ADC Today - Winter 2014

WINTER 2014

Committed to strengthening the spiritual lives of students‌

...through a rich community experience.

President’s Message

Intentional about Community by Rev. Dr. Harry Gardner ’77 Harry Gardner is the President, Dean of Theology, and the Abner J. Langley and Harold L. Mitton Professor of Church Leadership.

“ … WE ARE COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING THE SPIRITUAL LIVES OF STUDENTS THROUGH A RICH COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE.”

2 ADC TODAY

In the last issue of ADC Today, we focused on the 45th Anniversary of the College. Hallway walls were filled with pictures of alumni, Board members, and others enjoying Commissioning, Convocation, and various activities. Laughter could be heard as folks recognized themselves, friends, and professors.

“Things sure are different today, aren’t they?” came one individual’s comment, and my response was a hearty “They certainly are!” I realized, however, that there was a certain longing in that person for the way things were in what might be called the “good ol’ days”. Other conversations included stories of families moving to Wolfville, coming from near and far.

They spoke of the sacrifices made to prepare for a lifetime of ministry. “But it’s not like that today, is it?” came the question. “Well, there are certainly those who move to Wolfville and study with us full time,” I said, “but increasingly, people complete their studies while serving in a church or other ministry in another location.” “But what about the community life; that must be different.” “Yes,” I replied. “But we have become very intentional about community.”

It isn’t enough at Acadia Divinity College just to be keeping up or simply responding to the changes in theological education in Canada. We want to lead in a way that anticipates the changes that are ahead.

We want to be ready with creative steps to lead and welcome change. Intentionality marked the faculty discussions that led us to adopt a phrase that addresses the comprehensive educational experience for our students. We intend that ‘The Acadia Experience’ will be unique for our students.

In addition to being taught by world-class scholars and highly effective leaders of church ministry, we are committed to strengthening the spiritual lives of students through a rich community experience.

In his recent presentation to the ADC Board, the President of Acadia University, Ray Ivany, spoke of the University’s enrollment increase in recent years and what it means for it to reach its ‘sweet spot’.

Part of ADC’s ‘sweet spot’ includes class sizes that allow students to engage their professors on a oneto-one basis. The investment of the professors in the lives of students has been a value of Acadia since its inception. This means that academically students are challenged to give themselves to their studies with the assurance that the professors are keenly interested in not only their ministries but also their families. This takes intentionality by the professor and it overflows in the classroom experience as students support and encourage one another. This interaction has become all the more important as the delivery of courses has

taken new forms that include one-week intensives and those offered over three weekends across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

‘The Acadia Experience’ calls for intentionality beyond the classroom, although that remains the primary place where our students experience it. That’s why once a week, on Wednesdays, the ADC community comes together for Chapel, an opportunity to worship God and be strengthened through fellowship with one another. Immediately after Chapel, Langley Room buzzes with conversations as students, faculty, and staff catch up with one another during our weekly luncheon. Recently, a student told me that the weekly Chapel has become her church in many ways. In this particular year, the Acadia Divinity College Student Association is very active and is intentional in providing opportunities for community events. It was the students who persuaded me that we needed to hold an All Acadia Divinity College Retreat at the start of this fall semester and we did it. I expect that it was the first of its kind in many years. Even though not all students could participate because of distance and ministry, I believe it will now be part of ‘The Acadia Experience’. We were richly blessed at this retreat by the leadership of a Doctor of Ministry alumnus, the Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling, Senior Minister of the Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto.

Classroom, Chapel, and Community Events have historically formed the heart of ‘The Acadia Experience’. In this digital age, community interaction now includes every contemporary means of communication (website, Facebook, Twitter, and virtual communities) as we interact locally and across the globe. Tweeting and texting is all part of ‘The Acadia Experience’ as we seek to celebrate this high tech era and continue to champion the personal touch in the ministry preparation of students.

Yes, some things are different at ADC. But, as President, meetings for prayer and fellowship to talk about real-life issues and ministry challenges are happening all around me; confirmed in a very recent and positive meeting with first-year students who are very happy with their ‘Acadia Experience’.

I have also been thinking lately about the positive and changing role of the local church in the preparation of ministry leaders but that will have to wait for another column. I will have to be intentional as I think about the growing interface of the local church and the seminary in theological education, indeed a very positive development. n

LIFE TOGETHER W

ho are your 3 a.m. peeps? You know, those people you could call in an emergency at any time in the wee hours, and they would be there in an instant, without judgement.

Who are they? Do you have many? If you do, consider yourself blessed; you are in a decreasing minority. You have what everybody wants, but few people have in healthy measure … community.

by Dr. Anna Robbins

The places where people used to meet– church, special interest organizations, service clubs–have been abandoned for television and internet. Human beings are more connected than ever before in history. Between the time I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night, I have been in touch with people from all over the world. I have sent out messages that were seen by thousands of people.

I have read global news stories, and exchanged quick greetings with family members. But I have never left the house or had a meaningful face-to-face conversation with another human being.

A contemporary generation connects in multiple ways at once with other people, and yet craves community. Community is a place to be accepted and to belong.

