Vantage Summer 08

S u m m e r 2 0 0 8

These sacraments are not things, but events:

a gathered people in the presence of God take material objects

and with Word proclaimed and preached and the Spirit invoked,

sing, move, wash, and eatso that love abounds, truth is spoken, and grace flows.

From Invitation to Christ: A Guide to Sacramental Practices, 2006 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), on behalf of the Office of Theology and Worship.

God works through Baptism and

the Lord’s Supper in multiple ways to form us into

God’s own people.

New updates on the Campaign for Columbia—page 16

The early church, following Jesus,

took three primary elements of life

—water, bread, and wine—

to become basic symbols of offering life to God

as Jesus had offered his life.

Washed with the water of baptism…

we receive new life in Christ

and present our bodies as living sacrifices to God.

Eating bread and drinking wine…

we receive the sustaining presence of Christ,

remember God’s covenant promise,

and pledge our obedience anew.

Through the Sacraments, God seals believers in redemption,

renews their identity as the people of God,

and marks them for service…

from the Directory for Worship, W-1.3033

Wh e n Jo s e p h a n d h i s b rot h e r s met in Egypt (Genesis 41-45), their family fight defined them, and whose fault was that? Remembering his brothers’ boyhood jealousy, their plot to get rid of him, and their selling him to traders who took him away to Egypt, Joseph would probably say that his brothers were guilty. On the other hand, I imagine the brothers being peeved with Joseph. A famine had been going on for years, and Joseph’s family was starving to death. Why hadn’t Joseph reached out to help them? Was he carrying a grudge? Or was Joseph anxious and defensive, turned into a hoarder because he believed Pharaoh’s myth that food would run out?

When Joseph saw his brothers begging for food, he recognized the longing they all shared for a family reunion. Hugging, kissing, crying, they gave themselves to one another. They realized they did not have to look out for self-interest, that they could risk loving one another because God’s abundant grace would be enough for them, even enough to free them from their guilt. The hungry brothers wanted to be rid of their guilt about

the family squabble. Joseph wanted to be rid of his guilt for not sending for his brothers in their crisis, wanted to be released from the isolation created by Pharaoh’s nightmare of scarcity. Joseph and his brothers needed one another. In giving themselves to one another, their hungers were fed and their longings were met.

Isn’t this what happens for us through the grace given to us in baptism? We are brought into the family where we renounce evil, where we become part of God’s story of reconciliation, where our relationships are redefined, where God’s blessings are sustained for all, where we give ourselves to one another. Then as we gather at the Lord’s Table, we receive from one another the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. Forgiveness is offered and forgiveness is received. It is a family reunion.

Our sacraments define us as God’s family. Let us celebrate and rejoice!

L a u r a M e n d e n h a L L

2 VANTAGe Summer 2008

PrESidENT’S MESSaGE

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Martha Moore-Keish Receives Lilly Grant

th e as s o c i a t i o n o f th e o L o g i c a L sc h o o L s (ats) has awarded a Lilly Theological Scholars Grant to Martha Moore-Keish, assistant professor of theology. Her project is titled Eucharist and Puja: Exploring Eucharistic Theology and the Practice in South India.

Moore-Keish’s project recognizes America’s shifting religious scene and U.S. churches’ strong interest in sacramental renewal. She will explore the complex relationships between Eucharist and culture in new ways and plans to visit south India to investigate Eucharistic theology and practice there.

Her research will include reading theological works not readily available outside of South Asia, and will focus on observing and engaging in Eucharistic practices, as well as talking with contemporary Indian Christian scholars about Eucharistic practice and reflection. She says that she hopes to bring back fresh perspectives on the cultural and sacramental questions that face U.S. Christians today.

Moore-Keish is one of 25 recipients of a Lilly Theological Scholars Grant for 2008-2009. The grant program is supported by the Lilly Endowment Inc. This is the eleventh year ATS has awarded the grants.

Communion plate, ca. 1878. Menefee Memorial Presbyterian Church, Owingsville, KY. Image published with permission of Presbytery of Transylvania. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

CoVer ArT by DANA mATThewSBaptismal Font Under Shelter. 16 x 20, black and white silver gelatin print with oil paint

Dana Matthews is a partner in Vintage Vignettes Photography Studio, Brooklyn, NY. She is a graduate of The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and has an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been featured in dozens of solo and group exhibitions across

the country. The cover image and others throughout this issue of Vantage are used with her permission. These photographs of outdoor baptismal fonts were taken between 1985 and 1992 in the black-belt region of Alabama. She writes: “Towards the end of my project, the fonts were becoming scarce as baptisms were being moved indoors into a more ‘civilized’ setting, and the fonts were being covered in dirt. I suspect there are no more fonts left standing at this time.”

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NEW iSSuE Of ONliNE JOurNal availablE NOW!

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VANTAGe Summer 2008 3

receives Grant to Advance Korean American ministry

th e ca Lv i n in s t i t u t e o f ch r i s t i a n Wo r s h i p ,

Grand Rapids, MI, has awarded a $15,000 Worship Renewal

Grant to Paul Huh, assistant professor of worship and director of

Korean American Ministries. Huh will develop worship and music

conferences for Korean American pastors, lay people, and children.

The conferences will help pastors and other church leaders to design

and experience cross-generational and multi-cultural liturgy that

follows the church year and sacramental theology.

As part of Columbia’s new Korean American ministries

program, the conferences will be offered through the seminary’s

Center for Lifelong Learning. The new program aims to bring

Korean and American cultures and languages together in worship.

This is important, says Huh, because worship for first- and second-

generation Korean Americans is usually compartmentalized.

The faculty has released a new issue of its free online

journal, @ this point: theological investigations in

church and culture. This issue, which includes a video

component, is titled “The Seductiveness of the Familiar.”

Contributors focus on how our desire to live a faithful

life often conflicts with the family structures and culture

in which we live. Viewers can see and hear Professor

emeritus erskine Clarke introduce the topic. Video clips

also show selected viewers responding to questions

about the topic. lesson plans continue to be provided for

adult class use.

Developed with church members in mind and

published twice a year, @ this point is free and available

only online at www.atthispoint.net. All the content

can be downloaded and reproduced without charge.

Sign up for our e-mailing list so that we can notify you

about new issues and announcements.

each issue of @ this point focuses on a particular

topic from the perspective of a variety of theological

disciplines and includes a lead article, response articles,

and teaching resources to guide further discussion.

ColumbiA SemiNAry oFFerS lAy leADer TrAiNiNG CourSeS

coLuMbia theoLogicaL seMinary’s center for LifeLong Learning now offers three courses for missional leaders of immigrant new church developments. The courses are offered through the Lay Leader Training Certificate Program (LLTP), a partnership of the seminary and the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. Two of the courses, Presbyterian History and Polity and The Sacraments: Theology and Practice, are part of LLTP’S English track. Introduction to New Church Development is part of the program’s Spanish track. Classes meet on the seminary campus in Decatur.

Columbia’s LLTP is available in three tracks—Spanish, Portuguese and English—with a fourth track soon to be offered in Korean. For more information about the program and cost, please contact the coordinator for the track that you are interested in: English or Portuguese—the Rev. D. Lucas de Paiva Pina, [email protected], 770-402-0402; Spanish—the Rev. Nelson Donado, [email protected], 404-209-0830. Dr. Paul Huh, assistant professor of ministry and director of Korean American ministries, is planning the Korean Lay Leader Training Program.

it’s always touching to see someone baptized, but it has been very challenging for Presbyterians to see adult baptisms nowadays. My presbytery reported nine adult baptisms in 2007, and three of them were from my congregation. i was thankful as well as troubled for the result.

JooN lee ’94

Communion cups and trays. armstrong Memorial Presbyterian Church, Gastonia, NC. Image published with permission of Presbytery of Western North Carolina. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

Paul huh


wo r k i n g o n a n a r t i c L e for The Atlanta Journal Constitution, religion writer Moira Bucciarelli sought a local expert to bring clarity to the complex subject of religious sacraments. Perhaps expecting a dry academic interview, Bucciarelli seemed surprised by what she found in Martha Moore-Keish, Columbia’s assistant professor of theology. Her article, “Unity Through Sacraments,” began: “Take one look at Martha Moore-Keish—the black leather jacket, the blue Converse sneakers, the wide-mouthed laugh—and the first thing that comes to mind is not liturgical theologian. Yet that is Moore-Keish’s vocation.”

