2021 Commencement Program

2021 Spring Commencement Saturday, May 22, 2021, 10 a.m.

Dayton Vineyard Church 4051 Indian Ripple Rd. Beavercreek, OH 45440

Please turn off all cell phones and other devices which may disturb the ability of others to participate prayerfully in the liturgy.

The asterisk (*) indicates that you are invited to stand for that portion of the liturgy.

PRELUDE

Oakwood Brass

*THE ACADEMIC PROCESSION

Oakwood Brass

*CALL TO WORSHIP

Rev. Tesia Mallory, Dean of the Chapel

O Lord, open our lips.

And we shall declare your praise.

Alleluia! The Spirit of the Lord renews the face of the earth: Come let us adore him. Alleluia! Alleluia!

[The Book of Common Prayer] *OPENING HYMN 384

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

I. Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heav’n, to earth come down, fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown.

Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art.

Visit us with thy salvation; enter ev'ry trembling heart.

III. Come, Almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive.

Suddenly return, and never, nevermore thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing serve thee as thy hosts above, pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.

II. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit into ev’ry troubled breast.

Let us all in thee inherit, let us find the promised rest.

Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be.

End of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

IV. Finish, then, thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be.

Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee.

Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.

*OPENING PRAYER

Dr. Harold Hudson Assoc. Dean for Doctoral Studies

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray. [silent reflection] Almighty God, who opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

GREETINGS AND WELCOME

Dr. Kent Millard, President

MINISTRY IN DANCE

Ms. Felicia Hamilton, MA Graduate

THE SCRIPTURE LESSON

Mark 10:46-52

Mr. Henry A. Folgoso J., MDiv Graduate

INTRODUCTION OF COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

President Millard

AWARDING OF THE HONORARY DOCTOR OF DIVINITY President Millard Dr. David Watson, Academic Dean Rev. Dr. J. Elvin Sadler, Assistant Dean of Doctoral Studies General Secretary-Auditor, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church THE SERMON

Seeing Again: Go and Get Your Sight Back

Dr. Sadler

PRESENTATION OF STUDENT AWARDS Dr. David Watson, Academic Dean Dr. Vivian Johnson, Assoc. Dean for Academic Affairs The William and Carolyn Anderson Applied Theology Award

D. Michael Coons

This award is given for a paper submitted in competition that demonstrates a student’s ability to think critically on theological issues he or she applies to contemporary social concerns. It is given through the generosity of Dr. William and Carolyn Anderson.

The Ruth Pippert Core Memorial Award

Tesia L. Mallory

To perpetuate Ruth Pippert Core’s lifelong interest in peace, unity and the arts, Professor Emeritus Arthur C. Core established this award to provide enrichment in the arts, ecumenics and aid to exchange students.

The Robert E. and Mary Elizabeth Cramer Award

Sharon Clegern

The Robert E. and Mary Elizabeth Cramer Award is given each year to an outstanding student who has completed two-thirds of the required semester hours for his or her degree to recognize and encourage academic achievement.

The Robert M. Daugherty Award

Vernon Collins

The Robert M. Daugherty Award is given to a graduating senior who has demonstrated exceptional promise for pastoral ministry.

The Harry L. Eckels Award

Sungkyoon Park

The Harry L. Eckels Award is given each year to a person who has completed at least two-thirds of the required semester hours for his or her degree and who demonstrates stewardship of time, talent and money.

The Fellowship Seminarian Award This award is given for outstanding leadership in music and/or worship arts.

Amy Martin

The Hoyt Hickman Award

Tellis Chapman

The Hoyt Hickman Award for Outstanding Liturgical Scholarship and Practice is awarded by The Order of Saint Luke. The award is given to the graduating student who, in the judgment of the selection committee, both (1) has given evidence of a high quality of scholarship in the study of liturgy, and (2) is an effective leader of Christian worship.

The Missionary Interpretation Award

Eshakia Sobukwe

The Missionary Interpretation Award is given each year to assist a student in interpreting to the American Church its worldwide Christian responsibility. The award is made possible by an endowment established by the Youth Fellowship of the Memorial United Methodist Church, Silver Spring, Maryland.

The Kendall McCabe Award in Preaching

Seth Humphries

The Kendall McCabe Award in Preaching is given each year to a senior student in a United master’s program. The awardee will demonstrate in a submitted sermon exegetical skill in interpreting the text and an awareness of the liturgical, congregational and missional context of the homiletical occasion. The award-winning sermon will serve as an exemplar of preaching as a liturgical act.

