windows summer 00

AU S T I N PR E S B YT E R I A N TH E O LO G I C A L SE M I N A RY

SUMMER 2000

Year-long internshipsPostcards from the

road to ministry

All serious approaches to education ask not only What is tobe learned? but also How do we learn? and What is the

best way to learn what should be learned? Every quality educa-tional institution wrestles with these questions continually.Answers are not easy, but creative efforts to respond to suchquestions must never be abandoned or neglected.

The Supervised Practice of Ministry (SPM) program ofAustin Se m i n a ry re p resents one substantive institutionalattempt to respond creatively to the concerns imbedded inthese questions. The program was created in 1973 by a cur-riculum committee of three, and I was privileged to be a mem-ber of that trio. We had worked for months doing research,studying seminary curricula, and discussing with faculty andfocus groups in the church what persons needed to learn inorder to be effective pastors. After processing all that informa-tion we agreed on the knowledge and skills needed. Then wefaced the question: How can this knowledge best be learnedand these skills acquired? Out of our deliberations we designedthe SPM program. Several matters were clear to us:

1) certain things could be learned best in the context of doing or“practicing” ministry;

2) quality learning through practice would require skillful supervisorsto guide the learning;

3) specific learning goals to which the student was committed wouldbe critical for the learning; and

4) such education must carry the same weight in the curriculum asclassroom learning, and be so valued by faculty.Many things about that initial program put in place more than

twenty-five years ago have changed, but those four principles haveremained. Moreover, while SPM does assist the student to “apply” someof what has been learned in the classroom, the program maintains itsown distinctive nature for learning that which is critical for anyonecalled to be a pastor a congregation and to be a leader in the church.

The articles in this issue of Windows will give you more insight intothis program, particularly as the program has been developed andenriched under the excellent leadership of Professor Michael Jinkins.

Robert M. SheltonPresident

LOOKING OUTWARD

2 - 1 1 Supervised Practice of Ministry2 Postcards from the road to ministry

Come along and meet student internsfrom sea to shining seaBY DAVID GAMBRELL

10 The church as classroomSPM puts students in the driver’s seatBY MICHAEL JINKINS

11 Grant received for Hispanic ministries

12 The Class of 2000

15 Continuing education schedule

16 Community news

18 Faculty news

19 Development news

20 Alumni/ae news

21 Our corner of the century

CONTENTS

Publisher and Mailing Statement

Windows is the successor publication to the Austin Seminary Bulletin (newsletter edition). This issue ofWindows is Volume 115, Number 3, Summer 2000, ISSN 2056-0556. Windows is published three timeseach year by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Editor: Randal Whittington; Writers: Brian Brock,David Gambrell, Krissy Schwarz, and Randal Whittington; Photographers: Brian Brock and RandalWhittington; Illustrator: David Gambrell. Non-profit bulk mail permit no. 2473.

Postmaster: Address service requested. Send to Austin Seminary Windows, Austin PresbyterianTheological Seminary, 100 E. 27th St., Austin, TX 78705-5797.

phone: 512-472-6736 e-mail: [email protected]: 512-479-0738 www.austinseminary.edu

COVER: Need a lift? If the lure ofthe open road isn’t enough to makeyou pick up this issue of Windows,perhaps you’ll enjoy the truckloads ofgood news about Austin Seminary’sSPM program we’ve packed into itspages. This is theological education inthe fast lane—where theoreticalrubber meets the asphalt of practicalexperience. Our students will notonly have a license to preach, they’llbe fine-tuned and fueled up for thejourney ahead. So fasten yourseatbelts . . .

Photograph by Randal Whittington.

www.austinseminary.edu

Theological Education Fund(1% Plan)

Got 1%?The theological schools of thePresbyterian Church (U.S.A.)no longer receive fundingfrom the basic mission budgetof the General Assembly.Churches are asked tocontribute 1% of theiroperating budgets to thefund, which is thendistributed to the seminaries.

Th is la nd is your la nd , th is la nd is my la ndFrom Ca lifornia to the New York isla ndFrom the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream water sTh is la nd was made for you and me

TH E O L D WO O DY GU T H R I E

RECORD SPINS IN THE JUKEBOX

as I contemplate a cup of coffee, a truck stop

place mat, and the task before me: plot a course to visit all six-

teen Austin Se m i n a ry year-long interns; collect their

thoughts, experiences, and reflections on the past year. A

daunting assignment—a record number of Austin Seminary

interns is scattered farther and wider than ever before, each

committing a year of his or her seminary experience to the

Supervised Practice of Ministry (SPM). Their pastoral con-

texts and job descriptions are as diverse as the American land-

scape. How will I cover them all? The road ahead stretches

out like a winding thread, a long and twisting . . .

As I was wa lki ng th at ri bbon of highwayI saw above me th at endless skywayI saw be l ow me th at golden va lleyI nterns from sea to sh i ni ng sea

Preparation for ministry is a different kind of journey. Theprocess of call and response—listening for God and learningto trust—has its own rhythm and movement. A skyway ofendless possibility, a valley of golden opportunity. Sometimesyou’re clipping along at sixty-five miles per hour, sometimesyou’re broken down on the side of the road, waiting for a spir-itual tow truck. No doubt our year-long interns have hadtheir own moments of exhilaration, frustration, joy, loneli-ness, road rage . . . . One way to find out.

First stop, California, where Sarah Powers and DylanHuntsman are completing year-long internships in Oaklandand Oroville, respectively.

BY DAVID GAMBRELL

WINDOWS / Summer 2000 3

Tasha HofmannSchreiner College, Kerrville,Texas, ten months

hough I arrive at theSchreiner College cam-pus early in the after-

noon, it’s well past midnight beforeTasha can catch her breath and findtime to chat. As the campus ministerat this small Presbyterian college, sheplans social activities, service opportunities, and weeklychapel services; she tutors students in a religion course;provides counseling; and has been instrumental in pro-moting a greater bond with the local Presbyterianchurch through a sign language choir and a studentadoption program. “Once yo u’re waist-deep in, itbecomes pretty clear how huge the task of ministry is,”she explains. “I am beginning to realize how importantit is to keep myself strong—both physically and men-tally—but most of all strong spiritually. Working inministry can brighten my whole week . . . and it can alsomake me hide under the covers.”

Tasha values the opportunities for learning that ayear-long internship provides: “Just being able to watchwhat other ministers do and how they do it is worth ayear of your time. There may be no other time in manyof our lives when we have that gift—the gift of workingunder someone who recognizes that we have no ideawhat we’re doing and who is OK with that!”

From Schreiner College to Austin, Texas,One common hope and dream connects us:To serve the people, from street to steepleThis plan is made for ministry

Shamaine ChambersShepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas,twelve months

ai Leigh Addison, an elder at Shepherd of theHills, first took notice of Shamaine at ayouth camp at Mo -

Ranch last summer whereShamaine preached to twohundred kids on the grass.“Shamaine did an unbeliev-able worship service.” WithJai Leigh’s encouragement,S H P C ’s new pastor LarryCoulter arranged for

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Sarah PowersPark Boulevard Presbyterian Church,Oakland, California, nine months

ike many interns, Sarah has ag e n e r a l i s t’s job description,a l l owing her to sample a

broad array of pastoral responsibili-ties: worship planning, preaching,visitation, and “lots of singing.”One of the happy surprises in

Sarah’s work is her enjoyment of older adult ministry. “Ilove listening to their stories and working to find newways to incorporate them into the life of the church.”The role of the supervising pastor, so central to AustinSeminary’s SPM program, has been critical in her voca-tional development. “My supervisor has given me muchuseful feedback that has improved many of my ministryskills, leading to greater confidence in myself and who Iam as a pastor. My call seems stronger and I have a bet-ter idea of the type of church I would like to headtowards after graduation.” As for her personal goals,Sarah has learned to protect her day off and to reserve

time for her own prayer and study.Moving from a manuscript tonote-less preaching has been aparticular joy in her intern-ship.

