Aware Magazine | Winter 2021

Aware A Quarterly Publication of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

MAGAZINE WINTER 2021

MEET REV. DR. JAVIER A. VIERA, NEW PRESIDENT OF GARRETT-EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PAGES 3-8

Aware WINTER 2021 2 | Presidential Perspective 3 | Rev. Dr. Javier A. Viera Named President of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary 4 | Leading in the Midst of Uncertainty: An Interview with President Javier A. Viera 9 | Rising to the Challenge: Meet the Entering Class of 2020

15 | Garrett-Evangelical’s

Vibrancy Inspired Steven Poole to Create an Endowed Scholarship

17 | Lori A. Ball Joins the Board of Trustees 17 | Remembering Dr. Robert Jewett 18 | Alum News

Aware magazine is published

quarterly by the offices of development and marketing and communications for alums and friends of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church with an ecumenical outreach.

Feedback or comments for the Aware Editorial Board should be directed to Shane A. Nichols at shane.nichols@garrett.edu.

Dear Beloved Alums and Friends: The COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges in our lives, in our ministries, and even on the campus of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. We have met these challenges head on, empowered by the creativity of the Holy Spirit, by continuing to share good news, even when hope is hard to see. This has truly been felt in our own admissions office, as we face a year without campus visits, in-person discernment events, coffee with candidates, and Spirit-filled conversations after Bible studies and Sunday worship. We, like so many of you, miss these deep, personal connections and long for the day when we can be together in-person again.

Without these in-person moments, we’ve relied heavily on virtual recruiting, hosting online open houses, and participating in virtual graduate school events. While we miss being in the same physical space as those considering seminary, we know that the work of guiding people on their vocational journey must continue, especially in times such as these.

This is where we need your help! You may be the only person in ministry who someone knows. Your personal relationships with those experiencing a call to ministry and your experience as an alum or someone who cares deeply about Garrett-Evangelical puts you in a unique position to guide prospective students as they explore theological education.

Now is a great time to have a conversation with someone about pursuing seminary! A simple, “Have you ever thought about seminary?” is a great start.

We know that folks exploring their vocational journey will have a lot of questions, but you do not have to have all of the answers. You can guide them to the people and resources (like the admissions office!) who will care for them and their call, leading them to the next step on their journey.

We hope you’ll take on the challenge of having a conversation with someone interested in ministry and then connect that person with us. May we be guideposts along the path of discernment, accompanying new leaders of the church, academy, and the world.

Blessings in the New Year, Rev. Katie Fahey (G-ETS 2016) Director of Admissions and Recruitment getadmitted@garrett.edu | 847.866.3945

PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE REV. DR. JAVIER A. VIERA To say that the last year has been unlike any other is to state the obvious. The global, national, and local disruptions to our daily lives, economic reality, political discourse, and human connection have been so dramatically thorough that it’s difficult to know where and how to begin healing and recovering.

I write my first Presidential Perspective on the day following the ghastly attack on the United States capitol by rioters who would seek to further destabilize a nation still suffering from the worst pandemic in modern history and living through the devastating economic impact it has wrought. Add to this the nation’s clearly unfinished work of racial justice, which was so flagrantly on display at the capitol, and it seems clear that the work of healing and repair must be central to the mission of institutions like Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Much has been written and said about Christian complicity in the racial, political, and social upheaval that characterizes our moment. Many, including me, have strongly and rightly criticized the prominent Christian leaders who have brazenly enabled this insurrection to be closely identified with the Christian faith and church, as well as with white supremacy. The irony of a church that claims to embody the teachings of the Nazarene peasant who preached peace, reconciliation, and an all-inclusive love with the adulteration of Christian symbols with white nationalism cannot be lost on us who care deeply about such matters. This same Jesus, quoting Isaiah, declared to have come in order to proclaim, “good news to the poor . . . release to the prisoners, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of Jubilee.” (Luke 4:18-19) Yet, perhaps equal responsibility lies at the feet of the “silent majority” who have failed to present a robust and compelling alternative vision of Christian life and faith that has justice, healing, and repair as central to its purpose in the world. Ours is a

tradition that from its earliest days sought to bind up the brokenhearted and to ensure that those at the margins and those most vulnerable were protected, provided, and cared for. These earliest Christians didn’t understand this work as being in tension with their beliefs; rather, they were certain that this work was the will of the God they encountered and knew in prayer and worship.

As I begin my leadership at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, I am clear that among our principal tasks as a community of scholars, teachers, learners, and servants is to present that compelling, unapologetic vision of Christian faith that inspires the work of social repair and healing and understands that work as the deepest, most faithful expression of our most essential beliefs. And we must do so in ways that prepare our students and support our alumni in doing this work in the congregations, communities, organizations, and movements they lead. Garrett-Evangelical has a long legacy of this prophetic work, but our current moment bestows an urgency upon that work that is perhaps unique.

This is a high calling. We face a moment of national reckoning, a reckoning that has been long in coming.

No part of society or culture will be spared its impact.

I’m honored to be at Garrett-Evangelical sharing with you the moral responsibility of Christian imagination and Christian action at this historic and challenging moment. Together we can and will be a beacon of hope, justice, healing, and repair in our world. n

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REV. DR. JAVIER A. VIERA NAMED PRESIDENT OF GARRETT-EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY An extraordinary minister, teacher, and administrator, Rev. Dr. Javier A. Viera was named the next president of GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary on June 12, 2020, and began his presidency on January 1, 2021. Viera also joins the faculty as professor of education and leadership.

A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Viera is the first person of color and first Latino to hold the office of president in the seminary’s 168year history. Viera’s impressive resume and experience in church leadership, his rigorous academic study, and his community building skills will provide the right mix of education, experience, and faith to further GarrettEvangelical’s mission “for such a time as this.”

“Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is one of the storied institutions in theological education with a long history of theological innovation, as well as a noted commitment to working for social justice and repair, and I am honored to have been invited to join the Garrett community,” Viera said. “The opportunity to work in partnership with Garrett-Evangelical’s world-class faculty, a leadership team and staff that is so clearly committed to advancing the mission of the school, and a student body that passionately pursues academic excellence and transformative service is a high calling that I find both humbling and thrilling.”

