Class notes - Princeton Theological Seminary

Princetonin photosTaken between 1875 and 1880,this photograph shows the grandchildrenof Professor CharlesHodge and their cousins playing"Civil War" under the trees atMorven, the Stockton mansion onStockton Street. The girls aredressed in white as nurses; theboys have guns and Union bluecaps, and the American flag fliesover them. Some of the childrenare Alexanders, the children ofProfessor and Mrs. ArchibaldAlexander; others are Stocktons,the children of Colonel SamuelStockton and his wife, SarahHodge Stockton.

IIIwinter/spring 1998_ in this issueFeatures10 • Young Perspectives:Two Faculty ChildrenReflect on Seminary LifeTwelve-year-old Nate Adamand his ten-year-old brother,Si, share their experience asyounger members of theSeminary community.by Hope Andersen12 • Writing for Little HeartsPastor, mother, and PTS alumnaKathleen Bostrom tells howshe came to be a publishedauthor of children's books.by Kathleen Long Bostrom14 • Nurturing the YoungestDisciples: The Church'sMinistry with ChildrenEducators, caregivers, andparents discuss how adultscan encourage children'sspiritual growth.by Hope AndersenDepartments2 • Letters 25 • On the Shelves3 • On & Off Campus7 • Student Life17 • Class Notes26 • Outstanding in the Field29 • Investing in Ministry31 • Obituaries• End ThingsinSpire. 1

winter/spring 1998from thepresident's deskDearFriends and Colleagues:It is a pleasure to report that theSeminary was visited last Novemberby its professional and secular accreditationassociations (theAssociation of TheologicalSchools and the MiddleStates Association respectively)for its ten-year onsiteaccreditation review,and that the joint visitationteam has recommendedfull renewalof accreditation without notation.Preparation for the accreditationreview began three years in advanceof the official visitation. The Seminaryreviewed and revised its mission statement,the primary document by whichit is evaluated (are we doing what wesay we aim to do?). A lengthy self-studydocument was then prepared by a jointcommittee of trustees, faculty, administrators,students, and alumni/ae. Thisreview covered just about everythingfacultycomposition and compensation,curricula for our various degree programs(M.A., M.Div., Th.M., Ph.D.,D.Min.), administrative support, studentservices, financial stability, libraryresources, continuing education, etc.On the basis of this self-study, thevisitation team members devoted threedays to interviews with each of thecampus constituencies, following whichthey made written reports and recommendationsto the two associations.It was a helpful experience of selfanalysisand peer evaluation. A jointrecommendation of full accreditationfor another decade without notation isa strong affirmation of the health andvitality of Princeton TheologicalSeminary.Faithfully yours,~1;At:S·tJ ~(eThomas W. Gillespie,( LettersGlasgow Weighs InI read with interest "The ScottishConnection" in the fall 1997 issue.There were a number of inaccuraciesin an otherwise excellent article.One somewhat misleading one was:"the roots of the Presbyterian Churchin the United States run throughEdinburgh and St. Andrews." Withoutbelittling the universities there, studentsfor the ministry were (and also are) educatedat Glasgow (founded in 1451)and Aberdeen (founded in 1495) quitesome time before Edinburgh.Francis Mackemie, mentionedin the article as a "father" of Presbyterianismin the American colonies,was educated at Glasgow as were,I imagine, not a few Irish Presbyteriansdue to Ulster's proximity to Glasgowand the connections between theprovince and southwest Scotland.The Reverend Nigel Robb ('79M,'89M), also mentioned in the article,is another graduate of Glasgow.All that said, it was a pleasant article,and inSpire is ever an interestingmagazine.A. Douglas Lamb ('63G)Dairy, Ayrshire, SCOTLANDMentoring CPE CandidatesBecause I am currently mentoringseveral young seminary students whoare looking toward fulfilling the CPErequirement of the Committee onPreparation of Donegal Presbytery,I was intensely interested in DonWassinger's letter to the editor in thefall 1997 issue regarding his experiencewith CPE. But I must have missedmy summer issue of inSpire, whichcontains the article on CPE thatDon Wassinger refers to in his letter.I would be most grateful if I couldsee this article as I want to use it inmy counseling with these seminarians.And let me say how much I appreciateinSpire. I read the fall issue literallyfrom cover to cover!Benjamin E. Sheldon ('53B)Elverson, PennsylvaniaAbout This IssueChildren are both the present andthe future of the church. In thisissue of inSpire, our focus is children.Our cover story explores children'sspiritual growth; in the otherfeatures, we hear from and aboutchildren. Other sections of themagazine focus on alums and studentswho have worked with childrenand young people as a part oftheir ministry. From the cover illustrationsto the end commentary,the focus is youth.The Women behind the ScenesThe fall 1997 inSpire containeda fine article on how PTS women participatedin the July 1997 ChurchwideGathering of Presbyterian Women(PW). I feel that it is important, however,to clarify who organized theevent.The gathering was actually organizedby a committee of PresbyterianWomen appointed by the moderatorand the two vice moderators of theChurchwide Coordinating Team ofpw. The chair of that committee wasan unpaid layperson, Pat Shields, ofCut Bank, Montana, a long-time memberof pw. Primary staff work for thecommittee was done by another layperson,Gladys Strachan, who at the timewas employed by the PCUSA as coordinatorfor Presbyterian Women.The leadership of the gathering wasprovided in part by women who arepart of the PTS family, and their contributionwas certainly appreciated.However, the selection of these womento be leaders and the careful planningof the gathering was done by the committee.It is only fair that those whoworked so hard to make the gatheringa success be given recognition for theirefforts.John C. FuhrmeisterMystic, Connecticut('57B)Correction: The photograph of VictorAloyo on page 26 of the fall 1997 issue ofinSpire was taken by Carolyn Herring.

..winter/spring 1998on&off CampusAIDS Memorial Quilt InspiresReflectionAssistant Professor of New TestamentAndrew K.M. Adam spent most of hisleave of absence during the fall semesterin San Francisco.The weekend before Thanksgiving,he attended the annual meeting of theSociety of Biblical Literature (SBL). Butc:ọ.,.•" c: "o...(/)w::0etZ~ "!AIDS victims are remembered in photographsof one of the panels of the memorial quilt(above) and of roses tagged with individualnames in MillerChapel (above right).before and after that event, he immersedhimself in the panels and the people ofthe AIDS Memorial Quilt.Adam is completing the manuscript ofa post-modern New Testament theologyforthcoming from Sheffield UniversityPress in Sheffield, England. In the text,he first discusses how New Testamenttheology has historically been done andwhy that is problematic for today's readers.He then goes on to look at the NewTestament through the eyes of Frenchfeminist Michel de Certeau. In the lastsection, Adam sets out to read NewTestament theology by way of the panelsof the AIDS quilt."In looking at the quilt, it is too easyto stumble into sentimentality anda vague sense of sympathy," he says,"but what's really important are theperspectives of the panelmakers. I wantto hold up the panels as a way to interpretthe New Testament."Since the mid-1980s when he firstsaw the quilt in Durham, North Carolina,Adam has worked as a volunteer interpretingthe panels for visitors to thetraveling exhibition. He has also participatedin World AIDS Day services atthe Seminary in 1994 and at NassauPresbyterian Church in 1997.This year's service at Princeton was ledby Anne K. Myers, an M.Div. graduate inthe Class of 1978 and an alumna-in-residenceduring the first week of December.Included in the worship service was ahymn titled "When our lives know sud-den shadow," the second verse of whichwas especially poignant as members ofthe congregation looked at a section ofthe AIDS quilt that hung in the sanctuary:Patch by patch, the quilt is fashioned,thread by thread, the colors sewn,stitched in tears and richly patterned,loves our lives have touched andknown,families of hapless sorrow,drawn together, yet alone.The service also included" A Litany inthe Time of AIDS," and a time when worshipperswere able to place a flower, eachbearing the name of a person who hassuffered from AIDS, on the communiontable.The Memoirs of a Gentlemanand a Scholar"Bruce Metzger needs no introduction,but he certainly deserves one," are thewords that Beverly Gaventa, the Seminary'sHelen H. P. Manson Professor of NewTestament Literature and Exegesis, usedto introduce Metzger, Princeton's GeorgeL. Collord Professor of New TestamentLanguage and Literature Emeritus, at a"fireside chat" sponsored by the Societyof Biblical Literature (SBL) at its annualmeeting in San Francisco last November.The purpose for the conversationwas to chat about Metzger's memoirs,Reminiscences of an Octogenarian, recentlypublished by Hendrickson Publishers.In the book, Metzger provides readerswith insight into both the many events andprojects in which he was involved andinto his unique character. A professor atPrinceton Seminary for more than forty-sixyears and a member of the SBL for morethan sixty years, he is not only a prodigiousscholar but also a captivating storyteller.Among his accounts is the saga of the socalledYonan Codex-a manuscript of theSyriac New Testament reported to be "theoldest surviving complete New Testamentwritten in Syriac-Aramaic, the languagespoken by Jesus" (Washington EveningStar, March 25, 1955). He also recounts thefanfare and the criticism associated withthe translation of the Bible into the RevisedStandard Version, the audacity of variousliterary forgeries, and a number of otherincidents that took place during his prolificcareer. The memoirs reveal (to quoteRaymond Brown of Union TheologicalSeminary in New York) "a meticulousscholar with an awesome range of knowledge,an outstanding researcher ... anda most sensitive gentleman."His memoirs also reveal the humor withwhich Metzger seems to view the world.Those fortunate enough to have been presentat the fireside chat or to have viewedthe videotape of the event can appreciatehis understated, Jimmy Stewart-like wit.The rest will have the pleasure of readingthe book and letting the words speak forthemselves.The author of hundreds of articles onBible translation, textual criticism, theHebrew Bible, the Apocrypha, and theNew Testament, as well as thirty-five books,Metzger is perhaps best known for his roleas chair of the RSV Bible Committee.inSpire. 3

winter/spring 1998on&off CampusJohn Mbiti: A Quiet Quest for PeaceJohn S. Mbiti, Princeton's John A.Mackay Professor of World Christianityfor the 1997-98 academic year, is a manwho does not like to be singled out. Ina world that seems preoccupied with thequest for fame, he is a man who prefersto walk quietly through life.And yet, Mbiti merits recognition.A native of Kenya, he earned his B.A.at Makere University in East Africa andhis Ph.D. at Cambridge University inEngland. He has been awarded severalhonorary degrees, including the L.H.D.from Barrington (Gordon) College in 1973,the D.Th. from the University of Lausannein 1990, and the D.D. from GeneralTheological Seminary in New York Cityin 1997.Princeton Seminary first invited Mbitito accept an appointment in 1989. Anordained Anglican priest, he was not ableto extricate himself at that time from hisparish obligations in Burgdorf, Switzerland,for longer than four months. Last year,having retired from parish ministry, hewas finally able to commit to a year-longposition.Mbiti took on two courses that he hadnot previously taught. In the fall semester,he offered "The Practice and Theologyof Healing in the African IndependentChurches." Of the course, he said, "Wewere so involved ... enjoyed such fine com-munication ... that we could hardly stop."During the spring semester, he is teaching"T,\e Encounter between Biblical Faithand African Religion."When Mbiti and his family return tohis home of the past twenty-three yearsin Switzerland, he will continue to workas a part-time professor at the Universityof Bern and to write prolifically, as hehas done throughout his career. He is theauthor and editor of more than thirty scholarlybooks relating to the expansion ofChristianity and theological developmentsin Africa, Asia, and Oceania, as well asmissiology, ecumenics, and the scienceof religion (especially African religion andits encounter with Christianity). In addition,he has contributed numerous poems andarticles to anthologies and periodicals inEurope, Africa, Japan, India, and the UnitedStates. One of his earliest literary accomplishmentswas translating Robert LouisStevenson's classic Treasure Island intoKikamba.Though retired, Mbiti will continueto be involved in church work. He willcontinue to preach peace and reconciliationthroughout the world as he did soeloquently at Princeton's Miller Chapelon November 12, 1997:Where there is no peace thereis no fortune, no happiness, nojoy, no freedom, no strength, noincentive to work, no motivationto live, to realize oneself andto let others be .... Everythingdepends on peace and peacealone. When there is peace,there is plenty of what is necessaryfor life .... The whole earthneeds peace. People are interdependent,and real peace mustbe comprehensive enough tocover the entire earth.He will continue, in his own quiet way,to shake the rafters with his words.Pastor-Theologian Program Begins at the Center of Theological InquiryIt's lOT Time!"Reclaiming Theology for the Church"is the subject of the 57th annual Instituteof Theology sponsored by the Seminary'sCenter of Continuing Education.This summer's program, offered in cooperationwith the Center of Theological Inquiryin Princeton, runs from June 22 throughJuly 2. Participants may register for eitherWeek One or Week Two or for both weeks.The Institute offers a wide range of educationalopportunities for both clergy and laity.To obtain more information or to register,out-of-state callers should use theSeminary's toll-free number 800-622-6767,ext. 7990; in-state callers should use609-497-7990. Or use email:coned@ptsem.edu, or the web site:www.ptsem.edu/ceThe Center of Theological Inquiry (CTI), a theological think-tank inPrinceton founded in 1978 by former Princeton Seminary president •James I. McCord, has announced a new three-year pastor-theologianprogram to begin in the fall of 1998.Funded by a grant from the Lilly Foundation, the program willoffer ministers of all denominations who have demonstrated a commitmentto theological reflection within the context of congregationalministry the opportunity to consider theological issues facingboth the church and the world with scholars doing research projects at the Center.CTI director Wallace M. Alston Jr. explains that the Center is "acting on its convictionthat in all denominations there are pastors of extraordinary intellectual ability, capableof theological scholarship, who lack only the time, context, and encouragement for suchpursuits."The renewal of the church depends on the emergence of these pastors," saysAlston.The program will sponsor five regional pastor-theologian seminars throughout theUnited States, each including a convener and ten participants. Ecumenical in character,each seminar will meet three times during the year at the regional site, with scholarsfrom CTI acting as theologians-in-residence. A concluding conference will be held inPrinceton.During the three-year course of the program, participants will explore theology, science,and eschatology; biblical authority in the contemporary church; and faith andresponsibility in the global future.Applications for the program are now being accepted. For further information,address questions to the Pastor-Theologian Program at the Center of TheologicalInquiry, 50 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.4 • inSpire

••winter/spring 1998on&off CampusA Legacy Honored in Princeton:Eugene Carson Blake"I was never more in love with mychurch," said John H. Buchanan, formermoderator of the PCUSA GeneralAssembly and pastor of the FourthPresbyterian Church in Chicago, "thanwhen Presbyterians were stepping up andassuming leadership in the Civil Rightsmovement. I was never more proud thanI was on the day I saw a picture in thenewspaper of a Presbyterian minister inclerical collar and straw hat being arrestedat an amusement park outside ofBaltimore [for protesting the opening ofthe 'for whites only' GwynnOak Amusement Park]."That minister was EugeneCarson Blake, a 1923Princeton Seminary alumnusand one of the most influentialchurchmen of the century,in part because of his leadershipin civil rights.Buchanan was one of thespeakers at a February con- 'Eference titled "The Legacy :!of Eugene Carson Blake: i-Implications for Church ~Leadership in the 21st ~Century," cosponsored by the jSeminary, the World Council ••.of Churches (WCC), and theNational Council of Churches(NCC) and honoring Blakeand his legacy for the church.More than one hundred pastors and laypeople attended the conference, whichreflected on Blake as pastor, as public witness,and as advocate for the visible unityof the Christian church.In one of the major papers presented atthe conference, Deborah Mullen, a professorat McCormick Theological Seminary'"and vice chair of the Faith and OrderCommission of the NCC, cited Blake'swork in the public arena on racial segregation,the status of women, labor issues,hunger, homelessness, and Americaninvolvement in Vietnam. "All this keptBlake and the church before the publiceye," she said. "Yet he never lost touchwith his theological underpinningsas guidance for his public witness."Blake was also out front in the church'secumenical movement.Douglas Brackenridge, Blake's biographerand another speaker at the conference,reminded participants that Blake grew upin a time when" American Christians werebeginning to understand the significanceof ecumenical Christianity." He becamea champion for the Consultation onChurch Union (COCU), a movement thatBrackenridge believes can be traced backto a sermon Blake preached in December1960 in Grace Episcopal Cathedral in SanFrancisco."Proposed in the context of Vatican II,"Brackenridge said, "and fueled by anoptimistic spirit of ecumenical cooperation,COCU has encountered numerousstumbling blocks and set backs, but itcontinues today as a living testimonyto Blake's ecumenical spirit." Seminarycampus pastor Michael E. Livingston,who attended the conference and is currentlychair of the General Assembly'sSpecial Committee on COCU, looks forwardto a COCU plenary in January 1999,where he hopes agreements will bereached that will result in the inaugurationof the Church of Christ Uniting in theyear 2000. "This would realize Blake'svision for a more visible witnessto the unity of the church ofJesus Christ," said Livingston.As secretary of the WorldCouncil of Churches, Blake continuedhis commitment to ecumenism by welcoming PopePaul VI to Geneva in 1969. Thiswas the first visit of a Romanpope to Geneva in more thanfour hundred years, and the firsttime since the Reformation thata pontiff prayed publicly ina worship service that he himselfdid not conduct.William P.Thompson, formerstated clerk of the GeneralAssembly and PTS trusteeemeritus, has dreamed ofa gathering to honor his predecessorsince Blake's death in 1985.Thompson and WCC staff member JohnLindner proposed the Princeton conferenceto President Gillespie last fall.They hope that those who gatheredin Princeton will find in Blake a mentorand a prophet who can help show thechurch a way into the future."Not a Minister, Not a Man, Not White":GA Moderator Visits PrincetonElder Patricia Brown, the moderator of the 209th GeneralAssembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), visited the Seminaryin December to preach in chapel and to engage in dialogue withPresbyterian students and faculty members about the state of thechurch.Brown, a social worker, writer, and manager of a real estate developmentfirm who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, told the Seminarycommunity that she envisions a church with "leaders of both genders,all colors, and all ages, where all people sit at the table together."A descendant of a slave woman owned by Maryland P,esbyteriansand herself a fifth-generation Presbyterian, Brown has beenactive in civil rights and as a speaker and storyteller on racial issuesin her community. These experiences have given her a commitmentto multiculturalism, one of her favorite topics as she travelsthroughout the church this year."We are a multicultural church," she explained to her Princetonaudience. "We need to experience each other and find that we havelittle to fear from one another.We must step out from theprotectionism of just beingwith people like us."She believes the key:cmay not be in starting more.!:'c~African American, Korean,.!!.•or Hispanic congregations,.!!but in supporting more multiculturalcongregationsdi:jthroughout the country.Brown said it would notbe easy, but believes thather own election as moderator is a start.She recounted the story of a young person at a conference sheattended of young racial ethnic Presbyterians who challenged hervision of the church as multicultural by pointing out that 96 percentof the denomination is white. She admitted that that was true. "Butit is also true that I am not a minister, I am not a man, and I am notwhite," she said. "Yet I am the leader of 2.6 million Presbyterians.That made the young people sit up and take notice!"j "'~"""..&"""-inSpire· 5

winter/spring 1998on&off CampusClothes and Consciousness Subject of Women's ConferenceHodge Bust Stays at PTSinto New CenturyThe 125-year-old bust of CharlesHodge, originally loaned to theSeminary by Princeton Universityfor the Charles Hodge Symposiumheld at the Seminary in October1997, will not be returned as soonas planned. According to Bill Harris,the Seminary's librarian for archivesand special collections, PrincetonUniversity has extended the durationof the loan for at least the next fouryears with a possibility of renewal.Charles Hodge has been calledthe "premier Reformed theologianof America's nineteenth century."He entered Princeton Seminary in1816, at the age of eighteen, and wasimmediately taken under the wing ofArchibald Alexander, the Seminary'sfirst professor. In 1822, Hodge wascalled by the Presbyterian Churchas the third professor to teach atPrinceton Seminary, where he servedfor more than fifty years.The bust was carved in whitemarble by American sculptor RobertCushing in 1872. It was presented toPrinceton University by Henry W.Alexander, the grandson of ArchibaldAlexander, and John A. Steward,trustee, in honor of Hodge's long serviceas a trustee of the University.Harris, who can barely contain hiselation over the extension of the loan,says that he "couldn't be morepleased" and hopes that many membersof the Seminary communitywill make their way to the exhibithall on the first floor of Luce Libraryto see the bust on display.Forty women gathered at the Seminary in early March for the seventhannual Women in Church and Ministry conference, Inheriting the Promise:and Then .... The conference, whose theme was "Clothing Ourselves inGarments of Hope," featured three presentations by Susan L. Nelson,associate professor of theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary:"Robed to Meet the World's Weather," "Face to Face around the Table,"and "Fashion-ing Our Blessing.""Women in ministry can sometimes use our robes to protect or hideus from the storms brewing within our churches," Nelson said. "Blessedwith bodies that we may have been taught do not fit the classical expectationof ministers, we don't always know how to embody our calling."Conference participants worshipped under the leadership of Sylvia Guinn-Ammons,a Presbyterian minister, wife, and mother who writes, preaches, and leads workshops andretreats in the Princeton area. They also attended workshops on the topics of making liturgicalstoles, women's ways of preaching, coping with eating disorders, and health concernsfor women through the life span.PTS professor Jane Dempsey Douglass spoke to the group about women in the worldchurch, reflecting on her conversations with Christian women she has met while travelingas president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.During the conference, Ann Belford Ulanov, the Christiane Brooks Johnson Professorof Psychiatry and Religion at Union Theological Seminary in New York, gave the annualWomen in Church and Ministry Lecture, titled "The Gift of Consciousness."The conference participants also had the opportunity to make liturgical stoles and to sharestories about articles of clothing they brought with them to the conference that were importantsymbols in their own faith journeys.Fitness Is No Joke!Only April fools will miss the Seminary'sall-day health fair on April 1. Partof the 1998 Festival of Fitness- "HealthyChoices, Wholly Living "-, the fair willhighlight the church's role in healthcare. Information booths, health screeningtests, workshops, demonstrations,and a natural foods dinner are planned.Additional events are scheduled for thedays both before and after the all-dayfair (including a faculty-student basketballgame) to raise the community's awarenessof the importance of preventativehealth care and to demonstrate simpleways of implementing personal care.The five-day festival was organizedby the Seminary's Health MinistriesAdvisory Committee, which is madeup of health care professionals, localpastors, and PTS students, faculty,Alumni/ae Alert!Princton Theological Seminary19:9$ Festival of Fitnessand administrators and is headed byDr. Abigail Rian Evans, PTS associateprofessor of practical theology. The 1998Festival of Fitness is one componentof a larger initiative at the Seminary tostimulate discussion about the theologicalimportance of personal and communalhealth.The Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Officeof Health Ministries provided the initialgrant money for the event.The topic for this year's alumnilae reunions, scheduled for Thursday, May 21, and Friday,May 22, is "Ministry in the Age of Post-Modernism." Featured lecturers include DiogenesAllen, the Seminary's Stuart Professor of Philosophy, who will speak on "The End of theModern World." Ellen Charry, Princeton's new Margaret W. Harmon Associate Professorof Systematic Theology, will address "Theology after Post-Modernism." And Kenda CreasyDean, assistant professor of youth, church, and culture, and director of research and developmentfor the Institute for Youth Ministry at the Seminary, will talk about "X-Files andUnknown Gods."For information about reunion registration and events, contact the Alumnilae RelationsOffice at (toll-free) 800-622-6767, ext. 7785, or 609-497-7785.6· inSpire

..winter/spring 1998Student LifeMission onthe Nile"Our HeartsAre There"Elisabeth and Darren Kennedy,Princeton Seminary middlers who metwhen they were both undergraduatesat Princeton University, are the firstto admit that God wired them a littledifferently from most M.Div. candidates,who envision themselves as ordainedpastors of congregations in the UnitedStates. The Kennedys feel called todo missionary work."We come to life when we are ina developing country," says Elisabeth.Different, too, is their attitude towardthe Middle East. Unlike many Americans,who equate that part of the world withterrorism and violence, the Kennedysshare a common love for the Middle East."We love Arab people, and our hearts arethere," says Darren. "Being in the Arabculture is like being in an enormous family.Hospitality, generosity, and honor aredeeply ingrained in the society."So they felt blessed last summer whenthey were assigned to Egypt for the threemonthGlobal Volunteer Summer Programsponsored by the Presbyterian Church(USA), an assignment they took in partto fulfill the Seminary's field educationrequirement.That they were given an assignmentin the Middle East is hardly surprising.Elisabeth, whose parents are missionariesand who grew up in Amman, Jordan,speaks fluent Arabic. She is one of thefew Princeton University graduates tohave majored in English/Arabic comparativeliterature. (Her senior thesis wasa translation of a number of Palestinianstories, the longest of which is told fromthe point of view of a child growing upin a refugee camp.)In addition, the Kennedys have traveledextensively in the Middle East andhope someday to relocate there and todevote themselves to full-time missionarywork.Last summer, they were assigned to UlaliEvangelical Church in Cairo. For theKennedys, the most striking feature of thecity was the number of children. "It wasa very poor area," recalls Elisabeth. "Therewere three or more families crowded intoan apartment, and children everywhere."In fact, in Arab countries in general, morethan fifty percent of the population isunder sixteen years old.When they arrived at Ulali Church,the pastor told them to decide where theyfelt they would best fit in. Thus begantheir work with children's ministry andthe Kids' Club, a program that was opento children from all denominations.Elisabeth and Darren dove in to help.From 5 to 7 p.m. each evening, Darrenplayed soccer with the children whileElisabeth played other games and didcrafts, a particularly challenging assignmentfor her as she had to come up withan activity that was suitable for childrenfrom the ages of two through sixteen!Elisabeth (above left) and Darren (above) are surroundedby children who participated in theUlali Church Kids' Club.One of her favorite solutions wasmaking play dough from salt, flour, andwater. While the younger children justpounded and smashed, the older onescreated unique works. Because there wasno food coloring available, she told thechildren to think of things that had colorso that they could dye the dough. "Theycame up with all these wonderful ideas,"she says. "They used ground parsleyto make green, coffee to make brown,and a hibiscus flower drink to make red!"Crafts and games resumed again at8:30 and lasted until about 11:30 p.m.when the camp closed for the day.(The Kennedys quickly adapted to thisunusual schedule, which was dictatedby the intense midday heat. "Everyonestayed up late and then took two- orthree-hour naps in the middle of theday," says Elisabeth.)Between 7 and 8:30 p.m. each eveningwas Bible study, though "study" is a relativeterm. "Bible study wasn't polarizedfrom entertainment the way it sometimesinSpire· 7

winter/spring 1998Student Lifeis here," says Darren. "Singing, sermons,trash bags, and prayers were all a partof the same experience." (Trash bags weregiven out in order to encourage familiesto help clean up the garbage that literallyspilled onto the streets of Cairo.) "Sofascriptura in Egypt didn't mean simplistic,"he continues. "It simply meant that theylive by the Book."Both of the Kennedys were impressedby how well children even as youngas four and five years old knew the Biblestories. "When the Egyptian teacherswould tell the stories," Darren says, "theywould slip in mistakes like 'They left theiryoungest brother, Reuben, with Joseph,'and the kids would all yell out, 'NotReuben! Benjamin!' They knew the sroties."Darren and Elisabeth were alsoimpressed by the way in which the teachersempowered the children by encouragingthem to apply the stories to their own lives.Elisabeth adds, "The vision wasn't tomake the kids members of the church.The Egyptian teachers worked to help themgrow as children of God. And we assisted."What she remembers most vividly is givinghugs and smiles, holding children, helpingthem cope when they were hot and tired,and loving them.When the Kennedys were not activelyinvolved in either planning or implementingthe Kids' Club, they were visiting localchurches, schools, and hospitals or meetingpastors of Egyptian churches. They cameaway with the belief that what Westernchurches can most contribute to thechurches in the Middle East is leadershiptraining. "These people want new ideas,"says Elisabeth, who gave several seminarsfor Sunday school teachers and youth ministryleaders. "Their society is just cominginto the modem world, and they want helpmaking that transition."Both Elisabeth and Darren feel that theyreceived more from the experience thanthey gave to it. "I came back to Seminarya new person," says Darren. Elisabeth adds,"It was a blessing being with these children.They had a simplicity in their lives thatboth challenged and changed me." I.·0 fI,,··fr'a!a!I" ~~. ~at-Dr"t"'It li\!Vto going somepfacedifferent is willingness,"saysPrinceton seniorBarbara Macfie."You have to bewilling to adaptto a new environment,to let goof your old ideas,and to do thingsdifferen tly."Macfie's ministryhas taken her tomany differentplaces and givenher the opportunityto work with diversecommunites. Beforecoming to Princeton,she served for fifteen years as both a medicand a chaplain's assistant in the u.S. Armyin the United States, Saudi Arabia, andGermany. While stationed in Germany,she assisted two British people who rana mission house in Austria for individualseither bringing things into or carryingthings out of the then-Communist countries.That experience opened her eyesto both the cost and the power of faith."The Communist governments regulatedeverything from the hours of servicesEpisode TwoGathered in Madrid, New York, are (left to right) Carl Ford, BarbaraMacfie, Todd Ford, and Dee Ford, the on-site supervisor who workedwith Macfie in summer ministry, and their alpacas!to who could visit the pastors who werein prison for their faith," she recalls.Macfie remembers the mission stafftrying to bring fresh fruit and chocolatefrom Austria across the border to thechildren and being forbidden from doingso. "Finally, when they gave the borderguards the chocolate, the guards let themtake in the fruit," she says.Macfie served in Desert Shield (the firstmilitary action before the war in thePersian Gulf), Desert Storm, and Provide8. inSpire

winter/spring 1998,YO\J~

It is not unusualto see the boys and theirparents and sister on and around campus.They attendactivities and socialize at theWomen's Center. They play Ultimate Frisbeewith studentsspecial events.on the quad. And, they go toSeveral years ago, Nate accompaniedhis father to a lecture on The Divine Comedygiven by Dantescholar Peter Hawkins,a friend and colleague of Adam's fromYale Divinity School. "I had no idea whatThe Divine Comedy was like," confessesNate, "bur after that lecture I really enjoyedreading Dante.Especially Paradiso. I usedto think life after death would be boring.Not anymore!"On a less esoteric level, Nate reveals thatone of the aspects of Seminarymost likes is the annual Theologiggle,of skits that parodylife that helife at the Seminary."We go every year," he says. "SomedayI want to be in it."Another Seminary resource both usedand appreciatedQuitea seriesby the boys is Luce Library.apart from the fact that they enjoymoving the moveable stacks-boys will beboys!-thelibrary provides them with informationabout topics in which they are interested.Most recently, the topic has beenangels. "I wantedangels that had names,"to find a list of all of thesays Nate.Si was more interested in the fourarchangels: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, andRaphael. Furthermore, if he were given theopportunity to ask God one question thatGod had to answer, he would ask, "Whatis it like to be an angel?""Not an archangel,"he qualifies. "Theyare the next rank up. Just the regular angels."like?Nate would ask God, "What is heaven"Not only would I ask what it's like,"he continues,Do people go straight''I'd ask how it all works.up to heaven whenthey die, or is there a stopover? You can'timaginehow that has vexed me."On a (slightly) more concretelevel,if the boys could ask God for one gift, Natesays that he would choose either a "CelestialStandardVersion" of the Bible, "so I couldsee what the people who wrote it reallymeant. .. ; or a vision, like Dante'sSi wouldlike to travel in time.The conversationsfamily lunch or supperor John's."that take place at thetable-discussionsof that morning's sermon or sophisticatedquestions about abstract ideas-are not theThov:1h the baySexhibit cJ.i{{eve~tfve{eve~ces i~ I""a~yaveas... they a:1veethat chilcJ.ve~ ave:1e~evally v~cJ.evvalvecJ.i~ the chvvch,typical conversations carried on by tenandtwelve-year-old boys. Bur then, theAdam brothers are not typical children.Or maybe they are ordinary children whohave had an atypical upbringing.They have grown up immersed in thechurch. As their mother, Margaret, says,"The boys and Pippa have never not beenin the church. The church is a part of theirlives."In addition, they have had parents andadults in their lives who have taught them"not to think of themselves as just littlekids," as their father says. "Their imaginationsaren't constrained by images that aresmaller." They have been respected andchallenged by people like Margarete Ziemer,a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate at Princetonwho teaches them piano, and John Berralor,director of the Trinity Church Choir, inwhich both boys participate. "He respectsus enough to involve us in the regular choirinstead of having a separate children's choir,"observes Nate.winter/spring 1998Some adult role models have been culledfrom biblical and other literature.Si is especiallyimpressedby what his namesake,King Josiah, did. (2 Kings: 22) "He wasa God-fearing,faithful man," Si comments,bur adds that he is especially attractedSt. Francis of Assisi. "I am really impressedby how he changedtofrom being a nobleman'sson who threw huge bashes to being a reallyhumble,faithful guy.""A Litany for Children," written bythe Children'sChildren'sprayer:Defense Fund for NationalDay 1982, includes the followingo Lord of light and Source of all creation,we praise and glorifY you for the childrenyou have given us.For their lives, their inquiring minds,and receptive spirits...For their joyous ways that jill us withwonder and delight ...For their simple trust in you in thesecomplex and troubled times,we thank you, 0 God.Members of the Seminary communitystudents,faculty, and staff-who have takenthe time to listen to and speak with Nateand Si Adam express such gratitudepresence at Princeton.for theirOne wonders what other children woulddo with the same unconditionallysupportiveenvironment. Would they all pursue life withthe enthusiasm of the Adam brothers? I

winter/spring 1998Writing for Little Heartsby KathleenLong BostromMy two sons sat in a warmtub of bathwater, scrubbingtheir knees and pondering thedeep questions of the universe."David,what do you want to bewhen you grow up?" my eight-year-oldChristopher, asked his younger brother.''A scientist? A policeman?""No," David replied, a serious notein his four-year-oldson,voice. "I'm going to bea publisher and publish Mommy's books."I smiled to myself as I pulled David'spajamas out of his dresser drawer in the bedrooma few feet away. It was no secret at ourhouse that one of my dreams was to becomea publishedwriter.Four years after that conversation,I amhappy-and relieved-to report that I didnot have to wait for my youngestsonto grow up before my dream was realized.In Augustbook,1997, my first children's pictureThe World That God Made, was publishedby TyndaleHouse. And that's just thebeginning. I currently have four more booksunder contract and possibilities for more.One question most authors are askedat some pointin their careers is, "Did youalways want to be a writer?" My answer tothat questionenjoyed writing.is "Yes." And "No." I alwaysMy best friend and I begana novel in the sixth grade about two girlsstrandedon an island. I still have that manuscript,tucked away in the bottom of a cedarchest, where it will remain.But though I enjoyed writing andreceived encouragementto do so over theyears, I never pursued the thought of being"a writer" until the spring of 1992. My husband,Greg, and I had recently moved toWildwood, Illinois, to become co-pastors ofa small but growing congregation.I workedpart time, in order to be at home with ouryoung children,I also suffered from chronicthen three, five, and seven.pain due toa condition diagnosed as fibromyalgia, andso I began walking in the mornings to tryto relieve some of the stiffness in my muscles.12 • inSpireWhat Is GodLike?Art for the cover of Bostrom's Questions fromLittle Hearts, recently published by TyndaleHouse, was provided by artist Elena Kucharik.Wildwood is built around a beautifullake. It is an older community,and treesabound. As I enjoyed my morning walks,thoughtsin my mind.and images began to dance aroundI would hurry home to writedown what I had seen, felt, and heard, relishingthe challenge of findinga new and differentway to describe the ordinary.I hadno goal other than to write for the fun of it,and the thought of publication had not yetcrossed my mind.The writingfever began to spread toother areas of my life. As I workedon sermons,drove in the car, or rocked my childrento sleep at night, words continuedto tumble and tangle within me. And, beinga mother, it was a natural progression thatsoon these words began formingto tell my children.into storiesSo I began to write stories for children.Lullabies, poems, tales of dogs findingway in the world-everywhereI looked,theirI found a story waiting to be put to words.My children, of course, thought my storieswere wonderful. Though I knew their enthusiasmwas biased, their delight in listeningto stories that were inspired by pieces of theirown lives stirred my creative juices untilI began spending every free moment writing.My husband and I are great readers,and from the time our children were born,we read to them. As I sat with a child snuggledin my lap, reading Good Night, Moonor The Runaway Bunny, I began to think,"Wouldn't it be wonderful to publish a bookthat a parent and child would read andcherish together?" I knew that as I read tomy children, we were building some of ourmost precious memories. To be a part of thatmemory-building for other adults and childrenseemed like a gift beyond compare.Thus began my quest to be a publishedauthor. I read books about publication,joined organizations such as the Society ofChildren's Book Writers and Illustrators, theChildren's Reading Round Table of Chicago,the Society of Midland Authors, and thePresbyterian Writers Guild. I attended workshopsand retreats, joined a writer's critiquegroup, and took a writing class at the localjunior college. I did my research, discoveredwhich publishers were looking for children'sbooks, and then began submitting manuscriptsto publishing houses, certain thatsome wise editor would snatch my storiesfrom the dreaded "slush piles" and thatI would get a phone call saying, "KathyBostrom-we want to publish all yourbooks!"I liken the process of publishing a bookto pregnancy. A book begins with the conceptionof an idea, then experiences a longgestation period during which the story takesshape and eventually reaches completion,ready to be birthed by a publisher-midwifeand held up for all the world to see. Littledid I know that for me, the pregnancywould last four, long years before I found aneditor ready to bring one of my books to life.My children even began to tell Santa Clausthat what they wanted most for Christmaswas for "Mommy's books to get published."Along the way, I began writing children'sbooks with theological content. I listened

winter/spring 1998to the questions the children of the church,including my own, would ask: "Where doesGod live? Is God a boyara girl?" As I wrestledwith providinganswers to these questionsat a level the young childrenunderstand,wouldbooks began to take shape. I discussedwith an editor the possibilityof writinga book for young childrenthat woulddeal with these very basic and practicalquestions,and to write the book in verse, sincechildrenlove rhyme. The editor was enthusiasticand encouragedme on my quest.I spent six months writing the book,then submittedit, only to receive a formletter rejection. Discouraged, I set themanuscriptwith it. Several monthsaside, not sure what to dolater, a friendsuggested that I send the manuscript toTyndale House, a religious publisher basedin Wheaton, Illinois, about an hour frommy home.I wrote one of their editors andasked if she would be willing to look at themanuscript. Her reply- "We are not doingmany children's books at this time, butI will take a look at your manuscript."I mailed it off in March1996 and waited.And waited. In the meantime, I continuedto submit other manuscripts to otherpublishers. The rejections piled up. InAugust,I heard back from the editor atTyndale House that they were "interested,"but that the manuscriptby several other committees.had to be approvedI tried not toget my hopes up too high. I had come closeto publicationbefore, only to have it all fallthrough. But on September 23, 1996, theeditor called me and said, "I think we havegood news for you. We want to publish yourbook."How can I describe my elation? Even fora writer, words are inadequate.years of hard work, persistence,After all thoseanonymity,and rejection, I felt like Cinderella at theball. The glass slipper fit! I had foundeditor and my publisher-andfoundme.mythey hadWhen I announced to my familythat I had a book acceptedfor publication,their reactionshusband's"Hooraysupportive,varied from myand oldest son's enthusiastic,for you!" to my daughter's"I knew you could do it!"to the would-be publisher, my youngestson's, slightly exasperated,Two months"Finally!"later, a call came fromTyndale to offer me a contracton anothermanuscript, which actually became my firstpublished book, The World That God Made.(The publication of the first accepted manuscriptwas delayed when Tyndale Housedecidedto have me begin a new series forthem, with that first manuscript being thefirst book in the series.) Questionsfrom LittleHearts: What Is God Like? made its debut inbookstores in February 1998, and Questionsfrom Little Hearts: Who IsJesus?will be outin August 1998.Also under contractwith EssmontPublishing in Vermont is a book of biographieson the Newbery Medalists (theNewberyMedal is the most prestigiousaward given every year to the best children'sbook), and I am writing a book on teachingvalues to children, tentatively titled AHandfid o/Values: A Team Approach toTeaching Values to Children in Grades K-2,which will be published in March of 1999by GoodyearWesley Longman.Books, a division of AddisonThrough the years of rejections (whichtotaled close to 250 before that call fromTyndale House!), I never gave up. I hadsermons and articles published, but I neverlet go of my wish to publishbooks for children.All along, my writing felt to me likea "call," just as my "call" to ministryquite unexpectedlycamenearly twenty years ago.There was a force, greater than my ownwill, urging me on. I sensed that there wasa deeper purposeto my obsession with thewritten word, that somehow God woulduse me as a way to reach Out to childrenand adults and to share the Good News.I pray that my books will do just this,and I see them as an extensionof myministry as an ordained pastor. My dreamof writingbooks that adults and childrenwould share together has now expanded intothe gift of writinga sharing of the faith.Part of the expansionbeen for me to be a mentorbooks that will also enableof that dream hasfor young writers.Several of the young folks in the churchhave come to me with their stories, askingfor my advice. I offer my guidancethem with encouragement.and loadJust like Presbyterian author FrederickBuechner encouraged me.WheatonIn 1992 I went to a conferenceCollege in Illinois where Buechnerwas speaking. I have loved his writing foryears and have had several opportunitiesto hear him speak. This time, however, myboldness got the best of me. I had just begunwritingand craved some kind of feedbackfrom someone I admired. I actually had thenerve to go up to the poor man before hisspeech and to tell him abouta writer, and I asked if he wouldatmy desire to beread a shortessay I'd written. Bless his heart, not onlydid he take the essay home,but he also tookthe time to read it and to send it back withcommentsa week or two later. He wishedme luck in my writing. That meant so muchto me. I have never forgottenencouragement.I will do everythinghis words ofI can to encouragethe young writers I know; I believe it is partof my "call" to be a part of theirs. They areeach gifted writers, but more than that, theyeach have a writer's heart. They are in lovewith words, as I am, with their joy and possibilities,and with the power that wordshave to create. After all, it wasn't until Godspoke the Word that chaos turnedinto creation.God still blesses words with the powerto give life, to turn the chaos of our thoughtsand feelings into somethingthat we canhold on to and claim as our own. And that,in my book, is truly a miracle. IKathleen Long Bostrom, a 1980M.A. and 1983 M.Div. graduate0/ Princeton Seminary, is a motherand a writer who lives in Wildwood,Illinois. With her husband, Greg, sheis co-pastor o/Wildwood PresbyterianChurch.

Nurturing theYoungest Discip\esThe Church's Ministry with Childrenby Hope AndersenJesus valued children. In the Gospelof Matthew, he says to his disciples, "Let thelittle children come to me, and do not stopthem; for it is to such as these that the kingdomof heaven belongs." (19:14 NRSV)What was it that he saw in them that causedhim to make a statement such as this?Dan Rift, a Princeton M. Div. graduatein the Class of 1984 who now serves asassociate director of global service and witnessfor the PCUSA, recalls an incident thattook place in a church in Virginia four yearsago when hordes of Curds fled from Iraq toseek refuge in Turkey. "The media was filledwith images of mothers and their childrentrudging through the snow," he says."A kindergartner in the church saw thesepictures; shortly after, he found a pennyon the ground. Having heard the phrase'find a penny, make a wish,' he made a wish.'I wish I could help the Curds,' he said.Lo and behold, the church became involvedand sent needed relief, even set up a schoolafter the Curds returned to their homeland."What it means to be a child is to believethat making a wish on a penny can makea difference," Rift concludes.Three-year-old Anna, daughter ofNancy Lammers Gross, a visiting lecturerboth in speech communicationin ministryand in Christian education at the Seminary,accompaniedoffices, visited innumerableher parents to real estateresidences,and checked out school districts as theywere house hunting in the Princeton area.One day, while driving on the QuakerBridge overpass, Anna asked, "Mommy,when we die and go to heaven to livewith Jesus, will we have a house to live in?"LammersGross's impulse was to answerthe question; instead, she shared with herdaughterwhat Jesus told his disciples: "Inmy Father's house are many dwelling places."(John 14:2 NRSV) After a long silence duringwhich her motherwhat Anna was thinking,could only imaginethe little girl said,"Well that's good, because when Jesus wasborn there was no room for him in the inn."What it means to be a child is to makesophisticatedconnections.According to Carol Wehrheim, a writer,editor, and consultantwho periodicallyin Bible curriculumteaches courses for bothPrinceton's Center of Continuing Educationand Institute for Youth Ministry, childrenevenvery small children-are capable ofunderstanding much more than most adultsimagine they can.It is in this spirit that the PresbyterianChurch (USA) will celebrate the Yearof the Child between June 2000 and June200 1. The Presbyterian Children's AdvocacyNetwork looks forward to the eventas "a great occasion to educate 2.6 millionPresbyterians and others about the needsand special gifts of our children." Whatdo children need? And what special giftsdo they bring?Despite the affluence of the UnitedStates, this country ranks behind most othersin providing for its children. According tostatistics from the Children's Defense Fund,more than 12 million children in the UnitedStates live in poverty. America and SouthAfrica are the only industrialized nations thatfail to provide universal health coverage andchild care for children. American one-yearoldshave lower immunization rates againstpolio than one-year-olds in fourteen othercountries. Polio immunization rates for nonwhitebabies in the United States rankbehind the overall rates of forty-eight othercountries, including Botswana, Sri Lanka,Colombia, and Jamaica.As Freda Ann Gardner, Princeton'sThomas W. Synnott Professor of ChristianEducation Emerita, says, "Too many of our"Even greaterhan the role ofthe c.hurc.hin d ''''oping a c.hild'sspiritua\Ufe isthe roleof the parents. "Preschooler Camden Gaultney enjoys a Christmas cookieas her father, PTS M.Div. senior Steve Gaultney. looks on.