Dylan HuntsmanTrinity Presbyterian Church,Oroville, California, nine months

ne hundred fort y - f i vemiles away in Oroville,Dylan is—more than

likely—planning the next bigyouth event, writing a sermon, orpreparing discussion questions fora college group. He says his expe-

rience just gets better the more he gets to know hisparishioners; toward that end, Dylan says “I visit thehospital twice a week and sometimes spend whole after-noons with people, talking.” He describes his internshipas a “rich experience,” and feels lucky to have had thechance to participate in such a learning experience.Dylan reports that he has improved his organizationalskills, learning “how to hold one hundred things on mymind at once.”

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Shamaine’s internship before he even moved to Austin.That transition in leadership has been an importantpart of the context for her year.

Jai Leigh has observed Shamaine’s growth in wor-ship leadership over the past year. “Last Sunday she didworship and it was the first time I’ve seen her preachwithout notes—not in the pulpit but out among thepeople. I really think it’s more effective that way, morepersonable.” Jai Leigh appreciates the special gifts andresources a seminary intern can provide. “It has been ablessing all the way around—good for the intern andgreat for the church.” For instance, Shamaine has initi-ated a new approach to Christian education through therotation model of Sunday school. “It has really workedwell—my third grader loves it. If there’s a down side tohaving an intern do youth ministry it’s that it’s hardwhen the youth get attached to interns and then losethem every year as they return to their studies.”

Phil LeggParkway Presbyterian Church, Corpus Christi, Texas,twelve months

avid Evans, Phil’s supervising pastor at ParkwayPresbyerian Church, is an expert on internsand internships. Having supervised numerous

interns in the past seventeen years, he has attendedmore supervisor training seminars (a manditory compo-nent of the SPM program at Austin Seminary) than hecan count. Still, it is a responsibility he takes very seri-ously. David calls his supervisory style “relaxed andintense”: while he refuses to hover over the intern’sshoulder, he is intentional and thorough when it comesto discussing case studies (another distinctive of theSPM internship), teaching students to think theologi-cally in the parish context.

When he arrived at Parkway in 1997 David waseager to establish the SPM program at that church. Philwas Parkway’s first intern. “He came to us as a diamondin the rough,” David re c a l l s ,“and has matured into a goodp reacher and an incre d i b l eteacher, able to relate to peopleof all ages.” How did this hap-pen? “Phil followed me aroundfor the first couple of months,and then I began to push himout of the nest more andmore, and let him go on hisown. He has truly become acolleague in ministry, a vital

WINDOWS / Summer 2000

part of the life of this congregation.” The congregationhas embraced David’s vision of the SPM program aspart of their mission to the larger church, and churchmembers have grown to understand and value their roleas Phil’s “real-life” teachers and mentors. “We’re goingto miss him a lot,” David says.Apparently, Phil’s not too eager toleave either; he has decided to stayon at Parkway on a contract basisfor two months after he com-pletes his internship.

Marialice BillingsleyWindwood Presbyterian Church,Cypress, Texas, nine months

ike many of theinterns I’ve spokenwith, Marialice finds

her work varied and challeng-ing. “There is not a brief jobdescription that can explain an ordi-nary day, because there has not been one ordinary daysince I have been at Windwood. It is a surprise waitingto happen every week.” One tragic surprise, in particu-lar, turned out to be a major learning opportunity: “Thebus carrying our youth for a ski trip in Coloradocrashed. The whole crisis was an overwhelming eventthat most people never experience in their lives—mydefinition of ministry was changed from a textbookmanual to a living experience. It has clarified for me mycall to be a pastor to a congregation and to be part ofthe lives of God’s people.” Throughout the year, Mari-alice has been grateful for the support and teaching shehas received as part of a growing church staff, citing theloving way her ideas and leadership have been acceptedby all. “The working relationships of the elders, pastor,and church staff are necessary for communication with-in the community of faith—the corporate effort of the

c h u rch staff is vital for a functioning, grow i n gchurch.”

Debbie SpanglerTimber Ridge Presbyterian Church, The Woodlands, Texas, twelve months

ouston traffic cooperates and in less thanan hour I’m talking to Mark Vernon( M Di v’90), De b b i e’s supervisor at

Timber Ridge. (Debbie has rushed to the hospitalto visit a parishioner who has just given birth.) Howdid Mark set the stage for Debbie’s relationship with

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the congregation? “The covenant thatProfessor Michael Jinkins helped us set upwith Debbie was very focused on specificgoals and areas that needed to be worked on.She was given the freedom to really explore thethings that she had questions about. We thenput together a lay committee of people to act asliaisons and guides—some of my wisest mem-bers, ranging in age from their early thirties toone that’s eighty-seven—and they have takenher under their wing and guided her.”

Mark is very positive about the SPM program ingeneral, and the year-long internship in particular. “Wehold in our hands a piece of the future of the church.This individual is going to touch—most likely—thou-sands of lives in the course of their ministry. I wouldencourage any pastor that really wants to have a growthexperience spiritually to bring in an intern.” But Markoffers a word of caution as well: “I really think that y’allare going to have your hands full keeping Debbie lockedup in class for two more semesters.” Indeed, this is oneof the benefits of the SPM program at Austin Seminary:after a year in ministry, the lessons of seminary havenew implications and applications in the real world ofthe local church.

Cindy DackFort Hood Army Base, Killeen, Texas, nine months

indy’s assignment aschaplain intern at theworld’s largest mili-

t a ry base—50,000 soldiers,plus families—involved help-ing the ninety-five other chap-lains on base to utilize andminister to the children andfamilies of soldiers in theirmidst. When Cindy began toaddress this concern, most of

the chapel services didn’t eveninclude children’s sermons—the liturgies were focusedalmost exclusively on the needs of the soldiers. Nowchildren participate in the services by serving as greetersand taking the offering. She also initiated a post-widevacation Bible school, involving eight hundred childrenand three hundred fifty teachers. This practice of min-istry has helped her to clarify and hone her pastoral call:“My passion,” Cindy says, “has to do with centering thefamily in Christ.”

Another objective was findingconstructive ways to deal with theconflicts and tensions that are inher-ent to the environment of a militarybase, where worshipers subscribe topractically every faith under thesun. A monthly advisory commit-tee of lay people and chaplainsfrom a broad range of denomina-tions and traditions helped her to

channel and process the conflicts she encountered; morefrequent meetings with her supervisor were also invalu-able. “I have learned a great deal about how I will han-dle conflict when I am a pastor.”

Andy OdomSt. Stephen Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth, Texas,twelve months

oor planning on my part—I arrive at St.Stephen on the day after Andy’s wedding, andhe has already embarked on his honeymoonwith bride Denise Lee (MDiv’99). But his

supervisor, Bill Galbraith, is more than happy to fill mein on Andy’s time at that church. “Andy arrived withmany gifts for ministry but he leaves with a more con-fident understanding of himself as a pastor. He has beenchallenged to grow in his capacity to discern how thechurch functions as a system and his role as a leaderwithin it. In this sense, Andy has grown not only inknowledge but in wisdom.”

How was Andy received into the life of the congre-gation and the circle of his colleagues in ministry? “AtSt. Stephen, we try to quickly include the intern as a fullmember of the church staff. As such, the intern has spe-cific responsibilities within the life of the congregationand shares general responsibilities with the rest of thestaff. Beyond the regular work a student and supervisordo, the lay support committeemeets regularly to reflect upon,affirm, and help clarify the expe-rience of the Supervised Practiceof Ministry in this setting.”

I ask Bill about his impres-sions of the SPM philosophyof leadership deve l o p m e n t ,and specifically, the year-longi n t e r n s h i p. “The ye a r - l o n ginternship offers ample timeto act and reflect upon arange of successes and fail-

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ures. Additionally, a year-long intern brings to the con-gregation an awareness of its vital role in equippingleaders for ministry. In short, the experience buildsupon the belief that ministry is a shared endeavor, thatpastors and people work together both as learners and asteachers. A congregation’s sense of identity is strength-ened when it sees its role as not only to receive throughthe SPM program but also to give.”

