2023 Commencement Ceremony Program Book

Our Mission

Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School forms students in theological and multi-religious studies to serve, care, and advocate for all peoples and the earth.

Our Vision

Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School will be faithful to its distinctive Christian identity as the institution becomes a seminary of and for the community, committed to practices of peace, service, and justice.

Our Core Values

ORDER OF SERVICE

PROCESSION/Prelude

Call to Worship

Rev. Paula B. Blue Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness & Chief Operating Officer

Invocation

Kishundra D. King, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Practical Theology Director of Black Religious Life and Thought

Hymn #400 "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"

Welcome

Rev. Angela D. Sims, Ph.D. CRCDS President

Remarks and Awards

Rev. Melanie Duguid-May, Ph.D.

Interim Dean of Faculty & Professor of Theology

2023 Commencement

Scripture Readings

Old Testament Reading

I Kings 19: 9b-13, NRSV

Ms. Qhamora Kimbrough Registrar and Coordinator of Financial Aid

New Testament Reading

Matthew 19: 13-14, NRSV

Rev. Cynthia Rasmussen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Public Theology & Eco-Justice and Director of the Program for Anglican Studies

Hymn of Dedication #451 "Be Thou My Vision"

Commencement Address What Are You Doing Here? What Do You Hear?

Rev. Jennifer Harvey, Ph.D. Associate Provost of Campus Equity and Inclusion Drake University

School for Christian Leadership Acknowledgment of Completion

Rev. Melanie Duguid-May, Ph.D.

The Conferring of Degrees

Rev. Dr. Michael J. Ford, (CRCDS '12) - Chair, Board of Trustees

Rev. Angela D. Sims, Ph.D.

Rev. Melanie Duguid-May, Ph.D.

Hymn "All Hail The Pow'r of Jesus' Name" (Diadem)

All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall, Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him, crown Him, Crown Him, crown Him, And crown Him, Lord of all.

Ye saints redeemed of Adam's race, Ye ransomed from the fall, Ye ransomed from the fall; Hail Him who saves you by His grace, And crown Him, crown Him, Crown Him, crown Him, And crown Him, Lord of all.

Sinners, whose love can ne ' er forget The wormwood and the gall, The wormwood and the gall, Go, spread you trophies at His feet And crown Him, crown Him, Crown Him, crown Him, And crown Him, Lord of all.

O that with yonder sacred throng We at His feet may fall! We at His feet may fall! Join in the everlasting song, And crown Him, crown Him, Crown Him, crown Him, And crown Him, Lord of all.

And crown Him, Lord of all, And crown Him, Lord of all, And crown Him, Lord of all, And crown Him, Lord of all.

Prayer for the Ministry of the Church

Jin Young Choi, Ph.D.

Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins

Baptist Missionary Training School Professorial Chair in Biblical Studies

Benediction

Rev. Jennifer Harvey, Ph.D.

Doxology

Recessional

Words by Rev. Edward Perronet (1779); Music by James Ellor (1938)

Academic Symbols

The academic symbols in evidence at today’s ceremony reflect the continuity and strengths of higher education in our culture. Many of the traditions surrounding academic ceremonies, such as inaugurations and commencement, are rooted in the customs of the Middle Ages when universities were first formed. Four symbols – the academic regalia, the key, the mace and the presidential medallion – evident in today’s ceremony.

Academic Regalia

Perhaps the most visually memorable part of a presidential inauguration is the academic procession in which the spectacle of robes, hoods, hats and tassels represents the rich diversity of higher education around the world. Gowns and mortar boards were a common form of dress in medieval times when classrooms were unheated and the academic gowns and hoods kept the scholars warm. It became a distinctive symbol of academic pursuit, setting the academic apart from the non-academic. Prior to the Civil War, most American college and university students wore the gown daily during their entire term of study. The gown only became standardized in 1894 when the American Intercollegiate Commission determined that all robes would be black.

The master’s robe is distinguishable by long, closed sleeves; the doctor’s gown by a facing of black velvet from the hem to the neck and back, with three velvet bands around each sleeve above the elbow. The traditional hood, also black, displays significant color. The lining represents the colors of the university granting the wearer’s highest degree. The color of the facing of the hood signifies the individual’s academic discipline or school of study.

