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Dr. Robert Owens resigns
Owens has taught at Emmanuel since 1980. He has held campus and pastoral ministries in Illinois and Maryland, and he has taught previously at Lincoln Christian College, Manhattan Christian College, and the Ecumenical Institute of Theology. In announcing Dr. Owens’ resignation, Emmanuel President C. Robert Wetzel said, “Robert Owens has served Emmanuel School of Religion with both his exceptional scholarship and his extraordinary gifts as a teacher. His deep spirituality and insight into Old Testament scripture carried his students beyond historical understandings to the recognition and experience of God’s mighty work in His people Israel. Those of us who have heard his sermons and especially his communion meditations have been enriched in our participation in the Body of Christ. Although he shall be sorely missed at Emmanuel, he goes with our blessing. We look forward to even greater scholarly achievements from his pen.” Dr. Owens, who served Emmanuel as Toyozo W. Nakarai Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, completed his duties at the end of the spring academic semester. He will be taking a tenured position as Professor of Old Testament at General Seminary. He and his family will move to New York this summer.
Emmanuel School of Religion is pleased to announce the call of Dr. Chris Rollston, who earned his M.A.R. from Emmanuel in 1992, to the faculty as Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. 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 during and following his school work in those states. 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.” We are indeed pleased to welcome Chris home!
Emmanuel forms partnership with Seoul Christian University An official fraternal relationship has been formed between Emmanuel School of Religion and Seoul Christian University in Korea. An agreement establishing this relationship was signed on May 2 at a formal ceremony on the campus of Seoul Christian University in Korea. President Kangpyung Lee signed for the University and President C. Robert Wetzel signed for Emmanuel School of Religion. This partnership provides for exchange of teachers, students and evangelists. Dr. Lee proposed this affiliation when he visited Emmanuel over a year ago. Late last year, Emmanuel’s dean, Eleanor Daniel, had the opportunity to visit Seoul Christian University. The terms of the proposed agreement were then presented to both faculties for approval. These steps prepared the way for Dr. Wetzel to visit Seoul Christian University to sign the agreement. Seoul Christian University grew out of Daehan Christian Theological Seminary. Dr. Lee followed the legendary Yoon Kwon Chae in the presidency of the Seminary in November 1999 and immediately took steps to raise the seminary to university status. Dr. Lee was successful in achieving national accreditation for both the undergraduate and graduate programs of Seoul Christian University. In addition to academic exchanges, Dr. Lee and his colleagues are preparing for the evangelization of North Korea when the doors open to this communist country. He is also minister of the largest church of our movement in Korea, the Youngdong Christian Church in Seoul.
If you drive down Cherokee Road from Johnson City toward Jonesborough, you will come to Springdale Farm. For obvious reasons, I felt a certain affinity for that name the first time I visited Lowell and Wilma Ellis at their modest farmhouse home. On a warm spring day Calvin Phillips and I sat in rocking chairs on the front porch with Lowell. Wilma brought us out glasses of lemonade as we talked about weather, farming and Emmanuel School of Religion. It was easy to suppose that the Ellises had spent their entire lives on this farm. When I later attended Lowell’s men’s Sunday school class at their nearby church, I found what I am afraid may be a passing generation. Here were men who knew their Bibles, Old and New Testament! I could only assume again that they were farmers whose primary work was the soil and whose primary reading was the Bible. It was only later that I discovered that Lowell’s life as a farmer came only after a career as a college teacher. And it was a rather unique teaching career that involved him both in space science at NASA and with atomic energy research at Oak Ridge. Getting acquainted with Lowell and Wilma has always been full of surprises. Their concern for the church goes far beyond the walls of their local congregation. Not only do they believe in world missions, they also have a deep commitment to seeing that Christians from around the world receive the preparation needed to do evangelism in their own countries. To that end they have established two scholarships at Emmanuel School of Religion that are designated for international students. In late April I had the opportunity to share with some of those students at the Centennial Celebration of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ in the Philippines. The first evening there I sat at dinner with Leonardo and Zenaida Salvador. Leo was quick to inform me that he was the first international student at Emmanuel to receive an Ellis Scholarship. He has now been ministering in the Philippines since his graduation in 1988. Another Emmanuel graduate, Samson Lubag, had made arrangements for me to participate in the Centennial Celebration. Dr. Lubag is the president of the Philippine College of Ministry. Elpidio Batalla, a teacher at Davao Bible Seminary, was unable to attend the Convention, but he has had a faithful ministry in the Philippines since his graduation from Emmanuel in 1981. Today there are 150,000 members of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ in the Philippines. As they planned for the Centennial Celebration, they set a goal to establish 100 new churches in the centennial year. By convention time in April they had already established 164 churches! Although a good number of faithful American missionaries still work in the Philippines, the Church itself is now indigenous and definitely guided by strong Filipino leadership. A mark of the stature of these churches was evident when the President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, consented to be the keynote speaker at the opening session of the Centennial Celebration. What a night that was! There are now “Ellis Scholars” from Emmanuel in various parts of the world. Lowell continues to serve as a member of Emmanuel’s board of Associates in Christian Education. There is the Lowell and Wilma Ellis Court in the Emmanuel Village. But what has often gone unnoticed in the Ellis story is Wilma’s quiet supportive role. In addition to what she and Lowell have done together, she has contributed generously to the living expenses of an international student who had already received the Ellis Scholarship.
