AWARE Magazine Spring 2021
In my new ministry setting, I have witnessed how the pandemics are so intertwined, if not in one single knot. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 23 percent increase in food insecurity in the Chicago region . . . And unsurprisingly, people of color are disproportionately impacted. Rev. Gregory D. Gross (G-ETS 2003) Care for Real, Executive Director
Field Education during a Pandemic (Pages 2-6) Alum Spotlight: Ministry in a Time of Pandemics (Pages 7-12) Cutting Edges: Zoom is Not School (Page 13)
Williams Joins the Faculty as Director of Field Education and Assistant Professor (Page 14)
John Carter, Former Director of Buildings and Grounds, Dies at 79 (Page 17)
Kim and Yoo Encourage Fellow Alums to Support Their Alma Mater Soon After they Graduate (Pages 15-16)
Remembering Professor of Historical Theology, Egon Walter Gerdes (Page 17) In Memoriam (Page 18)
Presidential Perspective The global pandemic(s) upended life as we knew it. Our normal patterns of being, the way we connect with family and friends, the way we shop and consume, and the way we worship and learn were all dramatically changed and even challenged. At first, this new world seemed strange and intrusive. Many of us resented the ways in which it separated us from those we love and how it forced us to adapt the ways we work and function. We assumed that this disruption would be temporary and that we would certainly be ready to return to life as we had known it. With the prospect of the pandemic’s impact abating, I wonder if we still feel that our new reality is an intrusion and if we long as strongly for a return to what was. While this time of mass illness, racial strife, and economic uncertainty wrought havoc on so many, it also had the unexpected effect of causing many of us to slow down, to reconsider the way we were living and working, and to recalibrate our lives. For that, I am grateful, and I know I’m not alone. At Garrett-Evangelical, this recalibration has meant that our faculty, staff, and students have had to learn new ways of engaging and collaborating. It has meant reconsidering how we do what we do and who we do it for. It has required caring for one another in new, unexpected ways and building a new kind of community. I’m so proud to say that Garrett-Evangelical has met the challenges of our moment with great dexterity, a willingness to innovate, and a great deal of patience and forbearance toward one another. As the newest among us, I’m deeply grateful for this spirit of collaboration and the willingness to quickly adapt to what is required of us. It hasn’t been easy. We haven’t always gotten it right. We have much to improve. We won’t be exactly the same as we were before. Yet, we learned that we could pivot when necessary, that we are stronger than we realized, that we could be there for one another, that our core mission to “share the transforming love of Jesus Christ” is as important and necessary as ever, and that we are willing to learn and do whatever is needed in order to fulfill our commitments and live out our callings. These realizations are a gift, and I pray they keep on giving. In this issue of Aware, you’ll read about some ways the pandemic(s) impacted our students and alums, as well as how our faculty and staff have adapted in order to support them in their ministries and in their studies. More importantly, I hope you’ll see a Garrett-Evangelical that trusted in the goodness of God to see us through these difficult days and a Garrett-Evangelical following God’s command to: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1.9) I, for one, do not so much long for life as it was; rather, I’m looking forward with confidence to what will be. There is tremendous work that awaits us—the work of healing and restoration, of rebuilding and reconnecting, and of expanding the reach, influence, and impact of GarrettEvangelical’s core mission. Oddly, these months of crisis have expanded our capacity and our commitment for such work, and I pray that you will join us in those efforts. Together, let us “press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3.14)
Javier A. Viera, President
Aware Magazine Aware magazine is published quarterly by the offices of development
and marketing and communications for alums and friends of GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church with an ecumenical outreach. Feedback or comments for the Aware Editorial Board should be directed to Shane A. Nichols, assistant vice president of marketing and communications, at shane.nichols@garrett.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD Mary Bowmann Arents Katharine Duke Joseph R. Emmick Krista J. McNeil Shane A. Nichols Tasha N. Sargent Maudette Watley
Field Education During a Pandemic In March 2020, millions of people across the country —and the world—watched as the deadly COVID19 virus quickly spread. Facing possible shutdowns, businesses and organizations scrambled. At Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, the faculty and administration began figuring out how to teach courses online and how faculty and staff could work from home. In the field education office, then Director Ken Ehrman and Associate Director Lisl Heymans Paul (G-ETS 2001, G-ETS 2015) wondered how Garrett-Evangelical would continue to offer field education in a pandemic. “For about two seconds, we thought about not doing field education,” Heymans Paul said. “But then, we thought, this is a great opportunity to help students learn how to be creative and responsive and innovative in the midst of a trauma or crisis.” Within a day or two, field education went completely online. That included site work, meetings with site supervisors, and peer group meetings. The field education staff, along with the academic dean and key faculty, also started developing a COVID-19 policy that stated, among other things, that all students and sites must follow CDC and/or state guidelines, whichever was stricter.
