windows summer 2010

AUSTIN PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

SUMMER 2010

This edition of Windows brings news of transitions here atthe Seminary. Most notably, we have joyfully celebrated anew class of graduates in three degree programs, and that

moment of graduation is always one that reminds us, lest we strayin our attentions, that our students are always the centerpiece ofwho we are and what we are about.

We have also celebrated on campus the recent news of MichaelJinkins’ election as the next president of Louisville PresbyterianTheological Seminary. He led well in the Dean’s Office here, andnow we wish him and Debbie all the best as they embark upon anew challenge in Louisville.

That transition suggests another one, as we have now begunthe search process for a new dean. Cynthia Rigby is chairing theadvisory committee that has already gone into high gear placingads in various periodicals, thinking out loud about our particularneeds and hopes at this juncture, and gathering suggestions forcandidates. Eventually, her committee will advise me on a candi-date whose name I will in turn recommend to the board—hope-fully at its November meeting.

At its spring meeting, the board voted to proceed with thequiet phase of a comprehensive campaign, and that certainly was asignificant transition. This campaign has five major values inview—the enhancement of the library, Phase Two of much-need-ed new student housing, several new endowed faculty chairs, thecompletion of the endowment of the College for Pastoral Leaders,and a boatload of new fellowships and scholarships that will enableus to offer deserving students a theological education without con-cern for how they will fund it. Stay tuned for more informationabout this outstanding committee and its work ahead.

At the heart of all of our activity—our searches for personnel,our campaigns for bold new initiatives, our buildings and com-mittees and the whole nine yards—at the heart of all of this are ourstudents. They are the centerpiece of who we are and what we areabout, and in the pages ahead, you will hear them in their ownwords. ThisWindows offers a glimpse at our students being them-selves, of our campus in its day-to-day life being itself. And, lest weforget those whose faithfulness undergirds all that we do here, atthe very heart of this issue lies our Annual Report and Honor Rollof Donors.

So, I invite you to immerse yourself in the lives of these stu-dents and be encouraged by what they are now and will soon beoffering to this church that we love!

Faithfully yours,

Theodore J. WardlawPresident

LOOKING OUTWARD

The President’s Preaching andSpeaking Engagements

August 22, Preacher and Teacher, Covenant PC,Charlotte, North Carolina

September 8, Partnership Lunch, North Dallas

September 17-19, Preacher and Teacher, SpiritualEnrichment Weekend, Spanish Fort PC, SpanishFort, Alabama

September 21, Host, Evening with the President,Kerrville, Texas

September 26, Preacher, First PC, Norman,Oklahoma

September 28, Host, Evening with the President,Austin

September 30, Luncheon Speaker, Austin Women’sClub

October 3, Teacher, Highland Park PC, Dallas

October 4, Host, Evening w/President, CorpusChristi, Texas

October 6, Partnership Lunch, Harlingen, Texas

October 10 & 17, Teacher, Faith and Life Class,University PC, Austin

October 15, Preacher, Trinity Episcopal Church,Columbus, Ohio

October 21, Host, Evening with the President,Tulsa, Oklahoma

CONTENTS

2-13 What’s it like being in seminary?Matt Falco • Stella Burkhalter • Doug Frietzsche •Denise Pierce • Jeff Saddington • Clare Lozano •Kelly Updegraff • Sally Wright • Bart Smith

Read more student essays online atwww.austinseminary.edu/visit

14 Community newsThe Class of 2010

20 Faculty news

22 Alumni/ae news

Center The 2009-2010 Honor Roll of Donors

Publisher & Mailing Statement

Windows is published three times each yearby Austin Presbyterian TheologicalSeminary.ISSN 2056-0556

Non-profit bulk mail permit no. 2473

Austin Seminary WindowsAustin Presbyterian Theological Seminary100 E. 27th St.Austin, TX 78705-5797

phone: 512-472-6736e-mail: [email protected]: 512-479-0738www.austinseminary.edu

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Cassandra C. Carr, Chair

Karen C. AndersonThomas L. Are Jr.Susan BeairdF. M. Bellingrath IIIElizabeth ChristianJoseph J. CliffordJames G. CooperMarvin L. CooperJames B. CrawleyConsuelo Donahue (MDiv’96)Elizabeth Blanton FlowersG. Archer FriersonRichard D. GillhamWalter Harris Jr.Bruce G. HerlinRoy M. KimJ Carter King III (MDiv’70)James H. Lee (MDiv’00)Michael L. LindvallCatherine O. LowryBlair R. MonieLyndon L. Olson Jr.B. W. PayneDavid PeeplesJeffrey Kyle RichardTeresa Chávez Sauceda (MDiv’88)Anne Vickery StevensonKarl Brian TravisJohn L. Van OsdallSallie Sampsell Watson (MDiv’87)Elizabeth Currie Williams

Trustees EmeritiStephen A. MatthewsMax ShermanLouis Zbinden

WINDOWSSummer 2010

Volume 125 Number 3

EDITORRandal Whittington

CONTRIBUTORSChanning BurkeDeborah ButlerShuhan ChanNancy ReeseLana Russell

Cover: Senior student Heather Lee in her Anderson House apartment.Photography by Jody Horton.

Theological Education Fund(1% Plan)

The theological schools of thePresbyterian Church (U.S.A.)no longer receive funding fromthe basic mission budget of theGeneral Assembly. Churchesare asked to contribute 1% oftheir operating budgets to thefund, which is then distributedto the seminaries.

I will plant Jesus!

I definitely did not feel in control

Can’t put a dagesh in a resh

breathtaking to behold

these bills are placed in the g-strings of strippers

Aaah … hammock time!

No really, they can ask us anything!

2

God had been loving me all day

You are not even abnormal

American materialism, fatherlessness, and poverty

like a buzzing rattlesnakeWords.We are a community immersed in words—of ancient language and modern

syntax. We read them. We write them. We preach them. All with the purpose of

giving voice and meaning to the capital “W” Word.

Austin Seminary’s school year began just after dedicating Anderson House, whose

entrance bears these Latin words etched in stone: Praedicatores taediosi nobis non

mittendi sunt. A rough translation of John Anderson’s dictum, “Send us preachers

who aren’t boring,” it serves as a reminder of our mission to educate men and

women to communicate in a compelling way Christ’s words of salvation.

It was a year in which Dean Michael Jinkins and Bob Lively (MDiv’73,

DMin’79), a regular columnist for the Austin American-Statesman newspaper,

team-taught the course, “Don’t Bury the Lead.” The class engaged students in

writing workshops to create essays, short non-fiction, and op-ed pieces that make

complex theological messages accessible to general audiences. The result was so

successful that four essays were published in the Statesman and one, by Jane Petit

(MDiv’10), is being considered for publication in Guideposts magazine.

And it was a year in which Mary Elizabeth Prentice-Hyers, the editor of the

student newspaper, Karios (an ancient Greek word signifying the “right

moment”), weekly invited her fellow students to express in their own words the

depth and richness of their seminary experiences.

So at the conclusion of this year, we offer several of these essays with the

expectation that their words will both enlighten and inspire. Read on.

—RW

make anyone pick up their OTIntro text to dust off the mentalcobwebs. However, I would arguethat going on the floor of presby-tery to be questioned by our peersis exactly what we felt called to dowhen this process began, even ifwe didn’t realize it then.Throughout the process, we

anticipated gaining keys to theBible that had been hidden allour life. Perhaps we expected thatafter seminary we would be ableto provide pastoral counseling tothose challenged with the myriadof difficulties in life. Some of usdreamed of rising into a pulpitweek after week to bear forth theWord of God. We could all envi-sion delivering the hope that hadbeen so graciously given to usthrough Sunday school teachers,deacons, prayer circles, and

friends. The passion that runs deep in the heart of theseminary student is rarely the question.

More often, what is at question is whether we realizethat we cannot and will not ever do this thing called min-istry alone. If we bristle at the thought of another meet-ing with our preparation committee, how can we evenfathom the many evenings around fake wood tables inuncomfortable folding chairs solving the mundane issuesof congregational life that lie ahead of us? If we arestunned that our committee would want us to spendtime in a hospital setting during seminary, can we reallycontemplate sitting by the bedside of a dying congrega-tion member whom we’ll never begin to fully know inthe way that Christ calls us to?

