful
because it could be destructive. After
that sermon, Will almost had us
believing the chapel ceiling would
open and the paralytic would be
lowered.

He looked after his mother, his
father having died when Will was ten.
His father died on the family farm in
Sumter County, Alabama, and his
body was brought back to the house
on a truck. He was buried on the
farm, and all the Blacks who worked
on the farm attended the funeral.
Instead of the relatives shoveling dirt
on the casket, the Blacks took the
shovels and said, "We'll do that" as a
sign of kinship.

His mother and aunt lived with

Continued on page 7

McCarter recalls

A ii W YEARS ago a young man who
spoke for the preceding year's gradu-
ates observed that his class was not as
full of praises for the seminary as tin
older classes seemed to be. Their
experience, being fresh in their minds,
had not been totally positive.

His remarks were helpful to me
because I realized that those of us who
have been out for a season tend to
forget some of the shortcomings we
experienced and remember only the
pleasant aspects of our time here. It is
fitting that we practice a bit of selec-
tive recall. God has so created us that
memory becomes blurred: the pain of
certain events fades; the rough places
are worn down with time and become
smooth. What remains are those
positive memories, those life-themes,
those profound convictions that have
shaped us and our ministries.

That is why I feel I should be
honoring the seminary, not the semi-
nary honoring me. For it was here
that we had a little sign attached to
the pulpit in the chapel saying: "Sir,
we would see Jesus." It was here that
we experienced persons as diverse as
William Childs Robinson, Sam Cart-
ledge, and Manford Gutzke sharing
with us their devotion to the Word of
God. It was here that I learned that
the people of God need to be fed on
the Word of God, not my latest
thoughts or political convictions. It
was here, working with Felix Gear,
that I came to love the study of
theology in all of its beauty and
complexity- It was here that I devel-
Continued on page 7

SPRING 1996

For the Record

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

Marcia Riggs, associate professor of

Christian ethics, gave a lecture and led
a workshop lor the Center for African
American Women in Ministry at New
York Theological Seminary and was
lecturer for the annual Modecia Wyatt
Johnson Institute of Religion at
Colgate Rochester Divinity School
She delivered a paper at the Society
for the Study of Black Religion's

annual meeting in Jamaica Cheryl

Gosa '79, parish associate tor broad-
cast ministry at First church, Atlanta,
produced "Born in the Night," seen

on ABC-TV during Christmas

Joseph Whitner '55 and his wife,
Katherine, own and direct the Center
for New Beginnings near Dahlonega,
GA. The retreat center is used by
church, business, and school groups.
Mr. Whitner also presents seminars in
integrative spirituality.

Richard Dietrich, director of the
Lay Institute, has taught at Chapel in
the Pines church, Birmingham, AL,
and at First church, Dalton, GA. His
poem, "Parts of Speech," appeared in
the February issue of First

Things Jane Dasher '93 is interim

assistant director of chaplaincy
services at Grady Memorial hospital
and serves as staff chaplain at Grady's

Children's Hospital Bill Connolly

'89 is pastor of the Ripley, MS,

church Thomas McPhail '70 is

pastor of the Beth Shiloh church, York,

SC Carolyn Johnson '80 and her

husband, Kermit, were distinguished
pastors-in-residence at Pittsburgh

Seminary in February Philip

Gehman '68, vice president for
student life and dean of students,
concluded his term as chair of the
administrative board for the Career
Development Center in the Southeast,
Decatur. He served on the leadership
team of the leadership training event

for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies

Several alums and students were
married recently: Carol Wood '86 and
Jack Rink, Dec. 16, 1995, in Atlanta;
Stephanie Davis '96 and Chris
Hankey (MATS '96), Dec. 30, 1995, in
Newark, DE; Dorie Griggs '98 and
Stanley Leary, Jan. 6, 1996, in
Norcross, GA; Victoria Schell '98 and
Tim Slemmons '95, Feb. 10, 1996, in
the Columbia chapel.

