The Disciples Divinity House is saddened to learn of the death of Ron Eslinger (1964).

Ron died April 17, 2022, in Des Moines, Iowa. He was 79.

Ron received a DMin from the University of Chicago and was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1969 and worked the next forty years in service to parishioners, congregations, and communities at many levels, first in New York, then on to Michigan, Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Iowa. He was an associate Conference minister in Kansas-Oklahoma in the 1980s and 1990s, Conference minister in Illinois South from the mid-1990s until 2002, and associate Conference minister in Iowa from 2005 until his retirement in 2009. Ron worked to manifest racial and social justice and to encourage stewardship for creation.

Ron is survived by his children, Evan Eslinger (Carrie Robertson) and Elise Eslinger (Don Perkins); by a brother, Gerald Eslinger (Carolyn Eslinger), and sister, Janet (Eslinger) Graham; and by three grandchildren (Addison, Mackenzie, and Zachary Perkins) and ten nieces and nephews.

Heike Springhart, friend of the Hosue and former dean of the Theologische Studienhaus at Heidelberg Universität, was installed as bishop of the Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden on April 10.

Beau Underwood (2006) joined efforts with fellow Disciples minister Jonathan Hall in Dear Son: Raising Faithful, Just, and Compassionate Men, from Chalic Press. The book is framed as a series of letters from two dads to their young sons.

Sarah Zuniga (2018) was ordained to the Christian Ministry on March 27 by the Illinois-Wisconsin region and Eureka Christian Church. Yvonne Gilmore (2001) preached and Teresa Dulyea-Parker (trustee) officiated.

Andrew Packman gave an address on "The Atmospherics of Theological Education," for a March 24th Convocation of the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities where is Visiting Assistant Professor of Theological Ethics and Practical Theology.

Santiago Piñón (1998) has been selected for the MSI Aspiring Leader fellowship at Rutgers University. The program engages mid-career leaders from education, non-profit, and business sectors in an effort to prepare the next generation of Minority Serving Institution presidents.

Sandhya Jha (2001), Yvonne Gilmore (2001), Tim Lee (1998), Santiago Piñón (1998), and Terri Hord Owens (1999) spoke at the Kirkpatric Conference, Visions of Wholeness: Systemic Racism, Antiracism, and 'Reconciliation' in Our Shared History and Tradition, held in Tulsa, March 18-29. It was organized by the Disciples of Christ Historical Society.

Marshall Hatch Jr., former DDH resident and co-founder and executive director of MAAFA Redemption Project, was featured on WBEZ Chicago Public Radio in March as part of a collaboration with the Divintiy School to reflect on two years of the pandemic. He focused on the "Sanfoka" window at the New Mount Pilgrim MB Church where he is one of the pastors.

On February 5th, Kate Gerike, 2020 MDiv graduate and former DDH resident, was ordained to the ELCA and installed as pastor of the Lysne and Salem Lutheran Churches in Hawley and Hitterdal, Minnesota.

Ken Brooker Langston (1985), Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN) and Disciples Center for Public Witness (DC4PW) executive, was honored for his work in racial and economic justice with the Christ Church Capital Area Bridge-Builder Award on January 16th.