Campbell Divinity Magazine | December 2017

Sacred Stories Alumni, Danita Perkins, shares her story along with other active Divinity Alumni.

Sacred Stories

Christ-Centered | Bible-Based | Ministry-Focused WINTER 2018

DEAN’S NOTE

DIVINITY SCHOOL STAFF C. Lynn Brinkley

Director of Student Services and Alumni Relations

Summer Caniglia

Graduate Assistant for World Religions and Global Cultures Center

Elaine Dawson

Administrative Assistant for Academic and Student Services

Peter Donlon

T

he mission of Campbell University Divinity School is to be Christ-Centered, Bible-Based, and Ministry-Focused. This statement has defined Campbell University Divinity School since its founding, and the mission continues to define everything we do. It resonates with and permeates the lives of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and supporters.

In this inaugural issue of the new-and-improved Campbell Divinity Magazine, there could be no better focus than sacred stories of living out the mission. In these pages you will read about students and alumni who are living out the mission in the many different places that God has taken them. You will read about donors who embody the mission in their support of Campbell University Divinity School. You will see how the faculty live out the mission in their research and teaching, and the exciting new ways that we are celebrating the mission in our regional recruiting events, ThED talks, and the renewed vision of the Braswell World Religions and Global Cultures Center.

Director of Admissions

In Isaiah 43:19, God says, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Surely those words have a special emphasis for the Church today, as we experience a time of transition and change. In such times, we need stability but not stagnation, focus but also flexibility, a dependence on the past but also a determination for the future. This is the commitment of Campbell University Divinity School: to seek innovative and creative ways to live out our time-tested mission, training students, and supporting churches as together we follow this new path that God has laid out for us.

Muriel Lasater

Grace and peace,

Director of Church Relations & Development

Derek Hogan

Assistant Dean for Academic Programs & Assistant Professor of New Testament

Amber Johnson-Carter

Graduate Assistant for Church Relations and Development

Joyce Mashtare

Administrative Assistant to the Dean

Cynthia Murray

Admissions Assistant

Andrew Wakefield

Divinity School Dean & Professor of New Testament & Greek

Mattea Williams

Admissions Associate 2 FALL 2017

Andrew H. Wakefield Dean and Professor

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COVER STORY

4 FALL 2017

Danita Perkins 2017 Campbell University Outstanding Alumni Service Award Recipient

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ampbell University Divinity School currently has 698 alumni who are serving in 27 states and 8 countries around the world. Many of our alumni serve in churches as pastors, music ministers, Christian education directors, mission coordinators, youth ministers, and church planters. Others serve in ministry positions such as teaching, counseling, faith-based advocacy, nonprofit organizations, and chaplaincy. The Divinity School is proud of its many alumni and how they each uniquely live out the school’s mission. The stories of their lives and ministries capture the heart of who we are.

Danita’s story is a perfect example.

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Jason Duke Sometimes living out the mission takes a person in unexpected directions. Jason Duke (’05, MDiv ’08, JD ’15) began his journey as a history major at Campbell, completed a Master of Divinity degree, and then he and his wife, Lori (’05 PharmD) went to Turkey for two years as self-supported missionaries. On their return, Jason entered law school with the goal of providing a financial platform for further bivocational ministry and mission work. But God had yet another turn in the journey for Jason; after graduating with his Juris Doctor and passing the bar, Jason entered the Marines and now serves as a JAG officer.

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anita Perkins is a 2001 Campbell University Divinity School graduate where she earned her Master of Divinity degree with concentrations in Missions & Evangelism, Counseling & Chaplaincy. She was a charter member of the Divinity School, and in 2001, she became the school’s first African-American female graduate.

Brandon McLauchlin graduated from Campbell Divinity School in May 2017. Brandon is currently serving as the pastor of St. Charles AME Zion Church in Sparkill, NY. His young and charismatic spirit along with his contemporary preaching and teaching are what energizes his congregation and also attract younger members in the community. Brandon strives to answer faithfully the hard questions in life and to love God and love people while doing so.