It is where our identity is formed. As the phone company ad prophesied, ‘I am who I am because of everybody’. We need to know other people, and belong somewhere in order to know who we are. Yet our culture is also neglecting this need: consumerism reinforces the myth of the self-sufficient individual. I am endlessly connected, but I am alone. I do not know who I am. No wonder we are preoccupied with TV shows that showcase all that community can be, and yet, is not.

The reality is, if you desire community, you have to be community. If you want a community there for you, you have to be the community you want to see. It is costly and self-sacrificing and goes against the grain of a superficial, individualistic culture. If you want 3 a.m. people in your life, you have to be a 3 a.m. person for others. If we are honest with ourselves, many of us don’t find this easy. It goes against the grain of consumerist and technological culture.

Dr. Anna Robbins is the Associate Professor of Theology, Culture and Ethics, Academic Dean, and the Director of Doctoral Studies.

“ THE REALITY IS, IF YOU DESIRE COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE TO BE In this contemporary context, Christians are caused to reflect afresh on the nature of community, particularly as we are saved not merely as a ‘bouquet of believers’, but as a community of faith. Theologically, there is increasing emphasis on the communal nature of reality rooted in an understanding of the Trinity as three persons in a relationship of absolute love. However, this affirmation does little to help us to understand practically how we live out that relational reality in our local communities.

COMMUNITY.”

Thankfully, we don’t have to get very speculative in our theology to understand the centrality of community for God’s people. Community cannot be an idea only. For a biblical faith, community is a conceptual and practical reality. continued on page 4

WINTER 2014 3

LIFE TOGETHER

continued from page 3

At creation, human beings were set into a network of relationships.

They were not placed in the garden as free-range individuals. They were connected to God, to one another and to the planet. Each relationship bore a set of responsibilities to another person that defined who we are and who we were to become. Adam and Eve represent a racial fall and a universal rebellion. Although God deals with individuals in Scripture, his object and agenda is the whole community, from the fallen and chosen people of Israel, to the church as those who are born into Adam and saved through Christ.

The collective idea flows through Scripture from beginning to end.

In Genesis 10, we have an account of a collective fall where a whole people rise up against God by building a tower in Babel and bear the consequences of sin together. God constantly woos Israel back to himself, and they turn away in rebellion. Christ delivers a salvation that is comprehensive in scope. In Revelation, we see a collective economic culture as the Babylon of judgement. And at the throne of God, we see not a selection of individuals but a worshipping multitude. Our creation, fall, and salvation all happen in the context of community.

The problem though, as the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr saw it, is that communities do not possess a single, choate mind. Without a single consciousness, any group is unable to rise above the lowest common denominator. This observation rings true for anyone who has ever sat through a church meeting! A group, he believed, is unable to sin, to forgive, or to repent. The best we can do is muddle through.

Others, however, disagree with Niebuhr’s pessimism. They see that God deals with his people consistently in collective terms. Yes, he engages individuals, but his work is for his people as a whole.

Throughout the Old Testament, his people are called to repent as a community of Yahweh. In the New Testament, his salvation and discipleship are experienced as his Church. In the Church, we are called to self-sacrificial community, serving others in the name of Christ. The turn to individualism in culture is not a development beyond community, but a challenge to which faith communities must respond.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one who attempted to rise to the challenge.

“Let [those] who cannot be alone beware of community,’ he said.

Acknowledging the fact of individuality, he insisted that knowing oneself is crucial to building a healthy Christian community. At the same time, community can only be built when members learn to serve one another. He called his students who were training for ministry to learn the ministry of ‘holding one’s tongue’; the ministries of meekness, of listening, of helpfulness, of bearing burdens for one another. All of this must happen in the context of communicating in the Word and under the authority of the Word. Recognising that authority lies in the Word, and not in the individual minister is paramount. “Cult of personality,” he said, “poisons community.”

The authority of serving one another may be unimpressive.

Nevertheless, “the Church does not need brilliant personalities but faithful servants of Jesus Christ and [one another].” Only in such a way will the church “be guided, not according to human wisdom and human conceit, but by the Word of the Good Shepherd.” (Life Together, 85).

Building community in the Church starts in a place like ADC, but it cannot end there. Like most communities, we struggle in the College to find time to be together with an unhurried agenda. Yet, as we sit under the authority of the Word, we will recognise the need to dance to the beat of a different drum: To build Sabbath rhythms into our life together so that the life of community that is desperately needed in our churches will be modelled in the place of ministry preparation.

My observation is that North American life is driven by a work ethic that is proud to never slow down. It drives busy church programs and family agendas so that Christians never have to just be together. Having the Church full of busy people who never share fellowship is not community. It is possible to serve everybody and serve nobody. We need to recapture the heart of what it means to be a Sabbath community, to be more intentional about creating spaces to share the wonder of discipleship, and to release the time to serve one another with self-sacrifice that pours from a full cup and not squeezes out the last drop of emptiness.

