Rev. Dr. Denise Bell will join the faculty as the Don and Lillian Nunnelly Chair for Pastoral Leadership. Dr. Bell is the Regional Minister of the Christian Church in Georgia. For 35 years, she has served as pastor, associate, senior associate, satellite pastor, interim pastor, executive pastor, and regional minister. Dr. Bell received her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Eastern University, where she studied the practices of flourishing African American pastors and challenged research regarding clergy well-being. She was awarded the 2022 Dissertation of the Year Award. As an educator and regional pastor, Dr. Bell helps pastors and congregations increase their capacity to be healthy communities of faith. Dr. Bell will join the Seminary on Sept. 1, 2023.

Dr. Esther Parajuli, joined the faculty as assistant professor of Christian Theologies in August 2022.  Dr. Parajuli (she/her), a theologian, a third-generation migrant and a Naga-Nepali hybrid, completed her PhD in Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary (UTS) in New York City in May 2022. Her current research work integrates apophatic theology with liberation theology as well as postcolonial theory to contemplate the question of selfhood and its relationship with “the Other.” She is the author of “Concept of Virginity: A Patriarchal Hegemony” in Bangalore Theological Forum (2017).

Dr. Wilson Dickinson envisioned and served as chair of the Christ Seminar, a collaborative project on Christologies of the People through the Westar Institute. He presented on his current book project on the Psalms, parenting, and climate change at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting.

Dr. Loida I. Martell, Vice President and Dean and Professor of Constructive Theology, delivered the Antoinette Brown Lecture at Vanderbilt Divinity School on April 11, 2022. The lecture was titled “The God Who Is.” She delivered the plenary address for the Society of Pentecostal Studies at their annual meeting held March 24-26, 2022. The presentation was titled, “Emergent Diseases, Climate Change, and the Viral Nature of Racism: The Spirit’s Call to Breathe.” She presented a paper titled “Emergent Diseases in a Globalized World: The Viral Nature of Racism” during the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion for La Comunidad of Hispanic Scholars of Religion in 2020.

Dr. Leah Schade, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship, and Dr. Richard Voelz, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Union Presbyterian Seminary, have secured a grant from The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion to study diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Academy of Homiletics. In June 2020 Dr. Schade co-founded the Clergy Emergency League, which has grown into a network of 2,500 pastors across the United States, providing support, accountability, resources, and networking for clergy to prophetically minister in their congregations and in the public square.

Dr. Jerry Sumney, Professor of Biblical Studies, co-authored with Dr. Schade Apocalypse When? A Guide to Interpreting and Preaching Apocalyptic Texts. He wrote the Foreword for a forthcoming book of essays on the General Epistles and Revelation, all written from an Afro-Centric perspective. Dr. Sumney celebrates 25 years on the faculty at LTS.

Ms. Dolores Yilibuw, Library Director, continues to contribute to the intellectual life of the Seminary by actively participating in professional organizations such as the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and the Association of Christian Librarians (ACL). She recently reviewed a book, Making Peace with the Earth: Action and Advocacy for Climate Justice for the Journal of the Association of Christian Librarians.

Dr. Charisse L. Gillett, President and Executive Director of the Office of Lilly Projects at LTS, concluded her reflections on leadership with an essay titled “Reflections on Leadership in the Era of COVID-19 and In the Midst of a Reckoning on Racial Injustice,” published by the Journal of Higher Education Management (2021).

Rev. Dr. Jon Barnes serves as project director for the Lilly Endowment (LEI) supported Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative and Rev. Dr. Doris Garcia Rivera serves as the Academic Coordinator. The Pathways Initiative seeks to provide potential students from underserved populations with options for pursuing theological education, and it gives attention to sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.

Thriving Congregations Initiative

Rev. Dr. Erin Miller Cash serves as the project director for the Thriving Congregations Initiative. She has identified contextual hallmarks of thriving congregations for greater ecclesial effectiveness in their faith communities.

Thriving In Ministry Initiative

Rev. Dr. Kris Bentley, Director and Senior Researcher of the Bi-vocational Ministry Research Project contributed a chapter in the recently published book, Bivocational and Beyond: Educating for Thriving Multivocational Ministry. Her chapter, “Pitching Our Tent with Bivocational Ministry,” shares insights from the research at LTS concerning bi-vocational ministry and highlights some stories of bi-vocational pastors and the congregations they serve. The book, published by Books @Atla Open Press, is available via open access at https://doi.org/10.31046/atlaopenpress.82.

