8 Groundbreaking Garrett Alumni

James H. Cone

“To participate in God’s salvation is to cooperate with the black Christ as he liberates his people from bondage. Salvation, then, primarily has to do with earthly reality and the injustice inflicted on those who are helpless and poor. To see the salvation of God is to see this people rise up against is oppressors, demanding that justice become a reality now, not tomorrow.”

Rev. Dr. James H. Cone, is best known as a foundational voice in the creation of Black Liberation Theology. His work sought to transform the experience of Black Christians, and to create “Black-loving revolutionary disciples of the Black Christ.” Embodying Garrett’s commitment to living and responsive ministry, Cone reminds us that the Gospel in the US is incomplete without the inclusion of Black resistance and resilience in the face of racial injustice.

Emilie M. Townes

“When what we offer folks is a restricted diet of love and do not provide an equal portion of justice, we are only talking about a partial gospel – not a whole one.”

Rev. Dr. Emilie M. Townes is a womanist theologian, ethicist, and educator whose ministry lifts up the experiences of historically silenced peoples—a living embodiment of Garrett Seminary’s commitment to nurture justice. Townes urges us to widen our own theologies and live into the possibilities that emerge when dialogues about gender, race, and culture take their rightful seat at the theological table.

James Zwerg

“Segregation must be stopped. It must be broken down… We’re dedicated to this. We’ll take hitting. We’ll take beating. We’re willing to accept death. But we’re going to keep coming until we can ride from anyplace in the South to anyplace else in the South without anybody making any comments. Just as American citizens.”

Before James Zwerg studied at Garrett, he was a Freedom Rider. Zwerg’s solidarity with Black communities throughout the Civil Rights Movement led to his own brutalization at the hands of Montgomery, Alabama police. This willingness to enter into the struggle as an accomplice stands as an example of what it means to live a gospel that honors every person. At Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s urging, Zwerg enrolled at Garrett and was later ordained within the United Church of Christ where he served in ministry for a decade.

Bishop Tracy S. Malone

“There is a difference between honoring our history and being governed by it. We give thanks for what has been. But we cannot build the future by trying to recreate what no longer serves the mission of God. God is not calling us backward.”

Bishop Tracy S. Malone currently serves as President of The United Methodist Church Council of Bishops. A historic appointment, she is the first Black woman elected to lead the denomination’s governing body. After receiving her master of divinity from Garrett, Rev. Dr. Malone thrived in parish calls and swiftly became a transformational force in UMC politics, trusted for her wise leadership. Repeatedly elected by her peers to be a delegate for general conferences, she was first elected bishop in 2016, and now proudly serves as bishop of the Indiana Episcopal Area. This November, she will be honored at Homecoming by Garrett Seminary as one of our two distinguished alumni award recipients.

Roberto Che Espinoza

“Thinking that progress will initiate peacemaking is the myth of cultural reform; instead, the work of midwifing more shalom in the world requires revolutionary love.”

Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza moves theology out of the academy and into the world. Espinoza received a Master’s in Theological Ethics from Garrett before moving on to doctoral work. He is the founder of Our Collective Becoming (formerly the Activist Theology Project), an organization that weaves theology into social justice and activist movements . Espinoza transforms theology into a living practice that emboldens people to imagine and live into a better world. In his own words, “I believe another world is not just possible – I believe she is already whispering.”

Bruce Johnson & Eugenia Johnson

“He wanted to serve the poor of Lincoln Park, and he saw an opportunity through the Young Lords to do that. [He] believed even more in what we believed than we did…you can’t find a better person than someone who is honest and true to his beliefs, and respectful of human beings.” – Jose “Cha Cha” Jimenez, Young Lords Founder

Rev. Bruce W. Johnson was a Methodist minister in Chicago, he and his wife Eugenia met while students at Garrett. Johnson offered support for the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican civil rights organization who fought against displacement due to unjust government programs. When his church was occupied by the Young Lords, Johnson supported and defended their right to the space—defying both his own congregation and police officers sent to remove the Young Lords from the church. He later worked to establish a daycare as well as free medical and food services at the church which would become known as The People’s Church.

Kim Byong-Sam

“Restoring the leadership and influence of the church is not something that happens inside the church. We have to restore the influence we have from the outside.

And ministry does not have to bear the church’s name for people to know the church is a part of it. When we didn’t insist that the church receive credit, God began to work, and amazing things began to happen.”

The Reverend Dr. Kim Byong-Sam is the Senior Pastor at Manna Church, near Seoul in South Korea. Originally founded as a tent church within Seoul’s Jamsil district, under the guidance of Dr. Kim the Methodist congregation has flourished. Now housed in a 4,000-seat campus, the church hosts more than 8,000 weekly worshippers and is one of South Korea’s most influential megachurches. A pioneer in both digital and community-focused ministries, it has become known for its engagement with issues that affect congregants daily lives, and the way it bridges traditional and contemporary worship styles. Dr. Kim has also served as the CEO of the international relief organization World Human Bridge, and as an adjunct professor at Methodist Theological Seminary in Seoul.

Bishop Shay Craig

“It is worth noting that the work of the gospel is not entirely the work of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. If you hold just the New Testament in your hand, 2/3 of what is written is about people who took the learnings of Jesus of Nazareth, and walked them out in their own lives.”

Bishop Shay Craig is an Episcopal bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota. She received a Masters of Theological Studies at Garrett and was ordained an Episcopal Priest in 2018. Her ministry brings a spirit of stewardship to the rural congregations she has been called to serve, where she engages with communities of limited resources as they imagine new possibilities for ministry in their communities.