Here, the Church will regain a sense of counter-cultural re-creativity that bears witness to a Creator God. The church will be a household of warmth that attracts the pilgrim and heals the wounds of rugged individualism. It will cost something. We cannot expect to gain what we are not willing to give. Are you a 3 a.m. person? n

MAY 31–JUNE 13, 2014

EDUCATIONAL HOLY LAND TOUR Join Dr. Glenn Wooden and Dr. Anna Robbins as they Journey and Discover Israel and Palestine 4 ADC TODAY

• Students may take one or two courses (1 Bible; 1 Theology) for a total of up to 6 credit hours for the one tour.

• Non-students are welcome to join the tour.

• There is a pre-tour option going to Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula.

For more information online, fill in the box at: www.jcbs.org/find_trip Tour = JC14 Date = 053114 W ID# = 53507

YOU CAN’T SPELL

COMMUNITY without ‘UNITY’

by Rev. Jonathan Mills, ’88 Jonathan Mills, a pastor in Ontario, is in his final year of the Doctor of Ministry program at Acadia Divinity College.

He completed his Master of Divinity at ADC in 1988.

I

n the fall of 2011 I dusted off my student number and returned to Acadia Divinity College to begin work on a Doctor of Ministry degree. Returning to the Div College has been an interesting and enjoyable experience after more than 20 years away. My student number now contains a few additional zeros, there have been many changes to the faculty and staff (except Dr. MacRae’s iconic presence of course), and many of my fellow students—like me— have acquired a bit of gray hair through the intervening years. Yet, despite these many changes, there are some things which remain an integral part of the ADC experience: excellent academics, stimulating lectures, and the wonderful joy of fellowship among students.

It is this last experience – the wonder of Christian community – which has contributed to the richness of the experience both past and present. Since graduating in 1988, I have had the joy of crossing paths with many ADC grads over the years and these reunions are always a source of great joy and much laughter and

Community at ADC G

thanksgiving to God for the privilege of ministry. I am tempted to jokingly add that people forge life-long bonds of friendship when they endure great suffering together but that is not the reason for the longevity of our friendships. Rather, I believe it is the intensity of great learning, coupled with the spiritual growth that accompanies theological education which forges and fuses friendships that stand the test of time. My recent experience with faculty and students in the DMin program has confirmed this again in my life.

While the classes have been catalytic and incredibly enriching, it is the conversations in the library, the hallways, over lunch, and in the dorms which have communicated to me the value of Christian community. As I wrap up the course work and embark upon the challenge of thesis writing, there is a note of sadness knowing that the remaining work is largely a solitary pursuit. However, I am able to look back on these two years of class work with a sense of accomplishment and thanksgiving for the new friends and colleagues who will continue to influence my life and ministry always. n

by Stephen Mawhinney Stephen Mawhinney, a pastor in Prince Edward Island, is a Doctor of Ministry student at Acadia Divinity College.

ranted, as a child of my culture I’ve struggled to understand this thing we call ‘community’, but my struggle has been lessened by my experience at Acadia Divinity College.

Approaching ADC for doctoral studies, an institution I had never been to before, took ‘chutzpah’. But, from the moment I spoke with people there, my anxieties were alleviated. There was a genuine sense of ‘welcome’.

I travel from my home province of PEI to Wolfville, and each time, in short order, I begin to find my way around a town large enough to service my needs but small enough to feel personal.

My welcome has become ‘belonging’.

The benefits of the Doctor of Ministry program for me have been realized in the development of critical thinking; critical thinking of the culture I live in and reasonable theological responses to that culture. This of course is only made possible by a professorship who has challenged my subjective notions.

Further, the collegial feel, and the opportunity to talk, swap, and compare ministry experiences over ‘toonie lunches’ or within Chapel are some of the richest conversations I have ever had, all the while benefiting from the broader campus facilities; fitness room, pool, and library. I’ve learned a lot about community and academics at ADC. n WINTER 2014 5

Strong Sense of COMMUNITY Interview with Evan and Kayla Colford 1st Year Master of Divinity students

Why did you choose to study with Acadia Divinity College?

A year ago, we would have never thought that we would be in seminary. However, God clearly has a plan for us here at Acadia Divinity College. We both felt called to ministry over the past year, and God led us to ADC to prepare for that call!

Initially, the academia that Acadia Divinity College offers attracted us and heavily influenced our decision to attend Acadia. When we visited the campus, we immediately fell in love with the culture of Wolfville and the beauty of the Annapolis Valley. We believe Wolfville is an ideal place for us to spend the first few years of our marriage. We value the small close-knit community of the College that offers an incredible education with caring, loving, and supportive professors, staff, and peers. At ADC, we are known by our first name.

How has your understanding of God grown since starting at ADC?

The MDiv program is allowing us to dig deep into the Bible which is coming to life for both of us.

Because of that, we have grown to be passionate about the Scriptures and apply that to our ministry. We are becoming so intimate with the Scriptures and with God which cannot help but positively affect our marriage. We have found since beginning our studies at ADC, as we grow closer to God, we have grown closer to each other which helps us immensely in working as a team in our ministry as Youth Pastors at Berwick Baptist Church.

How does being part of the ADC community impact you?

Despite how busy we may get with school and our ministry, the strong sense of community is still there through Chapel, lunch with the community of ADC every Wednesday afternoon, and having the opportunity to have lunch with the President of ADC and fellow first-year students.

