ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF WESLEY FOUNDATION A T THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY Weavings Summer 2016 Joy and Grief Max’s Musings… Normally, this space is filled with the good news of the amazing ministry of the Wesley community of the past year, and that’s what will follow in most of this news letter. But on July 13th our beautiful, beloved, faithful, friend, Anne Davis died. You will read more about her in our “In Memoria” section on page 4, but here I wanted to share with you how Anne embodied the best of what Wesley hopes and prays and works to be. Anne saw no boundaries to who she advocated for, related to, and called a friend. She was not only active in Wesley, but was a leader in the Student Environmental Action Committee, the Office of Community Engagement, Black Lives Matter Williamsburg, the Sierra Club, and even volunteered in the Music Library in Swem. When Wesley went to participate in a Black Lives Matter Williamsburg event, Anne was there. When we went to have breakfast at 4:15am to participate with the Muslim Student Association in their Fast-a-Thon, Anne was there. When we went to celebrate Holi with the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain Student Group, Anne was there. At Wesley, she was always coming to Wesley from another person, passion, organization or event, and headed to another as soon as she left, but while she was here, she was HERE. Fully engaged, supportive, compassionate, and vulnerable when we were having deep discussions about tough topics. She had the amazing ability to embody passion and grace and courage and laughter wherever she was. We are all better for knowing and loving and being loved by Anne Davis. Congratulations to our Newest Alumni Inside this issue: End of Year Banquet 2 Meet the Graduates 3 In Memoria & Senior Parents 4 Wesley Inter-Faith Outreach 5 Have Faith Will Travel 5 Campus Ministry System 6 Wesley Partners 7 Alumni Serving in VA Conference 8 Alumni News 9 10 This year has been another amazing year of ministry at Wesley. The numPilgrimage for Spiritual Renewal bers of students, their passionate commitment to following Jesus, as well as our mission and ministry, are all strong. Our campus ministry community continues to lead the way, as our vision statement says, “Through following Jesus, we embrace God’s radical hospitality towards all.” Not only are the students involved in Wesley aware of the grace and love that is embodied here, other students and the college recognize it as well. The students are following Jesus and leading the way. ...Continued on page 2 PAGE 2 WESLEY WEAVINGS Max’s Musings… continued.. Speaking of leading the way, our new Leadership Team took office in January. They are Sadie Meadows, President; Emily Crawford, Devotions; Allison Harkness, Discipleship; Erica West, Communications; Jen Peek and Erin Kitchens, Fellowship. This group of dedicated, passionate students leads the way in the focus and direction to our entire ministry. This spring semester, we built on the momentum from our powerful winter break Civil Rights and Faith trip. On that trip, we not only did meaningful service work with Urban Ministries in their urban garden and home painting ministries, we also volunteered with Highlands UMC’s ministry with persons who are homeless, and also at the food co-op at Woodlawn UMC. We also visited the Civil Rights Museum and Institute and 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, and the Martin Luther King National Monument and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Furthermore, we discussed with veterans of the Civil Rights movement and persons who are continuing the work today about how their faith continues to empower them. This spring semester we utilized the Ten Commandments of Nonviolence as our guiding theme. Thus, each Sunday night Large Group focused on a different commandment, as well as our Bible Study is focused upon the commandment, “Meditate daily on the life and teachings of Jesus.” Students are coordinating our partnerships with local churches in mission and ministry, as our connections with Williamsburg, Wellspring, and New Town UMC continue to be strong. Nothing exemplifies this better than the Exam Break that we have at the end of each semester, led by the Williamsburg UMC United Methodist Men. We have over 200 students coming to the Wesley House to share in over 450 cookies, gallons of hot chocolate, water, coffee, and