Toby BrownFirst Presbyterian Church, Tonkawa, Oklahoma, twelve months

oby meets me with a Bibleunder one arm and a baby inthe other. He and Ma rc i e

(MDiv’98) became the proud parentsof Margaret Michelle in February. Aswe walk from the manse to the church,Toby describes his unusual position:“I serve as the solo pastor of a congre-gation of forty-eight in a communityof three thousand. I preach and leadworship each week. In addition, I amresponsible for the pastoral care for allof our members, and I plan and leadthe weekly Bible study.” Unlike most

interns, Toby has an “off-site” supervisor who serves achurch in a neighboring community.

Contrary to some stereotypes about small towns,Toby has found Tonkawa an exciting context for life andministry. “The year has never been dull!” he exclaims.“Being a pastor is always challenging and never the samefrom one week to the next. I now know that parish min-istry demands nothing short of all we have and givesback to us more than it ever demands. I found my callto Minister of Word and Sacrament affirmed at everystep of the way.” Along that path, Toby has become anadvocate for the rural church. “I was surprised to seemyself, a child of the suburbs, loving small town life inrural Oklahoma! I learned the profound strengths ofsmall churches in the midst of a world that calls forgreater budgets, more programs, and larger facilities.Members of small churches choose to go to smallchurches for the unique witness they offer. We shouldhonor and protect the special place of small churches. Ibelieve they are the true strength of our denomination.”

The sun came shining and I was strollingWheat fie lds wa vi ng and du st clouds rolli ngAnd all around me a voice came soundingThese folks are called to ministry

Nicole RichardsonPine Ridge Presbyterian Church,Kansas City, Missouri, twelvemonths

inding creative waysto manage multipleroles and responsi-

bilities has been an impor-tant part of Nicole’s intern-ship experience. “I have learned to balance myfamily with church and personal time spent with God.”Her church activities include worship leadership, visit-ing members in nursing homes and hospitals, senioradult ministry, and participation in the stewardship andmission committees. Even meetings have been a sourceof joy for Nicole: “I have discovered how much I reallydo love the mundane day-to-day activities of thechurch. The most unexpected thing is that I havelearned is how Presbyterian I really am! My sense of callhas deepened. I feel more confident more consistentlythan I did even six months ago.”

Greg Brady and Anghaarad TeagueFirst Presbyterian Church, Jefferson City, Missouri,thirteen months

ike Toby and Marcie, Greg and his wife,Melissa, have become first-time parents duringhis SPM year. He hands baby Susan Noelle off

to one of her many “church grandparents,” and we finda place to talk.

For Greg, the year-long internship has opened upmany possibilities. He has had the opportunity to seenew ideas come to fruition as fully realized church pro-grams that are fun as well as spiritually beneficial. In sodoing, he has learned to seek out the intersection of thecongregation’s needs and his own passions and interests.The year-long internship has also allowed him the timeand space to find different ways to make discipleshipmeaningful for his parishioners. He has been able to

explore this theme with middle andsenior high yo u t hg roups, deve l o p i n gSunday school curriculathat emphasize personalspiritual growth. “T h ec o n g regation has beensort of a laboratory,” heexplains, “where you areput in a position ofresponsibility, and learning


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is taking place in the ministry environment.”In another part of the church, Anghaarad is knee-

deep in kindergartners. As parish assistant for familylife, she works with the preschool, Sunday school, youthfellowship, middle school and senior high events, sin-gles groups, and the confirmation class. She also assistswith worship and visitation. “Designing a service forchildren—but keeping within the Reformed traditionand not allowing it to become hokey—was a big chal-lenge. The two services I did were very well received bythe congregation and that was very rewarding.”

As she looks to the future, Anghaarad is even morecertain of her vocation with children and families; shealso knows what to look for in a potential call. “I feelvery strongly about being called to associate ministry,and this experience has helped me define what kind ofworking relationship I want to be in with a senior pas-tor. I have a list of questions to ask when looking for achurch.” Like many interns, Anghaarad has also experi-enced the loneliness and isolation that often accompa-nies the pastoral office. Recently she joined a local ecu-menical young adult group to try to make some newfriends beyond her immediate church context. As a newpastor, she will be better prepared to face this challengeas well.

Blake BrinegarSummerville Presbyterian Church, Summerville, South Carolina, nine months

ver a meal of Charleston red rice, shrimp andgrits, and collard greens (don’t tell his parents)I inquire about Blake’s life as an intern. He

assists with weekly worship, congregational fellowship,small group ministries, ecu-menical outreach, teaching, andvisitation. He also took thirtyyouth on a ski trip to WestVirginia. Much of ministry is inthe details, Blake has discovered;but fortunately, “you don’t haveto know it all off the top of yourhead. I always carry a notepadwith me and write down the ques-tion. Then I try to find the answerover the next week and get it tothe person who asked or to theclass.”

Were there any surprises dur-ing his SPM? “I was surprised by

the amount of support that I have received from mem-

bers in this congre-gation. They arevery willing to assistme in my growth.”What kind ofgrowth? “I think itis that I feel morecomfortable in mypastoral ro l e , ”

Blake muses. “I am no longer talkingto a bunch of congregants, but rather people who aremy friends and whose lives I have entered. I feel moreconfident in what I am doing.”

Jill AcreeChurch of the Saviour, Washington, D.C., twelve months

n some ways, Jill’s internship is the mostunusual of all I have witnessed. “I serve inministry with a group of homeless women

with AIDS,” she explains. “On a typical day, I listen.Often the conversation is about sex.”

As a year-long intern at the non-denominational,socially active church, Jill has learned a great deal: “thatWashington, D.C., is really a small town; how influen-tial the church is—from the drug-infested neighbor-hoods of the inner city to its most powerful political cir-cles and throughout the world, all because of a handfulof people being faithful to the radical call of JesusChrist; the amazing power of prayer to transform me;that it isn’t a matter of reading the Bible with the news-paper in the other hand, but living fully in both realmsat the same time every single day; and that the kingdomof God is among us, manifested in a house full of dis-eased and depressed women.”

“I know I am called to serve in ministry with thepoor.” Jill believes this is a vocation that will put her atodds with the prevailing culture—and even her denom-ination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); but this yearin ministry has made her even more certain of thatdirection. Like Debbie, Jill will have a hard time return-ing to the academic realm when this year is over. “It getsbetter and more challenging every single day.”

Ann HerlinWestminster Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, Delaware, nine months

aving grown up in a small Presbyterian churchin south Texas, Ann wanted to have the expe-rience of working in a larger, multi-staff con-

gregation. “I half-expected this large church to be an

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David Gambrell (MDiv’98) contemplates imaginary journeys—while channeling Woody Guthrie—in his capacity as associatefor public relations at Austin Seminary.

impersonal place where you nevergot to know anyone, and that has notbeen the case at all.” In fact, person-al relationships have been integral toA n n’s ministry at WPC. “EasterSunday I sat and looked out at thefaces of the congregation during theprelude. Perhaps because they werepacked closer together, perhapsbecause more whole families weresitting together, perhaps it was leftover from watching folks walk for-ward for communion in the earlier

service—but it was very emotional. I cared about thesefolks; I knew some of what the sorrows and strugglesand joys of their lives are, and here we were all togetheron this morning for this purpose. I realized that in someways what my year has been about is getting to knowthe congregation. That was my explicit task for the firstfew weeks, but throughout the year, in all different waysand settings and degrees, that’s been what I’ve beenabout, and it is really one of the foundational tasks ofministry.”

Another important aspect of Ann’s internship hasbeen finding ways to integrate her interest in theSpanish language and Latin American culture into thecongregational life of a North American church. Towardthat end, she helped to incorporate the Mexican “lasp o s a d a s” tradition into the churc h’s annual familyChristmas Eve services, and traveled to Guatemala tovisit WPC’s sister church (where she was the unofficialsong leader and preached in Spanish.) “I was quite sur-prised to discover that I no longer think of my ability tospeak Spanish as a nice, little bonus, but think of it aspart of my call, and know that I need to be using thatin some way (there are a million options).”

