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HERALDING NEWS FROM NORTHEASTERN SEMINARY VOL. 14, NO. 2 ■ JUNE 2017
Certificate Program Celebrates 10 Years Symposium on Poverty Equips Community Response Executive Director Named Upcoming Conferences Community News
inception. Frank developed and taught five courses—Pastoral and Spiritual Formation, Pastoral Care, Pastoral Ethics, Church Polity, and Using Technology—in addition to serving as director for the last eight years. When asked about his time with Northeastern’s certificate program he said, “When I readily accepted the position as director, I had no idea the impact the program would have in my own life as a minister and fellow brother in Christ.”
As the Rev. Burgos reflects on the last 10 years, he recalls many students saying, “Pastor, I don’t know what I’m going to do when I complete the two year program.” He remembers one student in particular, Gloria Crossdale, struggled with the answer to that question. Frank gave her the same answer he always gave to that question, “Wait on the Lord and he’ll show you.” When Gloria completed the certificate program, she volunteered to work at Monroe Community Hospital and it wasn’t long before she was hired as one of the hospital’s chaplains.
Several other students progressed through the Certificate program and discovered a greater hunger for theological education. Most recently,
Ten years ago, Northeastern Seminary launched the Centro Hispano de Estudios Teologicos (known as CHET), a two-year certificate program originally designed to offer Hispanic students the opportunity to receive Bible education in a classroom setting. Led by the vision and care of Dr. Brian Babcock, assistant dean from 1998 to 2008, the program and curriculum were designed to cover a broad range of topics that would
give students the tools to actively and confidently engage in ministry.
CHET has undergone a number of transformations, including moving from a Spanish curriculum to a bilingual program, to its current configuration as the Center for Theological Studies and its recognition of meeting 30 credits toward a baccalaureate degree at Roberts Wesleyan College. But one thing has not changed—the goal of equipping our students to impact the world through their ministry.
Among the program’s early leaders, the Rev. Juan Carmona and Dr. Wesley Vanderhoof, Francisco Burgos (MAT ’02) has been an integral part of the certificate program since its
Top: First Certificate Program graduates in 2009, bottom: first faculty members in 2007
Louis E. Colon leads students in Old Testament Survey
(Con’t page 2)
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graduates of the program Angel Lebron, senior pastor and addictions counselor, Karen Jenkins, health care, and Sheila Beers, pastor, all enrolled in Northeastern Seminary’s master’s program. Angel and Sheila have graduated and Sheila just entered the Doctor of Ministry program in April of 2017.
Northeastern Seminary’s certificate program is experiencing yet another change. Early in 2017, Rev. Burgos announced his
decision to step down from his position as director, though he intends to remain involved in the program as an instructor. We recognized Rev. Burgos’s years of service at this year’s commencement ceremony, while also welcoming the certificate program’s new director, Ms. Kathleen Phillips, herself a 2016 graduate of the program.
Kathy had a fulfilling career in public and private education, most recently with Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES as a program supervisor. Originally from Rome, N.Y., she has also lived in Italy, where she taught pre-school. She and her husband Stan live in Spencerport, N.Y., and are active at Hope Church in Greece. Kathy is overjoyed and amazed at how the Lord has directed her to Northeastern Seminary as a student, a graduate, and now the director of its certificate program. She is grateful and enthusiastic about working with the faculty, staff and students and looking forward to helping pen the next chapter of certificate education at the Seminary.
“It’s about the choices we make, not fate.” That was the challenge issued to the attendees of this year’s B.T. Roberts Symposium on childhood poverty by keynote speaker Brigit Hurley of The Children’s Agenda, an independent, non-partisan agency based in Rochester, N.Y.
Childhood poverty statistics in Rochester are sobering. According to a report published by the Rochester Area Community Foundation and ACT Rochester, Rochester is the second poorest city among cities in comparably sized metro areas and the only city of its size in which more than 50 percent of children live below the poverty line.
“It’s a steep climb out of poverty”, warned Hurley. “Seventy percent of people living in poverty will stay impoverished, but it is NOT fate.”
