Contents
A Grand Day in the Life of Emmanuel
Nearly 400 friends of Emmanuel
School of Religion gathered on campus Wednesday, October 25, to
dedicate the first phase of the Emmanuel Village.
Twenty-six cottages in seven
courts were dedicated. These have been donated by individuals and
churches from around the country. Also dedicated were the Ahlgrim
Carriage House, a maintenance facility for the entire Emmanuel campus;
Phyllis’s Green, a large park at the entrance of the Village; and
the Cross of the Risen Lord, a 15-foot tall bronze sculpture on
Phyllis’s Green.
Photos of the dedication and of
the Cross of the Risen Lord are on the Emmanuel website at www.esr.edu.
n
Items
still needed for Emmanuel Village
Although the cottages have been
dedicated and are occupied by students and their families, there are
still several needs in the Emmanuel Village that have yet to be met.
If you would like to help with any of the following needs, contact
President Wetzel and indicate the quantity you wish to fund. Funds for
these projects are needed by early spring.
- Park Chairs (6 needed at $200
each)
- Park Bench (6 needed at $300
each)
- Charcoal Grill (2 needed at
$325 each)
- Bike Racks (5 needed at $400
each)
- Hexagon Picnic Tables (4
needed at $500 each)
- 1 Picnic Pavilion (15' X 24'
at $10,000)
- 1 Gazebo (18' X 18' at
$15,000) n
Meditation:
Grace
and Truth: A Measure I Can Live With
By Timothy C. Aho, MDiv ’92
“The Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us, He came from the Father full of
grace and truth.”
They were switched accidentally
in a small hospital in Sicily. Born within 15 minutes of each other,
the two girls went home to the wrong parents. The couples, bonded
together through their joint birth experiences, became friends. The
two infants became playmates. Still, suspicions were confirmed by a
blood test. The hospital had got it wrong. For almost three years, the
parents had loved and nurtured their friends’ child as their own.
How does one measure out grace
and truth in this situation? The truth: “the child I have is not
mine, you have my biological child, and I have yours.” The grace:
“I love this child and this child loves me in a way your child
(mine, really) and I do not enjoy.” “I wouldn’t want to be in
the trousers of the judge who decides what happens now,” said the
doctor responsible for the maternity ward. Not many of us would.
Still, the situation of those
two children mirrors our position in Christ. The truth: we are not “naturally”
our Father’s children, by behavior or inclination. The grace: we are
loved and nurtured and gifted with the Holy Spirit as one of the
Father’s own.
One parent remarked, “The
mistake was made at the hospital. And anyone who makes a mistake like
that must pay for it.” For the Christian, this is precisely where
grace and truth are measured out “super-naturally.” Someone must
pay, and that someone does. And by that measure of grace and truth, I
live. n
Book
Review
Another Day's Journey
By Franklin M. Robert
Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1970
Reviewed by Dr. Kip
Elolia, Associate Professor of Christian Doctrine and Missioloy
The author’s journey begins
with his formative years in a Pentecostal church in Chicago and the
social context that shaped his early years. It was a context of racial
segregation and gang intimidation. Both gangs and religious
communities had their own spaces and rituals and both competed for the
attention of the youth. During the same period, black consciousness,
through the influence of Malcolm X and Black Panther Party, gave the
youth cultural pride and self-confidence. Above all, it was the Church
community that remained a forceful influence on the author’s life.
He also credits his sense of purpose to the extended family and his
grandma’s table, “where good religion was practiced and
experienced.”
After graduating from high
school, the young Franklin attended Morehouse College. He also had a
year’s opportunity to study in England. Franklin later acknowledged
travel as a very important factor in his personal and intellectual
development.
Upon his return to the United
States, Franklin entered Harvard Divinity School. There he was
influenced by Dr. Peter Gomes. He was also impressed by Fr. George
McRae, the New Testament Professor, whose critical methodology shook
the author’s spiritual foundation. As the author recalls, the
spiritual climate at Harvard forced the black students to gather on
Sunday evenings where their worship allowed the Spirit to move freely.
Many of those students have become the nation’s premier preachers,
theologians and prophetic activists. After Harvard, the author
proceeded to the University of Chicago for Ph.D. studies.
Before taking the leadership at
ITC, Franklin worked at several institutions including Rochester
Divinity School and Emory University. He also worked as a program
officer for the Ford Foundation. His experience, especially with the
Ford Foundation, helped him identify useful resources that could help
faith groups in community services.
Like Martin Luther King Jr., the
author believes that the church should keep to its prophetic witness
of raising critical questions about the moral and social values in
society.
The author concludes with a list
of qualities for public theologians/moral leaders. He places faith in
the churches to renew the civil society to bring about healing,
reconciliation, nurture and discipline for the next century. He
appeals to churches and clergy to listen to indictments of their
sincerity, relevance and commitment with humility, and admit willingly
to being part of the problem for a long time.
Although the author writes from
the perspective of the Black Church, he draws upon his experience to
provide the reader with practical guidelines for active participation
in shaping the civil society in acts of justice, charity and service.
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Clipnotes
MARK BOGGESS (MDiv
’98) is now the Associate Minister at First Christian Church in
Titusville, Fla., where he and his wife, Tammy, reside.
DERRICK BOHN (1991–93)
wrote the article titled “Overcomers, Not Quitters” in the October
15 issue of Christian Standard. Derrick is the minister at Tuttle
Christian Church in Tuttle, Okla., where he and his wife, Wendy,
reside.
TOM (MDiv
’92) and JAN (MDiv ’92) BRADSHAW began their tenth
year of ministry with First Christian Church in Chehalis, Wash., on
July 15. They reside in Chehalis.
N. ALLEN BROWN (MDiv
’89) was the president of the 2000 North Carolina Christian
Convention held in Raleigh in September. Allen is the minister at
First Church of Christ in High Point. He and his wife, Kathy, reside
in Kernersville.
LANCE BUTLER (MDiv
’99) is the new director of the planned respite program for children
and youth with Frontier Health in Johnson City, Tenn. He and his wife,
Michelle, reside in Jonesborough.
L.D. CAMPBELL (1965
and 1970) wrote the Reflections article titled “Serving Jesus” in
the October 8 issue of Christian Standard. L.D. is the minister at
First Church of Christ in Burlington, Ky., where he and his wife,
Joyce, reside.
CLAUDIO DIVINO (MDiv
’97) did a Resource Review in the November 5 issue of Christian
Standard. Claudio ministers with Antioch Christian Church in Port
Chester, N.Y. He and his wife, Alzira, reside in Stratford, Conn.
JEFF DYE (MDiv
’95), and his wife, Kim, announce the birth of their third child,
Quincy Lincoln, on August 30. Jeff is the Associate Director of
Development with The Christian Church Homes of Kentucky. He and his
family reside in Louisville, Ky.
RANDY EKSTROM (MDiv
’97) has been commissioned as a Chaplain in the US Navy. He will
report to Chaplain Training School in Newport, R.I., in January. He
and his wife, Melody, currently reside in Eugene, Ore.
MIRIAM PERKINS
FERNIE (MDiv ’97) was married to Stephen Fernie on July 8.
Miriam served in campus ministry for the past three years at Ohio
University, and currently teaches theology at Milligan College. She
and her husband reside in Johnson City, Tenn.
J. JAY HOYT (MDiv
’84) has been called to be the Senior Minister at East Side
Christian Church (DOC) in Tulsa, Okla., beginning November 1. Jay
concludes a five and a half year ministry in Wagoner, Okla., where he
and his wife, Karen, currently reside.
AARON JONES (MDiv
’97) has accepted the position of senior minister at Huron Christian
Church in Huron, S.D., where he and his wife, Debra now reside.
BOB LAVER (MDiv
’87) wrote an article titled “A Serious Illness” in the October
15 issue of Christian Standard. Bob is the minister at First Christian
Church in Myrtle Point, Ore., where he and his wife, Joni, reside.