And with that, it’s time to bid a fond “adios” to Ann andmy other year-long intern friends. But not before a fewleftover collard greens and one last chorus of our themesong. All together now:

From the Pacific to the other oceanFrom seminary to the congregationPreparing pastors for their vocationThis plan is made for ministry

9WINDOWS / Summer 2000

SPM at APTSThis issue of Windows focuses on year-long intern-ships; but there is more than one path by whichMaster of Divinity students can fulfill the SupervisedPractice of Ministry (SPM) requirement at AustinSeminary:• The year-long internship is for students who areable to work for an nine- to fifteen-month period ina particular parish setting. • The summer internship provides students with aten-week, full-time congregational ministry.• The teaching church allows students to engage inSPM in the Austin area while attending classes dur-ing the fall and spring terms.

Whichever road they choose, SPM offers AustinSeminary students an opportunity to develop min-istry skills in congregations under the supervision ofcompetent and experienced ordained ministers. Allsupervising pastors are required to attend a trainingsession during which SPM Director Michael Jinkinsfamiliarizes them with the philosophy and practicesof the program and certifies them for their role assupervisors.

In addition to regular meetings with their super-visors, students meet as a group with Jinkins at leasttwice during their internship to discuss writtenaccounts of their ministry experiences. Through thisprocess of action and reflection, students learn amodel of ministry that is theologically informed,critically re f l e c t i ve, and practically sound. T h i sinvaluable educational experience is usually under-taken after the second year of academic study.

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) offers stu-dents experience in a clinical setting—such as a hos-pital, mental health institution, or local congrega-tion—and is conducted under the supervision of acertified clinical pastoral educator. Students usuallycomplete one unit of CPE in ten weeks. PastoralCare in a Hospital Setting is a seminar (typically fourweeks in duration) which introduces students to theconcepts and practices of ministry in a medical con-text. Though CPE and Pastoral Care in a HospitalSetting do not ordinarily meet the Su p e rv i s e dPractice of Ministry requirement, students often findthese elective courses excellent preparation for manyministry settings.

One of my favorite stories is told by James Herriotin his first book, All Creatures Great and Small.Herriot had just arrived in Yorkshire, fresh out

of veterinary college, when he was called out in the mid-dle of the night to deliver a calf. It was a tough breachdelivery in a stone barn high up in the windsweptYorkshire moorland. It was so cold inside the barn he hadto break the ice on the surface of the water bucket just towash up. Throughout most of the delivery the young vetwas lying on his back in the icy muck and mud on thebarn’s earthen floor, his arm up the backside of the cow,every contraction squeezing his arm like a vise. All thewhile he was cursing his professors back at the veterinaryschool in Glasgow, “They never told me it would be likethis!”

When James Herriot’s professors demonstrated a

delivery it was in a concrete holding pen, warm and dryin an instructional barn on the college campus. The con-crete floor was spotless. The professors stood in white labcoats. The whole procedure was neat and tidy, and heremembered leaving the lecture thinking that deliveringcalves would be a snap. Shivering half-naked and wet,bone-tired and dirty, the only thing likely to snap for thisrecently graduated and credentialed veterinarian was hisforearm.

I’ve often thought that being a pastor is a lot likebeing a vet. And the contrast between how we learn inseminary and how we practice ministry in congregationscan be almost as stark as the contrast between that class-room delivery and the real thing.

Our goal in Austin Pre s byterian T h e o l o g i c a lSeminary’s program of Supervised Practice of Ministry

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When the church becomes the classroom,the learning never ends BY MICHAEL JINKINS

As director of the Supervised Practice of Ministry program, Professor Michael Jinkins helps his year-long interns bridge the gap betweenclassroom and congregation.

The 1999-2000 year-long interns, from left: Andy Odom, Debbie Spangler, Ann Herlin, Dylan Huntsman, Shamaine Chambers,Marialice Billingsley, Greg Brady, Anghaarad Teague, Sarah Powers, Nicole Richardson, Toby Brown, Blake Brinegar, and TashaHofmann with Professor Michael Jinkins.

(SPM) is (in a manner of speaking)to get all our students up into thosehilltop barns now, so they will bebetter prepared to learn the shape ofministry as it really is, and so thatthey can learn how to do biblicaland theological reflection in waysappropriate to actual congregationalministry. It may be that the mostimportant piece of knowledge forthe new minister is how to break theice on the water bucket withoutbreaking a hand. And that is some-thing we are not likely to learn inany conventional seminary class-room—no matter how good theinstruction is.

Theology and biblical studies,church history, Christian ethics andpastoral counseling are all vitallyimportant subjects in the prepara-tion for pastoral leadership. Anypastor worth his or her salt shouldbe theologically and biblically pre-pared to help members of a congre-gation to understand their lives inlight of the grace of Jesus Christ. Butmost people in our congregationsdon’t raise theological issues the waywe do in academic classro o m s .Rather than posing an abstract ques-tion like: What is the nature of orig-inal sin? most folks are likely to ask,Why is it that I’m unable to stopdoing what I know is bad for me? or,Why is it that the people we lovemost are most resistant to our help?or, Why does Murphy’s Law seemmore potent than the Golden Ruleamong most of the people I know?

Ha r ry Emerson Fosdick wasright when he said that nobodycomes to church with the burningdesire to find out whatever hap-pened to the Jebusites. But we docome to church wondering whatev-er happened to the joy I once tookin knowing that God loves me with-out condition? Whatever happenedto that relationship with my daugh-ter or son, husband or wife that once


nourished me and now is bitter asgall? W h a t e ver happened to theconcern I once felt for the needs ofothers? Whatever happened to thecourage I once took for granted tosimply do the right thing? Our goalis to place students in the real prac-tice of ministry under the supervi-sion of experienced, we l l - t r a i n e dpastors so that they can learn the fulldimensions of theological reflectionon the life of congregations.

Austin Seminary is committedto the preparation of men andwomen for leadership in the church.Which means we have failed in ourwork if we merely prepare people tobe good students. That’s why themotto of our SPM program is:When the church becomes the class-room, the learning never ends. Everymember of our seminary faculty iscommitted to this vision of helpingour students learn to become life-long learners in the context of thechurch. If the academic classroom isthe only place they know how tolearn, then their learning stopswhen they put down their pens onthe last day of the last examinationof the last class. But if our studentslearn that the primary place of dis-covery is the congregation, com-mencement is just the beginning.

This philosophy of theologicaleducation is grounded in a verycommon-sense understanding. Theprincipal site of pastoral formationis the church. Seminary plays a cru-cial role in the church’s work of pas-toral formation, providing criticaltheological training in the core dis-ciplines of ministry. But the fulleducation of pastors and otherchurch leaders happens in our con-gregations over a lifetime. It is ourintention that all students whograduate from Austin Seminary areready upon graduation for the nextstage in their education. u

$470,000 grantto fund Hispanicministry

The Teagle Foundation of NewYork has agreed to fund a coop-

erative initiative to Austin Seminaryand its neighboring theologicalinstitutions, the Ep i s c o p a lTheological Se m i n a ry of theSo u t h west and the Lu t h e r a nSeminary Program in the Southwest(a program of Wartburg TheologicalSeminary). This $470,000 grant isg i ven under the Fo u n d a t i o n’sC o l l a b o r a t i ve Ve n t u res pro g r a m ,and will be used to develop an ecu-menical center for Hispanic theo-logical education and ministry,housed at Austin Seminary.

With its Lutheran and Episco-pal partners, Austin Seminary willdevelop, staff, and fund the activi-ties of the center, leading to eveng reater collaboration and furt h e rjoint programming by the consor-tium of Austin seminaries. The goalis outlined in three phases: an initialphase of assessment and programd e velopment; a second phaseincluding a business plan, curricu-lum, course offerings, and market-ing strategies; and a final phase ofprogram implementation and cam-pus networking.