So what are Christians to do? The call to action came from four Northeastern Seminary students and alumni.
Kimberly Patch (MAT ’17) works as the homeless housing coordinator at Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes. She suggested a grassroots approach to creating policies and ending child homelessness, starting with identifying the barriers that families and children face and learning about actionable steps that can be taken.
“There are 600 homeless families in Rochester
■ 2-year program ■ 3, 12-week terms/year ■ 90 students since 2006 ■ 44 graduates ■ 50% women ■ 50% men ■ 40% Hispanic ■ 27% African American ■ 1% Asian ■ 32% white ■ 15+ denominations
Current faculty:
■ Frank Burgos ■ Louis E. Colon ■ Mateo Hess ■ Peter Mills ■ Darrell Coleman
Frank Burgos completes his role as
program director offering a prayer for
2017 graduates at Commencement.
top: 2017 graduates and faculty; bottom: Franks Burgos leads
pastoral ethics class
on any given night … they deserve dignity. They are made in the image of God,” she urged. “Don’t treat them like they’re invisible.”
Angel Lebron (M.Div. ’17) continued the call with a presentation on cultural diversity in childhood poverty. He is the executive director of United Christian Community Program (UCCP). UCCP focuses on removing barriers to success by offering bi-lingual GED preparation, vocational training, and referral services.
Lebron told the story of a family his church recently served. “A mother came to our parish with five children under the age of eight … There was a language barrier—not speaking the language closes a lot of doors. She now has a home and a part-time job, but she still lives in poverty.”
He emphasized the importance of a high-quality supportive environment. “Even though we have many agencies [to help], we are still working on nurturing those relationships.”
A challenge for advocacy through legislation was presented by December graduate Kayleigh Schumske (M.Div. ’16), who serves as the family pastor at Oak Ridge Free Methodist Church in Herkimer, N.Y. She stressed the need for us to become story-tellers suggesting that we
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utilize the power of the narrative by picking up the phone, calling our legislators, and telling the stories of those who struggle.
The afternoon drew to a close with a plea by M. Div. student Julio Nieves to use art as a medium to overcome childhood poverty. Mr. Nieves is an artist who stated frankly, “Art saved my life. My story begins in poverty … art was the medium I used to create escapes.”
He observed that in a city as impoverished as Rochester and with a school district $80 million in debt, art is one of the first things to get cut. Unfortunately, art, which should be available to all, becomes a luxury to which low-income families have limited access.
“Art can save. It can give hope” said Nieves. “It can be the difference between selling drugs and finding a creative way to make money.”
To order recordings of this symposium contact Maria Gilluly at [email protected].
Leaders from around the region came to address local and regional childhood poverty and responses from the church and community.
from top: Brigit Hurley, policy analyst at The Children’s Agenda, served as the keynote speaker for this one-day event; cultural and educational challenges associated with poverty and anti-poverty initiatives addressed by panel discussions; Angel Lebron, one of the student presenters, describes a church-based initiative.
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Thirty-four graduates celebrated the completion of their advanced degrees from Northeastern Seminary on Saturday, May 13, 2017, in the Cultural Life Center at Roberts Wesleyan College. Rev. Mark Webb, bishop of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church gave the keynote address, titled “Essentials.”
Graduates earned degrees from five programs: Doctor of Ministry, Master of Divinity, and Master of Arts Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership, Master of Arts in Theology and Social Justice. They were joined by three certificate of advanced pastoral studies graduates, who completed post-graduate coursework in ministry studies, and seven certificate in Christian ministry recipients from three distinct Christian ministry programs: Northeastern’s Center for Theological Studies, the Rochester Institute of Christian Education, and New Hope Bible Institute.
Congratulations to all!
On April 26, Northeastern Seminary held it’s 3rd annual One Day of Giving Fundraiser.
Together donors, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the Seminary community generously gave toward the Northeastern Fund and helped provide scholarships for students.
