Theo Spirit from Drew University for Tuesday, 11 February 2014
Greetings from the Dean
Dear Friends,
I pray that this issue of Theo Spirit finds you well in every way. We welcome Dr. Gerald Liu to our faculty this spring semester, as Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Worship Arts. Our searches for University President, and new Dean of the Theological School are underway.
Dear Friends,
I pray that this issue of Theo Spirit finds you well in every way and that you are already enjoying a good 2014. I am writing to let you know of some of the exciting developments in the Theological School.
We welcome Dr. Gerald Liu to our faculty this spring semester. Dr. Liu is our Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Worship Arts and will teach the basic preaching course as well as upper level courses. Dr. Liu received his PhD from Vanderbilt University in 2013 and the title of his dissertation was Musics and the Generosity of God. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Candler School of Theology in 2004 and is an ordained Elder in the Mississippi Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He has served parishes both in the United States and in Great Britain. His interests in preaching and the arts will enrich our community in multiple ways and I hope that you will find ways to greet him when you are on campus.
This fall I had the opportunity to travel to Seoul, South Korea to visit churches, universities and alums. The Theological School receives not only wonderful students from Korea; we also have received financial support in the form of scholarships for students. I had the opportunity to go to several places that trace their roots to Drew alum, Henry Appenzeller. Rev. Appenzeller graduated from Drew and immediately went to Korea arriving on Easter Sunday, April 5. 1885. Known as the “Prophet of Love,” Appenzeller was the kind of missionary who related to the peoples of Korea with respect, admiration and collegiality. He founded schools, churches, and helped to translate the Bible into Korean. I was rightfully proud to hear about him over and over again in the time I was in Korea and to see his picture and multiple statues erected in his honor. In 2015 the 130th anniversary of his arrival in Korea will be celebrated. Watch for announcements about the ways that we will be honoring this Drew Theological alum. We hope you will join us for the celebration!
This spring we will be welcoming several groups to campus including the North East Jurisdictional Board of Ordained Ministry. This body, made up of the chairs of annual conference Boards of Ordained Ministry in the jurisdiction, will be on campus in early April. I serve as chair of the NEJ BOOM and have as one of my goals fostering of the ongoing dialog between the seminaries in the jurisdiction, namely, Boston University School of Theology, Wesley Theological Seminary, and Drew Theological School.
There is a search for the new President of the University in progress. It is expected that the Board of Trustees will approve a candidate for this position at its February 2014 meeting and that the new President will take office in July 2014. Likewise, a search for the new Dean of the Theological School is underway. We expect that the name of the successful candidate will be presented to the Board of Trustees for its approval at its May 2014 meeting. I hope you join me in praying for the successful outcome of both of these searches.
The enrollments in the Theological School are strong and the spirit in the community is good. We have much to be grateful for! I hope you will come back to campus this spring as you can. You will hear more about our special lectures as the semester goes on and you are always welcome to join us for these special events. Chapel is held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday starting at 11:20. On Thursday, February 6 Dr. Kenneth Ngwa, Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible will give the Matriculation address. This special gathering is the time when all new students’ names are read and they are invited forward in Craig Chapel to sign the historic book. If you have never signed this book, let us know and we will arrange for you to join alums going back to the 1800’s and “sign in” the book.
Think of us as your home away from home! We are here to help you across the years and always glad to see you.
Sincerely,
Virginia A. Samuel
Dean, Drew Theological School
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Giving to Drew
Drew carries the legacy of Otto Maduro and Ada Maria Isazi-Diaz to new generations. Please give generously to the Fund for Hispanic Latina/o Scholars and Ministry (Fondo Para Academicos y Ministerios Hispanos Latinas/os).
Giving Button
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In Search of a New Dean
What qualities would you like to see in the next dean of the Theological School? "A visionary," "someone who’s caring," "a spiritual leader," "someone who understands and promotes diversity in all its forms," "somebody who gets budgets," "committed to promoting an educated clergy," "holy boldness," "gotta have a sense of humor..." These are just some of the terms J. Terry Todd heard in December during listening sessions with students, faculty, and staff. by J. Terry Todd, Associate Professor of American Religious Studies
What qualities would you like to see in the next dean of the Theological School?
“A visionary,” “someone who’s caring,” “a spiritual leader,” “someone who understands and promotes diversity in all its forms,” “somebody who gets budgets,” “committed to promoting an educated clergy,” “holy boldness,” “gotta have a sense of humor…” These are just some of the terms I heard in December during listening sessions with students, faculty, and staff as we prepared to launch our search for the next Dean of the Theological School.
As chair of the search committee appointed by Dr. Virginia Samuel Cetuk, who continues to lead the Theological School as Dean for the Interim, it’s my privilege to work with a dynamic group of colleagues who care so deeply about the future of the Theological School and of Drew University – Traci West, Professor of Ethics and African American Studies, Kenneth Ngwa, Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible, Tanya Bennett, Director of University Religious Life and Associate Professor in the Practice of Christian Ministry, Elias Ortega-Aponte, Assistant Professor of Afro-Latina/o Religions and Cultural Studies, and Danna Nolan Fewell, Professor of Hebrew Bible, who agreed to join the Committee even during her sabbatical! Members also include Sara Waldron, University Vice-President of Campus Life and Student Affairs, and John Schol, University Trustee and Bishop of the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church. Rounding out the Committee are two student representatives, June Hee Yoon, a PhD candidate in the Graduate Divison of Religion, and third-year Master of Divinity candidate, Fred Sullivan.
Working closely with us is Dr. Tobie van der Vorm of AGB Search, a Washington, D.C.-based recruiting firm specializing in academic searches. Back in December, as we began the process of making this transition to new leadership, Tobie joined us over the course of two days, listening to the hopes and expectations of various Theological School constituencies. Those visits included conversations with many of you reading this, and I want to express my deepest gratitude for your time and thoughts.
