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August 2000
Back Issues
Contents
Emmanuel is excited to announce that
dedication for the first phase of construction is planned for  Wednesday,
October 25, 2000, at 10:45 a.m. The ceremonies, which will take place
on Phyllis’s Green in the Village, will officially dedicate 26
cottages in seven courts. Many of the donors after whom the various
cottages and courts are named will be present to unveil dedicatory
plaques naming the respective edifices.
Many of the cottages currently under
construction will be ready for occupancy in August, with all 26
cottages ready for students and their families by early fall.
The Ahlgrim Carriage House will also be
dedicated on October 25. A much-needed maintenance building, it is
constructed in honor of Gene Ahlgrim, the first Supervisor of Building
and Grounds at Emmanuel.
As of the end of July, foundations had
been poured on all seven courts. Walls and roofs were in place on six
courts. Windows and doors were in place for six courts. The interior
part of the heat pumps was installed in 12 cottages. Kitchen cabinets
were installed in 12 cottages. Exterior stonework was in progress on
five courts. Cedar shakes were completed on three courts. Floor
covering was in progress in eight cottages, and Phyllis’s Green had
been graded. Much has been accomplished, but much is yet to be done.
We are hopeful that by Dedication Day all will be ready, including
roads, landscaping, parking areas, and lighting.
After the first phase of the Village is
dedicated, Emmanuel will pursue commitments for funding the second
phase. Its focus will be construction of the Thompson Community
Center, which will cost approximately $1,500,000. Already, over
$700,000 is committed to the project, which will provide community
meeting space, recreational facilities, the Phillips-Larrick
apartment, a child care center, and short-term housing for out-of-town
students. The third phase of construction will consist of additional
cottages and courts as both the need and the funding become available.
All are invited to join us on October 25,
2000, as we dedicate The Emmanuel Village.
It is with sadness that we announce the death of Dr. Wayne Ashworth
on May 21, 2000. Wayne  served
faithfully as our Associate Director of Development since January
1997. After being diagnosed with cancer, he resigned and along with
his wife Beverly moved back to California to be near their two sons
and their families.
Wayne played a significant role throughout the entire Heritage of
Excellence campaign. He was Emmanuel’s representative in the middle
states, especially Illinois eastward to Pennsylvania. He was the
editor of our Clipboard publication and coordinated our appeal
letters and phonathons.
Memorial gifts in Wayne’s honor are being designated to construct
The Ashworth-Alumni Hall in The Thompson Community Center of the
Emmanuel Village. It was indeed an honor to have the service of Dr.
Wayne Ashworth during these few but important years in the development
of Emmanuel School of Religion.
Dr. Eleanor A. Daniel, Dean of Emmanuel School of Religion, was
installed as the Dorothy Keister Walker Professor of Christian
Education in an April 26 inauguration ceremony in the Seminary’s
chapel.
The Dorothy Keister Walker Chair of Christian Education is funded
by a generous donation from the estate of Dr. Dorothy Keister Walker,
who passed away in August 1999. Dr. Walker was a distinguished
churchwoman who was known for her ministry among Christian Churches.
She was the widow of Dr. Dean E. Walker, who was president of Milligan
College and the first president of Emmanuel School of Religion.
Dr. Eleanor A. Daniel, a nationally known specialist in Christian
Education, joined Emmanuel’s faculty in 1994. In 1995 she became the
Dean of the School. She holds the B.A. and M.A. degrees from Lincoln
Christian College and Seminary and the Master of Education and Ph.D.
degrees from the University of Illinois.
The annual Commencement Service is always a time of mixed emotions.
On the one hand there is the satisfaction of seeing another group of
students ready to begin their ministries. But there is still that
feeling that their time here at Emmanuel has been all too short. This
is especially true if they have been with us for only two years doing
the Master of Arts in Religion degree. Even those hearty souls who
finish the Master of Divinity degree in three years seem to have been
with us for such a short time.
