Newsletter for the College of Biblical Studies
Volume 2, Number 5
November, 2004

Department of Marriage and Family Therapy and Social Justice

The profession of Marriage and Family Therapy, of which our Department of MFT is a part, continues to evolve.  The MFT faculty have made a commitment to contributing to the field in a variety of ways.  First, the faculty are involved at the state and national levels.  Waymon Hinson is on board of the Association for Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards, the regulatory board that owns the national licensing exam.  He is also on the state licensing board, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapy, serving a second term as vice-chair.  Jackie Halstead is on the state professional board, the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (TAMFT).  She was previously the chair of the Ethics Committee for a number of years and is now in her second term as a board member at large.  Tom Milholland has served in a variety of capacities with TAMFT, as President of TAMFT and as elected board member.

Another commitment of the faculty is to maintain involvement in the research arena.  They believe it important to stay on the cutting edge of the field for the benefit of the students as well as their own professional development.  One of these projects is an on-going study by Waymon Hinson with African-American farmers.  The following is a conversation with Dr. Hinson regarding this study:

How was this research initiated and how does it contribute to the field of Marriage and Family Therapy? 

Several years ago a colleague of ours here in the MFT department recommended that the attorney for the farmers contact me about consulting on behalf of the farmers.  That initial conversation with the attorney led to on-site consultations, various presentations about racism and the farming industry, and a mediation hearing before representatives of the Departments of Agriculture and Justice in Washington, D.C.  The contribution to the field of MFT is multifaceted.  It's doing the right thing, working on behalf of social justice, for a group of people who have been marginalized and mistreated by USDA.  It involves the study of racial discrimination in America as it bears down upon the lives of individuals, couples, and families.  It also contributes to MFT studies as farmers and their families show remarkable resiliencies and courage in the face of racism.  Additionally, it brings to focus the stories of people whose stories deserve to be told.

Explain the methodology of the study. 

The project will utilize a narrative theory with a qualitative research methodology.  The plan will be to interview farmers as well as farmers' family members.  Dominant themes will emerge as the farmers and family members tell their stories.

You have mentioned some of the touching stories of these farmers.  Please share one of these stories and why you have developed a heart for these people. 

Without sensationalizing my experiences with the farmers, I really was not prepared for what I heard, saw, and experienced with the farmers and their families.  The gravity of the years of discrimination, the blatant ways in which racism had impacted them, and the physical and emotional damage done to them was intense for me at times.  I became vividly aware of my own whiteness, and I saw in their faces and their lives the perpetual nature of racism in its subtle forms and in its more blatant forms. 

One farmer who gave me explicit permission to tell his story lived in northeast Georgia.  When I met him, he was suffering from glaucoma and acute renal failure.  His physicians had told him that he needed to quit his battles with the USDA or it was going to kill him.  A graduate of Tuskegee Institute, he was well informed with regard to farming. But he had too little money and too little technical support, by comparison to white farmers. He eventually settled with the USDA, and he died not long afterwards.  The evening before I was to speak on these matters in chapel here at ACU, I called him, and asked him what he would want me to say to the students.  His replied that he was would wish for students to "join the ranks, not just in agriculture," that racism is "still here, that it's going to take everybody" to defeat it, and that "young folks are needed."   All the stories are equally compelling. 

What are your plans for continued research? 

I am in the process of applying for various grants and for a faculty research leave.  If granted, I would travel to the South, the mid-West, and other places, and interview farmers and their families. 

What do you hope to accomplish with this study? 

I'm still sorting through the short term and long term goals for the project.  On a basic level, telling their stories is the right thing to do.  It is about giving voice, so to speak, to a group of people who have been largely ignored and mistreated.  Telling their stories in various forums will perhaps strike chords in the hearts of people to continue the journey of treating all people respectfully.  Practically speaking, as a member of the academy, this project should result in publishable materials, but that pales in comparison to the significance of the telling the stories of the farmers.  As I mentioned in a recent correspondence with the President of the National Black Farmers and Agriculturalist Association, it's ultimately about making wrongs right.  That's about social justice and that's about Kingdom business.

WorldWide Witness

"I saw God work this summer during my internship in too many ways to count."  That was the reaction of WorldWide Witness (WWW) intern Erin Richmond who spent her summer working with teens in Sydney, Australia.  Ryan Newhouse, a second year MDiv student who spent the summer working with college students in Santiago, Chile said, "I learned that the most important thing about God is how he takes people and transforms them...completely from darkness to light."

