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May 2003
Back Issues
Contents
A verse for alumni
“Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all
good things with his instructor.” Galatians
6:6
I must confess that as president of Emmanuel School of Religion
my thoughts are never far from the needs of the School. Even in my
devotional reading certain passages seem to jump out at me
depending on the particular need or needs we are facing. Thus
given the impact of the stagnant national economy on charitable
giving, it was only to be expected that Galatians 6:6 should seem
particularly relevant.
Seminaries do not tend to graduate people who will find
themselves in lucrative positions. In fact I marvel and praise God
when I see Emmanuel alumni who have spent their lives in modest
circumstances because of their commitment to the congregations or
missions to which they have been called. There are not many other
vocations in which a person will invest seven or more years in
higher education to prepare for a lifetime’s work that almost
guarantees them a modest standard of living.
And yet a seminary like Emmanuel School of Religion must look
to its alumni both for immediate support and for those contacts
with churches and individuals that will lead to support. We look
for the opportunity to heighten congregational awareness to the
ministry of Emmanuel. We stand ready to come to you for this
purpose. And thus as Paul put it boldly to the Galatian churches,
we look to Emmanuel alumni to share all good things with
their instructors.
Bob Wetzel
Emmanuel at the NACC
Emmanuel will host its annual breakfast at the North American
Christian Convention on Wednesday, July 9, at 7:30 a.m. at the
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. The speaker this year will be Ben
Cachiaras (MDiv ’92 and current DMin student). Ben ministers
with the Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Md. Tickets for the
breakfast cost $15 each. Please join us in Indianapolis for an
inspirational breakfast, and be sure to stop by the Emmanuel Booth
409/411. n
Youth in Ministry to sponsor
NACC teen public speaking competition
Youth in Ministry, a partnership of Milligan College and
Emmanuel School of Religion, will sponsor a public speaking
competition at the North American Christian Convention in
Indianapolis, Ind., July 8–11, 2003. The competition is open to
all high school students who have completed grades 9, 10, 11, or
12, and the theme is “Imagine!” based on Ephesians 3:20–21.
The goal is to encourage young people to share Christ with others
through public speaking, and there will be scholarship
opportunities at Bible and Christian Colleges.
Please let the teens in your church know of this competition.
Youth in Ministry helps teens determine their vocational calling
in the context of Christian ministry by offering ways for young
people to discover their unique gifts and discern God’s desire
for their lives. For more information about Youth in Ministry and
the National Teen Speaking Competition, please visit
www.youthinministry.org. n
Alumni
serve in ‘Megachurches’
The following Emmanuel alumni were recently recognized in the Christian
Standard for serving as senior ministers of “Megachurches,”
churches with 1000 or more members.
• Ben Cachiaras (MDiv ’92) Mountain Christian Church,
Joppa, Md.
• L.D. Campbell (’65, ’70) First Church of Christ,
Burlington, Ky.
• Cam Huxford (’78–’84) Savannah (Ga.) Christian Church
• Greg Johnson (MAR ’78) First Christian Church, Tarpon
Springs, Fla.
• Steve Moore (’88–’01) Cherry Lane Christian Church,
Meridian, Idaho
• Clark H. Tanner (MRE ’75) Beaverton (Ore.) Christian
Church
• Charles D. Wingfield (MDiv ’71) First Christian Church,
Florissant, Mo.
Commencement to be
held at Seeger Chapel
Join us on May 25 in Seeger Chapel on the campus of Milligan
College for Emmanuel’s 37th Commencement. The graduation venue
was changed to accommodate the friends and family of Emmanuel
growing graduating classes. Dr. Myron Taylor of Los Angeles will
deliver the address. n
DMin Quote of the Month
By Jones Oliver (MDiv ’85), D.Min. candidate
“Participation in Emmanuel’s D.Min. program was one of the
most important experiences of my life. The classes were
challenging, the professors superb, and the requirements
practical. The greatest part of the program was the fellowship. We
would arrive on Monday, many of us total strangers; we would leave
on Saturday as beloved brothers.”
For more information about Emmanuel’s Doctor of Ministry
degree program, contact Melissa Noble at 1-800-933-3771. n
Meditation:
Bigger is better!
by Jim Keefe, (MDiv ’69)
Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,
“Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. —
Matthew 26:27–28
In the upper room at the last Passover that Jesus celebrated with
his intimate group of twelve (eleven), Matthew records some
thought-provoking ideas to me. Let me try to explain.
