Bethany Legacy Noted

from The President’s Letter, Bethany College, the following mention is made of the school’s rich heritage:

…This sense of continuity and community leaves an indelible mark on those who live and learn on this magnificent campus, chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia so many years ago. From our home in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, we are now boldly charting our future.

Our future is enriched by our founding ideals. Bethany is proud to participate in the October bicentennial commemoration of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address which inspired unity among Christians throughout the nation. The College honors the educational vision of his son, Alexander Campbell, the founder of our institution. His faith in the intellectual freedom of students who enroll here remains our call to action as a community of scholars; support for this timeless mission continues to grow among alumni and friends of Bethany. Our campus celebration is being led by Dr. Larry Grimes, our recently appointed Director of Church Relations, longtime faculty member at Bethany, and pastor of the Community Christian Church in Beech Bottom, West Virginia.

The hymn “O God, our Help in Ages Past” speaks movingly about “time…like an ever-moving stream.”  Bethany’s rich heritage and tradition are like that, with alumni and friends from seven decades and three generations or more—families such as the Athols and Bados—continually refreshing and revitalizing that stream.   Read President’s Letter in its entirety

You can view a beautiful video slideshow prepared for Homecoming at their website.

 

Bethany College and Church Invite You to a Birthday Party

We received this communication recently from the Rev. Dr. Larry Grimes, Director of Church Relations at Bethany College:

To celebrate Alexander Campbell’s Birthday, Church Relations, Bethany Memorial Church and the Office of the Chaplain invites employees of the college for form teams (2-5) and participate in a Campbell Heritage scavenger hunt. The hunt will take place on Saturday afternoon, September 12.  We will begin the hunt at the Renner Visitors Center at 2:30 and end at 5:30 with cake, ice cream, and prizes in the Fellowship Hall at Bethany Memorial Church. Teams will need a digital camera or phone camera to record some information.

To participate notify me by e-mail (lgrimes@bethanywv.edu) no later than noon, Wednesday, September 9.

 

Bethany Prof Receives HELM Award

News from Bethany College and  Disciples Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM):

BETHANY, W.Va. —Bethany Professor of Psychology John H. Hull is the 2009 recipient of the T. A. Abbott Award for Faculty Excellence, given by the Board of Directors of Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

“Dr. Hull embodies precisely the qualities listed in the criteria for this award. His passion and his accomplishments as a teacher, scholar and mentor to his students, and his commitment to faith and service to his fellow women and men, stand out as primary reasons for his achieving this honor,” stated Darin E. Fields, Bethany College Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. “John Hull is unquestionably one of the finest professors at Bethany College.  He serves as an unsurpassed example to his students and colleagues of a life of continuing education and service.”

The 26th recipient of the T. A. Abbott Award, Hull was selected by the HELM Board of Directors for his keen ability to inspire students toward excellence through teaching and personal example, his demonstration of an educational philosophy that focuses on wholeness of person, his continued commitment to grow and learn within his academic discipline and his manifestation of a personal faith. Hull joined the Bethany College faculty in 1976.

An engraved plaque will be presented during a public ceremony at Bethany in the 2009-2010 academic year. The award also includes a $1,000 cash gift for the purpose of Hull’s continued growth as a teacher and scholar.

The T. A. Abbott Award was established through a gift to the Higher Education and Leadership Ministries from the descendants of the Reverend T. A. Abbott, who served as an administrator and faculty member at Culver-Stockton College. Nominees must be full-time teaching faculty at Disciples-related institutions of higher education. Hull is the third member of the Bethany College faculty to be honored with the award.

Bethany College is a small college of national distinction located on a picturesque and historic 1,300-acre campus in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the state’s oldest private college.

 

Watkins to Address Bethany Seniors

Disciples General Minister and President, Dr. Sharon Watkins, will speak to graduating seniors during Bethany College’s baccalaureate service on May 15. She will be presented with an honorary doctorate of divinity during Bethany commencement May 16 as well.  We are grateful to have this beloved leader in the Region once more.  For more, see:
www.bethanywv.edu/about-bethany/news/bethany-college-sets-commencement-schedule

 

Scott Lectures Close

The Oreon E. Scott Lectures at Bethany College have come to a close today, having spent some encouraging times in conversation around the Declaration and Address, which is in its 200th year.  The leadership and hospitality of the college have been extraordinary, and both presenting scholars and attendees from all three streams of the Stone-Campbell movement were well-engaged in the discussion.  Sharing communion together Monday evening was a high and holy time. 

It is a reminder to us all, as well, that across the three streams of the movement many communities will be participating in the Great Communion, October 4, in celebration of the essential unity of Christ’s body.  If you want details on how to plan a Great Communion service in your community, please visit the Great Communion website.   We know that a celebration will be underway in Bethany, and we would like to hear from other communities around the region about their plans for the day.  Send your comments to us, and we will help pass them along as the day approaches.