Martha’s commitment to liturgical theology is not limited to the classroom on our campus. On the national level, she is an active participant in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Reformed-Catholic dialogue. Internationally Martha is the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s theologian on the Commission of Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva. As Bucciarelli noted, Martha is “one of only a few women at either table.” Following is an excerpt from their interview about Martha’s work with the WCC:

aN iNTErviEW WiTh MarTha MOOrE-KEiSh

Baptism Font.Dana Matthews, Newburne, AL.

uNiTy ThrouGh

God’s grace in a few crumbs. all of creation sits at the same table and shares the same meal. lovers, strangers and enemies rub elbows, pass the loaf, and say, “This is Christ’s body broken for you.” Suddenly we are in community with those whom we seek and those whom we avoid.

meG FlANNAGAN ’06


Once a very sick, non-church person with aidS requested to be baptized by immersion in a private ceremony. When he couldn’t climb the stairs to the baptismal pool i sprinkled him. No problem there. The church had been kicked out of its association decades ago for not requiring immersion. The idea of baptizing a non-member in a private ceremony, however, bothered me. Sometimes (perhaps all the time) we need to throw out our “precious theology” and our rigid ritual requirements.

ChriS AyerS (DmiN ’97)

Communion set. francis borel Mayes Papers.The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

What is the goal of your work on baptism?The goal is to move to mutual recognition of baptism,

and to help all churches see in other denominations a faithful expression of what it means to be a Christian.

What does that mean in practice? What power will your document have?

The document will be commended to member churches as a study and teaching document, not a policy document. The WCC has no power to

make policy in the churches, it’s there to facilitate conversation and cooperation between the denominations.

Can you tell us why sacramental unity matters?It’s important because unity in the sacraments helps the world to see the church as a more credible witness.

Too often people see isolated church communities that are more interested in fighting each other than working together. When the church makes the news, it’s about scandal, one church denouncing another, or a church splitting. So the movement toward sacramental unity is an attempt to say: All of that is tragic and true, but it’s not all there is.

Was there ever a breakthrough moment in your work on baptism?There was one in 2001, when we discussed that we all—Baptists, Orthodox, Catholic, Reformed and others—

thought about baptism not as an isolated moment where water is on the body, but as a larger process of formation through a lifetime; that sense of growth and nurture is shared by all Christians, even though they may differ on how they place the event of baptism itself.

how does your work address those real differences, like baptists who believe baptism requires a public profession of faith?

The understanding of Christian unity is no longer uniformity, but unity in diversity. So the goal is not to reduce everything to the lowest common denominator, but to say: We share a common goal, which in this case is mutual recognition of baptism; but we acknowledge that people do baptism differently.

In my WCC work, there are Baptist communions who say they regard infant baptism as irregular, but that if we reach mutual recognition, some will agree to recognize the baptism and not rebaptize. And that is really happening. There are churches around the world that are taking that step. Because in that case, the move is to look at the larger pattern of baptism I mentioned earlier. That understanding makes it easier for adherents to adult baptism and infant baptism to see common ground.

Excerpts from Moira Bucciarelli’s article on Martha Moore-Keish are reprinted with permission from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, copyright 2008.

Chaplain’s communion set, furnished by the Committee on Chaplains of the Presbyterian Church in the united States. James lewis russell Papers. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

“i W a s s o r a v i s h e d W i t h t h e Lo v e o f ch r i s t t h a t n i g h t t h a t i c o u L d s L e e p L i t t L e , and all next Morning and day, I was in the same frame . . . All the rest of that week, I continued rejoicing in the near views of the Sacrament in that Place, hoping I would then get my Interest in Christ and my Marriage Covenant with him sealed there.” So wrote Catherine Cameron, after worshiping at a sacramental revival in Cambuslang, Scotland, in 1742.

In his book Holy Fairs: Scotland and the Making of American Revivalism, Leigh Eric Schmidt argues that the roots of American revivalism can be found in the Scots-Irish sacramental occasions of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. So what sort of eucharistic theology was at work in the midst of these events that were marked by emotionalism and enthusiasm?

A significant element of this theology was the use of language from the Song of Songs, as well as other biblical marital imagery, to describe, as did Catherine Cameron, the believer’s union with Christ in communion. Studying medieval writers, along with Calvin, Scottish preachers and worshipers, and American sources, I have found that these American sacramental occasions exhibited a eucharistic theology solidly Reformed. They also included a mystical strain expressed within the context of frontier revivalism. Along with Calvin, who believed that union with

Christ was the goal of the Christian life, frontier revival preachers sought to woo communicants with the language of love, promising union, faithfulness, and the fulfillment of longing.

Revival Meeting.Courtesy of New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford, MA.

Communion plate. St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, St. Paul’s, NC. Image published with permission of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church.The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.


i was dirty from insurmountable acts of sin. My father used his spiritual soap of the holy Spirit and holy water to wash me. God washed my face, behind my ears, and the hard to reach areas of my soul. i am clean and transformed forever by God’s Grace.

ANGelA boyD-wyATT mATS ’04

rAViSheD wiTh The loVe oF ChriST The eucharistic Theology of the American holy Fairs

bY KiMbErlY braCKEN lONG


That there were such things as “Holy Fairs” may surprise many of us Presbyterians who grew up in churches where the Lord’s Supper was served. We were taught that the practice of quarterly communion came from our Scots-Irish tradition, with no mention of sacramental festivals.

Ironically the steadily declining lack of communion observances in Scotland contributed to the rise of the sacramental occasions. In spite of official prescriptions of monthly or quarterly observances, Scottish Presbyterians celebrated the sacrament less frequently, even to the extent of lapsing for several years. As celebrations grew less frequent and annual sacraments became more common, the festival quality re-emerged. From May to October, worshipers and revelers from around the Scottish countryside would make their way from kirk to kirk, celebrating the harvest and renewing ties with family and friends. For many it was their annual time of spiritual renewal; for others it was more about social delights than spiritual ones.

Not everyone welcomed these “Holy Fairs.” There was concern that Presbyterian intellectual rigor and the sense of order not be overtaken by the passion and emotion often expressed on these occasions. Still, as Presbyterians today reclaim the centrality of the sacraments, a new embracing of the power of sacraments is in order. While the church need not return to the practices of the American frontier, it must consider how sacramental celebrations might be enriched so that communicants experience spiritual vitality, intellectual understanding, emotional fervor, and physical engagement.

Our worship can also be enriched by the recognition that Presbyterian theology and practice has, from the very start, included a mystical strain. In many Presbyterian services in the United States, worship has been drained of any palpable sense of mystery. The tradition’s strong grounding in intellectual understanding has been a gift to the church, but the gift has come at a dear price. An ongoing conversation between those involved in liturgical matters and those who are engaged in the study of spirituality could yield great rewards for the renewal of Presbyterian worship.

This look back into our history also reminds us that passion is an integral part of vital worship. Perhaps if there is one thing that can be learned from the holy fairs, it is that in the sacraments we are made part of the mystery and passion that is at the heart of the faith—and that union with Christ is not only something to be understood, but experienced—a union of minds, hearts, and wills that leads to the passionate living out of divine love in the world.

Kimberly Bracken Long is assistant professor of worship and coordinator of worship resources for congregations. This article has been adapted from an article by the same name that was published in the journal Call to Worship, volume 39.1, 2005-2006. Long’s dissertation on the topic will be published in the series Studies in Reformed History and Theology (date to be announced).

When i was at Columbia, there was a healthy debate among the theological faculty about the meaning and purpose of infant baptism. unfortunately, i have not heard this sort of debate anywhere else. On the one hand, i was thrilled to present my infant child to the lord for baptism. i love the focus it gives us on God’s grace. On the other hand, i am extremely uncomfortable with the new catechism that claims eternal salvation for all of the baptized. Not only does this deny our need to aCCEPT the grace offered us in Christ, it also means that hitler and Stalin are awaiting us in heaven!

NeAl NeueNSChwANDer ’92

Communion chalice and paten. Gift of E. l. daniel.

Eugene lewis daniel Collection, Columbia Theological Seminary.

Inside of Baptismal Font. Dana Matthews.

For The record


holding a child at baptism while saying, “Though you do not know it yet little one, it was for you that Jesus was born in bethlehem. it was for you he walked among us teaching and healing. it was for you he died and rose again.” i am “graced!”

