News from Alumni/ae and Friends
News items are listed in roughly reverse chronological order. (The date in parentheses represents the year of entrance as a Disciples Divinity House Scholar.) Please click here to share your news. We want to keep up with the significant life events and accomplishments of alumni/ae, trustees, and former residents.
Go to archived news - Summer 2011 and earlier
On June 1, April Lewton (2004; trustee) will become the Vice President of Development and Marketing for the National Benevolent Association (NBA), a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Founded in the 1880s, the NBA "creates communities of compassion and care" through the provision of health and social services. Lewton commented, “As a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), I have known and experienced the legacy and dedication of Disciples in service to others, especially those who are in physical, mental and social need. I look forward to engaging and encouraging Disciples in this ministry of service throughout the life of the Church." Read the press release.
Garry Sparks (2001) has accepted a tenure-track appointment as Assistant Professor of Humanities in Global Christian Studies at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. His research and teaching interests focus on an ethnographic and ethnohistorical understanding of theological production in the Americas, specifically among indigenous peoples. His areas include modern Christian theologies, history of religions, Native American religious movements, Hispano-Catholic missions, and the Highland Maya. This past year he has been the Visiting Assistant Professor of Humanities and Theology at Christ College, the honors college, of Valparaiso University. He and spouse April Lewton (2004; trustee) will move to Louisville in June.
Spencer Dew (1998) will join Centenary College of Louisiana as Assistant Professor of Religious Studies in the fall, a tenure-track position, and he will hold the Mattie Allen Broyles Inaugural Year Research Chair. Currently teaching at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, he is completing a manuscript on religious understandings of writing in the work of Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, and James Baldwin, and he is at work on a a study of the Moorish Science Temple of America, funded in part by a research fellowship from the Black Metropolis Research Consortium. He is the author of a collection of short stories, Songs of Insurgency (Vagabond Press, 2008), Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres (Another New Calligraphy, 2010), and the critical study, Learning for Revolution: The Work of Kathy Acker (San Diego State University Press, 2011). His first novel, Maintain, is forthcoming from Ampersand Books in fall 2012. A regular reviewer for Rain Taxi Review of Books, and a Staff Book Reviewer for decomP magazine, his fiction and essays have appeared in scores of publications, including art reviews in Newcity Chicago and Chicago Artists' News, and essays in Religion Dispatches and Sightings.
David Cobb (1987) has been called as the second pastor of Spirit of Joy Christian Church in Lakeville, Minnesota (in the greater Twin Cities area). He was previously Senior Minister of First Christian Church, Lynchburg, Virginia. David, Katy McFall, and their son Jackson, will move to the Lakeville area in mid-June. Katy McFall (1988) will continue serving as Director of Annual Giving for the Presbyterian Homes & Family Services and the Family Alliance of Lynchburg, working long distance; she is now also serving as President of the DDH Alumni/ae Council.
Beau Underwood (2006) has accepted the position of Campaigns Manager at Sojourners, a national Christian organization committed to faith in action for social justice. He will help to develop and coordinate strategies for Sojourners' issue campaigns, to manage their coalition work, and a variety of other tasks. He concludes his work as the Partnership and Outreach Coordinator at Faith in Public Life on May 15. He continues also to serve part-time at National City Christian Church as an Assistant Pastor.
Michael Kinnamon (1974) will join Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry (STM) for the next three years as the Spehar-Halligan Visiting Professor of Ecumenical Collaboration in Interreligious Dialogue, beginning August 2012. Internationally regarded as an ecumenist, he is the author of several books and recently served as the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches.
Congratulations to House Scholar Katherine Raley, who will be ordained June 23 at First Christian Church, Columbia, South Carolina. She has been called to serve as Associate Minister of First Christian Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Chuck Blaisdell (1976) is the Senior Minister.
Jonathan Wallace (2008) will be ordained on June 10 at 1:00 pm at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, his home congregation. He received his MDiv degree in December.
