End of the Year 2009.indd - Trinity School for Ministry

Trinity Tidings
Trinity’s Alumni Association Newsletter
The Call to
Military
Chaplaincy
End of Year 2009

Table of Contents
From Justyn Terry .......................................2
Dean’s Update
by Justyn Terry .............................................3
Finding Peace on the Hood of a Humvee
by Mike Demmon .......................................4
Scenes from the Life of a Military Chaplain
Images by David Duprey ............................. 5
Double Duty
by Martha Kester .........................................6
Fairfield Homecoming 2009: photographs
of memories ...............................................8
Willing to Go
by Paul Jagoe ...............................................9
Active Thanksgiving
by Bryan Bywater.......................................10
Caught Up to the Third Heaven
by Daniel Cave ........................................... 13
Bits & Pieces .............................................14
Alumni Executive Committee Letter
by Don Curran & Paul Rodgers ...................15
Dear Friends,
It was a great pleasure to see so
many of you at the 2009 Fairfield
Homecoming in June. That was
a very encouraging time in all
sorts of ways. We love to hear
how things are going in the
ministries where you now serve
so we can rejoice with you in the
encouragement and join you in
prayer for the needs of the day.
Trinity’s publications are intended
to continue building the bonds
between us and to help us partner
with you as life-long learners; we
can update you on news from Trinity and inform you about some of
the ministries undertaken by other alumni. In this issue we focus on
military chaplaincy. It is a chance to think about those involved in that
part of God’s mission and to uphold them in prayer.
As you will see in my report which follows, we have much to be
encouraged by as a school. Our entering enrollment is well up this
year and we made it through last year, thanks to the generosity of our
supporters, past and present. Thanks be to God.
Many of our students come through the recommendation of our
graduates: thank you to all who are involved with that. Thank you too
for all the financial and prayer support that you and your churches give.
It means the world to us.
In all the complexities of the life of the Church today, our task
continues to form Christian leaders for mission. In order to be sure
we are doing that to the best of our ability, God helping us, we are
currently reviewing our curriculum. If you have any thoughts on classes
you think should be added, amended or dropped, please do tell Mark
Stevenson (mstevenson@tsm.edu), who is heading up the Curriculum
Review. And if you have prayer requests for our Friday noonday prayers,
please do let Stevie Glor (sglor@tsm.edu) know.
Cover photo:
Field Altar by Mike Demmon
The Trinity Alumni Association
newsletter is published by Trinity
School for Ministry, 311 Eleventh
Street, Ambridge, PA 15003.
Editor, Stevie Glor; Graphics, Jim
Beavers (MDiv 2009). Please direct
all reprint permission requests to
the Development Office (724-266-
3838 or 1-800-874-8754 – or e-mail
development@tsm.edu).
All contents copyright 2009.
If there is anything that I – or any member of the faculty – can do to be of
assistance to you, please do ask, and be assured of our continuing prayers.
Every blessing in Christ,
Justyn Terry
Dean & President

