Alumni News
Mr. Gerald C. Ellis (STH’68)
This obituary was originally published in the Bangor Daily News and can be found here.
ZEPHYRHILLS, FL - Jerry Ellis was born on December 5, 1941, in Farmington, Maine. He died May 9, 2022, in Wesley Chapel, Florida with Ronnie, his beloved wife of 45 years by his side. He faced various challenges in his childhood which led him in his adolescence to running which became a passion and refuge. An accomplished athlete at both Phillips High School and the University of Maine, he won various competitions at the state and New England level in cross country and track. His love of athletics continued throughout his life culminating in riding his road bike from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean and from Canada to Mexico (the latter with his youngest son, Lucas, daughter- in-law, Amy and wife, Ronnie). In addition to biking, Jerry completed 3 marathons including qualifying and running the Boston Marathon. His brotherhood in Phi ETA Kappa brought lifelong friendships as did his involvement in the University of Maine M Club. Jerry was inducted into the University of Maine's Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
As a young man he walked in protest for civil rights in Selma, Alabama (1965) and later served in Vietnam vowing to serve his country but in his own way in peaceful service. He was awarded two Bronze Stars for meritorious service while serving as a U.S. Army Captain. His service was as an American advisor to a South Vietnamese unit during its Hearts and Minds campaign. He found his vocation in counseling and eventually returned home to Maine. By this time he had completed his undergraduate degree at UMaine, a master in Divinity at Boston University and a master's degree from the University of Oregon in Counseling. Professionally he worked at UMaine in the Onward Program dedicating his time, energy and love to helping non-traditional students get a college education. Many will remember him for his unwavering kindness and compassion for his students and coworkers. He embodied servant leadership being selected to run Onward as Director at UMaine but was also recognized in New England when he was selected to preside over NEAOPP (an organization focused on support for non-traditional and first generation students). His compassion and leadership will be remembered by many through different aspects of his career but remembered by his son, Nick, during the annual Onward orientation for leaving no one behind during the annual hike of Mount Katahdin. He guided many through treacherous terrain getting them home safely late into the night. Other favorite pastimes in his life included gardening (master gardening credentialed), reading, traveling, meditation, working with Habitat for Humanity and helping with construction of the Orono Bog Boardwalk. Throughout his life, Jerry gave a helping hand to many people during their most difficult times always with kind, patient, loving support.
If athletics was his refuge and service his profession, his family was his greatest love. He leaves behind his wife, Ronnie (Delano-Ellis), daughter, Christine Ann Ellis McLaughlin (mother: Ann Perkins Ellis), two sons, Nicolas Gerald Ellis and his wife, Angie of Lima, Peru and Lucas Delano Ellis and his wife, Amy of Corvallis, Oregon; and grandchildren, Maeve Christine McLaughlin, Patrick Matthew McLaughlin, Tomas Santiago Ellis, Benjamin Lester Ellis, Brianna Delano Ellis and little Luca Joaquin Ellis. Jerry is also survived by brother, Fred E. Rolfe Jr. and his wife, Noralyn of Bradford, Maine; sister-in-law, Renee Rae Delano of Orrington, Maine; sister-in-law, Lauralee Ellis of Nashua, NH, brother-in-law, David Morgan of Phillips, Maine; and aunt, Greta Pratt of Weld, Maine. There are several nieces and nephews who he loved dearly and followed their lives with passion. Jerry was predeceased by five younger siblings, Rex Scott Ellis, Lynn "Butch" Ellis, Anita Chase Dunham, Nancy Lee Ellis Morgan and Elizabeth "Snip" Rolfe. Over the years he had numerous riding buddies who biked hard and long. He respected these riders and will be missed by his Florida riding mate of over 10 years, Alan Gosley (wife Karen) of Cow Bay, Nova Scotia.
Adored by many, one student in particular started a scholarship in his name, the Jerry Ellis Scholarship Fund. In life he supported this fund and in his passing his family asks you to consider support of this scholarship so that the spirit of Jerry will live on helping students on their path at UMaine. Gifts may be made to the University of Maine Foundation, Two Alumni Place, Orono, Maine 04469-5792 or online at umainefoundation.org/memorial for the Jerry Ellis Scholarship.
