Yvonne Gilmore (2001) has been appointed as the Vice President and Chief of Staff of the Office of the General Minister and President. Yvonne served as Associate Dean of the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago from 2013 - 2020 and co-taught in the Master of Divinity Arts of Ministry sequence at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. She also served as project director of the Constructive Theologies Project. She now leads the development and implementation of the Church Narrative Project, co-directs “Living Justice: An Anti-Racist Practicum” with Rev. Sandhya Jha, a justice learning and innovation lab that seeks to test out new approaches for connecting transformative Disciples leaders and ideas at Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago, and serves as a core trainer with Reconciliation Ministries and as adjunct faculty at Lexington Theological Seminary.

Gilmore will begin her Vice President and Chief of Staff role on May 1, 2023.

You can read more about the appointment here.

In a feature article for the April 1 issue of The Christian Century, Victoria Wick (2017) writes about "Five ways your church might already welcome autistic adults." She observes that "When a congregation succeeds in fostering theological curiosity and encouraging a variety of perspectives," it may also assure autistic adults that their differences "might be welcomed and celebrated, too." She offers practical wisdom for expanding that welcome in the article which is linked here.

Roger Adams (1969) is author of Good Faith: Beliefs Have Consequences (Wipf & Stock). Adams, a clinical psychologist who is also trained in ministry, charts how religious meaning and moral integrity can and must be compatible with science--and how human lives and community can be enriched when they are. "The heartbeat of this timely book is Adams's patient and thorough insistence that good faith and good reasoning should be helpful and not harmful to individual, collective, and global flourishing."

Sarah Zuniga (2018) gave a keynote on March 7 for a plenary session for the Network of Wider Church Youth Ministries (UCC) during their Reset for Renewal digital conference. The theme of the conference was Wrestling with Purpose. The keynote was titled: “Dissatisfied with the Status Quo: Antiracism is Liberation.”

Yvonne Gilmore (2001) and Teresa Hord Owens (1999) were among the participants in the installation service for Stephanie Kendell at National City Christian Church on March 5, 2023. 

Joel Brown (2014) spoke at the 3rd Founder's Day Celebration at Bethany College on March 2, 2023. Joel will delivered an address titled "When Worlds Fall Apart: Alexander Campbell and the Civil War."

Ross Allen (2019) was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on February 18, 2023 in a service First Christian Church in Manhatten, Kansas. Ross serves as the Designated Term Minister of South Acton Church in Acton, Massachusetts.

Lee Hull Moses (2001) has been appointed as the Director of the Proclamation Project. The Proclamation Project, a recipient of a Lilly Grant as part of the Lilly Endowment’s “Compelling Preaching Initiative,” launched in January of 2023 with a preaching workshop. The proclamation project aims to equip Disciples preachers with the tools and resources for prophetic preaching in such a time as this. Lee will advance will oversee the project's initiatives while advancing its objectives.

You can read the press release from the Office of the General Minister and President here.

The Disciples of Christ Historical Society has called Timothy S. Lee (1986) as the next General Editor of the Journal of Discipliana (JoD). An ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr. Lee has served as second vice moderator of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) as well as moderator of North American Pacific Asian Disciples (NAPAD) and now teaches the Disciples History and Polity course at Brite. His publications include Born Again: Evangelicalism in Korea (2010) and numerous book chapters and journal articles, including in Discipliana. He was also a co-editor of Christianity in Korea (2006).

Lee brings years of academic experience and a wealth of knowledge to the role. He remarked, "But the past doesn’t speak for itself.  It must be interpreted by us—using documents and artifacts, logic and imagination. And in doing so, the best medium we have, in my opinion, is the Journal of Discipliana.” 

You can read the full press release by the Historical Society here.

Joel Brown (2014) and Erin James-Brown welcomed Evelyn James Brown into the world! Erin and baby girl are doing great and are recovering at home. Margot is thrilled to have a little sister.