Payne Commencement Program 2016

123rd

Payne Theological Seminary

Commencement Ceremony 2016

Friday, May 20, 2016 7:00 p.m.

Xenia Nazarene Church 1204 W. Second Street, Xenia, Ohio

Salutations from the Board Chairman’s Word

Bishop Gregory G.M. Ingram Board Chairman

Dear Graduating Candidates, Your years of hard work and dedication toward your academic success have paid off. On behalf of the entire Payne Theological Seminary community, please accept my sincere congratulations on your graduation. I also thank you for choosing Payne. I know you have benefitted from your time here, and have been witness to the Seminary’s effort to advance as a premier destination for the best and brightest African American seminary students and scholars. Thank you for helping make Payne a better place to learn and to thrive. As you continue on your journey, know that you are always welcome here. Please be sure to join your fellow graduates, faculty, staff, family, friends at the reception in the lobby to celebrate your accomplishments after this evening’s commencement service.

Vice Chairman’s Word

Bishop McKinley Young Board Vice-Chairman

Dear Friends, First, I would like to salute all those who have made this graduation possible. The spouses, children, families and relatives. This is your accomplishment too. Congratulations and thank you! Second, the instructors, professors, administrators and staff. This graduation is a testimony of your achievement as educators, and mentors to our students.

Congratulations and thank you! I also want to thank the people who helped these graduates in many other ways. Your employers, your congregation, Payne students, and other people behind the scenes. You also made this possible. Last, but not least, I thank all 24 members of this graduating class for selecting Payne to receive your degree. With so many other choices, I am humbled that you chose this particular institution to further your education. Congratulations and thank you! As you prepare to further your ministry, please know that you will always have our support and prayers!

Board Leadership Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram Board Chairman Bishop McKinley Young Board Vice-Chairman Bishop William P. DeVeaux, Sr. Bishop John R. Bryant Bishop T. Larry Kirkland Bishop Jeffrey N. Leath Bishop Wilfred J. Messiah Bishop Zedekiah L. Grady, Emeritus Bishop C. Garnett Henning

Bishop Robert V. Webster, Emeritus Rev. Floyd W. Alexander Rev. Dr. Charles S. Brown* Rev. Dr. Eric L. Brown Rev. Dr. Grainger Browning Rev. Lucinda Burgess** Rev. Bruce L. Butcher Rev. E. Anne Henning Byfield Mrs. Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker Dr. Jeanette Prear Harris Rev. Dr. Perry Henderson

Rev. Dr. Winton Hill Ms. Cheryl Hammond Hopewell Mr. Claude Powers Judge Adele M. Riley Rev. W. Antoni Sinkfield Ms. Mia Wortham Spells, Esq. Rev. Dr. Donald Tucker Mr. Joseph Turner Rev. Dr. Albert D. Tyson III Rev. Dr. Stafford Wicker *Faculty Representative **Student Representative

Message from the President President’s Word

Welcome to the 123rd Commencement celebration of Payne Theological Seminary. This ceremony constitutes a special moment for our graduates, faculty, staff, trustees, and friends. Payne is proud to be training men and women of African descent to become professional practitioners of the Gospel in a world in need of a healing touch and liberating word.

Today, we celebrate the accomplishments of many. Some started on this journey

more than six years ago, taking a course here and there toward the degree

requirements before deciding to go “all in” to complete the Master of Divinity.

Rev. Michael Joseph

Others started around three years ago, diligently taking courses online and Brown, Ph.D.

intensives in Wilberforce, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and other places.

Academic Dean/Interim President

Still others have been among us less than three years. Through sheer

determination they all juggled courses, careers, home lives, and churches to reach this day.

Regretfully, we have lost some along the way. So today, shed tears of joy for those who arrived at this moment and sorrow for those who, instead of graduating, are part of the cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Everyone who walks across that stage today deserves to be proud. They are now part of an ancient and venerable order of scholars. Stretching back to the earliest centers of Christian thought, like Alexandria, there has been a consistent line of theologians who have engaged the faith, preached to the faithful, and defended both from outside danger. Our graduates today have joined that number.

I am proud to be the chief servant of this institution during this time. I would like to thank the leadership of the Board of Trustees, particularly Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram (Chair) and Bishop McKinley Young (ViceChair), for their sage advice and sober vision. I applaud our faculty, who have dedicated themselves to the betterment of our students. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to our staff, who keep this institution running day in and day out. They are the foot soldiers without whom none of this would be possible. They are the bricks and mortar of this proud institution. And I would like to thank our alumni, who continue to hold Payne Theological Seminary as dear in their hearts.