In our day we seem to be living out the phrase “bigger is
better.” Often this is seen in the vehicles that drive up and down
our highways and city streets. It can also be seen in the gallon
jars of mayonnaise that are purchased at one of those warehouse
markets. Home television sets with less than 25" screens are
rarely purchased any more. “Bigger” is perceived to be “better.”
Go back to the upper room and hear the words of Jesus again, “Drink
from it, all of you.” These words accompanied his passing of the
cup to those gathered around his table that evening.
Move, in your mind, to the International Date Line (in the
Pacific Ocean) where the first day of the week “begins.” Move
geographically westward, through the island nations of the
Philippines, Korea, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. Realize that
hour after hour, Christians are “all of you” meeting and
remembering, eating and drinking of the Lord’s table.
Travel, again in your mind, across China, India, Europe, and the
African continent. Again, each hour, Christians are gathering to
continue to follow the instruction of Jesus to “all of you” to
drink. Keep moving west across the Atlantic Ocean, over the Northern
and Southern American continents, on to the islands of the Pacific.
The pattern continues unbroken.
“Bigger is better” when one looks at the impact of “all of
you” drinking of that one cup. Verse 28 contains added emphasis
with Jesus saying, “This is my blood of the covenant, poured out
for many.” No doubt, in the church body, “bigger is better!”? n
Clipnotes
BEN BUTLER (’99–’00)
and his wife, Yumi, celebrated the birth of a daughter, Megumi
Hannah Butler, on March 7, 2003. Ben and family have moved to Japan
where he started a new teaching position in April.
TIM CAMPBELL (MDiv ’92) has been named a board member of
the Christian Evangelizing Association in Seattle, Wash. Tim serves
as senior minister of Evergreen Christian Church in Everett, Wash.
AL COVELL (’65, ’68) and his wife, Marylyn, began their
35th year of ministry with the Frankton (Ind.) Christian Church in
March 2003.
GARY DAVIDSON (MDiv ’96) and his wife, Carrie, have a new
daughter, Anna Janelle, born February 14, 2002. Gary completed the
masters degree in occupational therapy at Milligan College and is
now working in Greeneville, Tenn. The family resides in Erwin, Tenn.
WES DILLON (’94–’98) resigned his staff position at
CrossWay Christian Church in Nashua, N.H., to develop Pictureshock
Productions, a multimedia ministry whose mission is to bring
Biblical truth to a visual generation.
WAYNE DYKSTRA (MDiv ’94) became the new minister of Sun
City West (Ariz.) Christian Church on February 1, after closing his
ministry at Prineville (Ore.) Christian Church.
PRINCE CEPHAS N. IKWUECHEGH (’80–’81) announces the
birth of a son, Moses Olusegun Ikwuechegh, January 10. Prince Cephas
ministers in Abia, Nigeria, where he lives with his wife and family.
MARK HERWICK (MDiv ’84) graduated from DeVry University
with a B.S. in Information Technology in October 2002. Mark and his
wife, Joni, reside in Bonney Lake, Wash.
BRIAN JOBE (MDiv ’98) and his wife, Marie, welcomed the
arrival of their first child, Sydney Marie, on April 18. Brian is
the outreach minister at Savannah (Ga.) Christian Church.
LARRY JOWERS (’00–’02) and his wife, Megan, are pleased
to announce the birth of Maxwell Lee Jowers on December 20, 2002.
Larry and his family reside in Morristown, Tenn., where Larry serves
as minister of Westside Christian Church.
DAN (MDiv ’99) and MISTI LINCOLN (MDiv ’01)
celebrated the birth of a daughter, Anja Marie, on April 17. Dan and
Misti serve with TCM International at Haus Edelweiss near Vienna,
Austria.
TOM (MDiv ’94) and AMY MOEN (MAR ’94) serve as
missionaries with CMF International in Saő Paulo, Brazil, and were
involved with Globalscope’s research trip in Brazil April 10–17
to solidify interest in a campus ministry in Campinas.
RUSSELL MOLDOVAN (MDiv ’93, DMin ’02) published an
article in the April 13 issue of Christian Standard titled,
“Cleaning up the Cross?” Russ ministers with the Blanchard
(Penn.) Church of Christ.
JODY OWENS (MDiv ’98) has joined the faculty of Johnson
Bible College in Knoxville, Tenn., to teach in the Old Testament
field. He and his wife, Stephanie, reside on campus.
