Aware Magazine | January 2016

AWARE magazine

January 2016

A Quarterly Publication of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Aware Magazine • January 2016 Contents 3 | Presidential Perspective:

The Root of Our Faith

8 Garrett-Evangelical Alum Clint Twedt-Ball Makes a Difference in Cedar Rapids

4 | Our Newest Students in the New Year 8 | Matthew 25: Faith Lived in Action 9 | IRA Charitable Rollover is Back— For 2016 and Beyond 10 | Lasting Impact: One Family, Many Generations 11 | Elizabeth Campbell, Editor-in-Chief of Aware Magazine, Retires

12 Cutting Edges with K.K. Yeo: “How can theological education today remain prophetic and priestly?”

Aware is published quarterly by the development office

12 | Cutting Edges: Beauty that Creates,

Justice that Delights 13 | Alum News 14 | In Memoriam

PRESIDENT

for alums and friends of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Founded in 1853, the seminary serves more than 500 students from many denominations and various cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. Garrett-Evangelical 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 alums serve church and society around the world.

PHOTOGRAPHY

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Lallene J. Rector Katharine Duke David Heetland April McGlothin-Eller Krista McNeil Shane Nichols Tasha Sargent Bill Burlingham of Burlingham Productions Shane Nichols

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary | 2121 Sheridan Road | Evanston, IL | 800.SEMINARY | www.Garrett.edu

Presidential Perspective The Root of Our Faith Peace and grace to you, our Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary friends and family.

immersed in “sin and error” with increasingly frantic need for Christian persons who can, first, be present in the midst of sorrow and suffering, embodying care and concern for persons at their point of need. Through this incarnation of God’s love and grace, we begin to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are committed to seeking justice in the world. This balance and sometimes tension is part of our institutional DNA. We persist even in the face of human frailty and what seems like overwhelming odds against us.

We have only recently journeyed through the Advent and Christmas seasons, and now we look to Epiphany, when the true identity of our savior begins to be revealed and recognized beyond his parents. We know the story well, and we know how it ends. From the beginning, Jesus was in danger and remained so, more or less, until he was executed at the hands of the Roman Empire 33 years later. The threat of death never deterred his ministry, nor his proclamation of Good We persist in teaching and forming News for a world in “sin and error leaders who know the love of Christ Lallene J. Rector pining,” nor did it deter his courage and who are prepared to share this in remaining faithful through the Good News. We persist in preparing experience of torture and the process of being killed. leaders who are equipped to meaningfully and effectively respond to children who continue to suffer, In a month or so, we will enter into a time of reflection to the violence committed against so many persons about the life and death of Jesus, and we will anticipate across the world, to the incarcerated, the homeless, a celebration of his victory over death – all part of the the hungry, the naked, to those who lose everything rhythm of our Christian calendar and the liturgical in natural disasters, and to the damage being done to rituals that accompany the annual rehearsal of the God’s creation. Theological education is a never-ending history of our faith. But for now, we bask in re-living challenge, one that calls for vigilance and continual and remembering those earliest days when hope for efforts to improve and one in which we Christians must the world was born anew, when the promise of new engage. It is also a supreme privilege. For this, we give beginnings and a continuing relationship with Jesus thanks to God and to you, our friends and supporters, sustained not only an oppressed Jewish people, but our living cloud of witnesses, who join us in the effort also increasingly sustained other peoples as the gospel to spread the Gospel unto the ends of the earth and to spread “unto the ends of the earth.” bring the love of God to neighbor wherever we can.

Garrett-Evangelical exists because of the life and ministry of Jesus. Our founding purpose in 1853, with the gift from Eliza Garrett, was to ensure those called to ministry would have an education that would not only inform their zeal for preaching, but would also undergird them, formationally, in the challenges of servant leadership and all that this means for loving one’s neighbor.

We have not forgotten the root of our faith, its claims upon us to spread the Good News, nor our educational and formational purposes. We still live in a world January 2016

May you enjoy this issue of Aware and the inspiration you will undoubtedly experience as you read about our students, our alums, and our ongoing work at the seminary – in short, the incredible impact and reach of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Lallene J. Rector President Aware Magazine

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Our Newest Students in the New Year In September, Garrett-Evangelical welcomed a new class of students to campus. These students demonstrate a wide range of past experiences and future plans. The seminary is proud of the diversity of its student body and the commitment of its students to follow their call to serve God, the church, and their communities. Here are the stories of seven promising students who are beginning their studies at Garrett-Evangelical.

Laura Kraybill Degree program: Master of divinity Hometown: I think of Elkhart, Indiana, as home, but I spent a significant amount of time in London, England as a child.

Personal information: Most recently, I lived and worked in Hesston, Kansas, where I directed the theater program at Hesston College for five years. Hesston College is the two-year college of the Mennonite Church USA. I received my bachelor’s degree in communication from Goshen College and a master’s degree in theater education from Emerson College. My passion centers on the convergence of the arts and worship.

Why did you choose Garrett-Evangelical: I chose Garrett-Evangelical because it has a commitment to social justice and a commitment to evangelism. As a Mennonite, I come from a tradition that emphasizes the social justice message of the Gospel, so GarrettEvangelical’s similar emphasis appealed to me.

Christ models social justice stemming from a living, evangelical faith, and I was drawn to the way that Garrett-Evangelical brought together these two aspects. I’m also impressed with the ways that GarrettEvangelical encourages the worship arts. As a theater artist and musician, I want to be in a place where I can strengthen these gifts.