Cry. Sing. Shout! This is a day of celebration! This is a day of the Lord’s making! It is only right that all who share in this event rejoice. It is a day we have never seen before and one we will never experience again.

President’s Cabinet Dr. Michael Joseph Brown Academic Dean & Interim President

Dr. Betty Holley Faculty Representative

Rev. Brandon Stewart Chief of Staff

Ms. Elise Peyroux Controller

Dr. Michael Miller Associate Dean of Academic Services

Rev. Jules Dunham Howie Director of Development

Commencement Convocation Order of Service Dr. Michael Joseph Brown, Interim President / Academic Dean Presiding Organ Prelude Processional Hymn The Procession

“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” Rev. Dr. Betty Holley Faculty Marshall

Call to Celebration of Learning Rev. Dr. Michael Joseph Brown Leader: Let no one despise you; but be an example to the believers, in word, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

People: Till the Lord comes, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Leader: Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given to you by education, with the bestowal of this degree on this day.

People: Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them; that your abilities may appear to all.

Leader: Take care of yourself and your reputation; and to what you have been taught; continue in them: for in doing this you will both save yourself, and those that hear you.

Graduates: When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child. I thought as a child: but when I became an adult, I put away my childish ways.

Invocation Scripture Old Testament Epistle Gospel

Rev. Dr. Winton Hill Presiding Elder, First Episcopal District Rev. Dr. Charles Brown Distinguished Professor of Christian Ethics Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Rev. Dr. Albert Tyson, III Presiding Elder, Fourth Episcopal District 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Bishop Wilfred J. Messiah Presiding Prelate, Seventeenth Episcopal District Matthew 10:16-23

Selection

Bethel University Renaissance Choir, McKenzie, Tennessee

Greetings Bishop McKinley Young Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees, Presiding Prelate, Third Episcopal District

Mayor Marsha Bayless

Xenia, Ohio

Reverend Bruce Butcher President, Payne Alumni Association

Reverend Lucinda Burgess

President, Student Government Association Introduction of the Speaker Commencement Address Conferral of Honorary Degrees Presentation of Candidates

Bishop McKinley Young Presiding Prelate, Third Episcopal District Bishop McKinley Young Rev. Dr. Michael Joseph Brown

Senior Response Samantha Douglas-Lightner Payne Valedictorian Bible Presentation Presentation from Seniors Alumni Induction

Sharon Stapes Class of 2015 Rev. Bruce Butcher President, Payne Alumni Association

Awards & Scholarships

Dr. Michael Miller Associate Dean of Academic Services

Charge to the Graduates

Rev. Dr. Michael Joseph Brown

Recognition and Remarks

Bishop McKinley Young

Benediction

Bishop McKinley Young

Recessional

Rev. Dr. Betty Holley

Master of Divinity Candidates

Wayne Anthony Felicia Bagneris Dana Boykin Brenda Carter Deshnell Cobbin William Cornick Neisha Davis Carol Dougherty-Steptoe Samantha Douglas-Lightner William Fisher

Michelle Frayer James Givens

Audrey Greene Shawn Johnson Randolph Miller James Minor* Jacqueline Norris-Baker Miesha Osborne Linda Robinson Malcolm Simpson Veronica Watkins Wannetta Williams Mammie Woodbury Joretha Wright *posthumously

Awards & Scholarships

Edmund D. Cooke Sr. Scholarship Award: Laymah Cisco

The Peter and Heartha Kampen Memorial Scholarship for Academic Excellence: Lucinda Burgess The Donald W. Thompson Memorial Scholarship: Yolanda Tinsley Rev. and Mrs. Wesley E. Wharton Scholarship: Charles Flowers

The Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams and Dr. McDonald Williams Annual Scholarship in Memory of Rev. F. Douglass Coleman, Sr.: Sheila Evans-Tranumn The Rev. Cornelia Wright Memorial Scholarship: Michelle Creer

Dr. Larry and Inez Perry Award: Samantha Douglas-Lightner

THE FACULTY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE: Felicia Bagneris THE FACULTY AWARD FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Samantha Douglas-Lightner THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Phillip Turner

THE NATIONAL The Reverend Henry McNeal SCHOLARLY Brown Memorial Scholarship: ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Charles Flowers Rickey Curry