They sent the policy to field education supervisors and students and checked to make sure they agreed to follow it. They also emphasized to students that their mental and physical health was critical and urged them to do what they could without fear of failing field education. At the same time, they started to look ahead to the summer and fall quarters. Finding the best field education experience for each student is a yearlong process, and most placements are finalized by mid-May for the following fall. Heymens Paul contacted the summer and fall site supervisors and students. While most agreed to carry on, there were a few site supervisors who said they could no longer host students and a few students who decided to defer. “Our students have really risen to the occasion as have the sites and the site supervisors,” said Heymans Paul. “Our students are amazing and have shown resilience, creativity, nimbleness, and innovation. I am so proud of them. Of course, there have been glitches and issues, but most of the experiences have been positive.” On pages 3-6 are four stories detailing what field education was like during a pandemic. AWARE MAGAZINE | 2
Using Technology to Reach the Parishioners Yorkville United Methodist Church in Union Grove, Wisconsin Yorkville United Methodist Church has been in existence since 1842, even before Wisconsin was a state. Located in a rural, farming community, the primarily white congregation is made up of about 200 members of all ages. According to Rev. Sue Leih, who has served the church for 11 years, the congregation is mission oriented, hospitality oriented, and music oriented. “The congregation would say it is mostly music oriented with its five choirs,” Leih said, “but I would say that hospitality is the congregation’s number one gift as they make it their mission to ‘Share God’s Love.’” That hospitality was clearly seen in the fall of 2019 when Rev. Han Lee started his field education placement there. Lee, who was first ordained in Seoul, South Korea, wanted a field education placement where he could immerse himself in American culture. Eager to learn about his culture as well, the congregation embraced him. “This placement was a gift for both the congregation and Han,” said Leih. Lee first came to the United States from South Korea in 2003 as an undergraduate at Arizona State University. He returned to South Korea after graduation in 2008 to attend seminary at Methodist Theological University in Seoul. He graduated in 2015 and was ordained in 2018. During his three-year ordination process, Lee served a megachurch in Seoul, got married, and decided to attend seminary in the United States. He and his wife, Myungsu Kim, chose GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary. Lee enrolled in Garrett-Evangelical’s master of divinity program as well as its master of theological studies program, and Kim enrolled in its master of arts in pastoral care and counseling program. They both started in the fall of 2018. The following fall, Lee started his field education at Yorkville United Methodist Church, about an hour3 | AWARE MAGAZINE
and-half drive from Evanston. As was typical for student pastors, he led worship, gave sermons and children’s sermons, and supported the youth group. Lee and Kim attended church events and even went on a hayride with the youth in October. The experience was exactly what Lee had hoped for. “The congregation really welcomed my wife and me,” Lee said. “I loved how we could talk about everything and how the church events really brought the community together.” A few months later, COVID-19 hit, and in-person services stopped abruptly. Initially, Lee teamed up with Leih’s husband, Tom, an IT professional, and the two created recorded virtual church services and used their computer skills to edit the videos. They then turned their attention to live streaming the worship services via Facebook. “Han’s technical knowledge helped us immensely,” Leih said. “As a young person who understands technology and media, I really wanted to help the church in the midst of COVID-19,” Lee said. At first, Lee said, it was difficult to maintain relationships without the face-to-face contact. “While I was familiar with the different media, most of the church members were not,” he said. But as the months passed, more and more people began watching the services online, thanks to Lee. In October 2020, about a third of the congregation went back to worshipping in person in accordance with Wisconsin COVID-19 guidelines. Leih said she expects to continue live streaming the weekly services because of their popularity. Before COVID-19, an average of 110 people attended church each week. Now, more than 200 people tune in online, Leih said. “That is in addition to the people who are currently worshiping in person,” she continued. “Thanks to Han, we have reached more people than we imagined,” Leih said. “When all is said and done, I’ve probably learned more from Han than he has from me.”
Creating Programs in the Midst of a Pandemic Solidarity Building Initiative for Liberative Carceral Education at Cook County Jail, Chicago, Illinois Like millions of programs across the country, the Solidarity Building Initiative (SBI) had to adapt when COVID-19 hit in the spring of 2020. “All of our programming abruptly stopped,” said Jia Johnson (G-ETS 2020), program director for SBI. Affiliated with McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, SBI offers incarcerated learners an opportunity to earn a certificate in theological studies. It also educates people about issues of mass incarceration, creates communities of belonging and advocacy for those impacted by incarceration, provides re-entry support for the formerly incarcerated, and supports McCormick’s commitment to training faith leaders who are committed to justice, freedom, and healing. “The jail suspended all visitations, causing the certificate program to temporarily shut down,” said Johnson. Not to be deterred, Johnson and her staff sprang into action. They created an online public education series and invited students at the jail to participate. They also resumed the certificate program by offering a correspondence course through the mail, among other activities. Garrett-Evangelical student Grace Okerson joined the SBI team as a student intern in the fall of 2020 after they had adjusted to their new reality. Johnson, a recent alum of Garrett-Evangelical, said she was thrilled SBI was part of the seminary’s field education program and was eager to work with Okerson. At the time, though, Johnson said, she had not realized just how vital Okerson would be in the work ahead. “As it turns out, Grace was instrumental in helping us create and implement new programs in 2021,” she said. Okerson’s field education project was to create an online communal healing space. This online space, developed in response to COVID-19, is for formerly incarcerated people and their families, as
well as community organizers and activists. The idea is that people would come together online and participate in some self-care activities, such as mindfulness, yoga, dance, etc, Okerson said. “With COVID-19 and the uprising of civil disobedience this summer, we realized that people needed a space to come to and heal from the traumatic things that are happening around us,” said Okerson. Interested in the intersection between social justice and theology, Okerson enrolled in GarrettEvangelical’s master of arts in public ministry program in 2019. After she graduates in May, she plans to get her master of divinity and become a chaplain. During her field education, Okerson has also helped with some administrative tasks, such as putting together a community calendar and a programming calendar. Additionally, she oversaw SBI’s social media posts and has developed other online community events. “Many of these events were in response to COVID-19,” Johnson said. Johnson praised Okerson’s willingness to jump in and explore ways of connecting with people during a pandemic. “She has really gone above and beyond.” AWARE MAGAZINE | 4
Connecting with People Online First United Methodist Church of Park Ridge, Illinois By the time Monica McDougal started her field education placement last fall at the First United Methodist Church in Park Ridge, Illinois, the church and its pastor, Rev. David Aslesen, had already adjusted to the changes brought on by COVID-19. The services were up on Facebook, YouTube, and the church’s website. Aslesen and his staff had started a Tuesday evening online prayer service, and all the paper communication was now digital. The church had also reached out to any parishioners in need. “We went into the mode of keeping everyone connected in any way we could,” said Aslesen, who has been the senior pastor of the 380-member church for six years. Although the initial framework had been set up, Aslesen said McDougal’s arrival in September 2020 was a godsend. “She has been instrumental in helping our church thrive during COVID-19,” he said. McDougal grew up in Kansas, where her mother served as a pastor at several United Methodist churches. She received her bachelor’s degree in mass media and public relations from Washburn University in Topeka in 2015. Discouraged by how many Christians in her context were promoting and supporting policies and doctrines that harmed marginalized communities, McDougal said she struggled with her faith. “Not with God, but with the church,” she said. While she never doubted her identity as a Christian, she struggled with whether she wanted to attend church. She decided to give institutional Christianity one last chance when she enrolled at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary’s master 5 | AWARE MAGAZINE
of divinity program in the fall of 2018, “I needed to know that there were different ways to read the Bible and be in Christian community — ways rooted in justice, love, and compassion,” she said. Her first field education experience in the fall of 2019 was a three-point charge in Rogers Park, Illinois. There, she did “a little bit of everything.” For her next field education experience, McDougal said she wanted to focus on adult education. “I am passionate about Christian education, and I wanted experience with that,” she said. The First United Methodist Church in Park Ridge had a robust adult education program, and McDougal enthusiastically signed on. In the last six months, she has given sermons and helped with online worship, but her primary responsibility is to lead workshops and online adult education courses via Zoom. Very quickly, Aslesen realized that McDougal had the ability to really connect with people online. “Obviously, this is particularly important during this time,” he said. This gift first became evident in the fall as she cotaught an adult faith formation class with Aslesen over Zoom. She supplemented the curriculum with her own research and perspective. She also tried to make the course as interactive as possible. Additionally, she spent a lot of time working on each of her online presentations. “All of her presentations have been well structured and professional,” Aslesen said. “Teaching the Bible is something I am very passionate about,” McDougal said. Her passion did not go unnoticed. Impressed with her Biblical knowledge and her ability to inspire others, the congregation has grown to appreciate and value her, Aslesen said. “The way she has been able to communicate online has been phenomenal,” Aslesen said. “We have all learned a lot from her.”