We are just not eager to see them go. They have become such an
integral part of the Emmanuel community. We have been blessed with
their extraordinary gifts. We have been challenged by their
inquisitive minds. And we have been inspired by their passion to serve
Christ. I must confess that there are times when a streak of
miserliness makes its way into our flawed souls. We want to hold on to
those in whose preparation for ministry we have invested something of
ourselves. But of course the ultimate blessing is in seeing these men
and women exercising their ministries in Kingdom work throughout the
world.
Emmanuel School of Religion completed its 35th year by awarding
degrees to 22 masters students and two doctoral students. As I write
this, it appears that 6 of these graduates will be working outside of
the United States. Two of our international students will be returning
to their home countries for ministry. Robert Van Dyke becomes the
Associate Minister of the Oak Park Christian Church in Calgary,
Canada. Joedir Carvalho returns to ministries in Brazil. His fellow
countryman, Sergio Faria, has been challenged to establish a
Portuguese-speaking congregation in the Northeast following the
earlier example of Emmanuel graduate Claudio Divino.
Joe Brennan will be become Philippine Director of Christians Haven,
a ministry to street children in Iligan City, Mindenao, Philippines.
Stephen Collie continues with his ministry in Germany. Josh Baron is
considering a teaching ministry in South Africa.
Doctoral recipient Billy Wayne Jones will continue his teaching
ministry at Bluefield College of Evangelism. At least two graduates
will be in youth ministries: Ethan Magness at the Grandview Christian
Church in Johnson City, Tennessee, and Dwayne Curry at the Capitol
City Christian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Michael Tanner has
accepted a call to the staff of Adventure Christian Church in
Roseville, California. Angela Doty will be doing a residency in the
chaplaincy program of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Johnson
City, Tennessee.
Other graduates are currently in conversation with churches and may
be placed by the time this issue of the Envoy appears. And
there are those like Mindy Thompson and John Nugent who will be
pursuing doctoral studies. David Butzu will be fulfilling a teaching
obligation before beginning his doctoral studies.
As much as we have been blessed by their presence at Emmanuel, we
send them to their ministries with confidence and thanksgiving. They
will be a blessing to the churches and missions where they serve.
Dr. Rollin Ramsaran, Associate Professor of New Testament, is
currently on sabbatical doing  research
for a book tentatively titled Paul’s Spirit-ordered Speech:
Liberating Worship in 1 Corinthians 11–16. Dr. Ramsaran’s
expertise is in 1 Corinthians, rhetorical criticism, and maxim
evaluation. He has been interested in these subjects for six years.
During his sabbatical, Dr. Ramsaran will serve as a visiting
scholar at Boston University School of Theology. He received his Ph.D.
from Boston University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 1994.
While in Boston he will do his primary research for his book, give
guest lectures, and present his research to their faculty and
students. His research will follow Paul’s “maxim usage and moral
reasoning according to freedom.” He will examine issues concerning
worship as it relates to differing views of politics, economics, and
status distinctions.
Ramsaran will also deliver a paper in Sweden at the Lund 2000
Conference on Rhetorical Argumentation in Biblical Texts, which will
appear as a chapter in a collection published by Trinity Press
International. The title of that chapter will be “Living and Dying,
Living is Dying (Phil. 1:21): Paul’s Maxim and Exemplary
Argumentation in Philippians.” The Lund Conference is a gathering of
28 biblical scholars who reflect on and analyze biblical texts from
the perspective of persuasion, both ancient and modern.
This sabbatical project will prove significant to Dr. Ramsaran’s
New Testament background knowledge and his understanding of the
Apostle Paul. It will enhance his understanding of the Lord’s
Supper, the role and participation of women in worship, spiritual
gifts, the identification and role of prophecy in worship, the ethics
of the resurrection, and the proper criteria for evaluating spiritual
speech in its variety of forms (including singing). Worship issues and
expressions are certainly important topics for today’s church.
Emmanuel will be better for his involvement in this sabbatical.
 Twenty-two
students were awarded degrees during Emmanuel’s Commencement
ceremonies on May 21. Six received the Master of Arts in Religion
degree, fourteen received the Master of Divinity degree, and two
received the Doctor of Ministry degree.