lemonade. In addition, we have folks from all three churches and the community bring 8-10 dogs to help relieve the stress of finals. This Spring we partnered with the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Episcopal campus ministries, as well as the Muslim Student Association, in a variety of activities: speakers, events, and service projects. Each semester we coordinate a service day at Shalom Farms for the entire campus, and we continue to meet the very real needs of students in crisis on campus, especially in providing emergency housing when at all possible. Wesley students also led workshops on how to develop and implement a vision for ministry at the Summer Institute for the United Methodist Campus Ministers Association. It continues to be a joy and a privilege to serve with the students and board of The Wesley Foundation, as the students actively follow Jesus on campus, locally, regionally, and beyond. Scenes from the End of Year Banquet On May 7th we celebrated and reflected on the 2015-2016 academic year and our graduating seniors. In addition to recognizing our graduates, we had a wonderful dinner and great fellowship. Many great moments were shared about Sunday Night Programs, service projects, and the connections we made in mission and ministry with student groups across the campus. PAGE3 WESLEY WEAVINGS Meet the Graduates! Gillie Cuda Major: Chinese Studies and International Relations. Hometown: Springfield, VA Next Steps: Gillie is spending the summer working and learning to drive, as well as continuing to further his love and learning of languages. Also, he is working parttime with the National Language Service Corps as a translator and interpreter. Throughout the summer he will be continuing to search for a job with the government and/or as a translator to utilize his amazing language skills. Cara Dost Major: Religious Studies Hometown: Chicago, IL Next Steps: Cara is working as a summer intern at First Congregational Church of Western Springs in Western Spring, IL. After the summer is over, Cara is headed to Princeton Theological Seminary in the Master of Divinity Program to further her studies and fulfill her calling from God to serve as a pastor in the United Church of Christ Erin Grasse Major: Religious Studies Hometown: Bristow, VA Next Steps: Erin is spending her summer taking the next steps in her candidacy process to become a United Methodist pastor, and preparing to go West! She has been accepted into the Master of Divinity program at The Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, CA, where she will continue to further her studies and fulfill her calling as a pastor. Victoria Gum Major: Anthropology Hometown: Briery Branch, VA Next Steps: Victoria is living at the Wesley House this summer, and is working with Colonial Williamsburg through October in their Kids Dig program. After she finishes in October she is planning on getting a job in public service at a national park or historic site, continuing her work with anthropology, archaeology, and history Carolyn Hartley Major: Chemistry. Hometown: Annandale, VA Next Steps: After spending the summer with family and friends and continuing to support her fellow researchers in the William and Mary chemistry department, Carolyn is off to Chapel Hill, NC to continue her studies at the University of North Carolina in the Chemistry, Ph.D. program. Robi Rahman Major: Chemistry and Mathematics Hometown: Arlington, VA Next Steps: Robi is working this summer and is looking toward the possibility of grad school and other options for using his passion for chemistry and math to continue making the world a much better place. PAGE 4 WESLEY WEAVINGS In Memoria Anne Davis Major: Major: Sociology and Environmental Policy Hometown: Richmond, VA Our own joyous, beloved, extraordinary Anne Davis died on July 13th in Idaho riding with her Bike and Build team to create more affordable housing in the U.S. She died doing what she loved best, advocating, educating, working and playing to make the world more just and sustainable for all of creation. Anne had a significant impact on Wesley, the W&M campus, and beyond as a passionate activist and leader focusing on helping others to become active citizens who are intentional, inclusive, and willing to build relationships that work towards structural and systemic change. She put her faith into action in ways that most of us can only dream about embodying. After graduating in May and