Providing Spiritual Services to All NorthShore University HealthSystem Sometimes, Chaplain Ida Oliver can tell right away if one of her clinical pastoral education (CPE) students is likely to become a hospital chaplain. “Some students, right out of the gate, show they are cut out for chaplaincy,” said Oliver, who is the coordinator for CPE at NorthShore University HealthSystem, which includes Evanston, Glenbrook, Skokie, and Highland Park Hospitals. According to Oliver, Jordan Aspiras is one of these students. A few weeks after Aspiras started her CPE in October 2020, it became clear to her that Aspiras would be a talented and compassionate chaplain — even in the midst of a world-wide pandemic. “Her attitude, her interest, and her dedication to learning stood out immediately,” Oliver said. Part of the Department of Spiritual Care Services, chaplains at NorthShore University HealthSystems provide spiritual services to anyone associated with the hospitals. “We see patients who are referred to us by doctors, physical therapists, nurses, and social workers,” Oliver said. “We also support loved ones of patients, as well as doctors, nurses, and staff members who have a crisis or need to talk. This has been especially true during COVID-19.” Originally, Aspiras considered being a pastor when she enrolled at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in the fall of 2019, but she changed her mind when Lisl Heymans Paul, associate director of field education, suggested she consider a placement as a chaplain. Aspiras was intrigued and ultimately agreed. “I’m really glad that I said yes,” said Aspiras, who grew up in San Jose, California and received her bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. One of the things Aspiras said she likes about hospital chaplaincy is that it has an interfaith aspect to it. “At one point, I was paged to provide prayer for a Muslim COVID-19 patient,” she said.
“I love chaplaincy because you really put your own beliefs aside and provide what the patient and their loved ones need.” “Her compassion and her commitment to care for everyone is what has made her so successful,” Oliver said. Completing her clinical pastoral education during a pandemic has been difficult, Aspiras said. When COVID-19 first hit, students were not allowed in the hospitals, but by the time Aspiras started her field education, that restriction had lifted. Like everyone else in the hospital, she has to wear personal protective equipment all the time. Often, she cannot enter a patient’s room and has to talk and pray with them over the telephone, which can be really hard. “Praying over the telephone was not something that I saw myself being able to do well, but now, because of COVID-19, it is something I do consistently,” she said. Yet, even with the many challenges brought on by the pandemic, Aspiras said that her CPE experience has allowed her to seriously consider chaplaincy. “It made me realize that this is what I’m here to do,” she said.
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Alum Spotlight: Ministry in a Time of Pandemics As we reflect on the past year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, we want to lift up stories of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary alums who are rising every day to the challenges and opportunities facing congregations and communities. Our alums have been addressing head-on the impact of COVID-19 and the related pandemics of virulent systemic racism and accelerating economic disparity. The past year has been exhausting, and yet our alums have led with resilience and creativity. These congregational leaders, chaplains, therapists, and non-profit leaders are faithfully responding to God’s call during these challenging times. Claudia Lee Dorsch Master of Arts in Pastoral Care and Counseling, 2018 Hospital Chaplain, UnityPoint Health Dubuque, Iowa When Public Health of Dubuque County announced the first case of COVID-19 on March 19, 2020, the visitor restrictions took effect in my hospital shortly after. Patients could not have any visitors, including family members, friends, Eucharistic ministers, and local clergy people. While many healthcare facilities even suspended in-person spiritual care to patients in quarantine or in isolation rooms, I started visiting patients with COVID-19 after I received appropriate personal protective equipment. The fear of dying alone was overwhelming to everyone. People experienced helplessness and hopelessness. I recalled telling a dying patient repeatedly that I would be there for her during the final moment with hand holding. I realized the perceived abandonment and loneliness were the lies from my ego. My patient was not alone, and I was never alone. The fear closed us off to recognize that we were in this together. It appeared to many that all doors were closed due to the pandemic; God opened many doors for me to enter, including allowing me to meet patients who have no religious affiliation and who struggled to make sense of their illness and suffering. Due to HIPPA concerns, medical staff could not be a part of the virtual visits using social media or video conference tools for medical discussion or updates. I was able to utilize telehealth programs to initiate family meetings with medical staff, even for the bereavement rituals at the time of transition. 7 | AWARE MAGAZINE
During the Ethics Committee meetings, our members discussed the moral distress and ethical dilemma on rationing scarce resources, such as who might get the last ICU bed or the ventilator. Dubuque is a small city with about 60,000 residents, yet the hospital serves the Tri-state area with a population over 200,000. Communication was critical for the patient care. The priority of my ministry became bridging the communication gap. I spent more time providing emotional and spiritual support to the medical staff and established a staff support program known as “Code Lavender.” My seminary years prepared me to be resourceful and to advocate for my hospital staff, patients, families, and clergy people. The diversity-inclusive nature of Garrett-Evangelical made me acutely aware of the vulnerable minorities in my community as Dubuque has less than five percent of non-White population, and Roman Catholic is the dominant denomination. Some of my older patients, family members, and their faith leaders learned to cope with the temporary separation; for others, the separation felt eternal. The pandemic has closed the usual ways of human connection, but the love of God invited us to be creative and bold in reaching people beyond the normal boundaries. On the anniversary date of our first COVID-19 admission, I shared this statement: “…We also mourn the loss of those patients. They are family members and friends. Each one had made contribution to our community in their own ways. We join those families and friends in their grief as each loss struck our core for who we are and why we do what we do… May the peace of God be with us all.”
