Aware Magazine | April 2019

AWARE magazine

April 2019

GARRETT-EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY GOES “GREENER” PAGE 6

AWARE

Aware is published quarterly by

the offices of development and marketing and communications for alums and friends of GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church.

PRESIDENT Lallene J. Rector EDITORIAL BOARD Ceciley Akins Mary Bowmann Arents Katharine Duke Joseph R. Emmick Krista J. McNeil Shane A. Nichols Tasha N. Sargent PHOTOGRAPHY Bill Burlingham of Burlingham Productions Shane A. Nichols

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Garrett Founded in 1853, the seminary serves more than 450 students from many denominations and various cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. GarrettEvangelical creates bold leaders through master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy, and doctor of ministry degrees. Its 4,500 living alumni serve church and society around the world.

2121 Sheridan Road | Evanston, Illinois 1.800.SEMINARY | Garrett.edu

APRIL 2019 The 2019 Special Session of the General Conference 3 | Presidential Perspective: Making Haste, Slowly 4 | Cutting Edges: “Upheavals of Thought” and Remembering the General Conference

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Goes “Greener” 6 | The Seminary, Communities of Faith, and Ecological Regeneration 8 | Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Continues Its Greening Journey 9 | Meet Audra Hudson 10 | Trustee Robert Phillips Backs Seminary’s Commitment to Ecological Justice and Environmental Sustainability 12 | Meet Josh Richardson 13 | Investing in Ecological Renewal for the Church, the Academy, and the World

Our People 14 | Meet Mary Bowmann Arents, New Director of Alum Relations and Annual Giving 16 | Taurean J. Webb Named Director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience and Instructor of Religion and Race 17 | Forthcoming Anthology to Commemorate Garrett Black Seminarians and the Creation of CBE 18 | Remembering Margaret C. Hallen and Richard D. Tholin 19 | Alum News and In Memoriam

PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE: MAKING HASTE, SLOWLY As I reflect upon Garrett-Evangelical’s place in the wake of the 2019 United Methodist General Conference, the words of Dan Aleshire come to mind.

Dan is the former CEO of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). I listened to many of his addresses over the long term of his service to ATS, and the theme of one of those in 2008 has stayed with me. Perhaps it persists because it was so cleverly rendered in an application to our work in theological education: “Making haste – slowly.” If it were not already enough to respond to the familiar challenges and opportunities facing our theological schools, most of our United Methodist graduate schools are facing an additional challenge now — perhaps even a crisis. I refer to the implications of our strong disagreement with the decisions of the global UMC to retain exclusionary language in the Book of Discipline regarding our LGBTQIA+ siblings.

I have spoken in our chapel and most recently in our annual Town Hall of “staying the course,” but I have not been entirely clear about my intention for the fuller meaning of that phrase. It does not mean continuing to do exactly what we have been doing, waiting to see what will happen. There are urgencies — yes, plural — that we must face now: 1) the nature of our relationship to the post2019 General Conference church and how we will best support young persons and/or LGBTQIA+ called to many different forms of Christian leadership, and 2) the impact our society and its significant cultural and religious changes, particularly in this country, will have.

Most of us do not much care for urgency. It suggests change when we are more comfortable with what is familiar. It makes us anxious, recalcitrant, and desiring nothing more than to dig in our heels believing

change is not necessary. We argue against it and resist.

There is wisdom in our faith on these matters: be awake, keep watch, turn away from sleep at critical moments . . . be ready to take action now; hurry, but do it deliberately and in a considered way. Act in faith, but act. Better yet, be proactive and prepared. Make haste, slowly.

And so, “staying the course” must mean that we are listening and informed, that we are participating where we see the movement of the Holy Spirit, that we are prayerfully discerning the new thing God is doing, and then finding ways to be responsive to the continuing and refreshing call of God in people’s lives. Our foundational criteria must be the love of God and love of all neighbors, working together toward the transformation of the world in and through the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Lallene J. Rector, President

And so, at Garrett-Evangelical, we continue to look ahead with joy to the opportunities for new life and to new opportunities for educating and equipping those who are receiving God’s call upon their lives. We continue to discern the activity of God in our midst so that we may be true colaborers with our Creator. With the support of our Board of Trustees and our seminary community, we are claiming the urgency of our context and taking concrete action at the seminary to make haste, slowly in the direction of a “new thing.”

Be in touch with your thoughts and ideas. We covet your prayers, and we give thanks to God for the transformative impact GarrettEvangelical alumni are making all around the world!

AWARE MAGAZINE | GENERAL CONFERENCE 3

CUTTING EDGES: “UPHEAVALS OF THOUGHT” AND REMEMBERING THE GENERAL CONFERENCE DR. BARRY E. BRYANT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNITED METHODIST AND WESLEYAN STUDIES As I have tried to express my reaction to the General Conference in St. Louis, I have turned to the use of metaphor. This is what people often do as they fumble and stammer to find the words to express an experience. I have heard several people resort to metaphor. “It was like watching a married couple who has been together for 50 years finally decide to call it quits because of ‘irreconcilable differences,’ complete with a division of property.” “It was like watching the slow death of a family member, while some argued over who would get the house when she died.” One metaphorical comparison cut closer to the quick: “It was like being disowned by my family and being told I would never be welcome at a family gathering again.”

The power of metaphor is its ability to connect what we know and the new, the familiar and the novel. It forms a bridge between common experiences and shared emotion to something new, inexplicable, and even alien. Some have argued that all theology is ultimately metaphorical in nature because we can only talk about God by using them.

