Hosted by School of Theology on October 26, 2011.

Watch the Video Here.

Claire Wolfteich has been elected as President of the International Academy of Practical Theology – a global, invitational organization of practical theologians that produces conferences and publications to support vigorous dialogue in the field. It is quite an honor to Claire and to BU that she has been selected as President; it is a recognition of her scholarship, as well as her organizational gifts.

More good news!: Two of the top five articles for online usage published by the International Journal of Practical Theology were written by Claire Wolfteich and Shelly Rambo. Claire’s article “Animating Questions: Spirituality and Practical Theology” and Shelly’s article “Trauma and Faith: Reading the Narrative of the Hemorrhaging Woman” were two of the five most frequently downloaded articles.

Thank you and congratulations to Claire and Shelly.

On July 1, 2011, Amy Limpitlaw began her new position as the new Head Librarian for the School of Theology. Amy was recently the Research & Electronic Services Librarian for the Yale University Divinity Library, and she served before that as Associate Director of Vanderbilt University’s Divinity Library, where she had earlier served as Public Services Librarian. She brings wide library experience and passion for a service-oriented library. Amy also brings strong educational experience, having completed her masters and PhD in theology at The University of Chicago Divinity School, and her MS at Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Informational Science. In her own words, Amy describes her excitement about coming to BU and some of her personal interests:

“I feel extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to return to Boston and contribute to the work of the School of Theology.  The STH Library has great strengths and enormous potential; one of its greatest assets is its dedicated staff, and I am looking forward to working with them as well as with the faculty and the entire community of the School of Theology.  The School of Theology as a whole has impressed me with its strong sense of community and I am excited to be coming to such a vibrant and welcoming place.

The School of Theology and its library are already familiar to me, as I had occasion to use the library numerous times when I was writing my doctoral dissertation.  In addition to my interests in theology, I also enjoy reading (especially travel literature, memoirs, current events, and politics), cooking, crossword puzzles, listening to music (all kinds), and traveling. In addition to Boston, some of my favorite places are Cape Cod, New York City, Paris, and the Dordogne region of France.”

Welcome Amy!

Chad W. Kidd has accepted our invitation to be the new BU School of Theology Worship Coordinator and Director of Seminary Singers.

Most of us know Chad as the three-year interim in this position, but you may not know about his interesting background that influenced the Search Committee’s selection of him for the permanent position.

Reverend Kidd received his Bachelor of Music in Church Music from Belmont University and two degrees from Boston University – the Master of Divinity and Master of Sacred Music. He currently leads worship and music in three ministry settings. In addition to serving in the School of Theology, he is Chaplain of North Shore Medical Center (Union Hospital) in Lynn, and is Minister of Music in the First Congregational Church of Reading, MA. Previously he served five years as General Manager of the New England Philharmonic.

Rev. Kidd has many gifts, including the gifts of leadership in worship and music, pastoral ministry, and management of complex organizations and roles. We are very fortunate that he will join us now in the newly shaped role in Worship and Seminary Singers. Chad moves into the role with anticipation, as expressed in his own words:

“It has been a joy to serve in an interim capacity over the past several years, and I am honored and pleased to now be continuing my ministry with this community permanently.  The Seminary Singers and Community Worship are two signature symbols, among many, that make this a wonderful school of theology, and I am so grateful to be a part of both. I look forward to our work together!”

Welcome, Chad!

ATLANTA, June 30, 2011 – Jennifer Mihok, an entering Master of Divinity student at Boston University School of Theology has been recognized by The Fund for Theological Education (FTE) as a young leader who demonstrates exceptional gifts for ministry.

As a recipient of a 2011 FTE Congregational Fellowship, Mihok will receive a $1,000 to $5,000 award from FTE, matching support from her nominating congregation for seminary tuition and living expenses. Fellowship recipients also attended the 2011 FTE Leaders in Ministry Conference, Renewing the Church in Service to the Common Good, held June 15 to 19 at Dillard University in New Orleans.

A national committee of educators and church leaders selected the FTE Congregational Fellows from a pool of applicants from across the U.S. and Canada. Students must be nominated by a congregation, be preparing for congregational ministry and have leadership gifts for pastoral ministry. Woodside United Methodist Church in Silver Springs, MD nominated Mihok for the fellowship.

FTE awards the fellowships, which are funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and the Henry Luce Foundation, to foster quality leadership and diversity in pastoral ministry.