The Committee has prepared a position profile that includes a list of leadership qualities, including many that I first heard in the December listening session. The profile reads, in part:
The successful candidate will possess a demonstrated track record of success in administration and will be active in the life of the Church, preferably the United Methodist Church or another denomination of the Wesleyan tradition. Ideally, the candidate also will possess an advanced degree (PhD, ThD, or DMin). In addition, the dean will demonstrate the commitment and ability to: position the School effectively within 21st century theological education; promote the imaginative training of congregational ministers, community leaders, scholars, teachers, public intellectuals, and life-long learners; engage both internal and external constituents in funding and program support; encourage excellence in teaching, learning, and faculty research; empower faculty, staff and students to sustain a welcoming, responsive community; and appreciate the unique advantages of leading a theological school within a university setting. The successful candidate will also bring the interpersonal skills to lead collaboratively with integrity, creativity, humility, and humor.
worship crop 2As a Committee, we’re well aware that our success depends on the involvement of members and friends of the Drew Theological School community. You can play a role in our search for the Theological School’s next dean. First, keep us in your prayers as we discern what next steps the Spirit is calling us to take in the life of this community. Second, ifyou know a dynamic and visionary leader who is ready for his or her next challenge – or if you know of others who might help us identify potential candidates – please forward their name(s) to Dr. Tobie van der Vorm at ptv@agbsearch.com. You can also reach Tobie by phone at 202/255-3225. By nominating strong candidates, you can be involved immediately and critically in the search process.
Working in a way that dovetails with the University’s Presidential Search, we will generate the candidate pool through nominations received from you, leaders in the Church, national education leaders, foundation officials, faculty and colleagues of other theological schools, through notices posted in appropriate publications, and through the work of our consultant. By mid-February we’ll begin to narrow the candidate pool, moving toward a time in early April when finalists will come to campus to meet the community. We hope our new Dean will move into the suite of administrative offices in Seminary Hall by July 1st.
Please make time to participate and share your impressions with the search committee. Feel free to contact me at jtodd@drew.edu.
Dr. J. Terry Todd is Associate Professor of American Religious Studies, and chairs the committee searching for the next Theological School Dean.
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Alumni Update
Pauline Kang T'88
Hyekyung Pauline Kang serves Drew Theological School as Director of Theological School Advancement and Assistant Dean for Church and External Relations.
Hyekyung Pauline Kang (T ’88), who joins Drew Theological School as Director of Theological School Advancement and Assistant Dean for Church and External Relations, came to the US in 1985 to enter Drew’s MDiv program that year. The year 1985 was an incredibly significant year for Pauline since it was the year when the Korean Protestant Church celebrated its 100th anniversary and her father had begun serving as the General Secretary for the Council of the 100th Anniversary of the Korean Church. In fact, Drew graduate Henry Appenzeller had graduated from Theo School exactly 100 years prior, in 1885, and came to Korea to plant Methodism in Korean soil. Through this connection, Drew has a special place in the hearts of Korean Methodists and Pauline is no exception. Growing up in a Methodist pastor’s family, she had always heard stories about John Wesley and also of Henry Appenzeller’s devotion to sharing the Gospel with Koreans. So 1985 was undoubtedly an exciting time for her.
Pauline’s original intentions of coming to Drew were quite simple: to acquire her Ph.D. after completing the M.Div. program, go back to her home country, South Korea, and teach in seminary. Yet God had a different plan for her life. Her experiences throughout the years in Drew laid a solid foundation for her to become an ordained minister later in her life. This calling was not immediate; however, she says that those three years at Drew in the M.Div. program were certainly a meaningful beginning of her journey into ordained ministry. Pauline is now an ordained United Methodist Clergy in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, where she is a full member. She came to Drew with over 20 years of experiences in local church ministry. She also has served many leadership positions in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, including Board of Ordained Ministry and President of the Korean clergy association of the GNJAC.
Pauline’s academic training covers a wide array of interests. She received her B.A. in English Literature and M. A. in Christian Education from Ewha Women’s University in Korea. She received her M.Div. from Drew in 1988 and Th.M. in Pastoral Counseling from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1998. She continued her training in Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Blanton-Peale Graduate Institute in New York for three additional years. With such training, she offered her service in Pastoral Counseling in the Korean community for many years including facilitating parenting classes in collaboration with American Red Cross Bergen-Hudson chapter. Her most recent interest and the subject of her Ph.D. dissertation at Fordham University is church leadership. Pauline believes that her various experiences in the academic institutes under different denominational affiliations have thoroughly prepared her to contribute to Drew’s diverse and ecumenical community.
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Alumni Update
Ben & Melissa Yosua-Davis T'09
When we planted the Vine, a new spiritual community in Haverhill, MA in the fall of 2009, we did not ask, "Where are we going to find a building?"
When we planted the Vine, a new spiritual community in Haverhill, MA, in the fall of 2009, there were a lot of questions that we did not ask.
We did not ask, “Where are we going to find a building?”
We did not ask, “What style will we use for weekly worship?”
We did not ask, “How will we make this a growing, successful church?”
We tried to ask only one question: “God, how can we love this city the way that you do?”
We began to discover that there were many right (and wrong) answers to that question. We discovered that Haverhill was surprisingly resource-rich and relationship-poor: a city with six active food banks, where you could get a hot meal twice a day, seven days a week, but where it was difficult to find a friend to have a meal with. We discovered a mix of blue collar workers, up and coming millennials, and people who were hanging onto their lives by their fingernails, all of whom were starved for relationship and thought that the church was the last place where they would find it.
We discovered that loving these people would mean putting aside much of what has been familiar for us in our faith journey. It would mean putting asides concerns about a building, about developing familiar patterns of weekly worship, even about how we were going to succeed and fail. It would mean simply pouring ourselves out for our city, as best as we could, and trusting that if we did so, God would give us the resources we need.
And so, instead of buying a building and starting weekly worship, we began to make friends and gathered them into small groups of people, so that together we could pour ourselves out for God, for each other, and for the city, and to teach others to do the same. God gathered an eclectic group of people into our mix: from active fundamentalists to activist atheists, from middle class do-gooders to serial couch hoppers, from recovering church people to recovering addicts, all learning from one another, learning what it means to follow Jesus together.
