Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
spring 2022
In this Issue Senior fellowships | 4
Master of Arts in Youth Ministry | 6
Alumni awards | 19
Preparing the next generation of leaders
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AUSTIN
AUSTIN PRESBYTERIAN
PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGI C AL
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
SEMINARY
spring 2022
features
President
Theodore J. Wardlaw
The MAYM Degree 6 Partnering for Success in
Board of Trustees Keatan King, Chair
James C. Allison Lee Ardell Janice L. Bryant (MDiv’01, DMin’11) Kelley Cooper Cameron Katherine B. Cummings (MDiv’05) Thomas Christian Currie James A. DeMent (MDiv’17) Jill Duffield (DMin’13) Britta Martin Dukes (MDiv’05) Peg Falls-Corbitt (CIM’13) Jackson Farrow Jr. Beth Blanton Flowers, M.D. Stephen Giles Jesús Juan González (MDiv’92) William Greenway Cyril Hollingsworth Ora Houston John A. Kenney Steve LeBlanc Sue B. McCoy Matthew Miller (MDiv’03) W. David Pardue Denise Nance Pierce (MATS’11) Mark B. Ramsey Stephen J. Rhoades Sharon Risher (MDiv’07) Conrad M. Rocha Lana Russell John L. Van Osdall Michael Waschevski (DMin’03) Elizabeth C. Williams Michael G. Wright
Volume 137 | Number 2
Youth Ministry By Andrew Zirschky
9 Student Profile: Breeahna Britt 10 Student Profile: Rebekah Small 12 Theology Together: Hannah Cooley
6 Cover: Our Master of Arts in Youth Ministry (MAYM) degree comprises nearly one third of our students and has greatly broadened the geographic footprint of the Seminary. Learn about this exciting new program on pages 6-15. Photograph by Jody Horton.
13 Student Profile: Jeremy Demarest 14 Innovation Laboratory: Daphne Turnage 15 Q&A with a Coach: Christina Moore & departments
16
Trustees Emeriti
Lyndon Olson B. W. Payne Max Sherman Anne Vickery Stevenson
2
seminary & church
3
twenty-seventh & speedway
16
faculty news & notes
18
alumni news & notes
20
live & learn
20
ASA Board
Melinda Hunt (CIM’16) President Josh Kerr (MDiv’14), Vice-President Paul Sink (MDiv’00), Secretary Candy Cubbage (MDiv’89) David Gambrell (MDiv’98) John Guthrie (MDiv’06) Sarah Hegar (MDiv’09) Amy Litzinger (MATS’15) Carl McCormack (MDiv’95) James Morley (MDiv’88) Denise Odom (MDiv’99) Jean Reardon (MDiv’05) Amy Sergent (MDiv’92) Rita Sims (DMin’15) Tony Spears (MDiv’15) Ayana Teter (MDiv’06) Marta Ukropina (MDiv’06)
Editor
Randal Whittington
Contributors
Selina Aguirre Sylvia Greenway Erica Knisely Usama Malik Gary Mathews Mikala McFerren Alison Riemersma Sharon Sandberg Mona Santandrea Kristy Sorensen
Windows is published three times each year by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Austin Seminary Windows Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary 100 E. 27th St. Austin, TX 78705-5711 phone: 512-404-4808 e-mail: windows@austinseminary.edu AustinSeminary.edu ISSN 2056-0556; Non-profit bulk mail permit no. 2473
seminary church
In March, President Wardlaw (foreground at left) convened the first fully in-person faculty meeting in two years. Everyone stepped out onto the balcony off Wright Hall in the newly opened Mary B. and Robert J. Wright Learning and Information Center to memorialize the happy occasion.
President’s Schedule May 1: Preach, First Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth, Texas May 15: Charge to the Graduates, Austin Seminary Commencement, University Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas May 20: Baccalaureate Address, Austin College, Sherman, Texas May 21: Receive honorary doctorate, Austin College Commencement June 12: Preach, Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas
from the president |
I
n the pages ahead in this Spring issue of Windows, we are pleased to share with you an introduction to our relatively new Master of Arts in Youth Ministry degree. A brainchild of Dr. David White, Dr. Andrew Zirschky, youth minister Dietrich Kirk, and the Center for Youth Ministry Training, this degree program—one of the largest youth ministry degree programs in the country—enables seminarians to be formed in intensive cohorts that combine the pedagogy of both Seminary classrooms and congregational residency programs. Austin Seminary is proud to be engaged in the formation of new generations of committed young disciples passionate about the future of the church. In the pages ahead, you will be introduced to the degree itself, as well as student profiles of MAYM candidates. We also celebrate with you in this issue the five outstanding seniors receiving graduate fellowships: Rachel Watson (the David H. Stitt Fellowship), David Kim (the Pile-Morgan Fellowship), Julia Burkley (the Jamie Maxwell Morris Fellowship), Ashley Cuellar (the Alsup-Frierson Fellowship), and Kevin Ireland (the W.P. Newell Fellowship). Read on as well to note that this year’s Austin Seminary Association’s 2022 Awards for Service were bestowed upon two outstanding alums: the Reverend Fred Tulloch (MDiv’62, ThM’69), and the Reverend Martha Sadongei (MDiv’96). Note as well some arrivals and some departures. Dr. Ángel J. Gallardo will join the faculty on July 1 as an assistant professor of church history; and, in days to come, you will hear announcements of other new faculty members in the fields of New Testament and Evangelism and Mission. Please join me, as well, in welcoming back to campus the Reverend Dr. Sarah Allen (MDiv’07, DMin’19), our new director of the Doctor of Ministry and Supervised Practice of Ministry programs. Dr. Allen comes to us from long service at First Presbyterian Church in Austin, and succeeds the Reverend Dr. Paul K. Hooker, who retired in December after many years of creative and formative leadership with us in the DMin and SPM office. The Reverend Dr. David Johnson also retired in December from long service as the associate professor of church history and Christian spirituality. They will be missed! Please note as well the Reverend Dr. Chris Currie’s update regarding the ongoing presidential search process (Chris is the able chair of a wonderful Presidential Search Committee), and join me in keeping the work of this committee in your prayers. Finally, please note the new date for the dedication of the Mary B. and Robert J. Wright Learning an Information Center—May 13, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. on campus. Faithfully yours,
Theodore J. Wardlaw President 2 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
twenty-seventh speedway
WebXtra: Much of the content from our 2022 MidWinters—lectures, sermons, videos—can be enjoyed on our website: AustinSeminary.edu/midwinters A Message from the Presidential Search Committee
O
