SUMMER ’10 VOL.38 NO.

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Making Disciples

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 contents SUMMER ’10 VOL.38 NO.1

The Ministry Magazine of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mr. Joel B. Aarsvold
Dr. Claude R. Alexander
Mrs. Linda Schultz Anderson
3 ON THE FRONT LINES
God’s Presence in the Collapsing Screams
Dr. George F. Bennett
Rev. Dr. Garth T. Bolinder
Rev. Dr. Richard P. Camp, Jr.
of the Haiti Earthquake Mr. Thomas J. Colatosti,
Stuart Rankin Chair
Mr. Charles W. Colson

6 Jesus & Discipleship

Mrs. Joyce A. Godwin
Dr. William F. Graham
The View from the Great Commission Rev. Dr. Michael E. Haynes
Mr. Herbert P. Hess,
Roy Ciampa
Treasurer
Mr. Ivan C. Hinrichs
9 Learning Before the King’s Throne Rev. Dr. John A. Huffman, Jr.
Mr. Caleb Loring III
James R. Critchlow
Rev. Dr. Christopher A. Lyons
Mrs. Joanna S. Mockler
12 Discipleship in the Church Fred L. Potter, Esq.
Shirley A. Redd, M.D.
Watching God Transform Lives Mr. Timothy B. Robertson
Anne B. Doll Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Jr.
David M. Rogers, Esq.,

15 Our Students: Becoming Beloved

Vice Chairman
Mr. John Schoenherr
Disciples of Jesus Mrs. Virginia M. Snoddy
Stephen A. Macchia Mr. John G. Talcott, Jr.
Joseph W. Viola, M.D.,
Secretary
18 Spiritual Formation During Seminary J. Christy Wilson III, Esq.
Rev. Dr. John H. Womack
Anne B. Doll
William C. Wood, M.D.

20 Looking Backward to Move Forward EMERITI MEMBERS

Dr. Richard A. Armstrong
J.I. Packer & Gary Parrett
Dr. Allan C. Emery, Jr.
Rev. Dr. Leighton Ford
22 TRUSTEE PROFILE Mr. Roland S. Hinz
Dr. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.
Joanna Mockler President Emeritus
Ruth Hawk Rev. Dr. Robert J. Lamont
Mr. Richard D. Phippen
Rev. Dr. Paul E. Toms
23 SEMINARY NEWS Dr. Robert E. Cooley,
President Emeritus

30 FOCUS ON ALUMNI
President
Dr. Dennis P. Hollinger
35 OPENING THE WORD
Edward M. Keazirian II
Vice President of Advancement
Mr. Kurt W. Drescher

Director of Communications
and Marketing
Mr. Michael L. Colaneri

Senior Communications
Inquiries regarding CONTACT may be addressed to: Editor, CONTACT Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Advisor and Editor of Contact
130 Essex Street, S. Hamilton, MA 01982 Mrs. Anne B. Doll
Tel: 978.468.7111 or by publicrelations@gcts.edu
www.gordonconwell.edu Graphic Designer
Ms. Nicole S. Rim
GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY DOES NOT
DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, GENDER, NATIONAL
OR ETHNIC ORIGIN, AGE, HANDICAP OR VETERAN STATUS.
Writer
Mrs. Ruth Hawk

Photography
Mr. Tom Kates
Mr. Kenny Nakai
2 Summer ‘10 Ms. Nicole S. Rim
 ON THE FRONT LINES

god’s presence
in the

collapsing screams
of the

haiti
earthquake
Stuart Rankin, mach, math ‘06
Missions Coordinator,
Sturbridge Worship Center
Sturbridge, MA

Photo Credit: Kenny Nakai, photographing for

www.churcheshelpingchurches.com

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ON THE FRONT LINES
wmagnitude
hen the 7.0
earthquake struck
haiti on january 12,
i was near the
epicenter.
Our team, sent by Sturbridge (MA) Worship Center,
where I serve, had just returned from a day of ministry in
the mountains. I didn’t realize it at the time, but God had
protected us in a major way.
The road we had driven across a few minutes prior to
the quake had been torn open and covered by truck-size
boulders from the landslides. If we had left later, our story
would be different. Instead, we were at the Mission of
Hope office in Grand Goave, the headquarters for a Haitian
ministry with which our church mission teams regularly work.
Unlike so many buildings that collapsed under the
violent shaking, including a number at the Mission of Hope
school and orphanage, we remained unscathed. We would
soon discover that our sleeping accommodations had been
totally destroyed, and washed over by a mini tsunami.
In that moment, surrounded by danger on all sides, God
powerfully protected us.
Standing outside, we began to grasp the sheer magnitude
of the moment. Structures were visibly damaged. With
each successive aftershock, the eerie sound of buildings
collapsing left an uncomfortable void of unease and
anxiety, offset only by the screams that would reverberate
through the city.
A woman running helplessly up and down the street
approached us in desperation, carrying her beautiful little
granddaughter. The three-year-old was already unconscious. A
concrete slab had fallen and split open her head. This precious
child had simply been standing in the wrong place at the wrong
time. We tried in vain to get her to a hospital, and prayed in
earnest for her life, but ultimately committed her to the Lord.
What could be done? We all felt so helpless. Everyone
felt helpless. “Are the orphans okay? Please, God, protect
them! How about Pastor Lex? He’s been away since
morning!” The phones were down. We just determined
to pray constantly and encourage one another. Night was
coming quickly.
4 Summer ‘10
During those initial night hours, it was difficult to
overcome an encompassing sense of dread and uncertainty.
As we huddled under the stars with so many whose homes
had been lost, we saw desperation and fear grip the people
every time a tremor would strike—a relentless reminder
that the earthquake seemed to be in charge.
Yet, with all of Haiti vulnerable to this spirit of fear,
there arose a more powerful voice: unceasing cries to Jesus
to save and have mercy. For the five nights we were there
before being evacuated, we could hear people praying and
worshipping until dawn across the whole city. As many have
quipped, that first night, “All of Haiti became Christian.”
During the ensuing days, God’s presence continued to be
apparent. Just a few blocks from where we were during
the earthquake, St. Francois, the local Catholic church, and
behind it the priest’s home, had crumbled to the ground,
burying alive the priest, a nun and 17 church members.
Having feared the worst, we joyfully received word two
days later that all had been pulled out alive some 23 hours
after the earthquake.
I had an opportunity to talk with the priest a day
later. From his mattress on the dirt ground where he lay
paralyzed from his waist down, he recalled how “The Lord
told me we would all be rescued.” That one word from
the Lord made all the difference. Despite being trapped
under rubble, he fought to keep his group from sinking
into despair. As I listened to him, his strength seemingly
returning, I could see the depth of faith and gratitude in his
eyes. God was certainly at work.
After the earthquake, our team, which included current
GCTS student William Coley, extended help by being
a presence: encouraging, praying and walking alongside
our Haitian brothers and sisters as they experienced this
catastrophe. We sent out teams to search for survivors
with relatives in the U.S. Thankfully, all the individuals
we searched for were found alive. We also conducted
interviews with survivors (such as the priest), and analyzed
and documented the damage of many of those in the
Mission of Hope community who had lost their homes.
Since the earthquake, we have sent six international relief
teams to Haiti, and will continue sending teams throughout
the year. In my first return visit in February, I helped
coordinate on-the-ground work, including rubble removal
and construction at the destroyed beach property, and
construction of a wood and tarp structure which serves as
 ON THE FRONT LINES

a temporary church and school. I also helped distribute tents

to the mountain area before the rainy season, and worked
with Samaritan’s Purse to secure installation of latrines,
washhouses and water filtration systems which are providing
pure water for the first time to many Haitians.
Besides all the incredible reconstruction work that is
happening, God is visibly at work in the hearts of ordinary
Haitians. Church services are packed. The already vibrant
worship is now overflowing with jubilation and thanksgiving
to the God who saves. Most people have lost so much, yet
they seem to have so much more: an undeniable joy.
One early morning, I was privileged to assist in baptizing
28 new believers. They had all come to know Christ through
this earthquake experience. In fact, they all came from the
mountainous area where, on the day of the earthquake,
our mission team was distributing supplies and praying for
people. I remember one lady in particular who refused our
prayer. “I won’t die today,” she said. “I don’t need Jesus
now.” But that night, her life flashed before her eyes, and
she ran to the local pastor to give her life to Christ. She was
among those baptized.
In that same area, we had, prior to the earthquake, met
a voodoo priest who confessed he practiced voodoo for the
money. However, he allowed us to pray for him and his
family. We prayed that he would come to know Christ, and,
if not, that God would remove the voodoo influence from
the region. And that is exactly what happened. With the
earthquake disrupting the voodoo dance he was preparing as
an offering to one of his gods, all the people were praising
God, even this priest. We don’t know what has become of
him, other than that he lost his customers and left for Port-
au-Prince. It reminded me of the Book of Acts.
Haiti faces monumental challenges over the next decade.
Yet God is at work. And he can take what is meant for evil
and use it for good. With the church leading the way through
embodied praise, the powers of darkness that have kept Haiti
in generational bondage will be silenced, and Jesus will be
exalted (cf. Ps. 8:2; Mt 21:16). Having seen him at work
already, that is my prayer for Haiti.

Stuart Rankin, Missions Coordinator at Sturbridge (MA) Worship

Center, organizes and leads short-term mission teams to locations

where his church has built a network of relationships, such as

Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ghana, France, Germany, Belgium and Haiti.

Teams, often international in composition, are sent to serve and

strengthen local ministries through a variety of initiatives, typically including teaching

and preaching, evangelism, sponsorship programs and humanitarian work. He

received Master of Arts in Church History and Master of Arts in Theology degrees from

Gordon-Conwell in 2006, and has subsequently served six times in Haiti.

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 In the Great Commission, as reported in the Gospel of Matthew, following his atoning
death and victorious resurrection, Jesus announces that all authority has been given to
him over all creation, and that his disciples should therefore go and lead all nations into
also becoming disciples of Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). A closer look at the passage will bring
out some aspects of Christ’s distinctive approach to discipleship.1

Jesus &
Discipleship
The View from the
Great Commission
Matthew 28:18-20
Roy E. Ciampa, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament;
Chair, Division of Biblical Studies

6 Summer ‘10
“Go” Most people have heard, correctly, that the
only imperative in the passage is the command to lead the
nations to be Christ’s disciples. The participle that comes
before the verb is rightly translated “go” (not “going”). It is
a participle of attendant circumstance, which means that it
is not stressed as much as the imperative but still carries an
imperatival force. It is to be understood as action that must
be done if the command given in the main verb (“make
disciples”) is to be accomplished.2 We cannot accomplish the
task that Jesus has given us if we stay on the mountain, or
stay in Jerusalem, or stay wherever we might find ourselves.
If everyone in the world is to learn of the one who has
authority over them and who has given commandments for
them to keep, then the Church must be intentional about
bringing that message to all people everywhere.
the rejection of all self-serving and self-promoting behavior
and the rejection of self-justifying interpretations of
Scripture in favor of behavior and interpretations that
reflect ruthless honesty about our own moral and spiritual
failures (especially our failure to respect our proper
obligations to God and others). We are to unequivocally
place God’s honor and agenda above our own.
For followers of Christ, this also means following Christ
by taking up the cross each day. The cross is at the center
of the message of each of the four Gospels, and it was at
the center of Christ’s teaching and mission. Those who
follow Christ may expect to be rejected and persecuted just
as he was. To follow Christ is to be prepared to suffer the

“Make all the

loss of all things for the sake of gaining Christ and the life
that he offers.