So, by the time that we go to the floor of somestrange presbytery to be examined by that pastor fromthe small town who has been there forever and rises to askthe same question they have asked every candidate beforeus and will continue to after us, we must have faith thatthey, like our Lord, rise to be with us, not against us.

Go ahead—ask us anything.

Pennsylvania native Matt Falco (MDiv’10) is seeking a callin the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

WINDOWS / Summer 2010 3

In it TogetherBY MATT FALCON“No really, we go on the floor

and they can ask us anything!” Isaid again.

I could try all evening toexplain what this was about, butunless you have been steeped inthe process, this conversationalways ends in the same place—with this question.

“When are they going totrust you?” my good Unitarianfriend asked incredulously.

Yes, he just called onPresbyterians to have faith.

It’s not as though I or anyother candidate for ministry inour denomination have notasked ourselves this question.Often, it’s as we walk out thedoor after our second annualreview. Did they really just askme for my college transcript afterhaving been in seminary for twoyears? How can I begin to have faith in this process?

On the off chance we haven’t given ourselves permis-sion to ask the question, or we are still stuck in that stageknown as denial, certainly our spouses, families, orfriends have asked it for us.

They see all the hoops. Hearing our call story hasbecome for them like watching a movie they love fromchildhood. It still has a good plot, but the special effectsare dated and the lead actor or actress is decidedly over-rated. They watch us spend hours on statements of faiththat reveal not only how deeply we have been dipped intothe waters of systematic theology but also how thinly weveil the sharply honed axes we continue to grind. Theywatch us fret over sermons that we preach to a select fewin conference rooms so plain that even our newly belovedCalvin would be left wondering if this could be remote-ly related to worship.

As someone closer to the end of the process than thebeginning, I have come to realize that the gauntlet is notwithout purpose. By this point in the process, havingdrawn close to graduation and well into searching for acall, the threat of this inquisition, as it appears from theoutside, seems minimal. Maybe even invited.

Don’t get me wrong; the horror stories are enough to

4

SPM supervisor, the young woman from church madefour “I love you’s.” I had been hearing “I love you” all daylong.

I don’t know what it was about that fourth “I loveyou,” but when I heard it from that young woman, Ifinally got it. God had been loving me all day long, car-

rying me through thewhatever thing I had blownup and made bigger than itshould have been, sustain-ing me through self-doubtand anxiety, faithfullygrounding me as I movedthrough the day unaware.The unbelievable love ofGod is radiated to usthrough the slightly morebelievable love of our fel-low human beings andthrough all of creation—and we are rarely awakeenough to receive it.

I’m working on adirected study project thissemester examining the

theology of evangelism in the Methodist Church. I’vebeen trying to understand how we are to bring others toChrist in our postmodern era, and I’m concluding thatwe do that best by inviting others into Christian com-munity. At first I had wondered why we’re starting newchurches when the current ones aren’t full, and I ques-tioned the point of evangelism as simply inviting peopleto church as if it were just another club. As I read andthink and pray and watch, I see that inviting people intocommunity is everything. Because I am enmeshed inChristian community, I am surrounded by people whoare living instruments of grace. Because I spend my daysin Christian community, I got to hear God say “I loveyou” out loud four times today.

How blessed we are to be in these kinds of commu-nities. How blessed we are to be called to build them.

Stella Burkhalter (MDiv’10) is associate pastor for children'sministry at Covenant United Methodist Church in Austin.

The Fourth I Love YouBY STELLA BURKHALTER

IIt snuck up on me, for it was so unexpected. I had justdone something deliberately silly at the church dinnerand in response, one of the teenagers laughed and said, “Ilove you, Stella!” Just like that. Matter of fact. She barelyknows me. Plus, what I had done wasn’t all that funny. Ihad spent most of that day in the depths of a pity party,and that “I love you”from such an unlikelysource finally jarred meout of it.

I thought about it fora minute and I realizedthat wasn’t the first timethat day someone hadsaid, “I love you” to me.Earlier I had gone tocampus to meet my spiri-tual direction group andI hung around after-wards, reluctant to leavemy indispensable sourceof strength. As I walkedaway, Lisa called out, “Ilove you!”

My daughter thinksit’s weird that we say “I love you” to each other in semi-nary. She heard me say it as I hung up the phone with aclassmate once, and it caught her attention. “I didn’tknow you were talking to Dad,” she had said. “I wasn’t,”was my reply. When I realized she wanted an explana-tion, I said, “That’s just the way we are with each otherin seminary.” I had forgotten how countercultural that is.

When I remembered Lisa’s farewell, I rememberedthat I had seen Shane on campus and he had noticed thatI was having a rough day. He had changed course andveered from the sidewalk, deciding a wave from afar wasnot sufficient. “I love you,” he had said as he hugged me,as if we had been best friends forever instead of peoplewho had had one class together last year. I was gratefulfor the person he is.

“That’s three ‘I love you’s in one day, not countingthe ones from my husband and kids,” I thought tomyself. And then I remembered there had been another.The drama of the day had prompted a phone call to thepastor who had been my SPM supervisor. I had called toask for her advice, and as usual, she had ended the call bysaying, “I love you.” Coupled with Lisa, Shane, and my

WINDOWS / Summer 2010 5

Out in theworld—I am a com-muter student and notsurrounded by the rein-forcement of an always-present faith communi-ty (although sometimesI envy those who are)—when people learn I amin seminary, I am likelyto hear such commentslike: “I’m not sure Ibelieve in God.” Or anyof the similar shibbolethsof contemporary cul-ture. At the hospital, itmattered that someonewas there to represent

the hope that a God—by any name—existed and cared.I learned that I did not need to be too fussy about myown faith orientation when the need was to pray withsomeone whose understanding was different.

The other learning point was that theology was awonderful thing to have in my back pocket—it providedthe framework that let me go through the many variedinteractions—but that it could just stay in my back pock-et. The theological question was “Why?” And my bestanswer was “I don’t know, but I can be here with you.”

Our supervisor, Rev. Rebecca Gurney, defined it interms of Story, Prayer, and Presence.

At the end of my first semester of seminary, I sent myfriends back home in Albuquerque an e-mail talkingabout my troubled state at that time. The heavy load ofbiblical criticism and reconsidering some faith matters Ihad just taken for granted left me aching for some of thecertainty I brought with me to seminary.

The e-mail had a happy ending, which involved myobservation at the end of a pensive stint in the choir loftat Shelton Chapel. I concluded that the thing my faithrests on is not the accuracy of any document (not evenone so authoritative as the Bible), but on the way I haveseen the awakening to faith transform the lives of people.

To find that ratified in the hospital experience waswonderfully comforting to me. That I had the awarenessand skills to approach this encounter with a sense of faith

On-CallBY DOUG FRITZSCHE

Continued on page 7

MMy pager went off like abuzzing rattlesnake. Itwas the Friday of myfirst weekend of theJanuary-term chaplain-cy experience programat St. David’s Hospital,and my first weekendon call. The pageincluded a phone num-ber and a cryptic mes-sage about a blindpatient hallucinatingdemons who wanted totalk to a chaplain.

I called the nurse,who added details elab-orating the story, and Iclimbed back into my truck, equipped with some ran-dom things: a copy of Daily Prayer, a wonderful bookcalled Psalms for Praying, and a few others. My wife, apsychotherapist, offered me some potentially usefuladvice as I headed out the door.

Equipped with my meager things, some advice andexactly two partial days of supervised interaction withpatients, I drove to the hospital. The first week of the Jan-Term was occupied largely with learning my way aroundthe hospital and very little of the ins and outs of chap-laincy.

I was a little surprised that I was not anxious, not try-ing to over-imagine what lay ahead. And that I was gen-erally comfortable with the role I was playing and the sit-uation I approached.

There was even something compelling about beingcalled out in the night to aid someone struggling withdemons—that, in this still early fraction of the 21st cen-tury.

More than any other single experience, the Januaryterm chaplaincy internship pulled two-and-a-half yearsof seminary into sharp focus. Different than a churchinternship, which is demanding but in a familiar way, thehospital environment tosses the preparation we get atseminary into a cauldron of emotion, trauma, andurgency.

