Aware Magazine | October 2017

AWARE A quarterly publication of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

October 2017

The 2016-2017 Annual Report

Aware Magazine • October 2017

Two Garrett-Evangelical PhD alums, Rev. Dr. Mai-Anh Le Tran (G-ETS 2004), pictured here, and Dr. DĂŠbora B. Agra Junker (G-ETS 2003), joined the faculty in July. Both bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the field of Christian education.

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Contents 3 | Presidential Perspective 4 | The 2016-2017 Annual Report 6 | Forging Our Future: Endowment Campaign Analysis 8 | Seminary Welcomes New Christian Education Faculty Members 9 | Cutting Edges: Open Access and Theological Communication

When the Hagmanns created a scholarship at GarrettEvangelical, they never dreamed one of the recipients would become their pastor. To their delight, Rev. Matthew Sipe began his appointment at the Minnetonka United Methodist Church this past June.

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10 | Giving Through the Generations 11 | Former President States the Case for Christian Faith Today 12 | A Happy Surprise: Donors and Scholarship Recipient Meet Again 14 | Garrett-Evangelical Welcomes Three New Trustees 15 | Chairperson Stead Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Aware is published quarterly by the development office for

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

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

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary 2121 Sheridan Road | Evanston, IL 60201 800.SEMINARY | www.Garrett.edu

PRESIDENT Lallene J. Rector EDITORIAL BOARD Ceciley Akins Katharine Duke David L. Heetland Krista McNeil Shane A. Nichols Tasha Sargent PHOTOGRAPHY Bill Burlingham Shane Nichols

Presidential Perspective “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

(Isaiah 43:19, NRSV)

The fall semester has begun with excitement! New and returning students are back in the halls, and they are eager to engage the adventure of theological education.

We have welcomed two new faculty members, and our new master of divinity curriculum is in full swing.

It is a time of year when we enjoy that wonderful infusion of new life joining our ongoing community at the seminary. Our sense of purpose and mission is reenergized. And, we experience new inspiration in the ways that theological education can lay a foundation for lives of excellence in transformative ministries.

There is, indeed, a lot of “new thing” that God is doing in our midst!

However, in the midst of these new beginnings, we also find ourselves still living in turbulent times. Sadly, much of it seems generated by our own doing. At this writing, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history has occurred in Las Vegas. Racial injustice continues with frightening boldness. Threats of deportation abound. And, we are deep into the devastation of natural disasters and the challenge of providing basic necessities of food, water, shelter, and healthcare for our neighbors.

More than ever, the world needs what we have to offer. The world needs bold faithful leadership that will provide a beacon of hope in discerning the new thing that God is doing and in finding concrete ways to cooperate with it—a beacon of hope that is based on the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I recently experienced this kind of leadership among our alumni, in preaching, in teaching the Bible, and in a new community service ministry with young adults.

These theologically educated persons inspired, spoke prophetically, and demonstrated the impact of lives immersed in spiritual practices and study over time.

Each one of these alums had developed impressive spiritual maturity and/or expertise following seminary.

Each one considered the meaning of faith in today’s October 2017

context, action to be taken in response to the call of God, and provided at least a glimmer of the new thing God could be doing in our midst.

Our students regularly have the opportunity to witness in our alumni how important it is to lay a solid foundation now for staying close to God and for deepening one’s faith journey. In fact, these experiences often occur prior to coming to GarrettEvangelical and play a critical role in the decision of many students to make us their seminary of choice.

Their time with us is a unique opportunity for learning and an encouragement to keep on learning. We are encouraged by our alumni who persevere in this good Gospel work all over the United States and around the globe day in and day out. The world is undoubtedly a better place because of the Garrett-Evangelical family, faithful servants discerning and cooperating with the new thing that God is doing. You will read more about some of this in the pages ahead.

So yes, we have begun another academic year, sobered by the task ahead, but also excited and committed to participate in the new thing that God is doing, believing that our effort helps equip our graduates for the transformative ministries to which they are called. As always, we give thanks to God for you. Please continue to remember us in your prayers, and thank you for your abiding support.

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The 2016-2017 Annual Report We offer our heartfelt thanks to the 1,108 alums, 1,033 friends, 57 churches, 50 trustees, 21 corporations, 21 estates, and 15 foundations who supported GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary in the 2016-17 fiscal year (July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017). Because of you, the seminary had a stellar year. The Development Office exceeded its goals in all three areas of fundraising (annual giving, capital giving, and planned giving), receiving a total of $8,877,702 in outright gifts and an additional $2,636,343 in new planned gift commitments—the best fundraising year since 200708, and the second best on record.