The stories we’ve encountered have amazed us. I think of Lisa, who has struggled for years with depression and anxiety, who came to a city-wide cleanup we participated in and ended up getting involved. We invited her over to our house for dinner, talked to her on the phone when she struggled with almost paralyzing self-doubt, and delivered Ben and Jerry’s to her apartment door after a rough day. Last year, she got a tattoo that says “Hope” over the scars from where she used to cut herself. This year, she went on a mission trip to Guatemala to help those in need. When she says that Vine saved her life, she means it literally.
She is one of several who could tell similar stories. And, year by year, God has blessed us with the resources to pour ourselves for more people in the city. This year, we hosted a free market (think of a flea market, except everything is free to whoever comes) in February, and threw a big party at local neighborhood playground in May, where over 500 people showed up. This summer, our Urban Kindness group was recognized by the mayor for their work restoring the planters and gardens in one of the poorest neighborhoods of the city.
These are the ways that we know that our work is beginning to take root: not through the number of people at worship, or the money in our budget, but through the lives and the communities, one at a time, that are experiencing what God’s love looks like. While it has not always been an easy journey, or a simple one, we have begun to learn what it looks like to love without expecting anything in return and trust that God will do the rest.
Melissa and Ben Yosua-Davis are co-pastors of the Vine, a new spiritual community in Haverhill, MA. As Drew Theological School graduates, they are grateful for the time under the trees, from the paradigm-bending challenges of Doctor Sweet to the persistence and encouragement of Dr. Kearns in helping them draw straight lines from their theology to their lives. You can get in contact with them via e-mail at thevinehaverhill@gmail.com or via www.thevinehaverhill.com.
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Alumni Update
Margi Ault-Duell T'09
Six months after graduating from Drew, I began my dream job at BorderLinks in Tucson, AZ. Every day I ask myself how to live into my values.
I still remember when Dr. Traci West asked me to lead my Christian Ethics classmates in dancing the Macarena. I’m not sure why she approached me with this request, but I did know the dance from my middle school days. I agreed to do it, then promptly made all my friends in the class promise to dance too. I don’t remember now what point Traci was making with this exercise, but since then I have grown very comfortable asking groups of people to act silly with me.
Six months after graduating from Drew, I began my dream job at BorderLinks in Tucson, AZ. My co-workers and I facilitate educational programs focused on immigration and border issues. Our programs are comparable to the cross-cultural immersions that Drew requires of M.Div. students. In fact, in 2011 we hosted a group of Drew Theo students here on the border for their cross-cultural requirement! Our participants meet with a variety of people and organizations to learn about the complexity of these issues and engage with diverse perspectives. This includes migrants, activists, Border Patrol and ICE agents, faith leaders, humanitarian groups, human rights organizations, and many more. Drawing upon popular education and liberation theology, we prioritize the voices of folks who are most marginalized by immigration and border policies. We ask our participants to reflect deeply upon their experiences here and draw connections to their own lives.
IMG_2690I believe that we humans learn with our whole selves – with our minds, bodies, emotions, spirits. We often carry in our bodies the effects of our emotions, which brings me back to acting silly in groups. There’s something healing about crying together, participating in a ritual of remembrance, or dancing and singing together, after an intense conversation with someone whose family was separated by a deportation. In order to work for justice, we must learn to sit with the pain caused by injustices. We must honor the experiences of people who are being systematically targeted with violence, exclusion, and intimidation. We must acknowledge our own pain (and often shame) upon seeing how this system works. Dancing the Macarena together might be a good way to process some of these deep emotions so we can have the strength to keep struggling for justice.
When I moved to Tucson in 2009, I was eager to live the U.S.-Mexico border region. Tucson is one of the places where the Sanctuary Movement began in the 1980s, and it is currently home to several humanitarian groups combating the crisis of migrant deaths in the Sonoran Desert. My work with BorderLinks feels like a continuation of my journey at Drew. Every day I ask myself how to live into my values, and luckily I find a community around me that also seeks to bring together values and practices. We are organizing strategies for self-care and collective care in the midst of challenging work and the heavy reality of life in a militarized region. How do we keep following the call towards justice in ways that affirm our humanity rather than draining us? We do the best we can, remembering to have patience with ourselves and each other, learning from mistakes and successes. I am deeply grateful for my Drew community, who prepared me in so many ways for the challenges and choices we face here on the border.- Margi Ault-Duell (T’09)
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DREW News:
Being Church: Staying Relevant in a Changing World
Over three days, 250 people including alumni, students, faculty, staff, and the general public joined in conversation, study, and worship at the 2013 Tipple-Vosburgh Lectures.
“Being in conversation with scholars, clergy, and fellow alumni at this year’s Tipple-Vosburgh where we examined how to connect with young adults and youth, and then being in worship with an exciting model of what worship can be, was enormously helpful and motivating. Thank you for effectively illustrating how to be church today, and for providing a topic so relevant to us as ministers.”
These reflections echo the sentiments of many participants who attended the 2013 Tipple-Vosburgh Lectures, held October 15 – 17, as we explored the topic, “Being Church: Staying Relevant in a Changing World.” We dared to glance into the inquisitive minds of youth and young adults where we found and addressed questions about inter-ethnicity, sexuality, Wesleyan missional ecclesiology, trauma and youthful resilience, interfaith, spirituality, and then explored ministry in ways that can reignite, re-invite, and reinvent our faith communities across generations for the future of the church. Over the three days, 250 people, including alumni, students, faculty, staff, and the general public joined in conversation, study, and worship.
Five plenary sessions, led by Dr. Leonard Sweet, Rev. Dr. Drew Dyson, Dr. Korie Edwards, Rev. Tanya Bennett, Ph.D. and Mark Miller, were offered, culminating with a panel discussion with these speakers, where participants posed questions and delved deeper into the challenges facing churches today. Rev. Dr. Virginia Samuel, Interim Dean of Drew Theological School states, “The complexities of life today as it relates to youth and young adults, society’s increased dependence on technology and its impact on the development and maintenance of relational skills, and the recent research on increased rates of depression among youth all warrant the Church’s attention and response.” To help facilitate and ignite the many conversations needed in order to propel the church to a place of increased understanding, effective action, and sustainable relevancy, six timely workshops and Bible Study were offered, along with two dynamic worship services. Rev. Joe Monahan, Theological Alumni Association President reflects, “I was excited about the topic of this year’s lectures. We had the opportunity to hear from a wide range of speakers on an important challenge facing the church – connecting with young people. I really value this time to return to campus, to meet up with classmates, and learn from some outstanding scholars and pastors. Year after year, I have learned that Tipple does not disappoint.”
