When Gary Peluso-Verdend first came to what was then called Phillips Graduate Seminary in 1993, the institution’s future was uncertain after it separated in 1987 from Phillips University to become a standalone school.

Twenty-five years later, as Peluso-Verdend exits the president’s office for a sabbatical year before returning to the seminary in a new role, Phillips Theological Seminary is among the rare standalone graduate theological schools that have emerged stronger with a significant endowment and renewed commitment to educating the whole church.

Peluso-Verdend served in several positions at Phillips over two different timeframes. First, between 1993-2000 and then from 2005 to now, including faculty member, Doctor of Ministry program director, dean, vice president of stewardship, and president.

“I’ve worn many different hats in my time at Phillips,” Peluso-Verdend said. “I’m thankful that the board has granted me the time and support to wear a new one.”

Peluso-Verdend, who has served as president since 2009, said the change at this time was a personal and vocational choice. “For myself, I’ve not been granted a full sabbatical in 25 years of leadership in theological education,” he said. “I am particularly grateful to receive a sabbatical as a prelude to a change in focus.”

When he returns from sabbatical in 2019, Peluso-Verdend has been authorized and directed by the Board to lead the seminary’s effort to initiate an Institute for Religion and Public Life in Oklahoma. The Board has approved the Institute as an element of the seminary’s strategic plan.

When he was the dean, Peluso-Verdend helped to consolidate the seminary in Tulsa and teach-out its Enid campus in the late 1990s. In 1999, he also wrote a successful grant proposal that brought the first infusion of technology to teaching at Phillips. In 2009, the seminary was approved to offer comprehensive distance education.

During his time as president of Phillips, Peluso-Verdend has served as the chair of the Disciples Council on Theological Education, on the HELM board, and as the leader of several Association of Theological Schools accreditation site evaluation committees.

He led in the creation of new identity and mission statements for the seminary along with new branding for Phillips, including a logo and tag line, “where faith leads.”

Click Below to Read Each Fellow’s Blog

[Emily Benson] [Stephanie Caress] [Fiyori Kidane] [Joshua Mata] [Rachel Sames]

Disciples colleges and universities recently held graduation ceremonies and a number featured well-known speakers giving the commencement address.

Chapman University hosted Larry Wilmore, a comedian formerly featured on the Daily Show with John Stewartas well as host of his own show, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, and currently the executive producer of the ABC series Black-ishand hosts of the podcast Black on Air.  Wilmore shared that he almost attended Chapman and told graduates to “Pour yourself into something meaningful or there is no point.” He continued: “I decided to choose a path for myself and whatever I did with my life was a physical manifestation of walking down that path. Sometimes people will ask me when I considered my life a success and I tell them, ‘The minute I decided to follow my passion.’ Success is not a destination but a journey.”

Lynchburg College hosted Setsuko Thurlow, a Nobel Peace Prize winner for her work in nuclear disarmament and a 1955 graduate of LC.  A survivor of the 1945 atomic blast in Hiroshima, Thurlow is now a leading figure in the movement to ban nuclear weapons. She shared that it is not easy to frequently recall the terror of the explosion and its aftermath in her speeches. “It has been painful, but rewarding task,” Thurlow said, but “I felt it was my moral responsibility to warn the world about the danger of nuclear weapons and the unspeakable suffering they would cause.”

Jarvis Christian College graduates heard from best-selling author Jesse J. Holland, who was selected by Disney to write companion novels for mega hits Black Pantherand Star Wars.

“Life will be a struggle filled with hard choices and no-win situations and straight up failures,” Holland told the graduates. “When you hit rough sea, will you fold your sails and go home? Will you give in or surge forward?” Holland shared stories of his own failures and how they made him a better reporter and writer.  “I hope you will own your failures and learn from them and move forward,” he said. “Winners take their loss, learn what they can from their failures, make appropriate adjustments and try again.”  In addition to Holland, Jarvis also awarded an honorary doctorate to actor Jamie Foxx.

