At the Spring Board of Trustees meeting, Brite President Newell Williams announced his intended retirement from his position effective August 31, 2022.  Dr. Williams has served in the capacity since May of 2003, having previously taught at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN and Brite Divinity School.  Since coming to Brite as President, Dr. Williams has overseen the expansion of the faculty, the growth of the Ph.D. program, the construction of a new classroom and administrative facility, and a continuation and expansion of Brite’s longstanding determination to pursue the vision of a world transformed by God’s love, mercy and justice.  An internationally respected church historian, author of numerous books, Dr. Williams is also an ordained minister within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  In receiving this announcement, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to confer upon Dr. Williams the title of President Emeritus.

The Brite Board of Trustees will immediately form a Transition Committee charged with insuring a smooth transition, beginning with the appointment of an Interim President who will lead as a bridge to the next era of Brite Divinity School.

A celebration of Dr. Williams’ considerable contributions to Brite, the ecumenical church, and theological education will be planned in the coming months.

Disciples of Christ Historical Society announces the retirement next year of DCHS President, the Rev. Dr. Richard H. (Rick) Lowery.

During Dr. Lowery’s tenure, DCHS has expanded its efforts toward digitizing and making its extensive resources accessible online to a global audience through its Digital Commons website. It has launched the online-only Journal of Discipliana, a peer-reviewed journal for original scholarship on topics related to the theology, history, and practice of churches in the Disciples and broader Stone-Campbell tradition. On behalf of the Society at the 2019 General Assembly, he helped plan and lead the church’s celebration and commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Merger Agreement between the predominantly African American National Christian Missionary Convention and the International Convention of Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ).

Lowery co-edited and helped write a book about the Design and oversaw the creation of a video about denominational Restructure in the 1950s and 1960s. Lowery conceived, helped write, and edited a book of prayers by the presidents and staff of the general ministries, Wellsprings of Hope: Prayers for a Prophetic New Vision for Disciples (Chalice Press, 2020).

Under his leadership, DCHS has focused on telling stories of historically underrepresented groups in the Disciples/Stone-Campbell tradition and recruiting authors for biographies of significant Disciples leaders such as Preston Taylor and Sarah Lue Bostick.

Dr. Lowery has gathered a diverse group of Disciples and Stone-Campbell scholars and church leaders to plan a DCHS-sponsored academic conference, “Systemic Racism, Antiracism, and ‘Reconciliation’ in Our Shared History and Tradition,” at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 18-19, 2022. Lowery will edit a book centered on the papers and discussions of that conference.

“Dr. Lowery has brought the Disciples of Christ Historical Society into the modern age by reaching out to patrons and donors across the entire Stone-Campbell movement, including the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Churches of Christ, and the Christian Church/Churches of Christ. With his deep knowledge and love of Stone-Campbell history and his ability to convey the importance of our history, he has drawn new enthusiasts into the fold. This has been key to the growth and stability of our ministry,” stated Archie Jenkins, Chairman of the DCHS Board of Trustees. “We are grateful for the energy and experience Rick has brought to DCHS and will miss him greatly. We wish him and his family the best as they step into this new journey.”

On September 26, 2022, Drury University celebrated a significant milestone. Drury GO, the University’s non-traditional education program, commemorated its 75th anniversary.  The event was celebrated at the main campus in Springfield, Missouri, as well as other campuses throughout the region, which simultaneously cut birthday cakes with members of the Drury family and other members of the communities served by Drury GO.

The “Simulcake” event is just the beginning of a year-long celebration of the Drury GO focus on providing educational access to underserved and non-traditional students.  This celebration will in turn lead into the 150th anniversary of the University as a whole, which will be on September 25, 2023.

Drury GO is the current brand for Drury’s College of Continuing Professional Studies (CCPS).  Originally founded as the Adult Education Division, Drury GO provided degree completion opportunities and training for students taking classes in the evening on the main campus before opening its first branch campus at Fort Leonard Wood.  The program subsequently opened campuses in a variety of Missouri communities, including Rolla, St. Robert, Lebanon, Ava, Cabool, West Plains, and Houston. 

Drury GO has provided new educational opportunities for more diverse populations thanks to the Monett, Missouri campus, and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) Grant.  The CAMP grant is designed to assist first-generation college students who have migrant or seasonal agriculture work in their family background. Many students served by Drury GO by way of the CAMP Grant are from Latinx descent with a growing number from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).  CAMP provides scholarship dollars, as well as services to assist students in their first year of college.

Last year, Drury GO expanded its presence into Northwest Arkansas, where students can also be served through the CAMP Grant.  Earlier this year, Drury GO expanded into Harrisonville, Missouri.  Drury GO will also continue to serve students throughout the world with its online degree completion programs.

Drury University is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, and for many years has provided scholarship and leadership opportunities for students from those faith traditions in its traditional, residential day campus. Those denominational connections will now be celebrated in Drury GO as well.

New Drury GO students may be eligible for a $500 scholarship, and those students who are members of Disciples or UCC congregations will be able to double that for $1,000.

“This will make a huge difference for Drury GO students, many of whom will be able to combine this with other grants and scholarships to completely cover the cost of a Drury GO education,” said James Ackerman, Associate Vice President of Drury GO.  “Our students in Drury GO may be coming to college for the first time, they may be transferring from another school, or they may be continuing their journey from decades earlier that they once thought they could not complete. We are honored and excited to help all of those students.”

According to Dr. Peter Browning, Drury University Chaplain, “Drury was founded as a college (now university) for students ‘of slender purse.’ DRURY GO keeps that commitment alive with programs for working adults trying to better their lives. As chaplain, I’m grateful for this effort which embodies the social justice commitment to serve all, so very appropriate to a church-related university.”