This year’s three-day event was dotted with tributes and services to remember and honor those individuals whom we had lost this past year – people who had significantly impacted the lives of the Theological School, the university, and the world community. On Tuesday, October 15, many gathered in the second floor connector lounge of Seminary Hall to remember and honor Dr. Robert Jehu Bull, renowned archaeologist, admired faculty member, and invaluable mentor. Paul Carr T’61 and Martin Deppe T’62 presented the gift from their respective graduation classes: a pair of display cases to house artifacts from Dr. Bull’s teaching collection – a collection that Bob assembled over many years living in the Middle East and that he used for students who worked in the Drew Institute of Archaeological Research and in his classes. Before his passing, Dr. Bull selected the lounge area in Seminary Hall for the display cases, since it lent itself to serving as an active classroom space where the artifacts would continue to serve as “live” educational tools. The words of Dean Virginia Samuel, dean of Drew Theological School, echo the sentiments of many, “History was so much more than dates and events to Dr. Bull…He had the singular ability to connect his students to the men and women who preceded them in the church centuries earlier. He taught the required church history classes and began every class in the Life and Thought of the Church with prayer. That act taught me that we were on Holy ground as we talked about those who had come before us in the Christian faith. Bob’s faith, his love of life, his deep love of the discipline of history and his determination to unlock the patterns of life, thought and faith of those who preceded us was inspiring to generations of students at Drew Theological School.”
Remembrance Ceremony for Otto Maduro at Tipple-Vosburgh
October 16 was marked by another large group who gathered by a dogwood tree planted along the back walkway to Seminary Hall to remember Dr. Otto Maduro. Dr. Laurel Kearns was the first to offer profound words to honor her dear friend, after which each person in attendance shared reflections and favorite stories, while symbolically (I think this implies they didn’t actually water it) pouring water for the tree. The group included faculty, current students and alumni from his 21 years of teaching at Drew. Some came who hadn’t taken a class, but remembered his warm greetings, his presence in chapel, his concern for students, his prophetic presence. The event ended with words from his wife, Dr. Nancy Noguera, a prayer from Dean Samuel, and a call from Dr. Kearns to donate to the Drew Fund for Hispanic/Latina/o Scholars to honor Dr. Maduro and Dr. Ada Maria Asasi-Diaz’s work to help Drew play a central role in educating Latino/a students.
A tribute service was then held in the evening to provide the opportunity for the community to remember fellow alumni, board members, and friends who had also passed away in the past year. In these times of fellowship, remembrance, and prayer, the Theological School was “being church” at its very best, and helped the community to heal a little bit more.
We invite you to mark your calendar for Tipple 2014, “Faith, Science and the Church’s Voice”, to be held October 14-15 in a new, two-day format consisting of eight forums and topics, each being led by a pair of speakers who will actively engage participants in a series of conversations. We will look forward to welcoming you, as we gather as community to explore the intersections between faith and science and how the church speaks to these intersects.- Nancy VanderVeen, Director of Theological Lifelong Learning and Theological Alumni Relations
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Ferns, Business, and Mission
Visiting a First Nations Reservation in Canada, Elder Kim felt called. "I thought of Esther, that perhaps the reason why I have become successful is for this time and for this people. From that time all my thinking, all my heart is for this people."
JinSoo Kim comes to the phone slightly out of breath, rinses his hands of the hundreds of pounds of ferns he was processing, and begins the story of how he, an entrepreneur born in Korea and ordained an elder in New Jersey, came to be on the Reservation in Canada.
In 2010 JinSoo led a summer mission trip with youth from Sebit Light of the World Presbyterian Church in Bridgewater, NJ to a struggling community of First Nations People in Ontario, Canada. “At first I didn’t expect much of anything, I was just the leader of the youth. But when I got here I found so many similarities between the people here and my own past. The main struggles of the native population are alcoholism, suicide, and dropping out of school at a rate of more than 50%. My oldest brother died of alcoholism, my second brother died of suicide after military service, and my sister dropped out of high school. I began to think that somehow it is not an accident that I am here.”
Returning to New Jersey on the 2-day bus ride, the group slept over at a local church. The next morning a stranger came to JinSoo and said “God has a message for you. There is something you are struggling to decide, and God says ‘Do it.’” JinSoo remembers, “At that time I was struggling to decide what to do with this sense of call I felt on the Reservation. I never met that man again. But I thought of Esther, that perhaps the reason why I have become successful is for this time and for this people. From that time all my thinking, all my heart is for this people.”
972142_627649313912303_293271268_nFollowing a model of Christian mission known as “Business As Mission,” JinSoo and his team from Sebit Church set up Gitx Mushroom in 2011 with the goal of helping the Canadian First Nations people he had come to know revitalize their community. He chose an agricultural product with a global market: gourmet mushrooms and ferns. The first six months they tried an expensive Japanese mushroom, but with limited success. Then, they tried a fern that harvests in springtime when there is little other work available in the region. Processing and cooking the ferns back home, JinSoo discovered they were world-class quality. That year they produced 800 pounds of dried ferns with an excellent market response. So JinSoo bought 50 acres of property near the reservation, and invested in the equipment for drying the ferns. This year he is harvesting about 100 pounds an hour along with the workers he is training. It’s hard work, laboring and managing; finding workers and motivating them to stay the season. That’s why he is looking for young people from U.S. with a sense of mission to come work for him too. JinSoo is recruiting seminarians and recent graduates interested in working as youth missionaries. There are 2000 people in the region, with 200 youth in need of a relevant Christian witness. And that witness needs, from April to June, to be willing to work the fields. JinSoo will provide housing and living costs for the right candidates.