How has your faith been strengthened since attending Garrett-Evangelical: I’ve grown in my faith in many ways, but especially in the required course for all master of divinity students: vocational formation and church leadership. This class, which is conducted in a smallgroup setting, exposes us to spiritual disciplines as a way to foster spiritual growth.

Why would you recommend Garrett-Evangelical: I would recommend Garrett-Evangelical for its rigorous

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Christ models social justice stemming from a living, evangelical faith, and I was drawn to the way that GarrettEvangelical brought together these two aspects. academics, its warm, Christ-centered community, and its progressive-leaning theology in a diverse environment. The beautiful urban locale is a bonus, not only for its cultural appeal, but also for the variety of ministry opportunities.

Future plans: I’m considering either congregational pastoral work or campus ministry. One of my hopes is to equip churches and individuals with ways to draw on the arts as an avenue of connection with Christ.

Samuel Cocar Degree program: Master of theological studies Hometown: Mundelein, Illinois Personal information: I attended Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois, and majored in history. I enjoy drawing, gardening, and watching movies. I’m an occasional poetry buff.

Why did you choose Garrett-Evangelical: I chose Garrett-Evangelical because of its academic caliber and unique history. Garrett-Evangelical is also the alma mater of one of my mentors.

How has your faith been strengthened since attending Garrett-Evangelical: I have already learned lasting lessons about the ethical sensitivity and perspectival openness required of those who would take up the mantle of pastor, theologian, or biblical interpreter.

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Why would you recommend Garrett-Evangelical: Don’t come to Garrett-Evangelical if you insist on preserving your presuppositions about Christian faith and witness. Don’t come if you want an ideologically and demographically insular community that reinforces everything you already think. Do come if you’re open to deeper growth and awareness in these realms.

Future plans: I hope to continue my education through the doctoral program at Garrett-Evangelical, followed by writing, teaching, and more learning.

Ji Eun (Mori) O Degree program: Master of divinity Hometown: Seoul, Korea Personal information: I am one hundred percent Korean; however, I also lived in Japan. I have been strongly affected by Japanese culture, and I like to tell people I have a Japanese soul too. Though I am Korean, I feel like I am from both Korea and Japan. As an undergraduate, I majored in educational psychology. I also completed a master’s degree in clinical counseling psychology. Both degrees were completed at Seoul Women’s University.

Why did you choose Garrett-Evangelical: I chose Garrett-Evangelical because I heard the red shoes story.

When I first visited, I attended community worship.

There, I heard that wearing red shoes is one of GarrettEvangelical’s graduation traditions. Students wear red shoes to remember and honor women theologians, like Georgia Harkness and Rosemary Radford Ruether. I heard that most of Garrett-Evangelical’s female graduate students and staff wear red shoes. As an Asian woman, I wanted to participate in the tradition. To me, wearing red shoes means becoming a brave and open-hearted female theologian.

How has your faith been strengthened since attending Garrett-Evangelical: Before coming to GarrettEvangelical, I was just interested in studying theology.

However, since I started to study the role of the United Methodist pastor in the United States, I have realized that I am not just a master’s degree student; I am a January 2016

seminarian. I have learned a lot about how to love people and to serve God. My belief and calling have become clearer from attending classes and talking with my fellow classmates.

Why would you recommend Garrett-Evangelical: First, it has the most beautiful campus. How many schools have a walking path along Lake Michigan for prayer and meditation? Garrett-Evangelical also has beautiful sheltered coves. Second, Garrett-Evangelical has expert professors. As an international student, I have found that the faculty is always willing to generously help students. Third, Garrett-Evangelical has a welcoming staff and passionate students. Because the staff has warmly welcomed me, I have had no difficulty settling in on campus. Also, I have met many students who are full of passion for mission. I’ve learned from them how to love God and people.

Future plans: During my studies, I want to learn how to be a bridge in the church. For example, I want to serve as a bridge between a senior pastor and his or her congregation or between Asian culture and Western culture. After I graduate, I want to be an ordained pastor in the United States. I want to make a healthy and happy church for people. With my psychology background, I want to do pastoral care, and I also want to encourage marginal churches and help them fulfill their mission.

Jillian Quainoo Degree program: Master of pastoral care and counseling, clinical track Hometown: Bolingbrook, Illinois Personal information: I am from the south suburbs of Chicago (Homewood). I went to Bradley University for a bachelor’s degree in nutrition/dietetics and attended graduate school at Prairie View A&M University for a dietetics internship. I love singing, interior design, fashion, and community service/non-profit work. I would love one day to use my pastoral care/counseling background and dietetics degree to help broken families within communities through non-profit work. (continued on page 6) Aware Magazine

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Why did you choose Garrett-Evangelical: I chose Garrett-Evangelical because of its emphasis on social justice. Also, I wanted to gain a seminary education with an ecumenical approach to theology.

How has your faith been strengthened since attending Garrett-Evangelical: I have been challenged to be okay with not having all the answers. It has helped me to widen my heart toward others even if I believe differently than them.

Why would you recommend Garrett-Evangelical: I would recommend Garrett-Evangelical because it is geared toward helping students think critically about the world and their faith. The seminary also provides a strong education that equips students to lead both within the church and within the world.

Future plans: I want to receive my licensure as a licensed clinical professional counselor after graduation.

I also plan on developing a non-profit program to help broken families become whole within the Chicagoland area through counseling, education, and mentoring.

