From the Editor: 10th Anniversary Year

Well done, graduates! Welcome, new alumni!

37 graduates (23 DWS and 14 MWS) were conferred degrees on June 15 in our eighth annual Commencement Service (Commencement Bulletin / Graduates Insert).  They are the latest credentialed offspring of Bob Webber's vision, the newest complement of servant leaders in worship renewal. 

The membership of our Alumni Association now totals 198 (146 DWS, 9 AGCWS, 43 MWS).

Our Graduates Pictorial Directory may be accessed here.  Alums, you are invited to send a new picture for the directory and to update your personal profile.  Click on
your picture to access your profile.  Contact me if you
have questions.

Click on the thumbnail pictures at the right to see the full size versions.  The one at the bottom shows members of the Nu class celebrating their graduation in June at Clark's Fish Camp. They reserved a room and enjoyed the company of 38 family and friends.

The following links lead to more pictures:

   Commencement 2008

   June Session 2008

Dr. Don Saliers delivered a moving Commencement sermon entitled, "Where Do We Go?" Download the sermon (14:14).

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Kyle Brenneman, a recent worship leadership graduate from Huntington University in Huntington, Indiana was given the first IWS Award of Distinction in Christian Worship, which includes a $1,000 scholarship to continue his studies at IWS.  Kyle earned the award for the quality of his scholarship, leadership and diligence. The scholarship is renewable each semester. To be eligible for the award, recipients must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5.

Kyle (pictured on the right) is from Spencerville, Ohio. He served as a senator-at-large on Huntington University’s Student Senate his sophomore year, and he was the student body vice president during his junior year. As a senior, he completed a seven-month internship at Appleton Alliance Church in Appleton, Wisconsin.

“Kyle Brenneman has been an exceptional leader, scholar and servant,” said Bob Myers, Assistant Professor of Worship Leadership at Huntington (D.W.S., 2007, pictured above with Kyle). “Kyle has been a big help to me as we have launched the worship leadership major. I have often looked to him for trustworthy input and feedback concerning the program. I am confident that he will be greatly used for God’s Kingdom.”

For more information about IWS's Award of Distinction in Christian Worship and how students at your institution may qualify, contact Jim Hart.

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I am excited to announce TWO alumni and friends seminars as part of our 10th anniversary celebration--one during the June Session of 2009 and one during the January Session of 2010.  And get this: you may bring your pastor or worship pastor/director to these seminars for half price on the registration!

In June we will welcome an inspirational and devoted woman--Phyllis Tickle.  Seasoned in the practice of prayer, Phyllis compiled the Divine Hours series to guide believers in praying the daily offices. She is the founding Religion Editor of Publishers Weekly, a recognized authority on religion in America and a skillful discerner of our times. Her latest book, The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why (forthcoming in October 2008), addresses the current transitional time in the church in light of observable patterns in church history.  Phyllis is an energetic and engaging speaker.  I recently heard her at Mars Hill in Grand Rapids (mp3).  So, mark the dates: June 13-16, 2009 and let's celebrate God's goodness together in Orange Park!

If June doesn't work for you, perhaps Florida in January will be just right!  Dr. John Witvliet will be the speaker for our first January Session Seminar.  John is the Director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, and Professor of Music and Worship at Calvin College and Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI.  The CICW is doing an incredible work.  For a taste, see their resources webpage. John writes with wisdom and depth on worship, music and related issues, and is on the cutting edge of worship renewal in the church around the world. His latest book is The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship: A Brief Introduction and Guide to Resources. The dates for this memorable event are January 6-8, 2010.

Our third BIG 10th Anniversary event has been on the planning table for over a year--a 10-day Holy Land Tour/Seminar with Jerry Borchert.  Jerry has been leading tours and teaching on the biblical, historical and archeological significance of the tour stops for many years.  He really desires to share this experience with the IWS community.  At this point we are earmarking the trip for February 2010.  Once sufficient interest has been determined we will solidify the dates and details.  Click here to see a sample brochure of a comparable trip.  Please contact Kent Walters as soon as possible to express your interest in being a part of this IWS trip.  Space is limited to the first responders.

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Jim Dodge, D.W.S. (Nu, 2008)

Jim presented a workshop in July at the annual gathering of the North America Association for the Catechumenate at the Dumas Center south of Seattle: “Stirring the Waters: Catechizing Catechumen for Christmas Baptism during the Season of Advent.”  He recently accepted an appointment to the board of directors of The Liturgical Conference, and contributed lectionary reflections on Epiphany 4 & 6, Year B that will appear in the winter edition of Homily Service, one of the conference’s two journals.

Don Fugate, D.W.S. (Delta, 2004)

Bob George, D.W.S. (Theta, 2007)

Bob is the pastor at the United Methodist Church in Smethport, PA.  He recently designed and taught a continuing education course for eight area United Methodist pastors entitled, The Dynamics of Worship.

The group met four consecutive Wednesdays in April and May for four hours (2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon) at Olmstead Manor, a retreat center in Ludlow, PA. They discussed the challenges that impact worship (attending worship, worshiping, participation in worship and worship as a way of life), examined 4-fold worship flow and its application in the churches of the attendees, and studied what happens in worship (the Creator is enthroned, connections occur, lives are changed and world views are built).

Susan Huckaby, D.W.S. (Iota, 2006)

Susan is Director of Worship and Discipleship Ministries for Brentwood UMC’s new campus in Spring Hill, TN.  She also teaches at Williamson Christian College in Franklin, TN.  I asked Susan about the church plant and the college courses she teaches. 

