Alumni News
Rev. Dr. Theodore T. Turman (’20) to serve as President of Detroit’s Ecumenical Theological Seminary
The following is an excerpt from the Michigan Chronicle article, "Rev. Dr. Theodore T. Turman Appointed 7th President of Detroit’s Ecumenical Theological Seminary," published on November 24, 2024. Click here to read the full article.
"Dr. Turman brings a wealth of 
experience in both pastoral ministry and spiritual healthcare, along with an impressive academic background. A Detroit native, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Tuskegee University, his Master of Divinity and a Certificate in Baptist Studies from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and his Doctor of Ministry in Transformational Leadership: Pastoral Care from Boston University School of Theology. Currently serving as Pastor of First Baptist Church in Southfield, Michigan, Dr. Turman also has extensive experience in spiritual support, having held roles at Corewell Health and Wellstar Health System."
Life of Bishop Bennie D. Warner (’71) Honored in UM News
The following is an excerpt from the UM News article, "Bishop Warner remembered for humility in exile," published on November 25, 2024 by Heather Hahn. Click here to read the full article.
"After years as a pastor, he decided he 
needed a seminary education to continue. In 1968, he and his young family moved to Massachusetts. He attended United Methodist-related Boston University School of Theology, where he graduated with a master’s degree in theology after majoring in Christian social ethics.
Back in Liberia, he continued his dual path as teacher and preacher. He was serving as religion instructor, counselor and chaplain at the College of West Africa in Monrovia, when what was then the Liberia Central Conference elected him as bishop in 1973. Warner became his nation’s 25th vice president in 1977.
Three years later, the coup left him without either office in his homeland and in need of political asylum, which the U.S. government granted. As the military took over, Warner recalled being told that if he came back, 'There’s a machine gun with your name on it.'
With no episcopal assignment available in the U.S., Warner needed to begin United Methodist ministry again. In “Black Marks on White Paper,” Warner said that he heeded the advice of a friend who said upon his election as bishop and vice president: 'Don’t wear your jacket too tightly because it will be difficult to take it off.' With that guidance in mind, he said he wore his august positions loosely. 'So when they came off, I had no problem,' he said. After seeking God’s guidance, he began to see himself as a missionary to The United Methodist Church. Still, he continued to pray for the people of Liberia as coup eventually gave way to civil war."
BUSTH Hosts Fall 2024 Bi-Annual Lowell Lecture: Simulating Religious Violence
On November 19, 2024, the Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) with the generous support of the Lowell Institute was proud to sponsor the bi-annual Lowell Lecture in collaboration with the Boston University Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences.
This semester's lecture featured the North American Premiere of Simulating Religious Violence, a powerful film that takes viewers behind the scenes of a three-year project linking computer scientists and religion scholars as they harness the power of computer simulation and modeling to explore solutions for global conflicts rooted in religious violence. The event began with a welcome reception, followed by the film premiere introduced by Dean G. Sujin Pak, and culminated with an expert panel moderated by Professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics, and of Computing and Data Sciences Wesley Wildman. Panelists included BUSTH Clinical Assistant Professor of Religion and Conflict Transformation James McCarty, who gave closing remarks. Rounding out the panel were Professor at the Institute for Global Development and Social Planning University of Agder F. LeRon Shults, and Boston University CAS Senior Lecturer in Comparative Religion Yair Lior.
Watch the trailer of the film below.
Prof. Wesley Wildman featured on DigEthix Podcast
The following is an excerpt from the DigEthix podcast episode “Computational Simulation in Practice: ‘Simulating Religious Violence’ Documentary Interview” hosted by Seth Villegas, featuring Professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics Wesley Wildman, published on November 12, 2024.
This episode features an interview with Dr. Jenn Lindsay and Dr. Wesley Wildman on the forthcoming documentary film, ‘Simulating Religious Violence.’ This film explores a team of researchers seeking to build the kind of computational model that I just mentioned. Dr. Lindsay directed the film. She is Professor of Sociology and Communications at John Cabot University and the CEO and head of production at So Fare Films. Dr. Lindsay is an accomplished filmmaker, including the award winning documentary film, Quarantined Faith. Dr. Wildman is Professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics, and of Computing and Data Sciences. He was one of the researchers involved in creating and deploying the simulation.
