News from WTS Faculty Positions Filled Four new faculty members will be joining the seminary on July 1: Dr. Kristen Johnson - Dr. Johnson is presently on the faculty of Hope College; she earned her Ph.D. in political theology at St. Andrew University in Scotland. She will be Associate Professor of Christian Discipleship and Theology. Dr. Chuck DeGroat - Dr. DeGroat is on the pastoral staff of City Church San Francisco, heads up the Counseling Center there, and co-founded the Newbigin House of Studies. He has a Ph.D. in Pastoral Care and Counseling and will be Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling and Senior Fellow of Newbigin House of Studies. Dr. John Brogan - Dr. Brogan is leaving a position as Dean of Students at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA. His Ph.D. is in New Testament. He will be Dean of Formation for Ministry. Dr. Ben Conner - Dr. Conner earned his Ph.D. in missiology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has served as the Area Young Life Director in Williamsburg, VA. He will be Associate Professor of Christian Discipleship.
New Roles In a special inauguration ceremony on April 17, J. Todd Billings was installed as the Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology. Rev. Girod was an esteemed and beloved pastor of the Seventh Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, MI from 19581980. Generous donors made a gift to the seminary to establish this faculty chair in his honor. This chair provides the funds to ensure a future of faithful theological engagement in teaching, scholarship and scholarly publication.
Meet our Students... at their Summer Internship placements: Will Brooks, St. Thomas Reformed Church, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Matt Cook, First Reformed Church, Grandville, MI Dan De Graff, Calvary Christian Reformed Church, Ontario, Canada Steven DeVries, North Holland Reformed Church, Holland, MI Ryan Donohoe, Clinical Pastoral Education (Pine Rest), Westminster Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, MI Kayla Fik, Jamestown Reformed Church, Jamestown, MI Anne Harrison, Words of Hope, Grand Rapids, MI Ray Hudson, Clancy Street Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI Smirna Lezcano, Iglesia Reformada de Fe, Los Angeles, CA Angel Lopez, Bridge to Grace, Atlanta, GA Molly Mead, Journey, Western Theological Seminary Mike Metten, Spring Valley Community Church, Allendale, MI Grace Miguel, West End Collegiate Church, New York City, NY Judy Nelson, Holland Classis, Holland, MI Derek Noorman, Theresa Presbyterian Church, Theresa, NY Jake Porter, Hamilton Christian Reformed Church, Hamilton, MI Kevin Slusher, First Reformed Church, Oak Harbor, WA Lance Sonneveldt, Covenant Life, Grand Haven, MI Garrett Szanter, The Citadel, Detroit, MI Rodney TeSlaa, United Church of Two Harbors, Two Harbors, MN Paul Towne, Valley Life Community Church, Boise, ID Dan Unekis, Clinical Pastoral Education (Pine Rest), Grand Rapids, MI Austin Vondracek, Beechwood Reformed Church, Holland, MI Jordan Warntjes, First Christian Reformed Church, Zeeland, MI Cody Raak, Trinity Reformed Church, Holland, MI Meghan Vanderlee, Faith Reformed Church, Dyer, IN
or through their writings: The Board of Trustees has appointed Chris Dorsey as Assistant Professor of Theology and Preaching effective July 1. Professor Dorsey came to the seminary in 2011 as a Faculty Fellow and was a visiting professor in 2012-13. Ann Nieuwkoop has been appointed Interim Director of Beardslee Library upon Paul Smith’s retirement June 30. Since becoming Associate Director in 2003, Ann has coordinated, implemented and supervised all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the library. Her qualifications and commitment to the seminary, along with the diligence of the library staff, means our library is in capable hands until a permanent director is hired.
Welcome We welcome Andrew Bast to the seminary staff as an Associate Director of Advancement. Andrew is a 1998 graduate of St. Olaf College and has worked in the field of music education for 12 years in the Minneapolis area. Andy’s father, David Bast, is a 1976 WTS graduate; his grandfather, Henry Bast, graduated from Western in 1933 and taught here from 1956-63.
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A PUBLICATION OF WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
WTS students wrote the summer issue of Words of Hope. Order yours at www.woh.org or call 616-459-6181. You may also stop by the seminary to pick one up.
New RCA-CRC Worship Resource After seven years of talks, research and collecting, Lift Up Your Hearts: Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, became available on May 2. The 13 editors and 80-member advisory committee came from the Reformed Church in America and the Christian Reformed Church. Carol Bechtel, Professor of Old Testament, and C.J. Kingdom-Grier, Associate Director of Admissions, served as senior editors. Carol Bechtel and Ron Rienstra, Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship Arts, wrote songs that are included in the book. It offers 965 items, including 850 hymns as well as readings, indices, liturgy for baptisms and the Lord’s Supper, and hymn texts in 39 different languages. For more information, visit www. liftupyourheartshymnal.org or call 800.245.7025.
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