Alumni
Building Bridges
At the United Methodist General Conference, Glen Messer--the first faculty associate of the CGCM, and now an executive in the Office of Christian Unity and Interreligious Relationships--announced that the UMC was forming two new ecumenical relationships. One was with the Moravian Church and the other with the Uniting Church in Sweden.
Perfecting Unity
In his new book, Perfecting Unity, Glen Alton Messer II--the first faculty associate of the Center for Global Christianity & Mission--aids Christ's disciples in discernment in the midst of this present moment of time; in our world and context. The book is also written for those who wish to understand Christians and the things with which they wrestle as they do their best to live faithfully in the world. It is not a book that gives answers. Indeed, it is a book that challenges answers formulated previously by other faithful Christians in different moments and different contexts. It is not a repudiation of what came before; but a reminder that the practice of courage in people of faith necessitates the testing of previous worldviews and the formulation of new best attempts to incarnate the love of God in us and around us.
The book is being published one chapter at a time, with a new chapter appearing every Wednesday until October. The material is digitally accessible now, and later will be available for purchase through Amazon.
Vincent Machozi Memorial Services
On April 26th, life and death of Father Vincent Machozi, A.A. was remembered during a memorial service to be held in the Boston University Marsh Chapel. The service began at 2:00 pm, and included various people from the communities Father Machozi overlapped with in Boston, such as the School of Theology, African Studies, the Assumptionists, Congolese immigrants, and the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Recently, a service was held for him at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Everett, Massachusetts, and his funeral was held in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Exploring Sports and Spirituality in the Classroom
The city of Boston is a sports-loving city with thousands of people following sports religiously. But what is the connection between sports and spirituality? Some scholars are exploring that very question. Boston University School of Theology alum Mark Stamm teaches a course precisely on the connection between sports and spirituality in American culture. Dr. Stamm (STH, Th.D. '95) is a Professor of Christian Worship at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Nurtured in the loved Boston Red Sox baseball team in his time at BU, Dr. Stamm belongs to the Society for American Baseball Research. He explores how baseball and other sports impact on Christian faith, spirituality, and even liturgy. You can read more about his fascinating course in the article on Sports and Spirituality by Sam Hodges.
Mission and Friendship
On March 30th, Dana Robert delivered the annual Donald A. Yerxa Lecture in History at Eastern Nazarene College. She probed the role of "Cross-Cultural Christian Friendships in the Age of Nationalist Revolution, 1950s-1970s," asserting that these close connections were costly in the midst of shifting political arrangements, but that they were important reminders that Christianity was a multi-ethnic, global religion. Christian friendships that did not collapse under the extraordinary pressure and violence of nationalism underscored the reality of world Christianity.
The lecture also pointed to another type of enduring friendship. Dana Robert has been the reader for four dissertations written by Nazarene scholars. All four were able to attend the lecture and are pictured below.
Vincent Machozi (’15) Laid Down His Life for Peace
Sunday, March 20th, Father Vincent Machozi, A.A. was murdered for his work in documenting the human rights abuses that were happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Machozi had been a ThD student in Mission Studies and Ethics, but returned to Congo before completing the degree in hopes that he could speak out agains the atrocities that were being committed in eastern Congo.
A memorial service will be held at Boston University. For fuller coverage of the story, BU Today, Crux, and the Assumptionists have each published accounts of the heroic life and tragic death of Rev. Machozi.
Popular Spiritual Movements in Southeast Asia
The Handbook on Popular Spiritual Movements (PSM) in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia was a research project and publication owned by Trinity Theological College (TTC), Singapore, under the leadership of Dr. Michael Poon, Director of the Centre for the Study of Christianity in Asia (CSCA). Boston University, through the Center for Global Christianity and Mission, was a supportive partner through the participation of Dr. Charles Farhadian (PhD 2000) as a co-editor, Dr. Dana Robert as a consulting editor, and the Drs. Septemmy Lakawa (ThD, 2011), Daryl Ireland (PhD 2015), and David Scott (PhD, 2013) as contributors to section III: Case Studies of Popular Spiritual Movements.
Remembrance: Mar Thoma Bishop Zacharias Mar Theophilus (’76)
The Rt. Reverend Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilus Suffragan Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church passed away on December 27, 2015.
He started his career as a teacher at the Ashram High School, Perumbavoor. Following this he went for Theological training at the Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur in 1966. He again returned to Perumbavoor, Ashram English High School and also pasturing the parishes in Perumbavoor, Vengoor, Krariali, Kothamanglam, Koratti, Mamala, Methala etc. He then completed his Masters at the Princeton Theological Seminary in 1974 and his Doctoral studies at the Boston University, USA in 1976. During his education at Princeton and Boston he was also the Vicar of the Congregations in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.
His contribution in the educational field is noteworthy while he ministered at Ashram English High School, Alwaye Settlement High School, St. Thomas High School - Mysore and St. Thomas Residential School - Trivandrum. He was also Vicar of the parishes in Mysore, Kozencherry, Bombay - Santa Cruz, etc.