There isn’t really time to reflect and dissect, to theol-ogize and sermonize—nor is there the need. But the twothings that stood out in raw relief were these:

that I would be “good enough” to do the work is a testa-ment to the dedication and enthusiasm of the men andwomen on the seminary faculty who have labored so dili-gently to provide them to me. Good things to havehandy when the night is interrupted by a summons fromsomeone struggling with a demon.

Doug Fritzsche is a senior MDiv student under care ofSanta Fe Presbytery. In the photo on page 6 he practicesadministering the Sacrament of Baptism in Barton SpringsPool.

I now approach my call to the ministry with a truismI learned in Dr. Babinsky’s class: Throughout the church’slife and within each sect of Christianity, believers try tofaithfully live out their faith in God through Jesus Christ.And so it is with us.

We 21st-century Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists,and Unitarians are all trying to live out our faith in Godthe best as we can. There’s no need to give up our denom-inational identities and theological convictions for thepurposes of joining the universal mega church I had in

mind. Instead, the task is to align ourselveson the simple and profound principles ofChristianity on which we can agree. In par-ticular, as children of God brokenhearted bythe human condition, we must work harderto bring alliances between our denomina-tional organizations so that the good newsof Jesus is proclaimed more boldly and thesociety in which we live is transformed bythat good news.

Denise Pierce is a senior in the MDiv programand a merit scholar. She works full-time as anattorney while attending seminary part time.

What I’ve Learned in SeminaryBY DENISE PIERCE

On CallContinued from page 6

AAs a lifelong member of the Missionary Baptist Church,I came to Austin Seminary determined to learn how tocreate ecumenical bridges. Frustrated by the lack ofimpact that Christianity appears to be having on thesocial ills of American society, I came desiring to designstrategies for uniting the body of Christ so that togetherwe might more profoundly combat American material-ism, fatherlessness, and poverty. It seemed that if wecould eliminate racial and denominational segregationwithin the body of Christ, we might be able to stand

together to transform our society into the reign of Godthat Jesus came to establish.

Now having studied here for three years, I havealtered my expectations. While I still hold onto a desirefor Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Unitarians, andothers to work together to improve the human condi-tion, I don’t expect for racial or denominational lines todisappear within the church. After reflecting on the his-tory of the church (under Dr. Ellen Babinsky) and thehistory of the mission and evangelism (under Dr. ArunJones), I appreciate greatly how the church, across thecenturies, has been shaped by the experiences of each era.Each denomination’s respective history and the life expe-rience of its respective founders have shaped how scrip-ture is read, how the cross is interpreted, and how themission of God is carried out.

6

turmoil and conflict, since good management is reallyjust an effort to empower people to manage themselvesby providing them listening ears, adequate resources,training, expectations, direction, and feedback.

The employees working for me needed to know thatI cared about them and their families 24/7, not just whenwe were at work together. They needed to know that theywere capable of solving most of their own problems, andthat their relationships with those around them were pri-marily their own responsibility. It now feels somewhatpastoral, although it did not at the time.

Author Parker Palmer in Let Your Life Speak describesvocation as “not an act of will … but at its deepest levelit is something I can’t not do, for reasons I’m unable toexplain to anyone else and don’t fully understand myselfbut that are nonetheless compelling.”

That is exactly how both my Act I and Act II feel tome. I am excited to learn and prepare for Act III, regard-less of its set design, and I feel so blessed to be in thisplace called Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Ipray for strength for the journey, for me and for my lov-ing family who support me!

Jeff Saddington is a senior MDiv student under care ofMission Presbytery.

Strength for the JourneyBY JEFF SADDINGTONII fall into an unofficial category of student here at AustinSeminary, easily labeled “a second-career” person. That is

very obvious when you see me. I was fortunate to havespent thirty-five wonderful, challenging years as aJohnson & Johnson executive.

I had at least fifteen distinct assignments within sixof J&J’s 180-some companies around the world. Theseassignments were exciting opportunities, and my busi-ness career could have continued. But it began to occurto me about ten years ago, in a very slow process, that mylife might be undergoing a shift that wouldn’t be satisfiedwith more corporate moves.

In no way did I understand this shift at the time.“What is happening to me?” I said on many occasions.

Outside of my business experience, I have beeninfluenced significantly over the past forty years throughvolunteer work with the homeless and hungry, prisonershaving no hope, and with international adoption of chil-dren who have no families to love them.

I definitely did not feel in control about all of this“call evolution,” but it has been an exciting time. Strengthfor the Journey is the title of a book of sermons authoredby Peter Gomes, professor at Harvard University. His ser-mons, rich in imagery, humor, and insight, directedtoward the students in that university, began to work inmy heart and mind in the late 1990s about my own voca-tional journey and the discernment that I knew I desper-ately needed.

So, is this a “second call” for me? Or is it merely “ActII” to the same play, started immediately after a shortretirement “intermission” consisting of a single LaborDay weekend in 2008? While the characters in this playare a little older, a little heavier, and a lot slower than theywere in Act I, I will not pull the wisdom card at this pointbecause I do not feel very wise.

How much continuity is there in my life between theyears covering 1969 to 2008 and now? Surprisingly, Ibelieve it will have much similarity. Being a chaplain orin congregational ministry will certainly not have thesame smells, sights, and sounds of the production lines ofbaby powder and Band-Aid®s, but my industry career,in hindsight, was remarkably pastoral in the sense that Icared for thousands of employees who had constant tur-moil in their lives when not at work and had tension andconflict to deal with in the workplace.

In order to have efficient work processes, managersneed to be concerned about and keenly aware of all this

7WINDOWS / Summer 2010

However, the second our wallets came out we weresuddenly surrounded by a larger group of men, each try-ing to get us to buy bracelets that looked exactly like theone we had just purchased. As they showed us theirbracelets they also spurted out pieces of their story—there were children to care for, a long journey to make,homes that needed repairing, and pangs of hunger toassuage. It wasn’t long before Melea and I had been sep-arated and were each surrounded by several pleading peo-ple. It was overwhelming. We had money to buy abracelet or two, but not enough to buy something fromthem all. The need was great, and it highlighted both ourprivilege as well as our profound limitation to respond.

As I stood there not knowing what to do, the frus-tration began to boil up within me. I had come to see theFalls, to experience their beauty, to connect with God inthe midst of creation. I hardly had time to do any of that.I quickly tried to snap a few pictures, while Melea and Iworked to extricate ourselves from the situation. As wewere walking away and began to start processing what wehad just experienced, we were aware that when povertycharacterizes the reality of the majority of a country’speople, there is no escaping it. No matter where you go,even if it is to one of the Seven Wonders of the World,the reality of poverty is ever present.

As I look back on that afternoon now, I realize thatwhile I was so desperately trying to connect to Godthrough the creation that surrounded me, I failed to rec-ognize Christ standing right beside me. God reaches outto us in so many different ways and we are called torespond. Sometimes, it is hard to know what the bestresponse is, or we feel like our response is inadequate, orquestion if it will make any kind of difference. Yet, we arecalled to try.

In the midst of the chaos that day, I bought a carvedelephant. It is a beautiful piece of woodwork that I willalways cherish, not only for its artistic merit, but for whatI am reminded of when I see it. I think of that day, thoseuncomfortable minutes on that bridge, the beauty of theFalls, the faces of the men I met there, the stories theytold, the ways God becomes incarnate in this world, andhow those experiences of incarnation change us, howthey challenge us, and how they call us.

Clare Lozano is a senior MDiv student under care ofMission Presbytery. She is pictured here with the first twowomen to be ordained in the Reformed Church of Zambia.

Mosi-oa-TunyaBY CLARE LOZANOWWhen I traveled with fellow seminary student Melea

White to Zambia last summer, we had the chance to takea short get-away on our own. We spent our first day vis-iting Victoria Falls. Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke thatThunders) is one of the largest waterfalls on the earth andis considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Itis breathtaking to behold. After seeing the falls up close,we decided to walk up the road to the bridge that stretch-es over the gorge, nearly 430 feet above the ZambeziRiver. The views of the Falls from this location wereincredible and I found myself just wanting to stand theremarveling at the work of our Creator.

