News

Congratulations Rev. Dr. Alton B. Pollard, III for being recognized as one of the Most Admired CEOs by Louisville Business First.

Get to know the 2021 honorees, by visiting: https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2021/11/12/get-to-know-our-2021-most-admired-ceos.html.

The Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick has announced his retirement from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary effective at the conclusion of the fall 2021 semester. Kirkpatrick, a leader in the global ecumenical movement, has served as the seminary’s Professor of World Christianity and Ecumenical Studies and the William A. Benfield Jr. Professor of Evangelism and Global Missions since 2009.

Clifton Kirkpatrick

Throughout his time at Louisville Seminary, Kirkpatrick has taught courses on the ecumenical movement, world mission and evangelism, and Presbyterian and Reformed theology and polity. He also serves as advisor to Presbyterian students and was co-chair of "Doors to Dialogue," a seminary-wide effort to ensure that all graduates are equipped to minister in a world of religious difference.

“Cliff Kirkpatrick is a treasure,” said Louisville Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III. “He has long been a stalwart of global ecumenical and interfaith engagement. My own transition to LPTS was made easier in time well spent with Cliff. We are grateful for who he is, all he means, and what he has given to us.”

Kirkpatrick’s retirement caps off a decades-long commitment to the life of the Presbyterian Church. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), he served as Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) from 1996-2008. At the conclusion of his term of service, he was elected by the General Assembly as Stated Clerk Emeritus. As Stated Clerk, Kirkpatrick served as the Chief Ecclesiastical Officer of the denomination and its primary spokesperson and leader in the ecumenical movement. Among other leadership roles in the Presbyterian Church, he serves as Co-moderator of the General Assembly Special Committee on the Belhar Confession and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians.

His service as Stated Clerk was preceded by fifteen years of service as the Director of the PC(USA) Worldwide Ministries Division, guiding the Presbyterian Church’s ministry in partnership with churches in more than 80 nations.

When asked about the future of the Church in a soon-to-be published issue of Mosaic magazine, Kirkpatrick said, “I wish we would have a new passion for the ecumenical movement, for interfaith relations, for reaching out to build a community together. We have tremendous gifts to share, but we can also be in a deeply troubled place if we don’t exhibit the ecumenical and interfaith movement in the way we live.”

Kirkpatrick emphasizes the Church’s theological vision, anti-racism work, and work around climate change as the most pressing issues of our time, globally and at the congregational level.

“It’s absolutely crucial,” said Kirkpatrick, “for the church to put its voice, its life, and its people out front and to say that we are committed, and committed deeply, to a church that is called to unity, reconciliation, and peacemaking in our time.”

Kirkpatrick shared his ecumenical vision for the 21st century in his September 9, 2021, Louisville Seminary convocation address, which can be viewed here.

Louisville Seminary is planning a retirement celebration in Kirkpatrick’s honor, details of which will be available at a later date. In the meantime, the Louisville Seminary community offers its thanks to Kirkpatrick for his wisdom, spirit, and leadership.

Academic Dean Debra Mumford says of Kirkpatrick, “Cliff has been a gracious colleague and a trusted adviser to students. By generously sharing his experience and knowledge of ecumenism and global Christianity, Cliff inspired us to teach students and the wider Louisville Seminary community about the importance of interfaith and ecumenical dialog. His work and ministry have shaped the work of Louisville Seminary graduates for years to come.”

Editor’s Note: Some information contributed by Amy Hartsough (MAR ’15).

On Monday, October 18, 2021, Kassandra Turpin will begin her service as Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary’s new Director of Communications. In this capacity, Turpin will oversee all facets of the seminary’s marketing, public/media/community relations, as well as digital and print communications to internal and external stakeholders.

Kassandra Turpin

Turpin brings nearly 15 years of experience in marketing and communications to Louisville Seminary. She comes to Louisville Seminary from Faith Presbyterian Church in Cape Coral, Florida, where she has served as Director of Operations and Communications since 2014.

“Throughout a highly competitive application process, Kassandra stood out as one who not only possesses exceptional skills for the position but a vibrant understanding of the ethos of Louisville Seminary,” said Louisville Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III. “Her positive attitude, energetic spirit, and tremendous creativity are essential to the ongoing success and further development of this key component to our seminary.”

Pollard adds that Turpin assumes her new role at a critical time as the seminary works to implement effective outreach strategies for theological education in a post-COVID-19 context. Among her immediate priorities are the relaunching of the seminary’s Mosaic magazine, strengthening the seminary’s video and livestreaming capabilities, identifying new target audiences for outreach, and marketing the seminary’s new mission, vision, and core values.

“I am honored and humbled to be entrusted with the role of Director of Communications at LPTS,” said Turpin. “I will serve our community with care, authenticity, integrity, and imagination. Further, I look forward to working collaboratively to create transformative messaging that will not only honor the history of Louisville Seminary, but also exemplify its mission, vision, and ultimate goal to ‘champion God’s love, justice, and inclusive welcome’ for generations to come.”

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary kicked off its 168th academic year with its opening convocation, which was held on September 9, 2021. As part of the fall convocation celebration, four seminary students were recognized for their ongoing success in their fields of study.

Linette Lowe, a Master of Divinity student from Bloomfield, Kentucky, received the Burton Z Cooper Prize in Theology. The prize recognizes the middler student who has demonstrated promise in constructive, philosophical, systematic or contemporary theology. The prize was established in 1995 in honor of Dr. Burton Z Cooper, professor emeritus of philosophical theology, who taught at Louisville Seminary for 28 years, from 1970 to 1998.

Kimberly Blackford, a Master of Divinity student from Versailles, Kentucky, received the Dean K. Thompson Prize in Practical Theology. The prize honors the eighth president of Louisville Seminary, who served from 2004 to 2010. It is awarded to a middler student who has demonstrated excellence in the study of practical theology and in their congregational field education placement.

Brittany “Britt” Riddle, a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy student from Louisville, Kentucky, received the James A. Hyde Marriage and Family and Pastoral Counseling Theory & Practice Award. Established in 2009 to honor Dr. James A. Hyde, who directed the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Louisville Seminary from 2003 to 2007, the award recognizes a second-year student in the MAMFT program who has demonstrated excellence in marriage and family therapy and pastoral counseling theory and practice during his or her first full year of involvement in the MAMFT clinical and academic program.

Cori Vivian, a Master of Divinity student from Hamilton, Ohio, received the E.L. Bell Memorial Prize, which is awarded to a student in his or her first year who has demonstrated excellence in biblical studies. Established in 1953, the award is presented in memory of Edwin Lewis Bell (1864-1942), a deacon and elder of Old Stone Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg, W.Va., and the father of Margaret Bell Hanna of Lexington, Ky., who was the spouse of Dr. C. Morton Hanna (1896-1964), a Louisville Seminary alum, professor and pioneer of the supervised field ministry movement.

Our congratulations to these outstanding students!

Tiffany Keith, a 2021 graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, has been hired as Administrative Coordinator to Louisville Seminary’s Dean of Community Life. Tiffany will begin her service to Louisville Seminary on July 1. In her role, Keith will assist the Dean of Community Life with all student engagement and human resources initiatives, including student housing, placement support, community engagement, student health initiatives, community therapeutic/spiritual direction support and talent management processes.

Tiffany Keith

“Tiffany’s qualifications as well as her familiarity with and care for the seminary community make her the perfect fit for the job,” said Kilen Gray, Louisville Seminary’s Dean of Community Life. “She brings to this role experience in higher education in the work of admissions, alum relations, student engagement, event planning, and executive administrative support. Further, as a mental health professional, Tiffany brings experience in behavioral health, case management, family protection, and trauma-informed care.”

Keith earned her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy degree from Louisville Seminary in May 2021. During her time as a seminary student, she served as a student body representative, student representative for the Marriage and Family Therapy program, and student body clerk.

Prior to coming to Louisville Seminary, Keith graduated magna cum laude with the Bachelor of Science in Human Development degree from Warner Pacific College. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and serves with her husband, Tamron Keith, as lead pastors of the Tree of Life Church of Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary held its 167th Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 15, 2021. Due to COVID-19 guidelines the Commencement was pre-recorded and broadcast on the seminary’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The seminary conferred Master of Divinity degrees on eighteen students. Twelve students earned Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy degrees, and Doctor of Ministry degrees were conferred on eight students. Twelve students earned a Certificate in Black Church Studies, and four students earned a Certificate in Education Ministry.

During the Commencement exercises, several students were recognized for their accomplishments in a variety of fields including preaching, theology, the integration of theology with marriage and family therapy, field education, and overall academic achievement.

Rev. Dr. Doris Garcia-Rivera, Interim Director of Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA-Bautistas por la Paz) delivered the 2021 Commencement address, “Where Will Your Footprints Lead?”. As part of the Hispanic international biblical scholars active in higher education, Christian missions, ecumenism, human development, and social justice, Garcia-Rivera spent 23 years of missionary service in Central America, the Caribbean, and the United States serving diverse communities through the International Ministries of American Baptist Churches. An ordained minister of the American Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico since 1990, Garcia-Rivera became the first Hispanic woman to preside at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico bringing the seminary back to life after hurricane Maria with the collaboration of multiple relief organizations, partner churches, seminaries, and volunteers.

On Friday, May 14, Louisville Seminary’s Baccalaureate worship service was broadcast on the seminary’s Facebook page. This year’s Baccalaureate preachers were Rev. Dr. Shannon Craigo-Snell and Rev. Stachelle Bussey. Their sermon, “The Residue of Exile,” drew on messages from Jeremiah 29:1-15 and Psalm 126.

Shannon Craigo-Snell is a systematic and constructive Christian theologian who has served as Louisville Seminary’s Professor of Theology since 2011. Before arriving in Louisville, she was Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University.

In all of her work, Craigo-Snell brings the wisdom of theology into conversation with contemporary issues so that each might teach and learn from the other. Her areas of interest focus on feminist and Reformed theologies, anti-racism, theology and theater, and formation for religious experience. Her writing spans a broad scope of interdisciplinary diversity. In addition to several articles for journals such as The Ecumenist, Quaker Religious Thought, Jump Cut, Christian Century, and Modern Theology, she has written several books including Disciplined Hope: Prayer, Politics, and Resistance; No Innocent Bystanders: Becoming an Ally in the Struggle for Justice (co-authored with Christopher Doucot); The Empty Church: Theater, Theology, and Bodily Hope; Living Christianity: A Pastoral Theology for Today (co-authored with Shawnthea Monroe); and Silence, Love, and Death: Saying ‘Yes’ to God in the Theology of Karl Rahner

Stachelle Bussey is the founder and Executive Director of The Hope Buss, a nonprofit organization that intersects the church with the community in various forms such as providing rides to the polls on election day, hosting conversations on mental health and the church, and providing free food and gospel music in the community after the murders of Breonna Taylor and David McAtee in West Louisville.

Bussey also serves as the Worship Director for One Church Louisville, a multi-cultural worship community formed in 2016. In 2020 Bussey earned her Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Seminary and her chaplaincy certification through Norton Healthcare. She has also been accepted to the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Ecumenical Studies program at the Ecumenical Institute at Chateau de Bossey in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2021, Bussey was elected to the Louisville Metro Police Department Civilian Review Board, which provides a monitor for police conduct alongside an appointed inspector general.

In the days leading up to Commencement, several graduates were presented with Faculty Spirit Awards. The awards are informal, fun, creative, and meaningful videos that Louisville Seminary professors make to lift up the amazing ways our graduates have carried themselves throughout their seminary journey.

Also, as a lead-up to Commencement, the seminary held a Cheer ‘Em out Parade in the seminary quad, where faculty, staff, and students came with bubble blasters, instruments, noise-makers, and signs to celebrate this year’s graduates.

Our congratulations, best wishes, and many blessings to the Louisville Seminary Class of 2021!

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary has received a $50,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to research the academic and professional development needs of pastors and lay leaders. The grant is part of Lilly’s multi-phase Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which is designed to help theological schools strengthen and sustain their capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian churches.

Throughout the summer of 2021, Louisville Seminary will interview and survey pastors and lay leaders about what they need as it relates to theological education and leadership development (degrees, certificates, continuing education workshops, etc.). Research will also address best modes of delivery for these services. Interviewees will include Louisville Seminary alumni/ae and friends of the seminary as well as pastors and lay leaders of congregations currently unaffiliated with Louisville Seminary but who may fall within the seminary’s traditional geographical regions and/or who may resonate with the seminary’s mission, vision, and values.

Additional research will focus on financial models of institutional funding which could supplement the enhancement of seminary programs and personnel availability. The seminary’s Offices of the President, Dean, Institutional Advancement, and Community Life will direct the research initiative.

“Phase I of the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative offers us an opportunity to research and better understand the leadership development needs of pastors and lay leaders of congregations,” said Seminary Dean Rev. Dr. Debra J. Mumford. “It will also help us to explore ways to enhance our approaches to funding our work so we can meet the ever-evolving needs of those who feel called to various forms of congregational ministry.”

Through the three-phase Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, the Lilly Endowment seeks to assist theological schools in efforts to:

1. explore emerging challenges and opportunities facing their institutions as well as the Christian congregations that they serve;
2. gain clarity about their mission in light of these challenges and opportunities and in relationship to the leadership needs of their constituent churches;
3. assess the effectiveness of their educational strategies and financial operations for preparing and supporting pastors and congregational lay ministers; and
4. design and implement plans to launch new and/or strengthen current projects to address their key challenges and opportunities and to make their institutions more educationally effective and financially viable for the continued preparation and support of pastors and congregational lay ministers into the future.

Upon completion of its research, Louisville Seminary plans to apply to participate in phases two and three of the initiative. Work in those phases entail the implementation of a plan to strengthen the seminary’s educational and financial capacities to prepare and support pastors and lay ministers for the long term and offer a compelling and sustainable strategy or model of theological education that, if successful, could be adopted by other schools.

About Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Lilly Endowment’s religion grantmaking aims to deepen and enrich the religious lives of American Christians, primarily by helping to strengthen their congregations. To that end, their religion grantmaking in recent years has consisted largely of a series of major, interlocking initiatives aimed at enhancing and sustaining the quality of ministry in American congregations and parishes. Find out more at www.lillyendowment.org/religion.

