Student Stories: Paul Ortiz

Home state: California

Home church: Urban Village Church, Chicago, Illinois

Degree program: Master of Divinity

Formative experiences: My earliest memories of church life are in little storefront buildings located in the California barrios where I grew up. Growing up in the Hispanic/Latino(a) Pentecostal tradition, the songs we sang and the sermons I heard were mostly in Spanish, and as a result the theology was often in Spanish, too. By this I mean that I was presented with a God that was involved with the struggles of the poor Hispanic families of my childhood congregations. My journey since has taken me to non-denominationalchurches and recently to The United Methodist Church.

Experiences at Garrett-Evangelical: I have found Garrett-Evangelical to be theologically progressive and evangelical at the same time. This combination is important to me. I believe that the future of the church is a blend of the passionate spirit of the Evangelical Church along with the bigger theological outlook that often categorizes mainline Protestantism.

Plans for the future: I have been part of Urban Village Church since 2010 and was a church planting intern for over a year. I have recently transitioned to student pastor at a bilingual United Methodist Church, El Redentor Del Calvario/Redeemer of Calvary. I dream about church planting in Hispanic/Latino(a) neighborhoods and experimenting with new ways of doing church. Many Hispanic/Latino(a) people from my generation identify as religious “nones.” I desire to minister to those whom have been disillusioned or even hurt by the church.

Class of 1963 Memory Book

On the eve of Garrett-Evangelical’s 156^th Commencement, the classes of 1963 from Evangelical Theological Seminary (ETS) and Garrett Theological Seminary (GTS) returned to their alma mater.  As they do, memories from a previous era are sure to follow. Such was an era of typewriters, not computers; community phones, not iPhones; and chalkboards, not projection screens. In those days, the Garrett Tower housed a basketball court, ETS was a seminary of the Evangelical United Brethren Church located in Naperville, and Lake Michigan was a stone’s throw from the Garrett dorms. The changes at Garrett-Evangelical are certainly numerable and if you see a 1963 graduate, you’ll be sure to hear about it!

The Class of 1963 connects us to the past, but they also connect us to the future. When they graduated, they entered a world where African Americans and Caucasian Americans were far from equal, where an ordained woman was a rarity, and where the United States was still reeling from the assassination of its president. Although their present seemed bleak, they went into the world as pastors, professors, missionaries, social activists, chaplains, entrepreneurs, and counselors. They ministered to multicultural congregations on the South Side of Chicago, soldiers in the war, hospital patients, and the oppressed citizens of South Korea.  In essence, they did what they could do to change the world around them.

The world in which the class of 2013 has entered is better because of the ministries of those from the class of 1963. When the graduates of 1963 anointed the class of 2013 in Senior Chapel, they passed on on the torch. There is a lot of uncertainty for the Class of 2013, but they too will go out as pastors, professors, missionaries, social activists, chaplains, entrepreneurs, and counselors.  They too will minister to diverse congregations, to the sick and dying, and to the oppressed and hopeless and in their own way, they will change the world around them.

What are you Reading? Part 3

In anticipation of summertime reading, we recently asked our faculty to tell us what they have been reading and the answers may surprise you! Throughout March and April we will be sharing their book recommendations on the seminary's blog.

This week's entry comes from Angela Cowser, Assistant Professor, The Sociology of Religion, and Director, The Center for the Church and the Black Experience (CBE)

Dr. Angela Cowser
Assistant Professor, The Sociology of Religion and Director, The Center for the Church and the Black Experience (CBE)

The book I’ve just finished reading is entitled How the Church Fails Businesspeople (and what can be done about it) by John C. Knapp.  Dr. Knapp is a former president of a corporate communication consulting firm and serves currently as University Professor and founding director of the Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership at Samford University.

The Problem

In this book, Knapp argues that the church has [through omission] largely failed Christians who struggle daily to live out their faith commitments in the workplace.  After interviewing 230 people nationwide [corporate CEOs and elected officials, barbers and bookkeepers, Catholics and Protestants, male and female] about how they experience work and church, two conclusions emerged:

• Those interviewed had little difficulty recalling ethical challenges encountered in their work lives
• An overwhelming majority of respondents reported that the church had done little or nothing to equip them for faithful living at work.

Knapp argues that church priorities in the US and other Western countries emphasize private faith and shy away from ministries that equip congregants for a robust public faith.  To wit, crucial questions about vocation and money are met, in many churches, with indifference, confusion, or even hostility [Knapp, 2012, xiii].  Believers confront a workplace moral terrain defined mostly by law and economics rather than theology, which leaves people to grapple with an uninspired ethical pragmatism that asks not what is pleasing to God but rather what will make financial gain possible.

The ways in which we dichotomize occupations into sacred and secular means that in congregations, people are presented with a hierarchy of occupations, with clergy and missionaries at the top, social workers, nurses and others in the helping professions in the middle, and the majority of Christians [everybody else] at the bottom.  While the callings of clergy folk are celebrated by the church, postal workers and salespersons’ callings, for example, are not.  Knapp argues that this theology elevates an  ecclesiastical elite while subtly devaluing the rest of the body [Knapp, 27].  Further, theological education typically does not equip students with a perspective on business and economics which in turn means that most pastors fail to more intentionally connect the dots between theology and the public lives of their members [Knapp, 38].

Because of the church’s implicit hierarchy of occupations, Christians are seldom encouraged to think of “secular” work as truly important to God.  And yet, the Reformers remind us that God places great value on work, not necessarily because it yields individual wealth or happiness, but because work (should) nourish life and prevent suffering [2 Thess. 3: 10-11]. For Calvin, work is not merely a means to survival but is a service to God in the ongoing process of creating and ordering the world.

Some Answers

The practical application of Micah 6:8 can powerfully shape individual workplace practice.  To do justice in the workplace, Christians should be challenged “to ask questions about the human impact of their actions as workers, managers, consumers, and owners on their fellows” [Camenisch in Knapp, 103].  To love kindness means to emulate God by intervening on behalf of another, by loving kindness, by raising uncomfortable questions, and by embodying a workplace ethic that is generous, patient, and compassionate.  A humble spirit seeks wisdom and admits shortcomings, welcoming constructive input from others.

