Seminary offers new online course in communication
“We are most like God because of our ability to communicate,” said Julie Gochenour, instructor of a newly-developed online course in communication offered by Eastern Mennonite Seminary.
“Christ in a Communication Culture: Communicating in Today’s Global, Digital, Relational World” will be taught online the spring semester, which begins Jan. 10, 2011.
“A cultural gap exists between those inside and those outside the church,” Gochenour said. “This course will give those inside the church a window for communicating with those outside.
“Students will learn communication skills and theory from a faith perspective,” said Gochenour. “Good communication is about risk, love and authenticity. Students will learn how use these skills, professionally, appropriately and faithfully.
“Pastors will learn how to use communication to shape organizational culture and more effectively collaborate with other organizations in the community to communicate the message of the church,” she added.
Gochenour is a 2004 EMS graduate. She is writing an interdisciplinary dissertation in the areas of communication and religion at Union Institute and University, an adult distance learning center offering nontraditional degree programs based in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is an adjunct instructor in communication and religion at EMU and James Madison University. She is a partner in Oakleaf Communications, a consulting firm specializing in communication services and new media use for non-profit and faith-based organizations, and has served on the editorial council of the Anabaptist publisher, Cascadia Publishing, for a decade.
To learn more about distance learning through Eastern Mennonite Seminary, or to register for “Christ in a Communication Culture” call the seminary admissions office at 540.432.4257 or email semadmiss@emu.edu.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
Seminary offers evening, online classes
Eastern Mennonite Seminary, a graduate school of theological education on the Eastern Mennonite University campus, is offering one evening class and three online courses the fall semester, 2010.
Kevin A. Clark, assistant professor of spiritual formation, will teach “Introduction to Spiritual Guidance” 6:30-9:10 p.m. Tuesdays, Aug. 31- Dec. 7.
The seminary on-line courses are:
• “Old Testament: Text in Context,” led by Dennis Edwards, adjunct instructor;
• “Prayer in the Christian Tradition,” Nate E. Yoder, professor of church history; and
• “Church in Mission,” Linford L. Stutzman, associate professor of culture and mission.
These courses begin Aug. 31 and end Dec. 17 and may be taken for academic credit.
Registration ends Aug. 31. For more information, contact Don A. Yoder, director of seminary admissions, at 540.432.4257 or e-mail semadmiss@emu.edu. More information is also available online at www.emu.edu/seminary.
Story by Jim Bishop. Jim can be reached at bishopj@emu.edu.
EMU student: Gulf cleanup was extension of faith
Eastern Mennonite Seminary student James Åkerson found the two weeks he spent this summer helping with clean up from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico a “natural extension” of his Christian faith.
Åkerson, who is about half way through his program of study at EMS, is a forest ecologist and program director for the National Park Service. Normally he works in insect and disease control and invasive plant management. When he heard about the oil spill and follow-up efforts, he made sure that his disaster response form was up to date. He was asked to leave immediately for Pensacola Beach, Fla.
“I saw my work with beach clean-up as an extension of creation care,” said Åkerson. “It was good for me to be there, because I saw first-hand the impact of my oil use.”
“One thing I learned is that it is my use of oil and demand for plastic that caused this disaster,” he continued. “The best thing for us to do to prevent this kind of thing from happening again is to reduce our own use of oil.”
Åkerson often finds intersection with his work in the Parks Service and his seminary studies. He is a part of the Creation Care group at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church where he attends and recently completed an internship.
“Creation care is something that should never be divorced from faith,” said Åkerson. “It has been our job to care for the earth since creation. Even before the fall described in Genesis, we were called to be stewards of the earth.”
“There is a big difference in treating creation like it is ours and remembering that we are just caring for it for someone else,” Åkerson stated. “I think it’s a wrong sentiment to say that because you own something it is yours. Really, you’re just taking care of it for now.”
Åkerson’s primary duty while on the beach clean-up crew was to make sure that local wildlife was not endangered. In Pensacola, this meant making sure that the birds that nest in the dunes and the sea turtles that lay eggs on the shore weren’t disturbed during the clean-up efforts.
“I had day shift for three days, and I’ve never been so glad to have night shift in my life,” said Åkerson.
“For the clean-up workers the heat and humidity, combined with the clean-up suits they were required to wear meant that we could only work 20-30 minutes out every hour or we would suffer from heat exhaustion,” he said. “I didn’t have to wear the protective clothing but was plenty hot in my long pants and shirts.”
Åkerson is taking several seminary classes each year so he can work them around his job with the parks service.
“Each class I’ve taken is a great tool,” said Åkerson. “I have found joy in my seminary studies, and I enjoy the ministry opportunities I have at Harrisonburg Mennonite and in the local community.
“I have felt a call to ministry since childhood,” he continued. “I have held a long litany of church positions, including teaching, leading Bible study and book keeping. My internship at Harrisonburg Mennonite confirmed that I was on the right road.”
Eastern Mennonite Seminary offers two- and three-year degrees and one-year certificate programs. For more information, contact the office of seminary admissions at 540.432.4257 or by e-mail at semadmiss@emu.edu.
Story by Laura Lehman Amstutz
Eastern Mennonite grad takes on pro-life ethics in new book
“This is a book about killing.” That’s the opening descriptive line in Eastern Mennonite Seminary grad Rob Arner’s new book.
Arner, of Holland, a village in Bucks County, Pa., is a 2007 master of arts in religion graduate of the seminary. His recently-published “Consistently Pro-Life: The Ethics of Bloodshed in Ancient Christianity” is an extension of his master of arts in religion thesis at EMS. The book was chosen for publication by Pickwick Publications, a division of Wipf and Stock.
Arner, who grew up United Methodist, came to EMS hoping to better understand pacifism.
“I chose EMS because I wanted to explore the peace church trajectory as a faithful calling of Christian discipleship,” said Arner.
“During ‘Christian Tradition’ class my first semester, I heard about the Constantinian shift,” he said.
“I learned that one of many changes during this time was that the ancient Christian church changed from being pacifist and opposed to war to embracing violence. This intrigued me, and I began reading the works of the ancient Christian church find out more,” Arner continued.
“A theory began to suggest itself to me—no matter which century in the early church, or which part of the empire, every early Christian author that I encountered denounced human bloodshed in a variety of contexts – from abortion, to killing in war, and everything in between, espousing and living a consistently pro-life ethic.
“In this book I want to challenge both liberal and conservative readers on their assumptions about the taking o f human life,” Arner stated. “The gospel of Jesus is neither liberal nor conservative, and I make the case in this book that the Christians of the first three centuries consistently maintained that ALL killing is incompatible with the teaching and example of Jesus.”
In a review of the book, Mark Thiessen Nation, professor of theology at EMS, said, “No one has reminded us as clearly as Arner, in this compelling and wonderfully written book, that if we are to be true to the substance of the teachings of the Ancient Church, true to the Spirit by which it was animated, then we must recover their commitment to a Consistently Pro-Life theological ethic.”
Arner is currently working on his PhD at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is also an adjunct instructor at Chestnut Hill College and Eastern Mennnonite Seminary’s Lancaster (PA) campus.
Arner’s 152 page book is available through Wipf and Stock online at wipfandstock.com for $13.60.
Eastern Mennonite Seminary is a graduate school of theological education on the campus of Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va., offering three-, two- and one-year programs of study.
Story by Laura Lehman Amstutz
Let it ‘Shine’
Seminary student releases CD with Christian message
Story by Laura Lehman Amstutz
EMU news: www.emu.edu
Along with writing papers and reading books, first-year Eastern Mennonite Seminary student Jessica Crawford has been busy producing a recording. Her first solo CD, “Shine,” is a mix of acoustic rock and folk with a Christian message.
“Just before entering seminary I completed this really intense season of songwriting,” said Crawford. “The songs on this CD are all connected to my life experience and faith journey I’ve been on.”
Crawford has been involved in music most of her life and started writing songs in 2001. Her mother, Teresa, is an elementary school music teacher. In fifth grade she was a charter member of the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir. She was frequently involved in music at Bridgewater Church of the Brethren and was in the Turner Ashby Singers in high school under the direction of Debbie Wampler. Read more
EMU provides Advent meditations online
Staff Report
EMU news: www.emu.edu
Looking for a boost to focus your thoughts and anticipation during the Advent season?
Eastern Mennonite University is providing a daily meditation on the meaning of Advent on its web site at www.emu.edu/devotions.
The brief devotional articles have been prepared by EMU and Eastern Mennonite Seminary faculty, staff, students and alumni. They began Monday, Nov. 30 with a reflection by Dorothy Jean Weaver, professor of New Testament at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and will continue through Christmas Day. Read more
Eastern Mennonite Seminary features new divinity offering
Story by Laura Lehman Amstutz
Eastern Mennonite Seminary is offering students a new opportunity in the master of divinity degree. An academic track has been added to the three-year MDiv program as part of an overall curriculum revision.
This track will give students opportunity for more study in their field of interest and better prepare them for teaching, writing and ongoing scholarship. Read more