There are so many other positive experiences we could talk about; however, paramount is that through our experience at ADC, we see God working in our lives and leading us in the direction He wants us to go.

Whatever type of ministry God has called us to, we are confident that ADC is equipping us to be Christian leaders in a world that needs Jesus Christ. We are so excited to be a part of this amazing educational environment. n

2014 Simpson Lectures

“The Character of Preaching”

“The Character of Preaching” February 10–12, 2014

February 10 – 12, 2014

Monday The Character of the Landscape of Preaching

Tuesday The Preacher and Character

Wednesday Cultivating Character Through Preaching Dr. Scott Gibson

Festival Theatre, Acadia University • 7:30 pm each night Public is cordially invited • No charge for the lectures 6 ADC TODAY

Professor of Preaching and Ministry, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

NEWS

ACADIA DIVINITY COLLEGE NEWS

WINTER 2014

Dr. Craig Evans attends a Conference at the Vatican This past fall, Dr. Craig Evans - Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies and the Director of the Master of Arts Program at Acadia Divinity College - was invited to participate in a conference at the Vatican. Below is a reflection by Master of Arts student, Jesse Richards, who also attended.

I

n October 2013, representatives from over 100 universities worldwide attended a conference at the Vatican on the work of Joseph Ratzinger. Scholars and students convened in Rome to discuss Ratzinger’s trilogy on Jesus and what impact his work might have on scholarship. His work brought the various Christian traditions together to discuss “the figure of our Lord.”

This ecumenical Christian spirit among scholars was palpable and refreshing. It was a great privilege to be in attendance and see our own Dr. Craig Evans on the stage.

of the Ratzinger Prize to Richard Burridge, a New Testament scholar. Following the award, a group of about 80 scholars and their guests were give a private VIP tour of Saint Peter’s Tomb, the Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapel. The night culminated with a dinner at the marble hall of the Vatican Museum.

The Vatican symposium was a whirlwind of ‘pinch yourself’ moments as the Ratzinger foundation honored the hard work of many international scholars. It was a privilege to attend. n

The papers presented at the conference were lively and engaging.

All the papers were presented in either English or Italian. If a paper was presented in Italian we had earpieces and a frantic English translator on the other end. After each paper there was opportunity for questions and comments from the audience. The afternoon workshops had focused papers around one particular topic with extended time for audience interaction.

After each day’s events we would return to the dining room at the Vatican where we were served a superb meal with Pope Francis at the next table. After dinner we would take an evening stroll around the Vatican.

After the end of the conference on Saturday we proceeded to the Great Halls of the Vatican where we awaited the awarding

Dr. Harry Gardner teaches in Hong Kong

In November 2013, Dr. Harry Gardner co-taught a course on spiritual formation to students at Bethel Bible Seminary, an affiliated college of Acadia University. Pictured here with Dr. Gardner and his students are President of Bethel, Dr. Fai Luk (third from left, front row) and Dr. John Stewart (fourth from left, front row), former chair of the ADC Board who co-taught the course.

WINTER 2014 7

ACADIA DIVINITY COLLEGE NEWS

Acadia Divinity College & Crandall University Announce New Partnership

I

n 2013, Acadia Divinity College and Crandall University in Moncton, NB, announced a unique educational opportunity to undergraduate students. This opportunity allows a student to enroll simultaneously in an Acadia University Bachelor of Theology (BTh) program while completing a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), or Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree at Crandall University. Both degrees can be completed concurrently in four years to four and a half years.

“The Acadia BTh equips students for diverse forms of leadership in the Christian community,” says Dr. Harry Gardner, President of Acadia Divinity College and Dean of Theology of Acadia University. “Learning about the Bible, Christian thought, and service will enable graduates to make a difference in the world.”

The Acadia BTh program will include courses in areas such as youth and young adult ministry, children’s ministry, crosscultural mission, and worship. Practicum experiences will allow students to focus their studies in an area of particular ministry interest. Students will also have an opportunity to complete an international short-term experience as part of their program.

“This program will help students to grow personally and spiritually,” says Crandall University President, Dr. Bruce Fawcett. “It will benefit churches and ministries where graduates serve as laypeople, and will encourage some students to undertake further preparation for full-time ministry.”

Dale Stairs leading Crandall-Acadia Partnership Rev. Dale Stairs has been appointed to serve as the Director of the new Crandall-Acadia Bachelor of Theology Partnership. In this first year of the partnership, Dale has been busy designing and promoting the program to prepare for the first class of students who will be admitted for a September 2014 start.

Stairs is an alumnus of both Crandall University and Acadia Divinity College, and he is completing a PhD at the Free University of Amsterdam. Stairs is a former youth pastor and pastor, is Director of the Youth and Young Adult Program at ADC, and served as Director of the Youth and Family Ministries department for the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches for several years.