The Marshall's Key

The key was handed down from the Crozer Theological Seminary. It is carried during formal ceremonies such as Inauguration and Commencement.

The Presidential Medallion

The presidential medallion and chain of office symbolize the authority vested in the office of the president by the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School Board of Trustees. Yet another academic tradition that originated from medieval regalia, the display of the heavy chain symbolizes the weight of responsibility for the wearer, strength in unity and strong communication.

Maces were war clubs used during the Middle Ages as weapons of last resort by military officers. The mace later became a traditional symbol of protection and evolved into use as a longer walking stick. Within the university, the mace was adopted as a symbol of the power of the academic quest for truth and wisdom. It was carried in academic processions not only to bring authority to ceremonial occasions, but also to emphasize the unity and aspirations of the collegial community. CRCDS ceremonial mace is a gift from the Sauvé Loriot family to honor the 200th Anniversary of CRCDS and the graduation of the second member of their family in the class of 2020. The mace is made from hand-carved white oak discovered at the former campus at 1100 S. Goodman, which was signed by F. Hunt and dated May 1931. Alan Estabrook and Eugene P. Loriot crafted the mace.

The Mace

Commencement Speaker

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Harvey

Associate Provost of Campus Equity and Inclusion at Drake University

The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Harvey is an award-winning author, educator and public speaker. Her work focuses on ethics and race, gender, sexuality, activism, spirituality and politics—with particular attention to how religion shows up in these dimensions of our shared social life. Her greatest passion and longtime work, however, persistently and pointedly return to racial justice and white anti-racism.

Dr. Harvey publishes in numerous academic and public outlets. Her essay Are We Raising Racists? spent nearly a week on the New York Times “ten most read pieces” list. She has written for CNN, Huffington Post, Sojourners on-line, The Conversation and countless other venues.

Dr. Harvey’s most recent books Raising White Kids and Dear White Christians take a decidedly practical turn. They bring Jen’s experience as an anti-racist activist and educator to bear on conversations about how white communities can more deeply support racial justice work being led by communities of color. She is also the author of Whiteness and Morality: Pursuing Racial Justice through Reparations and Sovereignty and a co-editor of Disrupting White Supremacy: White People on What We Need To Do.

Since Raising White Kids was published Jen has been interviewed by dozens of journalists and radio personalities. As our nation grapples with how to challenge and change white socialization to support anti-racist development in children and youth, Jen draws on her experience as both a seasoned activist and a parent to offer concrete and accessible models for doing so. Her work is rooted in evidence-based developmental theory, but also a relentless vision of a more just future in which all of us can flourish.

Jen has been a guest on Iowa Public Radio, numerous syndicated National Public Radio programs, Safe Space Radio among many others.

She is a highly sought after public speaker (and occasional preacher) who travels the country speaking and leading workshops. Jen can be found engaging folks in a variety of venues—among religious groups, in educational institutions or non-profits organizations, with activists and organizers—as communities wrest with real questions about the challenges to be faced and the frameworks necessary to create robust, sustainable, multi-racial solidarity for justice. Dr. Harvey serves as Professor of Religion and Faculty Director of the Crew Scholars Program—an academic excellence and leadership development program for students of color—at Drake University. She graduated from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York with a Ph.D. in Christian Social Ethics in 2004 and a Master of Divinity degree in 1998 and is ordained in the American Baptist Churches (USA).

She currently lives in Des Moines, Iowa with her generous partner, hilarious children and two very large and very, very beautiful dogs.

Class of 2023 Graduates

School for Christian Leadership Master of Divinity

Marchon S. Pouncy

Doctor of Ministry

Steven Paul Moore

Thesis: The Pathos of God: A Theology of Liberation for Those Who Struggle with Mental Illness

Brianna Renee Darling

John Eric Thompson

Thesis: Denominational Reconciliation in the English Reformation Tradition

AWARDS

THE GENE AND JEAN BARTLETT PREACHING PRIZE

Dr. Gene Bartlett, a 1935 alumnus, president, and pastor-in-residence of the (then) Colgate Rochester Divinity School/Bexley Hall/Crozer, was respected as one of the premier preachers of his time and was a beloved pastor to many. Dr. Bartlett preached in many of the nation's great pulpits and delivered lectureships at numerous theological schools, including the prestigious Lyman Beecher Lectures at Yale Divinity School.

