A USTIN P RESBYTERIAN T HEOLOGICAL S EMINARY

SUMMER 2010
LOOKING OUTWARD
The President’s Preaching and
Speaking Engagements
August 22, Preacher and Teacher, Covenant PC,
Charlotte, North Carolina
September 8, Partnership Lunch, North Dallas
September 17-19, Preacher and Teacher, Spiritual
Enrichment Weekend, Spanish Fort PC, Spanish
Fort, Alabama
September 21, Host, Evening with the President,
Kerrville, Texas
September 26, Preacher, First PC, Norman,
Oklahoma
September 28, Host, Evening with the President,
Austin
September 30, Luncheon Speaker, Austin Women’s
Club
October 3, Teacher, Highland Park PC, Dallas
October 4, Host, Evening w/President, Corpus
Christi, Texas
October 6, Partnership Lunch, Harlingen, Texas
October 10 & 17, Teacher, Faith and Life Class,
University PC, Austin
October 15, Preacher, Trinity Episcopal Church,
Columbus, Ohio
October 21, Host, Evening with the President,
Tulsa, Oklahoma
T
his edition of Windows brings news of transitions here at
the Seminary. Most notably, we have joyfully celebrated a
new class of graduates in three degree programs, and that
moment of graduation is always one that reminds us, lest we stray
in our attentions, that our students are always the centerpiece of
who we are and what we are about.
We have also celebrated on campus the recent news of Michael
Jinkins’ election as the next president of Louisville Presbyterian
Theological Seminary. He led well in the Dean’s Office here, and
now we wish him and Debbie all the best as they embark upon a
new challenge in Louisville.
That transition suggests another one, as we have now begun
the search process for a new dean. Cynthia Rigby is chairing the
advisory committee that has already gone into high gear placing
ads in various periodicals, thinking out loud about our particular
needs and hopes at this juncture, and gathering suggestions for
candidates. Eventually, her committee will advise me on a candi-
date whose name I will in turn recommend to the board—hope-
fully at its November meeting.
At its spring meeting, the board voted to proceed with the
quiet phase of a comprehensive campaign, and that certainly was a
significant transition. This campaign has five major values in
view—the enhancement of the library, Phase Two of much-need-
ed new student housing, several new endowed faculty chairs, the
completion of the endowment of the College for Pastoral Leaders,
and a boatload of new fellowships and scholarships that will enable
us to offer deserving students a theological education without con-
cern for how they will fund it. Stay tuned for more information
about this outstanding committee and its work ahead.
At the heart of all of our activity—our searches for personnel,
our campaigns for bold new initiatives, our buildings and com-
mittees and the whole nine yards—at the heart of all of this are our
students. They are the centerpiece of who we are and what we are
about, and in the pages ahead, you will hear them in their own
words. This Windows offers a glimpse at our students being them-
selves, of our campus in its day-to-day life being itself. And, lest we
forget those whose faithfulness undergirds all that we do here, at
the very heart of this issue lies our Annual Report and Honor Roll
of Donors.
So, I invite you to immerse yourself in the lives of these stu-
dents and be encouraged by what they are now and will soon be
offering to this church that we love!
Faithfully yours,
Theodore J. Wardlaw
President
 CONTENTS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Cassandra C. Carr, Chair
2 - 13 What’s it like being in seminary?
Matt Falco • Stella Burkhalter • Doug Frietzsche •
Karen C. Anderson
Denise Pierce • Jeff Saddington • Clare Lozano •
Thomas L. Are Jr.
Susan Beaird Kelly Updegraff • Sally Wright • Bart Smith
F. M. Bellingrath III
Read more student essays online at
Elizabeth Christian
Joseph J. Clifford www.austinseminary.edu/visit
James G. Cooper
Marvin L. Cooper
14 Community news
James B. Crawley The Class of 2010
Consuelo Donahue (MDiv’96)
Elizabeth Blanton Flowers
20 Faculty news
G. Archer Frierson 22 Alumni/ae news
Richard D. Gillham
Walter Harris Jr. Center The 2009-2010 Honor Roll of Donors
Bruce G. Herlin
Roy M. Kim
J Carter King III (MDiv’70)
James H. Lee (MDiv’00)
Michael L. Lindvall
Catherine O. Lowry
Blair R. Monie
Lyndon L. Olson Jr.
B. W. Payne
David Peeples
Jeffrey Kyle Richard
W I N D OW S
Teresa Chávez Sauceda (MDiv’88)
Summer 2010
Anne Vickery Stevenson
Volume 125 Number 3
Karl Brian Travis
John L. Van Osdall EDITOR
Sallie Sampsell Watson (MDiv’87) Randal Whittington
Elizabeth Currie Williams CONTRIBUTORS
Channing Burke
Trustees Emeriti Deborah Butler
Stephen A. Matthews
Shuhan Chan
Max Sherman
Louis Zbinden
Nancy Reese
Lana Russell
Cover: Senior student Heather Lee in her Anderson House apartment.
Publisher & Mailing Statement Photography by Jody Horton.
Windows is published three times each year
by Austin Presbyterian Theological The theological schools of the
Seminary.
ISSN 2056-0556 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Non-profit bulk mail permit no. 2473
no longer receive funding from
the basic mission budget of the
Austin Seminary Windows
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary General Assembly. Churches
100 E. 27th St. are asked to contribute 1% of
Austin, TX 78705-5797 Theological Education Fund
(1% Plan)
their operating budgets to the
phone: 512-472-6736
e-mail: windows@austinseminary.edu fund, which is then distributed
fax: 512-479-0738 to the seminaries.
www.austinseminary.edu
No really, they can ask us anything!

Words. like a buzzing rattlesnake

We are a community immersed in words—of ancient language and modern

syntax. We read them. We write them. We preach them. All with the purpose of

I will plantAustin
Jesus!
giving voice and meaning to the capital “W” Word.
Can’t put a dagesh in a resh

Seminary’s school year began just after dedicating Anderson House, whose
entrance bears these Latin words etched in stone: Praedicatores taediosi nobis non
mittendi sunt. A rough translation of John Anderson’s dictum, “Send us preachers
Aaah … hammock time!
who aren’t boring,” it serves as a reminder of our mission to educate men and

I definitely did not feel in control

women to communicate in a compelling way Christ’s words of salvation.

It was a year in which Dean Michael Jinkins and Bob Lively (MDiv’73,
DMin’79), a regular columnist for the Austin American-Statesman newspaper,
team-taught the course, “Don’t Bury the Lead.” The class engaged students in
writing workshops to create essays, short non-fiction, and op-ed pieces that make
complex theological messages accessible to general audiences. The result was so
these bills are placed in the g-strings of strippers
successful that four essays were published in the Statesman and one, by Jane Petit
(MDiv’10), is being considered for publication in Guideposts magazine.
God had been loving me all day
And it was a year in which Mary Elizabeth Prentice-Hyers, the editor of the
student newspaper, Karios (an ancient Greek word signifying the “right
moment”), weekly invited her fellow students to express in their own words the

American materialism, fatherlessness, and poverty

depth and richness of their seminary experiences.

breathtaking to behold
So at the conclusion of this year, we offer several of these essays with the
expectation that their words will both enlighten and inspire. Read on.