participating in Bike and Build, she was returning to campus to serve as a fellow in the Office of Community Engagement for 2016-17. She will be missed so much by so many. Please keep her family and all of us who love and know her in your prayers, and offer lots of love and support to our students as we cry and grieve together. Anne is the daughter of Susan and Bill Davis. (Bill is the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Alexandria.) We will let you know about further plans to remember, grieve, and celebrate Anne's extraordinary love, joy, and compassion. Graduating Seniors’ and Parents’ Brunch On May 5th the Wesley Board had the opportunity to host a brunch for our graduating seniors and their parents. As Max stated, “So, after much denial, putting off, and pretending, it is time to say goodbye (for now) to the William and Mary Wesley senior class: Erin Grasse, Carolyn Hartley, Cara Dost, Victoria Gum, Gillie Cuda, Anne Davis, Robi Rahman, and Meredith Randle have left an indelible mark on this campus ministry, and students for years to come will benefit from your faith, grace, ministry, and mission to the campus, the community, and the world. We continually give thanks for you following Jesus and embracing God's radical hospitality towards all. WEsley LOVE! PAGE 5 WESLEY WEAVINGS Wesley Partnerships - Inter-Faith Groups This past spring saw the culmination of several years of work as William and Mary officially became a campus of compassion through President Reveley signing the Charter of Compassion. This was spearheaded by i-Faith (the student interfaith group) and the Compassion Action Board, with Wesley, and other campus groups supporting as well. As the culmination of this work, and to kick off the continued work for us to grow in our commitment to and living out compassion, those same groups came together and planned the event, “Religion and Compassion” on Sunday, April 3rd. Five religious leaders shared how each of their respective faiths teach, encourage, and embody compassion in their adherents. Rev. Daniel Willson (Christianity), Imam Rachid Khould (Islam), Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill (Judaism), Lama Chodron Linda Jordan (Buddhism), and Swami Ji (Hinduism) each shared with deep conviction, meaning, and with an openness to one another. In addition, Max served as the moderator of the discussion that followed the remarks by the panelists. The event was attended by both the campus and the community and President Reveley opened the event. Orlando: A Multi-Faith Service of Remembrance and Hope What does it look like when people from the community gather together in Commonwealth Auditorium to remember, grieve, hope, pray, and commit ourselves to action in making our faith communities, nation, and world more just, loving, compassionate, and peaceful for persons who are LGBTQIA, Muslims, and everyone? Well, on Monday night, June 20th, these were the folks that led the service: queer, lesbian, gay, straight, students, faculty, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, Christian, old, young, and so much more. Max was one of the folks who helped to plan, publicize and participate in this event, along with other campus ministers, students, and community members. It was incredibly well-attended by the campus and the community where folks all came together "to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being," as the Charter of Compassion states. Have Faith Will Travel... One of the longest hallmarks of the students at Wesley is that they are always passionate about living out their faith across the campus. This past Spring you could find Weslsey students passing out hundreds of tacos and burritos by the Sunken Gardens during the last day of classes, playing “A Game for Good Christians” in front of Swem, having a Bible Study in the café at the Student Center, welcoming new students at the Day for Admitted Students, participating in William and Mary Pride Day, fasting with the Muslim Student Association‟s Fast-a-Thon, and celebrating Holi with the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain Students Association. The students truly live out their faith! PAGE 6 WESLEY WEAVINGS Campus Ministry Metrics - Event Scheduling and Tracking Explore Make Disciples Embody Engage At the close of every academic year the Wesley Board evaluates the overall effectiveness in fulfilling our mission. One of many tools we use for evaluation is our metrics system