July 2003
Back Issues

Contents

	Norris invited as panelist
	Jerry Rudberg relocates
	Clipboard going electronic
	Meditation: Tell it the way it is!
	Book Review: Conflict in Corinth: Redefining the System
	Clipnotes
	Faculty News
	Development & Recruitment on the Road
	DMin Quote of the Month

Jerry Rudberg, Emmanuel’s Associate Director of Development for the Western Region, announces the relocation of his office to P.O. Box 1948, Battle Ground, Wash., 98604, phone 360-687-4436. Jerry will now serve the seminary on a part-time basis.

In an effort to reduce budget costs, we will experiment with delivering future issues of The Clipboard via the Internet only. In order to do so, we need your email addresses! Please email your address to AlumniNews@esr.edu so that we can add you to our email database and stay in touch with you. Thank you!

Meditation:
Tell it the way it is!

“I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so will I seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.”

In Ezekiel 34:11–16, we read that the Lord promises to seek us out. What a marvelous promise the Lord God makes to us, his people. We don’t have to search him out; he will search us out and bring us to himself. He calls us by name to live with him for all eternity.

Sometimes, we feel powerless to overcome the sinfulness we feel deep within ourselves. We feel unable to resist the temptations that come our way. We don’t especially like those people who need our attention. We don’t want to feed them, clothe them, give them something to drink, care for the sick, welcome the strangers into our midst, or console the prisoners. If we were left on our own, we would do it our way, not God’s.

Sometimes we just have to give thanks that God is a good God, that he loves us enough to come after us. Sometimes we just have to give thanks that Jesus is the King, and that nothing is left up to us to accomplish on our own.

Remembering that we are all ministers of Christ, we can share the joy by extending a hand of fellowship to those who do not know that the Lord is their shepherd.

Barbra Streisand retired recently. She worked hard to learn to act, to sing, to direct and to produce movies. She produced three dramatic movies that have messages with powerful social implications. I find a thread running through all her movies. The message she works hard to get across is this. Speak the truth. Tell it the way it is.

In her movie Yentl, Streisand plays the part of a Jewish woman at the turn of the 20th century who wants desperately to study the Torah. Because she is a woman, she is not allowed to study anything. So she pretends to be what she is not, a man. She gets into a lot of trouble this way, and finally resolves her mess by telling the truth about the way it really is.

In the second movie Streisand produced, The Prince of Tides, she tells the story of a woman who is insane because of the secrets she is forced by her family to keep. Her brother releases her from her insanity and at the same time resolves terrible pain for himself by finally telling the truth about experiences they had together as children. He spoke the truth about the way it really is.

In Streisand’s last movie, The Mirror has Two Faces, she plays the part of a woman who sees herself as unattractive because that is what her attractive and insensitive mother told her when she was very young. We watch a woman discover that beauty is more than physical, and that in fact she is much prettier than she had been led to believe. Her self-concept changed, and then her whole approach to relationships with herself and with others. She discovered the truth about the way it really was when she discussed her appearance with her mother. Her mother told her that she had always been a pretty child, and her mother explained that she had never meant to tell her she was ugly. This woman reformed her understanding of herself by hearing the truth about the way it really is.

I would invite us to use the Streisand model. Tell the truth about the way it really is to those friends who need to hear it. Tell them that Jesus is the King, that we are almost tripping over ourselves with excitement and enthusiasm about the fact that God seeks us out so that we might know the wonders of the glorious inheritance that is ours.

1 Corinthians remains of great interest to our understanding of the church — both for its understanding of the practices of Christian community and for its guidance on dealing with struggles, problems, and divisions. One of the key questions to be asked in studying Paul’s letter to Corinth is whether the problematic issues stem from one underlying source (e.g., “realized eschatology”), or from a number of separate factors (e.g., pride, individualism, enlightened thinking, social differences) found in differing places among members of the Christian community.