“This generous grant by theTeagle Foundation enables us andour neighbor institutions to lay afoundation upon which to con-s t ruct programs for the grow i n gHispanic constituency in theUnited States and particularly in theSouthwest,” said President RobertM. Shelton. “Such programs willbenefit all three seminaries as theyseek to enhance and enrich theireducation of leaders for the churchin the 21st century.”

12

Steven Barnes of Sherman, Texas;single; PC(USA); employed byLacerte Software in Dallas, Texas

Janice Brown of Austin, Texas;married with two children;PC(USA); seeking a church-relatedposition in Austin

János Hunyadi of Kunmadaras,Hungary; single; Reformed Churchin Hungary; returning to Hungaryto seek a call as a solo pastor

Dwayne Jones of Austin, Texas;married with two children; Churchof God; pastor, Paraclete MinistriesInc., Round Rock, Texas

Seung-Jin Lee of Austin, Texas;married; PC(USA); pursuing aClinical Pastoral Education pro-gram in Pasadena, California

Melissa (Man-Hong) Lin ofNanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China; mar-ried with one child; returning toposition as assistant director of theChina Christian Council

Janice Spence-Huntsinger ofAustin, Texas; married; BaptistChurch; pursuing a non-ordainedchurch position

Sue White of Austin, Texas; mar-ried; UMC; pastor, Parker LaneUnited Methodist Church, Austin,Texas

Jesse Alexander of Panama City,Florida; married with two children;PC(USA); seeking a call as a solo orassociate pastor, preferably in asouthern state

Jan Baldwin of Salado, Texas; mar-ried; UMC; associate pastor,Colleyville United MethodistChurch, Colleyville, Texas

Mark Brechin of Yorktown, Texas;married; UMC; pastor, SomersetUnited Methodist Church,Somerset, Texas

John Curtiss of Alliance,Nebraska; married; PC(USA); seek-ing a call as a pastor or hospitalchaplain near Auburn, Alabama

Elsie Ferguson of San Antonio,Texas; single; UMC; pastor, WesleyUnited Methodist Church, SanAngelo, Texas

Joe Fletcher of Fort Worth, Texas;single; UMC; director of youthministries, University UnitedMethodist Church, Austin, Texas

Miranda Fontaine of Austin,Texas; single with two children;PC(USA); associate pastor, St.Philip Presbyterian Church,Houston, Texas

John Gage of Austin, Texas; single;UCC; associate pastor, UnitedChurch on the Green, New Haven,Connecticut

THE CLASS OF 2000


Ernie Gardner of Dallas, Texas;single; PC(USA); pendingcompletion of ordination process,will seek a call as a solo or associatepastor

John Gruel of Edmond,Oklahoma; married with two chil-dren; PC(USA); in conversationwith a church in Oklahoma

Dana Hamilton of Gonzales,Texas; married with one child;UMC; associate pastor, NorthwestHills United Methodist Church,Austin, Texas

Chris Harrison of Tyler, Texas;married with two children;PC(USA); seeking a call as a solopastor in central Texas

Raymond Hillis of Houston,Texas; married with two children;Missionary Baptist; pastor,Progressive Missionary BaptistChurch, Houston, Texas

Kevin Holley of Oklahoma City,Oklahoma; married; PC(USA);seeking a call as a solo or associatepastor in a suburban area

Suzanne Isaacs of Converse, Texas,married; UMC; pastor, BethanyUnited Methodist Church,San Antonio, Texas

Elaine Johnson of Tulsa,Oklahoma; married with two chil-dren; PC(USA); in serious conver-sation with several churches

Deborah Jones of Temple, Texas;married; Disciples of Christ; familyminister, First Christian Church,Temple, Texas

Anni Judkins of New Braunfels,Texas; married with three children;Independent Interdenominational;entering Ph.D. program in biblicalstudies, Baylor University

Linda Kessie of Bristol,Connecticut; married; UMC; asso-ciate pastor, St. John’s UnitedMethodist Church, Austin, Texas

Dave Larkin of Upper Darby,Pennsylvania; married; PC(USA);seeking a call as a solo or associatepastor on the east coast

Debra Latture of Saint Petersburg,Florida; married with one child;PC(USA); in conversation with sev-eral churches

Fawn Lawrence of GrandJunction, Colorado; married;PC(USA); seeking temporaryemployment in Austin for one year,before seeking a call as a solo orassociate pastor

James Lee of Plano, Texas; marriedwith two children; PC(USA); pend-ing completion of ordinationprocess, will seek a call as a solo orassociate pastor

Peter Lee of Madison, Wisconsin;married with two children;PC(USA); in conversation with aKorean Presbyterian church in cen-tral Texas for an associate position

14

Rob McClelland of Arlington,Texas; married; PC(USA); seekinga call as an associate pastor foryouth or college ministry

Ceil McKinney of Goliad, Texas;married; UMC; pastor, DewvilleUnited Methodist Church,Dewville, Texas, and First UnitedMethodist Church, Nixon, Texas

Regina Maas of Austin, Texas;married; PC(USA); seeking a callas an associate pastor for families,youth, and/or children

Clint Regen of Baton Rouge,Louisiana; married with one child;PC(USA); seeking a call as solo orassociate pastor in the southernUnited States

Enid Ross of Glens Falls, NewYork; married with three children;UCC; fulfilling ordination require-ments

Josh Rowley of Camas,Washington; married; PC(USA); inserious conversation with severalchurches

Valerie Sansing of Austin, Texas;married with two children; UMC;associate pastor, Bethany UnitedMethodist Church, Austin, Texas

Jackie Saxon of Austin, Texas; sin-gle; American Baptist Church;associate pastor, University BaptistChurch, Austin, Texas

Paul Sink of Raleigh, NorthCarolina; married with one child;PC(USA); director of youth min-istries, First Presbyterian Church,Statesville, North Carolina

Stuart Smith of Dallas, Texas; mar-ried; PC(USA): pending comple-tion of ordination process, will seeka call as an associate pastor foryouth

Byoung-Mun Sohn of Austin,Texas; married with one child;PC(USA); seeking a call as a pastorin Seoul, Korea

Phillip Steinbach of San Antonio,Texas; married with one child;UMC; pastor, First UnitedMethodist Church, Mertzon, Texas,and Christoval United MethodistChurch

Jim Wallace of Tyler, Texas; mar-ried; PC(USA); pastor,Westminster Presbyterian Church,Abilene, Texas

Rich Wepfer of Irving, Texas; sin-gle; PC(USA); pastor, FirstPresbyterian Church, Clinton,Missouri

Leonard Wideman of Houston,Texas; married with two children;PC(USA); pastor, First PresbyterianChurch, Eldorado, Texas

THE CLASS OF 2000

Key to Master of Arts and Master of Divinityentries: graduate’s name and hometown; maritalstatus; denomination; first call / placement orfuture plans. Key to Doctor of Ministry entries:name, current position; title of doctoral project.