GeNe lASSiTer ’72

This article is taken from the original published in the journal Call to Worship, vol. 39.4, 2006.

baptism and water Symbolism in Korea bY Paul JuNGGaP huh

an en g L i s h i d i o M , “wet behind the ears,” means “naïve,” alluding to the newly born, recently born, still wet. There is a similar expression in Korean: “When did your ears emerge?” The question is asked to learn one’s birthday and the reply follows, “my ears emerged on such and such a day.” Those who are newly baptized in Jesus’ name are newly born by water and the Spirit. They are also called “wet behind the ears.” Naïve and inexperienced, still wet and full of life, they emerge from the living water. Baptism is the beginning of the church, giving new life, covenant, and promise.

Baptism signifies the birth of the Korean Church. The first Protestant worship recorded in Korea began with the Baptism of Koreans in Manchuria at 1879 by Rev. J. MacIntyre, a missionary of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

As is true in many cultures, stories about the symbolism of water abound in Korea and in the Korean church context. One such story connects baptism as a sacrament of conversion, pardoning, and cleansing with a historical event:

King Sunjo during the Yi dynasty lost a war against Mongolian invaders. The victors took the losers’ wives and servants from the land. A peace treaty later allowed the Korean captives to return home. The newly liberated women couldn’t enter the city wall, however, because of guilt, shame, and rejection by their families. The king decreed that all the returning women should wash their bodies in the river and no questions should be asked about their past. Yet no one dared to enter the river. It wasn’t until the female survivors inside the city wall came out to the riverbank and reached out their hands to the returning captives that they washed in the river together. The divisions were erased. Forgiveness, pardon, and conversion took place along with the washing away of guilt, shame, and denial. The place is now called Hongje (means “wide love”) stream.

In another story, an ancient cultural ritual takes on new meaning for Christian worship and is a reminder that in baptism we are incorporated into the body of Christ:

Ancient Korean mothers started their days early in the morning with a prayer, a lighted candle, and a bowl of fresh water drawn from the well at daybreak. This bowl of water was also used at wedding rituals, the bride and groom exchanging their vows facing the daybreak water and

bowing toward each other for the marital promise. In this ritual, the bowl of water represents heaven and earth. To have a fresh start of the day like dew in the early morning, Korean mothers joined heaven with earth represented by the bowl of water, and prayed that their wish would come true.

Baptism and the birth of the Korean church introduced dawn prayer in relation to this earlier practice of the daybreak ritual. People getting up early before the sun dawned, to gather in the church to worship daily, came from the belief that offering a bowl of fresh water embodies heaven and earth.

Stories and symbols of water represent the faith that even a small mustard seed has restored the sacramental importance of baptism in Korean churches. The Kingdom of God and baptized people of all nations will live in the river of justice overflowing with grace and peace. baptismal bowl.

first Presbyterian Church,Welsh, la. Image published with the church’s permission. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

baptismal bowl.Smith’s Presbyterian Church, Smith’s Turnout, SC. Image published with permission of. Presbytery of Providence. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

as a student at Columbia Seminary one of the things that made the Sacrament of the lord’s Supper special to me was the placement of a simple metal tray and cup on the communion table. Those symbols of the bread and wine were a gift to the seminary by Chaplain Eugene daniel ’36, who had used them to serve communion to allied prisoners of war in a Nazi prison camp during WW ii. Those symbols were especially meaningful to me as some of my fellow airmen from the 8th air force, based in England, had bailed out over Germany and wound up in prison camps. The horror and futility of war was further impressed on me when our b-17 flew deep into Germany in June, 1945, after hostilities had ceased, to a prisoner of war camp. We filled the plane with weak, feeble airmen who had spent many months and years as prisoners and flew them back to England. That simple tray and cup on the table at Columbia Seminary was a symbol of hope to me.

riChArD A. DoDDS ’54

NoTe: An image of this communion set is on page 7.

For The record


looKiNG AT liFe wiTh New CAreFulNeSS

on fe b r u a r y 10, t h e c o n g r e g a t i o n o f fe L L o W s h i p pr e s b y t e r i a n ch u r c h, i n hu n t s v i L L e , aL , honored John Herndon ’85 with a celebration of his full recovery from the near-fatal brain aneurysm he suffered last summer. Their pastor for 22 years, Herndon had to learn to walk and talk again over a period of several months.

Herndon is also a psychophysiologist who had a 20-year career with NASA. His job was to help evaluate prospective astronauts’ physical and mental fitness for space flight. “He was looking at the interplay of influence between mind and body in demanding circumstances,” writes Kay Campbell, Faith and Values editor of The Huntsville Times. Her article on John Herndon, “From NASA to the Pulpit,” was published in the paper’s February 1 edition.

In Campbell’s interview with John Herndon, he noted that “the astronauts who were also believers seemed to have an anchor in optimism that also helped them in their work.” Campbell wrote that “Herndon said his own brush with death has taught him to look at life with a new carefulness and with a sense of how close to death we all are—a parallel to how astronauts treat each space mission.

When you know you’re in danger, you’ll make certain everything is done right,” Herndon said. “Tragedy is always a part of life. I’ve learned to look at life with a sense of urgency, and with a sense of urgency about sharing the good news of the gospel with people.”

We are grateful to Kay Campbell and to Michael Mercier, chief photographer of The Huntsville Times, for allowing us to reprint portions of the article and to use the image of John Herndon.

Communion cup. Greenville Presbyterian Church, donalds, SC.Image published with permission of Greenville Presbyterian Church.The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

Jo h n he r n d o n ’85

Communion cups and tray. hebron Presbyterian Church, Carnesville, Ga.Image published with permission of Hebron Presbyterian Church. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

baptismal bowl.first Presbyterian Church,Welsh, la. Image published with the church’s permission. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

baptismal bowl.Smith’s Presbyterian Church, Smith’s Turnout, SC. Image published with permission of. Presbytery of Providence. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.


For The record

Alumni/ae 1 9 5 0 sRobert Dendy ’57 celebrated 50 years of ministry by returning to churches served in Clarkesville, GA; Galax, VA; and Seneca, SC…..Bill Mounts ’58 celebrated 50 years in ministry…..George Telford ’58 was elected chair of the General Assembly’s Committee on Ecumenical Relations for another four years.

1 9 6 0 sRichard Cushman ’65 retired June 8, 2008 after serving 30 years at Dorchester church, Summerville, SC…..Robert Newman ’61 retired as interim associate pastor of First church, Charleston, WV….. G. “Buddy” Hollyfield ’62 is vice president for development at San Pablo Theological Seminary, Merida, Mexico…..David Scott Hargrove ’66 retired from teaching at University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS…..Bill Hull ’66 retired after 28 years at Kirkwood church, Bradenton, FL…..Marion Boozer ’68 retired as pastor of McCullough church and Whitmire church, Whitmire, SC…..Hunter Coleman ’68 retired as pastor of First church, Highlands, NC….. Morris “Skip” Ehrlich ’68 became pastor at First church, Texas City, TX…..Samuel Hale ’68 retired as pastor of Cullowhee church, Cullowhee, NC…..Carl Schlich ’69 retired as executive presbyter, Savannah (GA) Presbytery.

1 9 7 0 sJames Bumgardner ’70 retired as pastor of Faith church, Laurinburg, NC…..William Hunt ’70, retired as chief administrative officer, Hunt County Shared Ministries, Inc., Greenville, TX…..Ernie Johnson ’72 began his 17th year as minister of Highland church, Fayetteville, NC…..Caroline Leach ’72 and Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe ’75 received the Peacemaking Award from the Peacemaking Committee of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, GA….. Ralph Aker ’75 is interim pastor at College Park church, Orlando, FL….. David Anderson ’76…..retired and lives in Hermitage, TN…..Lib McGregor Simmons ’79 is pastor of Davidson College church, Davidson, NC.

1 9 8 0 sBuren Blankenship ’80 is pastor of Trinity church, Starkville, MS….. Ira Howard (DMin ’85) and his wife, Shirley, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary…..Mary Huie-Jolly ’86 returned to Decatur, GA, after serving as professor of New Testament at Knox College in New Zealand…..Frederick Talbot (DMin ’87) received the Lux et Veritas award from Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT, for “applying the compassion of Christ to the diverse needs of the human condition through the wider church and other organizations;” received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA.

