Congratulations and best wishes to House Scholar Andrew Langford and Rachel Brocker, who were married on August 2 in the chapel at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Andrew is a PhD candidate in New Testament and Early Christian Literature; Rachel is Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at the Lutheran School of Theology. They met last summer while attending the wedding of mutual friends Andrew Packman (House Scholar) and Sarah Rohde.

Sympathy to Joan Bell-Haynes (1995) on the death of her beloved spouse, Oscar Haynes, August 1, 2014. He was 98. Mr. Haynes had retired from a long business career, including as state and regional manager for Fromm & Sichel/Christian Brothers Wines & Brandy, in Washington DC. He was at least as well known for his long service to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), including as Second Vice Moderator of the General Assembly 1979-81, Moderator of the Capital Area Region 1978-1980, President of the National Convocation, and service on the boards of the Christian Church Foundation, Disciples Home Missions, Greenwood Cemeteries, Lexington Theological Seminary, National Council of Churches, National City Christian Church Foundation and Disciples of Christ Historical Society. He was the editor emeritus of the Oldtimers Grapevine, an independent publication devoted to keeping church people informed about church happenings. This spring, the Christian Church Foundation presented Oscar Haynes with the Harry T. Ice Lifetime Service Award. He was a member of United Christian Parish in Reston, Virginia, where Joan is the Senior Minister. Funeral Services were held at United Christian Parish on August 9.

Associate Dean Yvonne Gilmore (2001) spoke at the pre-event for the 23rd Biennial Session of the National Convocation of the Christian Church, meeting in Columbus, Ohio, on July 23. Trustee Julian DeShazier was the featured Friday evening speaker (and was introduced by Associate Dean Gilmore!).

The Board of Directors of Higher Education & Leadership Ministries (HELM) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has called Bernard "Chris" Dorsey (2001) to serve as Transitional President effective August 1, 2014. He commented, "I look forward to building on HELM's success of leadership development and finding new ways to equip people with the skills and tools needed for successful ministry and service in a rapidly changing world." Fuller story here.

Elijah Donald Gilbert was born on July 7, 2014. Congratulations to his parents, G.E. Ryan Gilbert (2006) and Greta D. Hicks, and to Amelia, his proud big sister. They live in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, where Ryan is a writer and a musician.

Sixty-nine youth from Middletown Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and a lot of ice cream converged at DDH on July 8. Michael Swartzentruber (2007), Youth Minister at Middletown, brought the group to Chicago for a mission trip focused on poverty and justice. Associate Dean Yvonne Gilmore led them in worship in the Chapel of the Holy Grail, and, with her, current residents Kathryn Ray and Kiva Nice-Webb engaged them in reflection as well as shared ice cream.

Felipa and Ryan Singleton (2005) moved to Minneapolis at the beginning of July, where Felipa has accepted a job with the Target Corporation. Ryan looks forward to connecting with DDH alums in greater Minneapolis-St. Paul (several alums have moved to the area in recent years).

Vy Nguyen (2004) has been named the next Executive Director of Week of Compassion, effective September 1. The Disciples general ministry partners with other agencies to respond to emergency and disaster situations. He currently works with Church World Service in California. See the longer article here.

Effective July 1, Richard Miller (former resident) is Professor of Religious Ethics at the Divinity School. A 1985 PhD graduate of the Divinity School, he was most recently Provost Professor in Religious Studies at Indiana University. From 2003-13 he was Director of the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions at IU. His research includes religion and public life, political and social ethics, theory and method in religious thought and ethics, and practical ethics. He is the author of Interpretations of Conflict: Ethics, Pacifism, and the Just-War Tradition (1991); Casuistry and Modern Ethics: A Poetics of Practical Reasoning (1996); Children, Ethics, and Modern Medicine (2003); and Terror, Religion, and Liberal Thought (2010). Karin Krause also joins the Divinity School faculty as Assistant Professor of Byzantine Theology and Visual Culture. She has been Lecturer in the Department of Art History, Universität Basel, and Visiting Lecturer, Universität Wien, and received her PhD from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. More here.

Dennis Landon (1970) retired as President of Higher Education and Leadership Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on June 30. He became president of the general ministry in 1997. See the news article here. He and spouse Lana Hartman Landon (1975) are planning to move to Pennsylvania