Dean’s Update by Justyn Terry
I am very pleased to offer the following update on
the life of the school. If you have anything specific
that you would like to see mentioned, please let me
or Stevie Glor know.
We have financial results for 2008-2009 fiscal year
end from our auditors. I thought I would share the
numbers, as well as other dashboard indicators.
1. Seminary life: Life slowed down a little on
the campus during July and August. Twelve
students finished Summer Greek and Hebrew.
Many faculty and staff took vacation and then
returned to gear up for Fall classes which began
on September 8. New students shared their
testimonies after lunch during orientation
September 2–4. These were wonderful to hear,
and a number of alumni joined us.
As I mentioned in my last report, and as many
of you know firsthand, both the Ancient Wisdom
– Anglican Futures
Conference (AWAF) and
the Fairfield Homecoming
were very successful. I also
wanted to let you know
that the attendance at a
couple of the other June
Term classes was striking.
We had 45+ at the Ministry
in the Power of the Holy
Spirit course with close to
100 attending the healing service, many of whom
were local lay people who had not been to Trinity
before. That was very encouraging.
2. Student recruitment: We have 33 new full-time
residential students
(30 from the US, 1
from Canada and 2
from Africa), 3 parttime
on-campus, 17
distance students and
5 students at the Rio
Grande. In addition,
6 new students joined
AWAF backdrop for
Morning Prayer
New students and spouses join in
a 2009 Orientation exercise.
the DMin program this June. This is our biggest
class of new students in four years. Once again,
I can’t express my appreciation enough for the
$400,000 scholarship gift which helped make
this all possible. Thanks be to God.
3. Financial news: As of the end of the 2008-2009
fiscal year (June 30), we reached 72% of our
annual fund goal, which was a strong response
in these difficult financial times. This means
that we had a deficit of approximately $426,757.
With the audit completed, a release of Board
Designated funds was made to cover the deficit.
This transfer is expected to completely exhaust
Trinity’s unrestricted reserves. Giving in July and
August was low, but we saw a slight upswing in
the early fall. So, please do be in prayer as we
continue to address this challenge.
4. Other news: Cathy, the girls, and I had a great
visit in England this summer, but were happy to
return to Sewickley.
Please remember that I and other faculty are
available for speaking and leading short conferences
and seminars, so contact us about specific dates and
plans. Also, if you have specific churches, bishops,
potential donors or others that you think we need to
visit, please let me know.
I also wanted to remind you about the new Master
of Sacred Theology (STM) degree program we are
now offering. Four students have
already enrolled for the fall (2 new
students and 2 who have another
degree from Trinity). You can
find information about it on our
web site or by contacting Tina
Lockett, Director of Admissions,
at tlockett@tsm.edu.
Yours for Trinity,
Justyn
ANNOUNCING
A NEW DEGREE
PROGRAM AT TRINITY
S.T.M.
Degree
3

4
finding peace
on the hood
of a humvee
by Mike Demmon (MDiv 2008)
Views
of the
summer
sunset
behind Mt.
Rainier
snuck
through the
trees as we set down our gear somewhere in
the Cascade forest wilderness of Fort Lewis,
WA. My fellow ROTC Cadets and I had been
crawling through the training grounds while
“searching for the enemy” in battle drills
since before sunrise. None of us had slept in
a bed or showered for over three days, and we
wouldn’t see our barracks again for another
four. Yet despite the fatigue, the stress, and
the dirt, there was a peace in the air. The
Chaplain had just arrived.
As he visited with us and encouraged us in our
training, the Chaplain invited us all to really
take a pause. Relax. Reflect. Recover. We put
our battle books away so we could read God’s
Word. We put down our rucksacks so we could
consider Christ’s easy yoke. We set down our
weapons so we could receive the Body and
Blood of Christ. In the midst of training for
the struggles of our broken world, we received
a foretaste of the promised New Creation.
Before this training I had given invocations
at Cadet functions back at the University of
Colorado. I had even led an impromptu Bible
Study in our Forward Operating Base with
my fellow Cadets. But seeing that Chaplain
celebrate the Eucharist on the hood of his
Humvee for us tired and dirty Cadets, I knew
that here was a ministry I wanted to offer. I
had always felt the call to pick up my cross
and follow Jesus. Now, I understood that God
was calling me not just to pick up my cross
but to wear it on my uniform. He was calling
me to be a US Army Chaplain.
After that summer I researched the next
steps in my journey into Chaplain ministry.
Following my commissioning as a 2nd
Lieutenant, I was allowed an “Educational
Delay” of my duty in order to pursue seminary
studies. I spent my summers between
academic years at Trinity in Army training
as a Chaplain Candidate, including CPE in
the rigorous environment of Madigan Army
Medical Center. Even now, embedded in my
parish ministry, I continue spending several
weeks out of the year in training.
Eventually, after I gain a suitable amount of
parish ministry experience as required by the
Episcopal Church, I will return to Active Duty
to fulfill my ROTC scholarship obligation.
While being in a parish is a fruitful and
enriching ministry, I continue to look to the day
when I pin the Chaplain’s cross to my uniform.
I am
sometimes
faced with the
question of
what business
a clergyman
has on the
battlefield.
Some find
it difficult
to reconcile
their beliefs
with military
service.
Whatever
one’s position
towards current
American foreign policy or war in general,
my conviction is that there is no place on this
planet where the hope of Christ cannot reach,

