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April 2002
Back Issues
Contents
Todd
Beamer Cottage and tree to be dedicated
David and
Peggy Beamer have been long-time supporters of Emmanuel School of
Religion. Their nephew, Jeff Jackson, is 1989 graduate of Emmanuel,
serving in Pennsylvania. The Beamers are active members of the
Church of Christ at Manor Woods in Rockville, Maryland, where David
serves as an elder.
On September
11 their personal world was turned up side down when their son,
Todd, led the charge against the hijackers on United Airlines Flight
93 that crashed in Pennsylvania. Every American, from President Bush
to the man on the street has called Todd’s actions on that flight
heroic. His wife Lisa set the standard for courage and hope, not
only in those days following the tragedy in New York and Washington
D.C., but to this very day as our world battles the evil of
terrorism. Todd Beamer’s words, “Let’s roll” have become the
watchword for every American’s actions in the face of hatred and
evil.
The Beamer
name was already attached to one of the cottages in the Emmanuel
Village, but during the days that followed the attack of September
11, Todd’s father David phoned Emmanuel to ask if a tree could be
planted in the Emmanuel Village in Todd’s memory. It was decided
that we would indeed plant a living tree as a memorial to Todd’s
heroic actions, and we would also rededicate the Beamer Cottage in
memory of Todd Morgan Beamer.
We would like
to invite all the Emmanuel family to join the Beamers on Wednesday,
April 24, at 10:45 a.m. as the Beamer Cottage and a maple tree are
dedicated in memory of this young Christian man who on September 11
awoke a free man…became a soldier…died a hero…died a
Christian.
This service
of dedication will take place in The Emmanuel Village. The Milligan
College Concert Choir will sing. A plaque of tribute to Todd Beamer
will be unveiled. Words of tribute will be given by leaders of
Emmanuel, Cory Thomas who lives in the Beamer Cottage, and by Todd’s
father, David Beamer. Come join this time of celebration of the life
of a truly remarkable Christian man. n
Emmanuel
financial update
Friends of
Emmanuel School of Religion have been made aware of what was feared
might become a financial crisis related to Emmanuel’s General
Fund. At the close of December we were experiencing a shortfall of
nearly a half million dollars. Once again we were reminded of just
how dependent we are on the mercies of our God.
To bring you
up to date on this concern, please note the following: we received
notice of a generous $50,000 estate gift from longtime friend and
donor, Fern Lee. In addition several friends of Emmanuel have made
commitments to give significant gifts prior to May 31 for the
general fund at the request of President Wetzel. The response has
been most encouraging. An aggressive phonathon in March resulted in
over $30,000 in firm commitments with many other friends indicating
that they will give strong consideration to giving what they can
before our fiscal year ends on May 31. Church giving for these last
few months of the financial year is proving to be strong.
The
administrators of the Seminary have been aggressive in cutting
spending where possible in these last remaining months of the school
year. Staff, faculty, and students have all been extremely helpful
in holding the line on spending.
Our
greatest reason for concern relates to the loss of income from the
endowment. With the recession and the decline in the stock market,
the endowment has taken quite a hit, resulting in less income than
originally budgeted. That income can only be replaced by turning to
our friends, our donors, to help us with increased giving between
now and May 31.
We are
approaching the end of our fiscal year with confidence that we serve
a God who understands our ministry and our needs. We know that our
friends realize that any deficit could easily be explained by the
state of the nation’s economy, but it remains crucial that we
close the year in the black. It is important that the School
continue to be seen as sound and responsible. We are committed to
using the gifts of our friends in a dependable manner. We cherish
your prayers and your gifts in these final months of April and May. n
Meditation:
Paint
For Me Jesus
By Cal Hultgren, MDiv ’01
Have you ever
been shocked to see a black Jesus? As a young white child I remember
seeing a picture of a black Jesus on TV. I said to myself, “That
is not right. I know Jesus and that is not what he looks like.” I
ran to my photo album, flipping to the picture of Jesus, to reassure
myself that Jesus still had that familiar Caucasian face. My
childhood image was Jesus with long brown hair, blue eyes, beard,
moustache and wearing a white bathrobe.
