Columbia Theological Seminary Bulletin, 25, number 2, Fall 1932

Bulletin of

COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

DECATUR, GEORGIA

Vol. XXV

Fall Quarter, 1932

No.

RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED
Entered as second-class matter, May 9, 1928, at the post office at Decatur, Ga., under the Act of August 24, 1912.
PUBLISHED QUARTERLY AT DECATUR, GEORGIA

Our New President

President Richards' Message to Synods
Dr. Gillespie and the Work Scholarships
Special Work in Religious Education

Edited by Wm. C. Robinson, Th.D., D.D.

OUR NEW PRESIDENT

THE REVEREND J. McDOWELL RICHARDS
A.B., A.M., A.M. (Oxon). B.D.

A SCHOLAR
Columbia has called as her head one of the most
scholarly and broadly cultured men in the , A-rnbly
Mr. Richards was first honor graduate of hi class at
Davidson. Thereafter he secured the degree of Mjto
of Arts in English at Princeton University For three
veafs he was Rhodes scholar from North Carolina at
Oxford University, specializing in Modern History and
receiving from the English University the degrees of A_B
and AM- Mr. Richards was graduated at the head of his
class a Columbia Theological Seminary with the degree
of Bachelor of Divinity. President Richards' personality,
hswde culture and command of literature have made
him a most attractive and effective speaker on all oc-
calns Four years of pastoral work, serving in mission
fields and in town and city churches, in the North Georgia
niountains and in the South Georgia cotton and turpen-
tine belt have enriched the practical experience of this
mnister and removed any academic flavor which might
have adhered to his athletic person. Mr. Ri chard, , is the
third voung professor to be brought into the present
faculty afte" s'ix years of post-graduate study. With h
coming the Columbia Faculty carries an interesting list
of graduate degrees from such institutions as Princeton.
Oxford, Harvard, and Chicago.

A COLUMBIAN .

The new president is a son of Columbia Theological
Seminary. L is also the son of a Columbia a umnus
and the grandson of two Columbia alumni Mr. Rich
aids lists'as his Columbia forebears Prof. CM. ^
aids, D.D., of Davidson College Dr. J. G. Klchaids R ^" d
Dr James McDowell. An uncle, the Hon. J. G. Rich
^trmer governor of South Carom. .has alway
been a devoted friend and supporter of Columbia.

roll of sons and grandsons of Columbia alumni who are
now occupying pulpits or professorships of dastmction m
the Assembly furnishes a glorious vindication of the ven-
erable institution, "for when you want to make a man you
must start with his grandfather." This is the second mem-
ber of the faculty to be a third generation Columbia man,
Dr S. A. Cartledge's father, grandfather and an uncle as
weil as himself being alumni of Columbia It may we
be doubted if this record can be duplicated in anotnei
institution in America.

A WELL INTEGRATED PERSONALITY
The president of an institution of higher learning has to
appear before and be appraised by more different groups
than anv other in our civilization. He is seen as a pro-
fessor by the students; as an administrator by those who
make up the institution; as a business executive by the
Board of Directors; as a leader of thought by his colleag-
ues- as the "salesman" commissioned to commend his in-
stitution to the public; as a custodian of the faith by the
Church. If there are any rough edges they must certainly
appear to some scrutinizing eye as one by one these groups
come in contact with the President. Those who have been
brought into the closest personal contact with Columbia s
new president; who have seen him pass before the differ-
ent groups and meet the problems as they have emerged
with self-sacrificing labor, patience poise and faith
realize that God has sent Columbia a thoroughly rounded
character, who will meet every occasion with a balanced
udgment and a fairminded decision. The everlasting
arms that are keeping Columbia have entrusted her in-
terests to good hands.

A BUSY MAN
Since moving to Columbia late in August President
Richards has not known a spare moment. J^ous to
his arrival the new President had arranged for Bi ble
teaching this year and had corresponded with the en-
ter ng students" On his arrival he took charge of the
executive machinery and set on foot the work of he
new year. Since coming, Mr. Richards has represented
the Seminary before three Synods two Presbyteries the
Atlanta Ministers' Association the Synodical o Georgia,
and nine -roup Conferences of Atlanta Presbytenal. He
has also poached in twelve churches and spoken to two
Auxiliaries of these churches. Mr. Richards is avai ab e
for Sunday services and is in constant demand for these
occasions At the time of writing this he ^as supplying
?orDi Morris in English Bible and for Dr McPheeters
in The Prophets and the Promise, on account of the temp
oar disability of these professors. Indeed, one wonders
whether there are enough hours for the strenuous round
Of his Seminary activities, without neglecting his physical
wellbehig or the delightful family that he has brought
to the Columbia campus.

