COLUMBIA
THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY

Vantage

WINTER 2003

Colloquim '03 honors
Cousar, Brueggemann

"Si iakinc, Earth and Heaven: Bible,
Church, and the Changing Global
Order" will be the theme of
Colloquium 2003, to be held April 21-
23 on Columbia's campus. The event
will pay tribute to retiring professors
Charles B. Cousar '58 and Walter
Brueggemann, building on their work
in ways that speak to the tumultuous
times in which the church is carrying
out its mission. Like the careers of
both Cousar and Brueggemann,
Colloquium will be dedicated to pro-
viding pastors, church leaders, and
church members with creative biblical
and theological resources for shaping
the life of their faith communities.

Cousar, the Samuel A. Cartledge
Professor of New Testament, has
served Columbia for 43 years. He has
been widely recognized for his work
on the letters of Paul and Pauline
theology. Brueggemann, the William
Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old
Testament, has taught at Columbia
since 1986. Brueggemann's innovative

work on the theological interpretation
of the Old Testament has brought
national and international acclaim.

Six leading biblical scholars will
give Colloquium's theme presentations,
each one interpreting and building on
the work of Cousar and Brueggemann.
The panel will consist of: Leander E.
Keck, professor emeritus of New
Testament at Yale Divinity School;
Beverly R. Gaventa, the Manson
Professor of New Testament Literature
and Exegesis at Princeton Theological
Seminary; Patrick D. Miller, the Haley
Professor of Old Testament Theology
at Princeton Seminary; J. Louis Martyn,
professor emeritus of New Testament
at Union Theological Seminary in
New York; Louis Stulman, professor
of religious studies at University of
Findlay; and Carol A. Newsom,
professor of Old Testament at Emory
University's Candler School of
Theology.

Colloquium begins on Monday,

Continued on page 9

Highlights of the schedule

Monday, April 21

1:30 p.m.
2:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 22

8:30 a.m.
8:45 a.m.

10:45 a.m.
12:30 p.m.
2:15 p.m.
3:45 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.

Welcome and introductions

"Job and the Demands of Tragic Faith," Carol Newsom

"World Without End, Amen?" Louis Martyn

Panel response and general discussion

Gathering and picnic on Oldenburg Quadrangle

Worship: "'Until'... Endlessly Enacted, Now Urgent,"

Walter Brueggemann and Charles Cousar

Coffee and ice cream on Oldenburg Quadrangle

Morning prayer

"What If Paul Was Right?" Leander Keck

"Whom Do You Trust?: The First Commandment as

Political Axiom," Patrick Miller

Panel response and general discussion

Alumni /ae luncheon and class reunions

Workshop session I

Workshop session II

Open house at the Presidents' Home

Free evening for dinner and fellowship

Wednesday, April 23

8:30 a.m. Morning prayer

8:45 a.m.

10:45 a.m.
11:45 am

"Is There Life After Wreckage?: Conflicting Paths to

Hope in Jeremiah," Louis Stulman

"Turning the World Upside Down: A Reflection on the

Acts of the Apostles," Beverly Gaventa

Panel response and general discussion

"Shaking Earth and Heaven Reconsidered," responses

by Charles Cousar and Walter Brueggemann

Charles B. Cousar '58 (left) and Walter Brueggemann

Beverly R. Gaventa

Carol A. Neivsom

Leander E. Keck

J. Louis Martyn

Louis Stulman

Patrick D. Miller

Baptism calls students into the global community

Laura S. Mendenhall, President

Often I am asked, "What are you
doing at the seminary to prepare folks
for the post-modern age?" In cities
and small towns, among pastors and
leaders of congregations, with both
churched and unchurched, we know
that many things have changed; thai
we cannot presume to know what the
church will look like in the days to
come. What is Columbia Theological
Seminary doing to prepare pastors
and leaders to guide the church in the
days ahead 7

We are remembering our baptism.
In baptism we are called by God to be
the church of Jesus Christ, to be a sign
of what God intends for all humanity.
It is a high calling to be the church.
Columbia Seminary takes that calling
seriously. Therefore, we study scrip-
ture and theology> we work at how to
be the church, we evaluate and grade
how we are doing, and we come back
and study again. Yet even when we
are doing the best we can, we are
aware that our vision is limited. We
cannot see into the future. Even our
understanding of the present is deter-
mined by our own experiences. At
Columbia Theological Seminary we
take this nearsightedness so seriously
that we send faculty and students
away, off campus, to look through
someone else's lens at what it means
to be Christ's church.

In January of each year, our second
year Master of Divinity students take
a course that gives them the opportu-

Rebekah Shaffei '03 visits with one of her

//(s/s during a Doctor of Ministry travel
seminar to China and Hong Kong to
study the church there Shaffer attended
the seminar, led by professors Charles
Raynal and Ron Cram, with eight
D.Mm students and a seminary trustee.
Colunihht s advanced studies program
regit lath/ offers travel/study seminars to
( tuna. South Africa, and the Caribbean.
For information on two upcoming semi-
nars, see the article on page 5 and the
calendar on page 8.

nii\ to study in a context that is unfa-
miliar to them. We see this as part of
our faith statement, acknowledging
i iod's omnipotence and our limited
\ ision oi ( lod. This January students

and faculty went to Appalachia,
Atlanta, Central Europe, Jamaica, and
Mexico.

We also encourage students to
become involved in the East Lake
Community, a nearby neighborhood
that is racially and economically
mixed. We welcome international stu-
dents and pastors into our advanced
degree programs. We have interna-
tional professors on our faculty. We
offer a Middle East Seminar each
spring, supervised ministry placements
in Caribbean and African churches,
and exchange programs and intern-
ships in England, Germany, Jamaica,
Kenya, South Africa, Korea, Scotland,
Switzerland, and China. We have a
joint Doctor of Ministry program and
continuing education events with the
United Theological College of the
West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, and

of congregations while they are in
seminary. We have cross-registration
with the Interdenominational
Theological Center, Candler School
of Theology, and other area schools.
In countless ways we proclaim that it
is possible to be Christ's church in a
variety of contexts.

At Columbia Theological
Seminary our prayer is that students
will remember that alternative con-
texts always have something to teach
us about God's kingdom, something
which we cannot know on our own.
Through baptism God gives us broth-
ers and sisters in Christ with whom
we can share insights and see more
clearly a vision of God's reign. The
insights others give our students and
faculty in these alternative contexts
will, for years to come, inform their
reading of Scripture, advise their

Through baptism God gives us brothers and

sisters in Christ with whom we can share insights

and see more clearly a vision of God's reign.

soon with the Evangelical Theological
Seminary in Matanzas, Cuba. We
support the Campbell Scholars, a
group of international theologians
who work with our faculty, alums,
and students to think more clearly
about the character and work of mis-
sion in the new century. We foster
students' working in various kinds

understanding of who God is and
who they are as children of God,
and direct their leadership in Christ's
ministry. Our prayer is that whatever
the future holds, our students will
be prepared to lead Christ's church,
open to the work of the Holy Spirit in
different ways, able to see new ways
of being the church.

Hayner named to Peachtree chair
of evangelism, church growth

In December, Columbia's Board of
Trustees announced the appointment
of Stephen A. Hayner as the Peachtree
Associate Professor of Evangelism
and Church Growth. In keeping with
the vision of the Peachtree Chair,
which was endowed by Peachtree
Presbyterian Church in 1981, Hayner 's
teaching and research will focus on
the theology and practice of mission
as it relates to the proclamation of
the Gospel and the nurture of faith
communities.

Hayner brings extensive experience
with evangelism, both through his
ministry in the Presbyterian Church
(USA) and through his work with
several internationally recognized
faith-based organizations. For 13 years
Hayner was president of InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship /USA, whose
purpose is to spread the Gospel among
U.S. college students. He is also a

trustee for the Navigators and World
Vision International, two ministries
focused on national and international
evangelism.

Hayner, who will begin his
teaching duties in the fall, comes to
Columbia from his position as associ-
ate pastor for High Point Church
and Fountain of Life Ministry Center,
two multi-ethnic congregations in
Madison, Wisconsin. In the early
days of his ministry, he also served
as associate pastor for university
ministries at University Presbyterian
Church in Seattle.

Along with his ministerial and
administrative background, Hayner
also brings experience in theological
education. He holds a Ph.D. in Old
Testament from St. Andrews University,
Scotland, and graduate degrees from
Harvard Divinity School and Gordon-
Conwell Theological Seminary. He has

Steve Hayner

served as vice president for student
affairs at Seattle Pacific University and
as adjunct professor of Old Testament
at Fuller Theological Seminary,

Gordon-Conwell, Regent College, and
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Speaking of his appointment,
President Laura Mendenhall says,
"Stephen Hayner will be able to offer
our students the insights of many
years' experience. His commitment to
the theology and practice of evange-
lism within a culturally diverse and
ecumenical framework is strongly
paired with his commitment to
nurturing spiritual development for
pastoral leadership. We are grateful
that Steve Hayner will be our new
Peachtree Associate Professor of
Evangelism and Church Growth."

The Admissions Office has a new
toll free number:

1877 548-2817

The Atlanta-area number has not
changed: 404 687-4517.

VANTAGE

Learning in alternative contexts

Every January since 1985, second year
Master of Divinity students have left
the Columbia campus to learn about
the church's life and ministry in an
"alternative context." Some have
headed to the inner city of Atlanta with
its growing homeless population;
others have traveled to the small towns
and hollows of Appalachia; still others
have gone abroad to Kingston,
Jamaica; to Central Europe; and to the
Yucatan. They go asking: "How has
the history of this place helped to
shape the church here? How does the
social and cultural context of this
place influence the church's ministry
and mission?" They return asking
these same questions about the life
and mission of the mainline churches
in the U.S.

