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July 2001
Back Issues
Contents
Dr.
Chris Rollston joins Emmanuel Faculty
Dr.
Chris Rollston (MAR ’92) has been named Assistant Professor of
Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Emmanuel.
Rollston
is a 1984 graduate of Great Lakes Christian College and a 1992
graduate of Emmanuel. He completed the M.A. in Hebrew Bible and
Northwest Semitics at Johns Hopkins University in 1996 and received
the Ph.D. there in 1999, at which time he was admitted to Phi Beta
Kappa.
Chris
has held ministries in Michigan, East Tennessee, and Maryland.
Chris
received two post-doctoral fellowships to teach at Johns Hopkins. He
has also been engaged in significant research and publication. His
vita lists at least seven published articles and monographs in such
journals as Christian Standard, Near Eastern Archaeology [Biblical
Archaeologist], and Journal of Biblical Literature. He has published
numerous book reviews and articles and has made presentations at the
Society of Biblical Literature, American School of Oriental
Research, and the North American Christian Convention.
Chris
was shaped significantly in his study at Emmanuel by Dr. Robert
Owens, and has established a reputation as an excellent teacher at
Johns Hopkins. His major professor at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Kyle
McCarter, said of Chris, “Dr. Rollston is, I think, the first to
hold a postdoctoral position in our department in more than thirty
years … We realized from the beginning that he was exceptionally
bright, full of energy and enthusiasm, and superbly prepared, not
only in biblical studies and Hebrew language but also in areas like
Greek and Syriac.” n
Volunteer
Work Day
Emmanuel
held it’s first Volunteer Work Day Saturday, June 9. Twenty-five
workers painted and repaired areas of the school and installed a
water line around the Emmanuel Village. The event provided a great
opportunity for friends of Emmanuel to meet and fellowship with one
another while rallying behind the effort to further help Emmanuel in
its work of ministerial preparation. n
Meditation:
Watch
and pray that you will not fall into temptation
by Perry Rubin, MAR ’86
Campus Minister, Auburn University
All
of us have experienced those moments when we are suddenly made aware
of things that should have been noticed long ago; when something
that should not surprise us does so because we have been so
distracted with “life” — it suddenly bursts into our
consciousness and we wonder, “Where was I when…?” or, “How
could I have missed…?” Life just has a way of distracting us,
even from things that matter.
For some time Jesus has been warning His
disciples of His impending troubles. Hours earlier in the upper room
He had spoken of His betrayal and death. Even as they enter the
quiet garden (as usual, according to Luke) events are swirling that
will change everything. Yet, sitting there in the quiet, they seem
so … oblivious. In so many ways it was just another night. And in
the comfortableness of the usual and the routine … they begin to
doze off.
Jesus finds the sleeping disciples and
tells them to watch and pray. Why? Because He knows what is
happening at the moment. He is aware of the enemies in the dark and
the events that are converging and unfolding on a heavenly scale. Be
alert. Keep your guard up. Open your eyes. Watch and pray —
don’t let the ordinariness of the moment and the rhythm of the
routine lull you into a deadly slumber.
It’s Tuesday. Today I got up, like every
other day; bathed, dressed and got out the door just like every
other day. There are errands to run, people to see and a “to do”
list a mile long … just like every other day. But it is not every
other day. There are events swirling all about that will change
everything. Things that matter are happening. Watch and pray. n
Clipnotes
PATRICIA BONNER (MAR ’70) has
returned from her educational work in Pachuca, Mexico. She now lives
in Johnson City, Tenn.
SILMAR COELHO (MDiv ’95) is serving
as senior pastor and administrator in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In
addition to preaching, Silmar is writing for several websites and
Christian magazines.
NEIL JOHNSTON (1992–97) serves as
Senior Minister with Norkenzie Christian Church in Eugene, Ore. Neil
recently wrote an article for the May 6 issue of Christian
Standard titled, “What a Midsize Church Can Do.” Neil and
his wife, Jeanette, currently live in Eugene.
JIM KEEFE (MDiv ’69) will be serving
as President of the Oregon Christian Convention for 2002 and 2003.
Jim serves as Senior Minister with First Christian Church of
Hillsboro. He and his wife, Carolyn Jean, reside in Hillsboro, Ore.
MARK S. KRAUSE (MDiv ’83) wrote the
article, “Another Gospel,” for the June 3 issue of Christian
Standard. Mark and his wife, Susan, live in Edmonds, Wash.,
where Mark is Academic Dean at Puget Sound Christian College.
ETHAN MAGNESS (MDiv ’00) was recently
ordained into Christian ministry at Grandview Christian Church,
Johnson City, Tenn., where Ethan serves as minister to youth and
young adults. He and his wife, Betsy, currently live in Johnson
City, Tenn.
BOB PETERSON (MDiv ’96) and his wife,
Michelle, celebrated the birth of a son, Jonathon Michael, May 6.
Bob ministers with Dufur Christian Church in Dufur, Ore., where he
and his family live.
TIMOTHY W. ROSS (MDiv ’87) recently
published an article in the June 24 issue of Christian Standard
titled, “Judgment on Judah and Israel.” Tim and his wife live in
Johnson City with their four children. Tim ministers with Hopwood
Memorial Christian Church at Milligan College.
DELLA TAYLOR (1987–89) currently
serves as a school nurse and dorm parent at Washington College
Academy in Limestone, Tenn. Della also writes for the Herald
Tribune, Jonesborough, Tenn., and a local weekly publication, The
Washboard.
GREGORY K. WIDENER (MDiv ’81) was the
local arrangements committee chair for “Miracle Day,” where 170
volunteers built and repaired three churches in Columbus, Ohio. He
and his wife live in Columbus.
GLENN ZUBER (MAR ’94) received a
Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, one of 35
awarded by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, for a
final year of research for his dissertation being completed at
Indiana University. Glenn currently resides in Bloomington, Ind.
n
Book
Review:
China
and Christianity: Burdened Past, Hopeful Future
Edited by
Stephen Uhalley Jr.
and Xiaoxin Wu
London: M.E. Sharpe, 2001
Reviewed
by Dr. Frederick W. Norris
The Ricci Institute
for Chinese-Western Cultural History and the Center for the Pacific
Rim, both located at the University of San Francisco, held an
international conference October 17–19, 1999. This book represents
the conference title and selected papers delivered there. Its
authors are all specialists in various aspects of Chinese
Christianity, from the early sixth century information through the
exciting days of Matteo Ricci (1552–1610) into the modern period.
All of the essays together deal with early Syrian (Nestorian)
mission work that lasted nearly a thousand years, remarkable Roman
Catholic efforts over more than five centuries, nearly three hundred
years of Russian Orthodox mission outreach and almost two centuries
of Protestant involvement. Eight of the twenty-one essays are
concerned almost entirely with contemporary Christianity in greater
China. One looks forward to the future of Christianity in dialogue
with the Chinese. Others eye aspects of Roman Catholicism or
Protestantism in terms of education, existence as a Chinese folk
religion or as “cultural Christians,” as “fragile,
fragmented” but “flourishing,” and as concerned with China’s
minority nationalities. One tracks how Catholics have fared in
post-1997 Hong Kong. Another looks at the problems of
contextualizing the gospel in Taiwan.
This is a
splendid place to begin the study of Chinese Christians. It clearly
depicts Christianity’s ebb and flow within this huge land of many
religions including Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Maoism.
Estimates suggest that the 30,000,000 Christians of some description
in China today exist as a tiny minority of the population, but this
is certainly no insignificant number. With the economic door opening
and the political door closing on even meditation movements, we need
to know more. n
Emmanuel
to offer Urban Ministry seminar
Dr.
Gordon Moyes, head of Wesley Mission, the largest urban ministry
program in the world, will teach the intensive week-long seminar
“The Church in the City” at Emmanuel School of Religion January
7–11, 2002.