Congratulations to House Scholar Andrew Packman, who has been admitted to the PhD program in Theology at the Divinity School. He is currently completing the MDiv degree and will be ordained into the Christian ministry in August at his home congregation, First Christian Church, Centralia, Illinois.
Congratulations to House Scholar Kristel Clayville, who received the Louisville Institute's Dissertation Fellowship. The fellowship supports the final year of dissertation writing.
Former Resident Madison McClendon and Current House Scholar Andrew Packman were co-chairs of the Eighth Annual Student-Run Ministry Conference, held April 13 at the Divinity School. Entitled On the Edge of Glory: Making Disciples in a "Secular" Age, the conference featured sociologist Mark Chaves; Liz Myer Boulton (1989) was the conference preacher and Clark Gilpin (1970; trustee) was the respondent. House Scholars McKinna Daugherty, Katherine Raley, and Alexis Vaughan, and Current Resident Katherine Ray were members of the planning committee.
F. McDonald (Don) Ervin, a longtime member of University Church and longtime friend of the Disciples Divinity House, died on April 3 in hospice care in Indianapolis. He was surrounded by family, prayer, and songs at the time of his death. His son, Bruce Ervin, wrote, "We are so very grateful for Dad's patient, gentle, loving ways; for his passion for justice; his insistence that Christian faith be about the practical work of caring for the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the blind and the poor; his commitment to affordable housing and credit unions on the Southside of Chicago; his generosity, and the sweet compassion of his face." Don and his late wife Jean Ervin regularly attended Monday Night dinners; when they were present, we felt that the saints of the church were with us. A celebration of his life was held Saturday, May 12, at 1:00 pm at University Church, Chicago. Don and Jean Ervin are survived by three children, Bruce, Rosemary, and Tom, and their families. More here.
Ray Greenfield (2000) died April 1 at his home in Lewistown, Illinois. He was 57. Our sympathies are with his wife Helen, his three children, Michael, Meagan, and Allison, and four grandchildren. Ray was the pastor of the Illinois Street Christian Church in Lewistown and the Ipava Christian Church. He was a chaplain at Graham Hospital in Canton and the former pastor of First Christian Church in Rushville. He was born January 27, 1955, at Norfolk, Virginia. He first married Susan Ozier. In 1995, he was remarried to Helen Ronat in Jacksonville, Illinois. He pursued his college education as a second career student, earning his bachelor's degree in social work from MacMurray College in Jacksonville in 2000. He entered the Divinity School as a Disciples House Scholar in 2000 and commuted every week from Jacksonville. When he graduated in 2003, he considered the M.Div. degree to be half Helen's and made sure that she also had a graduation cap. He was ordained at Central Christian Church, Jacksonville. Funeral services will be 10:00 am Thursday, April 5, at the Illinois Street Christian Church in Lewistown. Burial will be in Jacksonville, Illinois.
House Scholar McKinna Daugherty performed Beethoven's Missa Solemnis at Symphony Center with the Chicago Chorale on March 5. Led by Artistic Director Bruce Tammen, the Chicago Chorale is a sixty-voice ensemble that "continues the tradition of great amateur choral institutions." www.chicagochorale.org. McKinna has been singing with the Chorale for nearly two years.
Congratulations to Stephanie McLemore (1992) and big sister Sophia on the birth of Ellery Jean McLemore on March 1. She weighed 7 lbs, 10 oz., and was 21 inches long.
Congratulations to Matt Rosen (2003) and Della Hoffman on the birth of their daughter, Savannah Grace Rosen. She was born at 10:38 am on March 1. The family is happy and well.
We are saddened by the death of Honorary Trustee for Life and former Board president, Jack V. Reeve (1942), on February 25 in Indianapolis. He was 93. He suffered a stroke and entered hospice care on February 13. He is a former regional minister of the Christian Church in Illinois and Wisconsin and also a former faculty member of Lexington Theological Seminary. We celebrate his long life, commitment to ministry and service, exemplary stewardship, love of music, love of family, and his stalwart friendship with the House. More here.