...
Rev. Roger S. Burkhart (’64, ’69)
The following obituary was originally posted by Sea Coast Online and can be found here.
Rev. Roger S. Burkhart, age 86, passed away peacefully on November 14, 2024 at Havenwood in Concord, New Hampshire after several days surrounded by his loving wife and daughters. Born February 4, 1938 in Walla Walla, Washington, Roger was the youngest of Robert and Mabel (Dumas) Burkhart’s family of seven children raised on a dairy farm with a half acre garden and a fruit orchard. There was always a place at the table for visitors, especially those down on their luck. The siblings worked on the farm and in the kitchen and also made their own fun creating crawl tunnels through giant haystacks and racing barefoot in the first snow each year.
Roger graduated from Walla Walla High 
School in 1956, Northwest Nazarene College in 1960, and Boston University School of Theology in 1964 and 1969. Roger was a United Church of Christ (Congregational) minister, serving churches in Somerville, Melrose, East Boston and Cotuit, Massachusetts; Union, Northwood, and Ossipee, New Hampshire; and Deer Isle, Maine. He also served as a chaplain at the Seamen’s Friends Mission in Boston. He was especially concerned with civil rights, peace, social justice and the care of the Earth and served on various UCC committees throughout his pastoral career. He was inspired by Thomas Berry’s interpretation of evolutionary thought and religious vision which became a prime theme in his sermons, councils, writings and actions in face of growing climate disruption. He established the Spirituality and Earth Stewardship Committee at the NH UCC Conference which he led for 11 years. He received an Environmental Justice Award from the NHCUCC in 2022.
Roger married Jeanne (Bergsten) in 1969 and they had three daughters. Jeanne had left her small Oklahoma town, gotten her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Illinois, then came east to be an educator and be part of positive social change. In 1972 they purchased Thirteen Colonies Farm in Milton, New Hampshire where they ran a summer camp bringing inner city and suburban youth together to farm, do crafts and swim in the river, and then youth groups from the Cotuit Church on Cape Cod. In 1985 the family moved to the farm full time where Roger split his time between a part time parish in Union, and tending cows, chickens, gardens, pastures, an orchard and a woodlot. Cancer took Jeanne in 1987 and Roger became a single parent but somehow always cooked meals for the family and saw to it that his girls were well educated while caring for a diversified farm and a parish, whew! In 1996 he left the farm in the hands of caretakers to serve a parish in Deer Isle, Maine. In 2002 he retired to the farm and milked a few cows, as dairy farming was a passion that he greatly enjoyed. In 2004, he married Ellen Lankhorst, another UCC Minister with whom he had much in common: a pursuit of peace and social justice, care of the Earth, and intellectual curiosity. When his aged body prevented him from continuing at the farm, Roger and Ellen moved to a house in Rochester where Roger tended a large garden and small orchard. He was an avid reader, a poetic writer, a woodworker and craftsman, and a watercolor painter. He loved substantive conversations and enjoyed telling funny stories. Roger is survived by his wife Ellen Lankhorst, daughters Carissa Burkhart Korites and children Margot, Max and Sam of Halifax, MA; Wendelin Burkhart-Spiegel and children Klara and Astrid of Madison, NY; and Raenya Burkhart Morann and daughter Sophia of Rochester, NH; and numerous nieces and nephews. A funeral service will be held at First Church Congregational, 63 Main Street, Rochester, NH on December 21, 2024 at 11 a.m. (and on zoom) with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to NH Peace Action; First Church Congregational in Rochester, NH; or the Society for the Protection of NH Forests.
Rev. Richard A. Donnenwirth (STH ’57, GRS ’58,’63)
The following obituary was originally posted by Weil Kahn Funeral Home and can be found here.
