Disciples Divinity House

The annual Convocation Service on June 11 celebrated graduating Disciples Scholars and DDH Residents. Graduates included Disciples Divinity House Scholars who received their Master of Divinity degrees or will receive them later this year: Rebecca Anderson, Aaron Smith, Michael Swartzentruber, and Beau Underwood. Underwood also received the Master of Arts in Public Policy degree. Also among the graduates were two ecumenical residents, Heather Mackenzie and Emily Rostkowski, and Alan Terlep, House Scholar from 2005-06, who received his PhD in the History of Christianity with certification in ministry. The service preceded the University-wide graduation, which was held in the main quadrangle on Saturday morning.

Verity A. Jones spoke on "The God of Hope," calling the graduates to a hearty, realistic engagement through their work and ministry, and not mere optimism. Publisher and Editor of DisciplesWorld magazine from 2003-10, Jones is the President of the Associated Church Press, works with the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program, and serves on the advisory board of the Divinity School's Border Crossings project. She has written for the Christian Century and other publications, in addition to DisciplesWorld. A native of Richardson, Texas, she grew up in Enid, Oklahoma. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale College, and a summa cum laude graduate of Yale Divinity School. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, she previously served as pastor of Central Christian Church in Terre Haute, Indiana.