nations/peoples “Baptize them in

my disciples” This is the clause
that has the one imperative in the passage. This is the main the name of the
point. Going is a necessary precursor to the accomplishing
of this task and, as we shall see, baptizing and teaching Father and of the
are specific parts of how this task is to be carried out.3
Son and of the
Holy Spirit”
What does it mean to make someone a disciple of Christ?
Despite some of what has gone on from time to time in the
This clause points to a
history of the Christian Church, Christ does not condone
key initial step in making disciples. Christian baptism is
or warrant the use of physical, political or other kinds of
associated with faith in Christ (Acts 8:12-13; 16:15; 18:8;
force. This is not a justification for the Crusades or forcible
19:4). To be baptized in someone’s name is to “become
conversions. No one becomes a disciple against his or her
the possession of and come under the dedicated protection
own will. Christ calls people to follow him, and only those
of the one whose name they bear.”5 The baptism of an
who freely decide to follow him are his disciples.
individual in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
To be a disciple is to be one who is committed to
the Holy Spirit suggests that this person is being brought
learning from, and obeying, the teachings and example
into intimate relationship with the Trinity; now belongs
of one’s master/teacher. Since Christ was committed to
to, and stands under the protection of, the Father, Son and
proclaiming the need for repentance4 and the good news of
Holy Spirit; and lives in intimate relationship with them.
the Kingdom of God, and sent the 12 and then the 72 out
Christian discipleship, according to Jesus, is about
to do the same (Luke 9:1-2; 10:1), his disciples understand
living out a relationship with the Father, Son and Holy
that they must be committed to that task as well. Since he
Spirit.6 It is about living out the relationship established by
was known for ministering to those who were marginalized
God’s covenant (the new covenant in Christ’s blood) which
and rejected by mainstream society, his disciples recognize
introduces the believer into the eschatological salvation
that they also must be committed to an inclusive approach
brought about by the death and resurrection of Christ. The
to ministry. The disciple learns the teachings of the master
Father has sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins,
and passes them on to others.
and the Holy Spirit applies Christ’s work to our lives and
Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount emphasizes
communicates Christ’s presence to us.

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 “Teach them to
obey everything I
have commanded
you” Conclusion
This passage is filled with uses of the
adjective “all”: “all authority,” “all nations/peoples,” “all
I have commanded,” “always” (literally, “all the days…”).
The relationships between the first three uses of the
adjective are particularly important to note. Jesus does not
inform his readers that he has been given all authority in
heaven and earth just so that they will obey him when he
tells them what to do, but so that they will understand why
it is that all nations/peoples should obey everything he has
commanded.
The key logical relationship is not between “I have all
authority” and “You should go and make disciples” but
between “I have all authority” and “Everyone everywhere
should obey everything I have commanded (so go and
work toward that end).” Jesus emphasized his universal
authority so that his disciples would understand why he
should be universally obeyed. To be a disciple of Christ is
to understand who he really is, the Lord of all creation,
and to live one’s life out with a passion for other people
to come to know him and to recognize his absolute, loving
and gracious lordship as well.
The obedience that Jesus describes here is referred to
by the Apostle Paul as “the obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5;
6:26). Christian obedience will never be perfect this side of
the resurrection, but the life of discipleship is a life marked
by both continual learning and continual practice of the
teachings of Christ (cf. Matt. 7:21-27).
“I will certainly
always be with you,
to the very end of
the age”
Jesus, “God with us” (cf. Matt.
1:23), reminds us that none of what he calls for in
discipleship can be accomplished with our own resources.
It is only because Christ is with us—because he goes with
us into the world—that we can possibly dare to step out to
follow the discipleship agenda that he set for us. Christ’s
presence and power are the keys to Christian discipleship.
8 Summer ‘10
We are not disciples of some ancient teacher who has
merely left us his teachings. We are disciples of the living
Lord who walks with us and who teaches, nurtures,
restores and empowers us as we go into the world in his
name and his power.
Jesus probably had Daniel 7:13-14 in mind when he gave
the Great Commission. There, we are told that the Son of
Man was given authority—an everlasting dominion—so
that all nations would serve and worship him. Christ is the
Son of Man, the Lord of all. He has been given universal
authority which ought to be universally recognized and
radically respected (cf. Phil. 2:9-11). What would our lives
look like if that truth were to truly penetrate to the very
core of our being?
Roy E. Ciampa, Ph.D., is Professor of New Testament, Chair
of the Division of Biblical Studies, and Director of the Th.M.
Program in Biblical Studies. He also served for 12 years as a
missionary with Greater Europe Mission in Portugal, teaching
at two theological schools. He maintains close ties to Portugal,
serving as a translator/reviser of the Portuguese Bible Society’s
contemporary translation of the Bible. He received an M.Div. from Denver Seminary
and a Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
1
For a fuller discussion of Jesus’ teaching on discipleship see Michael J. Wilkins,
“Discipleship” in the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Joel B. Green et al. eds.;
[Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1992]), 182–188; idem, Following the Master:
A Biblical Theology of Discipleship (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1992).
2
For a fuller discussion of the meaning of this participle in light of common
misunderstandings, see Roy E. Ciampa, “As You Go, Make Disciples?” Every
Thought Captive (August 18, 2008; http://connect.gordonconwell.edu/members/blog_
view.asp?id=190052&post=37543&hhSearchTerms=as+and+you+and+go).
3
The next two participles, following this main clause, are best understood to be
participles of means. As Daniel B. Wallace points out, “The participle of means
almost always defines the action of the main verb; i.e., it makes more explicit what
the author intended to convey with the main verb.” In fact, it “could be called an
epexegetical participle in that it defines or explains the action of the controlling
verb” (Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics - Exegetical Syntax
of the New Testament. [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1996], 629). The criteria
for identifying a participle of means is that it is usually a present tense adverbial
participle (as are the ones following) and, they follow the main verb and the verbs
they follow are usually “vague, general, abstract, or metaphorical finite verbs”
(Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, 629). In this case, it seems clear that
what it means to “make disciples of all nations/peoples” is less than transparent,
and the following participles help unpack exactly what is in mind.
4
See Roy E. Ciampa, “Jesus as a Preacher of Repentance,” Every Thought Captive
(June 16, 2009), http://connect.gordonconwell.edu/members/blog_view.asp?id=190052
&post=72380&hhSearchTerms=repentance.
5
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English Lexicon
of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed.; (Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2000), 713.
6
For a very helpful discussion of how “both forgiveness and becoming Christlike
flow from our participation in a relationship, from our becoming sons and daughters
by adoption so as to share in the communion that the natural Son has with God the
Father” (8), see Donald Fairbairn, Life in the Trinity: An Introduction to Theology
with the Help of the Church Fathers (Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2009).
 King’s
Learning Before the
Throne
James R. Critchlow, Ph.D.

Ranked Adjunct Assistant Professor

in Old Testament

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 There are many aspects
of discipleship in the Old Testament.
The LORD God mentored Adam in the Garden of Eden.
Adam mentored Eve on their responsibilities. Noah trained
his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, in their ark duties. Joshua
acted as Moses’ understudy for 40 years.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 explains what the LORD
required of all the people of Israel:
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require
of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all
his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with
all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the
commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am
commanding you today for your good?” (ESV).
The five infinitive constructs (to fear, walk, love, serve
1
and keep) specify what the LORD demanded of Israel. If the
people were careful to do these, they would be successful.
But what did the Law given at Mount Sinai by the
LORD assert about the leadership of Israel after the period
of the Judges and Priests? In Deuteronomy, the LORD gave
provisions for the day when Israel would demand a king
“like all the nations.” He anticipated the occupation of the
land of Israel and the precipitous demand for a king that
would occur in 1 Samuel 8. Deuteronomy 17:14-17 provides
the template for this future king whom God would choose:
1 Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt in Basics of Biblical He-
brew (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001, 2007), pp. 237-248. See especially
DeRouchie’s insightful article, “A Life Centered on Torah,” pp. 249-250.
10 Summer ‘10
“When you come to the land that the LORD your God is
giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say,
‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are
around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom
the LORD your God will choose. One from among your
brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a
foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only he must
not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to
return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the
LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way
again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself,
lest his heart turn away; nor shall he acquire for himself
excessive silver and gold (ESV).
There are clear stipulations that prevent the king from
seeking martial, personal or financial power in horses,
marriage alliances or wealth.2
The passage continues in 17:18-20, instructing the future
king of Israel to write a personal copy of the law under the
supervision of the priests. This book was to remain in his
personal possession, and its daily study was an essential
aspect of his royal duties.
“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall
write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by
2 Bruce K. Waltke in An Old Testament Theology (Grand Rap-
ids: Zondervan, 2007), p. 397 observes that the king was “to renounce his
own power by limiting the number of his warhorses, his treasury, and his
political alliances through marriage.”
 “...that the king would fear the LORD, keep
his Law, do as He instructs and not exalt
himself above his fellow citizens or turn away
from the commandments and instructions.”
the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall
read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear
the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law
and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not
be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn
aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or
to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he
and his children, in Israel” (ESV).
Just as in Deut. 10:12-13 cited above, the majority of
the verbs in this royal prescription are infinitive constructs,
functioning as result clauses. These establish the LORD’s
desired outcome, i.e., that the king would fear the
LORD, keep his Law, do as He instructs and not exalt
himself above his fellow citizens or turn away from the
commandments and instructions.
It was for these reasons that the use of the infinitive con-
struct was especially revelatory. “In governing his own life
by the same Torah that regulates the whole nation, the king
reins in his exercise of power.”3 The priests would be there
to ensure proper letter formation and spacing—which might
delay the process—particularly if the royal writer made an
uncorrectable mistake.
Not only must the king produce the copy (mishneh), he
must have it with him and read from it daily. Under the
over-watch of the priests, this was probably to be a sched-
uled activity. There should be no business that was to
3 Ibid., p. 491. Waltke further explains (p. 496) that whereas the
people were to listen to the Law every seven years (Deut. 31:10-13), the
future king was to read in the Law daily (my emphasis).
displace this practice in the king’s day. Even the time when
the king marched out to war was to be preceded by the
reading of the Word of God.
It has been my practice to aspire to this Old Testament
discipleship pattern. Although I will never be a king, I am
in training as a servant of the Great King. I struggle to read
the whole counsel of God in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek,
and then record 7-15 verses in my Day-Timer™. Wherever
I go, this copy of the Bible is my companion. It is my daily
study, rule, guide and reminder.
I have emphasized the value of daily study of God’s
Word for all my students. Nothing should ever displace
this practice. No exam, sermon, project or event should
displace our time in the Word of God. For those who have
gone well beyond their educational years, this principle is
still in force. God desires us to know His Word. He wants
to speak to us through His revelation. Whether we use the
original or a modern language, this directive for leadership
was appropriate for ancient Israelite kings. It is also good
for King’s kids.
James R. Critchlow, Ph.D., Ranked Adjunct Assistant Professor
in Old Testament, joined the seminary in 2008, and has also
taught at Bethel Seminary of the East. Prior to his academic
career, he served in leadership capacities with the U.S. Army for
20 years. His deployments included two years at the Pentagon,
and took him to Germany, Iraq, Bosnia, Korea and many other countries. He holds
M.Div. and M.A.B.L. degrees from Gordon-Conwell and a Ph.D. from the University
of Edinburgh.
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 Discipleship
in the Church
Watching God Transform Lives
Each week, Rev. Greg Doll disciples
50 to 60 Presbyterian men before they
go to work on Wall Street, to law
offices or to other corporate posts.