Our sympathy to Clark Gilpin (1970, trustee) on the death of his father, William C. Gilpin, on February 22 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The service was held February 28 at Harvard Avenue Christian Church in Tulsa. Bill Gilpin was 88; he is survived by his wife, Joann Gilpin, as well as by their children and grandchildren.
Cynthia Lindner (1978; trustee) has received a Louisville Institute Project Grant to support the research and writing of a book, Accounting for Our Selves, Responsible to Others: Ministerial Multiplicity and the Well-Lived Pastoral Life. Cynthia has been the Director of Ministry Studies at the Divinity School since 2002. The Louisville Institute's Project Grant for Researchers Program supports a diverse range of research undertaken in the interest of believing communities, particularly projects that involve both academics and pastors in genuinely collaborative inquiry.
Bill Crowl (1962) became the Transitional Interim Minister of the Christian Church of Arlington Heights, Illinois, on January 15, 2012.
On January 4 Tristan Orozco became Associate Minister of Wakonda Christian Church in Des Moines, Iowa.
As of January 1, 2012, Ken Brooker-Langston (1985) became the volunteer Director of Disciples Justice Action (DJAN) at his request and as the organization's finances required his move from being a paid director. He continues his ministry with DJAN and also as the (paid!) Executive Director of the Disciples Center for Public Witness, based in Washington, DC.
Sympathy to former Associate Dean Brittany Barber (1995), whose father, Ray Barber, died suddenly on December 26. The service was held December 31 at the First Baptist Church, Hartford, IL (greater St. Louis area).
Laura Hollinger (2001) is the new Campus Engagement Manager with Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based nonprofit with the mission of building interfaith cooperation. She moves to this position after seven years as Associate Dean of Rockefeller Chapel and as coordinator of Bond Chapel worship for the Divinity School. In addition, she has just announced her engagement to Jeff Antonelli. Congratulations and thank you, Laura!
Michael Karunas (1995) has been named the new senior minister of Central Christian Church in Decatur, Illinois. He will conclude service as the senior minister of First Christian Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on January 31, 2012. Michael is the current president of DDH's Alumni/ae Council.
Teresa Hord Owens (1999) was installed as Senior Minister of First Christian Church of Downers Grove, Illinois, on Sunday, November 13, at 4:00 pm. She became the senior minister in late September. She continues also as Dean of Students of the University of Chicago Divinity School.
Congratulations to Gaylord Yu (trustee) and Jihye (Jenny) Choi, who were married November 11, 2011, in the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at the University of Chicago.
Michael Kinnamon (1973), General Secretary of the National Council of Churches (NCC), will leave his position due to health reasons. The announcement was made November 9. "Members of the governing board received the news with reverence and respect for Kinnamon's leadership of the council during the last four years. Many expressed a sense of loss and offered tributes of appreciation for his ministry," a press release explained. Kinnamon's cardiologist insisted that the stresses of his current position, particularly the extensive travel required, must be reduced immediately and significantly.
In their November letter from London, Tod and Ana Gobledale (1975) reflect on different congregations in which they have ministered and worshiped. They ask, "What makes church?" They answer, in part, "Church, whether on the arid plains of Matabelaland in Zimbabwe, on the Salisbury plain or on the twisted streets of London brings together the faithful of all ages and all places." Read their reflections here.
Northwestern University Press has published a new book by Larry Bouchard (1974), Theater and Integrity: Emptying Selves in Drama, Ethics, and Religion. Bouchard argues that theater’s ways of being realized in ensembles, texts, and performances allow us to reenvision integrity's emergence and ephemeral presence. The book locates ambiguities in our discourse about integrity, and it delves into conceptions of identity, morality, selfhood, and otherness. Its explorations ask if integrity is less a quality we might possess than a contingent gift that may appear, disappear, and perhaps reappear.
Former Resident Ben Varnum was ordained a deacon by the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago on November 1 at St. Chrysostom Episcopal Church in Chicago. In October be became the assistant rector of St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in Overland Park, Kansas.