Richard Alfred (Dick) Donnenwirth, July 16, 1932 – November 10, 2024, was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, surrounded by two loving parents, a maternal grandmother and several other close relatives from both sides of the family. Florence Donnenwirth, nee Woodrow, and Oliver (Donnie) Donnenwirth were both active and connected Methodist laypersons in local parish church life as well as church organizational culture on state and national levels. So from an early age, Dick learned about the necessary interrelatedness of the sacred and the secular. Methodist Youth Fellowship was of equal importance to week-day schooling.
His education progressed through mid-20th 
century graduation from Upper Arlington High School, Ohio Wesleyan University, Boston University School of Theology and further into post-seminary training, Master’s degree and doctoral studies. Classroom learning was greatly enhanced through on-sight clinical practice at Boston State Hospital and Massachusetts Mental Health Center. Ordination as a Methodist minister as well as certification in the Institute of Pastoral Care (later known as the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education) and Diplomat status in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, of which he is a Charter Member, increased his national professional reputation. Short work in Houston and Galveston, Texas, as well as pastoring a small Methodist church in Malden, Massachusetts, eventually landed him as a Chaplain at Bethesda Oak Hospital for 15 years where he started Cincinnati’s first Clinical Pastoral Education program as well as an outpatient Pastoral Counseling Center. In 1983 he left Bethesda (Trihealth) to establish a pastoral counseling center I Kenwood (first psychotherapy Institute, then Professional Pastoral – Counseling Institute. Which closed in June 202, having grown from three practitioners in 1983 to 21 three-plus decades later. He retired in June 2020.
Meanwhile, his personal life moved through a 24-year first marriage, raising two children, a divorce in 1979 and a marriage in 1985 Rosalie Laurenti, fellow Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor and the most spirit-filled and deeply-fulfilling life partner that a person could be blessed with. They have lived at Twin Lakes since June, 2021.
Dick is survived by his wife, Rosalie; his two children, Jack Donnenwirth (Columbus) and Ellen Donnenwirth (Raleigh, NC); two living grandchildren Maria Donnenwirth and Ben Brown; as well as another grandson, J.R. Donnenwirth deceased at age 26; 2 great-grandchildren, Tyler and Coralai Donnenwirth.
A memorial service will be held at Twin Lakes Chapel on Tuesday, November 19th at 11AM. Cremation ashes will be interred at Greenlawn Cemetery, in Plymouth, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Life Enriching Community Foundation, Twin Lakes’ Pastoral Care Division.
Mr. Denis J. Dragonas (’59)
The following obituary was originally posted by Campbell Funeral Home and can be found here.
Denis John Dragonas, 91, a resident of North Andover for over 50 years, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on October 17, 2024. Born on February 11, 1933, to John D. and Marina J. Dragonas, Denis lived a life of service, dedication, and accomplishment.
A proud graduate of Salem Classical 
High School, Denis served as Class Vice President and graduated in 1951. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Holy Cross Theological Seminary and completed a Master’s degree at Boston University. He then continued his studies at Harvard University.
Denis was an active member of his community, serving on the board of directors at Saint Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church. He was elected by the City of Beverly, MA, to serve as an Alderman from 1961 to 1964. His professional career was distinguished by his tenure at Xerox Corporation, where he excelled as an executive in Analytic Sales Data, earning numerous Presidential Awards for sales excellence. He was a benefactor to the Boston University Alumni and was a proud member and benefactor of the National Republican Party. He was an avid golfer and was a longtime member of the North Andover Country Club.
He is survived by his beloved family which includes: His sister, Jane D. Perkins of New Canaan, CT; his brother, Peter Dragonas MD of Beverly, MA; his niece, Damaris Dragonas and her husband Michael Burns of Nevada City; his nephew Justin Dragonas and his wife Candice of Los Angeles; his nephew Henri Dragonas of Pasadena, CA; as well as several grandnieces and grandnephews. His sister, Dr. Phyliss J. Dragonas, and his brother-in-law, George A. Perkins, predeceased him.
