December 1996
Back Issues

Contents

• From the President: Westwood Lectureships Announced
• Korean Students Study for Ministry at Emmanuel
• Taber Assists in Missiology Project
• Smith Leads Emmanuel SME Program
• Emmanuel’s Library Staff
• Intersession 1997
• Web Site Launched
• 1997 Doctor of Ministry Class Schedule

From the President:
Westwood Lectureships Announced

Three years ago Emmanuel School of Religion was conducting a search for a New Testament professor. Of the many fine candidates who were being considered, one set of credentials was particularly impressive. But somehow none of us seemed to recognize the name of Rollin Ramsaran. You can imagine our surprise when we discovered that we had an Emmanuel transcript on courses he had taken with us. But he earned these credits while taking work through the Westwood Christian Foundation in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Myron Taylor

The Westwood Foundation was created to sponsor a Consortium that would bring together the resources of church-related colleges, seminaries and institutes in the advancement of Christian teaching and inquiry. Given the strategic location of its setting at the Westwood Hills Christian Church, the Foundation was in a position to establish a Christian voice in the highly secularized context of UCLA. This was done both through course offerings and through formal lecture series. Emmanuel School of Religion shared in the ministry of the Westwood Foundation, and it was in such courses that Rollin Ramsaran received Emmanuel credit.

Dr. Robert O. Fife pioneered the work of the Foundation. Dr. Myron Taylor shared his vision, and he and his congregation provided the base from which the foundation worked. Perhaps the crowning achievement of the foundation was when UCLA recognized and accepted a teacher in the area of New Testament. This position was first funded by the Foundation but is now a permanent position funded by the University. Dr. Scott Bartchy serves in that position today.

After seeing what a prize Emmanuel has in Dr. Rollin Ramsaran, I wonder how many more men and women have been influenced by the courses they took through the Westwood Foundation. And who can say what Dr. Bartchy’s long term influence will be. I do know that in recent years he has received the outstanding teaching award by the University.

The Westwood Foundation was to be one of those ministries that was called into existence for a certain time and a certain purpose. Having fulfilled that purpose, the work of the Foundation has been completed. It was decided by the trustees to see the program of formal lectureships transferred to Emmanuel School of Religion. And hence, Emmanuel has received $72,000 to endow the continuance of the lectureships. These funds have been accepted with gratitude and with a commitment to fulfill the purposes for which they were given.

The focus of the Westwood Lectureships was on preaching and the Restoration Movement. Hence these two themes will be continued as a part of the overall Emmanuel program of lectureships. The Westwood Foundation Lectureship Endowment Fund will enable Emmanuel School of Religion to initiate two new bi-annual lectureships. One will be called The Myron Taylor Lectures in Preaching and Pastoral Ministry. The second one will be known as The Robert O. Fife Lectures in Christian Reformation. In view of Dr. Fife’s life-long commitment to the unity of the church and its on going reformation, he has been invited to deliver the first Fife lectures scheduled for March 11–14, 1997.

—C. Robert Wetzel, President

Korean Students Study for Ministry at Emmanuel

Emmanuel School of Religion has a strong commitment to global evangelization. The Seminary is making an impact in Korea, as evidenced by the alumni presently serving there and by the many Korean students currently attending the School.

Dr. Delno Brown visits with Chungza Kim and Ik Won Kim on a recent trip to Korea.

Alumni serving in Korea include Ik Won Kim (MAR ’77) a Korean national serving as professor at Mok Wan Methodist University, and June Byrd (’85–’93), an American teaching at Seoul Foreign School. Chungza Kim, widow of Emmanuel alumnus Jinmoon Kim, is continuing her husband’s work by leading the Korean Evangelistic Mission. The organization plants churches, sponsors a radio ministry, and provides other services to Christians and those seeking the Lord.

Kei Eun Chang, Kyeong Seo, John Seo, and Ho Seong Cho currently study at Emmanuel. Kei Eun and Kyeong are in their final year of studies, while John is in his second year. This is Ho’s first year at the Seminary.

Kyeong Seo is a native of Seoul, Korea, where she became a Christian twenty years ago. She graduated from Korea Christian College with a B.A. in theology, then worked as a minister in her home church for ten years before she was encouraged to seek further education in the United States. Kyeong received her second B.A. degree at San Jose Christian College in California. “Emmanuel has a good reputation and a good faculty,” Kyeong said. “I met the professors, not just their knowledge, but also their faith and personality.” Kyeong plans to pursue Ph.D. studies in Christian Education upon her graduation from Emmanuel, and hopes someday to develop educational programs at Christian colleges.

Kei Eun Chang, John Seo, Ho Cho, and Kyeong Seo.