Robyn Stivers Abel, pastor,Iroquois Presbyterian Church,Louisville, Kentucky; “Men,Religion, and the Quest forWholeness”

William Christman, pastor, FirstPresbyterian Church, Joplin, Mis-souri; “The Paralysis of Presbyteri-anism: How the Standards of theScottish Covenanters have Shapedthe Presbyterian Churches andtsheir Ministry Today”

Michael W. Ensrude, pastor, ZionLutheran Church, Fredricksburg,Texas; “The Church’s OneFoundation: Embracing aDecentering God”

Gary Paul Goodman, pastor,Community Presbyterian Church,Neptune Beach, Florida; “NarrativeFirst Person Sermons: Witnesses tothe Week of Passion”

D. Richard Hollingsworth, pastorBraeside United Church, Braeside,Ontario, Canada; “Great LakesRural Culture”

Charles C. Martin Sr., pastor,Union Missionary Baptist Church,Cedar Hill, Texas; “RethinkingPastoral Care with AfricanAmericans: Pastoral Care withAfrican Americans amid ContextualChange”

Ann Pennington, chaplain,Regis/St. Elizabeth Centers, Waco,Texas; “A Teaching Model for Hopeand Spiritual Development inSenior Adults”

Lawrence Lee Porter Jr., pastor,Community Presbyterian Church,Forsyth, Missouri; “The Use ofNarrative in Relational Faith-Sharing Evangelism”

Dale Alan Schultz, pastor, FirstUnited Methodist Church, Mexia,Texas; “A Method for Preaching thePsalms”

Carlton W. Utley, pastor, FirstPresbyterian Church, Hastings,Nebraska; “Household Worship:Life after the Benediction”

Aug. 7-11 “Human Growth andDevelopment”

Sep. 14-17 Immersion Weekend / CSFSep. 18-19 “The Art of Asking”Sep. 24-29 “Introduction to Spiritual

Guidance” / CSFOct. 2-4 “A Pastoral Theology of Anger”Oct. 5 “Advent Lessons”Oct. 11 “Present Your Body, A Living

Sacrifice”Oct. 12-15 “Old Testament Wisdom” / CSFOct. 15-18 “Educational Leadership in the

Ministry of the Congregation”

Oct. 22-27 Immersion Week / CSFJan. 2-5 “Religious Education Theory and

Practice”Feb. 1-4 Immersion Weekend / CSFFeb. 8 “Lenten Lessons”Feb. 11-16 Immersion Week / CSFMar. 4-9 “Spirituality for the Fiery Furnace

and the Lion’s Den: Daniel” / CSFApr. 2-4 “Faithful Worship, Faithful Living”Apr. 16-18 “Intertextuality: The Bible is Full

of Itself ”Apr. 26-29 “Spiritual Theology” / CSF

CSF = Certificate in Spiritual Formation

2000-2001 Continuing Education Schedule

New trustees namedAustin Seminary’s Board of Trusteeselected two new members during itsspring meeting. La Unah “Una” S.Cuffy is a business project managerat USAA in San Antonio. Withundergraduate and graduate degreesin management from GreensboroCollege and Chapman University,she is an experienced leader in thehighly specialized field of changemanagement. Cuffy served onactive duty as an Air Force officerfor ten years and is currently servingin the Air Force reserves. She has atotal of nineteen years in the AirForce, working primarily in the areaof public affairs and marketing. Sheis a member of New Br a u n f e l sPresbyterian Church. Cuffy is mar-ried to Michael Glenn and they areparents to a son, Connor.

General Ro b e rt T. He r re s,USAF (Ret.) is chairman and CEOof USAA. He retired in 1990 fromthe Air Force as Vice Chairman ofthe Joint Chiefs of Staff. He s e rve son the board of trustees of Tr i n i t yUn i versity and the Na t i o n a lExe c u t i ve Board of the Boy Scoutsof America. He is a member of Fi r s tPre s byterian Church, San Antonio,whose pastor, Louis Zbinden, ischair of Austin Se minary’s Board ofTrustees.

We believe . . .Daniel Bonevac engaged the com-munity in lively discussion with histheme, “Believing in Miracles,” forthe fifth annual George S. Heyer Jr.Lecture, Wednesday, April 19.

Bonevac, professor and chair ofthe Department of Philosophy atThe University of Texas at Austin, isthe author of Simple Logic andReduction in the Abstract Sciences.He is a member of First PresbyterianChurch, Austin.

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Austin Se m i n a ry’s commence-ment ceremonies for the Class

of 2000 tested the limits ofUn i versity Pre s byterian Churc h’sn ewly re n ovated sanctuary. OnSu n d a y, May 21, the cave r n o u sspace was filled beyond capacity—with caps, gowns, hopes, dreams,p r a yers of thanksgiving, sighs ofrelief, thunderous applause, and thejubilant strains of “Lift High theCross.”

A crowd of approximately eighthundred was on hand to celebratewith the fifty-seven graduates: eightreceiving the Master of Arts degree;thirty-nine, the Master of Divinity;and ten, the Doctor of Ministry.Austin Seminary alumnus and wellk n own Pre s byterian leader Fr a n kDiaz (MDiv’82) delivered the com-mencement address, “Attitude isEverything.” Louis H. Zbinden Jr.,chair of the Austin Seminary Boardof Trustees, presided and was assist-ed by Academic Dean J. AndrewDe a rm a n in the conferring ofdegrees.

Three students rose above thesea of pomp and circumstance toreceive special honors: the RachelHenderlite Award for contributionsto campus diversity and understand-ing was granted to Suzanne FloyIsaacs; the John B. Spragens Awardfor further study in ChristianEducation was given to R i c h a rd

William Wepfer; and the Charles L.King Preaching Award was grantedto John Ragen Gage.

The commencement exe rc i s e salso set the stage for academicannouncements by Austin SeminaryPresident Robert M. Shelton. Dr.Shelton related the follow i n gactions of the board of trustees: togrant tenure to Professors StanleyR. Hall and Michael Jinkins; topromote Drs. Cynthia L. Rigbyand Sherron Kay George to therank of associate professor; to reap-point Professors Christine E. Blairand Kathryn L. Roberts for five-and three-year terms, respectively;to affirm the appointments of Drs.Michael N. Miller and C. EllisNelson as research professors; tochange William N.A. Greenway’stitle to assistant professor of philo-sophical theology; and to approve asix-month sabbatical for ProfessorStephen Breck Reid.

On the eve of the commence-ment ceremony, Saturday, May 20,a baccalaureate service was held atHope Presbyterian Church. Hostedby the senior pastor, Rev. Fred Mor-gan (MDiv’71), the service featureda meditation on “Integrity andWholeness: The Ma rks of Be i n gC o m m i s s i o n e d” by Pro f e s s o rIsmael García and the Eucharist,celebrated by Dr. Stanley R. Hall.

2000 Commencement swells theranks of church leadership


Following in the footsteps of suchluminaries as C. Ellis Nelson

and Rachel Henderlite, Dr. LauraBrooking Lewis was inaugurated tothe position of full professor ofChristian education at Au s t i nSe m i n a ry on April 12. Pro f e s s o rLewis has been a member of theAustin Seminary faculty since 1982.The native Texan earned her under-graduate degree in English andspeech from The University of Texas(UT) at Austin, the M.Div. fromAustin Seminary, the M.A. fromPre s byterian School of ChristianEducation, and the Ph.D. from UT.

Professor Lew i s’s addre s s ,“Rethinking Confirmation,” exam-ined the church’s preparation of itschildren for confirmation and whatfollows that experience. Reflectingon Ephesians 4:1-7, Lewis relatedthe passage to children and youth,noting that children posess uniquegifts for ministry which must be dis-cerned and celebrated. Citing statis-tics of denominational membershiploss—caused, in part, by yo u n gmembers leaving the church shortlyafter confirmation—Lewis exhortedthe church to look for ways to makethe process of living into their con-firmation vows more meaningful foryouth.

According to Lewis, the timebetween Baptism and confirmation

is a time for pre p a r a t i o n — a nopportunity to lay a solid founda-tion for understanding the church’sconfessions. As children grow, Lewisasserted, the church must find newways to include them in worshipand service events, “nurturing themt ow a rd a sense of vo c a t i o n . ”Following confirmation, membersof the congregation should supportthese young members, helping themdiscern fitting opportunities tobecome active members in the lifeof the church.

Prior to her appointment toAustin Seminary, Dr. Lewis servedas an associate pastor at Ho p ePre s byterian Church in Au s t i n ,Texas, and as director of Christianeducation at First Pre s by t e r i a nC h u rch in Sa l i s b u ry, No rt hC a rolina. Professor Lewis was amember of the Special Committeeto Write a New Catechism for thePresbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Shehas contributed to many scholarlytexts, including The Pa s t o r’s andEducator’s Guide for “Belonging toGod: A First Catechism.”