Diamond Pate Degree program: Master of divinity Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada Personal information: I majored in religion at Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, North Carolina. After college, I served as a US-2 missionary through the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. As a missionary, I spent a couple of months in New Jersey recruiting volunteers for Superstorm Sandy Recovery work. I spent the rest of my two years as a missionary working at Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville, North Carolina. At Hinton, I worked with volunteer teams to participate in-home repairs for low-income families in the Appalachian Mountains. I fell in love with the mountains and the wonderful people. Even though I am a west coast girl, I love southern culture, especially the food! I also love to cook and paint. I just got a sewing machine, so I am excited to start working on some sewing projects.

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I didn’t want an education that revolved around just reading books and writing papers; I wanted an education that pushed me outside the classroom and into practical learning and social engagement.

Why did you choose Garrett-Evangelical: I chose Garrett-Evangelical because of its emphasis on pastoral care and counseling. I think it is vital for church leaders to learn skills in pastoral care and counseling because being a pastor is much more than just preaching.

Garrett-Evangelical is also an environment that is actively pursuing new ways of connecting what we are learning to public theology and justice concerns around the world. I didn’t want an education that revolved around just reading books and writing papers; I wanted an education that pushed me outside the classroom and into practical learning and social engagement.

How has your faith been strengthened since attending Garrett-Evangelical: Being in the community has really strengthened my faith. I am on this journey with some wonderful classmates who provide tremendous support to each other. After class, we continue to wrestle with what we have been learning, and we push each other to apply the lessons we have learned. I enjoy having this space to have open dialogue about difficult issues and to know that whenever I am in need, one of my classmates will be there for me. We share our joys and our struggles; we really are like a family.

Why would you recommend Garrett-Evangelical: Garrett-Evangelical has a strong commitment to engaging students spiritually and intellectually. My theological education has helped me take what I am learning in the classroom and use it in the world to increase God’s beloved community.

Future plans: I am working toward ordination in The United Methodist Church as an elder. I plan on going back to my home conference (Desert Southwest) and taking the valuable lessons I have learned here to nurture congregations toward intentional outreach ministry.

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Joe Sanford

Danny Umba Jr.

Degree program: Master of divinity

Degree program: Master of divinity

Hometown: Darlington, Indiana

Hometown: Morogoro, Tanzania

Personal Information: I grew up on a farm in Greenfield, Indiana and lived there until I went to college. I have since lived in several different places around Indiana. I attended the University of Indianapolis and graduated in 2014. I love to spend time with family and friends. My wife and I have two newborn twin daughters, and I have an elevenyear-old son, Noah. I serve as lead pastor at Darlington United Methodist Church.

Why did you choose Garrett-Evangelical: I chose Garrett-Evangelical because I knew I would be challenged. I want to be ready to serve as a pastor for the next 30-35 years, and I felt confident that I would receive the tools I need at Garrett-Evangelical. Other schools did not offer me the opportunity to be pushed out of my comfort zone and wrestle with faith of the 21st century across a multitude of demographical landscapes. I visited the campus, among other visits, and felt at home with the energy level that is so vibrant among the faculty and students.

How has your faith been strengthened since attending Garrett-Evangelical: I am learning that I am more Methodist than I had ever realized. I feel affirmed in many of my theological perspectives and have found that my spiritual formation is going to be served well. I am only getting started here, so I am eager to see what all is coming during the next two and a half years.

Why would you recommend Garrett-Evangelical: I would recommend a seminary experience that is geared toward stretching people to grow in new and exciting ways. Garrett-Evangelical’s financial support and accommodating schedule for commuters is a plus too.

Future plans: I do not know where God is leading me, but my plan is to keep on the Elder track with the Indiana Conference. I am on schedule to graduate in May 2018. I will continue in the process until God tells me otherwise. Other than my vocational future, I plan on enjoying every second of being a dad and husband.

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Personal information: I am from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I studied agriculture at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe.

My hobbies are listening to music, singing, and playing and watching soccer.

Why did you choose Garrett-Evangelical: I chose Garrett-Evangelical because of its warm atmosphere.

I was overwhelmed with the welcome I received from the Garrett-Evangelical community and alums last summer when I first visited the campus. The admissions office did all it could to bring me here, and I felt needed not because of what I achieved but because the people here value the students and the experiences they bring to the whole community.

How has your faith been strengthened since attending Garrett-Evangelical: In my first year of studies, I am still trying to find the ground on which my faith is planted. I always wanted to focus on my faith, but my first year I am learning to see my faith in community.

Why would you recommend Garrett-Evangelical: I would recommend Garrett-Evangelical to other people because the knowledge and transformation they can receive will change the way they look at the world.

They will build a strong faith with the support of the faculty and the community.

Future plans: My plans for the future are to work as a pastor in a congregation. I will let the Lord lead me in this journey because from what I am learning, I will go where God wants me to be.

To hear from more students who are currently studying at Garrett-Evangelical, go to www.Garrett.edu/StudentStories

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Matthew 25: Faith Lived in Action Clint Twedt-Ball (G-ETS 1999) does not consider Matthew 25, the non-profit organization he founded with his brother, Courtney Ball, in 2006, a charity.

Rather, he sees it as a place of empowerment for the people living on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

“We are an agency that provides resources to people so they can come together to multiply their talents and uncover their God-given gifts while transforming their own neighborhoods,” he explains.

educational programs at five school-site gardens.

Additionally, Matthew 25 works to empower youth through a Book Buddies Program, which brings volunteers from area churches into the neighborhood schools to teach first graders how to read, and Groundswell, a community gathering space and youth arts venue that sponsors open-mic nights, concerts, educational programming, and art shows.