Legendary US Olympian Robert “Bob” Beamon spoke at Eureka College. Beamon is a member of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame and selected as one of ESPN’s top 100 athletes of the 20th century. Beamon is also a member of the Jesse Owens Foundation Board of Directors and most recently appointed as the Global Ambassador to Special Olympics. His jump of 29-feet, 2.5-inches shattered the world record and remains the Olympic record after nearly a half-century. “I ran in the rain, I ran in the heat, I ran in the snow.  It didn’t matter what the weather, I ran because I loved it,” Beamon said.  “Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”  Beamon challenged graduates to “Find inspiration in living, and I mean really living, and giving.  Go into the world and do well.  But even more importantly, go into the world and do good.”

Bethany College graduates heard from former NFL star quarterback Charlie Batch, who played for both the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers before becoming a nationally-recognized advocate for urban communities.  Batch told graduates to “Expect greatness in your life.”  Reflecting on lessons he learned throughout his career, Batch said “Dream big.  Remember that dreams are nothing more than plans awaiting action, and sometimes you may be the only one who can see your vision. I’m sure at some point you were told that you weren’t good enough…smart enough…talented enough. You can either buy into that lie, or you can challenge that lie, and say ‘No, I refuse to believe that.’”

Finally, Hiram College hosted Carol Zelis Perez, a 1975 HC graduate and current United States Ambassador to Chile.  Speaking on the topic of “change,” Zelis Perez said that “We must accept that the only constant in life, in nature, in the universe, is change. The only question left to answer is ‘What will be your attitude in the face of change?  Will you run?  Resist? Reluctantly accept?  Or embrace it?’”  She told graduates that “The most joyful, rewarding path is that of radical acceptance, to learn to grow and to seize what is before you.”

HELM congratulates all the graduates from the fourteen Disciples related colleges and universities and looks forward to seeing the gifts you bring and the changes you make in our communities and world.

General Minister and President, Rev. Teresa Hord Owens, is regularly asked to represent the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in various contexts, including engaging ecumenically with Christians from many backgrounds as well as in interfaith dialogue.  At times, however, she has the opportunity to speak at Disciples institutions.  This was the case recently as Rev. Hord Owens was the guest speaker during the recent baccalaureate service at Lynchburg College as well as the graduation ceremony at Lexington Theological Seminary, both Disciples related institutions of higher learning.

At Lynchburg College, Rev. Hord Owens shared that prior to becoming General Minister and President, she had worked in higher education for many years as Dean of Students at the University of Chicago’s Disciples Divinity House and graduation ceremonies reminded her of those days: “As dean of students, I would be the one to read the names, shake the hands and give a final word of farewell to our students who were graduating.  This whole weekend is food for my soul.  It is the work of institutions like Lynchburg College to launch young, wonderful, intelligent, courageous and imaginative young people into the world.”  Having previously had the responsibility for making sure students met the “minimum requirements” to graduate, Rev. Hord Owens used that as a theme for her sermon.

Reflecting on Micah 6: 6-8, Rev. Hord Owens spoke about the relationship that people of faith need to have with God and how important it is to live lives of justice. Her words were inspiring and challenging: “The prophet Micah reminds us to do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with God.  This particular text is always used as a banner for the work of justice by Christians, but I want to start with the end of the phrase because I think that is where the minimum requirements really start, to walk humbly with our God.”  She went on to challenge the graduates, asking “Will you follow the admonition of the prophet Micah and meet your minimum requirements so that you can soar as God has intended you to soar?”

At Lexington Theological Seminary, Rev. Hord Owens preached on “Imagine. Prepare. Do.”  In speaking to graduates about leadership, she said that the work of pastoral ministry is the work of “Binding hearts together and holding them in your heart.”  She also quoted one of her mentors, J. Irwin Miller, saying “It is not about you, but about what you can empower others to do.” Rev. Hord Owens spoke about the changing context of the church and wider society, noting that just thirty days after she became General Minister and President, white supremacist marched in Charlottesville: “Since that time, the unimaginable has continued to happen. The people of God are called to transform the world according to the teachings of the Gospel.”  She invited those present to dream and to “Imagine what the world might look like if you hold God’s people in your heart.”

In both educational settings Rev. Hord Owens was received with enthusiasm and gratitude. Higher Education remains a crucial priority for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Rev. Hord Owens embodies the church’s commitment to higher educations and leadership development.

Hawkins, TX– Jarvis Christian College has formed a partnership with the University of Texas at Tyler to offer seamless pathways for students to earn degrees and further enhance higher education in East Texas.