What these metaphors all have in common are the many and varied emotions they provoke and convey. These feelings and emotions are just as essential to how we know what we know as reason and rationality are. This connection between emotion and knowing is what Marcel Proust and Martha Nussbaum have described as “upheavals of thought.” Emotions are not irrational but are suffused with intelligence as well as a source of awareness and understanding. Emotions cannot be sidelined by our theology or ethical judgment but must be incorporated into doing theology and ethical reasoning.

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As Nussbaum puts it: “Emotions shape the landscape of our mental and social lives. Like the ‘geological upheavals’ a traveler might discover in a landscape where recently only a flat plane could be seen, they mark our lives as uneven, uncertain, and prone to reversal.”

General Conference was indeed an emotional experience and will be remembered as an “upheavals of thought,” forever jutting up like a mountain range on the horizon of our memories and shaped by personal emotional experiences. For many, these upheavals of thought have taken a stand in the twilight of transition from light to darkness, from the hope held in resurrection to a sudden sense of questioning loss. It is a mountain that arose in contours cut, shaped, and hewn by feelings of sorrow, anger, love, grief, rage, confusion, rejection, and uncertainty.

These are feelings inspired by the thought of damages that cut to our own hearts and the heart of Christ’s Church, our relationships to one another as members of the body of Christ, our place of baptism and belonging.

They are all feelings and emotions that should be named and owned because only in naming and owning them may we realize the value of what was lost or what might be gained. Regardless of what happens in the future, the church we once knew will exist no more. The United Methodist Church has become The Untied Methodist Church. We will realize the significance of this by what we have attached to the emotional experiences of General Conference.

There is no point to disowning or even suppressing the emotions attached to General Conference. They must be embraced and will be necessary to imagining what the church should look like as we think theologically about the emotions related

to General Conference. Whatever we may think about the nature of the church will be incomplete without these “upheavals of thought.” Emotions help us in the valuation of experience and are an intelligent response to our perception of the church’s value and our own value, both to God and the church. The experience of General Conference demands that we deal with the messiness and confusion around our feelings of love and grief, faith and fear. This is not to say our emotions should occupy a privileged place or to consider them beyond the scrutiny of reason itself. It is to say emotions are essential to our humanity and should be taken into consideration as important to our flourishing and even our theology.

So how might we reflect on General Conference as an experience of the “upheavals of thought?” First, think about the metaphors you might use to describe and communicate your experience of General Conference.

Where does that metaphor come from and what in your life experience makes that metaphor work for you? How does it connect to the experience of General Conference?

How does it help you to understand that experience?

What does the metaphor say about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the church?

Secondly, what is the emotional content of the metaphor? That is, what emotions are conveyed in it?

Make a list of them. Emotions are usually formed around life events. So what are those events that are attached to the emotion in your life?

Thirdly, emotional health is essential to human wellbeing, and this means thoughtful and careful analysis of these emotions as a way of attaining this well-being.

Reasonable reflection on an emotional experience will provide us clues as to what is constitutive to our thriving as human beings. What do you need to thrive as a child of God, or to put it another way, what is essential to your being renewed in the image of God? Finally, how might the experience be reflected on theologically? Here are three questions to guide you: What does this experience say about God? What does this experience say about human beings? What does this say about the relationship between God and human beings?

Students, alums, trustees, administration, and faculty of Garrett-Evangelical were all present at the Special Session of the General Conference, held in St. Louis, Missouri. Students participated in numerous ways, including being part of a denominational travel course, participating in worship of the General Conference, and being members of the student group Sacred Worth.

Indeed, General Conference was an emotional experience for many people and will remain as a mountain range shaped by the “upheavals of thought.” Embrace it. Reflect on it. And allow it to be a part of who you are.

AWARE MAGAZINE | GENERAL CONFERENCE 5

THE SEMINARY, COMMUNITIES OF FAITH, AND ECOLOGICAL REGENERATION There seems to be a lot happening at the seminary around ecological sustainability and justice. Why has Garrett-Evangelical made a commitment to the environment a priority?

Rev. Dr. Timothy Eberhart is assistant professor of theology and ecology and director of the master of arts in public ministry program. He teaches courses in theology and ethics with a particular focus on Christian doctrine, ecology, and political economy.

At the most basic level, I’d say that a commitment to caring for creation is intimately connected to the central mark of Christian discipleship, which is loving God with one’s whole life and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. I don’t believe you can say you truly love God while neglecting God’s creation, while ignoring the mystery, beauty, and rich diversity of creaturely life and all that sustains life. To affirm with the scriptures that God is Creator necessarily calls for a basic reverence and respect for all that God has brought into being and called good. Similarly, we know that human life is sustained in and through intricate webs of soil, water, air, minerals, plants, animals, and more, and that to do harm to these interconnected webs is to do harm to human beings as well. And so, it also doesn’t make sense to say you love your neighbor, near or far, while undermining the very conditions upon which your neighbor’s life depends.

Of course, the hard truth is that we are living in an age of immense ecological degradation and injustice.

Whether one looks at the realities of climate change, biodiversity loss, or environmental pollution in any number of forms, it’s clear that the capacity of the good earth to sustain life, human or otherwise, is profoundly threatened. And at the moment, it is those already suffering

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under the burdens of injustice and inequity who have been and are suffering the worst effects — the world’s poor from so-called under-developed nations and rural communities and those whose skin colors are darker hued, including indigenous peoples, women, children, and the elderly.