Times have
changed and I have too. Today, one of my favorite images of Jesus is
by Monika Liu Ho-Peh, a Japanese artist, titled “The Stilling of
the Tempest.” In Ho-Peh’s painting, Jesus (who looks rather
Asian) is calming the storm while His disciples (who look rather
Asian too) are staring wide-eye in awe. Is either picture of Jesus
wrong? No. That is not to say any depiction of Jesus is
right. Have you ever asked yourself, “What does Jesus look like,”
or to put it another way, “Who is Jesus?” Asking this question
is very important. Each person does have a particular
understanding of what the Bible says about Jesus. Just as we can
understand (or hear, if you will) the same sentence differently,
based on our life experience, culture, learning, and mood, so too
our mental image of Jesus is slightly different. This is not
something to be fearful of. On the contrary, it is to be celebrated.
Even the Biblical writers did not have just one image of Jesus. No
one image can fully depict who Jesus is.
How we answer “Who
is Jesus” has immediate and everlasting significance. Our mental
image of Jesus
informs how we read the Bible, how we relate to God and how we live
the Christian life.
Certain
pictures and images of Jesus are pressed in our minds, making that
image the standard by which all others are judged. This makes it
hard to accept another view of Jesus. When we ask ourselves, “What
does Jesus look like,” we need to also ask, “What aspects am I
leaving out?” It is important when we are learning more about
Jesus, to keep in mind that our own view might be too narrow. He is
broader than the tight confirming images we make of him.
It is so
important to learn about Jesus from all kinds of people (while being
like the Bereans, checking everything with Scripture). I have
learned much from my Kenyan, Danish, English, American, wealthy,
poor, sick, and healthy friends. Paint for me Jesus. Matthew 16:15. n
Clipnotes
JOEL
CARILLET (MAR ’99) has returned from his travels in the Middle
East and is living in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at
joelcarillet@hotmail.com.
BRETT
CARTWRIGHT (MDiv ’98) has voluntarily been recalled to active
duty as a Navy Chaplain. He is assigned to the aircraft carrier USS
Dwight D. Eisenhower in Norfolk, Va.
CHRIS CHAE (MAR
’96) serves as a Chaplain at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Chris helped in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon by
processing bodies. He and his wife, Erin, live on the base.
GREG COLEY (MAR
’98) and family have arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, to begin
language study in preparation for leading a Campus Ministry through
CMF Globalscope. Greg and Allison can be reached at coleyfamily@yahoo.com.
MICHAEL
DECKER (MDiv ’01) along with Dr. Tom Jones (MDiv ’82)
published the article “Growing Pains: Managing Conflict in Church
Planting” in the Fourth Quarter 2001 issue of Leaven. Mike
and Kathy lead a new church plant in the Columbia, S.C., area, while
residing in Simpsonville.
DOUG
DORNHECKER (MDiv ’79) and wife Kathy are preparing to move to
Melbourne, Australia, to serve at the Churches of Christ Theological
College on behalf of the Christian Church (DOC) in the USA/Canada
Division of Overseas Ministries.
CHRIS
HIGGINS (MDiv ’93) began as Senior Minister with First Church
of Christ in Owosso, Mich., on April 1. Chris left a nine-year
ministry with First Christian Church of Hobart, Ind. Chris, Lori,
and family have relocated to Owosso.
MICHAEL
HILLEY (MAR ’86) has been serving as Senior Pastor with Fort
Caroline Christian Church in Jacksonville, Fla. for over a year.
Mike, Terri, and daughter Jennifer reside in Jacksonville.
ALEX JACK (MDiv
’97) currently serves as youth minister at Walton Christian Church
in Walton, Ind. Alex and Christine live in Kokomo.