including those places ravaged by violent
conflict. Others may be called differently, but
my passion is that Soldiers know that Christ
is with them – in their sin, in their striving, in
their suffering. Not even war can separate us
from the love of Christ (cf. Romans 8:35-39).
It is a powerful testimony that in war, a place
and situation that for many is the definition
of hopelessness, God is still present. How can
Soldiers know and trust this? Sometimes the
only ambassador to this Truth is the Chaplain
who gets sweaty, bloody, and dirty beside them
in the war zone. That same Chaplain sticks
with them when they meet the struggles of
home life, too. I know it will not be easy, and I
lean on God’s provision and support as I seek
out this ministry to which I am called.
scenes from the life
of a military chaplain
Photographs courtesy of LT David L. Duprey, CHC USN (MDiv
1988), Navy Chaplain serving with the Marine Corps.
Serving at an open-air Ash
Wednesday service.
David Duprey (left) in the
field alongside Marine close
air support personnel.
This summer I returned to the training
grounds of Fort Lewis, WA. This time, by
God’s grace, I served as a Regimental Training
Chaplain to Cadets in the very role that
inspired me to Chaplaincy. It was an honor
to train along side the Cadets: counseling
them through their struggles, rejoicing
with them in their triumphs, and ultimately
offering them Christ’s love through Word and
Sacrament. I pray that God used me to be a
comfort and inspiration to those Cadets just as
that Chaplain was to me that night years ago.
The chaplain’s field office.
The “company car.”
Helping to serve chow in
the field.
1LT Mike Demmon,
US Army Chaplain Candidate
and Associate Rector,
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church,
Ft. Collins, Colorado
Coffee hour on the move.
Pray for David Duprey
who is currently deployed
to Afghanistan.
5

Double Double Duty
Duty
The Rev. Martha Kester
Priest in Charge,
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church,
Des Moines, Iowa
by Martha Kester (MDiv 2006)
CH (1LT) Martha Kester
Chaplain, 185th CSSB
Iowa National Guard
Camp Dodge
It is 8am Friday morning of my drill
weekend with the Iowa National Guard.
Since my parish has a 7am Eucharist service
on Fridays, I get the joy of a morning of
double duty. The parishioners who are regular
attendees of that service are now used to
seeing Brown Desert boots sticking out under
the alb; however, the workmen that were there
this week were a bit confused as the last time
we spoke I had been in clericals.
I have been asked how I can be both a chaplain
and a parish priest. Easy – it just takes making
sure I’m in the proper uniform for the proper
service. Some view it as a conflict of interest
since, in their minds, they cannot grasp the
amazing opportunities for ministry that my
service with the Army National Guard provides.
I see the parish and the guard as two sides of
the very same coin, and I think my ministry
with one makes me better with the other.
I have fallen in love with parish ministry – and
those who attended Trinity with me can attest
God has certainly changed my heart. The
groundedness I find in the parish, the sense
of community and family that is a microcosm
of what the Church should be, excites me. To
have a stable place to plant the Gospel and help
nurture it, to see it blossom and grow, is a blessing
that God has given me. I enjoy the routine of
the parish almost like the character Norm in the
80s TV series Cheers; it truly is a place “where
everybody knows your name.” To be able to
celebrate the whole circle of life from baptism, to
confirmation, to weddings, and finally funerals is
a privilege to be a part of life in ways those in the
secular world can never experience.
However, anyone who has served in a parish also
knows the challenges as well. The “old guard” that
fight anything that seems to threaten their way
of doing things – the EGRs (extra grace required)
individuals that try your patience and your
pastoral skills when they attempt to manipulate
you in order to get what they want. The little
issues that individuals may blow up into major
ones, the financial struggles, and administrative
tasks that must be done in order for parish
ministry to continue.
It is times like those
when I am thankful
I have my other
outlet for ministry.
Most importantly,
the time I spend
with my soldiers
each month. During
my drill weekends I
get to interact with
people who may not
even know what an
Episcopalian is let
alone know how to
spell it. Many would
never darken the
doors of my parish,
yet now, because I too wear the uniform, I have
earned the right to be heard. They might attend
my chapels or seek me out for counsel. They
might even ask me to perform their wedding.
Here, I am able to infuse hope into a sometimes
hopeless situation. To point these people to a God
who cares about every individual no matter what
circumstance they find themselves in.
6