Rev. Gregory D. Gross Master of Divinity, 2003 Executive Director, Care for Real, Chicago, Illinois In the middle of the multitude of pandemics, I assumed the position of executive director of Care for Real, one of the largest food pantries in Chicago. In my new ministry setting, I have witnessed how the pandemics are so intertwined if not in one single knot. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 23 percent increase in food insecurity in the Chicago region as folks, many of whom were already one paycheck away from crisis, lost their jobs. And unsurprisingly, people of color are disproportionately impacted. At Care for Real, we saw a 143 percent increase in first-time visitors to our food pantry in 2020 over the previous year, while distributing nearly two million pounds of food to our neighbors in need. What is most incredible to me is that on any single morning the line of neighbors waiting to receive free groceries looks like the United Nations, with myriad backgrounds represented and at least 12-15 different languages spoken. This is absolutely the most diverse collection of individuals and families I’ve been blessed to serve. Each is the face of the divine and each in need of that most basic of needs: food. Every morning, I speak with someone making their first visit ever to a food pantry, folks who never thought they would be in a position of needing to ask for food. Nearly every person will share with me that they held out as long as possible to make ends meet before working up the courage or overcoming their shame in needing help. The stigma associated with visiting a food pantry is strong in our nation. Oh, how our misplaced focus on rugged individualism has caused damage. That so many people would choose to go hungry rather than ask for help illustrates the systemic challenges we must overcome. At the same time, I’m regularly surprised when I share that we seek to tailor the groceries to individual dietary restrictions and preferences and am met by surprise. For example, many of our clients do not eat pork for religious reasons, while others are vegetarian or diabetic. Many do not want canned foods and only want fresh fruits and vegetables. When I have shared this with folks wanting to organize canned food drives, I am often met with a variation on “beggars can’t be choosers.” When did serving the least, the last, and the lost, mean serving only the least palatable, last food I’d eat myself or the lost can of peas in the back of the cupboard, which I just found and is now expired? The implications of “beggars can’t be choosers” become even more convicting when we remember that households of color are disproportionately food insecure. How quickly we forget the many parables of welcoming folks to the banquet feast. No wonder folks are reluctant to go to a pantry. They are afraid the only groceries they’ll receive are the rejected groceries from our own kitchens. My ministry as an ordained deacon in The United Methodist Church calls me to work for justice and compassion. This means serving each visitor to the community food pantry — literally our neighbor — with dignity and compassion. Whether this takes the form of culturally appropriate food, a volunteer who can serve them in their native language, or funding to expand our service to other communities in need, this is my ministry. AWARE MAGAZINE | 8
Rev. Carla M. Mitchell Master of Divinity, 2016 Staff Chaplain, Village of Manor Park and Associate Pastor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin I strongly believe that this pandemic is being used by God (not caused by God) to allow us — the world — to reset ourselves spiritually. I am touched when I read that in spite of the challenges of this pandemic, families and friends have become closer and more connected. Now, let me not act like this has been “awesome” for everyone because it hasn’t been, but it has been powerful to see people really trying to find the blessings in this “new normal.” I am experiencing resurrection because people are finding and experiencing God in new ways. I am seeing resurrection in how people are being creative in helping those who are struggling, who have lost jobs and businesses, who are alone and emotionally suffering. During this pandemic we’ve also seen social injustice in the brutal murder of George Floyd and other people of color and witnessed domestic tyranny in the attack on our nation’s capital. We’ve also seen a severe rise in attacks against Asian Americans and that’s equally disturbing to me as a woman of color. I was moved when I saw people of all races protesting and speaking out against social injustice and systemic racism. We ALL deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. America is great because of our diversity and that needs to always be lifted up and celebrated! Jon Gilbert Martinez Master of Divinity, 2019 Designated-Term Pastor for Christ Church UCC-Des Plaines, Communications Consultant for The Colectivo de UCC Latinx Ministries, and Vice-Chair of the UCC Mental Health Network, Chicago, Illinois When I set out to answer my call to ministry, I never imagined that I would be serving during a global pandemic. I have seen many challenges during this pandemic: people’s need to come together for worship services, the limitations for those who live with mental illness to easily connect with resources, and rising food insecurity. Garrett-Evangelical helped me acquire theological and pastoral care skills that have come in handy not only in my call but also on the board I serve. For example, at San Lucas UCC, where I served as a digital outreach minister, I was able to see why the congregation desired a way to connect. In response, I was able to work with our senior minister to establish an online donation platform to receive funds to feed those who live with food insecurity. I also began editing and creating worship services to engage our congregation. In the middle of it all, I have found God in the silence I share with someone. I have found God in supporting families who had to say their final farewell to loved ones. I have seen God in the stranger who found my bumper sticker on being kind speaking to him amidst so much tragedy. Christ’s resurrection is happening daily in the connections that I am blessed to make as pastoral care has ushered itself into the digital age.