We encourage folks from around the region to mark your calendars for the first Monday after “Low Sunday” (the Sunday after Easter) next year’s Scott Lectures, and prepare to attend.   The Rev. Dr. Bonnie Thurston, one of our own beloved scholars and pastors, will be leading a discussion around the Lord’s Prayer and how our lives may be shaped by it.  It promises to be a wonderful opportunity to gather again in this special place in the life of our church.

 

News from Bethany College

The following were part of The Old Main Journal released today:

Founder’s Day to Feature Acclaimed Author and Church Historian Dr. William E. Tucker

Bethany College will celebrate 169 years as a small college of national distinction with its annual Founder’s Day Thursday, March 5. Festivities will include a Convocation at 11 a.m. in historic Commencement Hall featuring guest speaker Dr. William E. Tucker, Chancellor Emeritus of Texas Christian University and former President of Bethany College.

Bethany College Announces Oreon E. Scott Lecturers

Bethany College has announced the 54th annual Oreon E. Scott Lectures, to be held April 20-21 at Bethany’s Mountainside Conference Center. This year’s event will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Thomas Campbell’s “Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington (Pa).”

Charleston Alumni Reception – Mar. 20:

Save the date and plan to join Bethany Alumni and Friends at receptions with President Dr. Scott D. Miller in your area.

Charleston, W.Va.
Friday, March 20, 2009
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
at the home of
Bob ‘88 & Susanne Coffield

For more information or to register, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 304-829-7411 or via e-mail at alumni@bethanywv.edu. To register online, click here.

We urge all interested parties to make their reservations soon for these key events in this historic year in our common life together!

 

Regional Minister in D.R. & Haiti: Day 5

Well, today was marked by high highs and low lows. I guess this is the nature of life.

Today we went to a city east of Santo Domingo called Boca Chico. It is a rather interesting and poor place. This is the home of CAMINANTE. This is one of our partners here in the DR that works with young people in a wonderful way to develop the whole person.

Through CAMINANTE young people learn skills and work habits. They are provided a place of refuge and are exposed to teachers and adults who care for and about them. They develop dignity and what they call “personality.” I think this means becoming the person that God wants them to be.

This ministry is ecumenical in nature and has 2 main centers and 9 outposts. We visited an outpost (my word) and it was touching. The facility was in what we would call an alley and was basically a 3 sided open building. Inside about 20 children (6-10 years of age) were seated at tables and were coloring with Crayolas! The facility was filled with laughing children and the Holy Spirit was clearly present in our visit. The children were proud to sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” for us. A powerful moment was held when we circled and held hands and prayed together. The children I was between were about the ages of Kaylie and Haddae, our daughters. Tears filled my eyes.

Our mission intern teaches English in this school room. How shocked was I when I met the owner of the building later in the day. She was wearing a “Bethany” backpack and was pleased to learn that it was my village of my youth. She received it from a prior Global Mission Intern. It is a small world!

After this sacred visit we went to the main training center. It is a lovely facility where school was in session. There were classes for computers, a beauty school, a school where nails were being done, and massage taught. There was a lab for sewing and a workshop where jewelry is made from coconuts. Seven high school children then presented to us on their lives and the importance of this institution.

We then ate a nice lunch on the beach in a restaurant that was owned by one of the first members of CAMINANTE. He shared with us how his life was made better and thanked the Disciples for our support.

We then went to the main office and toured the facility. It is humble yet “just right” in the middle of the neighborhood. Some of our group went to explore the village, but Sotello Long, Regional Minister of South Carolina, and I buddied up with six young men from the center and we headed to the basketball court. When we started it was just us. When we finished I counted 30 kids in the park. It was a joy to play hoops with these kids who spoke no English. And these two middle aged guys who speak no Spanish performed quite well! Just for the record it ended up two games won by WV and none by SC!  If we were at home, I suspect that I would not let my kids or one of our camps play on this particular playground. It was not clean and had trash in abundance.  But I am glad I did.

This was a day that had highs and lows. I am hesitant to share them all, for I am still dealing with some of them in my soul. But we will talk about them in time.

Being around the kids today reminded me that our Midwinter Youth Retreat is coming quickly.  Please hold this event and its leadership in your prayers.  Also, I am pleased to announce that our region has received a $4,500 pancake grant from the Disciples Men Pancake Fund.   This will be used to build a playground in Huntington for Prestera Center. A place very much like CAMINANTE.

Continue to care for another as we do ministry from our doorsteps (and please take care of the privilege we have to do ministry at home) and to the ends of the earth (in places like Boca Chico.) You are in my prayers.

Christ’s peace be upon you,

Thaddaeus

 

Bethany College Announces Church Relations Appointment

 From The Old Main Journal, Bethany College

Dr. Larry Grimes to be Director of Church Relations at Bethany

 

BETHANY, W.Va. – Dr. Scott D. Miller, President of Bethany College, announced the appointment of Dr. Larry Grimes as Director of Church Relations at Bethany. After 38 years of distinguished teaching at Bethany, Dr. Grimes is retiring as the Perry E. and Aleece Gresham Chair in Humanities, Professor of English and Chair of the Department of Literature and Language at Bethany at the end of the 2008-09 academic year. He will transition into his new role of service to the College on July 1.