Kei Eun Chang, John Seo, and Ho Seong Cho all hail from the same hometown, Mokpo, in rural southwestern South Korea. “I made a vow to become a minister,” said Kei Eun, “and my mother prayed, ‘make my son a servant.’ It was my one goal to become a minister.” Kei Eun graduated from a Christian college in Seoul, then returned to his home church, Sam Yang Christian Church, to serve as an associate preacher for four years. “It is a small rural church,” he said, “but it became a model church in Korea.” The missionary projects of his church in Mokpo encouraged him to pursue higher education in the U.S. “I was interested in the 19th Century Reformation–Stone/Campbell Movement, so I wanted to go to the U.S. and study.” After studying for one year at San Jose, Kei Eun came to Emmanuel. He will receive his Master of Divinity degree this spring, after which he will work toward a Ph.D. “Through my academic study in the States, I want to be a strong leader of the New Testament church, training people to carry out the Great Commission in Korea and in other parts of Asia.”

John Seo’s father leads a missionary training center at Sam Yang Christian Church. John grew up in a Christian family, then attended San Jose Christian College, where he was encouraged by Professor Martin McGinty, an Emmanuel graduate, to attend the Seminary. John hopes to graduate in 1998 with the MAR degree. “I would like to study more, but first I have to go back to Korea and serve mandatory time in the Korean Army. Then I would like to go back to school,” he said.

Ho Cho came to Emmanuel School of Religion directly from Korea. “There were no Christians in my family seven years ago,” Ho said. “But then my youngest sister accepted Jesus when I was in high school. She later died from brain cancer, but my family accepted Jesus Christ.” After finishing high school he entered the Christian Mission College established by his home church. “Kei Eun and John challenged me to enter this school. Emmanuel School of Religion is a very quiet place to study, to meditate, and to have many intelligent friends.” Ho said, “I am in my first year of M.Div. studies. After graduation, I will apply for Ph.D. studies in Christian Doctrine. When I finish all my studies in America, I plan to work in Africa in theological education. I would like to establish a Christian college or seminary in Africa. I am very interested in teaching.”

All of Emmanuel’s Korean students have expressed their appreciation for scholarship assistance to attend the school. Without financial aid, none would be able to study here.

Taber Assists in Missiology Project

“We hope to be able to give some sense of direction to the church in its missionary outreach to the western world,” said Dr. Charles Taber of Emmanuel School of Religion about his ongoing participation in the project “Missiology of Western Culture.” “We’re studying the western world like we’ve studied the non-western world to find out how to preach the gospel.”

Taber, one of 16 scholars from around the world who are leading the project, is directing a group concerned with Western Structures and Cultures. The group sponsored a consultation in the Netherlands at the end of August and will host one in Paris in January during which they will discuss papers on various structures and institutions such as nation-states, science and technology, and the media. “All of these papers focus on what these institutions mean for the mission of the church,” Taber said. The papers of Taber’s group and their responses will be published together with a bibliographic essay in late 1997.

The whole project, which is funded by the Pew Charitable Trust, will conclude with a symposium in Baltimore in September 1997, where the project leaders will bring reports from their groups for discussion. Dr. Wilbert Shenk, a Mennonite missiologist now teaching at Fuller Theological Seminary, is the project’s organizer.

Smith Leads Emmanuel SME Program

Mick Smith serves as Emmanuel’s Director of Supervised Ministerial Experience and Associate Professor of Christian Ministries. Here he shares his thoughts with Envoy editor Dan R. Lawson.

ENVOY: Seventy-five percent of Emmanuel’s alumni are in local church ministries. Since your background is primarily from the mission field, what strengths do you bring to Emmanuel’s faculty that will help our students prepare to serve in local stateside churches?

MICK SMITH: I think that my missionary background since 1974 is a plus. In both Ethiopia and Indonesia, my primary role was in church planting and church leadership development. I believe the fact that I was working in different cultural contexts enriches what I bring to education for local church ministry in the U.S.

Three factors about the American context today convince me that every person who ministers in American churches needs a missionary perspective. They are: (1) growing ethnic and cultural diversity in America, (2) rapidly changing culture even in communities that are largely monocultural. (3) our shameful neglect of the people Jesus seemed to care most about, the poor of our cities. Without missionary call and skills I’m afraid our neglect will continue.

I believe that the “missionary” principles I’ve learned, practiced, and taught over the past 25 years are relevant to students called to local church ministries in the US as well as to the growing number of international students at Emmanuel.

ENVOY: What makes the missionary perspective different from that of ministers in the US?