The groups travel not as tourists
but as the invited guests of the church
in the areas they visit. With the church
leaders and scholars who host them,
each group explores certain sectors of
the society: family life and structures,
education, the arts, economics, politics,
and the medical sector. Students attend
lectures on each of these topics, and
visits provide firsthand experience
with them.

In Jamaica, for example, a profes-
sor of sociology lectures on the family
structures in Jamaican society. He
reviews the history of Jamaica as a
slave society and as a colony of Great
Britain in terms of the development
of family life. How, for example, has
the institution of marriage been shaped
by this history? How do the family
structures of Jamaica influence educa-
tional institutions and vice versa?
Students also visit homes to discuss
the issues that families face there.

After hearing the pastors discuss
these aspects of their society, students
ask questions about the church and its
ministry. They ask how family struc-
tures shape pastoral care and the life
of congregations. They ask about the
specific challenges facing the church in
that context and how the church will
address them. Such explorations help
Columbia students and faculty ask
similar questions about our own context.
All of the different groups explore
questions similar to those raised in
Jamaica. In the Yucatan, they discover
a Presbyterian Church that is growing
very rapidly among the poor. What
can we learn from these brothers and
sisters who are flocking to little
churches with their poorly paid and
over-extended pastors?

Or what can be learned from the
Hungarian church, which experienced
generations of persecution and yet has
continued in the faith even through
the dark years of the twentieth centu-
ry when wars and a deeply hostile
government threatened its existence?
Is U.S. society becoming hostile to
Christian life and faith and, if so, is
there something to learn from the his-
tory of the church in Central Europe?
' Those who go into the inner city

WINTER 2003

of Atlanta and to Appalachia discover
that there is an unknown world in
our own backyard. Students report
that they have experienced parts oi
Atlanta they did not know existed.
Those returning from Appalachia tell
not only of this ' I hud World" in the
heart of America, but of the inspira-
tion they received there.

All who leave the Columbia
campus for the fanuary term come
back with a new sense of connection
to Christians all over the world. The)
have heard the Apostles' Creed and the
Lord's Prayer in Hungarian and Czech;
in Spanish and in the lilting English
of Jamaica and the soft accents of
Appalachia and the inner city. And
while they know that the church has
particular challenges and responsibili-
ties in each context, they return with a
new appreciation for the ties that bind
us into one holy, catholic, and apostolic
church of Jesus Christ.

T. Erskine Clarke '66

Professor of American Religious History and

Director of the International Programs

Laurel Nelson '03 with Samia Khouryal the Sabeel Centei in Jerusalem. Khoury
board member of Sabeel and a leadei in the i\ilest,ni,m Christian community.

While a student at Columbia, Jerry Uti '02
found ample opportunity to study and
serve internationally, visiting 10 countries
on three continents through seminary
programs. From a course at the World
Council of Churches in Geneva to a three-
week travel seminar in the Middle East
and a summer pastoral internship in
Kenya, Utt experienced the church in a
diversity of setting?. Now a pastor in
Buckhorn, Kentucky, Utt finds that his
experience of the global church helps
him better understand the needs of the
community he serves. Reflecting on his
Alternative Context course in Jamaica,
Utt notes the tension between the
economic benefits of that country's
mining industry and the destruction
of land that it entails. He comments,
"I had no idea the alternative context
experience would apply so readily to my
U.S. ministry, but many of these issues
are the same ones we face in Appalachia
where I am a pastor."

International study, local ministry

"Tin connk iion bi rwBi N international
experience an J effa five local ministry
may not be immediatel) apparent but
it is critical/' says Laurel Nelson, .1
senior at Columbia, Nelson parti* ipal
ed in Columbia's Alternative Context
course in Northern Ireland in lanuary
2001, when- she found strong parallels
between small lush communities and
rural American towns. Noting the
rapid pace ol societ) 's transformation
from agrarian to high-te< h in both the
U.S. and Ireland, Nelson asks, "1 low
can the Gospel be lived in new w
in places seemingly forgotten by the
changing culture 7 "

While in Ireland, Nelson met with
Mark Gray '96, pastor of ConvO) and
Carnone Presbyterian churches. "Mark
helped us see the ways communiii.
are changing in Ireland and the OppOl
tunities the church has to respond I he
same kind of change is happening all

over the U.S. M\ experience in Ireland

has encouraged me to be a pastor u ho
helps communities., the) Struggle
with those changes." In large part due

to her expei mmi. e in Northern Ireland,

Nelson is seeking her first call in B
small, rural church in the U.S.

Nelson first became interested in
international education while growing

up in a household thai often hosted

international students While in school
at Beloit College in Wisconsin, Nel <">
was an exchange student herself,
studying and working in Turkey.
Following college she served >s a
Young Adult Volunteer with the
Presbyterian Church (USA), working
with Sabeel, a Palestinian < In iti. in
center based in Jerusalem. Upon her
return to the U.S., she continued to
work for the denomination as a e
sion interpreter, visiting churchc in
theU.S to describe her work in the
Middle East

It was on one of these trips that
Nelson first became acquainted with
Columbia Seminary. While attending
an international mission conferee e
at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in
Atlanta, she was invited to join a
conversation with several Columbia

students and professors. "1 wa
Impressed with the breadth ol the
i ,,M\ ei lation and the Interesl the
group had in the International i hun h
ii.\ recognized thai the seminar) Is
pari ol b broad global ( hristian
communitj

Witi. the majoritj ol ( hristian
now h\ in)' in > ounb les south "i the
equator, Nelson believes thai - ultival
ing International awareness among
itudenta Is one "i the ke) aspei ts oi
theological edm ation ["here are
majoi global shifts thai we, as pastors,
need t,, be aware of/' Bays Nelson
"We especially need i" understand
globalization ami how the polltii a and
economic pra< ti< es ol the I S effe< I
smaller - ountries around the world
Moreover pa itoi in urban em I
ronments, and ln< reasingl) In rural
chun hes, need a global awarene in
ordei i" understand the people Imml
grating into their neighborhood
Nelson hopes thai l olumbia, while
maintaining Its global fo us, will
begm foi using more sharp!} or the
international dynamii s ol its own
communitj "Atlanta has become an
international i it) with Pre ibyterians
from all ovei the world i hope

< olumbia will do ni.nr to help Btu-
dents Bee the international influence in
theii loi al i ommunities and righl here
or , ampu " | felson, who has man)
friends among ' olumbia's interna
tion.ii .iihI.i.i-, hopes to see even
,,,,,,. emphasis placed on bringing

internation.il students and .< holars to

< olumbia and highlighting the., role

in the community

Noting partii ularl) the global
flavor brought to the i lassroom by

two of Columbia's international pro-
fessors, ( arlosl ardoza I frlandi and
, nunanuel Lartey, Nelson says, "The

inary is doing innovative things,

both sending student abroad and
bringing international perspectives

into the . lassroom By broadening my
global e.lu. ation and relating it to
local ministry in the U.S., Columbia
has helped me understand my calling

in new ways."

Robert Williamson, Jr. '01

Teaching 'apocalyptic 7 today

In recent years, our understanding
of the New Testament has been trans-
formed by the recognition of the
apocalyptic convictions that shaped
it. The word "apocalyptic" means
"revealed" or "revelatory," and refi I
to revelations received from heavenly
beings. Until recently, scholars did
not fully appreciate the prei alence
of apocalyptic thought in the New
testament and relegated it to the
"doctrine of the last things," tacked
on to the end of biblical theology the
way the Revelation to John concludes
the canon. Now we see apocalyptic
as much more central to the New
Testament, particularly but not
exclusively to the letters of Paul

"Apocalyptic" has all too often
been used interchangeably with the
word "eschatology," although tin-
two are by no means synonyms.
Eschatology refers to people's various
convictions about the end times, the
end of human history, the day of the
fulfillment of God's redemption.
Many Jews and Christians of the first
century wrote apocalypses, books
containing revelations from heavenly
beings, and those apocalypses fre-
quently contained eschatology, visions
of God's plan to rescue the covenant
people and bring justice and healing
to a fallen and broken world.

Christian writers like Paul are
profoundly influenced by these
apocalyptic texts, but with a significant
difference. Paul does not only look
for some future coming of the Lord,
but claims that the new age of God's
redemption he calls it "new creation"
(2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15) has already
begun in the death and resurrection
of Jesus. This new creation is not yet
complete, as the church and the world
continue to struggle against the power
of sin and under the burden of death,
but it has surely begun.

Paul anticipates the return of the
risen Lord in his own near future.
"We are," he says to the Corinthians,

"those upon whom the end of the
ag.s has come'' (1 Cor. 10:11), and he
assures them that "the appointed time
has grown short" (7:29). The revelation
that has changed Paul's life, though,
has comparatively little to do with
turning the pages on the heavenly
calendar or watching the rushing
hands on the cosmic clock. The apoca-
lypse that defines Paul's gospel is the
re\ elation of the cross of Jesus Christ
(2 Cor 12:1-10).

This new creation is the invasion
of God's righteousness that sweeps
away the old world now held captive
I,* m and death. It is marked not by
power but by weakness, not by human
w isdom but by divine foolishness
a new world that finds life in the
midst of death and glory in the midst
of suffering. It is disoriented and dis-
orienting because it turns upside down
the most treasured of human values
and replaces them with the cross of
Christ. This apocalyptic gospel shapes
the present life of the church rather
than merely anticipating its future life.