1 9 9 0 sMark Downs ’92 is pastor at Heights church, Houston, TX…..Kyle Fedler ’92, associate professor and chair of the religion department at Ashland University, Ashland, OH, received the university’s 2008 Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award…..Bill Owens ’92 is interim pastor of Richwood church, Richwood, KY…..Nancy Cooper ’93 became chaplain at Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Life Care Center, Wilmington, NC…..Becky Downs ’93 became parish associate at Southminster church, Missouri City, TX….. John Hinkle ’94 is senior pastor and head of staff at First church, Murfreesboro, TN…..Matthew Trask ’94 is pastor of Antioch church, Red Springs, NC…..Bak Sungkon ’95 is senior pastor of Junjung church Junju City, Chollabukdo, South Korea….. Calvin Gittner ’96 is pastor at Port Orange church, Port Orange, FL…..Robert Henderson (DMin ’96) became senior minister at Covenant church, Charlotte, NC….. Beverly Thompson ’96 teaches at Interdenominational Theological Center; and serves as parish associate at Dahlonega church, Dahlonega, GA…..Ann Aichinger (ThM ’97) and husband….. Frank Aichinger (DMin ’97) are co-organizing pastors of a new church development in Conover, NC…..Jim Cook ’97 was elected moderator of Buchan Presbytery, northeast Scotland…..Sandy Hill ’97 retired as pastor of Church of the Good Shepherd, Melbourne, FL….. Herman Yoos (DMin ’97) was elected to a six-year term as Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, South Carolina Synod…..Todd Green ’98 was appointed visiting assistant professor of religion at Luther College, Decorah, IA …..Pam Leach ’98 was ordained at First church, Tyler, TX and serves as associate pastor of pastoral care…..Ralph Hawkins ’99 became pastor at New Wilmington church, New Wilmington, PA.

2 0 0 0 sJim Simpson (DMin ’00) is director of church relations at Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC…..Bea Edwards Copeland ’01 is associate pastor at Faith church, Tallahassee, FL…..Brian Copeland ’01 works with an architectural firm in Tallahassee, FL…..Grant MacLean (DMin ’02) became spiritual care coordinator at Hospice of North Idaho, Hayden, ID…..Eric Dillenbeck ’03 will be associate pastor for faith formation and congregational life at Fairmount church, Cleveland Heights, OH…..Roger Courtney Krueger (DMin ’03) won the Baptist History and Heritage Society’s 2008 Baptist Heritage Preaching contest with a sermon titled “Until Moss Grows on My Eyebrows”; and preached his winning sermon at the society’s annual meeting, in Atlanta, GA…..Hope Italiano Lee ’03 received her Doctor of Ministry degree in homiletics from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA…..Martin Nabor (DMin ’03) was elected to a five-year term as chair of the Northern Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church

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hundreds of periodicals and journals.

Contact the library reference Desk at 404-687-4620 or ref-desk@

ctsnet.edu for a proprietary user name and password that identifies you

as a Columbia graduate. Then go to http://search.atlaonline.com.

Since early 2006, the library has offered the ATlAS database

exclusively to alumni/ae. This opportunity is made possible by the library’s

participation in a program of the American Theological library Association

(ATlA). There is no charge for this service to alumni/ae; however, you

will be asked to provide feedback on how ATlAS can be of use in your

congregation and ministry.

When i think of a theology of our two sacraments, i always recall a sermon i heard while i was at CTS... “We’re born Once; We Get hungry Often”

rAymoND GuTermAN (DmiN ’80)

Communion pitcher and cup. Tattnall Square Presbyterian

Church, Macon, Ga.Image published with permission of

Tattnall Square Presbyterian Church. The Montreat Collection,

C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives,

John Bulow Campbell Library.


For The record

of Ghana in West Africa…..Brad Clayton ’04 is associate pastor at Avondale church, Charlotte, NC…..Greg Moore ’04 is stated supply at Trinity church, Canton, GA…..Elizabeth Parker Pang ’04 is stated supply at First church, Copperas Cove, TX…..Jin Kim (DMin ’05) will preach at the 218th General Assembly, San Jose, CA, and this summer will lead the first Princeton Institute for Multicultural Ministry, Princeton, NJ…..Glen Kohlhagen ’05 is pulpit supply pastor for Washington church, Washington, GA…..Susan Smith ’04 is pastor at Mt. Zion church, Sandy Springs, SC…..Matt Schlageter ’05 is staff chaplain at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Nashville, TN…..Meg Flannagan ’06 is associate pastor at First church in Clarkesville, TN, and serves with David Forney, the congregation’s pastor and former associate dean of the faculty at Columbia…..Oliver “Ollie” Wagner (DMin ’06) is pastor of Alpharetta church, Alpharetta, GA…..Michael York ’06 is associate pastor of Alpharetta church, Alpharetta, GA …..Sara Varnado ’07 works with a non-profit organization in Nashville, TN…..Jo Anderson ’07 is associate pastor for music and care at Roswell church, Roswell, GA…..Ryan Baer ’07 received a call to Lakeside church, West Palm Beach, FL…..Christine Hill ’07 entered the Presbytery of Charlotte, NC; and serves as temporary supply pastor at Bethel church, Cornelius, NC…..Jeremy Wilhelmi ’07 is associate pastor to youth and families at Canyon Creek church, Richardson, TX.

Blessed EventsStephanie Boardman Anthony ’02 and Phillip Anthony a son, William Phillip Anthony, June 14, 2007

Megan Watson ’03 and Scott Watson a son, James Ian, April 20, 2007

Abby Cole Keller ’06 and Josh Keller a daughter, Katy Jean Keller, May 16, 2008

Daren Hofmann ’07 and Sarah Hofmann a son, James Herbert Hofmann, May 10, 2008

In MemoriamJAmeS hoGe SmiTh, Jr. ’42 , April 15, 2008J . w. SToNebrAKer ’50 , March 13, 2008williAm C . rhoDeS ’52 , April 2, 2008JoSePh C . wAGNer ’52 , January 6, 2008ruSSell b. morGAN ’86 , Nov. 18, 2007mAry CriST browN ’96 , May 27, 2008DAViD FelToN ’05 , June 23, 2008

Faculty and StaffGenie Hambrick, director of communications, co-led a workshop on “Seminary Sunday” with David Evans of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary at the annual meeting of the Committee on Theological Education/Fund for Theological Education……William Brown, professor of Old Testament, led

a week-long program called “The Spiritualities of Creation” for Columbia’s Certificate Program in Spirituality; preached at Decatur (GA) church; preached on Earth Sabbath Sunday at Edgewood church, Birmingham, AL; preached at North Decatur (GA) church for Creation Care Sunday……Walter Brueggemann, emeritus professor of Old

Testament, is the author of Prayers for a Privileged People published by Abingdon Press; his book Spirituality of the Psalms, was published in Hungarian as A Zsoltárok Könyvében by Kálvin János Kiadója, Budapest, Hungary; had articles published in Political Theology and The Catholic Biblical Quarterly; lectured at Mt. Vernon Nazarene

University, Mt. Vernon, OH; addressed Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, Trinity church, and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, GA; lectured at Goodson Academy for Preaching, Blackstone, VA; preached and lectured at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Colorado Springs, CO; lectured at the Festival of Homiletics, Minneapolis, MN……Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81, director of alumni/ae and church relations, led a men’s retreat on Henri J.W. Nouwen’s Life of the Beloved, for St. Charles Avenue church, New Orleans, LA; led a five part study called “Resurrection Appearances……Sights for Sore Eyes,” for Eastertide on Wednesday

nights at First church, Athens, GA……Dent Davis (DMin ’89), dean and vice president for Lifelong Learning, participated in the spring meeting of the Christian Educator Certification Council of the National Ministries Division of the PC (USA); attended the annual conference of the Society for the Advancement of Continuing

Education in Ministry (SACEM) and was elected president for 2008-9; published “Dialogue of the Soul: The Phenomenon of Intrapersonal Peace and the Adult Experience of Protestant Religious Education” in Religious Education; taught at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Atlanta, GA; delivered the McGeachy Lectures at Peace Memorial church, Clearwater FL; led a spiritual formation retreat for the Tryon (NC) church……Sarah Erickson ’03, associate director, Center for

Lifelong Learning, designed Winter 2008 Older Youth curriculum, unit 1, “We Believe,” and unit 2, “Preparation for Holiness”; selected to serve as curriculum writer for The Present Word, sessions 1-13 for Summer 2010 with Jill Patterson Tolbert ’07; led worship at Bremen (GA) church and Jonesboro (GA) church; participated in

