The 156th Commencement at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is excited to celebrate its 156th Commencement on May 17, 2013. This year's commencement speaker will be Dr. Morton Schapiro, President of Northwestern University. Schapiro will be receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Garrett-Evangelical will also be honoring two distiguished alums and over 80 graduates. Graduation events begin with Senior Chapel on May 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful at Garrett-Evangelical. Commencement is on May 17th at 10:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church with a reception to follow.

Graduating students can find out more information on graduation on myGETS.

Don E. Saliers

Don E. Saliers is the Wm. R. Cannon Professor of Theology and Worship, Emeritus, at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and is adjunct professor at St. John’s University School of Theology, Collegeville, Minnesota. A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, Yale Divinity School, with doctoral work at Cambridge and Yale Universities. He served as President of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality, and the North American Academy of Liturgy, from whom he received the Berakah Award in 1992..  Before coming to Emory University in 1974, he taught at Yale Divinity School and has taught in the summer programs at St. John’s University (Collegeville, MN), Notre Dame, Boston College, Vancouver School of Theology, and more recently at Boston University School of Theology.  

For many years he directed the Sacred Music Program at Emory, and has been organist/choirmaster at Cannon Chapel for 33 years. Among his fifteen published books are Filled With Light ( 2008),  Music and Theology (2007), Sounding Glory: Hymns for the Church Year (2006), A Song to Sing, A Life to Live (2005), Worship and Spirituality (1996), Worship Come to Its Senses (1996), Worship As  Theology: Foretaste of Glory Divine (1994), and The Soul in Paraphrase: Prayer and the Religious Affections (1991).  He has published more than 150 articles, essays, chapters in books and book reviews.  Currently he is working on a theological commentary on the Psalms.

Don served United Methodist churches in rural Ohio and the inner city of New Haven, Connecticut.  He has given numerous named lectures across the United States on matters of worship, spirituality and music, and has been involved in the development of United Methodist worship resources for forty years.  He has been an editor of Worship journal, and of Weavings,  in addition to being an active composer, performing regularly with the Emory Chamber Players in Atlanta. He continues to lecture and lead retreats.

Brian Wren

Brian Wren is Emeritus Professor of Worship, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He is a writer, preacher, worship and workshop leader, and internationally published hymn-poet, with entries in most recent denominational hymnals in North America, Britain and Australia. Some of his hymn-poems have been translated into Finnish, French, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish and Korean.  Brian holds undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Oxford University. He is a Minister of the United Reformed Church (UK). His publications include What Language Shall I Borrow? - God-Talk in Worship: A Male Response to Feminist Theology (1989 and 2009), Praying Twice: The Music and Words of Congregational Song (2000), Advent, Christmas and Epiphany: Liturgies and Prayers for Public Worship (2008), Hymns for Today (2009) and eight hymn collections totaling 250 hymns.

Rev. Cynthia A. Wilson

is an Ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church and has received degrees from Dillard University and Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology. Rev. Wilson is a popular lecturer, preacher, teacher, conductor, and concert artist.  Rev. Wilson provided leadership for the National Task Force that produced the historic liturgical resource, Songs of Zion (1981). In 2007, along with Professor William B. McClain (retired Professor of Homiletics Wesley Theological Seminary), Rev. Wilson Co-Chaired the National Task Force that produced Zion Still Sings! For Every Generation, the sequel to Songs of Zion.  As an extraordinary vocalist and Grammy nominee, Rev. Wilson has numerous recording credits including her 1993 breakthrough "New Songs of Zion" (Warner Alliance label) which was nominated for several awards, “Spirituals: Songs from the American Experience” with Dr. S.T. Kimbrough (Global Praise CD series sponsored by the United Methodist Church Board of Global Ministries), and “GOSPEL KONCERT”: Live I Radiohusets koncertsal” (Copenhagen), one of her most cherished Choral projects. She has ministered throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and North America. Her CD, "Simply Cynthia", features music from the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church (Cleveland, Ohio) where she served as the first female and African American Director of Music.  Presently, Rev. Wilson is the Dean of Students at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois where she is completing her PhD in Liturgical Studies and Theology.