As Columbia's New Testament
faculty prepares to bid farewell to
Charlie Cousar at his retirement, we
are reflecting together on the ways he
continues to teach us to listen to the
apocalyptic nuances of the gospel in a
world hungry for good news. Our
2003 Colloquium, planned in Charlie's
and Walter Brueggemann's honor, is
"Shaking Earth and Heaven: Bible,
Church, and the Changing Global Order"
(see the article on page 1 ). In worship
led by both professors, conversations
led by our distinguished guests, and
workshops offered by Columbia faculty,
we will reflect on the power of the
Word of God to disorient and reorient
us to God's redemptive way with the
world. Come join us for an uncom-
monly rich experience.

Beth Johnson,
). Davison Philips

Professor of New Testament Language,
Literature, and Exegesis

Book reviews by Columbia's
New Testament faculty

Columbia's New Testament faculty: Oiarlie Cousar '58, Beth Johnson, Stan Saunders

Charles Cousar

Wlw Is Jesus 7 History in the Perfect Tense
by Leander Keck

In a series entitled "Studies on
Personalities in the New Testament,"
Keck is the logical choice to write the
book on Jesus, since he has devoted
most of his career to the study of
christology. This excellent piece not
only comes to grips with the "Jesus
Seminar," but goes much beyond to
consider Jesus' current identity as
well, to deal with Jesus' Jewishness,
his teaching, his death, and his
significance for the moral life.

God Crucified: Monotheism and
Christology in the New Testament by
Richard Bauckham

In this brief and lucid book,
Bauckham faces the question of how
Jewish Christians of the first century
could be strict monotheists and at the
same time affirm that Jesus is Lord.
His conclusion is that rather than
being an add-on to God, Jesus from
the beginning was included in the
identity of God. The book contains
the rudiments of a much longer study
on the whole matter of monotheism
and christology.

The Promise of the Father: Jesus and God
in the New Testament by Marianne
Meye Thompson

In a solid study of the ways in
which the image of God as Father is
used in the New Testament, Thompson
contends that it is not limited to or
aimed at men only, but serves as a
symbol for the entire community as
one who promotes mercy, justice, and
humility. A helpful contribution of the
book is the tracing of the discussion
regarding "Abba" and why it does
not mean "daddy."

Beth Johnson

Preaching Mark in Two Voices by Brian
K. Blount and Gary W. Charles

Two Presbyterian ministers reflect
on the power of Mark's Gospel to
address distinctly different Christian
communities. Each chapter of this
book presents a text from Mark and
sermons the two authors have
preached on it. By demonstrating
how their interpretations of Mark
are shaped by their contexts, Blount
and Charles invite other readers and
preachers to be aware of the ways
the Gospel takes shape in their own
Christian communities.

The Story of Romans: A Narrative
Defense of God's Righteousness by
A. Katherine Grieb

This perceptive reading of Paul's
letter to the Romans argues that the
letter has a narrative character, a "series
of stories nested within the one great
story of what God has done for Israel
and the Gentiles in Jesus Christ"

(p. ix). This is a fresh and helpful view
of Romans, grounded in solid scholar-
ship and deliberately accessible to the
non-specialist. In a time of widespread
neglect of Paul's letters, Grieb's book
offers church people an opportunity to
listen and read with understanding.

The Death of Jesus in Early Christianity
by John T. Carroll and Joel B. Green,
with Robert E. Van Voorst, Joel
Marcus, and Donald Senior, C.P.

Carroll and Green's multi-author
volume on the several meanings of
Jesus' death in the New Testament
and early Christianity could make for
particularly fruitful Lenten reading.
The diversity of perspectives and
texts is a useful balance to our tempta-
tion to speak of the death of Jesus only
in terms with which we are most
familiar and comfortable.

Stan Saunders

Cultural Geography: A Critical
Introduction by Donald Mitchell

Cultural geography is a new
field of research that has roots in the
disciplines of geography and cultural
criticism. Most of us experience the
world primarily through humanly
constructed spaces and through the
cultural lenses that teach us how to
perceive and navigate the spaces and
relationships that make up our lives.
Mitchell's book takes a tour through
the cultural landscapes of race, gender,
politics, nationalism, and the media.
Stimulating reading, especially for
those interested in mission, interpreta-
tion, and culture.

Imperial Cults and the Apocalypse of
John: Reading Revelation in the Ruins
by Steven J. Friesen

Recent studies of the Apocalypse
have sought to locate the Seer within
the context of first-century Roman
imperial reality. Friesen's work explores
the archaeological and literary data on
the function and pervasive force of the
cults that focused on worship of the
emperor and his family. The nuanced
images that result allow Friesen to
develop a detailed picture of the way
Revelation nurtured communities of
resistance in high imperial times.

Matthezv and the Margins: A
Sociopolitical and Religious Reading by
Warren Carter

Matthew's Gospel has usually
been read against the background of
the emerging church's conflicts with
Judaism in the first century. Carter's
book argues that Matthew is more
clearly a response to imperial ideology
and the repressive economic, political,
and social realities of life in the Roman
Empire. This is a well-written, provoca-
tive, fresh, and largely compelling
commentary on the first Gospel.

VANTAGE

Students participate in class discussion during a Doctor of Ministry course, "Reading
Biblical Narratives," taught by Kathleen O'Connor, professor of Old Testament. The
course was one of six DMin. courses offered during the January term.

Doctor of Ministry program
offers diversity, variety

Seasoned pastors and church profes-
sionals finding their ministries in need
of "new life" enroll in Columbia's
Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program
for many reasons. With a D.Min.
student body characterized by denom-
inational diversity, Columbia offers a
variety of approaches to the degree
and a flexible course of study.
Students are also attracted by the
faculty's personal commitment to the
program and the seminary's mission
of teaching for the church.

Each January brings Doctor of
Ministry students to campus for inten-
sive and challenging study. In this
year's January courses, some 100 stu-
dents participated in elective courses
designed to deepen insight and broad-
en skills for church ministry. Offerings
included "Reading Biblical Narrative,"
"A Faith on Fire!: Christian Theology
and Missiology from a Non-Western
Perspective," "Ministry to Business
People: Bridging Theological Ethics
and Economic Realities," "The

Historical Jesus," and "Bridging
Gospel and Culture." In addition,
15 students traveled to New York City
for "The Church as a Community of
Moral Discourse." Led by Marcia
Riggs, associate professor of Christian
ethics, the course met at the Church
Center for the United Nations.

Beyond the courses taught during
January term, Columbia offers semi-
nars in each of its four D.Min. tracks
throughout the year. The D.Min pro-
gram in Church and Ministry explores
the nature of the local congregation
and the church's mission in the post-
modem world. The introductory semi-
nar meets four separate weeks during
the fall, preparing participants to take
a range of D.Min. elective courses
during the winter and summer terms.
Students examine and reflect upon
their ministerial identity, prepare a
personal assessment of their ministry,
and envision new goals in ministry.
The next Church and Ministry intro-
ductory seminar begins in September.

Through Columbia's Doctoi ol
Ministry in C hristian Spirituality
students Irani to guide congregations
in their spiritual development i he
first Christian Spirituality intxodui
ry seminar met last November, led bj
Catherine Gonzalez professoi emerite
of church history Margil I mst
in stiu, tor "t theolog) Bill I [arkins

assistant profesSO! ol pastoral theology
and care, m^\ Barbara Brow n l.i\ loi

adjunct distinguished professoi ol
Christian spirituality, rhe next intro-
ductory seminar, taught by Gonzalez

and Taylor, will meet November 10-21.
The introductory seminal fa]
pel and Culture meets on < olumbia
campus Juno 16-27. Students and
faculty involved with this program
Strive to identify ways in which a
now and more taithtul church might
be created and how the people ol
God might faithfully embody the
gospel in today's North Amen, an
culture. This year's seminar is led by
Cam Murchison, dean ol Eat lllty and
George Stroup, professor ol theolog}
The Doctor of Ministry program
in New Church 1 tevelopmenl is
unique to Columbia and telle. I
Columbia's commitment to the church
as it seeks to establish new congrega-
tions and minister in new areas. With
an ecumenically and ethnically diverse
group of pastors, the program pro-
V ides strategies for organizing new
churches while focusing on tin-
spiritual gifts of those called to this
ministry. Stan Wood, director of the
Center for New Church Development,
leads the next introductory seminal
April 22-May 2.

For those who find it dillu nil to
leave home to further their education,
Columbia continues to expand its
satellite program tor advan. ed .Indies.
Last fall Columbia offered c\n intro-
ductory doctoral seminar in Jackson,
Mississippi. Plans foi additional Bit!
are underway. An introductory semi-
nar will be held at hirst I'resK tei Lan
Church of Summerville, South ( arolma,
in September. For those in the Orlando

area an introductory seminar is being

planned fol spring 2004 at Altamont

ngs Presb) terian Chun h

I In- Oltice ot Advanced Studies
also sponsors international travel

seminars foi students and facultj

In addition to the U.N. seminai.

two othei opportunities are open to
i olumbia Fa< ultj and students 1 1

( fttherine and [uStO * .on/ale/, with

i. ,,it\ from the i vangelii al Seminai]
ol Matanzas, will offei a travel semi-
n,u m ( aba \hn 12 24 I tve D.Miri
students from * olumbia will Join five
Cuban pastois to share experiences,
visit plan's oi ministry, and explore

the various cultural politic al and his

toricaJ dimensions ol I uban sen b
In |ut\ John Swintor and Stan Wood

will lead ' travel Beminai to Scotland,
exarnining the i ulturaJ Impad ol post

modernism aiul its impli. ations toi

mission and ministry [he seminar is
limited to L5 participants and meets

|ul\ I ' 'I

Charles Raynal, directoi oi

.nhanced studies. saw < olumhia's

i >, toi ol Ministry degree la shared
learning at its best Advanced decree
students, active In sen Ice to the
church, bring to the I >.Min program
hands on experience In today's chal
lenging mlnistr) em ironmen! [he
opportunitj to [oln with colleagues In
the pursuil oi exi ellence In ministerial
leadership draws students from all
parts ol the I S and around the world
Applii ationa to the program are

l.ing .i. i epted loi more information

,, hst (.1 up. mi. iinr, i cm'..",, oi AU

application, call KM 687-5434, send an
email i<> advani . .1 tudies
CTSnet.edu, oi villi www ( rSnel edu

Kim l.c Vert 03

Re-connecting the church with children's ministry

A NEW CONFERENCE for ministry with
children, co-sponsored by the
Presbyterian Children's Homes and
Related Ministries, Thornwell Home
and School for Children, and Columbia's
continuing education program, will
be held March 28-29 at the seminary.
Walter Brueggemann, professor of
Old Testament, and John Westerhoff,
theologian in residence at St. Luke's
Episcopal Church in Atlanta, will
lead the event. Brueggemann and
Westerhoff, who have each written on
the church's task of conveying the
faith to children, will speak about the
important task of ministry with the
youngest generation. Workshops
addressing issues facing children, pri-
marily at-risk children, will also be
held during the conference.

