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1963
John Biggers, a retired minister and attorney, has launched a blog: johnwbiggers.wordpress.com. His first posts deal with reconsidering the use of the term “evangelical.”
1969
Robert S. Henderson and his wife, Janis, have coauthored a three-volume book, Living with Jung: “Enterviews” with Jungian Analysts, published by Spring Journal and Books. rob444@cox.net
1970
Margaret Barno moved to Pflugerville, Texas, from Galveston in the wake of Hurricane Ike in September 2008. “My apartment on the island was 327 feet from the Gulf of Mexico but miraculously sustained primarily mold damage. The apartment was broken into after the storm; thieves took computer equipment, jewelry and other items, but I was able to move most of my belongings to my new home for which I am very thankful.” margaretbarno@att.net
1972
Ed Garten retired from the University of Dayton in 2007 after 20 years of service as dean of libraries and information technologies and was named dean emeritus. Early this year he was named program director and professor for the Ed.D. Specialization in Higher Education and Adult Learning with the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, Walden University, Minneapolis. Ed retired from the Minnesota Annual Conference of the UMC in 2005 after 30 years of ministry in higher education. eddiegarten@gmail.com
1974
In memoriam:
Robert Sayre, August 2008.Lynn Wilbur retired in June 2008 from the Virginia Annual Conference and is living outside Oxford, N.C. lrwilbur@hughes.net
1975
Fred Shaw has created a Web site, www.sumac-enterprises.net, detailing his storytelling, writing and conservation work beyond the church. He is senior pastor of Oxford UCM in Oxford, Ohio. fashaw@juno.com
Timothy Farabaugh’s third book, Lay Pastoral Care Giving, has been published by Discipleship Resources. tdfarabaugh@comcast.net
1976
In memoriam:
Paul Meyers, husband of Janis Wright Meyers, passed
away in March 2008.
jmeyers@sandburg.edu
R. Karl Watkins has been appointed to Harris and Lake
Park UMCs in Iowa. He received a D.Min. in Biblical Preaching
from Luther Seminary in May 2009.
1978
Carol Seckel works with the Germany Central Conference in Frankfurt am Main, where she is coordinator of English language and migrant ministry. She is married to Kevin Seckel, also a 1978 Methesco grad. carkseckel@aol.com
1982
Sondra B. Willobee has released The Write Stuff: Crafting Sermons that Capture and Convince, a book designed to help preachers enliven their sermons by using the techniques of great writers. She is senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in South Lyon, Mich.
1989
Lori Burdette-Steele was named the 2009 Pastor of the
Year by the Three Rivers (East Ohio) District Lay Speakers. Lori
is the pastor of the Nashville United Methodist Church in Holmes
County, Ohio.
Lburdettesteele@aol.com
Army Chaplain (Maj.) Steven Jerles is stationed at
Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan.
steven.jerles@us.army.mil
1990
In memoriam:
Doris Moreland Jones, December 2008.1992
John Gray and his wife, Patty, are in their 44th year of marriage, eighth year of retirement and seventh year as pastor at Jackson Chapel in Grove City. John stays active with the local food pantry and as chaplain of two veteran groups. “I will always cherish my time at seminary and my fond memories of the staff there,” he said. revjgray@wowway.com
1995
Amelia Walker is now pastor of the Christian Fellowship United Church of Christ in San Diego.
Kathy Urban-Dickriede and her husband,
Danny Dickriede, will join the Camphor Mission
Station in the Liberia Annual Conference in ministry. As a
doctor, Danny will work on community-based health care at the
Camphor Mission Station and in the surrounding villages.
Kathy will help all of the ministries of the mission, including
school, boarding students, church and the agriculture program.
Follow their blog at
www.camphormission.org.
rosemark@mentorumc.org
1996
Karen Oehl shared the pulpit with her father, MTSO Professor Emeritus Bill McCartney, at the 50th anniversary celebration of Trinity Tower UMC in Pittsburgh, Pa., in September. Oehl, the pastor of Brecksville UMC, was baptized at Trinity Tower when McCartney served that congregation as pastor. Despite the fact both father and daughter preached, McCartney insists, “The whole sermon was no longer than a regular one.”