Charles Cousar '58, professor of
New Testament, led a study on
"Interpreting the Bible" at First
church, Atlanta. He spoke to a board-
faculty retreat of the Christian Theo-
logical Seminary in Indianapolis, a
meeting of Northeast Georgia
Presbytery on the Biblical passages
dealing with homosexuality, and to
the session of the Druid Hills, Atlanta,
church and the congregation of the

Newnan, GA, church Jane

Huffstetler '90 is designated pastor of

the St. James church, Jenks, OK

Ernestine Cole, associate dean of

students, has preached at the Lithonia,
GA, church, the Westhills church,
Atlanta, and at Covenant church,
Wendell, NC. She participated in the
national association of PC(USA)
Clergy Women's Conference in

Atlanta Jim Caprell '91 is pastor of

First church, Simpsonville, SC

Ronald Cram, associate professor of
Christian education, taught an adult
education class at Peachtree church,
Atlanta, a class on the sociology of
education at the Ros-well, GA, church,
and is a volunteer teacher assistant in
Fernbank Elementary School's kinder-
garten class Clarence Durham '56

has retired from the pastorates of the
Mountain City and Clinton, TN,
churches. He is working, pro bono, for
Wilson Rehabilitation Foundation and
is a trustee of Medical Benevolence
Foundation.

Walter Brueggemann, professor
of Old Testament, taught at clergy
conferences for the Presbytery of
Chicago, the Episcopal Diocese of
Jacksonville, and the Central Confer-
ence, United Church of Christ, in
Pennsylvania. He has preached at the
Eastminster church, Columbia, SC, at
Duke University Chapel, and at
Calvary Episcopal Church, Memphis.

BIRTHS

To Stan Saunders, assistant professor

of New Testament, and Brenda Smith,

a son, Carson Paul, Nov. 11, 1995.

To John '90 and Karen Edwards

McLean '90 , a daughter, Katherine

Stewart, Mar. 3, 1996.

To Mike '90 and Amy Murdock, a

daughter, Jordan Elizabeth, Oct. 28,

1995.

To Shawn '91 and Amy Barkley, a son,

David Griffin, Oct. 13, 1995.

To Kelly Allen '92 and John Rezentes,

a daughter, Clare Allen, June 30, 1995.

To John '94 and Leila Hinkle, a son,

John Austin III, Mar. 8, 1996.

To Chin Kim '95 (ThM '96) and Sophia

Park '96, a son, Jonathan, Jan. 4, 1996.

To Berke Landrum '95 and Fran

Morrow, a son, Lee Howell, Feb. 6,

199b

To Calvin '96 and Lee Gittner, a

daughter, Callee Mario, Mar. 12, 1996.

To Mark '96 and Betsy Gray, a son,

Nathan Cameron Alexander, Dec. 16,

1995.

To Tim '97 and Trish Arnold, library
assistant, a daughter, Meagan Rose,
Dec. 15, 1995.

DEATHS

James Smith 38, Mar. 18, 1996.
Vance Barron '42, Sept. 3, 1995.
Paul Chesney '43, Nov. 22, 1995.
Hal Bray '59, Dec. 10, 1995.
Robert Catlin '66, Dec. 15, 1995.
Douglas Holland (DMin '84), Aug. 12,
1995.

Dr. Brueggemann has lectured at
Houston Baptist Seminary and at
Trinity Church, Boston. He has had
essays in Festschrifts for Christiaan
Beker and John Rogerson and articles
published in Modern Theology and

Concise Encyclopedia of Preaching

Gail Perkins '87 is pastor of First

church, Arkadelphia, AR Shin

Ishimaru (ThM '58) is pastor of the
kohakudai Reformed Church in

Abiko, Japan Tom Stallworth '58

was preacher for the Father Hector
McLean Preaching Series at the
Antioch church, Red Springs, NC,
where John Hinkle '93 is pastor
Ann Clay Adams, director of admis-
sions, led a four-week study of the
Gospel of John at Trinity church,
Atlanta, and a workshop on leader-
ship at the Midwest Collegiate Stu-
dent Conference in Lake Geneva,

WI Stephanie Davage '95 is pastor

of the Covenant church, Wendell, NC.

Rebecca Parker, director of
continuing education, taught an adult
Sunday school class series at
Peachtree Road United Methodist
Church, Atlanta, and a Lenten class
series at Redeemer Lutheran Church,

Atlanta Will Coleman '85, associate

professor of theology and
hermeneutics, has taught at Trinity
church, Atlanta, and at Rhodes
College. He has preached at Agnes
Scott College and at the Open Door
Community, where he has also led a
Bible study and given a presentation.
Dr. Coleman has given presentations
to both Georgia Tech and Emory
Presbyterian students and partici-
pated in panel discussions at Emory
University's Conference on Disability
and Interdenominational Theological
Center's Founder's Day celebration on
Empowerment for Peace, Justice, and
Equality. He was a member of the
planning team for a PC(USA) confer-
ence on spirituality and social action

in Santa Fe Ed Loring '66 and

Murphy Davis '74 were presented the
1996 Christian Council of Metropoli-
tan Atlanta award for outstanding

work in human relations Steve

Kolmetz '95 is director of contempo-
rary worship and youth at Church of

St. Andrew, Atlanta Tod Linafelt

'91 has been named assistant profes-
sor of Biblical studies at Georgetown
University.