He has provided leadership at the national level through volunteer service with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and at the international level through the Baptist World Alliance. Dale and his wife, Twila, with their three children have relocated to the Moncton area. n

2013 Rawlyk Lectures

Exciting Excavation in Jerusalem

The 2013 Rawlyk Lectures featured a leading scholar, Nick Bunker (R) on

In June 2013, Dr. Craig Evans, Greg Monette, ’11, ’10, and ADC student,

the original characters of the Baptist movement. He is the author of Making

Cale Clarke, were part of an exciting excavation in Jerusalem at Mount Zion.

Haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World. The lectures

At the end of the final week of digging, they reached the first-century level

were packed with previously unknown scholarship, and Bunker’s presence at

and found a tile bathroom floor, complete with a plastered bathtub. They

Acadia placed us in the lead of Baptist Studies centers. Visit www.acadiadiv.

helped uncover what was likely the home of a very wealthy family. They look

ca/rawlyk-2013

forward to returning in June 2014.

8 ADC TODAY

WINTER 2014

Religion Soup 2013 – From left to right: Harry Gardner, Peter J. Kreeft, Anna M. Robbins, Michael R Licona, Rhonda Britton, Nathan Betts, Greg Monette and Craig A Evans. Missing: Daniel B. Wallace.

Is Your Faith Unshakable?

T

his was the question addressed at the latest Religion Soup, an annual event organised in partnership between Acadia Divinity College and The Navigators. On November 8-9, 2013, a worldclass event in apologetics was held in Halifax, NS. On Friday night, a packed auditorium at Saint Mary’s University heard Dr. Peter Kreeft from Boston College address the topic, Is Jesus for Everyone?

Evangelization in a Postmodern World. The following day, an apologetics day conference was held at Birch Cove Baptist Church, attended by a diverse audience from a number of denominations.

In addition to Peter Kreeft, who addressed issues of evil and suffering, speakers included Dan Wallace, Mike Licona, and ADC’s Craig Evans, who responded expertly to questions related to the reliability of the New Testament text. Nathan Betts of RZIM wrestled with the question

of truth, while ADC graduate and Religion Soup organizer Greg Monette considered the relationship between faith and doubt. ADC’s Anna Robbins (Academic Dean and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program) addressed the question of whether life has meaning; and ADC Doctor of Ministry graduate Rhonda Britton challenged the audience to live out their faith in action if it is to be relevant to today’s culture.

Feedback from attendees suggests that the weekend was a huge success. ADC will continue to support and develop events to help Christians in our churches think deeply about issues that need to be addressed head-on in today’s culture.

If you missed the live event, you can watch and listen to the talks on the Acadia Divinity College channel on YouTube. n

Dr. Glenn Wooden visits Kenya Dr. Glenn Wooden and Rev. Stewert Dockendorff (Acadia ’79, ’14 DMin) visited Kenya in June 2013 to consult and advise on the enhancement and development of the library of the East Kenya Integrated College. The college is owned and run by the African Brotherhood Churches, one of CBM’s partners in Africa. While there Dr. Wooden visited a Maasai village and was received by the men with their traditional jumping dance in which he participated.

WINTER 2014 9

ACADIA DIVINITY COLLEGE NEWS

REFLECTIONS on

ADC RETREAT

From left to right: Rev. Paul Fowler, Pastor of Worship Arts at New Minas Baptist Church, Dr. Harry Gardner, President of ADC, Dustin Day, President of the ADCSA, and Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling, Senior Minister of Timothy Eaton Memorial United Church, Toronto, ON.

The following is an excerpt taken from a student blog written by Mat Wilton, a second year Master of Divinity student and Vice President of the Acadia Divinity College Student Association.

T

hough driving from Halifax to Acadia Divinity College for an 8:45 AM class may make one envy on-campus students with a fiveminute walk, early morning conversations with fellow students seem to make it all worth it. Rides down to the Valley provide an opportunity to talk about life, to encourage one another in life’s trials, and to get excited about the dreams that God has placed on our hearts.

It is out of conversations on these drives (with several students) that the idea came about for an Acadia Div Retreat: an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to come together as a community in order to grow together and to commit the upcoming year to the Lord. It became clear that God had already begun to stir up this dream in the hearts of other members of the ADCSA and faculty and staff. Before we knew it, this dream would turn into a day-long retreat to start off the 2013/2014 academic year.

The day started with worship and creative prayer led by Rev. Paul Fowler (2010 alumnus) and Erin Jackman (Master of Divinity student).

I was encouraged through creative prayer as I was led to meditate on

the season of my life that I am in, cast aside worry and distraction, and praise the Lord in a time of thanksgiving.

We then listened to Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling (’10 alumnus and Senior Minister of Timothy Eaton Memorial United Church in Toronto, ON) who led us to consider, “Redemption in a Fragmented World: The Mission of the Church in Canada Today.” As we sought to understand the call of the church in Canada today we looked at our call to: • use our imaginations for evangelism as we seek to see others encounter Christ; • be bold in the public square, holding confidence in the death and resurrection of Christ; • to be faithful in prayer and with the mandate revealed to the church through the Holy Spirit and Scripture; and, • to cast down idols for the sake of making the name of Jesus known.