“We are truly blessed to have been able to attract Dr. Viera as president of GarrettEvangelical,” said Jerre Stead, chairperson of the Board of Trustees. “We know that Dr. Viera will bring fresh perspectives to Garrett-Evangelical as an experienced institutional leader in theological education, as a pastor, teacher, and scholar. Our students, faculty, and staff will all benefit greatly from his outstanding background 3 AWARE MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021

and leadership, and from who he is as a person.”

Joining Garrett-Evangelical from Drew University, where he served as vice provost, dean of the theological school, and professor of pastoral theology, Viera led the transformation of the theological school’s curriculum, launched new degree programs and initiatives, and was instrumental in efforts that have increased enrollment and fundraising.

Prior to his service at Drew, Viera served in congregational ministry for two decades, leading rural, suburban, and urban congregations, most recently at Christ Church in New York City, where he served as executive minister. He is an ordained elder in the New York Conference of The United Methodist Church and has served the denomination in leadership at the general, jurisdictional, and annual conference levels.

Viera holds a bachelor of arts from Florida Southern College, a master of divinity from Duke University’s divinity school, a master of sacred theology from Yale University’s divinity school, and a doctor of education from Columbia University. He is also completing a doctor of philosophy dissertation in Latin American studies/history of Latin America from the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico.

Professional activities include the Wabash Center Advisory Committee, the University Senate and Commission on Theological Education of The United Methodist Church, the Religious Education Association, and the American Academy of Religion.

Viera serves on the board of directors of several Latinx educational, cultural, and advocacy organizations. He also chaired his local community Human Rights Commission.

Viera and his spouse, Laine Rolóng, have three children—Anabel, Juliet, and Sebastián. n

LEADING IN THE MIDST OF UNCERTAINTY: AN INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT JAVIER A. VIERA

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary officially welcomed President Javier A. Viera to the community on January 1, 2021. In this question-and-answer session, President Viera introduces himself and shares his thoughts on leading Garrett-Evangelical during these tumultuous times. Though the challenges are numerous, President Viera sees a landscape of possibilities for the seminary and those in ministry today.

Why did you feel called to Garrett-Evangelical and why now?

When I was approached about applying for this opportunity, I immediately remembered what it was like to visit Garrett-Evangelical as part of a University Senate accreditation team. I was struck during that visit by what a vibrant place this was; by how passionate people were about the seminary, its legacy, and its possibility; and by the deep sense of peace that I felt when I walked into the splendor of the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful and traced the sign of the cross over my forehead with water from the font.

I was impressed by the careful and intentional planning that the seminary undertook to ensure its future sustainability, by the generous commitment of its board, and by the way students spoke to us about how they were being formed here for service to the church and world. It was clear that this community was unapologetically Christian, but not narrowly so. At a dinner with our accreditation team, President Lallene Rector invited faculty members Cheryl Anderson, Mai-Anh Le Tran, Anne Joh, Luis Rivera, and Ron Anderson to share with us their work and their experience of being faculty at Garrett-Evangelical, and what they shared resonated deeply with me.

So, when the time came to consider whether to apply or not, all of these factors influenced my thinking. It seemed to me from afar that Garrett-Evangelical was poised for a very bright future, and as I prayed about whether to pursue the opportunity and discussed it with my family, I sensed an undeniable inner peace about it.

Of course, I worried if I were up to the challenge, but I had faith that if the community called me that God would sustain me in whatever challenges and uncertainties would inevitably come. I interpreted that sense of inner peace

as affirmation to explore this and to be open to what might be possible here. The intervening months have strengthened my clarity and sense of calling and purpose, in part because the local, national, and global challenges we face require strong institutions like Garrett-Evangelical. I believe that Garrett-Evangelical is uniquely poised to be a spiritual and intellectual leader in the moral and ethical challenges that the Chicagoland area must continue to confront, as well as in all the local communities where Garrett-Evangelical alumni serve.

Garrett-Evangelical’s self-understanding as a servant seminary, a sensibility and commitment that is palpable across the institution, positions it well to infuse the important conversations and debates of our day with moral and ethical perspectives that grow out of our theological commitments. The great challenges that we collectively face—racial and economic injustice, the global climate crisis, the ideological and political fracturing of local communities and the nation, the devastating impact of a global pandemic on individuals, families, and communities, the precipitous decline of the church and other religious traditions and expressions, to name just a few—require visible, articulate, and courageous counternarratives that a community of higher learning and shared faith like Garrett-Evangelical can and needs to provide. I believe that the local churches, organizations, and movements that our alumni and current students serve and will serve, are central to the solutions we need to imagine and pursue. I have faith that Garrett-Evangelical can and will mobilize its sizeable constituencies for leadership in this moment so that we can be an intentional part of the world’s healing. For these reasons, and a desire to be a part of this crucial work, I feel a sense of calling to GarrettEvangelical, now.

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INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT JAVIER A. VIERA (CONTINUED) What are the challenges of leading GarrettEvangelical in these tumultuous times?

I think there are challenges to leading a theological school that are true across the board, and then there are those that are unique to Garrett-Evangelical. Theological education as a whole is facing a reckoning and that reckoning has to do with who it serves and to what end. For most of its history in this country, theological education has served a dominant white Christianity and a church that was either in ascendency or in a position of stability. For too long, it also contributed to the stability (or status quo) of a country that was in need of moral and structural transformation.

Yet, we do not now find ourselves in a cultural milieu in which Christianity remains dominant nor is the church in a position of ascendency or stability. Some might argue that quite the opposite is true. And so, for perhaps the first time in the country’s history, institutions like ours are having to conceive of themselves as at the margins, as part of a counterculture, and as an expression of a way of being and believing that may no longer make much sense to a majority of people. In this way, we are returning to our origins, our roots. What is unique about this moment, however, is that rather than simply a segment of the church finding itself in opposition to the majority culture and its cultural assumptions and practices, the very notion of religion and religious communities is in this position as a whole. That is indeed unique and presents unprecedented challenges for institutions of theological education.