—RW

You are not even abnormal

2
 In it Together
N
BY MATT FALCO
“No really, we go on the floor
and they can ask us anything!” I
said again.
I could try all evening to
explain what this was about, but
unless you have been steeped in
the process, this conversation
always ends in the same place—
with this question.
“When are they going to
trust you?” my good Unitarian
friend asked incredulously.
Yes, he just called on
Presbyterians to have faith.
It’s not as though I or any
other candidate for ministry in
our denomination have not
asked ourselves this question.
Often, it’s as we walk out the
door after our second annual
review. Did they really just ask
me for my college transcript after
having been in seminary for two
years? How can I begin to have faith in this process?
On the off chance we haven’t given ourselves permis-
sion to ask the question, or we are still stuck in that stage
known as denial, certainly our spouses, families, or
friends have asked it for us.
They see all the hoops. Hearing our call story has
become for them like watching a movie they love from
childhood. It still has a good plot, but the special effects
are dated and the lead actor or actress is decidedly over-
rated. They watch us spend hours on statements of faith
that reveal not only how deeply we have been dipped into
the waters of systematic theology but also how thinly we
veil the sharply honed axes we continue to grind. They
watch us fret over sermons that we preach to a select few
in conference rooms so plain that even our newly beloved
Calvin would be left wondering if this could be remote-
ly related to worship.
As someone closer to the end of the process than the
beginning, I have come to realize that the gauntlet is not
without purpose. By this point in the process, having
drawn close to graduation and well into searching for a
call, the threat of this inquisition, as it appears from the
outside, seems minimal. Maybe even invited.
Don’t get me wrong; the horror stories are enough to
WINDOWS / Summer 2010
make anyone pick up their OT
Intro text to dust off the mental
cobwebs. However, I would argue
that going on the floor of presby-
tery to be questioned by our peers
is exactly what we felt called to do
when this process began, even if
we didn’t realize it then.
Throughout the process, we
anticipated gaining keys to the
Bible that had been hidden all
our life. Perhaps we expected that
after seminary we would be able
to provide pastoral counseling to
those challenged with the myriad
of difficulties in life. Some of us
dreamed of rising into a pulpit
week after week to bear forth the
Word of God. We could all envi-
sion delivering the hope that had
been so graciously given to us
through Sunday school teachers,
deacons, prayer circles, and
friends. The passion that runs deep in the heart of the
seminary student is rarely the question.
More often, what is at question is whether we realize
that we cannot and will not ever do this thing called min-
istry alone. If we bristle at the thought of another meet-
ing with our preparation committee, how can we even
fathom the many evenings around fake wood tables in
uncomfortable folding chairs solving the mundane issues
of congregational life that lie ahead of us? If we are
stunned that our committee would want us to spend
time in a hospital setting during seminary, can we really
contemplate sitting by the bedside of a dying congrega-
tion member whom we’ll never begin to fully know in
the way that Christ calls us to?
So, by the time that we go to the floor of some
strange presbytery to be examined by that pastor from
the small town who has been there forever and rises to ask
the same question they have asked every candidate before
us and will continue to after us, we must have faith that
they, like our Lord, rise to be with us, not against us.
Go ahead—ask us anything.
Pennsylvania native Matt Falco (MDiv’10) is seeking a call
in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
3
 The Fourth I Love You
I
BY STELLA BURKHALTER
It snuck up on me, for it was so unexpected. I had just
done something deliberately silly at the church dinner
and in response, one of the teenagers laughed and said, “I
love you, Stella!” Just like that. Matter of fact. She barely
knows me. Plus, what I had done wasn’t all that funny. I
had spent most of that day in the depths of a pity party,
and that “I love you”
from such an unlikely
source finally jarred me
out of it.
I thought about it for
a minute and I realized
that wasn’t the first time
that day someone had
said, “I love you” to me.
Earlier I had gone to
campus to meet my spiri-
tual direction group and
I hung around after-
wards, reluctant to leave
my indispensable source
of strength. As I walked
away, Lisa called out, “I
love you!”
My daughter thinks
it’s weird that we say “I love you” to each other in semi-
nary. She heard me say it as I hung up the phone with a
classmate once, and it caught her attention. “I didn’t
know you were talking to Dad,” she had said. “I wasn’t,”
was my reply. When I realized she wanted an explana-
tion, I said, “That’s just the way we are with each other
in seminary.” I had forgotten how countercultural that is.
When I remembered Lisa’s farewell, I remembered
that I had seen Shane on campus and he had noticed that
I was having a rough day. He had changed course and
veered from the sidewalk, deciding a wave from afar was
not sufficient. “I love you,” he had said as he hugged me,
as if we had been best friends forever instead of people
who had had one class together last year. I was grateful
for the person he is.
“That’s three ‘I love you’s in one day, not counting
the ones from my husband and kids,” I thought to
myself. And then I remembered there had been another.
The drama of the day had prompted a phone call to the
pastor who had been my SPM supervisor. I had called to
ask for her advice, and as usual, she had ended the call by
saying, “I love you.” Coupled with Lisa, Shane, and my
4
SPM supervisor, the young woman from church made
four “I love you’s.” I had been hearing “I love you” all day
long.
I don’t know what it was about that fourth “I love
you,” but when I heard it from that young woman, I
finally got it. God had been loving me all day long, car-
rying me through the
whatever thing I had blown
up and made bigger than it
should have been, sustain-
ing me through self-doubt
and anxiety, faithfully
grounding me as I moved
through the day unaware.
The unbelievable love of
God is radiated to us
through the slightly more
believable love of our fel-
low human beings and
through all of creation—
and we are rarely awake
enough to receive it.
I’m working on a
directed study project this
semester examining the
theology of evangelism in the Methodist Church. I’ve
been trying to understand how we are to bring others to
Christ in our postmodern era, and I’m concluding that
we do that best by inviting others into Christian com-
munity. At first I had wondered why we’re starting new
churches when the current ones aren’t full, and I ques-
tioned the point of evangelism as simply inviting people
to church as if it were just another club. As I read and
think and pray and watch, I see that inviting people into
community is everything. Because I am enmeshed in
Christian community, I am surrounded by people who
are living instruments of grace. Because I spend my days
in Christian community, I got to hear God say “I love
you” out loud four times today.
How blessed we are to be in these kinds of commu-
nities. How blessed we are to be called to build them.
Stella Burkhalter (MDiv’10) is associate pastor for children's
ministry at Covenant United Methodist Church in Austin.
 On-Call

M
BY DOUG FRITZSCHE
My pager went off like a
buzzing rattlesnake. It
was the Friday of my
first weekend of the
January-term chaplain-
cy experience program
at St. David’s Hospital,
and my first weekend
on call. The page
included a phone num-
ber and a cryptic mes-
sage about a blind
patient hallucinating
demons who wanted to
talk to a chaplain.
I called the nurse,
who added details elab-
orating the story, and I
climbed back into my truck, equipped with some ran-
dom things: a copy of Daily Prayer, a wonderful book
called Psalms for Praying, and a few others. My wife, a
psychotherapist, offered me some potentially useful
advice as I headed out the door.
Equipped with my meager things, some advice and
exactly two partial days of supervised interaction with
patients, I drove to the hospital. The first week of the Jan-
Term was occupied largely with learning my way around
the hospital and very little of the ins and outs of chap-
laincy.
I was a little surprised that I was not anxious, not try-
ing to over-imagine what lay ahead. And that I was gen-
erally comfortable with the role I was playing and the sit-
uation I approached.
There was even something compelling about being
called out in the night to aid someone struggling with
demons—that, in this still early fraction of the 21st cen-
tury.
More than any other single experience, the January
term chaplaincy internship pulled two-and-a-half years
of seminary into sharp focus. Different than a church
internship, which is demanding but in a familiar way, the
hospital environment tosses the preparation we get at
seminary into a cauldron of emotion, trauma, and
urgency.
There isn’t really time to reflect and dissect, to theol-
ogize and sermonize—nor is there the need. But the two
things that stood out in raw relief were these:
Out in the
world—I am a com-
muter student and not
surrounded by the rein-
forcement of an always-
present faith communi-
ty (although sometimes
I envy those who are)—
when people learn I am
in seminary, I am likely
to hear such comments
like: “I’m not sure I
believe in God.” Or any
of the similar shibboleths
of contemporary cul-
ture. At the hospital, it
mattered that someone
was there to represent
the hope that a God—by any name—existed and cared.
I learned that I did not need to be too fussy about my
own faith orientation when the need was to pray with
someone whose understanding was different.
The other learning point was that theology was a
wonderful thing to have in my back pocket—it provided
the framework that let me go through the many varied
interactions—but that it could just stay in my back pock-
et. The theological question was “Why?” And my best
answer was “I don’t know, but I can be here with you.”
Our supervisor, Rev. Rebecca Gurney, defined it in
terms of Story, Prayer, and Presence.
At the end of my first semester of seminary, I sent my
friends back home in Albuquerque an e-mail talking
about my troubled state at that time. The heavy load of
biblical criticism and reconsidering some faith matters I
had just taken for granted left me aching for some of the
certainty I brought with me to seminary.
The e-mail had a happy ending, which involved my
observation at the end of a pensive stint in the choir loft
at Shelton Chapel. I concluded that the thing my faith
rests on is not the accuracy of any document (not even
one so authoritative as the Bible), but on the way I have
seen the awakening to faith transform the lives of people.
To find that ratified in the hospital experience was
wonderfully comforting to me. That I had the awareness
and skills to approach this encounter with a sense of faith
Continued on page 7