Yet, this bridge was a somewhat busy place. On oneside there was a bungee jumping operation. While it wasentertaining to watch tourist after tourist hurtle off aplatform towards the waters far below, it did make it hardto focus on our surroundings. The bridge also marks theborder between Zambia and Zimbabwe. There wereprobably about fifteen men from both countries wander-ing around the bridge with handcrafts they had broughtto sell to tourists. As we moved away from the bungeejumping station to a quieter spot on the bridge, one ofthese men approached us with copper bracelets he hadfor sale. He was a persistent salesman and even thoughwe weren’t all that enamored with the bracelets, in theend his determination won and we ended up each buy-ing one from him.

8

Austin Seminary is going to find out that I can’t explainChristianity to a child and revoke my acceptance let-ter!!!!” But I didn’t.

“Can I still plant it?” she asked.“Yes, you can plant it and grow a mustard tree,” I

humbly replied.“Will Jesus make it grow?” She held up her All

Things Grow in Christ sticker. I nodded. She smiled.

“Can He make people grow?”“Yes,” Now we’re getting somewhere. “Jesus makes us

grow in lots of ways. We can grow up but we can alsogrow to be better people.” But that was the end of it,because we’d arrived at her home. She ran up the drive-way and my sister gave me a look.

“You are really bad at that,” Amy laughed.“It’s not my fault! Who doesn’t know who Jesus is?”

Umm … apparently me.So—what I learned from a nine-year-old Buddhist is

that you have to figure out who Jesus is because one daysomeone is going to ask. The answer you give a commit-tee, or in a statement of faith, full of colorful languageand rich metaphors, is not going to cut it for someonestarting at step one.

In case you’re curious, Jamie is now a ten-year-oldPresbyterian, and next time I have to explain to someonewho Jesus is, I’m starting with, “Jesus is proof that Godloves us, and this is why …”

Kelly Updegraff is now a senior MDiv student under thecare of Presbytery of the Pines.

What I Learned About Jesus From a 9-year-old BuddhistBY KELLY UPDEGRAFF

TThe year was 2008. The place was First PresbyterianChurch Shreveport, Louisiana. The church was buzzingwith those three letters that send pastors into a frenzyduring the summer months … V B S. It was finally hereand since I would be leaving for seminary in just onemonth, I was determined to be the best drama leader thechurch had ever seen. My sister Amy and I piled into thecar, ready to somehow connect faith and the rainforest, asthe curriculum suggested. On the way we picked up mycousin Molly and her new stepsister, Jamie.

Nine-year-old Jamie, her mother, and older brotherhad recently arrived in the United States from Laos. HerEnglish was minimal, and she wore a fleece hoodie,because she found the sweltering Louisiana heat to beunbearably cold. She’d chosen the name Jamie to soundmore “American.” We enjoyed her exotic looks, heraccent, and her obvious wonder at her new surroundings.

At VBS the children arrived ready to hear about ourstory of the day, “Jesus and the Parable of the MustardSeed.” Jamie enjoyed activities immensely, but seemed attimes a little confused. Then Molly decided to share acrucial fact: Jamie was a Buddhist and back in Laos every-one she knew was a Buddhist. She’d never been to achurch and Christianity was an entirely new concept.Energizers suddenly felt inappropriate. But when Jamieclimbed into the car for the ride home she was all smilesand talking excitedly about returning the next day.

“And when I’m home,” she announced holding upher souvenir mustard seed, “I will plant Jesus!”

WHAT? Oh No.Somehow, “the Kingdom of God is like a mustard

seed,” had become, “plant this in your backyard to enjoythe spiritual equivalent of sea monkeys!” This kid had noidea who Jesus was. I tried to explain.

“No Jamie, Jesus was a man … err … God … Jesuswas part of God. But he’s God’s son.” Amy slapped herhand to her forehead in exasperation.

I tried again. “Jesus died. He was murdered.” Did Ireally want to focus on death here? I thought. It didn’tseem like the right way to start.

“But he came back to life!” Amy chimed in.“How’d he do that?” Jamie asked, looking bewil-

dered. “Can we get sno-cones?”I wanted to yell, “No, we cannot stop for treats

because you are failing to grasp the most important con-cept in the world because I am a failure and going to bethe worst pastor ever! And the Admissions Office at


Seminary community. I would not still be here if it hadnot been for my friends and professors in this communi-ty.

I share my times of doubt and questioning withthem and they do not label me a heretic (like the voicesin my head are calling me.) “You are not even abnormal,”they assure me. I can walk up to a friend and say, “I don’tthink the Christian paradigm is working for me” or,“today Jesus for me is a moral exemplar not a substitutefor atonement.”

Instead of being taken into the principal’s office for alesson in “correct doctrine,” my professors and friendsengage me in conversation and debate. They give mebook titles and authors to read. But, most importantly,they hold me up in prayer as I grow painfully.

My middler year has definitely been one of struggle,growth, and discernment. On one hand, I wish thewrestling, the pain, the anxiety upon no one. But, on theother hand, I have come to a whole new relationship withGod.

God knows there are things that I cannot accept atthe moment and instead of telling me I not good enoughto minister to God’s people, God tells me, “I am notdone with you yet.” (I pray God never will be done withme.)

God may not, and probably will not, answer all ofthe questions and doubts. However, I now know, trulyknow, that it is ok to live with these questions and to con-

tinue to seek God. It is inseeking God in, with, andthrough these questions thatmy fellow seminarians and Icome out ready to lead con-gregations.

Sally Wright survived hermiddler year at AustinSeminary under care of NewCovenant Presbytery. In thisphoto she appears with otherAustin Seminary “cheerlead-ers” on Austin Seminary Day.

Danger Ahead: Simple Questions Become Existential CrisesBY SALLY WRIGHT

II once had a professor tell me that being a middler, orsecond year seminary student, is dangerous.

“Dangerous,” I thought, “shouldn’t junior year havethe label ‘Dangerous’?” Junior year is when you are firstintroduced to historical criticism and theological lan-guage.

Junior year is also the year when Professor CindyRigby makes you examine your theological beliefs orwhen Professor John Ahn tells you your beloved Biblewas redacted.

As I have grown into middler-hood, I now fullyunderstand how dangerous this liminal time truly is. Theyear when I already have one year of theological forma-tion under my belt but I remain thankful that there isstill more pastoral formation to come.

It is in the middler year when seemingly simple ques-tions and thoughts can, without warning, suddenly turnfrom innocuous questions to life changing existentialcrises. As a middler, I have all this theological languagerunning around in my head and I seek ways to fit thisnew language into my already held beliefs and previouslife experiences.

More often than not during this middler year I haveawoken to questions like, “Is this Jesus guy really God?”and then I am greeted by friends who see the concern onmy face and inquire how I am doing and discover they,too, are discerning the same questions.

Unlike junior year for me, these questions are notmerely intellectual exercisesin class, but rather, thesequestions in my middleryear have hit me in my gut,at my foundation, andseeped into the place of safe-ty I never thought could beaccessed. I find myself ques-tioning my call, or strug-gling with church denomi-nations, and sometimes evenmy religious affiliation.

So, how do middlersmake it to being seniors andeventually (hopefully) toordination?

We succeed only due toGod’s unfailing pursuit ofGod’s people and the Austin

10

Our Advent Devotional willbe available in November ina text and audio version at

www.austinseminary.edu/advent

If you would like toplace a group orderfor a printed version

at 50¢ per copy,please place yourorder online or

by calling512-404-4886.

11

Ministries January-term coursewhere we seminarians saw avariety of churches gettingtheir hands dirty in service tothe world in the name of theRisen Christ. In countlessimaginative ways the churchesand other organizations sur-veyed through the course reachout across socioeconomic andethnic boundaries to make thelove of God concrete for theircommunities.Thanks be to God for

refreshing reminders of why Ifelt called to ministry in thefirst place, even if those littlereminders are dollar bills withcheckered pasts.

