Logsdon Faculty Member Travels to Learn with African Ministers

Lyle Learns Lessons by Teaching at Nigerian Theological Baptist Seminary

By: Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in “The Logsdon Letter” ed. Winter 2012

 

Noticebly missing from Logsdon’s Abilene campus early in the Sprin semester was Dr. Ken Lyle, Director of Logsdon’s Master of Divinity Program and Professor of Greek and New Testament. Instead of the familiar surrounding of his classroom and Greek students, Lyle was teaching doctoral and graduate students at the Nigerian Theological Baptist Seminary in Ogbomosho, Nigeria.

Originally part of Southern Baptist’s work through the Foreign Mission Board, the NTBS faculty were formerly comprised of primarily American Missionaries. According to Lyle, radical changes occurred during and since the 1980s. The strength of the Nigeria Baptist Convention has increased and now the seminary’s faculty solely consists of Nigerian professors. Though NTBS’s founding by western Christians has effected the seminary’s educational structure and focus, Lyle believes the seminary is becoming more and more Nigerian in terms of its focus.

While at NTBS, Dr. Lyle taught three courses: a doctoral seminar about current issues in New Testament studies, a doctoral level course that focused on the New Testament and the Greco-Roman world, and a course for graduate students about Pauline literature.  Lyle will return to Ogbomosho in May to wrap up the courses he initiated in January.

NTBS’ recent independent strength leads Lyle to understand the mutually beneficial relationship with students and faculty of Nigerian Theological he has now been fortunate to buile, one quite different from the one-sided experience it might have been in NTBS’ fledgling years.

“We are not there to replace,” said Lyle. “It’s an opportunity to teach in a different culture and…it is really more of a learning experience for me. I learn a whole lot more than I can ever instruct.”

Teaching in Nigeria is not a new experience for Lyle. This most recent stint at NTBS was his fifth trip to Ogbomosho. The first four trips to NTBS were taken as a part of a partnership of theological education between the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Nigeria Baptist. Lyle planned his most recent adventure on his own, but was financially supported by the BGCT and Logsdon Seminary.

“I think its beyond the stage of thinking about the relationship.” Lyle responds about dreams for further developing the relationship between Logsdon and NTBS. “The relationship already exists. The real question is what are we going to do with it? And one part of the conversation that has come up is the possibility of taking graduates for a short term to Nigeria where you receive course credit.”

Though no concrete plans have been set for Logsdon Seminary students to visit and earn course credit in Nigeria, Lyle continues to work toward this future possibility as he once again leaves the comfort of West Texas for his new African home-away-from-home.

Students Address Importance of Prayer and Contemplation for Ministry Preparation

By: Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in “The Logsdon Letter” ed. Winter 2012

 

Each year, many Logsdon Seminary students take pause at the midpoint of their seminary program studies to reflect and take inventory on their journey of ministry during the annual Logsdon Seminary Spiritual formation Retreat. Dr. Viki Hollon, minister of senior adults at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, and professor at Drew University, served as the 2012 retreat facilitator for the February event held at Abilene’s First Baptist Church.

Hollon stated one of her goals during the retreat was to lead students into a realization that spiritual growth often comes through relationship-building. To this end, Hollon urged the students to pause  for reflection and examination of students’ relationship with their own family.

“I deeply believe that being a Christian is a life long journey and it’s a commitment to keep growing,” said Hollon. “I think probably all of us can acknowledge where we have space in our lives where we were not on that track. Whether we call it spiritual formation or discipleship or Christian growth or training: it’s about that life long growing and learning and our relationship with god and ultimately how to be the hands and feet for God’s love”

Cinda Smith, a Logsdon Seminary Master of Divinity student, was surprised by how much she enjoyed Hollon’s topic.

“I had several other students tell me how they came to the retreat without many expectations but found it to be very fulfilling,” said Smith. “Dr. Hollon was wonderful as she led us into becoming more aware of how God has used our past to prepare us for where we are today.”

Callam Addresses the Ethics of Race & Community During 2012 T.B. Maston Lectures in Christian Ethics

By: Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in “The Logsdon Letter” ed. Winter 2012

Dr. Neville Callam, General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), delivered two lectures during Hardin-Simmons University’s thirteenth annual T.B. Maston Lectures in Christian Ethics. Callam addressed the topic of “Community and Exclusion: The Ethics of Ethnicity and Communion” as his theme. During the two lectures, Callam identified many of the exclusionary dynamics occurring within ethnic groups across a global context.