All of this has enormous implications for the shape of religious education and formation. What does it look like to lead worship and preach about divine will in communities impacted by unprecedented flooding, wildfires, or other disasters? How do you offer pastoral care and counseling to climate refugees? What is the meaning of hope, of repentance, of conversion, of doing justice amidst what some scientists are calling the sixth great extinction event?

We think it would be irresponsible as a seminary not to be wrestling with such questions and not to be responding faithfully with resources from the Christian tradition.

Could you say more about the role of religious communities in relation to the broader environmental movement?

What’s interesting here is the growing number of those in the scientific community who are looking to the world’s religious traditions for moral leadership on issues of global environmental concern. It’s one thing to gather and interpret information about the state of the biosphere. It’s another to inspire people around a vision of the common good, to tap into deep motivations for personal and social change, and to mobilize communities for widespread collective

action. And just to be clear — that is what we need to do, as quickly and effectively and on as large a scale as possible.

sexism. I believe this intersectional and integrative approach makes what we’re doing in the concentration unique in theological education today.

At the same time, those of us who are stewards of a particular religious tradition bear the responsibility of examining how we’ve contributed to the ecological crises we’re facing. For Christians, that means interrogating our most basic beliefs about God’s relationship to the world, about the meaning of salvation, about what it means to be created in the image of God, and about the nature of following Jesus and walking in the Spirit. There are many ways in which Christian beliefs have led people to turn away from the earth and to disregard the sacredness of this earthly life.

But we’re also responsible for helping to emphasize the earthaffirming nature of the scriptures and Christian faith — for example, the divine pronouncement of the goodness of creation, the incarnation of God with us in the earthly body of Jesus, and the resurrection of Jesus as the first fruits of a new creation.

This is the kind of theological work we’re doing in our new concentration in ecological regeneration.

I also want to say something about the word “regeneration,” which is a term growing

in significance in the environmental movement to describe concepts like regenerative agriculture, regenerative cultures, or regenerative economics.

What’s being affirmed here is the need to move beyond the category of sustainability, and even resilience, to claim the importance of actively participating in the restorative healing of landscapes and watersheds and natural systems.

Regeneration is also a theological term. In fact, it’s central to the Wesleyan-Methodist tradition and communicates the assurance that God is capable of bringing about new life and new possibilities even amidst the very worst of our sins that lead to death. We very much need that kind of radical hope today.

Tell me about the concentration.

What’s involved?

The concentration in ecological regeneration is available to students in several of our degree programs, including the new master of arts in public ministry. The curriculum is organized around a set of core courses in theology, ethics, and the practice of ministry. These courses include everything from engaging in the critical and constructive doctrinal work I was just describing to learning about regenerative practices like permaculture design to practicing methods of community organizing for environmental justice. Throughout the concentration, students are also making connections between addressing ecological degradation and confronting other forms of injustice like racism, poverty, and

Finally, tell me about the Hope for Creation Fund.

The aim of the Hope for Creation Fund is to support the institutional structures needed to amplify the work we’ve begun in doing our part to heal God’s threatened creation, to raise up wise and effective leaders for regenerative ministry, and to ensure that GarrettEvangelical continues to be a leader in the Chicago area, Midwest region, and around the world in faithfully responding to the fullness of the Gospel.

We believe in the importance of this work, but we’re going to need everyone’s support.

I would encourage everyone to go the seminary’s website — Garrett.edu/GoGreen — to learn more about the Hope for Creation Fund. In addition, I would welcome the opportunity to engage further with our readers about the seminary’s commitment to ecological sustainability and justice.

AWARE MAGAZINE | GOING “GREENER” 7

GARRETT-EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY CONTINUES ITS GREENING JOURNEY sustain GETS

As a way to empower students, faculty, and staff to be good stewards of the earth and its resources, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary created sustainGETS, a student-run group with administrative oversight.

Now in its second year, sustainGETS has launched several new initiatives and is guiding the seminary through a threeyear environmental certification program, sponsored by the Green Seminary Initiative.

“The Green Seminary Initiative (GSI) is a partnership between Green Faith and Drew Theological School that encourages schools of theology to integrate ecological perspectives and sustainable practices in all areas of the seminary,” explained Liz Lwanga (G-ETS 2017), executive assistant to the president and administrator of sustainGETS. “One of the ways that GSI achieves this is through its environmental certification program.”

“The point of the certification is to help us incorporate an ethic and ethos of sustainability and environmental mindfulness into every aspect in the seminary’s life,” Lwanga continued. “And this program also provides us with a structure and a way to communicate with other seminaries that are also 8 AWARE MAGAZINE | APRIL 2019

ENTERS ITS SECOND YEAR

going through this process.”

Last year, Garrett-Evangelical followed the process, assessed all areas of the seminary, and came up with an action plan. This year, sustainGETS has launched several new initiatives. They include: • A carbon offsetting plan — The seminary will allocate financial resources toward a fund reserved for carbon reducing projects around its building and grounds.

• A composting and waste program — In an effort to reduce its waste 25 percent to meet the certification standard, Garrett-Evangelical has started composting at the seminary’s weekly Community Meal. It has been so successful that the seminary expanded this program to one of its apartment buildings.

• K-cup recycling — The seminary started working with Grounds to Grow On (groundstogrowon. com) last summer to recycle k-cups and reduce waste. So far, the seminary has recycled almost 65 pounds of k-cups through this program.