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“It was an incredible, life-changing, and life-transforming experience," said Danita when asked about her Campbell Divinity experience. “The Divinity School has a wonderful balance between education and practicum and provides its students with some wonderful opportunities to experience ministry first-hand.”

Danita took an initial unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, where she says she was “bit” by the CPE bug. “Being present with people at the point of need and crisis is what gives me the sense of fulfillment,” Danita said. “It was the idea of the intimate stranger that really drew me in. I learned the idea of the sacred dance and my job as chaplain was to follow as the patient led.”

Prior to graduation, Danita completed a one year residency of CPE at Nash Health Care in Rocky Mount. It was at that point that she knew she had found her place in ministry.

Danita graduated from Campbell Divinity in 2001 and returned to her church ministry until she began working with Martin County Community Action in Williamston.

She entered training to become a CPE Supervisor, and in 2011, she opened a community-based training program for the Ray of Hope Community Development Corporation in Greenville. This program started with a community-based CPE program where four units of CPE were performed within the community.

After the program’s end in 2014, Danita accepted the position of hospital chaplain at Nash Health Care where she worked with her colleague, Rev. Richard Joyner, to develop her first hospital-based CPE training program that promised to provide ministry to the hospital as well as to the underserved community.

“I knew that there was a need for community clergy to be transformed by the

clinical method of learning, to learn how to be with someone in crisis and not feel the need to fix them, but to be with someone during those moments,” said Danita. “A lot of times, people need to be heard. And that is all they need in those moments.”

Danita generously gives back to Campbell Divinity School through her monetary support of the Letaz Jones and Danita Perkins Endowed Scholarship, awarded to African American students. (Letaz Jones was Campbell Divinity's first AfricanAmerican male graduate). She has also supervised five semesters of CPE at Nash Health Care and trained three of Campbell’s MDiv students.

During Campbell University’s 2017 homecoming festivities, Danita received the first annual Alumni Service Award for her ministry-focused leadership as a hospital chaplain.

Prior to attending Campbell, Danita served six years in the United States Army and the Colorado National Guard; served one year in the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America; and was employed for 14 years as a software engineer and computer programmer analyst. She earned her bachelor of science in education, specializing in elementary and special education, from Buffalo State University.

Danita credits her grandparents for her heart for service. “A lot of the love I have for service—the community, reconciliation, and diversity—is a family legacy,” says Danita. “My grandparents instilled in their grandchildren that love is unconditional. It didn’t matter how they were treated, what was most important was how they treated others.”

From infancy, Danita was encouraged to serve others. And that’s what she has done. From her grandparents, to her parents, and now to Danita, her family has left a beautiful legacy.

Dr. Al Meiburg, former Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Care, once told her that it was “through us, with us, by us, and even in spite of us, God can draw near to persons.

To know this is an inspiration, to feel it is great joy, to act upon it is our calling.” Danita has taken this quote with her throughout her ministry and these words inspire her ministry and her CPE program.

Danita believes that there is sacred work being done at Campbell University’s Divinity School and feels honored and blessed to have been a part of that.

Leslie Sessoms Two decades of ministry with one congregation is something to celebrate. But, for that ministry to be in the church in which you were raised as a child, and have remained part of throughout your life, is simply extraordinary. Twentyone years ago, Leslie Sessoms stepped into the position as youth director at Godwin Heights Baptist Church in Lumberton, NC, the church where she spent her early childhood playing in the nursery and worshipping with family. Ten years into her position, she decided to pursue a Master of Divinity at Campbell Divinity which gave new life and energy to her ministry. Leslie graduated with her MDiv in 2012.

She continues to faithfully serve as the youth minister for her home church and has made significant impacts on the lives of decades of youth, led countless mission trips, and has seen her church through many significant years of change and growth. Leslie is now pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree with Campbell Divinity School to further equip herself to meet the needs of her church, youth, and community.

