Current Scholar Joel Brown presented a paper at the AAR meeting in San Antonio, “Saving Black Metropolis: Reverdy C. Ransom, Richard R. Wright, Jr., and the Seeds of the Black Social Gospel in Chicago.”

Jeffrey Lehn (former resident), Beau Underwood (2006), and Ben Varnum (former resident) returned to DDH for a time of retreat and peer support in November.

The Lamplight Project features vocal soloist Kate Jennings (1980) in partnership with churches to raise money for homeless shelters in Wisconsin.

Allison Lundblad (2012) will be installed as Minister of the Christian Church of Arlington Heights, Illinois, on November 13 at 6:30 pm. Sharing the message, "A Word of Hope for the Church Today," will be Jesse M. Brown, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Chicago, Cynthia Lindner (1978; trustee), Director of Ministry Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School, and Associate Dean Yvonne Gilmore (2001). Dean Kris Culp (1982), Janet Long, Senior Minister of Washington Avenue Christian Church in Elyria, Ohio, and Bill Crowl (1962), will be among those participating in the service.

Sure, nothing is perfect, but if you have a safe place to live, food on the table, and clothes to wear, the reality is that life is pretty good. That’s not true for many people in the world, and you may wonder, “How do we live in a way that honors God and shows gratitude for the good life we are living in the midst of a world full of pain and brokenness?” Lee Hull Moses (2001; trustee) asks this question in her new book, More than Enough: Living Abundantly in a Culture of Excess, just published by Westminster John Knox Press.

All our daily choices have an impact on the earth and the people around us: choices about where we shop, what we eat, what we give away.. But can we really do anything to help? Can we find joy in our own lives when there is so much pain in the world? Sorting out the answers gets overwhelming and complicated very quickly. With a blend of practical reflection and insight on topics from guilt to delight, More than Enough goes beyond a call to gratitude and generosity and invites the reader to a new way of life, one that is grounded in the hope and grace of God.

Verity Jones (trustee) has been named a 2016 Woman of Influence by the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Erica L. Brown (1997) has recently reviewed two novels in the Christian Century: Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing on October 26 and Mischling by Affinity Konar on September 27.

We remember Barbara E. Williamson, wife of Clark M. Williamson (1957), with gratitude and deep fondness. She died on October 8 in Indianapolis after a battle with cancer. She was 74. She was an honors graduate of the University of Chicago with a BA in French and an MA in linguistics. After teaching French for two years, she began her professional career with the Indiana Civil Liberties Union (now the American Civil Liberties Union in Indiana), serving as its executive director in the 1970s. Subsequently she worked in the United States Attorney's Office as the chief administrative officer, and as a courtroom deputy clerk in the Federal Court House in Indianapolis. Among their many benevolences, the Williamsons created the Barbara and Clark Williamson Scholarship Fund at the Disciples Divinity House. In addition to her husband, Clark, she is survived by their son, Scott Williamson and his spouse Eva, and her brother, Richard W. Unger. A memorial service was held at Central Christian Church in Indianapolis on November 5. More here.

Our condolences to Dean Kris Culp (1982), whose mother, Betty A. Culp, died October 8, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa. She was 87. A former school teacher, she had been an elder and the first woman board chair of Park Avenue Christian Church, and was active in several organizations. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack O. Culp, who died in 1993, and is survived by three children, Kristine, Karen Moklestad (Tim Moklestad), and Gary (Lisa Culp); six grandchildren; five great grandchildren; and by a sister, Harriet Williams.

Journey of Faith (formerly Memorial) Christian Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is celebrating 125 years together as a congregation. Alex McCauslin (2011) is the minister, and Russell Fuller (1948) is a long-time former minister. The celebration, themed "Telling Our Story: A Past That Calls Us Forward," began in April and culminated on October 7-9.