• An interfaith climate summit — Garrett-Evangelical cosponsored an interfaith climate summit with Northwestern

University and the City of Evanston. This summit was a way to bring together faith leaders in Evanston to talk about the city’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan and what houses of worship can do to affect climate change.

• A bike pop-up station on Sheridan Road during Earth Week — Volunteers from Garrett-Evangelical helped Northwestern University Police register more than 40 bicycles.

A local bike shop also provided inspections and adjustments for passing cyclists.

• Two chapel services — The week before Easter, Garrett-Evangelical students conducted a chapel service using funeral liturgy to reflect and lament over the suffering caused by humanity’s relationship with non-human creation. During the week of Easter, the students conducted a second service around hope and resurrection to symbolize what they can do moving forward to be better stewards.

Lwanga said she is excited about the progress sustainGETS has made in the last year and looks forward to more progress. “It is truly evident that small steps add up over time and create a big impact, especially when done in community,” she said.

MEET AUDRA HUDSON While working for the General Board of Global Ministries as a global mission fellow, Audra Hudson decided she wanted to go to seminary. She found her work as an immigrant and refugee justice community organizer fulfilling, but she realized she needed more education.

“I recognized that although I loved working with faith communities and doing community organizing, I lacked some theological training that would help me do that work better,” she explained.

Audra Hudson, originally from Michigan, is a first-year master of public ministry student and sustatinGETS associate.

Choosing a seminary wasn’t hard for Hudson. When she heard about Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary’s new master of arts in public ministry program, she knew she had found exactly what she wanted — a seminary that affirms both ordained and public ministry.

“I could have pursued master of divinity degrees at many different schools, but this new program really intrigued me,” said Hudson, who did her undergraduate work in political science and religion at Kalamazoo College.

“I came from a background of political science and thinking about power and justice from a more theoretical perspective,” she said. “What I really appreciate about this program is that it merges the theoretical approaches to justice with theological approaches to justice.”

This fall, she started classes in the public ministry program, and in addition to taking foundational courses, she has chosen to pursue a concentration in ecological regeneration. “I decided to choose that concentration because I see that our world is in a climate crisis, and I believe that the church has something important to say in this time of crisis,” she said.

While in seminary, Hudson is working as a sustainGETS associate. She and Josh Richardson (see page 12) are helping Garrett-Evangelical work toward its Green Seminary Initiative Certification. Their work includes everything from thinking about infrastructure improvements at Garrett-Evangelical to cultivating a community that thinks more intentionally about creation care.

For example, Hudson has been working on a carbon offsetting plan. “We thought we would create a system where every time employees travel for seminary-related business, the seminary would allocate resources into an account that would be used for infrastructure improvements,” she said.

Hudson has also helped develop the Genesis Collective, a community of Christians focused on engaging in spiritual practices that reconnect people to earth care. Every week, the group shares a meal and thinks deeply about spiritual practices related to earth care. The group also supports regional efforts around climate justice.

Although it is too soon to know for sure, Hudson imagines that when she graduates, she will work at the intersection of ecological justice and the church. “It may be in the local church context, or it may be outside of the church,” she said. “I’ve done work in both before, and I’m interested in both areas.”

AWARE MAGAZINE | GOING “GREENER” 9

TRUSTEE ROBERT PHILLIPS BACKS SEMINARY’S COMMITMENT TO ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Robert K. Phillips joined the Board of Trustees at Garrett-Evangelical in 2013.

His father, Samuel Phillips, graduated from Garrett Biblical Institute in 1958.

Samuel received the distinguished alum award in May 2015.

Trustee Robert K. Phillips can’t overstate how important he thinks Garrett-Evangelical’s renewed commitment to ecological justice and environmental sustainability will be for the seminary and for the world. “It is an amazing initiative for GarrettEvangelical — one that shows a lot of foresight,” he said.

As part of a future capital campaign, Garrett-Evangelical is planning to raise funds to strengthen the seminary’s commitment to addressing the urgent environmental crises facing the world today and to promoting the just and wise care of God’s creation.

Among other things, the seminary will raise money for an endowed chair in theology and ecology; scholarships for students studying ecological theology, philosophy, and environmental ethics; efforts to integrate sustainable ecological practices across the seminary’s entire operation; and an endowed center for ecological regeneration. (See page 13 for more about the Hope for Creation Fund and what the money will be used for.)

“I am a huge believer that ecological and sustainability issues should be at the forefront today and am absolutely thrilled that the seminary is emphasizing environmental ethics,” he said.

Phillips believes so deeply in the seminary’s visionary initiative that he makes a recurring gift to support the effort and has volunteered to talk to potential donors. He is also helping the seminary create fundraising materials and a video.

“I believe that Garrett-Evangelical will benefit greatly from this initiative,” he said. “This is an exciting time for students who are environmentally conscious and a fantastic and unique opportunity for those wishing to attend seminary to get a degree in this discipline. I think the seminary is going to see growth and an even more geographically diverse student body because of this.”

“Furthermore, we, as Christians, have a biblical mandate to protect this planet and protect our brothers and sisters who are suffering due to the ecological crisis facing our world,” he continued. “And the wonderful nature of this program is that it recognizes the theological perspective of the stewardship of our planet, and it recognizes the importance of teaching our students how to discuss these issues in theological terms.”

Although Phillips joined Garrett-Evangelical’s Board of Trustees only five years ago, he has had a relationship with the seminary

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his entire life. His father, Samuel B. Phillips, graduated from Garrett Biblical Institute with a master of divinity degree in 1958.