Quite unbeknownst to Wilma Ellis, a large picture of her was prepared and hung on the wall of the Faculty Lounge. It was appropriately covered the day she and Lowell were invited to tea. Thus it came as a total surprise to her when the picture was undraped, and we informed her that the room was now to be known as the Wilma Ellis Room. After recovering from her surprise she looked at the picture and said, “I look pretty good.” Yes, Wilma, you do look pretty good, and it is a good picture of you as well. It is the beauty of Christian people who are willing to invest themselves in preparing men and women for the worldwide mission of the church that makes Emmanuel School of Religion a vital reality.
26 receive degrees at May Commencement
Twenty-six students received masters and doctoral degrees at Emmanuel’s 35th Commencement on May 27. Master of Divinity degrees were conferred on 19 students, and 6 students received the Master of Arts in Religion degree. One student received the Doctor of Ministry degree. Students in the graduating class came from Oregon, Minnesota, Kansas, Idaho, Nebraska, Indiana, Tennessee, California, Arizona, North Carolina, Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington and Missouri, as well as from Australia, Brazil, and Canada. Dr. James C. Donovan, minister of Southwest Christian Church in East Point, Ga., and former president of Atlanta Christian College, brought the commencement address. Master of Arts in Religion Daniel Warren Augustine, Oakridge, Oregon; A.A. and B.A., Pacific Christian College; Thesis: Hope For the Future by Remembering the Past Katharine Ann Barnes; Redwood Falls, Minnesota; A.A. and B.A., Minnesota Bible College; Thesis: Her Sickness and Wounds Are Ever Before Me: Jeremiah’s Medical Imagery in the Context of Covenant Brian Hays Hauser; Kansas City, Kansas; B.A., Milligan College; Thesis: A Theological Education by Extension Course on the Book of Psalms for Use in Côte d’Ivoire George Kraus III; Nezperce, Idaho; B. S., Portland State University; Thesis: Dr. Wilhelm Keil, Founder of the Bethel, Missouri-Aurora, Oregon Christian Commune (1844–1883): A Study of Religious and Cultural Influences Merle L Powell; Scottsbluff, Nebraska; B.A., Nebraska Christian College; Thesis: On Bended Knee: A Pastor’s Look at Prayer Brian Keith Seal; North Vernon, Indiana; B.A., Ball State University; Thesis: Basic Orders for Living the Truth: Ten Lessons in Doctrine for Children, A Teacher’s Guide Master of Divinity James Curtis Booher; Elizabethton, Tennessee; B.A., Milligan College; Senior Project: The Heart of Youth Ministry in the 21st Century; Concentration: Christian Ministries David Wayne Clark; Johnson City, Tennessee; M.C.M., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, B. M., University of Southern Mississippi; Senior Project: The Army Family Advocacy Program: Its Functions and Reasons for Existence; Concentration: Christian Ministries Stephen Andrew Cuss; Perth, Western Australia; B.A., Johnson Bible College; Senior Project: Dignity, Solidarity, Empowerment: Principles for Working Among the Poor Joedir Fernandes De Carvalho; Petropolis, R.J. Brazil; B. Th., Centro De Formacao Teologica; Senior Project: Restructuring the Educational System of the Center of Theological Formation of the Wesleyan Methodist Church Michael Steven Decker; Lenoir City, Tennessee; B.A. Concordia College; Senior Project: The Three Strands Project Deborah Fleenor Handman; Eugene, Oregon and Tokyo, Japan; B.A., University of Oregon; Senior Project: Healing Songs: Creating Music for the American Church Cal Anthony Hultgren; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; B.R.E., Alberta Bible College; Senior Project: Reconciliation in the Local Church: The Step Beyond Forgiveness Scott Christopher Isom; Milwaukie, Oregon; B.A., Northwest Christian College; Senior Project: The Importance of Developing An Intergenera-tional Approach to Ministry Calvin Danny Johnson; San Bernardino, California; B.A., San Jose Christian College; Senior Project: Radicals for Righteousness: An Examination of the Black Panther Party as a Model for Ministry; Concentration: Christian Doctrine Robert Steven Johnson; Mesa, Arizona; B.A., Pacific Christian College; Senior Project: Life Development at Central Christian Church/Mesa, Arizona Anthony Michael Kent; Morganton, North Carolina; B.A., Berea College; Senior Project: 1 Corinthians 13: Its Issues, Interpretation, and Relevance to the Contemporary Church Michael Thomas Kerrick; Paris, Illinois; B.A., Milligan College; Senior Project: Sacramental Living: Encountering God Out of the Ordinary Misti Joy Woolery Lincoln; Benkelman, Nebraska; B.A., Nebraska