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Lisa Lackey Master of Arts in Christian Education, 1992 Chief Engagement Officer and Co-Owner, Insideout Living, Inc, Evanston, Illinois Even though 2020 is in the rearview mirror, we are all sorting through the collateral damage of three pandemics. This was not anything that any of us could have ever planned for. Suddenly, the entire world was in a state of trauma, with no letup and only tiny pockets to temporarily regulate. As a psychotherapist, business owner, Black woman, wife, mother, grandmother, and the only child of an elderly mother who lives out of town, the challenges have been more overwhelming than I fully know. On March 17, 2020, we shut down our offices and grabbed what was needed to set up a home office and transition to an online therapy platform. Our clients and staff needed to be supported in different ways, ways that I had not planned for. Lives were falling apart, finances were impacted, depression and anxiety increased, homes were filled with children who needed to be taught, college students were forced into online learning, and social contact was no longer an option. Our business was busier, and there were few opportunities for personal self-care. And then, George Floyd. It was a level of racism that the country had not known, ever. Not that racism had ever changed, we just never witnessed it from a front-row seat, with no details spared. The majority of our clients are White men and women. This created an unusual opportunity for the clients and me. The pandemic of racism hit me harder in many ways than the other two. I am a Black woman. A large portion of what I do and who I am is to be an usher, providing a presence of safety, making room for people to speak the unspeakable, walk THROUGH the valleys, shadows, and graveyards that have been avoided. As a clinician, speaker, consultant, corporate trainer, and facilitator of messy conversations, my audience is often people who have become weary from the shortcuts and workarounds taken to sidestep THROUGH. The pandemic of racism is certainly an issue that many of my clients would have preferred to find a shortcut to avoid the awkwardness of having to talk about it with this Black woman, who is an integral part of their lives. During this time, I am called to highlight what would so easily be left in the shadows. I speak about the cost of continuing to make racism unspeakable. I acknowledge the traumatic impact of racism as a Black person, the daily triggers of matriculating through my life, the fears, anger, hope, and challenges of holding onto myself in a world that is more comfortable seeing me as less. As a graduate of Garrett-Evangelical, with a master of Christian education, I learned that the great connector is love. Love is not passive, love speaks about what is hidden, and love challenges what is not love, especially in one’s self. This learning has given life-shifting opportunities for myself and those I serve.
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Rev. Dr. Tiggs Washington Master of Divinity, 2015 Pastor, Williams Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and Teacher, Harvest Christian Academy, Wilmington, Delaware What can I say about the three pandemics of COVID-19, racism, and economic disparity? Economic disparity, which is a result of historical racism, has been around forever. However, COVID-19 is something that we have never experienced before. COVID-19 has caused me to undergo a plethora of modifications in my ministry and personal life. Let me begin by stating that I am a bi-vocational pastor. I am a pastor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a teacher in New Castle, Delaware. I have had to juggle a lot of responsibilities and changes throughout this pandemic. In March 2020 at the onset of this pandemic, the church discontinued meeting in person, and we have not yet opened back up. I literally turned into a Zoom pastor and teacher. Although I have always been well-versed in technology, my perspective is that virtual 11 | AWARE MAGAZINE
ministry is a complement, not a replacement. I had the tools and was able to secure more resources, but navigating the pastoral ministry strictly through digital resources became increasingly difficult, and at times, frustrating. I soon realized the limitations that my congregation had as a whole. Some of my congregation didn’t have internet (or a strong enough connection), a cell phone, a TV, a working telephone, etc. To make matters worse, I had to cease my pastoral visitations and rely on video calls. Imagine trying to get a handful of seniors who have health issues to get on Zoom in the middle of a quarantine. At times, I became depressed because it was really hard to fulfill my pastoral duties. However, I knew that I had to put my congregation’s physical health and my physical health first and learn how to pastor remotely. Not only did I have to learn how to pastor and teach remotely because of the coronavirus, but I also had to battle another constant pandemic that has ripped apart minority communities, specifically the Black community, and that is racism. From the continual racist words and actions of former President Donald Trump (and his followers), to the unrest due to the George Floyd case and others, to seeing how the WW really devastated Black and Brown communities, it has been exhausting. With my church being 100 percent minority, I have felt the economic disparity, especially in the decline of contributions to the church. At least in my
experience, people are not giving to the church like they used to do. In addition, our traditional fundraisers have been postponed due to social distancing and quarantine. I have felt the weight of the three pandemics that we are in. However, I find hope in these words from 2 Corinthians 4: “Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart... But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.” My response to all three of these pandemics has been to stay committed and show perseverance. Even amid pandemics, our church has found ways to provide PPE to our community partners who engage in testing and vaccinations. Our church has found ways to use our church van to take seniors to the polls for the election and to provide water. Our church has turned our building into a mini pantry where we store food for our church members and the surrounding community. We have found ways to donate water and funds to our sister churches who were hit hard by the recent storms down south. Even in these clay jars, we still have God’s ministry at work in our lives.
Board regarding on-site COVID-19 mitigation. Our Task Force is comprised of staff members, Board members, and other church folks with professional knowledge to help inform our decision-making.