There are numerous ways to support Garrett-Evangelical’s mission. To get started, go to Garrett.edu/WaysToGive.

These gifts enabled Garrett-Evangelical to: • Educate more than 400 future Christian leaders • Provide scholarship assistance, totaling $2.2 million to deserving students • Send 64 graduates into the world as pastors, deacons, Christian educators, spiritual directors, chaplains, counselors, and non-profit professionals • Hire two new faculty members in the field of Christian education • Add $4.3 million to the endowment • Successfully conclude its capital campaign at $102 million We are most grateful for your past support, and we encourage your support again this year. We must raise $1,035,000 in unrestricted annual fund gifts between now and June 30, 2018. We also hope to endow a number of new scholarships and faculty positions. We pray we can count on your partnership in preparing bold Christian leaders for the church, the academy, and the world.

Development Office Summary Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Gift Sources and Totals Alum support Current operations Capital gifts Total

(1,108 donors) $ 223,768 $ 479,735 $ 703,503

Corporate support Current operations Capital gifts Total

(21 donors) $ 18,575 $ 26,825 $ 45,400

Trustee support Current operations Capital gifts Total

(50 donors) $ 181,195 $1,467,519 $1,648,714

Church support Current operations Capital gifts Total

(57 donors) $1,595,140 $ 28,766 $1,623,906

Friend support Current operations Capital gifts Total

(1,033 donors) $ 144,594 $1,631,073 $1,775,667

Planned gift support Current operations Capital gifts Total

(21 donors) $ 21,869 $ 516,327 $ 538,196

Foundation support Current operations Capital gifts Total

(15 donors) $2,409,200 $ 133,116 $2,542,316

Grand total Current operations Capital gifts Total

(2,305 donors) $4,594,341 $4,283,361 $8,877,702

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October 2017

The 2016-2017 Annual Report The seminary’s student body consists of over 400 unique individuals who bring a variety of cultural heritages, spiritual perspectives, and personal gifts to our theological community. They are a direct reflection of the network of alums and friends who have encouraged them to consider seminary and a life of ministry.

STUDENTS BY REGION 62%

4%

MIDWEST

6% WEST

RACE AND ETHNICITY

NORTHEAST

53% WHITE

1% NOT REPORTED

SOUTH

Eleven percent of our students represent the countries of Brazil, Canada, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, Peru, South Korea, Tanzania, and the United Kingdom.

2% EPISCOPAL 3% LUTHERAN 3% PRESBYTERIAN 3% NON-DENOM.

22% BLACK 11% 6%

17%

DENOMINATIONS

6%

6% BAPTIST INTERNATIONAL

8% PAN-METHODIST

ASIAN

64% UMC

HISPANIC/LATINX 1% MULTIPLE

The 2016-2017 student body was one of the most diverse in GarrettEvangelical’s history. In the Fall of 2016, the seminary welcomed a recordbreaking class in terms of racial and ethnic diversity.

Sixty-four percent of the student body is United Methodist. The vast majority is preparing for ordination as an elder or deacon in the church. The seminary also has an ecumenical and international reach. In total, 34 denominations are represented in the student body.

Our financial position is strong due to your generous support and a strong rebound in the equity markets.

The total investment portfolio as of June 30, 2017, is $98.3 million, up 8.5 percent from the prior year.

REVENUES

EXPENSES

ENDOWMENT AND INVESTMENT

FINANCIAL AID

27% 19% 40%

STUDENT TUITION AND FEES October 2017

GRANTS, GIFTS, AND BEQUESTS

AUXILIARY EXPENSES

16% 14% GENERAL OPERATIONS

20% 50%

14% AUXILIARY AND OTHER REVENUES

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT AND INSTRUCTION Aware Magazine: Annual Report

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Forging Our Future: Endowment Campaign Analysis An Analysis of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary’s $100 Million Campaign (January 1, 2001-June 30, 2017) by David Heetland, Vice President for Development “If your institution raises, say, $100 million in a campaign, and the institution’s cost was $5 million to $8 million, you have received a whopping return on your investment.”

-Curtis R. Simic in A Board’s Guide to Comprehensive Campaigns

The good news is Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary met—and surpassed—its $100 million capital campaign goal. The great news is we did so with far less than the typical incremental costs associated with most capital campaigns.

Would you believe we had no incremental costs over and above the regular development office budget? Would you believe that the regular development office budget was actually reduced six times during the course of the campaign? Does that mean that Garrett-Evangelical received a whopping, whopping return on its investment in development? We would like to think so. The following is an analysis of this historic campaign.

16-year capital campaign gave focus to the + The development effort and raised significant capital

dollars for the seminary during two recessions (the early 2000’s recession from March-November 2001 and the Great Recession from December 2007-June 2009) and five presidencies at GarrettEvangelical (Neal Fisher, Ted Campbell, Jacob Martinson, Philip Amerson, and Lallene Rector).