“We are forging a relationship that will provide better opportunities for all of our students to advance their education and be better prepared for the 21^stcentury,” said Dr. Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt, Jarvis Christian College Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “With this new partnership, students will have an opportunity to choose from an array of academic and career pathways.” Under the agreement, undergraduate students from Jarvis will be able to transfer into selected undergraduate programs at UT Tyler. The selected programs will not duplicate those offered by Jarvis. Also, UT Tyler students will have an opportunity to pursue majors at Jarvis that are not offered at UT Tyler.

“The partnership is a win-win for both the University of Texas at Tyler and Jarvis Christian College, and especially for students and the region.” said Dr. Amir Mirmiran, UT Tyler Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We welcome this partnership that will not only further the friendly relationship and collaboration between our two institutions, but also help advance higher education in East Texas.”

The agreement also will allow qualified Jarvis students to begin limited study in selected master’s degree programs at UT Tyler as they complete their bachelor’s degrees from Jarvis. Jarvis President Dr. Lester C. Newman and UT Tyler President Dr. Michael Tidwell made the partnership official by signing a memorandum of understanding June 7, 2018, on the UT Tyler campus.

 Jarvis Christian College (JCC) is a historically Black liberal arts, baccalaureate degree-granting institution affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  The mission of the college is to prepare students intellectually, through academic programs that promote excellence in teaching and learning; socially, through student-centered support programs that encourage positive and constructive communication among peers, faculty, and staff; spiritually, through programs that stimulate spiritual growth and worship; and personally, through interaction that fosters self-development and maturity.  The mission further seeks to prepare students for professional and graduate studies, productive careers, and to function effectively in a global and technological society. 

Jarvis Christian College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Jarvis Christian College.

Rev. Dr. Nancy Pittman currently serves as Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean, and Stephen J. England Associate Professor of the Practice of Ministry at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  After joining the faculty at Phillips in 2005 and, among other duties, directing the Doctor of Ministry Program, Dr. Pittman became Dean in 2013.

Dr. Pittman’s previous experience includes serving for six and a half years on the faculty of Tainan Theological College and Seminary, a school related to the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan.  While there, she taught biblical Greek (in Taiwanese) and introductory courses on the synoptic gospels.  Her appointment in Taiwan was supported by Global Ministries, the common international work of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ.  Upon returning to the United States in 2001, Dr. Pittman served as pastor of First Christian Church in Tehlequah, Oklahoma.  Reflecting on her service as Dean as well as previous experience in academia and the larger church, Dr. Pittman said “Serving as dean at Phillips places me at the intersection of academic theological work and the life of our churches.  It is my privilege to work with faculty and students who are striving to teach and learn all that is needed to be effective religious leaders for this century.”

In addition to numerous sermons in books and journals, Dr. Pittman has recently published New Proclamation, Series A, Easter through Christ the King, 2011 (Augsburg Fortress Press, 2011).  She has also contributed to the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology in the area of preaching and hymns, written homiletical essays for Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, Volume II (Westminster John Knox Press, 2010) and “Ties That Bind Too Tightly: A Reflection on Relinquishment and Self-Differentiation in Women’s Leadership” in A Passion for Christian Unity: Essays in Honor of William Tabbernee (Chalice Press, 2009).  Dr. Pittman continues to engage in research in the Book of Revelation and the Gospel of John, particularly as they relate to current images of community, ministerial leadership in the 21^stcentury, and women in pastoral leadership.

Dr. Pittman received a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Christian University, a Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School, and a PhD in New Testament Studies from Southern Methodist University.  She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), an accredited spiritual director, and a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, Spiritual Directors International, the Association for Doctor of Ministry Education, and the Forrest-Moss Institute.

On July 1, 2018, Dr. Pittman will become Interim President at PTS as the current president, Dr. Gary Peluso-Verdend, steps away for a sabbatical year before returning to PTS in 2019 in a new role.

Over the course of the last 15 years, never once have I had to wonder as so many do, “Who is the pastor for the pastor?”  Never one time, even in the most difficult days of my ministry have I thought, “I am so alone.”  Never have I worried about who I might call when I needed someone to be in prayer for me, my family, or my congregation.  I know, in the deepest part of my soul, that being connected with a community on this journey rooted in prayer and systematic trust, has made me a better woman, wife, mother, friend, and minister

Over these last years, I’ve traveled the difficult road of vulnerability and asking for help, the scary path of authenticity and humility, the hopeful path of collaborative leadership and relationship building.  These are the paths of the Bethany Fellowships Way. These are the roads that I continue to lead my congregation down each and every day because I know the difference it makes to have a community of people with whom you can journey as your truest self, your most broken self and how walking with such a beloved community can not only sustain you, but heal you and save you.