Now in its fourth year, WorldWide Witness continues to help students see God by placing them with experienced missionaries for six to ten week summer internships.  This past summer WWW sent fifty students to nineteen locations around the globe.  WWW has a goal of sending seventy-five students to the field in the summer of 2005.

In addition to summer interns, WWW has recently launched two longer term apprentices.  Jared Berryman was so impacted by his summer internship in Mexico City that he returned there in August in order to dedicate himself to that work for the next twenty-four months.  Likewise, Lindsey Peterson has just begun her two year work in Santiago, Chile.  At the present time, four other students are considering the long-term apprentice option for next year.

During the summer, WWW joined forces with Let's Start Talking (LST) so that ACU students now have one point of contact for either short term mission option.  With LST under the WWW umbrella, students can find information, apply, and train in one community.  Specific sites that WorldWide Witness will recruit LST teams include Chiang Mai, Thailand; Lima, Peru; Leipzig, Germany; The Hague, Holland; Schaffhausen, Switzerland; and Mito, Japan.

Recruiting activity for interns 2004 is in full swing on campus.  Efforts have included three information meetings, media presentations in all sophomore Bible classes, and personal invitations.  The current numbers indicate that this will be the largest class of interns yet.

Santiago, Chile interns and youth

Interns in Accra, Ghana

Honor to Whom Honor Is Due

In August of this year, the Africans Claiming Africa Conference was held in Ghana, West Africa.  This event occurs every four years on the African continent.  The conference is held in a new location each time.  One of the highlights of the program this year was giving out honors to individuals who have made significant contributions to the church in Ghana.  Two individuals from the ACU missions program were honored, Wendell Broom and Dan McVey.

Wendell was honored for his pioneering involvement with the establishment of the Churches of Christ in Ghana.  His award read: "Brave warrior of Christ (who) ventured into the unknown to make Christ known. Through your missionary enterprise in Africa the Lord led you from Nigeria to Ghana to baptize John Gaidoo, the first Ghanaian to become a member of the Churches of Christ."  Wendell was also in Nigeria for the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of the Nigerian Christian Bible College.

Dan McVey was honored for his 20 years of mission work in Ghana.  His award read:  "Resident missionary of Churches of Christ in Ghana.  Pioneered mission efforts to many of the remotest parts of Ghana.  Many are the beneficiaries of your spirituality, leadership, and service."

We rejoice at what the Lord has accomplished through these two great servants.  May many more such servants will be equipped for service through our efforts at ACU.

Wendell Broom and Dan McVey

Readers Asked to Assist in DBMM Survey

We want to know how you are doing…and how we are doing!  The Department of Bible, Missions, and Ministry is requesting that readers of eConnections help us with an important survey which is attached to this article.  Any reader who graduated from ACU with an undergraduate degree in Bible, Missions, or Ministry is asked to participate in the survey.

The survey is intended to measure satisfaction with the program and is ultimately designed to help us improve the undergraduate division of the College of Biblical Studies at ACU. 

For many years, students with degrees from ACU in Bible, Missions, and Ministry have gone literally around the world serving in ministry and mission contexts.  What we do is important Kingdom work.  Please help us by participating in the attached survey.  Thank you very much in advance for your assistance in this project.

Click here to respond to the survey .

Elderlink Forum in Dallas, Nov. 13, 2004

The fifth annual ElderLink Forum 2004 Dallas will be held this coming Saturday, November 13, 2004, at Highland Oaks Church of Christ in Dallas, TX. A forum designed to "equip, encourage and link those who lead and serve as elders in the churches of Christ", ElderLink brings together knowledgeable speakers who have experience and expertise in the areas of interest to elders, their spouses and other church leaders. If you are an elder, a former elder or a future elder, go to this web page to learn more about this year's event and to register to attend http://www.acu.edu/ministry/elderlink/conferences/dallas.html .

ElderLink Ministry Expands

The ElderLink ministry began in 2000 with an ElderLink Forum in Dallas. The mission of ElderLink is to equip, encourage, and link those who lead and serve as elders in Churches of Christ. Since 2001 ElderLink Forum events have occurred each year in Dallas, TX and Portland, OR. Two additional ElderLink Forum events have been launched this year in Atlanta, GA (March) and in Nashua, NH (September). And two more new ElderLink Forum events will be initiated in 2005, one in Rochester, MI (January) and one in Houston, TX (April). The dates and locations for the six ElderLink Forum events in 2004- 2005 are as follows:

Dallas, TX; November 13, 2004; Highland Oaks Church of Christ
Rochester, MI; January 29, 2005; Rochester College
Atlanta, GA; March 19, 2005; Campus Church of Christ
Houston, TX; April 16, 2005; Bammel Road Church of Christ

For more information about any of these events, please check the ElderLink website at www.acu.edu/ministry/elderlink.html .

2005 Annual Bible Lectureship

"Since You Have Been Raised With Christ: Messages from Colossians" is the theme of the upcoming annual Bible Lectureship, February 20-23, 2005. Theme speakers include Billy Wilson (Glasgow, Scotland), David Holmes (Malibu, CA), Harold Shank (Memphis, TN), Prentice Meador (Dallas, TX), Billy Curl (Los Angeles, CA), Phil Ware (Abilene, TX), and Randy Harris (Abilene, TX).

This year Zoe Group will lead worship each evening, setting the tone of praise and prayer typical of each lectureship. Morning prayers, contemplative evening worship (in the Taize style), and special singing groups each day will help make the worship experience at lectureship both diverse and full. In addition to regular lectureship features like "Art & Faith", "Forum", and "Gospel and Culture', this year a new track is being offered entitled "Marketplace Faith." Breakfasts, classes, and forum conversation will all help participants who are interested in seeing the workplace as places of ministry.

As last year, the Teague Special Events Center will host both exhibits and fellowship space. New vendors with resources for ministry will exhibit, including publishers like Eerdmans and Abingdon. Soon, the full program will be on the ACU website at http://www.acu.edu/events/lectureship.html , including a link to request printed brochures.

Recommended Books on Mission

Dr. Ed Mathews provides a list of significant resources on missions.  Ministers looking for information on the history, theology, and methodology of foreign missions will find the following books helpful.

Stephen Bevans, Constant in Context:  A Theology of Mission for Today  (Maryknoll, 2004) - an insightful read by a world renowned Catholic scholar on the various cultural contexts into which the constant message of God has gone throughout history.

Robert L. Gallagher, ed.,  Mission in Acts: Ancient Narratives in Contemporary Context  (Maryknoll, 2004) - a stimulating collection of essays analyzing the missional story recorded in Acts with thought provoking applications to the contemporary challenges of mission.

Thomas Hale,  On Being a Missionary (William Carey Library, 1995) - a non-technical book for those who have an interest in reading about the ideas, experiences, and insights from more than one hundred missionary thinkers throughout the world.

William J. Larkin, Mission in the New Testament: An Evangelical Approach (Orbis, 1998) - a careful articulation of biblical teachings on mission from a contemporary American evangelical standpoint that makes cogent arguments for recovering the "missional horizon" found in the New Testament.

Charles Taber,  To Understand the World, To Save the World:  The Interface between Missiology and the Social Sciences (Trinity Press International, 2000) - a thorough study of the contributions to and the limitation of the social sciences to the missionary enterprise.

William Taylor, ed., Global Missiology for the 21st Century (Baker, 2000) - cutting edge essays on the globalization of Christian mission from the historic Iguassu, Brazil conference.

John Mark Terry, et. al., eds., Missiology (Broadman & Holman, 1998) - a valuable resource for anyone interested in the foundation, history, and strategy of missions.

Wilbert Shenk, Changing Frontiers of Mission (Maryknoll, 1999) - a review of the history of mission as the basis for a call to renewal of mission in the church pointing away from the status quo and toward fresh thinking, innovative strategy, and new optimism.

Gailyn Van Rheenen, Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies (Zondervan, 1996) - a comprehensive introduction to the motives and methods of successful mission work in a highly readable, stimulating discussion of pertinent issues facing both the missionary and the sending church.

2004 Minister Salary Survey Results Available

Last Spring the ACU Church Relations Team administered a nationwide Minister Salary Survey. The survey was conducted via email, and a total of 554 ministers who serve in various ministry roles and in churches of different sizes participated in it. Results of the 2004 Minister Salary Survey are now available on the ACU Ministry Resources website. To see the results of the survey, click on www.acu.edu/ministry/salarysurvey.html . If you would like to participate in the 2005 survey, just email Dr. Charles Siburt at siburt@bible.acu.edu .

Doctor of Ministry Application Time

Now is the time to consider whether you are ready to apply to the Doctor of Ministry Program in the Graduate School of Theology. Applicants must have completed a Master of Divinity Degree (84 hours) or its educational equivalent and must have completed three years of full- time ministry since completing their first theological graduate degree.

The recently revised curriculum focuses on ministerial leadership for missional churches-- churches that are learning to proclaim and embody the gospel in today's culture. A top- notch team of ten highly qualified faculty provide opportunities for stimulating theological reflection, peer learning, and spiritual formation. Participants in the program grow as theological and ministerial leaders.

For more information about the Doctor of Ministry Program or the application process, contact Dr. Charles Siburt at siburt@bible.acu.edu .

GST Increases Course Offerings in Dallas-Fort Worth

New offerings in the Dallas-Fort Worth area increased the opportunities for students in the fall semester. For the first time in several years, the GST offered three courses. Dr. Houston Heflin, youth minister at the Richardson East Church of Christ, taught Foundations of Youth Ministry at the Richardson East church. Dr. Gailyn Van Rheenen, who recently moved to the area to become involved in a church planting mission, is teaching Planting and Developing of Churches, providing academic training while students are involved in field experiences. Dr. James Thompson and Dr. Tim Sensing are teaching Preaching 2 Corinthians, which students may take either for Bible or ministry credit. The North Davis Church of Christ in Arlington is the host for these courses.

These increased offerings are a part of the GST's plan to provide a wide selection of courses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Since all of the courses are taught on weekends in concentrated formats, part-time students are able to travel from various locations.

In the spring semester (2005), Dr. Charles Siburt will teach Managing Conflict in Churches. Drs. Jack Reese and Jerry Taylor will teach Preaching in an African-American Context, and Dr. Gailyn Van Rheenen will offer Teaching the Gospel.

For more information see Weekend Courses on the GST homepage .

Internet Courses

Only through the Internet can a student in Mongolia be involved in a lively discussion with fellow students from New Zealand and Japan in the same virtual classroom. In GST Internet courses, students from three continents and numerous cities throughout the United States learn from their professors, chat with each other about the assignments, and complete research projects as they make progress toward their master's degrees. In the fall semester, thirty-one students are enrolled in two web-based courses. Since web-based courses are especially labor-intensive for faculty, enrollment in each class is limited. Consequently, the Internet courses are the first ones to be filled.

Students may take as many as 18 hours of Internet courses toward their master's degree. According to Dr. James Thompson, associate dean of the Graduate School of Theology, Internet courses serve two primary purposes. In the first place, it limits the residency period for students who cannot afford to be in Abilene for two or three years. In the second place, it allows current students to make progress toward their degrees while they are involved in internships away from the campus.

In the fall semester, Dr. Jeff Childers is teaching History of Christianity: The Ancient and Medieval Periods. Dr. Ian Fair is teaching The Synoptic Gospels: Mathew. In the spring semester 2005, Dr. Douglas Foster will teach History of Christianity II and Dr. Ian Fair will teach Advanced Introduction to the New Testament.

For more information see Internet Courses on the GST homepage .

Future Course Offerings in Abilene

January and Spring Courses for 2005

Maymester and Summer Courses for 2005

New from ACU Press

 

Decades of Destiny: A History of Churches of Christ from 1900-2000

In its "Restoration 21 Retrospective" series, The Christian Chronicle offered an important look back at the history of Churches of Christ in the 20th century. Now, due to popular demand, ACU Press has teamed up with the editors of The Christian Chronicle to produce Decades of Destiny: A History of Churches of Christ from 1900-2000.

Comprising all the articles in the series, this visually appealing work allows readers to review and re-think the past, in order to equip themselves for the future. Including articles by leading historians in Churches of Christ, this attractively bound volume contains over fifty historic photographs and other illustrations.

By receiving this email, you qualify for a special, reduced price of $17.95 for this important new book.

Click here to order: http://aes.acu.edu:8080/store/detail.jsp?find=Discountdod