Chaplaincy is about the ministry of presence.
I spend the weekend being where the soldiers
are, and that means hanging out on the
firing range during weapons qualification
time or when it’s time to PMCS (preventative
maintenance checks and services) the Humvee,
joining them at the motor pool. Always,
letting the soldier know that there is someone
available to listen if needed. They don’t care
what my gender is, they don’t care what my
denomination is and often they don’t care what
my religion is; what matters is I’m there.
The training I have received through the
Chaplaincy is just as relevant when I’m
back in my parish. From basic counseling,
to suicide prevention, and even marriage
counseling, I can take my guard training
back to my parish and at the same time use
my seminary/parish training to help my
units. I have found, ultimately, that people
are the same whether they wear a uniform or
not. They want to know if someone cares. Is
there someone who will listen? What better
opportunity to point people to the Lord Jesus,
who walks through each day desiring us to
acknowledge Him and turn to Him with our
fears, joys, struggles, and triumphs.
Yet the frustrations of working within a
government agency can be overwhelming.
“We’re from the government, we’re here
to help.” At times as I attempt to get
things accomplished I run up against the
bureaucratic red tape or a training schedule
that often has no free time. If something needs
to give, it might often be the chapel. It can
appear that the right hand has no idea what
the left is doing. It is then that I look forward
to the day-to-day workings of the parish.
The church is called to outreach – to serve
those outside its walls. I tell my parish that they
are doing an amazing ministry of outreach to
the soldiers of the Iowa Guard by supporting
me in my role as a Chaplain. So, is it a conflict
of interest? I don’t believe so. I just feel
honored to serve God and to serve my country.
Pro Deo et Patria
Pray for Martha who will be
deployed to Afghanistan in
Summer 2010.
7

Fairfield Homecoming 2009
photographs of memories
8

The Sons
of Thunder
9

Willing to Go
by Paul Jagoe (MDiv 1989)
Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was the day our
son’s heart changed. Wesley, a junior in
high school at the time, discovered a love for his
country in the midst of one of our nation’s greatest
tragedies. Like many young men and women, he
rose up and stood ready to enlist in the military
as soon as he graduated. While he did honor his
parents’ wish to finish college first, Wes eventually
joined the United States Marine Corps to do his
part to help preserve the freedom and strength of
our great country.
9/11 was the day that Wes’ parents’ lives changed
as well. On that day Robin and I began the process
of learning what it might mean to be parents of
a Marine. Like most parents, we were not all too
ready to jump up and cheer for our son’s decision.
“What? You want to put your life in harm’s way?”
Our hearts wrestled with the question, “Why our
son?” The answer that echoed back was, “Why not
Wesley? After all, someone’s child has to serve, why
not our own son?”
How could we be anything but proud of him? We
all dream that all our children will one day grasp
the truth: that anything truly worth living for is
worth dying for. Still, there is that knot that sits
right there in the pit of the stomach. Perhaps it is
not unlike what was inside of Abraham when he
was on his way to sacrifice Isaac for the glory of
God. Abraham was certain that he was losing his
son, but in the end he was allowed to receive him
back. We parents of Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors
have no such guarantee. The only certainty is that
some parents will, gratefully, receive their children
back; others will not.
Perhaps there is not
a more prayerful
group of people
than parents whose
children are in the
military. We have
to be. We have to
Wes Jagoe and his father, Paul
learn that the safest
place for them is in the shelter of the Most High
God. We must entrust our children into His hands
or we will never find peace.
Most of us deeply yearn for the day when there will
be no more wars and no more armies; nonetheless,
as long as there is evil to threaten our lives and
freedoms, there will be the need for people to stand
in the gap for us. I, for one, am deeply thankful for
those who are willing to stand in harm’s way on
our behalf. Perhaps there are few greater examples
of Jesus’ words, “There is no greater love than this,
that a man lay down his life for a friend.” Wes loves
his country and is ready to go into harm’s way to
defend it when he is called.
10
At Wesley’s commissioning. (L to R): Paul (Dad), Sarah Ellis
(sister), Wesley, Robin (mother), David, (brother).
Tomorrow morning [November 3, 2009], Wes,
along with hundreds of other sons and daughters
from Camp Lejeune, will board planes headed for
Afghanistan. We, the parents, had wished it would
never happen. Our son, the Marine, is ready to go. I
hope he knows there will always be two other hearts
standing with him, watching and praying, his
mother’s and mine. Maybe, just maybe, we parents
have the smallest understanding of our heavenly
Father’s heart when he sent his Son (who himself
wanted to go) into harm’s way for our salvation.
May we always remember to pray for and say
thanks to the men and women in our military who
stand ready to fight for our lives and freedoms.