By Rev. Shanna K. Steitz

Senior Pastor, Community Christian Church

Bethany Fellows Alum and Board Member 

“During Paul’s lifetime, the Christian church was not yet an institution or a centrally organized set of common practices and beliefs. It was a living organism that communicated the Gospel primarily through relationships. This fits with Paul’s understanding of Christ as what we might call an energy field, a set of relationships inside of which we can live with integrity” (Rohr, 2018).

Founded in 1999, Bethany Fellows is an energy field, a set of relationships inside of which pastors can live with integrity. It is a mentoring and spiritual leadership ministry for young clergy in their earliest years of congregational service. The initiating mission of Bethany Fellows was to serve congregations by helping young pastors transition from seminary to sustained congregational ministry with a strong and healthy pastoral identity. At the heart of this ministry is an innovative mentor/leader team model.Originally developed through Transition into Ministrygrants from the Lilly Endowmentin partnership with HELM, Bethany Fellows helps meet the country’s need for bright, healthy and spiritually savvy clergy to meet the challenges of today’s and tomorrow’s changing and emerging church and world landscapes. Bethany Fellows launched its Ecumenical Fellows (EF) group three years ago and now has a waiting list of 40 for both the Disciples and EF groups. Today Bethany Fellows is sustained through individual and congregational support.

For more information visit www.bethanyfellows.orgor contact Director, Rev. Kim Gage Ryan, kim@bethanyfellows.org

Rohr, Richard. Church as Living Organism. Center for Action and Contemplation; May 7, 2018. https://cac.org/church-as-living-organism-2018-05-07/

On May 22 and 23, the Hispanic Theological Initiative sponsored an ecumenical gathering of twenty faith leaders at Princeton Theological Seminary for a Church Leadership Formation Conference.  Leaders in higher education, Latinx ministries and denominational life from Catholic, mainline and evangelical backgrounds met over the two-day conference to discuss the current context of Latinx Christianity in the United States and the role of higher education in training current and future leadership for the academy and wider church.  The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was represented by Rev. Lori Tapia (National Pastor for Hispanic Ministries), Rev. Dr. Loida Martell (Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Lexington Theological Seminary) and Rev. Dr. Jon Barnes (Director for Higher Education and Communications for HELM).

Presentations and discussions at the conference covered a range of topics, including the sharing of case studies on how different Latinx communities seek to address leadership development, a discussion of the changes that have taken place both within the Latinx community as well as the broader US context over the past decades, and a session on the role of denominational leadership in the future of Latinx theological education and formation.  When reflecting on the importance of the gathering, Rev. Tapia said that “This ecumenical and collaborative event reminds us that we are stronger and our sphere of influence is greater when we are all at the table. Quality theological education for and in the Latinx faith community impacts and enriches both academia and congregational life for all throughout the world.” The conference included in-depth conversation of the realities of all forms of theological education influencing our congregations, with a focus on bible institutes, certificate programs and others. “There is a hunger for theological education and ministerial formation and we are called as the Body of Christ to ‘feed the hungry.’ This may mean we need to look at the bigger picture through a different lens if we are to accomplish this relevantly and justly.”

Rev. Dr. Loida Martell, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean at Lexington Theological Seminary, participated in a panel of HTI graduates that reflected on the impact of the program.  At the conclusion of the event, Dr. Martell noted that “The Hispanic Theological Initiative’s gathering of important institutions involved in the development of Latinx religious leadership, for communities of faith and communities at large, underscores once again that the heart of the Latinx theological enterprise is collaborative in nature. Most important, it reminds us that Latinx theology has its roots in what Roberto Goizueta, Jr. once called a ‘praxis of accompaniment,’ an organic and holistic integration of the academic enterprise with eccesial and grassroots voices.”  Dr. Martell also emphasized the importance of the collaborative nature of the conference and her hope that participants will be able to experience the same environment in their own contexts: “We gathered as denominational leaders, academic leaders (including the Hispanic Summer Program and the Association of Hispanic Theological Education), and theological educators to envision how we can best serve the Church and the world for the Reign of God. In so doing, I hope that we have reminded both the academic and ecclesial structures at large that we are called to serve together, in an integrated and collaborative way; or as we say in Spanish, en conjunto. As the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Lexington Theological Seminary (and alum of HTI), I was proud to participate in this conference and to be part of an educational institution that models this spirit of collaboration with the Church in its curricular design.”