Rev. Jenny Hallenbeck Orr Master of Divinity, 2003 Associate Pastor, McCabe United Methodist Church, Bismarck, North Dakota Since the summer of 2014, I have served McCabe United Methodist Church in Bismarck, North Dakota, in varying pastoral capacities. Bismarck is North Dakota’s capital city, and we’re part of a larger community whose population is approximately 130,000. We are a rural “metro” area near the entry point to the American west — and each part of who we are features prominently in the story of our life together this past year. In the Dakotas, our bishop asked us to shut down in-person gatherings from mid-March through mid-May 2020. At the state level, mandated business shutdowns only applied through May 1, 2020, so many local churches “reopened” at that time. Along with our Board of Directors, we opted to wait until the first weekend in June to reopen for inperson gatherings. For context awareness, most businesses and restaurants have been functioning nearly “like normal” since last May, and our local public schools reopened in the fall for in-person learning. When I think back on this past year of ministry within the COVID-19 pandemic, I am most grateful for our reopening process at McCabe. Last spring, we created a Health & Safety Task Force that now makes recommendations to our
As our Task Force made plans last spring to reopen for in-person gatherings, we placed high value on creating an environment wherein ministry would happen in-person, but in ways that would be unlikely to spread the COVID-19 virus. For in-person worship, we designated seating to allow for physical distancing and limited capacity. For all in-person gatherings, what was first a “strong encouragement” to wear masks became a requirement when our community’s fall COVID-19 surge began. In many instances, Jesus’s commandment to “love our neighbors as ourselves” has crashed head-first into the rugged individualism that permeates so much of our region. Given that, as well as the highly politicized nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, we at McCabe have encountered our fair share of anti-mask sentiment. However, both science and our own anecdotal evidence have proven the importance of our Health & Safety Guidelines. Many folks in our congregation — the members of my household included — have gotten and survived the COVID-19 virus. Yet, because of our on-site mitigation practices at McCabe, we have no reason to believe the virus was ever transmitted during any of our in-person gatherings. Our decisions regarding on-site health and safety guidelines have been communal and that has been incredibly helpful in creating a culture where no one person is blamed — or gets credit — for our mitigation efforts. Community was what I valued most about my time at GarrettEvangelical, and community has been a constant thread of hope and good news this past year. When our wider community has broken my heart with its anger and division over mitigation efforts, I come to church and see the ways our folks are willing to care for one another by donning a mask and respecting the other guidelines we’ve put in place. Whether our folks do these things joyfully or begrudgingly, they continue to do them. For that, I give thanks to God. AWARE MAGAZINE | 12
Cutting Edges: Zoom is Not School Dr. Brooke Lester, Associate Professor of Hebrew Scriptures and Director of Digital Learning The pandemic is not over and neither is pandemic learning. By “pandemic learning,” I do not mean only “teaching and learning during a pandemic.” I mean also, “learning from the pandemic.” The tragic human toll exacted by this crisis renders obscene any notion of purported silver linings. At the same time, a tragedy not reflected on and learned from is a tragedy senselessly compounded. It’s not too soon to ask what lessons the pandemic may suggest toward our construction of a “new normal.” I urge three lessons: Online learning does not equal videoconferencing; assessment does not mean surveillance; and learner-centered instruction calls for the whole institution’s time and attention. Zoom is not school. This is not a new, late-pandemic insight. Since before the turn of this century, synchronous audio-visual conferences have played an intentionally limited role in online learning environments that have typically been largely, or completely, asynchronous. (“Synchronous” means that participants are all “there” online together at the same time; “asynchronous” means that participants are active in the shared online learning space[s] at varying times.) Just as importantly, online instructors recognized that synchronous online learning environments are as different from the brick-andmortar classroom as are asynchronous environments: you have to re-think your resources and activities from the ground up, not simply take your face-to-face show onto the Zoom road, so to speak. Optimistically, the pandemic crisis has forced many reluctant educators to take up online instruction if mostly in a limited range of models. Post-pandemic, if these instructors take away a false lesson that “online learning” means “Zoom University,” then we risk erasing a two-decade history of online-pedagogy scholarship that we rather should be plundering for seasoned insights made fresh by this year’s efforts. Anxiety about assessing student learning “at a distance” has been a higher-education pandemic constant. Many schools responded by spending fortunes on 13 AWARE MAGAZINE
surveillance software and invasive proctoring tools, even though it should be obvious that having one’s eye movements and bedroom environment captured and reported by a robot is destructive of learner performance, especially in a high-stakes, timed examination. In a more compassionate (and effective) vein, hundreds of schools relaxed prior limits on “Pass/ Fail,” “Pass/No Record,” and similar low-stakes options for end-of-term assessment. “Assessment” needn’t be all about an end-of-term letter-grade judgment; it can be an all-semester, iterative process of providing constructive feedback and diagnosing how well the course is preparing learners to move forward from one unit to the next. Hopefully, higher educators as a group are in an improved position to reflect on why we “grade” and how assessment can not only judge learning, but also promote it. In a crisis, it’s natural to ask, “What do we need, and what’s available?” Besides a healthy skepticism about the technology vendors eager to press forward with their answers to the second question, we have to take a moment to ask, Who is this “we”? Instead of asking what we (teachers, institutions, etc.) need, a learnercentered pedagogy asks: “What about the learners? Who are they? What are their circumstances? What do they need from us in order to be able to have healthy opportunities to learn during this terrible year?” As we have progressed from the emergency “pivot online,” into the planned pandemic academic year now concluding, toward decisions about a new normal, Garrett-Evangelical and other schools have solicited feedback from learners on how their needs have— and have not—been recognized and addressed. If we budget the time and attention to evaluate that feedback, we have also at our disposal several years of scholarship on “learner-centered” instructional design on which to draw. Among the many ways we as a society will seek to honor our countless horrific losses, we in higher education can do so (in part) by committing to a sustained and duly humble inventory of our online instruction and of its possibilities for a learner-centered, learner-trusting, flexibly designed facilitation of learning.