n behalf of the Presidential Search Committee, we have been grateful to take part in conversations and listening sessions and to receive feedback both inperson and online from the many people and community stakeholders deeply invested in the mission of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. When we asked about the priorities and values we seek in the next President of Austin Seminary, we heard that you want someone: • with a pastor’s heart who listens, who learns the important distinctives of this institution, and who wants to know and be known by the whole community; • who is a strategic visionary, collaborative and collegial in leadership and not afraid to try new things; • with contextual commitment, who engages the culture in Austin, Texas, and the broader Southwest, and who helps form Christian leaders in new ways; • who embodies wonder and humility, representing what is best of the Reformed Tradition but who sees theological and ecclesiastical diversity as a gift and asset; • committed to the vision of Christ’s beloved community where every human being is valued as a child of God, all kinds of diversity are a gift from God to be celebrated, and diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded throughout the life of the institution. We are now in the active discernment phase of our search, having in-person conversations with gifted candidates, discerning their manifold gifts, and hearing about their vision for theological education in service to the church and to the world. As we conduct these visits and engage prospective candidates with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, we will share these institutional priorities with them, and we will use these priorities to help us in our own prayer and discernment as a committee. We continue to welcome your thoughts, insights, and communications. You can be in touch with us most directly by emailing us at PresidentSearch@austinseminary.edu. We ask that you pray for Austin Seminary, pray for the members of the Presidential Search Committee, and pray for those who may be called to be the next president, trusting that God will accomplish abundantly more than we can ever hope or imagine. Gratefully yours, Chris Currie, Chair of the Presidential Search Committee
community notes | Sponsored by the LatinX Student Group and the African American Diaspora Student Group, the 2022 Hesed Lectures were held March 4-5. With the theme “Remind, Restore, and Reimagine,” the keynote speaker was ruling elder Elona StreetStewart, co-moderator of the 224th General Assembly (2020) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). A member of the Delaware Nanticoke Tribe, she is the first Native American to serve as a moderator of the PC(USA). Jeanne Browning, mother of Professor Carolyn Helsel, died on March 4. James H. Monroe died on November 30, 2020. He was an Austin Seminary Trustee (1983-1994). Margie Johnson, whose husband, Walter Johnson, taught homiletics on the Seminary’s faculty (1961-70), died on January 29, 2022, in Austin.
Former trustees Judye Hartman (1997-2006) and John Hartman (2012-2020) were featured in the fall 2021 issue of Texas Leader, a publication of The University of Texas at Austin, from which both have degrees. v Spring 2022 | 3
twenty-seventh speedway
Five senior students recognized for excellence
S
enior fellowships recognizing excellence in academics, character, and promise for ministry are awarded to graduating senior students at the conclusion of MidWinter Lectures each year. The David L. Stitt Alumni Association Fellowship, The Pile-Morgan Fellowship, The Janie Maxwell Morris Fellowship, The Alsup-Frierson Fellowship for Excellence in Biblical Exegesis and Hermeneutics, and The W. P. Newell Memorial Fellowship encourage these students to continue their scholarship in ways that enhance their ministries. Meet the 2022 fellowship recipients here and learn why their professors championed them.
Rachel Watson | Houston, Texas David L. Stitt Fellowship | $18,000 prize
Photograph by Usama Malik
“In this extraordinary time, Rachel has been an extraordinary leader at this seminary: pastorally, liturgically, theologically. She has shown us what it means to be ready: not just ready for our own tasks (though her own unfailing readiness is always astonishing), but ready for what God will do, helping us all to trust that however strange the calling or territory, God is faithful and will accompany us. Rachel has been among us for such a time as this. For such a time as may be next for her, we at Austin Seminary already know the blessings God will bring through her.” –Professor Eric Wall
Pile-Morgan Fellowship | $8,000 prize
“David Kim dedicates himself to the careful study of Bible and theology, always with a heart for ministry and for a deeper personal understanding. That he does so with excellence and joy in a language and culture in no-way cognate to those of his home bears witness to his steadfast and gracious Christian character.” –Professor Margaret Aymer 4 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Photograph by Usama Malik
David Kim | Seoul, South Korea
Photograph by Usama Malik
Julia Burkley | Briarcliff Manor, New York Janie Maxwell Morris Fellowship | $5,000 prize
“Julia is a born leader. While she knows her own mind, she is constantly curious about others. Her heart holds the burdens of individuals as well as the pains of the world. She has an amazing capacity to creatively engage emerging ideas as well as the smallest details. I am eager for her continued work in the academy and the church and grateful for her time here.” –Professor Jennifer Lord
Ashley Cuellar | Austin, Texas Alsup-Frierson Fellowship for Excellence in Biblical Exegesis and Hermeneutics | $3,500 prize
Photograph by Usama Malik
“Serene, warm, and knowledgeable, Ashley is always a welcome presence, be it on a committee or in the classroom where she offers astute and wise comments. Most importantly, she is a fine exegete. Especially impressive is her thoughtful approach to and interpretation of the biblical text. Sensitive to wordplay, terms, themes, and their significance, Ashley’s interpretations keenly demonstrate that the biblical text is a living source of challenge and delight!” –Professor Suzie Park Photograph by Usama Malik
Kevin Ireland | Emporia, Kansas W. P. Newell Memorial Fellowship | $3,000 prize
“Kevin is one of the most joy-full, appreciative theologians I know. He encounters each new thinker and idea with genuine curiosity. He has proven himself a natural teacher both in the classroom and in the fellowship hall, gifted at inviting people to talk about their faith critically, as insiders committed to God’s work of reform. I look forward to witnessing how Kevin continues to not only describe the faith, but to shape it.” – Professor Cynthia Rigby Spring 2022 | 5
artnering for Success P
6 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
TheMAYMDegree
in Youth Ministry
By Andrew Zirschky
A
AUSTIN SEMINARY’S CUTTING-EDGE MASTER OF ARTS IN YOUTH MINISTRY
(MAYM) degree program was created in response to the changing landscape of youth ministry and provides students with both theological training and practical experience. While youth ministry degree programs across the nation are disappearing, Austin Seminary is bucking the trend with the MAYM which now boasts more than sixty fulltime students. According to data from the Association of Theological Schools, a third of youth ministry degree programs in the United States and Canada disappeared between 2018 and 2022. Due to shrinking enrollment and other factors, some programs ceased to exist altogether, while many others were folded into more generalized ministry degrees.
FACING PAGE: Professor Zirschky (standing at right) visits with MAYM students over their lunch break during the first intensive weekend on the Austin Seminary campus this spring: Austin Gay (standing), Lilly Langdon, and Bailey White.
