Contents
Village Dedication set for Wednesday,
October 25
After months of construction, the first students are moving into
new cottages in the Emmanuel Village. Dedication of the first phase of
construction of the Emmanuel Village will be held Wednesday, October
25, at 10:45 a.m. The ceremonies will take place on Phyllis’s Green
in the Village, where we will officially dedicate 26 cottages and
seven courts. The Ahlgrim Carriage House, a much-needed maintenance
building, will also be dedicated. The Carriage House has been named in
honor of Gene Ahlgrim, former Supervisor of Building and Grounds at
Emmanuel.
Please plan to join us for this special occasion! n
New
Associate Director of Development Named
Emmanuel School of Religion is
pleased to announce the appointment of Emmanuel alumnus Jeffrey McNabb
as Associate Director of Development. Jeff joined the Emmanuel
community on August 1. A graduate of Milligan College and Emmanuel
School of Religion (M.Div. 1990), he is presently enrolled in Emmanuel’s
Doctor of Ministry degree program. Jeff recently concluded a 12-year
ministry with the First Christian Church in Greeneville, Tennessee,
where he served first as Youth Minister and then Senior Minister. He
had previous ministries in Kingsport, Tenn., and Phoenix, Ariz.
Dan Lawson, Executive Director
of Development, says “Jeff brings to our development staff a long
history of relationships in the church, from Milligan College,
Emmanuel, and East Tennessee. We are most pleased to welcome him to
the Emmanuel staff.”
Jeff and his wife, Susan, have
two daughters, Maia, 15 and Alyssa, 11. n
Meditation:
Completed
Love
By Jeff McNabb
Associate Director of Development
(MDiv ’90, current DMin student)
There is a phrase in
the first letter of John that has always intrigued me. It is found in
1 John 2:5, “If anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made
complete in him.” It seems to me that the Christian life is one in
which we constantly strive to mature in our faith, applying what we
know of Christ-like behavior to the experiences of life, and
eventually completing his love in us. This maturation does not come
easily, for human nature itself does not cooperate in this goal of
maturation. Quite to the contrary, there are multitudes of experiences
that one encounters in life of many and varied nature. Outside the
fellowship of the church there is strife and combat, the law of tooth
and fang. Inside the church we sometimes do not do much better. We
constantly clamor for attention and the satisfaction of needs in one
way or the other. It is quite evident in evaluating my own spiritual
walk that “God’s love has not been made complete in me.”
It is my fervent hope
that I may learn what trust in Christ entails. As I yield myself to
Him, I hope to find myself conforming to His image. How about you? Are
you willing to take the journey of allowing God’s love to be made
complete in you? n
Book
Review
A Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems
by Wendell Berry
Washington, DC: Counterpoint, 1998
$12.50
Reviewed by Dr.
Rodney Werline
Assistant Professor of Old Testament
As the title
indicates, this book is a collection of Berry’s poems that have been
previously published in journals and books. While they are gathered
around the theme of Sabbath, most of the motifs and issues associated
with Berry’s writings also occur – work, the land, family, memory,
and community, as well as the experiences that mark being human. The
poems are most enjoyed if read aloud to oneself in a quite place, as
Berry suggests. This allows the reader to appreciate Berry’s verse
and the art of the sound of the poem. Also, audible words make the
poems live and breathe in a way that they cannot do on the page.
The poems remind the
reader of the sacred, if not sacramental, nature of all of life. Truly
for Berry, life is a gift, a grace that unfolds before us that should
be intertwined with a place and the people of that place. Observing
Sabbaths, time for rest and meditation while in nature, leads a person
to see the goodness of this world and the importance of caring for it.
Indeed, in the Genesis account this is one of the most basic functions
of being human. Berry helps us to recover, or at least remember, that
to speak the simple words that this world is “very good” is to
speak the words and mind of God. However, the delight of the Sabbath
can be missed, go unobserved, unexperienced and not enjoyed. The
result is nothing less than the loss of a grace, of that which we
cannot earn or buy.
I highly recommend
this collection of poems, along with Berry’s novels and essays.
First, the poems offer creative and deeper reflection on what for some
seems to be a stale biblical theme - Sabbath. Second, Berry offers a
corrective to the notion that the object of the spiritual life is to
distance the soul from body and world. In fact, Berry sees such
thought as one of the most destructive products of parts of American
Christianity. Instead, the soul discovers its joy and fulfillment when
it finds its place in this world. n
Myron
Taylor Lectures in Preaching and Pastoral Care Scheduled
The 2000 Myron Taylor
Lectures in Preaching and Pastoral Care are scheduled for October 10–13,
2000, at Emmanuel School of Religion. The Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale of
Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Ga., will be the special
guest lecturer.
The lectures will take
place at 10:45 a.m. each day in the Mildred Welshimer Phillips
Memorial Chapel on the Seminary’s campus.
The lectures are free
and friends of Emmanuel are encouraged to attend. n
Students
move into The Emmanuel Village
by David Fulks
Director of Admissions
The first twelve cottages of
the Bush, Keefauver, and Ellis Courts in the Emmanuel Village are now
occupied. By the end of October we anticipate that the remaining 14
cottages, presently under construction, will be filled as well.