C. Benton Kline, president
emeritus and visiting professor, has
preached at Presbyterian Village in
Austell, GA, the Clairmont church,
Decatur, and Church of the New
Covenant, Doraville, GA Robert
Ramey, professor emeritus, led
Columbia's Pilgrimage to Jerusalem
and has preached at the Gum Creek
church, Oxford, GA. Dr. Ramey has
led spiritual growth retreats and
preached at First churches in Athens,
GA, and Orangeburg, SC; Aveleigh
church, Newberry, SC; Ray-Thomas
Memorial church, Marietta, GA; and
Northminster church, Pensacola,

FL Nancy Graham '93 is program

assistant at Villa International,

Atlanta Brian Childs, professor of

pastoral theology and counseling, is
president of the board of the Adop-

tion Center of Georgia and associate
editor and book review editor of
Journal of Medical Humanities. Dr.
Childs led a program at Westminster
church, Charlottesville, VA, and
moderated a session at a conference
on AIDS education at the Cleveland
Clinic, OH. He was a member of a
General Assembly task force which
wrote a study guide on "Physician-
Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia, and End
of Life Decisions." He has taught a
short course at Princeton Seminary
and has had an article published in
Hospital Ethics Committee Review.

Lucy Rose, associate professor of
preaching and worship, has preached
at First church, Auburn, AL, and led a
workshop on preaching for the
National Triennial Conference for all
Presbyterian Clergywomen. Dr. Rose,
along with Charles Campbell,
assistant professor of homiletics, led a
retreat for ministers and spouses of

the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina

Jeong Han '87 is associate pastor of
the Korean Young Nak church,

Houston, TX Thomas Mueller

(DMin '89) is pastor of First church,

Hinesville, GA Timothy Fulop,

director of research and evaluation
and assistant to the dean of faculty,
taught at Central Baptist Theological
Seminary and gave a paper at the
American Society of Church History.
Dr. Fulop has written five entries on
religious topics for the Encyclopedia of
African American Culture and History,
an entry in Popular Religious Magazines
of the United States, and a book review
in Journal of American History.... Wanda
Neely (DMin '85) is interim associate
presbytery executive for educational
and congregational life for Charles-
ton-Atlantic Presbytery Charles

Evans '78 is warden (communicator to
the American community) for the
American Embassy in Kampala,
Uganda. He has received the "Service
to Humanity" Alumni Award from
his high school alma mater in Iva, SC.
Wade Huie '46, professor emeri-
tus, has preached at First church,
Nashville, TN; Faith church, Melrose,
Continued on page 7

Vantage

Volume 88, No. 1, Spring 1996
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, GA 30031-0520

VANTAGE

Ormond honored
continued from page 5

McCarter recalls

continued from page 5

him in Decatur. Both were teachers,
and Will got his teaching skills from
them.

Starting and pastoring the new
church in Tuscaloosa was a monu-
mental effort. During the racial crisis,
he preached a stirring sermon from
Philemon about accepting all races.
His parishioners said they felt the
presence of the Holy Spirit during that
crisis. Will is a quiet man out of pul-_
pit, but in the pulpit he comes alive. U

For the Record

continued from page 6

FL; Gum Creek church, Oxford, GA;
and Presbyterian Village, Austell, GA.
He was keynote speaker at a mission
conference at St. Simons Island church
and preached and gave a series of
lectures at Sequoyah Hills church,
Knoxville, TN. Dr. Huie has taught at
the Reformed church, Bronxville, NY,
and is interim preacher at First

church, Nashville Ben Johnson,

professor of Christian spirituality, was
scholar-in-residence at the La Canada,
CA, church in January. He has given
the Wall Lectures at Conway, SC; the
John Knox Lecture at Woodhaven
church, Irving, TX; the Hodgin

oped a passion for souls, a profound
desire to share the Gospel, which has
shaped my ministry over the years.
My first seminary experience so
marked my life and ministry that I
have felt fortunate to have been led of
God to devote my ministry to theo-
logical education. Whatever 1 have
done over these several years is a
reflection on the people, the message,
and the spirit of Columbia Seminary.
While I appreciate this honor today, I
hope that my ministry in some way
honored this school of the prophets to
which I am deeply indebted. Q

Memorial Lecture at Jamestown, NC,
and the Robinson Lectures at Erskine
Theological Seminary. He has
preached at First churches, Arlington
Heights, IL, and Libertyville, 1L; the
Gilroy, CA, church; and at Inland
Northwest Presbytery, where he also
led a workshop. Dr. Johnson led a
pastors' retreat for Los Ranchos
Presbytery and a weekend seminar at
Covenant church, Ft. Myers, FL. He
was worship and workshop leader for
Northwest Evangelism Celebration in

Bellevue, WA Ronald Wallace,

professor emeritus, has written Read-
ing in I Kings, published this year.

