 |
 |
|
A NEW THING SPRINGS FORTH AT ABSW
“We are excited about the work God is doing in our midst at ABSW,”says President Keith Russell. “Hope is thriving here as we draw inspiration from our heritage as an innovator in theological education to meet the challenges and the promise of the future.” Students arriving this fall will enjoy new classroom space and common areas in Hobart Hall following a $3 million, three-year renovation. They’ll be challenged by a new curriculum that emphasizes the integration of theory and practice in diverse ministry settings. They’ll witness the launch of the Global Prophetic Network, a new venture to connect leaders around issues of justice and reconciliation in a changing world. And they’ll be welcomed by a gifted faculty led by a new dean—Dr. George C.L. Cummings, one of the nation’s leading theologians. “As the psalmist says, we have a new song to sing,” Russell explains. “It’s a song that expresses the depths of our history and tradition at ABSW while calling us to a renewed sense of purpose and mission.”
A New Dean
The Pearl Rawlings Hamilton Professor of Systematic Theology at ABSW since 1987, Cummings is regarded internationally as one of the key interpreters of Black theology and Latin American liberation theology. He will guide the faculty of the 130-year-old seminary as it charts its course as the nation’s premier theological center for the development of prophetic leadership. Cummings is one of the leaders of the second generation of African American theologians who articulate a Black theology. His mentor is James Cone of Union Theological Seminary in New York. Cummings holds three degrees from Union — a Ph.D., master of philosophy and master of sacred theology. He also earned a master of divinity degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. Cummings is the author of “A Common Journey: Black Theology (USA) and Latin American Liberation Theology.” With Dwight Hopkins he co-edited “Cut Loose Your Stammering Tongue: Black Theology in the Slave Narratives.” The senior pastor of Imani Community Church in Oakland, Cummings also serves on the General Board for the American Baptist Churches USA. He is a sought-after speaker at national and international church gatherings. “In the classroom and the pulpit, George Cummings has a passionate concern for the transformation of souls and systems,” Russell says. “His commitment to critical analysis and excellence in ministry mark his teaching. We are excited about the leadership he will bring to ABSW as academic dean as we seek to provide theological education that is multiracial and multicultural, evangelical and ecumenical, academic and spiritual, theoretical and practical.” A New Curriculum The new curriculum—required of students entering this fall and an option for continuing students— emphasizes the context and content of ministry. Students will integrate the disciplines of scripture, church history, theology and ethics with the ministry arts of preaching, pastoral care, evangelism, education and administration. They’ll do this through two years of team-taught colloquium and intense exposure to ministry settings, where mentor pastors will engage the students in theory and practice. “Our new curriculum significantly increases opportunities for practical experiences in ministry,” says Dr. LeAnn Flesher, associate professor of Old Testament, who helped coordinate the curriculum overhaul. The seminary’s approach is a big leap from traditional theological education, in which field experience is separated from reflection on academic disciplines. “Although lip service has been given to the integration of theory and practice, the reality is that this function has been left up to the student with little, if any, attention given to a systematic professor-led integration process,” Flesher says. The faculty is agreed that a new world calls for new ways of teaching and learning. “If our aim is to develop leaders who are skilled in social analysis and conversant in a variety of traditions, we need a curriculum to fulfill it,” Cummings says. “If we seek to create a community here at ABSW that embodies our hope for justice, then we need a curriculum that will get us there.” A New Venture
The Global Prophetic Network (GPN) will extend ABSW’s leadership development efforts to an international audience. The new organization will seek to bring together persons and institutions of faith to raise awareness and encourage cooperation on issues of justice and reconciliation in a changing global reality. GPN will be a center for continuing education at the seminary. But its long-term direction is more akin to a network, according to the Rev. Desmond Hoffmeister, GPN’s newly appointed director and the seminary’s dean of community life. “There is a need to draw out, lift up and encourage prophets around the world,” Hoffmeister says. “This new network will create a platform for leaders of justice, conduct research, create strategic alliances, promote ministries, and empower leaders through dialogue and educational programs.” Hoffemister, former general secretary of the Baptist Convention of South Africa, has been ABSW’s scholar-in-residence since 1999. He completed a master of divinity degree this spring and hopes to begin doctoral work in the near future. GPN will focus its initial efforts on research and conferencing through ABSW, Hoffmeister says. |
A
new dean, a new curriculum, and a new venture in a newly remodeled
building: indeed, a new thing is happening at the American Baptist
Seminary of the West.
© 2001 American Baptist Seminary
of the West
All Rights Reserved