1997
Judy Johnson has published her first book of scripture-based meditations, A Week to Pray About It, containing 52 brief meditations arranged by seasons. She is a freelance writer of educational materials in Yellow Springs and an active member of Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield. jjwrites@sbcglobal.net
Eric Raygor is serving at Grace United Methodist Church in Somerset, Pa., where he has been since July 2005. He and his wife, Kimberly, an English teacher in the Salisbury-Elk Lick School District, have two boys, Owen (born 1999) and Benjamin (born 2001). “If you had Steve Harsh’s Narrative Preaching class, you'll know where Owen's name comes from.” Eric serves on the board of directors of Camp Allegheny, a ministry of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference, and he appreciates living in close proximity to two ski resorts. eraygor@gmail.com
1999
Emily Hall left parish ministry in July 2008 to become a chaplain at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, N.J. In February 2009,
she received board certification
from the Association of Professional Chaplains.
emilybhall@frontiernet.net
Michael Ludle was ordained an elder in full connection at the West Virginia Annual Conference in June 2009. mludle@mtsoalum.org
2000
Joseph Branch was commissioned in June 2009 as
chaplain-captain in the Ohio Air National Guard, 178th Fighter
Wing, Springfield, Ohio. He was appointed in July 2009 as the
chief of quality, compliance and accountability for the Ohio
Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services.
2002
Alton Plummer was ordained to the Sacred and Holy Order of Priests by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Breidenthal, Southern Ohio bishop of the Episcopal Church, in June. Plummer is serving as assistant rector of Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square in Columbus. aplummer@trinitycolumbus.org
Charles Neff has negotiated the merger of two United Methodist congregations in McAlester, Okla., where he serves as senior pastor of Grand Avenue UMC. The merger will take effect Jan. 1, 2009. The new congregation, First UMC of McAlester, will embark on a $4 million construction project to build a new facility on 10 acres of land. First UMC McAlester will be the largest UM church in Southeast Oklahoma and the "flagship church" of the McAlester District. revneff@hotmail.com
In memoriam:
Walter, the support dog of Diane Johnson, died in June
2009.
2003
Ronald Dodds has been appointed as lead pastor of Grace UMC in Washington Court House, in the Shawnee Valley District of the West Ohio Conference. rdodds1@roadrunner.com
2004
Brian Oliver and his wife, Christine, welcomed their third child, Laura-Faith Lilelilekekaiikeeokala Oliver on July 20, 2007. Brian serves as associate pastor at First UMC in Casper, Wyo. brianleeoliver@yahoo.com
John Kincaid and his wife,
Anna, had their third son, Zachariah Adam,
on July 2, 2009. John is pursuing his Ph.D. at Claremont
Graduate University, where he is working on his dissertation,
“Aquinas's Formulation of Original Sin: A Negotiation Between
East and West.”
hypostaticunion@verizon.net
2005
Becky Stephens Smithey married David Alan Smithey in September 2008. She serves as pastor of Sand Branch UMC in Knoxville, Tenn. PRCHRBECK@hotmail.com
Maureen Webber and her husband, Dale, recently celebrated the first birthday of their first grandchild. Said Maureen: “Ani Elizabeth is her name, and she a delight to behold!” revmowebber@gmail.com
Debra Hanlon-Hedtke received
certification as a board certified chaplain with the Association
of Professional Chaplains and as a clinical member of the
Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.
deb.hedtke@gmail.com
2006
Chuck Kaliszewski and his wife, Linda, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Chuck is pastor of the South Euclid-Hillcrest UMC in the East Ohio Conference. revchuckkal@aol.com
Arnold Magy is employed by the City of Ketchikan, Alaska, at the Gateway Center for Human Services, where—thanks to his years of experience and the education he received at MTSO—he is the only clinician doing both substance abuse and mental health. He is considering the Ph.D. program in rural Alaska cultural psychology being offered by the University of Alaska at Anchorage/Fairbanks. arnie.magy@gmail.com
2007
Linda McCowen was commissioned at East Ohio Annual Conference and appointed to serve Westlake UMC and Broadway UMC in the North Coast District as their parish nurse. She also is parish nurse at Old Stone First Presbyterian Church on Public Square in Cleveland. She received the 2008 Bishop James S. Thomas Leadership award from the East Ohio chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action. lsmccowen@aol.com
2008
Nancy Day-Achauer successfully merged Community and
McKendree UMCs in North Union County, Ohio. The new
congregation is called York Center UMC.
n2day@hotmail.com