Mark Miller-McLemore is retiring as Dean of the Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt on June 30 after 23 years leading this innovative Disciples theological institution.

Disciples Divinity House is a student residence and scholarship foundation that supports Disciples of Christ students preparing for ministry at Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville. Students receive financial aid and comfortable, low-cost housing near campus in a community of twenty students. The House’s mission is “to shape outstanding ministers for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in a supportive community of faith.”

The Disciples House model is unique to the Disciples of Christ. The denomination established two Disciples Houses at ecumenical, university-based divinity schools in order to provide the best in theological education in a cost-effective way. By affiliating with an established school, the Houses avoid the expenses of libraries, faculty, and educational structures, which holds down costs to the church and to students, reducing their debt. The House at Vanderbilt is focused on building community that fosters supportive collegial relationships in ministry that last decades, as alumni/ae consistently attest. And the combination of an intense community of Disciples in the context of an ecumenical school provides solid grounding in the Disciples tradition, while enhancing ecumenical openness.

As Dean Miller-McLemore writes, “I came to DDH-Vanderbilt from 15 years as a solo pastor in a small but strong congregation in the south suburbs of Chicago that reversed a decade of decline and became very engaged in ministry with its surrounding community. Among other creative and fun efforts, it birthed a homeless sheltering program in 1980 that grew to involve almost 100 congregations and housed 150 people per night in the winter months. So I brought with me to DDH a vision of the attention to theological depth plus a heritage of social justice at Vanderbilt, combined with a focus on doing transformative ministry in churches. Communities of worship and activism aren’t often seen together in the mainline churches, but they can and should be connected for Disciples especially. I’ve worked throughout my tenure to shepherd ministers, especially pastors, who are faithful, effective, bold, and creative in their congregations and in their communities.”

In 1995, Dean Miller-McLemore inherited and effectively turned around an institution in serious distress, and he moved the institution forward on many fronts in a time of increasing costs and complexity and decreasing denominational support. “From 1999-2001, the other six schools of the Council on Theological Education each gave a portion of their Disciples Mission Fund income for three years to the Disciples House-Vanderbilt to give us resources and time to recover and move forward. I am still grateful and amazed at that act of unprecedented institutional generosity by leaders who looked past their own self-interest to the needs of a colleague school and the church’s larger good.”

Dean Miller-McLemore rebuilt the board and organized the institutional, financial, procedural, and compliance-related aspects of the House, leading to two decades of balanced budgets and clean audits.  He began and grew the House’s Annual Fund, doubled staff, added 25 named funds to the House’s endowment and tripled its size, established the Legacy Society, and oversaw interior and exterior facility renovations that made the House’s 1960s-era building energy-efficient and more attractive. Internal renovations were made possible by cost-saving collaborations with Disciple Men of Tennessee and Volunteers in Mission of Disciples Home Missions, “another collaboration for which I am grateful to the church.”

During Dean Miller-McLemore’s tenure, 113 Disciples students have received the Master of Divinity degree, 14 have received the 2-year Masters of Theological Studies degree, and 14 Disciples students have completed their PhD degree at Vanderbilt. Of those graduates, 103 (at last count) were ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). They now serve faithfully throughout the church as pastors, college and military chaplains, counselors teachers, and leaders.

Over 23 years, Dean Miller-McLemore has worked with eight board chairs at DDH; three Deans at Vanderbilt Divinity School; and three presidents at HELM, three General Ministers, and a large number of presidents and deans at our other six Disciple seminaries.

Dean Miller-McLemore also advocated for ministry and kept alive a complicated partnership with the Divinity School and Vanderbilt University on behalf of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He started numerous programmatic initiatives: monthly House Dinners, an Opening Retreat to build community, and the annual Graduation Celebration Dinner.  “I firmly believe in this residential model for educating excellent ministers, so I am pleased that Disciples House-Vanderbilt has thrived and been successful in its mission in spite of a very challenging, sometimes disastrous, time for church-related organizations.” The House receives regular requests for information about how it functions from other seminaries and denominations.

