Donald H. Wheat, entering class of 1955, died March 5. He was 92. After graduating from Hiram College and the University of Chicago (BD), he served the Austin Boulevard Christian Church. In 1969, he became senior pastor of Third Unitarian Church, also in Oak Park. Third Church participated in the civil rights, fair housing, and Vietnam War struggles of those heady days. He and his wife Ann retired to South Haven Michigan. Published obituary here.

Danielle Cox (2012), Senior Minister of Avon (IN) Christian Church, reports that construction has begun on the congregation's innovative collaboration with Habitat for Humanity to build a housing development on their church campus. The project was featured in "Building More Than Homes: Service, Faith, and the Work of Bridgebuilding."

Virginia White, alumna and Teaching Fellow at the Divinity School, will explain the concept of Dinner Church as part of a meal and workshop at the Oklahoma Regional Assembly on Friday evening, March 6. Virginia served as Co-Pastor for Outreach at Root + Branch Church, a Disciples of Christ millennial-founded “dinner church” meeting in theaters, homes, and cooking schools on Chicago’s northwest side.

Current House Scholar Tristan Spangler-Dunning recruited young adult leaders from across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), including six other House Scholars, to lead the Disciples Young Adult Book Club. Over four weeks in February and March, the virtual book club read Staying at the Table with its author, General Minister and President Terri Hord Owens (1999). The initiative was part of The Church Narrative Project, which Tristan serves as a field work intern.

As of March 2, Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson (2009) will become a spiritual care counselor for Accent Care Hospice, transitioning from Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church (UCC) of Loveland, Colorado. While she and her family will miss this beloved church, she is looking forward to a regular workweek and different ways of engaging in the more time to engage in the community.

In Becoming Neighbors, Amar D. Peterman, ecumenical resident of DDH and a first-year PhD student in Theology, explores how the common good can be cultivated through the practice of neighbor love.The book will be released on March 12 from Eerdmans. Amar works at the intersection of religion and public life and is a former assistant director at Interfaith America. He has been named a Storyteller for The Narrative Project, an initiative of The Christian Century; find his article on Christian Nationalism here. 

A warm welcome to new Board member, Raquel Collazo. She is Assistant Vice President at the Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Previously, she worked in the financial industry, including at JPMorgan Chase. She has a passion for serving others, especially those in historically under-served communities. Raquel is a fourth-generation Disciple and a member at Iglesia Cristiana (Discípulos de Cristo) Casa del Alfarero in Indianapolis, where she resides with her husband and three children.

Marshall (1960) and Barb Dunn took their first first Road Scholar trip to Costa Rica (although it was their third time to Costa Rica). Marshall writes, "We were very impressed by the quality and knowledge of our trip leaders and almost daily lectures and demonstrations (one of them on leaf cutter ants). We love this little country for its amazing biodiversity and warm February temperatures! Here's the Arenal Volcano!" 

Congratulations to Adam Frieberg (2006), who in January became Director of Data Architecture and Integration, a new role in the Office of the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Adam has almost twenty years of professional software development experience in the agricultural GIS sector. He is based in Des Moines, IA and volunteers his clergy and technical expertise with Wakonda Christian Church. He is known among Disciples and DDH alums for his photography, including many striking photos and videos he has made for the House over the years.

Eight current House Scholars traveled to Eureka College for the Humbert Lecture on Religion and Public Life, given this year by Terri Hord Owens (1999) General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Here, they pose with Terri as well as with Regional Minister William Crowder and Michael Karunas (1995), Senior Minister of Central Christian Church in Decatur. Beau Underwood (2006), a member of Eureka's Board, was moving too fast to be captured in the photo.