WINDOWS / Summer 2010 5

 What I’ve Learned in Seminary
A
BY DENISE PIERCE
As a lifelong member of the Missionary Baptist Church,
I came to Austin Seminary determined to learn how to
create ecumenical bridges. Frustrated by the lack of
impact that Christianity appears to be having on the
social ills of American society, I came desiring to design
strategies for uniting the body of Christ so that together
we might more profoundly combat American material-
ism, fatherlessness, and poverty. It seemed that if we
could eliminate racial and denominational segregation
within the body of Christ, we might be able to stand
together to transform our society into the reign of God
that Jesus came to establish.
Now having studied here for three years, I have
altered my expectations. While I still hold onto a desire
for Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Unitarians, and
others to work together to improve the human condi-
tion, I don’t expect for racial or denominational lines to
disappear within the church. After reflecting on the his-
tory of the church (under Dr. Ellen Babinsky) and the
history of the mission and evangelism (under Dr. Arun
Jones), I appreciate greatly how the church, across the
centuries, has been shaped by the experiences of each era.
Each denomination’s respective history and the life expe-
rience of its respective founders have shaped how scrip-
ture is read, how the cross is interpreted, and how the
mission of God is carried out.
6
I now approach my call to the ministry with a truism
I learned in Dr. Babinsky’s class: Throughout the church’s
life and within each sect of Christianity, believers try to
faithfully live out their faith in God through Jesus Christ.
And so it is with us.
We 21st-century Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists,
and Unitarians are all trying to live out our faith in God
the best as we can. There’s no need to give up our denom-
inational identities and theological convictions for the
purposes of joining the universal mega church I had in
mind. Instead, the task is to align ourselves
on the simple and profound principles of
Christianity on which we can agree. In par-
ticular, as children of God brokenhearted by
the human condition, we must work harder
to bring alliances between our denomina-
tional organizations so that the good news
of Jesus is proclaimed more boldly and the
society in which we live is transformed by
that good news.
Denise Pierce is a senior in the MDiv program
and a merit scholar. She works full-time as an
attorney while attending seminary part time.
On Call
Continued from page 6
that I would be “good enough” to do the work is a testa-
ment to the dedication and enthusiasm of the men and
women on the seminary faculty who have labored so dili-
gently to provide them to me. Good things to have
handy when the night is interrupted by a summons from
someone struggling with a demon.
Doug Fritzsche is a senior MDiv student under care of
Santa Fe Presbytery. In the photo on page 6 he practices
administering the Sacrament of Baptism in Barton Springs
Pool.
 Strength for the Journey

I
BY JEFF SADDINGTON
I fall into an unofficial category of student here at Austin
Seminary, easily labeled “a second-career” person. That is
very obvious when you see me. I was fortunate to have
spent thirty-five wonderful, challenging years as a
Johnson & Johnson executive.
I had at least fifteen distinct assignments within six
of J&J’s 180-some companies around the world. These
assignments were exciting opportunities, and my busi-
ness career could have continued. But it began to occur
to me about ten years ago, in a very slow process, that my
life might be undergoing a shift that wouldn’t be satisfied
with more corporate moves.
In no way did I understand this shift at the time.
“What is happening to me?” I said on many occasions.
Outside of my business experience, I have been
influenced significantly over the past forty years through
volunteer work with the homeless and hungry, prisoners
having no hope, and with international adoption of chil-
dren who have no families to love them.
I definitely did not feel in control about all of this
“call evolution,” but it has been an exciting time. Strength
for the Journey is the title of a book of sermons authored turmoil and conflict, since good management is really
by Peter Gomes, professor at Harvard University. His ser- just an effort to empower people to manage themselves
mons, rich in imagery, humor, and insight, directed by providing them listening ears, adequate resources,
toward the students in that university, began to work in training, expectations, direction, and feedback.
my heart and mind in the late 1990s about my own voca- The employees working for me needed to know that
tional journey and the discernment that I knew I desper- I cared about them and their families 24/7, not just when
ately needed. we were at work together. They needed to know that they
So, is this a “second call” for me? Or is it merely “Act were capable of solving most of their own problems, and
II” to the same play, started immediately after a short that their relationships with those around them were pri-
retirement “intermission” consisting of a single Labor marily their own responsibility. It now feels somewhat
Day weekend in 2008? While the characters in this play pastoral, although it did not at the time.
are a little older, a little heavier, and a lot slower than they Author Parker Palmer in Let Your Life Speak describes
were in Act I, I will not pull the wisdom card at this point vocation as “not an act of will … but at its deepest level
because I do not feel very wise. it is something I can’t not do, for reasons I’m unable to
How much continuity is there in my life between the explain to anyone else and don’t fully understand myself
years covering 1969 to 2008 and now? Surprisingly, I but that are nonetheless compelling.”
believe it will have much similarity. Being a chaplain or That is exactly how both my Act I and Act II feel to
in congregational ministry will certainly not have the me. I am excited to learn and prepare for Act III, regard-
same smells, sights, and sounds of the production lines of less of its set design, and I feel so blessed to be in this
baby powder and Band-Aid®s, but my industry career, place called Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. I
in hindsight, was remarkably pastoral in the sense that I pray for strength for the journey, for me and for my lov-
cared for thousands of employees who had constant tur- ing family who support me!
moil in their lives when not at work and had tension and
conflict to deal with in the workplace. Jeff Saddington is a senior MDiv student under care of
In order to have efficient work processes, managers Mission Presbytery.
need to be concerned about and keenly aware of all this

WINDOWS / Summer 2010 7

 Mosi-oa-Tunya
W
BY CLARE LOZANO
When I traveled with fellow seminary student Melea
White to Zambia last summer, we had the chance to take
a short get-away on our own. We spent our first day vis-
iting Victoria Falls. Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that
Thunders) is one of the largest waterfalls on the earth and
is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It
is breathtaking to behold. After seeing the falls up close,
we decided to walk up the road to the bridge that stretch-
es over the gorge, nearly 430 feet above the Zambezi
River. The views of the Falls from this location were
incredible and I found myself just wanting to stand there
marveling at the work of our Creator.
Yet, this bridge was a somewhat busy place. On one
side there was a bungee jumping operation. While it was
entertaining to watch tourist after tourist hurtle off a
platform towards the waters far below, it did make it hard
to focus on our surroundings. The bridge also marks the
border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. There were
probably about fifteen men from both countries wander-
ing around the bridge with handcrafts they had brought
to sell to tourists. As we moved away from the bungee
jumping station to a quieter spot on the bridge, one of
these men approached us with copper bracelets he had
for sale. He was a persistent salesman and even though
we weren’t all that enamored with the bracelets, in the
end his determination won and we ended up each buy-
ing one from him.
8
However, the second our wallets came out we were
suddenly surrounded by a larger group of men, each try-
ing to get us to buy bracelets that looked exactly like the
one we had just purchased. As they showed us their
bracelets they also spurted out pieces of their story—
there were children to care for, a long journey to make,
homes that needed repairing, and pangs of hunger to
assuage. It wasn’t long before Melea and I had been sep-
arated and were each surrounded by several pleading peo-
ple. It was overwhelming. We had money to buy a
bracelet or two, but not enough to buy something from
them all. The need was great, and it highlighted both our
privilege as well as our profound limitation to respond.
As I stood there not knowing what to do, the frus-
tration began to boil up within me. I had come to see the
Falls, to experience their beauty, to connect with God in
the midst of creation. I hardly had time to do any of that.
I quickly tried to snap a few pictures, while Melea and I
worked to extricate ourselves from the situation. As we
were walking away and began to start processing what we
had just experienced, we were aware that when poverty
characterizes the reality of the majority of a country’s
people, there is no escaping it. No matter where you go,
even if it is to one of the Seven Wonders of the World,
the reality of poverty is ever present.
As I look back on that afternoon now, I realize that
while I was so desperately trying to connect to God
through the creation that surrounded me, I failed to rec-
ognize Christ standing right beside me. God reaches out
to us in so many different ways and we are called to
respond. Sometimes, it is hard to know what the best
response is, or we feel like our response is inadequate, or
question if it will make any kind of difference. Yet, we are
called to try.
In the midst of the chaos that day, I bought a carved
elephant. It is a beautiful piece of woodwork that I will
always cherish, not only for its artistic merit, but for what
I am reminded of when I see it. I think of that day, those
uncomfortable minutes on that bridge, the beauty of the
Falls, the faces of the men I met there, the stories they
told, the ways God becomes incarnate in this world, and
how those experiences of incarnation change us, how
they challenge us, and how they call us.
Clare Lozano is a senior MDiv student under care of
Mission Presbytery. She is pictured here with the first two
women to be ordained in the Reformed Church of Zambia.
What I Learned About Jesus From a 9-year-old Buddhist