We would like to say thank you for making such a difference! From top: Denis Johnson and Patrick Lenney await ceremony; Paul Shewan plays for the
processional; Doug Cullum presides, charge to graduates, diploma table, platform party.
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Northeastern Seminary has named Kristen Brown as executive director of seminary administration, beginning July 2017. Kristen has experience in pastoral leadership, organizational development,
program and curriculum planning, and teaching in higher education institutions.
Doug Cullum, vice president and dean of the Seminary, said the following regarding this appointment: “It is a critically important step in helping us move forward with our strategic initiatives for the future of Northeastern Seminary. I am very much looking forward to this new phase in the life of the Seminary.”
Brush up on biblical languages, refresh your ministry. Classes offered on Mondays in Rochester.
8/28 to 12/18 ■ Wesleyan Theology ■ Expository Preaching ■ Spiritual Formation
8/28 to 9/25 ■ Evangelism & Discipleship ■ Theology of Missions
10/27 to 11/6 ■ Ministry in a Multifaith World ■ Worship Leadership
For information about courses for credit ($518 per credit) or auditing ($150) options please contact Cheryl Murray at 585.594.6802 or [email protected].
Evangelical Theology—New Challenges, New OpportunitiesOctober 20-21
Northeastern Seminary hosts its annual Theology Conference with keynote speaker Dr. Richard Mouw, professor of faith and public life at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Mouw previously served as president at Fuller for 20 years and is author of numerous books, including Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World (rev. ed. IVP, 2010), Called to the Life of the Mind: Some Advice for Evangelical Scholars(Eerdmans, 2014), and his recent autobiography, Adventures in Evangelical Civility: A Lifelong Quest for Common Ground (Brazos, 2016).
Dr. Mouw will deliver two lecture (sFriday evening and Saturday morning) exploring the continuing value of the term “Evangelical” in the 21st century, while tracing the history of its meaning and usage over the past 100 years.
On similar themes as Dr. Mouw’s lectures, scholarly papers are solicited from among a variety of theological disciplines, including biblical, historical, systematic, philosophical, moral, pastoral theology, and theology that engages culture, the church, or other academic fields.
Watch for more information at www.nes.edu.
There are many ways to experience seminary life online with fellow classmates, alumni and community. Click on the links to the right to join our social networks or read the Seminary blog.
Dr. Richard Mouw
Kristen Brown
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Nurturing the Soul of Ministry: Intimacy with SelfNovember 3-4
The Seminary’s annual retreat features speakers Janet Biehlmann and Teresa Lowther, retired Clinical Pastoral Education supervisors from the Catholic Health System in Buffalo, N.Y. Their presentations focus on emotional intelligence, complementing the reflective style of worship, prayer walks, and communion service that are hallmarks of this retreat.
Student News Dale Harris (D.Min.) is featured speaker at Wesley Acres Camp in Prince Edward, Ont. in late July. Dale is lead pastor at FreeWay Church in Oshawa, Ont., and will speak on “Being Christian in 2017: According to the Apostle Peter.”
Chris Landon (MAT) is the associate pastor for Arbor House, a liturgical community that is a part of Northgate Free Methodist Church in Batavia, N.Y. He was recently hired to be camp manager at Covenant Acres Camp where he will be working on revamping camp programming, particularly children’s summer camps, and expanding the ability of the facility to host retreats and conferences.
Nathan Lange (M.Div.) has accepted a pastoral appointment at Middleport United Methodist Church. Prior to this he served at Little Valley United Methodist Church.
As of June 2017 Craig Peters (D.Min) will serve as lead pastor at Polson Park Free Methodist Church in Ont., Canada.
Our D. Min. students were on campus this month for their bi-annual residency. Visiting professor Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, taught the transformational leadership course in week one and MaryKate Morse joins Associate Professor Rebecca Letterman to teach a course on embodying leadership in week two.
The diverse profile of incoming D.Min. students will add to the unique and enlightening dialogue:
■ 57% female, 43% male ■ 57% Caucasian, 43% African American ■ 43% Baptist, 29% Non-denom., 14%
Congregational, 14% Free Methodist ■ 43% NES master’s grads ■ Age range: 34-70 ■ 57% pastors, 14% chaplains, 14% elders,
15% other ■ Students serve across New York State and in
Ontario, Canada Alumni News
Carrie Starr (MAT ’03) received the Donald Mohnkern Academic Advisement Award for her work at Roberts Wesleyan College. This award is presented annually to a faculty member “in recognition of excellence in the academic advisement of students.”
Marsha Rivers (MAT ’04) was ordained as an elder in the Free Methodist Church on May 25 at Pearce Memorial Church in Rochester, N.Y. She said “[My spirit] still feels surprised by it; but I won't say no. To the beauty and goodness I believe to be God? How could I?”
Rochester 2265 Westside Dr, Rochester, NY Sept 14 7-8:30 p.m. Oct 17 7-8:30 p.m. Oct 28 9-10:30 a.m.
Webinars
Aug 10 7-8:30 p.m. Sept 12 Noon-1 p.m. Oct 5 6:30-8 p.m.
Chris Landon
Immaculate Adeside (MAT ’05) led a church plant with her husband and founded Light to All Nations Church in Concord, CA. Her ministry at this church is bi-vocational; Adesida functions as the human resources director and associate pastor.
Tracy Birge (MAT ’12) received the “Darlene E. McCown Faculty Service Award” for her teaching excellence at Roberts Wesleyan College. This award is presented annually to a faculty member who “exhibits outstanding service to others and extraordinary caring as a member of the faculty.”
Will Barham (M.Div. ’13) was ordained in the Reformed Church and installed at Palmyra Reformed Church on June 3.
Levi Gangi (MAT ‘13) serves in clinical chaplaincy as supervisor for spiritual care at Rochester General Hospital. He and his wife reside in Naples, N.Y. where she teaches elementary school.
In February 2017 Allison Coventry (D.Min. ‘13, M.Div. ‘05) became lead pastor at Ballard Church in Seattle, Wash.—a community of faith in Jesus that wants to be known by its love and active voice of hope.
Tiffiney Carter Taylor (M.Div. ’14) is a contributing author for the book I’m a Praying Wife. This is a collaborative work from wives around the world who believe in the power of prayer. The book is scheduled for release in June.
Jerry Fontaine (M.Div. ’14) recently preached at Christian Friendship Christian Missionary Baptist Church.
Zach Ashley (M.Div. ’15) has been named the interim vice principal of Christian School in Maine. He currently teaches high school algebra, history, horticulture, and cooking.
Talitha-Koumi Oluwafemi [FKA Latisha Robinson] (M.Div. ’15) graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary on May 20 with a Th.M. degree.
On March 25, Amy Smith (MATSJ ’15) and her husband Matthew welcomed their new daughter Doxa Llyn into the world.
Rebecca Chaffee (M.Div. ’16) will be ordained as minister of word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church June 29 in Dewitt. NY. She has accepted a call as pastor to the First Presbyterian Church in Caledonia, N.Y. and will begin in July.
Denis Johnson, Jr. (M.Div. ’17) was hired by Roberts Wesleyan College as director of multicultural student success, effective July 1. He has been serving as an associate pastor at The Father’s House, in Chili, N.Y. since 2006.
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Talitha-Koumi Oluwafemi
Amy Smith and family
I’m A Praying Wife,” con-tributing author Tiffiney Carter Taylor
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Angel Lebron (CTS ’12, M.Div. ‘17) was awarded the Luisa Barr Award for Service Above Self. This award, presented annually by the Rochester Latino Rotary Club, “recognizes a Rochester area Latino/a that dedicates his/her life to serving others. This is a person that takes initiative serving others and expects neither repayment nor recognition. He/she tends to work behind the scenes.” The award was presented at their 8th Annual Dinner/Dance Masquerade Ball on April 22.
Richard Moran (M.Div. ’17) was ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church on May 18. He is currently serving as chaplain at Ellis Hospital in Albany, N.Y.