Lenten Taize service; served as liturgist and taught at North Decatur (GA) church, Decatur, GA……Steve Hayner, Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth, published an article titled “The Protagonist Corner,” for Journal for Preachers (Pentecost 2008); taught a class series on “The Post-resurrection Appearances of Jesus,” at Peachtree church, Atlanta, GA; gave the Board of Trustees: Founder’s Chair Lecture for World Vision International. Seoul, Korea; served as

Communion set. benjamin Morgan Palmer Papers.The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

by god’s grace, on May 18th Palmetto Presbyterian was chartered one year after our first service. We have lOTS of children, so when we baptized our first baby (luke Martin) in this year of “firsts,” once again we witnessed through baptism, “an outward sign of God’s marvelous grace in our community.”

miKe FiTze ’91 (DmiN ’95)


For The record

chairman of the board at the board meeting for the International Justice Mission, Washington, DC; served as a trustee at World Vision USA’s board meeting, Pittsburgh, PA; preached on “The Missional Church” for Leadership Weekend at First church, Monroe, LA……Linda Morningstar (MATS ’93), associate

director, Center for Lifelong Learning, spoke on “Blessed Feet,” at the women’s spring weekend retreat for Northminster church, Roswell, GA……Rodger Nishioka, associate professor of Christian education, preached at First church, Nashville, TN; gave the keynote address at the Presbytery of Chicago leadership event; lectured on

vocation for the Youth Theological Initiative at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA; preached at Hillsboro church, Nashville, TN; lectured at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH; led youth group at Heritage church, Acworth, GA; preached at the Spiritual Enrichment weekend for Lake Murray church, Chapin, SC……Kathleen O’Connor, William Marcellus McPheeters

Professor of Old Testament, taught a Sunday school class at Trinity church, Atlanta, GA; published an article, “Lamenting Back to Life,” in Interpretation; attended a Council of the Society of Biblical Literature meeting and responded to a paper on the violence of God in the prophets of Old Testament Colloquium, St. John’s Abbey,

Collegeville, MN……Marcia Riggs, J. Erskine Love Professor of Christian Ethics, published an article titled “Education That Promotes Peace and Justice” in To Do Justice: A Guide for Progressive Christians, for John Knox Westminster; spoke on “Middle Passages: A Conversational Conference on Religion in the African Diaspora” at Yale University Divinity School, New Haven, CT……Jeffery Tribble, assistant professor of ministry, reviewed the book “Multiple Paths to Ministry: New

Models for Theological Education,” for Teaching Theology and Religion, Blackwell Publishing; served as a proposal consultant for the Fund for Theological Education’s Ministry Fellowship Program and as a mentor scholar for their Calling Congregations program; was elected secretary-treasurer of the executive committee at the

biennial meeting of the Association of Practical Theology for 2008-2010 at St. John’s University, Queens, NY; preached and taught regularly at the New Vision A.M.E. Zion Church, Suwanee, GA, a new church development of the Georgia Conference of the A.M.E. Zion Church.….Christine Roy Yoder, associate professor of Old Testament, taught a course on Proverbs at Trinity church, Atlanta, GA, officiated at the wedding of Davis Hankins and Stephanie Coble, Lake Toxaway, NC; taught at the “Festival of Women in Worship and Education,” at Central church, Atlanta, GA; served as Bible study leader at the Worship and Music Conference, Montreat, NC; led a Bible study at the Church Unbound Conference, Montreat, NC.

StudentsDavid Rogers ’09 preached at St. Andrews church, Tucker, GA, and organized and led a children’s and youth service celebrating the liturgical year for that congregation; also co-chaired the 50th anniversary steering committee at Shallowford church, Atlanta, GA……Jim Yao ’09 co-presided at Loyd church, La Grange, GA;

preached at Calvary church, Marietta, GA……Nancy Meehan Yao ’09 co-presided at Loyd church, La Grange, GA.

TransitionsGoDSPeeD!

Richard Blake, public services librarian, has accepted a position as the librarian for graduate and professional studies and health sciences at Waynesburg University, a Presbyterian-related institution, in Waynesburg, PA. Richard has been on the Campbell Library staff for seven and a half years, and a multitude of faculty, students, and

staff have come to depend on him for reference and research assistance. His last day at Columbia will be August 1.

Erskine Clarke, professor of American religious history, has been named professor emeritus, effective with his retirement from the faculty this summer. An internationally acclaimed historian, author, lecturer, and consultant, he joined the seminary faculty in 1973. He and his wife, the former Nancy Legare Warren, have moved to

Montreat, NC. He will continue writing and lecturing on slavery and religion in the American South. A tribute to Erskine Clarke, written by Walter Brueggemann, will be published in the fall issue of Vantage.

CoNGrATulATioNS!

( P i C T u r e D, l e F T To r i G h T )

Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi has been promoted to professor of World Christianity.

Kathy Dawson has been promoted to associate professor of Christian education and granted tenure.

Rodger Nishioka, associate professor of Christian education, has been awarded tenure.

Haruko Nawata Ward has been promoted to associate professor of church history and granted tenure.

John White has been reappointed to a second three-year term as dean of students/vice president for student services.

in baptism, i’m grateful that God marks us with his mark for life. baptism is something that God does for us, imparting promises—in complete contrast to “infant dedication,” where some say something to God, but do not deign to claim God’s promise.

mArK JumPer ’82

Communion cups.Providence Presbyterian Church, Oxford, KY.Image published with permission of Presbytery of Transylvania.The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.


For The record

in preparing to lead at Table for the very first time after ordination, i found these priceless words in our book of Order, W-2.4011a... “Even one who doubts or whose trust is wavering may come to the table to be assured of God’s love and grace in Christ Jesus.” i continue to use this message whenever i have the privilege of breaking bread with God’s people.

Joel l . TolberT ’05

Easter Sunrisea clearing in the CongoThe Table is a tree stumpThe choir is everybodyThe offering is one ear of cornThe ancient woman danced as she laid her gift on the stumpKool aide and african bread are consecrated and sharedhe is risen indeed!

beN mATheS ’78

The lord’s Supper is a powerful vehicle for reconciliation. it’s humbling and holy. When you look someone in the eyes and say, “The body of Christ, broken for you,” animosity and resentment begin to fall away like the crumbs on the floor.

Cory S. SToTT ’06

in the role of minister for pastoral care, i often share Communion with the home/hospital bound. from bedsides to family rooms to porches i witness tension melt away and tears often form for the homebound, blind, crippled, accident victim or dying. The holy Spirit administers living grace.

Tyler DowNiNG ’84

i am struck by how stingy we’ve become with the elements at the lord’s Table. if only the feast could reflect God’s abundant favor and boundless generosity to us. Supersize me! let us magnify God together and being fed, enlarge our witness in a hurting and fearful world.

KAreN Jolly ’06

The Celebration of the lord’s Supper focuses the gathered community on the centrality of the lordship of Christ in our lives. There is no other lord. Whenever i officiate at the Supper, along with reminding folks that this is not the Presbyterian, baptist, Methodist...table, i also say this is not the republican, democratic, libertarian or independent table.

J im wATKiNS ’71 (DmiN ’75)

i find the simplicity in which our sacraments are administered meaningful. They are free from aids, props, or “psychological nostrums.” i recently moved a Maundy Thursday communion service from the fellowship hall into the sanctuary. feedback indicated the simplicity moved worshippers closer to God.