Rev. Dr. Doris Garcia-Rivera, global peace and justice advocate, is Louisville Seminary’s 2021 Commencement speaker

Professor Shannon Craigo-Snell and Seminary Alum Stachelle Bussey are the 2021 Baccalaureate preachers

On Saturday, May 15, 2021, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary will celebrate its 167th Commencement. Due to COVID-19 precautions the Commencement exercises will take place virtually and will broadcast on Louisville Seminary’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The broadcast will begin at 10:00 a.m. Viewers do not need a Facebook or YouTube account to watch the Commencement exercises.

This year’s Commencement speaker is Rev. Dr. Doris Garcia-Rivera, Interim Director of Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA-Bautistas por la Paz), a nonprofit international network of peacemakers from Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States, with connections to South America, Africa, and Europe. BPFNA resources, advocates, and shares practical tools for peace with justice to build a culture of peace among churches and partners organizations.

As part of the Hispanic international biblical scholars active in higher education, Christian missions, ecumenism, human development, and social justice, Garcia-Rivera spent 23 years of missionary service in Central America, the Caribbean, and the United States serving diverse communities through the International Ministries of American Baptist Churches. After this transformational time, Garcia-Rivera became the first Hispanic woman to preside the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico bringing the seminary back to life after hurricane Maria with the collaboration of multiple reliefs organizations, partner churches, seminaries, and volunteers.

Garcia-Rivera’s commitments have taken her throughout the United States and Central America as missionary, teacher, international speaker, workshop leader, board member of higher education-related organizations, and founder of theological schools and programs. Since 1982 she has collaborated with a variety of journals and digital spaces sharing valuable educational, theological, and biblical materials with ministers and lay leaders.

An ordained minister of the American Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico since 1990, Garcia-Rivera holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from Boston University Theological School, an MAR in Cross-cultural Evangelism from Andover Newton Seminary at Yale, an MSc in Microbiology and Medical Zoology from the University of Puerto Rico Medical School, and a BS in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico. Doris Garcia-Rivera’s interests are in interculturality, Ancient Near East cultural background, and prophetic literature.

***

Prior to Louisville Seminary’s Commencement exercises, the seminary will play host to a virtual Baccalaureate service on Friday, May 14, at 4 p.m. The Baccalaureate service will broadcast on Louisville Seminary’s Facebook page.

This year’s baccalaureate preachers are Rev. Dr. Shannon Craigo-Snell and Rev. Stachelle Bussey. Their sermon, “The Residue of Exile,” will draw on messages form Jeremiah 29:1-15 and Psalm 126.

Shannon Craigo-Snell is a systematic and constructive Christian theologian who has served as Louisville Seminary’s Professor of Theology since 2011. Before arriving in Louisville, she was Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University.

In all of her work, Craigo-Snell brings the wisdom of theology into conversation with contemporary issues so that each might teach and learn from the other. Her areas of interest focus on feminist and Reformed theologies, anti-racism, theology and theater, and formation for religious experience. Her writing spans a broad scope of interdisciplinary diversity. In addition to several articles for journals such as The Ecumenist, Quaker Religious Thought, Jump Cut, Christian Century, and Modern Theology, she has written several books including Disciplined Hope: Prayer, Politics, and Resistance, No Innocent Bystanders: Becoming an Ally in the Struggle for Justice (co-authored with Christopher Doucot), The Empty Church: Theater, Theology, and Bodily Hope, Living Christianity: A Pastoral Theology for Today (co-authored with Shawnthea Monroe), and Silence, Love, and Death: Saying ‘Yes” to God in the Theology of Karl Rahner.

Stachelle Bussey is the founder and Executive Director of The Hope Buss, a nonprofit organization that intersects the church with the community in various forms such as providing rides to the polls on election day, hosting conversations on mental health and the church, and providing free food and gospel music in the community after the murders of Breonna Taylor and David McAtee in West Louisville.

Bussey also serves as the Worship Director for One Church Louisville, a multi-cultural worship community formed in 2016. In 2020 Bussey earned her Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Seminary and her chaplaincy certification through Norton Healthcare. She has also been accepted to the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Ecumenical Studies program at the Ecumenical Institute at Chateau de Bossey in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2021, Bussey was elected to the Louisville Metro Police Department Civilian Review Board, which provides a monitor for police conduct alongside an appointed inspector general.

Third-year Louisville Seminary Master of Divinity student Emma Loane is the 2021 recipient of the Allen T. and Wilma L. Christy Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates academic excellence while also demonstrating commitment and perseverance in preparation for pastoral ministry. The award was established in 1961 by Mrs. Wilma L. Christy in honor of her husband, Mr. Allen T. Christy, a 1938 alumnus who was killed in an automobile accident. Mrs. Christy died March 16, 2010, and at the request of the family, the award is presented each February, which is the month that Mr. Christy died. Loane formally accepted her scholarship at Louisville Seminary’s Spring 2021 Opening Convocation, which took place February 4, 2021.

New student organization to enhance/support Black life at Louisville Seminary.

For Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Black History Month kicks off with the establishment of a new student organization. The Gayraud Wilmore Society of Black Seminarians (SBS) centers the distinct voices of the seminary’s Black students by providing a sacred and unified space that uplifts Black community, cultural experiences, social connections, mental health, and the academic support of the Black student body at Louisville Seminary.

According to SBS President and second-year Master of Divinity student John Randolph, the formation of the group was inspired by three separate factors. First, seminary alums laid the groundwork in developing an organization that centered around shared cultural experiences. Second, the “three-headed monster of 2020 (sickness from the global pandemic; fascism from a disastrous presidential administration; and violence from the injustices inflicted on Sis. Breonna Taylor)” inspired the need to understand the fallen world in which students would minister. Lastly, the desire to honor Dr. Gayraud Wilmore, a paramount figure in Black Theology who died last year.

“We wanted to build an organization that centered around our black experience in faith, social justice, and healing during this tumultuous season,” said Randolph. “While the focus is on Black students, we seek to provide a safe space for all people of color, those seeking community, and those who authentically want an opportunity to learn about the Black experience. The SBS will create an environment that acknowledges the distinctiveness of the Black experience, values Black students, and recognizes the importance of community among the Black student body.”

Randolph adds that the SBS will assist and inspire the student body and Louisville Seminary in working toward an anti-racist institution and to educate, engage, and ignite the local community to act on issues and concerns related to the well-being and success of Black people.

Serving with Randolph on the SBS board are: Kimberly Blackford, Vice President and second-year Master of Divinity student; Jai Everette, Secretary and first-year Master of Divinity student; Mohlatlego Makgoba, Treasurer and first-year Master of Divinity student; and Jacques Francois, Chaplain and second-year Master of Divinity student.

Dr. Ashley Hicks, Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy, and Dr. Brandon McCormack, Adjunct Professor at Louisville Seminary and Associate Professor in the University of Louisville Pan African Studies Department, serve as the SBS faculty advisors.

“Community and relationships matter,” said Hicks. “Black students at our institution need a place where they are able to share their voices, identify their concerns, and build community on and off campus. I think SBS will be a prime organization to help promote the needs of Black students and to aid in their formation as seminarians. The group will also help hold Louisville Seminary accountable to our commitment to anti-racism as institution and in the larger world. I am excited about the good work SBS is doing and will continue to do.”

Dr. Gayraud S. Wilmore, the organization’s namesake, was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement, a Presbyterian pastor, and an African American church history scholar. He also was the first Executive Director of the United Presbyterian Church’s Commission on Religion and Race. In 2019, Louisville Seminary conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on Wilmore. It was the first such degree conferred in the seminary’s 165-year history.

“We welcome this new student organization at Louisville Seminary and their faithful dedication to the struggle for Black lives in the spirit of our honorary alum, Gayraud Wilmore,” said Louisville Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III.

Mark your calendars for these special Black History Month events.

Should seminary higher education play a larger role in addressing racial, social, and economic inequalities and injustices? How have Black History and Black Church Studies shaped the seminary experience? Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary President Rev. Dr. Alton B. Pollard, III will address these and other issues in a series of events celebrating Black History Month in February. Please mark your calendars and register for these free virtual events.

History of the Black Church
Tuesday February 2, 2021 and
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
7:00 p.m. EST

Over the course of these two sessions, Pollard will lead a discussion about the history of the Black Church as part of the Gift of Black Theological Education & Black Church Collaborative. The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Vergel L. Lattimore, III, President and Professor of Pastoral Psychology and Counseling at Hood Theological Seminary. The collaborative is a consortium of historically African American theological seminaries working together to provide online learning experiences which address critical issues in the Black community.

REGISTRATION AND EVENT DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE VIA ZOOM.

Black Lives and Theological Education
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. EST

Pollard and Rev. Dr. Anne Bain Epling, Pastor and Head of Staff at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne, Indiana, will discuss the connection between Louisville Seminary and current events including the Black Lives Matter movement, the tragedy surrounding the death of Breonna Taylor, what our role in the community can be to fight against systemic inequality, as well as the Louisville Seminary’s Black Church Studies Program.

REGISTRATION AND EVENT DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE VIA EVENTBRITE.

About Alton B. Pollard, III
Pollard began his service with Louisville Seminary in 2018. A scholar, author, consultant, and speaker on the subject of African American and U.S. religion and culture, Pollard was previously Dean of the School of Divinity and Professor of Religion and Culture at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Prior to his eleven years at Howard University, Pollard served as Director of Black Church Studies and Chair of American Religious Cultures at Emory University, and taught at Wake Forest University and St. Olaf College.

Prior to his eleven years at Howard University, Pollard served as Director of Black Church Studies and Chair of American Religious Cultures at Emory University, and taught at Wake Forest University and St. Olaf College.

He serves on the board of directors for the In Trust Center for Theological Schools and the Advisory Committee for the Luce Fund for Theological Education. Pollard served on the Board of Commissioners for the Association of Theological Schools from 2010-2016 and was chair from 2014-2016. He is an active member of the Society for the Study of Black Religion and the American Academy of Religion.

On December 14, 2020, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary held a special service to honor the students who completed their seminary studies at the conclusion of the fall 2020 semester.

This year's December graduates are:

• Caitlin Thomas Deyerle (Doctor of Ministry)
• Annica Namiko Gage (Master of Divinity)
• Angela Trina Overton (Master of Divinity)
• Kayla M. Lorenz (Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy)
• Angela Trina Overton (Certificate in Black Church Studies)

As you go from this place, leave knowing that you are a beloved child of God and that we love you, too. May the love of God, the peace of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit bless you and keep you always.

- Charge from the Louisville Seminary Community to the December 2020 graduates

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Theology Professor Shannon Craigo-Snell recently joined a group of academics in religious studies, history, and ethics to develop Breakdown Whiteness, an online resource designed to explain structural racism to white audiences.

The site, breakdownwhiteness.org, launched November 6, 2020, and serves as a clearinghouse of existing resources, which dismantle white supremacy in America. Resources are categorized by age and subject. The site also includes a glossary of terms and actions that can be taken to stop the policies and practices, which enable systemic and structural racism.

“Of course, there are many resources (about anti-racism) available, but it can be hard for people who are new to this to navigate,” said Craigo-Snell, co-author of No Innocent Bystanders: Becoming an Ally in the Struggle for Justice (Westminster John Knox Press, 2017). “I was invited into the effort and was fortunate to work with an incredible team of scholars and educators. We decided that we didn’t need to make new content so much as to consolidate and organize material in a way that highlights the systemic nature of racism.”

Breakdown Whiteness was instigated by Nikia S. Robert, founder of Reverend Daughter Ministries, which provides communities, organizations, and faith leaders with serviceable models of faith and justice through radical preaching, scholarship, and activism. In June 2020, Robert took to Twitter to express her fatigue with explaining anti-Black racism to white people and her hope for a resource to share instead. She asked white scholars, as a practice of allyship and solidarity, to create a resource for other white people, so she could point them to that resource.

Resources include videos, books, book lists, websites, podcasts, and more. According to Craigo-Snell and the other Breakdown Whiteness developers, the resources currently listed lean heavily on anti-Black racism and may be seen as reinforcing the binary of white and Black to a certain degree. It is not their intention to reify the binary. Rather, they seek to show how the binary works as a necessary part of both sustaining and breaking down white supremacy. As the scope of the conversation expands, additional resources will attend to how structural racism historically and currently affects a wider diversity of racialized communities.

The other developers of Breakdown Whiteness are: Kathryn Blanchard, the Charles A. Dana Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of Religious Studies, Sociology, & Anthropology at Alma College in central Michigan; Hannah Bowman, founder and director of Christians for the Abolition of Prisons; Amy Levad, Associate Professor of Moral Theology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota; and Kate Ott Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at Drew University Theological School.

Widow of former Louisville Seminary Professor George Edwards committed to ministry for peace.

Jean Edwards, a longtime friend of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and widow of former Louisville Seminary Professor George Edwards, died Wednesday, November 4, 2020, at her home in Treyton Oak Towers in Louisville, Kentucky. She was 98.

Jean and George Edwards met as teenagers at a Southern Presbyterian Church camp in the 1930s, then lost touch after the United States entered World War II. The two reconnected at a church conference after the war. According to Jean, her decision to marry George was rooted in their shared desire to follow Jesus Christ by witnessing against war. As Jean remembered, “I knew we would never, ever argue about pacifism.”¹

Jean and George’s ministry for world peace would serve as the foundation of their life together throughout their 63-year marriage. In 1975 Jean and George founded the Louisville Fellowship of Reconciliation, a local chapter of the nation’s oldest and largest pacifist organization. The chapter organizes rallies, marches, boycotts, and nonviolent civil disobedience to work for de-militarization, racial and economic justice, and LGBTQ+ equality. In the 1980s they withheld the portion of their federal income taxes earmarked for the military. Their logic was if the Selective Service system recognizes conscientious objection to war, why shouldn’t the tax code? To spare Louisville Seminary from any kind of embarrassment from his civil disobedience, George retired following nearly 30 years as a Professor of New Testament. Nevertheless, Jean and George remained close to the seminary, where George taught and studied (he was a 1951 graduate) and Jean worked as a faculty secretary.²

Jean and George’s life and ministry is the subject of the book, Through with Kings and Armies: The Marriage of George and Jean Edwards (Cascade Books, 2012), which was written by Louisville Seminary alum Rhonda Mawhood Lee (MDiv. ’05).

"Because Jean Edwards loved Jesus, she devoted her life to seeking peace,” said Lee, canon for regional ministry with the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. “Because she loved George Edwards, and he loved her, she had a partner in that tireless quest for over 60 years. I'm grateful for their witness, and I will hold both George and Jean in my heart as I do what I can to honor their memories through my own ministry.”