T
BY KELLY UPDEGRAFF
The year was 2008. The place was First Presbyterian Austin Seminary is going to find out that I can’t explain
Church Shreveport, Louisiana. The church was buzzing Christianity to a child and revoke my acceptance let-
with those three letters that send pastors into a frenzy ter!!!!” But I didn’t.
during the summer months … V B S. It was finally here “Can I still plant it?” she asked.
and since I would be leaving for seminary in just one “Yes, you can plant it and grow a mustard tree,” I
month, I was determined to be the best drama leader the humbly replied.
church had ever seen. My sister Amy and I piled into the “Will Jesus make it grow?” She held up her All
car, ready to somehow connect faith and the rainforest, as Things Grow in Christ sticker. I nodded. She smiled.
the curriculum suggested. On the way we picked up my
cousin Molly and her new stepsister, Jamie.
Nine-year-old Jamie, her mother, and older brother
had recently arrived in the United States from Laos. Her
English was minimal, and she wore a fleece hoodie,
because she found the sweltering Louisiana heat to be
unbearably cold. She’d chosen the name Jamie to sound
more “American.” We enjoyed her exotic looks, her
accent, and her obvious wonder at her new surroundings.
At VBS the children arrived ready to hear about our
story of the day, “Jesus and the Parable of the Mustard
Seed.” Jamie enjoyed activities immensely, but seemed at
times a little confused. Then Molly decided to share a
crucial fact: Jamie was a Buddhist and back in Laos every-
one she knew was a Buddhist. She’d never been to a
church and Christianity was an entirely new concept.
Energizers suddenly felt inappropriate. But when Jamie
climbed into the car for the ride home she was all smiles “Can He make people grow?”
and talking excitedly about returning the next day. “Yes,” Now we’re getting somewhere. “Jesus makes us
“And when I’m home,” she announced holding up grow in lots of ways. We can grow up but we can also
her souvenir mustard seed, “I will plant Jesus!” grow to be better people.” But that was the end of it,
WHAT? Oh No. because we’d arrived at her home. She ran up the drive-
Somehow, “the Kingdom of God is like a mustard way and my sister gave me a look.
seed,” had become, “plant this in your backyard to enjoy “You are really bad at that,” Amy laughed.
the spiritual equivalent of sea monkeys!” This kid had no “It’s not my fault! Who doesn’t know who Jesus is?”
idea who Jesus was. I tried to explain. Umm … apparently me.
“No Jamie, Jesus was a man … err … God … Jesus So—what I learned from a nine-year-old Buddhist is
was part of God. But he’s God’s son.” Amy slapped her that you have to figure out who Jesus is because one day
hand to her forehead in exasperation. someone is going to ask. The answer you give a commit-
I tried again. “Jesus died. He was murdered.” Did I tee, or in a statement of faith, full of colorful language
really want to focus on death here? I thought. It didn’t and rich metaphors, is not going to cut it for someone
seem like the right way to start. starting at step one.
“But he came back to life!” Amy chimed in. In case you’re curious, Jamie is now a ten-year-old
“How’d he do that?” Jamie asked, looking bewil- Presbyterian, and next time I have to explain to someone
dered. “Can we get sno-cones?” who Jesus is, I’m starting with, “Jesus is proof that God
I wanted to yell, “No, we cannot stop for treats loves us, and this is why …”
because you are failing to grasp the most important con-
cept in the world because I am a failure and going to be Kelly Updegraff is now a senior MDiv student under the
the worst pastor ever! And the Admissions Office at care of Presbytery of the Pines.

WINDOWS / Summer 2010 9

Danger Ahead: Simple Questions Become Existential Crises
I
BY SALLY WRIGHT
I once had a professor tell me that being a middler, or
second year seminary student, is dangerous.
“Dangerous,” I thought, “shouldn’t junior year have
the label ‘Dangerous’?” Junior year is when you are first
introduced to historical criticism and theological lan-
guage.
Junior year is also the year when Professor Cindy
Rigby makes you examine your theological beliefs or
when Professor John Ahn tells you your beloved Bible
was redacted.
As I have grown into middler-hood, I now fully
understand how dangerous this liminal time truly is. The
year when I already have one year of theological forma-
tion under my belt but I remain thankful that there is
still more pastoral formation to come.
It is in the middler year when seemingly simple ques-
tions and thoughts can, without warning, suddenly turn
from innocuous questions to life changing existential
crises. As a middler, I have all this theological language
running around in my head and I seek ways to fit this
new language into my already held beliefs and previous
life experiences.
More often than not during this middler year I have
awoken to questions like, “Is this Jesus guy really God?”
and then I am greeted by friends who see the concern on
my face and inquire how I am doing and discover they,
too, are discerning the same questions.
Unlike junior year for me, these questions are not
merely intellectual exercises
in class, but rather, these
questions in my middler
year have hit me in my gut,
at my foundation, and
seeped into the place of safe-
ty I never thought could be
accessed. I find myself ques-
tioning my call, or strug-
gling with church denomi-
nations, and sometimes even
my religious affiliation.
So, how do middlers
make it to being seniors and
eventually (hopefully) to
ordination?
We succeed only due to
God’s unfailing pursuit of
God’s people and the Austin
10
Seminary community. I would not still be here if it had
not been for my friends and professors in this communi-
ty.
I share my times of doubt and questioning with
them and they do not label me a heretic (like the voices
in my head are calling me.) “You are not even abnormal,”
they assure me. I can walk up to a friend and say, “I don’t
think the Christian paradigm is working for me” or,
“today Jesus for me is a moral exemplar not a substitute
for atonement.”
Instead of being taken into the principal’s office for a
lesson in “correct doctrine,” my professors and friends
engage me in conversation and debate. They give me
book titles and authors to read. But, most importantly,
they hold me up in prayer as I grow painfully.
My middler year has definitely been one of struggle,
growth, and discernment. On one hand, I wish the
wrestling, the pain, the anxiety upon no one. But, on the
other hand, I have come to a whole new relationship with
God.
God knows there are things that I cannot accept at
the moment and instead of telling me I not good enough
to minister to God’s people, God tells me, “I am not
done with you yet.” (I pray God never will be done with
me.)
God may not, and probably will not, answer all of
the questions and doubts. However, I now know, truly
know, that it is ok to live with these questions and to con-
tinue to seek God. It is in
seeking God in, with, and
through these questions that
my fellow seminarians and I
come out ready to lead con-
gregations.
Sally Wright survived her
middler year at Austin
Seminary under care of New
Covenant Presbytery. In this
photo she appears with other
Austin Seminary “cheerlead-
ers” on Austin Seminary Day.
 Little Reminders

S
BY BART SMITH
Seven seminarians walk into a Ministries January-term course
church building and sit down where we seminarians saw a
at the table in the middle of a variety of churches getting
Sunday school room. Starkly their hands dirty in service to
present at the center of the the world in the name of the
table are large piles of money, Risen Christ. In countless
all one dollar bills. imaginative ways the churches
Perhaps the ushers hadn’t and other organizations sur-
counted last Sunday’s offering veyed through the course reach
and handed it in to the treas- out across socioeconomic and
urer for deposit? But this ethnic boundaries to make the
being Friday morning, that love of God concrete for their
hypothesis seems a little communities.
weak. Upon closer inspection, Thanks be to God for
the dollar bills all appear to be refreshing reminders of why I
marked in some way: names, felt called to ministry in the
cartoons, drawings, and first place, even if those little
words unbecoming an article reminders are dollar bills with
in a seminary publication checkered pasts.
adorn the currency. After the
gathered group glides Bart Smith is a middler MDiv
through the standard intro- student under care of Greater
ductions and get-to-know- you’s, the conversation finally Atlanta Presbytery. He is at the right (wearing a hat) in the
arrives at the beckoning stacks of money. photo above, taken at Westminster Presbyterian Church,
“Do you know what this is?” asks the pastor. Santa Fe, during his Jan-Term experience in New Mexico.
“Drug money?” I blurt out.
“Guess again.”

