DISCIPLES DIVINITY HOUSE
@Vanderbilt
Shaping outstanding ministers for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
July 2016
Congrats, 2016 Graduates!
Andrew Shaw, Chanhee Heo, Shakiya Canty, and
Ben Saunders.
On May 13, 2016, six Disciples
graduated from Vanderbilt
Divinity School at University
Commencement on the lawn,
followed by the Divinity
degree granting ceremony in
Benton Chapel. All received the
Masters of Divinity.
Ben Saunders was named
recipient of the Disciples
Divinity House Scholar
award. Shakiya Canty earned
Certificates in the Carpenter
Program in Religion, Gender,
and Sexuality and in the Kelly
Miller Smith Institute of Black
Church Studies, in addition
to receiving the Student
Government Association’s
Service Award. Chanhee Heo
earned a Certificate in Religion
and the Arts and Contemporary
Culture. Shantell Hinton
received the Liston Mills
Award, the Luke-Acts Prize,
the Florence Conwell Prize
in Preaching, and earned a
Certificate in the Kelly Miller
Smith Institute of Black Church
Studies.
Andrew is returning to
Kentucky for work in the
Fayette County schools, as
well as seeking a bivocational
ministry position. Kaitlyn Asher
will be getting married and is
continuing with Oasis Center in
Nashville, where she has worked
Chanhee Heo and Mark Miller-McLemore
as a student. Chanhee is entering
the job search in a congregational
setting. Shakiya has moved to
Brooklyn to begin organizing
training with the Industrial
Areas Foundation. Ben will
continue to serve as youth
minister at Second Presbyterian
Church in Nashville and do
free lance video work. Shantell
will be ordained this fall at New
Covenant Christian Church.
Congratulations to all!
Andrew Shaw and Mark Miller-McLemore
discipleshousevandy.org
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Talent 4 the House 2016
A couple hundred Disciples gathered Thurday
evening, April 7, at Woodmont’s Drowota Hall for this
amazing night of music and fellowship in support of the
Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt and its students,
who are preparing for ministry at Vanderbilt Divinity
School.
Gabe Dixon sang two new songs off his just-released
CD, plus Disciples favorite, “All Will Be Well,” before
leaving to go to a Tin Pan South Songwriter’s Night
event at the Station Inn. Maura O’Connell next brought
her strong voice and glorious Irish presence to the stage,
including “The Blue Train” among her songs. The Disciples House Band, led by Evan Bunch, got
the whole crowd
singing “I’ll Fly
Away.” The Live
Auction was, as
usual, a contest,
with the “O
What a Foretaste
of Glory Divine
Peanut Brittle”
tying a record
price, along
with a custom
handmade quilt
and a Hatch
Show Prints
poster for the
night, signed
by all the
performers.
The Silent
Auction was a
success as well,
with all items
purchased.
Ben
Saunders
debuted a new video about the impact of the House,
featuring alums Emily Nourse, Mike Lehman, and Bill
and Kaki Frisckics-Warren.
Andrew
Peterson followed
intermission with
his lovely, touching
songs of faith and
life, and as usual,
Jonell Mosser closed
out the night strong,
finishing with a
duet with Maura on
“An Irish Blessing”
which she had
performed at Maura’s
wedding. You can
see a video collage
of the performers
video collage of
the performers at
talent4thehouse.org.
This was the 9th
Talent 4 the House.
Since 2008, Talent
has raised well over
$100,000 for the
support for student
preparing for
ministry through the
Disciples House at
Vanderbilt.
Thanks to the
sponsors (listed
below), to the
performers, to all
the donors of items
for the auction,
to Woodmont for
hosting again, and
to the Talent 4 the
House committee
led by all-star chair
Dieta Duncan.
talent4thehouse.org
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Talent 4 the House 2016
Gold Sponsors
• Eastwood Christian Church, Nashville
• First Christian Church, Hopkinsville
• Woodmont Christian Church, Nashville
• Greenwood Cemetery, Nashville
• Allegra Marketing, Print, Mail, Nashville
Silver Sponsors
• Vine Street Christian Church, Nashville—in honor
of John Culbertson and all our former interns from
the House
• Ed and Pat Cole
• Jae and Erin Gottman—in honor of our shared
ministry with First Christian Church of Paducah,
Kentucky
• Parsons Engineering, Nashville
Memorial Event Sponsors
• Rev. Thomas Kleinert, in memory of Jack Forstman
• Elizabeth and Gene Regen, in memory of George
Mayhew
• Roberta Schwarz, in memory of Neil Schwarz
June Board Meeting
The board of Disciples Divinity House met for its
spring meeting on June 6, 2016. The board received
staff and financial
reports, approved
a balanced
budget for 20167, and welcomed
three new
members to the
board: Wilson
Dickinson
(M.Div 2005),
Jay Hartley
(M.Div. 2001),
Talking over lunch
and newly elected
regional minister, Rev. Dr. Christal Williams. It also
began conversations about next chapters in the House’s
life and mission.