A SENSE OF DUTY
Perhaps the finest thing about our new president is the
mheshating way in which he has responded to every call
Ti h SnaJe, Regardless of the fact that other men
had been approached and that the Board was only able to
offer hTm three-fifths the salary it had formerly paid

Jw of the stringency of the times, Mr. Richards
25Ttto p- SSuIy called. Nothing could bet-
ter express his spirit than his own words in a recent letter

to a friend:

to a menu. ,

"It was with much reluctance, and with a very real
sen Adequacy and unworthiness, that I accepted^
II tnthit Dosition I do believe, however, that theie is
I work of ZmendoL importance to be done in and
though this institution, and, as there seemed to be no
ZZ'diate prospect of any one else's step^nd^he
load, I could not secure the consent of my con f cie ^ [
decline the task. I trust, therefore, that I My jfa-rflj
render some real service here % and, if that is my ^ooa
fortune, I shall be well content.

Extracts from President Richards'
Address to Constituent Synods

My brethren, as I stand before you today to represent
Columbia Seminary, I am profoundly conscious of the
high privilege and of the great responsibility which are
mine I am also aware of the fact that there are many
nuest'ions in your minds concerning the present and the
future welfare of that ancient institution, and I feel that
you are due a very honest answer to those questions.
S3, therefore, to be perfectly frank w th you Perhaps
mav answer your questions best of all if 1 tell you 01 me
SlTmTwhlch I had to face for myself when the Board
o DirectoTs saw fit to call me to the presidency of the
Seminary last May. and of the facts which led me to
accept that call.

THE NEED OF COLUMBIA
The first question which confronted me was one which
has been much in the mind of our Church during recen
months namely, does our Church need four theological
Tmtaries audioes it need Columbia Seminary wj,ere it
i now located? Now I am a son of Columbia Seminary.

?C*Stai-ta a, my Aim. Mater; I P*

.he^ea, contributions wh,ch ,, has ma to ,h h *o ;i h,

and the life of our Lhurcn, ana i e ' ul J u ,,

herit /e which it has preserved At the same tje hold
the welfare of the Church and the promotion ot her serv

i i f PJ as the onlv ends which are

ice for *e Blory of God a the . . ^

worthv to demand our en on, aim , . f ft

The work of our Church is one w x

training our ministry is one task, [do not n

difficulties and problems. These men are the ^grea

Lve that those inst.tut.on>, g at as they Irom them,
quately serve to ^alv tLd our'Thnlch needs a

may con.inually pour on, streams of Us you ng j ^
in the Southeastern par, of oar orntory for

is to De mi f g th Carolina, Georgia, Hoi-

ida M banra a.T Mississippi have placed a seminary

in a few years time. 1 cannot oe Gillespie,

ance of that same providence Dr. Kichaici

f CnA and servant of the Church, was
that great man of God and se u k that

led to lay down his he in vain and we ^

LSrro^Sr.^ t M 5 .>o, ana

needs it where it now exists.

THE SUPPORT OF COLUMBIA

Granted, however,^ Jere^i^--^
the preservation of Columbia Semma Y> g ds

second problem as to whether he hve ^ . g

are financially able to meet tha t need. F ^ (

undoubtedly one of ^mendous importance ft

days of depression it -^53 Columbia
in a spirit of "^^J^Ll difficulty, yet upon in-
Seminary is admittedly one on m encour .

vestigation I have found tha i^- ^ ^ &

aging elements, .^g^ the aclua l indebtedness of
eral impression in the Churchy u ong hundred

this institution today is slight > ess t hdf the

thousand dollars which is y ^

amount of its 'fj^^^^S^Jm and in the
iroTalSeS ting the pal two years is truly

T^-M be remembered ^*^*%&

This deficit occurred in spite ot r c sim ultan-

scaling of the budget having and of ret urns
eous shrinkage of f ts f l ^ c ing fact , however,

from funds invested. It is an ei Be nge

that the institution was P erate ^J st of y ^ s actual income

which was ^^^^^S^^hOog^

two years ago, and that futher^co too

thlS year - '"that 6 uf Ch ich amiot support Columbia
soon to say that our tnuit J itions are to continue

Seminary. If I^. fc ^ l ?^Lige. will have
and become normal it obvious tha ch g ^

to be made-but, if that w to be the
Seminary is not the ^ ^^jgfti. of Church
ed. If these are norma times he w subjecte d to

and of national life alike w 11 have t iMtion .

drastic change and perhaps to comp e ^ ^ bp

We do not believe that the present dep {acts ^

permanent, however, and in he ^ h even a pa r-

f have mentioned, it would appear h ^ ^ t<>

tial return of prosperity oui Church
furnish adequate support for Column

THE PRESIDENCY OF COLUMBIA
One other great question I had ?*$*?*
Church needs Columbia ^f^^TSSS I could
it can support that institution, I had to ask ^
possibly render the service demanded of its P r esi e