12 Summer ‘10
T
he Gordon-Conwell alumnus (M.Div. ‘99) cur-
rently serves as Associate Pastor for Adult Spiritual
Formation and Outreach at Noroton Presbyterian
Church (NPC) in Darien, CT—the same church where Rev.
Samuel A. Schreiner III (M.Div. ‘83) is Pastor and Team
Leader.
It was after a year in his first parish in North Carolina
that Pastor Greg made a dramatic u-turn in his ministry
and headed down the path of discipleship.
“I was on vacation, and during my morning devotions,
I was meditating on the Great Commission,” he explains.
“I got stuck on the line ‘therefore go and make disciples of
all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have com-
manded you’ (Matthew 28:18-20). I could not quite move
past the latter section of the passage.
“It dawned on me that at least part of what it means
to make disciples is to systematically pass on all that Jesus
taught his own disciples. That seemed to be the way it
worked. He taught them, and they in turn taught others.
Now, our responsibility is to continue passing along Jesus’
instruction. I remember thinking, ‘If that’s what it means to
make disciples, then I have never done it. Here I am in an
ordained status and I have never made a disciple.’”
Returning to his church, he surveyed his members, ask-
ing if they had been discipled, and was stunned to learn
that not one had ever had that experience. “So,” he recalls,
“we scrapped everything we were doing and started over.
We said, ‘If we’re not making disciples, if we’re not doing
what our primary mission is as a church, then what are
we doing?’”
But how was he to pass along all that Jesus taught his
disciples? Did the Great Commission mean he should teach
every scripture that Jesus taught? This led to a ministry-
changing discovery: a general consensus in the scholarly
community that the Sermon on the Mount represents the
distillation of all Jesus’ teaching—the heart of his message.
With that, Pastor Greg started teaching through the
Sermon on the Mount, verse by verse, from the pulpit and
in a Wednesday night Bible study. He quickly learned that
by teaching Matthew 5-7, he could cover much theological
territory and segue easily into other important topics like
worship, prayer and meditation—all the while emphasiz-
ing that once members had been discipled and understood
Jesus’ teaching, they were to go and do the same. As mem-
bers embraced discipleship, he watched their faith grow and
deepen. He says the concept was “so simple. Regular encoun-
ters with God’s Word and Spirit are where growth occurs.”
He introduced the same emphasis in his second parish in
Ohio. “It was a joy,” he says, “to see people who took their
calling to discipleship so seriously…taking copious notes
and preparing their own notebooks so that they eventually
could do the same.”
In 2005, he was called by NPC to focus on adult teach-
ing. There, he discovered a vibrant women’s ministry that
had been meeting for more than 10 years. Two groups of
women led by Associate Pastor, Connie Jordan-Haas, gath-
ered weekly for discipleship. “It was quite evident that these
faithful women had become spiritual leaders in the church,”
he says. “They sat on the Session and Board of Deacons
and were in the forefront of every ministry of the church. So
I proposed that we develop a similar ministry for the men.”
This was no little challenge in Darien, CT, where many
men board 5:30 a.m. trains for work in New York’s Finan-
cial District, and return late at night—at best. At worst,
they fly out to Hong Kong or London on Monday and re-
turn Friday night. “We realized that they could never get to
our ministry offerings during the week to help them grow
in their faith,” Pastor Greg explains.
So three years ago, he began boarding the 6:22 a.m.
train every Tuesday morning to take discipleship to them.
Meeting just steps from Grand Central Station, they spend
an hour together in prayer, Bible study and small groups.
A second discipleship group meets at the church on Friday
mornings.
In each group, it took a year to work through the
Sermon on the Mount. “It was an incredible blessing to
watch God transform the men (and me!),” he says. “It has
been one of the greatest thrills in ministry to listen to their
questions changing, to hear them pray, to learn from their
insights and to witness their sincere efforts to learn how
to ‘live this out in the hurly-burly of daily existence…how
to increasingly integrate our faith into our professional life.’
“Some of their responses have been very poignant and
powerful, because we had been meeting just prior to and in
the very heart of the recession. Amid the titanic stresses and
pressures for guys living in towns hardest hit by the finan-
ww w.gordonconwell.edu /c o nta c tma g a z i ne 13
 cial crisis, they were asking things like: ‘How can we reach
out to our colleagues and demonstrate the love and grace
of God for them in the midst of this storm? What’s the
most powerful way we can witness to our faith? How can
we express care and concern? Do acts of kindness? Extend
grace and forgiveness?’”
At the end of the second year, after working through
Philippians, he posed a challenge to each group: “Now that
you’ve been taught, and seen a regular model of exegeti-
cal work and exposition, would you consider becoming
“If we’re not making disciples, if we’re not doing what our
primary mission is as a church, then what are we doing?”
disciplers yourself?” They responded enthusiastically, so he
offered a two-part class entitled “A Short Course in Biblical
Hermeneutics.” Thirty men showed up.   a book chosen to address an aspect of spiritual develop-
Out of that has come a growing rotation of teachers.
“When they sign up to teach, we work together for several
months on the passage,” he notes. “They bring in their
drafts, we pray and wrestle with the text together, and I
point them to additional resources. This process has been
a wonderful gift for me and, I trust, for them. It’s another
place where the Holy Spirit joins us and bonds us in that
experience with his Word.
Pastor Greg Doll, right, disciples church member John Marr.
“And then after writing, re-writing and reflecting, they get
up and teach. It’s amazing to observe the growth in some-
one who previously could never have imagined leading
others in prayer, worship and study or having his heart so
captured by the Lord and the gospel. My ultimate goal is
to replace myself in large measure by establishing a regular
rotation of guys who feel called to teach, so that next year
I only lead the studies twice a month.”
14 Summer ‘10
The group is presently working through Jesus’ parables.
During this third year, Pastor Greg says something unex-
pected happened. “A number of men approached me about
going even deeper in their discipleship. The joy of it was
that it came totally unsolicited. It just seemed to happen
organically. The excitement for me was realizing that per-
haps we were beginning to fall into Biblical patterns. We
know that large crowds followed Jesus, we know about the
72, but we also know that he invested himself in the 12.
It’s almost as if the 12 are beginning to surface naturally.”
Now, weekly, he has six individual, one-hour disciple-
ship meetings in his study. Each person is working through
ment. He views this personalized, albeit time-consuming,
discipleship as a way for the church to continue growing
organically in width and depth. “By the end of 2011, my
goal is to have 12 meetings each week,” he says. “I don’t
know if 12 is a magic number, but it worked for Jesus.
The ultimate goal is to eventually establish these men in
some form of ministry in the church.
“I am a strong, strong believer that small groups are
incredibly conducive to spiritual growth,” he says. “But
I have never witnessed the kind of growth I am seeing
in these weekly meetings because the spiritual formation
experience can be so tailored. It allows the guys to do a
very difficult thing for men: to be open, share weaknesses,
struggles, challenges and pain. It becomes a place where the
Holy Spirit fills the space of those broken places.
“I am witnessing a miracle: guys being renewed, re-
formed, re-made from their fallen, broken images into the
image of Christ…so that they can then go out into their
homes and workplaces increasingly and more faithfully
reflecting that glorious image. And this beautiful image
invariably attracts others, even on Wall Street.
“I’m sure there are many ways to do discipleship. This
is just my own interpretation of the thrust of the Great
Commission. What I can say is: It’s a great joy to watch
God work and see the change happen. It reminds me of
what a gift and privilege it is to be in ministry.”
Editor’s Note: In the next edition of Contact, read how
Pastor PoSan Ung is evangelizing and discipling Cambodian
believers amid the gang violence and poverty of Lynn, MA.
 Our Students:
Becoming Beloved Disciples of Jesus
Stephen A. Macchia, D.Min.

The fresco displayed in the front of the Cooley Chapel at
our Charlotte campus depicts Jesus as the Sower of the seed
upon the soils: the resistant path, the impenetrable rock, the
wandering thorns and the productive good soil.
The stunning portrayal of this parable is ideally suited
for our seminary. Why? Because we exist for the purpose
of preparing a new generation of students to become “good
soil” for the extravagance of seed offered generously to us
directly from the loving hands of the Sower, Jesus. As we
are fully receptive to the lavishing provisions of Jesus, we,
in turn, become his beloved disciples.
When John and Lois Pierce established the Pierce Center
for Disciple-Building, their vision was for every Gordon-
Conwell student to grow as beloved disciples of Jesus
Christ while attending seminary. They knew the rigors of
academic studies, combined with demands of family, work
and ministry, could curtail students from prioritizing the
care of their souls. As a result of their visionary generosity,
we have the unique opportunity to come alongside our
students and offer spiritual formation ministries that
nurture their relationship with the Lord. When these
ministries are combined with their academic studies, the soil
of their souls is nurtured during this significant season of life.
For the past eight years, the Pierce Center has served
our community by becoming a conscience for the priority
of soul care. We engage in spiritual formation experiences

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 Drew Thompson (M.Div. ‘09, Th.M. ‘10)
In Their Own Words
“From day one I was connected with mentors who cared about
me and prayed for me, peers who listened to, and encouraged
me, and small groups that challenged me. It has made all
the difference to be in such rich and honest fellowship with
others. It brought me life and constantly reminded me of
the reason why I want to be in ministry, and the reason why
I was pursuing this degree in the first place. It also pushed
me into deeper levels of honesty with myself and others, and
was an agent of God’s call for me to become more spiritually
complete in Christ. The bottom line is that the Pierce Center
is a quiet but constant fountain of life on this campus,
mediating the presence of Christ through staff and students,
and spurring us on to love and good deeds. I am grateful to
God for the impact that it has had on me.” 
that foster deeper intimacy with Christ both in the private
space of the prayer closet as well as the communal place
of worship, love and service to others. The Pierce Center
is located on all our campuses and is serviced daily by a
committed team of staff and steering committee members
who long for Gordon-Conwell to be a place conducive to
the growth and depth of the spiritual lives of our students.
We offer many programs that foster the priority of
becoming beloved disciples of Jesus Christ. These include
the facilitation of Soul Sabbaths, day-long retreats that
focus on creating quiet space to practice the spiritual
disciplines of biblical reflection and listening prayer. We
coordinate Soul Care Groups on campus, encouraging
students to maintain ongoing fellowship in small groups
that emphasize authentic relationships and learning how to
listen with, and pray for, one another. In addition, we offer
ourselves to students as confidantes and spiritual mentors
to help sort out basic priorities and attend to the ever-
deepening invitation of Christ to come close, draw near and
follow after him in all aspects of life.
The Pierce Fellowship is the centerpiece of the Pierce
Center, where more than 60 students are selected each year
to receive financial support as fellows and to participate
more fully in the ministry of the Center. Here the vision of
the John and Lois Pierce is most vibrantly fulfilled, as we
devote large blocks of time to invest in the lives of new and
existing students.
Our Pierce Fellows are discipled through retreats, spiri-
tual formation groups and one-on-one mentoring with our
16 Summer ‘10
Mary Willson (M.Div. ‘09, Th.M. ‘10)
“As I reflect upon all the good work that God has
accomplished in my life during my time at Gordon-Conwell,
the Pierce Center for Discipleship rises to the top of the list.
As a result of my experiences, the Lord has shaped my heart
more into the heart of Christ. He has grown my capacity
to rejoice in what Christ rejoices in and mourn what Christ
mourns. God promises to transform us more and more into
the image of Christ, and I have witnessed the Spirit’s work in
this way through the Pierce Center. The ‘big picture’ of my
reflection of these past three years in Pierce, then, is Christ-
likeness. Praise God for his faithfulness in this way!”
staff. Our intentional focus with these students is to invest
in the balancing of their multi-faceted personal lives, train
them in various areas of spiritual leadership, help develop
their daily spiritual rhythms in the context of crafting a
personal rule of life, and teach them how to listen prayer-
fully to one another. Each fellow is required to lead a Soul
Care Group on campus.
The Pierce Fellowship has been a remarkable experience
for all involved. We are delighted with the ways these
students have demonstrated their genuine desire to develop
healthy receptivity to the seeds that are being extravagantly
bestowed upon them by the Sower, Jesus. They are learning
how to receive God’s love and God’s Word, and growing
deeply in attending to His still, small voice. The listening,
pondering and reflecting they are doing collectively and
individually is opening up the eyes of their hearts to the
lavishing love of God. In turn, they love and serve others in
Jesus’ name. What better gift can we offer to them…and to
the Church of Jesus Christ worldwide?
Dr. Stephen A. Macchia (M.Div. ‘83, D.Min. ‘01) is Director
of the Pierce Center and also serves as Founder and
President of Leadership Transformations. He’s the author
of several books, including Becoming A Healthy Church,
Becoming A Healthy Team and Becoming A Healthy Disciple
and the creator of the Church Health Assessment Tool (CHAT
– www.HealthyChurch.net). For more information about his
ministry, go to www.LeadershipTransformations.org.