“Young people have lots of challenges,” says JinSoo, “not easily adjusting to big cities, encountering alcoholism and pregnancies early, before their education is complete. And the churches are not ready for young people. These people have been hurt by Christians who forced them to change their culture to white culture, and failed. In my view that makes this population a new field for a true Christian mission. I strongly want to partner business people with theological people in a new type of mission.”
384516_603099906367244_1587312415_nBAM, or “Business As Mission” may be 10-15 years old as a model. “People are recognizing the importance of providing the fundamental needs in life.” JinSoo has the full support of the Sebit Light of the World Church, who, like their name, don’t hide in church. “Jesus says to be light for the world, not just inside the church. It is our name, our mission.” After hearing a call from God, Sebit Church became independent from Elizabeth Presbyterian Church in 2009, and the churches still enjoy many activities together.
“Summer mission trips are good for the sending church,” says JinSoo, “and temporarily good for the people here. But they are not a long term solution. Those who are visiting say ‘I am so blessed with what I have.’ There are many good meetings and talks, but when they leave that’s it for another year. I want something different. I want the village to drive the business as they gradually become independent.” This year, JinSoo is bringing three people from the village to New Jersey to meet with the mission team at Sebit Church for about 10 days.
JinSoo’s pastor, Drew alum Rev. Tae Hwan Son visited Drew this Spring to perform the sacraments at the service where Elder Kim preached. At one time JinSoo considered seminary, but then heard the call, “Why don’t you do business as service to God? I said okay. I am an entrepreneur, a born businessman. Everyone knows I am Christian. But sending a message every Sunday, that is not me. I need a partner.”
JinSoo Kim was born as the son of a poor farmer. He graduated from Inha University and earned the Masters in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology in 3 semesters. Founder of Grace Charity Foundation, Elder Kim also serves on the Board of Directors at Princeton Theological Seminary. He currently sponsors a needs-based scholarship for Asian students at Drew.
If you are interested in partnering with Elder Kim, you can find him on Facebook, or email him at jinsoo.kim.355@facebook.com.–Lydia York, TheoSpirit Co-Editor
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Cross Cultural Trip to World Council of Churches, South Korea
Twenty-seven Drewids attended the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan, South Korea this fall as part of a cross cultural trip. Professor Angella Son and students share their reflections.
Reflections by Angella Son, Associate Professor of Psychology and Religion
Twenty-seven Drewids attended the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Busan, South Korea this fall as part of a cross cultural trip from Drew Theological School (DTSCC). The former Dean Jeffrey Kuan requested in 2011 that I run this trip. It is particularly meaningful that the WCC was held in South Korea since Korean Christianity in general thought that the WCC’s ecumenical effort was unchristian. Three distinguished Christian leaders in South Korea made it possible for the WCC to be held in South Korea: Reverend Dr. Sam Whan Kim, the senior pastor of Myung Sung Presbyterian Church and the father of Reverend Dr. Hana Kim, a Drew alumnus; Bishop In Hwan Kim, the senior pastor of Seong Eun Methodist Church and an alumnus of Drew; and Dr. Sang Chang, a former president of Ewha University who was elected at the 10th Assembly as one of eight presidents of the WCC. As a result, many Christians in Korea were able to accept the WCC although peaceful protests against this WCC Assembly were held every day by a small number of people. The DTSCC traveled for two weeks from October 27 to November 9, 2013. The group consisted of people from various backgrounds including African Americans, Euro Americans, Latin Americans, Korean Americans, and Koreans. Normally Koreans are not allowed to take a cross cultural trip to South Korea but they were allowed this time since the cross cultural trip was to attend the WCC. It was incredibly meaningful for Koreans and Korean Americans to attend the WCC held in South Korea.
The WCC is the “broadest and most inclusive among the many organized expressions of the modern ecumenical movement, a movement whose goal is Christian unity” and it is represented by over 500 million Christians from 345 member churches/denominations in more than 110 countries and territories (www.oikoumene.org). The theme of the 10th Assembly was, “God of life, Lead us to justice and peace.” There were many aspects to the WCC including the opening prayer (worship), plenary sessions, ecumenical conversations, Bible studies, workshops, Madang activities and exhibits, and business meetings (which were not available to DTSCC). All of the students were very impressed with being a part of a gathering of various traditions of world Christians and being in the midst of church leaders from all over the world. Many appreciated the opportunity to hear a message from His Holiness Karekin II of Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. Many described this trip as informative, inspirational, and life-changing.
Several students noted how Drew’s education prepared them well for participating in the discussions at various venues at the WCC. James Lee noted how DTSCC members were active participants in Ecumenical Conversations: “It was during these other sessions that I felt our Drew education shined; many students from our group … had great stories and insights to share to add to the complex conversation.” Carol Bloom, who was profoundly affected by the speech by the Archbishop of Canterbury at a plenary session, learned that “I am a theologian. Professors at Drew have been telling us for years that we are theologians and that we should participate in the theological conversation. I never really believed that until this trip.” To some, this trip was the ideal time for an identity search. Karina Feliz explained, “This trip has helped me to get to know myself better but also my call in life. … This learning has empowered me to speak for the voices that are being kept in silence…. And my prayer is God of life, lead us to justice and peace.” Jacob Eun was able to reflect on his identity as a 1.5 generation Korean American immigrant during the trip and found the trip to be indispensable in his continuous search for his identity as a 1.5 generation immigrant.”
Many also appreciated the specific and detailed discussions about big issues in the world. For instance, Yoomi Yi appreciated the detailed information about “a mineral extraction robbing and destroying Sami’s cultural heritage land and resources; Burma’s army’s brutality against the Kachin and other ethnic groups because of the differences in religion.” In addition, Sejin Cha realized how ecological problems ares “not the future issue but urgent …and life and death issue for people living in the Pacific Islands because their land has been sinking due to global warming.” Many were moved by rituals. Chang Hwan Kim, who learned a great deal about world poverty, was most impressed by the opening prayer. He stated: “I almost cried at singing Senzenina right after hearing the cries from horrible situations all over the world. By singing Senzenina (‘What have we done?’ in the language of Zulu), I confessed my contribution to the tragedies of the world by doing or not doing—mainly not doing. After returning to the States, I found out that ‘Senzenina’ … could [also mean] the protest of the innocent victims which probably is the original meaning … such as ‘Senzenina? Sono sethu, ubumnyama?’ (What have we done? Our sin is that we are black?)”