Question I ^y^^Sis healy re-
satisfaction. With all my heart w

sponsibility might have been P 1 ^ J^^i^ mvse lf.
L older more experienced and more We^ ^
Though deeply conscious of my own ^

this high place, however, I had to ^ esid ent

facts. Columbia i Seminar, ^ had -* ^ of Dr .
for two years, tor a tuuyeai o h

Gillespie the Directors had marked * m J h ^
something might come of the proposed me r e
Louisville Seminary, ^^SST^J that there
tutions in joint ^Ln of p v dtnt^ leading toward
was no P resent n ind1 ^^ hJ then approached several

' ake \Lld be in the President's Chair at onee, the

B^E^- me, with no apparent prospect

I may be used to render some real serv.ee here.
THE WORK OF COLUMBIA
I am hanp, to report that we have had a good opening
, \rneTvear-s work. We have a present euro 1 me
of fortv-nine atndents, ^ ^f^JfXuSl
STntep'ared" lb rlvotg ministers as rapid., as

drseonraged a nu m b f lh .*** -J
ttt^Tw* shJcontinne to discourage those who

best man available, lo the ena w

have full preparation in Religious Education, we

,. inB one who has done graduate work in that field

A who can give instruction in that Department as well

Rible We have been fortunate in secunng

as in r3iDie. . . Morris, honored alum-

&d of sScarolina, will give our student, mtens.ve

A of Ae present year is progressing smoothly and we

light of that promise i JV whkh ig m)ne

?^^~^^ ^Tt ty e ; til".

or our tudents, your fullest cooperation, that together

for our stuaem , y q{ maintaimng a grea

we may go ^^3^ which shall make a real

r-Sion to^phuliding of our Church in this great

Southeastern section and to the advancement of the Kin,

dom in all the world.

DK GILLESPIE AND THE WORK
SCHOLARSHIPS

President Richards has asked .hat '^J*-^
tZ Zuldri^i^i^thisTulletin. Since taking
ove/hs duties in September he has been at work upon
Tnlan whereby all of our students might be able to

,., '^minarv's policy as something new. It had not oc
eurred . S that his statement might be ^construed as
flying that the idea of the working schc J-jAjP >
itself new and he wishes to remove all possibility o.
n ?lderstading on this point. e systern o work
scholarships at Columbia Seminary was inaugurated oy
n, R T Gillespie in 1928 and was continued by Dr.
Clark. l'n the five years since that tune eighty
five such scholarships "ve been granted to u -
Rv adontin^ this svstem, Dr. Gillespie suugm.
ca'te Sof independence and self-support in hxs stu-
dents and the success of this plan, as of many others
SutS by him, is added evidence of the prophet,
reach of his vision and statesmanship. Up to the present,
however only a limited number of students have been
alTeTprofit by this arrangement in any one year. It
STow t purpose of the administration to -ke ; t possi-
K1 P for everv student who receives aid to lender service
"o in return. The scope and application o
the system will thus be greatly enlarged, but the plan it
eU wilWemain unchanged and will continue , to stand as
a monument to the wisdom of Dr. Gillespie.

SPECIAL WORK IN RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION

Columbia Seminary considers herself fortunate in hav-
ing secured the services of Dr. Jos. H. Cudlipp, Director
of Religious Education in the Synod of South Carolina,
for six weeks of the Winter Quarter, and our students
are looking forward with great interest to the courses
which he will offer at that time. By a fortunate coinci-
dence, Dr. Henry W. McLaughlin, the Assembly's Direc-
tor of Country Church Work, will be present during a
part of the same period and will be given courses on the
development of a Religious Education Program for the
rural church. It is the desire of the faculty that the min-
isters of this section should have an opportunity to
profit by this arrangement as Avell as our students, and
it takes this means of extending to them a cordial invita-
tion to enroll for special courses to be given by these
men during the two weeks period beginning January 15
and ending January 28th. There will be no fee for regis-
tration and a charge of ten dollars to cover room and
board for those who wish to stay at the Seminary will be
the only expense attached. Members of the local faculty
are also arranging to make it possible for visitors to take
special work in their courses during these two weeks, and
a very helpful period seems assured for those who wish
to spend a short while in intensive study. All those who
think it likely that they will want to take advantage of
this opportunity are urged to write promptly and notify
the president of their intention so that all necessary ar-
rangements may be made.

The year's program in the field of Religious Educa-
tion will be completed with the coming of Dr. W. Talia-
ferro Thompson, head of that department in Union
Theological Seminary of Virginia, to deliver the Smyth
Lectures next Spring. These lectures will be delivered
each day during the week of March 27th-April 1st, and
our friends are urged to bear these dates in mind, that
they may be with us to hear this great teacher from our
sister institution.