“Groundswell is a space where Matthew 25 serves the Cedar kids can express themselves Rapids community in three ways and feel safe and supported Clint Twedt-Ball (G-ETS 1999) – by building neighborhoods, doing that,” says Twedt-Ball. cultivating hope, and empowering youth. The nonprofit organization is best known for its Block by Block Twedt-Ball and his brother decided to create Matthew Program that has been nationally recognized as a model 25 while they were both United Methodist pastors, for disaster recovery and neighborhood revitalization.

Clint in Cedar Rapids and Courtney in nearby Iowa City, serving middle class to affluent churches.

After the disastrous 2008 flood in Cedar Rapids that destroyed 1,300 homes and flooded ten square miles, “They were good places and also very comfortable Matthew 25 partnered with churches and other nonplaces to serve, but we both felt like we wanted to profit organizations to raise $6 million and help people be working with people on the economic margins rebuild their neighborhoods. Thanks to those efforts, and wanted to be working on issues of justice and more than 250 families were able to move back into community organizing,” he says. their homes.

The two brothers started small, locating their offices Today, Matthew 25 continues to help residents repair in a choir robe closet in a church basement. They their homes, but the non-profit also does much more. connected with the people in the neighborhood by It provides micro-loans for homeowners and organizes knocking on doors and listening. block parties; it advocates for homeowners and renters and maintains a tool-lending library for home repair “Our goal was to get churches in the area to and lawn and garden care. It also builds new homes and start actively working with the people in the purchases and rehabs abandoned homes. neighborhoods,” he says.

“Just as important,” Twedt-Ball says, “we help our neighbors connect with each other and support one another.”

According to Twedt-Ball, about 50 percent of the neighborhood children are overweight or obese, so Matthew 25’s Cultivate Hope program provides fresh produce and teaches children about nutrition. Matthew 25 maintains a two-acre urban farm, located in the heart of the city, where students learn about growing, eating, and preserving fresh food. Matthew 25 also partners with local elementary and middle schools to provide

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All their hard work slowly began to pay off. “We began to be seen as an organization people could turn to when they needed assistance with things,” he says. Then, the flood of 2008 hit, and Matthew 25 became vital in helping the people of Cedar Rapids rebuild their own homes and neighborhoods.

“It is important for people to have some sense of control and input in their healing,” Twedt-Ball explains.

“Our focus is to help people rebuild their lives and their neighborhoods.”

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Currently Matthew 25 has nine full- and part-time employees including Twedt-Ball. An additional five young adults are serving the organization as AmeriCorps volunteers.

The son and the grandson of a Methodist preacher, Twedt-Ball says he wouldn’t have been able to predict the path his life has taken. In his youth, the last thing he wanted to be was a minister, he says. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Missouri to study radio and television. That dream was short-lived, and a year later, he returned home to think about what he wanted to do next.

He transferred to the University of Iowa and majored in psychology. In his final year at Iowa, he says he started thinking about his faith and reconnecting with the church. That led him to become a peer minister at the Wesley Foundation at Iowa, where he met his wife, Karla. That experience led to a job as a campus ministry associate at the Wesley Foundation at the University of Northern Iowa.

Like his grandfather before him, Twedt-Ball decided to attend Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Among the many reasons he chose Garrett-Evangelical were the highly acclaimed theologians teaching there and the opportunities to serve and learn in non-traditional ways.

In his second year, Dr. Marti Scott invited him to be a part of the Carpenter Program, and he went to work for

the National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice.

“I really learned a lot about community organizing from that experience,” he says.

The next year, he worked at the Wheadon United Methodist Church in Evanston, where he learned to integrate theology and social justice.

At Garrett-Evangelical his faith was strengthened. “I was in classes where I was constantly being challenged to think through my theology, and that forced me to decide where I stood,” he says.

That faith has served him and Matthew 25 well. The non-profit organization has grown tremendously in the last seven years, and thanks to a successful $1.8 million capital campaign, it is likely to grow even more.

After learning about his work, Garrett-Evangelical President Lallene Rector praised what Twedt-Ball and Matthew 25 has accomplished, saying: “We are so proud of Clint and his ministry in Cedar Rapids. It is a terrifically inspiring example of doing public theology.”

Rector, along with a faculty member and a couple of students, plans to visit Twedt-Ball to see firsthand how much Matthew 25 has accomplished.

“I also look forward to welcoming him back to campus to share with us what he has learned about community organizing and working for the common good in Cedar Rapids,” she says.

IRA Charitable Rollover Is Back—for 2016 and Beyond On December 18 legislation was signed into law that extends the special IRA rollover incentive. The new law made the IRA charitable rollover retroactive to January 1, 2015, and will remain in effect for 2016 and beyond.

For those over age 70.5, it is once again possible to make tax-favored charitable gifts from traditional and Roth IRA accounts. Amounts given in this way will count toward 2016 required IRA withdrawal amounts.

We would encourage those eligible to take advantage of this special giving opportunity. A total of up to $100,000 can be transferred directly from traditional or Roth IRAs to Garrett-Evangelical free of federal income tax. There may also be state income tax savings.

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To make such gifts, it is important to not withdraw funds prior to a gift, but distribute them directly from an IRA to one or more qualified charities. For those with check-writing privileges on their accounts, this may be the most efficient way to make gifts directly from an IRA. Check with your IRA administrator or your tax advisor for more information. You can also contact David Heetland, vice president for development, at david.heetland@garrett.edu or call him directly at 847.866.3970, if you have further questions.