“Terms like ‘ethnic’ or ‘ethnicity’ are not as unproblematic as some may think” Callam said during his first lecture entitled Ethnicity: Establishing Borders of Exclusion. “In popular American usage, as also elsewhere, the label ‘ethnic’ seems to reflect a categorization of people not in order to affirm their common belonging in the species homo sapiens, but to highlight the contrast between them.”

Within the Christian community, Dr. Callam professes, “the use of the expression ‘ethnic churches’ is caught up in the politics of establishing borders, defining separate identities (and) classifying people over against each other, notwithstanding their common bonds in Jesus Christ.” Thusly, “the term ‘ethnic’ refers to people who are not ‘white.’”

Callam hinted toward a proper Christian response in his first lecture by asserting that Christians should affirm “what they have in common as human beings created in the image of God and as persons being formed in the image of Christ,” a theme he further explores during his second lecture: Communion: Celebrating Inclusive Community.

While giving his second lecture, Callam discussed the practice of Communion’s uniting and defining power.  To emphasize the impact of Communion, Dr. Callam quoted British anthropologist Maurice Bloch: “In all societies, sharing food is a way of establishing closeness. … Eating together is not a mere reflection of common substance, it is also a mechanism that creates it.”

Callam conveyed his belief that the act of sharing Communion unites those partaking the elements together and is further “capable of overcoming the boundaries we construct through the use of ethnic categories.”

Christians’ doctrinal differences and ethnic divisions have limited the fullness of Communion’s bonding effects.

“It is unfortunate that the Holy Communion has become a compelling sign of the disunity of the church, even though it was meant to be a symbol of the unity followers of Jesus share,” said Callam. “The divisions in the church in the United States appear to be most evident on a Sunday morning when, separated by their ethnicities, many Christians attend their churches where they celebrate the Lord’s Supper without any sense that this reflects a scandalous failure on the church’s part.”

Callam concluded his lectures by pointing out his belief that Christians need to deconstruct their understanding of ethnicity in order to enable the acknowledgement of our common bond in Christ Jesus.

“Through this deconstruction,” said Callam “the Lord’s Supper will be for Christians at once a celebration of grace, a banquet of love, and a festival of solidarity.”

Callam, a former vice president of the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship, has served the Jamaica Baptist Union in a number of capacities, as well as involvement in higher education in Jamaica. An ordained minister since 1977, Callam received his initial training for the ministry at the United Theological College of the West Indies. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and Harvard Divinity School.

During his tenure with the BWA, Callam has been awarded ample opportunities to travel and experience diverse global cultures.

Dr. Bill Tillman; coordinator of this year’s lectures who formerly served as the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at before taking his current position as the Director of Theological Education for Texas Baptists chose Callam because of the extensively informed perspective he brings from being a global citizen.

“With his Jamacian roots,” said Tillman, “Callam is not only fantastic to listen to, but brings a great deal of validity to helping us tackle some very sensitive issues.”

Logsdon Explores Partnership with Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary

Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary Representatives Visit Logsdon

By: Dr. Bob Ellis and Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in “The Logsdon Letter” ed. Winter 2012

 

Recently, Logsdon Seminary hosted two representatives from Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS) in Israel to inform Logsdon students and faculty about NETS, as well as to discuss a possible partnership between the two seminaries.

Logsdon’s relationship with NETS began due to the partnership between the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel and Texas Baptists. This partnership led Rev. Dr. Bryson Arthur, President of Nazareth Evangelical, to attend the 2009 Baptist General Convention of Texas Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas where he met Tommy Brisco, Chief Academic Officer for Hardin-Simmons University and former Logsdon Dean, and Dr. Bob Ellis, Logsdon Seminary’s Associate Dean for Academics.

According to their website, the goal of NETS is to serve the local church, to welcome students of all backgrounds and genders equally, and to aid in the process of reconciliation between Jewish and Arab communities. Azar Ajaj, a Baptist minister and NETS’ Dean of Students and Finance Officer, spoke about the plight of Evangelical Christians in Israel as one of the smallest religious minority groups in Israel. “Just looking at the statistics, you can see we have a huge mission field in front of us…  and this is our call as a seminary—to prepare the people that are studying with us in this field of mission.” Dr. Arthur expressed his excitement about what the future may hold for the NETS-Logsdon partnership.