Everyone was deeply touched by the visit to the War & Women’s Human Rights Museum built in May 2012 for comfort women who were abused as sex slaves by Japanese military during the Second World War. Hyoungkyu Park said:
When I entered into the Museum, I had a heavy heart. I saw many messages on the wall. Those were to pay tribute to the spirit of victims during the war because of the weakness and lack of power of our country. Then, as I expected, I was shocked while I was looking around the inside of the Museum. This place tells us our historical tragedy, and why justice and peace is necessary in this world…. A new task is given to me from the cross cultural trip to WCC in Korea. It is how to realize justice and peace in my current life, and what kind of life I live to make a beautiful history because justice delayed is justice denied.
Yonghwan Shin shared his personal story about his grandmother who, like many young girls then, avoided being a comfort woman by getting married at a very early age:
When [my grandmother] was fifteen years old, her father suggested that she be married to my grandfather. … She told me about them when I was little. It was a real and a sad history. Therefore, this protest movement [a weekly protest in front of Japanese Embassy since January 8, 1992] is not only for the Japanese government, but rather this movement should keep fighting for women’s rights. If we do not protest these tragedies, this silence will become other violence.
WCC provided an excursion trip to DMZ and everyone from the group was deeply affected by the realness of the division of Korea between North and South Korea. Bruce Hartman states:
The visit to the border was indescribable. I have related it to people since I have been home, but have found it impossible to convey the sadness of this division. … I walked up to the fence surrounding the site we visited and thought, “I can’t go any farther.” This was the first time in my life I had no freedom.
Pamela Ringold found the trip to be “a humbling experience, one that helped to shape my understanding of others who come to the United States and have to learn the culture and how to speak the language.” Likewise, Amanda Cosnett shared how the trip helped her reflect both experientially and theologically on what it means to be an ethnic minority or a “stranger in a strange land.” Yoseeb Jeon found the trip to be a wonderful opportunity to understand the true meaning of diversity through the ethnic, cultural, economic, and socio-political differences among the members. He stated: “Once I was able to understand Drew friends [in light of their unique backgrounds], I started to cherish each of them more deeply. Especially worshipping and singing together in two Korean churches and … Craig chapel brought all of us to the place of joy from being as one.”
Fernandon Linhares pointed out how group members reacted to the pressure of being in an unknown and anxiety-provoking environment, sometimes behaving unreasonably. He said that this reaction demonstrates a parallel experience to those of migrant communities. He stated:
As an internal reflection on the cross-cultural component, it is important to reflect on how ‘displacement’ or a change in living conditions contributes to anxieties, even abrasiveness among ‘seminary folk’ (including myself). Therefore, there needs to be more empathy with migrant communities, living with constant uncertainties and instabilities within densely populated areas, and enduring oppressive living and exploitative working conditions. Further, in such ‘foreign’ communities, understandably some migrants rely on alcohol as a cheap and readily available substance to alleviate their anxieties, and this can easily manifest destructively, ultimately as incarceration or detention.
Janeide Chillis was awed by the early morning prayer of her homestay family: “So what they showed me was discipline, the ability to cope and live a life pleasing to God.” Yoochang Jung and Taejong Kim were most impressed by the poem, “God of Life, Lead Us to Act” by Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Heeyoung Jung was struggling with fundamental theology of some Christian communities in South Korea and recommitted herself to helping Asian and Korean women. Janine Carambot was very impressed with the South Korean health care system in that “[Korean] life expectancy was higher than the United States, and their health spending per capita was way lower than the United States.” Daniel Lincoln was reminded of Psalm 121 as he was climbing up to the Bulkuk Temple in Gyeongju and said, “We read in Isaiah of the Temple of the Lord being on the hill; Psalm 121 tells us about how the worshippers lift up their eyes on the hill. There is a transcendence of power that flows from the hill and touches all who below it.” Regina Chamberlain was challenged by the visit of the Global Sarang Immigrant Community Center in Seoul which provides education, social services, medical aid, etc. to migrant workers and multicultural families in South Korea and committed herself to supporting it with continuous prayers and other means. J. T. Park was preoccupied with capturing all of the memorable moments of the trip. Like many others, Mongones Juleau missed his home and his family.
While the students appreciated the WCC experience greatly, they also raised some concerns and questions: (1) There seemed to be political agenda pushed by some speakers; (2) Open and free dialogue did not exist to the level that Drew students usually experience; (3) How do we draw the line between generous hospitality and extravagant use of resources?; (4) There was a lot of talk but no formal discussions on strategies to address or solve those problems; (5) More discussion of theological issues is needed for the goal of church unity; and (6) The wide inclusivity and diversity came at the expense of a lack of direction of the assembly.
Most of all, everyone in the group was impressed by the generous hospitality offered by Korean people, especially the hospitality of the host families from Myung Sung Presbyterian Church. They were very grateful to their host families and Myung Sung Presbyterian Church for providing food, a home for one night, a trip to DMZ, and beautiful and fascinating performances of Korean music and dance. They also realized how they need to live a life of hospitality to others as a witness to Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.
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Why a Lectionary?
Dr. Fred Kimball Graham T'91, Associate Professor Emeritus of Emmanuel College in Toronto presented the Bard Thompson Lecture at Seminary Hall.
In October, 2013, Dr. Fred Kimball Graham, Associate Professor Emeritus of Emmanuel College in Toronto and a Drew graduate (Liturgical Studies, 1991) presented the following in the Bard Thompson Lecture Series at Seminary Hall.