Leah Moshier, a missionary to the children of Kulpahar, India,
brought the address to the graduates titled, “A Stewardship
Entrusted.” She was awarded the James A. Garfield Award for her
noteworthy service to the church.
Master of Arts in Religion
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Stephen Lee Collie, Carmel, Indiana; B.S., Appalachian
State University; Thesis: A Study of Angel Idolatry in
Colossians, Revelation, and Hebrews and Their Implications for
Contemporary Christianity
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Philip Dwayne Curry, Raleigh, North Carolina; B.S.,
Johnson Bible College; Thesis: Robert Oldham Fife: A
Classical Disciple
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Ruth Elizabeth Lindauer, Milligan College, Tennessee;
B.A., Milligan College; Thesis: Small Acts of Faithfulness
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Cody Earl Moore, Santa Fe, Texas; B. A., Dallas
Christian College; Thesis: Movement in Being: An
Existential Reading of Habakkuk
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Louis Michael Morales, Miami, Florida; B.A., Palm Beach
Atlantic College; Thesis: The Apostle Thomas: A Novel
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Melinda Lee Thompson, Clarion, Iowa; B.A., Minnesota
Bible College; Thesis: Holiness in Leviticus
Master of Divinity
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Joshua Robert Barron, Bristol, Virginia; B.A. and B.S.,
Milligan College; Thesis: The Water of Life in an Indian
Cup; Concentration: Church History
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Joseph William Brennan, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania;
B.S.O.E., Wayland Baptist University; Thesis: Christianity
in the Philippines in the Twentieth Century: Why is the Only
Christian Nation in Asia in Need of Evangelism?
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David Alan Butzu, Sterling Heights, Michigan; B.Mus.,
University of Michigan; Thesis: Sources for Theological
Exploration: A Quadrilateral Approach to Elementary Biblical
Education
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Angela Joy Doty, Ankeny, Iowa; B.S.N., Milligan College;
Thesis: Mary’s Role in Liberation from the Lucan Infancy
Narrative
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Sergio Elias De Faria, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;
B.Th., Faculdade De Teologia Seminario Unido; Thesis: Servant
Leadership and the Brazilian Ministerial Reality
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Andrew Wallace Gill, Louisville, Kentucky; B.S.L.,
Louisville Bible College; Thesis: Take My Hand: The Mission
of the Church in a Postmodern World
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Ethan Lane Magness, Elizabethton, Tennessee; B.A.,
Swathmore College; Thesis: Awesome God, Amazing People: 40
Short Biographies of Christian Lives
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Kevin Robert Mooney, Jonesboro, Georgia; B.A., Atlanta
Christian College; Extended Research Paper: A Biblical
Strategy for Urban Ministry
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Mark Scott Notter, Gallipolis, Ohio; B.A., Kentucky
Christian College; Extended Research Paper: The Mission of
the Church
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John Christopher Nugent, Rocky Point, New York; B.R.E.,
Great Lakes Christian College; Thesis: Non-Earthly
Conceptions of Future Hope in the Old Testament and Second Temple
Jewish Literature; Concentration: Old Testament
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David Lawrence Odor, Plainfield, Indiana; B.S.,
Cincinnati Bible College; Extended Research Paper: The
Place of Church Planting Within A Shared Theology of the New
Testament
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Robert Hart Quinn, Atlanta, Georgia; B.S., Southern
Polytechnic State University; Thesis: Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder: Its Theological Significance and the Church; Master
of Divinity in Christian Care and Counseling
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Michael Clark Tanner, Beaverton, Oregon; B.A., Pacific
Christian College; Thesis: A Celebration of God’s
Presence
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Robert Todd Van Dyke, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; B.A.,
University of Calgary; Thesis: Discerning the Powerful
Reign: Paul’s Political Theology in Philippians
Doctor of Ministry
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Billy Wayne Jones, Bluefield, West Virginia; B.S.L.,
Bluefield College of Evangelism; M.Div., Emmanuel School of
Religion; Project: Upsetting the Equilibrium
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Michael Thurston Dunn, Albany, New York; B.S., Milligan
College; M.Div., Emmanuel School of Religion; Project: Worship
Renewal in the Church Through the Liturgy and the Christian Year
Emmanuel School of Religion’s Alexander Campbell Scholarship
Program is named for one of the leaders of the Nineteenth Century
Restoration Movement who demonstrated in his ministry a combination of
leadership, scholarship, and effective communication of the Gospel.