Michael Karunas (1995) has started a blog called U-Matters. It can be found at www.u-matters.blogspot.com.
On Friday, October 28, 
Matthew Myer Boulton was installed as the sixth President of Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, and Professor of Theology. He began serving in July. He was previously Associate Professor of Ministry 
Studies at Harvard Divinity School, and he taught at Andover Newton Theological Seminary. He earned his PhD in Theology at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He and Liz Myer Boulton (1989) were married in the Chapel of the Holy Grail; they were both ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Also, his new book, Life in God: John Calvin, Practical Formation, and the Future of Protestant Theology, was published in October by William B. Eerdmans.
Patty and Bill Crowl (1962) are the proud expectant grandparents of a new ... restaurant! Daughter Rachel, an architect and artist, and son-in-law Matthias Merges, who was the Executive Chef of Charlie Trotters for fourteen years, are opening yusho soon in Chicago. Yusho will offer yakitori cuisine, which is based on the grilled street food of Japan.
Beau Underwood (2006) has joined the pastoral team of National City Christian Church in Washington, DC, part-time. As assistant pastor, he will lead new member classes, plan special worship services, and serve as National City's clergy represenatative to the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN). He continues full-time as the Partnership and Outreach Coordinator for Faith in Public Life. On November 1, he attended a gathering at the White House with about 150 leaders from across the country who have been working in support of the American Jobs Act. Both President Obama and Vice President Biden addressed the group, with several other senior officials and Cabinet Secretaries in attendance.
Ritch Savin-Williams (1971) is quoted in an October 2 New York Times article, "The Freedom to Choose Your Pronoun," on teen rebellion against gender conformity. He is professor and chair of Human Development at Cornell University, where he directs the Sex and Gender Lab.
Congratulations to former resident Ian Gerdon and Sarah Gerdon on the birth of William Michael Quodvultdeus Gerdon at 9:50 pm on September 30. Liam arrived early by emergency c-section, and weighed 2 lbs, 10 oz. He will remain in the hospital for several more weeks. However, he is putting on the ounces, his mother is recuperating well, and his father seems a bit giddy.
Congratulations to Lee Hull Moses (2001; trustee), Rob Moses, and big sister Harper on the birth of Jonathan Bruce Moses at 10:59 pm on September 27. He weighed 8.6 pounds and measured 20.25 inches long. Mom and baby are happy and healthy (and Dad and Harper are doing well also).
Rebecca Anderson (2007) has been called as Associate Minister of Glencoe Union Church, just north of Chicago. She has been serving at Holy Covenant United Methodist Church in Chicago.
Congratulations to Laura Jean Torgerson (2002), Tim Donaghy, and big sister Quinn, who welcomed the arrival of Maya Rowan at 1:40 am on September 12. She weighed 3600 grams (7 lb 15 oz) and measured 51 cm (20 inches) long. They are serving in Nicaragua with Global Ministries and local partner La Misión Cristiana. Follow their blog here.
Spencer Dew (1998) is serving as a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. This summer he received a grant from the Black Metropolis Research Consortium for archival research on the Moorish Science Temple.
Former resident Jimmy Hoke is beginning doctoral work at Drew University's Graduate Division of Religion this fall, after having completed his MDiv at the Divinity School in June. "Bible scholar by day, chef by night," he also has a new recipe blog, Jacob's Stew.
First Christian Church, Greensboro, NC, replaced its fifty-year-old steeple this summer. The Greensboro New & Record featured a photo essay by Senior Minister Lee Hull Moses (trustee, 2001). And, see Lee's August 19 blog in the Christian Century: The church is a steeple.
Congratulations to former trustee Juan Rodriguez who has been named the next Regional Minister of Florida. His term begins January 8, 2012. He was the organizing pastor of Iglesia del Pueblo-Hope Center in Hammond, Indiana, and just completed service as the First Vice Moderator of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Juan and Sonia will be moving to Orlando, Florida.
More news of alumni/ae and friends archived here - summer 2011 and earlier
Go to the DDH Bulletin