The John and Lois
Pierce Center for
Disciple-Building
Vision: By God’s grace and
for His glory, we long to see
Gordon-Conwell living joyfully
as a community of Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-empowered
disciple-builders. Mission: Within the context of a loving
Christian community, we invite one another to prioritize
life-long intimacy with Jesus Christ while developing as
incarnational disciple-builders
Dr. Stephen Macchia, Director of the Pierce Center, Lois Pierce and President
Dennis Hollinger
John and Lois Pierce
John Pierce was a long-time trustee of the seminary, a
successful businessman, an avid reader and a devoted
follower of Christ. He went home to be with the Lord
in March 2002 after battling cancer. He and his wife,
Lois, founded the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building as a
spiritual formation complement to the excellent academic
and ministry skill development each student receives at
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
In the words of Lois, “We wanted every seminary
student to experience a taste of what we savored for
many years with hundreds of young people in Cincinnati
as we gathered each week in our home for small group
fellowship, worship and Bible study. I hope that students
will take advantage of the opportunities provided by the
Pierce Center for the deepening of their love for Christ,
sharing life together in spiritual community, and growing as
disciple-builders in every arena of ministry.”
Becoming A Healthy Disciple:
Ten Traits of Spiritual Vitality*
By Stephen A. Macchia
1. Experiences God’s Empowering Presence
The healthy disciple understands the role of the Holy Spirit and lives
daily with a fresh reality of his power and presence (John 14:26: “The
Counselor, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things and will remind you
of everything I have said to you”).
2. Engages in God-Exalting Worship
The healthy disciple engages whole-heartedly in meaningful, God-focused
worship experiences on a weekly basis (John 4:23: “The true worshipers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of
worshipers the Father seeks”).
3. Practices the Spiritual Disciplines
The healthy disciple pursues the daily disciplines of prayer, Bible study
and reflection in the quietness of one’s personal prayer closet (John
15:4: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you”).
4. Learns and Grows in Community
The healthy disciple is involved in spiritual and relational growth in the
context of a safe and affirming group of like-minded believers (John
21: 6: “When they did (obey Jesus), they were unable to haul the net
because of the large number of fish”).
5. Commits to Loving and Caring Relationships
The healthy disciple prioritizes the qualities of relational vitality that
lead to genuine love for one another in the home, workplace, church and
community (John 15: 12,13, “This is my commandment, that you love
one another as I have loved you.  No one has greater love than this, to lay
down one’s life for one’s friends”).
6. Exhibits Christ-like Servanthood
The healthy disciple practices God-honoring servanthood in every
relational context of life and ministry (John 13:15: “I have set you an
example that you should do as I have done for you”).
7. Shares the Love of Christ Generously
The healthy disciple maximizes every opportunity to share the love of
Christ, in word and deed, with those outside the faith (John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”).
8. Manages Life Wisely and Accountably
The healthy disciple develops personal life management skills and lives
within a web of accountable relationships (John 9:4: “As long as it is
day, we must do the work of him who sent me”).
9. Networks with the Body of Christ
The healthy disciple actively reaches out to others within the Christian
community for relationships, worship, prayer, fellowship and ministry (John
17:23: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that
you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me”).
10. Stewards a Life of Abundance
The healthy disciple recognizes that every resource comes from the hand
of God and is to be used generously for kingdom priorities and purposes
(John 12:24: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds”).
* Excerpted from Macchia’s book, Becoming a Healthy Disciple (Baker Publishing Group, 2004).
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 S P I R I T U A L
F O R M A T I O N
DURING SEMINARY

Caroline Dixon graduated from Harvard

College, then worked nearly five years in a
fast-paced Manhattan consulting firm be-
fore enrolling at Gordon-Conwell in 2009.
“It was thrilling and busy,” she says. “I loved living in
New York City and loved my job.” But over time, she dis-
covered that what she was doing at her evangelical Episco-
pal church was “so much more exciting.”
Ultimately, Caroline concluded that she would always be
a hard worker, but wanted to expend that energy directly
for God’s service. Now an M.Div. student, she is also a
Fellow in the seminary’s Pierce Center for Disciple-Building.
Through the spiritual formation provided by the Center’s
Director, Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Macchia, and Mrs. Susan
Caroline Dixon, at right, is an M.Div. student and Pierce Fellow.
Currie, Associate for Spiritual Formation, Caroline is learn-
ing how to be still and listen for God. Like all Pierce Fellows, Caroline leads a small Soul Care
A part of this quiet occurs in a bi-weekly spiritual for- Group of students, and meets regularly with Sue Currie for
mation group where, she explains, “Fellows are encouraged one-on-one spiritual direction. And she is further spiritually
“to wait attentively on the Lord. Sue will often slowly read formed through full-day Pierce Center retreats.
a Bible passage several times lextio divina style. We listen “What it has done for me is that I’m more still and have more
prayerfully…and offer a one-line prayer to God in re- faith that God is in that stillness and wanting to nudge me.
sponse…and suddenly we’re praying together…We’re learn- Coming from the absolute busy to the absolute still has
ing to better sense the Holy Spirit, which is a privilege.” been an incredible thing,” she marvels. “This is the healthi-
The group also focuses on the experiences and spiritual est I’ve ever lived.”
life of one Fellow, then prays and encourages that per- After Sam Ferguson completes his M.Div. course work
son, sometimes sharing a word or phrase God has given in June, he’ll join the staff of The Falls Church in Virginia,
them. “It’s amazing to be on the receiving end,” Caroline where he’ll be trained for church planting.
explains. “But it has also been a blessing for me to experi- Also a Pierce Fellow, Sam says the Pierce Center and
ment with what it means to listen carefully and deeply to mentoring by Steve Macchia have been the most intentional
someone, then suppress any initial instinct to give advice or contributors to his spiritual growth in seminary. “I have
judgment and try to wait.” been taught to address my spiritual health. Steve says that

18 Summer ‘10
 “I’ve been spiritually formed in his classes through
witnessing my professors’ own love, passion and
devotion to Jesus Christ and his Word...”
-Sam Furguson, M.Div. ’10
if I don’t learn to be selfish with the care of my own soul, I
am being selfish toward everyone I’m caring for in ministry.
Meaning, if I’m not filled with the Spirit, if I’m not con-
nected to the Vine, anything I’m giving in ministry is just
hot air.”
Part of that, he explains, “is to realize that I was created
by God to work, but also to rest. I was created to strive
but also to play, and what does it look like to carve out
time during my week not simply to rest but to rejuvenate?
“Another question Steve asks is: ‘What’s the state of
your soul?’ I think that’s the right question to ask, not
‘How’s your week been?’ That’s like saying ‘Have you been
successful in the world’s eyes? Have you managed your time
well?’ The state of your soul is a far deeper question.
Pierce Fellow Sam Ferguson, center, will complete his M.Div. work this summer.
I could have preached well, counseled well, administered
well, but the state of my soul could be very poor, because
I had done all that at the expense of spending true time
with Jesus and healthy time with my family and friends.”
Sam says he has also been spiritually formed in his
classes through “witnessing my professors’ own love, pas-
sion and devotion to Jesus Christ and his Word...in seeing
how they handle the material not merely as an intellectual
task, but a profoundly spiritual enterprise. That has formed
me more in the classroom than anything else. It has shaped
my own approach to the academic side of pursuing God.”
He cites a recent experience when his professor was
teaching from Luke 15 on the concept of adoption. He was
looking at Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin
and the lost son when unexpectedly he broke down and
couldn’t finish the class. Seeing how my professor under-
stands the depth of what it means to be adopted as sons
of God had a bigger impact on me than any of the logical
arguments presented before.
“What you realize is that this runs really deep with
the professors. They believe it. They would die for it. I
thought, ‘My professor has probably read this passage 5000
times and he can’t get through it.’ It shows you that in
Scripture you’re dealing with a bottomless well. You can
never plumb the depths of it because it’s a revelation of
God and He’s inexhaustible.
“That’s an amazing role model for students. That’s what
you strive for in the pastorate. I want to be impacted by
what I’m studying like my professor is.”
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 lo o k i n g
bac k wa r d
to
m ov e f o rwa r d
J.I. Packer, D. Phil., and Gary E. Parrett, Ed.D.

20 Summer ‘10
 Editor’s Note: Following is an excerpt from the authors’
new book, Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the
Old-Fashioned Way (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books,
2010). The book explores the historic Christian practice
of catechesis--which the authors define as “the church’s
ministry of grounding and growing God’s people in the
Gospel and its implications for doctrine, devotion, duty
and delight.” Excerpt used by permission of Baker Books,
a division of Baker Publishing Group.
… W e agree with the widespread conviction that many
evangelical churches are in need of deep change today.
Indeed, the fact that we share this conviction will be very
obvious throughout this book. Our premise, however, is
that the surest way forward is to carefully contemplate the
wisdom of our past. We are not, as it turns out, the first
ones who have ever had to wrestle with the issue of how
to grow Christian communities and Christian individuals
in contrary cultures. We are not the first to wonder about
how to nurture faith in the living God and foster obedi-
ence to his way. It is not only contemporary church leaders
instead, we would counsel, let us look back before
looking around. our first gaze, of course, must be
to the testimony of the scriptures themselves.
who can teach us how to be “relevant” and “effective” in
ministry today. We urge concerned church leaders to, in the
language of Jeremiah 6:16, “stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and
walk in it.”
In the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments we
find an abundance of wisdom for building believers who
will live to the glory and honor of our God. There are
models and mandates, principles and practices that are as
relevant for ministry today as they ever were. Church his-
tory also provides us with numerous examples of vibrant,
fruitful seasons in the lives of God’s people, when true
disciples were truly being made, when whole communities
were alive with and for God’s glory. We do not disdain
the idea of looking around at contemporary models to find
guidance for our own ministries of disciple making. But we
do suggest that this not be our only source for wisdom, or
even our primary source. Instead, we would counsel, let us
look back before looking around. Our first gaze, of course,
must be to the testimony of the Scriptures themselves.
Whether we are considering historic practices or contempo-
rary ones, as professed evangelical Christians all our think-
ing and efforts should be vetted by diligent study of, and
contemplation upon, the Bible.
From this biblical basis, how shall we best proceed?
Perhaps we could apply a version of C. S. Lewis’s familiar
counsel. Lewis argued that for every book we read by an
author who is still living, we should read one by an author
who has died. Or, if that is too much for us, then for
every three books we read by living authors, we should
read one by a dead author.9 Our counsel here is that for
every new method we meet that purports to promote
congregational health today we look back to the well-
tried methods that promoted congregational health in the
past. Such an approach will serve us well in many areas,
but perhaps none so important as that of making disciples
for Jesus Christ. There is so much wisdom for us in the
practices of those who have gone before us if we will only
humble ourselves to listen and learn. …
9. C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), 2012.
Dr. J.I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor in Theology
Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia, is regarded as
one of the preeminent evangelical theologians today. He is the
author of many books, serves as a Senior Editor and Visiting
Scholar of Christianity Today and contributes to a variety of
theological journals. He holds MA and D.Phil. degrees from
Oxford University.
Dr. Gary A. Parrett is Professor of Educational Ministries and
Worship, and Chair, Division of Ministry, at Gordon-Conwell. He
has taught at Gordon College and served in pastoral ministry
at churches in Boston, New York City, New Jersey, Seattle and
Seoul, Korea. He earned an M.Div. degree from Regent College
and an Ed.D. from Columbia University.
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TRUSTEE PROFILE

Joanna Mockler Her husband’s sudden death in 1991, however, catalyzed her
deeper involvement in Kingdom work, and her understanding
of stewardship. She served on the Grace Chapel pastoral staff
By Ruth E. Hawk
for seven years, and joined World Vision’s U.S. board in
1999.