SMITH: I think just working in a radically different culture and language reminds missionaries every day that they can take nothing for granted. It is easier for a minister in the U.S. to “drift” in terms of having a clear, current understanding of the cultural context in which they work. Missionaries have daily reminders that they can never slack off in the areas of culture learning and the required adapting of their approach to ministry. Translated into specific missionary tasks that means they have to be able to:

• “exegete” the local context, and continually recycle the process as their understanding and the culture change.
• continually “rediscover” the good news, that is, discern which particular presentation of the Gospel sounds like good news to the unchurched who hear it. While the Gospel never changes, our ways of communicating it must—if it is to be heard.
• guide their congregations and leaders in periodic review of their values, structures, and methodologies in light of God’s mission in their setting as it is today. Structures and methodologies ALWAYS reflect a cultural context. There is no trans-cultural expression of the church here on earth. It is easy for us in the church to hang on to approaches to ministry that fit a particular context long after the context has changed.

These “missionary” principles that I’ve learned, practiced, and taught over the past 25 years are relevant to students called to local church ministries in the U.S. as well as to the growing number of international students at Emmanuel.

ENVOY: Describe the Supervised Ministry Experience (SME) program that you direct.

SMITH: Every M.Div. student is required to take the three-year SME program. The first module helps students assess their personal, spiritual, and educational foundations for ministry. The second year involves a two-semester ministry internship in a local congregation or agency working under a qualified field supervisor. The supervisor is an experienced minister who has been certified by Emmanuel for supervision. A ministry reflection seminar constitutes the third year. Senior students meet weekly to review actual ministry cases they are dealing with. The goal is to help them learn to consciously draw on all of their previous experience and learning as they make decisions in ministry. We also want to help students begin a life-long habit of sharing the decisions, burdens and joys of ministry with colleagues.

ENVOY: Seminary education is often criticized as being too academic and theoretical or, by contrast, too practical, lacking substance. How does the SME program help Emmanuel to find a healthy balance?

SMITH: Integration is the key word. The educational philosophy at Emmanuel does not split theory and practice. We consider them inseparable. We approach every “theoretical” inquiry with a concern for God’s redeeming work in the lives of the people our students serve or will serve. We bring to every “practical” aspect of ministry the rich resources of God’s Word, the history of God’s people, and wisdom from the various disciplines of ministry.

The SME program explicitly teaches students that learning is a whole-person experience—hands, heart, voice and ears as well as head. It also teaches us that we can and must learn by serving and reflecting. In addition, SME gives us the experience of learning and serving in the midst of relationships—in true fellowship—a great need in a time when loneliness and isolation often produce despair, stagnation, and failure in ministry.

Emmanuel’s Library Staff

John Mark Wade, Assistant Librarian; Thomas E. Stokes, Director of Library and Learning Resources; Carrie Huckaba, Telephone Receptionist and Circulation Assistant; Chris Quillen, Administrative Assistant for the Library; and Deborah Powell, Technical Processing Assistant.

Intersession 1997

January 7–17

CH 794: THE APOSTLES’ CREED IN HISTORY AND THOUGHT. This course will focus on perhaps the most ecumenically important and influential of the enduring Christian creeds, which will be examined theologically, historically, and pastorally. (3 credit hours).
Dr. Paul Blowers, Associate Professor of Church History

CMM 701: SEMINAR IN WORLD MISSION: MINISTRY AMONG MUSLIMS. A survey of key elements in the life of Islam, which will be viewed from a Biblical perspective with the aim of preparing Christians for ministry to Muslims. (3 credit hours).
Dr. Robert Douglas, Professor of World Mission and Church Growth, Lincoln Christian College and Seminary.

January 21–31

NT 620: 1 THESSALONIANS. This course is an exegetical examination of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians based on a grammatical, socio-rhetorical, and theological reading of the Greek text. Prerequisite: NT 501-502 (or equivalent). (3 credit hours).
Dr. Rollin Ramsaran, Assistant Professor of New Testament.

CME 602: CURRICULUM FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. This course will (1) examine the foundations for effective curriculum design and planning; (2) design an appropriate curriculum for specific age groups; and (3) evaluate current curriculum re- sources in light of the foundations explored. (3 credit hours).
Dr. Eleanor Daniel, Dean and Professor of Christian Education.

All classes meet 8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Tuesday–Friday the first week and Monday–Friday the second week.

Web Site Launched

http://www.esr.edu

Emmanuel School of Religion officially launched its site on the internet’s World Wide Web on October 23, 1996, during the fall meeting of the Board of Trustees and Associates.

The site features information valuable to prospective students, alumni, and other friends of the Seminary.

Features include the entire contents of the academic catalog, full text and photographs of the Envoy and Clipboard, email directories for Emmanuel alumni and staff, and an online information request form for prospective students.

Alumni can add their email address to the site by sending a message to webmaster@esr.edu.

Please share the site’s address with your friends and congregation.

1997 Doctor of Ministry Class Schedule

*Registration for Doctor of Ministry degree classes must be completed three months prior to the beginning of the class in order to prepare reading assignments. All classes meet at Emmanuel School of Religion with the exception of the Northwest course.