Since 1988 I have been a delegate to the Consultation of Common Texts, and served a double term as its Convener. It is a freewill association of voices from 19 North American churches and associations dedicated to liturgical renewal. In 2013, Roman Catholic brothers and sisters will mark the 50th anniversary of Vatican II, and the proclamation of Sacrosanctum Concilium: the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, out of which came so many familiar revisions to the practice of worship, both Catholic and Protestant. Out of the consultations leading up to and following the Second Vatican Council emerged the Ordo Lectionum Missae: the Lectionary for the Mass and Feast Days (OLM). One of the derivative offspring has been the Revised Common Lectionary, (RCL) used widely in North America, and according to a recent survey, by more than 50 denominations and associations around the world. The two schemes for reading “more and abundant scripture” are connected. Let us look at the principles behind the organization of the RCL and note some of the impact it has had.
In 1963, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (CSL) document stated that the Roman Catholic Church would provide “more abundant, varied, and appropriate reading of the Sacred Scriptures.” [CSL. Art. 35. 56:109].
The existing authorized system or lists for proclaiming passages of the Bible dated back to 1570, the first organized lectionary in the West, and used in the Roman Catholic domain until 1971. That lectionary prescribed an epistle reading and a gospel reading for each of the 52 Sundays in a year, in a cycle of one year. It was widely imitated throughout Europe in both Protestant and Catholic contexts. The whole year had only three Old Testament readings. A resurgence of interest in biblical scholarship and in enriching the liturgical year occurred in the decades before Vatican II, and as a result, the need for readings better suited to each season became apparent. A research group in Rome reviewed intensely all the Latin lectionaries from the 6th to the 12th centuries, fifteen Oriental lectionaries, and all the existing Protestant lectionaries. After consultation and critique, the new lectionary came into use on the first Sunday of Advent, 1971, year A. The OLM was organized on a three-year rotation of Gospel readings. Each Sunday and each feast-day had three constituent parts: an Old Testament passage and a thematically related psalm; an Epistle; and a Gospel pericope. The three-year format had historical antecedents, but also allowed people to refresh biblical narratives within a memorable time-frame of three years.
Since that time, many have advocated for a 4th year allocated to John’s gospel, however, the OLM (and later the RCL) opted to use passages from John to highlight certain major festivals; for example at Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. Essentially, all the recent lectionaries are characterized by readings focussing on Matthew and John; Mark and John; Luke and John in cycles A, B, and C respectively. It was agreed that dividing the Johannine discourses into appropriate segments for Sundays would challenge even the most able of scholars!
In constructing the lectionary, the Gospel reading was the guiding energy, filtering the passages chosen from Old Testament. Regarding Epistles, they complemented the Gospel in the Festal Seasons, but were permitted to unfold in sequence (lectio continua) in Ordinary Time.Ecumenical circles observed these changes with lively interest, and in the mid-60’s, the Joint Liturgical Group in Britain became very active in designing a new 2-year scheme of readings, all the while communicating their activity to Roman leaders. In North America meanwhile, many spontaneous efforts at emulating the Roman Catholic model erupted.
The desire to have readings-in-common almost derailed into a scenario of dis-unity. Eventually, a round-table discussion amongst 13 denominations took place in Washington, DC in 1978, and 5 years later, the members of the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT) produced the “Common Lectionary” (CL). The compilers had decided to follow the same three year pattern they observed in OLM, with a few notable changes in approach. First, they opted to revise the first readings to be fully “representative of the Hebrew bible and not simply prophetic or typological.”
The word typological is allied with the concept that the gospel is pre-eminent, and influences the choice of all other readings. For example, as found in the OLM, the gospel for October 27 was the reading about the tax collector and the Pharisee as found in Luke 18; that pericope is matched with a reading from the book of Sirach (35) – the God of justice who knows no favorites, to reflect the content of the Gospel pericope. The choice of Psalm 34 in response to the OT reading picks up the same themes. This illustrates the typology of the OLM.
While the authors of RCL opted to select readings with inter-related themes in the first half of the liturgical calendar (as in the OLM scheme), they opted to observe lectio continua in the post-Pentecost period. On the same Sunday in RCL, the Gospel is identical, (Luke 18.9) but the Old Testament reading, Joel 2.23, continues a sequence of Sundays featuring OT prophets (Jeremiah, Joel, Haggai, etc.) and Wisdom literature. Thus we see that the two lectionary schemes are very similar from Advent through Pentecost, and virtually identical in the case of the Gospel pericopes. Provisions for Old Testament and Epistle selections differ frequently for the remainder of the church year under the rubric of semi-continuous reading.
Within the schematic of lectio continua, initiated by OLM, and visible in all three years of both the CL/RCL, the narrative within a book of the Bible, or of one of the apostolic letters is allowed to unfold sequentially. This design came under subsequent critique.
After publication in 1983, CL immediately underwent a 3-year review, week by week, assisted by hundreds of practitioners and scholars. Their observations were carefully discussed, and applied in the refinement and revision of the CL, a process undertaken over a period of 4 years. Five of the aims of revising the CL were as follows:
**To expand the canon of Old Testament readings, observing the integrity of that Testament;
**To bring to the attention of congregations the biblical stories showing women to be leaders;
**To expose congregations to feminine images for God;
**To avoid intended or unintended mistreatment of ethnic minorities, Jewish persons, or others.
**To take into account the needs of several episcopal denominations requiring more extensive use of typologically oriented readings. This latter point was accommodated by providing a parallel but not competing scheme of readings called Complementary. The final version of RCL thus exhibits both the typological format and the semi-continuous format in Ordinary Time.
The task was completed and approved in 1992. It influenced United Methodism immediately as evidenced in the provision within the UM Hymnal of Psalms related to the RCL. However, the Episcopal Church (USA) only formally adopted it at the General Convention in 2006 after a period of trial use.
Availability of the RCL immediately sparked a multitude of preaching and Christian education resources, and influenced to some extent every mainstream religious organization in Canada and the USA. In subsequent years it has spread around the world under the leadership of the English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC).
In 2012, an annotated version of the RCL was published by the Consultation on Common Texts through Fortress Press, marking the twentieth anniversary of the initial publication in 1992.The contents, compiled by me, present the historical development of lectionaries, and in particular the two lectionaries in use in our time.