Active Thanksgiving
by Bryan Bywater (MDiv 2005)
Change for Change and Leftovers for Passovers:
Making giving transformational and saving lives in the
Name of Christ
During my first trip to Tabora I met a woman
who runs the medical clinic for the Anglican
Diocese of Tabora, Tanzania. I asked her simply
what had been the most formative moment for her
while she had been there. “A few weeks ago a child
was brought to me and I couldn’t do anything. I was
helpless; it was too late.” Having lost my own son it
cut me to the quick. I was a bit angry with the Lord
for giving me this story, but it was out of the broken
part of my life that the Lord worked for His glory. I
knew babies died from malaria. Grant LeMarquand
told me while I was at Trinity that thousands die
daily in Africa and nothing was being done. I didn’t
respond that day because Africa was so far away and
besides, what could I do? But while in Tabora the
children had faces. I was compelled to help babies
not die if I could help it – and to keep moms and
dads from the grief that my wife and I experienced.
I returned home and began to form what has
become Restless Heart Ministries. The vision is
simple “to help compassion and passion collide”.
I was forced to renounce my orders in ECUSA
and was ordained a Priest in Tabora so that I could
work to help the Church in America and Tanzania
to spread Hope. To date
I’ve been blessed to be
able to help churches
and individuals assist
in paying for tens of
thousands of children
to be tested and treated
for malaria and covering
2,000 people in mosquito
nets at no cost to them.
Change for Change asks
for people to donate the spare change they have
sitting around the house. Thanks to the United
Nations, people in Tanzania can be tested and treated
for Malaria for 35 cents, around three kids for a
dollar. Most Americans call spare change a nuisance,
but I call it real health care and hope. One five-yearold
child heard me speak in a parish and mobilized
the 80 children in the private Christian school he
attended to raise over $1,000. The praise erupted
as they tallied the numbers of lives touched when I
went to visit them! American lives are changed when
they see how much they have.
Leftovers for Passovers are parish wide tag sale
events. Parishioners “leftovers” are sold to purchase
mosquito nets in Tanzania so that sickness or death
may “Passover” them
at night. Each net costs
around $5.50 delivered and
will protect a family of four.
We buy them in country to
help stimulate the economy.
These “little Passovers”
allow us to speak of the “big
Passover” that came on the
Cross. The parish workers
and the shoppers both
experience transformation
when they understand it’s
not “just a tag sale” but
rather that people are selling their possessions to
be able to give to those in need. The nets are given
out free of charge
to pregnant women
who have suffered
significant weight
loss during their
first trimester and
children five and
under who have a
history of repeated cases of malaria.
One for You:
…Called to a Feast, not Leftovers
Giving should bear witness to a transformed heart.
It, like all Christian ethics, are responsive by nature;
they are reflective acts of gratitude. In an effort to
reclaim the depth of thanks in giving, our “One for
You” program does just that. The program is simple,
the impact profound. Most donations (clothing,
furniture, etc.) is in reality an attempt to weed
out unwanted items. As a result most clothes are
outdated and furniture well-worn. We encourage
Christians to give of their first-fruits, as the Lord
deserves. They look for much needed clothes on
sale, as well as small appliances and what not. If they
donate used items, they need to be contemporary
and in great shape. They should be donated, not
One tag
sale raised
$2,000 and
impacted
the entire
town. Signs
were posted
around town
advertising,
which
resulted in
complete
strangers
donating
hundreds
of dollars
worth of
goods. A
tract was
handed out
to the 1,000
or so visitors
detailing
where their
money was
going and
describing
the effects
of malaria in
Africa.
11

