In April, Michael Swartzentruber (2007) became the Senior Minister of South Elkhorn Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. He and Rebecca move to Lexington from Louisville, where Michael served as Youth Minister at Middletown Christian Church. Rebecca will continue in optometry practice in Lexington.

Welcome to the world Amelia Carroll Reed! Amelia was born April 18, weighing in at just over 6 pounds. She and her parents, Josh Reed and Laura Jennison Reed (2009), are all healthy.

Ben Dueholm and Kerry Waller Dueholm (2000) welcomed Marina Katherine Dueholm on April 6th. Marina was 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and "has some great hair." Big brothers Soren and Elijah are enjoying her.

On March 26, Chris and Rachel Leslie (2011) welcomed Jonah Philip David Leslie into the world. He was delivered in Raleigh, NC. At the end of maternity/paternity leave, they will return to their postings in Jerusalem for a couple of months. At the end of July they will be moving to Washington, DC. Chris will be enrolled in the State Department's advanced economic course, and Rachel will have a two-year position in the State Department's Office of Religion and Global Affairs.

Congratulations to Vy Nguyen (2004) and Linh Bui on the birth of Anhdrew Thanh Zaby Bui on March 25, 2015. In Vietnamese, "Anh" means brother. He weighed in at just under 6 pounds. All are now doing well.

Disciples House Scholar Rachel Abdoler has been selected as one of twelve seminary fellows from across the U.S. for the Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE) this summer. She is currently completing an internship at Congregation Beth El Zedeck and with the Center for Interfaith Cooperation (CIC) in Indianapolis.

Congratulations to Jonathan Stockdale (1992) on the publication of his book on the use of exile in imperial Japan. In Imagining Exile in Heian Japan: Banishment in Law, Literature, and Cult (University of Hawai`i Press, February 2015), 'University of Puget Sound professor Jonathan Stockdale examines the influential role that this change in law played at a time considered to be the peak of the Japanese Imperial Court. In an age when poetry and literature flourished, banishment became more than just a political tool: It captured the public imagination and was taken up in literature and legends, poetry and diaries, and oracles and revelations." Here is a press release. This fall, Jonathan received a Thomas Davis Teaching Prize from the University of Puget Sound. He recently celebrated his 50th birthday and is marking it with a family road trip to the Grand Canyon in May. Many congratulations!

Harvard Divinity School has appointed Stephanie Paulsell (1985; former trustee) as the first Susan Shallcross Swartz Professor of the Practice of Christian Studies. She is currently the Houghton Professor of the Practice of Ministry Studies at HDS. The goal of the Susan Shallcross Swartz Endowment is "to extend the School's traditional preeminence in Christian studies, but also to support 'moral and spiritual formation' for a broader secular audience. Ms. Swartz says that the new chair—and its first holder—meet both objectives." Stephanie Paulsell also has been named one of six Henry Luce III Fellows in Theology for 2015–16 by the Association of Theological Schools (Professor Willemien Otten at the University of Chicago Divinity School is another Luce recipient). Paulsell's project will explore the idea of being "lost in the mystery of God" in relation to the human experience of losing things that were once familiar to us.

Kay Northcutt (1985) spoke as part of a Lenten series on "cooperative spirituality" at First Christian Church, Oklahoma City. “The capacities for stillness and attentiveness are fundamental to each of our shared faith traditions: Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism,” she said. She explored the Christian spiritual tradition through the writings of Thomas Merton, Benedict, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila, and Meister Eckhart.

The Christian Church of Northern California and Nevada Region has honored Sandhya Jha (2001) with its Martin Luther King Jr Award for her contributions to anti-racism, reconciliation, and movements for peace and justice. The award "recognizes the great achievements for justice that have been contributed by Disciples in the region." She exemplifies and carries forward a line of illustrious predecessors, including several DDHers who were previous recipients: the late Robert Lemon (1944), Esther and the late Carl Robinson (1944), JoAnne Kagiwada (Trustee), and Vy Nguyen (2004). Congratulations Sandhya and thank you for your work.

McKinna Daugherty (2010) has been called as the minister of Altoona Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) beginning May 1. Altoona, Iowa, is a growing suburb northeast of Des Moines. She will continue as a Resident Minister at Central Christian Church in Lexington, KY, through Easter.