Robertson’s book provides a substantial addition to the methodological analysis of 1 Corinthians. A strong case is made for intra-church conflict in the Corinthian community derived from members’ overlapping and competing relational networks (new church members who operate simultaneously in two or more networks such as the household, the civic gathering, the civic courts, collegia (religious clubs), religious cults, and synagogues). Networks of involuntary dependence (e.g., the household relationship remaining between true siblings such as a Christian and a non-Christian brother) have not been properly perceived or analyzed by traditional linear thinking. Systems analysis concerning the familial structures of the ekklesia (the gathered church) proves more illuminating. Paul’s role is to provide “conflict management” and to teach and structure the community to do its own “conflict management.” Robertson illustrates his method and analysis by examining the conflict evident in the civic court cases alluded to in 1 Corinthians 6.

While this book is challenging, it is very readable. It will allow the student of 1 Corinthians to follow the current trajectories in scholarship. Its author has pastoral experience that undergirds his choice of method and his framework of interpretation. The struggling nature of many of our own ecclesial communities matches that of early house churches in Corinth. Hence, this book provides important investigative and analytical ways of dealing with “conflict management” in a biblical manner. The book is well written, defines terms well, and moves through the stages of method clearly. Robertson’s innovative framework and paradigm now cast much doubt on studies of 1 Corinthians that seek to find one underlying cause to manifestations of conflict at Corinth. Rather we must dispel “the tendency on the part of many [Christians] to give priority to the claims and roles of their other, pre-existing networks rather than to those of the Christian ekklesia” (p. 97).

You may purchase a copy of this book in the Emmanuel Bookstore by contacting Sabine Eagle at 423-461-1545 or emailing her at eagles@esr.edu.

JOSHUA (MDiv ’00) and RUTH BARRON (MAR ’00) serve in the areas of youth ministry and family evangelism at Belvue Christian Church in Kingsport, Tenn.

CLIFFORD W. BERGER (MDiv ’83) received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Emmanuel School of Religion in May 2003. His project was “Preparing Parents to Guide the Spiritual Formation of Their Children.” He received the Calvin L. Phillips Award for the outstanding Doctor of Ministry project of 2003. Cliff serves as Minister to Adults at Tigard (Ore.) Christian Church.

JAN BRADSHAW (MDiv ’92) served as the keynote speaker for the 2003 Seattle Area Christian Women’s Retreat March 28–30. Jan is a full-time teacher at Centralia (Wash.) Christian School, a part-time Chaplain at Providence Centralia Hospital, and a mother of three boys. She is also a helpmeet to husband, TOM BRADSHAW (MDiv ’92), who has served as Minister of First Christian Church in Chehalis, Wash., since 1991.

TIM CAMPBELL (MDiv ’92) will teach Elementary Hebrew at Puget Sound Christian College in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., beginning Fall 2003. Tim continues to serve as Senior Minister of Evergreen Christian Church in Everett, Wash.

SILMAR COELHO (MDiv ’95) attended Brazil’s biggest book selling event, “Books’ Bienal,” in May to autograph his book Transforming Tears into Wine. His last book, Never Give Up, has been a best-seller for almost a year. Silmar and his wife, Janice, continue their ministry to the people of Brazil.

L. STEPHEN COOK (MDiv ’97) has accepted the position of Instructor of Old Testament at Johnson Bible College, Knoxville, Tenn., and will reside on campus. Steve is a Ph.D. candidate in Biblical Studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

JIM DAHLMAN (’80–’81) compiles the new “Seen & Heard” feature of Christian Standard. Jim is Associate Professor of Communications at Milligan College and resides in Johnson City, Tenn., with his wife, Melissa.

CLAUDIO DIVINO (MDiv ’97) has moved from his ministry with the Antioch Christian Church in Mamaroneck, N.Y., to take a new position as Inter-Cultural Studies Professor at Crossroads College (formerly Minnesota Bible College) in Rochester, Minn., beginning July 1.