Se m i n a ry trustee Ma rv i nGriffin presided over the service ofinauguration and Professor RalphUnderwood gave the charge to Dr.L ewis. Lewis and her husband,Robert E. Lewis, have two daugh-ters: Nancy and Kate.

Lewis is full professor ofChristian education

Professor Lewis iscongratulated bylong-time colleagueSeminary PresidentRobert Shelton.

COMMUNITY NEWS

“ Twas the night beforeEaster . . .” Minglingancient Christian traditionwith contemporary movementsin liturgical art and music, theAustin Seminary communitymarked the eve of Easter withits annual celebration ofChrist’s resurrection. SherronGeorge led the reaffirmation ofBaptism, Stanley Hall presidedat Communion, and MichaelJinkins preached.

TRANSITIONSLinda Cu n n i n g h a m, administra-tive assistant to the president, hasbeen promoted to the position ofexecutive assistant to the president,effective July 1. Cunningham hasserved in the Office of the Presidentsince 1978.

Willie Alexander, who worked onthe Seminary maintenance staff fornearly three decades, died on June 2.

Bu rnett B. Ro b e rt s, an Au s t i nSeminary trustee from 1980 until1988, died in November inLevelland, Texas.

18

IN BRIEF

Associate Professor of Churc hHistory Ellen Babinsky led a work-shop at the Oasis 2000 Conferenceon Reformed Spirituality in Atlanta,Georgia, February 28-March 2.

Tina Blair has been elected presi-dent of the Association of Doctor of

Ministry Education. She will chair aresearch group which will engage ina major study of D.Min. programsin the U.S. and Canada.

In July, Academic Dean AndrewDearman begins a six-month sab-batical. This summer he will attend

Carol Antablin Miles has received anappointment to the position of assis-

tant professor of homiletics following thecompletion of her doctoral work at PrincetonTheological Seminary.

Dr. Miles was awarded the Ph.D. in theology andcommunication in preaching on May 15, 2000. Her dissertation was titled“Proclaiming the Gospel of God: The Promise of a Literary-TheologicalHermeneutical Approach for Christian Preaching of the Old Testament.”While a student at Princeton, Miles was awarded a Princeton DoctoralFellowship and received both the Edward Howell Roberts Scholarship inPreaching and the Frederick Neumann Prize for Excellence in Greek andHebrew.

Miles has served on the faculty of Austin Seminary since the fall of 1999.Her enthusiasm for Christian preaching of Old Testament texts has energizedher students. “She combines just the right amounts of assurance and chal-lenge,” says Brett Van Veldhuizen, middler from Harrison, Arkansas, “so thather students end up with a deep respect for the job of preaching and a desireto do it well.”

Professor Miles brings to her vocation parish experience on both coasts,having served churches in California, New Jersey, and New York. She is a reg-ular supply preacher, retreat speaker, and teacher of adult Christian educa-tion. Miles was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) onMarch 19 at First Presbyterian Church, Berkeley, California. Her husband,the Reverend David Miles, who is the Seminary’s interim pastor to the com-munity and dean of student life, preached and Professor Scott BlackJohnston gave the charge.

The Miles’s two sons, Ethan, 4, and Samuel, 2, were on hand for theirmother’s graduation, with cheers of “Way to go, Mommy!” ringing out inPrinceton’s Miller Chapel.

FACULTY NEWSthe International Meeting of theSociety of Biblical Literature inCapetown, South Africa, and teacha two-week course at South Africa’sUniversity of Stellenbosch. ProfessorLaura Lewis will be acting academ-ic dean in Dearman’s absence.

Sherron George will be teaching“Introduction to the New Testamentas a Mi s s i o n a ry Do c u m e n t” thissummer at the Lithuania ChristianCollege in Klaipeda, Lithuania, theonly Christian liberal arts college incentral and eastern Europe.

Timothy Lincoln, director of theStitt Library, has been awarded agrant from the Wabash Center forTeaching and Learning in Theologyand Religion. Lincoln will use thefunds during his study leave in 2001to explore user training in threes e m i n a ry libraries with a viewtoward identifying common prac-tices and problem areas.

Michael Miller, research professorin the church and higher education,will deliver the sermon and presideover the Eucharist at the November2000 meeting of the Synod of theSun. The meeting will be at TrinityPre s byterian Church in Fl owe rMound, Texas, November 9-11.

Terry Muck has resigned from thefaculty of Austin Seminary. On June30, he will marry Frances Adeneyand move to W ilmore, Kentucky,where he has accepted a position onthe faculty of Asbury Seminary.

Cynthia Rigby, associate professorof theology, has been ordained tothe Ministry of Word and Sacra-ment. The service was held on June4 at the Lawrence Road PresbyterianChurch in Lawrenceville, New Jer-sey, where she served on the staffprior to her teaching position atAustin Seminary.

Carol Milesappointed asassistant professorof homiletics

Evans resigns to serve PC(USA) FoundationAfter sixteen years of faithful and dedicated service to Austin Seminary, theReverend John Evans has resigned as vice president for development andchurch relations to accept a position as regional development officer for thePresbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation.

A 1968 graduate of Austin Seminary, Evans returned to the institution in1984 to become the Seminary’s director of vocation and admissions. In 1991,he accepted a call to direct the Office of Development and Church Relationsas vice president. He was a recipient of the 2000 ASA Award for Service.

In response to Evans’s resignation, President Shelton offered these wordsof consolation and celebration: “As much as we all deeply regret John’s leav-ing, we give thanks to God for all that he has meant and means to each of uspersonally and as a colleague. For many he will always ‘be Austin Seminary.’”

The Presbyterian Foundation receives and administers gifts from individ-uals, as well as manages funds for Presbyterian churches and organizations.Evans is no stranger to the Foundation, having served as chair of that body’sdevelopment committee and on its board of trustees. In 1998 and 1999 heserved as vice-chair and chair, respectively, of the Foundation Board. Evans’sresignation is effective June 30, 2000; he plans to begin his new work with thePC(USA) Foundation thereafter, from an office in Austin.


DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Kubatzky tapped forvice presidency

The Austin Seminary Board ofTrustees has elected Timothy

A. Kubatzky to serve as vice presi-dent for institutional advancement,e f f e c t i ve July 1, 2000. Je ro l d“ Je r ry” Sh e t l e r will become theSeminary’s vice president for churchrelations and planned giving.

Kubatzky comes to theSe m i n a ry from So u t h we s t e r nUniversity where he has been associ-ate vice president for developmentsince 1995. Kubatzky brings awealth of experience in higher edu-cation fund raising, having previous-ly served in the administrations ofRice University and the Universityof Houston system.

During his tenure at Southwest-ern, Kubatzky was responsible forraising annual, endowment, andcapital gifts. Southwestern boasts anendowment of more than $340 mil-lion, one of the highest endowmentsper student in the nation. Kubatzkywas strategically involved in South-western’s recent successful $92 mil-lion campaign.

A graduate of the University ofMissouri-Columbia, Kubatzky hasearned certification from theNational Society of Fund RaisingExecutives and the Conrad Te i t e l lPlanned Giving Institute. He is anelder at First Pre s byterian Churc h ,Ge o r g e t own, Texas. “Tim served onour session and been a faithful mem-ber of our church for many ye a r s , ”says Michael Ro b e rts ( D Mi n’ 9 6 ) ,pastor of First Pre s byterian Churc h ,Ge o r g e t own. “He is a cre a t i ve per-son, a compassionate leader, and aw o n d e rful communicator. ”

Kubatzky is married toKatherine Kerr and they are parentsto three sons: Core y, Erin, andLindsay.

Austin Se m i n a ry alumni/aeresponded enthusiastically to the$30,000 alum challenge to fund theC. Ellis and Nancy Gribble NelsonChair of Christian Education. Thegoal has been met, with more than$31,000 re c e i ved in gifts andpledges since the challenge wasextended during Mi d w i n t e r

Lectures in February. To date, morethan $112,000 has been pledgedtoward the chair by alums.

