July 2010 - December 2010
Joy Blaylock ('10)
Charles Higgins ('61)
Shawn Hannon ('10)
Randy Jones ('99)
Stephen Mims ('00)
Katherine Pasch ('90)
Ed Wolff ('96)
Patti Arthur ('93)
Brad Fuerst ('07)
Claude Deal ('63)
Stephen Damos ('85)
Rick Mason ('94)
Jared Carson ('08)
Dwight Dubois ('81)
Sally Brower ('99)
Robert Cosmas ('98)
Emily Bugay ('08)
Frank Honeycutt ('85)
July 17, 2010
A pastor's journey home: Joy Blaylock finds her church
By Roy Hoffman, Mobile Press-Register, Mobile, AL
The Rev. Joy Harrell Blaylock (Class of 2010), born a Presbyterian, raised a Methodist, a convert to Catholicism, and now a Lutheran minister, has made a spiritual journey in her life. "I'm a religious mutt," she says, gently laughing.
At her office at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in west Mobile, the associate pastor — still a vicar to be ordained in an ecumenical service at her church on Aug. 15 — reflects on her road to a religious home.
With the teachings of Martin Luther on a bookshelf behind her, Blaylock recalls her first experiences with religion.
At pre-school at a Presbyterian church, she heard Bible stories from a teacher. Her father read her Bible stories at home.
"I became the spiritual 'wannabe' leader," says Blaylock. "I baptized all the dogs, preached to my little sister unending."
Huggins Honored as Pastor Emeritus
From the NC Synod Office
The Rev. Dr. Charles R. Huggins (Class of 1961) was honored as pastor emeritus at Trinity, Sanford, on July 11, with Pr. Beth Kearney (Class of 1981) preaching and Pr. Tim Martin presiding. Pr. Huggins served at Trinity from 1967-1999 and currently serves on the staff of St. Paul's, Durham. The presentation was part of Trinity's annual homecoming celebration.
New pastor welcomed at Hope
By Sheri Landahl, Acarade Herald, Arcade, NY
On Saturday, July 24, Pastor Shawn W. Hannon (Class of 2010) was ordained and installed as the new Pastor at Hope Lutheran Church in Arcade. Pastor Hannon and his wife Carol moved here from Columbia, South Carolina, where he attended the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. They are both originally from the WNY area and are happy to be back.
From Alabama to Honduras
By Randy T. Jones (Class of 1999), for The Lutheran
How many children do you know who don't go to school because they have to forage for what may be their only meal of the day or week? Yet this is a reality for many children all over Honduras, one of the world's poorest nations.
Much of the population in Honduras lives below the poverty line, earning less than $1 a day. Thousands of children go hungry each day because their parents have no means to feed them. To make matters worse, many of these children must beg for food in the streets instead of attending school.
Mims Installed as Pastor
from G. Roscoe Bedenbaugh
The Rev. Stephen F. Mims (Class of 2000) was installed as the pastor of Summer Memorial Lutheran Church in Newberry, South Carolina on August 1, 2010.
The service of installation was held during the congregations 100th Anniversary Homecoming Service and was led by Bishop Herman Yoos (Class of 1979). Also participating in the service was the Rev. John Wertz (Class of 1971), who recently served as Summer Memorial's interim pastor.
August 29, 2010
Local pastor honored for 20 years service to congregation
From the Griffin Daily News, Griffin, GA
Saint John Lutheran Church will enjoy a number of celebrations today.
The pastor of the congregation, the Rev. Katherine Pasch (Class of 1990), will be honored for the 20th anniversary of her ordination and of her tenure at the church — one of the longest ongoing pastorates of any church in the Griffin area.
September 13, 2010
New Lutheran 'mission' seeks to reach 'unchurched'
From Johnson City Press, By Madison Mathews
When Ed Wolff (Class of 1996) was just a child, he first heard the call from God to go into the ministry.
After years of working in other professions, Wolff finally received ordination at the age of 59 from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, S.C. Since becoming ordained 13 years ago, Wolff has started pastoring Cross of Grace Lutheran Church, which meets in the Jonesborough Area Senior Center every Sunday.
September 14, 2010
Pastor's Ministry, Spirit Remembered by Congregation
By Amber Marra and J.R. Williams, The Northern Virginia Daily
TOMS BROOK -- The congregation of Patrice "Patti" (Thisted) Arthur (Class of 1993) will not only remember her for the lives she touched through her ministry, but also for her teaching, creativity and humorous spirit.
Arthur, who served as pastor at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Toms Brook, died Saturday morning, leaving behind a legacy of character that touched parishioners, family and friends. She was 44.
The congregation "will tell you that each of them felt a personal relationship with her. A real, personal relationship between her and each of us was a hard thing to do with so many personalities involved," said Connie Fauber, a church member who started a blog on caringbridge.org to keep track of Arthur's condition after she was hospitalized for an aneurysm.