Many successful lay-led workplace ministries, born out of frustration with the church and its failure to respond to obvious need, have been created.  For example, Christian-based companies [e.g., Interstate Batteries, Allied Systems Holding, Covenant Transport], BAM-business as mission companies, workplace chaplains, and pastors meeting parishioners at their workplaces to learn more about their daily lives, are examples of a new movement forward.

Knapp ends his book with a powerful story.  In Topeka, Kansas, the Rev. Charles Sheldon [Central Congregational Church] preached a series of sermons that were published in 1896 as a novel [In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?].  What Pastor Sheldon and his congregation did was undertake a 1-year experiment to apply Christ’s teachings to everything they did, especially at work. Sheldon devoted 12 weeks to “practical sociological studies”, spending a week with a homeless person looking for work, attending classes at the community college, visiting the homes of African-Americans, living with railroad workers, and accompanying doctors on their rounds, among many other activities.  Sheldon emerged from his experiences “less inclined to judge men [sic] harshly or hastily.  I find myself constantly putting myself in the other man’s place, and the effect is to quicken my sensitiveness to the man’s actual needs” [Knapp, 148].  Sheldon learned valuable things and conveyed a sincere interest in his parishoners’ whole lives.  His preaching, teaching, and outreach changed, and his congregation grew.

But wait.  The impact of those 12 weeks of learning and accompaniment yielded greatly beyond anything Sheldon could even ask or imagine.  Upon learning that black children were behind their white peers in academic achievement, Sheldon established the first African American kindergarten west of the Mississippi in order to provide early childhood care and better education.  One graduate, Elisha Scott, went on to law school. Scott’s son, Charles Sheldon Scott, became a lawyer, who in 1954, was one of many attorneys who successfully argued the Brown vs. Board of Education case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Knapp ends by arguing that the faith community should foster discernment to understand our situations, to seek God’s will, and to take the best action; promote discourse about the difficult issues of work life; exert influence to bring about positive change on behalf of people harmed or neglected by the system; offer encouragement to beleaguered workers; and be an example of justice, love and humility so that the church itself models responsible workplace and financial practices.

Knapp's excellent scholarship has inspired me to draft a course outline on Radical Discipleship, perhaps create a team-taught course with a Kellogg School of Management professor, and help organize a wide-ranging Christian Vocations Fair here at Garrett-Evangelical.

What are you Reading? Part 2

In anticipation of summertime reading, we recently asked our faculty to tell us what they have been reading and the answers may surprise you! Throughout March and April we will be sharing their book recommendations on the seminary's blog.

This week's entry comes from Dwight Judy, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Formation, and Brent Waters, Stead Professor of Social Ethics and Director of the Stead Center of Ethics and Values.

Dr. Dwight Judy
Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Formation

In the midst of the present interest in Abraham Lincoln and the fine book Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, I recommend Gore Vidal’s, Lincoln: A Novel. I read Vidal’s Lincoln before slogging through Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. I think that Vidal’s “novel” holds up well in comparison with the painstaking documentation of Team of Rivals. I found Team of Rivals rather ponderous, as Goodwin weaves concurrent biographies of the key players of the time. If you’re looking for just one book, I recommend Gore Vidal’s for ease of reading about this very fascinating and important period of our nation’s history.

Dr. Brent Waters

Stead Professor of Social Ethics

Director of the Stead Center for Ethics and Values

Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe, by Robert Gellately. The subtitle says it all.

The Inklings, by Humphrey Carpenter. It recounts the informal club consisting of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and circle of Oxford friends that met, most often in the Eagle and Child (aka Bird and Baby) to discuss a range of literary, philosophical, and religious themes. Rough drafts of The Chronicles of Narnia and the Rings trilogy were circulated and discussed by this group.

The Green Knight, by Iris Murdoch. Her next to last novel that winds together rich religious symbolism in a suspenseful and humorous manner. As usual, an insightful inquiry into the roles of good and evil, love and hate, friendship and betrayal, in the shadowy existence called human life.

Why Coaching?

Rev. Jim Haun

“I’m not sure I want to do this for the rest of my life.” That was the answer of a clergywoman when asked why she wanted to work with a coach. She was an accomplished, well-regarded professional in her ministry, known locally and nationally as highly effective. Yet, she had questions about direction, commitment and fulfillment. Sooner or later, all clergy who “stay the course” face those questions.

Effectiveness in ministry is a goal clergy seek. But, success is seductive. The systems in which we work ask for more and we are tempted to comply, becoming involved in so much in so many ways that we lose touch with the essence of who we are and the reason why we responded to the Call.

This was the situation of the clergywoman who came for coaching. So, we talked about her vision for ministry, her values, her gifts and strengths. She began to realize that many of the tasks she was taking on were drawing her away from her center, draining her energy, and turning ministry into a burden. In coaching she found a safe place to articulate her frustrations and redesign her ministry around what she had to offer instead of what everyone else wanted her to do.

She remains in ministry today. It’s not the same, though. She is learning to focus on what she does best and raise up others to fill the inevitable leadership gaps in the system. She is learning to integrate who she is with what she does. She is learning that she has choices about what she will do for the rest of her life and is courageously stepping into her vision for it.

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Samaritan Interfaith Counseling Center have partnered to create and GPSS Leadership Coaching to help clergy and other leaders maximize their impact through exploring and expanding vision, unlocking potential and reaching desired goals with increased confidence, competency and commitment.

Coaching is a safe place where you can raise your own questions, explore options and begin to design a creative, proactive future. To connect with a coach trained in GPSS Leadership Coaching, or if you are interested in becoming a GPSS Certified Coach yourself, go to www.gpsscoaching.org or contact Jim Haun, Garrett-Evangelical’s Consultant for GPSS Coaching at james.haun@garrett.edu.

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Rev. Jim Haun is the Garrett-Evanelical Consultant for GPSS Coaching.

New Friends, New Insights

Classes have been underway for two weeks now and our students are already reflecting on their classes, chapel sermons, and their journey to seminary. First year, Master of Divinity student, Annie MacNeal, posted her reflections on a sermon by Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary's associate professor of church leadership, Rev. Dr. Mark Fowler, on her blog, Journey of Faith: Seminary, titled, "New Friends, New Insights."


