Faculty Update

On September 21st, Deborah Appler, associate professor of Biblical Studies, served as the Anniversary Preacher at her first pastoral appointment, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Waldorf, MD, in celebration of the congregation’s 40th anniversary. In addition, she led the California Moravian Women’s Retreat in Oxnard, CA, from October 8-12. The title of the retreat was “Working Miracles with God: The Widow of Zarephath, the Shunnamite Woman, and the Prophet’s Wife — Models for Living in Difficult Times.”

Deborah was a panelist for two different programs offered at Moravian College in October. She served on a panel discussing ethical choices for the Learning in Common (LiNC) program. She also participated in the panel discussion of Sam Harris’ The End of Faith, sponsored by the Religious Studies and Philosophy departments.

She continues to serve on the refugee resettlement team at Wesley United Methodist Church (Bethlehem) for a family from Burundi and tutors them in both English and GED. Deborah also co-authored eleven online lectionary references for the Human Rights Campaign lectionary, “Out in Scripture.”

In November, Glenn Asquith, professor of Pastoral Counseling, attended the Atlantic regional meeting of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors in Columbia, MD, where he also served on the Candidate Review Committee for those applying for Fellow status in AAPC. He provided peer review of articles to be published in Pastoral Psychology and in the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling.

In July 2008, Dean Frank Crouch and his wife Audrey West led a weekend retreat at Laurel Ridge Camp and Conference Center for the Southern Province’s Lay Academy entitled, “The Essentials and the Gospels: Excavating Gospel Stories for the Essentials of our Day.” In November, Frank delivered the Groenfeldt Lectures at Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church in Sturgeon Bay, WI, entitled, “The Fullness of the Word of God: Distinct Moravian Approaches to Scripture.”

The Moravian Church in America and the Presbyterian Church (USA) are preparing to enter into a covenant relationship. In September Otto Dreydoppel, assistant professor of Church History, was the program leader for the annual retreat of the executive presbyters of the PCUSA in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In November he led a workshop on “Tradition and Change in North American Moravian Worship” at a liturgical conference sponsored by the European Continental Province of the Moravian Church.

In July 2008, Grace Kim, assistant professor of Doctrinal Theology, attended the Women’s World Congress ’08 in Madrid, Spain, where she delivered two papers, “Women, Racism and the Spirit” and “The Spirit Within: Holy Spirit and Chi.” At the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion held in Chicago in November, Grace presided at the session, “Myth Making of the Normative Academy.” Also in November she presented the paper, “Women’s Role in the Church and the Academy,” at the Korean American Theology and Ministry Conference held at Garrett Evangelical Seminary in Chicago.

Grace’s book review of The Jesus of Asian Women by Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro appeared in the summer issue of the Journal of World Christianity, 1(2008). In the summer issue of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 1(2008) her book review was published of The Church and the Library: Studies in Honor of Rev. Dr. George C. Papademetriou, edited by Dean Papademetriou and Andrew J. Sopko. Over the Christmas break she served as guest preacher at Celebration Church in Toronto for two Sundays.

Glen Stoudt, assistant professor of Pastoral Theology, spent much of his fall semester focused on the Interim Seminary Chaplain responsibilities and was gratified to be leading worship again on a regular basis, especially within the Seminary community. In addition, he led the Moravian Southern Province Ministries retreat at Laurel Ridge in September, providing the participants, who were pastors and Christian educators, the experience of the Seminary’s Jan Term Stewardship Intensive. Glen also facilitated the beginning of the Moravian Board of World Missions fall directors’ weekend meeting by leading the group in six hours of “missional” theology and practice.