Times of teaching were followed by small group discussions. This time, from a personal standpoint, was a time of growth as we were able to share, encourage, and grow with one another. As the day drew to a close, the community at ADC completed the retreat committing the upcoming year to the Lord. n

EXPERIENCE

DISCOVER YOUR CALLING • March 11-12 • Acadia Divinity College, Wolfville, NS

Have you been asking yourself, “What is God calling me to do with my life?”

“What does it mean to prepare for ministry in today’s changing world?”

“How will a seminary education at Acadia help me to follow God’s call?”

1-866-875-8975 • 902-585-2215 Equipping Christian Leaders

10 ADC TODAY

AcadiaDivinityCollege @AcadiaDiv www.AcadiaDiv.ca

ACADIA DIV

Called to Ministry Called to Motherhood

by Rev. Sarah Scott, ’03 Sarah Scott, an alumna of Acadia Divinity College, is the Chaplain at Grandview Manor, Berwick, NS. She can be seen in the photo above with her daughter Rowan.

Oasis in the summer is a time for friends in ministry faithfully and competently serve so many different, and to re-connect and share. This year, we were able to perhaps at times competing, interests? have my former classmate and friend, Rev. Stephen Cogswell, his wife Kelly, and their five kids over for a No denying it. Becoming a mother is a game changer. meal at our new farmhouse. Amid stacks of moving boxes still unpacked and seven kids happily playing, we After the birth of our first daughter, Rowan, I was ready and excited to return to full-time ministry were able to settle into conversation about after my one-year leave. I was gob ministry and the changes both our families NO DENYING smacked to discover that the areas I was have undergone in the last number of years. gifted in had changed. The areas that IT. BECOMING I used to feel excited and most fulfilled Over the table, I made a comment about by now seemed like a burden; a clear how much the birth of our two girls affected A MOTHER IS A sign that something was no longer in my calling as a minister. Kelly said, “I always wondered how that worked, to be a mom and GAME CHANGER. alignment. a minister.”

Things did change. Like it or not, I wasn’t the same Well, that’s a question I’ve been working through for person that I was when I had entered ministry. And, the last three years. My Christian heritage was full of even though it pained me, I realized that big changes examples of mothers who were ministers. At Bedford were coming so that I could be faithful to both callings.

Baptist I remember Rev. Cathy Neily and the birth of her first son Isaac. I came to faith under the ministry of But God is GOOD! Faithful! And He leads us on a Rev. Dr. Ida Armstrong-Whitehouse and loved watching good path, even though we do not know the way. God her girls Mia and Megan dance in the aisles while was already making a way for me, even when I was they waited for meetings to end. But I never stopped struggling with the questions. His timing was perfect to think, how does this work? How do these women and I am delighting in it.

“BUT YOU, LORD, ARE A COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS GOD, SLOW TO ANGER, ABOUNDING IN LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS. … I SERVE YOU JUST AS MY MOTHER DID.” PSALM 86:15,17B

continued on page 12 WINTER 2014 11

MOTHERHOOD

continued from page 11

Out of the blue, Grandview Manor was in need of a part-time Chaplain. Grandview; where I had completed my ADC “Practical Care and Counseling” practicum under Rev. Patricia Gow, who later became a close friend and mentor. I have so many memories of being a student there, visiting those precious souls. Despite almost ten years of being very settled and happy at Bridgewater Baptist Church, I knew at once it would be a ‘YES’!

Daily, I am the hands and feet of Christ to those who are often alone, distressed, and anxious. My new ministry calling is much like a midwife - coming alongside those needing to make the final transition from life to life. This call to Chaplaincy, so different than my previous position in youth and young families, has been such a fulfilling surprise. But that’s so like our God, isn’t it? Not only is the position fulfilling in ministry, its structure also fits beautifully into being a mother as well. God covered it all.

Certainly there’s a downside to combining the two demanding roles of Mother and Minister. Becoming a mother meant my time was no longer open in the same way to serving the Church. That is just a fact. We have less availability, no sleep, constant distractions, and the general path of chaos that toddlers spin. However, it also means a total new understanding of compassion, perseverance, patience, and empathy. When I had to go and be the one to tell a woman that her son had died, I approached it with a very different heart than I would have before experiencing motherhood personally.

Being a mother and a minister is hard. But, what worthy thing in life isn’t? I am grateful that God calls men and women in all of life’s stages and pathways to serve Him, and I delight in the path He has laid before me. n

Events of Interest February 10 – 12, 2014 Simpson Lectures - ‘The Character of Preaching’ Special Speaker: Dr. Scott Gibson 7:30 pm daily, Festival Theatre, Acadia University February 10 – 14, 2014 Simpson Week Courses • Integral Mission – Dr. Terry Smith and Gordon King • Marriage & Family Counselling – Ken Neilson and Colleen DeLong February 17-21, 2014 Reading Week Course • Bringing Renewal to Established Congregations - Dr. Stephen McMullin March 11-12, 2014 ‘Experience AcadiaDiv’ – Annual open house. Guest Speaker: Rev. Renée Embree. To Register: adcinfo@acadiau.ca May 9, 2014 • Commissioning Supper – 5:00 pm Wheelock Dining Hall, Acadia University.