The campaign provided the opportunity to tell the seminary’s story and invite major gift support throughout these challenges and transitions without missing a beat.

seminary’s longest campaign was actually + The three capital campaigns back to back, with no break in between:

• Honoring Our Heritage, Forging Our Future, a $35 million campaign that lasted 5.5 years (January 2001-June 2006) • Forging Our Future: Phase Two, a $25 million campaign that lasted 3.5 years (July 2006-December 2009) • Forging Our Future: Phase Three, a $40 million campaign that lasted 7.5 years (January 2010-June 2017)

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campaign surpassed the $100 million goal + The a year ahead of schedule, even though it had

only a bare-bones staff and budget. While most institutions significantly increase their field staff during a capital campaign, and often add outside counsel as well, Garrett-Evangelical did the entire campaign (from feasibility study to conclusion) without outside counsel and by actually decreasing development staff (due to across-theboard budget cuts) rather than increasing it. The development office budget was reduced six times during the course of the campaign (2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016)—for a total development office budget reduction of $186,085.

campaign showed a classic distribution of + The giving, with 95 percent of the total coming from

individuals, three percent from foundations, and two percent from churches. Development consultants suggest that 10 to 20 percent of the campaign total should come from the top donor (Garrett-Evangelical’s top donor gave 20 percent), 40 to 50 percent from the top 10 donors (GarrettEvangelical’s top 10 gave 48 percent), and as much as 90 percent of the campaign total from the top 100 donors (Garrett-Evangelical’s top 100 gave 75 percent).

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17,381 DONORS While the top 100 donors gave 75 percent of the campaign total, the success of the campaign also depended upon many smaller gifts. Garrett-Evangelical was fortunate to have 17,381 donors give to this campaign, representing 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 14 countries outside the United States. Donors giving less than $1,000 contributed nearly $1.7 million to the campaign!

31% 8% GIVEN TO FACULTY SUPPORT

2% GIVEN TO PROGRAM SUPPORT

58% GIVEN TO UNRESTRICTED ENDOWMENT

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1,982 ALUMS 87 TRUSTEES

14,640 FRIENDS

Planned gift commitments represent 31 percent of the campaign total.

This compares very favorably with other institutions, as some report deferred totals as high as 60 percent of the campaign total. It does mean, however, that it could be many years before some planned gift commitments are received.

32% GIVEN TO SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT

THANK YOU!

214 FOUNDATIONS 458 CHURCHES

WHERE WAS THE $102 MILLION GIVEN? While the $100 million goal was surpassed, not all of the campaign goals were fully funded. For example, four rather than five faculty chairs were endowed, the endowed scholarship goal was not met, and endowing key programs also fell short of its goal.

Thus, there is still much to be accomplished if Garrett-Evangelical is to remain a premier theological seminary. Nonetheless, the foundation has been laid for a bright and promising future.

In many ways, this was a “textbook example� of a capital campaign. The top gift, the top 10 gifts, and the top 100 gifts were all right where they should be, as was the amount coming from individuals. The deferred gift percentage was actually lower than in many campaigns today. I am particularly pleased that we were able to do so well with so little, thanks to a dedicated and hard-working staff, committed volunteers, and generous donors. To all who helped make it happen, thank you!

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Seminary Welcomes New Christian Education Faculty Members Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary welcomed two new faculty members in the field of Christian education this year. Rev. Dr. Mai-Anh Le Tran (G-ETS 2004) joined the seminary as associate professor of religious education and practical theology and Dr. Débora B. Agra Junker (G-ETS 2003) as assistant professor of Christian education.

Rev. Dr. Mai-Anh Le Tran is an experienced educator, a well-respected scholar in the field of religious education, and deeply dedicated to the church and community.

She was previously the associate professor of Christian education at Eden Theological Seminary and assistant professor of religious education and Asian American studies at Pacific School of Religion. Tran’s research focuses on religion, education, and violence. She has published numerous articles and book chapters and her writings delve into the local/global intersections of race, gender, and class in religious identity and practices. She is also an editorial board member for Horizons in Religious Education book series and was consulting editor for the Encyclopedia of Christian Education. Her latest book, Reset the Heart: Unlearning Violence, Relearning Hope, was published by Abingdon Press in May 2017.

“There has never been a more exciting yet challenging time to be in theological education and to be a United Methodist,” said Tran. “I have had the privilege of working with institutions and colleagues who believe that our work must make a redemptive difference in the world, in public life, and in the life of the church.

