Alumni News
Rev. Lee B. Hirt (STH’67)
This obituary was originally posted on The Daily Independent and can be found here.
Rev. Lee Hirt graduated to glory on March 1, 2022. He faithfully served his Lord and the Methodist church for fifty plus years. He leaves behind his wife, Mary and his children. Stephen, Kimberly, Julie, Brian, and Dawn; thirteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial will be held on April 2, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in Sun City West.
Ylisse Bess (STH’17) Announced New Program Director for Trauma-Responsive Congregations Project
The Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) is pleased to announce that Ylisse Bess (STH'17), staff chaplain at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, will become the Program Director for BUSTH’s Trauma-Responsive Congregations grant, funded by Lilly Endowment.
Currently serving as an advisor for the grant, Bess is stepping into a new role focused on providing direction and support to the Boston and San Diego congregations participating in the grant. Bess will advise congregational leaders in implementing their projects, lead educational initiatives that will foster new learning across the congregations, and partner with BUSTH Associate Professor of Theology Shelly Rambo in grant-related research.
Bess brings a combination of skills and experience as a chaplain, is a thought-leader in the areas of Black wellness and spiritual care, and is an educator in theological settings. Bess recently co-taught the course “Spiritual Care for the Non-Religious,” at BUSTH with chaplaincy colleague Rev. Mary Martha Theil, Director of Clinical Pastoral Education at Hebrew Senior Life.
“Bess is creative, grounded, inspired, and inspiring,” says Shelly Rambo, principal investigator for the Trauma-Responsive Congregations grant. “Their ability to interpret and respond to complex situations while empowering individuals is unparalleled.”
The Trauma-Responsive Congregations program is supporting six congregations – three in Boston and three in San Diego – as they implement projects in their communities. For more information about the grant, please visit https://www.traumaresponsivecongregations.org/.
Campus Minister, Multiple Full-Time Positions, University of Dayton Campus Ministry: Dayton, OH
Campus Minister – Upper Division and LatinX Focus
Cultivate a culture of faith that reflects and engages the rich diversity of LatinX identifying and upper division students while fostering transformative encounters with God through campus ministry. https://employment.udayton.edu/en-us/job/499699/campus-minister-upper-division-and-latinx-focus
Campus Minister – Sophomore and LGBTQ+ Focus
Builds a vibrant faith community especially with sophomore students and pastorally accompanies LGBTQ+ identifying students and allies, fostering transformative encounters with God through campus ministry. https://employment.udayton.edu/en-us/job/499702/campus-minister-sophomore-and-lgbtq-focus
Campus Minister – First Year and Social Justice Focus
Cultivates discipleship and belonging in the faith community with attention to first year students and to social justice, fostering transformative encounters with God through campus ministry. https://employment.udayton.edu/en-us/job/499703/campus-minister-first-year-and-social-justice-focus
All positions are full-time exempt position with full benefits, start dates vary. Salary commensurate with experience. Candidates interested in more than one role must apply to each one separately. Submit application, cover letter, resume and list of references. Candidates must meet minimum qualifications to be interviewed. Few will possess all preferred qualifications, but the most qualified will bring many. Be sure to address all applicable minimum and preferred qualifications in your application so that we can accurately assess your candidacy. To apply use unique links provided for each role or go to https://employment.udayton.edu/en-us/listing/ Deadline to apply is March 25, 2022.
Prof. Steven Sandage featured in BU’s The Brink
The following is an excerpt from The Brink article “Why Are So Many Religious Leaders Facing Stress and Burnout?” by Mara Sassoon and Andrew Thurston, featuring Albert and Jessie Danielsen Professor of Psychology of Religion and Theology Steven Sandage, published on March 17, 2022. Click here to read the full article. 
Many people who experience trauma or mental health challenges turn first to religious leaders in their community for help. But assuming the role of spiritual and psychological care provider can take a toll on clergy and chaplains, causing high rates of stress and burnout. The pressure on religious leaders has only worsened during the pandemic. In a recent poll of US pastors, the faith-based research company Barna Group found that 38 percent had considered quitting full-time ministry in 2021.
Steven Sandage, the Boston University School of Theology’s Albert and Jessie Danielsen Professor of Psychology of Religion and Theology, has observed this in his own research. “We did a couple of studies with clergy where we found their rates of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were at an alarmingly high level—in fact, at a level that would be higher than postdeployment military personnel,” he says.
Spiritual Life Coordinator, Summer 2022, Quinipet Camp & Retreat Center: Shelter Island Heights, NY
Location: Quinipet Camp & Retreat Center, Shelter Island, New York
Dates: 6/12-8/21
Salary: Starting at $450/week
Live on-site Room and Board provided. Meals and free laundry facilities included.
Students majoring in religious studies, psychology, counseling or related field desired; Master of Divinity, seminary and/or camp ministry experience a plus.
Min. Age: 21
To find out more about Quinipet you can find us online at Quinipet.org
To apply click here!
BUSTH Hosts Spring 2022 Lowell Lecture
The Boston University School of Theology hosted its Spring 2022 Lowell Lecture on Wednesday, March 15, 2022. The lecture, titled “Stop Listening with Your Eyes: Transcending Stereotypes Wrapped in Color Consciousness” was delivered by Lee H. Butler, Jr., PhD, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean, and the William Tabbernee Professor of the History of Religions and Africana Pastoral Theology at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK. Dean Butler was introduced to the audience by Clinical Associate Professor of Practical Theology Choi, Hee An, who was advised by Dean Butler during her doctoral studies.