No one seems to be able to produce a viable answer. Read more student essays online:
“On Friday night, these bills are placed in the g-
strings of strippers at the club down the street. On www.austinseminary.edu/visit
Sunday morning, they wind up in my offering plate,”
pronounces the pastor in a tone colored with a “there
goes the neighborhood” kind of certainty.
Our Advent Devotional will
This was “Exhibit A” of our group’s introduction to
the plethora of ministry of a small United Methodist be available in November in
congregation in Northern New Mexico. Addiction sup- a text and audio version at
port groups, needle-exchange programs for individuals www.austinseminary.
experiencing substance abuse, bridge building with local edu/advent
If you would like to
place a group order
Pueblos, and inventive liturgies for Protestant celebra-

for a printed version

tions of the traditionally Roman Catholic Quinceañera

at 50¢ per copy,

are just the tip of the iceberg for this little precinct of the

please place your

Kingdom of God. Led by a creative and dedicated pastor,
order online or
this congregation works tirelessly to bring a very real
by calling
sense of solidarity and hope to an area ravaged by drugs,
512-404-4886.
crime, gambling, and other spawn of extreme poverty.
Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico offered us
many encounters of this type through its Cross-Cultural

WINDOWS / Summer 2010 11

COMMUNITY NEWS
New graduates to fulfill call into ministry
D uring Austin Presbyterian
Theological Seminary’s
commencement exercises held
Sunday, May 30, five graduates
received the Master of Arts
(Theological Studies) degree;
twenty-nine, the Master of
Divinity (including two dual
degree students who also received
the MSSW from The University of
Texas School of Social Work); one,
the Diploma; and six, the Doctor
of Ministry degree. Reverend
Thomas L. Are Jr., the senior
pastor of Village Presbyterian
Church, Prairie Village, Kansas,
and vice-chair of Austin Seminary’s
Board of Trustees, gave the
commencement address.
Several awards were announced
during the ceremony: The Charles
L. King Preaching Award, given
annually to honor the former
pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church, Houston, and a
distinguished denominational
leader, was given to Ken White.
Jose Lopez received the Rachel
Henderlite Award, named for a
former Austin Seminary professor
and given to a graduate who has
made significant contributions to
cross-cultural and interracial
relationships while at Austin
Seminary.
The John Spragens Award,
honoring a former Austin
Seminary professor, is given each
year to an outstanding graduate
for additional study in the field of
Christian education. The award
this year went to Kate Loveless.
The Hendrick-Smith Award
for Evangelism and Missions was
established by William Smith
Sevier in memory of William Swan
Smith, James Hardin Smith, John
12
Henry Hendrick, Edwin Eugene
Hendrick and in honor of John
Robert Hendrick, Austin
Seminary professor emeritus of
evangelism and mission. Given to a
graduate who has demonstrated a
commitment to the field of
mission and evangelism, this year’s
recipient was Mike Clawson.
The Donald Capps Award in
Pastoral Care is an award
established to honor Professor
Donald Capps, the William Harte
Felmeth Professor of Pastoral
Psychology at Princeton
Theological Seminary. Given in
recognition of a student’s
gifts for and commitment
to the church’s caring
ministries, The Capps
Award goes to Nikki
Stahl.
Additional awards
included the following:
The Ada and Adams
Colhoun Award was
granted to Jane Pettit, the
Carl Kilborn Book Award
went to Matt Falco, and
the Chalice Press book
award was granted to John
Dearman.
2010 Commencement: from
the top, DMin graduate Nina
Reeder shows off her shepherd’s
crook to Professor John Alsup;
MDiv graduate Jennifer Lee
and family members; Daniel
Harrington, Norris Atkins,
and Mindy Baker await the
moment their Master of
Divinity degrees are conferred.

Key to Masters degree entries: graduate’s name and denomination (presbytery or conference under care);
first call / placement or future plans.
Martin Newmann
UMC (Southwest Texas
Diploma
Conference); Pastor, Muldoon
United Methodist Church,
Muldoon, Texas, and Winchester
UMC, Winchester, Texas
Michael Clawson
• MATS • Master of Arts (Theological Studies) • MATS • Studies) • MATS •
Church of God General
Conference, Midwest Conference;
will pursue a PhD program at
Baylor University in
Religion/Church History
Stephanie Cripps
United Pentecostal Church; seeking
a full-time teaching position in the
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, area; will
pursue further graduate studies at
Louisiana State University
Paul Harris
United Methodist (Southwest Texas
Conference); Pastor, Cedar Creek
United Methodist Church, Cedar
Creek, Texas
Allen Noah
United Methodist (Southwest Texas
Conference); Pastor, Jones Chapel
United Methodist Church, San
Antonio, Texas
Ramon Nunez
Congregacion Brasis, Monterrey,
Mexico; Ministerial Staff, Centro
De Estudios Superiores Y Transfor-
macion
Norris Atkins
Nondenominational; seeking a call
MDiv •
in the area of campus ministry
WINDOWS / Summer 2010
The Class of 2010
Mindy Baker
• MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv • Divinity • MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv • Divinity • MDiv •
PCUSA (Grace Presbytery); will
seek a call upon completing candi-
dacy/ecclesial requirements
Stella Burkhalter
UMC (Southwest Texas Confer-
ence); Associate Pastor for Chil-
dren’s Ministry at Covenant United
Methodist Church, Austin
John Dearman
PCUSA (Mission Presbytery); seek-
ing a call
Paul Dubois
UMC (Southwest Texas
Conference); Pastor, First United
Methodist Church, Weimar, Texas
Jamye Dunlap
PCUSA (Grace Presbytery);
Chaplain Resident, Baylor
University Medical Center, Dallas,
Texas
Kathy Escandell
PCUSA (Mission Presbytery);
Director of Education for Children
and Youth, Central Presbyterian
Church, Austin
Matt Falco
PCUSA (Huntingdon Presbytery);
call pending
13
COMMUNITY NEWS
Debbie Garber
MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv
PCUSA (Cascades Presbytery); year-
long CPE residency program in
Seattle, Washington
Daniel Harrington
UMC (Southwest Texas
Conference); Associate Pastor,
Manchaca United Methodist
Church, Austin
Lindsay Hatch
PCUSA (New Covenant
Presbytery); seeking a call
Dedurie Kirk
National Baptist; continuing to
work on ministry staff at Greater
Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Austin,
while pursuing an MCPC at
Seminary of the Southwest
Jennifer Lee
PCUSA (Mission Presbytery);
Children’s Ministry Christian
Educator, Austin Korean
Presbyterian Church, Austin
Jose Lopez
PCUSA (Grace Presbytery); com-
pleting CPE requirements at Seton
Hospital, Austin
Kate Loveless
PCUSA (Grace Presbytery);
Associate Pastor, Trinity Presbyterian
Church, Topeka, Kansas
Crystal McCormick
Youth Director, Edwards United
Church of Christ, Davenport, Iowa;
PhD program, Lutheran School of
Theology in Chicago
14
Brandon Miles
MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv
PCUSA (Sheppards and Lapsley
Presbytery); Summer Chaplain,
Highland Presbyterian Camp and
Conference Center in Estes Park,
Colorado.
Jane Pettit
PCUSA (New Covenant
Presbytery); Pastoral Care Associate,
Grace Presbyterian Church,
Houston, Texas, while seeking a call
John Pflug
PCUSA (Grace Presbytery); Pastor,
First Presbyterian Church,
Winnsboro, Texas
Kaci Porter
PCUSA (Grace Presbytery);
Director of Campus and Young
Adult Ministries, University
Presbyterian Church, Austin
Robert Quiring
PCUSA (Eastern Oklahoma
Presbytery); Associate Pastor, High
School Youth and Young Adults,
Knox Presbyterian Church,
Naperville, Illinois
Isabel Rivera-Velez
PCUSA (New Covenant
Presbytery); seeking a call
Glenn Sampayan
PCUSA (Grace Presbytery); seeking
a position as a hospital chaplain
Debra (Deb) Schmidt
PCUSA (Presbytery of Southern
Kansas); seeking a call
 The Class of 2010
Nikki Stahl Ken White
United Christian Church; while United Christian Church; Associate
• MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv •

• MDiv • Master of Divinity • MDiv •

completing candidacy/ecclesial Pastor, United Christian Church,
requirements, will work in a medical Austin
social worker setting

Lisa Straus Melea White

UMC (Southwest Texas Nondenominational; Social Worker
Conference); PhD program in New at Integrative Health Services,
Testament and Hebrew Scriptures at Williamsburg, Iowa
Boston University

Jason Webster For photos of Commencement, go online to

PCUSA (Mission Presbytery); com-
pleting a year-long chaplain residen-
cy in August; will pursue a PhD in
biblical studies and seek a call
www.austinseminary.edu Click on “Media
Gallery,” from the arrow at right select the
channel “Community Life,” then
“Commencement 2010.”

Key to Doctor of Ministry degree entries: graduate’s name, current position; title of doctoral project

Doctor of Ministry • DMin • Doctor of Ministry

Doctor of Ministry • DMin • Doctor of Ministry

Stephen (Steve) G. Castle Nina P. Reeder

Pastor, Moyock United Methodist Pastor, The Lawrence Road Presbyterian
Church, Moyock, North Carolina; Church, Lawrenceville, New Jersey; “The
“Facilitating Forgiveness in a Church Meal of the Kingdom: Congregational
Recovering from Trauma” Engagement with ‘Mea’” as Metaphor
through Reflection and Praxis.”

James E. Janecek Joe Wesley Warren

Installation Chaplain, Moron Air Base,
Spain; “Ameliorating Melancholic Grief:
Utilizing Elegiac Narrative Therapy with
Emerging Adults in the Air Force
Suffering From Complicated Loss”
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Athens,
Texas; “Moving Ecclesial Leaders Toward
Self-Differentiation”

Ray L. Reed Richard M. (Rich) Wright

Pastor, Russell Memorial United First United Methodist Church,
Methodist Church, Wills Point, Texas; Hinesville, Georgia; “Rebuilding
“Where There Is No Vision, the People Relationships: A Caring Ministry for
Perish: Adopting a Visionpath at Russell Inactive Members at Lakeland United
Memorial United Methodist Church for
Methodist Church”
Reaching and Empowering the Youth of
Their Community”

Picture yourself on these pages.

Austin Seminary’s Discovery Weekends are a time to spend thinking about your own call to ministry.
You will meet current professors and students, tour the housing, and get to know a bit about the
quality of life in the city and on the Austin Seminary campus. We hope to see you there … and here!
Discovery Weekends - October 29-31, 2010, and February 18-20, 2011
WINDOWS / Summer 2010 15
COMMUNITY NEWS
Board approves $44 million campaign plan
S
tudent fellowships, faculty
chairs, library modernization,
student housing, The College
of Pastoral Leaders, and the annual
fund will be the focus of a $44 mil-
lion comprehensive campaign for
Austin Seminary, approved by the
board at its spring meeting.
Charged with prioritizing a
broad list of potential funding
options, the Campaign Planning
Committee, chaired by John
Hartman, met numerous times
over a fourteen-month period.
Through a process of research,
analysis and debate, the committee
reached a unanimous conclusion
about the campaign priorities.
“The support we got from the
administration, the answers to our
questions and helping us think
through some of these things, and
the very practical advice we got
from the campaign consultant all
contributed to [the Committee’s]
unanimity and the spirit of one-
ness,” says Hartman.
Following their initial winnow-
ing of campaign initiatives, person-
al interviews were conducted with
dozens of the Seminary’s con-
stituents to garner valuable feed-
back. Armed with that insight, the
Committee refined the recommen-
dation they presented to the board
this May.
“We narrowed the program
16
down to the five initiatives, all of
which received strong support from
those who were interviewed.
Number one was student fellow-
ships. For both the group inter-
viewed as well as our team, it was
clear we needed to make room for
that and for the complementary
initiative of additional faculty
chairs,” says Hartman. The amount
allocated to library and housing
were reduced, but, “we felt that in
both cases some very significant
improvements could be made for
lesser amounts than had originally
been proposed.” Two task forces
made up of students, faculty, and
administrators are working to flesh
out the details of those funding pri-
orities; they expect to report their
findings to the board in November.
Reflecting on the work of the
Planning Committee, Hartman
says, “I think everybody on the
committee really felt the desire to
come up with something that could
make a difference in the future …
The thing that bound us together
and provided the inspiration to all
this was a shared love for the insti-
tution and a feeling that Austin
Seminary has a role to play in the
Kingdom of God, educating the
next generation of pastoral leaders
and church leaders. That was such
a bond and source of energy for
everything we were doing.”
In April students pursued a
variation on the usual Spring
Fling motif: Highland games
with a Mexican flavor. The
resulting party, “Juegos
Altiplanos,” featured a taco bar,
the wearing of the tartan, a
watermelon spitting contest, and
a tug of war between the classes
(the juniors won both rounds).
Jinkins called to lead
Louisville Seminary
M ichael Jinkins (DMin’83),
Austin
Seminary’s aca-
demic dean since
2004, has been
called by the
Louisville
Presbyterian
Theological
Seminary’s Board of Trustees to
become its next president, effective
September 1, 2010.
Jinkins has been a member of
the faculty of Austin Seminary
since 1993, having previously
served congregations in Texas and
Scotland. In his teaching career,
Jinkins made significant contribu-
tions to the church’s understanding
of the practice of ministry, pastoral
identity, and the theology of
Christian leadership. As academic
dean, he wrote successful grant
applications that resulted in: the
founding of the College of Pastoral
Leaders; support of faculty develop-
ment for the improvement of
teaching, curriculum renewal; and a
faculty research project to deter-
mine what church leaders and con-
gregations expect of seminary edu-
cation today. He led the faculty
through its first thorough curricu-
lum review and revision since 1971
and oversaw its successful re-certifi-
cation of accreditation. He also
developed the course “Entry into
Ministry,” providing students a
practical look at entering ministry.
Said President Theodore J.
Wardlaw, “Austin Seminary has
been blessed mightily by Dean
Jinkins’ vision, energy, discipline,
and inspiring leadership.” An advi-
sory committee, headed by
Professor Cynthia Rigby, has initi-
ated a search for Jinkins’ successor.
 Board acts regarding
Seminary’s beloved friend Ed Vickery dies
faculty, admissions
L ongtime supporter of Austin Seminary Edward D. Vickery died on
April 29. He served on the Seminary’s Board of Trustees from 1976-
1995 and as chair of the board from 1983-1985 and 1989-1994. A ustin Seminary’s Board of
Trustees took the following
“Ed Vickery was a force of nature,” said President Theodore J. Ward- action with respect to faculty at its
law. “In addition to his wife, Dorothy, his beloved family, and his church, spring meeting:
his fondest passions were The University of Texas and Austin Presbyterian • Commended Lewis R.
Theological Seminary. He loved this school and its history, and he made it Donelson, The Ruth A. Campbell
better through his deep involvement. The Seminary gives thanks to God Professor of New Testament, for his
for Ed’s life and witness.” continued outstanding service to
Vickery was a partner in the Houston law firm Royston, Rayzor, the Austin Seminary community
Vickery & Williams, specializing in litigation in the areas of admiralty and and to the guild and church at
maritime law, insurance coverage, and personal injury cases. Throughout large;
and beyond Vickery’s lengthy service on the Austin Seminary Board, he • Promoted Allan H. Cole Jr. to
helped make possible the fully endowed Nelson Chair of Christian be the Nancy Taylor Williamson
Education through a major gift in January 2002. The purpose of the pro- Professor of Pastoral Care;
fessorship is to support those who wish to serve God by becoming “teach- • Granted tenure to David F.
ers of teachers.” Vickery contributed the funding for The Dorothy Vickery White, The C. Ellis and Nancy
Chair of Homiletics, established in 2007 in memory of his wife, and made Gribble Nelson Associate Professor
possible the Vickery Atrium in the McCord Community Center on the of Christian Education;
Seminary campus. • Promoted Monya Stubbs to
Ed Vickery is survived by his daughter, Anne Vickery Stevenson, a Associate Professor of New
current member of the Seminary’s Board of Trustees, and his son, Downy Testament;
Vickery. The family has asked that memorial contributions be sent to • Reappointed C. Ellis Nelson as
Austin Seminary. Research Professor of Christian
Education;
• Awarded Professor Emeritus sta-
tus to retired Professors Ellen
Babinsky and Ismael García.
• Approved a recommendation that
the faculty choose annually from
among its tenured members a rep-
resentative to be an ex officio mem-
ber of the board of trustees.
• Affirmed the faculty’s recommen-
dation that at least four of the next
five tenure-track faculty hires be
racial ethnic minority persons and
that at least three of the next five
tenure-track faculty hires be
women.
With reference to other mat-
ters, it also reaffirmed the
Seminary’s current standards and
processes for admission of student
applicants from non-Christian tra-
ditions and faiths and elected five
Family and friends celebrated the life of Ed Vickery (center, front) at a luncheon in new trustees to be inducted at the
his honor at Austin Seminary in 2007. fall meeting of the board.