BOB JOHNSON
(MDiv ’01) recently left Central Christian Church in Mesa,
Ariz., to become Senior Minister at Christ’s Church of the Valley
in Bakersfield, Calif. Bob, Kim, and family now live in Bakersfield.
AARON JONES
(MDiv ‘97) published the article, “A Thankless Ministry: The
Church Treasurer” in the February 3 issue of Christian
Standard. Aaron is the Senior Minister of the Huron (South
Dakota) Christian Church.
STAN LAWHON
(MDiv ’78) began as Senior Minister at Eastside Christian
Church in Jeffersonville, Ind., in January. Stan and Barbara now
live in Jeffersonville.
TOM LOHR (MDIV
’84) published the article “Helping People Find Their Way Back
to God” in the February 24 issue of Christian Standard. Tom
and his wife Nona minister with the new church plant CrossPointe
Christian Church in Albuquerque, N.M.
SAM LUBAG (MDiv
’91, DMin ’99) was recently included in Who’s Who in the
World 2002. Sam currently serves as President of Manila Bible
College and Seminary in the Philippines.
JOHN OWSTON
(MDiv ’88 and MAR ’93) wrote the meditation entitled, “Rejected,”
for the February 3 issue of Christian Standard.
LEO
SALVADOR (MDiv ’88) and his wife, Zeny, continue their
teaching ministry in the Philippines at Manila Bible College and
Seminary. Leo also preaches on weekends at various Christian
churches in the area Quezon City area.
REX STANCIL
(1994–99) was married to the former Heather Marie Rose in
Scottsdale, Ariz., on March 16. Rex currently serves as Associate
Pastor at Central Christian Church in Mesa, Ariz. The couple plans
to live in Mesa.
SUE
SUTHERLAND (MRE ’79) along with her husband, Joe, are planting
a new church in a retirement community in Plainfield, Ill. Sue
directs small groups and Joe is the pastor.
STEVE
WILHITE (MDiv ’99) announces the birth of a son, Matthew
Robert, born on November 19, 2001. Steve and Kari minister with the
Lake Tapps Christian Church in Bonney Lake, Washington.
BARNEY
WIMER (MDiv ’69) is serving as a consultant to Manila Bible
Seminary in the Philippines to assist missionaries in turning over
the running of the school to Filipinos. Barney also serves as
Director of the Christian Evangelistic Association and lives in
Kenmore, Wash., with his wife, Mary. n
Book
Review:
The
Middle East:
A Brief History of the Last 2000 Years
By Bernard Lewis
New York: Scribner, 1995
Reviewed by
Dr. Frederick W. Norris,Dean E. Walker Professor of Church History
and Professor of World Mission/Evangelism
Since
September 11th most Americans have been scrambling to find out any
kind of information that would help explain the terrorists. Are all
Muslims that dangerous? Who are these followers of Allah and his
prophet Muhammad? What relationships have they had with Jews and
Christians?
If you have
watched the talk shows, you may already have seen Bernard Lewis in
the flesh. He is an emeritus professor of Near Eastern Studies at
Princeton and has written extensively on aspects of the region,
eighteen books besides this one. His knowledge is encyclopedic, and
perhaps more importantly for most of us, he writes clearly. His
introduction and treatment of what he calls “antecedents” only
take 47 of his 387 pages, but that means that he follows Islam in
its growth and development from the beginning into the late
twentieth century. That is what we know so little about. The volume
avoids academic discussions in footnotes but includes a
bibliography, chronology, maps and an index.
This is the
book you want to have in order to deepen your understanding. There
are, of course, other views. But Lewis’ opinions are so well
regarded that often they are precisely the ones with which other
noted authors or speakers disagree. n
NACC
Breakfast Tickets Available
Emmanuel’s
annual North American Christian Convention breakfast will be held on
Tuesday morning this year. The date is June 25, 2002 and the
event will take place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the Fairfield
Room at 7:30 a.m. Our speaker this year is Rick Grover (MDiv ’93
and DMin ’98). He and his wife, Laura, have recently moved to
Metairie, Louisiana to begin a new work in the New Orleans
area, Journey Christian Church. Please plan to join with the
Emmanuel family for this time of fellowship and inspiration.