"We're looking for ways to help

WINTER 2003

churches minister to at-risk children
inside and outside their walls," said
the Rev. Larry Owens, conference
spokesman and Thomwell's resource
development officer for Georgia.
"The church's story is that children
matter, and we need to live out that
story. Central to the Gospel is the
message that Christ comes to free even
the least of these."

Owens said the conference will
focus on the theological implications
of the issues facing at-risk children
and faithful ways to address those
issues. It will help churches shape
their own ministries to children who
are in unstable homes and to strength-
en the importance of faith among all
children and families.

"Churches don't know how to deal
with children who are in foster care,"

Owens said. "People don't know what
to do with children who are bombard-
ed with messages in our culture "

Ron Cram, associate profess... i >l
Christian education at Columbia and a
i onference workshop leader, said it is
important for churches to establish
strong spiritual foundations with
children. "A child's spiritual formation
i foundational for a lifetime of parti, i
pahon in the service of the church," he
said. "To ignore the importance
of the child's growth and life in the
Christian faith is to place the future
of the church itself in peril/'

Cost is $75. For more information,
contact Columbia's Office of
Continuing Education at 404/687-4562
or write ConEd@CTSnet.edu.

Andy Acton '05

Barbara Broum Taylor, adjunct distin

\tedprofia80i of spirituality, teaches
joint courses for the Continuing Edui ation
and Certificate in Spirituality programs.
She will lead "Every Day Sin raments,"
February 16-21, and "Embodied I loline
September 21-26. For more information or
to register, call 404/687-4587 or write
sptyprog CTSnet.edu.

>

Lay leaders prepared for NCDs

Columbia's pilgrims to the TavzA ( ommuniiy int luded Barbara Bishop oj fa ksomnlle
,;,, /,, / iorida,Rose 1 ee Smith oj Philadelphia, and Mii hael Vinson of Conway,
Arkansas Vhenexi trip to Taiz6 is scheduled for April 6-12.

Spirituality Program visits the
Taize Community

1 1 H-. u \ni \ii< .1 \Rt Columbia's
Spirituality Program is twice being
w rlcomed by the brothers ol the Taiz
Communi(\ m I ranee. Begun by
Brother Roger and a few Christian
tnends in 1945, the Taize Community
is made up of more than 100 brothers,
both Catholic and Protestant, from
more than 2^ nations.

The brothers do not accept gifts or
donations for themselves but instead
give whatever they receive to the ] >< k >1
They engage in a mmistt\ of hospitali-
ty, welcoming Christians and church
leaders from all over the world into
their community. They have welcomed
Pope John Paul II, three Archbishops
of Canterbury, Orthodox metropolitans,
14 Lutheran bishops ol Sweden, and
countless pastors from all over the
world. The community exists as a
concrete sign of reconciliation among
Christians divided by denomination
and tradition.

This past fall, a group from
Columbia's Spirituality Program
was among those who visited Taize.
Pastors and leaders, including
Columbia alumni/ae and pilgrims
working toward the Certificate in
Spiritual Formation, undertook a
study of reconciliation.

We worshipped three times a day
in the Church of Reconciliation with
the Tai/c brothers and 2,000 young
adults from 5 C countries. Together,
we joined in a "Pentecost-like" Bible
study, each finding ways to translate
our thoughts into the others' lan-
guages We shared simple meals and
( .immunity chores and began to see
the li\ ing C hrist in those who had
once seemed strangers ^c\ aliens. The
Bodj of( hrist was knit together with
respect and love across racial, national,
and ethnic lines. In the midst ol
impending war, we prayed and held
rich and often tense conversations
with German, Belgian, and Korean
Christians who live on once blood-
soaked ground. They shared stories of
the terrors of war, and we discussed
together how God is calling today's
I hnstians to respond and lead.

The Spirituality Program will lead
a second group to Tai/e, April r-12.
1 his group will be inter-generational
and will include current seminarians,
Columbia alumni/ae, and pilgrims
from the Certificate in Spiritual
I . ii mation. Our final Sunday at Taize
will be Palm Sunday, a powerful
beginning to the holiest of weeks.

]ulie Johnson (DMin. '98),
Director, Spirituality Program

T hi C BNTEF FOR New Church
Development (NCD) at Columbia is
sponsoring a Lay Leader Training
Program for Portuguese and Spanish

i king new church leaders for Greater
Atlanta, Cherokee, and Northeast
Georgia presbyteries. The Center for
NCD, along with San Francisco
Theological Seminary's Southern
California branch, is also sponsoring a
similar course for Spanish and English
speaking lay leaders for four presby-
teries in southern California. The pro-
grams are funded through a partner-
ship with the Evangelism and Church
I )e\ elopment Program Area of the
National Ministries Division of the
General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church (USA) and the Presbyterian
Outreach Foundation.

The Lay Leader Training Program
focuses on preparing Commissioned
Lay Pastors for the missionary task
of leadership in Hispanic and
Portuguese new church developments.
A Commissioned Lay Pastor (CLP) is
an ordained Presbyterian elder who,
with presbytery authorization, serves
in a pastoral role in a congregation.
First recognized by the Presbyterian
Church (USA) in 1985, CLPs are eligi-
ble to lead worship, preach, administer
sacraments, provide pastoral care,
perform weddings, and have a voice

in presbytery meetings.

With a rapidly growing Hispanic
population in the U.S. and the large
Brazilian- American population in metro-
Atlanta, there is an increasing need for
new church developments to serve
those communities. Columbia's Center
for New Church Development pro-
vides these training programs to pre-
pare lay people, many of whom will
become CLPs and ordained elders, for
leadership in their newly organizing
congregations.

Offered over a period of 10 months,
each training program consists of
10 courses involving both classroom
time and fieldwork in the lay person's
ministry context. Students take week-
end courses in Old and New Testament,
Reformed theology, Presbyterian polity,
sacraments, missiology, and new
church development.

The program offers courses on
Columbia's campus and in southern
California. Columbia currently has
four programs in progress, one in
Portuguese, two in Spanish, and one
in English. The Portuguese session
began in July of last year with gradua-
tion to be held in June, while the
Spanish sessions began last fall and
this winter. The English session began
last fall with graduation this spring. Q
Andy Acton '05

Participants in the Portuguese portion of the Center for New Church Development s
lay Inula Training Program, pictured on campus during one of their fall courses,
will graduate in June. Columbia also offers the program in Spanish and English for lay

leader- from Atlanta. Cherokee, and Northeast Georgia presbyteries.

Potential NCD pastor conferences build ministry

A RICH DIVERSITY of participants recent-
ly attended two conferences for poten-
tial new church development pastors,
co-sponsored by the Center for New
Church Development (NCD) at
Columbia and the National Ministries
Division of the Presbyterian Church
(USA). The conferences aim to identi-
fy and prepare potential pastors for
newly organizing churches.

Thirty participants attended the

seventh annual conference at Columbia
last October, and 31 attended the first
potential NCD pastor's conference on
the West Coast, held in Los Angeles
last May. The conferences reflected
the growing racial diversity of the
PC(USA), with Hispanic, Korean,
Ghanaian, Pakistani, Lebanese, and
Armenian participants, among others.
During the conference at Columbia,
participants learned about new church

development issues and gained hands-
on experience through multiple case
studies. Three Columbia professors
also addressed participants. Walter
Brueggemann spoke on "Truth-Telling
and Hope-Telling"; Rodger Nishioka
spoke on "NCD and Generational
Theory"; and Stan Wood spoke on
"Faith Sharing with the Unchurched
How to Introduce Someone to Christ."
In 2003 the Center for New Church

Development will again be hosting
conferences in Los Angeles,
March 10-16, and at Columbia,
October 18-24.

For more information, contact the
Center for New Church Development
at 404/687-4585, write NCD@CTSnet.edu,
or see www.CTSnet.edu.

Andy Acton '05

VANTAGE

S 3 Project to begin this year

The S 1 project, a joint endeavor of
Columbia's continuing education and
spirituality programs focused on sus-
taining pastoral excellence, is accept-
ing applications for the first orientation
retreat, to be held August 11-15 on
campus. The project invites applica-
tions from pastors of all churches and
denominations, both Columbia alum-
ni/ae and those who have never
attended a program of the seminary.
"Pastors will be able to participate in
a project that will not only help them
in their own ministries, but will give
them an opportunity to share ideas
with others practicing ministry, as
well," says Dent Davis (D.Min.'89),
Columbia's director of continuing
education and S 1 project director.