BOB PARSLEY (MDiv ’94) and his wife, Michal, welcomed their
first child, Margaret Jane, on April 2. Bob is working on a law
degree at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
BOB PETERSON (MDiv ’96) and his wife, Michelle, celebrated
the birth of their fourth child, Josiah Andrew, on September 28,
2002. Bob continues his pastoral ministry at Dufur (Ore.) Christian
Church.
MARK POINDEXTER (MDiv ’90) was published in the book, Keeping
the Faith: Best Indiana Sermons, released by Guild Press in
March. Mark is the pastor of First Christian Church in Salem, Ind.
ART SPHAR (MDiv ’74) retired on March 9 from a 20-year
ministry with Lake Tapps Christian Church in Bonney Lake, Wash. The
church observed the occasion with a retirement dinner attended by
the church members and community leaders. Art now hopes to expand
his role as a police chaplain.
ANDY SPENCER (MAR ’92) received his Doctor of Ministry
degree in Church Administration from Trinity Theological Seminary in
Newburgh, Ind., in June 2002. Andy serves as minister at Cayuga
(Ind.) Christian Church.
ROBERT SHIELDS (’86–’87) successfully defended his
dissertation, Understanding, Culture, and the Challenges of
Learning: An Account of the Role of Social Practices in
Understanding within and between Cultures. He received his Ph.D.
in Philosophy from the University of Kentucky on May 10. Robert
currently serves on the Emmanuel staff.
BRUCE SOUTHERLAND (MAR ’79) has completed his 23rd year of
ministry in New England. He serves on the staff of Manchester (N.H.)
Christian Church as a community team leader overseeing small groups
and sharing teaching responsibilities for the church’s three
worship services.
RAY STITES (MDiv ’74) completed a book, Abounding in the
Work of the Lord: The History of Manhattan Christian College, as
part of the College’s 75th anniversary celebration. Ray is
CEO/Administrator for Christian Churches Pension Plan in Kansas
City. He and his wife, Merelyn, reside in Tonganoxie, Kan.
DON TROTTER (MDiv ’89) retired from the Army National Guard
after serving over 24 years, including a tour in Vietnam. Don
teaches college history and Bible courses in Knoxville, Tenn.
RONNIE VOSS (MAR ’92, DMin ’02) and his wife, Janis,
serve as interim education ministers with the Garden City Church of
Christ in Columbus, Ind.
JOHN WASEM (MDiv ’87) wrote a response titled, “Thanks
for New-Church Articles,” in the Mailbox feature of the April 6
issue of Christian Standard. John serves as senior minister
at SunCrest Christian Church in St. John, Ind.
STEVE WILHITE (MDiv ’99) has been named senior pastor of
Lake Tapps Christian Church in Bonney Lake, Wash., after serving as
youth pastor for the past year and a half. n
Book
Review:
God’s Holy
Fire: The Nature and Function of Scripture
by Kenneth L.
Cukrowski, Mark W. Hamilton, and James W. Thompson.
Abilene, Texas: ACU Press, 2002
Reviewed by Robert F. Hull Jr., Dean and Professor of New Testament
Need a solid, thought-provoking book for an adult class elective?
Need a good antidote to biblical illiteracy? Interested in a study
of the Bible that is informed by serious scholarship coupled with
heartfelt devotion to God? Here is a book that can fill the bill
(all three bills, in fact!).
The authors are teachers of Bible in the College of Biblical
Studies at Abilene Christian University, which published this book
as the second in their “Heart of the Restoration Series.” Each
author wrote three chapters and Hamilton authored the conclusion.
There are appendices on building a basic Bible study library and how
to prepare a discussion lesson on a passage of Scripture. Discussion
questions for each chapter and some case studies round out the
volume.
The book does five things: (1) It shows the importance of knowing
and reading the Old Testament as part of the Christian canon of
Scripture, not an outdated book of “law.” (2) It summarizes the
basic contents of Scripture in the form of a story and shows how
important “story” and “stories” are in our lives. (3) It
introduces the different literary genres in the Bible. (4) It gives
a “soft” model of critical biblical study by showing the kinds
of questions scholars have to ask by means of relating ancient
biblical materials to their historical contexts. (5) It shows the
importance of Scripture in informing worship, ethical living, and
spiritual formation in Christian congregations.
All this meaty fare is served up with side dishes of personal
vignettes from each author, as well as definitions of technical
terms, discussion summaries, key Bible verses, and references to
helpful secondary literature.