Williams Joins the Faculty as Director of Field Education and Assistant Professor Effective February 1, 2021, Sara A. Williams joined the faculty of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary as assistant professor of community-based learning, ethics, and society. In addition, she will direct the field education program. This appointment comes as the seminary seeks to expand its field education program to incorporate community-based pedagogies into the curriculum. Williams brings a wealth of expertise in the areas of communityengaged and experiential learning, social justice, Christian ethics, ethnographic research methods, and religion and the social sciences. “As theological education pivots to providing knowledge and skills that benefit people in the larger church and community alongside teaching students, we at Garrett-Evangelical have found an excellent scholar-practitioner to help us move into this reality in Sara Williams,” said Dr. Mark Teasdale, who chaired the search committee and serves as the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism. “Sara is an emergent scholar who already has an impressive level of academic sophistication, including having developed a model that explains and guides theological educators in the practice of pedagogy within the nascent field of community-based learning. More than this, she is an able administrator and community organizer, who is excited to make the Field Education Office a catalyst for mutual growth for everyone touched by it: the student, the field site, and the seminary. We see great promise for Garrett-Evangelical with Sara becoming part of our faculty in the new community-based learning position.” Williams comes to Garrett-Evangelical from Emory University, where she is currently finishing her doctor of philosophy in religion in the area of ethics and society with concentrations in religious practices and practical theology and religion, conflict, and peacebuilding. “I am thrilled to join the Garrett community,” said Williams. “It is a dream to find an institution with which I share a commitment to practice public
theology by joining with community-led efforts to cultivate beloved community and form a more just and equitable society for all. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to practice my vocation at GarrettEvangelical and in Chicagoland, an area replete with communities organizing for just social change.” Williams holds a master of arts in religion from Yale Divinity School and a master of social work and graduate certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Georgia. She has served at Miami University (Ohio) as associate director of communityengaged learning and coordinator for the Community and Place-Based Interdisciplinary Program. She has also served at Xavier and Georgetown Universities as part-time instructor in the areas of theology and social justice. Prior to entering academia, Williams worked for several domestic nonprofits and international NGOs in social work, nonprofit management, and human rights. She currently serves as co-chair for the Religion and the Social Sciences Unit at the American Academy of Religion and co-convener for the Fieldwork in Ethics Interest Group at the Society of Christian Ethics. In addition to several articles currently under review, she has published in Glossolalia, Critical Research on Religion, the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, and the Journal of Scriptural Reasoning. She has also authored public scholarship in Religion Dispatches, The Cincinnati Enquirer, State of Formation, and Earth & Altar. AWARE MAGAZINE | 14
Kim and Yoo Encourage Fellow Alums to Support Their Alma Mater Soon after They Graduate When Rev. Kook Ho Kim (G-ETS 2015) and Rev. Ran Yoo (G-ETS 2016) graduated from GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary, they knew they wanted to support their alma mater right away. To begin with, they both received scholarships from Garrett-Evangelical and were grateful for the opportunity to attend seminary. Second, they wanted others to have that same opportunity. “Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary was a meaningful place for me,” Kim said. “I met my wife there, and I had the opportunity to start my ordination journey there.” “Because Garrett-Evangelical had a strong scholarship program, we were able to study there,” Yoo said. “By giving back, we want to give someone else this great opportunity.” Soon after Kim graduated and Kim and Yoo married in 2015, they talked about their financial situation, including their offerings to the church and other donations. “We knew that seminaries do not have enough money, and seminarians don’t have enough money,” Kim said. “We wanted to help.” Although they had car payments and loans to pay on pastors’ salaries, the two decided that they wanted to start donating monthly to Garrett-Evangelical. “The amount was not important, we thought,” said Kim. “We decided to start giving and increase it as we go. It was hard, but we knew we just had to start.” “Many people think they will donate when they have the money,” Yoo said. “But that time never comes. So, we decided to give what we could and just get started.” Kim and Yoo both grew up and went to high school in Seoul, South Korea. While Kim’s nuclear family was not Christian, his grandmother was, and she took Kim to church until she passed away when Kim was seven. Kim stayed in the church and ultimately went to Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, where he majored in German and Russian and continued to attend a Presbyterian church. 15 | AWARE MAGAZINE
Kim interrupted his studies to serve in the Korean military for two years, a requirement for all Korean men. After his military service, Kim said he wanted to find a way to spend his life serving God. He found his answer. “God gave me a great opportunity to serve as a missionary in the south of Russia through my church,” he said.
As a member of the Korean Student Council, Kim helped new students adjust to life in the United States. He also led the Korean worship service at Howes Chapel where Yoo attended services. “Over time, we got close,” Yoo said. “We shared our vision with each other and found we had the same vision and same goals,” Kim said.
While serving as a missionary, Kim met a Methodist missionary from the United States as well as a pastor from the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church. They both recommended that he apply to GarrettEvangelical when he finished college.
Both Kim and Yoo enjoyed their time at GarrettEvangelical. Kim loved that Garrett-Evangelical focused on both the academic and the practical. He was also grateful for his scholarship and his job at the Office of Student Life at Garrett-Evangelical. Garrett-Evangelical helped Yoo gain a broader understanding of theology and the church, she said.
Kim applied and was accepted, and six months after he graduated from university he enrolled at Garrett-Evangelical. Yoo grew up in a Christian home. She heard her call to ministry while in high school. At the time, she was struggling with an undiagnosed sickness and trying several unsuccessful medical treatments. “Nothing worked,” she said. “So, I prayed, and while I was praying, I encountered God.” After her encounter, Yoo was determined to find a way to serve God. Both a professional counselor and her pastor suggested that she become a pastor. So, after graduating from high school, she enrolled at the Methodist Theological University in Seoul, where she majored in theology. There, she decided she wanted to serve the local church. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of opportunity for women clergy in the Korean church, Yoo said. One of her professors suggested she get her master’s degree in the United States and start her ordination process there. Some of her friends from the Methodist Theological University were studying at GarrettEvangelical and highly recommended it. “They liked that Garrett-Evangelical focused on both the academic areas and also the practical areas,” Yoo explained. After she graduated from college in 2012, she enrolled at Garrett-Evangelical, a year after Kim.
During his field education, Kim worked as a student pastor at St. James United Methodist Church in East Troy, Wisconsin. “That started my ordination journey in Wisconsin,” he said. After graduation, he served as an associate pastor at the First United Methodist Church of Kenosha for a year. The two married that same year. When Yoo graduated the next year, she asked the Conference to appoint her to a church near Kim. The Bishop asked them to serve together in the Upper Saint Croix Parish in northwest Wisconsin near the border of Minnesota. They served as copastors to three churches there until 2019, when Kim became a U.S. Army Reserve chaplain and the pastor of Brodhead United Methodist Church in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Yoo became senior pastor at New Horizon United Methodist Church, located in nearby Orfordville. The couple now has two children, Caleb, 3, and Christine, 6 months. The COVID-19 crisis caused both churches to close and shift their services online and on cable TV. Both congregations are elderly, but most people have access to the services, Kim said. Kim and Yoo credit much of their success in ministry to Garrett-Evangelical, another reason they feel so strongly about supporting their seminary. “We never took our education or scholarships for granted,” Yoo said. “Someone donated to the school because they believed that was one way to serve God and help others. We want to do the same thing.” AWARE MAGAZINE | 16
John Carter, Former Director of Buildings and Grounds, Dies at 79 John Carter, who served the seminary for 52 years, passed away on February 28, 2021 at the age of 79. Carter joined Garrett-Evangelical in 1963 working as a dishwasher in the cafeteria and was promoted to the maintenance department in 1970. His first position in maintenance was as a maintenance mechanic, and he was promoted many times during his tenure to become the director of buildings and grounds. Carter had a quiet presence but made a profound impact on the seminary. He was beloved by faculty, staff, students, trustees, and others. When Carter retired, he said: “After 50 plus wonderful years, I am proud of our accomplishments and the opportunities presented to me. I will certainly miss my co-workers and the seminary, but it’s time to enjoy my retirement.” Carter is survived by his five children: Pamela, Patricia, Cynthia, Anthony, and Patrick and his 22 grandchildren.