His family welcomes others to join them in a celebration of his life on Sunday, June 26, 2022, at 101 East Broadway, Bangor, Maine at 2 p.m.
Ronald L. Huff, D.Min. (STH’87)
This obituary was originally published in Waite & Son Funeral Home and can be found here.
Ronald L. Huff Sr., 84, beloved husband of Celia (Mong) Huff, went to be with his Lord and Savior on March 9, 2022. Ron was born November 16, 1937 to the late John N. and Roxie (Lesh) Huff. He graduated as an auto mechanic in 1955 from Oil City High School in Oil City, PA. In 1964, Ron accepted the call to the ministry and earned his Doctor of Ministry degree in 1987. For over 40 years he served the United Methodist Church in eight different communities while completing his education.
Before going into the ministry, Ronald served in the United States Army, and later the Army Reserves, until he became the father of twins, Ronald Jr. and Rhonda, as well as two older daughters, Diana and Debra. Three grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren completed his thriving family. Ron loved all of his family and enjoyed all their activities. He and Celia celebrated 64 years of marriage in December 2021.
Ron enjoyed singing in the church choir as well as harmonizing in Barbershop choruses. He also spent a lot of time tending his flowerbeds and growing his garden. His favorite motto in life was “See a need and meet it.”
Along with his parents, Ron was preceded in death by one brother, John Huff Jr., and two sisters, Lois and Patricia. In addition to his four children, Diana (Donald) Varian, Debra (Laura Russell), Rhonda (Reginald Campbell), Ron Huff Jr. (Holly), he leaves behind grandchildren, Leslie (Jon) Higgins, Cory Huff (Kaitlynn), Emily (Ignacio Olvera); step-grandchildren, Jennifer, Amanda, and Christopher; 8 great-grandchildren; sister Kathleen Haylett; a sister-in-law, Virginia; and several nieces and nephews. All will miss his love.
Visitation will be held from 3-4pm on Sunday, March 13 at Waite & Son Funeral Home, 765 N. Court St. in Medina. Funeral service will begin at 4pm. Cremation to take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity of Medina County, 233 Lafayette Rd., Medina, OH 44256. The family would like to share a special thank you to the staff of Crossroads Hospice and Medina Meadows Care Center. God bless all who serve!
Rev. Theodore J. Solomon (STH’57)
This obituary was originally published online on May 24, 2022 in Ames Tribune. It can be found here.
May 28, 1932 – May 18, 2022
Theodore (Ted) Joseph Solomon, 89, of Ames, passed away on May 18, 2022 at Northcrest Retirement Community. A memorial service will be held at 11 am on Friday, June 17, at Collegiate United Methodist Church in Ames, with a visitation one hour prior to the service.
Ted was born in Bismarck, ND to Theodore J. and Elizabeth M. (Yeasley) Solomon. Ted graduated from Bismarck High School in 1950, and he was very proud of his North Dakota roots. In 1953, Ted married Marian G. Loomer right before Marian left for India. He attended Hamline University and graduated from Macalester College in 1954. Ted received a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from Boston University in 1957. He was pastor of the Worcester Monthly Meeting of Friends in Worcester, MA from 1955 to 1957. Ted was ordained as a Methodist minister in 1957, and was pastor of the United Methodist church in West Concord, MN from 1957 to 1959. Though he officially remained appointed by the United Methodist church, he was drawn to academic life and religious studies. Ted studied under Mircea Eliade and earned his MA and PhD in Philosophy from the University of Chicago in 1961 and 1966. He began his teaching career in 1962 at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, NC. Ted received a Danforth Teaching Award in 1965. He taught at Florida Presbyterian College in St. Petersburg, FL from 1966 to 1969. During the 1950's and 1960’s, Ted was a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and helped organize peace action projects and non-violent direct action for civil rights in the South. He joined the Religious Studies faculty at Iowa State University in 1969. From 1969 to 1994, he was a professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. Ted received tremendous satisfaction from teaching others, particularly about Christianity and other world religions.
Ted was a member of the Ames Friends Meeting and Collegiate United Methodist Church. He enjoyed the fellowship of Masons, Kiwanis, St. Andrew’s book group, water aerobics and playing cribbage. Instead of saying “goodbye”, Ted always said “Peace and Love”.