Robin Knowles Wallace

Robin Knowles Wallace, Professor of Worship and Music at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, received her Ph.D in theology and worship from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Northwestern University.  Her other degrees are a BA in music from the University of Cincinnati, an MA in church music from Scarritt College, and a Masters in Theological Studies from Candler School of Theology at Emory University.  Prior to her doctoral studies, Robin served as a church musician (organist and choir director) for twenty-five years.  She has published seven books: The Christian Year: Guide for Worship and Preaching.  Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2011, Worshiping in the Small Membership Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2008, Worship in Small Membership Churches, with Rev. Terry Heck. Discipleship Resources, 2007, Communion Services: Just In Time. Nashville: Abingdon, 2006, Palm Sunday and Holy Week Services: Just in Time. Nashville: Abingdon, 2006, Moving Toward Emancipatory Language: A Study of Six Recent Hymns: Drew University Series on Liturgical Studies. Lantham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1999, Things they Never Tell You Before You Say ‘Yes’: The Non-Musical Tasks of the Church Musician. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994.  In addition, Robin is a contributing writer to twelve books on worship and hymnody, and the author of numerous articles and reviews in journals.  She currently serves as editor of The Hymn: A Journal of Congregational Song, published quarterly by the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.

Chi-Yong Oh

Chi-Yong Oh is a hymnist from South Korea who is currently enrolled in the Master of Arts in Music Ministry and the Master of Divinity programs at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Oh was ordained by the Korean Methodist Church in 2008. He conducted the choir in the Korean United Methodist Church of South Suburban Chicago since 2011. Oh majored in voice at Hyupsung University in 2000, and studied for a Master of Theology at Hyupsung Theological Seminary in 2003. He has served at Korean and Korean immigrant churches as a choir director, a music pastor (Daewon Korean Methodist Church), an associate pastor and a senior pastor.

Dan Damon

Dan Damon studied at Greenville College, Greenville, Illinois (BME, 1977) and Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California (MDiv, 1987). He is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church. Damon has served three appointments as pastor in northern California: Sutter and Meridian United Methodist churches (1987-1992), Modesto First United Methodist (1992-1995), and Richmond First United Methodist (1995-present). Three of his hymns are: ‘like a child’, ‘Strong, gentle children’, and ‘Eat this bread and never hunger’. Damon is an internationally published writer of hymn texts and tunes. He is Associate Editor of Hymnody for Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, Illinois. Damon is also a jazz pianist and has played in many hotels and clubs in the San Francisco Bay area. Damon has presented his work at national conferences of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada and the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts. He co-authored a paper with Eileen M. Johnson, ‘A Cry for Justice in Hymnody’ which appeared in the Autumn 2010 edition of The Hymn.

John Thornburg

John Thornburg is a pastor, a song enlivener, a poet and a professional encourager. He began his ministry serving four different churches in greater Dallas including an inner city cooperative parish. That cooperative work resulted in the revitalization of six congregations, as well as the creation of a network of ministries that served 30,000 people per year. In 2001, after 22 years in parish ministry, John pursued a new calling by starting an itinerant ministry of song leading and worship consultation called “A Ministry of Congregational Singing.” He now travels the country leading congregations in singing, and consulting with churches about how to enrich the singing of the congregation. John is a published poet whose texts appear in 18 different hymnals and collections of Christian worship songs. John is the President of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, a worship leader and small group facilitator for the Institute for Clergy and Congregational Excellence in Austin, TX, and a faculty member of the Academy of Missional Wisdom, a new enterprise devoted to training leaders for micro-communities of prayer and action. He is also co-founder of a community of creativity in Dallas called HOLY CITY, devoted to writing worship songs for the church.

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Service—160 Acts of Kindness

Steeped within the legacy of Garrett-Evangelical is 160 years of service. It's who we are and service remains vital to the institution's mission. Over the next year we will be collecting and sharing stories of acts of kindness from students, faculty, staff, and friends. This initiative was inspired by Dr. Jean C. Murphy and Dr. Dean Francis.