The Dr. Won Byung Roh Award

Hope Williams

This award for excellence in pastoral care-giving is given to a student who demonstrates outstanding scholarship and practice in the field of pastoral care-giving and has completed two-thirds of the required semester hours for his or her degree.

The Dr. Hervin U. Roop Award

Thomas Andrew

Through the generosity of the late Hervin U. Roop, former president of Lebanon Valley College, an award is given to recognize and encourage students in the leadership of worship and the public reading of Scriptures.

The August Thomas Memorial Award

Charles Collins

The August Thomas Memorial Award is given to a student who shows special promise in church administration.

The Bishop Joseph H. Yeakel Award

Matt Rowe

The Bishop Joseph H. Yeakel Award is presented annually to the student who shows special promise in ecumenical and social justice ministries. The award is made possible by a gift from the New York Area of The United Methodist Church in recognition of Bishop Yeakel’s twelve years of distinguished episcopal leadership in that area.

The Corda E. Smith Award

Nic Billman

The Corda E. Smith Award is given every other year to a student who excels in the study of the New Testament in the Greek language.

Outstanding Doctor of Ministry Project in Church Renewal

Will Leasure

This award is given to a doctoral student who submits an outstanding Doctor of Ministry project in church renewal.

Outstanding Doctor of Ministry Project in Proclamation of the Gospel

Michele Parker

This award is given to a doctoral student who submits an outstanding Doctor of Ministry project in proclamation of the gospel.

Outstanding Doctor of Ministry Project in Justice and Mercy

Justin Clay Rushing

This award is given to a doctoral student who submits an outstanding Doctor of Ministry project in justice and mercy.

AWARDING OF THE COURSE OF STUDY CERTIFICATES

Dr. Kent Millard, President Dr. David Watson, Academic Dean

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION: COURSE OF STUDY SCHOOL OF OHIO – UNITED THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY EXTENSION SCHOOL Robert W. Adams

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Sandra Apgar

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Theodore A. Bible

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Craig S. Buelow

Upper New York Annual Conference of The UMC

Jerry L. Burghduff Bill Davis Christine M. Doren Bryan S. Hicks Mark E. Obrzut Rodney R. Ritchie Ronald W. Rouse Timothy Stewart

Indiana Annual Conference of The UMC West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of The UMC West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC Susquehanna Annual Conference of The UMC Tennessee Annual Conference of The UMC Michigan Area Annual Conference of The UMC Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference of The UMC

THE AWARDING OF CERTIFICATES AND DEGREES

Dr. Kent Millard, President Dr. David Watson, Academic Dean Dr. Vivian Johnson, Assoc. Dean for Academic Affairs Dr. Harold Hudson, Assoc. Dean for Doctoral Studies Mrs. Karen Clark, Registrar

PRE-DOCTORAL STUDIES Susan Agbenoto Laura M. Edmondson Dayna LeShelle Hooks

Charismatic Non-Denominational Baptist

Howard Lewis Matthew O'Neal Obadiah T. Swen

Non-Denominational

James Christian Tuttle

Non-Denominational

Johnathan Wilson

Baptist

MASTER OF ARTS Jevon Q. Catlett

Baptist

Felicia LaGail Hamilton

Baptist

Greta D. Smith

Holston Annual Conference of The UMC

Markus-Derek White

African Methodist Episcopal Church MASTER OF MINISTRY

Les Bramlett

Non-Denominational

O. Vincent Flippo, III

Church of the Nazarene

Cecilia Ann Mack

African Methodist Episcopal Church

Jordan Lee McKenzie

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Cory Jermaine Pruitt

Baptist

Ebony V. Taylor

Baptist

Justin Ryan Watkins

Non-Denominational MASTER OF ARTS IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

Timothy Ayegbusi

The Apostolic Church of North America USA

Tellis Jerome Chapman

Baptist

Charles W. Collins

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Vernon Gresham Collins

Western North Carolina Conference of The UMC

Emily Howard

Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference of The UMC

Yongteak Jung

Korean Evangelical Holiness Church

Isaac Anthony Lane

Southern Baptist

Brittany Monchele’ McCoy

African Methodist Episcopal Church

Angela Denise McKenzie

Non-Denominational

Christopher Lee Thornsberry

Indiana Annual Conference of The UMC

MASTER OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES Hector F. Guzman

East Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference of The UMC

DUAL DEGREE: MASTER OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES AND MASTER OF DIVINITY Eshakhia S. Sobukwe

Non-Denominational

MASTER OF DIVINITY Beatrice Sagala Alghali Thomas A. Andrew William Thomas Baker Matthew Beyland Eric Bostick Dennis L. Bouch Todd Francis Boulware Sandra Dea Bowden Jerome Bridgers Liliane Cellerier

