GST Alumni Association Luncheon

The second annual GST Alumni Association Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 Lectureship. All alumni and friends of the Graduate School of Theology are encouraged to attend. The speaker will be Dr. Lynn Anderson. The meal is free, but you must obtain a ticket from the GST Dean's office. Seating is limited to 200, so you will need to go by Dean Reese's office and get a ticket as early as possible. This is an important time to think about the future of the GST. Dan Bouchelle, president of the GST Alumni Association, will preside. Several important items will be discussed at the meeting. Most importantly, it will be a time to fellowship and share our common commitments.
 
Do We Really Need an Alumni Association?

by Dan Bouchelle, President GSTSA

"Why do we need an alumni association for the Graduate School of Theology? Will it really serve any meaningful purpose? Don't I have enough meetings to attend and groups to join?"

I know. We all wince a little at the announcement of a new group with more meetings and responsibilities. We didn't enter ministry or teaching because we loved meetings and administrative duties, but some days that seems to be all we do. Just like the rest of you, I do not need another obligation, assignment, or group to join. Yet, having said that, I do think we need an alumni association for the GST for several reasons.

First, it is critical that church ministry and theological study remain in healthy communication. The GST is not merely a provider of credentials or skills for religious professionals in a church industry which markets religious goods and services to a consumer society. Neither is the GST the handmaiden of a denomination seeking to preserve its identity in a post-denominational world. Rather, the GST seeks to be serving the mission of God by preparing servants to live out the mission of God faithfully with power in the vast array of human contexts around the world. Since that is the mission, it is critically important that the people who make up the GST remain in communication with others who've been sent out with the gospel to embody the reign of God in the world. It is also our responsibility as alumni to serve the mission of God by remaining in fruitful dialogue with the GST about what God is doing in the field.

For too long the academy and the local congregation have been in a rarely verbalized but very real tension that harmed both. We need to recognize the role each plays in accomplishing the mission of God and let the eye and ear work together for the good of the body of Christ.

In order for local congregations and the GST to work together effectively, there needs to be a structure in place. The GSTAA can facilitate a positive working relationship. Formally creating an association of alumni makes communication between partners more achievable. At this stage, we are creating a structure that will serve larger purposes.

Second, the GSTAA will become the public face of the GST among the churches. We can help promote the GST by identifying potential students, explaining the purpose of the GST to church leaders, locating potential financial contributors within our congregations, and finally donating funds ourselves to provide scholarships for students. The GSTAA will help the GST communicate with the churches where we serve regarding the various programs, initiatives and needs of the GST. The GSTAA will serve as ambassadors of the GST in the church and in the world.

Third, the GSTAA will help develop an esprit de coup among theological students. We are not traveling our own individual career paths, but rather we are part of a larger community of people who have shared a common experience in a common place, and have gone out with a common mission. The sense of shared identity will build loyalty among GST alumni and reduce the sense of isolation many ministers feel.

Fourth, the GSTAA will help obtain, maintain, and provide pertinent data on GST graduates. This has been sorely lacking in past years.

Finally, the GSTAA will make available to all GST alumni members online resources for research.

I hope that you will join us for our second meeting on Wednesday, February 22, in the Lobby of the William Performing Arts center for lunch, a brief program, and meeting. Lynn Anderson will help us think through the complex relationship between academy and congregation and we will elect a board of trustees. May God bless you in your service of his reign.