CLINT HOLLOWAY (MAR ’98) has published an article, “A Spirit of Inquiry: Eva Jean Wrather and Alexander Campbell,” in Discipliana, Vol. 63, No. 1 (Spring 2003). Discipliana is a publication of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, Nashville, Tenn. Clint serves as Minister of Discipleship for First Christian Church, Nashville, Tenn.

STEVE ISOM (MDiv ’80) has moved from his teaching position at Puget Sound Christian College to serve as Pastor of Adult Education at Beaverton (Ore.) Christian Church. Steve and his wife, Corrine, reside in Tigard, Ore., and have recently welcomed their first grandchild, Benjamin Wayne Isom.

JOSHUA A. JEFFERS (MDiv ’02) received the Master of Theology degree from Princeton Theological Seminary on May 17, 2003.

GARY JENKINS (MRE ’69) and his wife, Janet, are in their 20th year of ministry with Harmony Christian Church in Choctaw, Okla. The church is scheduled to move into a new building addition this summer.

RICH JENKS (MRE ’70) joined the staff of High Lakes Christian Church in La Pine, Ore., as Associate Pastor of Family Ministries.

GARY KNAPP (MDiv ’85) received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Emmanuel School of Religion in May 2003. His project was “A Christian Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease.” Gary serves as minister at West Hills Christian Church in Bristol, Tenn.

LLOYD KNOWLES (MRE ’71) has completed 33 years at Great Lakes Christian College and currently serves as Professor of History. He represented GLCC at the “Faith and Learning, Integrating our Faith in a Liberal Arts Program” conference at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., in June 2002. He lectured for an interdenominational class, Perspective in World Missions, in Lansing, Mich., in February 2003. He wrote an article for the Stone Campbell Journal (Volume 6 Issue 1) titled “Sidney Rigdon, The Benedict Arnold of the Restoration Movement?” He read a paper based on this article at the Stone Campbell Journal conference March 20–22, 2003, in St. Louis, Mo.

MARK KNOX (MDiv ’89) relocated from Fort Knox, Ky., to Fort Bragg, N.C., in June. Mark serves as Third Brigade Chaplain for the 82nd Airborne Division.

STAN LAWHON (MDiv ’78) was awarded the Doctor of Ministry degree from Erskine Theological Seminary in May 2003. His dissertation was entitled Team Building: Bridging the Gap Between the Elders and Staff at Eastside Christian Church. Stan serves as Minister at Eastside Christian Church in Jeffersonville, Ind.

MARK LITTEN (MDiv ’93) is preparing to join the CMF Great Britain Field Team to begin a church plant in Worcester, England, along with his wife, Margaret, and their girls Marisa and Melanie.

BRUCE LONG (MAR ’86) is moving to Dallas, Texas, in July to serve as the Distance Education Director of Dallas Christian College. He will complete a Master of Science in Education Technology degree from Dakota State University in the Fall 2003.

TRACY W. MARX (MDiv ’01) and his wife, Angela, announce the birth of a son, Patrick Nathaniel Marx, on April 14, 2003. Patrick was welcomed home by his three-year old brother, Reagan Andrew. Tracy serves as Minister of Loyall (Ky.) Church of Christ.

R. PAIGE MATHEWS (’79–’80) published an article in the June 15 issue of Christian Standard titled “Advice for those interviewing potential church staff members… Don’t Forget the Family of Origin.” Paige is business manager at LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colo., and serves as a director of the Church Planting Assessment Center.

JIM MUSSER (MDiv ’83) has completed twenty years as Campus Minister with Campus Christians at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

DAVID NOLL (MAR ’79) and his wife, Donna, announce the birth of their first grandchild, Elias Benjamin Noll, on March 28, 2003. David is a database analyst at Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Mason, Ohio. David and Donna serve at the Fairfield (Ohio) Church of Christ.