Dr. Andrew Zirschky is research professor in youth ministry and director of the MAYM Nashville Extension. He previously taught at Memphis Theological Seminary and with the Center for Youth Ministry Training (CYMT) for nearly a decade before joining the Austin Seminary faculty. He brings a focus on theological reflection and youth ministry innovation honed across two Lilly Endowment Inc. grants received in partnership with CYMT: The Theology Together program which provides MAYM students with summer youth and theology events and is the basis for one of his elective courses at Austin Seminary, and the CYMT Innovation Laboratory which forms part of the practicum experience for MAYM students. Spring 2022 | 7
where they serve: Meanwhile, Austin’s youth ministry program has more than doubled in enrollment during the same time frame. One of the drivers for a different story at Austin Seminary is the unique collaboration between the Seminary and the Center for Youth Ministry Training (CYMT). Understanding what makes the MAYM unique requires a closer look at the nature and history of this partnership as well as some of the advantages that the MAYM program provides.
HISTORY OF A PARTNERSHIP CYMT was founded by United Methodist youth minister Dietrich (Deech) Kirk in 2006 as a means to assist aspiring youth ministers to obtain the training, education, and social support needed to thrive in ministry for the long haul. Both Kirk and the organization’s co-founder PC(USA) minister Mark DeVries lamented the short tenure that many people were experiencing in youth ministry and the fact that little seminary education focused on the needs and challenges of those doing youth work. In 2006, CYMT began offering a two-year youth ministry certificate program with the goal of mentoring a group of young youth directors. However, they quickly discovered the need for collaboration with a seminary to fully accomplish their aim. By 2010, a three-year Master of Arts in Youth Ministry degree had been established in collaboration with a seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2016, with that program stretching the resources of the school in Memphis, and with a desire to expand geographically, CYMT approached Austin Seminary about replicating the MAYM program in Texas. This caught the interest of Dr. David White, The C. Ellis and Nancy Gribble Nelson Professor of Christian Education, who has written and taught extensively in the field of youth ministry. White was a strong advocate for the establishment of the MAYM program in Austin, and his support was crucial in forming the connection between Austin Seminary and CYMT. Today, White teaches many of the youth ministry-specific courses in the MAYM program and also took a leading role in the establishment of the Sam O. Morris Award for Youth Ministry, given annually to a graduating MAYM student. Academic Dean David Jensen lauded the partnership between CYMT and the Seminary when the program was launched in the fall of 2016. “Combining internship with study, this program allows students to be deeply 8 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
immersed in the ministry of a particular church and the cutting-edge research of a leading theological seminary,” he commented at the program’s founding. In 2020, the success of the Austin MAYM cohort and the dynamic relationship that had formed between CYMT and the Seminary prompted an expansion of the partnership. The Seminary gained permission from its accrediting bodies to launch a Tennessee-based extension site, and CYMT’s graduate residents, previously based in Memphis, were formed into the Nashville cohort of the Austin Seminary MAYM. For two weeks each year, these students attend class on the Austin campus, completing fewer than half of their course hours at the Nashville location.
WHAT MAKES THE PROGRAM UNIQUE From a student’s perspective, the adventure in the MAYM begins by applying to become a graduate resident with the Center for Youth Ministry Training. CYMT places each resident to work with a congregation or other Christian ministry between twenty and thirty hours per week over the course of the three-year residency. Acceptance as a student in the MAYM program at Austin Seminary is a condition of their employment as a graduate resident with CYMT. Applicants come from all over the country (and sometimes even other countries!) and CYMT works to match them with a ministry environment that fits with who they are personally, theologically, and denominationally. MAYM students serve in the same ministry position for all three years of the program, as opposed to the semester or year-long supervised practice of ministry typical in other master’s programs. In addition to having an onsite supervisor, MAYM students meet weekly with a ministry coach who assists them to thrive in their ministerial context. Since students frequently come to their ministry assignments from outside the region, coaching aids them in making academic, ministerial, and social transitions go more smoothly. In addition to the rich formational environment provided by the Seminary, the CYMT graduate residency is committed to integrating five components that have been proven key to ministerial longevity. CYMT refers to these experiential components as the Five C’s: Church, Cohort, Classroom, Coaching, and Care. Residents in the program serve and learn ministry hands-on in a three-year minContinued on page 11
TheMAYMDegree
student profile:
BREEAHNA BRITT
worked in the corporate world after earning her undergraduate degree in business administration and serving as an AmeriCorps member twice. A desire to positively influence the younger generation led her to volunteer throughout her adult life at various organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters LA and work as an Upward Bound Summer Tutor/Mentor for rising firstgeneration college students. Involvement in children’s ministry in her church led her to explore ministry as a vocation. She discovered the MAYM program in 2018 and, once she had paid off her personal consumer and student loan debt, she enrolled in 2021. She was placed in a faith-based non-profit organization in Memphis, Tennessee, and made the move from Colorado. Her primary focus has been leading an afterschool program for high school students who “have so many odds stacked against them as young Black men growing up in a poverty-stricken, violent, inequitable environment,” she says. “Even so, these young men are role models and don’t let what they see around them stop them from having vision and sight beyond what meets the eye (I love and try to encourage this outlook on life!). They choose to show up day in and day out: to learn, to challenge themselves, to gain hard skills
(carpentry) and improve their soft skills (through leadership development curriculum). They’re dreamers and excited about their futures while stewarding the present day well. I’m so grateful to have the ability to pour wisdom into them while also being open and expectant to receive wisdom from them, too.” Bree acknowledges this is challenging work but is confident that it “will only make me become a better teacher, servant-leader, advocate for the marginalized, and Christ-follower!” The goals she has set for the after-school program include teaching students from a faith-based curriculum that is tailored to how they communicate; exposing students to opportunities and providing experiences that will continue to help them see their value in Christ; and ensuring the students feel loved and supported, especially by themselves, the staff, and Christ. Bree is enthusiastic about the design of the MAYM program that includes studies, coaching, real work experience, and a community going through the same things together. “Each element works together to provide a comprehensive experience that is designed to train, develop, sustain, educate, and support each student,” she says. “That makes this such a unique experience! I couldn’t imagine trying to go into youth ministry without this program—I love every aspect of it, especially the people.” v
Spring 2022 | 9
student profile:
REBEKAH SMALL
