Verity Jones (Trustee) has become the Executive Vice President of Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, where she had been the Director of the Center for Pastoral Excellence.

Former resident David Albertson is the author of Mathematical Theologies: Nicholas of Cusa and the Legacy of Thierry of Chartres, Oxford University Press, 2014. Albertson, who teaches at the University of Southern California, was awarded a 2014 Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise at the University of Heidelberg for his book in May. The book suggests that the writings of Thierry and Nicholas "...represent an alternative possibility for a kind of modernity that makes room for a more amicable relationship between religion and science. Moving from medieval to modern doesn't need to mean moving from a religious view of the cosmos to a scientific view of the cosmos, as if the two were opposed." More here.

Alex McCauslin (2011) has accepted a position as Pastor of Church Vitality and Youth Mission at Journey of Faith Christian Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. There are long DDH connections with that congregation, which was formerly known as Memorial Christian Church. Russ Fuller (1948) was a long-time minister, and Michael Karunas (1995) "grew up" there and is among the leaders that congregation nurtured. Also, in 1893, the year before he became the inaugural dean of DDH, Herbert L. Willett worked with Disciples in Ann Arbor and the Disciples women leaders to found the first Bible Chair at the University of Michigan (which later became the campus ministry known as Guild House). Congratulations, Alex!

Congratulations to Thandiwe Gobledale (2009) and Darryl Ferguson (former resident), who were married on September 20 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Alexis Vaughan (2009) presided at the ceremony, which was attended by numerous DDH and Divinity School classmates together with families and other friends. Thandiwe, the daughter of Tod and Ana Gobledale (1975), has recently completed a residency in clinical pastoral education at Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn; Darryl is a PhD candidate in religious ethics at the Divinity School.

Sympathy to JoAnne Kagiwada (Trustee) on the death of her mother, Setsu Hirasuna, on August 25. Mrs. Hirasuna was 104 and had lived in Fresno, California, for many years, remaining active until very recently. JoAnne reflected that, while her father was a public figure in the community (working with the Japanese American Citizens League and with the labor movement in the San Joaquin valley), her mother "...fed everybody who came to the house, often without much notice. She always found some way. And she never seemed to lose her cool." Here is an oral history interview with Fred and Setsu Hirasuna from 1999. A memorial service will be held October 18.

Congratulations to former residents Jeff Challberg and Leah Boyd, who were married on August 9 in St. Paul, Minnesota. They met at DDH and became engaged in the Chapel of the Holy Grail. Both are MDiv graduates of the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Alex McCauslin (2011) was ordained to the Christian ministry on August 24 at her home congregation, Central Woodward Christian Church in Troy, Michigan (the greater Detroit area). Associate Dean Yvonne Gilmore (2001) preached at the Sunday morning service before the ordination and participated in the ordination service. Preaching at the ordination was Alex's teaching pastor, Lillian McDaniel, Senior Minister of First Congregational Church of Glenn Ellyn, Illinois. This has been a summer of milestones and celebrations for Alex: On June 14, she received her MDiv from the Divinity School; later in June, she married Luke Allen. She is pictured here with her parents at the DDH Convocation on June 13.

Donald L. Jones (1957; former trustee) died August 6 in Indianapolis. He was 84. Born in Healdton, Oklahoma, he earned his BA from Phillips University and his BD from Phillips Theological Seminary. In 1957, he entered the University of Chicago as a Disciples Divinity House Scholar. He later attended the CG Jung Institute in Zurich for advanced training. For forty years, he served as a pastor of churches in Kansas, Illinois, and Indiana, including as minister of Third Christian Church in Indianapolis. He was active in the civil rights movement in the 1960s and chaired the Human Relations Commission in Rock Island, Illinois. This led to many years of working with groups in the 1970s and 80s, focusing on positive handling of conflict in school settings. Later he worked as counselor and worked for nearly twenty-five years with the ManKind Project. He wrote two books, Wisdom for the Journey and Hunger for Wholeness. From 1963-93, he served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Disciples Divinity House. He is survived by Emily Hurst-Jones and by two children, Jonathan (Karen) Jones and Rebecca (Christoph) Jones-Buerck, by five grandchildren, and by his sister.

At the 18th Biennial Convocation of the North American Pacific Asian Disciples (NAPAD), John Donggook Roh (1983) was installed as NAPAD's new moderator. The Convocation was held in Hyde Park August 6-9 at the Disciples Divinity House, University Church, and Hyde Park Union Church. DDH hosted a reception on the opening night of the Convocation to celebrate NAPAD and the long and rich connections between DDH and NAPAD (read more here). Alumnae Sandhya Jha (2001), Yvonne Gilmore (2001; Associate Dean), and April Lewton (2004; trustee) led a pre-Convocation event on anti-racist and pro-reconciling ministry; JoAnne Kagiwada (trustee), Tim Lee (1986), Kris Culp (1982), Julian DeShazier (trustee), Bonnie Osei-Frimpong (2005), and Vy Nguyen (2004) also participated in the Convocation program.

Congratulations to DDH Scholar Patricia Duncan and to DDH community member Mandy Burton, who received their PhDs from the Divinity School at the University of Chicago Summer Convocation, Friday, August 29, for work in Bible and in Religion and Literature, respectively. We celebrate their scholarship, their promise, and their contributions to the DDH.