GARY LYONS
(MDiv ’97) was honored by First Christian Church (DOC) in Princeton,
W.Va., on October 8, for ten years of ministry there. Gary also serves
as president of the Greater Princeton Ministerial Association and as
president of Disciples Men for the Christian Church (DOC) in West
Virginia. He and his wife, Vicki, reside in Bluefield, Va.
ROBERT PARSLEY (MDiv
’94) was married to Michal Lawson on June 17 in Baton Rouge, La.
They reside in Erwin, Tenn.
K.C. RICHARDSON (MDiv
’96) and wife, Angela, announce the birth of their son, Stephen
William, on September 6. K.C. is in the Ph.D. program at UCLA in Los
Angeles, Calif. He and his family reside in Van Nuys, Calif.
ARTHUR SPHAR (MDiv
’74) wrote the Meditations article in the November 5 issue of
Christian Standard. Art is the minister at Lake Tapps Christian Church
in Bonney Lake, Wash. He and his wife, Sandra, reside in Sumner, Wash.
WALTER TAYLOR (1986–87)
and his wife, Agnes, announce the birth of their son Iain Alexander on
May 30. Iain was born in Brasschaat, Belgium. Walter began ministering
at Forest Park Presbyterian Church in Statesville, N.C., in August. He
and his family reside in Statesville.
SID TILLER (MDiv
’97) now serves as Vice-President for Student Life at Atlanta
Christian College in East Point, Ga. He and his wife, Beth, reside in
Fayetteville, Ga.
JOEL TRAMEL (MDiv
’99) and his wife, Stacy, announce the birth of their son Seth
William on October 30. Joel is the minister at First Christian Church
in Erwin, Tenn., where he and his family reside.
LARRY VAN DYKE (MAR
’82), CFRE, has been appointed Senior Counsel with National
Community Development Services in Atlanta, Ga., after four years as
Senior Consultant with Goettler Associates in Columbus, Ohio. He and
his wife, Candy, continue to reside in Johnson City, Tenn.
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Winter Intersession 2001
JANUARY 9–19
• Seminar in Theology and
Cinema, taught by Dr.
Leroy Lawson, President of Hope International University and Dr. C.
Robert Wetzel, President and Professor of Ethics and Philosophical
Theology.
The course will consist of
viewing and discussing selected films as well as reading from the
considerable volume of literature on theology and the cinema.
• The Minister and the
Local Church, taught by
Dr. Calvin Phillips, Chancellor and Lecturer in Christian Ministries.
The course will consider the
minister’s personal identity, relationships in the home
congregation, functions as preacher, and many other aspects of the
joy of ministry.
JANUARY 23–February 2
• Family Life Education, taught
by Dr. Jack Holland, Assistant Professor of Christian Care and
Counseling.
The course will equip students
to design and lead a family life education program in a
congregation.
• Preaching from Genesis, taught
by Dr. William C. Gwaltney, Adjunct Professor of Old Testament.
The course will offer an
overview of Genesis to discover the major ideals, values, and
doctrines expressed in its account of the patriarchs, and students
will develop and preach a sermon based on a narrative segment from
Genesis.
JANUARY 29–FEBRUARY 2
• Seminar: Planting
Churches in a New Millennium, led
by Dr. Thomas Jones, Associate Professor of Christian Ministries and
Director of Supervised Ministerial Education.
The seminar will provide a
comprehensive overview of what it will take to start a church in the
next century.
All courses are offered for
credit or audit. The Church Planting seminar is also offered as a
no-credit seminar. To register, contact the Office of the Dean at
(423) 461-1520, or DeanOffice@esr.edu.
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New
Trustee Officers and Associates Named
The Emmanuel Board of Trustees
has named the following new officers: Chairman Dr. Graham Johnstone of
Pittsburgh, Pa.; Vice-Chairman Dr. Charles E. Allen from Johnson City,
Tenn.; and Secretary John Samples from Fishers, Indiana.