I find the uncertainty energizing because it gives us the ability to experiment, to dream, and to imagine a church and a movement of Christians in this world that is different from anything that has come before. There is tremendous freedom to risk and innovate in this moment. As a leader, I often feel like an artist standing before a blank canvas. I know I want to create something beautiful, something meaningful and moving, hopefully

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transformational, but how I will get there is not at all clear or certain. As Antonio Machado has said, “We make the road by walking.” That’s the moment of reckoning that theological education is facing, and where the road we make by walking leads will be the measure of whether we responded with faithfulness, boldness, and courage or whether we cowered in this unprecedented moment and rendered ourselves irrelevant or feckless. I find the challenge both thrilling and terrifying and pray that God will grant us the wisdom and courage to go wherever the Spirit leads.

Garrett-Evangelical too is facing its own moment of reckoning. To some degree, this moment is so because of what I have described above, but it is also because of GarrettEvangelical’s own institutional history and past practices. Alas, it is no secret that the process that led to the selection of a new president was fraught with complications and no small degree of controversy. The community was deeply tested, divided, and even hurt through this process; and questions of bias, race, gender, national origin, and sexuality persist. On day one, I walked into the president’s office well aware of the challenges this search revealed, and my own leadership will and should be judged on whether we can overcome them and create a Garrett-Evangelical that is expansive and diverse enough to reflect the entirety of God’s human family, as well as whether we will be free from practices, explicit and implicit, of bias, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and other prejudices that inhibit authentic community and faithful witness. My early conversations with Board members, faculty, staff, and students all suggest that there is much work to be done, but we do not lack for commitment to that work and to creating the beloved community God calls us to embody.

Garrett-Evangelical also faces internal challenges with external implications, and we must fully commit ourselves to confronting them. Can and will we educate and equip

leaders who can present a compelling and joyful vision of the gospel and a life of faith in community so that the crisis of faithfulness, relevance, and sustainability facing the church can be overcome by the forces of love, justice, grace, and healing? Can and will we educate and equip leaders who are fearless and courageous in the face of the uncertainty of our present age and who lead communities and movements of purpose that bear witness to the truth and goodness of God by living justly and peaceably with their neighbors, by repairing and restoring the planet God entrusted to our care, by building bridges of understanding where differences divide, and by confronting suspicion, injustice, and indifference with a more excellent way? Can and will we educate and equip leaders who will be “repairer(s) of the breach and restorer(s) of the street?” (Isaiah 58:12) If we can answer these questions with a compelling vision and purpose and a demonstrable plan of action, I believe that the other institutional challenges we face can be surmounted and overcome. The uncertain future of The United Methodist Church; the multiple pandemics of racism, economic disparity, and COVID-19; the demographic and financial cliffs facing higher and theological education; and the crisis of leadership at global, national, and institutional levels are daunting.

Yet, Garrett-Evangelical has an unshakeable foundation and legacy on which to build, and deeply committed board members, alumni, faculty, students, staff, and friends, who are prepared to do what it takes to reposition Garrett-Evangelical to thrive well into the future. Together we can set a direction and commit to a purpose that will define this institution in its next chapter and that will positively impact the people and communities we serve for generations to come.

MEET PRESIDENT JAVIER A. VIERA Last book you read? Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie Glaude, Jr. Who inspires you? The Puerto Rican people inspire me. Against all odds and in spite of unceasing natural disasters and an unrelenting, unforgiving colonialism, we survive and thrive, have a profound faith and distinct identity, and an infectious sense of joy and gratitude.

Favorite book of the Bible? Jonah. Favorite verse?

Isaiah 61:1-3.

Deep dish or thin crust? Thin crust but I’m open to being converted!

What is your cooking specialty? Puerto Rican food.

To my palate, there is no better food known to humankind!

Chicago Cubs or Chicago White Sox? I’m a lifelong fan of the Yankees and Pirates (because of Roberto Clemente), but if I have to choose between the Chicago teams, I’d have to go with the Cubs given that the first ever player from Puerto Rico to play in the major leagues, Hiram Bithorn, was a Cub; although, he did play ever so briefly for the White Sox to end his career. So again, I’m open to conversion.

Favorite sport and/or team? Tennis and Rafael Nadal (I know he’s not a team, but he’s a true force of nature).

Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John? Luke.

One book, other than the Bible, all ministry leaders should read? Two: A Secular Age by Charles Taylor and The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.

(Continued on page 7)

What musical genre do you listen to most often?

Salsa.

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How do you relax? Cooking. To me, there is nothing more relaxing than spending hours in the kitchen preparing a meal to share with family or friends.

INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT JAVIER A. VIERA (CONTINUED) Where do you see Garrett-Evangelical heading in the future?

During my interview process, I stated repeatedly that the future of GarrettEvangelical was something that we would dream and construct together. I’m committed to that, and I will not begin my time as president with personal declarations about Garrett-Evangelical’s future that are not grounded in the shared hopes, aspirations, and commitments of this community. Yet, I do have hopes for where Garrett-Evangelical will go in the future, and my own decision-making process about joining the Garrett-Evangelical community involved discernment on whether there were resonances here between the hopes of this community and my own. I’m confident that there are, and part of my job will be to continue discerning how best to galvanize and deploy the gifts and resources of this community to those ends.

For example, I have a deep hope that GarrettEvangelical will be an integral part of a movement that renews the purpose, mission, and impact of the Church of Jesus Christ.

I’m convinced that the post-pandemic(s) church will not ever return to pre-pandemic(s) normalcy. Crisis and change were already vehemently knocking at the door of the church, and the pandemic(s) accelerated and exacerbated an already challenging reality. We will need to establish new models for being church, new ways of gathering and serving the world and each other, new approaches for sustaining the work of the church, and even new methods for training the church’s leadership. The church has organizationally and missionally reinvented itself before, and the opportunity (or call) for renewal that is now ours should and will be a priority for Garrett-Evangelical in the years to come.