SiD leAK ’83

Communion cup. richland Presbyterian Church, Eastover, SC. Image printed with permission of Richland Presbyterian Church.The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

Communion cups and tray. hazelwood Presbyterian Church, hazelwood, NC.Image printed with permission of Presbytery of Western Carolina.The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

(AboVe, leFT) Communion pitcher, 1896. Calvary Presbyterian Church, Jeanerette, la. Image published with permission of First Presbyterian Church of Iberia Parish, New Iberia, LA. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library. (AboVe, riGhT) Communion pitcher and cups. Midway Presbyterian Church, anderson, SC. Image published with permission of Midway Presbyterian Church. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

( b e l o w ) Communion cup.Townville Presbyterian Church, Townville, SC. Image published with permission of Townville Presbyterian Church.The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.


eventsl i F e l o N G l e A r N i N G

For more information about opportunities listed below, to register online, or to download a registration form, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learners

(in the top navigation bar). Then click on the dates of the courses and events you wish to attend. You may also call the registrar, Pat Roper, at 404-687-4587, for more information or to register by phone. Unless otherwise noted, events take place on the seminary campus, in Decatur, GA. Some events listed below require registration through the Presbyterian Board of Pensions. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for most events. Inquire at time of registration/event sign in.

august 4–6 Jubilee! luke’s Gospel for the Poor. Presbyterian Women’s Bible Study Training (weekday course). The Gospel of Luke contains stories that show the mission of Jesus to be the revelation of the beginning of the Messianic Age—a celebration of God’s jubilee for all people. In this course, we will examine the idea of jubilee, and the response Jesus received in his ministry. Designed for women who will be teaching this series, this workshop is open to anyone interested in this topic. Leader: Dale Lindsay Morgan, author of the 2008-2009 Horizons Bible study. $90 (includes 3 lunches).

august 8–9 Jubilee! luke’s Gospel for the Poor. Presbyterian Women’s Bible Study Training. See description above. Leader: Rebecca Parker. $70 (includes lunch).

august 22–23 Programming with a Plan: intentional Youth Ministry. In this Youth Leadership Ministry Initiative (YMLI) event, participants will examine various planning approaches and have the opportunity to assess their own programs. Offered in conjunction with the Youth Ministry Certificate, but anyone may attend. Leaders: Lynne Turnage and Eric Dillenbeck. Facilitators: Sarah Erickson and Neema Cyrus Franklin. $150 (includes 2 meals). On-campus housing additional.

September 6 Church-based Evangelism. Lay Leader Training/English. Using case studies, we will view strategies for corporate congregational witness and address church-based evangelism through such ministries as worship, service, pastoral care,

Guthrie Scholars, spring 2008: (L to R)

John Gallo ’81, Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81, Richard Gillespie ’80,

and Stephen Williams (DMin ’01).

May 2008. rural Ministry Conference participants. Front (L to R): Sandy Harris, pastor, First Christian Church, Louisburg, KS;

Heather Jepsen, pastor, Community church,Wilbur, WA; Lauren Moore, pastor,

First church, Lake Village, AR; Pat Ireland, pastor, First church, Cottonwood Falls,

KS; Nancy Oehler Love, pastor, United Church of Crawfordsville, Crawfordsville, IA;

Melanie Crawford, associate general presbyter, Presbytery of Northern Kansas; Marilyn

Wullshleger, Rural Ministry Fellow and pastor of Memorial church, Marysville, KS;

First church, Frankfurt, KS; and First United church, Washington, KS.

Middle (L to R): David Meerse, interim general presbyter, Missouri Union Presbytery;

Pat Roller, pastor,Tri-Counties Specialized Ministries, Otterville, MO; Bill McLean,

pastor, First church, Delphi, IN; Geoff Hubbard, pastor, Cool Spring church, Thaxton,

VA; Jeanette Mater, pastor, McVeytown church, McVeytown, PA; David Garth, pastor,

South Plains church, Keswick, VA.

Back (L to R): Tom Youngblood,

student, Memphis Theological

Seminary, Disciples of Christ Christian

Church, Decatur, AL; Chuck Traylor,

executive presbyter, Presbytery of the

Northern Plains; Shannon Jung,

conference leader and Professor of

Town and Country Ministries, Saint

Paul School of Theology; Penny Frame,

commissioned lay pastor, Canton First

church, Canton, IL; Roy Brewton ’81,

stated supply pastor, Caswell church,

Atkinson, NC.


eventsl i F e l o N G l e A r N i N G

and new house fellowship groups. To enroll, you must be a paid registrant in the certification program. Leader: Ray G. Jones. $50 residents in tri-presbytery (Greater Atlanta, Cherokee, Northeast Georgia); $100 outside tri-presbytery area ($75 each additional person from same presbytery). Textbooks not included in fee.

September 7–12 islam Explored: Selected Stories and Spiritualities in a living faith. Explore the life of the Prophet, spiritual leaders, lay spirituality, and current promises and challenges of the Christian-Muslim dialogue. The course provides participants with a comparative approach to spirituality—Islamic and Christian—not only by the use of historical material, but through inter-religious conversations with Muslim scholars and leaders of the Atlanta community. Leader: Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi. $350. This is a course in the Certificate in Spiritual Formation program, but everyone is welcome.

September 15–17 Growing into Tomorrow….Today. A retirement planning seminar for Board of Pensions benefit plan members. No charge (on-campus meals and housing are extra). Contact the Board of Pensions to register: [email protected] or 800-773-7752, ext. 7223.

September 18 Getting in Shape fiscally. Clergy and lay benefits plan members under age 50 will discover ways to coordinate coverage and personal finances to maximum advantage. This seminar fulfills one Seminary Debt Assistance Grant application requirement. No charge (on-campus meals and housing are extra). Contact the Board of Pensions to register: [email protected] or 800-773-7752, ext. 7223.

September 19–20 The book of Proverbs: forming “fearers of the lOrd.” A weekend Bible seminar with Old Testament scholar Christine Roy Yoder. What is good for people in life? How do we live wisely and well? How do we teach our children to do so? These are among the age-old questions at the heart of the book of Proverbs. Come explore how the book engages in theological-ethical formation and wrestles astutely with justice, neighborliness, wealth and poverty, the “stranger,” and what it means to “fear the LORD.” $100.

October 10–12 Youth Ministry leadership beginning retreat. This Youth Ministry Leadership Initiative event (YMLI) allows participants to ask important questions about their particular call to youth ministry and youth ministry as a whole. YMLI courses are designed for lay leaders and pastors who are committed to developing strong programs for youth within our churches. Leaders: Rodger Nishioka and Neema Cyrus-Franklin. $150 (includes two meals). On-campus housing additional.

October 12–17 invitation to a deeper Spiritual life (Certificate in Spiritual Formation —Weekend Immersion Experience). Join us for this feast for the soul as you explore the origins of the Christian spiritual tradition. Participants will study the formative elements of biblical, monastic, and Reformed spirituality. There will be an opportunity for personal reflection through guided meditative journaling, exploring one’s own unique journey with the living God. Community and practical application of acquired knowledge are also part of this experience. This course is the starting place for the Certificate in Spiritual Formation. Occasional students are welcome. Leaders: CTS Faculty. $400.

October 23–25 God in Ordinary Time: faith Practices for Today. Christian practice is a hot topic right now, as individuals and congregations re-discover the value of walking labyrinths, going on pilgrimages, hammering nails, and keeping prayer journals. In this weekend course, participants will explore some of the reasons why physical practice strengthens the human spirit in ways that mental exercise can only envy, as they experiment with new and old practices for deepening faith day by day. Leader: Barbara Brown Taylor. $150; (includes Friday and Saturday lunch). On-campus housing additional.

October 23–26 Spiritual leadership. Certificate in Spiritual Formation course at Montreat Conference Center. What is spiritual leadership, and what are the characteristics of an effective spiritual leader? How does the Holy Spirit empower spiritual leaders and what kinds of disciplines are needed? These questions and others will be explored in a lecture/discussion format during this course. Participants will have time to reflect on their own leadership settings and be encouraged to write a personal Rule of Life that can help them be better spiritual leaders. This course will be widely focused and helpful to persons growing into spiritual leadership within and outside church settings. Leader: Joan Gray. $378.

October 27–31 Guthrie Scholars. The Guthrie Scholars Program is a learning opportunity offered twice a year on an application basis. Guthrie Scholars are invited to the campus to pursue a topic of their choice that engages a pressing issue of the church from a Reformed perspective. The seminary covers all costs, except travel. For more information, visit www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learners > Special Programs.

November 1 Spiritual Gifts and Ministry (Lay Leader Training/English). This course is designed for lay leaders and ordained pastors interested in discovering their spiritual gifts and ministries, and how to use them in a new church development setting. Leader: Lucas de Paiva Pina. To enroll, you must be a paid registrant in the certification program. $50 residents in tri-presbytery (Greater Atlanta, Cherokee, Northeast Georgia); $100 outside tri-presbytery area ($75 each additional person from same presbytery). Textbooks not included in fee.

November 9–14 Contemplation through the ages. Certificate in Spiritual Formation course at the Calvin Center, Hampton, GA. This course will examine four classics in contemplation from different historic periods. Participants will engage in interactive lectures, sharing in small groups, practicing silence together, and finding solitude in the quiet of retreat center. Leader: Ben Johnson, with Paul and Sarah Lang. $350.