Sometimes I sit back and I cannot believe I am actually in seminary...finally! I was sitting by the lake with one of my new closest friends yesterday, reading. I stopped for a minute and looked out onto Lake Michigan, at the city of Chicago, and at the waves crashing onto the shoreline. It took my breath away and I could not believe I was finally at Garrett after all of this time waiting to follow through on God's call for my life.

Today during chapel, the sermon preached by Dr. Mark Fowler made me think about another aspect of God's call that I had not really thought of before. He spoke about Moses and the burning bush and how Moses turned aside to listen to God. Dr. Fowler pointed out however, that this was not the whole story of Moses' call. In the few verses before this, people were broken and crying out for God, so THEN God called Moses to address the needs of these people and minister to them. His sermon went on to talk about how when we were called by God, it was because there were broken people crying out and God knew that we would be the right ones to minister to those people, wherever they are. When I think back to my call from God and my warmed heart experience with God, I knew that I wanted others to feel that same peace, warmth, and love. However, I had never thought about who these people were, what they looked like, where they were located, and what exactly they needed. God knows who they are and God knows that I will be able to minister to them. It is so strange to think about, but it is also so humbling.

Something I am truly thankful for since coming here are the amazing people I met: students, faculty, staff, and others outside Garrett-Evangelical. There were a lot of things I was worried about as I prepared to transition into seminary, but I thank God that God has put these specific people in my life. It might be strange to those of you who know me from other places besides seminary to be hearing how I have all these amazing friends already that I am really close to. I do not really know how to explain it, but I am extremely thankful for the fact that I have close friends. I guess it is a combination of having a strong belief in God, a calling to ministry, passion for the same things (social justice, helping others, ministry, etc), and just appreciation for being at Garrett that brings us all together. I pray that as we move forward on this journey together that our bond as friends becomes even stronger.

P.S. Classes are going really well too! I am not really a history person, but I loved my first history class last night on the early church. Old Testament is fascinating and I will have my first Christian as Citizen class at the Chicago Temple this Thursday night.

Do You Remember Why I Called You?

Starting my third year (and final - woo hoo!) of my Master of Divinity degree, I have heard about calling... a lot. Today I heard yet another sermon on calling from Rev. Dr. Mark Fowler of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. It really was a fantastic sermon but after three years in seminary, the word “call” almost becomes cliché when it is constantly brought up in sermons during chapel, when we dissect and analyze it during VFCL, and over and over again you get asked the “tell your call story.”

Don’t get me wrong, our call stories are incredibly important and at the church where I am doing my field education this year, we’re hoping to spend a lot of time looking at the intersection of vocation and faith through our preaching, small groups, and other areas within the life of the church. But as a person in ministry, especially as we trudge through the ordination process in our respective traditions, calling can be a huge pain.

Calling can be exhausting, frustrating, sometimes even disappointing. It often seems to go from this brilliant flash of light illuminating the path before us to a dark rain cloud making us wet and cold but always reminding us that it is there. Sometimes the longer it takes to fulfill that call (i.e. the longer it takes you to get ordained) the more annoying and frustrating calling can be… And God help you if you’re calling isn’t crystal clear and you see not one path in front of you, but many.

So back to chapel and the sermon. Dr. Fowler truly did preach a fantastic, powerful sermon on calling. Yet, for the first half of the sermon, all I could keep thinking in my head was, “Yes, I know I’m called. I’ve done the whole ‘Here, I am. Send me,’ business. God, could you tell me something I don’t know?”

You would think I would have learned by now never to ask questions/make demands of God…

All I know is that the next thing that popped into my mind was, “Do you remember why I called you?”

Clearly, God takes after my professors who love to answer questions with questions (or maybe vice versa?).

And so I sat there, in the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful, with the sun shining through the stained glass windows, surrounded by friends and fellow seminarians, a very impassioned sermon going on, and it was like everything faded away in that question.

Do you remember why I called you? 

Seminary has made me talk for so long about “what” I am called to or “when” I was called or “how” I was called but I don’t remember ever being asked “why,” why was I called. Why was I called at this time in my life? Why was I called to this thing or that thing? Why me?

Sure, we’ve talked about gifts and graces for ministry but I never found that those “spiritual gift inventories” to really be the “why” of calling – more of a justification for choosing to follow a calling.

Do you remember why I called you? 

As that question kept playing over and over in my head, I went back to all those moments where I felt called. The points of time in my life that I’ve written about in so many papers, told so many times to peers, professors, and mentors. I’ve talked about my love of the sacraments but God didn’t call me because I love the sacraments. I’ve talked about my gifts I've been told I have for preaching and teaching, but God didn’t call me because I can preach a good sermon and I can teach. Because really, those are things that have grown over time as I’ve 1) learned more about the sacraments and theology of the sacraments and 2) done more preaching and teaching to develop those skills.

It was during the pastoral prayer before communion that I remembered why. My calling, or at least that first nudge in the direction that would eventually lead me to this time and place in my life, came way back in high school, somewhere in the freshman year era. It was shortly after I had been asked to give my “testimony” at youth group. I didn’t know theology (or at least didn’t have the big words to articulate it), I barely knew the Bible, and I had only been actively attending church for less than a year. The only thing I had was a story of a truly hard-knock life and a story of how my life was better with God in it. From a preaching standpoint – it was a terrible sermon from the shaky, nervous delivery to zero exegesis – but those stories were why I was called.

 Do you remember why I called you? 

I was called because I had a story and more importantly, I had a story to share. A story of a girl who, to quote Rihanna (and this will never happen again), “found love in a hopeless place.” A story of a girl who discovered the transformative love of God for her and for all people and vowed to make sure everyone knew they were loved, both by her and by God. I was called because somehow God saw that despite having gone down a rocky road time and time again, I still had the capacity to love and that love for others and the love that I have experienced from God has continued to drive me ever since. That love helped me to slowly overcome my fear of public speaking so that I can give half-way decent sermons. That love drove me to Oklahoma City University for a BA in Religion, drove me to Garrett-Evangelical for an MDiv, and drives me to still pursue ordination. And that love has burned a story into my heart that, after all this academic study of the Bible, church history, church leadership, pastoral care, and years of deconstructing and reconstructing my theology, still rings true and I still believe must be told.

Do you remember why I called you? 