— Elizabeth Edwards

Thank you for honoring “D” Perkins. I have known D and her ministry for nearly twenty years. We met when she was a CPE trainee enrolled at CUDS, and she is now a professional colleague. She is one of the most authentic human beings I have ever known, and she is truly dedicated to honoring God and loving people. The “Christ-centered—Bible-based— and Ministry-focused” theological education at Campbell was a perfect match for her calling. She is a woman of wisdom and spiritual depth, and she will teach many ministers a “more excellent way.”

— Dr. H. Mac Wallace Senior Professor for Pastoral Care D I V I NITY.CAMP BE LL.E D U

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THED TALKS

8 FALL 2017

ThED Talk Highlights “Can You Dig It? Join CUDs In Jezreel” Dr. Tony Cartledge The resident archaeologist of the Divinity School, Dr. Cartledge, walked people through Campbell’s involvement in the Jezreel Expedition. The Jezreel Expedition is an archaeological dig among ancient ruins in one of Israel’s most beautiful and fertile areas. Dr. Cartledge is offering a course on archaeology during the upcoming Spring 2018 term in preparation for an archaeological dig in June 2018 in Jezreel. Participants were encouraged to consider whether they would like to join a dig or contribute to a scholarship fund to help students experience such a rich opportunity for learning and growth.

“You Are Who You Drink: Milk and Character Formation in the New Testament” Dr. Alicia Myers Dr. Myers’ talk highlighted how ancient Mediterranean people understood “milk”—where it comes from, and how it is made by the body, as well as what it conveys to the one who drinks. She explained how individuals can use this information to look at a few passages that use these images in the NT, especially 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, but also 1 Cor. 3, Hebrews 5, and 1 Peter 2. This work came from her recently published book, Blessed Among Women?

Mothers and Motherhood in the New Testament (Oxford University Press, 2017).

Campbell Divinity ThED Talks Campbell University Divinity School is hitting the road, traveling around North Carolina offering a series of ThED Talks that will be on engaging topics related to theological education, presented by our outstanding faculty. These regional events will give the school the opportunity to connect to individuals who are not familiar with us, reconnect with those who are, and celebrate the exciting things going on in our community.

The first stop for the Campbell Divinity ThED Talks was the Raleigh Area. On November 5, 2017, the first ThED Talks event took place at the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law on Hillsborough D I V I NITY.CAMP BE LL.E D U

Street in downtown Raleigh. The event brought together Divinity School faculty, staff, alumni, and current students, as well as many Raleigh area ministers and residents.

Participants enjoyed a buffet lunch from Clyde Cooper’s BBQ and great opportunities for fellowship. Three of our faculty members presented on subjects at the forefront of their research and ministries. Faculty speakers included Dr. Tony Cartledge, Professor of Old Testament Studies, Dr. Alicia Myers, Assistant Professor of New Testament and Greek, and Dr. Mike Cogdill, Founding Dean and Professor of Pastoral Ministries and Church Leadership.

“Hearing and Responding to God’s Call” Dr. Mike Cogdill The identification and interpretation of God’s call have been considerations of God’s people throughout the ages. Dr. Cogdill’s ThED Talk focused on the dimensions of God’s call and insights about what we know about how and when God calls. Participants were challenged to discover how such insights related to their experience and call, as well as contemplate how God may be calling them now.

The second ThED Talk event will take place in the spring. Be on the lookout for more information about where and when it will take place. It could be coming to a city near you!

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

10 FALL 2017

Naomi Simmons

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first-year Divinity student, Naomi Simmons is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree which she intends to use to counsel and help God's people.

were some around Naomi who doubted her experience. They questioned the authenticity of her feelings and her encounter with the Holy Spirit.