Dr. Charisse L. Gillett celebrates 12 years of ministry as president of Lexington Theological Seminary. She began her service as President September 2011 and has led the seminary during a period of intense transition, crisis, and growth.  Dr. Loida Martell celebrates 6 years as Vice-President and Academic Dean. Dr. Martell and Dr. Gillett were identified as women of influence in a 2023 video presentation by the Association of Theological Schools.

Dr. Emily Askew was named Professor Emerita of Systematic Theology upon the recommendation of the faculty and action of the Board.  This action was taken in recognition of her teaching, service, and scholarship as a faculty member at LTS.  Dr. Askew was an early adopter of the green movement and was instrumental in starting the LTS recycling program 15 years ago. She was a founding member of the Green Task Force, and has taught, mentored and nurtured students into their vocations.  She was a committed advocate for a community that reflects the rights and humanity of LGBTQA+ students. She joined the faculty in 2007 and retired in July 2022.

LTS was approved as the first Green Chalice Seminary in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) by the Green Chalice Ministry. The letter of approval said: “The work that you all do has ripple effects, the impact of which we will never fully know. You are a model in your community, for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and for seminaries and churches everywhere. We give great thanks for your witness to the Gospel by living your faith in action by walking more gently on the earth and by inviting others to do the same.”

At the KY Pitch competition, two Midway University student teams competed and walked away with honors and prizes. The KY Pitch competition is open to all Kentucky post-secondary colleges and universities.  Read More…

Leadership Fellows Global Awareness Trip to Israel-Palestine

After their third year in the Leadership Fellows Program, HELM fellows participate in a Global Awareness trip. The destinations vary, but the goals are always the same: that fellows would learn about faithful accompaniment in our interconnected world and engage in conversations around authentically and effectively walking in solidarity with Christians and DOC partners around the world. This year, we saw our students deeply engaged in both the immediacy and the long, tenuous story of Israel-Palestine. Seven fellows, along with HELM’s President, Board Chair, and Program Coordinator spent six days learning and growing together under the guidance of Dr. Peter Makari in Global Ministries. Especially meaningful were the opportunities to hear real-life stories of Palestinians today, learning how we might be able to walk alongside them in solidarity and in hope. The group returned to the US with full hearts, and their own stories to share. Please meet our fellows below and hear what they found most vital and life-changing throughout their Global Awareness trip.

Katie Varon

I was previously aware of Palestine’s occupation, but I had no idea the extent of the inhumanity and injustice done to them, and I am so grateful to HELM, Global Ministries, and the Church for showing us this perspective of the Holy Land. It feels impossible not to talk about, and it feels equally impossible to feel satisfied with just one conversation.

I am much more aware of the geographic, structural, and institutional forms of violence, in addition to the literal violence. The existence of settlements, the need for permits, the Canadian trees, the checkpoints and movement restrictions, the wall around Bethlehem, the lack of money for Universities and community centers— everything is negatively impacted by occupation.

Sara Wilson

The thing that most changed me was the personal connection that I had with people who live this reality every day. I cannot unhear each person’s story that we heard. I cannot unsee the destroyed homes and bullet holes in the buildings. I cannot unlearn the history or the current situation that Palestinians are experiencing daily. I will never fully understand the hurt, pain, loss, suffering, struggle, hope, or fear that they endure as individuals or a community, but I can do my best to understand, learn, listen, share their stories, and uplift their voices so that they can be heard. I feel the responsibility to make known what is being filtered and hidden from the people outside of Israel-Palestine.

Dylan Wyly

What I witnessed on the ground in Palestine was not at all what I had heard from the media, institutions, or my close inner circle. I witnessed not a conflict or war, but instead an oppressive apartheid regime doing everything in its power to silently control, humiliate, and erase Palestinian people and their culture. I will never forget the experience I had on my visit. I will never forget the Palestinians we talked to who would freely share endless stories of the oppression that they face every single day.

Sophia Patchin

Because of this life-changing trip, I have a deeper understanding of my personal faith, and I have a greater knowledge of the Palestinian reality and ways we can help them here in the US. My biggest take away is seeing the hope in individuals despite the unimaginable injustices they face every single day. How beautiful would it be if these individuals could have hope and love in a just world instead of in an unjust world?