A panel response to the lecture featured School of Theology PhD student Connie Bahng (STH'18, '24), Rev. Mako Nagasawa, and Rev. Dr. Jay Williams.
The full recording of the event is available below, which was made possible by the recording services of the Boston University Learning and Event Technology Services.
The Lowell Lecture is made possible thanks to generous support of the Lowell Institute.
Charles Daniels Jr. Ph.D. LICSW (STH’20) Publishes “Therapy for Kings.” Foreword by Torrey S. Joyner (STH’17).
Therapy for Kings promotes the value of introspection for all people, offering an alternative understanding of therapy.
Charles C. Daniels Jr., Ph.D. (STH'20), a licensed independent clinical social worker and therapist, hopes to make the idea of therapy more palatable to a population of people that sees it as inherently negative. His approach reminds leaders—or “kings”—that to be successful, we must engage in a reflective process.
As you read, you’ll consider questions such as:
How can you have productive internal conversations?
What steps can you take to best manage your kingdom?
How can you overcome emotional pain?
What can you do to get unstuck?
You are either a developing king or blind to the king in you—and sometimes, staying blind is a choice. The author fundamentally believes that we can nurture ourselves, strengthen internal awareness, and be healthy.
This is a call for all kings to look in the mirror, accept their shortcomings, and take steps to get better every day.
Get your copy of Therapy for Kings from Barnes & Noble.
Rev. Roy O. Biser (STH’73)
This obituary was originally posted on the Dignity Memorial and can be found here.
Reverend Roy Osborn Biser died in Houston on February 24th. Roy was born to Roy Hamilton and Helen Marie Osborn Biser in 1947 in Beaumont, Texas where he graduated from South Park High School. He earned his degree in Physics from Grinnell College in Iowa, and a Masters of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology. Roy served as a Methodist minister at many churches throughout East Texas and was a valued member of the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Roy married his high school sweetheart, Merri Gay Beatty. He is survived by her and his brothers, Dan (Jo Anne) of Hallsboro, NC and Jack (Lisa) of Waterford, Wisconsin, as well as Dan's children and grandchildren. Roy also maintained close friendships with many of his Beaumont, college, and seminary classmates. He will be fondly remembered by all.
A memorial service followed by visitation will be held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Houston on March 26th at 10 AM. For streaming information about the service visit the church website at http://www.stpaulshouston.org/stream. A graveside service will be held at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Beaumont, Texas at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77004, or to the Buckingham Foundation, 8580 Woodway Drive, Houston, Texas, 77063.
Senior Recruiter, Part-time, Consulting: Boston, MA
Sarah Bennett Consulting
We’re looking for a recruiter to join our team and help us build a diverse and talented candidate pool for our staff recruitment programs. We work with incredible clients like Women’s Earth Alliance, Mighty Earth, and Waxman Strategies which are working on issues such as climate change, health care, and women’s rights. At Sarah Bennett Consulting, we help make our client’s work even more powerful by coordinating searches for their open positions while refining their staff recruitment programs and approach.
We’re looking for a senior recruiter to join our team and work 5-20 hours per week to network and build visibility for the positions, conduct phone screens, create and edit materials, and other key tasks as needed. The Senior Recruiter will also take on the role of coordinating searches and acting as the main point of contact with the client as needed. As a senior recruiter with our team, you’ll help recruit for a variety of positions, from policy associates to operations positions to senior leaders and more. We’re looking for a strategic thinker, networker, and relationship-builder, who can provide leadership for our searches as well as figuring out who we need to talk to and where we need to be visible to help our clients build their teams with a diverse and talented staff.
Prof. Jonathan Calvillo Quoted in Los Angeles Times
The following is an excerpt of an original article titled “Latino evangelicals used to shun politics. Will they now become a right-wing force?” written by Cindy Carcamo and published on March 4, 2022 in the Los Angeles Times. Prof. Calvillo’s faculty profile can be found here.
After the 11:30 a.m. church service at Houses of Light one Sunday, Anthony Recio, a 31-year-old youth pastor, explained how he once supported Bernie Sanders but ended up voting for Trump twice.
“I don’t like [Trump’s] character at all,” he said, but “I want someone who can actually surround himself with people who value many of the things that I value.”
Recio, who defines himself as nonpartisan, said that although he is against abortion, his principal reason for supporting Trump was the former president’s entrepreneurialism and management of a strong economy. The Republican ideology of free markets and bootstraps individualism resonates with many evangelicals, said Jonathan Calvillo, an assistant professor at Boston University School of Theology and author of “The Saints of Santa Ana,” about how Latino identity is shaped by faith.
“It’s a very entrepreneurial sort of spiritualism,” Calvillo said. “For instance, many start their own church and then a second church. It’s very oriented toward being, in a sense, business-savvy.”
Latino evangelicals are bringing that idea of can-do spirituality to bear not only at the national and state level but on local councils and school boards. In 2020, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference launched a campaign dubbed “El Voto Hispano” to mobilize Latino evangelical voters.