“Since we’ve been here we have a great since of being at one with you. And I’d like to say that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. We are really open to creating all sorts of creative possibilities for partnership,” said Dr. Arthur.

Since the initial meeting in Abilene, Dr. Bob Ellis travelled to Nazareth in June 2012 to tour NETS’ facility to engage in further discussion with Dr. Arthur and Rev. Ajaj about cooperative efforts, and to meet with pastors from the Galilee area. Most recently, in September 2012, Dr. Arthur and Rev. Ajaj returned to Logsdon for a second visit in order to make specific plans for a Logsdon Seminary travel course to Israel that will be closely linked with NETS. The travel course will be available for some master’s and doctoral students at Logsdon and will occur in May 2012. This travel course is the first step in what both Logsdon and NETS hope will be a long-standing and growing partnership in theological education.

Logsdon Hosts Conference Celebrating the 400-year Impact of the King James Version

By: Janlyn Thaxton and Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in “The Logsdon Letter” ed. Winter 2011

 

Designed to highlight the 400-year impact of the King James Version of the Bible, Logsdon Seminary partnered with Hardin-Simmons University in hosting The King James Version@400: A Celebration on September 12-13 in Logsdon Chapel.

“As the best-selling book in world history,” says Dr. Bob Ellis, professor of Old Testament and associate dean at HSU’s Logsdon Seminary, “the King James Bible has had an incalculable impact on the English-speaking church.”

While the King James Version is lauded but some as the most recognized and accurate among all Bible translations, it is neither the oldest nor the first to be translated into English. Still, in terms of impact, the King James Version is one of the most significant.

There have been more allusions, more references to the King James Version than any other literary work. It’s central to any understanding of English literature,” says Dr. Larry Brunner, HSU professor of English.

Conference presentations utilized scholars from a wide array of disciplines, with topics ranging form the historical and cultural circumstances leading to the production of the KJV, to the influence of the version on English literature, business and music, graphic design, and of course, ecclesiology.

According to Ellis, the topical diversity was intentional.

“Our goal was to provide an opportunity for collaborative effort across the university,” said Ellis of the efforts to involve faculty members from across the HSU campus.

In addition to reflecting and celebrating the contribution of the King James Version upon Western Civilization, the conference also allowed students, faculty, area ministers, and other guests the opportunity to get up-close with four-first edition King James Bibles. These extraordinarily rare King James Version are included in the Tandy and Kelly Bible Collections now housed at HSU.

“Because we have these two remarkable Bible collections, the 400^th anniversary of the KJV provided an ideal context for celebrating the rich history of the Bible in English,” Ellis said.

“I love to think about whose hands have held these books,” said Mrs. Teresa Ellis, Theological Librarian for HSU and Logsdon Seminary, “Where they have been, how they have touched the lives of those people who have encountered them through the ages, and how we may use them now and in the years to come to continue to touch lives.”

Teresa Ellis continued, “It is an honor for me to be able to share these incredible treasures with our students, faculty and other constituencies of the University.  We are all indebted to the Tandys and Kelleys for not only entrusting us with these Bibles but also for giving us the mandate to share them. It is a humbling thing.”

The Bible collections and the original KJVs house at Hardin-Simmons come from two donors, Mrs. Inez Kelly and her late husband Dr. Doyle Kelley, and Dr Charles Tandy along with his wife Roena.

Dr. Bob Ellis feels as if the conference served a very important purpose. “The KJC is a major piece of our history. It is important for us to look at and think about in terms of not only what the contribution has been, but also what that ongoing contribution might be,” said Ellis.

Student Spotlight: Daniel Martin

By: Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in “The Logsdon Letter” ed. Winter 2011

 

Daniel Martin graduated from Hardin-Simmons University with a Bachelor of Behavioral Science degree in Political Science in May of 2011. Martin, a former member of the U.S. Army, is now pursuing a Master of Divinity degree on the Family Ministry track at Logsdon Seminary. Daniel hopes to use the lessons he will learn in seminary and the knowledge he gained from his previous military experience to return to the Army to serve as a chaplain. According to Daniel, he chose Logsdon because Logsdon’s main campus is located in Abilene, where he has made his home with his wife, Rebekah. Daniel mentions another draw to Logsdon: “I go to a Baptist church and I’m getting a Baptist General Convention of Texas scholarship, which is great because my military benefits are running out.”