Bart Smith is a middler MDivstudent under care of Greater

Atlanta Presbytery. He is at the right (wearing a hat) in thephoto above, taken at Westminster Presbyterian Church,Santa Fe, during his Jan-Term experience in New Mexico.

�

Read more student essays online:www.austinseminary.edu/visit

Little RemindersBY BART SMITHSSeven seminarians walk into a

church building and sit downat the table in the middle of aSunday school room. Starklypresent at the center of thetable are large piles of money,all one dollar bills.

Perhaps the ushers hadn’tcounted last Sunday’s offeringand handed it in to the treas-urer for deposit? But thisbeing Friday morning, thathypothesis seems a littleweak. Upon closer inspection,the dollar bills all appear to bemarked in some way: names,cartoons, drawings, andwords unbecoming an articlein a seminary publicationadorn the currency. After thegathered group glidesthrough the standard intro-ductions and get-to-know- you’s, the conversation finallyarrives at the beckoning stacks of money.

“Do you know what this is?” asks the pastor.“Drug money?” I blurt out.“Guess again.”No one seems to be able to produce a viable answer.“On Friday night, these bills are placed in the g-

strings of strippers at the club down the street. OnSunday morning, they wind up in my offering plate,”pronounces the pastor in a tone colored with a “theregoes the neighborhood” kind of certainty.

This was “Exhibit A” of our group’s introduction tothe plethora of ministry of a small United Methodistcongregation in Northern New Mexico. Addiction sup-port groups, needle-exchange programs for individualsexperiencing substance abuse, bridge building with localPueblos, and inventive liturgies for Protestant celebra-tions of the traditionally Roman Catholic Quinceañeraare just the tip of the iceberg for this little precinct of theKingdom of God. Led by a creative and dedicated pastor,this congregation works tirelessly to bring a very realsense of solidarity and hope to an area ravaged by drugs,crime, gambling, and other spawn of extreme poverty.

Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico offered usmany encounters of this type through its Cross-Cultural

WINDOWS / Summer 2010

During Austin PresbyterianTheological Seminary’s

commencement exercises heldSunday, May 30, five graduatesreceived the Master of Arts(Theological Studies) degree;twenty-nine, the Master ofDivinity (including two dualdegree students who also receivedthe MSSW from The University ofTexas School of Social Work); one,the Diploma; and six, the Doctorof Ministry degree. ReverendThomas L. Are Jr., the seniorpastor of Village PresbyterianChurch, Prairie Village, Kansas,and vice-chair of Austin Seminary’sBoard of Trustees, gave thecommencement address.

Several awards were announcedduring the ceremony: The CharlesL. King Preaching Award, givenannually to honor the formerpastor of the First PresbyterianChurch, Houston, and adistinguished denominationalleader, was given to Ken White.

Jose Lopez received the RachelHenderlite Award, named for aformer Austin Seminary professorand given to a graduate who hasmade significant contributions tocross-cultural and interracialrelationships while at AustinSeminary.

The John Spragens Award,honoring a former AustinSeminary professor, is given eachyear to an outstanding graduatefor additional study in the field ofChristian education. The awardthis year went to Kate Loveless.

The Hendrick-Smith Awardfor Evangelism and Missions wasestablished by William SmithSevier in memory of William SwanSmith, James Hardin Smith, John

recipient was Mike Clawson.The Donald Capps Award in

Pastoral Care is an awardestablished to honor ProfessorDonald Capps, the William HarteFelmeth Professor of PastoralPsychology at PrincetonTheological Seminary. Given in

recognition of a student’sgifts for and commitmentto the church’s caringministries, The CappsAward goes to NikkiStahl.

Additional awardsincluded the following:The Ada and AdamsColhoun Award wasgranted to Jane Pettit, theCarl Kilborn Book Awardwent to Matt Falco, andthe Chalice Press bookaward was granted to JohnDearman.

Henry Hendrick, Edwin EugeneHendrick and in honor of JohnRobert Hendrick, AustinSeminary professor emeritus ofevangelism and mission. Given to agraduate who has demonstrated acommitment to the field ofmission and evangelism, this year’s

New graduates to fulfill call into ministryCOMMUNITY NEWS

2010 Commencement: fromthe top, DMin graduate NinaReeder shows off her shepherd’scrook to Professor John Alsup;MDiv graduate Jennifer Leeand family members; DanielHarrington, Norris Atkins,and Mindy Baker await themoment their Master ofDivinity degrees are conferred.

12

MDiv•

The Class of 2010

Key to Masters degree entries: graduate’s name and denomination (presbytery or conference under care);first call / placement or future plans.

Michael ClawsonChurch of God GeneralConference, Midwest Conference;will pursue a PhD program atBaylor University inReligion/Church History

Stephanie CrippsUnited Pentecostal Church; seekinga full-time teaching position in theBaton Rouge, Louisiana, area; willpursue further graduate studies atLouisiana State University

Paul HarrisUnited Methodist (Southwest TexasConference); Pastor, Cedar CreekUnited Methodist Church, CedarCreek, Texas

Allen NoahUnited Methodist (Southwest TexasConference); Pastor, Jones ChapelUnited Methodist Church, SanAntonio, Texas

Norris AtkinsNondenominational; seeking a callin the area of campus ministry

Ramon NunezCongregacion Brasis, Monterrey,Mexico; Ministerial Staff, CentroDe Estudios Superiores Y Transfor-macion

Mindy BakerPCUSA (Grace Presbytery); willseek a call upon completing candi-dacy/ecclesial requirements

Stella BurkhalterUMC (Southwest Texas Confer-ence); Associate Pastor for Chil-dren’s Ministry at Covenant UnitedMethodist Church, Austin

John DearmanPCUSA (Mission Presbytery); seek-ing a call

Paul DuboisUMC (Southwest TexasConference); Pastor, First UnitedMethodist Church, Weimar, Texas

Jamye DunlapPCUSA (Grace Presbytery);Chaplain Resident, BaylorUniversity Medical Center, Dallas,Texas

Matt FalcoPCUSA (Huntingdon Presbytery);call pending

Kathy EscandellPCUSA (Mission Presbytery);Director of Education for Childrenand Youth, Central PresbyterianChurch, Austin

•MDiv•Master

ofDivinity

•MDiv•Divinity

•MDiv•Master

ofDivinity

•MDiv•Divinity

•MDiv•

Martin NewmannUMC (Southwest TexasConference); Pastor, MuldoonUnited Methodist Church,Muldoon, Texas, and WinchesterUMC, Winchester, Texas

•MAT

S•MasterofArts(TheologicalStudies)•MAT

S•Studies)•MAT

S•

Diploma


COMMUNITY NEWSMDiv•Master

ofDivinity

•MDiv•Master

ofDivinity

•MDiv•Master

ofDivinity

•MDiv•Master

ofDivinity

•MDiv

MDiv•MasterofDivinity

•MDiv•MasterofDivinity



•MDiv Debbie GarberPCUSA (Cascades Presbytery); year-

long CPE residency program inSeattle, Washington

Daniel HarringtonUMC (Southwest TexasConference); Associate Pastor,Manchaca United MethodistChurch, Austin

Lindsay HatchPCUSA (New CovenantPresbytery); seeking a call

Dedurie KirkNational Baptist; continuing towork on ministry staff at GreaterMt. Zion Baptist Church, Austin,while pursuing an MCPC atSeminary of the Southwest

Jennifer LeePCUSA (Mission Presbytery);Children’s Ministry ChristianEducator, Austin KoreanPresbyterian Church, Austin

Kate LovelessPCUSA (Grace Presbytery);Associate Pastor, Trinity PresbyterianChurch, Topeka, Kansas

Jose LopezPCUSA (Grace Presbytery); com-pleting CPE requirements at SetonHospital, Austin

Crystal McCormickYouth Director, Edwards UnitedChurch of Christ, Davenport, Iowa;PhD program, Lutheran School ofTheology in Chicago

Brandon MilesPCUSA (Sheppards and LapsleyPresbytery); Summer Chaplain,Highland Presbyterian Camp andConference Center in Estes Park,Colorado.