The senior Phillips served as a pastor to numerous congregations in Indiana and was among the first in the 1960s to publically endorse and support civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights, and the peace movement. In May 2015, he received GarrettEvangelical’s Distinguished Alum Award. “He is truly a special alumnus. I think one of the reasons he was recognized is because he stands for what GarrettEvangelical stands for,” Phillips said.

A hospitality suite in Loder Hall has been named in honor of senior Phillips and Marie K. Phillips, his wife.

Marie, who worked with the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women of The United Methodist Church for years, was a remarkable woman in her own right. “Naming that room for my parents was a lovely, class act typical of the seminary,” Phillips noted.

The younger Phillips grew up as a clergyman’s son and lived in many Indiana towns. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and then went to seminary at Boston University. After graduating from seminary, he served several rural churches in Indiana. “I thoroughly loved serving those churches and those parishioners,” he remembered. “I would preach three sermons every Sunday, driving from one parish to another.”

Eventually, Phillips was called to law school at Notre Dame University and received his law degree in 1985.

He then went to the London School of Economics to study international law. He was offered a job in San Francisco, California, and has been working as an attorney in San Francisco since 1988. He founded his own law firm in 1996. In recognition of his litigation experience, Phillips received a commendation from the United States Department of Justice and has been a frequent guest on the nationally syndicated program, Legal Incite.

A little over five years ago, Garrett-Evangelical’s past president, Rev. Dr. Philip A. Amerson, invited Phillips to join the Board of Trustees. “Phil wanted to expand the seminary’s presence throughout the United States,” Phillips explained. “I feel it is my role to let people in the Western United States know what a wonderful seminary Garrett-Evangelical is.”

Phillips also feels it is his role to support the seminary financially. “It is imperative that the trustees practice what they preach. If they are going to preach the virtues of Garrett-Evangelical and the virtues of seminary life and training future preachers, it is important that they contribute financially,” he said.

Now, Phillips is excited about helping GarrettEvangelical raise money to strengthen the seminary’s commitment to sustainability and ecological issues.

“I’m honored to be helping make the seminary’s courageous and vital vision a reality,” he said.

AWARE MAGAZINE | GOING “GREENER” 11

MEET JOSH RICHARDSON Josh Richardson has always been interested in science and environmental sustainability. He earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental geology and his master’s degree in geology, focusing on aqueous geochemistry, from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where he grew up.

Additionally, he spent several years at the Illinois State Geological Survey, where he worked assessing the environmental impact to property and helping with wetland remediation and research.

Josh Richardson is a first-year master of public ministry student and sustatinGETS associate from Ohio.

Richardson started thinking about how seminary and science came together about two years ago while undergoing treatment for cancer.

“During my treatments, I had a lot of time to evaluate what I was doing with my life and what I can do to maximize my time on this planet to help the most people,” he said.

That is when he decided to focus on climate change and how people interact with the environment. “Climate change is really much more of a human problem and less of a scientific problem,” he said. “We have to change our behavior and our mindset if we are ever going to make the necessary changes.”

That is also when he decided to apply for seminary. Seminary made sense to Richardson for several reasons. First, he said, he is a person of faith.

He also believes that Christians and the church have a responsibility to help with environmental issues. But, what appealed to him the most is the realization that the church has built-in networks that could help solve the environmental crisis. “We have this incredible opportunity to serve others if we can mobilize churches to change the infrastructural systems because the connections are already there,” he said.

He chose Garrett-Evangelical because it is a well-known seminary recognized for its academic rigor and because of the new master of arts in public ministry. “The coursework specifically around ecological regeneration appealed to me,” he said.

Richardson said he is finding his classes challenging and interesting. He also finds his work as a sustainGETS associate fulfilling. “We not only work with the institution to change habits and internal systems,” he said, “but we also promote lifestyle changes within the seminary to make people aware of how they can make significant changes in their own lives to become less extractive and more balanced in the way they interact with our planet.”

When Richardson graduates he is looking to create or join a non-profit that will help build critical infrastructure to deal with the impending climate migration crisis. “As the climate changes, our weather will change in ways that will make certain areas uninhabitable,” he said. “This will cause large-scale migration globally, and we are looking at a projected 50 to 250 million climate refugees by 2050. I want to work on building an infrastructure to deal with that.”

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INVESTING IN ECOLOGICAL RENEWAL FOR THE CHURCH, THE ACADEMY, AND THE WORLD In 2017, Garrett-Evangelical began inviting donors to help strengthen the seminary’s commitment to the care of God’s creation. The Hope for Creation Fund, which will ultimately be part of a more comprehensive capital campaign, will support the seminary’s plans to educate ecologically literate leaders for faithful service to the church and the world, integrate sustainable practices and ecological awareness throughout the life of the seminary, and expand its public engagement for the sake of environmental justice and renewal.

Recently, the seminary became a founding member of the Seminary Stewardship Alliance, achieved LEED Gold certification for Loder Hall, and formed sustainGETS, a student group with administrative oversight.

Additionally, Garrett-Evangelical hired assistant professor of theology and ecology, Rev. Dr. Timothy R. Eberhart, to teach in the areas of ecological theology, environmental ethics, and food justice.