of event scheduling and tracking. In general we schedule campus wide “explore” events that allow students to explore a faith in God (speaker, social event, spread the love event, etc.). We hope that this will encourage students to attend our “Engage” events that provide an opportunity for students to engage their faith in God (Bible study, worship, Sunday Night Program, etc.. The next type of event is the “Embody.” These events/activities allow students to embody their faith in God (mission or service project, lead worship, etc.) . While numbers do not tell the whole story, they are one means to measure our progress. The following table does show that the concept is working and gives you—our partners—a numbers view. Category of Event Events Students Non-Students Total Explore 24 2074 93 2167 Engage 150 893 303 1196 Embody 88 473 304 777 Totals 262 3440 700 4140 Save the Date: Homecoming and Wesley Open House October 15th Wesley Open House 1:00—6:30 Tailgate from 1:00—3:00 Game Time - from 3:30—6:30 If you don’t have tickets—watch the game at the Wesley House Supporting the Wesley Foundation The Wesley operating budget is dependent on individual donations from alumni and friends. All donations, regardless of size, are greatly appreciated. You can provide a tax deductible donation in one of two ways: On-line by credit card. Go to www.wmwesley.org/donate Mail a check to: The Wesley Foundation 526 Jamestown Road Williamsburg, VA 23185-4044 PAGE 7 WESLEY WEAVINGS 2015 Wesley Partners Thanks for all you do! We are deeply thankful for the gifts received by the Wesley Foundation from all of our supporters. Whether through home cooked meals for Sunday gatherings, lemonade and cookies to welcome new students, or financial contributions from our Wesley Partners, this ministry knows how dependent we are on the Body of Christ to make everything we do possible. We want to recognize everyone who supports our work and have tried to make sure all of our friends are included in this listing. If your name, church or group is missing, please e-mail Margarette Lynch, Wesley‟s administrative assistant, at [email protected] so that the error can be immediately corrected in our next issue. Thanks again for all that you do! 2015 Wesley Partners Individuals Clarke Andrews Randolph Beales Mark Belanger Patty Benesh Max & Becky Blalock Jessica Boten Sam Brown Sarah Brown Robert Bryant Gerald & Tammy Bullock Cortney Cain Carl Carlson Ellen & William Carpenter Carlton & Beth Casey Marilyn & Bob Casey Mark & Eileen Cerny Doyle Cockram James & Ellen Comstock John & Susan Cornett Bill & Cheryl Corvello Chris & Heather Crowl Guy & Vee Davis Cara Dost John Dunning Jacob Evans Agnes Evans Fred & Dodi Fauber Bryan & Mona Foster Lauren Giles Steven Glessner John & Beth Graham Aaron & Audrey Gregory Jane A. Gross Richard & Linda Guilmart Delmer & Deborah Harris David & Teri Hindman Bill & Linda Hunt Deborah Ingram Joseph & Brenda Irby Gerald & Marilyn Johnson Matt & Jennifer Johnson Walt & Bev Judd Dick Kiefer Seonyong Kim David & Louise Lewis Lisa Luedtke Margarette Lynch Melissa MacIntyre John Marsh Julie Martin Doug & Rachel McNamara Philip & Alice Meilman Michael & Jane Meloy Tara Miller Ingrid Miller Cynthia Mitchell Ted & Sue Moreland Andrew Morrison Allie Nelson Wilke & Karen Nelson William Ouzts Jim & Mona Overturf R. B. Perkins Maurice & Joan Porter Joe & DeAnn Posey Hope Prather Alan & Nancy Proia Dick & Carol Prosi Walter & Jean Raines Lois Reid Alice & Charles Riecks David & Susan Riggs Arthur Roach David & Wendy Roane Bill & Karen Robins Charles & Carol Roesle Allie Rosner Sam & Liz Sadler Macon Sammons, Jr. Andrew & Amy Schumacher Paul Scott Ken & Mary Snellings Michelle Thorne John & Beverly Tressler Jeremy Utt Doris Wagner Charles & Judith Wagner Jo Ann Walberg Holley Walling 2015 Contributions to Wesley Foundation & Outreach & Missions Bethany UMC, UMW, Hampton Christ UMC, UMM, UMW First UMC, Hampton, UMW First UMC, Newport News, UMW Memorial UMC, UMW Parkview UMC Trinity UMC, Newport News Virginia Conference York River District Wellspring UMC Williamsburg UMC, UMW, UMM Zion UMC, UMM Lisa Luedtke Margarette Lynch Hope Prather 3 Anonymous donors Hindman Endowment Fund David & Teri Hindman Rudy Benesh Memorial Fund Patty Benesh SNP (Sunday Night Program) Dinner Cooks The Wesley Board of Directors Max & Becky Blalock Bill & Donna Herman David & Teri Hindman Jim & Mona Overturf Churches: New Town UMC Tabernacle UMC— Suzanna Wesley