In 1986, Louisville Seminary established the Edwards Peacemaking Lectureship to honor Jean and George for their faithful leadership in Christian efforts for peace and social justice. The George and Jean Edwards Award was established in 1993 to honor Jean and George for their work on issues of peace and justice and is presented to a graduating senior at commencement. Jean and George are also the namesakes of the Edwards Award in the Interpretation of Scripture to Christian Life - particularly to issues of peace and justice, which was first given in 1993.

“Jean, along with her beloved George and their entire family, have been synonymous with Louisville Seminary since 1947,” said Louisville Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III. “Jean was a gift to us. Our hearts sing in knowing that hers was a life splendidly lived.”

Jean Edwards was preceded in death by her husband, George Edwards, and is survived by her three children, Virginia “Ginger” Edwards-Menz, George “Riley” Edwards-Raudonat, and John D. “Johnny” Edwards.

A memorial service is planned for 12:00 pm on Saturday, November 28. In keeping with the constraints of the current pandemic, the service will be held in digital form only. If you would like to join in, please request the link at riley.edwards.raudonat@googlemail.com. Messages of condolence may also be sent to this address.

Contributions to Jean's loving memory may be sent to: Central Presbyterian Church, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary or the Louisville Fellowship of Reconciliation.

1. ^1.  Rhonda Mawhood Lee, “George and Jean Edwards: A Marriage and Ministry for Peace,” Mosaic: The Magazine of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary vol. 20 no. 1 (Winter 2015): 38-39.
2. ^2.  Lee, “George and Jean Edwards,” 38-39.

New Visiting Assistant Professor of New Testament is Louisville Institute Fellow.

Sung Soo Hong has been named Visiting Assistant Professor of New Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. His professorship is through a Postdoctoral Fellowship he received from the Louisville Institute, a Lilly Endowment Inc.-funded program which supports the formation of ecclesiastically engaged academics for teaching and scholarship that serves the church and its ministries.

“It is a dream come true,” said Hong, who currently serves as a Teaching Fellow at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. “Teaching has been my passion, and I have wanted to teach at a seminary. I see that the Louisville Seminary community actually cares about its members and seeks justice and inclusion. I am thrilled to be part of it!”

Hong will complete his Ph.D. in Religion in the Ancient Mediterranean (New Testament, Christian Origins, and Ancient Christianity) at the University of Texas at Austin. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Religion from Yale Divinity School and a Master of Divinity degree from Drew Theological School.

“The Louisville Institute is grateful to Lilly Endowment for providing a $3.9 million grant for the placement of 20 additional Louisville Postdoctoral Fellows, including Professor Hong at Louisville Seminary,” said Edwin David Aponte, Executive Director of the Louisville Institute. “Professor Hong’s academic preparation is exceptional as is his teaching experience in both the academy and in the church. In Sung Soo Hong’s calling as a theological educator, he embodies the Louisville Institute goal to bridge church and academy.”

While at Louisville Seminary, Hong will develop his research project that he introduced in his dissertation, “Epistolary Psychagogy in the Letter of James.” In his dissertation, Hong examines how the author of James conveys the central message of the writing, “Sharing is caring,” by drawing on ancient letter writing conventions and by employing some pedagogical techniques and ideas in Hellenistic moral philosophies. Hong analyzes the ways in which the author guides the audience to pursue moral perfection both on the individual level and on the communal level. In addition, Hong will continue his research on Hellenistic Jewish wisdom texts and early Christian martyrdom literature.

“We are excited to have Sung Soo teaching with us,” said Louisville Seminary Academic Dean Debra Mumford. “He brings to Louisville Seminary not only his stellar credentials in biblical scholarship, but he also brings his commitment to calling students’ attention to the religiously ‘justified’ hate, violence, and oppressions in history, which they may have not been acutely aware of - especially if they are not one of the victims. After highlighting the history of oppression, he then equips students to develop their own academically sound and ethically responsible interpretations.”

Hong will begin his professorship at Louisville Seminary in January 2021.

New Visiting Assistant Professor of Practical Theology is Louisville Institute Fellow.

Rev. Dr. Kathryn House has been named Visiting Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Her professorship is through a Postdoctoral Fellowship she received from the Louisville Institute, a Lilly Endowment Inc.-funded program which supports the formation of ecclesiastically engaged academics for teaching and scholarship that serves the church and its ministries.

House completed her Ph.D. in Practical Theology and MDiv. at Boston University School of Theology. While at the School of Theology, she was also Assistant Director of the Center for Practical Theology and most recently Instructional Coordinator for Distance Learning Initiatives.

“As a lifelong Baptist formed and transformed by the ecumenical generosity and hospitality of Methodists, I am thrilled to sojourn for a while with Presbyterians – and with all who are part of the incredible Louisville Seminary community,” said House.

While at Louisville Seminary, House will continue to research begun in her dissertation, The Afterlife of White Evangelical Purity Culture: Wounds, Legacies, and Impacts. Her project investigates the theological legacies of white evangelical purity culture (WEPC) and proposes a constructive practical Baptist theology of baptism in response. It foregrounds the activism and testimonies of Christian women in the Female Moral Reform movement; in efforts to both support and end racial terror lynchings; and in initiatives to articulate both the enduring wounds of and alternative theological frameworks to WEPC.

“With deep gratitude to Lilly Endowment for providing a $3.9 million grant for the placement of 20 additional Louisville Postdoctoral Fellows, the Louisville Institute is thrilled to partner with Louisville Seminary through Dr. Kathryn House joining Louisville Seminary as a Louisville Postdoctoral Fellow,” said Edwin David Aponte, Executive Director of the Louisville Institute. “A gifted and experienced theological educator, Dr. House is committed to antiracist initiatives, and her scholarship explores new directions in practical and constructive theology. We look forward to the contributions Dr. House will make at Louisville Seminary."

House’s research interests include feminist and womanist theologies, antiracist theology, trauma and theology, religious leadership, and Baptist theology. She has contributed chapters to the edited volumes Trauma and Lived Religion: Transcending the Ordinary (Palgrave Macmillan) and Faithfully Feminist: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Feminists on Why We Stay (White Cloud Press). House is also completing a chapter envisioning a Baptist theology of ordination after the #MeToo movement for the forthcoming volume of Baptist Sacramentalism (Wipf and Stock).

An ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches, USA, and the Alliance of Baptists, House is the former Pastor for Christian Formation at the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, where she is Clerk of Church Council and a member of the Board of the Centre for Faith, Art, and Justice.

“I love churches that take risks, love God and their neighbors, and work for justice with courage and compassion,” said House. “I work to deepen my practice of antiracist scholarship, teaching, and Christian discipleship, and I look forward to supporting antiracist work at Louisville Seminary.”

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary will participate in the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning symposium, “Becoming Anti-Racist and Catalysts for Change.” Through a series of cohort sessions and participant projects, the symposium will provide guidance on how to design initiatives and implement measures to address the nature and workings of race, racism, and white supremacy in academic settings. Participation in the symposium is a component of Louisville Seminary’s larger initiative to implement anti-racism measures as part of the seminary’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for which accreditation bodies will hold the seminary accountable.

“We don’t just want to teach our students to be anti-racist,” said Debra Mumford, Louisville Seminary’s Academic Dean. “We have the larger goal of becoming an anti-racist institution. The Wabash Symposium will help us make progress toward this goal.”

Mumford, along with Justin Reed, Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, and Shannon Craigo-Snell, Professor of Theology, submitted the application for symposium participation to the Wabash Center. Reed is the seminary’s Wabash Symposium representative. As such, Reed will attend symposium cohort sessions with representatives from other academic institutions from November 2020 through June 2021.

“Our students have made it clear that we need to go beyond the laudable work of learning about anti-racism; we also need to be people of action,” said Reed. “The Wabash Symposium gives us an amazing opportunity to bring all facets of our seminary together in concerted action toward substantive change into becoming a thoroughly anti-racist community.”

As part of the symposium’s efforts, Reed will also lead an institutional conversation group, which will design an embedded project to mobilize the seminary on issues of race, racism, and healing. The group consists of representatives from five key areas of seminary life. They are:Heather Griffin – Institutional Advancement; Angela Harrison – Business Office; Tyler Mayfield – Dean’s Office; Sandra Moon – Office of Community Life; and Ed Aponte – Louisville Institute. Each representative will work with their areas to examine policies, practices, procedures, and general ways of being that continue to support and perpetuate racism.

“The Wabash Symposium will help us do some of the very difficult work it will take to reach our goal of being an anti-racist institution,” said Louisville Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III. “We are grateful to Justin Reed and to our colleagues for their commitment to this very important work. Our thanks as well to the Wabash Center for their visionary symposium.”

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary has received a five-year, $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Nehemiah Project: Strengthening Historic African American Congregations.

The program is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, a national effort to strengthen Christian congregations so they can help people deepen their relationships with God, build strong relationships with each other and contribute to the flourishing of local communities and the world.

Lilly Endowment is making nearly $93 million in grants through the initiative. The grants will support organizations as they work directly with congregations and help them gain clarity about their values and missions, explore and understand better the communities in which they serve, and draw upon their theological traditions as they adapt ministries to meet changing needs. Louisville Seminary is one of 92 organizations being funded through the initiative.

The Nehemiah Project will engage 13 primarily rural, historic Black churches (HBCs) in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio, plus one non-Black congregational learning partner. Each participating congregation will receive guidance and support to devise specific strategies for defining their spiritual values, connecting with their surrounding communities, and responding to congregational challenges in effective ways. Features of the Nehemiah Project will include developing influential congregational leaders, online learning modules, and assessment tools for congregations to use. Representative denominations will include United Methodist Church (UMC), African Methodist Episcopal, Christian Methodist Episcopal, AME Zion, and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Rev. Dr. Angela Cowser, Louisville Seminary’s Associate Dean of Black Church Studies and Doctor of Ministry Programs, said that the timing of the Lilly Endowment funding could not be better.

“Ministry in rural spaces is understudied and under-resourced,” said Cowser. “This grant will make these project goals a reality and provide a model for rural HBCs in this region and across the country. We want to build relationships with rural clergy, learn from them, and provide resources that will enrich their ministries and communities.”

“In the midst of a rapidly changing world, Christian congregations are grappling with how they can best carry forward their ministries,” said Christopher Coble, Lilly Endowment’s Vice President for Religion. “These grants will help congregations assess their ministries and draw on practices in their theological traditions to address new challenges and better nurture the spiritual vitality of the people they serve.”

With funding secured, next steps for the Louisville Seminary Nehemiah Project include project orientation for participating congregations’ leaders, organization of church development leadership teams, and development of program study guides and other training modules. Project efforts will be the focus of the seminary’s next Black Church Studies Consultation, which will take place in February 2021.

According to Louisville Seminary’s President, Rev. Dr. Alton B. Pollard, III, the work of the Nehemiah Project benefits the communities that Louisville Seminary serves as well as the seminary students who are preparing for ministry.

“Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is pleased to support the Nehemiah Project, a groundbreaking and much-needed resource,” said Pollard. The Commonwealth of Kentucky and neighboring regions are richly served by rural Black congregations and communities. Thanks to the leadership of Rev. Dr. Angela Cowser, and the researchers and practitioners she has gathered, this project will be of immense benefit to rural Black contexts and to the faithful far and wide.”

On July 23, 2020, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary released two online resources for public use which raise awareness about the importance of anti-racism and help develop individual anti-racist identities.

Growing a Personal Anti-racist Voice and Identity is a self-guided study, which takes approximately 90 minutes to complete and can be done individually or in small groups. With faith as its foundation, the study helps participants find ways to restore oppressed people and bring racial healing, equity, and justice to the community. It includes discussion questions, definitions about racialization, ways to become involved in anti-racist movements, poetry, prayers, and other resources. The study is available on Louisville Seminary’s website at lpts.edu/antiracistidentity.

The Anti-racism Digital Library, which is curated by Louisville Seminary’s Ernest Miller White Library, serves as a clearinghouse for information about people, groups, and projects who are building inclusive and caring communities. The library includes more than 325 books, essays, videos, art and other materials in 23 different collections and allows for individuals, groups, and organizations to submit additional materials. The library is found at endracism.info.

Both the Growing a Personal Anti-racist Voice and Identity study and the Anti-racism Digital Library were developed by Dr. Anita Coleman, who is the Director of Louisville Seminary’s Ernest Miller White Library and Associate Professor of Bibliography and Research. According to Coleman, these resources reflect on and respond to the current and historic realities of racial injustice.

“Anti-racism is a part of Christian discipleship, a harmonious outpouring of the inner life,” said Coleman, who also serves on the editorial board of Horizons Magazine and is Vice President of the Presbyterians Writers Guild. “These tools are not to make one feel guilt, shame, or pressure to add anti-racism as another commitment. Rather, they illuminate our journey and discern our next steps as disciples of Jesus Christ in today’s global and multi-cultural society.”

Coleman began work on the Anti-racism Digital Library in 2015 (prior to her arrival at Louisville Seminary and shortly following the Emmanuel AME church shooting in Charleston, SC) with seed funding from the Presbyterian Women of the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii and the Center for Applied Research on Human Services at San Jose State University. Development of the Growing a Personal Anti-racist Voice and Identity study came at the behest of Louisville Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III, and several others from the seminary’s faculty and students.

“In the same breath we express our love for God, so we must also bring meaning, action, and life to the truth of that love,” said Pollard. “It is our hope that those near and far beyond the walls of our seminary find personal, spiritual, and communal wisdom through these resources. My thanks to Dr. Coleman and those who assisted her on these projects for helping Louisville Seminary lend its voice to the very important work of racial justice.”

On June 30, 2020, Col. Pamela Stevenson, a Master of Divinity student at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, won the election for Kentucky State House District 43. Stevenson received 74 percent of the vote against her opponent, Rev. David Snardon, a Louisville Seminary alum (MDiv ’11) and current Doctor of Ministry student.

Stevenson is a Louisville native who graduated from the JG Brown School and Indiana University with a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD). She served as a senior officer in the U.S. Air Force and retired as a Colonel after 27 years of service.

"Now is our time,” said Stevenson. “We can achieve the promise of America by our next actions. Kentucky will be the place where every voice is heard, and every life is empowered. Everyone can do something! Together, we will end homelessness and hunger, achieve social justice and economic power, while restoring kindness.”

Among her accomplishments, Stevenson is a founding member of OneWest Economic Development initiative for West Louisville; a professional leadership consultant; Adjunct Professor for the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and Air Force JAG School; and founder of a nonprofit law firm for working families, veterans, and the elderly; among many others.