Hope for Creation signals an even deeper level of commitment and response. The seminary’s long-term goals are to fund:

+ An Endowed Chair in Theology

and Ecology — This fully endowed chair will ensure that ecological justice remains central to the seminary’s curricular offerings at the certificate, master, and doctoral levels and solidify the seminary’s leadership in the fields of ecological theology and environmental ethics.

+ Endowed Student Scholarships

— This financial support is for students studying ecological theology, philosophy, and environmental ethics.

Scholarships will help equip faith leaders to address a variety of environmental challenges.

+ The Greening of the Seminary

— This fund will help integrate sustainable ecological practices and a robust ecological consciousness across the seminary’s entire operation, including administration, buildings and grounds, faculty and curriculum, seminary culture, and institutional collaboration.

What would it take to affect an epiphany in our hearts on the crisis of climate change, or better yet, a widespread repentance for our failure to properly care for the earth and its inhabitants? We must open our eyes NOW, take action, and proceed with all due haste into new ways of living and into massive acts of regeneration.

We must work together, and we must be “evangelists” for the cause. This seminary-wide initiative seeks to do just that for the sake of our lives and our children’s future!

-President Lallene J. Rector

+ An Endowed Center for

Ecological Regeneration — The historic social commitments of Garrett-Evangelical are embedded in our many centers and institutes. This initiative will create a center focused on ecological justice.

For more information on how to support these efforts, email Joe Emmick, vice president for development, at Joe.Emmick@Garrett.edu or call him at 847.866.3923.

To learn more about the Hope for Creation Fund, visit us online at Garrett.edu/GoGreen.

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MEET MARY BOWMANN ARENTS, NEW DIRECTOR OF ALUM RELATIONS AND ANNUAL GIVING This past January, the seminary welcomed Mary Bowmann Arents (G-ETS 2016) as the new director of annual giving and alum relations. Arents most recently worked at Community Renewal Society in Chicago, where she was responsible for the organization’s annual giving program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematical methods in the social sciences and sociology from Northwestern University and a master of divinity from Garrett-Evangelical. She brings to the development office the ideal blend of the “art and science” of fundraising and alum engagement and an understanding of the Garrett-Evangelical experience. Aware magazine recently sat down with Arents to learn more about her and her passion for Garrett-Evangelical.

Can you share a little bit about your background and what you’re most excited for as the new director of alum relations and annual giving?

I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a home where education and service were highly valued. My parents were both teachers, and we volunteered regularly as a family doing all sorts of things — from foster care to house painting. I also grew up hearing my parents — and even my grandparents — talk about giving financially to the causes and communities they cared about. Given all this, it’s really no surprise that I’ve ended up at GarrettEvangelical as the director of annual giving and alum relations. I am excited to have a role that aligns so well with what I value — education, service, and giving.

What makes you passionate about Garrett-Evangelical?

I was originally drawn to Garrett-Evangelical as a student because I wanted to learn to look at the world through theological lenses — God goggles, if you will.

Garrett-Evangelical gave me some incredible God goggles by teaching me about biblical interpretation, church history, and theological reflection. I think our world desperately needs more people with God goggles in church pews, board rooms, elected offices, school classrooms, picket lines, and family life. This is why I am passionate about Garrett-Evangelical.

What are you looking forward to most about engaging with our alumni community?

Like many who make their way to seminary, I love listening. I look forward to connecting with you, our 14 AWARE MAGAZINE | APRIL 2019

alums, and hearing your stories. What do you remember about your time at Garrett-Evangelical? How did your seminary experience equip you for ministry? How would you like to give back to the seminary and the future spiritual leaders who come through our doors — virtual and physical? More than anything else, though, I want to hear your ideas for strengthening our alum community and work with you to support one another.

What are some ways alums can get involved with each other and Garrett-Evangelical?

Our alums can connect in many ways! Become an alum mentor through our Vocational Network, serve as an “admissionary” and talk with prospective students in your geographic area, host an alum gathering or reunion, sign up for a Connectional Learning opportunity, or act as a class steward and invite your fellow alums to support our seminary financially. Maybe there’s another way you want to connect. Let me know, so I can help. I am here to serve.

If you could have dinner with anyone, excluding family members and friends, who would you choose and why?

I would love to share a meal with Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum. Dr. Tatum is an educator and author whose work is all about racial identity development in young people.

I started reading one of her books when I was pregnant with my second child. Now that I have two little kids, I have no hope of ever finishing it. I would talk to her about raising kids to be race conscious and capable of confronting racism. This is a part of parenting that I am really working on, and Dr. Tatum’s one of the experts.

LET THERE BE LIGHT The Annual Fund at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is about so much more than just keeping the lights on. It’s about being the light of Christ for the glory of God! Thanks to the numerous donors who have contributed to the Annual Fund, the seminary has furthered its mission to prepare bold spiritual leaders for today’s church, the academy, and our world.

In the 2018-2019 academic year, gifts to the Annual Fund have provided all this and more:

+ + +

More than 2.7 million awarded in financial aid

+ + +

2 faculty members installed as full professors

Campus visits by 184 prospective students

+ +

Added 1,200 volumes to the Styberg Library’s collection

+

Created 2 digital collections of letters from John and Charles Wesley and Thomas Coke

More than 75 hours of worship in the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful

+

16 stipends (over $47,000) for students in field education at sites unable to pay but providing excellent learning environments

More than 750 participants in our Connectional Learning offerings Continuing education for 276 people who are new to Garrett-Evangelical

+

7 students in the newly created master of arts in public ministry degree program

Placement of 58 field education students in 50 different sites, including churches, campus ministries, non profits, and hospitals

Making a gift to the Annual Fund is as easy as turning on a light. Go to Garrett.edu/Giving to make your gift today or call Mary Bowmann Arents at 847.866.3889. Thank you for being a light!