I also hope that regardless of how we organize our work in the future, we will be clear that our principal contribution is spiritual

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and theological in nature and that we’re unapologetic about that. While we are the beneficiaries of a wide array of epistemological traditions and methodologies, the unique lens (and gift) that Garrett-Evangelical brings to the challenges of the world is that we are rooted in a long tradition of theological inquiry and spiritual practices that shape how we see the world, how we approach problems, and how we begin to construct new solutions and possibilities for the flourishing of our planet and its people. Our approach to the work of being “repairers of the breach and restorers of the street” is conceived of and expressed by our understanding of who God is, what God is calling us to do in the world, and who God is calling us to be. How we come to understand and embody that call will shape our approach to the work before us, inform the actions we take, and bear witness to the power and presence of God in our world, in our lives, and in our communities Yet, I also hope that as we set our vision and purpose for the years to come that we don’t retreat exclusively into the small and safe world of the spiritual and theological. That may sound like a contradiction of what I have just previously said, but I don’t see it like that.

One of the persistent critiques of theological education is that we speak only to ourselves, write for ourselves, and preoccupy ourselves with theological and philosophical minutiae that the rest of the world isn’t interested in. That’s a harsh critique, I think, but there is something about it that is worth paying attention to.

Our theological and spiritual commitments must necessarily take us beyond ourselves and the spheres of dialogue and influence that we are comfortable in. In order to be “restorers of the street” we must find ourselves on the streets, in dialogue with and addressing the concerns of people and communities. We also cannot allow ourselves to be cornered by assumptions that matters of politics, public

policy, economics, health and well-being, education, and more fall outside of the concern of the spiritual/theological. I firmly believe, for example, that one’s political choices are a direct expression of one’s theological and spiritual commitments.

The way we spend our money, where we spend it, who and what our money supports and sustains are deeply theological and spiritual matters. How we confront the evils of structural racism, white supremacy, and other biases are not solely political, policy, or personal matters; rather, they are clear and direct expressions of what we believe about God and who God is and what God is calling us to in the world. Our silences and inaction, our turning away from the injustices we witness in the world, the choices we make in the secrecy of a ballot box are all expressions of the theological/spiritual values we hold.

Who we welcome into our homes and to our tables to break bread, whether we work to ensure that the poor and vulnerable have access to healthcare and to resources that enable them to live with dignity, whether and how we address these and others realities are political, moral and theological/spiritual choices. This is the work of ministry, as well as the work of policy, education, justice, and more.

And so, in the years to come, I hope that Garrett-Evangelical will remain committed to help external and internal audiences make these connections, to integrate the now discreet, compartmentalized aspects of their lives and work that rarely intersect, and to help people see the fallacy of erecting walls between our spiritual and theological commitments and the daily choices we make.

Training pastors and other leaders to do this prophetic, integrative work, I hope, will remain central to what we do. Becoming an even more public leader in the moral, restorative work of the nation and of local communities is an aspiration that I hope Garrett-Evangelical fully embraces.

What are your top priorities for GarrettEvangelical in 2021?

Three priorities rise to the top for the coming year. Under the leadership of Dean MaiAnh Le Tran and Bishop John White, the Garrett Together Task Force made very clear recommendations to the Board and the Garrett-Evangelical community about the work needed to restore trust, promote healing, and foster a climate of inclusion and justice at the seminary. Working with student leaders, staff and faculty colleagues, and members of the Board on these recommendations will be an essential part of our work in 2021, and much work has already begun in this regard.

A second priority will be reopening our campus for students, employees, and others in a way that is safe, sustainable, and that allows for this community of learning to once again be physically present to one another in worship, study, and service. Reconceiving our spaces and technology, rethinking the curriculum and the modalities in which we make it accessible, and revisioning what community looks like in a post-pandemic age will be a critical focus of the year ahead.

Thirdly, we will pick up the work of strategic planning and setting a vision for the next phase of Garrett-Evangelical’s mission in the world. This will require bringing various internal and external constituencies into dialogue, assessing our strengths and where we may have gaps, and securing the resources for being able to carry out a renewed mission with purpose and clarity. There is urgency about this work, and we will begin it during a time of great uncertainty globally, but our future depends on this work being done well and with great intention. I look forward to engaging the broader Garrett-Evangelical community in the dialogues, dreaming, and reflection this process will require of us all. n

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RISING TO THE CHALLENGE: MEET THE ENTERING CLASS OF 2020 To follow God’s call and pursue theological education amid a worldwide pandemic takes an extraordinary act of vocational courage. This past September, we welcomed our newest students to the seminary who embraced their call and took that courageous act. These students embody a wide range of past experiences and future plans, and the seminary is extremely proud of their commitment to follow their call to serve God, the church, and their communities.

and worship services, and found ways to build community in digital spaces. Their desire to be stretched theologically, to be culturally competent and aware of their social location, and to be mentored and empowered in their practice of ministry is truly inspiring. The demands and commitments of those actively pursuing their vocational calling may be great, but we are confident they will rise to the challenge—because they already are.

Though the start of their seminary journey may not be what they had anticipated because of the pandemic, our newest students have jumped into online learning, participated in virtual prayer

On the following pages are the stories of nine promising new students who are rising to the challenge at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

DEMETRIUS DAVIS Master of Arts in Public Ministry Hometown: Chicago, Illinois I grew up in Chicago and the northwest and west suburbs. I graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with a bachelor’s in secondary education and history.

I taught high school for five years while serving as lead pastor of a church plant, CityPoint Community Church in Chicago. Currently, I pastor full time and run our family’s real estate investment company while attending seminary.

Why did you decide to attend seminary and GarrettEvangelical in particular? I decided to attend seminary because I wanted to learn about liberative and socially responsive interpretations of the gospel.

I am called to minister to millennials and have noticed that many are bewildered by the American church’s oppressive doctrine and collusion with patriarchy, sexism, racism, exploitative capitalism, and heterosexism. I’m at Garrett-Evangelical to become equipped to preach a better gospel to our mostly millennial congregation and help change the national 9 AWARE MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021

narrative regarding what it means to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What challenges and opportunities have you found with the fall semester being online? The online semester has worked well for me due to the many responsibilities that I have. Rather than commuting to campus, I am able to spend the extra time preparing for classes. However, I have found that I miss the in-person interaction and relationship building that typically happens organically with peers on campus.

How has your scholarship enabled you to pursue your theological education? The scholarship has been huge in that it made seminary fit much better into our family’s budget. As a household managing daycare costs for a toddler, we needed seminary to not add another major education expense to our finances. I’m extremely grateful to the seminary and donors for their generosity!