According to the blog, Arthur suffered a headache on Aug. 25 that was so painful her 10-year-old daughter called 911.
She was taken to Shenandoah Memorial Hospital and was then airlifted to Winchester Medical Center, where it was discovered that an aneurysm was the cause of the pain.
Doctors found serious complications, and on Friday, Arthur was placed on life support after suffering a stoke, the blog says
September 20, 2010
Fuerst Receives Campus Ministry Award
From the Gulf Coast Synod of the ELCA
Congratulations are due to Pastor Fuerst, the ministry of students, and to the Gulf Coast Synod for its partnership in a vibrant campus ministry in Houston."
Paying it Forward
from the Synod Servant of the NC Synod
When the Rev. Claude Deal (Class of 1963) was in his first year of chaplaincy residency, he received a $2,000 check from the Patterson Fund and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hickory. As a husband, father of two children and a student, the money came at just the right time. This gift, though given many years ago, has always resonated with Deal. "When you start with that kind of debt (seminary) and three or four years later you feel called to clinical or pastoral care, that can be overwhelming," Deal said. He and his wife, Elizabeth, know all too well about the costs of additional training beyond a seminary education. Because of this, and the $2,000 gift they received while Deal was in his residency, they have developed a way to give something back in response to those who have helped them - an endowment for pastoral care training. Beginning in January 2011, the endowment will provide funds to assist seminarians and rostered persons who are receiving training in clinical pastoral education and/or pastoral counseling in preparation for chaplaincy or pastoral counseling. The NC Synod Ministries in Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling and Clinical Education (MCPCCE) Committee will oversee the grant-making portion of the fund. "The fund is intended to help others pursue a ministry in specialized pastoral care," said Deal. "There has been a decline in the number of Lutherans serving in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling." Deal believes this decline has a direct correlation to the cost of education. "The cost of training has discouraged some people from pursuing pastoral counseling," he said. "This fund would provide resources for those who decide to pursue a ministry in specialized pastoral care." Deal and his wife, Elizabeth, have been married for 48 years, have three sons and are committed to providing support for seminarians and rostered leaders pursing ministries in specialized pastoral care. They know first-hand the difference having a support system, both financial and personal, makes. During his years of ministry, his mentor Pr. J. White Iddings, who served as chaplain at Duke Medical Center and was a resident at Trinity Oaks, Salisbury, was an inspiration to him. While the application and distribution guidelines for the endowment are still being developed, the intent is clear - to help individuals pursue a ministry in specialized pastoral care without buckling under a massive amount of education debt. Pr. Claude and Elizabeth Deal are North Carolina natives and both graduates of Lenoir-Rhyne University (formerly College). They currently reside in Durham, N.C. Pr. Deal has a 35-year history as a pastor and supervisor in clinical pastoral education. Elizabeth is a clinical social worker and has had a private therapy practice for 35 years.
September 28, 2010
Bring Fido to this Fest
by Stanley E. Long, from The Lutheran, October 2010 issue
Imagine a sunny October Saturday afternoon, falling leaves and muffled sounds of bluegrass and gospel music coming from a carnival-like atmosphere in a church parking lot and school playground — all for the good of God's creatures. It's the annual Pet Fest and Blessing at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
This is no ordinary blessing, though it began that way.In 2001 it was a small ceremony attended by a few parishioners and their pets. As it gained popularity, some members recognized a need for educating people about obtaining and caring for pets. Interest grew, more activities were added and Grace's neighbor, Woodland Elementary School, became a partner. Now it's a community event that features some 30 information booths staffed by animal rescue and adoption groups, humane societies and veterinary services. More than 400 people (and 300 animals, from llamas to ferrets) attend. And it takes some 60 church members to make this ministry-festival happen, with planning that starts each June. Stephen G. Damos (Class of 1985), pastor of Grace, blesses one of the many dogs in attendance.
"Pet owners know what a blessing pets are in their lives, and this event thanks God for our pets, celebrates them and seeks God's continued blessing for them," said Bill Issel, coordinator for this year's Pet Fest and Blessing. "This event cuts across all church denominations and attracts more people and pets each year."
October 1, 2010
From the SE Synod E-News (Link)
This past summer, Rev. Rick Mason (Class of 1994) (pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Prattville, AL) accepted an invitation to lead a Bible study at Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat center deep in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state. Pastor Mason & his wife, Glenna, spent a week during September at Holden, which is an old copper-mining town that was sold to the Lutheran Bible Society. Holden is accessible via a 3 hour boat ride up Lake Chelan or by hiking south from Canada. It is so remote that there is no television or telephone reception on the mountain.
Pastor Mason's 5-day study while at Holden centered on the theological implications of William P. Young's book The Shack. Participants from all across the U.S. discussed such topics as the doctrine of the Trinity, why does evil exist, what is the proper role of the church, etc.
Mason was joined on the Holden teaching staff that week by a friend & classmate from Augustana College, class of 1971, Chuck Kluth. Dr. Kluth is a retired geologist from Chevron Oil & is currently an independent consultant & a researcher at the Colorado School Mines. This was Mason's second trip to Holden, having led a Bible study at the retreat center in 2001.
October 3, 2010
Blessing of the animals at First Lutheran in Torrance
By Diana Littlejohn, From the Daily Breeze, Torrance, CA
Pastor Jared Carson (Class of 2009) of First Lutheran Church in Torrance blesses Joey, a rescue dog harnessed to a canine wheelchair, while Dharma Fulcher observes, above. Saturday's event, Blessing God's Creatures, brought out pet owners and their companions, from dogs and cats to more exotic animals such as geckos.
First Lutheran seeks what should be first
By Bob Sitze, from The Lutheran
Since the closing of the town's largest employer, members have learned to focus on discipleship and missionSome congregations choose simplicity; other congregations have no choice. And still others embrace what's necessary so it becomes a blessing. First Lutheran Church in Newton, Iowa, fits the latter description.
Faced with the closing of the town's major employer and the eventual loss of more than 3,000 jobs, First's leaders knew they would have to pare the congregation's expectations and lifestyle. They would have to find a way of "being church" that could be supported by a drastically reduced membership and a severely diminished budget.
It was clear that the consumerist-corporate model of congregational life wasn't sustainable anymore.
Members of First Lutheran Church in Newton, Iowa, attend a Tuesday evening worship service in a local park. Since the closing of the town's largest employer and resulting downturn of the congregation, members of First have learned to focus on "first things" — discipleship and mission.
Rather than seeing this reality only as an overwhelming problem — staff reductions, program cuts, fear and anger, loss of large numbers of families — leaders saw another possibility: First could eventually prosper as a "simple congregation."
Over several years and after facing all the predictable stages of grief that beset people and congregations, the leaders came to a breakthrough insight. As Howard D. Vrankin, pastor, recalls the moment: "We realized that we are a family, and we want to go somewhere with our family."
From their association with Dwight Dubois (Class of 1981) of the Center for Renewal at Grand View University, Des Moines, Iowa, they adopted a helpful mantra: "The church of Jesus Christ has a mission; the mission of Jesus Christ has a church; and we are that church."
North Carolina, USA Artist and Priest Sally Brower talks about Art & Faith
By Peter Menkin, from The Church of England Newspaper
For many the subject of Art & Faith is a mystery. Here we join with The Reverend Doctor Sally Brower (Senior/Intern, '97-99) who in the following interview speaks of her living the mystery of Art & Faith, and as an artist herself shares some of her work. Assistant Priest at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Charlotte, North Carolina USA (a lovely city), her artistic talents are encouraged by the Parish
As a poet, she speaks to readers with the voice of a believer and the words of someone who knows her theology. This sample from one poem indicates a yearning for God:
I can only stand upon the earth
and bid you come,
lay bare the bones.
Uncover every sweet deception,
every treasured self perception,
until I am yours alone.
Reformed Lutherans install new pastor on Sunday
by Jeff Kunerth from the Orlando Sentinel
For only the third time in its 51 years, the Reformation Lutheran Church in Orlando will install a new pastor on Oct. 24 at 3 p.m.
Rev. Robert L. Cosmas (Class of 1998) succeeds Rev. Paul Bergstresser who shepherded the church at 800 E. Michigan St., for more than 40 years. 'Pastor B', as he was affectionately called, died just prior to worship on Father's Day morning, four years ago.
Rev. Cosmas brings a wide range of experience to bear as he assumes his role. A graduate with honors from Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC, 'Pastor Rob' is a former state's attorney and statewide prosecutor. He lived in Iran during the Shah's reign, chased crooks and criminals as a prosecutor and beat Hodgkin's lymphoma. He is supported in ministry by Janelle, his wife of 20 years, and children Connor, Sarah and Asher.
"I've gone from law to gospel," he says. "For the last 15 years I have been called to make the best case I know for the human family…and now God has called me to do that in the place I know so well."
Family Promise of Beaufort County, Inc named 2010 Angel by SC Secretary of State
South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond announced the fifteenth-annual Scrooges and Angels for 2010. The ten Angels were recognized at a press conference and honored with a reception in the Secretary of State's Office following the announcement.
Among those honored as Angels was Family Promise of Beaufort County, Inc. Emily Bugay (Class of 2008) is the Executive Director of the organization and received the honor from Secretary of State Mark Hammond.
Family Promise of Beaufort County, Inc., Beaufort, SC
Latest Honeycutt Book Coming Soon
Brazos Press will publish the Rev. Frank Honeycutt's (Class of 1985) latest book, The Truth Shall Make You Odd: Speaking with Pastoral Integrity in Awkward Situations. The book is currently available on-line at various online bookstores.
Contact
Sandra Cline
Associate Director of Development and Alumni Relations
scline@ltss.edu
803-461-3252
4201 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29203