Senior Thesis Titles

Wayne Anthony The Corridor of Time: A Journey To and Beyond Current Location in African Methodism Felicia Bagneris Overcoming the Obesity Epidemic: Bringing Awareness to African American Church Leaders and their Congregations Concerning the Benefits of Adopting Healthy Eating Lifestyles Dana Boykin Unification of African Americans: Benefits of Agape Love and Trust Brenda Carter Church and Community Consider the Widows Deshell Cobbin The African Methodist Episcopal Church in the Thirteenth Episcopal District: The Catalyst for Reducing Crime in the African American Community William Cornick Boyz in the Hood to Men of Distinction: Our Moral Authority Through Faith and Justice in the African Methodist Episcopal Church Neisha Davis Disparities of Women in Ministry in the Macon Conference Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

Carol Dougherty-Steptoe Healing God’s Mouthpieces Through Spiritual Formation: Developing a Clergy Advocacy and Leadership Development Program for African American Clergy Samantha Douglas-Lightner The Devil is in the Details: The Vagueness of the African Methodist Episcopal Church’s Domestic Violence Policy William Fisher A Community Response to African American Recidivism: Sharing Information Through Technology Michelle Frayer Worship Wars on Sunday Morning: Traditional vs Contemporary

James Givens Bricks and Mortar, Body, Spirit and Mind: Using a Nehemian Model for the Building of the Visible and Invisible Church of Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church, Ft. Myers, FL Audrey Greene Police Brutality: A Reality in the African American Communities in the United States Shawn Johnson The Traditional Role of Women in the African American Baptist Church Randolph Miller Racial Tension vs Safe Sanctuary: 21st Century Battleground

James Minor Senior Care: Mind, Body and Spirit Jacqueline Norris-Baker Systemic Social Patriarchal “Rule of the Father” Negative Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Black Women in the Black Church Miesha Osborne The Exodus: A Call of Action to the Baltimore Annual Conference to Restore Black Pride in Baltimore City, Maryland Linda Robinson Let Justice Roll Down: Strengthening Social Justice Ministries Through Mentor/Mentee Relationships Malcolm Simpson Children Choosing a Life of Crime: The Church’s Response Veronica Watkins The Church’s Role in Politics: The Role of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Secular Politics in the 21st Century Wannetta Williams Single Mothers Raising African American Males to be Productive Citizens in the 21st Century Mammie Woodbury The Importance of Theological Education: A View Through the Great Commission Joretha Wright Caring for the Black Community: The Church’s Response to Obesity Among African American Women

Awards A cademic & Scholarships Regalia In the American Council on Education we learn that the origins of academic dress date back to the 12th and 13th ullab int aperio As ullab intwhen aperio berspid quasitia ullab intordinary aperio berspid centuries, universities were takingAs form.

The dress ofquasitia the scholar,As whether student or berspid teacher, quasitia was the dolorro eosam faciaectur sunt,and sita dolorro sita the dolorro eosam faciaectur sunt, sita minor dress of eosam a cleric.faciaectur With few sunt, exceptions, medieval scholar had taken at least orders, made certain vows, estiis maionse quiatisti idemodi estiis maionse quiatisti idemodi maionse quiatisti idemodi perhaps been tonsured.

Long gowns were worn and may have been necessary forestiis warmth in unheated buildings.

Hoods ciissi seem di to dolore, have served to cover thetaturei tonsured head superseded for that taturei purposeciissi by the skull cap.

A statute ciissi di until dolore, aligenecta di dolore, aligenecta taturei aligenecta of the University in 1321 required all “Doctors, Licentiates, Bachelors” wear gowns.

In England, doluptithat uribusam re porem etus and dolupti uribusam re porem etus dolupti uribusamofreCoimbra porem etus in theexsecond of the 14th century, the statutes of certain colleges forbade “excess and prescribed mos in exapparel” el ipid quibusda volupis mos el ipidhalf quibusda volupis mos ex el ipid quibusda volupis theant wearing a long gown.

In the days of VIIIvolorum of England, firstvolorum began prescribing di ant et eos eius aut a di et eos of volorum eius aut di Henry ant et eos eiusOxford aut and Cambridge definite academic dress and made it a matter of university control even to the extent of its minor details. eum qui sitatia quiatios minci eum qui sitatia quiatios minci eum qui sitatia quiatios minci untur aut adia ditistrum acestrum untur aut adia ditistrum acestrum untur aut adia ditistrum acestrum The assignment of colors to signify certain faculties was to be a much later development, and one which was to be eos magnis arum natur sandam eos magnis arum natur sandam eos magnis arum natur sandam standardized only in the United States in the late 19th century. White taken from the white fur trimming of the faccatem eumque untis ut faccatem eumque lam, untis ut faccatem eumque lam, untis ut Oxford and Cambridge BA hoods, was assigned to arts and letters. Red, one of the traditional colorslam, of the church, alibusdam optati alibusdam fuga. Luptam, optati went toalibusdam theology. fuga.