Eli Baldwin

As a future teacher, I was excited to visit a school one day. The kids were so happy and excited to see some new faces. They danced with us, gave us high fives, and made us give them lots of piggyback rides. After we left, it really sunk into me how genuinely happy these kids, and even the adults were, even living in the terrible conditions that they do. These displaced Palestinians have been stripped of their homes, denied access to basic human rights, and constantly live in fear of being attacked or killed by Israeli military officers, yet they were some of the most kind and loving people I’ve ever met.

They just want to be treated like human beings. They want peace, and an end to the suffering, violence, and the oppression they face every day. We often hear media outlets make claims that Palestinians are raising their children in hatred and teaching them to be terrorists, but this is the furthest thing from the truth. When I was interacting with the children, all I felt was love.

Even among the kids, they are ready for a change, and I think they know kindness and love are what help create peace. I want to help change the narrative that people have towards Palestinians, especially Palestinian refugees, and children. I want to help the world see that Palestinians are not terrorists or fueled by hatred; they are human beings, who hold an unbelievable amount of love in their hearts.

Abby Bender

While seeing the Holy Land and visiting the historic and biblical sites I have learned about since I was a child was a breathtaking experience, meeting people from Palestine will always be what I remember from this trip. What has changed the most in my head and in my heart since coming home is knowing how much the Palestinian people are hurting and just want to live in their homes without fear of being thrown in jail or killed by Israeli military. We in the United States are very lucky that we live in a place where we do not have to think about what would happen to us for simply speaking out against our government or not obeying military officers as they forcibly take our land for their own gain.

Maci Mazza-Fredley

So much of what I had already seen and heard about this ongoing “conflict” does not even scratch the surface of the realities taking place in Israel-Palestine. Human rights violations, disregard for international law, and apartheid are affecting the lives of millions of people living in Palestine. After witnessing such egregious atrocities, it is clear that the rest of the world needs to know the truth about what the Israeli occupation is doing to Palestinian families and communities.

Something I will always carry with me is the love that Palestinians have for their communities. So many asked us to “share our stories when you go back home.” The truth about what is happening daily in Palestine is something we as global leaders now carry in our hearts and minds forever. We can never un-see and un-hear what we have. We can never un-experience the love and acceptance we were shown when going into vulnerable spaces, refugee camps, and holy sites. I will never forget the names of those who told us their stories. It is now up to us to share their stories with those around us, and hopefully one day, see the end of this humanitarian catastrophe.

The heart of HELM’s work resides within the network of the whole Church, from the individual congregation which nurtures young people, to the region which connects them to a larger faith community, to the colleges, universities and theological schools that develop their skills in leadership.

HELM walks beside each of these expressions of the Church identifying emerging leaders during their undergraduate and graduate studies. Our great joy is providing support in the form of scholarship and leadership development. We do this in partnership with our general and ecumenical ministries as well as individuals like you.

Recently, a group of Leadership Fellows traveled to Israel-Palestine under the leadership of Dr. Peter Makari, Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ. Our students witnessed the world in this sacred place – its profound hope and its lived pain. Leadership is the ability to engage and experience the world as it is with clear, critical, reflective and responsive presence.   

Leadership Fellows learn that clarity requires an opportunity to see, hear, smell, taste and touch the world in new and transforming ways. Critical thought requires in-depth study filtered with intellectual and emotional intelligence. Reflection requires personal experience and time. Responsive presence requires humility and courage.

HELM’s Leadership Fellows Global Awareness experiences and Emerging Clergy Leadership Conferences are designed to introduce students to the possibilities and challenges in leadership within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and in relationship with the world as it is today.

Similarly, HELM connects our institutions of higher learning in dialogue and support of our related presidents, chancellors, deans, faculty, andcampus ministries. Our mission is lifting and amplifying these talented voices as we celebrate institutional advancements and respond to challenges in church, society, and world. We do this work through our Council of Theological Education, Council of Colleges & Universities, and Council on Higher Education Ministries.

Beyond the classroom, HELM supports post-graduate dialogue and reflection through the Association of Disciples in Theological Discussion (ADTD). ADTD brings together outstanding theological minds from across our related institutions to consider the moment in meaningful reflection, theological leadership, and in published contribution addressing pressing issues of our time.