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Lasting Impact: One Family, Many Generations

Joseph and Soong Ok helped raise more than $200,000 for the Reverend and Mrs. Eun Taik Yi Scholarship Fund for Korean Seminarians

Seminary students Woong Kee Kim and Rebecca M. Lee met with Joseph and Soong Ok in December 2015

During a celebration honoring his 70th birthday in May 2000, Joseph Yi told his family and friends about his dream to establish a scholarship in his parents’ names at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and asked those there that night what they thought.

for ministries and social services for persons of Korean descent. Faithful preaching, worship, and ministry characterized the congregation. Through evangelism, many persons encountered the Christian Gospel.

Through social services, many found support and community in a new land, a home away from home.

His wife, Kang Ja Chang Yi, was his faithful helpmate, providing hospitality and support for his church’s ministry. Her home was known as a sanctuary for thousands of “Korean sojourners.”

Joseph, a retired civil engineer, knew about the seminary because his father, Rev. Eun Taik Yi, had attended there many years earlier. When first approached by Garrett-Evangelical with the idea of starting a scholarship to honor his father, Joseph declined. He knew that his father would not want anything that would exalt or glamorize his name in any way. He reconsidered after learning that the number of available scholarships at Garrett-Evangelical for Korean students was very limited. The need was there.

After discussing the possibility of establishing such a scholarship at his birthday party, Joseph and the others decided that his father would not have opposed the idea because the scholarship would benefit today’s students, just as Joseph’s father benefited from scholarship assistance when he came to Garrett Biblical Institute in 1935.

Rev. Eun Taik Yi was the father of the Chicago Korean Protestant churches. He graduated from Hyup Sun Methodist Seminary and later from Yonsei University, both in Seoul, Korea. While he was studying at Garrett-Evangelical, he was appointed to serve the Korean Methodist Church in Chicago, a position he held for 28 years. This was the first Korean Christian church in the Midwest and the parent church of all other Korean Protestant churches in the Chicago area.

Because of Rev. Yi’s leadership, a foundation was laid

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Following his birthday party, Joseph recruited a committee to help raise the funds to establish the Reverend and Mrs. Eun Taik Yi Scholarship Fund for Korean Seminarians. Joseph and his wife, Soong Ok, worked tirelessly with the committee and together they raised $150,000. The two then traveled to Korea at their own expense to raise an additional $50,000. With the help of many friends who knew his father, they were successful. The fund had reached more than $200,000.

Thanks to their family and friends’ generosity, GarrettEvangelical is able to grant a $5,000 scholarship to two Korean students each year who have a good academic record and financial need. To date, more than 25 grants have been awarded from this scholarship.

The Yi family’s involvement with Garrett-Evangelical continues to this day. Joseph joined the seminary’s board of trustees in 2003, but soon indicated the board needed younger members. He suggested his son, Ted, would make a fine trustee. Joseph retired from the board in 2004, and Ted, the managing senior partner with the law firm Quarles and Brady in Chicago,

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joined the board in 2005. Ted’s specialty is real estate, including construction and loans, so his knowledge and skills were invaluable when the seminary renovated Loder Hall a few years ago.

As a trustee, Ted recognized the need to play a leadership role in the seminary’s Forging Our Future campaign. He invited his parents and his sister, Linda Yi Condon, to join him in making a major commitment to the campaign. In recognition of their commitment, Garrett-Evangelical named a room in the library the Yi Family Bible Room, which houses a collection of old and rare bibles.

In December 2015, Joseph and Soong Ok Yi returned to campus to see the fruits of their work. They had lunch with this year’s Yi Scholars, Woong Kee Kim and Rebecca M. Lee. They also received a personal tour of the Yi Family Bible Room and visited with President Lallene Rector.

Following their visit, President Rector commented: “We are so grateful for the leadership and generosity of the Yi family. They have helped—and are continuing to help—us address two important campaign goals: providing adequate scholarship assistance and renovating our buildings so that the quality of our buildings matches the education within them. How fortunate we are to have several members of one family share our vision to prepare skilled, bold, and articulate leaders who share the transforming love of Jesus Christ.”

If you share the Yi family’s commitment to prepare bold Christian leaders, we invite you to support the seminary’s Forging Our Future campaign. Outright gifts, multi-year pledges, and planned gift commitments are all welcome. For more information, contact David Heetland, vice president for development, at david.heetland@garrett.edu or 847.866.3970.

Elizabeth Campbell, Editor-in-Chief of Aware, Retires After more than 20 years of service to GarrettEvangelical, Betty Campbell, director of stewardship, has retired, effective December 31, 2015. In addition to her administration responsibilities, Campbell served with distinction as editor-in-chief for Aware Magazine.

Campbell began her work at the seminary in 1995 as assistant to the vice president for development.

Her responsibilities grew over the years to include grant writing and editing Aware magazine. In 2007, Campbell was named director of stewardship. In this role, she coordinated the seminary’s stewardship activities, including preparing endowment reports, and maintaining donor relations through stewardship reports, countless phone calls, emails, and letters. She also hosted donor visits to the seminary and served as an advocate for our donors. Because of her work, Campbell has become a valued friend to many of our January 2016

donors over the years. Additionally, she has worked with the Council of Laity and aided the development office in the scholarship thank you letter program.

Campbell has been invaluable in strengthening the seminary’s stewardship program. “We have been blessed by Betty’s many gifts and her dedication to Garrett-Evangelical. She will be deeply missed,” stated David Heetland, vice president for development.

In retirement, Campbell plans to spend time with her grandchildren, enjoy Chicago’s many cultural offerings, and travel.