In celebration of her 65th birthday, Dr. Jean C. Murphy, the spouse of Dr. Larry Murphy, Professor of the History of Christianity at Garrett-Evangelical, decided that she would complete 65 random acts of spontaneous kindness. Her witness was then adopted by Second Baptist Church of Evanston and St. Nichols Roman Catholic Parish joined in the Spontaneous Acts of Kindness Initiative. 

On September 30, 2012, Dr. Dean Francis, pastor at Evanston First United Methodist, preached a sermon entitled "The Domino Effect," that reminded parishioners our acts of kindness and generosity have multiplier effect. Click here to read the transcript of Dr. Francis' sermon.

We invite you to share your act of kindness, of faith in action, of being pushers of the Good News and for the common good.  Submit your story using the form below or if you would prefer, you can email your story to seminary.relations@garrett.edu. Photos are encouraged.

Peace Studies Concentration

As a part of our partnership with Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), students at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary now have the opportunity to complete a concentration in Peace Studies.  Master of Divinity students wishing to complete the concentration will take a minimum of five courses that AMBS offers as a part of their Peace and Justice program.  Courses will be offered in a mix of online, intensive, and regular semester courses on the AMBS campus in Elkhart, IN.  More information about specific courses and the requirements that they meet can be found below.  Students completing the concentration will have it reflected on their Garrett-Evangelical transcripts.

Process

1. To register for classes at AMBS, students will use the information below and the course schedules on the AMBS website to select the course(s) they wish to take. 
2. Once the course selection has been made, the students will contact the Garrett-Evangelical registrar to indicate the course(s) and to request verification be sent to the AMBS registrar.  The Garrett-Evangelical registrar will then send a letter of good standing to the AMBS registrar to indicate that the student is in good standing and eligible for the course.   
3. Garrett-Evangelical students can then use the One Course Registration process on the AMBS website to register for the course(s).  On the online registration form, students will first select the Visiting Student option.  An additional option will then appear allowing students to identify themselves as a Garrett-Evangelical student.  Students will then fill in the rest of the form.  Please note that payment is requested at the time of registration.  The registration will not be finalized until payment is received.
4. The visiting Garrett-Evangelical student will be contacted by AMBS once the online registration form and payment have been received.  At this point the student will be given login information for the online AMBS portal, their AMBS email account (their primary contact medium during their study at AMBS), and access to Moodle learning management system, as well as any further information they may need about the course they will be taking.

Additional information can be found on the Peace Studies Certificate page on the AMBS website.

Peace Studies Concentration

To complete a concentration in Peace Studies, Garrett-Evangelical MDiv students will be required to complete a minimum of five classes in four different areas – Theory, Practice, Biblical background, and Theological background – plus one elective course in Peace Studies.  A list of the approved courses is available below.  Using this list and the Course schedules on the AMBS website, students will be able to work with their advisor to plan their studies.  Though most of the specified courses are offered every year, some are offered every other year, so students wishing to complete this concentration should begin planning early.

Peace Studies Concentration courses 

Academic Policies

Garrett-Evangelical visiting students will be expected to join in the community life commitment that guides all AMBS students and faculty.  Visiting students will also follow AMBS academic calendar and academic policies and procedures. A summary of pertinent policies and procedures is in the AMBS catalog (beginning on page 182). The complete Academic Policies and Procedures Manual will be available once a student has enrolled.

Tuition and Fees

Garrett-Evangelical visiting students will pay AMBS tuition and fees for the courses they take from AMBS.

The Garrett-Evangelical student can either pay by credit card on the online form (which is encrypted and secure), or indicate that he/she will pay by check.  The student will not be enrolled until payment has been received in full.  Failure to pay before the term begins will also result in a business hold.  Garrett-Evangelical students who are placed on hold will not be able to take further courses or receive grades until payment is received in full and the hold is cleared.

Garrett-Evangelical students are not eligible for financial aid from AMBS.

Housing

If a Garrett-Evangelical visiting student will require housing on AMBS’s campus, a housing request can be indicated on the application form.  Arrangements can also be made via phone with Judy Yoder (1-800-964-2627).

Contact Us

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
2121 Sheridan Road
Evanston, Illinois 60201

Phone: 847.866.3900 | 1.800.SEMINARY  (800.736.4627)
Fax: 847.866.3957

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