Where do you see Christ leading you after seminary? After seminary, I will continue to serve as lead pastor at CityPoint Community Church. I am also exploring applying to a PhD program in social policy or public policy. I’m interested in considering how liberative or social gospel theology can inform public policy decisions related to housing at the local and national level.

MIRANDA JOY DONAKEY HORNSBY Master of Divinity Hometown: Hammond, Louisiana I grew up moving around the state of Louisiana as a UM pastor’s kid before I went to Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas for my undergrad in religious studies. After going to Hendrix, I decided to get married and stay in Arkansas with my husband, Chad, who is a fellow MDiv student. In my free time, I love spending time with my puppy, Sven, and going on hikes around the natural state of Arkansas. It is in these natural places I feel most centered.

Why did you decide to attend seminary and Garrett-Evangelical in particular? After visiting GarrettEvangelical, I fell in love with the feeling of community and balance between academic rigor and practical ministry.

What challenges and opportunities have you found with the fall semester being online? One of the aspects of seminary I looked forward to most was building community and friends, and that aspect has been a lot more difficult being online, where there is less time to get to know one another.

How has your scholarship enabled you to pursue your theological education? My scholarship has taken away a huge amount of stress, which I am incredibly grateful for this semester especially.

With my scholarship, I am able to focus more on my coursework and have more conversations that help me develop my voice and what I believe.

Why did you decide to attend seminary and Garrett-Evangelical in particular? There was a sensation that I felt inside me when I walked onto campus that just felt right. The way that the faculty talked about how they were going to prepare me for ministry while also giving me a rigorous education felt right to me. Something inside me knew that not only did GarrettEvangelical care about me, but it was also the place where I would become a better myself.

Where do you see Christ leading you after seminary? Post seminary, I feel led to work within a local church where new ministries can be developed. I look forward to teaching and being in conversation with people about what they believe and walking with people as they discern their call to see their life as a calling, in and outside the church.

What challenges and opportunities have you found with the fall semester being online? It has been a challenge to make the friendships that I hoped for in seminary without the random run ins and study groups. I think for me, there is some lament and fear that I won’t be able to establish the kinds of friendships that I hear pastors talk about having with their seminary peers. That is currently the toughest part.

CHAD HORNSBY Master of Divinity Hometown: Brinkley, Arkansas I grew up in Brinkley, Arkansas, which is in the Mississippi River delta on a small family rice farm. I went to college at Hendrix College in Arkansas, where I met my wife Miranda and studied religion with my focus on biblical languages and texts. Since the pandemic began, I have been encouraged more to delve into camping in the state parks around Arkansas with my COVID-19 friend group. I have also been learning how to refinish a table as a fun project to keep busy.

How has your scholarship enabled you to pursue your theological education? In the midst of COVID-19 and all that it has uncovered, I have at least been able to remove the burden of paying for school off of my plate, which has made me a better student who is more able to get meaningful things out of my classes in seminary.

Where do you see Christ leading you after seminary? After seminary, I will be coming back home to Arkansas with my wife to be an elder in The United Methodist Church here to make change and to teach in the kind of local rural church that I was raised in.

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COLTON BERNASOL Master of Theological Studies Hometown: Plainfield, Illinois I grew up and have lived most of my life in the southwest and west suburbs of Chicago, though my father immigrated from the Philippines, and my mother is Mexican American. I attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, for my undergraduate studies, and I majored in philosophy and theological and biblical studies. I enjoy music, both playing and listening to it.

And I also enjoy skateboarding, a childhood hobby of mine I hope to keep up with so long as my body permits.

Why did you decide to attend seminary and Garrett-Evangelical in particular? I was compelled to seminary by the theological questions that the world and my own experience have raised. Who is God for us today? What does God have to do with Jesus Christ? And what does this mean for the communities that we live in? There are countless more questions, but my point is that such questions are important, and the answers have real implications for how we understand ourselves and live in the world. Seminary opens up the opportunity to ask these questions critically, courageously, with curiosity, and in community.

I decided to attend Garrett-Evangelical in particular because of the faculty I had the opportunity to meet when I first visited the school. Not only were they welcoming, but they also encouraged me to explore the questions I felt were important. Some of those questions revolve around the relationship between colonialism, race, and Christianity.

The faculty I had the opportunity to meet at Garrett-Evangelical were not only asking similar questions but also encouraged me that Garrett-Evangelical would be a place where those questions would be engaged and taken seriously.

What challenges and opportunities have you found with the fall semester being online? Because all of my classes have been online, I haven’t needed to commute to school. This has given me more time to study and do research. With that time, I’ve been able to really immerse myself in the course readings. One of the challenges has been getting to connect with other students. It has been difficult getting to know my colleagues since classes are online; students are living all over the states and world, and there are fewer opportunities for informal gatherings and hangouts.

How has your scholarship enabled you to pursue your theological education? My research scholarship has provided me with the opportunity to focus more on school and less on finances. While COVID-19 has certainly put financial stress on me and my family, my scholarship has allowed me to continue with my education amidst these current economic hardships.

Where do you see Christ leading you after seminary? After my MTS program, I intend to apply to PhD programs in theology and ethics to further study the relationship between Christianity, race, and colonialism, so I can discern what it might mean to be faithful to God today. I believe that Christ is leading me to teach in either ministerial or academic contexts, which would require additional education.

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GRACE PARK Master of Divinity and Master of Theological Studies Hometown: Niles, Illinois Why did you decide to attend seminary and Garrett-Evangelical in particular? I’d be lying if I said Garrett-Evangelical wasn’t the most affordable option. It was by far, but it wasn’t until I interacted with faculty and staff throughout my application process that I realized that Garrett-Evangelical was even a place worth considering. I thought that if Garrett-Evangelical folks as a whole were anything like the people I had met, who would listen to my story and openly share their own, not just laud the amazing parts but also name places where the school could/ should be striving to improve, then it was worth going.

How has your scholarship enabled you to pursue your theological education? Well, I wouldn’t be able to attend seminary without my scholarship. I am still working, but I would have to work much more in order to support living expenses if I had not received a scholarship, which would affect my present-ness in classes and classwork.