In typical
“One
for You”
fashion,
one young
mom’s
request was
reported
by a local
agency
worker who
knew about
our ministry.
She was in
need of a
twin bed
which is the
size most
requested
due to
typically
small
apartments.
The donated
bed was
delivered
because she
didn’t own
a car and
was even
repainted in
one of the
daughter’s
favorite
colors!
12
because they are not
used, but rather because
they are not wanted.
Have you ever seen a
single mother cry when
you carry a new crib up
a flight of stairs for her
simply because it was the
first thing in a box she
ever owned?
How to get people thinking about daily giving
…turning the ship
“One for You” is our program that assists churches
in meeting real local needs while revealing the
providential hand of God in their lives. The theology
is taken from the General Prayer of Thanksgiving,
but it is not uniquely Anglican. This prayer invaded
my soul during chapel and has led me to daily thank
God for the leftovers in my refrigerator while others
in my town do not have access to a steady food
source. We help foster an attitude of thankfulness
that results in doing “nothing out of selfish ambition
or vain conceit, but in humility considering others
better than themselves.” The Lord loves a cheerful
giver! Why the name? It comes from the prayer
that is offered while placing donated goods on the
collection table. “Lord, thank you for the new ‘shirt’
[or whatever is being donated]. Be with all those
who have no shirts, and remind me that all shirts
come from you. Here is one for you”. The collection
table is in a high profile area as a reminder and an
encouragement. What has been the effect? Most
often the items left still have tags on them. Hearts
are reminded that indeed “all things come from
the Lord, and of His own do we give...” As such the
offerings are the first fruits.
Jesus, Toyota and the Church
The Toyota Model of Management dictates that
management offices be in the center of the shop
floor so that there can be little disconnect between
what is perceived to be happening and what is
actually happening. In order for the manager to
ignore the reality, he would have to close his eyes and
step over what was in front of him, much like the
Priest and Pharisee who stepped over the Samaritan.
Their result is a lean mode of production rather than
a mass mode of production. Real needs are met,
not perceived needs. Which model is the church
following today? The mass model, unfortunately, and
for a number of reasons. Having spent the past two
years on the shop floor, as it were, I’ve come to find
that most churches are at best “mission-minded”,
giving to ministries when asked often looking at
their percentage of giving to determine how well
they are responding. We are now being asked to be
“mission-driven”, to put in our hearts, indeed our
whole lives, as well as our wallets in a continual
offering of thanks. The church has a task in these
troubled times to care for the hundreds of thousands
that will be looking for help. Is the Church prepared
to do so? What’s the litmus test? If your church just
suddenly disappeared overnight, would the local
neighborhood miss it?
Bryan Bywater is a Priest in the Diocese of Tabora, Tanzania
through which he works with the Saint Philip’s Clinic and
church planters alongside the Department of Development
and Evangelism. Most of the year he lives in America where he
oversees Restless Heart Ministries while serving as the Rector
of New Hope Anglican Church in Watertown, CT, reaching
that area for Jesus. He lives with his wife Lisa, their two-yearold
daughter Olivia, and her little 14 week old sister, Hannah.
Their work in Tanzania was featured in the Quest Diagnostics
Infectious Disease Update in December 2008.
Here is one choice
that our Father wants
us to understand as
Christians – and I
believe it is the choice
of our age. Do we want
to be brave or safe?
Gently, lovingly – our
heavenly Father wants
us to know that we
simply can’t be both.
Gary Haugen
President & CEO
International Justice Mission