When decided to join the MAYM program, she was completing her senior year as a religion major at Oklahoma City University. One of the biggest influences in her decision to enroll was the idea of having a coach in the program who would help walk her through both the graduate degree process and her first years as a youth minister. “My coach has made the transition to living in Philadelphia and taking on my first head youth ministry role much smoother,” she says. Her placement is at Lehman Memorial United Methodist Church in Hatboro, Pennsylvania. Rebekah describes Hatboro as a small town within the suburban hub surrounding Philadelphia, and the church, a medium-sized congregation “with a heart for its surrounding community and investing in the young people growing up in the church. Over the past few months I have spent at Lehman, we have seen so much growth and resurgence of young people in our church community.” Rebekah is grateful for the way MAYM classes have really helped her flesh out the administrative side of youth ministry. “Administrative work is not my spiritual
10 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
gift,” she says, so the program “has made me feel much more confident and competent in my ministry. I have learned a lot about interacting with parents and how to function on a church staff.” She also appreciates the relational nature of the program. “The community of youth ministry workers is irreplaceable. It is so affirming to have a group of young people your age who understand your struggles and genuinely celebrate your successes with you. “The balance of academics and experiential learning does give MAYM students an edge over other youth ministers who do not have this type of training,” she continues. “You will become a more well-rounded leader, better prepared to create a sustainable ministry, and you will have access to a wonderful community that many youth ministers crave.” Rebekah’s goals over the next two and a half years in Hatboro are to continue forming relationships with her students and to create programs that support them. “Most of all, I want Lehman Memorial United Methodist Church to be a place where students feel known, appreciated, empowered, and loved by God.” v
TheMAYMDegree Continued from page 8
Center for Youth Ministry Training 3-Year Residency istry placement; they’re enriched by lasting reCLASSROOM lationships with peers MAYM degree from Austin Seminary through the MAYM coOn-campus intensive classes in Bible, theology, Christian ethics, pastoral care, mission and evangelism hort model; theory and All-inclusive scholarship theology form students’ understanding and skills OR MINISTRY in the seminary class- CHURCH 25 hours/week work in youth ministry setting room; coaching provides COHORT Stipend and housing 10-12 peers per year them with needed help Opportunity to integrate academics, Regional groups and guidance through coaching, peer relations into work Relational and encouraging the thick and thin of their educational and ministerial experiences; and CYMT’s care component provides additional student services such as access to psychological counseling beyond what MAYM the Seminary alone proSTUDENTS vides. These unique features lend themselves to high retention and gradCOACH CARE Strategies for self care uation rates for students One-on-one mentoring with experienced youth leaders Pastoral care and in the Austin Seminary counseling Weekly for first 2 years MAYM program, and Self discovery and Mastery of critical reflection ministry skills tracking by CYMT shows that upwards of 90% of program graduates remain in ministry for at least five years beyond graduation. fully funded, including housing, books, tuition, travel, MAYM students are placed to work in ministry set- and a monthly living stipend for working at their ministings across eleven different states, which makes attend- try placements. This unique initiative is funded in part by ing weekly class on campus impossible. So, in keeping partner churches, scholarship money from Austin Semiwith Austin Seminary’s commitment to in-person learn- nary donors, and donations raised by CYMT. ing, classes in the MAYM program are offered in an inThe usual introductory courses one would expect tensive format. Normal course hours are spread across from a theological degree are given a youth-oriented one five-day and two three-day intensives per semester, twist in the MAYM curriculum. Students with an interest and students complete readings, assignments, and brief in youth or children’s ministry come to biblical texts and online class sessions on the weeks when they are not at- theological study with different questions and needs, so tending an intensive. This hybrid model allows students the focus of courses is amended to make sure these issues to experience all the dynamism of in-person courses, but are front and center. with the flexibility usually only afforded by online proRooted in theology and grounded in practical experigrams. ence, the MAYM program serves as a unique model for The MAYM’s leading-edge approach even extends to collaboration between an educational institution and a funding that allows students to earn their degree with- non-profit who together share a calling to form the next out any academic debt. Student costs in the program are generation of youth ministry leaders. v Spring 2022 | 11
THEOLOGY TOGETHER
project, funded Dr. Andrew Zirschky and Rev. Dietrich Kirk developed the by the Lilly Endowment Inc., to educate teenagers and youth workers together in theological reflection, spiritual practice, vital service, and vocational discernment. Through summer experiences and year-long initiatives that position young people as theologians and active agents in their churches and communities, Theology Together seeks to change the climate of congregational youth ministry. MAYM students have the opportunity to encounter Theology Together through summer experiences sponsored by CYMT and Austin Seminary elective courses such as Cultivating Theological Reflection in Youth.
C
ultivating Theological Reflection in Youth was one of the better learning experiences I have had in seminary. I struggle a lot with how to guide my students to scripture and theology while keeping them interested, since teenagers can be pretty indifferent toward religion and church. There tends to be an expectation of what youth group curriculum should look like, so I had to get that image out of my head in order to fully appreciate what we were learning about Theology Together. One benefit of this class was that it opened my mind to what it means to “think theologically.” I appreciated so much how throughout the processes with which we worked, there were not necessarily right or wrong ways for students to approach a topic. A lot of the time, students are led to believe that they are thinking about theology, religion, or God in the wrong way, which leads them to shut down or think they cannot participate in bigger discussions outside of the youthgroup setting. Students often feel they do not have the right to express their thoughts on theology or God and religion, because they are “too young” to understand. The practices I learned in class suggest that there are different approaches to understanding how scripture and the Bible and God and church fit into our lives. They are a wonderful way to encourage students’ own thinking along their faith journeys. My church encourages this outside-the-box thinking, so asking students to draw their interpretation of scripture or think of a story from their lives for us to connect to theologically is a way to integrate theological reflection into my students’ lives in all areas. When students are on the soccer field or working on a musical or even just spending time with friends and family, they might be able to see how God is at work, even if they are
12 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