I bring such commitment to Garrett-Evangelical, eager for how we will lead one another toward educated hope.”

Tran earned a doctor of philosophy in Christian education and congregational studies from GarrettEvangelical, a master of religious education from Southern Methodist University, and a bachelor of science from Texas Wesleyan University. She is an ordained elder and member of the California-Nevada Conference of The United Methodist Church.

To learn more about our newest faculty members, read our interviews with Tran and Junker at Garrett.edu/NewFaculty.

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Dr. Débora B. Agra Junker, who joined Garrett-Evangelical in 2015 as assistant dean of student life and director of the office of international students before being promoted to dean of international students, will continue her work as the director of the Hispanic-Latinx Center alongside her new faculty appointment. Junker’s work with the center has brought a new level of support for the seminary’s Hispanic and Latinx students. She is also the founder and director of Cátedra Paulo Freire at Garrett-Evangelical, which promotes educational events, encourages research activities, and contributes to the enrichment of dialogue among students, faculty, religious leaders, and community members.

“We live in a world of competing agendas that have shaped and influenced public discourses,” said Junker.

“As a Freirean educator, I am pleased to be part of a community that seeks to be a prophetic voice to a world that has lost its capacity to empathize with the groaning of the earth and the suffering of the ‘least of these.’

It gives me hope to be part of a seminary that boldly seeks to embody a call to be a ‘servant seminary’ in the intersections of the church and the world.”

Junker has published numerous articles, chapters, and books in the field of Christian education. Her research focuses on the work of Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy, global citizenship, intercultural and postcolonial studies, cultural-historical theory activity, and liberation theologies. She is currently working on a new book, Religious Education for Global Citizenship: Embracing Compassion and Solidarity. The book will explore the concept of global citizenship within a religious context while recognizing the urgent need to engage more concretely in issues of citizenship both theologically and pragmatically.

Junker earned a doctor of philosophy from GarrettEvangelical in Christian education and congregational studies, a master of arts in Christian education from Christian Theological Seminary, and a master in religious science (practical theology) from the Methodist University of São Paulo.

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Cutting Edges: Open Access and Theological Communication Dr. Jaeyeon Lucy Chung, Director of the Styberg Library and Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology The emergence of the Internet and digital technologies has rapidly transformed the contexts and practices of research and scholarship. Scholars in higher education, including religious and theological studies scholars, are confronting the changing global reality of scholarly communication in which technologies redefine every aspect of their research activity—from discovering and creating to evaluating and disseminating knowledge—whether they are aware of it or not. One major impact that technology has made on the academic research community is the way research and scholarly output are shared.

The ethos of the scholarly community had traditionally been non-commercial, and the sharing of knowledge had historically been enabled by the generosity of publishing organizations—such as learned societies and university presses—with a mission for knowledge generation rather than profit. Since the end of the Second World War, however, scholarly publishing has become increasingly commercialized. Escalating journal prices, in combination with the crisis in library budgets, have caused a significant reduction in access to scholarship. In this context, the recent rise of the open access movement has provided a creative venue to make scholarship rapidly and widely available.

Peter Suber of Harvard University defines open access as free availability and unrestricted use. Open access has basically been made possible by the Internet and a copyright holder consent. In recent years, discussions and innovative developments among scholars, librarians, technologists, and publishers have been active at institutional and national levels. Open access is gathering pace within the humanities disciplines, although they have lagged behind the sciences. Yet, open access—its benefits and threats—has not been discussed seriously within the theological disciplines.

There are at least two changes that open access can bring to the growth and impact of theological research and scholarship.

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First, through open access, the public has the capacity to participate in the global accumulation of knowledge.

Casey Coleman, former chief information officer of the U.S. General Services Administration, argues, “Technology has a democratizing effect, eliminating barriers and granting access so that new ideas can spread.” Open access to research can help members of the public inform themselves about new findings and relevant scholarly debates. Open access to scholarship stimulates public theological discourses and can lead to the generation of different forms of public theology.

Open access extends the value of theological discourses not only within the academy, but also more broadly, throughout church and society by bridging the gap between the academic community of theologians and the ministerial community of practitioners—pastors, chaplains, and lay leaders—within the church and other mission fields.

Another important change that open access can make is to fill the holes in the existing theological scholarship. The 2002 Budapest Open Access Initiative declares, “Removing access barriers to the literature will accelerate research, enrich education, share the learning of the rich with the poor and the poor with the rich, make the literature as useful as it can be, and lay the foundation for uniting humanity in a common intellectual conversation and quest for knowledge.”

In traditional scholarly communication, information inequities are created in a process called the colonization of information. Institutional repositories and open-access journals are now releasing information that would otherwise have been locked behind subscription paywalls. This facilitates the wide spread of knowledge and brings underrepresented voices and perspectives into dialogue.