RACHEL SHEPHERD Master of Arts in Pastoral Care and Counseling and Master of Divinity Hometown: Van Buren, Arkansas Why did you decide to attend seminary and Garrett-Evangelical in particular? Garrett-Evangelical was the one seminary that offered exactly what I was looking for in terms of an education in pastoral care and counseling that would lead me toward licensed mental health counseling. Most importantly, when I visited, the community proved to be a place where I was safe to bring all of who I am into the space as I learn and grow.

What challenges and opportunities have you found with the fall semester being online? What I find I am missing most is the personal relationships/connections built with faculty and staff through class interaction and office hours. I miss the social and academic benefits of living amongst and attending class with peers. The opportunities that this online semester has presented include spending some more time closer to family during this difficult time of pandemic and major life transitions and learning a new method of learning and instruction.

Where do you see Christ leading you after seminary? Right now, I feel called toward the intersection of the church and mental health. I also love young children and am passionate about raising a generation that is emotionally intelligent and values every part of the human experience. I see Christ leading me to a place where I can be a resource and advocate within the church and the community for accessible and holistic mental health care, especially for young people.

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Master of Arts in Pastoral Care and Counseling Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina

ALLISON LUNDBLAD

Why did you decide to attend seminary and Garrett-Evangelical in particular? I was looking for a degree program that would not only allow me to explore some of my questions about spirituality and psychology but would also fulfill the educational requirements for counseling licensure.

The master of arts in pastoral care and counseling clinical track does both, with attention to many of the larger justice issues that are important to me. It also allows me to continue to pastor my church while studying, which is a fruitful combination. I can already see the ways that my studies at Garrett-Evangelical are helping me to be a better pastor and the ways that I carry the questions of my community into the classroom.

Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Direction Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

JAMILA J. CARNEY

Why did you decide to attend seminary and Garrett-Evangelical in particular? The Lord Himself decided that I would attend seminary and specifically at Garrett-Evangelical. At a dance conference in July 2018, God spoke five words: “seminary, Garrett, scholarship, post-baccalaureate, and Dr. Blount.” After doing some research, it was confirmed this is the place for me to be.

What challenges and opportunities have you found with the fall semester being online? The only challenge that I have found with the fall semester being online is the lack of physical community. With this being my first

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What challenges and opportunities have you found with the fall semester being online? I’m so grateful that we are able to attend class online during this pandemic, and that online classes allow us to come together from all over the United States and even around the world. Of course, it’s much harder to get to know each other over Zoom or discussion boards, and I’m finding that I have to be much more intentional about communicating with people. I’m sure that there is an opportunity for learning there, too.

How has your scholarship enabled you to pursue your theological education? I wouldn’t be able to do this degree at all without the seminary’s generosity, which will allow me to graduate without debt and without putting too great a financial burden on my church. That financial freedom will translate into a freedom to take some creative risks in ministry.

semester at Garrett-Evangelical, I feel just a little bit disconnected due to the distance. However, studying online has afforded me the opportunity to be able to participate in my academic journey without having to commute nearly two hours for class!

Where do you see Christ leading you after seminary? Christ is really calling me to help individuals see, unlock, access, and use the power of God that already lies within. I believe in the power of alignment. When our bodies, breath, and spirits are aligned with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, it is then we can harness the power of God within us to work to bring to life God’s will on earth as it is in Heaven. Christ is leading me to do that through the physical experiences in the earth realm through the body while transcending to the spiritual experiences in the Heavenly realm.

DAVID MAKOBO Master of Divinity Hometown: Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo I am a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and a member of the Jerusalem Francophone Church in Lubumbashi in the South Congo Annual Conference. I was born at Mwajinga, a United Methodist mission, where my parents worked as teachers for more than 40 years until early this year—some months ago. My elementary and secondary education was accomplished at Mwajinga Methodist Mission, as was my early leadership training in the church. I completed a bachelor of science degree in horticulture and a master of science degree in crop production from Africa University, a United Methodist institution, in Mutare, Zimbabwe. In 2010, I became the founding dean of the School of Agriculture at Katanga Methodist University in the DRC, where I served three years before moving to my current place of assignment—Senegal, where I am serving as a missionary.

Why did you decide to attend seminary and Garrett-Evangelical in particular? My vocational journey as far as theological training in preparation of ordination is concerned has been long. First, in the late 1990’s two things were in my mind—either becoming an ordained minister/pastor or going into the military. These two professions seemed incompatible to many people in the context of my country then—these were two people behaving differently at extremes. But I was convinced that they were not as different as many people thought when one day, I heard a kind of a smooth voice saying that both military and pastoral services are sacrificial services—much about helping other people, which was correct in the context of my country.

In the early 2000’s, the only option left was to get some theological training in preparation of ordination. Since then, I tried for many years to get enrolled in seminary, but I never had an opportunity—I never was admitted. At some point, I was discouraged, and I decided to no longer

apply for admission at any seminary, but rather to continue serving as a lay person. As a missionary currently serving in a predominantly Muslim country (Senegal) and my church—The United Methodist being still young—the expectation is high. I came to the point where I felt that I have given all what I knew/had as a non-theologian, and the need of joining a seminary was almost a must. So, I had to reconsider my decision of no longer applying for seminary admission. Therefore, I decided to make the last try. Thank God, I got admitted at Garrett-Evangelical last November.

What challenges and opportunities have you found with the fall semester being online? The challenge was this new way of learning—Zoom classes—night classes, sometimes 12:30-3:30 a.m.

This was challenging at the beginning. As for the opportunity, regardless of the pandemic, we are able to study.

How has your scholarship enabled you to pursue your theological education? I should simply say that, without my scholarship, my dream was not going to be fulfilled—I wouldn’t be able to pursue my theological education.

Where do you see Christ leading you after seminary? After graduation, I am looking forward to my ordination and then to serve as an ordained clergy within The United Methodist Church. As a Global Ministries Missionary currently serving in Senegal-West Africa, I may be reassigned to serve in my current place of assignment—Senegal, or somewhere else after graduation. However, in either case—in Senegal or a new place of assignment—I will be serving as a pastor/clergy in a local parish that is still growing.