The following have been named
new members of Emmanuel’s Associates in Christian Education: Ted
Avant from Corinth, Miss.; David Chapman of Roanoke Rapids, N.C.;
Marilyn Dooley from Lexington, S.C.; Howard Kraft of Paradise Valley,
Ariz.; Kenneth W. Oosting Jr. from Cocoa Beach, Fla.; Carole Mitchell
of Seattle, Wash.; and Charles Wingfield from Florissant, Mo.
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Faculty Notes
JACK B. HOLLAND taught
a series on marriage during the Sunday evening service at Grandview
Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn., November 5, 12, and 19.
ROBERT F. HULL will
teach on “Biblical Inspiration” in the Salt Class at Grandview
Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn., during the month of
January.
THOMAS F. JONES
is the speaker for the East Tennessee Men’s Retreat at Appalachian
Christian Camp in Unicoi, Tenn., November 17–18. He will conduct the
seminar “Leading the Church in the 21st Century” in Oregon January
8–12. Dr. Jones will also conduct the seminar “Planting Churches
in a New Millennium” at Emmanuel January 29–February 2. He will
attend the Association of Theological Field Education Biennial
Consultation in Boston, Mass., January 17–21.
FRED W. NORRIS will
teach the course “Science and Scriptures” along with Dr. Lawrence
Shaffer on Wednesday evenings at First Christian Church in Johnson
City, Tenn. Dr. Norris wrote an article titled, “Your Honor, My
Reputation: St. Gregory of Nazianzus’s Funeral Oration on St. Basil
the Great,” in Greek Biography and Panegyric in Late Antiquity.
He also wrote a chapter titled “Origen” in The Early Christian
World.
ROBERT J. OWENS is
teaching the Sunday series “Introduction to the Apostles” at First
Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn., through November 19. Dr.
Owens will participate in the annual Aquinas/Luther Theological
Conference at Lenoir-Rhyne College, November 12–14.
ROLLIN A. RAMSARAN
is on sabbatical this school year studying at Boston University in
Boston, Mass.
BRUCE E. SHIELDS will
preside at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the European
Evangelistic Society in Johnson City, Tenn., November 20–22. He will
serve as a volunteer chaplain at Johnson City Medical Center November
26. Dr. Shields will present a paper at the annual meeting of the
Academy of Homiletics in Dallas, Texas, November 30–December 2. His
book From the Housetops: Preaching in the Early Church and Today, published
by Chalice Press, is available from the Emmanuel Bookstore.
THOMAS E. STOKES was
promoted to Colonel in the Army National Guard effective August 18,
and was “pinned” on November 4.
CHARLES R. TABER wrote
an article titled “American ‘Rice Christians’” in the October
1 issue of Christian Standard.
C. ROBERT WETZEL wrote
an article titled “A Reunion Memory: Grace and Forgiveness” in the
November 5 issue of Christian Standard. He will teach an
intersession class titled “Theology and Cinema” at Emmanuel in
January. n
Development & Recruitment on the Road
DAVID FULKS to
Alberta Bible College in Calgary, Puget Sound Christian College in
Edmonds, Wash., and Northwest Christian College in Eugene, Ore., in
November.
DAN LAWSON is
on Administrative Enhancement Leave during the months of September,
October, and November, studying at Indiana University in Indianapolis,
Ind., and studying with the development and planned giving departments
at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. He will travel to Oregon
and Washington in December, and to Houston, Texas, and Georgia in
January.
JEFF MCNABB to
the National Missionary Convention in Knoxville, Tenn., and to Ohio
and Southwest Virginia in November; to Maryland and Western North
Carolina in December; to Virginia, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, in
January.
JERRY RUDBERG to
Beaverton, Salem, Prineville, Portland, Gladstone, and Harrisbug,
Ore., Twin Falls, Idaho, and Seattle, Wash., in November; to Seattle
in December; and to Elmira, Ore., and the Rice-Siefke Lectureship at
Northwest Christian College in Eugene, Ore., in January.
C. ROBERT WETZEL 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; to Southwest Christian Church in East
Point, Ga., and First Christian Church in Elizabethton, Tenn., in
December; and to the Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary President’s
Meeting in Atlanta, Ga., and South Dade Christian Church in Miami,
Fla., in January. n |