Circle Wellspring UMC Williamsburg UMC— Music Ministries, Fellowship Class, Sisters in Faith Circle PAGE 8 WESLEY WEAVINGS Wesley Alum Serving in the VA Conference—Where are they now? Edward Hopkins ‘79 Wellspring UMC Williamsburg Michael Kendall ‘ 91 Farmville UMC, Farmville Melissa Porter-Miller ‘98 Redlands UMC, Cross Junction Sara Wastella ‘05 Crozet UMC, Crozet Allie Rosner Bass ‘ 06 Arlington Temple UMC, Arlington Laura Whittle Stratton ‘07 Page UMC, Luray Tracy McNeil Wines ‘82 Clarendon UMC Clarendon Bradley Robins ‘95 Herndon UMC, Herndon John Hemming ‘99 Powhatan UMC, Powhatan Sarah Dumas-Locke ‘06 Christ UMC, Staunton Michelle Thorne-Mejia ‘07 Eastport UMC, Annapolis MD Meghan Roth Clayton ‘08 Salem UMC, Mathews Now You Know - Attend a Service and Share Wesley Times PAGE 9 WESLEY WEAVINGS Alice (Wheeler) Meilman - Class of 1976 I work at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY (Central NY) as a clinical social worker in the student Counseling Center. I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Protestant Campus Ministry here at the college and am a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Ithaca where I sing in the choir (we have a fab music program!). Coincidentally, a 1976 classmate, Arlene Hewitt, who I never knew at W&M, lives in Ithaca and attends St. Paul's. It's been fun to make a new friend with a fellow alum in this way. Arlene never attended Wesley in college, but went on to work in the field of Christian Education. Blessings to everyone! Marcia Agness Kochel - Class of 1991 This June I had the opportunity to visit fellow Wesleyite Lisa Bailey Mackey at her home in Germany. We are meet here with our kids (I have 2 and she has 3) for a couple of days right before she moves back to Virginia. Here is a photo of me with Lisa in Hofenfels and a picture of our kids - who never met before - but had an absolutely great time visiting and touring at Playmobil Park in Nuremberg. Clayton Crockett ‘91 and Vicki Bryan Crockett ‘93 During a two-week trip, Clayton Crockett '91 delivered a series of lectures on contemporary European philosophy at Anhui Normal University in Wuhu China, with the support of the Confucius Institute. He was also able to visit several Buddhist temples at Jiuhua Mountain in the southern part of Anhui province. Meanwhile, Vicki Bryan Crockett '93 traveled to Richmond, Va. and enjoyed catching up with several Wesleyites in celebrating the wedding of Troy Rapp '93 and Jennifer Krstolic. Pictured: Front row: Ken and Mary Reese Snellings '93, Deborah Bacon Ingram '94, Wendy Layman Lewis '92, Sally Kendall '93, Vicki Bryan Crockett '93, Teri Hindman, Jeremy Gulley '93 Back row: Grace Hindman ‟11, Bryan '93 and Mona Hargrove '91 Foster, Wayne Brubaker '93, David Hindman, Chris Shaver „98 (Not in the picture—Troy and Jennifer) . PAGE 10 WESLEY Andrew Morrison - Class of 1991 Lauren Austin - Class of 2007 My wife Teresa gave birth to our first child, Ainsley Annabeth Morrison, in June. Connor Lamont was born May 18, 2016. Proud parents Lauren Austin and Shannon Kluttz are currently living in Norfolk, VA, both working in healthcare. Mom and baby are doing well, and we're thrilled to have Ainsley join our family. WEAVINGS We currently attend The Gathering at Scott Memorial UMC in Virginia Beach. Chase Hathaway - Class of 2010 I'm getting married on July 9, 2016 to my fiancée, Heather Slawson, in St. Joseph, Missouri. We also recently moved to San Antonio, Texas. I'm working as the Senior Communications Coordinator for a Cybersecurity Research Institute at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Heather is a JAG Lawyer for the Air Force. We are attending The Park Church in San Antonio! Heather Morris - Class of 2012 I am currently working as the Assistant Program Director for a community based program for individuals with mental health needs. I will be marrying Jason Sweigart on October 15,2016. Pilgrimage for Spiritual Renewal to Korea IV, Oct. 19-27, 2015 For the fourth year, Bishop Young Jin Cho led a group of active clergy to Bupyeong Methodist Church in Incheon, South Korea. This pilgrimage emphasized prayer as the foundation of personal and collective spiritual renewal combined with contextual hands-on missions and ministries planted by American missionaries a century ago on Korean soil. The following reflections were written for the Virginia United Methodist Advocate by Allie Rosner Bass '06 upon her return from Korea ... “I’m not a