From the Bookstore

No. of
copies

Retail Columbia
price price

New titles by Columbia authors:

Our Southern Zion: A History of Calvinism in the $47.95 $40.76
South Carolina Low Country, 1690-1990
by T. Erskine Clarke

The Abingdon Women's Preaching Annual 1997

' compiled and edited by Jana L. Childers and
Lucy A. Rose

Also new and now available:

Like a Garden: A Biblical Spirituality of Growth

by Sara Covin Juengst

$16.95 $14.41

Connections
forged years
ago continue in
Jamaica

For ai mom IWO decades, Columbia
Seminary and the United Theological
College of the West Indies (UTCW1) in
Kingston, Jamaica, have maintained a
close relationship. A number of the
benefits that the two seminaries ha\ e
received from this affiliation are due
in part to the work of Wade Huie 1 1 i
professor emeritus of homiletics at
Columbia. Last November, Dr. 1 line
was honored by the president and
Board of Governors at UTCWI with
an award in recognition of his contri-
butions.

Dr. Huie's original interest in
Jamaica and UTCWI came after a
sabbatical leave in Ghana during
1975-76. He found this experience in a
third-world setting to be meaningful
and educational, and he hoped other
faculty members and students would
be able to learn from similar experi-
ences. In 1980, Dr. Huie played a
significant role in establishing an
initial relationship between UTCWI
and the Atlanta Theological A380( ia-
. tion (ATA). One year later, he took
the first group of seminary students to
Jamaica in January, and from this
point forward, the Jamaica trip
became an annual one.

Exchange programs now exist
between the two institutions,
with both faculty and
students having opportunities
to participate.

When the curriculum at Columbia
was revised in 1985, a new course
based on the experiences of these trips
to Jamaica was added as a require-
ment to the Master of Divinity pro-
gram" Alternative Context for
Ministry." With this course, students

1 eltord 58, director of advanced
Studies, serves as Columbia's adviser

to these students.

I rCWl is an ei umenically based
institution. Founded in the early

I s with die help Of the World
Council ol ( hurches, UTCWI pro-
vides training tor most ol the main-
line Protestant ministers in the
English-speaking Carribbean.

ince his retirement, Dr. Huie has
trawled to Kingston once or twice B

\ ear to teach homiletics at UTCWI to
Doctor ot MmtstiN students He has
also paitu ipated in fund-raising

efforts for the college rhrough his
efforts, telex isiortS/ video i ameras and

VCRs have been purchased for use in
the classroom.

Dr. I hue hopes that future
generations Ol Columbians will have a
i ommitment to the global mission ol
the< hurch and that their commitment
will be nurtured through the experi-
ence ol fellowship with famaii an
sisters and brothers in Christ. 1 1

Todd Green '98

Columbia
sponsors AETH

Coli mbia is a spon ioring seminary

and houses tin- home offt ' ol the
Assoi i.u ion para la I du a ion
l,-l6gicaH. r aua(AHrH) AM I I
promotes and enhances the theologi
i ,,i education of Hispanic-American
in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto RiCO
Pablo A. Jimenez (I > Mm. '95) is
administrator, and JuStO L. GoiU all
adjunct protessoi, is director. Carlos
Cardoza-Orlandi, Columbia's assis-
tant protessoi ol world Christianity,
also works with AETH programs
< olumbia isoneol 21 schools
accredited by the Association of
Theological Schools to sponsor AETH

I hat number also includes Princeton,
McCormick, and Austin Presbyterian

I heological seminaries.

I lie eighth session ol AH. Ill's

$12 99 $11 . 01 -^S:^; y ; ncnl , Hfcpardcs ^E^

.1 i ,l .. ..I..-,. Inno ft - 111 V T. 1V70. at

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

Method of payment (please check one):

check payable to CTS Bookstore (included with order)

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cultural contexts during the January
term Currently, students have a
choice among six alternative context
placements: one local setting (inner
city Atlanta), one regional setting
(Appalachian and four international
settings (Jamaica, Central America,
Hungary, and Korea).

Dr. Huie's foundational work in
Jamaica helped produce other oppor-
tunities for Columbia and UTCWI
facultv and students. Exchange
programs now exist between the two
institutions, with both faculty and
students having opportunities to
participate.