not sitting down and reading the Bible at that moment. I was really excited to see how this could work in my context, because I want my students to consistently be engaging with each other during youth group. I know that they do not benefit as much when I simply stand up and talk to them; they want to participate and contribute their own thoughts and wonderings. I was able to do a drawing activity for a scripture passage that was very wordy, and my students loved how listening for words or ideas that stood out and then drawing them made the scripture much easier to process. I also had students make a list of things they love before we began talking about the different types of love mentioned throughout the Bible in the original translations. Having these activities to do first lets students begin to think about a bigger idea or theme without the pressure of finding the “right take away” from scripture. Introducing the scripture after students have found how a theme resonates with them demonstrates that scripture can be applicable to their lives in ways they had not considered. I look forward to continuing to use different theological reflection methods with my students. I know that many of them have thoughts, ideas, and questions that remain unanswered, but they are not sure how to express them or do not have the words to ask their questions, because they fear being wrong about something or making a connection to scripture where people might say there is none. My goal is to show my students their thoughts, ideas, and questions are valid, and that even if we interpret things differently, each interpretation is valid, because they feel a connection to it. v —Hannah Cooley, Middler MAYM student
TheMAYMDegree
student profile:
JEREMY DEMAREST nearly enrolled
in the MAYM program four years ago when beginning his work as the director of children, youth, and family ministries at Round Rock (Texas) Presbyterian Church. Flash forward three years when he and his wife found themselves moving to Memphis, Tennessee. The Center for Youth Ministry Training sent him a notice about the program, and Jeremy says, “The timing was perfect. I was looking for two things: a community of children and youth directors to lean on and learn with, and actual training on how to be the best at my position and future working with young people.” His Memphis placement is as director of children and family ministries at Calvary Episcopal Church. He loves the church and the people and the work but shares that “this line of work can be … uhhh … tiring, and taxing and at times it can be hard to find people who truly understand. It is so vital in any relational profession to have a community of support,” he continues, “and the MAYM program intentionally gives you a community of other children and youth directors
as well as professors and coaches who have years of experience to help guide you and offer wisdom and support.” Jeremy describes Calvary as a “large, loving church” in the heart of the city. “Our mission is to make God’s love visible in downtown Memphis, and I feel it does just that. Calvary is very focused on helping to support and lift up our local community, from weekly basement church where our unhoused brothers and sisters can come to get a warm meal, to our clothing closet where folks can get toiletries and a change of clothes. For my ministry, I aim to get the youth more involved in our outreach services and also to offer mental health training and resources for our volunteers and parents to aid them in bringing up our young people.” Jeremy credits the MAYM program for the collaborative community it fosters among people who not only learn together but share ideas and help to cultivate the best programming for each other, as well as offering personal support outside of the academics. v
Spring 2022 | 13
THE CYMT INNOVATION LABORATORY is a Lilly Endowment Inc. initiative that
was established in response to the widespread perception that traditional models of youth ministry are ineffective in many contexts. Started in 2017 by Austin Seminary professor Andrew Zirschky with a team from CYMT, the Lab is devoted to helping congregations implement forms of ministry that are transfomative, theologically informed, and responsive to young people’s needs. Today, the Lab’s five-step theological innovation process along with other Lab insights form part of the curriculum that first-year students experience in the MAYM practicum. In light of the difficulties the COVID pandemic posed for youth ministry, Daphne Turnage was among a select group of MAYM students who were invited to experience the entire innovation process in a compressed format during the 2020-21 school year.
I
was chosen for CYMT Innovation Lab training along with three other residents. CYMT believed the church that I was placed at would be a good fit for the lab process. I led the innovation process with a team of adults and youth from the church, as we went through each of the five steps of the process to figure out a need of the young people in our neighborhood. The intention was to solve an issue that youth were facing before the pandemic which was only amplified due to Covid. The issue that we chose to tackle was loneliness. We chose to combat this by creating community through cooking. After we came up with the solution, it was time to prototype it. Through a grant from the Innovation Lab we were able to test it out. We created a form for youth to sign up at our partner school. We would host the cooking club via Zoom on Saturdays. Students and their families would pick up food on Fridays. In the boxes were a menu and cooking instructions, the cooking utensils needed to prepare the meal, and enough ingredients to prepare
14 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
an entrée, sides, and desserts to feed their entire family. Students would then log on Saturday with everything they needed, and we would have different adults leading the meal preps. We cooked things like homemade pizzas, salads, and cookies or homemade mac-n-cheese, greens, and layered cakes. We had prepared questions and sometimes games to go deeper and make connections. It was a success. We were able to create that community and watch it grow outside of just that cooking time. We were able to laugh, pray, and break bread together. Some families in the neighborhood depended on food from the school, so this also helped combat food disparities for those who needed it. We were able to connect not just with students but also with their families for the first time. It was a beautiful extension of God’s love through community. v —Daphne Turnage, Senior MAYM student
TheMAYMDegree
q&a with a coach: After graduating from the program, Christina Moore (MAYM’20) decided to share her experiences with a new generation of students. She is the CYMT Area Coordinator in San Antonio, Texas. What is a CYMT coach and why were you interested in becoming one? A coach is responsible for a resident for the duration of the three-year master’s program. We are here to walk beside the resident on a weekly basis. Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. I was interested in becoming a coach because of the coaches I have had in my life who formed and shaped me into who I am today. I wanted the opportunity to give back and humbly serve in this capacity. How many graduate residents do you coach and what do the sessions look like? I am honored to have two residents, one in a church setting and one in camp ministry. Our sessions together include time to pray and talk ministry, schoolwork/seminary, and life on a personal level. As a coach, I feel it is very important to know them on many different levels, not just in the ministry world. We have been on trips to the zoo, went to see Christmas lights together, shared meals and coffee, hiked around camp, and celebrated birthdays. Coaching is not just an every Monday at 10:00 a.m. thing, it is being available when the resident needs you. We have experienced joy, loss, laughter, tears, prayer, youth events, and time together. We have experienced some trials in youth ministry, but on the flip side we have had so many wins as well, through study, trips, youth group, and church. I celebrate all of the bumps in the road as opportunities to learn and grow, and the wins are great to recognize and celebrate as well. What are your goals and how do you measure success? My goal is for these residents to become successful in their ministry endeavors and for them to become even better coaches with the youth they minister to. v
Quietly doing things very well!