Under the dean’s leadership, Disciples House attracted over $1.5 million in grants, including two major grants from the Lilly Endowment for the Congregational Immersion Project, a Transition into Ministry initiative that ran for 12 years, placing graduates in two-year pastoral residencies with an excellent mentor pastor in a healthy congregation. He participated in Transition-related meetings and took leadership in the Lilly-sponsored Pastoral Excellence Network. As a former pastor, the dean has been committed to measuring outcomes for graduates in ministry as well as numbers of graduates. Two intentional evaluative events, in 2004 and 2014, gathered first-hand information from graduates serving in congregations three to six years about the effectiveness of their preparation. They were highly affirming of their education at VDS and DDH, and “Wise Practice” was designed to focus on practices of ministry that these minister-graduates reported as needing additional attention: money, conflict, weddings and funerals, and anti-racism training.

Disciples Divinity House-Vanderbilt Alumni/ae Lunches at the last twelve General Assemblies were the largest gatherings of Vanderbilt Divinity alumni/ae in the country and were marked by hilarity and high spirits. In 2007, the Disciples House began the musical event “Talent 4 the House.” In ten years, it grew from a spaghetti dinner with a student talent show to a spectacular series of events that raised over $100,000 to support ministry students and attracted almost 500 Disciples to an evening of song and celebration. In later years, it featured Nashville musicians such as Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Allison Krauss, Andrew Peterson; and Disciples Jonell Mosser, Gabe Dixon, Thom Schuyler, Stuart Duncan; as well as students, church members, and (occasionally) the dean on banjo.

“I am thankful for so many people who have been supportive of this place over the years—excellent board chairs and board members, Disciple friends in middle Tennessee, our graduates all over the country, some incredible musicians and volunteers, the larger church, former deans on whose shoulders I stood. Their belief in the House and its good ministry sustained me and our students. I am hopeful of more good at Disciples House even in the face of ongoing changes.”

As part of his role as dean, Prof. Miller-McLemore taught numerous courses at Vanderbilt in the area of Leadership and Ministry, as well as the class for ordination candidates in the History and Theology of the Disciples of Christ. He advised Disciple students and oversaw numerous senior projects. He teaches currently as associate professor of the practice of ministry, as well as playing bass guitar in the VDS faculty cover band, the Soul Providers.

In addition to his administrative and teaching responsibilities, Dean Miller-McLemore is a member of the Academy of Religious Leadership and a founding member of the Association of Disciple Pastors for Theological Discussion (ADPTD), a group of pastoral colleagues that has met continuously for 31 years for reading, writing, and theological conversation about ministry. He has published numerous articles on ministry, including a chapter on the Disciples’ theology of ministry in the Chalice Introduction to Disciples Theology. He has lectured and spoken to congregation, Regional Ministers, and groups throughout the church on the theological tradition of the Disciples of Christ. One of his next projects is a book on a usable Disciples tradition for congregations today.

He has been a member of the Council on Theological Education for 23 years, chairing the group for four years and serving on the board and Executive Committee of Higher Education and Leadership Ministries. He is a member at Woodmont Christian Church, Nashville.

Mark is married to Bonnie, a Disciple minister and professor who teaches pastoral care and practical theology at Vanderbilt Divinity School. They have 3 wonderful grown sons, all living in Colorado.

Mark will lead his 45^thand last meeting of the board on June 4, 2018. “At my first meeting in 1995, few had email, so meeting materials had to be mailed a week or more in advance; the board chair had served for 35 years; the roof was leaking; and the inherited budget was a work of fiction. A lot has changed” But some things will remain the same: he intends to bring with him to this last meeting the same three juggling balls he brought to the first, symbols of what his work has been like, then and now, in an important, meaningful, small, church-oriented institution in a fast-changing world. He can still juggle.

Mark will teach a couple more years at Vanderbilt and give more attention to writing projects, his family, musical pursuits, and other interests forced to the back burner.

The board of trustees have named Rev. Beth Pattillo of Nashville as interim dean and will use this next period to assess the House’s work and conduct a search for the permanent position.