287985 DDH Newsletter_July.indd

Alumni and House News
states, “I am overjoyed to serve this vital and missionfocused congregation.”
Former DHouse resident, Jessa Decker-Smith writes
to us regarding her husband, Eric Decker-Smith, “This
gift goes to thank DDH Vandy and to congratulate
my husband, Reverend Doctor Eric Smith, MTS ’02,
as he begins his work as Assistant Visiting Professor of
the History of Christianity and New Testament Studies
at Iliff School of Theology this fall. Thank you DDH
for the major role you played in Eric’s
journey to achieving this dream.”
Yolanda M. Norton, a thirdyear PhD student in Hebrew Bible
and Ancient Israel in the Graduate
Department of Religion and connected
to the Disciples Divinity House, has
been named by Higher Education
and Leadership Ministries as a 2014
recipient of an Ann E. Dickerson
Yolanda M. Norton
Scholarship.
Ms. Norton is a graduate of Syracuse University and
Wesley Theological Seminary, and has served as associate
pastor of New Covenant Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ) in Nashville since 2011. Her academic
work focuses on “...exegetical work...that addresses the
complexities of scripture and the social, political, and
cultural milieu of the biblical world from the African
American female perspective.”
John E. Hibbard, MDiv ‘58, JD
‘61, died May 7, 2014, after a brief
illness. Funeral services were held at
First Christian Church of the Beaches,
Neptune Beach, Florida, where he had
served as senior pastor for 43 years.
While attending Vanderbilt, he served
John Hibbard
Eastwood Christian
Church, Nashville, Tennessee.
David Shirey, MDiv ’85 was
called as senior Minister at Central
Christian Church, Lexington, Kentucky.
Jane Edwina
Harper, MDiv ‘93,
died unexpectedly
at her home in
David Shirey
Memphis, Tennessee,
Sunday, February 24, 2013. Jane spent
much of her career after divinity school
at Mayo’s Clinic serving as a chaplain.
Jane Edwina Harper Jane served as House manager from
‘92-93 while she completed her studies
at VDS.
Megan Huston, MDiv ’08 began Tuesday, July 1st
as Senior Minister of First Christian Church Bowling
Green, Kentucky. Megan was called to First Christian
Church Bowling Green in January of 2013, and served
as the Associate Minister for a year and a half. Megan
Ordinations to Celebrate
Former House resident, Phillip Sigmon was ordained on Sunday, June 1st,
2014. Vine Street Associate Minister, Greg Rumberg, delivered the message.
Phillip and his wife, Disciple PhD student Casey Thornburg Sigmon, lived at
the Disciples House their first year in Nashville.
Phil Sigmon Ordination, Vine Street
Christian Church
Allison Enari, a recent graduate of Vanderbilt
Divinity School, was ordained at Eastwood
Christian Church on Saturday, June 14
2014. Casey Thornburg Sigmon delivered
the message. As part of the ordination service,
Allison presided at the Communion table and
led the communion service
Allison Enari Ordination
Eastwood Christian Church
DISCIPLES DIVINITY HOUSE
@Vanderbilt
Shaping outstanding ministers for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
July 2014
Graduation 2014 at Disciples House and Vanderbilt
The
Disciples
Divinity
House
celebrated
with three
recent
graduates and
their families
on May 8
Nita Floe Hempfling, Helen Hempfling Ervin, Allison Enari
and Robert Hempfling
and 9 at
Vanderbilt Disciples House Graduation. Two students
received their Master of Divinity and one his Master
of Theological Studies in ceremonies at Vanderbilt.
Commencement and graduation were held in Benton
Chapel.
A celebratory graduation dinner was held on
Thursday evening, May 8 after baccalaureate at the
DHouse. Dean Mark Miller McLemore shared brief
comments before the “roasting” began.
This year, Allison and Mary were celebrated with
words of gratitude for their ministry with notes from
the youth at Eastwood
Christian Church
and the seniors from
McKendree Village
retirement community
in Nashville.
Allison Enari,
Disciple MDiv,
will be heading to
Indianapolis, Indiana,
to begin serving as
full time Associate
minister at Allisonville
Allison Enari with her dad and step-mom
Christian Church.
Charles Hudson,
Jr., Disciple MTS,
completed his course
work in December.
He is living in
Nashville and working
with the immigrant
population on issues
particular to their lives.
Ecumenical resident,
Charles Hudson and his mom
Mary Trollinger,
MDiv, is living in
Danville, Kentucky,
her hometown, with
plans to begin a
CPE residency in the
summer.
Mary Trollinger with her family
Congratulations to each
of you. Go with our
prayers and blessings on
your new work.
Save the Date - DDH Vandy Alumni/ae Luncheon - Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Save the Date - DDH Vandy Alumni/ae Luncheon - Tuesday, July 21, 2015
4
1
Disciples Divinity House
Scholars 2013-2014
The Disciples Divinity House is pleased to
announce the 2013-2014 recipients of
Disciple Foundation Scholarships.