It is my privilege and honor to begin a season of service, together with HELM’s Board of Directors and partners, as we consider the possibilities before us. We will navigate our way forward, valuing the past, embracing the now and expanding directions and resources for the future.

Mark Dingler ’23 M.Div. is all about community-building. At Yale Divinity School, he’s gotten involved in student affairs and student government to rebuild the community lost to the isolation of the Covid pandemic. His goal after graduation in May is to become an associate pastor in a church where he can foster relationships. “Life is too hard to go through by yourself. You need people to walk on this journey.”

A desire for community is what led Mark, a native of Arlington, Texas, to pursue a degree in music education from Texas Christian University. He then discerned God was calling him to foster community in additional ways through the church. “I wanted to do relational community work, and the church has been that space for me.” The Disciples of Christ—his denomination then and now—stresses togetherness. “Our slogan is ‘a movement for fullness in a fragmented world.’ I love that idea of trying to find ways that we can work together to do the work that God has called us to do.”

He came to Yale in the fall of 2020, when classes and activities were online. “The first month I lived here I didn’t see anyone in person. I was really glad I had a dog.” As the pandemic subsided, Mark worked with others to bring people together. “We were trying to find ways to be Covid-safe while having events that helped foster community.” One was a gathering of his classmates in the M.Div. program for cookies and hot chocolate.

While at Yale, Mark has interned at Spring Glen Church, a UCC congregation of about 250 in nearby Hamden, and last year he filled in for a pastor who was away for seven weeks. “I led worship by myself, and they let me just jump in.” He also offered pastoral care and served on the Good Works Committee.

Mark is hoping to be ordained in June and is in conversation with several churches, looking to find one that will be a good fit for everyone. The Disciples of Christ congregations are mostly in the West and Midwest, and he’s willing to resettle anywhere. One of denomination’s appeals for Mark is that churches are led by local congregations and there is little hierarchy.

“We encourage diversity of thought and opinion. You can question and have your own thoughts and you can disagree with one another. We’re still in it together, we’re still loved children of God.”

Vanderbilt University School names influential public theologian Yolanda Pierce as next dean…Read More.

Georgetown University’s Center on Faith + Justice invites you to its 2023 Certificate Program, designed to equip participants with a theo-ethical vision for substantive engagement in civic and public life, and effective advocacy at local, state, and federal levels.

The 2023 Distinguished Alumna of the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago, Cynthia Gano Lindner, has taught and nurtured religious leaders for over twenty years in her role as Director of Ministry Studies at the Divinity School. Her book, Varieties of Gifts: Multiplicity and the Well-Lived Pastoral Life, urges emerging religious leaders to reclaim the multi-faceted nature of their own lives, an insight that is increasingly relevant for a rapidly changing landscape of higher education.

Nestled in the city’s south side, the University of Chicago’s Divinity School continues to grow in ways that reflect the historied, pluralistic environment of Chicago. Newly appointed Dean Jim Robinson shared with DDH recently about faculty searches in Global Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Early Modernities, complementing the decade-long transformation of the M.Div. program into uniquely multi-faith cohorts under Cynthia’s shepherding.

DDH Chicago continues to embrace its own varieties of gifts by fostering the growth of religious leaders, theologians, academics, activists, and above all, human beings. It supports students through tuition payment, housing, stipends, and the broadening of their educational experiences. Scholarships have placed students as interns in Disciples congregations and offered ecumenical encounters by supporting travel to the World Council of Churches’ 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, among supporting a variety of other programs.

DDH Chicago offers programs that reflect the multiple lived realities of students and faculty. Final-year MDiv students often choose a Monday Night Dinner at DDH as the setting for their ministry thesis presentations, sharing what has been incubating during their academic career–and their lives–in profound acts of public theology. DDH Chicago also partners with community members, such as inviting local chaplains to reflect on spiritual care and space-making, and mining the rich field of the arts for theological inquiry at the Smart Museum of Art and the Court Theatre.

Ministry, academics, and life require much from us, including that we show up in complex and realized ways. Much like DDH’s distinguished alumna, the University of Chicago Divinity School and DDH seek to equip their students for religious leadership, scholarship, and navigating life in all their multiplicities.