Thompson Scholars 2008. (Front, L to R) Mark Tippin; Marc Andresen;

Karla Fleshman ’99; Karen Berns; (Second Row, L to R) Cory Stott ’06; Ron Hilliard;

Steve Hayner, Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth

(leader); Jeanette Mater; Renée Notkin; Lynda Clements; Sharol Hayner ’06 (leader);

(Back, L to R) Drew Henderson; Bob Merrill; Stephen Fife; Joel Adams; Jerry Deck;

Tom Livengood ’07.

16 VANTAGe Summer 2008 FormATioN | TrANSFormATioN

It was all about triage,” my friend Roger remembers of his days as an air-ambulance helicopter pilot in Vietnam. “If the medic on the ground did a good job identifying patients, we could really save some lives. But if the

medic sent you the wrong guys, it was just a creative way to get shot.”Plenty of pastors must have similar feelings as they consider the

churches they will serve. Some congregations are undeniably healthy. Others face minor challenges, the ecclesiastical equivalent of a sprained ankle or a twisted knee. The remaining churches fall into two categories: those who will die despite our compassion and those who need timely and decisive action to continue living. It’s all about triage: get the equation right and a church just might be saved. Choose wrong and it will likely feel like nothing more than a creative way of getting shot.

Seeking to put resources and leaders where they are needed most, Flint River Presbytery and Columbia Theological Seminary recently formed a partnership for church transformation. Called the Flint River Ministry Initiative, the program works three ways:

1. It provides scholarships for the training of pastors committed to church transformation;

2. It provides three year ministry grants to churches the presbytery has identified as being good candidates for a chance at long-term health and sustainability;

3. It provides customized, responsive coaching and continuing education for both pastors and lay leaders involved in the work of congregational transformation.

Form

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ColumbiA TheoloGiCAl SemiNAry FormS New PArTNerShiP For ChurCh TrANSFormATioN

“The members, officers, staff, and pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Moultrie are making a significant commitment to God and the seminary to help recruit and educate talented women and men to be pastors.

— Hugh Ward ’75 (below, right), pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Moultrie, GA, with Jimmy Jeter, elder.

“

”

by Doug MacMillan, Director of Development

VANTAGe Summer 2008 17FormATioN | TrANSFormATioN

“We’re really hopeful that this partnership will help us strengthen a number of our congregations,” says Paul Luthman, Flint River’s executive presbyter. “We want to see churches emerge from risky situations and thrive.” And early indications are that churches will thrive. A year ago, First Presbyterian Church of Albany, GA, routinely averaged 15 to 25 in worship. Like a grand old lady fallen on hard times, the congregation rattled around in its once prestigious building in the middle of downtown. A year later, things are changing. An infusion of capital has allowed the congregation to call a pastor committed to congregational transformation. Membership has grown by 58 percent in the past 12 months. And though the sanctuary isn’t full yet, close to 100 regularly attend worship. “I look forward to seeing what will happen here,” says Garrett Andrew, pastor of First Presbyterian Church. “It’s exciting to see

hope in people’s eyes.”And hope, it seems, is contagious. Other

congregations around the presbytery have begun joining the effort to fund the Flint River Ministry Initiative. “Well-trained and committed pastoral leadership is key,” says Jimmy Jeter, an elder in First Presbyterian Church of Moultrie, GA. Reflecting those sentiments, Hugh Ward ’75 recently wrote, “The members, officers, staff, and pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Moultrie are making a significant commitment to God and the seminary to help recruit and educate talented women and men to be pastors.”

This is incredibly rewarding work. The needs of the church and the needs of Columbia Seminary cannot be separated, and the Flint River Ministry Initiative makes that link explicit.

I look forward to seeing what will happen here. It’s exciting to see hope in people’s eyes.

— Garrett Andrew (pictured below), pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Albany, GA

“”

Progress in the Campaign for ColumbiaThe partnership with Flint River Presbytery is part of Columbia Theological Seminary’s $60 million Campaign—Formation and Transformation—through which the seminary’s trustees will enhance Columbia’s ability to serve Christ’s church in the 21st century. The graph above gives an update of funds raised to date and the areas to which these gifts are allocated: 1. New faculty and academic programs in critically important subject areas stretched thin

by robust enrollments and by our growing Lifelong Learning programs.

2. Student scholarships and financial aid to offset the financial burden that new pastors carry into ministry.

3. Annual fund gifts to provide direct support to students and strengthen our technology and library resources

4. Upgrade and enhance our classrooms, community spaces, and student residence halls for the growing student body and faculty.

We are blessed that a substantial number of gifts to the campaign have yet to be designated, giving our trustees great flexibility in determining how best to make these investments in our program and campus over the next several years. If you would like to know more about the campaign for Columbia, please contact Richard DuBose, vice president for institutional advancement, at 404.687.4568 or [email protected].

eNDowmeNT$11.7 million

CAPiTAl$8.6 million

oPerATiNG$6.5 million

yeT To be DeSiGNATeD$18.7 million

CAmPAiGN GoAl$60 million

ToTAl AS oF JuNe 30, 2008$45.5 million

VANTAGeVol. 99, No. 4, Summer 2008

Published quarterly by Columbia Theological Seminary

Periodicals postage paid atDecatur, GACirculation: 13,000

The office of institutional Advancement

eDiTor: Genie hambrick

GueST eDiTor: Kim Clayton ’84 (Dmin ’08)

ASSiSTANT eDiTorS: Carol boe, Sarah Chamberlain ’08, Karen Fleming ’08

PhoTo eDiTor: ben beasley ’10

DeSiGN: lucy Ke

CoNTribuTorSChris Ayers (Dmin ’97)richard blakeTroy bronsink ’04moira bucciarellirandy Calvo, Jr. ’81Scott ChesterPam CottrellSue Crannell ’05Tyler Downing ’84richard A. Dodds ’54richard DuboseSarah erickson ’03mike Fitze ’91 (Dmin ’95)meg Flannagan ’06raymond Guterman (Dmin ’80) Alan harvey ’86Paul huhernie Johnson ’72Karen Jolly ’06Gene lassiter ’72Sid leak ’83Joon lee ’94Kim longben mathes ’78Nelda mayslaura mendenhallmartha moore-Keishlinda morningstar (mATS ’98)Neal Neuenschwander ’92Chris Patonbarbara PoeJody SaulsCory S. Stott ’06Joel l. Tolbert ’05Derek wadlington ’07Jim watkins ’71 (Dmin ’75)

Postmaster: Send address changes toVantageColumbia Theological SeminaryP. o. box 520Decatur, GA 30031-0520

PleASe reCyCle After you read this issue of Vantage, pass it along to a friend or colleague, or take it to your neighborhood recycling center.


Take this bread: a radical Conversion by Sara Miles“A love song to the feast at the altar and the feast of a food pantry written with grit, authority and integrity,” says Nora Gallagher about this book. This is the story of how the author lives out her faith through the Eucharistic practice of welcoming everyone to the table by starting a food pantry, not in the fellowship hall, but in the sanctuary of the church around the altar.

do This in remembrance of Meby Martha Moore-KeishIn this book Martha Moore-Keish seeks to place the Reformed tradition in conversation with liturgical theology and ritual theory to move toward a fuller appreciation of the ritual dimension of the Lord’s supper.

ancient Wine, New Wineskins: The lord’s Supper in Old Testament Perspectiveby Jon L. BerquistThis trailblazing volume juxtaposes traditions of faith from the Old Testament with themes of communion I the early church to produce rich new understandings of the eucharist for today’s worshipers.

Torture and Eucharist (Challenges in Contemporary Theology)by William T. CavanaughIn this engrossing analysis, Cavanaugh contends that the Eucharist is the Church’s response to the use of torture as a social discipline.

remember Who You are: baptism as a Model for Christian lifeby William WillimonIn this book baptism is used as a foundation for a larger study of the Christian faith. Willimon explores the significance of the sacrament in day-to-day living and provides a model for living a Christian life. Pastors will find this book especially helpful for new Christians and for confirmation classes.

baptism: a SourcebookEd. By J. Robert Baker, Larry J. Nyberg, and Victoria TufanoThe Sourcebook series of anthologies gathers prose and poetry, hymns and prayers from various times and traditions, all centered on a particular theme, from the seasons of the church year to the foundational moments in the life of a Christian. Each collection offers a treasury of wisdom for use in homilies, prayer services and personal meditation.