Michigan Annual Conference of The UMC New England Annual Conference of The UMC East Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC West Ohio Conference of The UMC Baptist Tennessee Annual Conference of The UMC Presbyterian Church of America Baptist African Methodist Episcopal Church Non-Denominational

George Matthew Clash

Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference of The UMC

Terry Lee Corpier

Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference of The UMC

Benjamen Thoms Eschenfelder Mary Louise Evans Henry A. Folgoso J. Michael T. Fotta Kevin W. Gray Dionne L. A. Greene

Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference of The UMC Methodist West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC Susquehanna Annual Conference of The UMC Holston Annual Conference of The UMC African Methodist Episcopal Church

Melissa Anne Hart

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Michael Adam Hart

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Seth Humphries

Non-Denominational

Lisa Michele Hunt

Virginia Annual Conference of The UMC

Desmond M. Isom

Non-Denominational

Rachel D. Latimer

Rio Texas Annual Conference of The UMC

Shawn T. Lehman

Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of The UMC

Mark Wayne Lewis

Pennsylvania-Delaware Annual Conference of The UMC

Amy Louise Martin

Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference of The UMC

Douglas William Mellott

Susquehanna Annual Conference of The UMC

Gregory Miller

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Travis F. Qualls

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Matthew D. Rowe

Upper New York Annual Conference of The UMC

Matthew C. Scott

Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of The UMC

Lawrence Elliott Spann

African Methodist Episcopal Church

Charles Waddell Tatum, Jr. Aaron Bradley Taylor

Baptist Indiana Annual Conference of The UMC

Amy Renee Vittorio

East Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC

Mark Andrew Vorenkamp

Michigan Annual Conference of The UMC

Latoya Warren Keitha Wiggins-Kennedy Hope Williams

West Ohio Annual Conference of The UMC African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church American Baptist Churches USA-Ohio Baptist

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY Missional Leadership: Cohort for Mavericks | Faculty Mentor: Duane Anders, DMin Nonito Suarez Dobles Pastor-Church Planter, First Fil-Am Church of Greater Dayton, Kettering, Ohio. A Practical Approach for Sustaining a Filipino-American Church in Greater Dayton through a Leadership Bible Study

Supernatural Ministry | Faculty Mentor: Frank Billman, PhD Lorraine Eleanora Brown Pastor, Moore’s Chapel, Newark, Delaware. Increase Personal Spiritual Vitality by Learning How to More Clearly Hear God’s Voice

Grace Kang Oh Pastor, Englewood-Rust United Methodist Church, Chicago, Illinois. Narrative Study to Achieve Acts of Compassion in African American Church Members Towards Local Korean-American Business Owners

Innovative Leadership: Building Leaders and Congregations for Effective Change | Faculty Mentor: Dexter Cannon, DMin; Charles Jackson, DMin

Thomas E. Cotton Dolton, Illinois. Developing a Ministry Model that Increases the Effectiveness of Lay Leadership

Rashaun C. Davis Townsend, Delaware. Developing a Ministry Model of Wholistic Discipleship

Michele Frances Parker Pastor, Russell Temple CME, Alexandria, Virginia. Developing a Ministry Model for Biblical Education through Small Groups

Gardner C. Taylor Scholars: Prophetic Leadership – Social Justice and Political Action | Faculty Mentors: Leroy Cothran, DMin; J. Randy Grimes, DMin

Randy Curtis Raeford, North Carolina. Biblical Hermeneutic Principles of Holistic Health in Laurinburg Mount Olive Seventh-Day Adventist Church

The Harold Hudson Scholars: Building Bridges for Church and Community Wholeness through Preaching, Christian Education and Visioning Leadership | Faculty Mentors: Lucius Dalton, DMin; Lisa Weah, DMin

Jacqués D. Denkins Senior Pastor, Blessed Hope Baptist Church, Houston, Texas. Healthy Holistic Biblical Congregational Infrastructure Can Support Restoration When Devastation is Experienced

Carmen Myleka Knight Executive Minister, Third Baptist Church, Washington, DC. Project iThrive: A Collaborative Approach Between Church and Community for Keeping Families Together

Ntatu Nomandla North Pastor of Women, City of Promise Church, Fairfield, Ohio. I’m What is Left: A Practical Model for Healing Trauma from Sexual Violence in Women to Promote Healthy Marriage

Kevin L. Sykes Senior Pastor, St. James Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia. Building a Partnership Between Pastor and People: A New Managerial Synergy of Leadership for the African American Church