I wish you could have been here
to see the smiles as students — some single, some married, some
married with children — began realizing what a great blessing the
spacious cottages would be. At the end of “moving day,” I stopped
by to see how the occupants were doing. As I entered one of the
three-bedroom cottages one of the children grabbed my hand and said,
“I’ve got my own room! Let me show you!”
Even those who had been here to
see the Village take shape were amazed at the amount of room and the
quality that had been built in to each cottage. The love expressed by
those whose sacrificial gifts made the Village a reality was
everywhere apparent, as was the gratitude of the Emmanuel students in
their new homes.
Thanks to all who are making
this dream a reality. n
Journal
bridges Restoration Movement streams
by C. Robert Wetzel
President
Leaven is
a journal that knows how to build and cross bridges. It was originally
conceived as a bridge between the popular weekly church magazine and
the scholarly periodical. But providentially it came to cross a
greater chasm, i.e., the three streams of the Restoration Movement.
Founding editors Stuart and D’Esta Love of Pepperdine University are
from the acapella tradition of the Movement. But they and their
editorial board readily incorporated writers and editors from the
Christian Churches and Churches of Christ when they heard a similar
journal was being considered. They have also extended the bridge to
writers from the Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ.)
The articles in Leaven deal
with substantive issues facing the church. And yet they are readily
accessible by the average informed reader. I highly recommend this
unique publication.
A Leaven subscription
envelope has been included with this issue of the Clipboard for
those who wish to receive this journal of ministry among the churches
of the Restoration Heritage. n
DMin
Quote of the Month
By Valmir Delgado
current DMin student
“The Doctor of Ministry
Program exists to serve the Church. It helps people to grow
intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. While the
program is very practical in its purposes, it also maintains high
academic standards and a sound theological and biblical base for the
practice of ministry. I am sure that, when finishing my studies at
Emmanuel, I will be better prepared to be a minister.”
For information about Emmanuel’s
Doctor of Ministry degree program contact Melissa Noble at
1-800-933-3771. n
Clipnotes
RICHARD BESTEDER
(MDiv ’71) became the Senior Minister of the Open Air Christian
Church in Deland, Fla., on July 30. He and his wife, Elaine, reside in
Valrico, Fla.
BRETT CARWRIGHT (MDiv
’98) is the preaching minister at First Christian Church in Culpeper, Va., where he resides. Brett was commissioned on July 31 as
a Lieutenant in the Navy Chaplaincy Corps. He is currently assigned to
a reserve unit in Washington, D.C., and will go into active duty in
two years.
ANDREW GILL (MDiv
’00) is the preaching minister at New Hope Christian Community
Church in Pittsburgh, Penn., where he and his wife, Denise, reside.
RICK GROVER (MDiv
’93, DMin ’99) along with his wife, Laura, announce the birth of
Luke Richard on June 30. He joins big brother Will and big sister
Anna. Rick is the Senior Minister at Woodlawn Christian Church in
Knoxville, Tenn., where he and his family reside.
JERRY HEADEN (MDiv
’95) along with his wife, Pam, have returned to Chaing Mai,
Thailand, following a year’s furlough in Elizabethton, Tenn. They
will continue their ministry to victims of AIDS.
CLINTON HOLLOWAY
(MAR ’98) wrote the “Meditations” article titled “The
Hiding Place” in the July 2 issue of Christian Standard.
Clint works with the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in
Nashville, Tenn., where he resides.
RICH JENKS (MRE
’70) earned his doctor of psychology degree from the University of
Southern California in Los Angeles. Rich has a counseling and medical
psychology service in La Pine, Ore., where he and his wife, Mary Ann,
reside.
AARON JONES (MDiv
’97) wrote a lesson titled “Called to Spiritual Blessings in
Christ” and an article titled “Leaving as Minister, Staying in
Ministry” in the Christian Standard. Aaron is the minister at
Alta Church of Christ in Alta, Iowa, where he and his wife, Debra,
reside.
JOHN LEFFLER (MDiv
’86) is now the Senior Minister at the Christian Church in
Castlerock, Wash. He and his wife, Ruth, will move from Burns, Ore.
SAM LUBAG (MDiv
’91, DMin ’99) was chosen by the Church of Christ CARE to be a
representative of the Philippines at the World Convention of Churches
of Christ in Brisbane, Australia, on August 2–6. Sam and his wife,
Juanita, reside in Baguio City, Philippines.
JOHN MACDONALD (MDiv
’73) has successfully completed his first year of a two-year master
of library and information studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax,
Nova Scotia, where he resides.
BILL MCDONALD (MDiv
’95) now ministers with Justice Christian Church in Logan, W.Va.,
where he and his wife, Julie, now reside.
GLEN MILES (MDiv
’88) led a group of 32 adults and youth to Europe this summer. The
highlight of their trip was the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany.