In all, open access can offer new possibilities for theological research communication to reclaim its value beyond the academy, more extensively throughout church and society. It may create more diverse theological discourses by bringing directly into current dialogue the voices of researchers, academic and lay, who might struggle to gain access to traditional publishing structures for financial, geographic, or other reasons.

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Giving Through the Generations “Our country needs pastors more than ever right now.

The need has never been greater,” said Joan Sercl.

That’s why Sercl continues to contribute annually to the Henry and Ruth Lewis Endowed Scholarship, a scholarship fund honoring her parents at GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary. She has also remembered this scholarship with a significant gift in her estate plan.

Lake Harriet Methodist Church in Minneapolis, where he served for 17 years.

After that, the couple moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he served for 15 years—nine at the First United Methodist Church and six as district superintendent.

He then went to the United Methodist Church in Hastings, Minnesota, for four years. The couple retired in 1970.

In 1987, two of his former associate pastors, Rev. Rod Gist (GBI 1953) and Rev. Ken Beck (GBI 1951), decided to honor the lives and ministries of Lewis and his wife by asking friends and parishioners to contribute to an endowed scholarship fund in their names. Gist worked with Lewis from 1955 to 1960 at the First United Methodist Church in Sioux Falls. Beck worked with Lewis during the 1940’s at Lake Harriet Methodist Church in Minneapolis. Both considered Lewis a teacher and mentor.

Joan Sercl (Center) and Her Four Daughters

“When they say that the largest growing religion today is the unchurched, it scares me,” she continued.

“Giving to the scholarship is my way of helping pastors get the resources they need to come to GarrettEvangelical and then go out and really bless the world.”

Sercl said she feels so strongly about this need that she has asked her four daughters to skip presents on her birthday or at Christmas and give to the scholarship instead. “I am hoping that they will be able to add to the fund as time goes on,” she said.

This strategy has worked, and her daughters now contribute. “They also managed to remember my birthday as well,” she admitted.

“This is a perfect example of how generations can get involved,” said David Heetland, vice president for development at Garrett-Evangelical. “Lewis and his wife supported it, then his daughter, Joan, became a donor, and now, she is trying to keep that legacy alive by asking her daughters to add to it.”

“Here is a pastor who made a tremendous impact, and now this scholarship is making an impact for generations to come because his daughter and granddaughters are going to carry it on,” Heetland continued.

Rev. Dr. Henry Lewis was a highly regarded minister in Minnesota and South Dakota for more than 37 years.

After graduating from Garrett Biblical Institute in 1933, he began his ministry in Frazee and Vergas, Minnesota.

One year later, Lewis and his wife, Ruth, went to the

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Sercl, who currently attends the First United Methodist Church in Sioux Falls with Gist, said Gist has told her many stories about how her father taught and nurtured the young pastors serving with him. For example, Lewis insisted Gist go on a mission trip to South America, while he stayed home to work on a fundraising campaign. He also insisted that Gist preach once a month—and not on the Sundays he was out of town. “My dad was there listening and encouraging him,” she remembered.

“Rod told me that when he came to work with my father, he was a very inexperienced minister, but he said that my dad saw to it that he didn’t remain so,” Sercl said.

Her father and mother were pleased that Gist and Beck created a scholarship in their names, Sercl said. “My dad would never have wanted something that uplifted him too much, but when he realized that it could help train other pastors, he thought it was a wonderful thing to do,” she continued.

Today, Sercl looks to the scholarship as a way to keep her parents’ legacy alive. She writes to all of the October 2017

scholarship recipients to tell them what kind of people her parents were and to encourage them in their ministry.

Her hope is that her daughters will help carry on the legacy for years to come. “My parents had a huge impact on my daughters,” she said. “I know this is important to them.”

Giving back and being a role model is important to Sercl.

“My desire is that our generation is mindful of those who

come after us and that we can leave our small part of the world better than we found it and set an example for our children and grandchildren to do the same,” she said.

If you share Joan Sercl’s commitment to encourage intergenerational giving, contact David Heetland, vice president for development, to learn how you can do so.

You can reach him at 847.866.3970 or david.heetland@ garrett.edu.

Former Garrett-Evangelical President States the Case for Christian Faith Today Rev. Dr. Neal F. Fisher, senior scholar in theology, was president of GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary from 1980 to 2001.

He and his wife, LilaLee, now make their home in Wolcott, Vermont. We asked Fisher to spell out for Aware readers what prompted him to write his new book, Introduction to Christian Faith: A Deeper Way of Seeing (Wesley’s Foundery Books, 2017), and what he hoped to accomplish. His reply follows: Astronomer Robert Jastrow wrote, “We cannot believe what we do not think is true.” Nothing is more fortifying for robust Christian faith and action than the assurance that it is fundamentally true and will one day be shown to be so.