Paul Scott Wilson, the well-known homiletics writer and teacher, when questioned about the influence of the RCL, said recently:
The Revised Common Lectionary has spurred not only ecumenical scholarship in lectionary-based resources for preachers, but has also helped those in the pulpit to be more biblical. The promise contained in this cannot be underestimated, as the church moves through a period of great upheaval. As a result there is increased likelihood that preaching in these times will remain centred on the gospel, and that is a tremendous cause for hope.
Related to my own field of Hymnology, I ask, “What if any effect did the receipt of the refreshed lectionaries have on hymn output? How were writers such as Brian Wren, Shirley Erena Murray, Mary Louise Bringle, Dan Damon, Michael Joncas, Ruth Duck and Thomas Troeger influenced by the expanded pool of pericopes?”
Ruth Duck reported recently, “I was significantly influenced by the RCL in my hymn writing. Both ‘Wine at a wedding’ and ‘Come to the Waters’ came from my daily devotional time based on the lectionary.” In the most recent Presbyterian hymnal Glory to God (2013) the emerging author Mary Louise Bringle is seen to respond to many previously untouched lectionary themes in her hymn poetry.
The lectionary has impacted other areas of the life of congregations and leadership as well, seen in curriculum design affected by the stability of lectionary schemes.
I look to my own circle in New Jersey where two friends of differing religious praxis were friends. Their relationship strengthened noticeably when they discovered,after attending their own Sunday worship oneSunday, that they had heard the same readings, and could discuss their faith views from their own faith perspectives.For me, the premise and promise of common readings came full circle in that relationship. Common story, common life, common mission.
Most of us involved in ecumenical ventures agree that being one at the Table is still far off; nonetheless, recognition of the common biblical heritage is already a huge step towards the prayer of Christ, that “all may be one.” In the meantime, other lectionaries have appeared. The Season of Creation Lectionary, the African American Lectionary, The Uncommon Lectionary, and so on. Time and context will test their worth. As a person who has been intimately connected with the design, implementation and revision of the Common Lectionary/Revised Common Lectionary–now more than 20 years old, I live in the hope that its embrace will one day touch the whole Christian world, more language groups, and the goal of unity through biblical understanding as we make disciples for Christ. That step will include, no doubt, further reform and re-formation.
Recently, I heard the renowned theologian Douglas John Hall pleading: “Remove the historical amnesia. Christians need reasons for their faith; the church is doomed if it will not think theologically. Christians are not born; they are made.” In my worldview, theological thinking starts with story-telling, biblical story-telling. That’s why there’s a lectionary…to tell the story of the birth, death, resurrection and mission of Christ Jesus.
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Entangled Worlds: The Thirteenth Transdisciplinary Theological Colloquium
Beyond previous science vs. religion debates, this upcoming Drew conference (March 28-30, 2014) engages the high-profile interdisciplinary synthesis known as the "new materialism."
Since 2001 Drew University has hosted the Transdisciplinary Theological Colloquium, a conference which gathers renowned scholars from a stunning breadth of scholarly disciplines to engage in theoretical conversation and theological construction which is at once self-deconstructive in its pluralism and constructive in its affirmations. This conference epitomizes Drew’s unique approach to religious scholarship, an approach that emerges from the complexity of the contemporary contexts theology must consider.
The thirteenth colloquium in the series, titled “Entangled Worlds: Science, Religion, Materiality” and scheduled for March 28-30, will consider ways in which theological and religious studies intersect new scientific stories of relationality, such as those of quantum entanglement and neuroscience. Beyond the mere dualism of science versus religion, this conference intends to coax a vibrant synthesis of theories and theologies of relationality that are resistant to both anthropocentric and reductive modernisms and that intensify attention to the fragile bodies of our creaturely interdependence. The conference aims to move beyond previous science vs. religion debates through engaging with the high-profile interdisciplinary synthesis of critical theory and scientific inquiry known as the “new materialism.” Two of the leading figures associated with the new materialism, Karen Barad, author of Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning, and Jane Bennett, author of Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things, will participate in the conference.
The full slate of presenters is as follows:
Karen Barad, University of California, Santa Cruz
Whitney Bauman, Florida International University
Jane Bennett, John Hopkins University
Loriliai Biernacki, University of Colorado, Boulder
Philip Clayton, Claremont School of Theology
Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas
Luke Higgins, South University
Catherine Keller, Drew University Theological School
W. Anne Joh, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Dan Miller, University College, London
Elias Ortega-Aponte, Drew University Theological School
Josh Ramey, Haverford College
Mayra Rivera Rivera, Harvard Divinity School
Jeff Robbins, Lebanon Valley College
Mary Jane Rubenstein, Wesleyan University
Koutrofinis Spyridon University of California, Berkeley
Jenna Supp-Montgomerie, Quest University
Manuel A. Vasquez, University of Florida
Theodore Walker, Jr, Southern Methodist University/Perkins School of Theology
Carol Wayne White, Bucknell University
Registration is now open. Please see the TTC website for further details as they unfold.–Shelley Dennis, PhD Candidate
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Upcoming Events:
FEB. 21
Classes Without Quizzes
Young Adults, Ethics, and Ministry with Kate Ott
MARCH 1
Seminary Saturdays
Sexuality, Youth and Faith with Kate Ott, or Spirituality and Aging with Sherri Shumate
MARCH 27
Deacon Day @ Drew
Bridging the Church and the World is a day to focus on the call and the ministry of the ordained Deacon in the UMC.
MARCH 28
Classes without Quizzes
Congregational Healing from Crisis and Trauma with Art Pressley
MARCH 28-30
Entangled Worlds
The Thirteenth Transdisciplinary Theological Colloquium takes us beyond previous science vs. religion debates
APRIL 5
Seminary Saturdays
Esther, Ishtar, & Easter, or Scripture, Satire, & Survival with Danna Nolan Fewell, or The Labyrinth as Spiritual Practice with Wendy Abrahamson
APRIL 25
Classes without Quizzes
Introducing Change in Church with Charles McNeil
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Drew Theological School
Drew University
Madison NJ 07940
(973)408-3229
theoadv@drew.edu
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