Naomi's faith took root in her at a young age after reading a story about Noah and the ark with her grandmother. She started attending church, and ultimately accepted Jesus as her savior at a revival service when she was sixteen. After getting on her knees to confess her sins, Naomi felt as though the Lord raised her up. She stood up, and as she was thanking God for the way he was moving in her heart, she felt like she was floating on a cloud. She says it was an out of body experience. As she looked up, the lights on the ceiling looked like halos and were radiantly shining. She knew God had saved her.

“Regardless of what people think of your faith, it is between you and God," she said. "Everyone has their own way of interpreting salvation with God, but you have to make sure you know what is in your heart and what is happening between you and God. You can’t let people tell you that it’s not real.”

Overjoyed after this experience, Naomi rushed to tell everyone what had just happened to her. Even though this was an exciting time in her life, there D I V I NITY.CAMP BE LL.E D U

Throughout Naomi's adult life, she has always found a way to serve in the church while working as both a cosmetologist for 20 years and a government accountant.

She has served as an usher, deaconess, and mentor to young people. In addition to these areas of ministry, Naomi has felt particularly drawn to helping homebound senior adults. It brings her joy to be able to sit with them and simply spend time with them by listening and being the presence of Christ.

Over the years, God has used ministry in Naomi’s life to prepare her for the ministry she feels God is calling her to now: to pursue counseling. She wants to use her education to counsel from a biblical standpoint. Naomi desires to help others work through crisis and trials that arise in life. She believes that her work as a cosmetologist is one of the main experiences that has prepared her for this future ministry.

“All people want is for someone to acknowledge who they are. They want someone to see them and know that they matter in the world," she said. "I feel that my calling as a counselor is to let people know that they are not in this by themselves. I want to let people know that we can get through anything with God’s help.”

In doing so, Naomi is already living into her calling.

— Leah Whitt DIV INITY MAG AZ I N E 11

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

12 FALL 2017

Ryan Craddock

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arly in his life, faith made sense to Ryan Craddock mainly because of the influence of his parents, Bruce and Karen.

"What do you think life is about?" his father asked him.

"Down here is where we get our ticket, but the real prize is up there," Ryan responded.

His faith was instilled in him from a young age, especially through his father’s faith and love of scripture, and his mother’s consistent character.

Then the unthinkable happened. When Ryan was a junior in high school, his father received a liver cancer diagnosis.

Ryan saw the strongest man he knew begin to wither. But he also saw his dad grow spiritually, and throughout his sickness, his dad’s relationship and connection with God grew stronger.

life, grief struck again. Ryan’s girlfriend received a cancer diagnosis, eventually losing her battle with the disease.

When his dad passed away, Ryan started questioning why a tragedy like that happened to his family. It made him realize nothing was permanent in the world, and as he continued to search for answers, he tried to cope with his pain and grief by drinking alcohol.

He would write poetry to help him deal with and express his grief. Ryan describes his experience with grief as being engulfed in a flame that he could not blow out.

“I sought ways to change my state of despair, confusion, fear, and loneliness," he said.

Still searching for answers, Ryan graduated from college and had an opportunity to study the Bible in Texas.

He was hungry for knowledge, and he wanted to know God’s truth. He began studying with a missionary on leave from Papua New Guinea. As he studied and learned more about God’s truth and promises, Ryan made a decision to be baptized in September 1995.

Ryan felt a desire to gain a deeper understanding of the workings of the Holy Spirit. He began exploring a variety of churches in Texas. But at the time, Ryan claims he became more critical of the church than himself as he continued to struggle with his grief. This caused him to abandon church fellowship for a period of time.

As Ryan was continuing to search for answers regarding his dad, his place in the church, and the tragedies of his D I V I NITY.CAMP BE LL.E D U

“I searched the scriptures to find the sense in the suffering I couldn’t seem to shake," Ryan explained.

When his girlfriend passed away, Ryan decided it was time to make a change.

He decided to start dealing with his grief in a healthier, more satisfying way.

Ryan moved to Raleigh, NC, and began attending a grief share program in Wake Forest, NC. Through this process, he began to heal and realized that grief is normal and good. It was also during this time that Ryan was able to stop drinking alcohol.