Writing this book gave me a chance to set down my reasons for believing that Christian faith is a deeper way of seeing the truth about the world. We have a yearning for God, the lasting and the ultimate, a drive that Psalm 42 likens to a deer, parched with thirst, searching for flowing streams. The empirical sciences also search for the ultimate and universal behind the changing phenomena of the universe.

If the five billion year history of our planet earth were condensed into one twenty-four hour day, human beings would have appeared at three seconds before midnight.

Our bodies bear the carbon, iron, and other elements that were fused in the stars. In this book, I describe October 2017

how we recent arrivals upon the planet, offspring of the stars, come in faith to trust and relate to the force that brought us into life. I relate the manner in which Christians in encountering Jesus Christ, his life, death, and resurrection, discover that God, ultimate in power, is also infinite in redeeming love.

In the book, I seek to show how we come to know God through events that are particularly transparent to the presence and activity of God. The story of these events becomes the narrative by which we make sense out of our lives, giving shape to our action and devotion.

Because believing in God helps us understand how the universe exhibits intelligence, order, and purpose, I argue that science and religious faith are complementary—not conflicting—ways of understanding the world.

The purposes of the book will be served well if it helps to confirm and refine the convictions of vigilant believers and moves reluctant skeptics to consider again the faith they once thought they must leave behind.

This book has transformational potential for the Christian struggling with questions of faith in today’s world.

-Dr. Lallene J. Rector, President, Garrett-Evangelical

To learn more or to read an excerpt of this book, go to Garrett.edu/NealFisher.

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A Happy Surprise: Donors and Scholarship Recipient Meet Again When Rev. Harlyn “Harly” Hagmann (GBI 1960) and his wife, Cleone, were celebrating their many years of service at a Ministry Sunday in 2007, they never imagined that the scholarship set up in their honor would be awarded to a student who would one day become their pastor.

Yet, in June of this year, Rev. Matthew Sipe, the first recipient of the Harlyn and Cleone Hagmann Endowed Scholarship, was appointed pastor of the Minnetonka United Methodist Church, where they belong.

“We recognized his name immediately,” said Cleone Hagmann. “We received a nice thank you note from him, and we replied. I think we still have that thank you note in our files.”

After that Sunday, Sipe kept in touch with Ehrman and continued to serve his church in Delano for a total of nine years. When the pastorate in the Minnetonka church opened up, District Superintendent Dan Johnson asked Sipe if he were interested.

Cleone Hagmann, Rev. Matthew Sipe, “Absolutely, I was interested,” and Rev. Harlyn Hagmann he said. “It was a wonderful

church doing some amazing “It was really exciting,” said Harly Hagmann. “We

ministry.” couldn’t have been happier,” said Cleone Hagmann.

On the last Sunday in June of this year, Sipe began Sipe (G-ETS 2008) began his career as a high school his appointment. “One of the first comments I got band instructor in Minnesota, where he grew up. from Harly was ‘I never thought I would live to see But a few years after he started working, he felt God the person who received the Hagmann scholarship calling him to ministry. After much prayer, he and his become my pastor,’” said Sipe. wife, Julie, a registered nurse, moved to Evanston so Sipe could attend Garrett-Evangelical Theological Harly Hagmann’s more than 50-year ministry began Seminary. Scholarships from the seminary made the in 1958 when he served as a student assistant at the move to ministry possible. In his last year, he received Barrington Methodist Church in Barrington, Illinois, the Hagmann scholarship and gratefully sent the while still attending Garrett Biblical Institute. After he couple a thank you note. graduated, he stayed on for one year before moving back to his home state of Minnesota to become an After graduating from Garrett-Evangelical, Sipe was associate pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in appointed to the Delano United Methodist Church in Rochester, Minnesota. While at that church, he was Delano, Minnesota. While serving that church, asked to start a church in White Bear Lake, a northern Sipe heard of a jazz worship service being held at the suburb of St. Paul. But by the time he was appointed, Minnetonka United Methodist Church led by Rev. Dr. that church became two churches, and he started the Ken Ehrman.

White Bear Lake United Methodist Church and the Peace United Methodist Church in North Oaks within “It sounded interesting,” said Sipe. “So, on a Sunday I a month of each other. had off, I went to see what this church was doing with jazz worship.”

