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News and EventsNBTS Appoints New Dean of Students Dr. Jessica Davis has been appointed the new Dean of Students and Assistant Professor of Ethics and Public Policy at New Brunswick Theological Seminary as of July 1. Reporting to the President, Dr. Davis will direct all student affairs including recruitment, retention, student housing, student counseling and financial aid. Dr. Jessica Davis brings many years of student affairs experience to the Dean of Students position. Dr. Davis serves as the Director of Law Student Development and Special Assistant to the Dean at Southern Illinois University School of Law. She has taught in the College of Liberal Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She served as the Assistant Dean of Multicultural Affairs and Retention Services at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. She also served as the Director of Housing and Residence Life and Director of Multicultural Affairs at Wheeling Jesuit. In addition to her professional experience in student affairs, this year marks Dr. Davis 24th year of ecumenical ministry. She began her licensed and ordained ministry as an elder in the United Holy Church of America. However, her ecumenical training and ministry has taken her to many faith communities here and abroad. Dr. Davis has supported and served the local African Methodist Episcopal, Progressive Baptist, United Methodist churches to name a few over the tenure of her ministry. Her commitment to ecumenism has led her to faith communities not only in the United States but to communities in Africa, Europe, and India. During her tenure in the 1990s in Boston while she was working on her Master of Divinity and Juris Doctor, she served several years at the Boston Theological Institute, a consortium of nine seminaries and schools of theology in the Greater Boston area. Her work with BTI led to a private audience with Pope John Paul in Rome, Italy with recognition by the Pope of BTIs commitment to ecumenism. In 1999, Dr. Davis ran for Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland and ran a thought provoking campaign. Her campaign focused on building the people of Baltimore as well as the city. Her Campaign led to highlights in TIME Magazine. In 2007, she ran for Mayor of Carbondale, Illinois with the same vision to build the people as well as the city. Dr. Davis has become a radio and television veteran as a political commentator, religious affairs expert, and diversity consultant. During a recent nationally syndicated radio interview as a political commentator speaking on the presidential race, Dr. Davis states: "The challenge to faith in American politics is the twentieth century secularization of American culture. This cultural shift has led to the privatization of a persons faith. Personal faith has been pushed into the shadows of American life. The average American is unable to articulate his or her faith in the public forum. As a result, openly religious people are negatively characterized as fundamentalists. A persons religious belief informs a persons ability to lead in any office." Dr. Davis is a graduate of Western Senior High School, one of the oldest all female public high schools in the United States, in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned her B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. She earned her M.Div. from Boston University School of Theology and J.D. from Boston University School of Law. She earned her D.Min. from United Theological Seminary. She is pursing her Ph.D. in Education with a concentration on Educational Administration from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The American Biographical Institute has honored Dr Davis by naming her one of Two Thousand Notable American Woman. New Professor of Supervised Ministry It is our pleasure to announce the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Willard W. C. Ashley as Director of Supervised Ministry and Associate Professor of Practical Theology at New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Accountable to the Dean of the Seminary, Dr. Ashley will administer the seminarys Supervised Ministry Program and as a member of the faculty will assume responsibility for providing instruction in supervision courses, publish new research, and work within the facultys administrative duties. He joins our staff on July 1. Dr. Ashley, a native of Harlem, N.Y., holds a Bachelor of Arts from Montclair State University, a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School, and a Doctor of Ministry from Andover Newton Theological School. He also has graduate certificates in Psychotherapy, and in Marriage and Family Therapy from Blanton Peale Graduate Institute in New York. Dr. Ashley is currently the founder and senior Pastor of Abundant Joy Community Church in Jersey City and has served as Director of the Pastoral Care Department of the Council of Churches of the City of New York, Project Director for Care for the Caregivers Interfaith Project/Council of Churches/City of