S 5 , which is named for the three
components identified as being key
to effective ministry Sabbath, study,
and service is being funded by a
$1.3 million grant from the Lilly
Endowment. The S' project will bring
together six to eight groups of pastors
each year over the next five years.
Groups, known as learning cohorts,
will consist of four to eight pastors.

By the end of the project more
than 200 pastors .ire expected to h
participated in S . Da\ is sa} S the
cohort^ will develop their own learn-
ing projects through a written proposal
process that will be reviewed by
Columbia's Grant Advisory Committee.
Upon approval, cohorts will receive
approximately $1,000 per person per
year to fund their project's work.

"The project develops support
groups, fosters skills and ideas for
ministry, and offers opportunity for
the development of creative approach-
es for learning," Davis says. "We're
excited about being involved in the
project and we're looking forward to
working with pastors." Columbia's
role in the project will be to provide
resources, coaching, structure, and
other support, including the imple-
mentation, documentation, and evalu-
ation of individual cohort projects and
S' as a whole.

For more information, contact
Columbia's Office of Continuing
Education at 404/687-4562,
ConEd@CTSnet.edu, or \ isit
www.CTSnet.edu Andu A< ton '05

Continuing Education brings
technology services to pastors

Columbia's Office of Continuing
Education will host a workshop
February 25-26 on Logos Bible Software.
The workshop will be the first of
several technology-related programs
to be offered at Columbia this year for
pastors, teachers, and students.

"Technology offers a resource for
pastors that can strengthen many
aspects of their ministry. Our goal is to
try and make those resources available
to more pastors through training and
educational programs," says Dent
Davis, director of continuing education.

Logos is a software system that
integrates the study of scripture in
original languages with numerous
dictionaries, lexicons, commentaries,
and secondary sources. The Logos
Bible Software workshop will provide

At a seminar on the ethh s o) promise-keeping in the work plat e. students respond to
Columbia professor Mart Douglasand Ebb Oakley of i State University The
seminar on campus m Octobei was co sponsored by the lay Institute oj Faith <"/,/ / \te
and the Southern Institute tor Business ami Professional I thu s.

training in the use and applications of
the software for preaching, teaching,
and Bible study.

Software such as Logos can be
of tremendous help to pastors in the
congregation. As Davis explains,
"A pastor can look up a Greek text,
compare it to a dozen English transla-
tions, and then link it to commentaries,
lexicons, and other resources. All of
that information can then be used to
prepare for sermons, Bible studies
and personal study."

The cost of the workshop is
$189. For more information, visit the
Logos website at www.logos.com,
call 404/687-4562, or write
ConEd@CTSnet.edu.

Andy Acton '05

Seminars focus on ethics

Strov , ,\ 1 1 1 NDAN< i ai two free
evening ethics seminars offered by
Columbia this fall has prompted the
seminary to continue offering thi
free forums lor conversation I he first
seminar, co-hosted by the Lay Institute
of Faith and Life and the Southern
Institute for Business and Professional
Ethics, focused on ethical issues in
the workplace I he second seminar
explored me issue ol "jus! war theory"
and its role in determining faithful
action in the face of impending war.
The seminars drew parti< ipantS
from the seminary community and
the Decatur area, people looking fol
an opportunity to wrestle with the
difficult questions of everyday life.
"The big turnout for our seminar
on ethical issues in the workplace
suggests that people want to learn
how to think ethically about tods
challenging issues," says Linda
Morningstar (MAIS '98), associate
director of the lav Institute.

The first s.-minar discussed tin
challenges of promise-keeping in the
workplace. "Understanding various
forms of promises can ^e coherent e
to how we think about making .nil
keeping promises in flu- business
setting," says Mark Douglas, assistanl

professoi ol I hristian ethi( s I he
seminai Ln< Luded a i ase stud) devel

oped l>\ I N> Oaklev. asso. late profe
sor oi legaJ Btudies In I ieorgia State
Universitj a ( ollege ol Business,
rhe stud) raised questions about the
impoi t.ii" eoi pn >ml id and the v alues
we affirm when we de ide we need
to break a promise

In I tecember, the I a) Institute
hoi ted a ie ond leminai <"\ "jusl wai
theory " i he seminai pro Ided p. mi. i
pants with .i histoi) <>i jusl wai theory
and .i dis< ussion <>i tl'" i onditions
mi ,i so-called jus! wax both In its
dr. laration and in Its i ondut t. ( )i
parti. 1 1 1. 1 r interest was the question
ol ''legitimate authorirj " who has the
rirfii i.i de< lare waj and how does

", h.nn ol oinm.ind" work, both in

the condui t "i wai and w Ith regard
to responsibility for ending war?

i he Laj Institute pi.nr. i< offer
,u leasl one mon free evening Beminaj
in the spring eithei In the area <>i
business ethus or m faithful responses
to currenl events.

i ,,i more Information, i all
404/687-4577, fax 404/687-4591,
fm.nl i aylnstituteW rSm I edu, or
visit Columbia's website ai

www.CTSnet.edu. [ I

Lilly grant study gives NCD insights

Results of a Lilly-funded study of
new church development (NCD) in
mainstream Protestant denominations
were released in 2002, with additional
findings expected later this year. The
study uses surveys and focus groups
to determine the key characteristics of
new church pastors able to develop
new missional congregations.

"The results showed that effective
church developers are those willing
to take risks and tenaciously pursue
missional goals," says Stan Wood,
Columbia's director of the Center for

WINTER 2003

New Church Development. "'Church
planters' tend to be innovative leaders
who clearly communicate their vision,
delegate tasks, and recruit good
assistants

The project investigated effective
new church developments organized
between 1980 and 2000 in several
mainline denominations, including the
Presbyterian Church (USA). For the
initial identification of new church
pastors for in-depth study, those NCD
pastors who gave effective leadership
in attracting and assimilating formerly

unchurched people into active chin, h

membership were targeted. Based

on this focus group, which included
a number of racuM-thnu new church
development the tudy produced a
profile of leadership traits common
to effective new church pastors.

The results showed that the most
common traits of an effn tive NCD
pastor are the ability to be a catalytic
innovator, to communicate a vision to
their congregations, and to be vibrant
and disciplined in their own devotion-
al life. The study also indicated thai in

the later Btages of a church's develop-
ment effe< tive leaders are those with
the ability to change leadership
styles, to delegate respon libility and
to understand the i hanging dynami< i
of their congregation! ai kheyincrease

in si/' 1

The Stud) I omes at an opportune
moment, a mainline denominatio

periencme <i renewed interest in
planting new churches. In June 2002,
the General Assembly of the Presby-
terian Church (USA) approved a 6
year, $40 million fundraising campaign
to build new churches in the U.S. and
abroad. AndyActon'05

Lay Institute calendar

January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 26 Midday Reflections Faith in the city: in the
Bible, in the arts, and in and outside your office. Central Presbyterian Church,
Atlanta. Leaders: Jim Watkins and Rick Dietrich Cost: $50.

February 3, 10, 17, 24 EVENING Lay SCHOOl Courses include Scripture as the

Heart of Spirituality; Wild, Raging Creativity in the Book ..I fob; The City: From

Genesis to Revelation to 2003. Leaders: Julie [ohnson, Kathleen O'Connor, Rick

Dietrich. Cost: $50.

February 4, March 4, April 2, May 6 THEOLOGY AND LrTBRATURE Discuss

contemporary novels from a theological perspective I eader: Rick Dietrich.

Free. 7:30-9:00 p.m.

February 18, March 18, April 16, May 20 FAITH and FILM Discuss contemporary

films from a theological perspective. Leader: Fritz Bogar. Free. 7:30 p.m.

April 14, 21, May 5, 12, 19 EVENING LAY SCHOOl DoYOl HBAR WHAT I HEAR?

Learning to Listen forth! Wordoi God Leader: Steve Goyer, Nibs Stroupe,

Catherine Taylor, Kern Peterson-Davis, Fritz Bogar. Cost $50.

June 23-27 Presbyterian Women's BlBi I STUDY, Si SSK >n ONE: The Face Is
Familiar REMEMBERING UNNAMED Womfn in mi S< ki mures Leader: Louise,
Mary, or Sue Ellen Westfall. Cost: $50.

August 4-8 Presbyterian Women's Broi e Study, Session Two: The Face Is

Familiar - Ri mi miu king Unnamed Womi n in THE Scriptures Leader: Rebecca
Parker. Cost: $50.

August 4-8 Summer Lay Sc hoi ARS: Faith and Bi aimy: Art, Architecture,
Music, and POBTR\ in ihi Life of FAITH Leaders: TBA. Cost: $350 (includes
room and board; $200, tuition onl\ I

August 8-9 PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN'S BlBLi mi i , Wi i kind One: The Face Is
Familiar Remembering Unnamed Women in rra scriptures Leader: Linda

Morningstar. Meets Friday evening/Saturday. Cost: $35.

August 22-23 Presbyterian Women's Bible Study, Weekend Two: The Fac i Is
Familiar Ri mi mm kinc Unnami d WOMEN in ihi Si kimures Leader: Linda
Morningstar. Meets Friday evening/Saturday. Cost: $35.

Advanced Studies and

New Church Development calendars

April 22-May 2 Ni w Church DbvelOPMI m Introductory Seminar Leader:
Stan Wood.

May 12-24 Tin WITNESS of the Church in Cuba Today Alternative Context
Travel Seminar to Matanzas Seminary. I eaders: Catherine and Justo Gonzalez.