He was consecrated as a Bishop on the 1st of May, 1980 and served in the following Dioceses: Adoor - Mavelikara Diocese, Kottayam – Ranni Diocese, Madras - Kunnamkulam Diocese, South Zone of Bombay - Delhi Diocese, Malaysia - Singapore - Australia Diocese, Kottayam – Kochi Diocese, North America - Europe Diocese, Madras – Calcutta, Chennai – Bangalore Diocese and currently at the Chengannur – Mavelikara Diocese since 2005. His contribution to the strengthening of the Mission work in all the dioceses and also responding to the spiritual and social needs of each region was explicit in the various Projects and Missions started in different Dioceses. Some of the important projects such as Asha Bhavan – Pathanapuram, Mochana De-addiction Centre – Kottayam, Thrikkunapuzha Mission, Haripad Centre, Pathanamthitta - Working Women’s Hostel, Santhigiri Ashram – Alwaye, Sinai Centre – New York, Karuthal – Cancer Care and Counselling Centre, Higher Education Loan Project, Navadharshan De-addiction Centre – Kidangannur, Mar Thoma Mission School and Mission Hostel Narasapuram, Ministry for Widow, Widowers and Aged, Sadhu Sadanam – Venmony, Bodhana Project, Bodhadhara Project, VISA-Vivaha Sahayam Project, Dalit Development Project. His leadership in the success of the Metropolitan’s Navathy Project by collecting more than Rs. 16 Crores and providing more than 2050 houses for the homeless in India has been one of the most unique contributions in the history of the Christian Community in India.
His Grace has served as the President of the Mar Thoma Yuvajana Sakhyam, Mar Thoma Sunday School Samajam, Mar Thoma Voluntary Evangelistic Association, Mar Thoma Suvishesha Sevika Sanghom, Mar Thoma Dayara and Sanyasini Samooham, Vaideeka Selection Committee, Backward People’s Development Committee. At present, He is the President of the Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association, Theological Commission of the Mar Thoma Church, Planning Commission etc
The Ecumenical Contribution of His Grace in the National and International Christian circles is noteworthy. His Grace has served as the President of the National Missionary Society of India, Bible Society of India, Kerala, Auxiliary, World Mission of India, Ecumenical Christian Center (ECC), Bangalore and Theological Literature Society, Kerala. He has also served as the Secretary of the Nilackal Ecumenical Trust of all Episcopal churches in Kerala, Executive Committee Member of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and Executive and Central Committee Member of the World Council of Churches (WCC). He is also the member of the Ecumenical Meeting of Bishops, Friends of the Focolare Movement and member of the Ecumenical Solidarity Visit to Sudan. The Ecumenical Community also mourns his death.
Jesse Lee Prize Awarded to Doug Tzan
The General Commission on Archive and History (GCAH) of The United Methodist Church announced the 2015 winner of its highly sought-after Jesse Lee Prize: The Rev. Dr. Douglas Tzan (pictured), elder and full member of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference. Tzan’s award winning manuscript is titled "The World His Circuit: The Methodist Odyssey of William Taylor."
This work is a case study of a Methodist preacher, missionary, author, evangelist and bishop who not only mobilized the then Methodist Episcopal Church across the American frontier but brought the same energy, organization and enthusiasm across six continents. William Taylor (1821-1902) introduced American revivalism in places other missionaries disregarded, growing churches among marginalized populations, especially in South Africa and India. Forged in American Methodism, his global encounters with different cultures, languages and religions shaped the ways and means of the entirety of Christian mission outreach for generations.
The Jesse Lee Prize, awarded once every four year is named for United Methodism’s first historian (1758-1816) and given for serious manuscripts about the denomination’s history, including studies of antecedent Methodist churches or its missions. The $2,000 prize is granted by GCAH to assist authors with publication of their manuscript related to Methodist history.
The Rev. Dr. Tzan currently serves on the staff of the Sykesville Parish (St. Paul’s and Gaither UMC) in Sykesville, Maryland. He holds a PhD. in the field of the History of Christianity from Boston University where his extensive research of William Taylor began. Tzan continued his research utilizing materials at the United Methodist Archives and History Center in Madison, New Jersey. Tzan is a graduate of Iliff School of Theology and The University of South Carolina. He teaches at Wesley Theological Seminary and Boston University School of Theology.
GCAH is pleased to sponsor the Jesse Lee Prize awarded next in 2019. Information about various awards, grants and prizes for scholarly work in Methodist History can be found at http://gcah.org/research/grants-and-awards .
Handbook of Popular Spiritual Movements in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia
This new volume, edited by Michael Nai-Chiu Poon and John Roxborogh, will provide broad insight into Christianity in major parts of South East Asia. Not only was CGCM director Dana Robert involved in the planning of the volume, but also a number of BU alumni made contributions, including consulting editor Charles Farhadian (’00), Daryl Ireland (’15), Septemmy Lakawa (’11), and David Scott (’13).
