Recommendations for the Class of 2018

Alum Recommendations For the class of 2018

May 9, 2018

Dear Class of 2018,

You’ve made it! You’ve persevered! Soak it all in. You didn’t quit or give up – you might have wanted to at times, but you didn’t!

In just a few days your friends, family, and loved ones will join you in celebrating this accomplishment. There will be hugs, tears, and shouts for joy. They aren’t the only ones who will be celebrating with you. You are joined in celebration by

all the alumni who have walked this path before you. In this booklet you will find a list of book recommendations from the class of 1968 and some hand selected prayers from the class of 1993. I hope you will use them to enhance your ministry and personal life. If nothing

else, as you read them, remember you are not alone on this journey of faith. And you are our best hope for the future. You will go forth from this place and do extraordinary ministries of teaching, preaching, pastoral care, mission and justice. And you join the 4500 living alums who go before you. We are proud to claim you as our own and we hope that you are proud of Garrett-Evangelical, as well. Stay connected with us.

Sincerely,

Cora Glass, Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Alum Relations

phone: 847-866-3988

fax: 847-866-3989

email: cora.glass@garrett.edu

Table of Contents Letter from Cora Glass, Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Alum Relations

Firsts at Garrett-Evangelical

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Book Recommendations from the class of 1968

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Prayer Recommendations from the class of 1993

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Firsts at Garrett-Evangelical Eliza Clark Garrett

1853, Founding Benefactor Eliza Garrett, the wife of Chicago mayor, Augustus Garrett, became convinced of the need for better training for Methodist preachers. In her will, made out in early December 1853, she left a considerable inheritance for the founding of a biblical institute. A meeting was held in Chicago on December 26, 1853, at which a group of Methodist leaders invited John Dempster to organize the institute. Eliza Garrett’s will and this meeting are the basis for the date of 1853 as the founding of GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary (then named Garrett Biblical Institute).

John Dempster

1853, First President of Garrett Biblical Institute Dempster was the first president of Garrett Biblical Institute and the driving force behind bringing Eliza Garrett’s vision of a Methodist training school to fruition. Dempster, the son of a Scottish immigrant, was a great champion for theological education within Methodism. While many in the denomination were skeptical of the necessity for theological education, he made it clear that theological education could only aid ministers. He served as president from 1853 until 1859.

Lucy Rider Meyer

1855, Chicago Training School Founder Lucy Rider Meyer along with her husband, Josiah S. Meyer, founded the Chicago Training School for city, home, and foreign missions. Lucy Rider Meyer served as principal and faculty member, training more than 5,000 workers before her retirement in 1917. She is credited with being the originator and sustainer of the deaconess movement in Methodism. Due in large part to her work, the office of the deaconess was recognized by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1888.

Bishop J.J. Esher

1877, Union Biblical Institute Founder, eventually Evangelical Theological Seminary The 1871 General Conference of the Evangelical Association adopted a resolution calling for the establishment of a biblical institute, and on March 13, 1873, the State of Illinois granted a charter for the Union Biblical Institute in Naperville. The institute was organized as an adjunct to the college in Naperville and held its first classes in 1876. In August 1877, it was formally opened by Bishop J. J. Esher. The name of the Institute was eventually changed to Evangelical Theological Seminary.

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Isabella Thoburn

1888, Head of First Deaconess Home Isabella Thoburn, a methods and church history faculty member at the Chicago Training School (CTS), became the head of the first deaconess home in the United States. She worked with nine CTS graduates as they served the people of Chicago. These nine became the first Methodist deaconesses.

Georgia E. Harkness

1939, First Female Garrett Biblical Institute Faculty Member; First Female Theology Professor in an American Seminary Georgia Harkness was appointed Professor of Applied Theology at Garrett Biblical Institute, where she taught until 1950. In so doing, she became the first full-time female professor of theological studies in an American Protestant seminary. She was also the first female member of the American Theological Society, which she joined in 1937. It is because of Georgia Harkness that graduates wear red shoes at Garrett-Evangelical’s commencement ceremonies and events. Harkness was inspired by her great-grandmother Abigail who, as a woman of her own mind, was known for wearing a red coat despite her community’s disapproval of such flashy attire.

Grant S. Shockley

1959, First Black Garrett Biblical Institute Faculty Member Grant Shockley was Professor of Religious Education at Garrett Biblical Institute from 1959 to 1966. His lifelong work centered around the contributions that the Black religious experience could bring to religious education. He was clear that his work was not about Black Christian education as distinct from any other kind of Christian education, but about how the religious experience of Black persons could influence all of Christian education. His scholarship and teaching has had a significant impact upon the field of religious education.

Edsel A. Ammons

1968, First Black Faculty Member to Become a Bishop Bishop Ammons graduated from Garrett Biblical Institute in 1956 and later returned to the school to teach in the area of church and urban society from 1968 until 1976. During this time, he was instrumental in the formation of The Center for the Church and the Black Experience. In 1976, Ammons left the seminary to preside over the Detroit and West Michigan Conferences, and later the West Ohio Conference as bishop. In his retirement, Ammons served as bishop-in-residence at Garrett-Evangelical.

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Carl H. Marbury

1977, First Black Academic Dean Carl H. Marbury joined the faculty of Garrett as associate professor of New Testament interpretation in 1972. In 1977, he became a full professor and the first Black academic dean. He served in this capacity until 1982 when he retired from the position. During his time as dean, he oversaw the institution of a new curriculum, further developed Garrett-Evangelical’s commitment to peace and justice, and provided a guiding vision for the future of the seminary. After leaving Garrett-Evangelical, he became president of Alabama A&M University.

Rosemary Radford Ruether

1977, First Female Professor to Hold an Endowed Chair Rosemary Radford Ruether became the first woman to hold an endowed chair when she joined the faculty as the Georgia Harkness Professor of Applied Theology. As a Roman Catholic feminist theologian, Ruether has challenged the Church to seek justice in matters of sexism throughout her career, and has served as a groundbreaking scholar and activist in Christian feminist theology.

Marjorie Matthews

1984, First Female Bishop-in-Residence Marjorie Matthews was elected to the episcopacy in The United Methodist Church by the North Central Jurisdictional Conference of 1980. This was the first time a woman had been elected bishop in any mainline Christian tradition. After serving the Wisconsin area for four years, she retired and Garrett-Evangelical was honored to welcome her as the school’s first female bishop-in-residence. During her time at Garrett-Evangelical she also served as visiting professor of Old Testament.

Rosemary Skinner Keller

1993, First Female Academic Dean Rosemary Skinner Keller taught in the area of religion and American culture at Garrett-Evangelical beginning in 1977. In 1993, she was appointed the seminary’s first female academic dean, a position she held until she left the school in 1996. She was also a member of the first class of deacons to be ordained in the Northern Illinois Conference. Her scholarly work included a three -volume encyclopedia Women and Religion in North America and In Our Own Voices: Four Centuries of American Women’s Religious Writing , both edited with Rosemary Radford Ruether. Garrett-Evangelical honored Keller in 2006 with an honorary doctorate of divinity.

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Osvaldo D. Vena

1995, First Latino Faculty Member Osvaldo Vena joined the faculty of Garrett-Evangelical in 1995 as the first Latino professor. He teaches in the area of New Testament interpretation and urges his students to open their minds to new interpretations, possibilities, and their hearts to those who hold those interpretations. When he is not teaching at the seminary, he directs the Still a Dream Band, whose mission is to raise awareness for children living in poverty in Palestine, Israel, and Argentina by setting their poems to music.

Yeo Khiok-Khng (K.K.)

2002, First Asian Professor to Hold an Endowed Chair K.K. Yeo began teaching at Garrett-Evangelical in 1996 and became the first Asian professor to hold an endowed chair in 2001, when he was named the Harry R. Kendall Professor of New Testament. As a Chinese Christian born and raised in Borneo, Malaysia, he brings a unique perspective to biblical scholarship. He sees his vocation as one of bridging the gap between cultures, between the academy and the church, and between faith and reason. He believes this “cross-cultural biblical interpretation� will help us all to know we are blessed and loved by God.

Henry J. Young

2002, First Black Professor to Hold an Endowed Chair Henry Young began teaching at Garrett-Evangelical in the area of theology and ethics in 1980. In 2002, he was installed as the first Neal F. and Ila A. Fisher Professor of Theology, a position he held until his retirement in 2004. With this appointment, he became the first Black professor to hold an endowed chair. In addition to teaching at Garrett-Evangelical, Young also served as a Lieutenant Colonel Chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve.

G. Sujin Pak

2002, First Female Asian Faculty Member Sujin Pak joined the faculty of Garrett-Evangelical in 2002 as the first female Asian professor. She taught church history specializing in the Reformation era, biblical interpretation, the role of women in the church, and Christian-Jewish relations until leaving in 2007. She is currently Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity.

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Nancy E. Bedford

2003, First Latina to Hold an Endowed Chair A citizen of Argentina and the United States, Nancy Bedford has held the Georgia Harkness Professor of Applied Theology Endowed Chair since 2003, making her the first Latina professor to hold an endowed chair at GarrettEvangelical. As a teacher, Bedford tries to help her students become aware of the stake they have in the questions raised by theology and the responsibility they have to develop their own theology. “There is a sense in which every Christian is a theologian, and so I hope to help my students become the best theologians that they can be in the context of their particular calling.”

Gennifer Benjamin Brooks

2008, First Female Black Professor to Hold an Endowed Chair Gennifer Brooks has held the Ernest and Bernice Styberg Chair as Associate Professor of Preaching since 2008, making her the first female Black professor to hold an endowed chair at Garrett-Evangelical. In the classroom she seeks to instill in students both the awesome responsibility and the glorious opportunity of preaching good news. She is also the Director of the Styberg Preaching Institute which provides educational opportunities and training in homiletics to the wider seminary community.

Luis R. Rivera

2014, First Latino Academic Dean On January 1, 2014, Luis R. Rivera began his tenure as the first Latino Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean in Garrett-Evangelical’s history. After teaching at Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico and most recently at McCormick Theological Seminary, where he also served as Academic Dean, Rivera brings his thorough and diverse experience of teaching, administration, and institutional leadership to Garrett-Evangelical.

Lallene J. Rector

2014, First Layperson and Woman to Serve as President of GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary Lallene J. Rector began her work as president at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois on January 1, 2014. Rector has been an esteemed faculty member since 1986 as Associate Professor of Psychology of Religion and Pastoral Psychotherapy, and most recently held the role of Vice President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean (2006-2013).

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Class of 1968’s Recommended Reading for the Class of 2018 The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict (2008), by the The Arbinger Institute. What Happened, by Hillary Clinton. The Reverend Dr. Preston Bradley, The Rhetorical Tradition, The History of Rhetoric, The 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions, and Toward Universal Religion; all by alum Daniel Chandler.

Renovate: Building a Life with God, by Jacob Armstrong.

John Wesley’s Sermons and Journals. Streams of Living Water, by Richard J. Foster. The works of Henri Nouwen.

Prostrate Humor; Toward a Social Technology of Peace (A Sociology of Conflict Resolution); Open the Doors (LGBTQ Inclusion in the UMC), A Study of Oxford House Signs, Please Sign in, Watering the Family Tree - a genetic and family historical study; all by alum Rev. Dr. Reginald Olson. Lord, When Did I See You? by alum Rev. Robert Pumfey.

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Class of 1993’s Recommended Prayers for the Class of 2018

Jon Buxton Ode To Mud Mud Bits of earth and water that we discard Think a nuisance Dried particles of clay that cling to our feet As we move from place to place Dirt inadvertently collected evidence of where we have been. At times we feel compelled to get rid of mud Wipe it off and Leave. . . It. . . . Behind. Like a bad memory. But mud can’t so easily be discarded And forgotten Nor should it be. For this simple substance of earth The stuff that supports our feet And grounds our everyday world Is a . . . a mysterious part of . . .us.

It is a gift so precious that God chose to use it as The Stuff from which Adam would be formed Ever so gently. . . Carefully. . . Molded and shaped into a figure The receptor of Divine breath. Something made from nothing and called. . . Good. Precious and not to be discarded. Mud . . . a Miracle. For centuries Patterning Divine actions, Humans have molded, spun and shaped Mud Into valuable tools,

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A bowl, A lamp A vessel for water and wine. Civilization could not have been possible Without Earthenware utensils That have been crudely, carefully, beautifully Formed. Clay and water, Crafted, dried and heated into Magnificent creations pleasing To the touch and to the eye. Useful and priceless Blessings for everyday life. Mud has healing qualities, too. Cooling the sting of a bee or a burn And once when mixed with spittle Was the healing salve for a blind man. . . See. Mud

This humble stuff upon which we tread And berate for soiling clothes. Earth and water so readily taken for granted, Is indeed The stuff of miraculous transformation Inspired To become . . . a holy gift. For Jesse; By Jon J. Buxton - March 2017

Valerie Schweninger Before a wedding pronouncement: "Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold for each of you will be warmth to the

other. Now there is no loneliness. Now you are two persons but there is only one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together.

And may your days be good and long upon the earth and in heaven.� From CLOUD NINE

-- Luanne Rice N. Y.: Bantam Books, 1999

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David Sharpe Gracious God of love and grace, continue to pour your blessings upon the Church and all people everywhere. Inspire us all to a new level of faithfulness. Work through us to remain actively responsible for the political climate in our country. Bring to all our world leaders a new drive and quest for cooperation and peace. AMEN.

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Kathryn Wadsley O God, thank you for this day and the gift of creation. Help us be stewards of the earth. Thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus who came to show us how you want us to live and died on the cross that we might have eternal life. Forgive my sins and help me be your hands and feet on earth today. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help me

listen to your guidance and lead me in what you want me to do today. May what I do point the way to you so others might know your love and be your disciples. Amen

Photo from the class, “Learning and Gender: Toward Religious Vocation� (winter quarter 1993)

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Published May 2018 Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

www.Garrett.edu