To be honest, I had forgotten. I had forgotten that, to be a bit cliché again, Jesus loves me, this I know. I had forgotten that story of love that set me on this path in the first place. I had forgotten why God would call an imperfect, broken misfit like me. God called me because God saw an imperfect, broken misfit who loved people, loved God, knew that God loved her, and had a fire inside her soul driving her to want others to know they were also loved because the world is full of imperfect, broken misfits who need to hear that message, who need to be not only told they are loved but shown they are loved.

Do you remember why God called you?

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Tasha Sargent is a third year Master of Divinity student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Welcome to a New World!

Our newest students are currently in the midst of a three day orientation for Garrett-Evangelical. We are excited to welcome 110 new students to the seminary community this fall semester and have enjoyed getting to know them even more this week.  Current M.Div student Paige Boyer posted reflections from the first day of orientation on her blog, Social Ministry, and titled it "Welcome to a new world!" 

Coming to seminary for me, was a culmination of a long journey of trial, error and starting over. After nearly a decade of working full-time, I decided to quit my job and leave my home town to become a full-time student again. Having been out of the classroom for some time, the start of orientation is extremely exciting. I was looking forward to meeting my new classmates, professors and get to know the campus.

The first day, we had three main themes – Hospitality, Change and Self-Identification. We started the day discussing two short-stories and two books with Seminary president, Dr. Phil Amerson. The first book was on Hospitality and the discussion challenged us to have respectful discourse on what hospitality means for us on this journey, especially about being hospitable to strangers. The discussion veered a bit political, as one might expect in our politically charged age, but I was thrilled to see it be done respectfully. I’m certainly looking forward to many wonderful discussions with my classmates!

After that discussion, we headed off for our first worship service in the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful with a wonderful message on Change and self-identification from Dr. Barry Bryant, Associate Professor of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies. Using references to Alice in Wonderland,  poetry from a Persian poet and the scripture 1 John 3:1-3 Dr. Bryant reminded us that no matter how we change during our theological studies, we are children of God.

This theme of change continued through discussions with a faculty panel who gave us tips for what seminary education would be like. Some themes they touched on were:

• We will be challenged to re-examine our faith assumptions by learning to think theologically
• Christian education is providing opportunities for transformation to occur
• We will help you become competent in theology so you are able to apply it in a contemporary setting

After lunch, we had some reflection time, where Rev. Karla Kincannon, Director of Field Education and the Vocational Formation and Church Leadership program, invited us to reflect again on who we are and to find, and journal about our self-identification.

After meeting with IT, the Registrar and the library staff, students were given library tours and got student IDs. During this time, we were also given a chance to meet and get to know our classmates, which was honestly, my favorite part of the day. We wrapped up the day with a Barbeque hosted by student council.

With 110 entering students, coming from different parts of the country and world and with varied religious traditions, it will be an exciting time to meet a diverse group of people with common interests. It was a great start to the year and I am thrilled to part of this program!

Cracks and Dents

Nearly two years ago, I started studying at Garrett-Evangelical as an M.Div. student who had finally given in (albeit kicking and screaming) to the call to ministry. I thought I was going to be a pastor, an elder to be more precise. I thought my call was to the parish. I thought I was going to preach every Sunday, wear a stole that went around my neck rather than across my shoulder and chest. I thought I would be under the appointment system instead of being left to find my own gainful employment. I thought I would be responsible for handling the administrative details of a church, brainstorming sermon series, running church council meetings, and any number of Elder-ly duties. 

Here I am two years later and one major realization has come to mind: I do a lot of thinking, and not all of it is very rational, much less very right. By the summer between first and second year, I started to think that maybe I wasn't called into the parish. During my first year, I realized just how much pain still existed from my past history with the church.  I asked questions and came to personal conclusions that might have made my Southern Baptist grandfather roll over in his grave. I began recognizing my strengths and my weaknesses as a minister. 

Two weeks before I started my field placement at Irving Park United Methodist, the realization of my call to deacon started to solidify. Two weeks after I started, the concrete had dried. Working with Rev. Vickie Hadaway was an amazing experience.  Over the course of the year, my personal love for the sacraments grew; at the same time, my realization that I was called to assist with and not preside over them strengthened. I preached several times, most of them good sermons, with a couple not-so-good ones thrown in here and there. I led small groups and found myself more deeply fulfilled and engaged. I had weekly conversations with parishioners and became more strongly connected to the happenings of their lives. 

I fought coming to seminary for a long time. Although I first felt the call to ministry at the extremely young age of nine, other things were present that kept me from answering it... darker things, painful things. I was scared that seminary would be a repeat of previous Christian education experiences. I was fearful of being rejected, outcast, ostracized. I came to Garrett-Evangelical, and to Irving Park, and found welcoming and affirming places. I found fortresses of love where mistakes happened, and so did forgiveness. I discovered a realm where I could ask questions and had the freedom and resources to find my own answers. I entered into communities where people saw a broken world and a broken system and decided to come together to do something about it. I came into a family where, yes we drove each other crazy, but we were soldered together by the common thread of our love for Jesus and our desire to experiences God's radical transformation of the world. 

Garrett-Evangelical is an amazing community and institution. Granted, like any system made up of flawed human beings, it has its cracks and dents. However, I don't think a day has gone by in the last two years where I wasn't able to see God's grace filling up one of those cracks or God's love buffing out one of those dents. People here at Garrett are different. People here at Garrett know how to show love, offer grace, give mercy, and seek truth in ways I've never experienced before. Perfection won't become a reality until God's kingdom is fully realized. In the meantime, people at Garrett are trying to live fully into their calls and learn how to love God personally and help others find a similar love for God. 

Class of 1962 Celebrates 50 Years of Ministry

Students waiting on the stairwell
to register for classes.

On the eve of Garrett-Evangelical’s 155^th Commencement, the classes of 1962 from Evangelical Theological Seminary (ETS) and Garrett Theological Seminary (GTS) will return to their alma mater.  As they do, memories from a previous era are sure to follow.  Such was an era of typewriters, not computers; community phones, not iPhones; and chalkboards, not projection screens.  In those days, the Garrett Tower housed a basketball court, ETS was a seminary of the Evangelical United Brethren Church located in Naperville, and Lake Michigan was a stone’s throw from the Garrett dorms. The changes at Garrett-Evangelical are certainly numerable and if you see a 1962 graduate, you’ll be sure to hear about it!