Readers whose seminary days are well behind them will find this
volume a good overview of contemporary scholarship in biblical
studies, including text-critical, narrative, and social-sciences
approaches. Readers who have never had a scholarly introduction to
studying the Bible will find here a reliable guide, designed and
written for the person in the pew. Read and profit! n
Faculty
News
ELEANOR A. DANIEL continues
to teach an adult Bible class, a weekly women’s Bible study, a
monthly women’s Bible study, and chair the adult education
committee at First Christian Church, Johnson City, Tenn. Dr.
Daniel will depart for Europe and her work with TCM on May 28 and
return to Emmanuel in November. During that time, she will teach a
class in Moldova in June, a class in Romania in July, and a class
in Poland in September.
JACK B. HOLLAND was the featured speaker for Emmanuel’s
Western Student Scholarship Tour March 14–24. He spoke at the
Appalachian Christian Men’s Fellowship on May 13. Dr. Holland
continues design of the Mentoring Program for the Youth in
Ministry project, a partnership of Emmanuel and Milligan College.
He preaches twice monthly at Sonlight Church of Christ in
Greeneville, Tenn., and serves on the Board of Advocates for
Christian Children’s Homes of Tennessee.
ROBERT F. HULL Jr. has published an article in the March 16
issue of Christian Standard titled “Why Can’t We Be
Just Christians?” and an article titled “A Plea for a Theology
of Church Music” in the May 4 issue of Christian Standard.
FRED W. NORRIS gave two lectures at Baylor University on
April 4 on the importance of World Christianity. Dr. Norris served
on the closing panel “What We Have Learned” with Lamin Sanneh
(Yale) and Gerald Pillay (University of Otago, New Zealand) in the
Christianity and Religious Plurality in Historical and Global
Perspective conference held April 25–27 at Fuller Theological
Seminary (also sponsored by Calvin College).
ROLLIN A. RAMSARAN participated in the Luce Consultation on
Theological Scholarship May 2–4 in Pittsburgh.
CHRISTOPHER A. ROLLSTON delivered a series of four lectures
on Biblical Archaeology for an adult Sunday School class at Boones
Creek Christian Church in Gray, Tenn., during March. He continues
to teach a Wednesday evening Bible survey course at Boones Creek
which will conclude during May. During the month of April, he
taught the Sunday morning “Salt Class” at Grandview Christian
Church, Johnson City, Tenn. He participated in a symposium at
Pepperdine University during late April. His lecture was entitled
“The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men (Genesis 6:1–4): A
Model Text for Interpretive Method,” which will be published in
a forthcoming issue of the journal Leaven. Dr. Rollston
published an article entitled “The Rise of Monotheism in Ancient
Israel: Biblical and Epigraphic Evidence” in the Stone-Campbell
Journal 6 (Spring 2003): 95–115.
BRUCE E. SHIELDS presided at the annual meeting of the
Association for Doctor of Ministry Education in Chicago April 24–26.
He presided at the annual meeting of members and board of the
European Evangelistic Society in Atlanta April 27–29. Dr.
Shields continues to serve as a volunteer chaplain at the Johnson
City Medical Center.
THOMAS E. STOKES conducted and coordinated Sunday worship
services at Pine Oaks Assisted Living Community, Johnson City,
Tenn., during the months of March, April, and May. He participated
in the Colloquium for Bible/Ministry students at Milligan College
on April 9. He attended the Association for Doctor of Ministry
Education in Chicago April 24–26. He spoke at the Day of Prayer
in Blountville, Tenn., on May 1.
C. ROBERT WETZEL has been selected as one of twelve
Contributing Editors for Christian Standard magazine. n
Development
& Recruitment
on the Road
David Fulks to
the Campus Ministers Retreat in Spencer, Ind., in May.
Dan Lawson
to Houston, Texas, in May; to southern California and
Oklahoma in June; and to the North American Christian Convention
in Indianapolis in July.
Jeff mcnabb
to Chicago, Illinois, northern Indiana, Detroit and
southern Michigan in May; to Mississippi and middle and western
Tennessee in June; and to the North American Christian Convention
in Indianapolis in July.
Jerry rudberg to
Molalla, Ore., in May; to Brownsville (Ore.) Christian Church and
the Oregon Christian Convention in Turner, Ore., in June.
C. ROBERT WETZEL to Loyall Church of Christ, Loyall, Ky.,
May 18, to the World Convention of Christian Churches/Churches of
Christ administrative meeting in Indianapolis, Ind., May 20; to
the Emmanuel Administrators Retreat in Johnson City, Tenn., May 28–29;
and to the North American Christian Convention in Indianapolis in
July. n
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