The seminar is a
comprehensive overview of what it takes to minister in urban
settings. It will explore such themes as theology of mission in the
city, church growth principles, administration and management,
working with governments, resource management, ministry to the
homeless, disabled, and aged, and many other topics that directly
relate to ministry in an urban setting.
Dr. Moyes has
extensive experience in urban ministry, heading Wesley Mission in
Sydney, Australia, the largest urban ministry program in the world.
The Mission has a budget of $125 million per year, 2,500 full-time
paid staff, and more than 3,500 part-time staff and volunteers. The
Mission conducts 45 worship services weekly, has extensive pastoral
and ethnic ministries, offers 250 weekly fellowship groups, and
produces extensive national television, radio, audio-visual, print,
and video ministries.
The cost of the
seminar is $199 per person or $399 per ministry team. After December
31, 2001, a $50 late registration fee applies. The course may also
be audited or taken for academic credit, in which case students are
subject to regular tuition fees. Contact the Office of the Dean at
DeanOffice@esr.edu to register or for additional information.
For more
information about Dr. Moyes and the ministries of Wesley Mission,
visit www.wesleymission.org.au.
n
Evening
course to be offered in fall
Emmanuel School of
Religion is providing an evening learning opportunity this fall.
Spiritual
Formation in Christian Care and Counseling will be taught by Dr.
Jack Holland on Tuesday evenings from 6:30–8:50 p.m. during the
fall semester beginning August 28.
Using the
insights and disciplines of pastoral care and psychology, this
course examines the topic of the spiritual formation of believers
and congregations. The processes and nature of spiritual formation
are studied within the contexts of contemporary culture.
Consideration is given to the various pastoral functions the
minister may occupy in the congregation such as spiritual director,
counselor, caregiver, and leader.
Dr. Jack Holland
is Assistant Professor of Christian Care and Counseling at Emmanuel.
He has experience as a marriage and family therapist, both in
private practice and on the staff of a church. He has earned an M.S.
in marriage and family therapy and a Ph.D. in family studies.
The course may be
taken for credit or may be audited. Regular tuition fees apply.
For more
information, contact the Office of the Dean at DeanOffice@esr.edu.
n
Faculty Notes
ELEANOR A.
DANIEL was co-leader of a workshop at the North American
Christian Convention in Tampa, Fla., June 25–30. Dr. Daniel will
be at TCM International in Austria July 15–August 18, during which
she will teach and provide educational consulting.
JACK B.
HOLLAND is concluding an eight-week course on caregiving at
Grandview Christian Church, Johnson City, Tenn. Dr. Holland spoke at
the Emmanuel Breakfast on June 27 during the North American
Christian Convention.
ROBERT F.
HULL Jr. preached at Jefferson City Christian Church,
Jefferson City, Tenn., on June 17. Dr. Hull will teach the
book of Ephesians to the Merrywood Class at First Presbyterian
Church in Johnson City, Tenn., each Sunday in July. August 4–7,
Dr. Hull will attend the annual meeting of the Catholic Biblical
Association at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey.
BRUCE E.
SHIELDS attended and led worship at the biannual meeting of
Societas Homiletica in Utrecht, Netherlands, June 16–21. He
presided at the European Evangelistic Society breakfasts at the
North American Christian Convention in Tampa, Fla., June 28, and at
the General Assembly, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), July
15. n
Development & Recruitment
on the Road
DAVID FULKS to the North American Christian Convention June 25–30.
DAN LAWSON
to the North American Christian Convention June 25–30 and to
Georgia in July.
JEFF MCNABB to the North American Christian Convention June 25–30 and to
North Carolina in July.
JERRY
RUDBERG to the Oregon Christian Convention in Turner, Ore., June
26–July 1.
C. ROBERT
WETZEL to the North American Christian Convention June 26–29;
to Clearwater, Fla., Christian Church July 1; In July, teaching each
Sunday at First Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn., with the
exception of July 15, when he will be preaching. n
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