Caught Up
to the
Third Heaven
by Daniel Cave (MDiv 2007)
The morning’s activities started out
before sunrise. Weather conditions
were checked and checked again. The
equipment was loaded, the participants
excitedly jumped into the waiting vehicles.
We were off on an adventure. We arrived
at the designated location: a deserted field
on the outskirts of town. Weather and wind
conditions were checked again and after
a quick prayer, the equipment was unloaded
and assembled. The small gas engine warmed
up and began to spin the wooden blades
connected to it. Excitement grew, adrenaline
rose, and soon we were ready.
On March 17 th and again on the 18 th , I had
the pleasure of escorting Grant LeMarquand
skyward over Albuquerque, New Mexico in
a hot air balloon. Grant was in the Duke City
for a Sunday
alumni dinner
and, by God’s
grace, ended
up stranded
here due to
a scheduling
mix up. While
Albuquerque
is known
for a great many attractions, including the
world’s longest Tramway, it is the sport of hot
air ballooning that put the city “on the map.”
Albuquerque hosts the world’s largest balloon
fiesta each October, inviting over 600 balloons
from around the world. During his visit here,
Grant and I explored the reasons why. Grant
often accused me of being full of hot air and
this was my chance to prove him – well – right.
Each morning we were greeted by gentle
winds that flowed from north to south over the
city. The first morning we flew over the mesa
west of town. From the air, we spotted quail, a
coyote, and lots and lots of rabbits. Our height
above the ground varied from just above the
sage brush to approximately 600 feet. We flew
for about 45 minutes and landed in a dry creek
bed (arroyo). The second morning we took off
from near the Rio Grande River and managed
to land in the middle of the river, where Grant
demonstrated his faith and got out of the
balloon basket to walk on the river. If you want
to know about how he did it, you will have to
ask him, because he had the camera and didn’t
take a picture of the feat. Once airborne again,
we drifted across town and landed in a vacant
field, only to begin another adventure…but
that’s a story for another time.
Floating about the city, we were afforded a
unique view of God’s marvelous creation.
From the river
valley below us
to Mount Taylor
75 miles away, we
marveled at the
very special place
that is the Land
of Enchantment.
Our flight reminds
us of just how
wonderful our God is and just how much you
can do with a little hot air.
13

its & pieces & bits & pieces & bits & pieces
Esther Miller (DLM 1990) writes:
I’m still with Global
Teams living in
Oregon but going
to Africa a couple
times a year. In 2008
I was in Uganda and
Sudan working with
Sudanese Refugees
for four months. This year I was in
Kenya and Uganda and will be going to
Manyoni, Tanzania to hold a Clergy and
Wives Conference in the Rift Valley. Fr.
Francis Matumba and Fr. Raphael Juttah
from Malawi will be joining me. We will
be sharing on “Working together for
the Lord” talking about “Relationships,
Calling and Hope and Commitment.” It
should be a lot of fun but hopefully will
also fulfill their needs.
From there, the three of us will be going
to Malawi to hold a four-day conference
for Usodzi (fishing) Missionary
Team and Global Teams Horizons
and Catalyst Conference. College for
Christian Ministries is still going strong
as well as Daughters of the King now
grown to over 70 Chapters and more
than 3,000 members... And it all started
for me at Trinity in 1989-90. I love being
in Africa but am now too old (73) to be
there full time.
_______________________
James Hart (MDiv 1990)
Chancellor and Moderator of the
Curia for the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas
14
STAY CONNNECTED
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ACNA, other), and especially your new
e-mail and contact info. This helps us
as we plan and host events across the
country. Additionally, we often receive
calls from donors or alumni visiting
other areas and looking for a parish in
which to worship.
NEW! Better Half Facebook Page
In June, Cathy Terry (Dean Terry’s wife)
asked Alumni wives at Homecoming
about ways Trinity could better help
and minister to them. Communication
was a major theme. While at seminary,
spouses were connected through
Campus News, but after graduation
the only contact is between Alumni
and Trinity. THEREFORE we created a
Facebook page just for spouses! It’s a
place to communicate moves, transfers,
prayer requests, family events, concerns,
etc. Here’s the scoop:
• The Facebook group is for current
student and alumni spouses.
• Once you join Facebook, do a
search for “Trinity’s ‘Better Half’.”
• Request to join, and we’ll get right
back to you.
The page has been set up in this
way to keep it secure for only
student and alumni spouses so that
your discussions, concerns, etc.
are not open for your parishioners,
neighbors, family to read.
Trinity Today
This fall Trinity began sending a
short, newsy, image-rich e-mail
to anyone interested in hearing
snippets about seminary life and
helpful thoughts. It is produced
1-2 times each month and is free.
To sign up, send a request to
trinitytoday@tsm.edu.
_______________________
From your Alumni Relations Office
This is my third – and probably
last – year at Trinity. My husband,
Michael, will graduate in May. The
thought of leaving here and not
“doing this work” puts that notso-lovely
knot in my stomach. I
truly mean it when I tell you that
communicating with you and
catching glimpses of your lives and
ministries has been a blessing I
had no idea would be mine.
Your calls and e-mails are so
important to me and to the Trinity
community. Whether it’s just to
chat, ask for prayer, or share job
postings, communicating with you
is why this position was created.
I close with prayers for each of
you in the ministry to which God
has led you. May God’s grace and
peace be truly known to each of
you and yours. I continue to pray
for you to grow in relationship to
our Father, and then to draw others
to Him.
Stevie Glor