morning person, so getting up each morning for the 5 am prayer service at Bupyeong Methodist Church in Incheon, Korea, was a new experience for me. In my half-asleep state, it all seemed a bit surreal: people shouting and rocking and clapping their hands in prayer, while the organ played peppy hymns over and over in the background. While many members of our group raved about the passion and fervor that filled the sanctuary at this early hour, it took me until the end of our week there before I began to feel like I could pray in the midst of it all. PAGE 11 WESLEY WEAVINGS Pilgrimage for Spiritual Renewal to Korea IV, Oct. 19-27, 2015 One member of the church who shared her testimony with us said the idea of being in a room with everyone shouting out loud was strange to her at first, too. She stuck with it, though, and over time the energy in the room became contagious. It helped her to pray with more spiritual fervor when she could hear everyone else around her praying, too. Another man told us that the service was important to him because he works long hours, and early mornings are the only chance he has to spend time with God. Overall, I was impressed with just how many people made early morning prayer a regular part of their day. The huge sanctuary wasn’t packed, but it was full—of hundreds of people. Somehow that’s pretty hard to imagine back home. We visited a number of other churches in and around Incheon and Seoul during our week in Korea, and they all emphasized spiritual discipline in their own ways. One encouraged people to come together for regular silent prayer. Another had grown strong by bringing back a class meeting structure. Another church we visited grew around its ministry of journaling, in which participants keep a daily account of how they remain focused on Jesus. And yet, at none of these churches were prayer and discipline the end goal: changed lives, changed congregations, and changed communities were. One night, during a multi-church choir festival at Bupyeong, the offering was announced, and I reached into my bag. But instead of taking up a collection, the senior pastor presented tens of thousands of dollars to ministries around the city, such as Dail, where we served lunch to seven hundred homeless people one day. Jesus Town Ministry in Seoul raised up leaders through its class meetings who started ministries in its immediate neighborhood: a music school, a clinic, a day center for elderly people, a homeless ministry. Good Shepherd Church ran a school for North Korean refugees. Kipun (Joyful) Church, in a town outside Seoul without much else going on, discerned God’s call to serve its community through a children’s library, a cultural center, and a ministry for Indonesian immigrant workers. The future of the church isn’t all rosy in Korea, though, we learned. Alongside the impressive spiritual fervor and commitment we witnessed, Christians in Korea struggle with many of the same things we are in the US: finances, declining numbers, and a bad image in the wider society, perhaps owing too much to the high -profile sins and failings of some megachurch pastors. In a way it was oddly comforting to know that Christians around the world share the same fears and struggles, and still, we have a lot to learn from each other about faithful discipleship. I can’t say I plan to start getting up at 5 am to pray on a regular basis, but I did come back from Korea inspired by the way the churches we visited all, in their own ways, connected deep spirituality with lives of love and service. I came back with a renewed commitment to living a life infused with the rhythm of prayer, and with the hope that that prayer might bear fruit in my own life, the life of my congregation, and our community. I’ll just start a little later in the morning.” (The Virginia United Methodist Advocate, pp. 1011, December 2015) Wesley Weavings is a publication of the Wesley Foundation at the College of William and Mary. For content related items, contact John Dunning at: [email protected] For address changes contact, Marg Lynch at: [email protected] Contact the Campus Minister, Rev. Max Blalock at: [email protected] . ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF WESLEY FOUNDATION AT THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY The Wesley Foundation 526 Jamestown Road Williamsburg, VA 23185 Where in the WESLEY is this? (turn to page 5 to find out!!)
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