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GARRETT-EVANGELICAL’S VIBRANCY INSPIRED STEVEN POOLE TO CREATE AN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Rev. Steven Poole (G-ETS 1986) was at a crossroads when he decided to create an endowed scholarship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

“I was frustrated and struggling with where the United Methodist denomination was going, especially on the issue of inclusiveness to LGBTQ persons,” he said. “I thought, I’m either going to walk away, or I’m going to try to turn the dial a little.”

While pondering how to turn the dial, Poole remembered a story by Scott Peck in The Road Less Traveled. In the story, a group was frantically rescuing people who had fallen into the river. One of the rescuers stopped helping people and started walking up the river. The other rescuers asked him: “Where are you going? Why won’t you help us here any longer?” The man replied, “I’m going to try to figure out who is throwing people in.”

“That concept of going up the river was what made me ask myself, where is there vibrancy, and life, and hope in the church?” Poole said. “And that brought me to Garrett-Evangelical.”

Poole called Rev. Dr. David Heetland, then vice president of development for Garrett-Evangelical, and said he wanted to make a difference. Heetland talked to him about what it took to create an endowed scholarship. “He gave me a number that would be helpful to start with,” Poole said. “I sold some stock that I had inherited, and we put down the first stone in the foundation.”

With that gift, Poole created the Steven Poole Endowed Scholarship. His intent is to contribute to it annually until it will provide a full scholarship for a student. Poole has also included GarrettEvangelical in his will with the proceeds going to his scholarship.

Poole grew up in Flint, Michigan, in the 1960s and 1970s. His entire family was active in the Trinity 15 AWARE MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021

United Methodist Church, a more progressive church known for its interest in social justice. His father, a full-time journalist with the Flint Journal, was also the part-time organist at the church.

Poole was part of the youth group and was heavily involved in mission projects and trips. “I really can’t separate my memories of growing up from my memories of the church,” Poole said. “We were always there.”

After high school, Poole went to Albion College in Albion, Michigan, and majored in anthropology and sociology.

For much of his teens and early adulthood, Poole said he felt “some kind of calling” and knew he ultimately wanted to be either a teacher or a minister, but he leaned toward the ministry. “I had such a great experience and association with the church,” he said.

That feeling, along with the encouragement from others, made him consider seminary. “I knew that I was called to do something in professional ministry,” he said. “I didn’t know exactly what that was, but I knew it would likely require a master of divinity.”

Wilbur Franklin, the dean of the Chapel at Albion College, pushed Poole toward Garrett-Evangelical because he knew it would match his theological perspective and because it was a strong school academically.

During spring break of his senior year of college, Poole visited Garrett-Evangelical and was impressed with the vibrancy of the students and the energy and excitement of the professors and the staff. “There was just this feeling that something exciting was going on there,” he said.

“And then the other piece was, I saw the focus on social justice. I knew I would be surrounded

by Chicago and Evanston and the opportunity to see theology in real life. Theology wasn’t just something you studied at Garrett-Evangelical; it

was something you did. I drove away from GarrettEvangelical thinking, this is where I feel at home, and this is where I can see myself.”

In the fall of 1983, Poole arrived on campus. “It really did live up to what I imagined it to be,” he said.

In addition to being academically challenged, Poole took classes with professors who were actively involved in the world and in the classroom. Poole remembered that on one cold, cold January night, one of his professors loaded him up in his station wagon and drove to a church on the south side of Chicago. That night he saw Jesse Jackson on a stage in a church basement raising money for the Rainbow Coalition and preaching. Another time, he and another student skipped a class and went to hear Desmond Tutu preach. “Those were the kinds of opportunities I wanted,” he said.

Poole graduated from Garrett-Evangelical in 1986 and was ordained in the Detroit Annual Conference. He was appointed to three, small rural churches in the thumb of Michigan: Riley Center, Berville, and West Berlin United Methodist Churches. After two years, Poole became the associate pastor at a larger congregation, the First United Methodist Church in Saginaw, Michigan, where among other things, he worked with the youth for five years.

While in Saginaw, Poole had an opportunity to take a contract as an associate pastor at a large, progressive Methodist congregation in Melbourne, Australia. The two years at St. Michaels Uniting Church taught him many things, he said, including that a church focused on mission and social justice can also be financially viable and successful.

The most unusual thing about St. Michael’s Church was the focus on both mind and spirit.

The senior pastor was an ordained minister and a psychologist, and the congregation was deeply engaged in both the spiritual and psychological journey. This led Poole to a much deeper understanding of ministry to the whole person that would significantly impact his calling and ministry.

Equipped with new ideas, Poole came back to the United States and was appointed as associate pastor at Newburg United Methodist Church in Livonia, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It didn’t

take long before Poole received another calling, this one from the heart. Shortly before leaving for Australia, he had met a woman named Joyce who lived in Seattle, and at the end of his first year back from Melbourne, he requested a leave of absence and moved to Seattle to pursue a relationship that has lasted for more than 25 years.

Two years later, they married and shortly afterward opened a 10-room inn near the University of Washington, which they ran together for 20 years.

“We met some wonderful folks, created our own business, and got to make a lot of choices about our lives,” Poole said about the experience.

However, his calling to ministry did not go away.

In addition to running the inn, Poole worked part time on the staff of University Temple UMC. Later, he decided to do a one-year residency in clinical pastoral education and fell in love with chaplaincy.

For the next 15 years, Poole was a chaplain in hospitals and hospice. He also completed his master of organizational leadership at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.

His last job before he retired was director of mission integration at the Providence Portland Medical Center, where he was responsible for ensuring that the Mission of the Sisters of Providence was reflected in the daily operations and the strategic decisions and practices.

After he retired, Poole became a member of Garrett-Evangelical’s Board of Trustees, and he currently heads up the Committee on Trusteeship, which recruits, trains, and develops trustees. He also talks to prospective students and alumni in the Seattle area and has recently become steward for the class of 1986.

Poole said he likes to be involved at GarrettEvangelical because it allows him to experience the energy that drew him there in the first place. “I feel like I am a part of what Garrett-Evangelical is doing, and that feels good,” he said.