We, too, extend our deepest thanks to Campbell for her years of service to the Garrett-Evangelical community and wish her the best in her upcoming endeavors.

In December 2015, the development office welcomed Ceciley Akins as director of stewardship. Akins will assume much of Campbell’s responsibilities. Shane Nichols, director of communications, is now serving as editor-in-chief for Aware magazine.

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Cutting Edges Beauty that Creates, Justice that Delights: Arts that Can Transform China and the United States K.K.Yeo, Harry R. Kendall Professor of New Testament I live in two worlds: The United States and China. I do miss riding a bicycle in Beijing, and with 50 million cars in the city, catching a taxi can be a challenge.

What the government calls “smog,” many call “heavy pollution.” For 30 years, China has been able to sustain an annual economic growth of eight to 10 percent, but we know now that the people are paying the price. This also is true in the United States but with a different set of problems; many are paying the price for our democracy, economic prosperity, and national security. How can theological education today remain prophetic and priestly? Paul’s timely truth is that, “Do not be conformed to this age (aeon), but be transformed by the renewing of your minds (noos), so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good (virtuous) and acceptable (delightful) and perfect (whole)” (Romans 12:2). It is beauty that brings truth and good to our inner core of being.

Modern secular “prophets” know the power of imagination to shape the world. David Shambaugh titled his edited volume, Tangled Titans: The United States and China (2012), while in her book, China: Fragile Superpower (2007), Susan Shirk warns of China’s “brittle authoritarian regime” and its “deep sense of domestic insecurity.” I prefer not to see goodness as in the field of ethics, but rather follow Confucius in perceiving goodness as determined by the beautiful to become the social fabric of a good society. Analects 13:3 reads, “When affairs do not culminate successfully, rites and music do not flourish; when rites and music do not flourish, punishments will not correct crimes.” It is the rituals (rites), not the rule or laws (rights) that shape us to be fully human. “To live in the neighborhood of benevolence (ren) is beauty” (Analects 4:1). We ought to be “lifted by poetry, formed by rituals (li), and perfected by music” (Analects 8:8).

Old Testament prophets are God’s artists, whose “prophetic imagination” enable them to see far deeper

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into social problems than most kings, scribes, and legalists can perceive. They see through the veil of appearances to glimpses of a different reality. They use various artistic means to proclaim the message of repentance and hope (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea). “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24).

Theological education at Garrett-Evangelical is not programmatic, propaganda, professional training (trade school); instead, it is about the spiritual reception of the prophetic ethos (salt), the priestly passion (light), and “obedience of faith” (faithful discipleship) of the Gospel in the world. The work of the Art Committee at our seminary is precisely to realize that which cannot be taught but can be caught, i.e., to foster a theological pedagogy of pneumatic creativity in the classroom.

Many professors at our seminary are using music and film and visual arts in their classes. You will discover the pervasive presence of art on campus as pedagogy for transformation, addressing chaos, violence, and oppression. The promotion of the arts includes photographic contextual analysis of one’s ministry site; the creative process as contemplation, providing “knowledge of God impregnated with love” (Gregory the Great) toward the creation of social justice; painting prayers as an experience of transcendence; and the use of collage to depict one’s future ministry as we imagine the new heaven and new earth as God’s desire for the world. “Beautiful in art can move our heart at its depths, bringing us to a state in which we are open to seeing Christ and imagining the reign of God he came to usher in” (Cecilia González-Andrieu, Bridge to Wonder). The world needs art from Christians, art that tells the story of truth, goodness, and beauty.

We are God’s “masterpiece” (poema), created in Christ Jesus to do “good” (Ephesians 2:10). As harbingers of justice and love, may we, the image of God, be transformed into God’s creativity and beauty, even as we encounter the Cross through the interceding Spirit, and thereby “taken up wholesale into the reality of the beautiful . . . fully subordinate to it, determined by it, animated by it” (von Balthasar, The Glory of the Lord).

January 2016

Alum News 1930s

1970s

Ethel Payne (CTS 1934) was memorialized in Eye on the Struggle: Ethel Payne, The First Lady of the Black Press (HarperCollins, 2015). Scholar James McGrath Morris brings the life of Payne, Chicago Defender journalist and Chicago Training School graduate, out of obscurity in his recent biography of one our distinguished alums.

Chris Madison (G-ETS 1978) began serving as a full-time chaplain at Franciscan St. Elizabeth East Hospital in Lafayette, Indiana in 2015.

1950s James E. Will (GBI 1952), emeritus professor of GarrettEvangelical, recently published A Contemporary Theology for Ecumenical Peace: Jeremiah’s Lament of No Peace (Palgrave Pivot, 2014). In his review of Will’s book, Alva Caldwell (GTS 1969) writes: “The book is small in size, only fifty-seven pages, but large in its challenge to live into an ecumenical peace.

The book is clearly theological in nature, helping the reader to work through various expressions of what it means to approach life through process theology, platonic philosophy, panentheism, pantheism, creation theology, and also gives us beautiful expressions of what it means to talk about God as Creator, Liberator, Redeemer.”

Thomas Lane Butts (GBI 1957) received the Lifetime Member Award from the Monroe Branch of the NAACP in Monroeville, Alabama on October 16, 2015.

J. Robert Ewbank (GBI 1958) published Tell Me About the United Methodist Church: An Introduction to the United Methodist Church in July 2015.

January 2016

1980s Toussaint Hill (G-ETS 1984), senior pastor of the historic West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, was named Community Consultant for the Atlanta Hawks NBA team in November 2015.