AWARE MAGAZINE | OUR PEOPLE 15

TAUREAN J. WEBB NAMED DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR THE CHURCH AND THE BLACK EXPERIENCE AND INSTRUCTOR OF RELIGION AND RACE

Having just completed a national search, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the appointment of Taurean J. Webb as director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience (CBE). In addition, Webb will be joining the faculty as instructor of religion and race and will be named assistant professor of religion and race upon completion of his dissertation.

Webb, who has been serving as the interim director of CBE since July 2018, will focus on building a strong financial and programmatic foundation for the center. With experience in pastoral ministry, intersectional justice movement building, cultural education, nonprofit governance, and interracial/ interfaith coalition training, Webb aims to engage a wide crosssection of professional domains as the director. He is particularly interested in engaging faith communities, educators, and civil society organizations to both enhance the experiences of current Garrett-Evangelical students and also help maximize CBE’s impact outside of the seminary.

“We are delighted that Mr. Webb has accepted our invitation to join the Garett-Evangelical faculty and to direct our historic Center for the Church and the Black Experience,” said President Lallene J. Rector.

“His work in black theology, 16 AWARE MAGAZINE | APRIL 2019

commitment to interfaith dialogue and activism, and expertise in critical race theory are gifts that will enhance and strengthen the seminary’s commitment to preparing spiritual leaders for today’s church and world.”

CBE has been a beacon of hope and inspiration for Black students, pastors, churches, and communities for nearly five decades. It has been instrumental in fusing Black people and Black religious life into the entire seminary community. As director, Webb seeks to address the unique challenges facing Black students — across the diaspora — while educating and inspiring all persons who live, work, and study at the seminary.

“In so many ways, CBE stands in such a storied lineage of Black institutions that came of age in the thick of twentieth century liberation struggles. For this reason and others, I count it such a great honor to lead this center into its half-century mark. It is a historical moment in which GarrettEvangelical, its denomination, and Africa-descended people the world over are urgently wrestling with important questions about God, equity, and justice,” Webb noted. “I’m grateful to the search committee for its tireless work and to Garrett-Evangelical for its commitment to liberation-minded ministry.”

Webb is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and religion. He holds master of arts degrees in Black and cultural studies from Columbia University and Northwestern University. Webb is currently in the doctor of philosophy program at Garrett-Evangelical. His research and writing focuses on “Blackness” and “Palestinian-ness” as racial formations and the ways in which an internationalist theological hermeneutic of culture can uncover how these communities organically move against white supremacy and Judeo-Christian hegemony. His work is supported by the Forum for Theological Exploration.

Previously, Webb served as scholar-in-residence at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, where he produced writings, researched, and managed the organization’s Palestine justice portfolio. He also formerly served as director of staff and academies at the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute in Princeton, New Jersey.

A leading center of GarrettEvangelical, CBE was founded in 1970 and has empowered and trained generations of leaders for the African American religious community and society-at-large.

To learn more about CBE, go to Garrett.edu/CBE.

FORTHCOMING ANTHOLOGY TO COMMEMORATE GARRETT BLACK SEMINARIANS AND THE CREATION OF CBE Members of the seminary community gathered on March 5, 2019, to commemorate a new book titled, In the Beginning: A Garrett Black Seminarians Anthology 19681971. Four of the five authors were founding members of the Garrett Black Seminarians (GBS) student organization, with the fifth author joining their ranks soon thereafter.

Contributors to the anthology include: • • • • •

Rev. Dr. Gessel Berry, Jr. (GTS 1971), Rev. Dr. Julius E. Del Pino (GTS 1972 and 1976), Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton (GTS 1971 and 1979), Rev. Dr. B. Herbert Martin, Sr. (GTS 1971), and Rev. Dr. Ervin Smith (G-ETS 1976).

Dr. Larry Murphy, who joined the faculty in 1974 and continues to teach as emeritus professor of the history of Christianity, wrote the forward for the book. He said: “The authors take a largely biographical approach to illuminating the story of the emergence of GBS and the creation of the Church and the Black Experience . . . They show how their biographical formation in this era fitted them, indeed ripened them, for what they were to accomplish.”

With the completion of the anthology, President Lallene J. Rector and the seminary wanted to acknowledge the five alums who worked so diligently on this book by holding a talk and reception. In 2020, CBE will celebrate its 50 anniversary and Garrett-Evangelical intends to make the anthology available to all.

“A great contribution to the history of the seminary and a prophetic witness to bold, radical leadership on our seminary campus in 1968-1971,” said Rector referring to the book in her opening remarks at the gathering. “Thank you to each of our alums for the work they have done!”

In the acknowledgements for the book, Keaton wrote: “This anthology is our gift to Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, our president, Lallene J. Rector, the Black faculty, the Center for the Church and the Black Experience, past and future Garrett-Evangelical Black seminarians, and the diverse student body. May it bless them as we have been blessed.”

A panel discussion and reception was held on March 5, 2019, to commemorate the recently completed anthology. Dr. Larry Murphy hosted the panel discussion, and President Rector provided words of greetings and a gift of thanks to each of the five authors.

AWARE MAGAZINE | OUR PEOPLE 17

REMEMBERING MARGARET C. HALLEN, FORMER DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL AID Beloved member of the seminary’s administration for more than 16 years, Margaret C. Hallen passed away on October 6, 2018, at the age of 77.