Curiosity, commitment, and call characterize
the treasured relationship that John and Judye Hartman have nurtured with Austin Seminary over more than twenty years. Judye recalls being introduced by a fellow Session member and the pastor of her church to consider serving on the Austin Seminary Board of Trustees. Accepting the call to serve, she brought with her the curiosity to see, up close, how an institution educates future Christian leaders about stewardship. As her knowledge of the Seminary deepened, Judye appreciated how it exemplified one of her favorite billboard slogans: “Quietly Doing Things Very Well!” John’s recognition of the truth of this slogan led him to accept President Wardlaw’s invitation to chair a planning committee that laid the groundwork for the “Weaving Promise and Practice” comprehensive campaign. He, too, served the institution on the Board of Trustees, and the couple celebrate the opportunity to “extend their stewardship” beyond death through a planned gift that will support what John describes as the “necessary reinvigoration of the church in every generation.” John and Judye identify the value of planned giving as “a model for our children to appreciate the impact of ongoing stewardship,” a way to “participate in nurturing the call process,” and “a demonstration of the confidence we hold in Austin Seminary to carry out its mission for generations to come.” v Spring 2022 | 15
faculty news notes
Ángel Gallardo called to teach church history
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he Austin Seminary Board of Trustees has called Dr. Ángel J. Gallardo to be assistant professor of church history, effective July 1, 2022. “We are thrilled that Ángel will be joining the Austin Seminary community,” says President Ted Wardlaw. “He is an accomplished scholar, lecturer, and colleague, and he will inspire our students with respect to the love of church history. It will be a pleasure to welcome the Gallardo family to Austin.” Dr. Gallardo is currently the associate director of the Intern program and serves on the faculty of Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He earned the PhD from SMU in 2018; the subject of his dissertation was “Mapping the Nature of Empire: The Legacy of Theological Geography in the Early Iberian Atlantic.” He holds a BA in theological studies at Eastern University and an MDiv from the Duke University Divinity School where he later served on the Board of Visitors. He is an active lay member of the United Methodist Church. In addition to Perkins, he has had teaching experience at Lexington Theological Seminary, House of Hispanic Studies at Duke, CEPAS, a non-profit educational center for at-risk youth in Brazil, and Seminario Metodista, Huancayo in Perú. Dr. Gallardo is looking forward to beginning his teaching at Austin Seminary. “I am excited to invite seminarians to explore, and be shaped by, the complex and enthralling legacy
of the global Christian movement,” he says. “I also look forward to developing courses that examine the origins of race and religion in the Americas. Ultimately, I hope my students can learn to reimagine themselves, their congregations, and their contexts in light of God’s broader story of redemption by critically engaging the history of Christian thought.” Ángel Gallardo is deeply involved in academic conversations, currently co-chair of the Latina/o Religion, Culture, and Society program unit of the American Academy of Religion & Society of Biblical Literature (AAR/SBL). He participated in the roundtable “Making Sense of /from the 2020 U.S. Election” at the AAR/SBL conference in 2020, and he served as an officer of La Comunidad, the Association of U.S. Latino/a Scholars of Religion and Theology (2015-19). He presented a paper at the Latinx Studies Now: DC 2018+, Latina/o Studies Association 3rd Biennial Conference Panel: “Toward a Nepantla Poetics: Exploring Decolonial Options in Latinx Theology.” He also holds membership in the Hispanic Theological Initiative at Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Gallardo and his wife, Kendrea Tannis, are parents to two young children, and they will make their home in Austin this spring. v
Sarah Allen joins faculty to direct DMin and SPM programs
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he Reverend Dr. Sarah Allen (MDiv’ 07, DMin’19) has joined the Austin Seminary faculty as director of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies. The Austin Seminary Board voted to call her on November 2 and she began work on January 1, 2022, following the retirement of The Reverend Dr. Paul Hooker. Allen earned her Master of Divinity degree from Austin Seminary in 2007 and the Doctor of Ministry degree in 2019. A summa cum laude graduate of Austin College (religion and Spanish), she has served First Presbyterian Church, Austin, for the past fourteen years as pastor for children, youth, and families. “In interviews that the advisory committee conducted 16 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
with candidates over the summer, Rev. Allen emerged as the obvious choice for this important faculty position,” says Academic Dean David Jensen. “She brings to the position a keen intellect, a warm pastoral heart, extensive ministry experience at the local and presbytery levels, and creative leadership for the future of the church.” Allen also brings teaching experience—both in churches and at the Seminary as an adjunct professor. Reflecting on this transition in her ministry, Reverend Allen noted: “I am excited to return to the Austin Seminary community once again, this time as a member of the faculty. I look forward to the partnerships with students, pastors, and congregations. Both the Supervised Practice of Ministry as well as the Doctor of Ministry programs at Austin Seminary have been significant in my own ministry, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to direct these important programs and equip others for service in Christ’s church.” v
Representing four seminaries, a church, and a university from Seattle to Boston were Williamson Conference participants Sonia Waters, Phil Helsel, Carrie Doehring, Gregory Ellison II (screen), Cody Sanders, Jeannette Rodriguez, Fulgence Nyengele, and Sharon Callahan.
faculty notes | Phil Helsel (pastoral care) convened the 2022 Williamson Conference, March 7-8, in which seven scholars from across the country presented and responded to papers on emerging concerns for pastoral care. Cynthia Rigby (theology) was a keynote speaker for the international conference “Negotiating Good Life in Times of Crisis” put on by Protestant Theological University in The Netherlands, April 4-7. The other keynoters included two from Europe and Allan Boesak from South Africa. Melissa Wiginton (Methodist studies) led the Round Rock Presbyterian Church Women’s Retreat, trained as an on-boarding coach with the Rio Texas Conference, and cofacilitated two cohorts of Methodist clergy for the Texas Methodist Foundation’s Courageous Leadership Imperative. v
WebXtra
“Praying in Anxious Times,” episode 5 of Insights: the Podcast is on our website: AustinSeminary.edu/ Insightspodcast
good reads | Eugene F. Rogers Jr., Blood Theology: Seeing Red in Body- and God-Talk (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021)
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ugene Rogers is one of the most compelling and creative theologians writing today. He is also impossible to characterize with adjectives that signify different “camps” within the wider church (evangelical, progressive, conservative, liberal, historical, systematic). In this most recent book, Rogers notes that language about blood occurs far more frequently in the New Testament than language about the cross. And yet, this preponderance of blood-talk rarely gets explored in contemporary theology. Conservatives invoke the symbolism of blood without examining its underlying meaning. Liberals act as if the language of blood isn’t there at all. Rogers offers a much-needed corrective, in perhaps the first book-length Christian theological treatment of blood for a contemporary audience. Readers will find it challenging and rewarding as he interprets blood in both old and new veins. The book is also a delight to read, for few theologians can match Rogers’s craft for turning a phrase. Some sentences will send readers scurrying for a dictionary; others will leave them laughing out loud. Indeed, wit and humor are some of the gifts of Rogers’s book since laughter can dismantle resistance to new perspectives. Rogers admits that his book doesn’t have a single thesis. Instead, the book unfolds in a series of chapters devoted to a particular theme: sacrifice, Jesus and blood, purity and blood, creation and blood, the Eucharist, etc. Each of these chapters stands on its own as a gem of historical and constructive theology. One of the most
salient themes of the book is an implicit critique of liberal understandings of the symbolism of blood as mired in cycles of violence. Legion are the critiques of Christianity that see in its blood language only the propensity to re-enact senseless violence. But Rogers sees more in sacrifice: of shed blood that bespeaks human solidarity with other creatures; of Jesus’s blood that is as procreative as it is sacrificial (and thus an example of how Jesus “queers” gender). Rogers also offers astute lessons in how blood-talk in Christian discourse can stray (such as fixations on blood purity) and presents a stunning refutation of Christian creationism that draws from the wells of patristic theology. Creationism, he claims, offers a static account of sin and salvation, rather than the dynamic, evolutionary cosmos redeemed in Jesus Christ that emphasizes our blood kinship with all creatures. Near the end of the book, Rogers offers an arresting interpretation of the Eucharist, illustrating how the sacrament communicates the end for us and all creation: communion with God. Rogers’s probing examination of blood thus results in an exploration of much more than blood. Blood, he notes, “seeps in where it hardly seems to belong.” Those who read his book won’t see red in quite the same way again. v
—Written by Dr. David Jensen, Academic Dean and Professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology Spring 2022 | 17
faculty news notes
class notes | 1990s Septemmy Lakawa (MA’96) was named president of Jakarta Theological Seminary in 2019. She is the first female president of the 87-year-old seminary.