WINDOWS / Summer 2010 17

FACULTY NEWS
Ethics professor García retires FACULTY NOTES
John Ahn, assistant professor of

I smael García, Austin Seminary’s professor of Christian ethics for more

than two decades, retired in July following a year-long sabbatical. García
became a member of Austin Seminary’s faculty in 1986.
Old Testament, was one of two
Korean-Americans representing
North America in the Jubilee
García was the long-time chair of the faculty’s Program of Study com- Celebration (50th Year) of the
mittee, responsible for the on-going excellence of teaching and learning. Korean Old Testament Society
There and in the classroom, according (KOTS) in Seoul, South Korea,
to colleagues, “he lives out the subject May 28-30. Ahn’s paper was called
matter of his book Dignidad, most “Second Generation Assimilation
especially on campus in his advocacy Theories in the Cadre of Second
for students and junior colleagues. Isaiah.” Ahn was the conference
Ismael’s concern to meet students keynote speaker at PSALMS:
where they were powerfully influenced Lament to Praise, Korean
his pedagogy.” One student, referring Conference on Worship and Music,
to García, called him, “along with Stan July 12-15, at Columbia
Hall, one of the great lights of my Theological Seminary.
seminary education.”
The Sunrise Beach Federated
Says Seminary President
Church provided a potluck celebra-
Theodore J. Wardlaw, “Ismael has
tion after worship on June 6 to cel-
Ismael García enjoys a gathering with made profound contributions to the
ebrate the 50th wedding anniver-
colleagues and friends, including field of Christian ethics—contribu-
sary of Professor John Alsup and
Professor Jennifer Lord, to celebrate his tions that have benefited his academic
contributions to Austin Seminary.
his wife, Carole. Former student
guild, certainly, but also contributions
ministers along with current mem-
that have produced strides in social
bers, students, and family gathered
justice and the empowerment of those on the margins. Because of the prac-
to make it a very special occasion.
tical impacts of his witness and passions, this world is a better place.”
García’s positive influence has been felt on hospital ethics committees Comparative Religion Professor
and on the boards of the National Council of Churches, U.S.A. and the Whit Bodman served as moderator
World Mission Board of the United Church of Christ. He is a member of at the international symposium,
the Committee on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) of the Association of “Islam, Salvation, and the Fate of
Theological Schools and has received fellowships from the Association of Other.” The conference, sponsored
Theological Schools, the University of Chicago Divinity School, and the by University of Illinois
Ford Foundation. He was for many years a leader of the Hispanic Summer Department of Religion, was held
Program and other national initiatives aimed at supporting the theological April 16-17. Bodman travelled to
education of Hispanic students across the United States. Tehran, Iran, in July to present a
García is the author of Dignidad: Ethics Through Hispanic Eyes and paper at the International
Introducción a la Ética Cristiana (Abingdon Press, 2003) and served as the Conference on Multiculturalism
editor and major contributor to Diccionario Ilustrado de Intérpretes de la Fe: and Global Community. Organized
Veinte Siglos do Pensamiento Cristiano (Editorial Clie, España, 2004). He was by the Institute for Humanities and
associate editor of Westminster Dictionary of Theologians (Westminster John Cultural Studies, the goal of the
Knox, 2008). conference was to bring together
Reared in Puerto Rico, García earned a BA in political science from the professors, researchers, and scholar
University of Puerto Rico then the MA and PhD from the University of students to exchange and share
Chicago. Prior to his appointment to Austin Seminary he taught Christian their experiences and research
ethics at McCormick Seminary. As he moves back to Puerto Rico later this about the conference’s themes and
summer, Ismael García’s presence on the Austin Seminary campus will be to discuss cultural challenges and
deeply missed. As a colleague noted at his retirement fete, “With Ismael, practical solutions.
there’s no disconnect between what he says and what he does. His life mir- Allan Cole, the Nancy Taylor
rors his speech and his actions often speak more powerfully than his words.” Williamson Professor of Pastoral

18
Care, published an article, “What
Makes Care Pastoral?” in the jour-
nal Pastoral Psychology. He also
wrote a chapter on loss, grief, and
mourning for The Church Leader’s
Counseling Resource Book: A Guide
to Mental Health and Social
Problems (Oxford University Press),
for which he served on the editorial
board.
Dave Jensen, professor of construc-
tive theology, is the editor of a new
book series from Fortress Press,
“Compass: Christian Explorations
of Daily Living.” The series
explores everyday practices and
their connection to Christian faith
and doctrine. He also taught a
workshop on “The Bible, Theology,
and Human Sexuality” in Bella
Vista, Arkansas, on July 23 and
began serving as Austin Seminary’s
Interim Academic Dean on July 1.
David Johnson, director of minis-
terial formation, participated in
two conferences on seminary stu-
dent spiritual development at St.
John's Abbey in Collegeville,
Minnesota: one funded by a grant
from the Lilly Foundation, the
other sponsored by the Presbyterian
Church (USA).
David Jones, director of the DMin
program, led retreats for Indian
Nations Presbytery Council and for
the Mo-Ranch Men’s Retreat in
April.
Timothy Lincoln, associate dean
for seminary effectiveness and
library director, published an article
“How Master of Divinity
Education Changes Students: A
Research-Based Model” in the jour-
nal Teaching Theology & Religion.
Homiletics professor Jennifer Lord
contributed two “Living by the
Word” columns in the June 29
issues of The Christian Century. In
April she was the keynote speaker
WINDOWS / Summer 2010
Jones honored by professional colleagues
Dr. David Lee Jones,
director of the Doctor
of Ministry (DMin)
program, received the
2010 Distinguished
Leadership in Doctor
of Ministry Education
Award from the
Association for Doctor
of Ministry Education
(ADME). This is
ADME’s highest award
and Jones is only the
fourth recipient in the Jones, center, with his family and mother: Jennifer,
organization’s twenty- Morgan, Faith, and Mildred.
year history to receive
the award. Jones has been a member of ADME since 2003; he served on
its executive board since 2006 and as president since 2008. Austin
Seminary hosted the annual ADME conference, April 22-24, 2010.
for the 2010 College of Pastoral at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian
Leaders annual conference and pre- Church in New York on May 16.
sented five lectures on the
Kristin Saldine, assistant professor
“Maintenance of Divine Worship”
of homiletics, was presenter,
for the Presbytery of Arkansas’
preacher, and instructor at
Annual Retreat for Ministers,
PC(USA) Academy of Missional
Educators, and Commissioned Lay
Preaching in June. She led the
Pastors.
Commissioned Lay Preaching
K.C. Ptomey, The Zbinden Colloquy For Presbytery of Plains
Professor of Pastoral Ministry and and Peaks at the Highland
Leadership, was the preacher at the Presbyterian Camp and Retreat
Worship and Music Conference at Center in August and will be the
Mo Ranch, sponsored by The keynote speaker, preacher, and
Presbyterian Association of workshop leader at a Santa Fe
Musicians, June 20-24. Presbytery training event on August
21 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
W C Brown Professor of Theology
Cynthia Rigby spoke on Christian Education Professor
“Providence and Play” at the Logos David White was the keynote
2010 Conference at Rutgers speaker for Youth Workers
University on May 13. The inter- Gathering 2010, at St. Paul’s
disciplinary conference of philoso- School of Theology in Kansas City,
phers and theologians was spon- Missouri, in April. He also led a
sored by the Center for Philosophy breakout session, “Fanning the
of Religion at Rutgers and the Sparks of Adolescent Interest Into
Department of Philosophy at Notre the Flames of Lifelong Vocation.”
Dame University. Rigby preached
19
 ALUMNI/AE NEWS