MARK NOTTER (MDiv ’00) and his wife, Shelley, welcome a new daughter, Sophia Grace, born on December 9, 2002. She joins her sister, Hope Alyse, who is three. Mark has served as Middle School Pastor at Kingsway Christian Church in Indianapolis, Ind., for the past three years.

JONES OLIVER (MDiv ’85) received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Emmanuel School of Religion in May 2003. His project was “Faithful in Death: Applying Principles of Christian Living to Preparing for Death.”

JODY OWENS (MDiv ’98) received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Emmanuel School of Religion in May 2003. His project was “Navigating the Narrow Way: Spiritual Formation for the Church.” Jody serves on the faculty of Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tenn.

ROGER PEDERSEN (MDiv ’87) recently left Stayton (Ore.) Church of Christ to become Executive Minister at Monmouth (Ore.) Christian Church.

GORDON PIPPIN (MDiv ’81) will complete seven years of ministry with Central Christian Church in Battle Creek, Mich., in July. The congregation has offered an extended Sabbatical to Gordon and his wife, Carla, which they have planned for the spring and summer of 2004. The church just completed a 16,000 square foot addition to its facility.

JERRY RUDBERG (MRE ’70) and Phyllis Jackson announce their marriage on May 17, 2003. They were married at the foot of The Cross of the Risen Lord on Phyllis’s Green in the Emmanuel Village. The couple will reside in Battle Ground, Wash.

LEONARDO SALVADOR (MDiv ’88) is one of the Filipino leaders organizing the First Filipino Leaders’ Congress to be held on December 5–7, 2003, at the International Convention Center in Olongapo City, Philippines. Leo will speak on the topic “Church Local Autonomy and Shared Ministry.” Leo and his wife, Zeny, continue to teach at Manila Bible Seminary, which reported its largest graduating class, 30 students, March 23, 2003. Leo and Zeny plan a trip to the United States to conduct revival meetings in cities where there are large concentrations of Filipinos and Fil-Ams.

FRANK SHIRVINSKI (MDiv ’99) will leave First Christian Church, Cumming, Ga., in August to move to Scottsdale, Ariz., and serve as Associate Minister with the Chaparral Christian Church. Frank has completed his comprehensive exams toward a Ph.D. in Historical Linguistics, Proto-European and Semitic Languages at the University of Georgia.

DAVE SOUCIE (MDiv ’81, DMin ’98) and his wife, Debbie, began a new ministry with Southport Heights Christian Church in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 1, 2003.

Art Sphar (MDiv ’74) has been named Suburban Chaplain Coordinator for Tacoma-Pierce County Chaplaincy. He will serve as community chaplain for the Sumner-Bonney Lake area, and he will be responsible for recruiting, training, and leading the police and fire chaplains throughout Pierce County. TPCC presently serves about 30 agencies.

RICK TOWNSEND (MDiv ’82) has published a book, How to find Happiness in Life. This book helps people to find happiness by developing a proper relationship with God and people. Rick serves as Chair, Department of Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling at Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tenn.

ROSS (MDiv ’98) and CHERYL WISSMANN (MDiv ’97) will be on furlough in the United States from July to December 2003. They will be based in Jamestown, Tenn. Ross and Cheryl have worked with the International Christian College of Manila in the Philippines since 2000.

EULENE WITHAM (’95–’96) spent three weeks in April at the Wycliffe Translation Center in Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea, coordinating and teaching a VBS program for 50 preschool and kindergarten missionary children during the branch conference. While there, she attended the New Testament revision dedication and the new King Airplane dedication.

RON WYMER (’88–’91) graduated from Grace University with an M.A. in counseling on May 10, 2003. Ron and his wife, Becky, reside in Missouri Valley, Iowa.

Faculty News

PAUL M. BLOWERS has translated, along with Dr. Robert L. Wilken, the book On the Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ: St. Maximus the Confessor. The work was published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press and released on June 1. It is available through the Emmanuel School of Religion bookstore.

ELEANOR A. DANIEL returned to Austria May 28 to continue her work with the TCM Institute. She will teach a class in Moldova June 23–28 and a class in Romania July 14–19.