Jane PettitPCUSA (New CovenantPresbytery); Pastoral Care Associate,Grace Presbyterian Church,Houston, Texas, while seeking a call

John PflugPCUSA (Grace Presbytery); Pastor,First Presbyterian Church,Winnsboro, Texas

Kaci PorterPCUSA (Grace Presbytery);Director of Campus and YoungAdult Ministries, UniversityPresbyterian Church, Austin

Robert QuiringPCUSA (Eastern OklahomaPresbytery); Associate Pastor, HighSchool Youth and Young Adults,Knox Presbyterian Church,Naperville, Illinois

Glenn SampayanPCUSA (Grace Presbytery); seekinga position as a hospital chaplain

Isabel Rivera-VelezPCUSA (New CovenantPresbytery); seeking a call

Debra (Deb) SchmidtPCUSA (Presbytery of SouthernKansas); seeking a call

14

The Class of 2010DoctorofMinistry•DMin

•DoctorofMinistry


•MDiv•

Nikki StahlUnited Christian Church; whilecompleting candidacy/ecclesialrequirements, will work in a medicalsocial worker setting

Lisa StrausUMC (Southwest TexasConference); PhD program in NewTestament and Hebrew Scriptures atBoston University

Jason WebsterPCUSA (Mission Presbytery); com-pleting a year-long chaplain residen-cy in August; will pursue a PhD inbiblical studies and seek a call

Ken WhiteUnited Christian Church; AssociatePastor, United Christian Church,Austin

Melea WhiteNondenominational; Social Workerat Integrative Health Services,Williamsburg, Iowa

Stephen (Steve) G. CastlePastor, Moyock United MethodistChurch, Moyock, North Carolina;“Facilitating Forgiveness in a ChurchRecovering from Trauma”

James E. JanecekInstallation Chaplain, Moron Air Base,Spain; “Ameliorating Melancholic Grief:Utilizing Elegiac Narrative Therapy withEmerging Adults in the Air ForceSuffering From Complicated Loss”

Ray L. ReedPastor, Russell Memorial UnitedMethodist Church, Wills Point, Texas;“Where There Is No Vision, the PeoplePerish: Adopting a Visionpath at RussellMemorial United Methodist Church forReaching and Empowering the Youth ofTheir Community”

Nina P. ReederPastor, The Lawrence Road PresbyterianChurch, Lawrenceville, New Jersey; “TheMeal of the Kingdom: CongregationalEngagement with ‘Mea’” as Metaphorthrough Reflection and Praxis.”

Joe Wesley WarrenPastor, First Presbyterian Church, Athens,Texas; “Moving Ecclesial Leaders TowardSelf-Differentiation”

Richard M. (Rich) WrightFirst United Methodist Church,Hinesville, Georgia; “RebuildingRelationships: A Caring Ministry forInactive Members at Lakeland UnitedMethodist Church”

Key to Doctor of Ministry degree entries: graduate’s name, current position; title of doctoral project

•MDiv•Master

ofDivinity

•MDiv•

Doctor

ofMinistry

•DMin

•Doctor

ofMinistry

Picture yourself on these pages.Austin Seminary’s Discovery Weekends are a time to spend thinking about your own call to ministry.You will meet current professors and students, tour the housing, and get to know a bit about the

quality of life in the city and on the Austin Seminary campus. We hope to see you there … and here!

Discovery Weekends - October 29-31, 2010, and February 18-20, 2011

For photos of Commencement, go online towww.austinseminary.edu Click on “MediaGallery,” from the arrow at right select thechannel “Community Life,” then“Commencement 2010.”


Jinkins called to leadLouisville Seminary

Michael Jinkins (DMin’83),Austin

Seminary’s aca-demic dean since2004, has beencalled by theLouisvillePresbyterianTheologicalSeminary’s Board of Trustees tobecome its next president, effectiveSeptember 1, 2010.

Jinkins has been a member ofthe faculty of Austin Seminarysince 1993, having previouslyserved congregations in Texas andScotland. In his teaching career,Jinkins made significant contribu-tions to the church’s understandingof the practice of ministry, pastoralidentity, and the theology ofChristian leadership. As academicdean, he wrote successful grantapplications that resulted in: thefounding of the College of PastoralLeaders; support of faculty develop-ment for the improvement ofteaching, curriculum renewal; and afaculty research project to deter-mine what church leaders and con-gregations expect of seminary edu-cation today. He led the facultythrough its first thorough curricu-lum review and revision since 1971and oversaw its successful re-certifi-cation of accreditation. He alsodeveloped the course “Entry intoMinistry,” providing students apractical look at entering ministry.

Said President Theodore J.Wardlaw, “Austin Seminary hasbeen blessed mightily by DeanJinkins’ vision, energy, discipline,and inspiring leadership.” An advi-sory committee, headed byProfessor Cynthia Rigby, has initi-ated a search for Jinkins’ successor.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Student fellowships, facultychairs, library modernization,student housing, The College

of Pastoral Leaders, and the annualfund will be the focus of a $44 mil-lion comprehensive campaign forAustin Seminary, approved by theboard at its spring meeting.

Charged with prioritizing abroad list of potential fundingoptions, the Campaign PlanningCommittee, chaired by JohnHartman, met numerous timesover a fourteen-month period.Through a process of research,analysis and debate, the committeereached a unanimous conclusionabout the campaign priorities.

“The support we got from theadministration, the answers to ourquestions and helping us thinkthrough some of these things, andthe very practical advice we gotfrom the campaign consultant allcontributed to [the Committee’s]unanimity and the spirit of one-ness,” says Hartman.

Following their initial winnow-ing of campaign initiatives, person-al interviews were conducted withdozens of the Seminary’s con-stituents to garner valuable feed-back. Armed with that insight, theCommittee refined the recommen-dation they presented to the boardthis May.

“We narrowed the program

down to the five initiatives, all ofwhich received strong support fromthose who were interviewed.Number one was student fellow-ships. For both the group inter-viewed as well as our team, it wasclear we needed to make room forthat and for the complementaryinitiative of additional facultychairs,” says Hartman. The amountallocated to library and housingwere reduced, but, “we felt that inboth cases some very significantimprovements could be made forlesser amounts than had originallybeen proposed.” Two task forcesmade up of students, faculty, andadministrators are working to fleshout the details of those funding pri-orities; they expect to report theirfindings to the board in November.

Reflecting on the work of thePlanning Committee, Hartmansays, “I think everybody on thecommittee really felt the desire tocome up with something that couldmake a difference in the future …The thing that bound us togetherand provided the inspiration to allthis was a shared love for the insti-tution and a feeling that AustinSeminary has a role to play in theKingdom of God, educating thenext generation of pastoral leadersand church leaders. That was sucha bond and source of energy foreverything we were doing.”

Board approves $44 million campaign plan

In April students pursued avariation on the usual SpringFling motif: Highland gameswith a Mexican flavor. Theresulting party, “JuegosAltiplanos,” featured a taco bar,the wearing of the tartan, awatermelon spitting contest, anda tug of war between the classes(the juniors won both rounds).

16

Seminary’s beloved friend Ed Vickery dies

Longtime supporter of Austin Seminary Edward D. Vickery died onApril 29. He served on the Seminary’s Board of Trustees from 1976-

1995 and as chair of the board from 1983-1985 and 1989-1994.“Ed Vickery was a force of nature,” said President Theodore J. Ward-

law. “In addition to his wife, Dorothy, his beloved family, and his church,his fondest passions were The University of Texas and Austin PresbyterianTheological Seminary. He loved this school and its history, and he made itbetter through his deep involvement. The Seminary gives thanks to Godfor Ed’s life and witness.”

Vickery was a partner in the Houston law firm Royston, Rayzor,Vickery &Williams, specializing in litigation in the areas of admiralty andmaritime law, insurance coverage, and personal injury cases. Throughoutand beyond Vickery’s lengthy service on the Austin Seminary Board, hehelped make possible the fully endowed Nelson Chair of ChristianEducation through a major gift in January 2002. The purpose of the pro-fessorship is to support those who wish to serve God by becoming “teach-ers of teachers.” Vickery contributed the funding for The Dorothy VickeryChair of Homiletics, established in 2007 in memory of his wife, and madepossible the Vickery Atrium in the McCord Community Center on theSeminary campus.