He urges others to support Garrett-Evangelical annually and to put it in their wills. “This is how you can make a difference,” he said. “This is how you can make sure that the next generation is prepared in a way that they can be effective leaders and that they can help heal the church.” n AWARE MAGAZINE | 16

LORI A. BALL JOINS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Lori A. Ball of Indianapolis, Indiana, joined the Board of Trustees of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on October 22, 2020, at the fall biannual meeting.

With more than 20 years in life science research, Ball is the chief operating officer (COO) for BiolVT, a leading provider of research models and services for drug and diagnostic development. Ball was named COO in October 2019.

Ball and her spouse, Dr. Lisa L. Hick, are members of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Rev. Robert Fuquay Jr., who serves as the senior pastor of St. Luke’s and is also a member of the Board of Trustees at GarrettEvangelical, supported Ball’s nomination to join

the board as did Garrett-Evangelical Trustee Judge John Baker of the Court of Appeals in Indiana.

Judge Baker is also a member of St. Luke’s.

Ball holds a master of business administration degree from Indiana Wesleyan University and a bachelor of arts degree from Anderson University.

She is a certified coach and mentor and holds numerous certificates, including Six Sigma credentials.

An active community member, Ball was co-founder of the Global Initiative for the Ethical Use of Human Specimens (the “GIFT Initiative”) and has served on boards in higher education, community foundations, and other organizations.

Her interest and hobbies include steel sculpture and welding, barefoot water skiing, biking, and hiking. n

REMEMBERING DR. ROBERT JEWETT On December 4, 2020, Dr. Robert Jewett, Harry R. Kendall Emeritus Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, died. An esteemed theologian, educator, and author, Jewett was a faculty member from 1980 to 2000. He was named professor emeritus in 2000.

Reflecting upon her faculty colleague, Dr. Lallene J. Rector, former president and associate faculty of psychology of religion and pastoral psychotherapy, said: “I knew Bob as a supportive, creative, and thoughtful colleague, one who engaged his students in his current research often modifying his conclusions based on student interaction. His was a spirit that will live on in many of our hearts and minds.”

Over the course of his career, Jewett taught at Morningside College, Wesley Theological Seminary, University of Montana, Iliff School of Theology, Vancouver School of Theology, GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary, University of Heidelberg, and the University of Wales–Lampeter.

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“He was a tremendous mentor to me during my doctoral studies at Garrett-Evangelical, and since that time, he has been a valued colleague and a dear friend,” said Dr. K.-K. Yeo, Harry R. Kendall Professor of New Testament Interpretation. “He will be greatly missed.”

Jewett wrote more than 200 essays and more than 20 monographs. Perhaps most notably was his book Romans: A Commentary (Hermeneia: A Critical & Historical Commentary on the Bible), published by Fortress Press. The work of almost his lifetime, it received wide acclaim when published.

Jewett was a member of several professional and religious organizations, including the Nebraska Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. In addition, he served as editor for a number of publications and presented at conferences, universities and seminaries, and churches across the globe.

We give thanks for our colleague and friend and for the many gifts he brought to his work at Garrett-Evangelical, to the local church, to the academy, and to our world. n

ALUM NEWS 1980s Sandy W. Brown (G-ETS 1982) was named associate publisher for Caminos and Pilgrimages of Cicerone Press.

Larry D. Pickens (G-ETS 1982 & 1985) was appointed executive director of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches.

1990s Oscar Ramos-Gallardo (G-ETS 1994) was appointed chair of the Order of Elders of the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Shannon Conklin-Miller (G-ETS 1995) was named leader of Constituent Relations and Services at the General Board of Higher Education (GBHEM) and Ministry. Prior, Conklin-Miller served as associate general secretary for GBHEM’s Division of Ordained Ministry for five years.

Sidney L. Crowcroft (G-ETS 1997) published a new book titled Sharing the Loaf: Chunks and Crumbs for our Journey (WestBow Press, 2020). The book is a collection of writings by the late Mary Vick Roth (G-ETS 1986). Both Sidney and Mary were clergy in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church. This book has been a labor of love for Crowcroft, who worked closely with Vick Roth’s spouse on the project.

F. Allison Ashe (G-ETS 1998) was named CEO of Wellroot, a faith-centered family services organization based in Tucker, Georgia.

2000s Darryl E. Totty (G-ETS 2001) was named chair of the Michigan United Methodist Conference Leadership Council.

Diane A. Bogues (G-ETS 2003) was named director of admissions and financial aid at Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Gregory D. Gross (G-ETS 2003) was named the executive director of Care for Real, an organization addressing hunger and food insecurity for nearly 50 years in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago.

Mark Chung Hearn (G-ETS 2005) was named associate professor and director of contextual education at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

Aja Carr-Favors (G-ETS 2006) was appointed by Gov. J. B. Pritzker of the State of Illinois to serve on the Medical Disciplinary Board for Illinois.

Jeremiah W. Gibbs (G-ETS 2007 & 2014), university chaplain and director of the Lantz Center for Christian Vocations and Formation, published a new book, Find Your Place in God’s Mission (Wesley’s Foundery Books, 2020). In addition, Gibbs has taken on a second appointment as pastor of St. Andrew United Methodist Church.

Brenda K. Buckwell (G-ETS 2008) published a new book, Spiritual Direction and the Metamorphosis of Church (Wesley’s Foundery Books, 2020). Taking cues from the extraordinary life cycle of the monarch butterfly, the book provides easy-toimplement practices for one’s church to follow the Spirit of God and become more life-giving through a deeper experience of the living presence of Christ.

2010s Samuel L. Green, Jr. (G-ETS 2014) was recognized as Charleston Business Magazine’s “2020 Best & Brightest 35 & Under.” Green serves as the director of strategic partnerships and director of Christian education for the Seventh Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

TiShaunda R. McPherson (G-ETS 2015) was named associate vice president for equity at Northwestern University. McPherson served as senior civil rights attorney for the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, from 2010 to 2017.

2020 Susanna F. Adlem (G-ETS 2020) published the novel, Love the Sinner, in August 2020. The book journeys with a naive young heroine as she and her pals get up to all kinds of mischief. With a religious lens and LGBTQ perspective, Love the Sinner asks the question: is it really possible to be a gay Christian?

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