June 16-27 Summer Session #1

1. Gospei and CULTURE Introductory Seminar Leaders: Cam Murchison and
George Stroup.

2. God's Chosen Peopli Ltvtng as Aliens and Exiles Leader: William Pender.

3. Celtic CHRisnANm Leader: Laura Sugg.

4. Religious Edu< ktion and the Morai I ivesoi Children Leader: Ron Cram.

5. Li mm Ksiiir. I i \k\iv, \ND MINISTRY i\ mi TWENTY-FIRSl CENTURY Leader
Dent Davis.

6. Project Design WORKSHOP Leader: David Forney Qune 16-20).

June 30-July 11 Summer Session #2

1. Proiiii i- \s PRI \uiers Leader: Richard Blake.

2. Ethics for Em mii S F< >RGI\ in ess and Repentance in the Church and in
Society Leaders: Donald W. and Peggy L. Shriver.

3. The Role, Risks, and Rewards ol RHETORIC in Confessional Pre.v i iiv
Leader: Steve Ramp.

4. Prophetic MYSTICISM Leader: Barbara Brown Taylor

5. Frontiers in Mission StraTEQ (NCD second required course)
Leader: Stan Wood.

6. Project Design Workshop Leader: David Forney (July 7-11).

July 12-21 Transforming Mission: Di\ i d>i'ing a Practh VI THBOLOGYOl
Mission for a Postmodern Age: Travel Seminar Study new church develop-
ments in Scotland. Leaders: John Swinton and Stan Wood.

July 21-August 1 A Change of Heart: The Phenomenon OP Conversion
Leader: Barbara Brown Taylor.

Original church for the Taize Community, France. See the article on
page 6 for the Spirituality Program's connection.

Continuing Education calendar

February 16-19 Everyday 'Sacraments' Participants will explore incamational
theology as a guide to encountering God in everyday objects and actions.
Leader: Barbara Brown Taylor. Cost: $195.

February 25-26 Logos Research Systems Software Training See article on
page 7. Leaders: Morris and Cindy Proctor. Cost: $189.

March 16-20 Contemplative Retreat for Women Annual retreat at the
Benedictine Spirituality and Conference Center at the Sacred Heart Monastery
in Cullman, AL. Leader: Roberta Martin. Cost: $225 (retreat, room, and board).

March 18-19 Celtic Christianity A seminar exploring the beliefs, practices,
and history of Celtic Christianity, and its applications for ministry in the twenty-
first century congregation. Leader: Laura Sugg. Cost: $130.

March 20 GRACEFU1 LIVING Faith, Money, AND Stewardship A seminar
exploring the understanding and practice of stewardship in today's world.
Leader: Laura Dunham. Cost: $75.

March 28-29 The Church and Children at Work: What Can We Do?
See article on page 5.

April 27-May 2 Contemplative Retreat for Men Annual retreat at the
Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, GA. Leader: David Guthrie. Cost: $240
(retreat, room, and board).

May 12-16 Guthrie Scholars Columbia Class of 1991.

September 21-24 Embodied Spirituality Leader: Barbara Brown Taylor.

October 7-9 Technology, Learning, and Ministry

October 14-26 Columbia Travels: The Cities of the New Testament (Turkey
and Greece) A travel /learning experience designed for individuals who want
to visit historic sites of significance for the church and learn about different
cultures with a congenial group. Leaders: Charlie Cousar, Dent Davis, Neely
Young. Cost: $3,925, double occupancy.

November 4-6 Administration, Management, and Ministry

November 10-14 Guthrie Scholars

November 11-12 Older Adult Ministry Leader: Miriam Dunson.

VANTAGE

Spirituality calendar

Certificate in Spiritual Formation calendar

January 30-Feb 3 IMMERSION WEEKEND Introductory Course for the Certificate
in Spiritual Formation. Participants will engage in personal reflection, commu-
nity sharing, and enjoy lectures from one of the foremost scholars in Christian
spirituality. Leaders: John Kloepfer and Liz Forney. Cost: $300

February 16-21 Everyday "Sacraments" This course will focus on learning to
discern God's everyday graces and see "sacramental possibilities" in ever)
thing. Leader: Barbara Brown Taylor. Cost: $300.

March 9-14 Introduction to Spiritual Guidance This course will oft i
beginning look, at the discipline of Christian companioning or being a soul
friend. Participants will learn how spiritual direction differs from pastoral
counseling and psychotherapy. Leader: Joan Gray. Cost: $300.

March 30- April 4 The Enneagram in Personal Growth and Relationship
Explore the depths of personalities that affect our relationships. Ministers, psy-
chologists, pastoral caregivers, and others are invited. Leader: Linda Robinson
Cost: $300. Almont, MI.

April 6-12 Reconciliation: Justice and Peace through Worship and
Conversation Participants will live, study, and worship with the Taize
Community in Taize, France. Readings, conversations, and prayers will follow
Taize's emphasis on the struggle and authenticity of Christian reconciliation.
Preference given to pastors, educators, seminarians, and elders under 30 years
of age. Leader: Julie Johnson. Cost: TBA.

May 11-16 Immersion Week Introductory course for the Certificate in
Spiritual Formation. Participants will engage in personal reflection, community
sharing, and enjoy lectures from Columbia's faculty. Leaders: Columbia faculty
and Julie Johnson. Cost: $400.

June 19-22 Celtic Spirituality This course will explore the origins of Celtic
Christianity, the writings of the early saints, and folk customs and their applica-
tion for contemporary believers. Leader: Laura Sugg. Cost: $225. Calvin Camp
and Conference Center, Hampton, GA.

July 13-18 Healing and Wholeness in the Christian Life From miracles in the
Bible to a balanced life in Christ, this course will explore many aspects of the
dynamic relationship between faith and wellness. Leader: Tom McCutchen.
Cost: $300.

September 21-26 Embodied Holiness Participants will explore some of the
ways that contemporary Christians are bringing spirituality down to earth.
Leader: Barbara Brown Taylor. Cost: $300.

October 12-17 Immersion Week Introductory course for the Certificate in
Spiritual Formation. Participants will engage in personal reflection, community
sharing, and enjoy lectures from Columbia's faculty. Leaders: Columbia faculty
and Julie Johnson. Cost: $400.

October 30-November 2 Seeking Light While Sitting in the Dark: Faith and
Film Discover how film as a medium connects the great themes of the Bible
and theology to the stories unfolding on the screen. Leader: Ed McNulty.
Cost: $225. Held at Montreat Camp and Conference Center, NC.

November 6-9 Immersion Weekend Introductory course for the Certificate in
Spiritual Formation. Participants will engage in personal reflection, community
sharing, and enjoy lectures. Leader: Julie Johnson. Cost: $300. Held in Santa
Barbara, CA.

November 10-14 Prayer in Many Forms Participants will explore verbal,
mental, Ignatian, and contemplative prayer and may also include use of body
prayer, music, and art in the practice of prayer. Leader: Greta Reed. Cost: $300.
Held at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, GA.

The Columbia I riendship i m \e f< I O will hold />< annual Come See i olumbia Day
on April 3 on the seminary's campus Rodgei NisWofcfl associate professo] ofi hristian
education mil lead worship, and students supported by < ' ( scholarships will speak

to the ^roujc After the luncheon that fbllOWS, lour- o) the CttmpUS and Visits to da

will be offered Hs i/r.ir's ( /< officer* pictured with President Laura Mendenhall
are (I tor) Mary I pans oj Stone Mountain I \eorgia, president; Joyi e I Iibbens o)
Meridian, Mississippi, vice president; and Rita i ang >/ Greenville, South I arolina,
secretary "/./ historian. For more information " to uikc reservations, call the
seminary at 404/687-4566. ^

Colloquium '03
continued from page l

For more information on these and additional events,
call 404/378-8821 or visit www.CTSnet.edu.

April 21, with two theme presentations,
Newsom's "Job and the Demands I il
Tragic Faith" and Martyn's "World
Without End, Amen?" A panel disc us
sion with the six theme presenters will
follow, including an opportunity for
those in attendance to participate.
Monday evening will feature a picnic
dinner on the ( Jldenhurg (Quadrangle
followed by a worship service led by
Brueggemann and Cousar, with
Brueggemann preaching on "'Until "...
Endlessly Enacted, Now Urgent."

On Tuesday morning, Keck will
speak on "What if Paul Was Right?"
and Miller on "Whom Do You Trust '
The First Commandment as I'olitu al
Axiom," again follow. -J b\ a panel
discussion. At 12:30, the annual alum-
ni/ae luncheon will include the pre-
sentation of the Distinguished Service
Award to two Columbia alums and
recognition of this year's reunion classes:
2002, 1998, 1993, 1988, 1983, 1978, 1973,
1968,1963, 1958, 1953, and earliei

I ..I lowing the luncheon, partici-
pants will choose from a selection of
workshops being offered by members
of Columbia's faculty. The 75-minute
workshops will be offered in two
blocks, the first beginning at 2:15 and
the second at 3:45 Two of the work-
shops will be offered only once: "The
Mission of the Church in a Changing
( Ilobal Order: The Campbell Scholar-
Reflect," presented by the Campbell
Scholars at 2:15, and "Prophi
Imagination in Ministry," presented

|, N ( Inn V < amphell aiul I- athleen
O'Connor at 3:45. The other four

workshops will !" offered 'ini ing
both Besi lona "At the Crossroads
The Ways of Wisdom In a Changing
( Hobal i 'i.ier," presented by Mark
Douglas and I hristine Roy Voder;
"Building the i emulations ( reative
and Effective Ways to Teach the

Bible to Adults," with Dent Davis,

Rodger Nishioka, and Rand) fyndallj

'nit. ring, Apocalyptu , ami Violence,"
| ri | In < arlos anlo/a ( hlaiuli and
SI, in Saunders, and I he I hsonented
Church" with Shirley Guthrie and

Beth [ohnsort

After the workshops, partu IpantB

are invited to the newly renovated

Presidents' Home fol B l eption with

r,,> hlcnl I aura Mendenhall hie d.i
evening will be free for dinner and

fellowship in the I to atui area

On Wednesday morning, Stulman

will presenl "Is rhere I ife Afta
Wre kage? ( onflii ting Paths to Hope

in leremiah," an. I < .avrnla will I lose

the series with "Turning the World
Upside Down': A Reflei don on the

,,i the \postles " Alter the panel
dig , ii , ,i..n that follows, Cousar and
Brueggemann will respond to the pre-

,,,.! givei oni luding remarks.