The scholarships cover full tuition for up to 90 hours of course work
at Emmanuel. They are intended to serve as an encouragement for those
with outstanding potential for ministerial leadership to continue
their educational preparation for ministry at the graduate level.
This year’s scholarship recipients are Ryan Bader of Johnson
City, Tenn., Milligan College; Tim Bomgardner of Burleson, Texas,
Atlanta Christian College; Laura Buffington of Columbus, Ohio,
Milligan College; William Lester of San Jose, Calif., Puget Sound
Christian College, and Matthew Wilson of Franklin, Tenn., Columbia
University.
Many friends have chosen to remember Emmanuel as a beneficiary of
their will or estate plan so that their contributions to the School
can continue even at their death. Thus The Emmanuel Heritage Society
was formed in 1996 to recognize individuals who have placed the
Seminary in their will or have designated a portion of their estate
for the School.
Enrollment in the Emmanuel Heritage Society provides the Seminary
with an opportunity to express appreciation to the donor, encourages
other friends of Emmanuel to give a planned gift, and ensures the
future existence of Emmanuel.
The Book of Wills was established to recognize the members of the
Emmanuel Heritage Society. The book exhibits photographs and letters
from members describing their thoughts on Emmanuel School of Religion
and why they have remembered Emmanuel in such a way. The Book is on
display in the Memorial Room of the School.
To become a member of the Emmanuel Heritage Society, simply inform
the Seminary that you have included Emmanuel in your will or have
entered into some form of planned gift to benefit the School at the
time of your death. Please also communicate that you wish to be
enrolled in The Heritage Society, thereby permitting us to list your
name publicly in the Book of Wills.
To be included in the Book of Wills, compose an open letter telling
why you have named Emmanuel as a beneficiary of your will or estate
plan. Then mail it along with a photograph of yourself to Dan R.
Lawson, Executive Director of Development, Emmanuel School of
Religion, One Walker Drive, Johnson City, Tennessee 37601. For
inquiries, email lawsond@esr.edu, or phone the Development Office at
(423) 461-1530.
Frederick W. Norris and Lawrence B. Shaffer of Emmanuel School of
Religion have been  selected
as winners of the 2000 Science and Religion Course Award Competition
for their course Science and Theology. This award is given by
the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS) in Berkeley,
Calif.
The award is one of eighty-three given worldwide this year to
university, college, and seminary professors for new courses in
science and religion.
Dr. Frederick W. Norris is Dean E. Walker Professor of Church
History and Professor of World Mission/Evangelism at Emmanuel School
of Religion. Lawrence B. Shaffer, a physicist, is a Trustee of the
Seminary. Both worked together to design the course Science and
Theology to be taught at the seminary level. Emmanuel School of
Religion will offer this course in the Fall of 2000 for credit or
audit.
Established in 1994, the Science and Religion Course Award
Competition is designed to support scientists and religious scholars
from a wide range of disciplines as they address questions of science
and religion through teaching. The program distributes annual awards
of up to $10,000 for outstanding new course proposals to be offered at
universities, colleges, and seminaries. The award is divided evenly
between the course instructors and the host institution.
Selection criteria for the Course Award Competition emphasize the
intellectual integrity of both science and religion. Applicants are
encouraged to design their courses to include balanced participation
of representatives from multiple scientific and religious disciplines
and traditions. The selection criteria are intended to underline the
importance of constructive conversation for a rigorous and thoughtful
study of science and religion.
The Science and Religion Course Program is housed at the
Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS), an affiliate of
the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. CTNS, a non-profit
international member organization, promotes the creative mutual
interaction between theology and the natural sciences through
research, teaching, and public service.
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