The Class of 1962 connects us to the past, but they also connect us to the future.  When they graduated, they entered a world where African Americans and Caucasian Americans were far from equal, where an ordained woman was a rarity, and where the United States was hopelessly involved in an unwinnable and costly war.  Although their present seemed bleak, they went into the world as pastors, professors, missionaries, social activists, chaplains, entrepreneurs, and counselors.  They ministered to multicultural congregations on the South Side of Chicago, soldiers in the war, hospital patients, and the oppressed citizens of South Korea.  In essence, they did what they could do to change the world around them.

The world in which the class of 2012 will enter is better because of the ministries of those from the class of 1962.  When the graduates of 1962 anoint the class of 2012 in Senior Chapel on Friday, they will be passing on the torch.  There is a lot of uncertainty for the Class of 2012, but they too will go out as pastors, professors, missionaries, social activists, chaplains, entrepreneurs, and counselors.  They too will minister to diverse congregations, to the sick and dying, and to the oppressed and hopeless and in their own way, they will change the world around them.

Class of 1962 Golden Anniversary Memory Book

Class of 2012! Are you Ready?

Three days of commencement celebrations at Garrett-Evangelical begin tomorrow, Wednesday, with a lunch for the class of 2012,  rehearsal, and a dinner sponsored by Garrett-Evangelical Black Seminarians (GEBS).  On Thursday evening the Seminary will welcome Ed Kilbourne for a concert of celebration and on Friday we will celebrate the 155th Commencement of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and the class of 2012.  With all these events crammed in to three days it will go fast.  It always does.

On the eve of these celebrations we wanted to take this moment to pause and share remarks by Dr. Gennifer Brooks, homiletic professor, that were delivered last year at the 2011 GEBS Banquet.  Though these words are now a year old their truth still remains.  Enjoy and congratulations again to the class of 2012!

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Are you ready?  

Graduates, are you ready?

This is no children’s game, where the chosen one says: Ready or not here I come. This is real; this is serious.  So let me ask you again: Are you ready?

I want to frame these brief remarks in the context of the liturgical season; the season of resurrection; Easter time as well as the context of an end-time; the end of a journey, or better said, the end of a phase of this part of your life’s journey.
Listen to these words from Luke 24:48-49:

48You are witnesses of these things. 49And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’

Now although this is not a sermon, we are part of a seminary community, so it seems appropriate that I should use a biblical text to frame my remarks. Christ is risen and he has appeared to the disciples. This particular appearance occurs after Cleopas and his companion returned to Jerusalem after their experience with Jesus on the Emmaus road and the subsequent meal and as you would expect, Jesus is trying to still their fears about the change that has come and the even greater change that is about to come upon them. So it seems appropriate given the fact of the change that is even now occurring as you graduates prepare to leave these hallowed halls. So are you ready? 

For the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...10 years that it has taken you to get through the requisite classes, or to scheme your way out of them with as little real study and work as possible, you have been witnesses to the grace of God operating in your life. How else were you able to understand the academic language of your theological undertaking? Surely you understood that it was only by God’s grace that you survived the intricacies of biblical interpretation; the epistemological and existential engagements of mind and spirit; the meandering, mysterious and often unfathomable musings of theological and ecclesiological discourse in the quest for truth and the essence of the divine. Indeed you are living witnesses of the divine/human relationship that permeates all of life. And so at the liminal moment in the greater liminality that marked your existence as seminary students, the question that I think is most important is: Are you ready?

This text in combination with the theme directs us to address some important questions that have to do with your readiness to face the charge that is set before you. My question about readiness has to do with how equipped you feel as a disciple of Jesus and a bold leader of Christ’s church to do the task to which you say you have been called. Jesus knew that the disciples were not ready. They had spent the requisite three years of academic maneuvering through lessons that they just did not understand, and their graduation day had come and the event with its attendant pomp and circumstance, held on a Hill called Calvary had passed. And although they had not taken their place in the graduation procession, it was time for them to step out into the new world – the world without the physical presence of their teacher, but they were not ready.

And Jesus knew it.

And so he tells them to sit awhile and wait for the finishing touch that would mark their readiness to go out into the world, as he had done; to teach and feed and heal; as he had done; to raise the dead and offer new life in his name. 

“Stay here in the city and wait until you receive the power that God has promised you.” Wait, because if you dare to step out without the power of God; without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, you cannot step anywhere. Well you can, but you will soon fall on your face, fall by the wayside, or maybe into a ditch; down some steps; into a dark hole that is well-nigh bottomless, like the pit of hell that some of our congregations sometimes seem to be. Stay here until you receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Here? Where? It’s time to leave seminary, Dr. Brooks. What are you talking about? Well I’m glad you asked. 

On the flyer for this event the theme was states as Bold Leaders Equipped for the Call and even if you are feeling bold enough to step out, to leave this womb of learning, I must adjure you to be careful not to be foolish enough to step out in the strength of the knowledge and skill that seminary has provided. That is so fleeting that if it is your only foundation, when the challenges come, (whether or not it was covered in some class or other), you’ll cry out: “They didn’t teach me that in seminary.”

And even if you are feeling well-equipped, be careful not to get caught up in lauding the arsenal of knowledge that you have gathered here. Every arsenal empties out eventually and must be replenished. And you cannot run back here – can a person re-enter the mother’s womb for a re-birth. Not hardly! The one equipment source that is always available and has every tool you never heard of or could ever wish for is God.

You see the bottom line is that if the only equipping you did while you were here had to do only with the fallible information of textbooks and lectures and exams, then you are somewhat under-equipped no matter what your transcript or your diploma says. But if you have allowed yourself to experience the anointing of the Holy Spirit, present in the teaching of professors and the collegiality of classmates then you are empowered and equipped for all time and the boldness that you feel is not your wisdom or your inflated ego, it is God. 

But, no matter how empowered and equipped you feel because of the great work that you have done here; the great experience that you have had here, you still need to wait on God for your marching orders. Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem; wait until the appointed time. Wait on God to show you how to move and where to step. Oh you may have an appointment, but let even the way that you come to the appointment; what you hope to do in that appointment, be directed and empowered by God. 