We are currently having weekly Bible Studies on Tuesday nights and Thursday mornings and meeting in a school cafeteria and member’s home. Building community is a main focus for now. The richest blessings so far have been the relationships God has brought about. We hope to begin weekly worship services this fall. The classes at the college are part of a Leadership in Ministry degree program with a worship and music leadership emphasis. The onsite courses I teach in this two-year program are The Essentials of Music, Worship in the Old Testament, Worship from the Early Christian Church to the Present, The Theology of Worship, Worship Leadership and Music Ministry in the Church, The Heart of the Artist. I also oversee the student’s internships in area churches, and teach several of these as online courses through the Consortium of Online Christian Colleges.  I will probably use Bob’s new book on ancient-future worship in future classes. Bob was God‘s mouthpiece in so many ways and to so many people. Personally, he gave me courage to attempt things for God that I had not even dreamed of doing. I am reminded of the ruinous blessing—the holy discontent—that IWS wrought in me and in so many of my Iota classmates.  I can almost hear Bob saying, “Well, what are you going to do about it?”  I miss him.

David Pannabecker, D.W.S. (Theta, 2007) and
Jim Smith, D.W.S. (Epsilon, 2007)

David and Jim recently co-taught a seven-week course, Music and Worship, at Bethel College, Indiana, which was an overview of the historical, cultural, and theological foundations of Christian worship with an application to a contemporary worship setting.  The class was a non-traditional adult class that met in the evening. The students had to evaluate three worship services in traditions outside their own, as well as write a paper outlining their philosophy of worship. The course concluded with a practicum in which the class presented a chapel service for the entire school.

David also taught a January Term course, The Theology of Baptism, at Huntington University. His class combined with a J-Term class (Emergent Worship) taught by Bob Myers (D.W.S., Theta 2007) to present a service for the student body.  The combined classes are pictured in the bottom thumbnail at the right.

Daniel Jackson, D.W.S. (Eta, 2005)

We extend hearty congratulations to Dan Jackson who was granted full professorship with tenure at Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA, in March 2008. This is a significant accomplishment!  I asked Dan to write a brief summary of his journey to this landmark.

After a career of 22 years in public education, I was approached by several state and private universities about possible employment at their institutions. God had blessed my work as a choir conductor at Mt. Whitney High School, in Visalia CA. by allowing my students the opportunities to be featured at numerous ACDA and MENC National Conventions where thousands of choral conductors heard my choirs. Consequently, universities asked me if I was interested in teaching students in higher education. One thing led to another and Point Loma Nazarene University, which is an institution in San Diego that is rated in the top academic tier of Christian Universities, extended a full-time position to me in 2002 where I would conduct a couple of choirs and head-up the music ministry department. The university required that I work on a terminal degree.  The chair of the music department and Provost were impressed with Robert Webber and suggested that I pursue a doctorate at IWS. I immediately enrolled in IWS which was quite a change in education endeavors since my BA was in Music Education and MA in Choral Conducting. I was a part-time music minister for 25 years and had extensive experience in the musical aspect of church ministry, but very little theological training. For me, IWS was a perfect doctoral program to help me with my teaching responsibilities at PLNU.  Visiting accreditation teams with NASM (National Association of Schools of Music) that have come to PLNU have been impressed that I received a doctorate at IWS and the university recently granted me full-professor status with tenure. My time at IWS was positive with caring and competent professors who were interested in my career path and how IWS could assist.

Merril Smoak, D.W.S. (Alpha, 2002)

On Sunday, May 25 Merril was recognized for 30 years of ministry at Trinity Baptist Church in Livermore, CA. where he serves as Associate Pastor, Music & Worship.  Merril is a recognized collector of early American hymnbooks and hymnological reference materials.  His article “The Language of Jesus Lover of My Soul: Charles Wesley’s Phrase at the End of the 20^th Century” will be published in the summer issue of THE HYMN, the academic journal of The Hymn Society of America and Canada.  Three of his articles on worship have recently been published in LifeWay’s LET’S WORSHIP magazine.  LifeWay has also recently contracted him to write a series of worship articles on the church year. Since 2005 he has been serving as the Dean of the Jubilee College of Music at Olivet University in San Francisco.

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Robert Webber. Who Gets to Narrate the World?: Contending for the Christian Story in an Age of Rivals. IVP Books, (May 30, 2008).  

Scot McKnight (Jesus Creed): Who Will Tell the Story?

World Magazine (June 14, 2008 edition):

Robert Webber's Who Gets to Narrate the World? Contending for the Christian Story in an Age of Rivals faces squarely the competition the Gospels face. He traces how in a pagan, Roman world of swirling stories the biblical narrative of God entering the world's suffering to defeat death took hold of the imaginations of millions. The idea that God was in touch with the earthly sphere of life, and that the Incarnation rendered all of creation holy and broke down the distinction between sacred and secular, eventually changed all of Western civilization.  Who Gets to Narrate the World? is Webber's last book—he wrote dozens before dying of pancreatic cancer last year—and is a superlative note on which to leave this life. He pushes Christians to repent of cultural accommodation in the face of secularism and Islam: Christians, he argues, should proclaim the claims of Christ not by emphasizing moralism but by absorbing the biblical narrative of redemption, and then teaching it to others through both word and deed. — Marvin Olasky

Bob's books are available at a discounted rate through ancientfutureworship.com.  For fast service you may call Sheryl Watkins at 630-510-8905.

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