Professors Johnson and Hooker retire
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n December, Austin Seminary celebrated two cherished members of the faculty who retired in 2021, The Reverend Dr. David Johnson, associate professor of church history and Christian spirituality, and The Reverend Dr. Paul Hooker, associate dean in the Office of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies. David Johnson joined the faculty in 2002 to direct the Supervised Practice of Ministry and Certificate in Spiritual Formation programs. He later assumed supervision of the DMin program and additional teaching responsibilities. He is the author of Trust in God: The Christian Life and the Book of Confessions (Geneva Press, 2013). Much beloved by colleagues and students alike, Johnson was honored this spring by an issue of Insights: The Faculty Journal of Austin Seminary. In the introduction, President Wardlaw wrote, “David is, all at once, a seasoned pastor, a brilliant theologian, an enchanting and honest preacher, a connoisseur of fine wines and exotic teas, and a remarkable intellect who also appreciates whimsy.” A student wrote, “His quiet ability to bring an entire classroom into an introspective, empathetic, and thoughtful mindset is one of the most impressive things about him.” Paul Hooker joined the faculty in 2012 to oversee the Doctor of Ministry, Certificate in Ministry, and Supervised Practice of Ministry programs (following Dr. Johnson). Prior to coming to Austin Seminary, he was executive presbyter and stated clerk in the Presbytery of St. Augustine for thirteen years. Hooker’s extensive experience in writing and interpreting the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was a gift to the church and Austin Seminary students—as was his bass accompaniment as a founding member of the faculty band, Faculty Meeting. Dr. Hooker wrote a commentary on 1 and 2 Chronicles and co-authored a book on biblical history and literature. In recent years, his intellect and heart turned to less prosaic expression as he published two volumes of poetry: Days and Times: Poems from the Liturgy of Living (Resource, 2018) and The Hole in the Heart of God (Resource, 2021). Excerpts from the latter were used in Austin Seminary’s Easter Vigil last spring. Austin Seminary has been richly blessed by these two amiable and poetic scholars among us. Their wit, wisdom, and creative imaginations will long be treasured by this community. v 18 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Tom Paine (MDiv’98) has retired from a 27-year career in the military, including many serving as a chaplain. He now serves as transitional pastor for Lakewood Presbyterian and First Presbyterian, Tenino, both in Washington.
2000s Robert Lowry (MDiv’01) has been called as pastor to Westover Hills Presbyterian Church, Little Rock, Arkansas. John Billingsley, husband of Marialice W. Billingsley (MDiv’01), died November 7, 2021. Jason Cashing (MDiv’06) recently accepted a new call and stepped into the pulpit of The First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown, New York. Returning to his home area, he and his wife are “excited to be a part of this dynamic community of faith lived out, celebrating the kin-dom of God in their midst!” Bill Cotman (MDiv’06) has been called as yoked pastor to First Presbyterian Church of Alpine and Marfa, Texas. In February Juan Sinmiedo Herrera (MDiv’07) was installed as the moderator of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.
2010s Anna Bowden (MDiv’12) has been named assistant professor of New Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She will begin her service in the fall of 2022. Bowden has most recently served as visiting professor of biblical studies at Albion College
in Albion, Michigan. Ellen and Chris Reyes (MATS’15) welcomed their son, Matthew Scott Reyes, born December 2, 2021.
2020s Savannah Demuynck (MDiv’20) finished her residency and has been called as associate pastor for spiritual formation for Lake Murray Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina.
in memoriam | J. Pat McClatchy (MDiv’53), January 13, 2022, Brownwood, Texas Fred H. Babb (MDiv’59), December 24, 2021, Burleson, Texas R. Clement Dickey Jr., (MDiv’59), January 12, 2022, Mathews, Virginia Carl Zimmerman (MDiv’62), February 18, 2022, Las Cruces, New Mexico Leo M. Constantino (ThM’64), August 10, 2021, Chicago, Illinois Lanis S. Smith (BD’70), January 14, 2021, McGregor, Texas Murdoch H. McRae II (MDiv’77), May 13, 2021, Odenville, Alabama Stephen W. Plunkett (MDiv’80), January 18, 2021, Denton, Texas James (Jim) Gooch (MDiv’82, DMin’93), February 14, 2022, Lampasas, Texas Charles E. Miller (MDiv’91), November 7, 2021, Las Cruces, New Mexico Nilah Meier-Youngman (DMin’93), August 31, 2018, Anderson, Indiana Pat Clark (MDiv’95), February 3, 2022, Fulshear, Texas
alumni news notes
Austin Seminary Association 2022 Awards for Service
Fred Tulloch and Martha Sadongei honored by the ASA The Reverend Fred Tulloch (MDiv’62, ThM’69)
has often stated that “giving up” is not something he believes in. He has certainly never given up a lifelong dedication in service to others as a pastor, counselor, and philanthropist. From 1969-1987 he served as associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Dallas. It was during those years that Fred, along with fellow Austin Seminary alumni Bob Lively (MDiv’73), Jack Moore (MDiv’60), and John Anderson (ThM’53), encouraged and helped the congregation to start the Stew Pot. Over the years the Stew Pot has served more than 8 million meals to those in need. It has also launched dozens of other programs to address the needs of the hungry and homeless of Dallas County. In 1988 Fred became chaplain at Presbyterian
The Reverend Martha Sadongei (MDiv’96) is an
enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma on her father’s side and of the Tohono O’odham Nation of southern Arizona on her mother’s side. This heritage formed her and she says, “I was reared with dual understandings of my cultural and Christian heritage, and God the Creator has gifted me with the knowledge that comes from each. First and foremost I am a pastor serving churches in Phoenix and in Livingston, Texas, and I have always been a teacher.” Martha has worked within the PC(USA) to bring Native American issues to the forefront and to help address them. She recently encouraged her congregation (Central Presbyterian Church) to partner with Native Heath in Phoenix to help provide health services to those who don’t qualify
Hospital Dallas and also started his own psychotherapist practice, specializing in marriage and family counseling. For eighteen years Fred devoted time two or three times a week to drive from his home in Grand Prairie to the Itasca campus of Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS), to provide counseling to the children. In 1987 Fred was named outstanding alumni at East Texas State University. He has been listed as a noteworthy minister, chaplain, and psychotherapist by Marquis Who’s Who, and he is a member of American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (certified). Congratulations to Fred, truly a faithful servant with a heart for those who are struggling.