Logsdon Student Discovers Ministry Opportunity in London Congregation

By: Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in “The Logsdon Letter” ed. Winter 2011

 

One graduate student who probably benefited more than most from his experience in Logsdon Seminary’s Spring Semester in London is Travis Adams.

After walking across HSU’s Berhens Audotorium stage to receive his Master of Divinity diploma and hood, Adams immediately returned to London to serve in a British Baptist Church.

Adams was hired as in intern minister at Bloomsbury Baptist Church in London. As a part of his ministry responsibilities, Adams aids in the preparation of weekly worship services, and assists in ministry to elderly adults, young adults, youth, and children respectively.

Additionally, Adams fills in as needed in the church’s kitchen during “open doors” hours, a ministry practice where any and all are invited to come to the church for food, ministerial guidance, or just a quiet place to pray.

Adams obtained his internship as a result of relationships developed through his London study experience. Asked to interview church leaders for his British Worship course, Adams found himself taking to one of the head ministers at Bloomsbury Baptist, Rev. Ruth Gouldbourne.

“After several hours of discussion and follow up correspondences,” Adams explained, “We believed God was directing me to join the work of Bloomsbury Baptist for both the growth and development of our spiritual journeys and meeting the needs of the overlooked citizens of Central London.”

Adams, who has spent the majority of his ministry in small Baptist church is Arkansas and Texas, notes the differences between ministry in London and in the American South.

According to Adams, churches in the US seem to have more time to deal with issues like open or closed communion or the search for hidden secrets about Armageddon in the imagery of Revelation. In London, however, “When speaking about faith, personal doctrines and dogmas take a distant second place to discovering pragmatic solutions to international and interfaith dilemmas…In short, UK Christianity tends to emphasize action over ideas.”

Adams cites London’s status as a world city as the reason for this emphasis on action.

“People in London don’t worry about most topics which demand center stage in our denominational squalls,” says Adams who now counts such discussions as luxuries. “This focus on actions rather than doctrine has greatly informed how I now practice ministry.”

Adams believes his time at Logsdon Seminary prepared him for this exciting opportunity by allowing him to hone his critical thinking skills and further develop his spiritual awareness.

“Thanks to my education and my experience with Christ in the midst of my curriculum, I can not only immediately respond to the needs around me, but also use the tools I have gained to continually enhance my knowledge and skills for the sake for furthering the work of the Kindgom,” says Adams.

London Calling: Seminarians Study Abroad

Seminarians Engage Theological Education Through Study Abroad in London

By: Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in: “The Logsdon Letter” ed. Winter 2011

During the 2011 Spring Semester, five Logsdon seminarians joined six Hardin-Simmons University undergraduate students in traveling to the United Kingdom to spend the semester living and learning in London through HSU’s International Studies Program.

While in London, seminary students engaged courses taught by London-based faculty in the disciplines of art, history, and theater. Logsdon students also were able to travel around the U, including a nine-day bus tour to Oxford, Cambridge, Stonehenge, Dover, Canterbury, York, Edinburgh, the English lake country, the Scottish mountains, and Caernavon, Wales, as well as other weekend trips.

Dr. Rob Sellers, Connally Chair of Missions and Professor of Mission Ministry for Logsdon Seminary, accompanied the group as Hardin-Simmons’ representative professor.

His presence and the courses he offered, World Religions and Religion in Film, allowed the seminary students to participate in the program while fulfilling their masters-level degree requirements.

“Graduate students, first of all, come with more maturity and more focus in what they intend to do in life,” said Sellers. “I really think having graduate students in London is great for the program and is especially important for the alert and curious and focused graduate student to immerse herself or himself in such and important, historical, and diverse city.” Upon their return from London, many participants considered how their new experiences and life lessons might further enhance both their education and ministry.

Megan Tolle, a student in Logsdon Seminary’s Master of Arts in Family Ministry program, agreed with Seller’s sentiments, noting her time in London helped her better define her calling.

