Ross Allen (2019) continues his work at The Christian Century, becoming a contributing editor for the magazine. His first inclusion in the masthead will be in the September 2023 edition. He writes, "Publications like The Century are needed now more than ever. We’re in a period where the church—especially in the Protestant mainline—is struggling to adapt and define itself amidst unprecedented change. Robust, thoughtful dialogue is essential to the work of envisioning and embodying the future to which God is leading. I am grateful that I get the chance to be part of this fantastic organization and foster that dialogue."

Ellie Leech (2019) will act as a Spiritual Friend at the Evolving Faith Conference, which is taking place Oct 13-14 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Evolving Faith "exists to cultivate love and hope in the wilderness, pointing fellow wanderers and misfits to God as we embody resurrection for the sake of the world."

Andrew Packman (2009) recently began a new role as Assistant Professor of Theological Ethics and Formation at United Theological Seminary, where he served as a Louisville Institute Post-Doctoral Fellow. 
 

Alexis Vaughan's (2009) review of Simran Jeet Singh's book The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Trasnform Your Life was published in the July 2023 edition of The Christian Century.

Sarah Zuniga (2018) has joined the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and has joined a group of writers and artists in collaboration on "Sacred Incantations: rituals of trans wisdom for every season" a deck of cards with artwork and rituals for trans and gender non-conforming folks being released in June, coordinated by enfleshed.

Jennifer Jesse (1997) retired in June 2023 as Professor Emerita of Philosophy and Religion from Truman State University after 23 years of teaching. She is now enjoying life in Kirksville, MO with John Dungan (1991) who continues working as the Disaster Program Specialist for the Central and Northern MO Chapter of the American Red Cross. 

David Cobb (1987) has recently been appointed Minnesota State Representative for the Association of Professional Chaplains. He is a Board Certified Chaplain approaching my fourth anniversary on the Spiritual Care staff at Children’s Minnesota Hospital, Saint Paul.

After thirteen years serving as the regional minister of the Illinois/Wisconsin region, including serving as regional minister for Michigan Disciples starting in 2022, Teresa Dulyea-Parker (trustee) announced her retirement, set for September 1, 2023. Teresa wrote in her retirement announcement: “Forty years ago, I was ordained into ministry by the faithful Disciples in Muskegon, MI. All I ever wanted was to be a good pastor—to help the people who would allow me to be their pastor through the dark and difficult moments of life. To give a word of hope, to acknowledge that God is love. That hasn’t changed. It is, though, time to give my benediction.”

Teresa served in ex officio capacity for the Disciples Divinity House Board of Trustees.

Laura Jennison Reed (2009) will conclude her time as senior pastor of Villa Park Christian Church in a celebration on June 11. Laura served first as a transitional minister in 2014, and has served as a the permanent pastor since 2016. Laura will begin an Accelerated Bachelors of Nursing program at Layola in the fall.

Garry Sparks (2001) will join the faculty of Princeton University in Fall 2023 as Associate Professor in the Department of Religion. He focuses on ethnohistorical understandings of theological production in the Americas, particularly by Indigenous peoples. He studies critical histories of Christian thought, religions of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, religion in Latin America, and theories of religion and culture. He attends to the periods of first contact between Native Mesoamericans and Iberian missionaries in the sixteenth century as well as to current religious movements like liberation theologies, teología india, Latin American Protestantism, and the revitalization of Indigenous traditionalism.

His third book project is a critical edition of a manuscript with with Frauke Sachse, that is tentatively titled “Pastoral Fieldnotes: A Sixteenth-century Handbook from the Maya Highlands.” He is also coordinating critical translations of the entire Theologia Indorum (“Theology for/of the Indians”) from Mayan-language manuscripts. He is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Latin American Religions and on the advisory committee for The Maya Book Project.