“These young leaders see ministry as a path to helping others and serving the common good,” said Kim Hearn, FTE Director of Ministry Fellowships. “In these difficult times, the church and the world need their extraordinary gifts of compassion, intelligence and commitment to community.”

FTE supports the next generation of leaders among pastors and scholars, annually awarding $1.5 million in fellowships and support to gifted young people from diverse denominations and backgrounds. Since 1954, FTE has awarded more than 6,100 fellowships; its alumni serve congregations, campuses and communities around the world. For more information, visit www.fteleaders.org.

The 11 scholars awarded the 2011-12 Georgia Harkness Scholarships have been invited to participate in the United Methodist continuing educators’ gathering in Miami, Fla., in July.

The Rev. HiRho Park, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s director of Continuing Formation for Ministry, said the meeting will provide scholars a chance to learn about issues that the church will deal with during the 2012 General Conference.

The $5,000 scholarships are for women over 35 who are planning to be ordained as elders. Second-career clergy are important to The United Methodist Church, Park said.

“One-third of male clergy and one-fourth female clergy who are serving churches with a 1,000 or more membership are second-career elders, according to the research that my office conducted in 2009,” Park said.

GBHEM increased the number of recipients who will get the $5,000 a year scholarship from 10 to 11 in 2009. This year, GBHEM hosted luncheons and a dinner for past Georgia Harkness scholars during the regional clergywomen’s consultations. The luncheons were part of the Board’s effort to build a network of Georgia Harkness scholars who can nurture other women entering ministry.

The Georgia Harkness Scholarship Program endowment is more than $500,000, and GBHEM hopes to build the endowment to $1 million with the help of the United Methodist Foundation for Higher Education. Park encourages local churches to invite current and former Harkness scholars to speak about their faith journey as women leaders of the church.

Harkness, the first woman theologian to teach in a Protestant seminary in the United States, dedicated her life to dismantling discrimination because of race and gender in The United Methodist Church and the world.

Harkness, who taught at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., died in 1974. She was instrumental in the 1956 decision giving women full-clergy membership in The Methodist Church.

The recipients of the scholarship named for her are chosen by a committee of United Methodist elders and GBHEM staff. Of the eleven scholarship recipients, two are from BUSTH:

Kim Kie of Pittsfield, Mass.; New England Annual Conference; First UMC of North Adams in North Adams, Mass.; Boston University School of Theology.

Mimi Mills of Biddeford, Maine; New England Annual Conference; Crossroad UMC in Sanford, Maine; Boston University School of Theology.

For a full list of recipients, click here.

For more information about the Georgia Harkness Scholarship Program, or to invite a Georgia Harkness scholar to speak at your church, visit www.gbhem.org/harkness or contact the Rev. HiRho Park at 615-340-7409.Date: 6/16/2011 12:00:00 AM

Dr. Pamela Lightsey

Dr. Pamela Lightsey will be the Associate Dean for Community Life and Lifelong Learning, coming to us from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, where she has served as Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students and, before that, as a pastor. As Associate Dean, Dr. Lightsey will serve as Clinical Assistant Clinical Professor of Contextual Theology and Practice. She will support and enhance the rich community life of STH; strengthen our learning partnerships with the larger community, both locally and internationally; and bring her own unique gifts as a scholar.

Dr. Lightsey completed her PhD at Garrett-Evangelical in Theology and Ethics with additional work in African philosophy at Northwestern University. Her dissertation topic was If Somebody Hits You: Towards a Pan African Perspective of Just War. She nows serves on the national board of advisors on the Lilly funded “Soul Repair Project” working with Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock on moral injury in veterans. She is also currently serving as Co-chair of the AAR Womanist Approaches to Religion and Society Group. Her womanist work addresses the theological and ethical perspectives of queer African Americans.

Pamela is excited about coming to Boston University School of Theology noting its rich history in critical pedagogy that has taken seriously the issues of peace and social justice activism.

In her spare time Pamela enjoys cooking and photography. A southerner, she hopes to always maintain her southern accent and kindly hospitable ways.

The Rev. Dr. Wanda Stahl

The Rev. Dr. Wanda Stahl has accepted the position of  Director of Contextual Education and Congregational Partnerships. In Dr. Stahl’s new Directorial role, she will serve as Clinical Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology and Practice. She will give intellectual and administrative leadership to the School’s reflection on diverse contexts and she will build the vitality and depth of our collaborations with congregational partners. Rev. Stahl will be leaving the position of Director of Christian Formation for the New England Conference of The United Methodist Church to serve in her new post. She has served on the New England Conference staff for 12 years.