winter/spring 1998children are stunted in terms of what theycan become."Children are not only physically neglected;many of them receive little or no spiritualfoundation to help them develop a lifelived with an awareness of God. Thus, theyenter adolescence without a sense of a trusting,loving power outside of themselves. Ata time when they are most in need of somethingto turn to, they have nothing. Hence,they turn to drugs, alcohol, sex, and crime.What are the elements necessary to developinga spiritual life?Wehrheim maintains that three elementsare essential for children to grow spiritually.First, the recognition that children are bornwith a sense of the spiritual; they come intothe world already in a relationship with God.If parents and teachers listen more and talkless, she asserts, that relationship will becomeapparent. Wehrheim recalls that while sittingoutside one summer night with her granddaughter,the five-year-old child remarked,"God made the lightning bugs, but I turnedthem on."Second, since much of children's spiritualitycenters around their sense of wonder,the adults in their lives need to work towardallowing that sense of wonder to emerge.Wehrheim encourages parents and teachersto take time to notice the small, everydaythings-frost patterns on the windows,emerging buds, wind. "One way we can helpthe 'hurried children' of whom psychologistDavid Elkind speaks is to teach them how tobreathe prayers," says Wehrheim, who teachesyoung children this technique of repeatinga mantra to each breath and encouragesthem to use it anytime they need to connectwith God.Third,Bible stories can connectGod and wonder. Wehrheim,the stories as a startingwho usespoint for meditation,emphasizes that children need books thatare both visually appealingand age appropriate."Thereare Bible story books for eachdevelopmental stage," she says, "from fivesentenceboard books to The Children's Biblein 365 Stories. "Storytelling is also an im portant facetof Lammers Gross's ministry with children."We need to tell the stories in an interesting'passionate way without tremendousembellishment or changes," she says."We need to let the childrenthe stories ... to trust the childrento trust God ... that somethingwill happen."So what impedeschurch? Lammersinteract withandsignificantthis process in theGross notes that thechurch is often viewed as an institution thatsquelches the wonderand creativity inherentin and necessary to children's spiritualdevelopment.Sunday school teachers generallyuntrained in child development tell childrenwhat is importantto know and give informationrather than wonderingwith and listeningto the childrenSunday school curriculaexplore the stories.lose track of theBible stories as they rely more and moreheavily on gimmicksThe best curriculumto interest the children.will present thestories in a variety of ways incorporating,for example, music, movement, language,and logic in order to accommodate diverselearning styles. Wehrheim cites The GreatParade (Friendship Press) and The InvitingWord (United Church Press) as two goodresources, both of which are availablethrough the Seminary's Reigner ReadingRoom. (According to Kima Pachaua,a Ph.D. candidate who has worked in theReigner Reading Room since January1996, the most popular curriculum amongPrinceton students is The Whole Peopleof God, a non-denominational curriculumpublished by Logos Productions Inc.)Likewise, the most successful children'smessages or sermons will not rely on gimmicksthat detractthe object lesson.unrolledfrom and overshadow"I remember one time a Seminary interna whole roll of paper towels downthe aisle," says Lammers Gross. "Then hetook a tube of toothpasteand squeezed itout in a long line down the towels. The kidswere wild! Thenthe toothpastethey shoutedsaid somethingwas like hurtfulhe asked them how to putback into the tube. Of courseout 'You can't!' And then heabout how the toothpastewords, how once they'reout you can't put them back. How manyof those kids do you think rememberlesson five years later? But I bet they allrememberthe toothpaste!"Rob Morrison, who graduated fromPrincetonwith an M. Div. in 1969 andis now pastor of Santa Fe PresbyterianthatChurch in Edmond, Oklahoma, approachesthe Christian education of his congregation'schildren foremost "with an understandingof and sensitivitydevelopment."to the stages of a child'sHe and his colleaguesat Santa Fe use a unique approach to bringthe Bible to children. Together, childrenand teachers read the Bible stories andexplore the faith throughat least four theologies(nco-orthodox, story, feminist, andliberation).Teachers help the young peopleexamine how the church interacts with their"Shepherd" Hanna Torrence and "Angel" Kamisha Parson,both preschoolers, join forces in the Center's annualChristmas pageant.UWeneed tolet th dreninterac.t withthe.sto .to rrcsthatssignifi¢.ot\win happe.n. "

winter/spring 1998world, their school, their home,and theircommunity. In addition, they integrate thefour main influencesin the child's churchlife (worship, Christian education,music/choir, fellowship activities) and developspiritual growth in the most creative andbroadestways (verbally, visually, experientially,and acrually).Even greater than the role of the churchin developing a child's spiriruallife is the role"...since much ofchildren's spirituaUtycenters aroundtheir sense ofwonder, the adultsin their lives needto work towarda\lowing thatsense of wonderto emerge."of the parents. Richard Osmer, the Seminary'sThomas W Synnott Professorof Christian Education, and director ofthe School of Christian Education, says,''According to current research, parentalmodeling is rhe most important factorin nurturingspirirual growth in youngchildren. Children need to see their parentspray, to hear them talk about God, towatch rhem live out lives of faith thatinclude consciousto spend money and time."Gardnerdecisions about howagrees. "The family has characteristicsas a social organizationthat othersdon't have," she says. "It exists over time.It doesn't go away. In it, we live in closeproximity with one another, and yet weare unique individuals." She points out thatin the past childrenof religious parents sawtheir parents in the act of praying, whiletoday many parents are afraid to think aboutprayer because they don't know how to pray."But," she says, "modelingis important.It is importantto make prayer visible."Both Osmerand Gardnerbelieve that the church canplaya more significant rolein supporting"The churchparents.needs tohelp adults reclaim theirfaith," says Osmer."It needs to help adultsmove away froma purely moralistic,reduced sense ofGod's providencetoward a morevital, personalOsmerspirituality. "That vitality,continues,is grounded in opportunities providedby the life cycle. "Life is full of teachablemoments,"he says. "To be a parent andto nurture a child's spiritual development isto claim responsibilityGardnerfor those moments."echoes the need for parent educationand support. "Raising children takestime and effort," she says, "and the churchought to provide and support parents'groups."But, she goes on to say, the developmentof trust between parents and childrenis equally as important"Childrenas education.learn from what they experiencerather than what they hear," saysTop left: PTS M.Div. senior Mike Baynai nurtures andis nurtured by Tess Gallagher. an infant in the Centerfor Children. Bottom left: Toddler Jaehoon Jung playsan angel in the annual Christmas pageant.Gardner. Thus, she encourages parents to beintentional both in their actions and in theirlanguage. "Don't make promises you can'tkeep," she says. "And be willing to makeamends when you have made a mistake."Mike Baynai, a Princeton senior withtwo grown children of his own, agrees."I am careful.. .. I try to be vety intentionalwith the words that I use." Baynai, whohas worked part time ar rhe Seminary'sCenter for Children for the past two years,believes that what children require most ofall is honesty and deliberate, personal interaction."When I get down on one knee witha child and listen and respond, I am saying,'You are important to me.' "If the planners of the PCUSA Yearof the Child hope to explore what childrenneed, they also intend to celebrate the specialgifts that children bring into the world.To Rift, this means in part recognizing thathow we provide for children in our ownchurches and allover the world plays a criticalpart in what it means to follow Christ."Children instill in us a sense of hope for thefuture," he says.For Baynai, the rewards of working withchildren are more earthy. "It's been invigoratingto run around and play and laugh andcrawl on the floor," he says. ''As seminarians,we don't do enough of that. Last year I wrotea letter to Dian Wisdom [the director ofthe Center for Children] and told her thatI ought to pay her for letting me work here.It's been a gift."Although he initially took the job atthe Center because of its proximity to hishousing, he has grown to love working withthe kids. "They are sincere and honest, innocentand naive," he says. "They don't haveany pretenses yet. They sort of blunder intothings."I keep telling people that when I leavePrinceton I probably won't remember muchof the history or theology or anything else,but twenty years from now I will still bepreaching on the things that the kids didand said at the Center."Recognizing that children are naturallyspiritual beings, and that they have muchto teach the adults in their lives about God'skingdom, may well be the most significantand necessary step in promoting their spiritualgrowth. As Jesus said, "Unless youchange and become like children, you willnever enter the kingdom of heaven."(Matthew 18:3 NRSV) I

•winter/spring 1998Class notesKey to Abbreviations:Upper-case letters designatedegrees earned at PTS:M.Div.M.R.E.M.A.Th.M.D.Min.Th.D.Ph.D.BEMPDDSpecial undergraduate student USpecial graduate student GWhen an alumnus/a did notreceive a degree, a lower-caseletter corresponding to thoseabove designates the courseof study.1923 Clifford P.Osborne (B, M) is a residentof Adams, TN,where, his niecewrites, he "reads his newspaperevery day and enjoys the news,football,television.large-printand Lawrence Welk onHe also reads theReader's Digest fromcover to cover each monthenjoys various publicationsthe universitieshas been associared."andwith which hefrom1924 After thirty years inthe Navy, John E. Johnson(B) helpedbuild BaysidePresbyterian Church in VirginiaBeach, VA, one of the fourlargest congregationspresbytery.in the1934 Fred Christian(B) celebrated his 90th birthdaylast May and was serenadedSpringdale by members of theSeminaryBoard of Trustees,who wrote and performedparodyAges Past."At ninety-one,atthe"0 Fred, Our Friend inAugustus"Gus" Griffing (B) still setsup the semi-annual tutor trainingsessions for LiteracyVolunteersof Glens Falls inGlens Falls, NY, on whose boardhe served for nine years. Hewrites, "I have seen the programmore than triple; there is a greatneed."Despite critical diabetes,Harvey T. Kidd (M) enjoys"TV sports, crossword puzzles(with magnifYing glasses), andgoing to the local 'wateringfor coffee and settling worldaffairs!"hole'Donald Lomas (M) and hiswife, Gladys, have moved into afacility in Lakeland,FL, wherethey receive "added services asneeded."Both are, thankfully,enjoying good health!Lynn Rankin (B) reports thathe and his wife, Lillian, areretired, in good health,and livingin Rydal Park, a full-carefacility in Rydal, PA, run by thePresbytery of Philadelphia. Theyspend their summersEngland.in New1940 Albert H. Manus(M) is teaching Bible coursesand doing visitationfor the FirstPresbyterian Church in Lakewood,NJ.1941 After retiring asassociate executive of the Synodof the Southwest, Mark L.Koehler (M) served eleveninterim pastorates and is currentlyserving as parish associateat St. AndrewsChurchPresbyterianin Tucson, AZ.1942 Donald B. Bailey(M) and his wife, Jane, celebratedtheir fifrieth weddinganniversaryin September.FellowTry to remember those days in September ... andsend inSpire your reminiscences about experiencesin the classrooms of PTS when you were a student!We are looking for colorful recollections about professorswho have since retired or whom you recallparticularly well for a possible story in a forthcomingissue. We can't promise that we will use whatyou send, but we definitely can't use it if you don'tsend it! Thanks.classmate Russell M. Kerr (B)was there to help them celebrate.1946 M. Allen Kimble(B) was the guest speaker at aspecial worshipservice celebratingthe 300th anniversary ofLawrencevillePresbyterianChurch in Lawrenceville, NJ.Kimble, who was pastor of thechurch from 1947 to 1959,assisted the current pastor, H.Dana Fearon ('G8M, '750),who is also one of the Seminary'svisiting lecturersthis year.1947 Howard A.Redmond (B) recently publishedhis book Our Hearts AreRestless with Shield and WordPress.1948 Edward C.Gartrell Sr. (B) has been servingas parish associate atCovenant Presbyterian Churchin Huntsville,1997.AL, since MarchRobert F. Rice (B, '49M)is directingInternational,Literacy MinistryInc.1950 Earthen Vesselsand Transcendent Power:American Presbyterians inChina,1837-1952, writtenby G. Thompson Brown(M), was publishedby Orbis Books.this winterEllsworth E. Jackson (0),his wife, Julia Dispenza,andSpirit the Dog are doing a yearresidency at the HimalayanInternational Institute of YogaScience and PhilosophyHomesdale,inPA. He writes, "Welive in a spiritual community ofabout sixty people of all ages. [Itis] very special."1951 After twenty-eightyears of service, O. ThomasMiles (B) retired from the U.S.Department of Housing andUrban Development inWashington, D.C., in December1997. He continues his ministryas parish associate at PotomacPresbyterian Church inPotomac,MD.The Big 50-Class of 1948Fifty is nifty and very near.Will you be there or will yoube here,Celebrating at PTS?We hope your answer is a"YES."For information about your50th reunion, May 21 andMay 22, 1998, contact theAlumni/ae Relations Officeat 609-497-7785 or visit ourweb site atwww.ptsem.edu/bond/index.htminSpire. 17

winter/spring 1998Class notes1952 Richard G.Douse (B) is active in theHouse of Hope PresbyterianChurch in St. Paul, MN, andas a supply preacherpresbytery.for theBruce O. Larson (B) is pastoremeritusof UniversityPresbyterian Church in Seattle,WA.George A. Munzing (B)writes, "I retired from TrinityUnited Presbyterian Church inSanta Ana, CA, after being therefor thirty-seven-and-one-halfyears."1953 Raymond A.Nott (B) came east fromWyomingthis fall to speak attwo stewardship banquets in thePhiladelphiaarea, a trip that"gave [him] the opportunitytovisit [President] Gillespie, [Fred]Cassell, and [Bill] Harris.""I am 'retired' again," writesBenjamin E. Sheldon (B),"following a two-year interim atthe Forks of the BrandywinePresbyterian Church in DonegalPresbytery. However, I am continuingNationalCouncil."my work with thePro-Life Religious1954 "Despite my supposedretirement," writesJames F. Clark (BI, "it hasbeen a hectic year."William J. Peck (BI, a "semiretiredprofessorat theUniversity of North Carolina atChapelHill," is teachingHebrew and philosophy at SanFelipe Presbyterian Seminary inGuatemala.Marshall L. Smith (G)is the curatorof the OrangeCounty Historical Museumin Hillsborough,NC.1956 Dan H. Barfield(B) "became a first-timegrandfatheron October 30, 1997,"when his daughter,Hilary, gavebirth to Cory Justin Raio inTucson, AZ.Gilbert L. Johnston (B)is serving as "resident friend"at the Friends MeetingCambridge,MA.In his retirement,inJoe DavidRuffin (B) lives in Waco, TX,where he serves as stated supplyof YoungbloodChurch.Presbyterian1957 Fuad J. Bahnan(M), pastor of Cavalry UnitedPresbyterian Church in FallRiver, MA, will continuetoserve on the General AssemblyCouncilof the PresbyterianChurch (USA) during the nextyear, as will William E.Chapman ('58B, '62E,'6901. retired adjunct professorat both PrincetonBrunswickTheologicaland NewSeminaryNJ.in New Brunswick,David C. Meekhof (B) is thenewly elected president of 119-year-old Sheldon JacksonCollege in Sitka, AK. He is theeleventh presidentfoundingsince theof the school byPresbyterian missionaries in1878 as a trade school for theTlingitIndians.1958 Whitewater ValleyPresbytery recently endorsedRichard C. Hutchison (EI,pastor of the First PresbyterianChurchfor moderatorin Fort Wayne, IN,of the 21 OthGeneral Assembly (1998),which will meet in Charlotte,NC, from June 13 to 20.Hutchison,a noted leader inChristian education, currentlyserves on the General AssemblyCouncilChurchof the Presbyterian(USA) and is theCouncil's corresponding memberto the board of directorsofthe Presbyterian Church (USA)Foundation.1959 John M.Robertson (B) writes, "I havebeen honorablyretired since1994 and recently have becomea part-timepastoral assistant atthe United Church of Sun City(UCC)in Sun City, AZ.In November, Robert M.Shelton (M, '650) was inauguratedas the eighth presidentof Austin Presbyterian TheologicalSeminary. The Jean BrownProfessor of HomileticsandLiturgics, Shelton has been atthe seminarysince 1971 andsince 1983 has served as the academicdean.1960 George L. Haines(B, '63M) is a professor of lawand religious studies at theUniversity of Phoenix satellitecampus in Diamond Bar, CA.Richard E. Nygren (B,'81PI. chaplain at Bay Villagein Sarasota, FL, preachedat BigMoose Community Chapel inthe AdirondacksState this past July.of New YorkKenneth B. Yerkes (B) isnow serving as interimrector atSf. Paul's Episcopal Church inKankakee,IL.1961 Robert R.Boehlke (D) has recentlypublishedthe second volumeof Sejarah PerkembanganPikiran & Praktek PendidikanAgama Kristen (A History ofthe Developmentof ChristianEducation Thought andPractice) with BPK, a ProtestantpublishingIndonesia.house in Jakarta,1962 For the last threeyears, Robert Holland (B),who is retired and livingin Fresno, CA, has been assistinghis son, Jeff Holland('93BI, in building homes forMexicans in the Tijuana area.Withthe help of high schooland college studentsWashingtonfromState's MercerIsland Presbyterian Church inMercer Island and UniversityPresbyterian Church in Seattle,aboutconstructed190 homes have beenin that time.Edwin H. Sprague (B) isthe interimpastor of MaryvaleDrive Presbyterian Church inCheektowaga,NY, after fulfillingthe role of interimexecutive18 • inSpire