Ed Vickery is survived by his daughter, Anne Vickery Stevenson, acurrent member of the Seminary’s Board of Trustees, and his son, DownyVickery. The family has asked that memorial contributions be sent toAustin Seminary.

Board acts regardingfaculty, admissions

Austin Seminary’s Board ofTrustees took the following

action with respect to faculty at itsspring meeting:• Commended Lewis R.Donelson, The Ruth A. CampbellProfessor of New Testament, for hiscontinued outstanding service tothe Austin Seminary communityand to the guild and church atlarge;• Promoted Allan H. Cole Jr. tobe the Nancy Taylor WilliamsonProfessor of Pastoral Care;• Granted tenure to David F.White, The C. Ellis and NancyGribble Nelson Associate Professorof Christian Education;• Promoted Monya Stubbs toAssociate Professor of NewTestament;• Reappointed C. Ellis Nelson asResearch Professor of ChristianEducation;• Awarded Professor Emeritus sta-tus to retired Professors EllenBabinsky and Ismael García.• Approved a recommendation thatthe faculty choose annually fromamong its tenured members a rep-resentative to be an ex officio mem-ber of the board of trustees.• Affirmed the faculty’s recommen-dation that at least four of the nextfive tenure-track faculty hires beracial ethnic minority persons andthat at least three of the next fivetenure-track faculty hires bewomen.

With reference to other mat-ters, it also reaffirmed theSeminary’s current standards andprocesses for admission of studentapplicants from non-Christian tra-ditions and faiths and elected fivenew trustees to be inducted at thefall meeting of the board.

Family and friends celebrated the life of Ed Vickery (center, front) at a luncheon inhis honor at Austin Seminary in 2007.


18

Ismael García, Austin Seminary’s professor of Christian ethics for morethan two decades, retired in July following a year-long sabbatical. Garcíabecame a member of Austin Seminary’s faculty in 1986.

García was the long-time chair of the faculty’s Program of Study com-mittee, responsible for the on-going excellence of teaching and learning.

There and in the classroom, accordingto colleagues, “he lives out the subjectmatter of his book Dignidad, mostespecially on campus in his advocacyfor students and junior colleagues.Ismael’s concern to meet studentswhere they were powerfully influencedhis pedagogy.” One student, referringto García, called him, “along with StanHall, one of the great lights of myseminary education.”

Says Seminary PresidentTheodore J. Wardlaw, “Ismael hasmade profound contributions to thefield of Christian ethics—contribu-tions that have benefited his academicguild, certainly, but also contributionsthat have produced strides in social

justice and the empowerment of those on the margins. Because of the prac-tical impacts of his witness and passions, this world is a better place.”

García’s positive influence has been felt on hospital ethics committeesand on the boards of the National Council of Churches, U.S.A. and theWorld Mission Board of the United Church of Christ. He is a member ofthe Committee on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) of the Association ofTheological Schools and has received fellowships from the Association ofTheological Schools, the University of Chicago Divinity School, and theFord Foundation. He was for many years a leader of the Hispanic SummerProgram and other national initiatives aimed at supporting the theologicaleducation of Hispanic students across the United States.

García is the author of Dignidad: Ethics Through Hispanic Eyes andIntroducción a la Ética Cristiana (Abingdon Press, 2003) and served as theeditor and major contributor to Diccionario Ilustrado de Intérpretes de la Fe:Veinte Siglos do Pensamiento Cristiano (Editorial Clie, España, 2004). He wasassociate editor of Westminster Dictionary of Theologians (Westminster JohnKnox, 2008).

Reared in Puerto Rico, García earned a BA in political science from theUniversity of Puerto Rico then the MA and PhD from the University ofChicago. Prior to his appointment to Austin Seminary he taught Christianethics at McCormick Seminary. As he moves back to Puerto Rico later thissummer, Ismael García’s presence on the Austin Seminary campus will bedeeply missed. As a colleague noted at his retirement fete, “With Ismael,there’s no disconnect between what he says and what he does. His life mir-rors his speech and his actions often speak more powerfully than his words.”

FACULTY NOTESJohn Ahn, assistant professor ofOld Testament, was one of twoKorean-Americans representingNorth America in the JubileeCelebration (50th Year) of theKorean Old Testament Society(KOTS) in Seoul, South Korea,May 28-30. Ahn’s paper was called“Second Generation AssimilationTheories in the Cadre of SecondIsaiah.” Ahn was the conferencekeynote speaker at PSALMS:Lament to Praise, KoreanConference on Worship and Music,July 12-15, at ColumbiaTheological Seminary.

The Sunrise Beach FederatedChurch provided a potluck celebra-tion after worship on June 6 to cel-ebrate the 50th wedding anniver-sary of Professor John Alsup andhis wife, Carole. Former studentministers along with current mem-bers, students, and family gatheredto make it a very special occasion.

Comparative Religion ProfessorWhit Bodman served as moderatorat the international symposium,“Islam, Salvation, and the Fate ofOther.” The conference, sponsoredby University of IllinoisDepartment of Religion, was heldApril 16-17. Bodman travelled toTehran, Iran, in July to present apaper at the InternationalConference on Multiculturalismand Global Community. Organizedby the Institute for Humanities andCultural Studies, the goal of theconference was to bring togetherprofessors, researchers, and scholarstudents to exchange and sharetheir experiences and researchabout the conference’s themes andto discuss cultural challenges andpractical solutions.

Allan Cole, the Nancy TaylorWilliamson Professor of Pastoral

FACULTY NEWS

Ismael García enjoys a gathering withcolleagues and friends, includingProfessor Jennifer Lord, to celebrate hiscontributions to Austin Seminary.

Ethics professor García retires

Jones honored by professional colleaguesDr. David Lee Jones,director of the Doctorof Ministry (DMin)program, received the2010 DistinguishedLeadership in Doctorof Ministry EducationAward from theAssociation for Doctorof Ministry Education(ADME). This isADME’s highest awardand Jones is only thefourth recipient in theorganization’s twenty-year history to receivethe award. Jones has been a member of ADME since 2003; he served onits executive board since 2006 and as president since 2008. AustinSeminary hosted the annual ADME conference, April 22-24, 2010.

Care, published an article, “WhatMakes Care Pastoral?” in the jour-nal Pastoral Psychology. He alsowrote a chapter on loss, grief, andmourning for The Church Leader’sCounseling Resource Book: A Guideto Mental Health and SocialProblems (Oxford University Press),for which he served on the editorialboard.

Dave Jensen, professor of construc-tive theology, is the editor of a newbook series from Fortress Press,“Compass: Christian Explorationsof Daily Living.” The seriesexplores everyday practices andtheir connection to Christian faithand doctrine. He also taught aworkshop on “The Bible, Theology,and Human Sexuality” in BellaVista, Arkansas, on July 23 andbegan serving as Austin Seminary’sInterim Academic Dean on July 1.

David Johnson, director of minis-terial formation, participated intwo conferences on seminary stu-dent spiritual development at St.John's Abbey in Collegeville,Minnesota: one funded by a grantfrom the Lilly Foundation, theother sponsored by the PresbyterianChurch (USA).

David Jones, director of the DMinprogram, led retreats for IndianNations Presbytery Council and forthe Mo-Ranch Men’s Retreat inApril.

Timothy Lincoln, associate deanfor seminary effectiveness andlibrary director, published an article“How Master of DivinityEducation Changes Students: AResearch-Based Model” in the jour-nal Teaching Theology & Religion.

Homiletics professor Jennifer Lordcontributed two “Living by theWord” columns in the June 29issues of The Christian Century. InApril she was the keynote speaker

for the 2010 College of PastoralLeaders annual conference and pre-sented five lectures on the“Maintenance of Divine Worship”for the Presbytery of Arkansas’Annual Retreat for Ministers,Educators, and Commissioned LayPastors.

K.C. Ptomey, The ZbindenProfessor of Pastoral Ministry andLeadership, was the preacher at theWorship and Music Conference atMo Ranch, sponsored by ThePresbyterian Association ofMusicians, June 20-24.