All alums, clergy, laity, an.l Inends
of the seminary an n. nu raged to

attend this special event .is we honoi
two of our cherished faculty members
To registei or for more information,
contact Barbara Poe at 404/687-4566
or PoeB@CTSnet.edu, and visit our
website at www.CTSnet.edu.

Robert Williamson, Jr. '01

WINTER 2003

For the Record

^^^ec^^^ mail it to

the editor, or youjttayemajHHoJ^

1950s

William Lee '55 is interim of Lafayette

church, Tallahassee, I I

1960s

William Hyers '65 has retired as intej
im of the Weaver church, I lizabeth, IN.
....Asa Meadows '67 retired from the
Palms church, Jacksonville Beach I I
....Marty Harkey '63 is parish asso< iate
for senior ministries at Central chur. h

Anderson, SC Clayton Little '60 is

interim at First church, Parsons, KS.

1970s

Elaine McRobbie '79 is interim at
Argentine Church, Kansas ( ltv, KS.
...David Turner '75 received a promo
tion to lieutenant colonel in the US Ul
I orce Reserves .Buddy Bach '74 is
pastor of First and Beaver Cm -k
churches, Kershaw, SC.

1980s

Rhett Talbert '87, pastorol Pasadena

church, is chaplain lor the St.
Petersburg, FL, Fire and Rescue
....Garland Hart '82 is pastor ol the

Summerton, SC , church Elwyn

Bryant '80 is stated suppl) ol ( aledonia
and Spring Place chun hes, Knoxville,

TN Randall Clayton (I >Min f 84) is

pastor of West church, Wilmington,

DE Paul Henschen '86 is interim at

First church, Abbc\ ille, LA Katie

Thoresen '84 is interim associate ol
Kirk in the Hills, Bloomheld 1 lillS/ Ml,
and Michigan coordinator for the
Synod Resource learn on Spiritual

Formation Shuford White '86 is

pastorol the Pace, I I , church.

1990s

Dennis Reid '99 is pastor of Whitfield
Estates church, Sarasota, II Lance
Mullins '99 was installed as pastor of
Howard County Metropolitan
Community Church (MCC), Columbia,
MD. Karla Fleshman '99, pastor of
Imago Dei MCC, Media, PA, preached
at his

ordination Greg McMinn '93 com-
pleted the DMin degree- at Dubuque
Theological Seminary and is pastor
of Pilgrimage church, Lilburn, GA.
...David Bonds '99 is interim of

Advent church, Cordova, TN Laura

Aull Johnston '90 is interim of the

Philo, IL, church Chuck Vorderberg

'96 is stated supply at Zion church,
Helvetia, WV, and at the Pickens, WV,

church Jim Cook '97 is minister of

St. Andrew's Parish church, Turiff,

Scotland Ann Pittman '93 is pastor

of First church, Sullivan, MO 1 ully
Hunter '90 is pastor of Grace church,

Panama City, FL Ben Trawick '93 is

pastor of the North Wilkesboro, NC,
church.

2000s

Suzan Hawkinson (DMin 01) is
pastor of the Wallingford, PA, church.
Annette Rogers '00 is interim asso. j
ate pastor of the Easley,SC, church.
...Ed Searcy (DMin '1)2) has published
"A People, a Name, a Praise, and a
Glory': False and True I .nth in
feremiah" in Word and World, fall '02.

Elizabeth Lewis '01 is chaplain
at Shenandoah Valley Wc-stm.nster-
( .mtcrbury, a continuous care retire-
, m ,,i community in Winchester, VA.

Joan Martin (Quinn) '00 and
Philip Kleuskens were married in
November at First church, Bon it'
Springs, 11 v where she is associate
pastor Diane Freelander '01 is
pastor at Church in the Pines, Laurel

Hill, NC Robert Griffin (DMin 01)

is interim at Hemphill Memorial

church, Stockbridge, GA John Frye

(DMin '01) is pastor of the South
Aiken, SC, church.

Faculty and Staff

Biblical area

Walter Brueggemann, professor of
( )ld testament, delivered the Enniss
Lectures at Central church, Atlanta;
preached and taught at the Derry
church, I lershey, PA, and preached at
me "Faith ^ the City" convocation
at Emory University. He presented a
paper at the Society of Biblical
I iterature (SBL) annual meeting in
[bronto. 1 lis Theology of the Old
testament and Genesis were translated
into Italian, and Hope for the World was
translated into Spanish. Brueggemann
also published articles in Sojourners,
Mercer law Review, Interpretation, Word

Torn Currie (DMin '85) is holding a
Boer female, which will soon be placed
in a Heifer International project in
Harlan County, Kentucky, in the heart
of Appalachta. Over the past 14 years,
Currie has raised and donated some 100
$oats for Heifer This ministry began in
his pastorate in Union, South Carolina,
and now continues in Letcher County,
Kentucky, where he is pastor of the Isom
and Doermann Memorial Presbyterian
Churches. Each year he donates five to
eight goats to Heifer. He has placed goats
in Kentucky, the Carolinas, and West
Virginia. He also promotes the Heifer
hunger ministry by speaking to church
and civic groups and has afloat a pickup
truck full of goats and children in the
Fourth of July Parade at Montreat, North
Carolina, each year

Heifer International is a faith-based
hunger ministry working with the rural
poor in the U.S. and some 50 other coun-
tries. Congregations and members of the
byterian Church (USA) provide the
second largest base of financial support of
any U.S. denomination for this hunger
ministry.

BIRTHS

lo I ibby '89 and Joe Smith-Purcell,

a daughter, Elizabeth Grace,

Oct. 22, 2002.

To Lisa T. '92 and Ron '93 Nelson,

a daughter, Audra, Dec. 12, 2002.

To Jenn (MATS '02) and Marc Wilson,

., son. loshua Lee, Oct. 22, 2002.

[o Kally '03 and Bryce Elliott, a son,

Rylan Bryce, Dec. 2, 2002.

DEATI IS

Dr. David Steel, former visiting

professor, Nov. 11, 2002, in Edinburgh,

Scotland.

Mary Boney Sheats, former Board

member, Oct. 29, 2002.

Wilbur Parvin '48, June 21, 2002.

Frederick Woodward '49, May 3, 2002.

Ray Stover '62, Jan. 1, 2002.

Walter Coddington '68, July 27, 2002.

Lathe Collins '00, Jan. 8, 2003.

and World, Living Pulpit, and A Sliadow

of Glory Beth Johnson, professor

of New Testament, led a retreat for
Presbyterian Women at the Morrow,
GA, church. She published '"Who
Is My Mother?': Family Values in
the Gospel of Mark" in Blessed One:

Protestant Perspectives on Mary

Kathleen O'Connor, professor of Old
Testament, spoke at Central church,
Atlanta, published an article on
Jeremiah in Word and World and
on Lamentations in The Living Pulpit.
She presented "Jeremiah and the
Formation of the Moral Character of
the Community" at the SBL meeting.

Historical Doctrinal area
Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, associate
professor of world Christianity,
participated with Marcia Riggs,
associate professor of Christian ethics,
in the Black and Hispanic /Latino
Dialogue sponsored by the Association
of Theological Schools. He was fea-
tured in the cover article, "The Real
Face of Jesus," in the December issue
of Popular Mechanics and participated

in a panel discussion on the radio pro-
gram, "Off the Record." His chapter,
"Theology at the Shoreline. Spacial
Location for Tides and Cross-Currents
in Hispanic/ Caribbean Theology and
Mission," was printed in Moving
Forms ofVieology: Faith Talks Changing

Contexts George Stroup, professor

of theology, taught church school
classes at the Decatur, GA, church and
a workshop at the Southeast region
meeting of the Association of
Presbyterian Christian Educators in
Charleston, SC. He preached at the
installation of Jan Warren-Taylor '02
at Smyrna church, Conyers, GA, and
at the ordination and installation of
Sung H. Lee '02 at Pleasant Hill
church, Statham, GA. Stroup lectured
and preached at the Riverchase
church, Birmingham, AL, and the
Altavista church, Altavista, VA.