ASAP
WELCOME …

austin seminary’s alumni/ae portal

to John Robertson Maybry, son of Leah and Luke H. Maybry
(MDiv’06), born on April 13, 2010.
to Annora Rose Stutzman, daughter of Jacob and Phyllis L. Stutzman
(MDiv’05), born on July 1, 2010.
to Serene McCormick, daughter of Adam and Crystal McCormick
(MDiv’10), born June 24, 2010.

ORDINATION
Rebecca Chancellor (MDiv’08) ordained July 4, 2010, to serve Valley
Community Presbyterian Church in Portland, Oregon.
James B. “Brady” Johnston (MDiv’08) ordained in June to serve
Bethesda United Methodist Church in Weatherford, Texas
Paul Gadke (MDiv’08) ordained July 11to serve San Pedro Presbyterian
Church in San Antonio Texas
Laura R. Grice (MDiv’08) ordained on June 26, 2010, to serve Faith
Presbyterian Church in Baytown, Texas
Krista D. Ingram (MDiv’09) ordained in June to serve First United
Methodist church in Italy, Texas
Carrie M. Finch (MDiv’09) ordained on July 24, 2010, to serve First
Presbyterian Church in Greenville, North Carolina
Kenneth L. White (MDiv’10) ordained June 27, 2010, to serve United

Check out your new Alum

Christian Church in Austin, Texas

Portal, now available off

the Seminary’s main web
CLASS NOTES completed a PhD in systematic and
site:
philosophical theology at the
1950’s
www.austinseminary.edu
Graduate Theological Union in
Gilbert Deaume (Ecumenical’58-
May 2010. His dissertation was
‘59), a minister in the United
There you’ll find:
“The Human Role in Nature: A
Church of Zambia, served as an
• class book lists and
Case Study Analysis of Yosemite
interpreter for the Word Alliance of
recommended reading
Planning Processes Employing H.
Reformed Churches and the
Richard Niebuhr’s Symbol of
from the Seminary’s
Reformed Ecumenical Council in
Responsibility.”
faculty
June 2010.

• a place to post news

Bernice Wells (Diploma’98) retired

and notes
1990’s as pastor of Webster Chapel United

• ministry resources
David Siegenthaler (MDiv’95) Methodist Church, Victoria, Texas,

NECROLOGY
Watch the mail for your
Jesse L. Leos (MDiv’52), Kingsville, Texas, April 27, 2010

secure log-in, or email

Henry E. Moore (MDiv’56) Fort Smith, Arkansas, April 16, 2010
alum@austinseminary.edu Leslie G. Andrew (MDiv’81), Bella Vista, Arkansas, January 22, 2010
Linda K. Reinhardt (MDiv’96), Canyon Lake, Texas, May 27, 2010

20
after thirteen years of ministry for
the United Methodist Church in … to employ its resources in the service of the church; and to
the Southwest Texas Conference. promote and engage in critical theological thought and
Holly J. Hasstedt (MDiv’99) wed research… — Austin Seminary “Mission Statement” (excerpt)
Scott Hoppe on May 22, 2010, in
Shelton Chapel.

2000’s
Brett Hendrickson (MDiv’02)
received his PhD in religious stud-
ies from Arizona State University in
the summer of 2010.
Kate Loveless (MDiv’10) wed Lee
McGee on June 12, 2010.
Program expands in scope and audience
Call for nominations
If you wish to honor an Austin
A t Austin Seminary, the teaching and learning don’t end the
moment diplomas change hands. We continue to provide
opportunities to our graduates that equip and strengthen them to
Seminary alum who has made a be leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ.
significant contribution to the life This year we are expanding our Austin Seminary on-the-road
of the church, please consider nom- model to include events for congregations as well as our alumni/ae
inating him or her for the Austin
and their colleagues. We will be asking the critical “So what?” ques-
Seminary Distinguished Service
Award. Criteria for consideration tions as we explore creative ways to preach, teach, and think about
may be found on the Austin Sem- being the church in the world.
inary website at: In the fall of 2010, Austin Seminary will be on the road around
www.austinseminary.edu/nominat the Synod of the Sun engaging lay and clergy audiences with the
ion. Winners of the award will be question, “What’s next for mainline churches?” In the spring we
honored at the 2011 ASA Banquet. will be in churches across Texas. We hope to see you along the way.

The Austin Seminary Association September 26-27, First PC, Norman, Oklahoma
Board has the responsibility for
Sunday morning -Worship led by President Ted Wardlaw
directing, guiding, and planning
matters which advance the interests
Sunday afternoon - Lecture by Dr. David Jensen, Professor of
and concerns of the Seminary and Constructive Theology and Interim Academic Dean
its Association members. Our Monday noon - Clergy Workshop for alumni/ae and their
board reflects the geographic, colleagues with Professor David Jensen

October 11, Second PC, Little Rock, Arkansas

denominational, racial/ethnic, gen-
der and decade diversity of our
1700 plus living alumni/ae who are
serving in forty-eight states and
twenty-two countries around the
world. Terms of service are three
years. Expectations of board
members can be found on the
website at
www.austinseminary.edu/asaboard
Deadline for all nominations is
September 8; nominations can be
made by mail, online, or emailed to
alum@austinseminary.edu.
Monday noon- Clergy Workshop for alumni/ae and their
colleagues with Dr. Cynthia Rigby, W.C. Brown Professor of
Theology
November 14-15, First PC, Shreveport, Louisiana
Sunday morning -Worship led by President Ted Wardlaw
Sunday afternoon - Lecture by President Wardlaw
Monday noon - Clergy Workshop for alumni/ae and their
colleagues with The Rev. Lana Russell, Director of Alumni/ae
and Church Relations
 WINDOWS Non Profit Org.
Austin Seminary Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary U.S. Postage
100 East 27th Street, Austin, Texas 78705-5797
Partnership PAID
Austin, Texas
Luncheons Address Service Requested Permit No. 2473

Fall & Spring 2010-11

September 8, 2010
North Dallas
October 6, 2010 Summer 2010
Harlingen
November 11, 2010
Albuquerque
March 8, 2011
Little Rock
April 13, 2011
Shreveport
May 12, 2011
Oklahoma City
For more information or
to attend one of these
events call:
(512) 404-4802

AUSTIN SEMINARY
ASSOCIATION (ASA)
BOARD

Belinda Windham (MDiv’91), President

Richard Culp (MDiv’93), Vice President
Patti Herndon (MDiv’93), Past President

Judy F. Baskin (MDiv’02)

Charles W. Edwards Jr. (DMin’89)
Gerald Goodridge (MDiv’02)
David Green (MDiv’95)
Aquanetta Hicks (MDiv’08)
Kathleen T. Hignight (MDiv’95)
Dorothy C. “Dolly” Hunt (MDiv’03)
Ryan M. Kemp-Pappan (MDiv’08)
“Remembering him every day.”
Brian L. Merritt (MDiv’98) Sutton Lange, 9, designated John Anderson as his hero for a class project
Nancy Mossman (MDiv’88) because he “helped build my house.” The second grader is the son of stu-
A. Catherine Robinson (MDiv’86) dent Melanie Lange whose family was among the first to live in the new
Karen H. Stocks (MDiv’85) student apartment Anderson House.