Congratulations to this year’s list
of recipients:
The DDH Alumni/ae Fund – Andy Eaker
Robert H and Barbara A Boyte Scholar –
Allison Enari
Clifford Butler Scholar – Scott Jamieson
James Chandler Scholar – Scott Jamieson
Esther King Davis Scholar – Ben Saunders
Frank Drowota Scholar – Kaitlyn Asher
Anthony Dunnavant Scholar –
Susan McBride
Marie Easterwood Scholar – James Shenko
First Christian Church, Bloomington,
Indiana Scholar - Allison Enari
First Christian Church, Galesburg, Illinois
Scholar – Andy Eaker
First Christian Church, Paris, Tennessee
Scholar –Kaitlyn Asher
William Hardy Scholar – Ben Saunders
J. Phillip Hyatt Scholar – Teresa Pecinovsky
Hugh Lewis Scholar – Amy Fletcher
Helen and Clifford Love Scholar –
Susan McBride
George Mayhew Scholar – Andy Eaker
Dan and Cynthia Moseley Scholar –
Mallory Magelli
Herman Norton Scholar – Christy Jo Harber
Eugene M and Elizabeth Mayhew Regen
Scholars – Mallory Magelli, Topher Endress
Edward Rountree Scholar – Topher Endress
Oreon Scott/Small Church Scholar –
James Shenko
Oreon Scott/Ethnic Scholar –
Teresa Pecinovsky
Roy Stauffer Scholar – Christy Jo Harber
Stewart-Long Scholar – Andrew Shaw
Emily Warren Scholar – Charles Hudson
Charles Whittaker Scholar - Charles Hudson
Congregational Immersion Project
Church, Tucson, AZ on June 2nd.
This year’s Congregational
Saguaro CC describes its vision
Immersion Project resident is Shelly
using the image of
Tilton. Shelly is a
the cactus for which
2013 VDS/ DDH
it is named, saying
graduate whose journey
“with arms stretched
into ministry in the
heavenward and roots
Christian Church
firmly planted in the
(Disciples of Christ)
promise of God’s
has woven through the
unconditional love,
Church of Christ, to
we reach out far and
Vine Street Christian
Shelly Tilton, MDiv ‘13
wide to be responsive
Church and to the
to the needs of the world around
Disciples Divinity House, along
with a host of other stops that bring us and make a difference.” The
Rev. Owen Chandler will be
her to ministry with CIP.
Shelly’s mentor-pastor. To learn
Shelly grew up in the southeast,
more about Saguaro Christian
graduating both high school
Church visit their website at
and college with honors before
www.saguarochristian.org
attending Vanderbilt. Shelly was
Shelly says that her first weeks at
the interim pastor at Central
Saguaro Christian
Christian Church in Springfield,
Church, which she describes as
TN, serving from September 2013
warm and generous, have confirmed
to May 2014. She said that she
her choice to say “yes” to the
hoped to travel outside of the
congregations call.
southeast for the two-year residency
and she has fulfilled her hope by
beginning at Saguaro Christian
Wise Practice
Since 2007, the Disciples
House has held an annual “Wise
Practice” workshop between the
end of exams and graduation.
Wise Practice focuses on essential
topics in ministry that are usually
not covered in the Divinity School
curriculum.
This year’s workshop was held
May 4th and 5th, and the theme
was personal and congregational
finances and stewardship. Bruce
Barkhauer, head of the Center for
Faith and Giving, and Deborah
Wray from the Pension Fund of
the Christian Church provided
leadership.
Three Congregational Immersion
Project residents—Andrew
Shepherd, Cheryl Russell and Katie
Russell—
provided
leadership for
the opening
portion of
the event.
Each shared
2nd and 3rd year residents
Katie, Andrew and Cheryl
a case study
of an important event in their
ministries during the last year and
facilitated small group reflection on
the complicated decision making
processes congregational ministry
demands.
HVAC Replacement Underway
The aging heating and air
conditioning systems at
Disciples Divinity House
are being replaced this
summer!
The board has looked at
a planned replacement of
these systems for the last
two years, hoping to move
to a system that is both
more green and comfortable. First explorations centered
on a geothermal approach,
but the size of the lot on
which the House sits was
insufficient.
The current project
involves a high-efficiency
conventional system
that also utilizes heat
exchangers. The heart
of the system in the
basement boiler room
has been changed as well.
Each room will have a
new heating cooling unit, with individual temperature
controls, and the ability for one room to draw heating or
cooling energy from other
adjacent units. Especially
in connection with
new windows from two
years ago, the building’s
energy efficiency will be
drastically increased, with
resultant savings in utility
costs.
There’s a great deal of
chaos as workers are in the
building and all individual
rooms, and temporary
cooling has been in use.
It’s likely that kitchen work will be needed as well in
order to meet code requirements. Plans are for the work
to be complete by the beginning of the fall semester in
mid-August, when
we’ll all breathe a
big sigh of relief.
And there will be no
more need to vote
on when to turn on
the heat in the whole
House this October!
The project
will cost
approximately $350,000 and is financed over 15 years
through Disciples
Church Extension
Fund, with the
help of some
early donations.
Additional
fundraising is
planned, and
(of course) your
designated gifts are
welcome.
Save the Date - DDH Vandy Alumni/ae Luncheon - Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Save the Date - DDH Vandy Alumni/ae Luncheon - Tuesday, July 21, 2015
2
3

Download Report