Wait and listen for God’s direction before you begin making drastic changes in the church, among the people, and even in your own life. Wait before you start telling the folks to whom God has sent you how important you are with your seminary education. Wait and allow yourself to learn from the people of God how much you really do not know and if you do, even in the voices of the people you will hear the voice of God directing your path, and that in itself will be a source of empowerment for your life and work in Christ’s name. 

Recently I heard someone who had made a mess of an opportunity say that after fasting God had told her it was time to step out because it wasn’t just the appointed time, it was the anointed time. Be very careful how you interpret the thoughts of your mind. Wait and listen carefully. Make sure that what you hear is indeed a word from the Lord. And by the way, the only way to really know the voice of God; to recognize it within the cacophony of competing voices all around you is to maintain an active, engaging and hopefully transformative relationship with God. Just in case you have taken a vacation from your daily conversations, start them up again, or you definitely will not be able to discern the divine voice.

One of my students likes to begin his sermons by telling the congregation that he has a word for them from the Lord. I admire his certainty. I am never that sure. I wait until after I preach for the hearers to say that they have received a word from the Lord. And I would say to you all, be careful about your absoluteness. Be very careful about the voices you hear and the interpretations you make about them. Wait and listen and then wait again because God always sends confirmation of any word that God sends.

Be quick to listen for God’s word and slow to speak your interpretation. Wait for God. Wait for the Holy Spirit. Wait for the anointing. It will come and when it does, you will receive power from God to do the work of God. That was Jesus’ message to his first century apostles and to all of you twenty-first century apostles. The source of your empowerment; the one who will put the finishing touches to your equipping is ready and waiting. Your Pentecost is just around the corner.

Are you ready to receive it?

When that day comes, the power of God will indeed be a wind that clears out all the cobwebs of uncertainty and burn up all the debris of over-confidence and give you the direction and the fortitude to move you into the place that God has already prepared for you and set you on the rock that is the only foundation that can withstand the challenges of life and ministry for all time. On that day you will be truly equipped to live into your call because of the empowerment of God that it brings. On that day you will see visions of God’s glory; you will dream dreams in vivid color; and you will speak words that have the power of God within them; prophetic words; life-giving words of peace and justice and the presence of the Holy One in our midst.

Then, empowered by God, the way will seem just a little clearer, but more importantly, the strength to deal with the challenges that are part of any human endeavor, will be yours. And empowered by the Holy Spirit, there is nothing in this life that you cannot face or from which you cannot emerge victorious. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, you will truly be equipped for your call.

Are you ready to receive the power from on high?

One last thing – it irritates me mightily when I hear clergy or any other church leaders talk about their role as empowering the people to do the work of God. Since you have no power of your own; since you are no power source, the only thing you are equipped to do is to help guide the people of God to find the power source, plug in and stay connected. You do not have the ability to empower yourself far less anyone else. So even if you use that language, (and I would really prefer it if you do not); but if you do, be certain that all you are saying is that you are helping others to find the only power source that never drops or even winks out, so that they can know the power of the risen one for themselves.

So are you ready?

Are you ready to be empowered by God? Are you ready and equipped to step out boldly into the call of God on your life? Are you ready to take your place in leading the people of God to find the power of the Holy Spirit for themselves? Well, you’d better be, because you have to leave. Your time is up! Your liminal time of preparation here is over! The world is waiting; the church is waiting; God is waiting and now is the time.

The call you heard is real and the time has come for you to give the final answer. We’ve given you what we had; hopefully you had enough good sense to take what we offered; now go in the power of the Holy Spirit and boldly lead God’s people to God.

The Tradition of the Red Shoes

There is a beautiful tradition at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary of wearing red shoes at graduation. In the past, this has primarily been a tradition of the women of Garrett-Evangelical but in recent years we've seen some red shoes on our male colleagues too. The tradition, though, fails to be beautiful if no one knows the story behind the shoes.  Our alumna, Amanda Baker, wrote the following blog post before her graduation in 2010 from Garrett-Evangelical and has given us permission to share.
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Why do we wear red shoes?

We wear red shoes to remind us of our place as courageous, outrageous women, and to celebrate the rich tradition of female scholarship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

 
What does wearing red shoes have to do with female scholarship?

It begins with a story that Georgia Harkness used to tell of her great-grandmother Abigail.

As Georgia told the story, "Abigail was not only not a quaker, but was known as a 'worldly woman,' who affronted neighbors by 'appearing out of plainness' and was referred to scornfully as ' the woman in the red coat.' Whether because of the red coat or more abiding charms, she won the heart of Daniel Harkness and they were married in November, 1802."

In response, the Society of Friends presented Daniel Harkness with a letter of dismissal for marrying out of the meeting. To 'make satisfaction to the meeting' he would only have had to say he was sorry he married her. But he was not sorry, and he would not say it!" Georgia stated flatly-and proudly. (Keller, 33)

Wait. . .Who was Georgia Harkness?

Georgia Harkness has become one of the legendary personalities of Garrett-Evangelical. She was the first professional female theologian in the United States. She served as the first ever Professor of Applied Theology at Garrett Biblical Institute from 1939-1950 before moving to California to teach at the Pacific School of Religion until 1961. In addition to her teaching she was a prolific author and hymn-writer. Most telling of her character, though, is a story she told of her struggle to be accepted in the Ph.D. program of her choice.

Edgar Brightman, the distinguished professor of philosophy at Boston University and Georgia’s mentor in her doctoral program in the 1920s initially questioned whether she was that exceptional and whether he should take her as a Ph.D. candidate. He judged that “I had the preparation, probably the brains, but that I lacked the stick-to-itiveness.” Clear in her own mind, Georgia “told him that if that was all, I would see to that.” And she did. (Keller, 35)

Click here for a link to a much more in-depth look at Georgia’s life http://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/oct1996/v53-3-article3.htm

So who decided we should wear red shoes?

The story of the woman in the red coat was recorded in a biography of Georgia Harkness’s life, For Such A Time As This written by Rosemary Skinner Keller. She feared that Georgia’s story, and with it, the history of women’s entry into professional theology in the United States, might be lost. Keller was on faculty at Garrett-Evangelical from 1978-1996, and she served from 1993-1996 as the seminary’s first female Academic Dean. During her time on the Garrett-Evangelical faculty she took to wearing red shoes to honor the legacy of Georgia Harkness and her great-grandmother Abigail Cochran. The tradition spread to other female faculty members, and has in recent years become a tradition of the student body.