They also visited sites in Rome, Switzerland, and Paris. Glen is the
Senior Minister at Sandy Springs Christian Church in Atlanta, Ga. He
and his wife, Julie, reside in Marietta, Ga.
GREG MILLISER
(MAR ’98) and his wife, Krista, left the United States in June to
begin language school in Perugia, Italy, as members of a Team
Expansion team of missionaries to Italy.
TOM PFAFF
(MDiv ’82) began work as Director of Operations, Readiness, and
Flightline Ministry at the Okinawa, Japan, U.S. Air Force Base in
August. He and his wife, Janice, currently reside at the Air Force
Base in North Dakota.
DEBORAH POWELL (MDiv
’98) was called by St. Louis Christian College in Florissant, Mo.,
to serve as Library Director beginning July. She resides in Hazelwood,
Mo.
NATHAN REED (MAR
’99) is the new Associate Minister of Discipleship and Evangelism at
Bellevue Christian Church in Pittsburgh, Pa., where he and his wife,
Fara, now reside.
K.C. RICHARDSON (MDiv
’96) has been accepted into the Ph.D. program at UCLA in Los Angeles
and will begin study in September. He was one of only two students
accepted into the program. K.C. and his wife, Angela, reside in
Tarzana, Calif.
FRANK SHIRVINSKI
(MDiv ’99) will graduate from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.,
with a Th.M., and will start a Ph.D. in Historical Linguistics at the
University of Georgia in Athens in the fall. Frank is the Minister of
Education at First Christian Church in Cumming, Ga., where he and his
wife, Stacy, reside.
BRUCE SMITH (MDiv
’92) is now Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible College and
Seminary in Ohio after 13 years of ministry at Central Christian
Church in Richardson, Texas. He wrote an article titled “Need
Pulpit, Will Travel” in the Spring 2000 Cincinnati Bible College
and Seminary Report. Bruce and his wife, Brenda, reside in
Covington, Ky.
MARK WEEDMAN (MDiv
’94) begins his duties as Professor of Biblical and Historical
Theology at Minnesota Bible College in Rochester this fall. He
currently resides in Waukesha, Wis. n
Faculty Notes
ELEANOR A. DANIEL
will teach two classes September 10–November 2 in Austria at TCM as
part of her faculty sabbatical. She has a book review in the Summer
2000 issue of Encounter.
JACK B. HOLLAND preached at
Granby, Colo., Church of Christ in on August 6. He will lead a
marriage enrichment retreat at Tellico Village Community Church in
Knoxville, Tenn., September 29–October 1. Dr. Holland will lead a
parenting workshop at First Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn.,
September 6–October 11. He will attend an ATS conference for newly
appointed faculty in Pittsburgh, Pa., October 27–29.
ROBERT F. HULL preached at
First Christian Church in Erwin, Tenn., on August 6. He will read a
paper at the annual meeting of the Fellowship of Professors at Johnson
Bible College on September 22. Dr. Hull reviewed the commentary on
Mark in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture
series by Thomas C. Oden and Christopher A. Hall (Intervarsity Press,
1998) in the Journal of Early Christian Studies 8/2 (Summer,
2000) 297–98.
THOMAS F. JONES will host a
Church Planting Assessment Center at Emmanuel October 11–14. He will
consult with church plants in South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio,
and Louisiana. He is the lesson writer for the September 10 issue of Christian
Standard.
ROBERT J. OWENS will teach the
Sunday morning series “Understanding the Lord’s Supper” to the
adult Anchor Class at First Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn.,
September 17–October 8. He participated in the annual meeting of the
Catholic Biblical Association at Loyola Marymount University in Los
Angeles August 5–8.
ROLLIN A. RAMSARAN is on
sabbatical this academic year studying at Boston University in
Massachusetts.
BRUCE E. SHIELDS attended the
World Convention of Churches of Christ in Australia, August 2–6. He
will sit on the steering committee of the Association for Doctor of
Ministry Education meeting in Raleigh, N.C., October 27–28. Dr.
Shields served as a volunteer chaplain at Johnson City Medical Center,
August 23. n
Development & Recruitment on the Road
DAVID FULKS to
Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., University of Kentucky in
Lexington, and Berea College in Kentucky in September
DAN LAWSON is
on professional enhancement leave for the months of September,
October, and November studying at Indiana University in Indianapolis
and consulting with the development department at Pepperdine
University in Malibu, Calif.
JERRY RUDBERG
to Wi-Ne-Ma Christian Camp in Cloverdale, Ore., for Family Bible
Conference and Septemberfest; to Harrisburg, Astoria, Portland,
Gladstone, Cottage Grove, Roseburg, Beaverton, and Salem, Ore., and to
Kenmore, Edmonds, Seattle, and Vancouver, Wash., in September.
C. ROBERT WETZEL
to the
Carter County Family Fellowship in Elizabethton, Tenn., in September;
and to the National Missionary Convention in Knoxville, Tenn., the
Missions Fair at Northside Christian Church in New Albany, Ind., First
Christian Church in Hugoton, Kan., and Community Christian Church in
Charlotte, N.C., in November. n |