Ryan soon felt a passion for helping those struggling with substance use disorders, especially those dealing with grief. He was able to open two sober houses in the Raleigh area in 2010. He says he knew that God was at work in his life, renewing him from the inside out through this work.

Ryan's work brought him to Dunn, NC to serve at the Beacon Rescue Mission. He became heavily involved in the life of his church, Union Community Church. He also opened his home up to people who were moving into recovery and people going into ministry.

As a member of Union Community Church, Ryan serves as an elder, and he helped to design and launch the church’s POD (prayer, outreach, discipleship) group where they equip people in their various ministry callings. He even crafted the congregation's vision statement: "Living in Christ, Loving each other, Blessing the world."

Through Ryan’s words and actions, it is clear to see that he has adopted this vision statement as his own.

All of these events and tragedies in Ryan’s life have led him to Campbell University Divinity School. Ryan’s passion for knowledge and understanding has encouraged him to pursue a Master of Divinity degree.

Along with his personal goals, Ryan also strives to equip neighborhood churches to be educational outposts. Ryan describes himself and his desires for his time at Campbell as follows: “humbled to the discipline of study, receiving expert instruction from those called to equip, growing in knowledge by exploring a variety of views and being shaped in Christian community to fulfill God’s call on my life.”

“If we as a church unite in service, even though we may not agree on the finer points of theology," he said, "if we can agree that we need to be a blessing to the world and to work together to do that, I think we will be the hands, feet, and light of Christ that we are called to be.”

— Leah Whitt

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14 FALL 2017

“DR. OLADIPO, WHAT DO YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT NIGERIA?” “ Poverty. Not just being around it, but being a part of it. My family had nothing, and I have learned that living in poverty shows you something about fully relying on God that cannot be substituted. I remember when I was 15: I was the leader of a club in my school and we were ordering sweatshirts. I could not pay the $2 to get my sweatshirt, and I was the leader of this club! On the day we placed our orders at school, my mother came into our classroom and dropped to her knees right in front of me. She had run 6 miles to bring me $2 she managed to gather. She was tired, she was crying, and she was broken. I told her there was no need for her to work so hard just for me! She answered, ‘Caleb, this is not for you. This is for your destiny.’”

World Religions and Global Cultures Center The Braswell World Religions and Global Cultures Center desires a world of peace and tranquility that can only be achieved through humility. Can we imagine a world without the tension caused by division in religions? In my wide imagination after the practicum class in the middle of October, I thought about a world without guns and weapons. I thought about a world without wars. I thought about a world without racism, human trafficking, or poverty. I thought about a world where all children are in schools. I thought about a world without a double standard, and where fairness and justice that are promoted and proclaimed by every religion reign. I thought about a world without refugees. I thought about a world as God intended and as Jesus taught throughout his ministry and in his last prayer in John’s Gospel.

The Center desires that kind of a world.

It is a world of rich fellowship and service with people of other faith traditions. It is a world that sees that when we cry and laugh together, we are one people. It is a world that feels that when we hold hands together, we are one body. When we celebrate victory over injustice together, we are one humanity. It is a world that sees that when D I V I NITY.CAMP BE LL.E D U

we eat together, we are one family, and when we are on the same journey, we are fellow sojourners. That imaginary world can be realized when we work together in humility.

It is quite possible that in our world today, one of the best ways to proclaim our own faith is by showing respect and dignity to those who do not believe as we do. When we recognize Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, the people of Baha’i Faith, and those who practice other religions as our companions and neighbors, we are indirectly proving the authenticity of our own path to the God of salvation.

The Center will sponsor an international conference on the 26th and 27th of July, 2018. The theme of our two-day conference is “Jesus in a Pluralistic Age,” and we will meet on our campus in Buies Creek, North

Carolina. The conference will attract ministers and church leaders of different denominations as well as leaders of nonChristian faith traditions. The purpose of this conference is for us to come together and talk about the roles of Jesus in our diverse faith traditions. Our goal is to promote mutual understanding, and we aspire to nurture one another through dialogue, insights, and symposia by eminent religious leaders.