Hallen served as the director of financial aid and was loved by countless students and those who had the pleasure of calling her colleague. In addition to working at the seminary, Hallen was an avid volunteer who lived in Evanston for 53 years.

Family members and close friends knew Hallen as a genuine, caring, intelligent, and beautiful woman who died with grace. A loving wife, mother, aunt, teacher, and friend to so many, Hallen is survived by her spouse Walter, their two children, and two grandchildren.

BELOVED PROFESSOR AND ACADEMIC DEAN, RICHARD D. THOLIN, DIES AT 90 Rev. Dr. Richard D. Tholin, passed away on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at the age of 90. During his ministry in the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church, he served at Chicago Diversey Parkway from 1952 to 1959, and at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (formerly Evangelical Theological Seminary) from 1963 to 1993, where he served as professor of Christian social ethics and academic dean.

Tholin served as a delegate to the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC) four times and was a member on the General Board of Church and Society from 1968 to 1976. As a member of the General Board of Global Ministries, he chaired the task force that developed the Africa Church Growth and Development Program and served on its board from 1977 to 1986. He has been recognized for his leadership in the UMC and as a community activist focused on peace and justice, affordable housing, and the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Tholin is survived by his spouse, Phyllis Eckardt Tholin, their three children and two grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at United Church of Rogers Park, 1545 W. Morse Avenue, Chicago. Memorial donations can be made to the Richard Tholin Scholarship Fund at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

During his 30 years at the seminary, Tholin educated countless religious leaders for a wide variety of ministries. The seminary is collecting words of reflection and memories to share with the Tholin family. To submit your reflection or memory, go to Garrett.edu/Tholin.

18 AWARE MAGAZINE | APRIL 2019

ALUM NEWS David Johnson (G-ETS 1976) recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

John Jamison (G-ETS 1979) recently published his newest fiction book, Disbelief (ImagiLearning, 2019).

Darryl Person (G-ETS 2000) was elected as the ninth pastor of the historic Ebenzer Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois.

Annie Lockhart-Gilroy (G-ETS 2015) was named Dickinson College’s Coogan Fellow 2019.

Pamela Pirtle (G-ETS 2015) was named director of leadership development and accountability at the General Commission of the Status and Role of Women of The United Methodist Church.

Michele E. Watkins (G-ETS 2010 and 2017) was named executive director-elect of the Society for the Study of Black Religion.

Henry Walter Spaulding III (G-ETS 2018) recently published his new book, The Just and Loving Gaze of God with Us: Paul’s Apocalyptic Political Theology (Wipf & Stock, 2019).

IN MEMORIAM Our Christian sympathy is extended to the family and friends of the following alums who have died in Christ.

1940s

1960s

W. Gehl Devore, GBI 1947, Waukegan, IL, died February 5, 2019.

Lyman Farrar, GBI 1961, Sarasota, FL, died December 5, 2018.

Lawrence R. Kurth, ETS 1948, Paola, KS, died December 4, 2017.

Lyle E. Olmstead, ETS 1948, Green Valley, AZ, died January 4, 2019.

Harold F. Derks, GTS 1963, Grand Rapids, MI, died February 9, 2019.

Lowell Eckberg, GTS 1963, Oak Park, IL, died January 30, 2019.

David L. Bultemeier, ETS 1971, East Peoria, IL, died February 1, 2019.

Marvin R. Rosa, GTS 1971, Lake Ann, MI, died February 11, 2019.

Randel Anderson, GTS 1973, Norfolk, NE, died January 22, 2019.

1950s

Duane Parker, GTS 1963, Bellevue, WA, died January 8, 2019.

Rodney Craig Bennett, G-ETS 1976, Pittsburgh, PA, died January 29, 2019.

Richard D. Tholin, ETS 1952, Evanston, IL, died March 12, 2019.

Paul C. Burke, GTS 1968, Tupelo, MS, died January 20, 2019.

Richard E. Guest, G-ETS 1979, Fort Collins, CO, died February 5, 2019.

Dennis D. Ramsey, GBI 1954, Peoria, AZ, died December 17, 2018.

Edward Curtice, GTS 1969, Murrells Inlet, SC, died May 29, 2017.

1980s

David K. Fison, GBI 1956, Auburn, WA, died January 31, 2019.

1970s

Paul Greenwell, COS 1980, Reynoldsburg, OH, died May 25, 2018.

Jack C. Yeager, GTS 1970, Kent, OH, died February 20, 2019.

Mark Edward Spaw, G-ETS 1983, Ann Arbor, MI, died March 8, 2019.

James A. Scott, GBI 1959, Stevens Point, WI, died June 27, 2018.

AWARE MAGAZINE | OUR PEOPLE 19

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID EVANSTON, IL PERMIT NO. 326

2121 Sheridan Road Evanston, Illinois 60201

PLANNING YOUR LEGACY Is the thought of estate and financial planning overwhelming?

If so, we have the answer! It’s our new booklet called Planning Your Legacy that is packed with tips on how to help you plan for a secure and satisfying future. The booklet also directs you to our website that includes additional estate and personal planning information. Call Rev. Dr. David Heetland, senior vice president for planned giving, at 847.866.3970 or email him at David.Heetland@Garrett.edu today for your free copy of Planning Your Legacy.

We look forward to helping you plan your future!

PlannedGiving.Garrett.edu