If you would like further infor-mation about the Nelson Chair orother giving opportunities at AustinSe m i n a ry, contact the Office ofInstitutional Advancement at 512-472-6736.

Alums embrace Nelson challenge

Synod of the Sun Executive Judy Fletcher gave John Evans a loving tribute when he washonored at a dinner for the trustees.

And the winner will be ...The Austin Seminary Association isseeking nominations for the 2001ASA Awards for Service. If there isan Austin Seminary alumnus/a youwish to nominate, please write a let-ter of recommendation describinghis or her distinguished service tothe Seminary or the church andmail it to Jerry Shetler, vice presi-dent for church relations andplanned giving. ASA Board mem-bers serving on this year’s awardscommittee are: Judy Fl e t c h e r( M Di v’69), Trudy Mo r p h e w( M Di v’98), and Thomas Re i d(MDiv’86). Winners of the awardwill be honored at the association’sAnnual Banquet and Meeting afterMidwinter Lectures, Ja n u a ry 31,2001.

Mark your calendarGraduates from the classes of 1961and 1991 are invited to gather forreunion events during MidwinterL e c t u res, Ja n u a ry 29-31, 2001.Robert Jenson, professor of religionemeritus at St. Olaf College, andDorothy Bass, professor of theologyat Valparaiso University and authorof Practicing Our Faith, will be thelecturers.

CLASS NOTES1970sRobert D. Lively (MDiv’73,DMin’79) has written a book,Psalm 23: God’s Prescription for OurPain, to be published byMorehouse Publishing and releasedlater this year. One hundred per-cent of the proceeds from this bookwill go to support work withabused children through CASA ofTravis County in Texas.

James A. Ryan Jr. (MDiv’76) hasbeen named chief of chaplain serv-ices for the Central ArkansasVeterans Healthcare System inLittle Rock, Arkansas. He hasserved as a staff chaplain with theVA since 1991.

Theodore V. Foote (MDiv’79) andAlexander P. Thornburg(MDiv’90) have co-authored abook, Being Presbyterian in theBible Belt—a “theological survivalguide” for youth, parents, andother confused Presbyterians. Theeasy-to-understand, slightly irrever-ent approach to theology is avail-able through Geneva Press,Louisville, Kentucky.

James D. Rigby (MDiv’79,DMin’79) received the “Championof Social Change Award” from theTexas Association Against SexualAssault at ceremonies in May.

20

ALUMNI/AE NEWS

Musician, scholar, and directorof the University of Cambridge’s

“Theology Through the Arts”program Jeremy Begbie

captivates a forum audiencewith a musical analogy for the

Trinity. During his March visitto Austin, Begbie also conducted

a seminar for the faculty of thePresbyterian and Episcopal

seminaries on the specialcontributions of the creative arts

to the study of theology.

N E C RO LO G Y

William J. Fogleman(MDiv’53) Wimberley, Texas,May 24, 2000.

David T. Evans Jr. (MDiv’56,ThM’62) Irvine, California,December 31, 1999.

Janis Smith (MDiv’86)Austin, Texas, March 5, 2000.

B I RT H S

To Susan and Brent A. Barry (MDiv’94) a son, Ian Russell, March 14,2000.

To Katie and Baron E. Eliason (MDiv’96) a daughter, Lily Marie,November 19, 1999.

To Marcie Dameron Brown (MDiv’98) and Toby L. Brown (S,Oklahoma City) a daughter, Margaret Michelle, February 25, 2000.

To Debra and Stuart R. Smith (MDiv’00) a son, Hayden Phillips,March 19, 2000.

1990sLaura S. Mendenhall (DMin’97)was awarded an honorary Doctorof Divinity degree from her almamater, Austin College, during com-mencement exercises in May.

Our corner

One of my earliest childhood memories [ofAustin Se m i n a ry in the 1920s] was going ove r

to Lubbock Hall to visit with the two women whoc o o k e d — Ada and Lottie. My sister, Bi p p y, and Iwe re allowed to fold the paper napkins for the sup-per table as we sat at a long work table by a southw i n d ow. We thought this was a great privilege ande n j oyed talking with Ada and Lottie. The dininghall had a long porch across the south side, wheret h e re was always a game of “f o rt y - t w o” in pro g re s s .Mrs. S. C. Leake and her cousin, Mrs. T h o m a sGreen, we re in charge of the dining hall; they live din an apartment built for them in that building.

One of the more colorful characters on thecampus was Mu n roe, who functioned as custodianand general handyman. He lived in a couple ofrooms in the basement of Sampson Hall. On coldmornings he came to build a fire in our coal furnacein the basement. On Christmas mornings he alwaysa p p e a red at our back door; when his knock wasa n s we red, he would say—with a huge grin—“Christmas Gift!” Andthat was Da d d y’s signal tobring out the gift he hadfor Mu n roe, usually smallitems of clothing and somem o n e y.

At one time Da d d y[ Professor Ro b e rt F.Gribble] decided to raisesheep on the lower area below the houses—wherethe Smoot Cottage is today. He thought they couldbe used to “m ow the lawns” and save some money.He found out through sad experience that the bigd e t e r rent to raising sheep in town was raids by dogs,who could get through any fence he could ere c t .One of my early memories is of being waked in thenight by the noise of the barking dogs and thesound of Daddy rushing down the stairs on his wayto the sheep pen to fend off the dogs. The sheepwould never try to defend themselves or escape theattacks, and Da d d y’s conclusion was that the onlything stupider than a sheep was a man who wouldt ry to raise them. He did get at least one “c ro p” ofwool: I have a blanket made from some of that wool!

The Nelsons recall . . .On Tuesday night, “student preaching” was

held in the dining hall; the tables were pushed backand the chairs were arranged in rows with a lecternin front. A piano was in the room, and the eventwould be much like a church service. The facultysat on the front row, and after the service they gavetheir critiques of the sermon. It was often Dr.Summey’s custom to invite some students to hisapartment after the service. He served very thickand bitter Louisiana coffee and very rich fruitcake.The students often “watered” the flower pots withthe coffee or quietly unlatched the window screenand poured the coffee on the shrubs below.

One year when the students were weary fromexams, a few of them went downtown to one of thesecond-hand stores on Red River Street and boughta large, metal, white-painted statue of the Greekgoddess Minerva. It was at least 6 feet tall. Theysomehow got it set up on the campus and put a signaround its neck with these words in Hebrew:

“Much learning is a weariness tothe flesh.” When Daddy saw it, hepaid no attention to the statue butcorrected the Hebrew words!

—Nancy Gribble Nelson

During the 1949-50 schoolyear when I was the director

of “field work,” we had a problemlocating enough churches for stu-dents to gain pastoral experience.

Because one student, Leslie Webb, owned a smallplane, we worked out a plan to fly students onweekends to north Louisiana and southernArkansas where some churches needed supply pas-tors. The pilots of our “Gospel Airlift” we reSeminary students, veterans of WWII.

On one flight the pilot decided on the returntrip to land in a little-used air strip in northwestAustin. Bringing the plane down where there wasno airport, clearing a fence, and bouncing aroundon a dirt runway was rather traumatic. When thepilot asked the student preacher how he liked hisfirst trip on the “Gospel Airlift,” he said, “It cer-tainly improved my devotional life!”

—C. Ellis Nelson

We’re collecting memories of APTS. Please send yours to Windows, 100 E. 27th Street, Austin, TX 78705.

Melissa Lin

WINDOWSAustin Presbyterian Theological Seminary100 East 27th Street, Austin, Texas 78705-5797

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It’s all smiles at Austin Seminary’s 2000 CommencementAnn Pennington, Larry Porter, and Michael Ensrude

Cindy Rigby

Nebraskans John Curtiss and Carl Utley

Anni Judkins and John Alsup

János HunyadiElsie Ferguson

Summer 2000

windows summer 00

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