RSVP – adcevents@acadiau.ca • Commissioning Service – 7:30 pm Wolfville Baptist Church

12 ADC TODAY

May 31 – June 13, 2014 Holy Land Tour - Join Dr. Glenn Wooden and Dr. Anna Robbins as they Journey and Discover Israel and Palestine • Non-students are very welcome to join the tour.

• Students may take two courses (1 Bible; 1 Theology) for a total of 6 credit hours for the one tour.

• There is a pre-tour option going to Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula For more information online, fill in the gray box at www.jcbs.org/find_trip Tour = JC14 Date = 053114W ID # = 53507 June 9-13, 2014 Counselling Adolescents and their Families – Dr. Marv Penner, ADC. [NOTE: In order to take courses for academic credit, individuals must first apply for admission to Acadia Divinity College. Class limits do apply.]

ANNUAL FUND UPDATE

Our Annual Fund Goal is $410,000 $246,555 as of December 2013

Left to Right: David Watt, Suzanne and Laurie Saunders.

A Gift That Keeps on Giving Last year, Acadia Divinity College received a very generous gift of $300,000 from the estate of the late Doug Saunders of Berwick, Nova Scotia. Doug and his wife, Evelyn, lived a life of love and generosity. Laurie Saunders, a nephew, a neighbor, friend and chief of the Berwick Volunteer Fire Department shared Doug’s story with me.

Doug, one of eight children, grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Berwick. He was the son who stayed at home and worked the family farm – milking the cows, planting and harvesting the various crops. Laurie said that his early memories of Doug were a tapestry of his generosity. He remembers his cousins coming home during the summer and Doug taking them for rides on the tractor with the raw milk or vegetables on board. As the local cousin, wanting the adventure, he would hitch a ride!

Doug and Evelyn were devoted Christians, active in their church and helpful in the community. Their home was a center of caring and hospitality. In quiet ways they came alongside people in need. Doug had an amazing grasp of Scripture and could be called on to lead worship services and, when needed, share a message from the pulpit.

They served in a number of church offices over the years.

They were passionate about mission and wanted the Church to have an impact for Christ at home and globally.

by Rev. Dr. David Watt, ’99 David Watt is the Director of Development at Acadia Divinity College.

Doug, according to Laurie, was a master at money management and while generous all during his lifetime, still had sufficient resources to help his favourite charities at the end of life. Doug and Evelyn Saunders were an example of John Wesley’s credo: “Earn all you can, save all you can and give all you can.” Acadia Divinity College was one of the recipients of Doug and Evelyn’s generosity.

“AND LET US

Recently, I visited Berwick Baptist Church to express thanks for their part in helping to shape the spirit of love and generosity in this faithful couple. In his letter to the church in Corinth Paul reminds the believers that God loves and honours faithful and cheerful generosity. He writes, “Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” (2 Cor.9: 6)

TOWARD LOVE AND

CONSIDER HOW WE MAY SPUR ONE ANOTHER ON GOOD DEEDS.” (HEBREWS 10:24)

The Doug and Evelyn Saunders story reminds all of us of the fruitfulness of generosity. Would you consider sharing a gift from your estate that will “keep on giving” in the lives of students and the places where they serve?

The pressing spiritual and social issues of our day require that church leadership be fully equipped to engage the culture of the times. Your investment in ADC will ensure the continuity and the centrality of this vision in the life of the College. n

WINTER 2014 13

Alumni News 1971 Gary Manthorne is the subject of a recent book written by Annapolis Valley writer and musician Heather Card. It is the anecdotal life story of a youth with speech and hearing challenges becoming a long-time Valley pastor. Forewords are by Dr. Millard Cherry and Dr. Harry Gardner.

The book, Sharing His Great Love, can be previewed online at Friesen Press.

1971 Morley Shaw has accepted a call to serve at Bayview District of Baptist Churches, NS. 1978 Jack Allen has completed his ministry at Albert Mines Baptist Church, NB. 1982 Dennis Leamont has completed his ministry at Falmouth Baptist Church, NS. 1984 Robert Nickerson has completed his interim ministry at St. Andrews Baptist Church, NB and accepted a call to serve as the Intentional Interim Pastor of New Minas Baptist Church, NS. 1988 Myles Krueger was ordained at Middle Sackville Baptist Church, Sackville, NB, on October 6.

1988 Jonathan Mills has resigned from Kanata Baptist, ON. Jonathan and Janice have been appointed with Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) to serve as Global Field Staff in Rwanda.

1989 Bill Parks has accepted a call to serve at Five Points Baptist Church, NB. 2000 Greg Doyle has completed his ministry at Parrsboro and Diligent River Baptist Churches, NS and has moved to Montreal, QC, to pursue a Ph.D. 2003 Robert Gates has completed his ministry at Springfield and East Dalhousie Baptist Churches, NS, and has accepted a call to serve at Temple Baptist Church, NS. 2004 Beth Mattinson has resigned from the Brookfield Presbyterian Pastoral Charge, PEI, and has accepted a call to Elmsdale-Hardwood Lands Pastoral Charge, NS. 2004 Andrew Morse has accepted a call to serve at Hillcrest Baptist Church, NB.