JACK B. HOLLAND will present three sessions at the Youth in Ministry event, “The Big Picture,” at Milligan College campus July 21–26. This is a summer conference for high school juniors and seniors seeking God’s vision for their lives. Dr. Holland will preach twice monthly at Sonlight Church of Christ in Greeneville, Tenn., in June and July.

ROBERT F. HULL JR. served as van driver for Interfaith Hospitality Network the first week of May. He was a member of the Christian Action Team of Grandview Christian Church, Johnson City, Tenn., which helped build a community center in Premier, W.Va., June 8–13.

THOMAS F. JONES JR. participated in the ordination service of Emmanuel alumnus Nikki Hunt at First Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn., May 18. He spoke at Stadia Church Planting Bootcamp at Heritage Christian Church in Atlanta, Ga., June 2–5. He will teach the Alive Sunday School class at First Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn., in June, July, and August. He hosted the planning meeting at Emmanuel for a new module for assessing church staffs June 9–10 and hosted the Church Planting Assessment Center at Emmanuel June 11–13. Dr. Jones served as church planting assessor for Stadia in Phoenix, Ariz., June 23–26. He will consult, coach, and teach a leadership seminar for Journey Christian Church in New Orleans June 27–29 and coach and consult with Bluegrass Men’s Fellowship about a new church in Lexington, Ky., July 14–15. He will attend the North American Christian Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., July 7–11.

ROLLIN A. RAMSARAN met with Milligan College Bible Area Faculty at a retreat June 2–3, 2003, to discuss “Theological Exploration of Vocation in Bible Survey Courses.”

CHRISTOPHER A. ROLLSTON published book reviews in Old Testament Abstracts and Journal of Near Eastern Studies. Dr. Rollston performed a child blessing at English Consul Christian Church in Baltimore during April. He delivered lectures on Middle Eastern archaeology at Dobbins–Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tenn., and Appalachian Christian Village in Johnson City, Tenn., during May and June. He delivered a lecture on the “James Ossuary” during June at the Elizabethton Rotary Club, a lecture that was featured in the Elizabethton Star. In addition, he delivered a series of three lectures during June at Greenville Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Throughout the summer, Dr. Rollston and his wife, Carolyn, will teach the 3rd–4th grade Sunday School Class at Boones Creek Christian Church in Gray, Tenn.

BRUCE E. SHIELDS will teach at International Christian College of Manila, Philippines, June 23–27. He will preside at the European Evangelistic Society breakfast during the North American Christian Convention July 10 in Indianapolis, Ind., and will help judge the public speaking competition at the NACC July 9–11. Dr. Shields continues to serve as a volunteer chaplain at the Johnson City Medical Center.

C. ROBERT WETZEL wrote a resource review of the book Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films With Wisdom and Discernment in the June 15 issue of Christian Standard. He published the article “Church and Culture in the 21st Century” in the June 22 issue of Christian Standard. On June 7, Bob and Bonnie Wetzel celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and close friends.

Development & Recruitment
on the Road

Dan Lawson to southern California and Oklahoma in June; and to the North American Christian Convention in Indianapolis and to Oregon in July.

Jeff mcnabb to Mississippi, middle and western Tennessee, and Minnesota in June; and to the North American Christian Convention in Indianapolis in July.

Jerry rudberg to Brownsville (Ore.) Christian Church and the Oregon Christian Convention in Turner, Ore., in June.
  

C. ROBERT WETZEL participated in a memorial service at Elk Park Christian Church, Elk Park, N.C., June 1; traveled to Russia with The Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary Presidents, June 20–29; will preach at Frankton Christian Church, Frankton, Ind., July 6; will attend Standard’s Contributing Editors' Meeting, July 7; will attend the North American Christian Convention, Indianapolis, Ind., July 7–11; and will provide devotions for Youth In Ministry’s “The Big Picture” at Milligan College, Tenn., July 20.