Other members of the board are: Ralph Parsons,
Chair; Nathan Brown, Vice Chair, Pat Cole,
Secretary, Glen Stewart, Treasurer; Jim Atwood,
Dwayne Bell, Joyce Crowell, Norman Reed, Jae
Gottman, Anne-Marie Farmer, Rachel Nance
Woehler, Pat
Bishop, Susan
Hammonds-White,
Arnold Hayes,
Rebecca Hale, Perry
Wiggins III, Dee
Moore Wells, Judy
Cummings, Dieta
Duncan, and Gene
Regen.
Nathan Brown, Rachel Nance Woehler, and
Wilson Dickinson
discipleshousevandy.org
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Chanhee Heo Ordained
with alumnus Rev. Jay Hartley
Chanhee Heo was ordained
and alongside close friend
to ministry in the Christian Church
Christy Jo Harbor, Eastwood’s
(Disciples of Christ) on Sunday, June
Associate Minister. She
5, 2016, during morning
has also been active in
worship at Eastwood
NAPAD for the past
Christian Church.
year.
Chanhee, a native of
Chanhee with Disciples Korea, found the Disciples
Chanhee with friends from the
Chanhee’s passion is
House board and
House, including Sherri Brewer,
to work with children.
of Christ through her close
Commission on
Evan Bunch, and Christy Jo
Ministry member
Harber
She feels a strong call to
friendships at the Disciples
Dwayne Bell,
help the church be as loving and inclusive as it
House, where she has lived
representing the
Tennessee region
can, beginning with its youngest.
for the past two years. She
Chanhee with Dean Mark
did her field education internship at Eastwood
Miller-McLemore
Alumni Updates
his law practice in Honolulu to become interim senior
minister at First Christian Church, Casey, Illinois. He
plans to move toward a Navy chaplaincy in the next two
years.
Bill Dorman, DMin 1971, has published Restoring
the Healer: Spiritual Self-Care for Health Care
Professionals, with Templeton Press (2016). It’s available
through Amazon or through the publisher at https://
www.templetonpress.org/book/restoring-healer.
The Bound’ry (1990?-2015)—Disciples House
alumni/ae can recall the restaurant across the street either
as Third Coast or The Bound’ry. Many nights residents
sat on the front step to watch the limos drop off their
stars after the Country Music Association awards, or
similar events. Sightings over the years have included Jon
Bon Jovi, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and many more.
According to news reports, after closing in late
2015, that long-time dining space is now returning as
an event space. See http://www.tennessean.com/story/
money/2016/06/08/boundry-gets-new-life-eventsspace/85607204/
Trey Flowers, MDiv 2011,
has moved from his associate
position at Woodmont Christian
Church to become senior pastor
at Downey Avenue Christian
Church in Indianapolis. Trey was
at Woodmont since he began as
a student in 2007, working with
Trey Flowers
children and youth and giving
leadership to “the Bridge” contemporary worship service.
He’s sad to leave, but excited about the new opportunity.
Ryan Motter, MDiv
2011, and Suzanne Kerr
send along a lovely photo
of Lydia Grace, born
November 15, 2015. “These
first four months of our life
together have been one big
joyful adventure.” Congrats,
Lydia Grace
Ryan and Suzanne!
Brian McCreanor, MDiv 2004, has moved from
Annual Donor Report moves online
Legacy Circle
In keeping with trends in the nonprofit world,
Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt is moving its
annual report of donors online.
We expect the report to be completed and published
in July. It will be announced through the House’s
website.
Circle N
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discipleshousevandy.org
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The Legacy Circle was established in 2014 to recognize
those who have remembered and support the work of the
Legacy
Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt in their estates
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and with endowment gifts.
i rc l e A l w
If you are considering estate plans, remember that you can
make a difference through the Legacy Circle. Contact us.