“London was eye-opening to the world beyond Abilene, Texas,” said Tolle. “My worldview was challenged and broadened through my semester in London. All of this made me more excited about ministry and the places God will take me in it.”

Another Logsdon Master of divinity student, Mandi Bundrick, reflected on how the semester in London allowed her to see life through the lens of a culturally diverse world city.

“Living in London has taught me to see myself in a truer light, in a perspective where I’m able to step outside of myself and see myself as a part of a global community. It helped me to feel a part of something larger than my small little community in Texas.

Building Bridges of Hope

Seminary Student Builds Relationships in Tough Neighborhood

By: Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in: “The Logsdon Window” ed. Winter 2010.

Building relationships with residents in one of Abilene’s toughest neighborhoods is ministry Andrew Mason enjoys.

“A lot of people have walls up,” said Mason of his ministry at New Haven Community Church in Abilene’s four-corners area, “and it’s sometimes difficult to find common ground with some of our friends there.” Mason, a Logsdon Seminary student, initially joined the New Haven staff as Worship Pastor in January of 2009. He quickly saw his role expand to include responsibilities as the Pastor of Community Ministry, a position which places him in direct contact with those who live in homes near the church building.

“We are literally trying to love our neighbors as ourselves,” says Mason of the church’s efforts to build relationships though meeting needs. “We do our preaching by our action.”  New Haven is located in one of the lowest income, highest-crime areas of the Abilene community. The church began its life as West Side Baptist Church, a mission of Abilene’s Pioneer Drive Baptist Church.

As a church with a heart for the people who live near it, Mason adds, ”We don’t want to just be a church in the neighborhood…we want to be a church of the neighborhood.”

Despite the fact that New Haven has been working at developing relationships with their neighbors for ten years, not many people from the surrounding community attend their Sunday services.

Ministry at New Haven has helped Mason discover the reality of ministry in the difficult context of poverty and crime. Mason notes that he has learned it takes a long time to develop healthy and trusting relationships. As a way to eliminate the walls of distrust which separate the church from its neighborhood, Mason recalls how just sitting outside and being a visible presence has helped encourage the development of ministry relationships.

“We will sometimes just sit out on the front porch and wave at people as they walk or drive by. Being outside and letting people see us opens us up to people coming up and talking to us,” said Mason. “Most of the time we don’t mention anything about our personal beliefs, it’s just small talk. That is where our relationships are built.”

The ministry at New Haven has significantly shaped how Mason sees the church’s primary goal in exercising the great commandment before the great commission – a goal exemplified in the New Haven’s purpose to live in Christ “for the betterment of the neighborhood.”

In addition to the lessons Mason has learned through service at New Haven, he attributes his study in the Missions and Cross-Cultural Track of the Master of Divinity Program as being helpful for enhancing his effectiveness.

Mason points to courses like The Church’s Mission in North America as especially beneficial to his ministry because of the course’s focus on the changing culture of North America. “I’ve realized the church might need to adjust their practices for the sake of building ministry relationships,” Mason quips with a big smile.

“Knowing a church’s constituency is crucial to being in ministry,” said Mason. “You have to know the needs, the wants, the mentality, the culture, why people do the things that they do, and why they live for the things that they live for. There’s so much there that I feel like I’m already learning with my Ministry and Cross Cultural track that is relevant to my ministry at New Haven.”

Prior to beginning Seminary at Logsdon, Mason graduated from Hardin-Simmons with a degree in Speech Communication with a minor in Religion. This August, he married Ramie Stewart, a Hardin- Simmons Nursing School graduate.

Charlotte Earp, Long Time Administrative Assistant, Retires

By: Kristen Harris

Editor: James Stone

Published in: “The Logsdon Window” ed. Winter 2010.

After 29 years of service at Logsdon, Mrs. Charlotte Earp, administrative assistant for Dr. Omer Hancock, retired earlier this year. A fixture among generations of university and seminary students alike, Charlotte’s ready simile and kind words will be missed. During her 38 total years in Christian education, her favorite recollection was her daily interaction with students. “The meaningful part of relating to the students,” said Earp, “was knowing that they were headed for some kind of Christian vocation. That meant a lot to me.” Charlotte was honored with a campus-wide retirement party featuring memories from current and former faculty.