United Methodist Connections at Uindy

ICU UMCU o f I ICCEUB ECHOES OFUB THE PAST IN CONVERSATIONS OF THE PRESENT Booklet #2 United Methodist Connections —Then & Now— at the University of Indianapolis Michael G. Cartwright Dean for Ecumenical and Interfaith Programs University of Indianapolis 2007 ECHO E S O F T H E P A S T I N C O N V E RSATIONS OF TH E P R E S E NT Booklet # United Methodist Connections —Then & Now— at the University of Indianapolis Michael G. Cartwright Dean for Ecumenical and Interfaith Programs University of Indianapolis 2007 T ABL E O F C ONT E NTS Preface: Making United Methodist Connections ...................................................6 I. Introducing United Methodism to UIndy Colleagues .......................................9 II. United Methodist Structure .............................................................................0 III. Connecting United Methodist People, Places, and Programs—Past & Present ................................................ A. Presidential Connections .......................................................................... B. Chaplaincy Connections .........................................................................8 C. Church Relations Office Personnel ............................................................ D. Faculty & Staff Connections ..................................................................... E. Admissions and Scholarship Connections .................................................. F. Religious Training Programs and Curricular Structures ..............................8 G. Ministries, Missions, Collaborations, and Service Endeavors .....................0 H. Consultations, Campus Conversations, and Councils ................................ I. University Heights Congregation Connections .......................................... J. Conference Connections ...........................................................................8 K. Episcopal (Bishops) Connections ...............................................................6 L. Campus Symbols, Awards, and Memorials ...............................................6 M. Historic Personages ....................................................................................68 IV. UIndy in the Landscape of American Higher Education—Then & Now ......7 A. The Historical Landscape ..........................................................................7 B. The Contemporary Landscape ..................................................................7 V. Timelines of United Methodist History and UIndy History .............................79 A. Ecclesiastical Backgrounds Chart: Methodism in America ..........................79 B. Historic Events ..........................................................................................80 Appendix : Glossary ...........................................................................................8 Appendix : “No Chaplain on Campus” by Frederick D. Hill ..............................9 Acknowledgments: Michael G. Cartwright ...........................................................9 Notes ...................................................................................................................96 P R E FAC E : MAKING UNIT E D M E T H O D I S T C ONN E CTIONS Sometimes, being able to “connect the dots” can make all the difference in our ability as employees to perform our responsibilities with confidence. Of course, terminology associated with the past, present, and future of the United Methodist Church (UMC) is only one of the programmatic “languages” that faculty and staff engage from day to day at this comprehensive University. Not all of these programmatic languages require a resource to unpack the definitions. With time, participants in institutions like this one can identify the specialized use of such acronyms as “B.U.I.L.D.” and “BANNER” and “Bilbo” with particular contexts, and thereby avoid mistaking the use of these terms with usages in other contexts beyond our campus. This is not always the case with the religious heritage(s) of this church-related University. Words such as “Otterbein Avenue” and “Wesley Drive” may be encountered almost every day, but not recognized for their historic significance. At the same time, highly visible images such as the “Cross & Flames” can remain poorly understood if members of the community do not have ready access to information that clarifies what that symbol conveys as an emblem of our University’s church affiliation. The prospect that faculty, staff, and students of a university will experience “disconnects” between everyday phenomena and the historical and contemporary contexts in which such references are meaningful are even more likely at an institution that has been a “a curious hybrid” (See part IV on page 7) in American higher education. This resource has been designed to serve the needs of faculty and staff employees of the University of Indianapolis who either find themselves directly involved in programmatic linkages with the United Methodist Church, or who occasionally encounter questions or concerns that pertain to the University’s church affiliation. Admittedly, this is a tricky terrain to negotiate. Words, concepts, and technical terms matter in some contexts, but not in others. We would err if we presumed that everyone on campus needed to be able to use all the terms, identifications, and information contained in this booklet. We would also err, I believe, if we act as if everyone already has ready access to the basic information that matters in negotiating the University’s ongoing relationship with the United Methodist Church. Further, we would be misguided if we ignored the prospect that the use of United Methodist terminology here and there on campus can sometimes put persons who do not share that affiliation in the position of feeling like outsiders. For that reason, one of the primary purposes of this booklet is to enable University employees to participate in the United Methodist church-related collaborations and conversations as they need to do so for the purposes related to their individual job descriptions. We also hope that this resource will make it possible for various members of the University community to make other kinds of “connections”—some personal, some professional—regarding the significance of UIndy’s church affiliation across time. If the relationship with the UMC were only a matter of the past, then there would be no need for this kind of resource. Because the University’s relationship with the denomination is a context for continued conversation, partnership, and collaboration, we have created this resource as a means for helping faculty and staff of the University 6 to be able to make sense of the occasional reference that they may hear in a snatch of conversation, or the obscure term that crops up in an administrative report, or a newsletter from one of the Centers of the University. In this resource, we have tried to determine what information would be most helpful given the different ways in which members of this University connect with the church affiliation. The kind of information that someone in the Admissions Office would find useful will not be identical with the needs and questions of persons who work in the Institutional Advancement office. And the needs of the Athletics programs will not be the same as those of the Philosophy & Religion Department. In addition to the list of abbreviations on the next page, many terms used by United Methodists are defined in the glossary (see Appendix ). In a few instances, we have provided illustrations that pertain to our local context, but in most instances, we are assuming that readers can apply the definitions to relevant contexts without further guidance. Although we have attempted to provide information about the origins of United Methodism—including the relationship of this particular Christian communion to the broader set of Protestant and Catholic traditions—we recognize that persons with little or no background in Christianity may find that they need additional resources. For such persons, we recommend that interested readers consult resources available at http://www.beliefnet.com for additional information and clarification. The identification of “persons, places, and programs” (see Part III) that we have provided clarifies the programmatic linkages that pertain to the United Methodistcon - nection (see the glossary for clarification). While the word “connection” [early British Methodist spelling “connexion”] conveys a rich kind of fellowship in mission specific to the Wesleyan tradition, there are also more generic senses in which we share connections with persons affiliated with other Christian communities or congregations. Notice that not all of the persons identified in this book are members of the United Methodist Church. Some are members of other denominations (Protestant and Catholic), and in a few notable instances, there are persons who have made contributions in the context of our University’s church affiliation who are adherents of other faith traditions. For this reason, we have attempted to identify all who have significant involvements with respect to the church affiliation, regardless of their religious affiliation. For a list of current faculty and staff members of the University who share the United Methodist affiliation by virtue of their membership in a congregation and/or their participation in UMC-sponsored agencies and activities, visit the Office of Ecu- menical & Interfaith Programs’ Web site

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