Read more about Rosemary Skinner Keller here: http://www.utsnyc.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1075&srcid=256

Our red shoes are not a privilege we earn, but a history we claim. We honor Georgia Harkness, Rosemary Radford Reuther, Rosemary Skinner Keller, and so many others with our red shoes. We claim our place in their legacy, and with it we accept the responsibility to continue to move the world forward, to maintain their history, and to advance theological thinking. We proclaim our willingness to be bold, to be ourselves, and to show the world how much stick-to-itiveness we have!

*I have pulled biographical information about Georgia and Rosemary from both of the links embedded in the post. In addition both quotes above, as well as addition biographical information about Georgia are from Rosemary Skinner Keller's biography of Georgia Harkness For Such a Time as This, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992

Special Thanks go to Dr. Lallene Rector, Dr. Gennifer Brooks, and Dr. Ruth Duck for pointing me to the origins of our red shoes.
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Congratulations class of 2012!  We are so proud of each of you and your many accomplishments.  To learn more about this week's graduation events, go to www.garrett.edu/2012.

Amy Wills Visits Garrett-Evangelical.

It was windy and it was cold during my time in Evanston, Illinois but the feeling I got inside my heart was anything but cold. With a gorgeous campus, a thoughtful, kindhearted staff, and a mission to know God and to help others know God, I was able to get an extensive look into Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

I want to first talk about the lead-up to getting there. I remember meeting Reverend Becky Eberhart, Director of Admissions, during my time at Exploration 2011 and seeing how warm and friendly she and the rest of the staff was. As the months have continued on, I've received letters (which in the Seminary world is extremely common) and emails (also a frequent occurrence) both of which helped keep me up to date about the happenings around Garrett but also about deadlines and such.

Note: So far, all of the seminaries have done this and I have found it so helpful. Yes, even amidst all the other emails I get on a daily basis. I encourage you to let the schools keep you on their mailing lists. It allows you to see what each school values and supports. After all that's what they're there for...to teach you!

The thing I loved most about Garrett before I visited, was that I received not one, not two, but three personal phone calls. Now these weren't just logistical, "let's get you to our school" phone calls. Instead, these were calls that I would receive from someone like a friend that I hadn't talk to in a while; someone who was sincerely interested in my life, my call and so they took 10-20 minutes to talk with me. I really appreciated this.

We were so eager to get to Chicago. (When I say "we," I mean me and my friend Katie. She was lovely enough to accompany me on this trip even though she has followed her own call that will take her to Asbury Seminary in the Fall. Go Katie!)

We ended up getting into town about 4-5 hours earlier than we had planned...what can I say? The coffee must have worked particularly well that morning! Luckily that wasn't a problem and actually turned out to be perfect timing because the 5th Annual Student Theological Conference was going on that day! This event was co-founded by Jason Gill who serves as Garrett's awesome Assistant Director of Admissions (and knowledgeable campus tour guide!). Because of his work, both in the office and with the current student body, we were able to learn about this year's conference theme, "Church & State"- a tricky topic for anyone to openly talk about, let alone a seminary. With eloquence, grace, and tact, Marci A. Hamilton was able to give us an insight into the world of government and church. I am so grateful for that new information.

Speaking of new information, Reverend Karla Kincannon spent part of our morning talking about all of the excellent Field Education and Spiritual Formation opportunities that Garrett has to provide. Every seminarian in the M.Div. program participates in this. During your first year you will deal with the entirety of your calling and what that looks like for your ministry.  Rev. Kincannon gave us an excellent quote that I hope helps you when you think about where and what you are called to do:

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” ― Frederick Buechner

Both the Field Ed. program and the spiritual formation class and the practices it teachers you, is for you to gain a deep clarity about what God has called you to do, about who He's called you to be. We were reminded of the Hebrew people, about how their calls weren't always crystal clear, that there were times when things were uncertain and vague. Garrett believes in the importance of nurturing our relationship with God and the reflection of the countless possibilities that that relationship opens you up to. That is the purpose these academic and spiritual courses seek to do: remind us and bring us back to where we're meant to be.
 

As with the other schools, we attended a class. Though there were no current students in the class with us, that didn't stop people in the group from pulling out their paper and taking copious notes- or in my case, taking notes for this blog post. Dr. Jim Papandrea distracted me however, from doing my task! With his humor, his knowledge and his evident passion for teaching, he captivated all of our attention with information on the formation of the Christian Bible (not always an easy job I'd imagine). He encouraged asking questions during the lecture, not just after which eased my mind, especially at such an academically profound school. We were told that Garrett is home to one of, if not THE most expansive and helpful libraries of all of the seminaries, which I kind of believe since as a student at the seminary you have full access to the Northwestern libraries, too!

We met Dean Reverend Cynthia Wilson and learned all about what it's like to be a student at Garrett. The students of the school are probably some of the most diverse I've seen so far and because of this, there are several opportunities to get involved with different groups that they have established such as a women's center, centers for Latinos, Black Seminarians, Asian Americans, and couples. This was also the first school that has mentioned having a group for LGBTQ members. As a Garrett student you have the option of three different kinds of worship services throughout the week and a weekly "community lunch" with your fellow classmates and staff.

Next stop was the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful. Time of worship during these visits have consistently been my favorite part of each school. That time is always such a critical experience to me personally because each service is uniquely it's own. It is it's own representation of God and God's presence in that school. The chapel itself was exquisite. High vaulted ceilings for perfected acoustics, stained glass for eye candy, and chairs gathered together to create community. On the campus tour that Mr. Gill led us on, he spoke of the unique stories the colorful glass tells about the Old and New Testaments; about the influential people that have been forever "set in stone" in the place.

 

To accompany the the beautiful scenery was beautiful music played by a small but mighty crew of three students. They didn't know it, but they played all of my favorites: Nothing But the Blood of Jesus, Hosanna, Come Thou Fount. I had goosebumps and chills during the entire service. The sermon was given by a current Masters of Divinity student who blew it out of the water! And the gift of communion, of sharing it with other people on their own separate journeys was something that in that moment, united us.