Tickets for
the breakfast are $15 each, and may be ordered by sending a
check to the Office of the President, Emmanuel School of Religion,
One Walker Drive, Johnson City, TN 37601.
We look
forward to seeing you in Columbus! n
Faculty
News
PAUL M.
BLOWERS, along
with three others, edited the Festschrift in honor of Robert
Wilken titled Dominico Eloquio: In Lordly Eloquence. He also
wrote an article for the book, which was published
by Eerdmans.
ELEANOR A.
DANIEL spoke
for a women’s meeting at Draper Park Christian Church in Oklahoma
City, Okla., on January 21. She conducted a teachers’ seminar and
spoke for a teachers’ dinner at Wallula Christian Church in
Leavenworth, Kansas, where alum Steve Slack (MDiv ’90) preaches,
February 9–10. On March 11–18, Dr. Daniel conducted an ATS
accrediting visit to Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary. She attended the
Assessment of Theological Learning committee meeting in Dallas March
22–23 and the North Central Accrediting Association, Higher
Learning committee annual meeting with the TCM team March 24–26.
THOMAS F.
JONES
has published the article “Growing Pains: Managing Conflict in
Church Planting” along with Mike Decker in the Fourth Quarter 2001
issue of Leaven.
JACK B.
HOLLAND has
published a book review on Gary Preston’s Character Forged from
Conflict in the Fourth Quarter 2001 issue of Leaven.
ROBERT F. HULL
published a review of Scripture and Discernment: Decision Making
in the Church by Luke Timothy Johnson in the Fourth Quarter 2001
issue of Leaven.
FRED W. NORRIS’
article,
“Three Cheers for the Hinterland,” has been published in the
latest issue of In Trust magazine. Dr. Norris
has written an article for the book Dominico Eloquio: In Lordly
Eloquence published by Eerdmans.
CALVIN L.
PHILLIPS has
published the article “Creating a Climate for Consensus” in the
Fourth Quarter 2001 issue of Leaven.
ROLLIN A.
RAMSARAN wrote
the lesson “Justified by God’s Grace” in the March 3 issue of Christian
Standard.
BRUCE E.
SHIELDS
has published a review of the book Preaching Verse By Verse by
Ronald J. Allen and Gilbert L. Bartholomew (Louisville:
Westminster/John Knox Press, 2000). The review appeared in the
Summer 2001 issue of Encounter.
THOMAS E.
STOKES published
the bibliography “Resource Guide: Conflict Management and
Resolution in the Church” in the Fourth Quarter 2001 issue of Leaven.
C. ROBERT
WETZEL published
“An Interview with Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson” in the Fourth
Quarter 2001 issue of Leaven. n
Development
& Recruitment on the Road
DAVID FULKS to
Puget Sound Christian College, Northwest Christian College, and
Central Christian College of the Bible in April; in May to the
Campus Ministers Retreat in Spencer. Ind.; in June to the North
American Christian Convention in Columbus, Ohio.
DAN LAWSON
to Kansas and Arizona in April; to Iowa and Nebraska in May; to
Florida in June.
JEFF McNABB to
northeast Tennessee in April and May; to Ohio and the North American
Christian Convention in June.
JERRY RUDBERG to
Oregon and Washington in April; to Idaho, Oregon and Washington in
May.
C. ROBERT
WETZEL
to Colonial Heights Christian Church, Kingsport, Tenn., on April
14; lecturing for Milligan College’s humanities program on April
23; touring Washington, Idaho and Oregon to speak for the Western
Scholarship Dinners April 27–May 6. June 11–21 teaching the
summer school class “Theology After Wittgenstein” at Emmanuel.
On June 23, preaching at Worthington Christian Church in Columbus,
Ohio; June 24–25 attending the NACC in Columbus; June 26–29
speaking at the Oregon Christian Convention in Turner. n
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