A funeral service will be held at Saint Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, 5 Paleologos St., Peabody, MA, on Thursday, October 24th, at 11:30 am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Saint Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, 5 Paleologos St, Peabody, MA 01960.
Arrangements by Campbell Funeral Home, 525 Cabot St., Beverly, MA. Information, directions, condolences at www.CampbellFuneral.com.
BUSTH announces Faculty Publications and Presentations for November 2024
The School of Theology is pleased to announce the following faculty publications and scholarly presentations for November 2024:
-
- “The Biblical Critic as Constructed: An Intercontextual Approach to Biblical Interpretation,” in Francisco Lozada, Amy Lindeman Allen, and Yak-hwee Tan (eds.) The Critic in the World (Atlanta: SBL Press, 2024), 569–598.
-
- Dana L. Robert, “Global Mission in the Age of World Christianity,” [English version] in Complete Lectures of The Underwood International Symposia, 2008-2023 (Seoul: Saemoonan Presbyterian Church, 2024): 593-655.
- Dana L. Robert Daneel, “Celebrating the Witness of M.L. ‘Inus’ Daneel,” Journal of African Christian Biography 9:4 (October 2024): 13-16.
- Steven Sandage, et al
-
- Jankowski, P.J., Sandage, S.J., Wang, D.C. (2024). Latent profiles of seminary students’ perceptions of sense of community amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Religions, 15: 1235. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel5101235
- Captari, L.E., Guterres, K., Oleson, D., Devor, N., & Sandage, S.J. (2024). Sources of meaning and hope associated with well-being among psychotherapy clients: A practice-based mixed method study. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research.
- Choe, E.J.Y., & Sandage, S.J. (2024, November 7). Religions talk about the value of humility – but it can be especially hard for clergy to practice what they preach. The Conversation US.
- (Video) Sandage, S.J., Crabtree, S. Farchione, T., Levitt, H., Wong, J., & Owen, J. (2024). Strengths and flourishing in psychotherapy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
-
- “Pärt after Pärt: the Composer as Progenitor,” in Chigiana Journal of Musicological Studies, (Susanna Pasticci & Roe-Min Kok, editors), Terza serie, Vol. 5 (2023), 157-180.
- “Pärt after Pärt: the Composer as Progenitor,” in Chigiana Journal of Musicological Studies, (Susanna Pasticci & Roe-Min Kok, editors), Terza serie, Vol. 5 (2023), 157-180.
-
- “Sabbath Theology and Practice: Implications for Ecological Spirituality and Ethics,”, in Nadja Furlan, ed., An Anthology of Contemporary Ecotheology, Philosophy and Eco-justice Practices: Ecothee Volume 7 (Ljubljana, Slovenia: Poligrafi, 2024), 75-84.
Prof. Wesley Wildman featured in BU Today for Simulating Religious Violence movie and project
The following is an excerpt from BU Today’s article “A BU Filmmaker Captures a BU Researcher’s Quest against Religious Violence” by Rich Barlow, featuring Professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics Wesley Wildman, published on November 18, 2024.
...
Wildman coauthored a book in June, Modeling Religion (Bloomsbury), about his and colleagues’ use of computers to study faith’s role in seismic cultural shifts dating all the way back to the Neolithic Revolution.
“The sorts of things we discover from the computational simulation,” he says, “are the conditions under which extremism can lead to violence—where the tipping points are.” The size of opposing factions in a conflict is one clue: “when it’s close to 50-50, you have a much higher risk of religious extremism tipping over into violence.”
...
Mr. Bruce Eugene Foreman (’59)
The following obituary was originally posted by Neptune Society and can be found here.
Bruce Eugene Foreman, 94, of Tacoma, Washington, passed away June 19, 2024, after a brief illness. He had been suffering in recent years from Alzheimer’s disease, which slowed him down, but to the end he retained his caring, loving personality, and his gentlemanly demeanor, always offering a welcoming smile to family and friends.