for tribal health/hospital services. The church was instrumental in helping Native Health have space for walk-in vaccine clinics for COVID-19. Through workshops and podcasts Martha helps educate laity on what doing ministry here and now means for Native peoples and their European partners. Martha has also done presentations discussing EarthCare from a Native American perspective. She’s a co-editor and frequent contributor on Native American issues and theology and spirituality topics to the Church and Society Magazine and is a contributor to several other publications. The ASA board appreciates the heritage Martha makes possible for others to understand and embrace and therefore recognizes her distinguished service. Congratulations and thank you, Martha! v
Spring 2022 | 19
live learn
Houses of Hope: Encouragement for small-town and rural congregations
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ducation Beyond the Walls at Austin Seminary (EBW) has created Houses of Hope to respond to the needs of smalltown and rural congregations in Texas and Oklahoma. “Houses of Hope is intended for small-town and rural congregations who feel restless and stymied by how to best be the church in this age and who are curious about what their future might hold,” says Melissa Wiginton, vice president for Education Beyond the Walls. An initial process of mutual discernment between the Houses of Hope team and a congregational leadership team helps interested congregations decide if Houses of Hope is a good fit for them. Those who go forward will join with five other congregations, each with their own coach. They will engage in small-group discussion along with individual and group activities in “Building Hope,” a course of Christian practices that grows to include their town or community.
Additionally, EBW will make “Building Hope” available for congregations outside of Texas and Oklahoma in Fall 2022.
Scan the QR code at left or visit the website at www.ourhousesofhope.org for more information.
Austin Seminary receives second Young Adult Initiative Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. for The 787 Collective
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ustin Presbyterian Theological Seminary has been selected to receive a $1.25 million grant from The Lilly Endowment Inc. to further the work of The 787 Collective. These funds will sustain the work of the Collective for an additional five years, undergirding its mission to resource and support congregations seeking to engage young adults through creative ventures that deepen love for God, others, and self. Launched in 2017 through an inaugural Young Adult Initiative grant, The 787 Collective worked with twentyseven congregations through three different grant cycles, as congregations and young adults collaboratively discerned creative ventures to support the spiritual thriving of young adults. The Collective resourced these groups—spiritually, creatively, and materially—enabling them to practice innovative thought and design within their contexts. Every
congregation participated in the community life of the Collective, sharing their best practices and biggest challenges in both celebration and lament, striving to share knowledge and encouragement for the betterment of the community as a whole. Moving into the next phase of development, the Collective will offer dynamic ways to invite more congregations and practitioners into their work. Utilizing capacity for virtual connection and information sharing, as well as harnessing the knowledge and experiences of firstgeneration participants, The 787 Collective looks forward to sharing learning opportunities, resources, encouragement, and inspiration to a growing community of hopeful, curious, and creative people committed to the life of faith. It anticipates opening to new congregations and young adults in Fall 2022.
Up-to-the-minute programming and registration: AustinSeminary.edu/EBW 20 | Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Focus on Justice The God whom we serve, whose name is “Justice” or “Elohei Mishpat,” calls us to challenge injustice and to be at the forefront of the fight for the liberation of the oppressed. God’s clarion call to justice is reverberating in this time. The pandemic has uncovered and exacerbated social inequities. As educators and Christians, we have a unique opportunity to expand our engagement with the communities directly impacted by these issues and to demand substantive change. EBW’s “Focus on Justice” series presents an array of educational opportunities for Christians who sense an urgency to this calling and who want to deepen their knowledge of faithful engagement and action-based solutions to the complex and polarizing issues of 21st-century America. Two offerings planned for the spring include The Truth in Our Stories and Doing Justice: Racism.
The Truth in Our Stories book and companion videos present twelve compelling stories that highlight the Latino/a immigrant experience. The testimonies are unapologetically honest and reveal the horrid conditions and crippling fear that continue to characterize the lives of immigrants. Come learn and unlearn what you know about immigration. There are multiple ways to engage The Truth in Our Stories: • Join EBW’s next small-group course facilitated by Rev. Lizzie Wright starting on Wednesday evenings, April 20-May 25. After you register you will have access to thirteen online modules. During the weekly facilitated discussions, you will explore the complexities of immigration with other Christian learners and leaders. Cost: $35 per person. • Take the e-course with a small group at your church or organization. EBW will provide a facilitator to lead six online discussions with your group. You will also have access to thirteen online modules with video stories from immigrants. There is a flat fee of $650 for a facilitator and administration of the course in addition to a $10 per person fee, with a maximum of 15 participants. • Read and share the new book, The Truth in Our Stories: Immigrant Voices in Radical Times (Izzard Ink Publishing, 2022), which offers twelve compelling stories that highlight the immigrant experience with the hope of changing negative perceptions of immigrants. Available in April.
In Doing Justice: Racism we will explore an introduction to racism, including personal reflection and defining key terms; stories and testimonies from a variety of cultural contexts; and biblical, theological, and social reflection on three different Christian responses to racism. There are two ways to take this course: • Join our next EBW-led small group starting on Tuesday evenings, April 26 - May 24. After registering you will have access to all the online modules and can begin working through them at any time. Cost: $35 per person; groups are limited to 15 people.
AustinSeminary.edu/justice
• Start a small group at your church or organization and EBW will provide a facilitator for a fee of $650 in addition to a $10 per person fee for accessing the online module. Contact us at ebw@austinseminary.edu to get started. Spring 2022 | 21
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The Mary B. and Robert J. Wright Learning and Information Center at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary DE DIC AT ION • TO U R S • L U N C H May 13, 2022, beginning at 11:00 a.m. in Shelton Chapel Let us know you can come: RSVP@austinseminary.edu