Ted is survived by his daughter, Rebecca (Robert) Musselman of Ames; daughter-in-law, Linda Winston of Richmond, VA; one brother, Terry (Sue) Solomon of Tempe, AZ; four grandchildren, Jeff (Christin) Solomon of Kodiak, AK, Eli (Meggan) Musselman M.D. of Ames, IA, Carli Solomon of Denver, CO, and Joshua Curtis of Harrisonburg, VA; and four great grandchildren, Anastasia and Calypso Solomon of Kodiak, AK, and Micah and Madelynn Musselman of Ames, IA.
Preceding Ted in death were his wife, Marian Solomon; his sons, Robert Solomon M.D. of Williamsburg, VA and Richard Solomon of Parker, CO; his brother, Robert Solomon of Tempe, AZ; and grandson, Ezekiel Musselman of Ames, IA.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Ames Friends Meeting, 121 S. Maple Ave, Ames, IA 50010 or Collegiate United Methodist Church, 2622 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014.
President Brown’s Letter to the BU Community on the Roe v. Wade Decision
On Friday, June 24, Boston University President Robert Brown published his response to the United States Supreme Court ruling to reverse the 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade. In the wake of this ruling, Boston University remains committed to guaranteeing people’s reproductive rights as allowed under Massachusetts law.
For Boston University community members requiring reproductive health care, resources are available at BU Student Health Services, BU Occupational Health Center, and the BU Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center.
I believe the Court’s official decision today to annul the 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade is an enormous step backward in protecting the rights of all women in our country. This decision denies women the right to make their own decisions about their reproductive health.
Robert A. Brown, President of Boston University
Prof. Christopher Evans Featured in German Documentary
Professor of History of Christianity and Methodist Studies Christopher Evans is a featured theological expert in the Religion episode of the German documentary series “Truth and Lies.” The episode is fully in German and aired in Germany in May 2022. Prof. Evans was interviewed for this episode here in Boston during the summer of 2020. He first appears in the episode at timestamp 1:23.
BUSTH PhD Student Jeehyun Baek Awarded Louisville Institute Dissertation Fellowship
Boston University School of Theology PhD student in Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy Jeehyun Baek has been awarded The Dissertation Fellowship by the Louisville Institute.
Titled “Mourning Across Generations: Theological Witness to Intergenerational Trauma in the Korean Diaspora,” Ms. Baek’s dissertation examines a theology of resilience for Korean diaspora communities who inherit the past trauma, experience ongoing hate crimes against Asians in the present, and may have difficulty envisioning life in the US. To address the phenomenon of intergenerational trauma in Korean Americans’ lives, she engages with three contemporary Korean American literary works written by second generation Korean American writers. By using trauma framework and a more aesthetic approach to theology, she explores how these literary works hold unspoken suffering, its mysterious transmission to subsequent generations, and the subtle but dynamic relationship between unclaimed past traumatic wounds and lives of the current generation.
“I’m very honored to have been selected as one of the Louisville Institute dissertation fellows! It means a lot to have this overwhelming amount of support from the LI during this process of writing my dissertation. I would like to give a special shout out to my advisor Dr. Shelly Rambo for her constant support and encouragement. I am able to really put my heart out into this project, and for that I’m endlessly grateful..” --- Jeehyun Baek
To read more about Ms. Baek’s project, please visit the Louisville Institute website.
Prof. Dana Robert Delivers Inaugural Anderson Lecture at Princeton Theological Seminary
William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor Dana Robert delivered the inaugural Gerald H. Anderson Lecture at Princeton Theological Seminary on June 9, 2022. “Gerry Anderson will be remembered as the maestro of contemporary mission studies,” began Prof. Robert. “He has guided the field, the movements, and ideals that carried mission theory and practice beyond the mid-century Cold War, through post-colonialism, to the era of World Christianity.”
The event was jointly supported by Princeton Theological Seminary and the Overseas Ministry Study Center, which is celebrating its 100th year. More information on the centenary celebration and the Anderson lecture series can be found here.