Taste the bread: 30 Children’s Sermons on Communion

Touch the Water: 30 Children’s Sermons on baptism

By Phyllis Vos Wezeman, Anna L. Liechty, and Kenneth R. WezemanThese two books are designed for clergy and lay leaders to use in preaching to children from kindergarten through upper elementary school. Using selected Scripture passages, the 30 sermons presented in each book focus on biblical stories and theological themes regarding Holy Communion and Baptism. The authors also include helpful cross reflection for hymns, Scripture, teaching, tools, and themes.

oTher booKS oN SACrAmeNTS To FeATure oN The web SiTe

Christ, baptism, and the lord’s Supper: recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical WorshipBy Leonard Vander ZeeOften the subject of debate, the sacraments are likewise neglected and superficially understood. In this book, Vander Zee not only opens up a Christ-centered approach to the sacraments but also provides guidance on the practical matters that pastors and parishioners face in the pursuit of a renewed and authentic Christian worship.

a More Profound alleluia: Theology and Worship in harmonyLeanne Van Dyke, ed. With a chapter by Martha Moore-Keish, “Eucharist = Eschatology”Each chapter of the book pairs an element of the worship service with related Christian teachings: the opening of worship with the doctrine of the Trinity, confession and assurance with sin and grace, creeds and prayers with ecclesiology, proclamation of the Word with revelation and Christology, Eucharist with eschatology, and the ending of worship with ethics. Structuring the book in this way demonstrates how the great confessions of the faith find their natural expression in worship and how the liturgy in turn finds its corollary in doctrine.

baptism: Christ’s act in the ChurchBy Laurence Hull StookeyThe author concentrates on Protestantism, exploring the Calvinistic Eucharist traditions of the Presbyterians, members of the United Church of Christ, and Methodists (of whatever Wesleyan type). He also provides material pertinent to preaching, study of the Eucharist by laity, and practical local reform that implements recent revision of denominational rites.

Mighty Stories, dangerous rituals: Weaving Together the human and the divineBy Herbert Anderson and Edward FoleyHow can we bring together two of our most powerful vehicles for communication and transformation? Storytelling and ritual making are not merely something that humans do-they are essential for becoming human. Together they enable us to create a world that is both habitable and hospitable. For believers, they are the fundamental means for shaping and sustaining our journey into the Divine.

holy baptism and Services for the renewal of baptism: Supplemental liturigal resource # 2This is a book that develops new services for corporate worship including a Psalter, hymns, and other worship aids. It was assembled by a task force in response to a mandate from the 1981 General Assembly in order to assist the church in discovering a new appreciation for the sacrament of baptism that is central to the church and the Christian life.

Living Sacramentally and Worshipping Through The Sacraments

reCommeNDATioNS From The CTS booKSTore AND FACulTy For your eNriChmeNT AND reADiNG PleASure

by Sue Crannell ’05

books

Communion cup tray. Easley Presbyterian Church, Easley, SC. Image published with permission of Easley Presbyterian Church. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

a gardener may tell you that vegetables s/he has grown taste better. Possibly. Gardening may be likened to preparing to receive the lord’s Supper. Preparing to receive this sacrament of grace using directory for Worship guidelines enables one to appreciate this spiritual food more. definitely! This has been our experience.

AlAN hArVey ’86


®

One of the great privileges of the ministry is being able to administer the sacraments of baptism and the lord’s Supper. Completing this year, my 36th year in the ministry, i have shared the bread and the cup of our lord’s Table and the water from his grace filled font with countless people. These two sacraments are visible evidence of the endless relational depth of God’s love in Christ. They ground us to the Gospel reminding us that we serve a risen lord. They keep us focused on our reformed heritage as Christians. They speak of journey and light our path. They complete our true worship. They are God’s gifts to his church and tangible blessings of God’s grace to all who believe.

erNie JohNSoN ’72

What’s more deconstructive for worshippers than becoming guests at someone else’s party? including us in font and table the incarnate Christ reminds us that church is not the end-user of the water-of-life or bread-of-heaven—while refining our palates to better taste-and-see the kingdom of heaven “out there.”

Troy broNSiNK ’04

Communion cup tray. Easley Presbyterian Church, Easley, SC. Image published with permission of Easley Presbyterian Church. The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

AVAilAble From The CTS bOOKSTOrE

NO. Of COPiES rETail PriCE COluMbia PriCE Prices subject to change herbert anderson and Edward foley MightyStories,DangerousRituals: WeavingTogethertheHumanandtheDivine $18.00 $15.30

Ed. by J. robert baker, larry J. Nyberg, and victoria Tufano Baptism:ASourcebook $18.00 $15.30

Jon l. berquist AncientWine,NewWineskins: TheLord’sSupperinOldTestamentPerspective $22.00 $18.70

William T. Cavanaugh TortureandEucharist(ChallengesinContemporaryTheology) $49.95 $45.00

Martha Moore-Keish DoThisinRemembranceofMe $20.00 $17.00

Sara Miles TakethisBread:ARadicalConversion $14.00 $11.90

laurence hull Stookey Baptism:Christ’sActintheChurch $21.00 $17.85

Phylis vos Wezeman, anna l. liechty, and Kenneth r. Wezeman TastetheBread:30Children’sSermonsonCommunion $10.00 $8.50

TouchtheWater:30Children’sSermonsonBaptism $10.00 $8.50

leonard vander Zee Christ,Baptism,andtheLord’sSupper: RecoveringtheSacramentsforEvangelicalWorship $20.00 $17.00

Ed. by leanne van dyke With a chapter by Martha Moore-Keish AMoreProfoundAlleluia:TheologyandWorshipinHarmony $15.00 $12.75

William Willimon RememberWhoYouAre:BaptismasaModelforChristianLife $12.00 $10.20

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HolyBaptismandServicesfortheRenewalofBaptism: SupplementalLiturgicalResource#2 PC(uSA) and CTS price: $20.00

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2008

P.O. Box 520Decatur, GA 30031404-378-8821www.ctsnet.edu

ContentsPresident’s Message: Sacraments as family reunion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Martha Moore-Keish receives Lilly grant . . . . . . . . . 2Paul Huh receives grant to advance Korean American ministry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Lay leader training courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3About Sacraments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–8For the Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Lifelong Learning events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Formation | Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16From the bookstore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

PeriodicalsPostage Paid atdecatur, GaPublication No.124160

Giving as a Means of Grace by PAm CoTTrell, DireCTor oF ANNuAl GiViNG

as t h e n e W d i r e c to r f o r t h e co Lu M b i a an n u a L fu n d , I am grateful for the opportunity to write this brief article for an issue of Vantage that focuses on the sacraments. Initially, this seemed like an easy assignment, and then I began to wonder, “Is there an intrinsic connection between the sacraments and giving?”

Christians sometime differ as to what they recognize as sacraments—some recognize as few as two and others as many as seven. Whether two or seven, we all agree, the sacraments are visible expressions of God’s invisible grace. In observing the sacraments, we celebrate God’s amazing gift of grace given to and for the world through the birth, death, and resurrection of God’s son, Jesus.

For more than 180 years, Columbia Seminary has answered faithfully to its charge of educating and preparing several thousand men and women for Christian leadership throughout the world. We are committed to giving financial support to our students as they respond to God’s call to a life of ministry. Our endowment and tuition income cover only part of the cost. We rely on gifts to the Columbia Annual Fund from alumni/ae, friends of the seminary, and congregations to make up the difference so that our students do not build up large debts as they prepare for ministry.

Therefore, the answer to the question, “Is there a connection between the sacraments and giving” is a resounding YES! Our giving is a natural response to God’s inexhaustible provision of grace that continues to renew and transform us. As Christians, we are called to respond to need—to give faithfully out of our love of others that God’s kingdom might come and God’s will be done on earth…

Please consider making your gift to Columbia Seminary today.

Our giving is a natural response

to God’s inexhaustible provision of grace that continues to renew and

transform us.

Communion plate.Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, Easley, SC. Image published with permission of Presbytery of the Foothills.The Montreat Collection, C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives, John Bulow Campbell Library.

“unity in the sacraments helps the world to see the church as a more credible witness. Too often people see isolated church communities that are more interested in fighting each other than working together. when the church makes the news, it’s about scandal, one church denouncing another, or a church splitting. So the movement toward sacramental unity is an attempt to say: All of that is tragic and true, but it’s not all there is.

— mArThA moore-KeiSh

Documents

Vantage Summer 08