Green,Luptam, the color of medieval herbs, was adopted for medicine, optati and olive, becausefuga. it wasLuptam, so close to cupiciustio eicipsunt, occabo. cupiciustio eicipsunt, occabo. cupiciustio eicipsunt, occabo. green, was given to pharmacy. Golden yellow, standing for the wealth which scientific research has produced, was Busreligious comniendam, Bus comniendam, ulloraeI add restem Bus comniendam, restem assigned to the sciences. that in many institutions theullorae color for theology and studies ullorae is scarletrestem not cone pedis aut oditatur acestiur as cone pedis aut oditatur acestiur as cone pedis aut oditatur acestiur as red. Lemon is the color of library science. namus. namus. namus.

The hood colors worn by our faculty and other academics in our midst are in some instances variations on the color schemes just mentioned. For example, the green that in the ecological studies hood reflects the influence of the original concerns that contributed to the green of medicine. However, the hood color that sets one with a PhD apart from others with doctoral degrees is the dark blue called “PhD blue,” which is also the color of philosophy. Persons with a closely related academic degree, such as the ThD, will also have a similar dark blue foundation in their hoods.

There is greater variation in the professional DMin degree.

As ullab int aperio berspid quasitia As gowns. ullab int aperio berspid quasitiaBrown As ullab int aperio berspidofquasitia Many institutions have their own doctoral For example, Dr. Michael is wearing the maroon the dolorro eosam faciaectur sunt, sita dolorro eosam faciaectur sunt, sita dolorro eosam faciaectur sunt, University of Chicago, Dr. Charles Brown is wearing the Oxford red of Boston University, Dr. Michael Miller is sita estiis maionse quiatisti idemodi estiis maionse idemodi maionse quiatisti of idemodi wearing the purple of the Claremont Graduate School, quiatisti and Dr. Kevin Wardlaw isestiis wearing the cranberry the taturei ciissi di dolore, aligenecta taturei ciissi di dolore, aligenecta taturei ciissi di dolore, aligenecta Claremont School of Theology. These gowns will usually have the crest of the institutions on the institution on the dolupti uribusam re porem dolupti porem uribusam re porem etus front panel.

Look around andetus you will likely see uribusam distinctivere colors thatetus represent dolupti other academic institutions. mos ex el ipid quibusda volupis mos ex el ipid quibusda volupis mos ex el ipid quibusda volupis Turning to our graduates, of the cords being placed around the necks who have graduated di ant et eos volorum eiusplease aut take note di ant et eos volorum eius aut di ant of et those eos volorum eius aut with qui honors. eum sitatia quiatios minci eum qui sitatia quiatios minci eum qui sitatia quiatios minci 1) Cum (with honor) - one gold cord; untur autLaude adia ditistrum acestrum untur aut adia ditistrum acestrum untur aut adia ditistrum acestrum 2) Magna Laude great honor) – two gold cords; eos magnisCum arum natur(with sandam eos magnis arum natur sandam eos magnis arum natur sandam 3) Valedictorian cord.ut faccatem eumque- purple lam, untis faccatem eumque lam, untis ut faccatem eumque lam, untis ut This year no one has received the three gold tassels that represent Summa Cum Laude (with highest honor). optati alibusdam fuga.

Luptam, optati alibusdam fuga. Luptam, optati alibusdam fuga. Luptam, cupiciustio eicipsunt, occabo.

1 cupiciustio eicipsunt, occabo. cupiciustio eicipsunt, occabo.

For everything above, see http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/Historical-Overview-Academic-CostumeBus comniendam, ullorae restem Bus comniendam, ullorae restem Bus comniendam, ullorae restem Code.aspx cone pedis aut oditatur acestiur as cone pedis aut oditatur acestiur as cone pedis aut oditatur acestiur as namus. namus. namus.

Apiduci tasinvenihil mo molupta Apiduci tasinvenihil mo molupta Apiduci tasinvenihil mo molupta tibus, undit, odias incteces maion tibus, undit, odias incteces maion tibus, undit, odias incteces maion consed es maximpos debit, aliam, consed es maximpos debit, aliam, consed es maximpos debit, aliam, The faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees of Payne Theological Seminary would like to extend appreciation numquo te volorer eicillam, numquo te volorer eicillam, numquo te volorer eicillam, and gratitude the sequid Xenia Nazarene Church, their pastor, Rev. Mark Atherton, their staff and congregation for officie nitiam, to ulliae mil officie nitiam, ulliae sequid mil officie nitiam, ulliae sequid mil hosting our commencement ceremony.

Senior Thesis Titles

A Special Thanks