W C Brown Professor of TheologyCynthia Rigby spoke on“Providence and Play” at the Logos2010 Conference at RutgersUniversity on May 13. The inter-disciplinary conference of philoso-phers and theologians was spon-sored by the Center for Philosophyof Religion at Rutgers and theDepartment of Philosophy at NotreDame University. Rigby preached

Jones, center, with his family and mother: Jennifer,Morgan, Faith, and Mildred.

at Fifth Avenue PresbyterianChurch in New York on May 16.

Kristin Saldine, assistant professorof homiletics, was presenter,preacher, and instructor atPC(USA) Academy of MissionalPreaching in June. She led theCommissioned Lay PreachingColloquy For Presbytery of Plainsand Peaks at the HighlandPresbyterian Camp and RetreatCenter in August and will be thekeynote speaker, preacher, andworkshop leader at a Santa FePresbytery training event on August21 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Christian Education ProfessorDavid White was the keynotespeaker for Youth WorkersGathering 2010, at St. Paul’sSchool of Theology in Kansas City,Missouri, in April. He also led abreakout session, “Fanning theSparks of Adolescent Interest Intothe Flames of Lifelong Vocation.”


Check out your new AlumPortal, now available offthe Seminary’s main website:www.austinseminary.edu

There you’ll find:• class book lists and

recommended readingfrom the Seminary’sfaculty

• a place to post newsand notes

• ministry resources

Watch the mail for yoursecure log-in, or [email protected]

20

WELCOME …to John Robertson Maybry, son of Leah and Luke H. Maybry(MDiv’06), born on April 13, 2010.

to Annora Rose Stutzman, daughter of Jacob and Phyllis L. Stutzman(MDiv’05), born on July 1, 2010.

to Serene McCormick, daughter of Adam and Crystal McCormick(MDiv’10), born June 24, 2010.

ORDINATIONRebecca Chancellor (MDiv’08) ordained July 4, 2010, to serve ValleyCommunity Presbyterian Church in Portland, Oregon.

James B. “Brady” Johnston (MDiv’08) ordained in June to serveBethesda United Methodist Church in Weatherford, Texas

Paul Gadke (MDiv’08) ordained July 11to serve San Pedro PresbyterianChurch in San Antonio Texas

Laura R. Grice (MDiv’08) ordained on June 26, 2010, to serve FaithPresbyterian Church in Baytown, Texas

Krista D. Ingram (MDiv’09) ordained in June to serve First UnitedMethodist church in Italy, Texas

Carrie M. Finch (MDiv’09) ordained on July 24, 2010, to serve FirstPresbyterian Church in Greenville, North Carolina

Kenneth L. White (MDiv’10) ordained June 27, 2010, to serve UnitedChristian Church in Austin, Texas

NECROLOGYJesse L. Leos (MDiv’52), Kingsville, Texas, April 27, 2010

Henry E. Moore (MDiv’56) Fort Smith, Arkansas, April 16, 2010

Leslie G. Andrew (MDiv’81), Bella Vista, Arkansas, January 22, 2010

Linda K. Reinhardt (MDiv’96), Canyon Lake, Texas, May 27, 2010

CLASS NOTES

1950’sGilbert Deaume (Ecumenical’58-‘59), a minister in the UnitedChurch of Zambia, served as aninterpreter for the Word Alliance ofReformed Churches and theReformed Ecumenical Council inJune 2010.

1990’sDavid Siegenthaler (MDiv’95)

completed a PhD in systematic andphilosophical theology at theGraduate Theological Union inMay 2010. His dissertation was“The Human Role in Nature: ACase Study Analysis of YosemitePlanning Processes Employing H.Richard Niebuhr’s Symbol ofResponsibility.”

Bernice Wells (Diploma’98) retiredas pastor of Webster Chapel UnitedMethodist Church, Victoria, Texas,

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ALUMNI/AE NEWS

… to employ its resources in the service of the church; and topromote and engage in critical theological thought andresearch… — Austin Seminary “Mission Statement” (excerpt)

Program expands in scope and audience

At Austin Seminary, the teaching and learning don’t end themoment diplomas change hands. We continue to provide

opportunities to our graduates that equip and strengthen them tobe leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ.

This year we are expanding our Austin Seminary on-the-roadmodel to include events for congregations as well as our alumni/aeand their colleagues. We will be asking the critical “So what?” ques-tions as we explore creative ways to preach, teach, and think aboutbeing the church in the world.

In the fall of 2010, Austin Seminary will be on the road aroundthe Synod of the Sun engaging lay and clergy audiences with thequestion, “What’s next for mainline churches?” In the spring wewill be in churches across Texas. We hope to see you along the way.

September 26-27, First PC, Norman, OklahomaSunday morning -Worship led by President Ted WardlawSunday afternoon - Lecture by Dr. David Jensen, Professor of

Constructive Theology and Interim Academic DeanMonday noon - Clergy Workshop for alumni/ae and theircolleagues with Professor David Jensen

October 11, Second PC, Little Rock, ArkansasMonday noon- Clergy Workshop for alumni/ae and theircolleagues with Dr. Cynthia Rigby, W.C. Brown Professor ofTheology

November 14-15, First PC, Shreveport, LouisianaSunday morning -Worship led by President Ted WardlawSunday afternoon - Lecture by President WardlawMonday noon - Clergy Workshop for alumni/ae and theircolleagues with The Rev. Lana Russell, Director of Alumni/aeand Church Relations

after thirteen years of ministry forthe United Methodist Church inthe Southwest Texas Conference.

Holly J. Hasstedt (MDiv’99) wedScott Hoppe on May 22, 2010, inShelton Chapel.

2000’sBrett Hendrickson (MDiv’02)received his PhD in religious stud-ies from Arizona State University inthe summer of 2010.

Kate Loveless (MDiv’10) wed LeeMcGee on June 12, 2010.

Call for nominationsIf you wish to honor an AustinSeminary alum who has made asignificant contribution to the lifeof the church, please consider nom-inating him or her for the AustinSeminary Distinguished ServiceAward. Criteria for considerationmay be found on the Austin Sem-inary website at:www.austinseminary.edu/nomination.Winners of the award will behonored at the 2011 ASA Banquet.

�The Austin Seminary AssociationBoard has the responsibility fordirecting, guiding, and planningmatters which advance the interestsand concerns of the Seminary andits Association members. Ourboard reflects the geographic,denominational, racial/ethnic, gen-der and decade diversity of our1700 plus living alumni/ae who areserving in forty-eight states andtwenty-two countries around theworld. Terms of service are threeyears. Expectations of boardmembers can be found on thewebsite atwww.austinseminary.edu/asaboardDeadline for all nominations isSeptember 8; nominations can bemade by mail, online, or emailed [email protected].

Summer 2010

Austin SeminaryPartnershipLuncheons

Fall & Spring 2010-11

September 8, 2010North Dallas

October 6, 2010Harlingen

November 11, 2010Albuquerque

March 8, 2011Little Rock

April 13, 2011Shreveport

May 12, 2011Oklahoma City

For more information orto attend one of these

events call:(512) 404-4802

WINDOWSAustin Presbyterian Theological Seminary100 East 27th Street, Austin, Texas 78705-5797

Address Service Requested

Non Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAID

Austin, TexasPermit No. 2473

AUSTIN SEMINARYASSOCIATION (ASA)BOARD

Belinda Windham (MDiv’91), President

Richard Culp (MDiv’93), Vice President

Patti Herndon (MDiv’93), Past President

Judy F. Baskin (MDiv’02)

Charles W. Edwards Jr. (DMin’89)

Gerald Goodridge (MDiv’02)

David Green (MDiv’95)

Aquanetta Hicks (MDiv’08)

Kathleen T. Hignight (MDiv’95)

Dorothy C. “Dolly” Hunt (MDiv’03)

Ryan M. Kemp-Pappan (MDiv’08)

Brian L. Merritt (MDiv’98)

Nancy Mossman (MDiv’88)

A. Catherine Robinson (MDiv’86)

Karen H. Stocks (MDiv’85)

“Remembering him every day.”Sutton Lange, 9, designated John Anderson as his hero for a class projectbecause he “helped build my house.” The second grader is the son of stu-dent Melanie Lange whose family was among the first to live in the newstudent apartment Anderson House.

windows summer 2010

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