— Caleb Oladipo Professor and Snellings Chair of Evangelism and Christian Missions Director of George W. and Joan O. Braswell World Religions and Global Cultures Center

The Center is delighted to welcome its new Graduate Assistant, Summer Caniglia. We employed Summer at the beginning of September. Summer joins The Center with a strong background in world religions and she brings a passion for mutual understanding in diverse religious communities. Summer will make important contributions to The Center, because she understands the strength of humility that fosters peace in world religions.

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16 FALL 2017

“ I could not have been more pleased when Campbell announced the establishment of the Divinity School in 1995. My wife Jo Ann and I had set aside a gift, small for some, but significant for us, that we gave the day the Divinity School was announced at the Baptist Building in Cary. We were excited and grateful that ministers coming along behind us would have the opportunity I didn’t have – to receive their graduate theological education at Campbell. We have continued that support through the years, and will do so in the future.”

—Mark E. Gaskins

Donor Spotlight Part of the Campbell Divinity family from the very beginning, Dr. and Mrs. Michael Cogdill have inspired and transformed an idea into reality through faithful service and as donors.

Establishing the Michael Glenn and Gail Brownd Cogdill Divinity Endowed Scholarship with three stipulations was a priority for their family when the Divinity School began. First, they wanted to help someone who studied religion as an undergraduate student and wanted to pursue graduate theological education.

Second, they wanted the scholarship to last until Jesus returns. And third, they wanted to honor their commitment to the Divinity School's mission statement to be Christ-Centered, Bible-Based and MinistryFocused.

Tremendous energy surrounded the Divinity School during its early days.

Opening a year early, receiving ATS accreditation earlier than expected, and recruiting a fine faculty and staff sparked the momentum of the school. People were excited for what was happening at Campbell University Divinity School.

The perseverance, dedication and passion of Dr. and Mrs. Michael Cogdill, Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Powers, Dr. Jerry Wallace and Dr. Norman Wiggins is still evident on campus today. The sense of community and family that filled the late night meetings leading up to the start of the Divinity School is the same sense of community and family that courses through the halls and classrooms now.

The Cogdills are proud that students remain the center and focus of the Divinity School.

Scholarships like the one they created have been able to reinforce this notion and help students feel welcomed, accepted, affirmed, and loved as they pursue graduate theological education.

Those involved with and impacted by Campbell Divinity School can see the fruits of the Cogdills' labor and financial support.

The legacy they have made, and the impact they have had will continue to live on in the lives of all who call this place home.

— Leah Whitt

“ A number of years ago our friends Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Powers told us about Campbell Divinity School and its needs. My husband and I thought we would like to help support the Divinity School where Bruce taught.

For a number of years, we just made donations to the school. Then Bruce suggested we create a scholarship that would help international students.

Since my husband and I have worked overseas a lot, this idea appealed to us.

Since our parents were very interested in missions, we named the scholarship after them.”

—Mary-Paxton Colley

“ My wife, Jean Sidlo, who received her Master’s degree in Christian Education from the Divinity School in 2006 at the age of 57, was a kind, caring, and generous person to everyone. Earlier she had been a nurse, but eventually felt that she could do even more with her life. One of Jean’s outstanding attributes was that she didn’t merely announce her faith, she lived it in her service to others as a teacher, a caregiver, a mother, a grandmother, and as my wife and companion. My gifts to the Divinity School are in Jean’s memory because they will help others in the same caring and generous ways that she did.”

—Sid Sidlo

The Campbell University Divinity School welcomed the newest class of master and doctoral level students at the annual fall Commissioning Service on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. Each student received a Celtic cross lapel pin to signify his/her membership in the Divinity community, as well as the affirmation of their call to ministry.