Olivia Phillips (M.Div. ’17) is leading a church plant in Toronto, Canada. She learned church planting strategies through a field education placement. Olivia also taught in the Rochester Institute of Christian Education program. She is currently attending Tyndale for a Th.M.
Sean Pritzkau (M.Div. ’17) recently started up his own company, Sean Pritzkau, LLC. He works as an independent digital marketing consultant and strategist, specializing in “helping non-profit
organizations develop their presence and grow their impact online.
Faculty News
On April 12, Doug Cullum, vice president and dean, was a featured guest on the WHAM-1180 Bob Lonsberry radio show, invited to discuss the traditions and significance of Holy Week in
the Christian calendar. Cullum outlined the journey of Jesus Christ during the last week of his life while providing context for the traditions and practices that have been shaped from those events throughout history.
Nelson Grimm, director of field education and professor of applied theology, spoke to the International Council of Bishops in Buffalo, N.Y. on the topic of “Succession Planning” on June 6 and has a second engagement on June 20, when he will be speaking on “Personality Influences on Pastoral Care Providers” at Rochester General Hospital.
Associate professor of spiritual formation, Rebecca Letterman, teamed up with Susan Muto, executive director and dean of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality, to coauthor the book Understanding Our Story: The Life’s Work and Legacy of Adrian van Kaam in the Field of Formative Spirituality. The Seminary hosted an evening with the authors April 28 at the Mercy Spirituality Center in Rochester, N.Y. where the authors gave readings from their work and signed books for those in attendance.
To order a copy of Understanding Our Story contact Maria Gilluly at [email protected].
Sean Pritzkau
Dr. Rebecca Letterman, foreground, and Susan Muto end the evening with a book signing.
Northeastern Seminary 2265 Westside Drive Rochester, N.Y. 14624 585.594.6800 [email protected] www.nes.edu
Esau McCaulley, associate professor of New Testament and early Christianity, successfully defended his dissertation on April 3 at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. His dissertation is titled “Sharing in the Son's inheritance: Davidic Messianism and Paul's Worldwide Interpretation of the Abrahamic Land Promise in Galatians.” Dr. McCaulley also presented a workshop in April at Missio Alliance’s “Awakenings Conference” in Alexandria, Virginia. The workshop was titled “The Black Evangelical Movement.” He spoke with colleague Natasha Robinson on the emergence of an evangelical movement rooted in culturally African American preaching and music.
Dr. Richard Middleton, Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis, is currently giving a series of lectures, primarily on eschatology, throughout the United Kingdom. His first stop was in Scotland and he has been gradually making his way southward through England. This lecture series is sponsored by the Thinking Faith Network in Leeds, England.
Dr. Josef Sykora, director of the doctor of ministry program and assistant professor of biblical interpretation, recently had his dissertation accepted for publication by Eisenbrauns Publishers in their series titled “Siphrut: Literature and Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures.” His forthcoming book is tentatively titled, The Unfavored: Judah and Saul in the Narratives of Genesis and 1 Samuel.
Staff News
After five years of dedicated service to Northeastern Seminary, Diana Brunson is beginning a new chapter of her ministry by helping to secure mortgages for disadvantaged populations in the city of Rochester. She has served in multiple positions at the Seminary and brought fresh imagination to its recruitment efforts. We wish her the best as she continues to follow God’s leading.
Congratulations to Laurie Leo, vice president for finance and chief financial officer for Roberts Wesleyan College and Northeastern Seminary, who has been named a finalist for the “Financial Executive of the Year” award. This annual award is presented by The Rochester Chapter of Financial Executives International and the Rochester Business Journal. Laurie is a finalist in the medium non-profit organization category.
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Esau McCaulley successfully defends his dissertation, advised by N.T., Wright, at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Josef Sykora
Richard Middleton is interviewed by Matt Lynch, dean of studies and teaching faculty at the Westminster Theological Centre, for On Script, a podcast featuring biblical scholars.
