Claudia Highbaugh, Trustee and former Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life, Connecticut College, spoke with the House on Monday evening, October 13, about the journey she has taken researching the history of her paternal and maternal ancestors, her growing up in two Black Disciples of Christ Churches (Park Manor, Chicago, and Second Christian Church, Indianapolis - now Light of the World), and the intersections of race, church, enslaved peoples in the United States, and her own vocational and spiritual history.

Colton Lott (2015), pictured here with fellow trustees, Cynthia Lindner (1978) and Paul Steinbrecher, preached for the opening chapel service on September 29, before the House Community participated in a ribbon cutting for the renovated second and third floors of the House. He is Senior Minister of First Christian Church of El Reno, Oklahoma. 

Ellie Leech (2019), her husband, Burton, and their baby Gus, recently moved to Virginia, Ellie's home state. She started her new call as the pastor of Ashland Christian Church on October 1. Burton is is working with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. In this photo, the family visits historic Jamestown, VA. 

Andrew Packman (2009) attended the quadrennial Internationaler Schleiermacher Kongress in Kiel, Germany, September 14-17, where he presented a paper and also spent time in Berlin, attending a concert of the Berliner Philharmoniker, shown in this photo, and visiting the Schleiermacherhaus, where the scholar lived from 1809-16. Andrew is Assistant Professor at Union Theological Seminary in Minnesota.

Vy Nguyen (2004) and Alexis Vaughan (2009), Executive Director and Managing Director, respectively, of Week of Compassion, were at the House to support two current Scholars, Katie Varon and Grace Dearhamer, who spoke at the Monday Night Forum on October 6 on their summer internship, arranged by Week of Compassion, to learn about long-term disaster recovery efforts alongside the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP). Vy gave the introduction to their talk.

Mark Lambert (2011) has been awarded a Compassionate Community Grant from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) for his project, “Whole-Person Care: Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care Clerkship as a Model for Compassionate Care Training in UME.” The grant will support his development and piloting of a chaplaincy elective clerkship/rotation for fourth-year medical students. Mark has been an Assistant Professor at Des Moines University since 2023.

DDH was saddened to learn of the death of Robert (Bob) W. Crowe. A former DDH Trustee and great friend to the House, he died in Northfield, IL on September 23, 2025. He was 101. Bob earned an A.B. degree from the College and a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. In 1952, Bob joined University Church in Hyde Park and through their Friday night dinners befriended several DDH visionaries and friends. Bob himself served on DDH's Board of Trustees from 1983 to 1991, including service as treasurer. Bob and his wife Elizabeth continued their encouraging involvement with theological education as members of the Divinity School’s Visiting Committee, as it was called at the time. Bob and Liz are both members of DDH's Sutcliffe Society. He was an Elder at Winnetka Presbyterian Church, a board member of The Christian Century magazine, and a Stephen’s Minister.He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, and children Robert, Bill, Davis Jr., and Melinda. A memorial celebration, yet to be determined, will be held at Winnetka Presbyterian Church. His obituary can be read here. 

Hayden Skaggs, incoming House Scholar and MDiv student, walked the Camino de Santiago this summer in Spain, an ancient and famous pilgrimage route. Hayden graduated from Eureka College this past spring.

Congratulations to Sandhya Jha (2001) and Nabil Arnaoot, who married on August 23. Wedding festivities took place in San Francisco and Oakland. 

Colton Lott (2015), pastor of First Christian Church, El Reno, Oklahoma, welcomed approximately 20 children and 30 youth to the first night of "LOGOS," an educational program, this past month. He explains his new look, shown in the photo: Every night at “Family Time” (family style dinner served at tables with the same ‘table family’ each week) we have a theme. I am the Dinner Dean (the MC) so I come in costume. Our theme for last night’s dinner was our curricular theme “Journey with Jesus,” hence the tacky tourist outfit.