In a publication of the World Council of Churches (WCC), entering House Scholar Fiyori Kidane reflects on a conversation held in Memphis at the General Assembly between emerging Disciples leaders and the WCC General Secretary, Jerry Pillay. Vy Nguyen (trustee; 2004) arranged the gathering.

Sailesh Srinivas, current resident and rising second-year MA student, is enrolled in a Classical Arabic study program based in Amman, Jordan. However, because of tensions in the region, he has had to participate remotely, from the U.S. One class is a close reading of a medieval Islamic philosophical text and the other is speaking, listening, and writing Arabic, while learning about Islamic history and culture. 

This summer, resident and rising second-year MA, Ethan Yu, is spending eight weeks in residence at the annual Kierkegaard Institute at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. 

Current Scholar Delaney Beh is serving First Congregational Church Loveland, Colorado, UCC, as Interim Sabbatical Minister this summer while Senior Minister Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson (2009) has a Louisville Institute sabbatical grant that allows Thandiwe and her extended family to spend time in South Africa, where she was raised when her parents served with Global Ministries. The Loveland congregation's theme this summer is Ubuntu, "we belong together."

Congratulations to Beau Underwood (2006), whose newest book has won two national awards. From Chalice Press: "In April, the Religion Communicators Council named "Baptizing America" the Best Book of 2024, awarding it the top prize in the Non-Fiction: Adult – Single Work category. The Associated Church Press granted the book its highest nonfiction honor, the Award of Excellence. One judge called it “an important book for our time,” noting how clearly the authors help readers make sense of the rise of Christian nationalism and its impact on democracy."

Cynthia Lindner (trustee; 1978) joined with Divinity School colleagues Sarah Fredericks and Erika Dornfield to obtain a grant for Living Well Through Climate Change, a project that culminated in a multi-disciplinary Divinity School conference on May 8. Rebecca Anderson (2007) and Virginia White (2014; current scholar) participated in a panel and Nate Travis (current scholar) was a research assistant.

On April 30, the fiftieth anniversary of the fall of Saigon, Vy Nguyen (trustee; 2004), was in Geneva for a meeting with global partners. He reflected on the anniversary: 50 years ago today, Saigon fell — and like millions of others, my family would eventually have to leave everything behind to find safety and a new place to call home. It didn’t happen overnight. It took decades of people fleeing, risking everything for a chance of peace. I didn’t flee until almost a decade later. I’ll always be grateful to the NGOs, churches, and countries, including the US, that opened their doors to us when we needed it most.... Over 120 million people are displaced around the world today, and too many places have stopped welcoming refugees. Today, the challenges are heavy, but so is the hope and determination in this room. On this anniversary, I’m reflecting on what it means to be a stranger in need — and how important it is that we don’t turn our backs on those seeking safety. Someone made room for us once. It’s on us to do the same.

Sympathy to Colton Lott (trustee; 2015) on the loss of his grandmother, Jayne Lott, who died on April 26 in Ada, Oklahoma. She was 86.

Congratulations to Paul Pribbenow, AM’79, PhD’93, president of Augsburg University, who has been named the 2025 Alum of the Year by the University of Chicago Divinity School. This honor recognizes Pribbenow’s distinguished career in higher education, his commitment to civic engagement, and his leadership in fostering inclusive and ethical communities. Paul was a DDH resident. Read more here.

After serving as secretary for ten years, Paul Steinbrecher has handed over those duties while continuing his trustee work as a member of the House Committee. Now retired as a principal at Interactive Design, Inc. (IDEA), a Chicago-based architecture firm, Paul was elected to the Board in 2012. Melinda Keenan Wood (1997) has picked up the pen. She was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2019 and has been Senior Minister of Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Durham, North Carolina, since 2017.