1990s Shannon Conklin-Miller (G-ETS 1995) was named assistant general secretary for clergy formation for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church.

Bonnie Allen (G-ETS 1999) was named executive director of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc. 2000s Dave Lewis (G-ETS 2002) was named director of alumni relations at the University of Central Oklahoma in August 2015.

Pamela R. Lightsey (G-ETS 2005) received the Bishop’s 2015 Ecumenical and Interreligious Award of the Northern Illinois Conference in recognition of her witness by word and action to God’s purpose for human community. In addition, Lightsey’s newest book, Our Lives Matter: A Womanist Queer Theology (Pickwick Publications) was published in September 2015.

Jeremiah Gibbs (G-ETS 2007 and 2014) published his first book Apologetics after Lindbeck: Faith, Reason, and the Cultural-Linguistic Turn (Wipf & Stock, 2015). In this work, Gibbs carefully analyzes theologian George Lindbeck and shows a way forward that embraces Christian apologetics, while transforming it to answer postmodern criticisms of modern apologetics.

Leah Gunning Francis (G-ETS 2009) was named vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Christian Theological Seminary. Her book Ferguson & Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community was published in August 2015.

2010s Rustin E. Brian (G-ETS 2011) published Jacob Arminius: The Man from Ouderwater (Cascade Books) in June 2015.

Tasha Sargent (G-ETS 2013) was selected as a 2015-2016 Handa Fellow in Interreligious Communication from the national organization Religion Communicators Council.

Zayna Thompson (G-ETS 2013) was selected as a member of the Class of 2025 for the United Church of Christ’s Next Generation Leadership Initiative: Target 2030.

Timothy Gaines (G-ETS 2014) has been appointed to a faculty position in theology at Trevecca’s Millard Reed School of Theology and Christian Ministry. For the past three years, Gaines and his wife, Shawna, have served as co-lead pastors of the First Church of the Nazarene in Bakersfield, California.

Aware Magazine

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In Memoriam: Bishop Jesse R. DeWitt, Alumnus Alumnus Bishop Jesse R. DeWitt (GBI 1948) died Thanksgiving Day at his home in Dexter, Michigan. DeWitt was a native Detroiter whose desire to fight for workers’ rights and organized labor led him into ministry in the Methodist church, where he would eventually become a bishop and lifelong supporter of social justice. He was 96.

DeWitt received his bachelor of science degree from Wayne State University, and he graduated from Garrett Biblical Institute with a master of divinity degree in 1948.

Over the course of his ministry, he received honorary doctor of ministry degrees from Adrian College, Lakeland College, and Wiley College, and a honorary doctor of humanities degree from North Central College.

He served churches in Northern Illinois and Detroit conferences, where he was appointed the first executive of the Detroit Conference Board of Missions and Church Extensions. He served on the Commission on the Role and Status of Women, the General Board of Church and Society, and the General Board of Global Ministries, all organizations affiliated with The United Methodist Church.

DeWitt was predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Annamary Horner, who died five years ago. He is survived by his daughters, Donna Wegryn and Darla Inman (William), five grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Jesse R. DeWitt Scholarship at Garrett-Evangelical.

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

1940s Paul R. Hett, ETS 1946, Parsons, Kansas, died September 10, 2015.

Tyler Kriedeman, ETS 1946, Minot, North Dakota, died September 26, 2015.

Paul Olson, GBI 1948, East Peoria, Illinois, died August 25, 2015.

Chester Sheldon, GBI 1948, Crystal, Minnesota, died July 29, 2015.

William Edge Dixon, GBI 1949, Columbus, Ohio, died November 5, 2015.

Gordon Bucher, GBI 1951, Manchester, Indiana, died September 28, 2015.

Lawrence Drum, ETS 1955, Perrysburg, Ohio, died March 19, 2015.

Merlin Hoeft, ETS 1952, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, died August 29, 2015.

Nordon Murphy, ETS 1955, Pompton Plains, New Jersey, died September 24, 2015.

Burton Crosby, ETS 1953, Cincinnati, Ohio, died September 28, 2015.

Glenn Ioder, GBI 1953, Pekin, Illinois, died July 9, 2015.

Carl Sattelberg, GBI 1953, Rockford, Illinois, died August 19, 2015.

1950s

J. Ellsworth Kalas, GBI 1954, Lexington, Kentucky, died November 12, 2015.

John W. Collins, GBI 1950, Newburgh, Indiana, died April 14, 2015.

William E. Barrick, GBI 1955, Georgetown, Texas, died June 24, 2015.

Clinton Aiton, GBI 1951, Issaquah, Washington, died March 12, 2015.

Leland Brett, ETS 1955, Franklin, Indiana, died September 21, 2015.

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Leslie Carrol Pruehsner, GBI 1955, Anna, Illinois, died April 17, 2015.

Robert Versteeg, GBI 1955, Bowling Green, Ohio, died September 6, 2015.

Preston C. Brown, GBI 1956, Rapid City, South Dakota, died July 2, 2015.

Nathaniel Hill Gwinn, GBI 1956, Silver Springs, Florida, died June 15, 2015.

Glen Kitzenberger, ETS 1956, Berkeley, California, died June 1, 2015.

January 2016

Gerhard Johnson, GBI 1957, Tucson, Arizona, died October 31, 2015.

Glenn Quam, GTS 1963, St. Petersburg, Florida, died August 24, 2015.

Dwight Benner, GTS 1971, Beverly Hills, Michigan, died September 25, 2015.

Stanley Lane, GBI 1957, Joliet, Illinois, died December 30, 2015.

Jack O. Stewart, GTS 1963, Pontiac, Illinois, died March 22, 2015.

James Leach, GBI 1957, Salt Lake City, Utah, died April 29, 2015.

Ronald A. Houk, GTS 1964, Ludington, Michigan, died June 12, 2015.

Ronald Bachman, GTS 1972, Burlington, Wisconsin, died October 10, 2015.

Geoffrey L. Story Jr., GBI 1958, Bloomington, Indiana, died February 11, 2015.

Charles Cobb, GBI 1959, Geneva, Illinois, died September 3, 2015.

Lloyd J. Lowe, GBI 1959, Maggie Valley, North Carolina, died June 21, 2015.

1960s Kenneth Fineran, GBI 1960, Northfield, Minnesota, died May 7, 2015.

Frederick Hinshelwood, GBI 1960, Keshena, Wisconsin, died October 29, 2015.

Robert Logan, ETS 1960, Des Moines, Iowa, died August 31, 2015.

Theodor Rath, ETS 1960, Sun Lakes, Arizona, died July 7, 2015.

Ralph H. Dude, GTS 1962, Normal, Illinois, died July 24, 2015.

Ray Kelley, GTS 1962, Belleville, Illinois, died December 21, 2015.

Russell L. Carlson, GTS 1963, Des Plaines, Illinois, died June 24, 2015.

George Lewis, Jr., GTS 1965, Houston, Texas, died April 3, 2015.

Richard Garabrant, ETS 1966, Bloomington, Illinois, died August 30, 2015.

Winona Campbell, GTS 1967, Whitewater, Wisconsin, died October 9, 2015.

Joanne Hale Aggens, G-ETS 1976, Wilmette, Illinois, died August 13, 2015.

Dennis N. Paulson, G-ETS 1976, Alger, Michigan, died July 18, 2015.

1980s

Christian “James” Christenson, GTS 1967, Madison, Wisconsin, died September 24, 2015.

Bruce E. McConnell, G-ETS 1982, Portland, Oregon, died March 25, 2015.

William “Don” Ekstrom, ETS 1967, Tolono, Illinois, died November 22, 2015.

Dorinda U. Guillermo, G-ETS 1983, Houston, Texas, died July 19, 2015.

Mervin A. Kunkle, GTS 1968, Richwood, Ohio, died March 14, 2015.

Willis H. Burgin Jr., G-ETS 1984, Kenosha, Wisconsin, died December 14, 2015.

Robert Schwanke, ETS 1968, Hutchinson, Minnesota, died September 5, 2015.

Archie L. Criglar Sr., G-ETS 1989, Fort Wayne, Indiana, died December 24, 2015.

John “Dick” Seed, GTS 1968, Pekin, Illinois, died September 30, 2015.

1990s

1970s

H. Margaret McDowell, G-ETS 1992, Rantoul, Illinois, died April 4, 2015.

Patricia McCann, GTS 1970, Wilmette, Illinois, died November 20, 2015.

William “Bill” Renner, CSS 1999, Springfield, Illinois, died August 11, 2015.

STAY IN TOUCH

Need to update your contact information? Want to share your latest news? We want to hear from you. Visit us online at www.Garrett.edu/update.

January 2016

Larry Purvis, G-ETS 1974, Colorado Springs, Colorado, died October 17, 2015.

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www.Garrett.edu Aware Magazine

15

February 2016 Black History Month: The Center for the Church and the Black Experience will sponsor a number of events and services throughout February in honor of Black History Month. To learn more, go to www.Garrett.edu/BHM2016.

Contact Angela Cowser at 847.866.3984 or CBE@garrett.edu.

2121 Sheridan Road Evanston, Illinois 60201

Calendar of Events

Tuesday, February 2 Sabbatical Lecture: Mark Teasdale, E. Stanley Jones associate professor of evangelism, “Evangelism and Radicalization” Contact Krista McNeil at 847.866.3903 or krista.mcneil@garrett.edu.

Tuesday, February 23 Public Theology Lecture: Michael C. R. Nabors, senior pastor at Second Baptist Church of Evanston, Illinois, “Race Matters through the Lenses of a Local Pastor” Contact Erin Moore at 847.866.3902 or erin.moore@garrett.edu.

Tuesday, March 1 Sabbatical Lecture: Nancy Bedford, Georgia Harkness professor of applied theology, “The Grandmotherly God: Theological Reflections on the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo and Their Search for Their Missing Grandchildren” Contact Krista McNeil at 847.866.3903 or krista.mcneil@garrett.edu.

Tuesday, March 15 Sabbatical Lecture: Mark Fowler, Murray H. Leiffer associate professor of church leadership, “Re-visioning Vision: Pedagogy, Eschatology, and the Leadership of Hope” Contact Krista McNeil at 847.866.3903 or krista.mcneil@garrett.edu.

Wednesday-Friday, March 16-18 EUB Heritage Symposium and ETS Reunion: Co-sponsored

by Garrett-Evangelical and North Central College, this threeday event will be held in the former Evangelical Theological Seminary buildings on the campus of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. To learn more and to register, go to www.Garrett.edu/EUBHeritage.

For a full calendar of events, visit us at www.garrett.edu

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Tuesday, March 22 Public Theology Lecture: Gregory C. Ellis, II, associate professor of pastoral care and counseling, Candler School of Theology, “Fearless Dialogues: Overtures of a Movement” Contact Erin Moore at 847.866.3902 or erin.moore@garrett.edu.