Afterwards we were able to sit down with students at lunch that shared their experiences with us and opened the floor to any and all questions that we had. This time along with the dinner at The Celtic Knot (students only!) was an excellent time to relax and really get the inside scoop about life as a student. Which helps soften the anxiety-ridden time at least for me when the financial aid and housing parts come along. But take heart, despite the cost of higher education, the staff in the admissions office has plenty of ways to make it possible for you to fulfill your call. Check out Dollars for Scholars and don't ever be afraid to go to your local conference. Remember when I talked about gifts?

We concluded our day with a tour of the Northwestern campus. Like I've said, it is just absolutely breathtaking. From the Gothic towers to the Shakespeare Garden to the shores of Lake Michigan, God is present in that place and as students, you are encouraged to enjoy it!

Evanston is this town that is a little urban, a little hipster, a little classic, a little old fashion. It's a little bit of everything and I find it appropriate that that it is home to Garrett which so reflects that same kind of diversity. One of the women who was visiting that day brought her young teenage son with her. Simeon (I'm pretty sure that's his name- I know it was one of the 12 awesome names of the sons of Jacob) didn't say much. He stuck to his drawings and was politely quiet during our order of events. But when it came time for questions, Simeon's hand shot up in the air with the fervor of curiosity and he ended up asking more questions than the group of 15 or so of us combined. I was in awe of this kids inquisitive mind and his excitement for Garrett. With his question asking and his humble animation, I am thankful for Simeon. He fits right in at Garrett.

Garrett is a place for those thirsty for academic and spiritual knowledge to be filled.

It's a place to be challenged and to grow.

It's a place to rejoice in diversity while learning from it.

Garrett is a wonderful place.

The Evolution of the UMC Connectional System

As most of you already know, the first two days of the live webcast for the General Conference of the United Methodist Church involved watching delegates determine the rules for the proceedings of General Conference. No major policy, resolution, or petition was being considered but simply just the rules. This doesn’t exactly make for exciting viewing yet it seems we United Methodist watched, commented, and tweeted. I even found myself “Googling” Robert’s Rules of Order at one point in time. What does all of this online buzz mean?

While a number of conclusions could be made, what I find most interesting is that now more then ever, we United Methodist are redefining what it means to be a part of a connectional system. Live webcasts, tweets, posts, and blogs all pertaining to GC2012 have flooded our feeds. Conversations have flourished amongst people who have never met in person. It seems that even for those of us who are not in Tampa, Florida we can still have a voice and be in dialogue.

It’s evident the United Methodist Church on the conference and global level is aware of this buzz too. A Facebook post from the Nebraska Annual Conference said, “Twitter just might be the most interesting place to follow General Conference.” The hashtag #GC2012 has been trending on Twitter. Finally, the United Methodist Reporter wrote an article just yesterday titled, “UMC Twitter Sub-Culture Grows at General Conference.”

Amongst all this buzz comes humor and entertainment too. The Communications Office at Garrett-Evangelical launched General Conference Bingo this morning a little after 10 a.m. (CST) as a means of entertainment while watching the live webcasts. Within in hour, we had over 600 visits to the webpage, over 40 re-tweets and tweets, and numerous Facebook comments and shares. One response that literally made me LOL came from @TheFakeUMCAC on Twitter, “@GarrettSeminary We prefer #gc2012 battleship, but still - great job on the game! Oh no! You sank my petition!”

One side effect of all this online chatter means that growing concerns on legislation that could have great impact on the UMC are escalated even more. The online conversations are twenty-four hours and filters we might apply when speaking to someone face to face are often muted. In the worse case scenarios, one might actually be engaging in online bullying under the disguise of dialogue. In particular, as the divisive legislation on inclusivity for our LGBT brothers and sisters once again comes to the forefront at General Conference.

As we head into the plenary sessions next week I anticipate the online chatter will only increase. And lets be honest, it’s going to get intense. Truly becoming a global Church does not come without growing pains in the process. That said, it is exciting to see our connectional system in action in Tampa, Florida and on the internet. Now, back to reading #GC2012 tweets.

Leaping Over the Pessimism Gap

By Rev. Dr. Philip Amerson, President and Professor of Sociology of Religion at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary








The next time you hear someone say that mainline denominations are dying and no longer attract the young, tell them that they might want to stop by Garrett-Evangelical on October 27 and 28. We are going to fill up the campus with people who have something different to say to those who are so filled with pessimism about the future. Can you imagine what it will be like to have folks like Walter Fluker, Diana Butler Bass and Mike Slaughter (pictured above) all in as conversation partners? This and so much more will be possible at the “Captured by a Compelling Narrative” Conference on October 27 & 28. The words of Mark Twain came to mind: “The trouble isn't what people don't know, but rather what they know that just ain't so!”

Take the “common wisdom” bandied about these days that mainline churches are struggling, and on the road toward death. Fluker, Bass and Slaughter all beg to differ with this common wisdom. Walter Fluker speaks of the potency of ethical leadership in inviting young people to consider lives filled with promise amidst the challenges of our time. Dr. Bass’s study on sources of Protestant vitality provides us with a future filled with promise and more than the care and feeding of declining congregations. In her book Christianity for the Rest of Us Bass contends that the old “neighborhood” has been replaced by a strip mall and so the idea of neighborhood churches functioning as they once had is nonsensical – but these congregations are learning new and lively ways to serve. Slaughter shows that even in large and “successful” mega-church settings it is possible to pivot in dramatic new theological and ministry directions.

There is an old sociological aphorism to the effect that “what we perceive to be real becomes real in its consequences.” Craig Dykstra has spoken much about the power of lively imagination in shaping effective ministry. If we can perceive that there is abundant space for ministry, even in old settings, amazing and real things can happen. We will hear some of this from Fluker, Bass and Slaughter. And these are only three of those who are joining in the dialogue for the conference. We will also hear keen insights from Fred Edie, Gregory Ellison, Tonya Burton, Elizabeth Corrie, and Melinda Lundquist Denton. Each one of these persons will make the time together an amazing feast for the heart and soul. I’m eager to participate in this two-day feast of thought and reflection. I wonder how many things I’ll discover that I “don’t know”… or that I “know, that just ain’t so!” What about you? Come join me.

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On October 27th and 28th, eight renowned scholars and ministers will gather for one monumental conference. Don't miss the Captured by A Compelling Narrative Conference at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary! Click here to learn how you can join this dynamic conversation.