14 ADC TODAY

2006 Troy Coldwell has completed his ministry as Youth Pastor at Kentville Baptist Church, NS. 2009 Seth Moore was ordained at Annapolis Royal United Baptist Church, NS, September 22.

2009 Vanessa Moore has accepted a call to serve as Associate Pastor of Outreach of First United Baptist Church of Annapolis Royal, NS. 2012 Sheila Ago was ordained at Emmanuel Baptist Church, NS, on November 3.

2012 Chad Clements was ordained at Morristown Baptist Church, NS, on September 8.

2012 Adrian Gardner was ordained at Grand Bay Baptist Church, NB, on October 20.

2012 Sam Jess was ordained at Barss Corner Baptist Church, NS, on October 6.

2012 Miriam MacDonald was ordained at Bedford Baptist Church, NS, on September 15.

2012 Susan Mattinson – ‘A unique happening’ - On July 14th in the Hunter River Presbyterian Church, PEI, there was an ordination where a mother, Beth, ADC grad ’04, had the privilege of ordaining her own daughter, Susan. What Beth was also told was that there is no recollection of a mother having ordained her own daughter! Also at the meeting of the Presbytery, before the Ordination Service, the Presbytery had another first - they processed the calls of both a mother and daughter! Susan has been called to the First Presbyterian Church in Thunder Bay, Ontario and Beth to Elmsdale-Hardwood Lands, NS. 2013 Janet Baker has accepted a call to serve part-time at Harmony Baptist Church, NS. 2013 Jim Smith has accepted a call to serve at Meductic Baptist Church, NB.

Current ADC Students

Brent Foster has accepted a call to serve as Associate Pastor at Atlantic Community Church, NB.

Doug Duncan has completed his ministry at Harmony Baptist Church, NS, and has been called to Lake Echo Fellowship Baptist Church, NS.

Derek Geldart has accepted a call to serve as Pastor of Hillgrove Baptist Church, NB.

2013 Acadia Divinity College

Distinguished Alumni This past summer during Oasis, Rev. Kevin Vincent ‘90 was the recipient of the Acadia Divinity College Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award. The ceremony took place during the ADC Summer Banquet held in the beautiful Irving Centre at Acadia University.

Kevin graduated from Sussex Regional High School in 1983 and Crandall University (then Atlantic Baptist College) in 1987 where he was Valedictorian and Male Student of the Year. He then studied at Acadia Divinity College where he graduated in 1990. The highlights of his ADC days were marrying Sandra and starting a family – Emily, Jeremy, and Joshua.

by Rev. Dr. David Watt, ’99 David Watt is the Director of Development at Acadia Divinity College.

It was my privilege to work alongside Kevin during his student days at ADC, and then as part of the pastoral team of First Baptist Church, Dartmouth, for nine exciting years. I remember Kevin as an avid reader with a curious mind, always seeking to learn and at the same time having lots of fun in ministry.

Fourteen years ago, feeling a call to ‘plant a church’, he accepted an invitation to serve in his home community of Apohaqui near Sussex, NB. The elderly congregation of the ‘original six’ accepted his innovative leadership and, since that time, the congregation has grown to 750 people. Their weekly attendance is almost 600, and they now worship in two locations, Apohaqui and nearby Hampton. n Winter 2014 15

If undeliverable please return to: Acadia Divinity College 15 University Avenue Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6 41228525

Student Highlight: 16

ADC TODAY

Christoph Deutschmann

by Samantha West, Master of Divinity student

W

hen you first meet Master of Divinity student Christoph Deutschmann and find out he’s Austrian, he’ll jokingly admit that his home town of Graz is the birthplace of Arnold Schwarzenegger. This naturally leads to comments about the Sound of Music and other stereotypes, which Christoph listens to graciously.

Then he stops you short by telling you that at times it seems Christ is not welcomed in Austria, but that there are glimpses of change and he’s praying for revival.

The Roman Catholic Church is the main Christian denomination historically, and Islam is the next largest religion, with evangelicalism and new age thinking both on the rise.

Only a directive from God could take someone almost 6,000 kms away from home, parents, and three sisters.

Christoph heard clearly that he should apply to Canadian Bible colleges, and when he located Bethany Bible College in New Brunswick (now Kingswood University),

16 ADC TODAY

he prayed for God to provide the financial support for his first year. Instead, God provided the resources for four years of study. Christoph worked at a rehab centre after graduating from Kingswood until God again prompted him to consider a calling to pastoral ministry and provided a scholarship through Acadia Divinity College.

Christoph continues to be stretched and encouraged in his spiritual walk, having accepted a call to part-time youth ministry at Kentville Baptist Church while he is completing his Master of Divinity degree. He is enjoying the opportunity to help raise up the next generation of leaders. And, although his studies are challenging, they are helping to bring Scripture alive to him in an exciting way. Christoph is particularly impressed with the way that every class at ADC is focused on mission—how the professors consistently relate the topics to daily life in ministry. He also enjoys the atmosphere of the College. “The staff and students know who they are,” says Christoph, “and whose they are”.

We look forward to what God has planned for Christoph in the years ahead. n