More information on the degree and certificate programs available through Drury GO is available at www.drury.edu/go, and advisors can be reached at (417) 873-7373. 

Dear HELM Community, 

 It has been a productive month since I last wrote to you. In early October the Association of Disciples for Theological Education (ADTD) met at Butler University in Indianapolis for theological discussions around the topics of: (1) Eva Gore-Booth with a presentation by Tish Duncan, of Texas Christian University. (2) The State of Brite Divinity School enrollment and the future of theological education by Michael Miller, and (3) A panel discussion on “Public Theology in a Divided Society.” Both Rick Lowery and Newell Williams were honored with an honorary retirement status with the group. President-elect Michael Miller will serve as President at next year’s October 6-8, 2023 meeting. Meeting dates were also selected for October 5-7, 2024. The group offered kudos to Scott Seay for his Presidential leadership of the ADTD over the past two years.  

The HELM Fellows will be meeting in Washington, D.C., November 3-6, 2022. Nearly 40 individuals from all across the United States and Canada will meet to engage in conversations around environmental justice and public witness. Each of the four cohort groups (freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior) will meet with theological guides to explore the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jamaica Kincaid, and Parker Palmer. We will tour and meet at National City Christian Church and tour the National Museum of African American History and Culture. We offer thanks for the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Bruce Epperly, the Rev. Dr. Delores Carpenter, the Rev. Dr. Ken Brooker Langston, and President of Eco-America, Robert Perkowitz, for providing contextual content to our meeting. I also give thanks for our HELM Staff and Board leadership for making this gathering possible. 

Plans are well underway for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) meeting in January 2023, the Council of Theological Education (CTE) meeting in the Spring of 2023, and the HELM Global Awareness Trip for 3rd Year Leadership Fellows in May of 2023. Our Emerging Clergy Leadership Conference (formerly Seminarians Conference) is currently reaching out to our General Ministry leadership and Seminary/Graduate Schools of Theology leadership to identify dates to hold the Conference in 2023. Once dates are established, a program Committee will be appointed to plan the event. We are also making plans to have a presence at the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature gathering in Denver, CO, November 19-22, 2022. Our Disciples scholars and emerging scholars need to be supported by our whole church — congregations, regions, and general ministries.  

I was privileged to attend the Beecher Lectures at Yale University Divinity School, October 12-15, 2022. Professor Enjoo Mary Kim of Vanderbilt University is the first Asian and female to ever deliver the Beecher Lectures over the past 155 years. Her lecture title was: “Preaching Jesus: Postcolonial Approaches.” The last time the name of Jesus was in the title of a Beecher lecture series was in 1945 when Reinhold Niebuhr delivered the lectures.  

I am glad to serve as your Interim President and look forward to all we may accomplish together as the HELM Search Committee launches its search for a new President. This ministry is vital to the health and vitality of our church. The connection between congregations, regions, institutions of higher education, and YOU — each and every Disciple — is critical to our joint mission to develop leaders for church and society. If there was ever a need for leadership, it is NOW.  

Interimly speaking, 

Ron 

The large green screen wall allows creativity for productions in the Phillips multimedia studio. Drs. Lisa Dellinger, Annie Lockhart-Gilroy and Anne Carter Walker prepare to record a conversation for use in a seminary course. They say recording conversations for their class in the new studio allows them to focus on each other and not the technology.

The creation of a new multimedia studio at Phillips Theological Seminary has helped the school provide high quality video and audio productions for faculty while also supporting the seminary’s advancement office, and denominational and community partners.

In late 2019, the Communications Department at the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based seminary had plans to turn a space within its suite of offices into a studio but was later able to expand that vision when a larger, former classroom space became available.

The multimedia studio, completed in December 2021, has a large green-screen wall, a four-person podcast recording area, and a “faculty corner” dedicated to professors and others in need of a quiet, well-lit space to record videos for class, or to participate in remote conferences.

“Our communications team worked in broadcast media before coming to Phillips, so I trusted their judgment and vision for what a studio could bring to us,” said President Nancy Claire Pittman. “When the pandemic hit, it didn’t take long to realize a dedicated space to create high-quality content would be very useful.”

The equipment for the studio was also used to produce two Worship Kits containing ready-to-stream worship services intended to give pastors and church staffs a break from creating their own online services.

The Advancement Office and Communications Department also worked together to produce a daily podcast of Advent devotionals written by seminary alumni, staff and faculty. The podcast supplemented a free, printed devotional booklet and saw more than 3,000 audio downloads during the Advent season.

Post by Janika Carey, Executive Director of Communications, University of Lynchburg

With a vibrant campus that fosters diverse perspectives, the University of Lynchburg was perfect for Matt Gillett ’22. The Oklahoma native was looking for a liberal arts college affiliated with his church, the Disciples of Christ.

Gillett, a Westover Honors Fellow and political science major, made the most of his experience. He served as Student Government Association president and was named the 2021-22 Sommerville Scholar — the University’s highest academic honor.

Lynchburg, he said, taught him how to be a servant leader. It also challenged him to “understand the wider world” and use research and data to reach his own conclusions.

“My time at Lynchburg was invaluable in shaping me into the person I am today,” said Gillett, now a graduate student in the Master of Public Administration program at American University School of Public Affairs.

Just a few weeks into her first semester, fellow DOC member and Danville, Virginia, native Ebony Gray ’26 is having similar thoughts. “I chose this University because I love the small, tight-knit community and all the courses offered here,” Gray said.

“I’ve had many opportunities to connect with people around campus, and everyone is so welcoming. I’m excited to see where my time at Lynchburg takes me!”