Dear Trinity Alums,
Here are a few things to know about, be thinking about, be praying about...
Reunion: We hosted over 100 Trinity alumni in June and had a wonderful
time of fellowship, teaching, learning, fun, and food. One of Trinity’s own,
John Miller, a bishop in AMiA, spoke to us about spreading the Good News of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Bishop Alpha Mohammad brought us greetings from Africa
as well. It was a wonderful opportunity to get together with old friends and even make some
new ones. Not the least of our activities was fêting Jan Bova as she was preparing to retire after
thirty years of service at Trinity. It was a great time, and we hope you make plans to attend the
next one.
Alumni Executive Committee: We now have a bona fide alumni committee at TSM. After
decades of trying to do this with people in the field, we now have a dedicated group of folks
who have committed to be involved in the alumni life of TSM. The executive committee
consists of: Don and Cathy Curran, Paul and Lauren Rodgers, David and Jennifer Glade,
Greg and Beth Snyder, Shay and Tara Gaillard, Travis and Doug Boline, Christopher and
Janet Leighton, Jane Brock, John and Barbara Barrett , Tom and Terry Hendrickson, Dan
and Della Crawford (Alumni Board Rep), Dan and Michele Tuton, David Ball, James and
Sandra Shoucair, Jed and Stacy Roseberry, Joe and Amy Gibbes, John and Alysia Yates, John
and Blanche Heidengren, Mark Stevenson, and Tina Lockett. Of course, we could not do this
without staff support, and she is Stevie Glor. God bless her!!! If you have alumni concerns,
please contact Stevie, and she will get them to the right folks for action or consideration.
Financial Support: Please prayerfully consider supporting TSM on a REGULAR basis, and also
including Trinity in your parish operating budget for one percent. Please don’t think that the
size of the gift is too small to be of consequence. Regular, consistent giving is what we count
on to keep the lights on, so don’t be bashful about the amount. God loves cheerful givers, and
we hope you all have smiles on your faces.
Adopt a Seminarian: Some of you have students here at TSM and that is a wonderful blessing.
But even if you do not, please consider praying for someone on a regular basis. We could
even set you up to be a pen pal for someone here at TSM who is not experiencing that kind of
support from their home base. Send a note to alumni@tsm.edu for more information.
With tightening budgets at Trinity, the decision was made to fold Trinity Tidings content
into expanded quarterly issues of Seed & Harvest, starting in 2010. The hope is that this will
increase exposure for alumni and their reports and articles.
Speaking of articles, we want to ask for concise articles from those alumni who are either
engaged in full time mission work or who have gone on short term mission trips. We would
like to highlight non-MDiv degrees, although if you have an MDiv and have been involved in
mission work, please let us know. We particularly ask for photos!
May God continue to bless you, your families, your ministries, and your vision.
Don Curran and Paul Rodgers
Co-Chairs, Alumni Executive Committee
15

Trinity School for Ministry
Alumni Association
311 Eleventh Street
Ambridge, PA 15003
www.tsm.edu
Epiphany Quiet Day
Led by the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman
at Trinity School for Ministry
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
January 16, 2009
Plan ahead for upcoming opportunities:
June 7-11, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Ken Bailey, featured speaker
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Alumni Dinner
Author and lecturer in
Middle Eastern New
Testament Studies and
one of Trinity’s favorite
guest speakers.
Watch the web site for more information
www.tsm.edu