Volume LIV Fall 2015 Six new THE STORY seminarians share their MAGAZINE AND ANNUAL REPORT stories Bishop in Residence Judith Craig reflects on a pastoral life Events: Alumni Day, Williams Institute Lectures and Schooler Institute Sandy Lutz, influential lay leader, chairs MTSO’s board Meet new faculty members in New Testament, homiletics and Hebrew Bible www.mtso.edu Methodist Theological School in Ohio Methodist Theological School in Ohio Contents FROM THE PRESIDENT FACULTY Why MTSO doesn’t deliver education . 1 Bridgeman brings a commitment to teaching and activism . 13 ON CAMPUS Schellenberg shares his curiosity about A preview of campus events . 2 early Christians. .14 Meet Admissions Director Benjamin Hall. 3 Beyond the classroom: faculty activities . 16 Fall Admissions Open House . 3 Emeriti obituaries . 17 Sandy Lutz ascends to chair of MTSO’s board . 4 IN REVIEW We’re now powered, in part, by the sun . 5 Images of a good year. .22 Bishop Judith Craig’s pastoral life . 6 REPORT TO DONORS STUDENTS Financial information . 23 Six new arrivals introduce themselves . 8 Donor Honor Roll . 24 ALUMNI The Sterling Society: recognizing planned giving . 26 A wise perspective on Christianity and war . 10 MTSO Board of Trustees roster . 27 Alum news . .11 Restricted student scholarship giving. .28 A window on our heritage h Fifteen years ago, MTSO embarked on a new millennium by dedicating Gault Hall, a gift of the Stanley C. and Flo K. Gault family and many other donors. The hall’s Sterling Roof Terrace is graced by “Portal of God’s Love,” the stained-glass roundel illuminated by the morning light on the cover of this issue of The Story. Created by Alan Spencer and inspired by I Corinthians 13, the window was a gift of Ron Alford and Barbara Cantlin in memory of their parents, John and Mary Alford. THE STORY Founded in 1958, Methodist Theological School in Ohio is one of 13 seminaries MAGAZINE AND ANNUAL REPORT formally affiliated with and funded in part by the United Methodist Church. Located in Central Ohio, MTSO offers five graduate degree programs: Master of Divinity, Volume LIV h Fall 2015 Master of Arts in Practical Theology, Master of Arts in Counseling Ministries, Master of Theological Studies and Doctor of Ministry. It also offers graduate-level certificate A publication of Methodist programs in Basic Theological Education, United Methodist Deacon Studies and Theological School in Ohio the Advanced Course of Study in the United Methodist Church. In addition, MTSO 3081 Columbus Pike provides courses for General Board of Higher Education and Ministry certification in Delaware, Ohio 43015 Engaging in Ministry with the Poor. 740-363-1146 MTSO is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States www.mtso.edu and Canada and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Its degree programs are authorized by the Ohio Board of President: Jay Rundell Regents and approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. Dean: Lisa Withrow Editor: Danny Russell We welcome your comments. Please send them to [email protected], or Writer: Susan Zimmerman Danny Russell, MTSO, 3081 Columbus Pike, Delaware, Ohio 43015. Design: Becky Roley and Jeff Smith, DesignSmith Printer: Robin Enterprises Co. FROM THE PRESIDENT Why MTSO doesn’t deliver education By Rev. Jay Rundell waiting empty vessels. interaction necessary for President Conversations about advancing the faith and educational technology developing competencies in and practice too often have those who will lead. What a joy it is to greet you as you used words like “delivery” receive this new issue of The Story Magazine and “distributed learning,” In the following pages, you and Annual Report. As you turn the which has served to will read about the myriad following pages, you will see that our school reinforce that notion. interactions among people is abuzz with activity as we begin another and communities that are exciting school year. Not only does thinking part and parcel to the life of education as something and mission of our seminary. Like most schools, we have our share of that can be “delivered” Faculty, students and alumni people coming and going, as well-prepared or “distributed” miss the continue to lead in the crucial students graduate and members of the point that education is an conversations and dilemmas incoming class matriculate in their place. interactive process, but of our day. Whether in issues We believe that amidst these transitions we it has unhelpful theological implications of race, societal change around gender and have a particularly creative interchange of for seminaries. If an educational approach sexuality, economic justice, or ecology and perspectives and ideas, with students and assumes that the religious faith is a kind of climate change, we are in the midst of it in faculty who come from rich and varied static entity that can be