Mrs. Jean Bartlett proclaimed the love of Christ and the justice and mercy of God with her life. She stood in the margins of life, advocating for the voiceless and witnessing to the right of all to be heard.

This prize is given in honor of these two individuals who have embodied the Word of God and proclaimed it in our midst and in our world.

THE THEODORE LOUIS TROST MEMORIAL PRIZE

Inaugurated in 1978, the Theodore Louis Trost Memorial Prize is awarded annually to a member of the graduating class. It is awarded by vote of the faculty to the graduating senior who exhibits unusual promise in becoming a faithful pastor, preacher, and parish minister. The prize bears the name of the late librarian under whose guidance the Ambrose Swasey Library was nurtured into a theological collection of international significance.

THE WINTHROP HUDSON SCHOLAR AWARD

The faculty of the divinity school occasionally designates a student as the Winthrop Hudson Scholar honoring Professor Winthrop Hudson, one of the most distinguished historians of American religious history and member of the divinity school faculty from 1947 to 1977. Students named Hudson Scholars are those who are qualified for doctoral study and a teaching ministry, or who choose to dedicate their academic excellence to pastoral ministry.

CRCDS Community

Governing Trustees

Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Cady, II

Rev. Dr. Michael J. Ford (CRCDS '12) - Chair

Mr. George Hamlin IV

The Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane (CRDS '78)

Dr. Carey C. Newman

Mr. Patrick R. ("Ricky") Pearce, Jr.

Rev. Thomas G. Poole, Ph.D. (CRDS ‘77) – Vice-Chair

Rev. Karen Rucks-Walker, Th.D.

Rev. Cheryl L. Price, Ph.D. (CRDS ‘85) – Secretary

Rev. Paul Vick (CRDS ‘71)

Kristin F. Zimar, Esq

Life Trustees

Rev. Margaret Cowden, Ph.D.

Rev. Larry W. Dobson (CTS ‘65)

Ms. Mary Ann Geib (CRDS ’64)

Mr. Preston T. Henderson

Mr. Jay T. Holmes

Mr. Jack F. Kraushaar

Ms. Gloria M. Langston

Annie Marie LeBarbour, Ph.D.

Rev. J. Wendall Mapson

Dr. James G. Miller

Ms. Virginia S. Pacala

Mr. Thomas S. Richards

Ms. Dorothy R. Tasker

Dr. Brian J. Thompson

Mr. Thomas A. Tupitza

Rev. Frank D. Tyson (CTS ’69)

Rev. Dr. W. Kenneth Williams (CRDS ‘76)

CRCDS Community

Rev. Angela D. Sims, Ph.D. President

Executive Leadership Team

Rev. Paula Blue Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Chief Operating Officer

Rev. Melanie A. Duguid-May, Ph.D. Interim Dean of Faculty and Professor of Theology

Kara C. Gilliard Interim Chief Financial Officer

Courtney Wiley-Harris, D.Min. Vice President for Institutional Advancement

CRCDS Community

Faculty

Jin Young Choi, Ph.D.

Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, Baptist Missionary Training School Professorial Chair in Biblical Studies

Kishundra D. King, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Black Religious Life and Thought

Rev. Cindy Rasmussen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Public Theology and Eco-Justice Director of the Program for Anglican Studies

Hilary Jerome Scarsella, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Ethics Director Gender, Sexual and Racial Justice

Rev. Shazetta Thompson-Hill, DMin. Faculty Affiliate Director of Strategic Planning Faculty Emeritus

Rev. Dr. H. Darrell Lance Professor of Old Testament 1965-1993

Rev. Gail A. Ricciuti, D.D. Associate Professor of Homiletics 1998-2016

Rev. John R. Tyson, Ph.D.

Professor of Church History & Director of Methodist Studies

2012-2022

Staff

Polly Bush

Director of Financial Aid and Enrollment Services

Lydia Crim Executive Administrator to the President and Office Manager

Patricia Finnerty Reference Librarian

Angelina Hoppough Staff Accountant

Qhamora Kimbrough Registrar and Coordinator of Financial Aid

Rev. Jacqueline J. Nelson Director for Student Support Services and Coordinator for Spiritual Care

David R. Riddell

Senior Director of Advancement and Communications

Rev. Damond A. Wilson (CRCDS ’19) Director of Recruitment and Alumni/ae Engagement