From there, he was asked to go to Winona, Minnesota, to become the pastor of the Winona Central United After church, he was introduced to Harly and Cleone Methodist Church. Several years later, Wayne Clymer, the Hagmann, who immediately knew Sipe had received former president of Evangelical Theological Seminary, their scholarship. “They said, ‘We know who you was named bishop and was serving the Minnesota are. We supported you in seminary and have been Conference when he asked Harly Hagmann to become a watching your ministry,’” Sipe recalled. district superintendent, which he did for six years.

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After that, Harly and Cleone Hagmann moved to the suburbs of Minneapolis to serve at the Fridley United Methodist Church. It was there that Cleone Hagmann joined the Minnesota Conference staff as director of local outreach and worldwide mission. Later, Harly Hagmann was asked to resolve some fiscal challenges at the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, the largest church in Minnesota, and he became the church’s chief operating officer and minister of pastoral care.

In 1989, he became pastor of the Minnetonka United Methodist Church, where he completed several major building projects. He formally retired from that church in 1998. Even in retirement, Harly Hagmann has continued to serve, first helping at the Discovery United Methodist Church and then coming back to the Minnetonka United Methodist Church as minister emeritus.

In 2007, former Garrett-Evangelical Trustee Jim Walker, who was also a member at the Minnetonka United Methodist at the time, teamed up with the then pastor Ehrman (now director of field education at Garrett-Evangelical) to help create a scholarship

at Garrett-Evangelical to honor the couple’s long ministry. The purpose of the scholarship was to encourage and equip ministers, like Sipe, for local pastoral work.

Sipe said he is happy that he ended up meeting the Hagmanns and serving the church where they belong.

He has appreciated Harly Hagmann’s insight and wisdom, he said, and considers him a mentor. “He is someone I respect very much for his leadership and his perspective on ministry,” Sipe said. “I’m so pleased God brought us together in ministry.”

For over 160 years, Garrett-Evangelical has served as a graduate theological school that prepares religious leaders just like Rev. Harlyn Hagmann and Rev. Matthew Sipe. This can only happen because of the gifts the seminary receives from alums, friends, churches, and foundations each year. The seminary welcomes outright and planned gifts of all kinds, restricted and unrestricted, and offers many naming opportunities. To learn more, go to Garrett.edu/Give.

Leaving a Legacy: 2016-2017 Endowed Scholarships We give thanks for the following endowed scholarships established this past year, recognizing that they are vital to future generations of students preparing for ministry.

The Harold P. and Jane P. Cooper Scholarship The Robert E. Fuquay Scholarship The John Hamilton Scholarship The Nathan N. and M. Isabelle Scholarship The Byron and Candyce Kaiser Scholarship The Pamela R. Lightsey Scholarship The Walter Lockhart Scholarship

The Nevalon Mitchell Scholarship The Doc Newcomb Scholarship The David Swinton Scholarship The Cathy Weigand Scholarship The Brian White Scholarship The Steven E. Zekoff Scholarship

In the 2016-2017 academic year, Garrett-Evangelical awarded more than $2.2 million in scholarships. However, the need for endowed scholarships remains to ensure that all students called to ministry have access to a quality seminary education. To learn more about establishing an endowed scholarship at Garrett-Evangelical, contact David Heetland, vice president for development, at david.heetland@garrett.edu or 847.866.3970.

October 2017

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Garrett-Evangelical Welcomes Three New Trustees Ted R. Grossnickle

Bishop John Franklin White

Senior Consultant and Founder of Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates (JGA)

Presiding Bishop, Sixteenth and Eighteenth Episcopal Districts African Methodist Episcopal Church

With decades of experience in advancement, Ted Grossnickle helps clients think strategically about their fundraising efforts. A leader to the JGA team and to the broader nonprofit community, he is known for his authentic voice and commitment to guiding organizations to achieve their best. Grossnickle’s counsel has helped a wide range of nonprofit institutions—from higher education, the arts, community organizations, and faith-based groups—to connect with their constituents in meaningful and enduring ways.

Bishop John F. White serves as the 130th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was assigned by the 49th Session of the General Conference to the Eighteenth Episcopal District, made up of Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Swaziland. Additionally, the Council of Bishops assigned White to the Sixteenth Episcopal District, made up of Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, Virgin Islands, Jamaica, France, and England.

Grossnickle began his career in higher education at his alma mater, Wabash College, as an admissions officer.

He then became the assistant director of development at Northern Illinois University. Later, he joined Franklin College as vice president of development and public affairs. He served as acting president at Franklin College in 1993. In 1994, Grossnickle co-founded JGA with Don Johnson.

White also serves as the denomination’s chairperson of the Commission on Christian Education. He is a member of the World Council of Churches’ Executive Committee and Central Committee.