New York, and many more accomplishments. Dr. Ashley is a published author on issues of disaster spiritual care, leadership, and men of color Bible studies. He has lectured and served on panels dealing with natural disaster response, diversity issues, worship and liturgy, and pastoral care. Dr. Ashley comes to us with extensive experience as a pastor, seminary staff and faculty person, inter-faith and ecumenical coordinator, well developed counselor and therapist, and articulate pastoral theologian. Dr. Ashley also brings a warm and winsome personality which will immediately serve him and us well as he nurtures our supervised ministry sites, supervisors and students. New Director Moves the Reformed Church Center Forward The Rev. Dr. Barbara D. Fillette (88) is the Director of the Reformed Church Center of New Brunswick Theological Seminary beginning April 1, 2008. The Rev. Fillette has a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University, a M.Div. from New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and a D.Min. from Princeton Theological Seminary. She served her home church, North & Southampton Reformed Church in Churchville, PA for 30 years, 10 in Christian Education, and 20 as pastor. She recently retired from that position and is pleased to accept this new call. Rev. Fillette served on the General Synod Council and many other boards and committees for the RCA. "I am eager to work at planning programs and events that will give all sorts of people (new faces and familiar friends) an opportunity to connect with the seminary, as well as to lift up for better visibility the great tradition of theological inquiry that is already well-established at NBTS," she said. "We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Barbara Fillette as the new part-time director of the Reformed Church Center". Dr. John Coakley, the first and only director of the center, not only was crucial in its birth eight years ago, but served as its director until a year ago when he decided to transition out of the role. We are deeply grateful to John for his faithful work and vision and hopeful that we can build on his foundation in new and creative ways. We hope and expect that the Reformed Church Center will be a place where theology and ministry meet each other and discover new ways to serve the world," said the Rev. Dr. Gregg A. Mast, President of New Brunswick Theological Seminary. The International School of Theology New Brunswick Seminary cooperates with various theological faculties in the Netherlands in the organization of a biennial summer course in theology. The purpose of this summer school is to give an introduction to current developments in European theological thinking and to enable participants to become acquainted with the life of the churches of the Netherlands. Participation is open to theological students and clergy. If a student wishes to receive acadmic credit for participation in the International School, he or she must negotiate an Independent Study with a faculty member and pay a per-credit-hour tuition to the Seminary. Such Independent Studies may be contracted for 1-6 credit hours, according to the desire of student and instructor.The next school is scheduled for Summer 2008. Click here for more information Church Partners with Seminary We are grateful to United Reformed Church in Somerville, NJ for its gift of $2000 to help underwrite the cost of furnishings in the Seminary residence of our global scholar, The Rev. Dr. Rothney Stok Tshaka. In addition, a member of the church donated a car to the Seminary for Dr. Tshakas use during his three-year tenure with us. A native of Southern Africa, Dr. Tshaka teaches Ethics and Community. He is joined here by his wife and two growing sons. Travel Seminar to Cape Town, South Africa NBTSs Urban Ministry Concentration and Global Scholar Initiative is hosting a Travel Seminar on January 10-21, 2009 to Cape Town, South Africa. This 10-day learning trip will focus on South African Post Apartheid Theology and Ministry at a cost of $2,900 (plus meals and entertainment). The seminar will be lead by The Rev. Dr. Warren Dennis, NBTS Dirk Romeyn Professor of Metro-Urban Ministry and Director of the D.Min. Program, and The Rev. Dr. Rothney Tshaka, NBTS Global Scholar from South African, and Associate Professor of Ethics and Community. Instructors will include Allan Boesak, Anti-Apartheid activist and leader who persuaded the Alliance to adopt the Belhar Declaration, and Professor H. J. Hendricks Managing Director of NetACT (Network for African Congregational Theology). Attendees will gain a greater insight into the cultural realities of South Africa and engage in inter-disciplinary dialogue about theology and ministry and its impact on African society. There also will be an opportunity to visit cultural and historical sites including Cape Point, Table Mountain, Robben Island and South African Markets. For more details click here or contact the seminary at 732-247-5241x112. Click here for more information |
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