If you are interested in supporting Campbell Divinity students and programs, please contact Peter Donlon at pdonlon@campbell. edu or (800) 334-4111, ext. 1847, or visit divinity.campbell.edu/church-relations/ support.

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2017-2018 SALT TEAM (Left to right)

Ronald Williams

Lives in Raleigh, NC Serves at Cary First Christian Church Minister of Music

Carolyn Andersen

Lives in Angier, NC Serves at Wesley Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church Local preacher

Micayla Mitchell

Lives in Lillington, NC Serves in Student Leadership with Campbell University

Donna Burgan

Lives in Magnolia, NC Serves at Kenansville Baptist Church Ministry Leadership team, Personnel Committee, Stewardship Chair and Youth Sunday School teacher

SALT Team

The Student Advisory Leadership Team (SALT) represents and promotes student interests in the decision-making process of Campbell University Divinity School, by cultivating and maintaining leadership among the students. The mission of SALT is “to partner with faculty and staff to offer ministry to the students and families of the Divinity School through fellowship, encouragement, and support.” SALT plans and hosts student fellowship events throughout the school year and works to facilitate student ministry-focused projects!

Rebekah Gordon

Lives in Raleigh, NC Serves at Trinity Baptist Church Student Ministry Associate

Lonnie Horne

Lives in Fayetteville, NC Serves as Pastor at New Covenant Christian Center in Raeford

Michael Sizemore

Lives in Fuquay-Varina, NC Serves as Hayes Barton Baptist Church Student Ministry Intern

Charlie Price

Lives in Erwin, NC Pastor of Jonesboro Baptist Church, serving in a bi-vocational role since October 2017

Taylor Cup Competition

The Taylor Cup is a longstanding tradition at Campbell University. This is a fun recreational event between the Divinity School and the undergraduate Christian Studies Department each semester, when students from both programs look forward to challenging one another in various recreational activities. Past activities included flag football, softball, frisbee, kickball, and various relay races. A trophy is presented to the winning department each semester. Our fall 2017 Taylor Cup kickball game was won by the Divinity School students, who were able to claim the Taylor Cup trophy back from the Christian Studies Department who won the event in spring 2017. This event is a great time of fellowship, food, and fun between students, faculty and staff, family members, and pets.

Alumni Updates Lane Bass (2016) accepted the senior

pastor position at Murfreesboro Baptist.

Jason Duke (2008) was promoted to First Lieutenant in the Marine Corp in December 2017.

Kim Holley (2015) accepted the call to be

Senior Pastor at Flora First Christian Church in Flora, Indiana. Her first day was Oct. 8, 2017.

Marcus McClellan (2015) is the new

Director of Youth Ministries at Apex UMC.He and his wife, Samantha, are expecting their second child in March 2018.

18 FALL 2017

Joey Medlin (2005) is serving as the

pastor of Hokuloa United Church of Christ in Puako, Hawaii.

Andrew Tatum (2011) was ordained at

Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh on April 30, 2017.

Dr. Denise and Roy Thagard (2007)

have been called to minister to the Muslim Fulani people group in Central African Republic (CAR), a semi-nomadic cattle herding people, suffering from extreme poverty and hunger. Denise, DVM, will design programs to educate and develop livestock

management practices while Roy will help advise agricultural practices on a research farm and to many villages in the community.

Pray also for the Fulani, that their physical needs will be met and they will believe in a loving God who cares for them.

Genetta Williams (2015) was ordained October 22, 2017 at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Fayetteville.

Faculty Updates Tony Cartledge

Cameron Jorgenson

• Five Scrolls For All Time: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. Nurturing Faith, 2017 • Weekly curriculum writer for Nurturing Faith Journal and Bible Studies • Leader of the Divinity School’s first archaeological dig expedition, to Jezreel, June 2018

• Winter Bible Study, First Baptist Church, Albemarle, NC, February 11 & 18, 2018: "Faith and Film: Encountering 'Reel' Spirituality" • Ministers’ Health Summit, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, June 7, 2018

Mike Cogdill • It's Worth a Life: Hearing and Responding to God's Call. Nurturing Faith, 2017 • Interim Pastor, First Baptist Church, Wilson, NC

Larry Dickens • Minister of Music, Hayes Barton Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC. Services are broadcast every Sunday on Fox50 live at 11:00 am.