Kentucky’s State House District 43 consists of approximately 42,019 people from neighborhoods throughout Louisville West, Louisville Central, Louisville East, and Eastern Jefferson County neighborhoods. Stevenson’s work in District 43 includes service with Personal Counseling Service, OneWest, Shawnee Christian Healthcare, and the National Association for Black Veterans.

Snardon is Pastor of Joshua Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville’s Russell Neighborhood, President of Concerned Pastors of Russell, Past President of the Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition, and Past Co-president of Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together (CLOUT). He has also served on the board of OneWest and the Louisville Central Community Center. Snardon and his wife of 21 years, Alicia, currently serve on Louisville Seminary’s President’s Roundtable.

“This election was historical,” said Snardon. “We have an opportunity to build on this momentum and push for the resources that are lacking in many of our communities due to systemic racism and patriarchy. This election was a defining moment for our state, and I salute Col. Pam Stevenson and anticipate great things due to her vision for Kentucky.”

“We are certainly proud to have both Col. Stevenson and Rev. Snardon as part of our Louisville Seminary community,” added Pollard. “Blessings to Col. Stevenson on her new leadership post, and blessings to Rev. Snardon as he continues his ministry and service.”

Angela Morris, Associate Director of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary’s Ernest Miller White Library, has announced her retirement effective July 7, 2020, after 32 years of service.

Angela joined the Louisville Seminary community in June 1988 as Acquisitions Assistant for the E.M. White Library, continuing her service as Circulation Supervisor in December 1996. She served as Reference and Instruction Librarian from June 1999 to December 2004. In the fall of 2004, Angela was selected to be a participant in the Wabash Colloquium on “The Role of the Theological Librarian in Teaching, Learning and Research.” She has served as Head of Public Services and Reference Librarian since 2005 and was appointed Associate Director in 2015. Notably, Angela served as Acting Director three times during the transition periods between library directors.

“Angela’s devotion to the E.M. White Library and all of its many patrons – students of all degree programs, visitors from other seminaries, local ministers, and more – was a true gift for which the seminary will always be grateful,” said Steve Cook, Acting Seminary Dean and Registrar.

Throughout her service at Louisville Seminary, Angela provided reference assistance to patrons in print and electronic media; worked with faculty to plan and execute the library’s program of bibliographic instruction, which included designing and teaching stand-alone instruction sessions specifically designed for individual courses in the curriculum; oversaw collection development for the library; and served as adjunct faculty co-teaching the Th.M. seminar with the Director of Graduate Studies from 2001 until the program ended in 2009. She was a member of the teaching team that designed and taught the new Skills and Practices for Parish Ministry class, which won the Kentuckiana Metroversity 2002 Award for Instructional Development recognizing the innovative curriculum design research proposal.

Former E.M. White Library Director Douglas Gragg, who is now the Librarian at Harvard Divinity School said of Angela:

“It’s hard for me to imagine the library at Louisville Seminary without Angela in the picture. She has many distinctive qualities, of course, that make her a treasured colleague, but I would call special attention to one in particular that I have always appreciated. Angela is a consummate problem-solver. When a challenge arises, she doesn’t waste time complaining or wishing things were otherwise. She grabs reality by the horns and wrestles it into a workable compromise. Learning that lesson from her has been invaluable to me, though I’m still not as good at bull-wrestling as she is! I don’t have to tell you that her retirement will be felt, but she deserves some rest, and I hope that she enjoys this next stage of life to the fullest!”

Angela was responsible for the library’s part of the Louisville Seminary website. She participated in “The Project,” the effort to move the library catalog from print cards to the library’s first online catalog named “Morgan” after its namesake Professor F. Morgan Roberts. One of her greatest passions was overseeing the Seminary Archives and compiling the photos and texts for the column “Mosaic Moments in Time” for the seminary’s Mosaic magazine.

“Angela’s ability to learn each new student’s name was unmatched. Her ability to connect with this personal touch is one of the reasons she was so effective with students,” said Bobi Bilz, E.M. White Library Administrative Coordinator.

In addition, Angela led the employee committees for Metro United Way, Fund for the Arts, and Apples for Advent, as well as served on the Employee Christmas Luncheon Committee.

“As a friend and trusted advisor, Angela’s assistance with faculty and student research bears fruit in the multiple book acknowledgements that record her name and contribution,” said Dianne Reistroffer, Professor Emerita of Ministry and Methodist Studies. “In her work with student assistants across the years, Angela has been a quiet and caring mentor. Angela was a campus friend who consistently volunteered to lead community efforts and offered wise counsel and compassion to other employees and students in times of need. Her retirement marks a liminal moment in the life of the Ernest Miller White Library and Louisville Seminary.”

Please join the Louisville Seminary Community in prayer, thanks, and well wishes for Angela Morris.

All fees for services currently suspended

In an effort to provide access to marriage and family therapy resources during the COVID-19 (“coronavirus”) pandemic, the Louisville Seminary Counseling Center (LSCC) will begin offering services free of charge to its clients via phone and the online Zoom meeting platform beginning June 29. The seminary’s counseling center has been closed since March 16, due to the need to implement coronavirus social distancing protocols.

According to LSCC Clinical Director Beth Seeger Troy, while the closure was necessary, disruption of services adversely impacts the therapeutic progress of the center’s more than 165 clients. Further, the students in the Louisville Seminary Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Program who work in the LSCC experience disruption in their academic and professional training.

“While people often would rather meet with their counselor in person, telehealth allows everyone to remain safe during the pandemic,” said Seeger Troy. “Telehealth counseling has also been shown to be effective for therapy outcomes. Further, LSCC believes it is important to offer services to people in the Louisville area who may be experiencing anxiety over the pandemic, and, in particular, to those who need to talk about racial injustice. LSCC recognizes the need for quality therapy at no charge in these times of high stress, so all fees for services are suspended during this time.”

Louisville Seminary’s MFT students and the LSCC’s clinical supervisors have been completing training via a Telemental Health class under the instruction of Dr. Ashley Hicks, Louisville Seminary’s Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy. According to Hicks, students’ training has focused on Telehealth Theory, Ethics in Telehealth, Online Therapy Practice, Risk Management, Safety and Emergency Procedures, and Clinical Assessments.

To further ensure confidentiality of clients’ information, the LSCC is implementing the use of SharePoint, which allows for secure online transmittal of forms, documents, and other paperwork relevant to the clients’ needs.

Since 1997, the LSCC has provided family, couple’s, and children’s therapy to clients throughout the Louisville Metro area. Appointments are currently being accepted. To make an appointment, contact the Louisville Seminary Counseling Center at (502) 894-2293. Information is available online at www.lpts.edu/lscc.

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

After carefully studying the recommendations and predictions of local, state, and national public health experts, observing the resurgence of COVID-19 during early summer, assessing the testing, contact tracing and other human and material resources needed to keep all Louisville Seminary students and employees safe, and in consultation with faculty, we have decided that all teaching and learning will be provided in an online format during the fall 2020 semester.

The faculty is committed to providing quality online courses in the fall. Throughout the summer, faculty are learning to design and facilitate engaging and creative online courses that meet the same rigorous pedagogical and academic standards students have come to expect in our face-to-face classes. Learning to teach online in such a short period of time involves a steep learning curve. Faculty understand that developing online teaching proficiencies takes a lot of time and effort. However, your professors are lifelong learners who take great pride in their teaching. As a result, we are working with an online instructional designer to make our learning curve much more manageable.

Having made the decision to offer all instruction online, we understand other aspects of Seminary life are also impacted. What follows are updates from various Seminary departments.

General Safety
PPE materials will be widely available on campus this coming academic year. More information will be forthcoming as the semester approaches. LPTS will continue to closely monitor and adhere to local, state, federal, and healthcare guidelines in implementing our COVID-related measures.

Convocation
The 2020-21 academic year formally begins with Opening Convocation. Dean Debra Mumford will be our speaker for this signature virtual event. Though she will be speaking, she has chosen to be installed as Dean during either the spring or fall 2021 Board of Trustees meeting.

New Student Orientation
Orientation for all new incoming students will be held online August 31-Sept 1. More information will be made available soon.

Course Schedules
All courses will be taught using online video conferencing technology. For now, meeting times of all courses still follow the fall 2020 course schedule; students should use this for their planning purposes. Any amendments to the course schedule to reflect the use of videoconferencing technology will be available in early August.

Field education
The on-site placement aspect of Field Education will take place either virtually, in person, or in a hybrid of the two. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on conversations between the student, the supervisor, the site, and the Office of Field Education. The primary factor in this will be the physical, spiritual, and emotional health of all involved, but particularly, the students. All training for Field Education will take place online. All supervisors and students will receive training before the start of the fall semester. More information will be provided at that time.

E. M. White Library
In the fall, library services will be provided in phases as we continue to develop necessary approaches, policies, and procedures. At the beginning of the semester we will be in Phase 1, which will be fully online. In the first phase, in support of the Seminary’s online instruction, the library will continue digital library services, including fully online course reserves, electronic remote access, instruction, and research consultations via the Online Help Desk. During the first phase, the building and its print collections will be open only to staff. Our hope is to progress to Phase 2 in which we will safely reopen limited access to the library building, spaces, and print collections with reduced services. Staff will work from the library and prepare for the second phase of limited access and services. Details will be available after fall semester begins.

This summer, library staff continue working from home M – Th 8:30 am – 5:00 pm and delivering services via With Much Love: Digital Library Services https://blog.lptslove.org

In the fall, library hours will be Seminary hours: M - Th 8:30 am – 5 pm and Fri 8:30 am to noon.

Academic Support Center
The Academic Support Center (ASC) will continue offering support, coaching, assignment and paper planning, study skills and tips, and ADA accommodation coordination for the fall semester. ASC office hours with Beth Herrinton-Hodge resume daily in August (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Evening hours with Sherry Arconti will resume in September (3:30 to 8:30 p.m., Mondays and Thursdays).

To reach the ASC remotely, to set up a Zoom meeting, or schedule an appointment, contact:

Beth: bherrintonhodge@lpts.edu
Calendly.com/bherrintonhodge

Sherry: sarconti@lpts.edu
Calendly.com/sarconti

Counseling Center
All counseling will be offered online. During the summer, all MFT students enrolled at LPTS completed a course orienting them to effective procedures for Telehealth video therapy, HIPAA rules and compliance, Zoom supervision procedures, and guarding client confidentiality and safety. All supervisors were oriented to how to manage supervision procedures on the Zoom platform. The MFT faculty constructed a set of policies and practices to allow students to carefully supervise Telehealth contact with clients. Advertising is underway to widely disseminate the availability of Telehealth counseling.

Worship
Plans for worship in the fall are forthcoming.

Housing
All seminary housing will remain open/accessible to residents and their families. We ask that seminary housing residents exercise caution and judgment with respect to welcoming outside visitors and socializing/gathering among yourselves. We will counsel individually with any student who has been impacted by the coronavirus. Further questions on this matter should be addressed to Jessica Bowman, administrative coordinator for the Office of Community Life jbowman@lpts.edu.

Financial Assistance
COVID-19 financial assistance is still available for students who need support with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. Eligible expenses may include food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care, utilities, rent, gas, groceries, and other necessary living expenses. Contact Gina Kuzuoka, financial aid coordinator, for more information gkuzuoka@lpts.edu.

These are challenging times. However, every member of the LPTS community is meeting this challenge by not only ensuring that all of our students continue to have a quality learning experience in the midst of the Global Covid-19 Pandemic, but by ensuring that every member of the community continues to be as healthy and safe as possible. More detailed information about seminary plans and operations will be shared as fall approaches.

In the meantime, may God bless and keep you and your loved ones.

Sincerely,

Debra J. Mumford
Dean of the Seminary
Frank H. Caldwell Professor of Homiletics

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III, announced the appointment of Rev. Kilen K. Gray, D.Min., as Dean of Community Life. In this new role, Gray will provide continued leadership to the seminary’s student engagement functions in support of students and, new to the seminary, strategic human resources support to seminary employees.

Prior to his service at Louisville Seminary as Dean of Students and Dean of Student Engagement, Gray served as Human Resource & Community Coordinator for Shelby County Public Schools. In that capacity, he executed all human resource functions for more than 300 classified staff members. The new assignment positions the seminary to combine student care and employee support within one senior administrative office.

“Dean Kilen Gray has served his alma mater well in several leadership capacities through the years,” said Pollard. “He now brings to us invaluable experience in the area of human resources to complement his ongoing commitments to student engagement.”

Gray is a dual graduate of Louisville Seminary, receiving the Master of Divinity degree in 2002 and the Doctor of Divinity degree in 2016. He received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree from Kentucky State University, and he was recognized as a Louisville Seminary Distinguished Alum in 2017.

“Louisville Seminary has made such an indelible impact upon my life and ministry,” said Gray. “I am honored to receive the opportunity to provide collaborative supportive care for students and employees. Louisville Seminary is a great place to study and work. My prayer is, through my work with students and employees, that this sentiment is shared by all.”

Lesley Ann Earles, Ph.D., MAMFT, has been named Assistant Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Earles currently serves as Assistant Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy Doctoral Programs at Eastern University’s Campolo College (St. Davids, Pennsylvania). She will begin her service at Louisville Seminary at the start of the fall 2020 semester.

Earles, who received her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy degree from Louisville Seminary in 2005, has served as a helping professional for more than 20 years in a variety of contexts. Upon finishing her studies at Louisville Seminary, she completed a doctorate in Human Development with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). She also served on research teams or taught courses at Virginia Tech, Florida State University, and Pepperdine University. Her interests include questions related to religiosity and women’s roles in family systems.

Earles is a clinical fellow and approved supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Her experience includes substantial cross-cultural and intersectional experience as a teacher, therapist, organizer, and administrator. This is demonstrated in her three-year appointment with the Cayman Islands Government’s Department of Counseling Services (2008-2011). Here, she worked with underserved populations by designing, organizing and directing culturally appropriate direct services, supervising counseling professionals, providing community-based therapeutic services, and developing partnerships with agencies and organizations to strengthen community referral networks and client care.

“Dr. Earles comes to Louisville Seminary with a wide range of academic, clinical, and ministerial strengths,” said Loren Townsend, Director of Louisville Seminary’s Marriage and Family Therapy Program. “Her broad, deep, and theologically informed history provides a firm foundation for a central position in the seminary’s academic and clinical Marriage and Family Therapy curriculum. She is prepared to step fully into our academic curriculum, clinical training practice, and institutional ethos. Also critical is Dr. Earles’ experience teaching in face-to-face classrooms, in hybrid classrooms, and in fully online educational platforms.”

Earles remains active in denominational and congregational life. She is a Commissioned Ruling Elder for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and currently serves as Interim Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Livingston, Alabama. She previously served as Director of UKirk-Jacksonville State University Campus Ministry and Pastoral Care at First Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, Alabama.

“I am thankful to be called back to my alma mater in order to work with students who are preparing for ministry in a variety of contexts,” said Earles. “I look forward to a new chapter there as a member of the faculty with a return to a beloved community.”

On June 3, 2020, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III, joined several other Louisville-area higher education leaders in a pledge to collaboratively address racism in Louisville. Following is the statement issued jointly by the higher education leaders:

James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

The harsh truth that must be faced is that Black Americans still face obstacles that leave them, in far too many cases, lagging behind their White counterparts on important indicators of education, income, health, and wealth. Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd are just the latest names on our collective dishonor roll of Black lives that were taken casually and, all too often, without consequence. The very real racial inequities of today are the result of a legacy of systemic racism.

We, as leaders of higher education institutions in greater Louisville and Kentuckiana, are aware both of the promise of higher education as a transformative force in society, and of the problematic history of these very institutions in perpetuating racial inequity.

As leaders of these institutions, we, too, are complicit in maintaining the status quo and it is therefore incumbent upon us to take real and meaningful action to achieve the ideals of equity that our institutions espouse.

We believe that by working together we can do more and do better as agents of positive change.

1. We pledge to educate ourselves and our own college and university communities to recognize and work against structural racism.
2. We pledge to work together to improve access to higher education for our African-American and other students of color.
3. We pledge to create pathways for African-American and other students of color to meaningful and high-demand jobs and careers and acknowledge the need for more Black professionals in healthcare and education and engineering and law as in many other spheres.
4. We pledge to engage fully and meaningfully in the life of West Louisville.
5. With our institutional privileges of knowledge, reach, resources, legacy, and more, we pledge to consistently demonstrate our commitment to the objective fact that Black Lives Matter.

• Neeli Bendapudi, University of Louisville
• Susan Donovan, Bellarmine University
• Travis Haire, Ivy Tech, Sellersburg
• Ty Handy, Jefferson Community and Technical College
• Jay Marr, Sullivan University, Louisville
• Tori Murden McClure, Spalding University
• Alton B. Pollard, III, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
• Ray Wallace, IU Southeast

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

Following are this week’s updates regarding seminary operations, academic matters, and community life. Be sure to check previous updates for further details. To date there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 on our campus. In-person operations and online classes will remain in effect until further notice.

NEW ITEMS

Coronavirus Updates
With the conclusion of the academic year last week and following the notice about seminary operations through August 3, COVID-19 updates will be deployed on an as-needed basis throughout the summer. News and information about seminary classes, programs and other operations will be deployed from the academic/operational departments themselves as well as via the Seminary Times.

Please rest assured that any updates about COVID-19’s impact on seminary classes and operations will be provided as soon as such information becomes available. In the meantime, should you have any questions about COVID-19 issues, please refer to the following contacts.

Academics: Steve Cook (until July 1); Debra Mumford (after July 1)

Operations: Pat Cecil (until June 1); Angela Traylor (after June 1)

Housing and Student Affairs: Kilen Gray

Library Services: Anita Coleman

Louisville Seminary Counseling Center: Loren Townsend and Beth Seeger Troy

General Questions: Office of the President

REMINDERS

Summer Hours
Beginning this week, Louisville Seminary will operate per its summer schedule. Offices will be closed on Fridays from May 22 to August 21. Additionally, Louisville Seminary will be closed for Memorial Day (May 25) and Independence Day (July 4).

Payroll

LPTS COMMUNITY MESSAGE
5/19/20
FOR EMPLOYEES, STUDENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA, WEB

Louisville Seminary will remain committed to paying employees for missed time. Contact Kim Smith (Laura March for FWS students) with questions.

Thanks to all for remaining diligent with respect to social distancing guidelines. Over these past few months, we have learned a lot about necessity being the mother of invention. While we have been inconvenienced by this pandemic, I am confident that our community will see through this challenge and be ready to face the future with fresh perspectives and exciting ideas. In the meantime, please continue to lift one another up in prayer.

In the Presence,
Alton

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

Following are this week’s updates regarding seminary operations, academic matters, and community life. Be sure to check previous updates for further details. To date there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 on our campus.

RESUMING IN-PERSON OPERATIONS

In keeping with guidelines and other information provided by our state and city governments as well as by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary will resume in-person operations for all employees beginning Monday, August 3, 2020. Essential employees will continue to work on site as needed. Other employees who need to work on site prior to August 3 are welcome to do so. In all instances, please know that the importance of social distancing guidelines cannot be overstated.

Various sectors of the economy are reopening toward the end of May per Gov. Beshear’s Healthy at Work plan. Because seminary operations generally run slower throughout the summer months, maintaining work-at-home status until August 3 allows for time to pass with the hopes that spreading of COVID-19 will be significantly diminished by then.

The August 3 date is only as firm as the decrease in COVID-19 cases allows. If there is a resurgence of the disease and/or if orders are given to maintain work-at-home status after August 3, the seminary will comply with such orders.

When in-person operations resume in August, all employees are encouraged to continue to practice social distancing guidelines however possible. That means keeping face-to-face meetings at a minimum, frequent washing of hands, and no physical contact with co-workers (handshakes, etc.). Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including gloves and masks (not N95 masks) will be provided to returning employees only to the extent that PPE is available. Please understand that our Facilities Department is working hard to secure PPE, however, the demand at this time is significant, which makes the acquisition of PPE difficult.

Details about the return to campus for students, including the incoming class, are being developed by the Office of Student Engagement. Such details will be made available as soon as possible.

The E.M. White Library will remain closed until August 3. Details about online services are available here . Access to ebooks, electronic databases, electronic resources along with exciting new video streaming services, fun summer offerings for LPTS, trials and demos, continue to be made available on With Much Love: Digital Library Services blog here . Books may be returned to the book drop outside the library. Fines incurred during this period will be waived. The library’s (virtual) summer hours are M-F, 8:30 am – 5 pm. Staff will respond to your questions via the Online Help Desk at library@lpts.edu.

The Louisville Seminary Counseling Center will remain closed for in-person business until further notice. Student therapists are asked to continue seeing their clients via Telehealth. For questions about practicum openings and other Counseling Center issues, contact Loren Townsend or Beth Seeger Troy.

Watch your email for further details/updates.

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

Following are this week’s updates regarding seminary operations, academic matters, and community life. Be sure to check previous updates for further details. To date there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 on our campus. In-person operations and online classes will remain in effect until further notice.

NEW ITEMS

Course Schedules and Book Information
The webpage on which course schedule and book information is normally posted is now updated to include the materials sent via email by Steve Cook last week. For instructions and more information about the process of registration, please see the email sent on Wednesday, April 29 and reprinted in the May 1, 2020, edition of the Seminary Times.

https://www.lpts.edu/academics/semester-schedules

NOTE: The book lists for summer and fall still have some gaps, but that information will be filled in due time.

Commencement
The 2020 Commencement Planning Committee has been working hard to create a fun and engaging online experience for our graduating Class of 2020.

A special “Class of 2020” Facebook group has been created. All are invited to join the group and offer memories, congratulations, and support for this year’s grads. See the following link to view/join.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1113704922332944

Also, a Commencement Watch Party will take place Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., on the main Louisville Seminary Facebook Page (@LPTSNow). See the link for more information.

https://www.facebook.com/events/552523695648511

#GivingTuesdayNow
On May 5, Louisville Seminary will participate in #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of unity and giving. This is a social media-driven fundraising initiative, which will encourage financial support for Louisville Seminary. Throughout the day, #GivingTuesdayNow posts will appear across all of Louisville Seminary’s social media platforms. Please like/engage/share these posts with your own social media networks.

Digital Library Services
The team at our E.M. White Library wants to remind all that the library staff is available for questions and help requests at library@lpts.edu. To assist students through the end of the academic year, Library Director Anita Coleman created a brief video outlining the seminary’s “digital library.” See the following link to watch the video.

https://youtu.be/pCGgL5BhbYI

On April 23, 2020, the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Board of Trustees unanimously approved the recognition of Dr. Carol J. Cook as Harrison Ray Anderson Professor Emerita of Pastoral Theology upon her retirement at the conclusion of this academic year.

Cook joined the Louisville Seminary faculty in 2000, having been an adjunct instructor at New Brunswick Theological Seminary and served as a teaching fellow at Princeton Theological Seminary as a doctoral student. Her teaching interests include the integration of psychology and theology, exploration of gender issues in church and society, utilizing literature and the arts in theological education, and engaging interfaith diversity.

She is a marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker, and a certified pastoral counselor. While her clinical experience is broad-based, Cook has a special interest in the challenges that adults face as they differentiate from their families of origin.

As a part of the Group for New Directions in Pastoral Theology, Cook has published articles in Pastoral Psychology over the past few years. Other publications include a chapter entitled "The Practice of Marriage and Family Counseling and Liberal Protestant Christianity" in The Role of Marriage and Family Counseling (2008); "How childhood sexual abuse affects adult survivors' images of God: A resource for pastoral helpers," co-written with Louisville Seminary alum, Cindy Guertin-Anderson, LMFT (MAMFT ’06), in Sacred Spaces: The E-Journal of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (2010); and “Growing in Faith through the Life Cycle: A Literature Review" in Family Ministry: Empowering Through Faith (Spring 2004).

Cook is a member of the Reformed Church in America. She serves as a contributing editor for Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought; is a fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors; an Approved Supervisor and Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists; and a member of the American Academy of Religion and the Society for Pastoral Theology.

"In teaching, and in pastoral care and counseling settings, I seek to provide a safe space for people to explore and deepen their participation in the mysteries of the Christian faith and life,” said Cook of her profession. “These encounters can offer comfort, challenge, or simply companionship, as together we question, grow and ultimately embrace our respective sacred journeys."

Many thanks go to Dr. Cook for her service to Louisville Seminary, and many blessings are offered from our community to her as she begins the next chapter in her life.

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is pleased to announce Student Government Representatives for the 2020-2021 academic year. These individuals contribute to the life, vitality, and spirit of the Louisville Seminary Community. Elected by the student body, the Student Government Representatives help manage a wide range of events, activities, programs, policies, and initiatives. They represent the student body’s best interests and help shape the students’ experience throughout their time in seminary. It is with great thanks and congratulations to the following outstanding individuals who have committed their time and talents to this very important facet of seminary life.

PRESIDENT

Adrian Baker: A second-year Master of Divinity student from Louisville, Kentucky.

CLERK

Tiffany Keith: A third-year Master of Marriage and Family Therapy student from Jeffersonville, Indiana.

REPRESENTATIVES

Megan Berry: A third-year Master of Divinity student from Raytown, Missouri.

Rebecca Mattern: A second-year Master of Divinity student from Youngstown, Ohio.

Emani Patterson: A second-year Marriage and Family Therapy student from New York, New York.

Emily Hicks: A second-year Master of Divinity student from Birmingham, Alabama

Hunter Malone: A second-year Master of Arts (Religion) student from Bristol, Tennessee.

On April 23, 2020, the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Board of Trustees unanimously approved the promotion of Dr. Ashley Hicks White to Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Hicks White is a specialist in couples/family therapy, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate. She joined Louisville Seminary’s faculty as Assistant Professor of Marriage and family Therapy in 2016.

She has worked in a number of clinical settings serving clients from diverse backgrounds including racial/ethnic minorities, LGBTQ populations, homeless and low socio-economic individuals and families. Her current research focuses on the intersection of mental health, oppression, and well-being among African Americans. Her other research interests and teaching experience include risk and resilience in adolescent development, adolescent eating disorders, trauma exposure and trauma informed care, and culturally informed care of African American, Hispanic, and immigrant youth and families.

In addition to her teaching and research experience, Hicks White maintains an active commitment to congregational ministries and social action to change the circumstances in which families live. Most recently she served in the Women of Power Human Trafficking Ministry and the Take 2 College Discipleship Ministry at New Salem Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio. She is also a member of the Ohio Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and the Ohio Department of Education’s Anti-Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Initiative.

Hicks White also serves on the Board of Directors of the Louisville institute, A Lilly Endowment-funded Funded program, which awards grants and fellowships to those who lead and study North American religious institutions and practices, advancing scholarship to strengthen church, academy, and wider society.

"As a teacher, it is my privilege to help students develop critical thinking skills and provide an atmosphere that facilitates personal development and self-reflection,” said Hicks White. “I believe that culture is an important aspect of the educational process and aim to encourage students to consider how culture influences one’s worldview and the way they interact and operate within larger society."

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

Following are this week’s updates regarding seminary operations, academic matters, and community life. Be sure to check previous updates for further details. To date there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 on our campus. In-person operations and online classes will remain in effect until further notice

NEW ITEMS

Summer and Fall Schedules and Registration
The final schedules for Summer and Fall 2020 will be made available after the Faculty meeting on Wednesday, April 29. Instructions for the process of registration will be sent with these editions of the schedules.

Payroll
This is a pay week! The seminary remains committed to paying hourly employees and work-support students for missed time. Time sheets do not need your supervisor’s signature. Hourly employees must submit their time sheets directly to Kim Smith, and federal work-study students should submit their time sheets to Laura March.

MFT Faculty Interview
The Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Search Committee will be (virtually) bringing an applicant, Lesley Earles, to campus to interview for the MFT faculty position Thursday, April 30, and Friday, May 1. Zoom invitations will be emailed by a designated host. See the April 24 sent by Becky Timmerding on behalf of Loren Townsend for details.

Kudos!

• To Professor Debra Mumford for being named our new Academic Dean!
• To Professor Justin Reed, who successfully defended his Princeton Theological Seminary doctoral dissertation!
• To incoming Student Representatives for the 2020-2021 academic school year!
  • 2nd Year MDiv - Adrian Baker (President)
  • 3rd Year MDiv - Megan Berry
  • 3rd Year MFT - Tiffany Keith (Clerk)
  • 2nd Year MDiv - Rebecca Mattern
  • 2nd Year MFT - Emani Patterson
  • 2nd Year MDiv - Emily Hicks
  • 2nd Year MAR - Hunter Malone

On April 23, 2020, the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointment of Rev. Dr. Debra J. Mumford as the seminary’s Academic Dean. Mumford joined Louisville Seminary’s faculty in 2007 and serves as the Frank H. Caldwell Professor of Homiletics and Director of the Money Matters for Ministry program. For the past two years she has also served as Assistant Dean of Academic Initiatives. Mumford will begin her service as Dean on July 1, 2020.

“From the first moment I walked onto the Louisville Seminary campus in 2006, I realized ours was a very special community. More than fourteen years later, I am more convinced than ever that the unique ways we interweave our commitments to antiracism, critical theological thinking, and inter-religious dialogue into everything we do sets us apart in theological education. I am excited about our future and know that because of the gifts and talents of amazing faculty, staff, students, administrators, and members of our Board of Trustees we will meet the many challenges that stand before us.”

Mumford is an ordained minister in American Baptist Churches USA and affiliate minister with the Alliance of Baptists. She majored in mechanical engineering at Howard University and worked in engineering before answering her call to ministry. Mumford served as a youth pastor, associate minister, and church administrator in several congregations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her scholarly interests include African American prophetic preaching, prosperity preaching, eschatology and the reign of God, and preaching and health.

In 2019, Mumford published her latest book, Envisioning the Reign of God: Preaching for Tomorrow (Judson Press). In her book, Mumford takes the Christian study of “last things” (eschatology) and makes it practical for pastors and church leaders today. Her other publications include Exploring Prosperity Preaching: Biblical Health, Wealth, & Wisdom (Judson Press); “Slave Prosperity Gospel” for Homiletic; “The Gospel of Prosperity: Jesus, Capitalism and Hope” in Homiletical Theology: Theologies of the Gospel in Context; and several others.

Outside of Louisville Seminary, Mumford serves on the Board of the Louisville Youth Group, a grassroots organization that provides resources and a safe space for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning young people ages 14 to 20.

Mumford earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Howard University, her Master of Divinity degree from American Baptist Seminary of the West, and her Master of Arts degree and Doctorate from Graduate Theological Union.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Dean Mumford and for our work together,” said Louisville Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III. “We are blessed that she will provide decanal leadership at LPTS.”

On April 24, 2020, Rev. Dr. Justin Michael Reed, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary’s Assistant Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, successfully defended his Princeton Theological Seminary doctoral dissertation, The Injustice of Noah’s Curse and the Presumption of Canaanite Guilt: A New Reading of Genesis 9:18-29.

Throughout millennia, interpreters have read this passage through a particular, destructive ideological lens. Informed by critical race theory, Reed challenges this long-standing bias and proposes an alternate interpretation in which the context of the primeval history in Genesis and ironic use of intertextual allusions offer crucial interpretive clues and permit a more nuanced explication of how ethnocentrism has manifested in biblical literature.

Reed joined the Louisville Seminary faculty in July 2018. He is an ordained Baptist minister and previously served on the staff of First Shelter Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His publications include Samson: Blessed Savior of Israel (Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012) and “‘How—how is this just?!’: How Aronofsky and Handel Handle Noah’s Curse” in Noah as Antihero: Darren Aronofsky’s Cinematic Deluge (Routledge, 2017), among others.

In addition to his doctorate from Princeton, Reed earned his BA from Stanford University and his MTS from Harvard Divinity School.

Our Louisville Seminary community extends its congratulations to Dr. Reed!

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

Following is this week’s updates regarding seminary operations, academic matters, and community life. New items are listed first, followed by some reminders. Please note that there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 on our campus. In-person operations and online classes will remain in effect until further notice. Be sure to check previous updates for further details.

NEW ITEMS

Pass/Fail Class Deadline Extension
The deadline to make decisions regarding whether to take a course for a grade or Pass/Fail has been extended to Friday, April 24. If you want to exercise a Pass/Fail option for any particular course this term, please contact the appropriate faculty member by the end of the day Friday, April 24.

Summer and Fall Schedules and Registration
The schedules for Summer and Fall 2020 are nearing completion, and the hope is to distribute them on Monday, April 27. Students should plan to meet with their academic advisors via Zoom. The academic advisors will report on all of their advisees' registration choices to the Registrar at one time. Students will not register with the Registrar directly.

As students select courses in conversation with their advisors, it will be important to select second and possibly third choices for summer courses. There are currently four courses scheduled in August, and each course is capped at 20 students.

Please keep in mind that the faculty will continue to monitor conditions for how courses will be delivered. It is unlikely that any summer course will be in person. Final determination about the means of delivery of summer and fall courses is ongoing.

We hope to complete registration by the end of the semester (Friday, May 15).

Ordination Exams
For those preparing to take the PC(USA) online ordination exams, please see the information provided here.

Commencement
Keep the date of May 16, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET open for our graduation watch party. We are incorporating many important elements of the commencement service into the event to make it as special and unique as possible.

Financial Aid
The Office of Student Engagement is calculating what each master’s-level student will receive as part of the Education Stabilization Fund. Watch for notices on distributions. Contact Kilen Gray for questions.

Prayers for Jean Newman
Please continue to keep Jean Newman and her family in your prayers. Jean’s mother, Nancy MacClellan Mitchell Sears, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 15. Her obituary was published this past Sunday.

Community Campaign
Special thanks to Jean Herp, Beth Henley, Philip Johnson, Cliff Kirkpatrick, and J Stephens for their service on the 2020 Community Fundraising Campaign Team. The April 17 Zoom celebration and participation by faculty, students, staff, and administration throughout the campaign reminded us that, even in these challenging times, we remain strong in the Spirit of the One Body.

REMINDERS

Payroll
The seminary will remain committed to paying hourly employees and work-support students for missed time. Time sheets do not need your supervisor’s signature. Hourly employees must submit their time sheets directly to Kim Smith, and federal work-study students should submit their time sheets to Laura March.

Invoices
If you are expecting an invoice or have a question about processing of invoices during in-person operation suspension, please contact Kim Smith.

Counseling Center
The Louisville Seminary Counseling Center remains closed, and student therapists are being asked to continue seeing their clients via Telehealth. For questions about practicum openings and other Counseling Center issues, contact Loren Townsend or Beth Seeger Troy.

Mail Services
The seminary mail room in Nelson Hall will continue to operate daily. Contact Norm Hollabaugh for questions.

Academic Support Services
ASC services will be available remotely using phones and computers. Email Beth Herrinton-Hodge or Sherry Arconti for phone numbers for remote work. Following are ASC’s hours of operation:

• Monday: 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. (Sherry after 3:30 p.m.)
• Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Thursday 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. (Sherry after 3:30 p.m.)
• Friday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Library Services
Information about library services during seminary closing is located here. Contact the library help desk with questions.

Worship
Weekly prayer meetings continue every Thursday via ZOOM from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Weekly coloring pages are available on the Caldwell Chapel Facebook page. Additional resources are available on the Spiritual Resources Website. Please see the email that Marcus Hong sent on March 31 for details.

Spiritual Direction
The Office of Student Engagement maintains a referral list of spiritual directors for students. Spiritual directors are available by phone. For more information, please contact Kilen Gray.

Food Pantry Assistance
Please do not forget to consider donations to the Louisville Seminary Food Pantry (located in the lower level of Schlegel Hall). Those who turn to the Food Pantry for assistance are asked to take only items that are needed. Contact Rachel Potts-Wells or Violet Sears with questions.

Louisville Seminary Student Assistance Fund
The Louisville Seminary Student Assistance Fund provides monetary aid to assist students in paying utilities, rent, gas, groceries, and other necessary living expenses. Online donations to the Student Assistance Fund are now being accepted. For all other questions about the fund, contact Kilen Gray.

Team Kentucky Fund
This fund provides assistance to Kentuckians who have been severely financially impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.
https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/PPC/KYCOVID-19Donate

One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund
A coalition of government and philanthropy entities that will deploy financial support to households, businesses, and nonprofit organizations working at the frontlines of the Louisville-area coronavirus outbreak.
https://www.cflouisville.org/one-louisville

GENERAL COVID-19 RESOURCES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
www.kycovid19.ky.gov

What You Need to Know About Coronavirus
https://louisvilleky.gov/news/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus

Kentucky COVID19 hotline: 1-800-722-5725

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

Following are this week’s updates regarding seminary operations, academic matters, and community life relating to COVID-19. New items are listed first, followed by some reminders. Be sure to check previous updates for further details.

NEW ITEMS

Pass/Fail Courses
Students who want to exercise an option to take a course Pass/Fail (P/F) instead of for a letter grade may request the P/F option from their course instructor(s). Students still have the option to receive letter grades for courses. Those who want to exercise a P/F option for any particular course this term must contact the appropriate faculty member by the end of the day Friday, April 17.

Payroll
Louisville Seminary has successfully applied for funding via the COVID-19 CARES Act, which legislation includes financial support for non-profit institutions and small businesses. The amount received, approximately $1 million, will help fund the seminary’s payroll for about two-and-a-half months. To echo the notice I sent on Friday, April 10, I am thankful for the swift and enthusiastic endorsement of our Board Chair Lant Davis and Finance Committee Chair Kathy Minx. A special note of gratitude here goes to Pat Cecil and Angela Traylor for so adroitly and expertly leading our application process to fruition.

Financial Aid
Louisville Seminary has received an allocation of funds to support emergency financial aid grants to students. The funds are part of the more than $14 billion earmarked for colleges and universities as part of the Education Stabilization Fund included in the third coronavirus stimulus package. We are working to calculate what each master’s-level student will receive. Contact Kilen Gray for questions.

Counseling Center
The Louisville Seminary Counseling Center remains closed, and student therapists are being asked to continue seeing their clients via Telehealth. For questions about practicum openings and other Counseling Center issues, contact Loren Townsend or Beth Seeger Troy.

REMINDERS

Seminary Operations and Classes
Campus offices, except for essential operations, will remain closed until further notice. Online learning will continue until further notice.

Reporting Symptoms
To date, there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 on campus. Those who test positive for coronavirus are encouraged to contact either Pat Cecil in the Business Office or Kilen Gray in the Office of Student Engagement. Identification of individuals who have tested positive for coronavirus will remain confidential, however, the seminary is obligated to report confirmed cases (minus personal information) to the seminary community.

Time Sheets
This is a pay week. The seminary will remain committed to paying hourly employees and work-support students for missed time. Time sheets do not need your supervisor’s signature. Hourly employees must submit their time sheets directly to Kim Smith, and federal work-study students should submit their time sheets to Laura March.

Mail Services
The seminary mail room in Nelson Hall will continue to operate daily. Contact Norm Hollabaugh for questions.

Invoices
If you are expecting an invoice or have a question about processing of invoices during in-person operation suspension, please contact Kim Smith.

Academic Support Services
ASC services will be available remotely using phones and computers. Email Beth Herrinton-Hodge or Sherry Arconti for phone numbers for remote work. Following are ASC’s hours of operation:

• Monday: 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. (Sherry after 3:30 p.m.)
• Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Thursday 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. (Sherry after 3:30 p.m.)
• Friday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Worship
Weekly prayer meetings continue every Thursday via ZOOM from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Weekly coloring pages are available on the Caldwell Chapel Facebook page. Additional resources are available on the Spiritual Resources Website. Please see the email that Marcus Hong sent on March 31 for details.

Spiritual Direction
The Office of Student Engagement maintains a referral list of spiritual directors for students. Spiritual directors are available by phone. For more information, please contact Kilen Gray.

Food Pantry Assistance
Please do not forget to consider donations to the Louisville Seminary Food Pantry (located in the lower level of Schlegel Hall). Those who turn to the Food Pantry for assistance are asked to take only items that are needed. Contact Rachel Potts-Wells with questions.

Louisville Seminary Student Assistance Fund
The Louisville Seminary Student Assistance Fund provides monetary aid to assist students in paying utilities, rent, gas, groceries, and other necessary living expenses. Online donations to the Student Assistance Fund are now being accepted. For all other questions about the fund, contact Kilen Gray.

Team Kentucky Fund
This fund provides assistance to Kentuckians who have been severely financially impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.
https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/PPC/KYCOVID-19Donate

One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund
A coalition of government and philanthropy entities that will deploy financial support to households, businesses, and nonprofit organizations working at the frontlines of the Louisville-area coronavirus outbreak.
https://www.cflouisville.org/one-louisville

GENERAL COVID-19 RESOURCES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
www.kycovid19.ky.gov

What You Need to Know About Coronavirus
https://louisvilleky.gov/news/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus

Kentucky COVID19 hotline: 1-800-722-5725

Mental and Emotional Coping with Social Distancing
By Kilen Gray, DMin, BIP
Dean of Student Engagement
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Chief Operating Officer and Program Coordinator
Creative Spirits Behavioral Health

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact our lives in unprecedented ways. Significant among its impacts are the challenges to our mental and emotional wellbeing. We all feel the strain of anxiety brought about by this pandemic. The current wisdom provided in order for our nation to curb the exponential spread of the virus is social distancing. While we know that this is true, for many of us, executing this necessary practice can be just as challenging as it is to stem the progression of the infection.

The anxiety is palpable. The anxiety you feel is real. Your concerns are warranted. I feel them with you. The good news: God is with you in the midst of the fear and anxiety you feel...even the fears brought about by the unknown factor with COVID-19.

Following the mandates of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and governmental leaders to “stay-at-home,” “shelter-in-place,” or “work remotely” can take a toll on the mind. The love and care for children, who are experiencing their own challenges with compliance, while ensuring their safety, can intensify stress. Indeed, the weight of it all can wear down mental and spiritual energy, and pose even greater threats to peace and safety in the home, if we do not take intentional steps to maintain mental and emotional resilience.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has produced an outstanding resource specific to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide contains a wealth of resources, instructions, and links to a variety of resources with suggestions for how to care for ourselves during this epic moment.

The CDC’s COVID-19 website is filled with information on the pandemic. It also contains a page entitled “Stress and Coping” with resources specific to thriving under the weight of our nation’s pandemic response.

Social distancing measures can be devastatingly tragic for victims of family violence. Here in Louisville, Kentucky, the Center for Women and Families is our regional resource in the fight against domestic violence and child abuse. The Center continues to receive calls for assistance during the pandemic.

Also in the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana region, the Metro United Way provides a resource that connects the greater Metro Louisville community to resources.

For the children in our lives, Adrianne Presnell released a great resource that can be used to help children learn about COVID-19. It is a coloring book that parents can share with children which helps parents talk to children about the pandemic and what kids can do to stay safe. It is free to download here.

There is an abundance of resources throughout the country to assist with addressing the impact of COVID-19 on our mental health. Mental Health America is a good start for finding mental health resources in your state, but there are others, and I encourage everyone to seek out the resources that best meet their needs.

May the God of all comfort, peace, and love envelope your hearts so much so that you are able to feel God’s loving embrace in this anxious moment. The peace of Christ be with you all.

Kilen Gray

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

Our journey into uncharted waters continues this week with the beginning of online learning. As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Over these past few weeks our talented professors have been working tirelessly to establish online classes for our students. My thanks to them for their resourcefulness and preparation. We all understand there will be some challenges at the onset. I am confident that our students and faculty alike will benefit from a fruitful learning experience over the next few weeks.

In that spirit, let us be prayerful as our turn to virtual learning begins in earnest.

SEMINARY OPERATIONS
Campus offices, except for essential operations, will remain closed until further notice. Mail services will continue. Invoices, which would normally go to each department, are being sent directly to the business office for processing. If you are expecting an invoice or have a question about processing of invoices during in-person operation suspension, please contact Kim Smith. As a reminder, this is a pay week. Please email your time sheets to Kim Smith. Supervisor signatures are NOT required. Work-study students should email their time sheets to Laura March.

ACADEMIC UPDATES.

Library Services
Publishers and vendors are providing access to previously restricted/paid materials in the light of this situation. Students now have free access to some textbooks through May 25. There are Bible commentaries from several series, Bible handbooks, and dictionaries, books on the Black Church, ethics, and Womanist thought. Marriage and Family Therapy students will find books on family therapy and specific issues such as divorce, addiction, and family violence. Please contact the library help desk with questions.

Commencement Commencement exercises will be delivered via an online (virtual) platform on Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m. The Commencement Planning Committee is working on logistics. Our goal is to provide our 2020 graduates with as meaningful and enjoyable experience as possible. More details will soon be available.

SOCIAL DISTANCE COMMUNITY GUIDELINES
On Friday, March 27, Kilen Gray sent an email to students with some reminders about social distancing guidelines. I cannot overstate the importance of this message. As Kilen noted, Louisville Seminary has responded in tandem with other entities across our nation, at the advice of the health and epidemiological experts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by directing all under our charge to follow guidelines aimed at collectively stemming the spread of the coronavirus. What we have learned about how this virus spreads is why government leaders and Louisville Seminary have made the decisions we have made reflected in the guidelines of the last two weeks. We recognize that these decisions may bring about multiple levels of inconvenience and frustration. But the goal is first and foremost your safety.

To be clear, no one (students, employees, and families of all) is above the purview of social distancing measures as defined by the CDC. To disregard these guidelines is an exercise in poor judgment and puts our community at risk of infection. I implore all to treat this matter with the utmost regard.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Louisville Seminary Student Assistance Fund
To help our students who are facing unexpected financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, Louisville Seminary has established a Student Assistance Fund. This fund will provide monetary aid to assist students in paying utilities, rent, gas, groceries, and other necessary living expenses. Any monies remaining in the fund after the COVID-19 crisis has ended will be used for future financial needs of students and the greatest needs of the seminary. Online donations to the Student Assistance Fund are now being accepted. For all other questions about the fund, contact Kilen Gray, our Dean of Student Engagement.

Team Kentucky Fund
https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/PPC/KYCOVID-19Donate

One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund
https://www.cflouisville.org/one-louisville

FOOD PANTRY ASSISTANCE
Please do not forget to consider donations to the Louisville Seminary Food Pantry (located in the lower level of Schlegel Hall). This is a much-needed resource for our on-campus students. Those who turn to the Food Pantry for assistance are asked to take only items that are needed.

GENERAL RESOURCES
Stay informed about the coronavirus’ impact on our community and best practices for self-care and prevention. Also, be mindful about the source and integrity of the information. Louisville Seminary will continue to post news/announcement when appropriate. Best resources for further information are provided by the following:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
www.kycovid19.ky.gov

What You Need to Know About Coronavirus
https://louisvilleky.gov/news/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus

Kentucky COVID19 hotline: 1-800-722-5725

FURTHER REFLECTIONS
To conclude today’s message, I implore you to lift one another up in prayer as we go through this great and unfamiliar challenge. The personal, professional, economic, social, and spiritual strains of this pandemic are felt the world over. Remember that, while we struggle, we are in the middle of the most holy of seasons and wait in great anticipation for the Risen One. Know that while we are isolated, we are still together – embraced by The One who loves all eternally and unconditionally.

In the Presence,
Alton

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

Settling into this another week of navigating the rough waters of the coronavirus pandemic, I offer thanks to our students, faculty, and staff for their generosity of spirit and care of one another in this exceptional moment. Also, my thanks to our alums and friends of Louisville Seminary for so many expressions of support. It is truly a blessing to serve among those who hold such a deep commitment to our work.

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Classes
On-campus instruction will be discontinued for the remainder of the semester. Courses will formally move to online instruction Monday, March 30. This allows our faculty and students time to prepare for online learning environments (testing technology, access to resources, etc.) and expectations.

Library Services
If you have not done so, please read the message about services provided by the E.M. White Library, which was deployed on March 20.

SEMINARY OPERATIONS
Campus offices, except for essential operations, will remain closed until further notice. As COVID-19 continues to spread, I strongly advise all to work from home to the fullest extent possible. Understanding that there may be an occasional need to come to the office, please keep this at a minimum, and, when doing so, practice social distancing measures as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining a distance of six feet from others). Otherwise transition to remote workstations (home, digital, and cloud). The seminary will remain committed to paying hourly employees and work-support students for missed time. Our care of self in place contributes to the common good. Our wellness bears witness to “WHOSOEVER.”

MAIL SERVICES
The seminary mail room in Nelson Hall will continue to operate daily. However, there will be delays in processing packages received by UPS, Amazon Prime, Federal Express, and other package delivery services.

HOUSING
All seminary housing will remain open/accessible to residents and their families. We ask that seminary housing residents exercise caution and judgement with respect to welcoming outside visitors and socializing/gathering among yourselves. Per the American Association of Pediatrics:

“With more and more schools closing and people working from home, it may be tempting to get kids together for playdates or sleepovers, or to think that gatherings of more than 10 people are safe. But social distancing only works if we all participate. And slowing down or preventing the spread of the virus will save lives.”

We will counsel individually with any student who has been impacted by the coronavirus. Further questions on this matter should be addressed to Kilen Gray in the Office of Student Engagement.

MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION
Keep your communication channels open. Current dynamics in society and at Louisville Seminary are fluid and swift to change. Be sure to check your Louisville Seminary emails for news and updates, which can also be found on our website here and on social media.

REPORTING SYMPTOMS
Louisville Seminary encourages all students and employees to be vigilant in monitoring themselves and their families for symptoms of coronavirus and practicing preventive measures. As with any contagious illness, those who contract the coronavirus are asked to self-isolate to assure a quicker recovery and prevent the spread of the virus to others.

Those who test positive for coronavirus are encouraged to contact either Pat Cecil in the Business Office or Kilen Gray in the Office of Student Engagement. Identification of individuals who have tested positive for coronavirus will remain confidential, however, the seminary is obligated to report confirmed cases (minus personal information) to the seminary community.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Louisville Seminary Student Assistance Fund To help our students who are facing unexpected financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, Louisville Seminary is establishing a Student Assistance Fund. This fund will provide monetary aid to assist students in paying utilities, rent, gas, groceries, and other necessary living expenses. Any monies remaining in the fund after the COVID-19 crisis has ended will be used for future financial needs of students and the greatest needs of the seminary. For questions about making a donation to the Student Assistance Fund, contact Anne Monell, our Vice President of Institutional Advancement. For all other questions about the fund, contact Kilen Gray , our Dean of Student Engagement.

Team Kentucky Fund
https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/PPC/KYCOVID-19Donate

One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund
https://www.cflouisville.org/one-louisville

FOOD PANTRY ASSISTANCE
Please do not forget to consider donations to the Louisville Seminary Food Pantry (located in the lower level of Schlegel Hall). This is a much-needed resource for our on-campus students. Food Pantry drop-off boxes are in several areas throughout campus. Those who turn to the Food Pantry for assistance are asked to take only items that are needed.

GENERAL RESOURCES
Stay informed about the coronavirus’ impact on our community and best practices for self-care and prevention. Also, be mindful about the source and integrity of the information. Louisville Seminary will continue to post news/announcement when appropriate. Best resources for further information are provided by the following:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
www.kycovid19.ky.gov

What You Need to Know About Coronavirus
https://louisvilleky.gov/news/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus

Kentucky COVID19 hotline: 1-800-722-5725

FURTHER REFLECTIONS
Finally, I ask that all commit to ongoing prayer for one another. Be generous with yourselves and those who love you. Give thanks for all who make the life of our seminary possible. Remember health care professionals, first responders, and all unsung heroes everywhere. God is with us!

In the Presence,
Alton

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

This is the first week that Louisville Seminary suspended in-person operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a surreal atmosphere across much of our campus and world. Here, the weather is warm, but springtime showers keep our skies gray. Most of our campus buildings are locked. It is quiet.

These are extraordinary times indeed. Times that call on each of us to find strength and reassurance through God’s place in our hearts – our source of calm in the midst of ceaseless tumult.

Adjustments to our personal and professional lives on campus have been many. One very important constant is that Caldwell Chapel remains available. For those who seek solitude, encouragement, and prayer, Caldwell Chapel is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Of course, for our chapel visitors, we ask that the norms of social distancing be followed. For now, the pulpit may be empty, the organ may not resound, but rest assured that the presence of God – infinite, unconditional, and everlasting love – is with us.

Since our last update on March 16, there have been no new developments. Our faculty are working hard to prepare for online classes beginning Monday, March 30. Our staff continues to find creative ways to maintain the integrity of our operations with as little disruption as possible. Further, our commencement committee is working diligently on best options/opportunities to provide a meaningful celebration for the Class of 2020.

To all – students, faculty, staff, as well as our alums and our many seminary friends – you are truly sources of light in these difficult times. We are struggling through anxiety. We are experiencing disappointment. None of us are in our comfort zones. But our communal compassion and strength will continue to be life-giving, as God is our witness.

As a reminder, please watch your seminary email for updates, which can also be found on our website and social media. And so today I leave you with a message from Isaiah (42:16):

“I will lead persons who cannot see by a road they do not know, by paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the shadows before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them.”

In the Presence,
Alton

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

The impact of the COVID-19 (“coronavirus”) respiratory disease continues to be felt throughout our city, state, and region. Understandably, those in our Louisville Seminary community are concerned about the coronavirus’ impact on seminary classes and operations. Please know that, above all else, the safety, health, and well-being of our seminary students, employees, and families continue to be central in our deliberations.

As of the issue of this notice, there is no confirmed case of COVID‐19 on our campus. However, it is imperative that we do everything we can to limit the spread of the virus as well as protect the health of our seminary community and our neighborhood. To this end, the seminary will implement new policies based on social distancing strategies that health experts recommend. The following measures will be inconvenient, even disruptive to our campus. Please keep in mind that the fluidity of the coronavirus’ impact throughout our region may warrant revisions to current measures. I ask for your cooperation and your patience. These are extraordinary times, and as such we must take unprecedented steps to balance our educational mission with the duty to protect the health and well‐being of the seminary community.

CLASSES

Classes for Louisville Seminary students will be suspended from March 23-27. Beginning the week of March 30 and continuing through the end of the academic year, all Louisville Seminary classes will move to remote, virtual, or alternative methods of teaching and assessment. During the week of March 23-27, students will hear from their professors directly about specifics with regard to classes, assignments, and modes of communication.

Baccalaureate Service and Commencement Exercises

We recognize the importance of our Baccalaureate service and Commencement exercises to our graduating class. Baccalaureate and Commencement will not be held on campus. Organizers for those events are considering virtual hosting options. Further information will be available soon.

These are disheartening yet necessary measures. Our senior leadership, emergency response team, and our faculty have been discussing this matter extensively, and we have concluded that this is truly for the best. Please know that we are saddened by the necessity to make this decision and we recognize the disappointment felt by our students.

OPERATIONS

To protect the health and safety of our employees, Louisville Seminary will suspend onsite operations until Monday, April 6. This includes all seminary offices, the E.M. White Library, New Legacy Café, the Louisville Seminary Counseling Center, Gardencourt, and Laws Lodge.

The seminary will remain committed to paying hourly employees and work-support students for missed time. We are asking all departments and campus groups to shift to virtual meeting/work arrangements whenever possible. Employees who wish to come to the seminary to work are free to do so using appropriate social distancing measures as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining a distance of six feet from others). Arrangements for continuing work via remote/other alternative modes of operations should be addressed among administrators and their direct reports. All employees not on vacation or on sick leave should maintain an “on call” status.

MAIL SERVICES

The seminary mail room in Nelson Hall will continue to operate daily. However, there will be delays in processing packages received by UPS, Amazon Prime, Federal Express, and other package delivery services.

HOUSING

All seminary housing will remain open/accessible to residents and their families. We ask that seminary housing residents exercise caution and judgement with respect to welcoming outside visitors and socializing/gathering among yourselves. We will council individually with any student who has been impacted by the coronavirus. Further questions on this matter should be addressed to Kilen Gray in the Office of Student Engagement.

EVENTS

All in-person events on Louisville Seminary’s campus have been canceled until further notice. This includes the following:

• 3/20/20: Campus Kids Game Night
• 3/23-26/20: Black History Celebration Cinematic Culture Discussion
• 3/25/20: Walk the Camino Information Meeting
• 3/26/20: Health and Wellness Fair
• 3/30/20: E.M. White Library Open House
• 3/31/20: Israel/Palestine Travel Seminar
• 4/6-7/20: Misogynies in the Christian Tradition Consultation
• 4/14/20: Grawemeyer Lecture
• 4/15/20: Transcending Therapy: Meeting the Needs of Transgender Clients
• 4/24-25/20: Board of Trustees Meeting
• 5/6/20: Festival of Sacred Music

The seminary will not accept new requests for use of campus space until further notice.

TRAVEL

All seminary-sponsored domestic and international travel has been suspended through the end of the academic year unless otherwise approved by the Office of the President. Those who are traveling for academic, professional, or personal reasons, are encouraged to monitor travel advisories. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the seminary recommends being aware of your health status when making decisions regarding travel. Individuals most at-risk are those with compromised health. If you have a temperature or respiratory illness, consider your options with your primary care provider.

REPORTING SYMPTOMS

Those who test positive for coronavirus are encouraged to contact either Pat Cecil in the Business Office or Kilen Gray in the Office of Student Engagement. Identification of individuals who have tested positive for coronavirus will remain confidential, however, the seminary is obligated to report confirmed cases (minus personal information) to the seminary community.

FOOD PANTRY ASSISTANCE

Funds have been allocated to temporarily maintain a reasonable supply of items in the Louisville Seminary Food Pantry (located in the lower level of Schlegel Hall). All in our seminary community are encouraged to donate food items (canned goods, rice, beans, and other non-perishable food items). Food Pantry drop-off boxes are located in several areas throughout campus. Those who turn to the Food Pantry for assistance are asked to take only items that are needed.

UPDATES

Ongoing updates about the coronavirus’ impact on Louisville Seminary classes and operations will be deployed via Louisville Seminary email, posted to social media, and posted in the “News” section of the seminary’s website, https://www.lpts.edu/news.

Specifics about the seminary’s Pandemic Response Policy is on page 71 of the Emergency Preparedness Handbook, which is available to employees and students on the home page of the Louisville Seminary Intranet under “Quick Links.”

(Notes: You must be logged into your Louisville Seminary Outlook account to access the Intranet.)

Questions or concerns about coronavirus response protocol can be addressed to either Pat Cecil in the Business Office or Kilen Gray in the Office of Student Engagement.

RESOURCES

Both the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services provide online resources for updates and information about the spread and prevention of coronavirus as well as questions about how to appropriately address and report individual cases. Please refer to the following links for more information and share them with your associates.

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
www.kycovid19.ky.gov

What You Need to Know About Coronavirus
https://louisvilleky.gov/news/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus

Kentucky COVID19 hotline: 1-800-722-5725

Best Practices

Louisville Seminary encourages all students and employees to be vigilant in monitoring themselves and their families for symptoms of coronavirus and practicing preventive measures.

As with any contagious illness, those who contract the coronavirus are asked to self-isolate to assure a quicker recovery and prevent the spread of the virus to others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and the Kentucky Department of Health, other best practices include:

• Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap is not available. It is especially important to wash your hands:
  • Before, during, and after you prepare food.
  • Before you eat and after you use the bathroom.
  • After handling money.
  • More frequently when someone in your home is sick.
  • Before/after smoking/vaping.
  • Before/after using public computers.
  • Before/after social occasions when greeting/shaking hands with several others.
• Covering your coughs and sneezes with your arm.
• Frequent cleaning of doorknobs, light switches, and other commonly touched areas with disinfectant wipes.
• Avoiding contact with people who are ill.

FURTHER REFLECTIONS

Again and again we have heard it said, that in the time of crisis what is best in the human condition will emerge. For a people of faith, by whatever name, there is no greater time than now to live into this assurance.

What seemed inevitable to us is no more for now. Human institutions are being tested from governments and business to higher education and entertainment events. Nations and locales are contending with swift and consequential change. We can be concerned about each other but the capacity to safeguard is not ours alone. The coronavirus is no respecter of persons. None of us is exempt.

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, this is where our faith comes in, and this is why we are here. To learn the skills of presence as a sign that humankind, we, all of us, are suffering along this journey with finitude. Demonstrate great care and compassion for one another. Create vital spiritual connections across our necessary social distancing – emotional, intellectual, aesthetic, and more. Pray that our anxieties and fear, as incredibly real as they are, do not have the last word in our lives. Love yourselves and each other deeply enough to embrace health perspectives that will mitigate against this present scourge.

I am thankful for this beloved community called LPTS.

In the Presence,
Alton

Dear Louisville Seminary Community:

While there have been no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 (“coronavirus”) respiratory disease on Louisville Seminary’s campus, out of an abundance of care and caution, we have decided to cancel classes and close offices for Friday, March 13, 2020.

Further, the Louisville Seminary Counseling Center will be closed from March 16 through March 20, 2020. The Louisville Seminary E.M. White Library will be closed from March 13, through March 15, 2020. The library will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 16, 2020.

This will allow the rest of this week and next week (research and study) to gauge the COVID-19 threat level and whether modifications to our response will be required.

We anticipate the Seminary to be open for employees on Monday, March 16, 2020, and for classes to resume on Monday, March 23, 2020. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will communicate with you any changes to the plan should any occur.

Louisville Seminary Emergency Response Team

To Our Louisville Seminary Community:

Much attention has been given to the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 (“coronavirus”) respiratory disease by local and national news media along with several messages and updates issued by local, national, and international agencies. This has understandably raised questions about how Louisville Seminary is addressing the issue among our students, employees, and their families. Ours is a community of people who commit themselves to service of others in God’s name. In that spirit, we want all to rest assured that the safety, health, well-being, and peace of mind for those who live and work on our campus is our number one priority.

We are aware that other colleges/universities in our state have decided to switch to solely online learning for the time being. At this time there are no reported cases of coronavirus on Louisville Seminary’s campus, and all classes and operations will continue as scheduled this week.

Ongoing updates about the coronavirus’ impact on Louisville Seminary classes and operations will be deployed to employees and students via email, posted to social media and posted in the “News” section of the seminary’s website, https://www.lpts.edu/news.

Specifics about the seminary’s Pandemic Response Policy is on page 71 of the Emergency Preparedness Handbook, which is available to employees and students on the home page of the Louisville Seminary Intranet under “Quick Links.”

(Notes: You must be logged into your Louisville Seminary Outlook account to access the Intranet. Hard copies of the Emergency Preparedness Handbook are available in the Business Office located in Nelson Hall, Room 12.)

Our Emergency Response Team is reviewing internal resources and procedures as well as working with external agencies to appropriately address concerns involving coronavirus.

Please refer to the following information and resources about the coronavirus and how Louisville Seminary is currently addressing the issue. Also, do not hesitate to raise your questions or concerns to either Pat Cecil in the Business Office or Kilen Gray in the Office of Student Engagement.

Coronavirus Public Updates

Both the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services provide the best online resources for updates and information about the spread and prevention of coronavirus as well as questions about how to appropriately address and report individual cases. Please refer to the following links for more information and share them with your associates.

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
www.kycovid19.ky.gov

What You Need to Know About Coronavirus
https://louisvilleky.gov/news/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus

Kentucky COVID19 hotline: 1-800-722-5725

Travel

Those who are traveling for academic, professional, or personal reasons, are encouraged to monitor travel advisories. Per the Centers for Disease Control, the seminary recommends being aware of your health status when making decisions regarding travel. Individuals most at-risk are those with compromised health. If you have a temperature or respiratory illness, consider your options with your primary care provider..

Reporting Symptoms

Those who test positive for coronavirus are encouraged to contact either Pat Cecil in the Business Office or Kilen Gray in the Office of Student Engagement. Identification of individuals who have tested positive for coronavirus will remain confidential, however, the seminary is obligated to report confirmed cases (minus personal information) to the seminary community.

Best Practices

Louisville Seminary encourages all students and employees to be vigilant in monitoring themselves and their families for symptoms of coronavirus and practicing preventive measures.

As with any contagious illness, those who contract the coronavirus are asked to self-isolate to assure a quicker recovery and prevent the spread of the virus to others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and the Kentucky Department of Health, other best practices include:

• Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap is not available. It is especially important to wash your hands:
  • Before, during, and after you prepare food.
  • Before you eat and after you use the bathroom.
  • After handling money.
  • More frequently when someone in your home is sick.
  • Before/after smoking/vaping.
  • Before/after using public computers.
  • Before/after social occasions when greeting/shaking hands with several others.
• Covering your coughs and sneezes with your arm.
• Frequent cleaning of doorknobs, light switches, and other commonly touched areas with disinfectant wipes.
• Avoiding contact with people who are ill.

Again, do not hesitate to contact us with questions, concerns, or clarification. Thank you for your time and attention to this very important information.

Louisville Seminary Emergency Response Team

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Professor J. Bradley Wigger is among the recipients of the 2020 Illumination Book Awards. Wigger, who is the seminary’s Second Presbyterian Church Professor of Christian Education, won the Gold Medal in the award’s “Spirituality” category for his book, Invisible Companions: Encounters with Imaginary Friends, Gods, Ancestors, and Angels (Stanford University Press, 2019). The Illumination Book Awards, now in its seventh year, honors the year’s best new titles written and published with a Christian worldview.

Wigger’s book explores the spiritual significance of imaginary friends of children among several different faith traditions from all over the world. From the United States to Nepal, Wigger traveled five countries on three continents to hear children describe their invisible friends―one-hundred-year-old robins and blue dogs, dinosaurs and teapots, pretend families and shape-shifting aliens―companions springing from the deep well of childhood imagination. Drawing on these interviews, as well as a new wave of developmental research, he found a fluid and flexible quality to the imaginative mind that is central to learning, co-operation, and paradoxically, to real-world rationality.

His research steps beyond psychological territory to explore the religious significance of the kind of mind that develops relationships with invisible beings. Alongside Cinderella the blue dog, Quack-Quack the duck, and Dino the dinosaur are angels, ancestors, spirits, and gods. What he uncovers is a profound capacity in the religious imagination to see through the surface of reality to more than meets the eye. The book is punctuated throughout by children's colorful drawings of their imaginary friends.

“This book is easy for me to celebrate because so much of it is about the kids interviewed and their stories,” said Wigger. “These children expand my imagination and deepen my appreciation for how sophisticated young minds are.”

Wigger has served on Louisville Seminary’s faculty since 1997. He teaches religious education and childhood studies at the seminary. An ordained Presbyterian minister and a recent Henry Luce III Fellow in Theology, Wigger has served churches in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Mexico. His other recent publications include a picture book for children, Thank You, God (Eerdmans, 2014), and Original Knowing: How Religion, Science, and the Human Mind Point to the Irreducible Depth of Life (Cascade, 2012).

A religious scholar who explained how one of Christianity’s earliest creeds still applies to contemporary life has earned the 2020 Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion.

Stephen J. Patterson, a professor of religious and ethical studies at Willamette University, won the award for ideas he set forth in “The Forgotten Creed: Christianity’s Original Struggle against Bigotry, Racism and Sexism.” Oxford University Press published the book in 2018.

In his work, Patterson explores the significance of a baptismal creed adapted in a letter by the apostle Paul to the Galatians in the New Testament (3:26 and 28): “For you are all children of God in the Spirit; there is no Jew or Greek; there is no slave or free; there is no male and female, for you are all one in the Spirit.”

Christ’s first followers were dealing with race, class and gender issues, slavery and conflicts between Greeks and Jews in an environment not too far removed from the one we live in today, he says.

“History reminds us again and again that it has always been easier to believe in miracles, in virgin births and atoning deaths, in resurrected bodies and heavenly journeys home,” Patterson says, “than something so simple and basic as human solidarity.”

Patterson has written nine books and more than 75 articles related to the origins of Christianity. He also lectures on the hidden histories of early Christianity and has appeared in several documentaries.

“Patterson’s well-written book proposes a fascinating way to think about those earliest followers of Jesus and their radical notions of human solidarity,” said Tyler Mayfield, Faculty Director of the Grawemeyer Award in Religion and the A.B. Rhodes Professor of Old Testament at Louisville Seminary.

The University of Louisville and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary jointly give the religion prize.

Recipients of the 2020 Grawemeyer Award winners are being named this week pending final approval by university and seminary trustees. The annual, $100,000 prizes reward outstanding ideas in music, world order, psychology, education and religion. Winners will visit Louisville in April to accept their awards and give free talks on the winning ideas.

Anita Coleman

Anita S. Coleman, Ph.D., has been named Associate Professor of Bibliography and Research and Director of Library Services for the Ernest Miller White Library at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Coleman, who has worked in academic libraries and on teaching faculty in library and information science degree programs for more than 25 years, begins her service ddat Louisville Seminary in January 2020.

Coleman will develop and manage the library’s growing collection, which includes more than 203,000 bound volumes, 6,500 microforms, 4,500 audio-visual resources, and 330 e-resources. She will also create learning programs and provide support for emerging technologies within the library. Coleman will represent Louisville Seminary locally on the Metroversity Librarian’s Council and nationally in the American Theological Library Association.

“I am ecstatic, humbled, and honored to be joining the distinguished Louisville Seminary community and its mission of theological reflection and imitation of Christ building bridges between sacred texts, human lives, and the Divine,” said Coleman. “I am inspired by the unusual library collections and the brilliant theological imagination of the faculty and students. I look forward to serving, learning, growing, and enriching the deep Louisville Seminary traditions of preparing leaders for lives of fertile and faithful witness in diverse ministries and public service in our global and info-tech challenged world.”

A scholar/activist, anti-racism educator, and lay theologian, Coleman is the founder and curator for the Irvine for Everyone Digital Library, an online resource created to de-stigmatize and de-mystify homeless people, empower learning about Irvine (California) housing development, and create permanent solutions for ending homelessness and increasing housing supply in Orange County, California. She is also the founder and curator of the Anti-Racism Digital Library and Thesaurus, which serves as a clearinghouse for information resources about people, groups, and projects who are building inclusive and caring communities.

“Dr. Coleman brings to us consummate gifts beginning with an experienced and versatile library science background,” said Louisville Seminary President Alton B. Pollard, III. “Her digital creativity, anti-racist advocacy, inquisitive mind, and relational faith will further contribute to the great work taking place at our Ernest Miller White Library.”

Coleman has published several materials including Stepping Stones: Creating Communities of Peace and Justice (2018), All things work for good: Flora, Ananda Rao Samuel, and Pravaham (2018), Eyes on Christ: Reflections on Being the People of God in the PC (USA) from My Heart to Yours (2014), and several others.

She has taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of California at Los Angeles, University of California at Santa Barbara, and University of Arizona, Tucson. Her professional honors include a Library Journal Movers & Shakers Award for her work establishing dLIST, which is the first open access repository in the multi-disciplinary Information Sciences. Coleman’s professional affiliations include service on the 2021 Gathering Program Planning Committee for Presbyterian Women, Inc., the editorial board of Horizons Magazine, vice president of the Presbyterians Writers Guild, among others.

“On behalf of the seminary community, I extend many thanks to Interim Library Director Angela Morris and the entire library staff who have provided invaluable leadership and service throughout the search process,” added Pollard. “And, of course, thanks to the search committee who made it possible for Dr. Coleman to join us here at Louisville Seminary.”