passed neatly from consequential ways. traditions and experiences. When talking an authority to a recipient, it will operate in with prospective students, I like to ask them, In fact, our campus community is when choosing a school, increasingly becoming a place where to consider when not only seemingly unrelated individuals, groups what they think they will If an educational approach assumes and movements find connection and receive from us but what that the religious faith is a kind of static synthesis. I believe one of our great they have to bring to the entity that can be passed neatly from an opportunities going forward is to build equation themselves. authority to a recipient, it will operate on our ability to function as a hub for relationship and interaction. That we are a learning in a very different mode than if we commu nity wouldn’t understand that we are dealing with The Methesco tradition has always surprise many. What something that is dynamic, changing engaged Christian ministry and service might surprise some who beyond the walls of the church while don’t know us well is that, and evolving as it is faithfully engaged maintaining the very highest standards as a seminary, we don’t by every generation. in preparing pastors for traditional roles understand our learning as well. That hasn’t changed. community to be a place that simply passes time- In an era when focus is shifting from tested wisdom and truths from faculty a very different mode than if we understand institutions to communities and to students. that we are dealing with something that movements, MTSO’s future is bright if we is dynamic, changing and evolving as it is can continue to develop our ability to bridge I meet people quite frequently who faithfully engaged by every generation. these realities and facilitate the coalescing of assume we are concerned solely with old learning, action and community. ideas. After all, we deal with religion, We continue to find deep value in and that involves immersion in texts the belief that our interaction amidst I am grateful to all of you who facilitate and movements that have been around differences and our engagement of novel and support this important work! for several millennia. I also find that ideas produce a living tradition that is perceptions persist that educational necessarily transformed by those who institutions can be characterized by a kind engage it. Our Connections M.Div. is a great of one-directional flow of information example of how we seek to use the very best – that we have experts who are in place of educational technology while assuring to fill the minds of students like so many that we are maximizing the interpersonal THE STORY h Fall 2015 1 ON CAMPUS SAVE THE DATES Don’t miss these big campus events The MTSO campus will welcome alumni and other Nov. 3 and 4 visitors to a wide variety of events throughout the Williams Institute Lectures school year. Information on all events will be shared through numerous means, including the website, The Williams Institute welcomes Stacey Floyd-Thomas, associate professor of ethics Facebook and Twitter (@MTSOedu). Here are three and society at Vanderbilt University Divinity significant events to add to your calendar. School and College of Arts and Sciences, who will deliver two lectures. Sept. 28 Floyd-Thomas’s research and teaching Vanderbilt ethicist interests lie at the intersection of ethics, Alumni Day h Floyd-Thomas feminist and womanist studies, black church Alumni Day 2015 begins with a continental breakfast and will deliver the studies, critical pedagogy, critical race theory, gathering time in the Gallery before a service of thanksgiving Williams Institute and post-colonial studies with an overall honoring recipients of the Mount Alumni Awards. This year’s Lectures approach to the study of Christian social honorees are: ethics that engages broad questions of moral • Karen Cook (’03), associate pastor of Church and Community agency, cultural memory, ethical responsibility and social justice. Development for All People, Columbus. A sought-after speaker and prolific author, Floyd-Thomas is a • Jeff Hodge (’08), pastor of Pennellville and Oswego Trinity recipient of the Texas Christian University Chancellor's Award for United Methodist churches and principal of J. Hodge Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar and Consulting in New York. the American Academy of Religion Excellence in Teaching Award. • Virginia Lohmann Bauman (’06), senior pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ, Columbus. Feb. 8 and 9, 2016 • Alan Morrison (’90), pastor of First United Methodist Church Schooler Institute of Monongahela, Pa. on Preaching The day continues with a special luncheon honoring Bishop Mike Graves says when a new Judith Craig, MTSO’s bishop in residence and visiting professor in the Dickhaut Chair of Church Leadership.