Christopher L. Ware Associate Minister, Spiritual Counselor/Chaplain, Harbor Hospice Inpatient Unit, Houston, Texas. Spiritual Wound Care for the Soul: Identifying Historical Spiritual Wounds Fostering Healthy Grieving for Soul Wholeness

Pastoral Care and Counseling | Faculty Mentors: Thomas Francis, DMin; Sharon Ellis Davis, DMin

Barbara A. Gunn Senior Pastor, Mount Carmel Baptist Church, North Versailles, Pennsylvania. Equipping Adult Faith Leaders to Facilitate African American Youth Toward Self-Awareness in a Culture of Ethnocentricity

Nichole S. Hickman Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor – Supervisor, Cincinnati, Ohio. Creating Awareness of the Impact of Reintroducing the Bible and Its Healing Intervention in Schools via Chaplaincy Interactions

Donald Warren Monroe, Jr. Elder, First Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Decherd, Tennessee. The Effects on Members Who Have Been Disfellowshipped from Regional Seventh-Day Adventist Churches for Committing Open Sins

David Anthony Spencer, Jr. Douglasville, Georgia. Self-Awareness: Communally Exploring Behavior Impacted by Traumatic Experiences in a Vulnerable Space

Randy Clark Scholars: Presenting the Gospel as Jesus Intended — In Love, Authority and Signs and Wonders | Faculty Mentors: Tom Jones, DMin; Thomas Litteer, DMin; Robert Sawvelle, DMin; Ian Dunn, DMin

Evan William Dodge Senior Pastor, Belvidere United Methodist Church, Belvidere, New Jersey. Developing an Integrative and Holistic Wesleyan Model for Ministering Deep Level Healing in the Local Church

Susan Huguley Harrison Pastor, Nameoki UMC, Granite City, Illinois. Revival in the Wesleyan Tradition: A Trinitarian Gospel of Salvation and Encounter with God

Hogun Kim Pastor, Zion UMC, Mendota, Illinois. Invigorating Prayer Life through Maturing the Biblical Prayer Principles and Praying in the Spirit of Prayer

Justin Clay Nelson Rushing Virginia Beach, Virginia. A Program to Train Persons with Disabilities to do Healing: Healing the Sick and Prophesying Words of Encouragement

Kara Dianne Sensenig Director, Eastgate House of Prayer, New Holland, Pennsylvania. Establishing an Intercessory Worship Model: Becoming a People After God’s Own Heart

Effective Leadership for Creative Ministry in the Post-Modern Church | Faculty Mentors: Sir Walter Mack, DMin; Herbert Miller, DMin

Vincent L. Golden, Sr. Pastor, Unity Baptist Church, Columbus, Ohio. A Practical Awareness Model for Revitalizing an Urban Community through Holistic Discipleship

John S. Little Pastor, Resurrection Baptist Church, Columbus, Ohio. Developing a Mentoring Model for Leadership Transition in a Post-Modern Generation

Kevin Maurice Thomas Pastor, The Truth (Baptist) Church, Columbus, Ohio. A Postmodern Mentoring Program to Eliminate Financial Illiteracy for Single Mothers to Break the Cycle of Generational Poverty

Karen Elizabeth Curry-Stewart Director of Evangelism and Discipleship, First Institutional Baptist Church, Phoenix, Arizona.

Transformational Evangelism to Reach Postmodern Generations

Rooted: Church Planting and Church Revitalization in Our Diverse World | Faculty Mentors: Rudolph Rasmus, DMin; Vance Ross, DMin

Perry Crenshaw Pastor, The Church on The Move Ministries/Grand Prairie, Texas. Boyz 2 Men: A Christian Mentoring and Rite of Passage Program for Boys

Benjamin T. Martin Worship Pastor, Columbia UMC, Campbellsville, Kentucky; Campus Chaplain, Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, Kentucky. A Practical Model for Holistic Well-Being During Transition Within an Itinerant System

Selwyn Lloyd Walters Pastor, Answer Ministries International Inc., Altamonte Springs, Florida. He Chose Twelve: An Online Leadership Development Model in a Church Planting Process

Leadership Development and Spiritual Transformation for Healing and Reconciliation | Faculty Mentors: J. Elvin Sadler, DMin; Willie Marshall, DMin

Veronica J. Richardson St. Louis, Missouri. Impacting the Growth of Inner-City Churches by Empowering Congregants with Low Self Esteem to Share Their Testimonies

Effective Preaching and Stewardship in the 21st Century | Faculty Mentor: Alfred Thompson, DMin

Carolyn Denise Banks Pastor, State Road UMC; Pastor of Kids for Christ Ministry, Dayton, Ohio. When Creative Fun Activities are Implemented into the Christian Education of Children, Spiritual Development Increases