Prof. Robert’s lecture begins at time stamp 17:17.
Pastor, Full-Time, American Baptist: Madison, NH
The Madison Baptist Church, in Madison, N.H., is seeking a full time pastor to lead the church into its next chapter of ministry. While the church is associated with the American Baptist denomination, it has long viewed itself as a community church, welcoming to all who come to worship.
Some of the gifts they are seeking in their next pastor include:
- Ability to deliver Biblical sermons based on scripture with relevancy.
- A good communicator and listener/counselor with a sense of humor.
- Has a focus on helping the congregation to grow on their individual and church based spiritual journeys.
- Someone to help develop and maintain youth and family activities and membership.
- Values and utilizes our music ministry.
- Relatability with all ages and can demonstrate compassion and empathy.
- A leadership style which is team orientated.
Madison is located in the White Mountains of N.H. and the northern portion of New Hampshire's Lakes Region. It is a vacation paradise which offers year round tourism.
For further information, please contact Rev. Jim Smith at either (603) 819-9124 or pastorjim@twc.com.
Associate Pastor, Full-Time, UCC: Newington, CT
Application Dates: Rolling until filled
Position Summary
The Associate Pastor provides pastoral care and leadership for the entire congregation with an emphasis on ministry to youth and young adults as well as mission and outreach.
Essential Functions
- Works in partnership with the Senior Pastor to provide pastoral leadership to the congregation including but not limited to:
- Participates in weekly worship services and preaching at one or more services throughout the month
- Provides coverage in the absence of the Senior Pastor
- Implements new ministries, missions, and outreach opportunities
- Assists our diverse congregation with building a vibrant ministry for the 21st century as a pastoral entrepreneur
- Grows and continues to develop a vibrant Youth Ministry Program for elementary, middle school, and high school to include children, youth, and families
- Recruits families to engage in the Youth Ministry Program
- Leads the Youth Ministry program to include the church school working together with the Christian Education board
- Co-Leads with the Senior Pastor the confirmation program including coordinating teachers and mentors
- In cooperation with the Senior Pastor, provides pastoral care and crisis intervention as needed and make referrals as needed
- Performs other duties as assigned by the Senior Pastor and agreed upon by the staff parish relations committee
Other Responsibilities:
- Participates in staff meetings
- Participates in weekly meetings with the Senior Pastor, other clergy, and church boards
- Participates in Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance (GHIAA) and Citizens of the World (COTW), and other related missions-focused organizations
- Participates in Central Association, (Southern New England Conference, Newington Interfaith Clergy Association and other wider church activities)
For more information (including compensation and contact info), please see the full job description here
Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries, Full-Time, UMC: Baton Rouge, LA
St. John’s United Methodist Church (Baton Rouge, LA) is seeking a full time Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries to lead and direct ministries with the next generation (birth-12th grade) and their families.
St. John’s is a friendly, loving, and generous congregation located in a diverse and growing neighborhood of south Baton Rouge, less than 10 minutes from LSU. The church has dedicated spaces for youth and children, a gorgeous and spacious campus, as well as a thrice weekly client-choice food pantry with its own vegetable garden. They are passionate about worship, spiritual growth, community outreach, and are committed to ministry with the next generation. Baton Rouge has a robust park system, incredible cuisine, a rich culture, great universities and educational opportunities, and is only an hour from New Orleans.
Required qualifications include leadership experience in youth and/or children’s ministries or an equivalent field and an understanding and endorsement of United Methodist Wesleyan Theology. Other sought-after qualifications include sharp organizational and communications skills, experience in volunteer recruitment, program development, group facilitation, and recreational play. The successful completion of a criminal background check, training in our Safe Sanctuaries policy, and the most up to date Covid-19 vaccination are required.
Salary is deemed competitive in the church/non-profit market, is commensurate with qualifications and experience, and may be in the range of $47,000 to $55,000. Position also includes benefits such as a Health Reimbursement Account, continuing education, paid time off, optional 403(b) retirement savings plan, and moving expenses.
Applications are being accepted now and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. If you’d like to be a part of this strong, vibrant, and welcoming congregation, qualified applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and the names and contact information of three references to jobs@stjohnsbr.org.
Please find the full job description here.