He maintains a full-time role at the firm, serving clients, mentoring staff, and providing strategic leadership. He is also the chair of the JGA Board of Directors. Additionally, Grossnickle is an author, speaker, teacher, and board member, and he has received numerous honors and awards for his achievements. He currently sits on the Giving Institute Board. Grossnickle is a member and former chair of the Board of Visitors of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and was a campaign chair and a board of trustees member for 10 years at Wabash College.

Grossnickle received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Wabash College and holds a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University. He is married to Marcia Grossnickle, a retired educator from Franklin College. He has two children, Doug Grossnickle and Lee Ernst, a son-inlaw, Ben Ernst, and two grandchildren.

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White is a native of Boynton Beach, Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree in science from Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida; a master’s degree in education from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida; a master of divinity degree from Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, Georgia; and a doctorate of education in organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

White has also served as an educator in Florida’s Duval and Palm Beach County School districts, as an assistant professor of philosophy at Edward Waters College, and as a member of the ITC continuing education faculty. He has pastored churches in Florida and Georgia. Throughout his ministry, White has dedicated himself to kingdom building.

White is married to Penny Hartsfield White, a native of Tallahassee, Florida. They are the parents of five children: Tenner, John II, Alfred, Byron, and Candace.

They have two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, and nine grandchildren.

October 2017

Matthew S. Klepper DLA Piper Global Law Firm Matthew Klepper was born in Malvern, Arkansas, in 1971 to parents who were baptized, raised, and married in various Methodist churches in Texas. He moved to Naperville, Illinois, in 1976, and he and his family joined Grace United Methodist Church. Klepper graduated from Naperville Central High School in 1989 and went to Illinois Wesleyan for a year before he transferred to North Central College. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

After college, Klepper went to law school at the College of William & Mary and graduated fifth in his class. After graduation, he worked for the law firm, Lord, Bissell & Brook (LB&B), where he made partner and worked in the area of commercial litigation for 12 years.

In 2008, he left LB&B with a group of partners and moved to DLA Piper as a partner. DLA Piper is one of the largest law firms in the world, with lawyers located in every corner of the world. The firm emphasizes pro bono work and is committed to diversity and sustainability. Klepper has spent time in the last two years representing a death row inmate in Mississippi.

He and his wife are active in the First United Methodist Church in Downers Grove. Klepper was chair of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee for several years and now serves on the Adult Education work area. He said he is committed to “capital C” Church and to doing what he can to preserve the role of the “mainstream” Protestant churches in our world.

He is married to Stacy Walters, a teacher in the western suburbs of Chicago. They have three boys: Andrew, Michael, and Ethan.

Chairperson Stead Receives Lifetime Achievement Award Jerre Stead, chair of GarrettEvangelical’s board of trustees, recently received the prestigious B. Kenneth West Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Each year, NACD honors individual directors “who serve as role models in promoting exemplary board leadership, oversight, and courage in the boardroom.”

Stead, who is currently also serving as chairman of the board at IHS Markit, joined Garrett-Evangelical’s board of trustees in 1991 and has served as chairman since May 2008. Under Stead’s leadership, the seminary has expanded its reach, initiated strategic plans, received regular and positive re-accreditation reviews, developed new programs and curriculum revisions, prepared more relevant and responsive leaders for the increasingly pressing needs of the world, and undertaken building renovations.

October 2017

“During the period of Mr. Stead’s chairmanship, and in large measure due to his leadership and ability to engage as a team player, the seminary has been financially strengthened and is flourishing in many ways,” said Garrett-Evangelical President Lallene J. Rector.

Through their generous financial support Stead and his wife, Mary Joy, have endowed the Jerre and Mary Joy Stead Center for Ethics and Values, the Jerre and Mary Joy Stead Chair of Christian Social Ethics, and three full-tuition scholarships for domestic and international students. In addition, they have been strong supporters to unrestricted endowment, current operations, and the Center for the Church and the Black Experience.

“The impact of Mr. Stead’s exceptionally generous and talented leadership within our sphere of endeavor has been immeasurable,” said Rector. “More lives have been enhanced than we will ever know, and we offer our sincere congratulations to Mr. Stead for receiving this well-deserved lifetime achievement award.”

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

2121 Sheridan Road Evanston, Illinois 60201

Town Hall with President Lallene J. Rector January 17, 2018 | 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. (CST) Our annual Town Hall with President Lallene J. Rector will be held on Wednesday, January 17, 2018. In this 60-minute live presentation, participants will hear directly from President Rector, who will share the latest news and updates from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Participants will also have an opportunity to engage in dialogue with President Rector and ask questions.

This telephone forum will begin at 12:00 p.m. (CST). Details on how you can be a part of this exciting conversation will be made available beginning January 3, 2017. We encourage you to save the date!