“I was really having my vision and desire for ministry

expanded mainly through visits with World Vision,” she
recounts. “We went to three countries in Africa, and just
seeing the work, that really expanded my desire, that passion
to build strong Christian leadership around the world. World
Vision was doing that.”

She joined the international board in 2001 and has traveled

abroad for the organization many times since. “I can’t go
anywhere in the world without being overwhelmed by those
staff members,” she says. “They are just giving their lives
to bless disadvantaged people. It always inspires me in my
faith.”

Joanna, however, has also inspired others. “She is a very

thankful person, very giving and generous,” says Patty
MacDonald, a close personal friend and World Vision
account manager for New England churches. “Humility is one
If you ask Joanna Mockler, she’s just a steward of the many
of the characteristics of Joanna. She doesn’t put any airs on.
resources God has entrusted to her care.
She’s very accepting and caring of all people.”
“It’s very clear from Scripture that God owns everything,” she
Joanna is also hospitable, opening her house to numerous
explains. “I don’t own what I own. God owns what I own,
events. “I have a large home, which we got before I was a
and I’m his steward, and I take that very seriously.”
Christ follower, and when I came to the place of deeper faith
I asked the Lord to show me how to use it,” she says. “It’s
This focus on stewardship, of her finances, time and talents,
just a privilege to own the home.”
is largely the reason she has been on the pastoral staff of
Grace Chapel, a nondenominational, evangelical church in
Although she will rotate off the World Vision boards
Lexington, MA; serves on the international and U.S. boards
this year, Joanna plans to take on more pastoral care
of World Vision; and is a Gordon-Conwell trustee.
responsibilities at Grace Chapel. And, she continues to
support Gordon-Conwell.
Joanna grew up with nominally Christian parents and
attended an Episcopal school where, she says, she learned the
“The work we are doing here is just outstanding,” she says,
Prayer Book but not the Gospel. Her first real exposure to
“and I am very committed to our mission and our desire to
the Gospel came when she married Colman M. Mockler, a
teach the Word of God and have that be formative for the
strong Christian, in 1957; moved to Wayland, MA; and began
people we send from here.”
attending a women’s Bible study at an evangelical church. She
was converted through a personal encounter with Christ in
She also enjoys time with her four children and seven
1968.
grandchildren. She likes to get them involved in her World
Vision work, and will be taking one of her sons and his
After her conversion, she led a Bible study for 17 years.
family on her World Vision trip to Guatemala this summer.
During that time, Colman became CEO of the Gillette
Company. In 1986, encouraged by his friend, George Bennett,
and feeling a deep affinity with Gordon-Conwell’s mission,
Joanna joined the seminary board.

“I had a real interest in building the Church through

consistent, Christ-centered and biblically-sound leaders,” she
explains. “I really thought the seminary was doing that in an
excellent way, and I felt privileged to be a part of that.”

22 Summer ‘10

Gordon-Conwell to Host National Preaching Conference
The Center for
Preaching at Gordon
Conwell will
honor Dr. Haddon
Robinson, Harold
John Ockenga
Distinguished
Professor of
Preaching and
former President of
Gordon-Conwell, at
its national preaching
conference “What’s the Big Idea?” Sept. 9-10, 2010.
The biennial event will take place at the seminary’s South
Hamilton, MA, campus.
The conference will promote preaching excellence by
modeling biblical preaching and equipping ministers with
practical skills for proclaiming God’s Word. Participants
will listen to renowned preachers and sharpen their skills at
a variety of workshops.
Keynote speakers include Dr. Robinson; Rev. Dr. Soong-
Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of
Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological
Gordon-Conwell Accessible Through Social Media, Blogs
People can now connect with Gordon-Conwell—South
Hamilton through a number of social media sites and stu-
dent blogs. These sites allow users to participate in, and
learn about, the Gordon-Conwell community even when
off campus, and their communal and interactive nature
gives participants a personal and informative look at the
seminary.
Facebook: Gordon-Conwell’s Facebook fan page and group page
allow participants to learn important seminary information, read
relevant articles, hear about the latest events, engage in discus-
sions and connect with other community members. Discussion
topics have so far included advice for new students, the best
classes to take and the benefits of a D.Min. education.
Twitter: Two Twitter accounts provide both factual informa-
tion about Gordon-Conwell and a personal look at the seminary
through the eyes of a current student.
iTunes U: iTunes U makes the audio resources of Gordon-Con-
well available to iTunes users for free. These resources include
some Semlink lectures, a campus tour, some class lectures, Presi-
dent’s Forums, faculty convocations and more.
SEMINARY NEWS
Seminary, Chicago, IL; Alistair Begg, Senior Pastor of
Parkside Church, Cleveland, OH, and host of the daily
radio program, Truth For Life; and Dr. Tony Evans, Senior
Pastor of the 5,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in
Dallas, TX.
Program highlights also include an evening dedicated to
honoring Dr. Robinson, and a live recording of Discover
the Word, a daily radio program on which he and former
Academic Dean Dr. Alice Mathews have served as Bible
teachers for 21 years. The program reaches 2 million
listeners in North America and other English-speaking
countries.
Widely regarded as an expert on preaching, Dr. Robinson
received the Living Legend Award from E. K. Bailey
Ministries, Inc. in 2008. He was also recognized among
Christianity Today International’s Top 25 Most Influential
Preachers from 1956-2006, and as one of the 12 most
effective preachers in the English-speaking world in a 1996
Baylor University poll. A prolific writer, he is best known
for Biblical Preaching, used by seminaries and Bible schools
worldwide.
Registration and more information are available by visiting
www.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga.
NING: This active, invitation-only social networking site, called
The Prologue, connects matriculated and prospective students
with current students and admissions representatives and answers
their questions about Gordon-Conwell. It also allows future stu-
dents to meet and form relationships before coming on campus.
Student blogs: Gordon-Conwell’s four student bloggers, Megan
Hackman (M.Div.), Soojin Chung (M.Div.), Robson Mulumbe
(M.Div.) and John Meinen (M.Div.), post thoughts on everything
from theology, to the North Shore to their Christian walks.
Their posts provide a firsthand look at life at the seminary.
All but the NING site are accessible through Gordon-
Conwell’s website.
ww w.gordonconwell.edu /c o nta c tma g a z i ne 23
SEMINARY NEWS

Gordon-Conwell Offers Six New Scholarships
excellence. It will be granted to up to three incoming full-
time students who demonstrate exceptional promise for
teaching and academic work and reflect the seminary’s
commitment to “think theologically” in service to the
Church.

• Dr. J Christy Wilson Scholarship for Missions Ministry

A renewable, $7,500/year scholarship named in honor of
the late Dr. J Christy Wilson, Jr., former professor of
missions who served Christ in Afghanistan for 22 years. It
will be granted to up to three incoming full-time students
who demonstrate outstanding potential for international
or local missions and reflect the seminary’s commitment
to “engage globally” in service to the Church.

• Dr. Timothy J. Keller Scholarship for Pastoral Ministry

Consistent with its commitment to keep education affordable,
Gordon-Conwell is introducing six new, merit-based
scholarships at the South Hamilton campus beginning in fall
2010. These scholarships are designed to encourage applicants
gifted in areas vital to the seminary’s mission to train men
and women to think theologically, engage globally and live
biblically.
New scholarships include:
• The Presidential Scholarship for Future
Christian Leaders
A renewable, $10,000/year scholarship granted to one
incoming full-time student who demonstrates exceptional
potential for Christian leadership and a commitment to
“advance Christ’s kingdom in every sphere of life” in
service to the Church.
• Dr. David F. Wells Scholarship for Teaching Ministry
A renewable, $7,500/year scholarship named in honor
of long-time theology professor, Dr. David F. Wells,
who embodies the seminary’s commitment to academic
A renewable, $7,500/year scholarship in honor of Dr.
Timothy J. Keller (M.Div. ’75), pastor of New York
City’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church, who has faithfully
communicated the truth of Scripture for more than 20
years. It will be granted to up to three incoming full-time
students who demonstrate great promise for pastoral
ministry and reflect the seminary’s commitment to “live
biblically” in service to the Church.
• Military Chaplaincy Scholarship
A renewable, $5,000/year scholarship granted to up to
two incoming full-time students. These students must
enroll in the chaplain candidate program during their
time at Gordon-Conwell and reflect the seminary’s
commitment to “advance Christ’s kingdom in every
sphere of life” in service to the Church.
• Scholarship for Professional Counselors
A renewable, $5,000/year scholarship granted to up to
two full-time students who demonstrate exceptional
promise for counseling ministry and reflect the seminary’s
commitment to “advance Christ’s kingdom in every
sphere of life” in service to the Church.

Gordon-Conwell—Jacksonville Graduates First Students

Gordon-Conwell—Jacksonville graduated its first four students at commencement exercises
conducted May 22. The graduates, all M.Div. students, included Elizabeth Brooke, Barbara
Brice, Jeanne Higgins and David Grachek. The exercises were held at First Presbyterian
Church in Jacksonville, where the campus currently holds classes.

Gordon-Conwell—Jacksonville, founded in 2006, follows the adult education model of the

Charlotte campus, providing weekend and weeklong classes and an emphasis on mentoring
that allow students already employed full-time to receive a seminary degree.

24 Summer ‘10

Dr. Timothy Laniak Installed as
Charlotte Dean
Timothy S. Laniak, Th.D., Professor of
Old Testament and Curator for the Cooley
Collection of the Robert C. Cooley Center
for the Study of Early Christianity, was
installed as Academic Dean of the Charlotte
campus on February 12. He had been serving
in that capacity since May 2009.
Participants in the installation service included Dr. Dennis
P. Hollinger, President; Dr. Robert E. Cooley, President
Emeritus; and seminary trustee Rev. Dr. Claude Alexander,
Jr., Pastor of Charlotte’s University Park Baptist Church.
The event took place at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church in
Charlotte.
Gordon-Conwell Appoints Dean of
Hispanic Ministries
Dr. Alvin Padilla, Dean of the Gordon-
Conwell Boston campus (CUME) and
Associate Professor of New Testament,
has been appointed Dean of the
seminary’s new Hispanic Ministries
Program, effective July 1, 2010.
In this position, he will lead continued
development of Gordon-Conwell’s strategic initiative to
provide quality theological education to the underserved
Hispanic population. Tailored for students in ministry,
the program will offer classes through multiple venues and
eventually offer certificate and degree programs. Successful
trial classes have already been held in New York City.
Dr. Padilla is an experienced pastor and teacher, and founded
and taught at the Spanish Eastern School of Theology in
New York. He holds an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell and a
Ph.D. from Drew University Graduate School.
A search for a new Dean of CUME is underway.
SEMINARY NEWS
Dr. Laniak received an M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell
and a Doctor of Theology from Harvard Divinity School.
He began the ministry of ShepherdLeader.com in 2007. His
books, Shepherds After My Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions
in the Bible and While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks:
Reflections on Leadership From the World of the Bible, are
the result of a year’s research in the Middle East.
He and his wife, Maureen, have been extensively involved
with cross-cultural ministries. They also co-founded Life Long
Learning, a non-profit organization offering non-traditional
educational opportunities, and Union Academy, a K-12
charter school.
Gordon-Conwell Names Director of
Planned Giving and Development
William M. Fisher has been named
Director of Planned Giving and
Development.
Fisher has served the seminary’s
Advancement office for the past
six years, most recently as Chief
Development Officer. In his new
position, he will work with donors on long-term planning
of gifts such as securities, real estate, bequests and life
insurance.
He has more than 25 years of fundraising experience in
nonprofit organizations, including more than a decade as
International Events Director for the Haggai Institute, an
international leadership organization. He has also been a
consultant for the Cecil B. Day Foundation.
Fisher has received training in capital campaigns and
fundraising from the Institute of Charitable Giving.
ww w.gordonconwell.edu /c o nta c tma g a z i ne 25
SEMINARY NEWS
Dr. Mary Ann Hollinger Named to
New Position
Dr. Mary Ann Hollinger has been ap-
pointed Special Assistant to the Provost
for Global Education by Gordon-Con-
well’s Board of Trustees.
Dr. Hollinger is volunteering her
services in this position. In her new
role, she is working with Provost Frank
James to “explore ways we can expand the educational
opportunities for our students abroad.” Her current focus
is developing courses that can be taught in other countries,
the first of which will be a Heritage of the Reformation
course taught in Wittenburg, Germany. She projects that
the course will be available in 2011.
Dr. Hollinger was previously Dean of External Programs
for Messiah College, where she led its national and
international offsite learning opportunities. She has also
served as Executive Director of the Center for Academic
and Professional Services and Assistant Professor of
Sociology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Mount Vernon
College in Washington, DC. She holds a master’s degree
from Montclair State University and Ed.M. and Ed.D.
degrees from Columbia University.
CUME, EGC
Collaborate on New
Book Series
Gordon-Conwell’s Boston
campus, the Center for Urban
Ministerial Education (CUME),
and its ministry partner,
Emmanuel Gospel Center
(EGC), have teamed up to
produce the first book in a new
Urban Voice Book Series.
Entitled The Cat and the Toaster (Wipf and Stock 2010),
the book was written by Dr. Doug Hall (’68), President of
EGC, and his wife, Judy. Using the letter to the Laodiceans
in Revelation 3, the book discusses the church’s tendency to
26 Summer ‘10
Business Ethicist Appointed for
New Professorship
David W. Gill, Ph.D., has been named the
Mockler-Phillips Professor of Workplace
Theology and Business Ethics and Director
of the Mockler Center for Faith and Ethics
in the Workplace at Gordon-Conwell, ef-
fective fall 2010.
The new Mockler-Phillips professorship was established
in memory of the late Colman M. Mockler, Jr., former
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Gillette
Company. Gordon-Conwell’s Mockler Center for Faith and
Ethics in the Workplace was created by his wife, Joanna, to
honor his deep interest in issues of faith, values and ethics in
business.
Dr. Gill previously taught business ethics at St. Mary’s
College in California and was Principal of an organizational
ethics consulting business. He has written several books
on ethics, most recently, It’s About Excellence: Building
Ethically Healthy Organizations. He has also authored
numerous articles, and lectures frequently. He belongs
to several ethics organizations and is President of the
International Jacques Ellul Society. He holds an M.A.
from San Francisco State University and a Ph.D. from the
University of Southern California.
unwittingly undermine God’s work and calls the church to a
new ministry paradigm.
Believing that Scripture is transformative when accurately
applied, the Urban Voice Book Series is designed to provide
faithful biblical instruction appropriate for the urban context.
The Halls are long-time urban ministers who have served
Emmanuel Gospel Center since 1964. EGC supports churches
in the greater Boston area in their ministries, especially to the
poor and marginalized.
Dr. Hall is also an adjunct professor at CUME. He holds
an M.A. from Michigan State University and an M.Div.
equivalent from Gordon-Conwell. In 1981, the seminary
awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree for his
pioneering work in urban ministry.
 SEMINARY NEWS

New Biblical Literacy Project in Charlotte Kalos Art

Gordon-Conwell—Charlotte has received a grant to
research and test a project in biblical literacy. A pilot
course begins in September. This project will explore how
the unique mission and resources of the Charlotte campus
might be used to alleviate biblical illiteracy in the church
and the need for lay training in Scripture.
The Robert C. Cooley Center for the Study of Early
Christianity at Gordon-Conwell—Charlotte is launching
the project. This undertaking is in keeping with the
Center’s emphasis on understanding the Scriptures in their
original contexts and will help to train Bible teachers and
make Bible instruction widely accessible.
Journal
Produces
New Issue
Kalos, the semi-
annual creative
arts journal at Gordon-Conwell—South Hamilton, has
published its second issue, “Light.” The journal, founded
in 2009 to nurture the seminary’s artistic community,
contains poetry, artwork, photography and creative
writing from faculty, staff, students and spouses. For
the latest issue, visit http://www.editionduo.com/
publication/?i=24898

Recent Edition of Africanus Journal

Now Online
The Africanus Journal at
CUME, the Boston campus
of Gordon-Conwell, has
published its second issue.
This urban-oriented, multi-
ethnic and multilingual
journal was founded in 2009
to feature the academic
work of Gordon-Conwell
professors, alumni/ae and the
CUME Participates in Ethnic Ministries Africanus Guild, CUME’s
Summit Ph.D. support program. For
the latest issue, visit www.
Dr. Alvin Padilla, Dean of the Boston campus of gordonconwell.edu/boston/
Gordon-Conwell (CUME), and Associate Professor of africanus_journal.
New Testament, was one of the keynote speakers at
a conference in Boston hosted by the Ethnic America
Network. Entitled “A City Without Walls,” the conference
provided training and fellowship for pastors involved in
urban and ethnic ministries.
Dr. Sean McDonough
Dr. Padilla’s address offered CUME as a learning model Publishes New Book
for contextualizing theological education. Rev. Dr. Soong-
Chan Rah, a CUME graduate, and Dr. Alvin Sanders,
an adjunct professor at CUME, also served as plenary Dr. Sean McDonough, Professor of New
speakers on the topics “A New Kind of Reality” and Testament, recently published Christ as
“A New Kind of Glory,” respectively. Creator: Origins of a New Testament
Doctrine (Oxford University Press, 2010).
A City Without Walls was the 10th annual ethnic The book argues that the New Testament
doctrine of creation through Jesus (i.e. 1
ministries summit organized by the Ethnic America
Cor. 8:6) developed from reflection upon
Network, a coalition of more than 60 denominations Christ’s identity as the Messiah and his ministry, death and
and organizations in North America dedicated to ethnic resurrection.
ministry.
ww w.gordonconwell.edu /c o nta c tma g a z i ne 27
DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Lessons from Generous Givers
Each man should give what he has
decided in his heart to give, not
reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver
(2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
In my line of work, I know many
generous givers. I am overwhelmed by
their sacrifice, generosity, humility and
love for our great God. These are cheerful givers. What is
it that leads these folks to be such remarkable givers? And
why are they the exception, not the rule? What have these
people figured out that eludes so many in the Church?
How does the Church generate and cultivate more
partners in the ministry who are generous with their time,
talent and treasure?
I think true generosity starts with how we spend our
time. I have found that generous and cheerful givers are
unselfish with their time. They are volunteers at church
who show up early or stay late, servant leaders who hang
on and don’t quit before the finish line, and devoted
Christ followers who carve significant amounts of time to
spend with our God. These folks are cheerful givers.
The Church needs thoughtful leaders and teachers who
encourage us to start by giving God our time. We need
Church leaders to teach and model what it means to “be
still,” slow down and listen for the gentle whisper from
God. These shepherds teach us to be generous with the
time we give to God. This is counter cultural, certainly
not the message we regularly receive in an overscheduled
society constantly bombarding us with multiple demands.
We are often so busy and hurried that we cannot possibly
hear the gentle whisper of God amid all the noise.
- Giving honors God. We glorify God when we
return a portion of the blessings He has so freely
and bountifully bestowed on us.
- Giving acknowledges God’s ownership. When
we give, we demonstrate the biblical truth that
everything belongs to God. We are given the
responsibility to manage the resources He has
entrusted to our care.
- Giving is an investment in ministry. In all of
Scripture, from the pitching of the Tabernacle,
to the building of the Temple, to supporting the
priests and apostles, God has always given the
responsibility to believers to support the work of
ministry.
God has given Gordon-Conwell the vision to advance
Christ’s Kingdom in every sphere of life by equipping
Church leaders to think theologically, engage globally
and live biblically. Your giving supports this vision. We
cannot possibly advance this vision without the faithful
support of generous donors.
At Gordon-Conwell, we are deeply grateful for the
manifold faithful partners who are investing their time,
talent and treasure into our ministry. We give thanks to
God for them—for their faith, their witness and their
sacrifice. They are people who model generous giving.

When we give God our time and talent, then our treasure
is likely to follow. Recently, I had a conversation with a
mentor and friend about this very topic. My friend is a
generous giver of his time, talent and treasure. Here are
some of his thoughts on giving:

- We are most like God when we give. God

is, first and foremost, a generous Giver—of
life, blessings, His Son. We most closely align
ourselves with His character when we give
generously.
- Giving is not God’s way of raising money.
Giving is God’s way of building character. Every
sacrificial gift produces in us less selfishness.
As we give generously, we move from self-
centeredness to helping others and supporting the
ministry.
28 Summer ‘10
New Planned Giving
Section on Our Website
The new planned giving web page on the Gordon-
Conwell website provides clear, detailed information
on each kind of planned giving gift, as well as charts,
tips and contact information. The site facilitates and
clarifies the process for anyone interested in learning
more about making a planned gift to the seminary.

Jenifer Hale Deming’s planned giving
includes a major bequest to Gordon-
Conwell Theological Seminary.
Her extravagant generosity comes on
the heels of many gifts to the semi-
nary—a pattern established while she
was still an M.Div. student at the South
Hamilton campus.
When she took a course that included a travel seminar to
England, she discovered that a young man in the class could
not afford to travel. So she started a Travel Seminar Fund.
When she and other members of the campus’ Women’s Re-
source Network observed the financial needs of non-M.Div.
female students, they created the Doulas Fund to help support
scholarships. Many recipients were women in the Master of
Arts in Counseling program.
When the seminary introduced a Mission Loan Repayment
program that assumes the educational loans of students
called to the mission field, she also gave to that initiative.
The program enables individuals to pursue their call immedi-
ately, rather than wait five to 10 years to pay back loans—a
requirement of most mission agencies.
“Just being there and seeing the needs of these students led
me to want to give back,” she explains. “Here I was having
just inherited a decent sum of money and there were people
who found it hard to rub two nickels together.”
President Hollinger Represents Seminary
at Home and Abroad
President Dennis P. Hollinger has made several trips abroad
in recent months on behalf of the seminary, and was the
keynote speaker at a major event in the U.S.
DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
After graduating in 2001, Jenifer pursued a chaplaincy resi-
dency at the Albany (New York) Medical Center, and now
serves in an interim capacity at a men’s medium security
prison in the Adirondack Mountains. She preaches or par-
ticipates in inmate-planned Sunday chapel services, and leads
a Monday Bible study. She is also a volunteer chaplain for a
local hospital and a nursing home.
In planning her future philanthropy, Jenifer determined that
a bequest was the best option for her, in part because of
present income needs and the tax advantages this type of
donation offers.
And she chose Gordon-Conwell because, as she explains,
“I felt that the seminary was doing work that I really, really
valued. The fact that I was a student there and got so much
out of it, I knew that what it is doing will be of lasting sig-
nificance.”
As an older student, Jenifer enjoyed living on campus, engag-
ing with the professors, participating in a Friday night fellow-
ship group in her dormitory, and enrolling in the meal plan
so she could get acquainted with fellow students.
Today, she’s still finding ways to help students with practi-
cal needs. In her home in the Adirondacks, the front section
is somewhat independent of the rest of her house. So she lets
Gordon-Conwell students use it for vacations.
In late fall, he traveled to Seoul, South Korea. Over 10 days,
he spoke 19 times to more than 30,000 people, visited six
seminaries or universities, met with two government officials
and many church leaders, made donor contacts, attended
an alumni gathering, connected with potential students and
granted several media interviews.
In March, President Hollinger also taught “Christian Ethics in
the Global Context” in Kiev, Ukraine, at REALIS Christian
Center. REALIS is an interdisciplinary center that trains and
equips Christian leaders.
The same month, he gave the keynote address at a joint
National Association of Evangelicals/Assemblies of God
Theological Seminary event in Springfield, MO, entitled
“Respecting Sex and Reducing Abortions–What Can Christian
Leaders Really Do?” In his address, President Hollinger
argued that understanding and communicating the meaning
and purpose of sex can protect respect for the dignity of
human life and preserve the sanctity of sex within marriage.
ww w.gordonconwell.edu /c o nta c tma g a z i ne 29
 FOCUS ON ALUMNI

Alumni by the Numbers

The two graphs below represent the denominational affiliation and occupational status of Gordon-Conwell alumni.
These graphs were part of a larger alumni report presented to the leadership of the Seminary this past spring.

Denominational Affiliation

E 55% of alumni/ae reporting. Data collected

from Fall 2008 to Summer 2009 and includes
alumni through 2008. ^This classification
includes traditional congregational denomina-
tions, as well as the Evangelical Covenant
Church and the Evangelical Free Church. *This
classification includes those identified as non-
denominational, inter-denominational, and in-
dependent. It also includes more than 30 iden-
tified denominations ranging from Lutheran to
Catholic to Christian Missionary Alliance.

Fast Facts
*9000+ living alumni reside in all 50 states Occupation
and on six continents.

*Six percent of alumni have two or more

degrees from the seminary.

*25 faculty members are also alumni.

*The oldest living graduates are from the

class of 1939 (there are two of them!).

*Alumni are a part of nearly 100 different

denominations around the world.

30 Summer ‘10
 FOCUS ON ALUMNI

Beside Still Waters Alumni Day in Charlotte

Alumni gathered on a snowy Saturday morning in March
at the Charlotte campus for Beside Still Waters, an event
designed to refresh souls and connect with other seminary
graduates. While the snow created a smaller turnout, the
ministry of Drs. Leighton Ford, Maria Boccia (D.Min., ’03)
and Garth Rosell blessed those who were able to attend.

Dr. Leighton Ford ministers to alumni in his session entitled

“The Attentive Life: Discerning God’s Presence in All Things.”

Calling All Alumni Authors!

The Alumni Office staff is working on a project to build a list of books authored by Gordon-Conwell graduates.
The goal is to make such a list available online in the future. If you have authored a book, please let the Alumni Office
know by emailing alums@gordonconwell.edu or calling 1.800.294.2774. Thanks in advance for your help with this project!

The Good News We Almost Forgot:

Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century
Catechism (Moody Publishers, 2010) by Kevin
DeYoung (’02); Sacred Encounters from
Rome to Jerusalem (InterVarsity Press, 2009)
by Tamara Park (’05) (available at ivpress.
com); and The Life and Letters of Emily
Chubbuck Judson: Volume 1; Biographies
and Timelines (Mercer University Press, 2009)
edited by George Tooze (’65) - three of
numerous alumni books.

If you are an alumni author, let us know!

Come Back to Gordon-Conwell for a Helping of Roast Preacher

The 2010 Preaching Conference gives
an opportunity for our alumni not only
to grow in the area of preaching, but
also to come back to campus! This
year’s conference is unique in that it
will honor Dr. Haddon Robinson for
a lifetime of service in preaching and
teaching God’s Word. As part of the conference, we are ex-
cited to announce a special alumni lunch with Dr. Haddon
Robinson entitled, “Roast Preacher: Lessons Learned from
Mistakes in Preaching.” Learn more about the conference at
store.gordonconwell.edu or call 1.800.294.2774.

ww w.gordonconwell.edu /c o nta c tma g a z i ne 31

ALUMNI NOTES
In Memoriam
Kenneth M. Hughes, M.Div., ‘53, of Havelock, New Brunswick,
Canada, passed away January 25 at the Sussex Health Center in Sus-
sex, New Brunswick.
William Clemons, M.Div., ’73, of Abington, MA, passed away in
May 2009.
Margaret Ellen Bowen, MATS, ’87, passed away December 8 after a
yearlong battle with cancer. Margaret is survived by her husband of
45 years, the Rev. Dr. John P. Bowen.
Pauline Santucci, M.Div., ’08, of Epping, NH, died February 17 at
age 67 after a period of failing health. A memorial service was held
March 6 at Epping Community Church.
1940s
Stanley Horton, M.Div., ’44, has taught thousands in the U.S.
and in 25 countries and is known especially for his impact on
Pentecostalism. Lois E. Olena recently published his biography,
Stanley M. Horton: Shaper of Pentecostal Theology (Gospel
Publishing House, 2009).
1950s
John Beauregard, M.Div., ’56, retired from Gordon College after
nearly 41 years of service. A news release from Gordon College
says of him, “From organizing library resources to coaching student
athletes and most recently to overseeing the College archives—
including the A.J. Gordon Heritage Project—Beauregard has had a
pastoral presence across campus.”
1960s
Thomas Dalbo, M.Div., ’65, recently celebrated his 45th anniversary
as Senior Pastor of Winchester Community Church, an Evangelical
Free Church of America, in West Seneca, NY. His first Sunday there
was January 17, 1965.
George Tooze, M.Div., ’65, recently published the first volume in
a six-volume compilation of the letters of Emily Chubbuck Judson.
The volumes are being published by Mercer University Press. 
1970s
David Montzingo, M.Div., ’75, recently founded Holy Spirit
Anglican Church in the College Area of San Diego. Holy Spirit
Church is in the Diocese of Western Anglicans of the Anglican
Church in North America.
Charles Sutton, MTS, ’76, retired Oct. 1 from active service in the
Episcopal Church, after serving 27 years as a presbyter, the last 19
years at Trinity Episcopal Church in Whitinsville, MA. Following
his retirement, he was received into the Anglican Church of North
America, in the Anglican Diocese of New England. He and his wife,
Mary, MTS, ’77, now live in Uxbridge, MA.
Dennis Lower, M.Div., ’79, has been named President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Center of Research, Technology and
Entrepreneurial Exchange (CORTEX).
1980s
Paul Helgesen, MRE, ’80, is featured in an article on the Gordon
College website for using his vacation time to volunteer in Haiti
after the January 12 earthquake. He is Director of Plant Operations
and Sustainability at Gordon College.
32 Summer ‘10
Raymond Isleib, M.Div., ’84, recently opened a law office in
Merced, CA, practicing bankruptcy law.
Stu Austin, M.Div., ’85, and his wife, Ethelanne Black Austin,
M.Div., ’86, are now part of New Hope Presbyterian, an Evangelical
Presbyterian church in Fort Myers, FL. New Hope was started
on Easter 2008, after a majority of the members of Covenant
Presbyterian Church left the PCUSA. Stu serves as the Associate
Pastor of Congregational Care and Outreach. Ethelanne retired in
2000 from the Department of Justice, where she served as a federal
probation officer.
Robert Turner, M.Div., ’86, was quoted in an article in the
Baltimore Sun highlighting the growth of St. John Baptist Church,
where he pastors.
Andrew Carr, MATS, ’88, has been accepted into the Ph.D. program
in New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.
David Kimberly, D.Min., ’88, M.Div., ’78, has been serving as
Senior Pastor of Faith Community Fellowship in Massillon, OH,
since 1994, and teaching as an adjunct faculty member at Malone
University since 1998. This past February, he presented a paper
on the impact of evangelical faith on American national life at an
international conference on American culture at the Russian State
University for the Humanities in Moscow.
1990s
Tom Backer, M.Div., ’93, has been a CPE Supervisor at the
Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha since 2007. Prior to his current
position, Tom completed CPE Supervisory Education at Alegent
Health in Omaha while serving as a staff chaplain at Alegent
Health—Bergan Mercy Medical Center. Tom is ordained with the
Baptist General Conference and is a board certified chaplain with the
Association for Professional Chaplains.
Penelope Hamilton-Kauffman, M.Div., ’95, and her husband have
served with Campus Crusade for Christ, sharing Christ and offering Bible
training to international students at Ohio State University, for the last seven
years. They have two young daughters.
Stephen Samuel, M.Div., ’95, recently celebrated 13 years of pastoral
ministry at Westbury Gospel Tabernacle in Westbury, NY. He and
his wife, Elizabeth, have two daughters.
Eric Bennett, M.Div., ’96, was ordained by the Colorado Springs
Council of Christian Churches in January 2010. He completed his
third season presenting Christ in the Passover for Jews for Jesus, this
year in Oklahoma. He will serve on a mission trip to Israel in June.
His wife, Kathy, works part-time with Jews for Jesus. They have a
young daughter.
Alan “Blues” Baker, D.Min., ’97, has been named Directional
Leader at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, CA. 
David Deboe, M.Div., ’98, and his wife, Jacqueline, M.Div., ’98,
welcomed their first child, a son born in China, in November 2009.
David Swanson, D.Min., ’98, is part of a team developing The
Well, a media ministry platform for presenting the Gospel through
Dr. Swanson’s teaching. The platform launched in December in
Orlando and Ft. Myers, FL; Dallas, TX; and Chattanooga, TN. Dr.
Swanson will also soon publish his first book, Vital Signs.
James Magness, D.Min., ’99, has been called to serve as Canon for
Mission and Diocesan Administration at the Episcopal Diocese of
Southern Virginia.

2000s
Lenny Anderson, M.Div., ‘00, was ordained into the Holy Order
of Deacons in the Episcopal Church Diocese of Easton, MD, on
February 20.  He currently serves at Wye Parish Episcopal Church.
Tim Andrews, M.Div., ‘00, has been called to pastor the Evangelical
Congregational Church in Lancaster, PA.
Mark Briesmaster, M.Div., ‘00, received his Ph.D. from Biola
University in 2006. That same year, he and his family went to
southern Chile to work as missionaries among the Mapuche Indians.
Currently, he directs a rural seminary for Mapuche pastors and
church leaders, is a seminary professor in several urban seminaries
and is Vice President and board member of the first Christian
university in Chile, La Universidad Cristiana de Chile.
Tom Waddell, M.Div., ‘01, was recently installed as Rector of the
Anglican Church of the Redeemer in Chattanooga, TN. Previously,
Tom and his wife, Linda, were missionaries with SAMS (Society of
Anglican Missionaries & Senders) in Bolivia.
Ben White, MANT, ’02, is finishing his Ph.D. in Ancient
Mediterranean Religions at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill and has accepted a tenure-track position in Religious
Studies at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, NC.
He will serve as Program Coordinator in Religious Studies.
Kevin DeYoung, M.Div., ’02, recently published Why We Love
the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion with
co-author Ted Kluck (Moody, 2009). The book won a Christianity
Today Book Award.
Casey Barton, Th.M., M.Div., ’03, is finishing a Ph.D. at the
University of Toronto, in the Toronto School of Theology. In June
2009, Casey became Pastor of Student Ministries at Great Exchange
Covenant Church in Sunnyvale, CA. He and his wife, Sarah,
welcomed their first son, Eugene, in December 2007 and their second
son, Theo, in June 2009.
Rick Picariello, Th.M., ’03, M.Div., ‘02, and Mount Hope Christian
Center, where he is Senior Pastor, were featured in an article on
www.wickedlocal.com for their work in the Burlington, MA,
community.
Rob Rienow, D.Min., ’04, has recently published a new book,
Visionary Parenting (Randall House, 2009), which is designed to
inspire and equip parents to take the lead in passing faith to their
children.
Eric Russ, M.Div., ‘04, and Leon Stevenson, M.Div., ‘08, were
featured in an article in the Wall Street Journal about church
planting in Detroit. Along with others, they planted Mack Avenue
Community Church there. An interview with Leon Stevenson is on
the Gordon-Conwell website.
Nijay Gupta, Th.M., ’05, M.Div., ‘04, has accepted an offer
to teach biblical studies at Seattle Pacific University’s School of
Theology.
Geoff Rach, M.Div., ‘05, is Associate Pastor at Canonsburg United
Presbyterian Church in Canonsburg, PA.
Geoffrey Reiter, MACH, ’05, has been appointed Professor at The
Baptist College of Florida in Graceville, FL. Previously, Reiter taught
8th-10th grade at a charter school while pursuing a doctoral degree in
English at Baylor University in Waco, TX.
ALUMNI NOTES
Jonathan Dodson, Th.M., ’06, M.Div., ‘05, and Austin City Life
Church, where he is Pastor, were featured in an article on the Austin
Statesman blog.
Stuart Rankin, MACH, MATH, ’06, was serving at the Mission of
Hope in Grand-Goave, Haiti (less than 20 miles from the epicenter),
when the earthquake struck in January. He describes his experience
in the On the Front Lines section of Contact.
James-Michael Smith, M.Div., ‘06, has developed a DVD course
entitled The Bible for the Rest of Us.
James Banks, D.Min., ’07, recently published his book, The Lost
Art of Praying Together (Discovery House, 2009).
Steve Barrett, M.Div., ’07, was formally ordained by the Christian
and Missionary Alliance at a special service at Christ the Rock
Fellowship of Worcester, MA, on November 22, 2009. Steve has
been serving as Pastor of Christ the Rock Fellowship since July 2009.
David Martin Hanke, M.Div., ’07, is featured in an article on the
Arlington Connection. He is serving at Restoration Anglican Church
in Arlington, VA.
Eric Mason, D.Min., ’07, spoke at the Desiring God Conference in
Minneapolis, MN, in February.
Steve Witte, D.Min., ’07, is now Vice President at Asia Lutheran
Seminary in Hong Kong. He and his wife, Mary, moved to Hong
Kong in October.
Jonathan Bonomo, MACH, ’08, has recently published Incarnation
and Sacrament: The Eucharistic Controversy between Charles Hodge
and John Williamson Nevin (Wipf & Stock, 2010). 
Victoria Italiano-Lee, D.Min., ’08, is the new lead pastor at the
Kirkwood Presbyterian (PCUSA) Church in Bradenton, FL.
Michael Koerber, M.Div., ‘08, is now Mobilization Coordinator for
Janz Team Ministries.
Jason Phibbs, MACL, ’08, will run for the District 25 North
Carolina Senate.
David Escobar Arcay, MAUM, ’09, wrote a book review in the
recent publication of American Theological Inquiry on Seek the
Peace of the City: Reflections on Urban Ministry by Dr. Eldin
Villafañe, Professor of Christian Social Ethics at CUME, the Boston
campus of Gordon-Conwell.
Josh McClendon, M.Div., ’09, is Pastor of Bethel United Methodist
Church in Rock Hill, SC. He is featured in an article on www.
heraldonline.com about a homeless ministry in that church.
Jess Bousa, MABL, MAR, ’10, recently published his third book,
The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God (Kalos Books,
2009).
ww w.gordonconwell.edu /c o nta c tma g a z i ne 33

I
t looks as though we may need to update the old Zen
koan: “If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it,
does it make a sound?” The new version might go, “If
I eat a sandwich but don’t write about it on Twitter,
will I still be hungry?”
Now at this point I feel compelled to insert the customary,
“Technology has lots of wonderful uses…” and the
contractually obligatory, “like allowing people to read our
faculty forum, Every Thought Captive!” And technology
does, in fact, have lots of wonderful uses. Encryption
programs can allow dissidents to report on the atrocities
committed by repressive governments with minimized fear
of reprisal. On a less dramatic level, you can post photos of
your recent trip to Ethiopia on Facebook without having to
email a bunch of people directly (let alone make actual prints
and mail them, as we used to do in the late Bronze Age).
But the Twitter-ization of communication in the last few
years clearly represents the other side of technology’s
two-edged sword. Life, I suppose, is always some mix of
grandeur and triviality, but the difference now is that your
trivia can reach a worldwide audience within seconds.
Whether everyone is out there anxiously awaiting your
news (“im typing a thing for evry thot cptiv right now,
how cool is that, then im snacking, prb a sweet ‘n’ salty
nut bar, ill keep you posted!”) is of course another question
altogether. Maybe the whole world isn’t watching.
But there is always the chance that it might be, and that is
the problem I want to focus on. One of the most powerful
forces that shapes our behavior is simply who we think
is watching us. We try to get good grades to please our
parents. We tailor our jokes to please our peers. We cut
our lawns to please our neighbors. This is all natural
enough, but the world-wideness of the Web adds a new
dimension to the problem. I can begin to derive significance
34 Summer ‘10
The Whole
World Is(n’t)
Watching
Sean McDonough, Ph.D.
(M.Div.,’93, Th.M.,’94)
Professor of New Testament
for my humdrum little life from the assumption that the
Global Community is clicking like crazy to read about my
latest thoughts on politics, religion, and what color shoes
I’m thinking of wearing tomorrow. We speak of “death
by a thousand cuts.” We might tweak that to, “life by a
thousand tweets.” I came, I blogged, I conquered. I am
read, therefore I am.
Most human enterprises end up slogging towards the
swamps of idolatry, and the new communication tools look
like they’re taking that same sad path. The internet can
serve as a surrogate sheltering sky, aglow with galaxies of
fellow bloggers and tweeters; a Zodiac of sympathetic stars
happy to guide our ways. But like all makeshift deities, it
promises much more than it can deliver.
Because at the end of the day, we all live pretty ordinary
lives, and continually blogging about them is not going to
change that. What makes the difference is recognizing that
your ordinary life is, in fact, lived out in the presence of
a very extraordinary God, who knows every hair on your
head and loves you with limitless concern. With his eyes on
you, you don’t need to worry about who else is watching.
Enjoyed this article? Read new faculty thoughts each week
(and access nearly 100 archived Every Thought Captive entries)
at www.gordonconwell.edu/alumni.
Dr. Sean M. McDonough, Associate Professor of New Tes-
tament, joined the seminary in 2000 after serving as Chair
of the Biblical Studies Department and lecturer in New
Testament at Pacific Theological College in Suva, Fiji. He
is active in his local church and also a speaker for MedAir,
a Christian relief organization. He received his Ph.D. from
the University of St. Andrews. Dr. McDonough is author of several books,
including Christ as Creator: The Origins of a New Testament Doctrine,
due for released in 2010 by Oxford University Press.
Opening
the
Word
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of
God, tell these stones to become bread” (Matthew 4:2–3).
So, what’s wrong with making bread? Look, this isn’t
exactly rocket science: You’re hungry and a guy’s gotta
eat, right? No big deal. Go ahead. It’s just bread.
Well, apparently Jesus thought it was a big deal––a
big enough deal that he confronts the tempter with an
answer from Scripture, “It is written: ‘Man does not
live on bread alone, but on every word that comes
from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4 quoted from
Deuteronomy 8:3).
This is just the first of three temptations Jesus will face
in his encounter with Satan, but it is the most important
for anyone who aspires to follow Christ. In this first
skirmish, Jesus defines by word and deed the essence,
authority and role of Scripture for every disciple.
When Jesus quotes the text from Deuteronomy, he is
reminding himself––and affirming for his disciples––that
the words of Scripture are in essence the very words of
God. It is not that the Scripture contains the word of
God or that in human experience it somehow becomes
the word of God, but rather the words written in
Scripture actually are God’s own words. These words
are, as is all of Scripture, God-breathed (2 Timothy
3:16).
Similarly, Jesus affirms that Scripture, as the Word of
God, is truth and is endowed with the full authority of
God. Therefore, he and his disciples after him are to
believe and obey the Scriptures. Even Satan understands
that God’s Word is supremely true and authoritative,
and so his first tactic is always to cast doubt on God’s
Word: “Did God really say, . . .” (Genesis 3:1) or “If you
are the Son of God, . . .” (Matthew 4:3). Thus, every
temptation ultimately tests our allegiance to the word
and authority of God.
Rather than question God’s Word, Jesus uses the
Edward M. Keazirian II, Th.D.
Assistant Professor of Greek and Director of
the Greek Language Program
Scripture to dispel doubt. Jesus relies upon the Scripture
as the basis for his preaching and teaching (doctrine), for
reprimanding Satan (rebuke), for reestablishing proper
belief and behavior (correction), and for continuing
education and maturation (training in righteousness).
Jesus thus demonstrates in his own life the role that
Scripture should play in the life of every disciple and
every church (2 Timothy 3:16).
So, what’s wrong with making bread? Nothing, unless
it leads you to betray your God, your identity, and your
destiny. And that is exactly what was at stake for Jesus.
Satan’s seemingly harmless suggestion that Jesus make
himself some bread was just the first step in his strategy
to dissuade Jesus from going to the cross and ultimately
to eliminate the redemptive work of Christ.
Satan is still out there seeking ways to destroy those
who follow Christ. Therefore, as disciples and as those
making disciples, we must by our words and deeds
accord the same identity, authority and role to Scripture
that Christ himself did. Our very survival depends
upon it.
Dr. Edward M. Keazirian II, Assistant Professor of Greek and
Director of the Greek Language Program, has a background
in evangelism and discipleship through InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship and the Navigators. He has also served as a
minister of evangelism and discipleship in a local church.
Currently, he is involved in multiple ministries in his church; is a guest speaker
for churches, conferences and campus ministries; and is a member of the U.S.
support organization for InterVarsity in the Philippines. He received M.Div. and
Th.M. degrees from Gordon-Conwell and a Th.D. from Boston University School
of Theology.
ww w.gordonconwell.edu /c o nta c tma g a z i ne 35
 National Preaching Conference in honor of Haddon Robinson
by the Center for Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“What’s the
big Idea?”

Join us on September 9-10, 2010

Speakers
tony evans,
Please join us for What’s the Big Idea? on September 9
alistair begg, and
and 10, 2010. During this momentous occasion we will soong-chan rah

be honoring Haddon Robinson for a lifetime served as a

preacher and teacher of God’s Word. 1.800.294.2774 store.gordonconwell.edu

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36 Summer ‘10