Lydia Hoyle

Alicia Myers

Recent and upcoming publications: • Blessed Among Women? Mothers and Motherhood in the New Testament.

Oxford University Press, 2017.

• "Just Opponents? Ambiguity, Empathy, and the Jews in the Gospel of John."

Pages 195-212 in Johannine Ethics: The Moral World of the Gospels and Epistles of John. Edited by Sherri Brown and Christopher Skinner. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2017 • “Jesus the Son of God: The Life-Making Logos,” in Portraits of Jesus in the Gospel of John. Edited by Craig Koester. Library of New Testament Studies. Bloomsbury/ T&T Clark, 2018.

Presider and Organizer: “Anatomies of Johannine Rhetoric: Perspectives on John 10” • National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion, Regional Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 2, 2018: President of Southeastern Region and participant in panel focused on recent book, Blessed Among Women?

Mothers and Motherhood in the New Testament.

Caleb Oladipo • Pastors and Ministers Conference of the Union Missionary Baptist Association, Second Missionary Baptist Church, Fayetteville, NC, November 16-17, 2017: Presentation, “Chaotic Times Deserve Relevant Teaching” • Advent and Global Mission speaker, First Baptist Church, Elkin, NC, December 3, 2017

Andy Wakefield

Recent and upcoming presentations: • Society of Biblical Studies Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov 18-21, 2017: Co-Chair of Johannine Literature Section and Panel

• Interim Pastor, Benson Baptist Church, Benson, NC • Baptist General Association of Virginia Annual Meeting, Hampton, VA, November 13-15, 2017: Breakout Session, “Conflict and Communication: Opportunities for Growth”

February 6, 2018

March 18, 2018

April 6, 2018

Spring Commissioning Service 10:30 a.m.

A time of worship and celebration of the call of new students as they enter into graduate theological education.

Overture Music Conference First Baptist Church, Clinton A one-day intensive music conference that seeks to provide training and resources for worship leaders, choir directors, accompanists, and all other music lovers.

Doctor of Ministry Open House Ministers can come, meet with faculty and students, and learn how a Doctor of Ministry degree can take their ministries to the next level.

• Annual Anniversary speaker, First Baptist Church, Hillsborough, NC, November 19, 2017

Barry Jones • Interim Pastor, Forest Hills Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC

Upcoming Events

Master-level Visitation Day Experience Campbell Divinity and see what it would be like to be a student in one of our master-level programs. Join us for worship, informational sessions, community fellowship and class.

February 15, 2018 Scholarship Donor Appreciation Lunch Scholarship donors of the Divinity School will gather with student recipients to get to know one another and show appreciation for donors’ gifts and stories.

February 17, 2018 Segue A one day, high-energy event for youth choirs who are transitioning to the next level of ministry.

D I V I NITY.CAMP BE LL.E D U

March 19-20, 2018 The James C. Cammack Institute of Preaching Lectures The guest lecturer will be Dr. Joel C. Gregory, George W. Truett Endowed Chair in Preaching and Evangelism, George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University.

March 27, 2018 Master-level Visitation Day Experience Campbell Divinity and see what it would be like to be a student in one of our master-level programs. Join us for worship, informational sessions, community fellowship and class.

May 11, 2018 Campbell University Divinity School Graduation and Hooding Service 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m D. Rich Memorial Hall – Turner Auditorium

June 7, 2018 Ministers’ Health Summit A one-day retreat that promotes wellness, self-care, and education for minsters, and offers ideas to promote healthy lifestyle habits for the people they serve.

DIV INITY MAG AZ I N E 19

Divinity School Post Office Drawer 4050 Buies Creek, NC 27506

divinity.campbell.edu