Dr. Miller noted that during an extensive national search, the screening committee sought input from church leaders throughout the nation. During that process, Dr. Grimes came up quite often as someone who possesses the “respect, working relationships, and passion for Bethany College needed in this critical position,” Dr. Miller added.

“His vast experience and knowledge will be invaluable assets in maintaining and enhancing our relationship with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).”

Founded by Alexander Campbell, who provided the land and funds for the first building and served as the first president, Bethany has been a four-year private liberal arts college affiliated with the Christian Church since its inception nearly 170 years ago. Campbell was one of the principal founders of the Christian Church, which continues to support and encourage the College. The Director of Church Relations is responsible for working with churches, pastors, alumni and friends to help form meaningful relationships with the College.

An ordained minister of the church, Dr. Grimes graduated magna cum laude from Bethany in 1964 with a major in English and a minor in Religion. He earned his B.D. from Yale Divinity School in 1967. Prior to joining the Bethany faculty in 1970, he spent three years as associate minister of the Sandy Springs (Ga.) Christian Church while he began working toward his doctorate at Emory University in Atlanta. Emory presented Dr. Grimes with his Ph.D. in Literature and Religion in 1974.

A popular professor on the Bethany campus, Dr. Grimes is a renowned Hemingway Scholar. His published works include “The Religious Design of Hemingway’s Early Fiction” along with poetry, articles on religion and literature, essays, and numerous articles in his capacity as an editorial consultant for The Hemingway Review. He has also served on the program committee for the West Virginia Humanities Council.

Dr. Grimes remains an active and prolific scholar. He was a featured presenter at the International Hemingway Conference in Kansas City, Mo. over the summer and recently was elected secretary of the South Atlantic Modern Language Association’s Hemingway Society section. A new book, “Hemingway, Cuba and the Cuban Works,” edited by Dr. Grimes and Bickford Sylvester is presently being prepared for publication in 2009 by Kent State University Press. In October, one of Dr. Grimes’ original works of poetry was selected for inclusion in the most recent literary anthology published by the Knoxville (Tenn.) Writers Guild.

Pastor of the Community Christian Church in Beech Bottom, W.Va., Dr. Grimes and his wife, Carol ’66, celebrated their 40^th anniversary in 2006. They are the parents of one daughter, Rebecca.

“I am delighted that Bethany College has invited me to join in deepening our engagement with the church and putting in place a new set of relationships between the College and the Church,” Dr. Grimes said. “This is an exciting time for the Church and the College and I look forward to both restoring and enhancing Bethany’s rich Campbell heritage.”

Bethany College is a small college of national distinction located on a picturesque and historic 1,300-acre campus in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the state’s oldest private college.

The Journal is a collaborative effort of the Offices of the President, Institutional Advancement, and Sports Information and is distributed each Friday afternoon to faculty/staff, students, alumni and friends of the college. Those not on the current distribution list may click here to subscribe.

 

Grimes to Serve as Bethany Director of Church Relations

From the Regional Minister’s Point of View:

The Reverend Dr. Larry Grimes, long time professor of the College and pastor of Community Christian Church in Beech Bottom, WV, has been called to become the Director of Church Relations at Bethany College. This is good news! Effective July 1, 2009 Larry will transition into this new ministry. Dr. Grimes is the most qualified person to ever fill this important churchly role. He is a Pastor and a Scholar, and has a passion for sharing the gospel. I welcome this appointment. Grimes will continue to serve the congregation and will remain as member of our region’s Commission on Ministry. I applaud the President of the College, Scott Miller, for this appointment. He has served us well on this one!

Advent Peace to you all.

Love,

         Thad

 

Tucker, Watkins at Bethany in Spring, 2009

from The Old Main Journal, Bethany College

President Miller is pleased to announce the following speakers for Spring 2009 events:

Dr. William Tucker, Chancellor Emeritus of Texas Christian University and former President of Bethany College (1976-79) will be the speaker at the Founder’s Day Convocation. Dr. Tucker graduated from Atlantic Christian College and holds a B.D. from Brite Divinity School along with an M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University.

An acclaimed church historian and author, Dr. Tucker became Bethany’s 14th President on July 1, 1976 after serving as Dean of the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. He served for three years before leaving in August 1979 to assume the Chancellorship of Texas Christian University.

The Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), will be the Baccalaureate Speaker. Dr. Watkins earned her bachelor’s degree in French and Economics at Butler University and holds a Master of Divinity from the Yale Divinity School. She earned her Doctor of Ministry at Phillips Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1984 at Hamden, Conn.

In her role as General Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr. Watkins is the general pastor of the nearly 700,000-member denomination. She is responsible for representing the wholeness of the church, reconciling differences and helping the church maintain its clarity of mission and identity. As President, she is the chief executive officer for the denomination, responsible for overseeing the work of the church’s various structures. She strives to help the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) remain faithful to God’s calling and to do its work effectively and efficiently.