Remembering Professor of Historical Theology, Egon Walter Gerdes Professor of historical theology and coordinator of spirituality at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary from 1967-1979, Rev. Dr. Egon Walter Gerdes passed away on March 4, 2020, at the age of 88. Egon was a missionary of The (United) Methodist Church, teaching in Mulungwishi, Katanga, Congo (1961), before being evacuated to South Africa, where he taught at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape (1962). After a brief interlude as an academic assistant at his alma mater University Kiel (1963), Egon emigrated to the United States in 1963. Egon taught at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee (1963-1976) and at both Garrett-Evangelical and Northwestern University for 12 years. During that time, he spent two years as a theological consultant to the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (1974-1976). The pastoral career of Egon embraced positions in McGregor, Iowa (1980-1982), Des Moines, Iowa (1982-1984), and Dubuque, Iowa (1984-1992). In Dubuque, he returned to academic teaching (1968-1992). He then continued to fulfill pastoral positions in Flossmoor, Illinois (1992-1994), Hamburg, Germany (1994-1996), and, in retirement, a German congregation in Naperville, Illinois (2013 – 2020). Gerdes held the doctor of theology degree from the University of Kiel (1958) and the doctor of philosophy degree from Emory University (1960), as well as an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa (1975). Egon is survived by his wife Jean, daughter Ute, son Eckhard, three grandsons, four great-grandchildren, and other family and friends.
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In Memoriam Our Christian sympathy is extended to the family and friends of the following alums who have died in Christ. 1940’s Quentin Hand, GBI 1948, Lawrenceville, GA, died February 16, 2021. John Paul Jones, Jr., ETS 1948, Lebanon, OH, died December 2, 2020. C. Theodore Roos, GBI 1948, Northbrook, IL, died February 14, 2021. 1950’s Robert Tappan Osborn, GBI 1950, Durham, NC, died September 17, 2020. G. Keith Nash, GBI 1953, Columbus, OH, died February 5, 2021. Sally Salisbury Stoddard, GBI 1953, Lincoln, NE, died May 13, 2019. Eric Hammar, GBI 1954, Brighton, MI, died February 23, 2021. Mason Scholl, GBI 1955, Evanston, IL, died December 12, 2020.
Edwin Stefan, GBI 1959, Findlay, OH, died December 11, 2020.
Donald Easton, GTS 1972, Belleville, NY, died January 23, 2021.
Donald Strobe, GBI 1959, Irvine, CA, died November 20, 2020.
Hugh Halverstadt, GTS 1973, Saint Simons Island, GA, died April 14, 2020.
1960’s
William (Bill) Leppin, ETS 1973, Huntley, IL, died November 15, 2020.
Gordon Spalenka, GBI 1960, Wyoming, MI, died January 30, 2021. Robert Whitis, GBI 1960, Rio Communities, NM, died August 29, 2020.
Douglas Simpson, ETS 1974, Hammond, IN, died December 1, 2020. Neil Cross, G-ETS 1976, Urbandale, IA, died May 9, 2020.
Harold Bonath, GBI 1961, San Antonio, TX, died June 6, 2020.
Linda Eller, G-ETS 1977, Monument, CO, died December 19, 2020.
Thomas Rough, ETS 1961, Warren, IN, died December 30, 2020.
Julia Brogdon, G-ETS 1979, Cleveland Heights, OH, died January 17, 2021.
Larry Sonner, GTS 1962, Johnston, IA, died November 27, 2020.
1980’s
Gary Aten, GTS 1963, Atkinson, NE, died January 7, 2021. Robert Hackl, ETS 1963, Savoy, IL, died November 13, 2020.
Wesley Osborn, G-ETS 1985, Neoga, IL, died February 16, 2021. Lorraine Zimmerman, G-ETS 1988, The Villages, FL, died January 12, 2021. John Best, G-ETS 1989, Edwardsville, IL, died January 19, 2021.
William Seith, ETS 1955, Coshocton, OH, died September 21, 2019.
James R. Nelson, GTS 1964, Bloomington, MN, died November 15, 2020.
Gerald Krause, GBI 1956, Sturgeon Bay, WI, died December 18, 2020.
Dale Richard Culver, GTS 1969, Gladwin, MI, died November 17, 2020.
Sue Anne Smith, G-ETS 1990, Boise, ID, died March 27, 2020.
John A Kruse, GBI 1956, Madison, WI, died December 11, 2020.
1970’s
Beverly W. Rice, G-ETS 1991, Pontiac, MI, died January 2, 2021.
Thomas Lane Butts, GBI 1957, Monroeville, AL, died February 15, 2021. William H. Blomberg, GBI 1959, Cedarville, IL, died December 23, 2020. Joyce Gladys Flight, GBI 1959, Indianapolis, IN, died March 23, 2021.
Arthur Bishop, GTS 1970, Saint Simons Island, GA, died January 7, 2021.
1990’s
2000’s
R. Thomas Vosburgh, GTS 1970, Rockford, IL, died November 16, 2020.
Mark Babb, G-ETS 2001, Sturgis, MI, died December 1, 2020.
Robert Ralph Biehler, GTS 1971, Willows, CA, died February 1, 2020.
Robert Kofi Koomson, G-ETS 2010, Kumasi, Ghana (previously Chicago IL), died July 9, 2020.
David Busker, ETS 1972, Monroe, WI, died November 14, 2020.
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Planning Your Legacy Is the thought of estate and financial planning overwhelming? If so, we have the answer! It’s our new booklet called Planning Your Legacy that is packed with tips on how to help you plan for a secure and satisfying future. The booklet also directs you to our website that includes additional estate and personal planning information. Call Rev. Dr. David Heetland, senior vice president for planned giving, at 847.866.3970 or email him at David.Heetland@Garrett.edu today for your free copy of Planning Your Legacy. We look forward to helping you plan your future!
PlannedGiving.Garrett.edu