Supervised ministry placements
are available for students of ATA
seminaries. Two or three students
from Columbia qualify each year for
an intensive ten-week summer
internship in a Jamaican congregation.

Columbia also offers a joint
Doctor of Ministry degree with
UTCWI for Caribbean pastors. George

take place June 22 -July 5, 1996, al
Brite I Hvinity School, Texas Christian
University in Fort Worth, Texas The
program is open to I lispanic and
other students and ministers who an
interested in I atino theology and
ministry in the U.S., Canada, and

Puerto RiCO

The program fol 1996 offers
courses taught by I lispanic scholars,
including "Seek the Peace of the City"
by Dr. Eldin Villatahe, "Gospel and
Culture in the Hispanic Context" by
Dr. Virgilio Eli/ondo; "The Church in
Nepantla. A History of Margmality"
by Dr. Daisy Machado; and "Pastoral
Preaching: A Hispanic Perspective"
by Dr. Osvaldo Mottesi

For more information about
AETH or to regist- r fol the summer
session, contact AETH, P.O. Box 520,
Decatur, GA 30031, or call 404/373-
5495

SPRING 1996

Columbia's home page is the doorway to the seminary's web site. Find the doorway
at http:/ / www.ctheos.edu.

Columbia weaves on the web

Columbia Seminary has recently
established a "site" on the World
Wide Web that may be reached at
http:llwuno.ctheos.edu. By going "on-
line," Columbia joins the growing list
of educational institutions, busi-
nesses, and individuals who are
taking advantage of this means of
making information available

through the new electronic medium.

Columbia's presence on the web
is largely the result of the efforts of
Alden Poetker, media specialist, and
Paul Ogne, a first-year student from
Spartanburg, South Carolina.

According to Ogne, publishing a
site on the World Wide Web is a bit
like advertising in the yellow pages.

"It is a voluntary effort to increase the
availability of information about your
enterprise. In Columbia's case, the
seminary's web site may be viewed by
anyone in the world with the tools and
inclination to visit it."

An electronic web page has many
advantages over a yellow pages ad. A
web page can provide much more
information, including pictures, audio,
and videos. A web page can also
provide a convenient means for the
reader to interact with the parry pub-
lishing the page.

Columbia's home page on the web
opens with a multi-colored depiction of
the stained glass windows of the
seminary's chapel in Campbell Hall.
From this beginning, one can choose to
follow different electronic paths to a
variety of options.

Columbia's home page offers
electronic versions of the catalog,
mission statement, continuing educa-
tion opportunities for clergy and laity,
and recent news releases. This issue of
Vantage will also be available for
viewing and printing.

In addition, each Columbia profes-
sor now has a presence on the World
Wide Web. At this point, that informa-
tion includes the professor's photo-
graph, a brief biography, and his or her
bibliography.

According to Poetker, "People
presume that institutions like Columbia

will have a presence on the net. This
new interactive electronic medium
challenges the traditional ways of
communicating. Though our present
web site is like an electronic publica-
tion, it will become increasingly
interactive and more interesting as we
adapt to the new medium."

Last October Poetker and Ogne
discovered a mutual interest in
helping Columbia join other academic
institutions with a presence on the
World Wide Web. They began the
efforts to design a web site that would
mark the beginnings of Columbia's
internet presence.

As Ogne describes the process,
"We originally envisioned doing
something short and simple, but we
ended up biting off a whole lot."
Poetker notes that Ogne has made a
remarkable contribution of time and
energy to this project, "especially
considering that Paul is carrying a full
course load at the same time."

http://www.ctheos.edu is
Columbia's presence before the world.
Ogne says, "We want people who
visit our site to find something unique
and interesting something that will
draw them back again. Many of our
future students will first encounter
Columbia on the World Wide Web."D
Timothy Read '98

Vantage

P.O. Box 520

Decatur, Georgia 30031

CONTENTS

Capital Campaign surpasses goal 1

Vision 20/20 2

Columbia receives major gift 2

Smyth Lectures look at complexity of anger 2

Course connects sacrament and church mission 3

'96 Commencement 3

Continuing Education, Lay Institute calendar 4

Continuing Education, Lay Institute offerings 4

CASE award 4

Professor's book studies low country Calvinism 5

Distinguished Service Awards presented 5

For the Record 6

From the Bookstore 7

Ties that bind with UTCWI 7

Columbia sponsors AETH 7

Columbia weaves on the web 8

Second Class
Postage
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Decatur, GA

Publication No. 124160

COLUMBIA
THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY