As the seasons of the year turn, we also turn to our upcoming continuing education offerings. While we certainly hoped the pandemic would be greatly diminished by now, we still find ourselves watching carefully and planning with caution. Please note the method of delivery for each event: one is in person, one is via Zoom, and one is hybrid giving both options (attending in person or via Zoom). Registration is open for all the events described below.
Save the date for Earlham School of Religion’s annual Writing Colloquium, to be held this year online on Oct. 23-24. This year’s theme is “Grace, Play, and Delight.” The Writing Colloquium is co-sponsored by Bethany Theological Seminary and it supports the writing and work of the joint Master of Arts in Theopoetics and Writing that is offered by both institutions. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
Dale Weaver Brown, 95, professor emeritus at Bethany Theological Seminary and a leading theologian in the Church of the Brethren as well as a former moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, passed away peacefully on Aug. 30, in the presence of family.
The Church of the Brethren Annual Conference affirmed board-elected and constituency-elected directors and trustees for the denomination’s Mission and Ministry Board and the Conference agencies Bethany Theological Seminary, On Earth Peace, and Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT). Also affirmed were district executive representatives to the denomination’s Leadership Team and the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee.
Life, death, awe in the face of creation, alarm at the sins of humanity, anger, despair, lament, complaint, faith, hope, and love standing side by side–these are not only the qualities of the Psalms, but they are also found in the profound poetry of 86-year-old novelist, environmentalist, farmer, and poet Wendell Berry. Last fall, Joelle Hathaway, the new assistant professor of Theological Studies at Bethany Theological Seminary, taught a course about Berry’s Sabbath poetry, which plumbs the heights and depths of human experience.
“God Talk” can result in many different outcomes: conflict, terror, transformation, human flourishing, or human cruelty. So, he wondered, “Can theopoetics lead to more artful discourse? Can our hearts grow roomier and our lives become more radiant?”
Four Brethren Academy students completed their programs in the 2020-2021 academic year. All four students are currently serving churches and are listed alongside their ministry placements. Graduates of the Brethren Academy receive certificates of completion during celebrations within their districts. / Cuatro estudiantes de la Academia de los Hermanos han completado sus programas en el año académico del 2020-2021. Cada uno de los cuatro estudiantes sirven en iglesias y están enlistados juntamente en sus colocaciones ministeriales. Los Graduandos de la Academia de los Hermanos recibieron certificados de finalización durante celebraciones dentro de sus propios distritos.
The Office of Ministry is sponsoring a virtual version of the traditional in-person Clergywomen’s Annual Conference event in the form of a July 22 online “brunch” at 12 noon (Eastern time). Joelle Hathaway, assistant professor of theological studies at Bethany Theological Seminary, will speak on the theme “Poetry and the Spiritual Imagination.”
Following is the latest listing of upcoming courses offered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, a collaboration between the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Ministry and Bethany Theological Seminary.
Alumni and friends are cordially invited to watch Bethany’s Academic Commencement Ceremony live online as we honor graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021. This year’s ceremony will include the first students to earn certificates while studying in Nigeria.