Christian College; Senior Project: A Balm in Gilead: The Role of the Church in Healing and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse; Concentration: Christian Care and Counseling Tracy Wade Marx; Loyall, Kentucky; A.S., Wabash Valley College/B.S., Johnson Bible College; Senior Project: Christian Martyrdom and The Elements of Apocalypticism Throughout the Ages: A Study of Eleven Martyrs From the New Testament Church to the Holocaust Jason Andrew Mead; Portage, Indiana; B.A., Milligan College; Senior Project: The Survival of the Eastern Church During the Early Muslim Empire; Concentration: Church History Robert Randall Rodgers; New Cumberland, West Virginia; B.A., Milligan College; Senior Project: Filioque in Context of the East/West Relationship Terrence E. Schofield; Knoxville, Tennessee; B.A., Knoxville College; Senior Project: The Impact of External Influences on the Self Esteem of African American Individuals; Concentration: Christian Care and Counseling Joseph Glenn Veeder; Fowler, Kansas; B.A., M.S., Fort Hays State University; Senior Project: The Biography of Elder Leonard G. Wymore Mark Eugene Wilt; Owensville, Missouri; B.S., Saint Louis Christian College; Senior Project: The Waldensians: Lessons From the Past for the Future of Our Movement Doctor of Ministry David Eugene Bruce; Dayton, Washington; B.A., Northwest Christian College, M.Div., Emmanuel School of Religion; Project: Grief Works: A Program for Ministering to Those Who Grieve
Emmanuel Luncheon at the Disciples General Assembly
July 13–17 • Kansas City, Missouri Emmanuel School of Religion will host a special luncheon on Monday, July 16, during the 2001 General Synod Assembly of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kansas City. Representing Emmanuel will be Dr. Bruce Shields, Russell F. and Marian J. Blowers Professor of Christian Ministry and director of Emmanuel’s Doctor of Ministry Degree Program, and Dr. Rodney Werline, Assistant Professor of Old Testament. The luncheon will take place at 12:15 p.m. at the Downtown Marriot Hotel in the Roosevelt Room of the Muehlebach Tower, on 200 West 12th Street. Tickets are $15 per person and may be purchased in advance by writing to the Office of the President, Emmanuel School of Religion, One Walker Drive, Johnson City TN 37601. Stuckenbrucks receive James A. Garfield Award
The Stuckenbrucks have served together for nearly 57 years. They met while studying at Butler University, and were commissioned by several Butler professors (including Dr. Dean E. Walker) in the summer of 1946 to go to post-war Europe as the first missionaries of the European Evangelistic Society. They settled in Tübingen, Germany, in 1949 to establish a mission to reach Germans of all levels of society and displaced persons from Eastern Europe. During the next nineteen years, they were able to establish a congregation, die Christliche Gemeinde, to found an academic theological institute, das Institut zur Erforschung des Urchristentums, and to rear four extremely talented children. They returned to the States in 1968, where Earl taught at Milligan College as associate professor. Since then they have continued their ministries through leadership among the members of First Christian Church, Johnson City and through supportive activities with the European Evangelistic Society, Milligan, and Emmanuel. The James A. Garfield Award, named for the former President of the United States, is the highest citation bestowed by Emmanuel School of Religion. Candidates for this award have rendered noteworthy service to the church, whether it be through administration, benevolence, scholarship, pastoral ministry, or other forms of service. |
After serving on Emmanuel’s faculty for 21
years, Dr. Robert Owens has announced his resignation to take a
position at The General Theological Seminary in New York City.
When
the B.D. Phillips Building was built for Emmanuel School of Religion,
a comfortable lounge area was provided for the faculty, hence the
Faculty Lounge. Fortunately, it never developed the sense of
exclusiveness that the Old World notion of a Senior Common Room has.
In fact, it was more likely to be used by staff as a lunch room and as
the venue for our monthly teas, times when faculty, administrators,
staff and students come together for a social occasion. Earlier this
year when some major renovations took place, it was decided that the
Faculty Lounge should have a more appropriate name.
Drs. Earl and Ottie Mearl Stuckenbruck have been
awarded the 2001 James A. Garfield Award, Emmanuel School of
Religion’s highest honor.
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