Practical Theology area
Chuck Campbell, associate professor
of homiletics, preached at the annual
Festival of Preaching held at the
Presbyterian and Central Baptist
churches in Newnan, GA, taught
church school classes at First Christian
Church, Atlanta, and preached at

Central church, Atlanta Ron Cram,

associate professor of Christian
education, published "Beyond
Tolerance: Radical Dialogue in an
Era of Expanding Religion" in
Mcmperlengkapi lagi Pelayanan dan
Pertumbuhan, published in Jakarta,
Indonesia. His four book reviews
appeared in Religious Education, fall '02.
...Phil Gehman '68, dean of students
and vice president for student life,
provided leadership for "Discerning
God's Call Together" training for
Committees on Preparation for
Ministry at Union-PSCE and attended
a workshop for theological educators
at the Center for Prevention of Sexual
- and Domestic Violence in Seattle

Bill Harkins, associate professor of

pastoral theology and care, was
ordained at the Cathedral of St. Philip,
Continued on page U

Vantage

Volume 94, No. 3, Winter 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 10

Atlanta Laura Mendenhall, presi-
dent, attended a Committee on
Theological Education meeting in
Richmond and the Association of
Theological Schools meeting in Santa
Fe. She spoke at St. Luke's church,
Dunwoody, GA, a Presbytery of East
Tennessee meeting, the Committee on
Ministry at the Johnson C. Smith cam-
pus, and the Conyers, GA, church. She
preached at First church, Greensboro,
NC, the Mt. Pleasant, SC, church,
Shallowford church, Atlanta, was
speaker and preacher for the William
Oliver Campbell Preacher series,
Edgeworth, PA, and at Northwoods

church, Houston, TX Sharon Mook,

assistant professor of pastoral theolo-
gy and care, participated in the
Supervising Pastoral Counselors and
Marriage and Family Therapists
certificate program at Louisville

Seminary Cameron Murchison,

dean of faculty, executive vice presi-
dent, and professor of ministry,
preached and spoke at First churches,
Greenville, MS, and Gainesville, GA.
He led an officers' training event at
Central church, Atlanta, and partici-
pated in the officers' retreat for the

Southwest Cluster of Churches for
Presbytery of Greater Atlanta
..Rodger Nishioka, associate prol
sor of Christian education, led a
youth mimstn \\ orkshop for Detroit
Presbytery and a young adult ministry
workshop for the South Atlantic
Regional Gathering of the Association
of Presbyterian Church Educators
meeting in Charleston. He taught
for the Indianapolis Center for
Congregations, lectured and preached
at St. Mark church, Rockville, MD,
and preached at the Allen Park, Ml,
church, Druid Hills church, Atlanta,
the Dahlonega, GA, church, and
Southminster church, Milwaukee,
WI Brian Wren, professor of wor-
ship/ lectured and preached at First
Congregational Church, Madison, WI,
and First church, Milledgeville, GA,
and led worship and preached at First
church, Lexington, KY; he designed
and provided leadership for the wor-
ship service for a stated meeting of the
Presbytery of Transylvania; led morn-
ing prayer and was accepted into
membership at the North American
Academy of Liturgy, Indianapolis
He completed a commissioned hymn
for the Wellshire church, Denver.

Directors

From the Bookstore

No. of
copies

Retail
price

New Titles by Columbia Faculty:

The Word Before the Powers: An Ethic of Preaching $23.00
by Charles L. Campbell

Columbia

price

$19.55

Deuteronomy

by William P. Brown, ed. (includes chapters by

Walter Brueggemann and Marcia Y. Riggs)

Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary
by Beverly Gaventa and Cynthia Rigby, eds.
(includes a chapter by E. Elizabeth Johnson)

^Prices subject to change as determined by 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 Novus

(please print information below):

Visa /MasterCard /Novus #

$34.00 $28.90

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Exp. date

Name (as it appears on card)

Street address for UPS delivery:

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Please send this completed order form to: CTS Bookstore, P.O. Box 520,
Decatur, GA 30031; fax 404-687-4658; email: Bookstore@CTSnet.edu

Zip.

Phone.

Ann Clay Adams. dire< tOl <>i admis
sions, spoke at 1 irsl church Calhoun
GA, on "Denominational Similarities
and Differences. " Shi- \\ as appointed
to the Fund tor [heologica] i ducations'
Presbyterian lask 1 orce tor
Congregational-based Recruitment
and provided leadership i>" work

Shops at the Celebrate! Ecumenical

Student Conference in Ubuquerque
....Ernestine Cole, associate dean "i
Students, attended meetings Oi tin-
Advisory Committee on Women's
Concerns ol khePi SA)ir Boston

and in I OUis\ ille and attended the

I eadership ream meeting ot the

Presbyterian Health Netwoik in
Louisville. She preai hed al Southwest
Westhills, A"d I Hillside chun hes,

Atlanta Dent Davis (DMin '89),

directoi ot continuing education

preached at First Junvh, Pontoti

MS, and spoke at meetings <>i

e harlotte, Cherokee, Sa\ annah, I linl

River, Tampa Bay, Northeast Georgia,
and St. Augustine presb\ teries. I le

also spoke at the meeting oi the ( )ldei
Adult Mimstr\ I ommittee of Greater

Atlanta Presbytery. He presented
"Fnlargmg the Classroom A l B <
Study of the Role of the Religious
Educator" at the annual meeting ol
the \ v..). uition ot Professors and
Researchers in Religious 1 d unt ion,
led a workshop on "Addressing
Spiritual Issues oi Adult I. earners,"
and presented "Organizational
Literacy: Making Adult l.earnu
More Effective in Institutional
Settings" at the annual conferem <
of the American Assch iation oi Adult
and Continuing Education and the
Commission ot Professors in Adult

Education. He has been named adjunct
assistant professor of educ.itmii.il
psychology at the Universitj ol

Tennessee John Knapp (MATS '95),

president of The Southern Institute

for Business and Professional I thii

published articles on business el In.
in Atlanta Business I hronu le and
Competitive Edge. I le spoke at the

( orporate ( ommunii ation < onlorcn. e
University of Notre Dame, and at the
Trident Southeastern Conferem eol

Community Bank ( RK in Kaleigh, NC.

- ....Stan Wood, directoi ol the< entei

for New Church Development (N( I m
taught and trained mentors at the
Lay Leadership Training Program in
California. He was keynote speaker
and preacher at Southminster church,
Marietta, GA, at the national leader-
ship meeting of Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church in Louisiana, and
at the NCD Church Multiplication
Forum in Colorado Springs

Emeritus faculty

Shirley Guthrie taught at Presbyterian
seminaries in San Paulo, Londrina, and
Fortaleza, Brazil; spoke at the Covenant
Network Conference in Minneapolis;
taught church school classes at First
and Trinity churches, Atlanta, and at
the Decatur, GA, church. He preached
and spoke at the Advent series at First
church, Tulsa, OK. D

( | i )rymon left and Ryan Johnson
oined the Offio oj I development
and Seminary Relations Drymon who
came from I mory University when she
was exe\ utive dim '>" oj the / mory
Annual ' ""./ /s dim toi oj advancement
operations, Johnson, who was manage!
oj membership gifts al \he Baltimore
Symphony, is directoi oj prospeci research
and information systems

Gift annuities:
gifts that pay!

Willi I MAKlNCi ANY gill I" I nliimhi.i

Seminary brings the satisfai tion >>i
supporting an institution ! value)
some gitts bring the added i .>ii"' oi
pro\ IdJng in< ome ba< I i" the donor
for lu oi her lifetime. One such gift
,., the i heritable gifl annuity; whi< h
provides an attra< live in< ome thai
laranteed foi life Pari "i thai
m, ome w ill be tax ^> i> - and an
additional ini omi ta> dedui tion is

pos iible as well

While thai maj sound too good to
be true, 11 is nol Hie ftrsl gifl annuities

were issued in the United States '"""
than ISO years ago In todaj interest

,,,lr ,.in imiiment. lh.'\ pn\ ulr .1 p.n

ii, uI.mIv Btrong lifetime benefil to the

donor and, eventually; a signili- an!

1 to the 1 harity.

Usually written on elthfiJ one

01 two 1 1 v * . (usuallj to i"' lude a
surviving spouse), gifl annuities -ii' I
dirrerenl rates depending upon the
age of the donor(s):

Obviously, a gifl annuity is a gifl
that pays! It is also a gift that provides
resources to Columbia to fulfill its

mi 'I preparing men and women

for ministry.

If you have considered Columbia
for a gift and could benefit from a
guaranteed income for life, contact
Michael Carey at 404/687-4573 or
careym@ctsnet.edu. He can provide
you with a specific proposal to meet
your personal needs.

WINTER 2003

coLUMBiAtravels

CITIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Temple of Trajan

Led by Charlie Cousar '58
Professor of New Testament

Dent Davis (D.Min. '89)
Director of continuing education
404/687-4558; davisd@CTSnet.edu

Neely Young, Ph.D.
Director of major gifts

Limited space remaining. Cost is
$3,925 per double, with $995 single
supplement. Payment is due by July 3.

For more information:

Kaye Carmichael; 770/941-0628;

kcarmichael@mindspring.com

Jasper "Jap" Keith (S.T.D. 79), pastor of the Decatur, Georgia, Presbyterian Church,
presents President Laura Mendenhall with a gift in honor of Kay Philips, longtime
member of Decatur Presbyterian Church and wife of Columbia President Emeritus
J. Davison Philips '43. Given by friends of Mrs. Philips and the women of Decatur
Presbyterian Church, the gift provided the furnishings for the dining worn in the
newly renovated Presidents' Home, recognizing the graciousness and hospitality
Mrs. Philips has offered to many on behalf of the seminary and the church.

Vantage

P.O. Box 520 Decatur, Georgia 30031

404/378-8821

www.CTSnet.edu

CONTENTS

Colloquium honors Cousar, Brueggemann 1

Baptism calls into global community 2

\ layner named to Peachtree chair 2

Learning in alternative contexts 3

International study, local ministry 3

Columbia's New Testament faculty 4

Reading recommendations by

New Testament faculty 4

Doctor of Ministry program: diversity, variety 5

Continuing education offerings 5, 7

Spirituality Program travels to Taize 6

NCD offerings, study 6, 7

Ethics seminars given 7

Calendars 8, 9

Come See Columbia Day 9

For the Record 10

From the Bookstore 11

Gifts that pay 11

Travel to Greece, Turkey in October 12

COLUMBIA
THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY

Periodicals
Postage
Paid at
Decatur, GA

Publication No. 124160

VANTAGE