Paul Vincent Harris (Deployed) US Air Force Chaplain, Charleston, South Carolina. The Intentional Disappearance of African American Airmen Due to Lack of Recognition in the United States Air Force

James A. Kilgore Friendship Baptist Church, New York, New York. The Absence of Black Men in the Church

Walker/Cummings Fellows: Prophetic Preaching and Praxis | Faculty Mentors: Robert Walker, DMin; Kenneth Cummings, DMin; Brenda Braam, DMin

Lorne Kenneth Eugene Bean Pastor, Richard Allen A.M.E. Church, Bermuda. Broken Down Wall: The Role of Forgiveness in a Bermudian Theology of Racial Reconciliation

Delkarlton Brown El Cerrito, California. Equipping and Strengthening Millennials to be Reconnected to the Christian Community

Faith R. Cole Omaha, Nebraska. Teaching the Three Elements of Intercessory Prayer to Transform an Unhealthy Diverse Community: Reality, Relevant, Rational

Lee Edward Fields, Jr. Beaumont, Texas. Developing a Theological Model of Ministry for a Limited or Untrained African American Baptist Clergy in Port Arthur, Texas

Robert Jerome Ford Charleston, South Carolina. The African American Male and Grief: Models of Ministry Strengthening and Empowering Men at Royal Missionary Baptist Church

Albert Moses, III Senior Pastor, St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church, Crockett, Texas. Building Leaders: An Instructional Model for Strengthening Church Leadership Through Discipleship Training and Teaching

Bobby P. Seepersaud Lexington, South Carolina. The Macedonia Call: An Evangelistic and Educational Outreach Ministry Bridge to the Caribbean

Cynthia Laulaunda Thompson Pastor, Dayton, Ohio. Education That Proactively Aids in Preventing Intimate Partner Violence

Living the Historic Faith: Christian Wisdom for Today’s Church | Faculty Mentors: David Watson, PhD; Justus Hunter, PhD

William E. Leasure Piqua, Ohio. Eucharist and Class Meetings as Tools for Congregational Healing and Vitality

Daniel Jay Lyons Maple Springs United Methodist Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Offer Them Clarity: Teaching Leaders in Foundational Beliefs and Core Values for Holy Conflict Resolution

Tesia L. Mallory Dean of the Chapel, United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. Developing a Curriculum to Teach Wesleyan Eucharistic Theology to Students, Pastors, and Church Leaders at United Theological Seminary

Andrew Byron McIntyre Pastor, Grace United Methodist Church, Greensboro, North Carolina. The Person of Christ for the Body of Christ: A Multiple Intelligences Approach

Matthew Douglas Reynolds Tipp City, Ohio. Shifting the Understanding and Practice of Evangelism for Individuals in an Era of Church Decline Using Experiential Outreach Training

Michael A. Schneider Pastor, Antwerp United Methodist Church, Antwerp, Ohio. The Healthy Transference of Leadership and Authority within the Laity of the Church

Clifford Wayne Wall Harmony, North Carolina. The Motivational Power of the Image of God and Renewal of Creation as the Goal for Spiritual Formation

PRAYER OF BLESSING OVER THE GRADUATES *HYMN 648

President Millard God of Grace and God of Glory

I. God of grace and God of glory, on thy people pour thy power; crown the ancient church's story; bring its bud to glorious flower.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour, for the facing of this hour.

III. Cure thy children’s warring madness, bend our pride to thy control; shame our wanton, selfish gladness, rich in things and poor in soul.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, lest we miss thy Kingdom’s goal, lest we miss thy Kingdom’s goal.

II. Lo! the hosts of evil round us, scorn thy Christ, assail his ways!

From the fears that long have bound us, free our hearts to love and praise.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days, for the living of these days.

IV. Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore; let the search for thy salvation be our glory evermore.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, serving thee whom we adore, serving thee whom we adore.

*DISMISSAL AND BLESSING Go in peace to love and serve the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. Alleluia!

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Amen. Alleluia!

Dr. Sadler President Millard [2 Cor. 13:14]

*THE RECESSIONAL Please remain at your seats until the faculty and graduates have recessed.

Acknowledgements Dayton Vineyard Church for hosting United’s 2021 Spring Commencement Oakwood Brass of their gift of music: Eric Knorr, trumpet Daniel Lewis, trumpet Sean Vore, horn Chad Arnow, trombone Preston Light, tuba Ms. Felicia Hamilton for her ministry in dance All the staff and faculty who contributed to the planning of 2021 Spring Commencement