••winter/spring 1998Class notespresbyrer of WesternPresbytery.New York1963 A retired missionaryto India, Melvin A. Cassady(U)keeps active as a chaplainand desk volunteerat PikeCommunity Hospital, a deaconat the First Presbyterianin Waverly, OH,of the presbyteryChurchand a membermission-relatedcommittees and retirement community.Werner H. Kelber (M)recently publishedThe Oraland the Written Gospel: TheHermeneuticsof Speakingand Writing in the SynopticTradition, Mark,Paul, and Qwith Indiana University Press.Kelber is the TurnerReligiousStudies at RiceProfessor ofUniversity in Houston, TX.1964 William L.Hufham (B, '70M) retiredfrom the Chaplains Corps, U.S.Army, in June1997. He is nowpastor of the First PresbyterianChurch in Goldsboro, NC.1965 MebaneHarrison (E) is educationdirectorfor the U.S. Navy Sealsstationed in Coronado, CA."New life at 79!" exclaimsDorothy W. Payne (E)."One year ago I became chaplainof SouthwestHospiceFlorida'sSouth Team. I've neverenjoyed a job so much!"Stephen R. Weisz (B) wasvisiting chaplainat Prince AlfredCollege in Adelaide, Australia,from April 1997 throughOctober 1997.1966 Barbara E.Nelson (EI, a freelance writerbased in Pittsburghand a memberof Shadyside PresbyterianChurch,Westfield,her father.is living part time inNJ, in order to assistSharon Daloz Parks (E)recently became the associatedirectormemberof and a core facultyat the WhidbeyInstitute in Clinton, WA. She isthe co-author of Common Fire:Leading Lives of Commitmenta Complex World, publishedBeacon Press.1968 Charles L.Bomboy (M) retired fromWestminsterPresbyterianChurch in Phillipsburg, NJ,after thirty-oneHavingbyinyears of service.recovered from a rupturedaorta and stroke sufferedon Palm Sunday, 1996,Howard J. Happ (B) continuesas a professor of religiousstudies at CaliforniaStateUniversity in Northridge and asassisting priest at The CathedralCenter of Saints Arhanasius andPaul in Los Angeles, CA.Damon D. Hickey (B) writes,"My book Sojourners No More:The Quakers in the New South,1895-1920, was publishedin AugustCarolina1997 by the NorthFriends HistoricalSociety and the NorthYearly Meetingof FriendsCarolinaas part of the yearly meeting'scelebration.I am now in myseventh year as directorof the libraries at the Collegeof Woosterin Ohio."Mary L. Temple Hickey(e) has, for the past year, beenworking for Wooster InterfaithHousing Corporation inWooster, OH,(where herhusband, Damon, is directorof libraries at the College ofWooster).She writes, "WIHCis a non-profit corporation thatprovides or helps to securehousingincomes.It also provides transitionalhousingand a self-sufficiencyprogramfor people with lowfor single mothersand their children."William B. Presnell (M)serves as an adjunctassociateprofessor of pastoral care atDrew TheologicalMadison,School inNJ. He is also alicensed New Jersey marital andfamily therapistas a clinical memberand is certifiedof and anapproved supervisor with theAmerican Association forMarriage and Family Therapy.1969 William S. -+Dunifon (B) has beenappointeddean of graduateprograms and continuing educationat NorthCentralCollege in Naperville,appointmentIL. Hiscoincides with thecreation of the Office ofGraduate Programs andContinuing Education, whichwas formerly two offices.1970 Jackson W.Carroll (D) has recentlyco-authoredWheeler,(with BarbaraDaniel Aleshire, andPenny Long Marlen)and publisheda book titled Being There:Culture and Formation in TwoTheological Schools with OxfordUniversityPress.Tom Sebben (B) is completinga term as president of theNational Association ofEndowed PresbyterianChurches. He continues as pastorof the First PresbyterianChurch in Sharon, PA.1971 David C. Bloom(M) emails that "On May 1,1997, [he] began work as thefirst executive director of theInterfaith Community MinistryNetwork (ICMN), a nationalmembership organization ofcommunity-based ministries."ICMN, whose offices are locatedin Houston, TX, providestraining, resources, and supportfor the community ministrymovement. Bloom joinedICMN after nineteen years asassociate director for urban ministrywith the Church Councilof Greater Seattle in Seattle,WA.1972 Daniel L. Consla(B) is serving as a chaplainfor a new hospice programin Orlando for the IHS Hospiceof Florida.inSpire. 19

-winter/spring 1998Class notesThe Big 25-Class of 1973Twenty-five? Sake's alive!Get in your car and drive,drive, drive!Hop on a bus, a train,a plane;Return to Princeton onceagain!For information about your25th reunion, May 21 andMay 22, 1998, contact theAlumni/ae Relations Officeat 609-497-7785 or visit ourweb site atwww.ptsem.edu/bond/index.htm1973 Barbara Chaapel(B), the Seminary'sdirectorof communications/publicationsand editorelected as moderatorof inSpire, has beenofPhiladelphia Presbytery, theoldest presbyteryPresbyterianin theChurch(USA),for 1998. She is the secondclergywomanto serve as thatpresbytery's moderator. Chaapelwas installedat the presbyterymeeting on January 20 at theFirst Presbyterianin Philadelphia,is a parish associate.Blair B. MonieChurchwhere she(B) has beenserving as pastor of PrestonHollow Presbyterian Church inDallas, TX, since January 1995.He is in his fifth year of serviceon the General AssemblyCouncil of the PCUSA; forthe past two years, he chairedthe CongregationalMinistriesDivision Committee. As a memberof the Executive Committeeof the General AssemblyCouncil, he represented thePCUSAas a part of its delegationto Korea in April 1997.Ronald D. Worden (D), vicepresident of academic affairs atHouston Graduate School ofTheologyin Texas, reports thatthe school received ATS accreditationthis year.1974 David L. Bleivik(B) is head of staff for the FirstPresbyterian Church inAnchorage,of the future planningAK, and a membertask forcefor Yukon Presbytery. He continuesto serve on the GeneralAssembly Councilof thePresbyterian Church (USA).Kenneth A. Sprang (b)is an associate professor of lawat the Universiryof OrlandoSchool of Law in Orlando,He is also a co-authorofFL.Termination of Employmentand Pennsylvania UnemploymentLaw Sources.1975 Thomas "Buzz"Mattingly(B) recently spenteleven days leave with his eldestson, Tommy, in Germany andHolland,weekendwhere they spent thewith his pen pal,whom he last saw in 1968.1976 After almost twelveyears as pastor of the FirstPresbyterian Church in Bath,NY, David Barnard (B) is"taking a respite from full-timeministry to allow my children tofinish school in their hometownof Bath, NY. I am now workingfull time as a school psychologistin the Addison Central Schoolsand part time as interimof the First Presbyterianof Canisteo,NY."pastorLeslie Merlin (B) recentlyacceptedChurcha call as pastor of theSecond Presbyterian Church inNew York Ciry.Out of a commitmentto createmeaningful liturgical materialsfor congregational use, Glen E.RainsleyFirst Congregational(B), pastor of theChurch(UCC) in Camden, ME, wroteHear Our Prayer: Resourcesof Worship and Devotions,publishedNovember 1996.by Pilgrim Press1977 Edward A. Kail(B) is currentlyserving a oneyearappointmentacademicSchool of TheologyCity, MO.as interimdean at Saint Paulin KansasMichael Kuner (B), who iscurrentlyserving CovenantPresbyterian Church inOklahomaCity, OK, is chair ofrhe Committee on Ministry ofIndian Nations Presbytery. He isalso moderatinga special taskgtoUp on inclusive language inthe presbytery. Prior to his callin Oklahoma,Kuner was associatepastor of the FirstPresbyterian Church in Topeka,KS, and was the first permanentchaplainRepresentativesof the House ofin the historyof the State of Kansas. Mike andhis wife, Jenny, are the parentsof two girls.1979 Robert J. Faser(B) emails that he is studyingfor his D.Min.MelbournethroughCollege of Diviniryin Melbourne, Australia. Hewrites, ''Thisprogramis the first D.Min.to be offered by anAustralian theological institurion,althoughhave been awardedof Ministrymany AustraliansDoctordegrees throughAmerican seminaries. Myplannedarea of research is onattitudes of nominal worshippers(particularlythose whoattend worship only at festivalssuch as Christmastoward the church."and Easter)Having received a Ph.D. in religionfrom Vanderbiltin Nashville, TN,Universiryin August1997, Beverly A. Zink-Sawyer (B) continues on asan assistant professor ofhomileticsand liturgics atUnion Theological Seminary inRichmond,VA.1980 Marilyn L.Alamsha(B) writes, "On June30, 1997, I was honorablyretired by CentralFloridaPresbytery, where I have beenserving a numberpastorates."of interimShe and her husband,Lloyd, who is also aPresbyterianpastor, celebratedtheir forry-first weddinganniversaryon that same day.Marilynhasrecently beenelected toserve on theExecutiveCouncilCentralFloridaofPresbytery.+-20. inSpire

winter/spring 1998Class notesPatricia Byers (B) has beennamed a regional manager ofSummit Bank's investment managementdivision in Princeton,NJ. Her responsibilitiesestate settlementadministration.and trustincludeKathy J. Nelson (B, '86M,'92P) ernails, "I continue toserve as pastor of the FirstPresbyterian Church in Dayton,NJ. I also enjoy my weekly timeat PTS as a memberof theadjunct faculty teaching in thearea of practical ministry. I workfor the denominationPresbyteries'CommitteeCooperativeon theon Examinations,which writes and oversees thegrading of the Presbyterian ordinationexams. I presentlychair the Polity Task Forceand convenedreadingthe fallgroup in Raleigh,NC. I enjoyed the fellowshipof other PTS alumsBarbara Chaapel('73B), Fred Lyon('83B, '89M), andDavid Campbell('82B), who were alsoinvolvedreadingin the Raleighgroup."Alumnilae UpdateSuppose that the human genome has been mapped, the cost of genetic testing has been greatlyreduced, and your genome has been encoded on a card the size of your Visa card. This will be wonderfulwhen you have your initial interview with a new medical doctor. But when you go for a job interviewand the company is ready to hire you, they may ask for your genome. When you hand over yourcard to be read by a computer, the response may be, "Oh, I'm sorry! Your genome shows that you willhave an early onset of Alzheimer's Disease (or another expensive disease). Our insurance carrier won'tcover this. We are very sorry, but we cannot hire you."This scenario, described by Dr. Ted Peters, is not entirely futuristic. Genetic discrimination is alreadybeginning to occur, and it is just one of the many dilemmas being posed by the progress in geneticresearch. Another dilemma: At this time there are about five new ways to make a baby, but covenantfaithfulparents don't necessarily come with each method. The question is: Can we keep babies frombeing made into commodities?As a retired pastor I helped put together a half-day conference called "Genetics, Faith, and Ethics"at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church in Lafayette, California. The interest was high among the250 who attended, including parents, doctors, nurses, and church members.Peters, a Lutheran theologian and author of many books about the genetics/ethics interface, joinedwith medical, scientific, and ethical experts in sketching the technology and lifting up the public policyquestions. He pointed out that, right now, research scientists are asking for assistance in thinkingthrough the implications of genetic research for the human community. But, this opportunity may lastonly a few short years.The church, through its seminaries and congregations, can contribute ethicalinsight to the public discussion of these concerns. Consortiums of local congregationscan invite researchers and those concerned with public policy toconfer with the grass roots members of local churches on these issues. Theunderlying question for us is, "What does it mean to be a family of individualsmade 'in the image of God' and part of a covenant community?"I am hopeful that other Princeton alums will consider planning similar conferencesin their areas.John E. Turpin ('52B) served the First Presbyterian Church inOakland, California, for twenty years before his retirement. He currentlyserves on the board of the Presbyterian campus ministry atthe University of California, Berkeley, and represents Region 12(Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska) on theAlumni/ae Association Executive Council.1981 Linn RusWhitaker Howard (B) pastorsPeters Creek PresbyterianChurchin Venetia, PA, and producesa televisionshow with fellowPTS graduate RobertKopp ('77B) titled Howard &Kopp with Real People.David Ravinder (M, '860)says he can occasionallyvisitPTS even with all of his responsibilitiesas pastor of UnionVillage UnitedChurchNJ.Methodistin Berkeley Heights,1982 "I recently participatedin the PCUSAEcumenical Seminar at theWorld Council of Churches inGeneva, Switzerland," reportsWilliam M. Hoyle (B). "Onthe way home, I played the OldCourse at St. Andrews."Kristen Rouner Jeide (B)writes, "I am part-time ministerat-largeat the WayzataCommunity Church inWayzata, MN. I am also enteringthe Spiritual DirectorFormation Program at theSacred Ground Center fotSpirituality."1983 Joan C.Ishibashi (B) is currentlyassociateconference minister foradministrationthe Hawaii Conferenceand tesources forof theUnited Church of Christ inHonolulu,HI.Allan C. Jackson II (B) wasrecently installed as the pastor ofthe First Park Baptist ChurchPlainfield,NJ.inTimothy S. Lantz (B, '96M)is serving as senior Protestantchaplain at the Naval AirStation in Brunswick, ME.As a retiree, Berthi van derBent-Hamel (B) spends hertime assisting in the transcribingof a Sufi text. "The context isParis, France, during the1920s," she says, "and it is amessage almlllg at peace amongreligions of the world."inSpire. 21

winter/spring 1998Class notes1984 Clarence E.Hilyard (M) pastors a missionchurch in Fairbanks, AK, andis also a career counseloru.s. Air Force base.at the1985 The PresbyterianChurch of Allentown, NJ,recently installed Stephen J.Heinzel-Nelsonnew pastor.(B) as theirBruce S. Kochsmeier (B),pastor of Nevada's oldest church,the First Presbyterian Church in~takeabowCarsonCity, says he is thrilledto have Lisa N. Schilbe('95B)as his associate. "Weplayed left and center field onour churchfinishedson."softball team, whichsecond in our first sea-Rodney L. Petersen (D),director of institutional researchat Copiah-LincolnCollege in Weston,MA, recentlyco-authoredtwo books:Communityand publishedCreation As BelovedJeanne Audrey Powers ('58b) received the Pioneer WomanAward from the Anna Howard Shaw Center of BostonUniversity School of Theology.Mebane Harrison ('65E, '80B), director ofeducation at the Naval Amphibious Base inCoronado, CA, home of the Navy Seal team,received the John Brian Award for MilitaryEducator of the Year from the Council forCollege and Military Educators in Seattle,WA, in February 1997.William L. Carlton ('70B) was awardedthe professional designation of AdvancedCertified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE)by the National Society of Fund RaisingExecutives at the 1997 International Conference on FundRaising. Carlton, who works for Carlton & Company, a fundraisingconsulting firm based in Boston, MA, is one of onlythirty-two individuals nationwide who hold the ACFRE.Linda Pershing ('78B) received the 1997 Elli Konqas-MarandaPrize awarded by the American Folklore Society for her book onwomen's protest against nuclear arms, The Ribbon around thePentagon: Peace by Piecemakers. The prize is awarded for outstandingwork on women's traditional, vernacular, and local cultureand/or work on feminist theory and folklore.Kevan T. Hitch ('86B) has been elected aCoffin-Forsberg Fellow for Urban and SocialMinistry for the 1997-98 academic year bythe faculty of Yale Divinity School. Hitch isthe pastor of the First and SummerfieldUnited Methodist Church in New Haven, CT,and has been active in labor issues andbuilding a church-based community organizationcalled Elm City CongregationsOrganized.of God and Consumption,Population, and Sustainability.StephenH. Smith-Cobbs(B) is serving as pastor ofTrinity Presbyterian Church inHerndon,findingVA. He says, "I amthe challenge of servingthis large and growing congregationto be exciting. God is trulyat work in the life of this specialcongregation!"1986 After fifteen years offull-time teaching in Malaysia,Hon-Van Ho (M) reports, "Iam now serving full time as thepastor in charge of MegaChinese Methodist Church inMalaysia."He also writes byemail from Malaysia, "Thanksfor the beautifulhome page."Thomas N. Willcox (B) ispursuing his D.Min. at FullerTheological Seminary inPasadena,CA.The UniversityScotland,for Corinneof Aberdeen,is serving as homeH.S. Wong(B), who is in her third yearof a Ph.D. program in NewTestamentstudies.1987 B. Keith Brewer(M) was named to the positionof site directorcampusSeminaryat the New Jerseyof Asbury Theologicalat Zarephath.Stephen J. Weber (B),after serving nine years in thepastorate,is now a chaplainin the U.S. Navy and is stationedat Pearl Harbor,HI.1988 After receivinga Th.M.from ColumbiaTheological Seminary inDecatur, GA, Ann FitzgeraldAichinger (B) moved on toFlorida Gulf Coast University inFort Myers, FL, where she is thePCUSA campus minister."Doing well!" is the exclamationfrom Steven H. Craig (B),pastor of Eagle RockPresbyterian Church in LosAngeles, CA.Anna (B) and David (B)Carter Florence write, "Ourboys give us more joy than wethought possible." Anna isworking toward her Ph.D. inpreaching at Princeton, andDavid is the chaplain at BlairAcademy in Blairstown, NJ.Robert K. McGaha (B) is achaplain at the Naval TrainingCenter in Great Lakes, 1L.Lillian McCulloch Taylor(B) was recently elected moderatorof Coastal CarolinaPresbytery, one of the largestpresbyteries in the denomination.As book review editor ofThe Presbyterian Outlook, shepresented daily book reviewsat both the National Gatheringof Presbyterian Women and theMassanetta Bible Conference.Kerry Clark Tomhave (B),who recently completed the certificationprocess in the Collegeof Chaplains, is working parttime as a chaplain at Sr. Mary'sMedical Center in Duluth, MN.She plans to "remain in parttimeministry while my children- Nicholas, bornSeptember 18, 1995, and Lucas,born May 7, 1997-are young,and to do some pulpit supply.I am also serving on theCommittee on Preparation forMinistry of our presbytery along22. inSpire

"winter/spring 1998Class notesAre you surfing the web?You can now submit your class note on the web! Keep usinformed by visiting our Alumnilae web site at:http://www.ptsem.edu/bond/submitnotes.htmwith Becky Sherwood,'88 alum."another1989 Randall K. Bush(B) reports that he is pursuing aPh.D. in theology and ethics atMarquette University inMilwaukee,WI.Julie Hodges (B) writes, "Inaddition to my full-time counselingjob with adolescentsdrug and alcohol problems,am workingwithpart time as a youthdirector at Clifton PresbyterianChurch in Clifton, VA!"Young Ho Kim (M) is pastorof the First Korean ChurchSourh Dakotain Rapid City.IofEriberto "Eddie" Soto (M)is coordinatorAmericafor Southof the WorldwideMinistries Division of thePresbyterian Church (USA) inLouisville,the first coordinatorKY. He writes: "I amto be fluentin both English and Spanish.this ministry,InI help to coordinateour work with our partnerchurches in Sourh America inthree areas: evangelism/missions;education, both theological andsecular; and ministriesjustice and compassion.of socialThismeans that I must constantlytravel to that part of the worldto meet with leaders of our partnerchurches.opportunitySeminarythese countries.in your prayers."I have had theto meet Princetonalums in many ofPlease keep me1990 Eun Sik Cho (B),who was ordainedPresbyteryby theof New York City inApril 1996, has recently begun apart-time position as thePresbyterian chaplain at theUniversity of Alberta inEdmonton, Canada. Cho is alsoeducation minister at theKorean Presbyterian Church ofEdmonton.Alex C. Coblentz (B) joinedthe faculty of The PenningtonSchool in Pennington,fall. He is teachingethics, and study skills.NJ, lastscience,1991 David G.Carpenter (B) has returnedfrom six-and-a-half months travelingin Africa to serve as associatepastor for singles/churchat MemorialDrive PresbyterianChurch in Houston, TX. Helifehas also been elected to the U.S.board of directorsEnterprise.of AfricanRobert Covington (P)is now pastor of the FirstPresbyterian Church inKingwood,TX.Julie Cowie (B) is serving asinterimpastor of Port SheldonPresbyterian Church in WestOlive, MI.Steven B. Miller (B),associate pastor of WestminsterPresbyterian Church in Fresno,CA, writes: "Life is full as ourson, Joshua Patrick, turnedin October,and we are expectinganothertwochild in May!"resulted in the deaths fromtreatable diseases of two of theirchildren. Rush, who has a Ph.D.in ethics and has taught atRurgers University, calls this acase of "spiritual malpractice."Initially consulted, in part,because of his background as aSouthern Baptist and his familiaritywith fundamentalist religion,and in part because theproducer of the show lives nearby,Rush found himself becomingthe voice of main-line religionin the segment. He says,"In this show, the main-line perspectiveis the humane one, andthe religious zeal of thePentecostals is allowed to speakfor itself. When it speaks foritself, all of its troubling naturebecomes apparent." In responseto a question posed by Bradley,Rush continues, "We twentiethcenturypeople simply cannot goback to the fifth century BC inorder to be faithful. We have touse the resources of faith in themodern context."Obery Hendricks (B), thenewly appointed president ofPayne TheologicalSeminaryin Wilberforce, OH, is theyoungest president of the oldestAfrican Americanseminaryin the midwest.~Austra Reinis (b) returnedto Princetonwork in the Ph.D.program.this fall to beginstudiesCharles Rush (D) was interviewedby Ed Bradley for a segmenton 60 Minutes that airedearlier this year. The piecefocused on a Philadelphia familywhose practice of "prayer only"1992 Berlinda AnitaLove (B), a science and mathteacher in Trenton,NJ, and anordained minister, was recentlyselected for inclusionin theinSpire. 23

winter/spring 1998Class notesCalling all RPCVs!If these initials mean anything to you, then you must havebeen a Peace Corps volunteer. The inSpire staff would liketo hear from alums and members of the PTS communitywho have Peace Corps experience for possible use in a futurearticle. Though we can't guarantee that we will use them, wewould like to hear your stories. Please send them to inSpire,P.O. Box 821, PTS, Princeton, NJ 08542-0803. Thanks!International Whos Whoof Professionals.Peter Nimmo (M)emailedthis to us fromScotland: "Presently workingwith an Americanas associate ministerKirk in Edinburghministerat Currie(Churchof Scotland). Greetings to allat PTS!"Carol A. Scheppard (B),who finished her Ph.D. in religiousstudies at the Universityof Pennsylvania in May 1997,6Weddings• &Birthsis currently teaching in the corehumanities program at VillanovaUniversity in Villanova, PA.1993 SuzanneNakasian (B), directorof theProgram for Spiritual Growthand Directionat UnionTheological Seminary in NewYork, has been appointedto theposition of director of planningand self-study. She will be workingwith the vice presidentresearch and planningto coordinatethe developmentself-study documentforof thethat isrequired for the Middle Statesand AssociationSchools accreditationof Theologicalsite visitscheduled for the fall of 1998.She is also a Ph.D.in the Departmentand Religion at Union.candidateof PsychiatrySung-Joo Park (B) is servingas pastor of HahnbitKoreanPresbyterian Church in Atlanta,GA.Reuel K. Sample (B),a lieutenantin the U.S. Navy,was one of more than 5,000sailors and marines who participatedin a multinationalexercise,Exercise Bright Star '97,a six-month deployment to theMediterraneanSea, aboard theaircraft carrier USS GeorgeWashington. Sample, along withothers, participatedtactical air, amphibiousin naval,assault,undersea, special forces, andground combat training toimprove unit readiness and facilitateoperations among coalitionforces.1994 Allan H. Cole Jr.(B) returned to Princeton in thefall to pursue a Ph.D. in pastoraltheology.Angela Horton Gapay (B),who is with the YellowstoneConference of the UnitedMethodist Church, recentlyreceived a new appointmentto Mineral County UnitedMethodist Church and toAlberton, St. Regis, andSuperior United Methodistchurches in Superior, MT.Heather Harriss (B) is chaplainat St. Thomas Hospital inNashville, TN. Her husband,Michael Stephens (B), isworking on a Ph.D. in churchhistory at Vanderbilt Universityin Nashville, TN.WeddingsShanda M. Carignan ('76B) to Randy Mahurin, October 19, 1997Lucia Kendall Lloyd ('93b) to Marshall Lloyd, June 29, 1996Julia R. Martin ('93B) to Michael S. Martin ('94B), October 8, 1994Glenna Z. Blevins to Mark B. McFadden ('94B), May 21, 1995Kyndra C. Wilson to Tom N. Trinidad ('96B), June 8, 1997Stefanie Anne Thompson to Jeffrey A. Wargo ('96B), November 26, 1997BirthsNathaniel Brian to Susan and Mark Buchanan ('80B) on October 19, 1997Leah Hwang, adopted by Rochelle A. Stackhouse ('82B) and Peter G. Ferriby ('80B),born on February 5, 1996Bridget Covey to Cheryl and Mark Ramsey ('84B) on November 10, 1997Phoebe Elisabeth to Karen Hull Shaw ('85B) and Perry Shaw ('85M) on January 6,1998Taylor and Timothy to Suzanne Brooks-Cope ('87B) and Scott Brooks Cope ('87P) on August 11, 1997Graham Brookins to Sylvia and Gordon Pugh ('88B) on February 16, 1996Emma Grace to Sylvia and Gordon Pugh ('88B) on October 2, 1997Gustaf Anders Olaf to Gertrud and Hans Andreasson ('93M) on January 12, 1998Kenji Keith to Kyoko and Paul Johnson ('93B) on December 31, 1997Hannah Mikel to Julia R. Martin ('93B) and Michael S. Martin ('94B) on July 11, 1997Isaac Silas to Amy Scott Vaughn ('93B) and Andrew Vaughn ('91 B:96D) on February 2, 1998Mark B. McFadden (B)is pastor of ChilhowieUnited Methodist Churchin Chilhowie, VA.1995 Brett W. Becker(B) has accepted a call as pastorof Bethany CongregationalChurch (UCC) in San Antonio,TX.Richard Gardiner (B)is chair of the Social StudiesDepartment at University LakeSchool in Hartland, WI, wherehe also teaches philosophy, government,history, and religion.Robert MacSwain (B)is both teaching theology andserving as assistant school minis-24 • inSpire

winter/spring 1998~o~~nd~g_i_n_t_h_e_f_~_I_d_"Sprinq" Termal hlesl VirginiaUniuersillJPTS Alum Calledto Campus MinistryWhen Charles Spring was a middler atPrinceron in 1962, he unexpectedly receiveda Danforth Fellowship to do an internshipin campusministry."I always wanted to be the pasror ofa church,"he says, "but off I went to theUniversity of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida[a very secular and faraway place for a boyfrom a small college in Pennsylvania],out ministryon a college campus."to trySometimes call and circumstances converge.Today Spring is in his rwenry-firstyearas the Presbyterian university pastor at WestVirginia University (WVU), a state universitywith a 22,OOO-member studentbody inMorganrown, West Virginia. He has neverlooked back."Thatintern year I worked with threeinspiring campus ministers-one Presbyterian,one Methodist,and one Episcopalianinan ecumenical setting," he remembers."When I came back to Princeron, still hopingfor a call in the parish,[former PTSpresident] James McCord sropped me oncampusone day to ask if I were interestedin filling in for a year as interimchaplainat Colorado Women's College [in Denver]."That one year turned into thirteen.Spring married, earned his doctorate inChristianethics at Iliff School of Theologyin Denver, and taught philosophyand religionat Colorado Women's College, as wellas filling in as sometimechaplain.When it was time to move on in 1977,Spring admits he still longed for a local congregationas I thoughtto a churchHowever,Universityro pasror. "Bur I wasn't as desirableI'd be," he laughs, "and the doordid not open."did.the door ro West Virginia"WVU campus ministry had a hisroryof a close working relationship with the localPresbyterian church," Spring says, "so I figuredthere would be a churchfor me ro connectwith."He was right.The First Presbyterian Church inMorganrown,which Spring can see a hundredyards away from his office window,is an important component of his campusministry.every day."WhenHe is in and out of the churchrelocate the PresbyterianI arrived in 1977, I began todenominationalministry at the university within the lifeof that congregation,"Spring explains. "I didnot want ro have a separate group of Presbyterianstudentson campus who never wentto church. Now about forty Presbyterian studentsattend church there. We have a sermondiscussion group, and we pair students withmembersof the church who can be familyaway-from-homefor them."Spring preaches on occasion in that congregation,and lay leaders and pasrors of thechurch also take responsibility for ministrywith the students.The willingness of local church membersto share in the ministrystudentswith Presbyterianfrees Spring to do more nondenominationaland ecumenical work onthe WVU campus. He is the direcror of anecumenical campus ministry center that isalso staffed by Methodist"We try to identifyneeds in the universitycommunityprogramsand Baptist clergy.and then model start-upro meet those needs," he says.For example, Spring and his colleaguesbegan an emergencyloan fund for AfricanAmerican students, and they initiateda women's informationcenter to distributematerial on domestic violence, rape, pregnancycounseling,long before the universitya women's studies programand sexual harrassmenthad eitheror a women'scenter. He also initiated a hospital chaplaincyprogram at the university hospital. "Webegan with local clergy and campusvolunteeringministerstheir time," Spring says. "Wetried to model what it wouldmean to havechaplains in the hospital." Now, WVUHospital has a full-time chaplain and a CPEprogramwith rwo residents.Spring is proud of the campus ministry'srole as "vitamin pill" or "provocateur" to theuniversity."I try to show them how ministrymight work, to get them started,and thenro get our of the way," he says. "The goalis to integrate these programs into the structureof the university itself."The achievementthat Spring is mostproud of is the introduction of an ethicscourse into WVU's"I starred small with this idea," heexplains. "I invited several professors,includingthe chair of the pediatrics(who served on the committeeme), and five studentsOur conversationdepartmentthat calledmedical school curriculum.to a brown bag lunch:that day first evolved intoan elective class and then into a required22-hourunit in ethics for all second-yearmedical students at WVU. It's really a modelprogramfor medical schools."26 • inSpire

winter/spring 1998~~~nd~g_i_n_t_h_e_f_~_I_d_For the past four years Bowers has beenmaking annual trips to Malawi, a smallcountry located in southeast Africa, whereshe has been involvedin the developmentand supervision of a model preschool thatserves forty children at Domasi Mission nearZomba.Domasi Mission was the result of themissionary efforts of the St. Michael andAll Angels Church in Blantyre, the largestcity in Malawi.Blantyre derives its namefrom famed Scottish missionary and explorerDavid Livingstone,who was born inBlantyre, Scotland, and who broughtPresbyterianismthe mother church there.to Malawi and establishedBowers first went to Malawi in 1993as part of a team from PittsburghPresbyterythat was working in partnership with theSynod of Blantyre, CCAP (Church ofCentral Africa Presbyterian). The twentymemberwork team was headed by Bowers'shusband,who was then chair of missioninterpretation for Pittsburgh Presbytery.The team was welcomedto Malawi by theVery Reverend Dr. Silas Ncosana, generalsecretary of CCAP. (Ncosanareceived hisTh.M. from Princeton in 1981. FromSeptember 1,1994, to March 31,1995,he was a visiting scholar at the Seminary.)The team set out to restore the l Ou-year-old,decaying church at Domasi.Duringwas invitedBorornani,pastor of DomasiChurch;this trip, Bowersto meet with Lucythe wife of thethe ReverendMissionGrayson Nputeni, secretaryof educationfor the Synodof Blantyre; and Ncosanato discuss the greatest needsof the people. Whatwas the recognitionemergedthat thechildren were ill-preparedto go to school. What thevillages surroundingDomasiMission desperately neededwas a preschool.Bowers, an associate professorof educationat GroveCity College in Grove City,Pennsylvania,has had ampleexperience in early childhood education.While raising her two daughters, she taughtkindergarten in the Northbrook SchoolDistrict in north suburban Chicago and tookcourses toward certificationat Illinois StateTeacher's College and Lake Forest College.When her husband accepted a call as thepastor of Dundee Presbyterian Church inOmaha, Nebraska, Bowers found herselfteaching Headstart children in the publicschool system. Duringher seven-year tenureas a kindergarten teacher in the Omaha publicschools, she developedan individualizedprogram for kindergarten, creating manipulativematerialsfor teaching.In 1976, Bowers and her family movedback to Pittsburghwhere she received a callfrom Fox Chapel Area School District,locatedin a suburb of Pittsburgh. They werelooking for a substitute to fill in at an elementaryschool for a first-grade teacher onmaternity leave. Bowers accepted the position,which later became permanent.the next ten years, she simultaneouslyThe 100-year-old DomasiMission Church pic1uredbefore (right) and after(below) renovation by thePittsburgh Presbytery workteam, which was headedby Bowers's husband. andthe Malawians.Duringdidcourse work toward obtainingher Ph.D.in curriculum development. At the end ofthat time, she took a sabbaticalleave to teachin higher education at Wilson College whereshe was offered and acceptedthe chairmanshipof the educationdepartment."My path was never intentional,"laughs. "Each time I got to a threshold,Lord just openeddoors."In 1994, the year Malawi made theshetransition from a single-party governmentto a multi-patty democracy, PittsburghPresbytery, at the suggestionhusband,of Bowers'sbegan the "Blocks for Blantyre"program. The purpose of the program wasto raise funds for various projects at theDomasi Mission including the renovationtheof the church and the construction of a newwing of the secondaryschool. That sameyear, the church-based Domasi MissionPreschool opened"These are childrenits doors.who had never seenprinted materials or manufactured toys," saysBowers. "They made their own galimotos(motorcars) out of oldwire, tin cans, and bamboosticks."It is hardly surprising,therefore,preschoolEquippedthat theis thriving.with blocks,puzzles, paper, paints,books, and hand-madetables and benchesprovidedby PittsburghPresbytery, this modelpreschoolhalfway upZomba Mountain is changing the livesof young and old alike.Bowers has returnedto the school forseveral weeks each year since it began. Shehas recently been workingwith ProfessorCharlotte Day, chair of the Home EconomicsDepartment at Chancellor Collegein Zomba,to implementto help to train teachers anda lab school at the college.She plans to return this summer to conducttrainingworkshops.It is a long way from PrincetonMalawi, but for Dorotheaeach step on her journeyto an open door. ItoNill Bowers,has led her28. inSpire

winter/spring 1998~ou~nd~g_i_n_t_h_e_f_~_I_d_In 1997 the dean of the medical schoolapplied for and got a $10,000 grant from theTempleton Foundation to develop a modelcurriculum for teaching issues related to spiritualityand faith to medical students.Through the grant, WVU has instituteda five-class, ten-hour required unit on spiritualissues in the practiceof medicine."It was a gutsy thing to tty," Springsays, "but it's one of my most memorablemoments in ministry. Medical students arelearning to take spiritual histories of theirpatientsas well as medical histories. Theyare also asked to write an essay about theirown spiritual journey. Lots of feelings areunleashed in those essays-anxiety, fear,relief, and compassion."WVU med students now frequentlycarry a laminatedcard in their coat pocketsthat instructs them in taking a "patient asperson" history.Spring's style of campus ministry has itscritics. "People, some in the more evangelicalwing of Christianity, complain that we don'talways emphasize enough that we're doing allof these things because of Jesus Christ,"hesays. "But in a state university, Jesus Christcan't be too far out front. I guess the questionis, Do you give up too much of thedistinctiveness of Christian proclamationby recognizing the needs and respondingto them without telling people overtly whyyou're doing it? My board and I don't spendtoo much time worrying about that. Wedon't disguise who we are as Christians,but our main work is to meet the needs."In addition to his other duties, Springteaches one class each semester-a humanitiescourse on human sexuality in the falland a course on the ethical issues of life anddeath in the spring. He finds that teachinganchors his week and keeps him in touchwith the faculty, often opening doors topastoral counseling opporruniries with bothfaculty members and students."Being present with people is the mostimportant thing I do," he says. "I havelunch twice a week with students, either byappointment or just by going into the dininghall and sitting down. You can plan programsuntil you're blue in the face, but youhave to let people know that you are there,that you are available."Quantifiable results are not somethingSpring worries about. "It's hard to know theimpact you make in campus ministry," hereflects. "The students are here for, at most,six years. Sometimes we do crisis interventionwhile they are here. Sometimes we do itmuch later, when a former student calls aftertwenty-five years to tell me of a marriage,a divorce, a child's suicide. These are peoplewho remember that I said I'd be there forthem. These are people for whom, whenthey didn't think they needed the church,rhe church was there."Spring is willing to trust these moments,measured in the long, not the short, term."In campus ministry, the church must befaithful even when we don't get a response,"he says. "It's easy to neglect students whenthey are pulling away, trying to be independentof authority, saying they don't need anyhelp. But our calling is to be faithful, especiallyin those times." IAn Educator lNith aBowers Helps Open School Doors in Malawi"When I was at Princeton Seminary,I knew that I wanted to serve the church,but I didn't know how," says Dorothea NillBowers, a special student in the Class of1955. "I thought I would be working inChristian education, and I dreamed ofbeing a missionary." Bowers worked fortwo years at Erie Neighborhood Houseand Chapel in Chicago before marryingher husband, Jack, a Presbyterian minister."At that time," Bowers recalls, "there wereno co-pastorates. You were either a 'heroicspinster' or the stereotypical minister'swife." Though she did marry a minister,Bowers fulfilled neither of these prophecies.She has lived a life filled with service bothto the church and to public education.Bowers teachesMalawian children(above); Malawianyoungsters enjoy newgalimotos (motor cars)and other resources(right).

winter/spring 1998investing in ministryNearly a decade ago, I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Margaret Huenink. Recently widowedat that time, Margaret was no stranger to Princeton Seminary. She had married Gerald Huenink ('34B) soonafter his graduation from the Seminary and was his life partner throughout his ministry as he served churchesfirst in Garfield, New Jersey, and then in Goshen and Staten Island, New York. During that time, she becameincreasingly aware of his feeling for the Seminary and grew in her own affection for it as well.Margaret wanted to make a gift to the Seminary in Gerald's memory that would assist students here withtheir educational expenses. The life income arrangement available through the Seminary's planned giving programthat most appealed to her at that time was the Charitable Gift Annuity, a plan with a number of attractivefeatures.The ReverendChase S. Huntis the Seminary'sIt is a simple and straightforward contractual arrangement, which is backed by the full faith and credit ofthe Seminary, that provides fixed income for life, some of which is tax-exempt during the period of the donor'sdirector oflife expectancy. When the annuity is funded by appreciated property held long term, such as stock, the capitalplanned giving.gain impact is greatly reduced. Payments to the plan are made annually, semiannually, quarterly, or monthly, atthe preference of the donor. It entitles the donor to a charirable deduction, for income tax purposes, with carryoverprivileges for up to five addirional years.Through this plan, Margaret established the Gerald J. and Margaret Huenink Scholarship Endowment Fund.Eight years later, Margaret decided to make another gift to the Seminary. Once again she chose the Charitable Gift Annuity as themeans for doing so. Because she was older than before, she discovered that the rate of her annuity payments would be higher (as theyare determined by the age of the donor when the gift is made) and that all of the other benefits would still prevail. As with the earlierarrangement, this annuity will ultimately provide for the scholarship endowment fund bearing her name and that of her husband.If you would like to realize the benefits of a Charitable Gift Annuity or to learn more about the other life income arrangementsoffered through our planned giving program, please write to me at the Seminary or call my office at 609-497-7756.GiftsThis list includes gifts made between October 15, 1997, andDecember 15, 1997.In Memory ofMs. Lorna M. Armstrong to the Annual FundMs. Mary E. Armstrong to the Mary E. Armstrong MemorialLibrary Book FundThe Reverend Dr. Willis A. Baxter ('38B) to the Scholarship FundThe Reverend Charles S. Burgess ('50B) to the Charles SamuelBurgess Memorial Endowment FundThe Reverend Dr. Edward James Caldwell Jr. ('38B) to the AnnualFundThe Reverend Dr. John B. Crowell ('24B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Dr. Harold C. DeWindt ('36B) to the Harold C.DeWindt Memorial Scholarship Endowment FundThe Reverend Albert G. Dezso ('46B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Charles R. Eble ('44B) to the Annual FundMr. Robert Egerton to the Annual FundMr. Charles W Farber to me Benjamin Franklin Farber Jr.Memorial Scholarship Endowment FundThe Reverend Dr. William H. Felmeth ('42B) to the Annual FundDr. Leon W. Gibson ('59D) to the Annual FundMr. Charles Littleton Groom to the Annual FundThe Reverend Dr. Seward Hiltner to the Reverend Dr. SewardHiltner CollectionThe Reverend Dr. Edward]. Jurji ('42B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Llewellyn G. Kemmerle ('43B) to the Annual FundMr. John S. Linen to the Annual FundMrs. Mary B. Linen to the Annual FundThe Reverend Dr. William M. Perdue ('40B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Dr. Clifford G. Pollock ('37B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Howard E. Pusey ('52B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend W Robert Raborn ('50B) to the Annual FundMr. Clarence E. Reed to the Clarence E. Reed MemorialScholarship Endowment FundThe Reverend Dr. Allan E. Schoff ('40B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Dr. Carlton J. Sieber ('41B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Paul L. Snyder ('52B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Reinhardt Van Dyke ('38b) to the Annual FundMr. Steven Warren Wilson ('90B) to the Scholarship FundMr. C. Rodney Wyckoff to the Annual FundIn Honor ofThe Reverend William N. Boak ('57B) to the William N. BoakScholarship Endowment FundThe Reverend Edward Royal Danks ('56B, '87p) to the AnnualFundThe Reverend Leo A. Forsberg Jr. ('70B) to me Scholarship FundThe Reverend Judith Hartung Hockenberty ('86B) to me AnnualFundThe Reverend Kenneth J. Hockenberry ('84B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Dr. Bryant M. Kirkland ('38B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Dr. Nancy E. Muth ('79B) to the Annual FundinSpire. 29

winter/spring 1998investing in ministryA Princeton Partnership Remembers Dan ThomasIt isn't everyday that students fromPrinceton University endow an internshiphonoring a Princeton Seminary administrator.But Dan C. Thomas, a formerPTS vice president who died of cancerin December 1993, was no ordinarySeminary administrator.Beloved for his pastor's heart by PTSalumni/ae and students during his sevenyeartenure (1980-1987) as vice presidentof alumni/ae affairs, Thomas found timeafter retirement to volunteer to buildhouses with the Trenton Area Habitatfor Humanity. (Habitat for Humanityis an international non-profit Christianhousing ministry working in parrnershipwith poor people to improve the housingin which they live.)While working on a house on WileyAvenue in New Jersey's state capital,Thomas met students from the PrincetonUniversity Habitat chapter who wantedto take on the house as their project.Skeptical of the students' ability to stickwith the project, Trenton Habitat wasreluctant to hand the house over to them;however, when Thomas volunteered tobecome the construction supervisor forthe students and to be accountable for thesuccessful completion of 25 Wiley Avenue,Habitat agreed.In the process, Thomas also became thestudents' mentor and friend."We had only been working for a fewmonths when we began to burn out," saysEric Hines, Princeton University Class of1995, who was the student project leaderand is now a Ph.D. student in architectureIn Appreciationofat the University of California-San Diego."We weren't really grown up enough yetto understand how to take on somethinglike this."But Dan Thomas kept working on thehouse though the students stopped coming."He set an important example for us,"Hines remembers. "He was the only oneto be hopeful about us and to have faithin us. That was exactly what we needed."Hines and his fellow students cameback on the job. They kept working afterThomas had to quit when his illness worsened."They were determined to get thehouse built for Dan," remembers Thomas'swidow, Lois.She remembers, too, how much herhusband loved carpentry and tools andthe chance to work with his hands aftera lifetime as a minister. "I can still seehim leaving home on a Saturday morningwith our station wagon loaded with tools,"she says. "Dan knew the students didn'town hammers or work gloves, so he tookenough for everybody."On July 1, 1995, Eduardo and AnnaLozada, their five children, and two dogsmoved into 25 Wiley Avenue. With fourbedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room,dining room, kitchen, mudroom, anda patio in the backyard, it is the biggesthouse Trenton Area Habitat had everundertaken, according to the group'spresident David McAlpin.To ensure that there will be more housesin the Trenton-Princeton area for familieslike the Lozadas, and to honor the manwho showed them the way, Eric Hines andhis Princeton University classmates haveestablished the Dan C. Thomas MemorialInternship Endowment Fund. The fundprovides money every summer for twoPrinceton University architecture studentsto supervise an area Habitat project.PTS vice president for financial affairsRick Lansill administers the fund throughthe Seminary's endowment and dispersesits earnings to the interns (selectedthrough a contest sponsored by PrincetonUniversity Habitat). He hopes that"through donations by PrincetonUniversity and Princeton Seminary alumni/aeand friends, we can raise $50,000to endow the internship for perpetuity.Eric and his friends, as well as the Thomas'family, have given it a good start," he says.In addition to managing the endowment,the Seminary provides apartmenthousing each year for the two summerinterns.What pleases Lois Thomas most is thatthis posthumous honor for her husbandwas completely formulated and designedby the students. "They showed the restof us what partnership is about," she says.If you would like to contribute to theDan C. Thomas Memorial InternshipEndowment Fund, please contact theOffice of Seminary Relations.The Reverend Charles L. Cureton III ('60B) to the Annual FundMrs. Mary Ann Cureton ('63E, '96B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Dr. Harry A. Freebairn ('62B, '84P) to the AnnualFundMr. Gavin R. Kerr's ('82B) education at PTS to the Annual FundThe Reverend Robert W McCarter ('39B) to the Annual FundThe Reverend Dr. B. Denton McLellan ('87P) to the Annual FundPrinceton Seminary and God's blessings to all to the Annual FundThe Reverend Kenneth Campbell Stewart ('41B) to the AnnualFundMr. Ralph M. Wyman to the Annual Fund30. inSpire

winter/spring 1998\ Obituaries• Allan A. MacRae, 1927BAllan A. MacRae, who founded andtaught at several seminaries, died at hishome in Quarryville, PA, on September27, 1997. He was ninety-five years old.MacRae was ordained by the Presbyteryof Los Angeles on June 27, 1927, thesame year that he simultaneously receiveda Bachelor of Theology degree fromPrinceton Seminary and a Master of Artsdegree from Princeton University. Afterordination he studied at the Universityof Berlin where he distinguished himselfin Old Testament studies. Upon his returnto the United States in 1929, he becamean assistant professor of Old Testamentat Westminster Theological Seminaryin Philadelphia, PA, and pursued hisPh.D. in semitics at the University ofPennsylvania, from which he took hisdegree in 1936. The following year, hehelped found Faith Theological Seminary,serving as both president and a professorof Old Testament. He remained at Faithuntil 1971 when he left to assist in thefounding of Biblical Theological Seminaryin Hatfield, PA, where he stayed until hisretirement. He was predeceased by hiswife, Grace. He is survived by his son,John.• John Mark Irwin, 1928bJ. Mark Irwin, a former missionaryto Iran, died quietly in his sleep on themorning of October 1, 1997. He wasninety-eight years old. A native of Kansas,he was ordained by the Presbytery ofTopeka on May 1, 1929, and later thatyear accepted a call to Delta PresbyterianChurch in Delta, CO, where he servedumi11932. From 1932 to 1965, heserved as a missionary in Iran with theCommission on Ecumenical Missionand Relations of the United PresbyterianChurch (USA). During his years there,he was director of the School of Evangelismin the mountains above Tehran andwas both a member and the chairmanof the Church of Iran's Mission ExecutiveCommittee. He also served as chairmanof its Pastoral Board, its Mission PropertyCommittee, and its Board of Evangelism.Following his tenure in Iran, Irwin servedfor a year in the Community Churchof Kabal, Afghanistan, and then for tenyears in the Adams Presbyterian Churchin Adams, NE, before his retirement.Irwin was predeceased by his wife, Ruth.He leaves behind a daughter, Beth IrwinLewis.• J. Bransford Eubank, 1930B"Tex" Eubank, who celebrated his100th birthday on August 23, 1997,died on January 7, 1998, in Cross Plains,just a few miles from the west Texas ranchthat he loved and where he had lived formost of his life until a year ago. After servicein the marines in World War I andgraduation from Texas A & M, he taughthigh school for two years before acceptingthe challenge of delivering a herd of cattleto China. There he taught agriculturefor three years at Yenching Universityin Peking. Eubank returned to the UnitedStates, enrolled at Princeton Seminaryin 1927, and graduated in 1930. Hewas ordained by the Presbytery of NewBrunswick in April 1930. Later that yearhe began a seven-year tenure as a missionaryin China under the Presbyterian Boardof Foreign Missions. In 1942 he begana teaching career at Daniel Baker Collegein Brownwood, TX. (This career wasinterrupted by a two-year position aspastor of the First Presbyterian Churchin Menard, TX.) In 1957, Eubank tookan associate professor position at HowardPayne College, also in Brownwood, wherehe remained until his retirement in 1967.After retiring, he served on a volunteerbasis as a land use consultant in the countriesof Uganda, Ethiopia, and Mexico.He is survived by his wife, Eloise, hisdaughter, Anne, and his son, Broocke.• Melvin H. Dillin, 1938BMelvin H. Dillin, a lifelong supporterand promoter of theological education,died on August 18, 1997. He was ninetyyears old. Dillin was ordained by thePresbytery of Newton on July 10, 1939,and pastored congregations in New Jerseyand Florida. From 1939 to 1949, heserved as pastor of the First PresbyterianChurch in Bloomsbury and from 1949to 1954 as pastor of the First PresbyterianChurch in Cape May, both in New Jersey.From 1954 to 1958, he was associatepastor of the First Presbyterian Church(US) in Orlando, FL. In 1958, he becameassociate secretary for the PresbyterianMinister's Fund in Orange, CT, wherehe served until 1964. He then returnedto Florida where he was director of churchrelations for Florida Presbyterian Collegein St. Petersburg until 1972. At thattime, he became representative for thePresbyterian Foundation, Inc. (PCUS)in Florida and served until his retirementin 1981. In 1986, Dillin relocated toAtlanta, GA, and became active inPeachtree Presbyterian Church where heserved as president of his Sunday schoolclass. He was predeceased by his wife,Catherine. He is survived by his daughters,Jean Temple and Catherine Eyre.• William Morton Perdue, 1940BWilliam Perdue died on August 18,1997, at the age of eighty-one. He wasordained by the Presbytery of LakeSuperior on July 15, 1940. From 1940to 1944, Perdue pastored the St. Ignace,Rudyard, and Hessel congregations in thePresbytery of Mackinac. From 1944 to1949, he was pastor of Trinity PresbyterianChurch in Detroit. He relocated to Idahowhere he served as pastor of the FirstPresbyterian Church in Jerome from1949 to 1959. In 1959, after havingbeen awarded a Doctor of Divinity degreeby the College of Idaho, he moved tothe Bay area in California to become pastorof the Stone Presbyterian Church ofWillow Glen in San Jose, where he becameactive in human rights issues. He wasappointed the first chairman of the SanJose Human Rights Commission andserved with future Representative NormanMineta (D-Santa Clara). He joined Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1965 marchfrom Selma to Montgomery, AL. In 1969,he accepted a call as pastor of WestminsterPresbyterian Church in Tiburon fromwhich he retired in 1980 with the titlepastor emeritus. He was predeceased byhis wife, Henrietta; he is survived by hissons, Howard, Stephen, Jonathan, and WThomas, and twelve grandchildren.inSpire' 31

winter/spring 1998\ Obituaries• William S. Stoddard, 1940BWilliam Stoddard died on Seprember10, 1997. He was eighry-four yearsold. Ordained by the Presbyteryof Philadelphia North in June 1940,he served churches in Pennsylvaniaand California. From 1940 to 1943,he was an assistant pastor of the FirstPresbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, andfrom 1943 to 1947, he was pastor of theFirst Presbyterian Church in Homestead,both in Pennsylvania. In 1947, he relocatedto California where he served as pastorof Angeles Mesa Presbyterian Churchin Los Angeles until 1960. From 1960to 1975, he was pastor of Walnut CreekPresbyterian Church in Walnut Creek,CA. In 1973, Stoddard was awardeda Doctor of Diviniry degree by WhitworthCollege. Stoddard was predeceased byhis wife, Henrietta. He is survived by hisdaughter.• Leonard James Osbrink, 1945BLeonard Osbrink died on June 10,1997, at the age of sevenry-six. A nativeof California, Osbrink was ordained by thePresbytery of Los Angeles on January 20,1946, and most of his pastorates werelocated in his home state. In 1946, heserved as assistant pastor of WestminsterPresbyterian Church in Sacramento, andfrom 1946 to 1949, he was pastor of WeedCommuniry Church in Weed. In 1949,he relocated to Missouri where he servedfor three years as assistant pastor ofLinwood United Presbyterian Churchin Kansas Ciry. He returned to Californiain 1952 when he accepted a call as pastorof Westminster Presbyterian Church inSan Diego where he served until 1955.From 1956 to 1967, he served as pastorof Magnolia United Presbyterian Churchin Riverside, and in 1967 he accepted hisfinal call-as pastor of the FirstPresbyterian Church in Monrovia. He issurvived by his wife, Louise.• George Robert Wirth, 1949B, 1950MG. Robert Wirth died on September21, 1997. He was seventy-six years old.Ordained by the Presbytery of Hudsonin May 1950, Wirth served churches inNew York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,and Ohio for more than thirty-six years.32. inSpireHe was pastor of Germonds PresbyterianChurch in New Ciry, NY, from 1950to 1952; the following year he served asassistant pastor of Pine Street PresbyterianChurch in Harrisburg, PA. From 1953to 1956, he served as pastor of the FirstPresbyterian Church in Sag Harbor, NY,and from 1956 to 1962 he was pastorof Broughton Presbyterian Churchin Bloomfield, NJ. In 1962, he returnedto Pennsylvania as assistant pastorof Christian education at the First PresbyterianChurch in Pittsburgh; he servedas pastor of Neshaminy- WarwickPresbyterian Church in Hansville, PA,from 1964 to 1972. In 1972, he accepteda call as associate pastor of visitationat Westminster Presbyterian Churchin Akron, OH. For the six years precedinghis death, he was on the staff ofChampion Presbyterian Church inWarren, OH. Wirth was a lieutenantsr. grade in the U.S. Navy during WorldWar II and served in North Africa fortwo years. He was predeceased by his firstwife, Emily. He is survived by his secondwife, Elizabeth; two sons, George andPaul; two daughters, Rebecca and Priscilla;two stepsons, John and Peter Hellyer;one stepdaughter, Suzanne HellyerJohnson; and twelve grandchildren.• Warren W. Ost, 19518Warren W Ost died on November 6,1997, at the age of seventy-one. Ordainedby the Presbytery of Minneapolis onDecember 27, 1951, he devoted his ministryto the people of the national parks.From 1950 to 1952, he was the director ofstudent ministry at Yellowstone NationalPark in Wyoming. In 1951, he becamedirector of A Christian Ministry in theNational Parks, a volunteer service staffedby seminarians and college students thathe established in 1946. Ost was also heavilyinvolved in Christian tourism. In 1967,he took part in the Vatican's Congress onthe Spiritual Values of Tourism. In 1969,he helped found Tourisme Oecurnenique,an organization involved in religionand leisure tourism in Europe and theCaribbean. He is survived by his wife,Nancy, and a daughter, Laura.• William C. Demarest, 1955bWilliam C. Demarest died on February25, 1997, at the age of sevenry-four.Demarest was ordained on June 1, 1955,by the Presbytery of Santa Fe. His firstpastorate was at the First PresbyterianChurch in Teague, TX, where he servedfrom 1955 to 1957. He later served aspastor of Wells Memorial Church inBrooklyn, NY, where he was chairmanof the Christian education departmentof the Brooklyn Division of the ProtestantCouncil of New York Ciry. He also servedas pastor of the First Presbyterian Churchin Maywood and the First PresbyterianChurch in Hamburg, both in New Jersey,and Union Presbyterian Church inBlasdell, NY. His last pastorate was atKirkwood Presbyterian Church in Bridgeport,OH, where he served from 1983until his retirement in 1988. He is survivedby his wife, Edith; two sons, Davidand Jonathan; and four grandchildren.• John L. Silvius, 19558John L. Silvius, an ordained Presbyterianminister and teacher, died on August2, 1997, at the age of sixty-seven. A nativeof California, Silvius was ordained by thePresbytery of San Francisco on November20, 1955, and pastored a number of congregationsin his home state. From 1955to 1958, he was pastor of Knox PresbyterianChurch, and from 1958 to 1961 hewas pastor of Durant Avenue PresbyterianChurch; both churches were located inBerkeley. From 1961 to 1963, he servedas assistant at St. Luke's PresbyterianChurch in Rolling Hills Estates. In 1963,he began teaching in Manhattan Beach.He is survived by his brother, Herman.In addition to those whose obituariesappear in this issue, the Seminaryhas received word that the followingalumnilae have died:LeRoy W. Christiansen, 19388Donald W. Scott, 19388Thomas R. Maxwell, 1945MNina M. Ratzlaff, 1950GLeonard H. Evans, 19528Dean K. Young, 19648Gordon S. Cook, 1968MSteven W. Wilson, 19908

winter/spring 1998~end thingsIn The Child's Song: The Religious Abuseof Children (Westminster/John Knox,1995) I contended that the author of theNew Testament Letter to the Hebrewswas a victim of child abuse and that histheological views indicate he was stillimprisoned within this abusive structure.I suggested that his writings bear evidenceof dissociative and paranoid thoughtprocesses characteristic of childhoodabuse victims, and that in portrayingGod as chastising whom he loves, theepistle writer provided theologicallegitimarionfor the abuses he and his readershad sufferedas children.I lamented the fact that his is the primaryscriptural text (12:5-11) for the obligationof Christian parents, in the nameof discipline, to inflict pain on the bodiesand psyches of their very own children.By reinforcing similar views expressedin the Book of Proverbs, Hebrews thusimplies that whatever changes in theways of human relating were envisionedby Jesus' followers, ones involving parentsand their children were not among them.In fact, by portraying God in paternalterms, the author made a powerful linkbetween paternal and divine chastisementand in doing so directly challenged Jesus'own view of God (found in the earlieststrata of the Q source itself) as a caring,merciful father. In contrast to Hebrews,Matthew's Gospel (cf. Chapter 18) envisionsa new era in adult-childrelations,one where the child is treated with dignityand respect.Noting Luther's profound unhappinesswith the Letter of James, I acknowledgedmy strong wish that Hebrews had beenexcluded from the scriptural canon for allthe gratuitous suffering it causes; however,I also arguedfor its value as a "teachingtext," for we may learn much from itabout the enduring effects of child abuseon the adult psyche. Even more importantly,it offers a test case for the redemptivevalue of our own theologicalaffirmations.If the writer of Hebrews is stillimprisoned within the abusive structure(and thus, as my Lutheran tradition hastaught me, is a prisoner of the law), howmay the grace of God be convincinglyliberatively-portrayedto him?Of course, this is not our usual wayof approaching a biblical text, especiallya New Testament one. But this is fundamentallyno different from Luther's complaint,recorded in Table Talk, thar theauthor of James is terribly confused.Says Luther, "He presents a comparison:'As the body apart from the spirit is dead,so faith apart from works is dead.' 0Mary, mother of God! What a terriblecomparison that is! James compares faithwith rhe body when he should ratherhave compared faith with the soul!"My complaint against the authorof Hebrews is similar: Why compare thedivine father to human fathers on the basisof their bloody chastisement when onemay instead compare them, as does theparable of the prodigal son, on the basisof the father's longing to embrace thechild, regardless of intervening estrangementsand deep personal grievances?But how to make this familiar theologicalpoint newly, vividly compelling?Perhaps this: Our nation in recent yearshas experienced several emotionallywrenching murder cases-those of 0.].Simpson, Susan Smith, Timothy McVeigh,and Terry Nichols being the most prominent.In such cases, the presumptionis that the defendant's parents will takethe witness stand and testify to the essentialworth of their son or daughter. I confessthat such testaments leave me cold;or rather, they evoke in me the whiteheat of moral outrage: "What could everprompt you to place family loyalty abovecompassion for the victims?"And yet, I must concede that were Jesusin our midst today he might have spokenthus to the crowd gathered on the courthousesteps: "The deep ways of Godare like a father who entered the witnessbox and said in a breaking voice expressiveof a broken heart, 'I cannot refute whathas been said here today about my son,but as I look at the man you call thedefendant I go back to when he wasa boy, so full of promise. 0 how I worriedfor him! 0 how I feared that evil wouldbefall him! Forgiveme, but I cannotsee him any other way than this. He ismy son, and I view him through the eyesof love.' "The very center of divine grace is a lovethat cannot deny itself. Is this the redemptiveword for which the author of Hebrewslongs? I believe so. It came for me, asa child, on the wings of song:o Love that wilt not let me go,I rest my weary soul in thee;I give thee back the life lowe,that in thine ocean depths its flowMay richer, fuller be.In writing The Child's Song, I felt obligedto "expose" the Letter to the Hebrewsfor its legitimation of child abuse, butI live for the day whenwe will be able toread it as a plea for love, and so embracethe author as a contemporary who hasdisclosed the scars that the years have noteffaced fromthe abuses of childhood. Ithe soul of one who sufferedDonald E. Capps is the Seminary'sWilliam Harte Felmeth Professor ofPastoral Theology.inSpire· 33

conedcalendarAreas~ Spiritual Growth and Renewalt Professional Leadership DevelopmentA. Congregational Analysis and DevelopmentU• Theological Studies• Conferencesjiij Off-Campus Events~ International ProgramsApril15-17Ministering to the Emotional Needs of Congregations John C. Talbot17A Day with Hildegard of Bingen: A Multi-Media Approach to a Multi-Faceted Genius Paul E. Rorem2023-24•t•Covenant and the Contemporary Family Max L. StackhouseAnnual Northeast Region EventAdministrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA)27-30May4-64-66-86-813-156t6t 6tGrowing Up Postmodern: Imitating Christ in the Age of "Whatever"Princeton Forum on Youth MinistryUnderstanding the Congregation As a System Roy W. PneumanThe Pastor As Conflict Manager Margaret E. BruehlVision/Mission/Direction/Purpose Margaret E. BruehlLeader, Manager, Coach: Clergy Roles for the 2000s Roy W. PneumanWomen's Ways of Preaching Leonora Tubbs TisdaleFor more information, contact the Center of Continuing Education, 12 Library Place, Princeton, NJ 08540.Main phone number: 609-497-7990. Toll-free number: 800-622-6767, ext. 7990. Fax: 609-497-0709. Email: coned@ptsem.edu