Bruce was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa on December 11, 1929, to Harold and Elsie Foreman. He was the oldest of 5 children: twin sisters Theone and Lorene arrived 10 months and 24 days after Bruce, and sisters Susan and then Nancy completed the family 12 years later. The family lived in Fort Dodge and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, until Bruce was 13, and then the entire family migrated from Iowa to California in 1943.
Bruce attended high school in Burbank, 
California, graduating in 1948, and then completed his undergraduate degree with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion, Psychology and Music in 1952 at the University of Redlands, in Redlands, California. Later he obtained a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Boston University School of Theology, and a Master of Sacred Theology from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
It was while Bruce was doing a pastoral internship in Boston, that Bruce met Paula Schilling at the church her parents attended, while she was on a visit home from Columbia University School of Nursing in New York. Their eyes met over their hymnals while singing, and Paula boldly asked Bruce home for Sunday dinner that day at the home of her parents Mary & Paul Schilling. After a 10 month courtship mostly by mail, Bruce and Paula were married on August 1, 1959, in Auburndale, Massachusetts. They were blessed with 2 children, Rebecca Ruth and Stephen Paul.
Bruce and Paula moved to Western Washington in 1959, where Bruce served parishes in Fircrest and Gig Harbor as a United Methodist pastor. In 1969, he was called to be the founding director and “Metropolitan Minister” of the Associated Ministries in Tacoma, an ecumenical ministry that developed and supported many local non-profit ministries. After 10 years, Bruce returned to the pastorate, and served at several other parishes in Western Washington. After leaving parish ministry, he founded his own business, Decks & Porches, where he worked designing and constructing decks for 8 years before retiring. Bruce remained very active in ministering to a variety of organizations, most notably helping establish, and serving on the board with Paula, a non-profit ministry called Hearts for Zambia, supporting the Zambian Sisters of the Child Jesus in serving the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in northern Zambia.
Bruce was an avid barbershopper, singing baritone in a number of quartets and choruses for over 50 years as a member of SPEBSQSA, now known as the Barbershop Harmony Society. His quartet, the Commencement Bay Flounders and Seafood Conspiracy (commonly known as the FISH) were crowned the Evergreen District Quartet Champions in 1977. He served as the Evergreen District president, and he was honored by being inducted into the Evergreen District Hall of Fame in 2009. Most recently he sang with the West Sound Chorus in Kitsap County and Tacoma Vocal Standard chorus in Tacoma.
Bruce and Paula were very adventurous and spent many memorable summer vacations traveling with the family, tent camping in national, state and county parks while driving across the United States to visit relatives and friends. They also travelled extensively internationally, to the holy lands (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Greece and Italy), then to Europe multiple times; their adventures led them on to Brazil, Soviet Union, Finland, China, Zambia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Cuba.
Bruce is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Paula Foreman; daughter Rebecca Foreman; son Stephen Foreman and daughter-in-law Elizabeth Foreman; grandchildren Claire Foreman, and Meda Foreman; sisters Lorene Branson, Susan Phipps, Nancy Wyatt; brother-in-law Robert Schilling (Rita); and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents Harold John Foreman and Elsie Isabel (Parsons) Foreman; sister Theone Ellis; father-in-law Sylvester Paul Schilling, mother-in-law Mary Elizabeth (Albright) Schilling; four brothers-in-law: Carl Branson, Lucian Ellis, John Phipps, Henry Wyatt; and a niece and two nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 2 pm at Franke Tobey Jones, Wellness Center, 5340 N Bristol St, Tacoma, WA.
Memorial contributions may be given in honor of Bruce Eugene Foreman to the Associated Ministries of Tacoma, the Barbershop Harmony Society, or the Alzheimer's Association.
Click here to watch the Bruce Foreman Celebration of Life Service. The service begins about 30 minutes in from start of this video. Included are links to the Bruce Foreman Tribute video, Bruce Foreman Pre and Post slide show, Associated Ministries memorial in honor of Bruce, and Bruce singing with Tacoma Vocal Standard, performing the National Anthem at The Tacoma Rainiers game on 7-26-23.