Dr. Stahl completed her MDiv and STM at BU School of Theology, and her PhD at Boston College in Religious Education. In recent years, her concentrated study and leadership have been in spiritual formation and the building of congregational life. “My work in the New England Conference has been a rewarding and growing experience for me,” Rev. Stahl commented. “And yet in these past few months I have been feeling God calling me in new directions. I am excited to be able to take this next step in my career and my service to God and the Church in the academic environment. I am looking forward to this work with the students, faculty, and the communities in which we are preparing leaders to serve.”

“I feel a mix of thanksgiving for this marvelous opportunity for Wanda and BUSTH at the same time that I am sad that she is leaving the NEAC staff,” said Rev. James T. McPhee, Director of Connectional Ministries and Assistant to the Bishop. Wanda and I were hired at the same time, and have traveled (literally and figuratively) together in much of the happenings in the Conference over the past 12 years.  Her gifts and presence have blessed us enormously.”

I’m excited for the opportunity to be serving at my alma mater, said Dr. Stahl. She lives in Scarborough, ME with her spouse and teenage daughters where she enjoys gardening, walking the beach, and many other excuses to be in the natural world.

The Reverend Cristian De La Rosa

The Reverend Cristian De La Rosa will be Director of Contextual Education and Community Partnerships, coming to us from the role of National Director, Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy, Perkins School of Theology. In Reverend de la Rosa’s Directorial role, she will serve as Lecturer of Contextual Theology and Practice. She will give intellectual and administrative leadership to the School’s reflection on diverse contexts and she will build the vitality and depth of our collaborations with community partners.She carried a simultaneous role until 2010 as National Director for Tertulias Pastorales, Association for Hispanic Theological Education (AETH), an ecumenical clergy initiative sponsored by the Lilly Foundation.

She previously served as Director of Continuing Education and Course of Study School at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Reverend De La Rosa is a doctoral candidate in theology and Ethics in Chicago Theological Seminary, where her dissertation is focusing on contextual dynamics of power and agency. She is a member of the Rio Grande Annual Conference and currently serves as Co-convenor for the National Association of UM Latina Clergy Women (ACLAMEN).

Katheryn Darr, a School of Theology professor of Hebrew Bible, has been elected vice chair of the Faculty Assembly and Faculty Council, placing her in line to become chair for the 2012–13 academic year.

The assembly is the representative body of BU’s professorial-rank faculty with at least quarter-time appointments. It currently has 2,242 members, who elected Darr by an online ballot.

The council is a smaller body, comprised of assembly members elected by their individual schools and colleges to represent their views to the full assembly. The council reviews proposals for academic programs and new University policies and is a liaison between faculty and the BU administration. It selects the winners of the annual Perkins Awards, given to University staffers for distinguished service, as well as initiating its own projects, which have included a study of faculty salaries.

Darr will become vice chair of both bodies at the start of the coming academic year, then serve two years as chair, replacing current chair Adam Sweeting, a College of General Studies associate professor of humanities.

“I’ll work diligently to encourage and help facilitate communication, shared wisdom, deliberation, and mutual support among Boston University’s faculty members, administrators, staff, and students,” Darr says.

The next Faculty Assembly meeting will be in October.

A 1989 winner of the University’s Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching, Darr was educated at Kentucky Wesleyan University and Vanderbilt University. She has written or edited three books and contributed to numerous others, including commentary on the Book of Ezekiel for The New Interpreter’s Bible (Abingdon Press, 2001).

Faculty Council secretary-treasurer Stephen Brady, a School of Medicine associate professor of psychiatry, was reelected to a one-year term.

Rich Barlow can be reached at barlowr@bu.edu.

A more detailed story can be found in BU Today.

Dr. Courtney Goto receives Teaching Award

The graduating class of 2011 has selected Courtney Goto for the “ School of Theology Student Association Teaching Excellence Award.” This is a high honor, and we join the students in celebrating Dr. Goto’s great teaching. Courtney has brought much pedagogical creativity and wisdom to the School of Theology in her first year, and students will benefit from her passionate teaching for many years to come. Thanks to the graduates of September 2010, January 2011, and May 2011 for your honoring of Dr. Goto and for sustaining this important tradition of honoring faculty each year for fine teaching.

With appreciation for our community of excellent teachers!
Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore