Winter 2010 Pulse - Nyack College

W I N T E R 2 010
A MAGA Z I N E O F A L L I A N C E T H E O LO G I C A L SEMINA RY
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DR. RON WALBORN
Answering
the call to a
Cross-Cultural
World
JESSICA SCHAEFFER
Her heart beats for Mali
JOSH THOMPSON
Common Ground

CONTENTS
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CONTEXTUALIZING
THEOLOGY IN THE EAST
ASIAN CONTEXT
BY DR. PAUL SIU
Theology professor shares an
excerpt from his new book based
on a paper presented to the World
Evangelical Alliance.
HOMECOMING NYC 2009
The New York City campus
celebrates its first ever
Homecoming. Alumni, faculty, and
staff launched the new tradition,
honoring their Alumnus of the Year
and the faculty work of a warrior
woman who recently went home to
be with the Lord.
HER HEART BEATS FOR MALI
BY BOB DICKSON
Long before Nyack College
envisioned a nursing program, one
ATS alumna considered serving in
this role to fulfill her passion for
missions.
THE RICHIE VIVOLO STORY
BY JAMES T. HOOBLER (ATS ’84)
An ATS alumnus pays tribute to the
humble man he led to Christ. His
investment of friendship resulted
in untold generosity expressed
by Richie Vivolo, who received
the love of Christ and then gave
it away to many students on the
Rockland campuses.
FEATURES
4
6
16
18
COVER STORY
10
DR. RONALD WALBORN
DEAN OF ALLIANCE THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY
Why didn’t God open the door for one so
willing to serve as a C&MA missionary in West
Africa? The calling to Dr. Walborn goes far
beyond a single pinpoint on a map.
COMMENTARY
2 FROM THE INSIDE OUT:
COMMON GROUND
BY JOSH THOMPSON
DEPARTMENTS
6 HAPPENINGS
12 ATSAA PRESIDENT’S GREETING
13 ALUMNI NEWS
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www.nyack.edu/ATS
1

FROM
THE
INSIDE
OUT
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COMMON GROUND
By Josh Thompson (ATS ’03)
FROM
THEPRESIDENT
Josh Thompson serves as campus pastor of The Outpost, an
Extension Campus of Neighborhood Church of Redding in Weaverville,
CA. Josh blogs regularly at www.theoutpost-it.blogspot.com.
I’ve always liked the name we chose for this publication.
The Pulse, is more than appropriate because the information
in every issue is designed to, above all, let you hear the
heartbeat of Alliance Theological Seminary. By telling the
seminary’s stories and by introducing you to the men and
women God is shaping for His service through this ministry,
this magazine is aimed at showing you the power and impact
of what God is doing through His people at ATS.
That’s especially true with this season’s issue.
As you read through its pages, you’re going to meet some
amazing people and you’re going to hear some amazing
stories. For example, you’ll meet Jessica Schaeffer, an ATS
graduate who is working as a missionary/nurse in a Christian
hospital in Mali. You’ll read the personal account of Augie
Mascaro (NC ’44 grad and a 36-year ATS/NC employee) who
participated in a Winterim trip to Israel. You’ll find an excerpt
from a book by one of our professors, Dr. Paul Siu, about
effectively bringing the gospel to East Asia. You’ll learn how
God is orchestrating our “Miracle in Manhattan”. And you’ll
meet (if you haven’t already) our new dean, Dr. Ron Walborn.
As you peruse these articles—as you glance at the pictures
and read the snippets about what our faculty, students, and
alumni are doing for the Kingdom around the world—keep in
mind that what you are really doing is taking our pulse. You are
hearing our heartbeat. ATS exists to proclaim the gospel and
to share the love of Christ with a hurting world.
As you will see from this issue, God has blessed us to be
able to do those things in mighty ways through His strength.
As a steward of the seminary, I am blessed to bring these
stories to your attention. I trust they will encourage and inspire
you, as they have encouraged and inspired me. I pray you will
be reminded, as I am constantly reminded, that ATS is the
Lord’s seminary. We are His people and the fruit produced here
comes from Him.
We give Him all the glory!
Michael G. Scales
President
I KNOW IT’S STRANGE. I KNOW IT’S UNREASONABLE
AND CRAZY AND FOOLISH – I KNOW.
But I’ve often been troubled by my perfect childhood… killed a lot of people in Vietnam. It’s a hard thing to feel worthy
there it is. As I’ve grown up and listened to the stories and of love.”
testimonies of those for whom life has been hard, there’ve He’s been through a divorce… he caught his wife cheating
been many fleeting moments where I felt cheated of a
on him. Trust no longer comes easy, he tells me. I sit in the
background that may have lent itself to a more fruitful ministry, much less comfortable seat opposite the man and pray
especially in a place like Weaverville. “If I’d had it rough like furiously. If I pretend to understand he’ll know me for the sham
that guy, I’d have had a better chance to share the gospel I am. I feel like he can see right through me, and I haven’t even
with him” goes the thought. “He’d listen to me because he’d said a word. I’m still thinking of something to say when this
recognize I understand his pain. Then he’d wonder why I was unlikely messenger from God settles my long silent question.
different.” I’ve often asked God why I’ve had such a sheltered “I know I’m a lot older than you,” he observes with a wry smile,
life. How does a sheltered life find any common ground to offer “and I know I’ve seen a lot more in this world. I’ve been through
the meaningful hope of the Gospel to broken lives, to haunted a lot that you haven’t. But I’m here because I know you’ve
lives?
seen what life is supposed to look like, and I don’t know where
One of these broken lives came into my church office. I can to start. I’m hoping you can help me get started on the right
immediately see he’s one of those men I can’t hope to relate track.”
to. He’s a Vietnam vet. There are a lot of helicopters in Trinity The common ground we shared was grace! The grace of
County, and as he sits in my office armchair where I seat my God saved us both. The grace of God granted me a healthy
guests to put them at ease. He looks anything but. He tells me history and heritage that seems to draw broken people to
that whenever a helicopter flies overhead he flinches. He has me. And the grace of God brought us together in that office
to fight the urge to hide.
meeting so I could keep pointing a broken life to Him for
His neck and back have been shattered. I can’t keep track healing. Thank you God, for my sheltered life. Thank you
of how many surgeries he tells me he’s had. He won’t take the God for the common ground between privileged and poor,
pain medication because it makes him mean, and he’s tired educated and unschooled, experienced and novice, pastor and
of being mean. “I can’t see their faces,” he says quietly, “but I layperson, “slave or free”-- the common ground that is grace.
2 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 3

BOOK
EXCERPT
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CONTEXTUALIZING THEOLOGY IN THE EAST ASIAN CONTEXT
By Paul Siu, Ph.D., Professor of Theology
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CONTEXTUALIZING
THEOLOGY
IN THE EAST ASIAN CONTEXT
WHEN ONE ENGAGES
CONTEXTUALIZATION IN THE
EAST ASIAN CONTEXT, ONE
MUST COME TO TERMS WITH
THE REALITY THAT EAST ASIAN
COUNTRIES SHARE A COMMON
CONFUCIAN HERITAGE IN CORE
SOCIAL VALUES.
Confucianism has formed the bedrock of East Asian civilization.
Throughout China’s five thousand years of civilization, the quest
of Chinese philosophy has primarily centered on a person’s
relationships to oneself, to others, to nature, and to Heaven (Tien).
Julia Ching, the renowned scholar of Chinese thought, writes
“Confucius was a religious man, a believer in Heaven as a personal
God, a man who sought to understand and follow Heaven’s will.” 1 To
the people of East Asia, an individual’s relationship to social order
and to the supernatural defines one’s own essential nature as well
as meaningful existence. The harmony in relationships, it is taught
and believed, will give the individual ultimate fulfillment.
Thus, the East Asian mind is exceedingly humanistic. It
is person-oriented, focusing on the harmony of multiple
relationships. This form of humanism is not to be confused with
the humanism of Renaissance Europe characterized mainly
by autonomy, individualism, and anti-authority. The Chinese
philosopher Wing-Tsit Chan sums it up well, 2
“If one word could characterize the entire history of Chinese
philosophy, that word would be humanism – not the humanism
that denies or slights a Supreme Power, but one that professes
the unity of man and Heaven. In this sense, humanism has
dominated Chinese thought from the dawn of its history…
Humanism was the outgrowth of historical and social change.
It began in the Shang (1766-1122 B.C.) period and gradually
reached its climax in Confucius.”
The Chinese humanistic spirit has always had a high ethical
ideal. According to the Analects, humaneness (ren) is a
supreme and all-embracing virtue. It refers to the practical
manifestations of being humane. The Chinese pictogram for
ren is made up of two symbols, one for person and the other
for number two. So ren means an attitude of harmony and
goodness that is prevalent between two persons. It denotes
not only the personal virtue, but it ideally embraces all social
virtues. 3 To be authentically human (ren) is to be able to
love others according to one’s proper relationship toward
them. These horizontal relationships will lead toward the unity
between the Heaven and humanity (tian ren heyi) – the ultimate
harmony. This concept of the unity of Heaven and humanity
underscores the essentiality of reconciliation between the
individual life and the Heavenly Way.
In this connection, people in East Asia have a unique
theological concept of suffering that is different from people
in most parts of the world. People in Latin America, for
example, view suffering as a socio-political problem that must
be resolved. The entire Liberation Theology in Latin America
is built on this premise. On the contrary, people in East Asia
tend to take suffering as a reality to be transcended to the
level where they may experience connectedness with the deity.
They treat suffering not so much as a problem to resolve but
as an opportunity for spiritual (religious) experience. Humans
who can transcend the mundane and become one with the
Heavenly Way are ‘beyond all harm’ and achieve ‘tranquility in
the midst of strife.’ Merging with the Heavenly Way is a sure
means to eliminate pain and suffering.
I believe a Christian theology with its main focus on the
human person made in the image of God fares well with the
East Asian cultures, which are characteristically personal and
relational. In fact, the characteristic of relationality can be
found right within the triune Godhead, the personal nature of
the Father, Son, and Spirit. There is the mutual interpenetration
(perichoresis) between the three persons. They relate to
one another, exist in one another, and act in unison while
maintaining their own individual identity and personhood. Both
the immanent trinity and the trinity of the economy of salvation
inform us that the biblical God is a relational and social deity.
Human beings are created in the image of God (imago Dei)
of which the capacity for relationality is quite a conspicuous
characteristic and is, rightfully, an emphasis laid by the
evangelical postmodernists who believe that the real is
relational and the relational is real. 4 Human beings are
created in a dependent relationship to their Maker and to one
another. Such an accentuation on relationality in theological
construction and social ethics is highly congenial with Asian
social and cultural values. It fares well with the ancient
Confucian emphasis on harmonious relationships at multiple
levels – relationship with God, with oneself, with others, and
with nature – which ultimately lead to the sublime harmony
between heaven and humanity. At the center of these multiple
relationships is the image of God (imago Dei) at work drawing
them centripetally into the reality of the triune God who is
supreme and sovereign over all things, so that God may be all
in all, just as the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:28.
Editorial Note:
This abstract is from Dr. Siu’s paper “Globalization, Postmodernity, and
Globalizing Theology” presented to World Evangelical Alliance (WEA)
Contextualization Summit at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University, August,
2008. This paper is a chapter of a forthcoming book published by WEA.
1 Hans Küng and Julia Ching, Christianity and Chinese Religions (New York:
Doubleday, 1989), 67.
2 Wing-Tsit Chan, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press, 1973), 3. See also Hans Kung and Julia Ching,
Christianity and Chinese Religions, 59-127.
3 Confucius, The Analects. Tran. Raymond Dawson (Oxford, UK: Oxford
University Press, 1993, 2000), xxi. See also Deborah Sommer, ed.
Chinese Religion: An Anthology of Sources (Oxford, UK: Oxford University
Press, 1995), 41-48.
4 Carl Raschke, The Next Reformation: Why Evangelicals Must Embrace
Postmodernity (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004), 158.
4 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 5

HAPPENINGS
HAPPENINGS
DR. TITE TIÉNOU NAMED
PROFESSOR EMERITUS
Dr. Tite Tiénou was named Professor
Emeritus of Nyack College and Alliance
Theological Seminary, honoring his 25
years of meritorious service to academia
and his influence as a global church
leader. Dr. Tiénou is senior vice president
of education, professor of theology of mission and academic
dean at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois
and has been a member of Trinity’s faculty since 1997.
Prior to his post at Trinity, Tiénou served as president and dean
of the Faculté de Théologie Evangélique de l’Alliance in Abidjan,
Côte d’Ivoire West Africa, and taught for nine years at Alliance
Theological Seminary (ATS). He was the founding director and
professor of the Maranatha Institute in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina
Faso, in addition to being a pastor in the Central Church of the
Christian Alliance Church.
His doctor of philosophy in intercultural studies and the
master of arts in missiology were earned at Fuller Theological
Seminary in Pasadena, CA. He earned the Maîtrise en
Théologie at Faculté Libre de Théologie Evangélique in Vauxsur-Seine,
France. In 1971, the Nyack Honor Society member
graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in theology from
Nyack College.
Tiénou’s areas of expertise include missions, theology, and the
church in Africa. He has been a member of the African Studies
Association since 1991 and the OMSC Study Group on Mission
Issues since 1985.
The author of numerous books including, The Theological
Task of the Church in Africa (African Christian Press, 1990),
published in both English and French, he has published articles
in Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology, Evangelical Review of
Theology, Alliance Life, and Evangelical Missions Quarterly.
In the Nyack College/ATS community, Dr. Tiénou’s influence
is legendary. His impact on former ATS students and
fellow faculty has been profound—an invaluable part of the
seminary’s DNA.
CHINESE CHURCHES ASSOCIATION
SUPPORTS CHINESE BI-CULTURAL AND
PASTORAL MINISTRIES PROGRAM
Alliance Theological Seminary received a $25,000 gift from the
C&MA’s Chinese Churches Association to support operations
of its Chinese Bi-Cultural and Pastoral Ministries Program.
Founding director and advisor of the program, Dr. Philip Teng,
recognized a need for trained pastors to minister to the
significant influx of Chinese immigrants from different parts of
Asia to North America. The ATS program was established in
1987.
Dr. Teng structured the program so that for three-fourths
of curriculum, the Chinese students would attend the same
classes with Anglo (or Caucasian) students, as well as with
international students from Africa, Middle East, Latin America
and South East Asia. This cross-cultural exposure would
provide opportunities for the Chinese students to benefit from
Western theological education. For the remaining quarter
of the curriculum, Chinese students would be in a primarily
homogenous class in courses designed for ministry to the
Chinese churches in North America.
In addition to mentoring from a team of full-time professors
and adjuncts, internships are provided for students in area
churches where pastors also mentor them. Because of the
ATS commitment to missions, the program is fertile ground for
developing missionaries and pastors. In addition to speaking
English, some of the students speak Mandarin and Cantonese.
Dr. Stanley Kwong, Chairman, Advisory Board of the ATS
Chinese Studies Program and senior pastor at Queens Herald
Church in New York, says, “Many other programs have come
and gone. But for the past 22 years, the Chinese Bi-Cultural
and Pastoral Ministries Program has proven to be the most
lasting and the most effective training program of its kind,
in equipping capable and godly servants to serve locally in
North America as well as globally in cross-cultural settings.
Our graduates have become the best recommendation of the
program.” Dr. Kwong is also a member of the Nyack/ATS
Board of Trustees.
REV. JOHN SOPER HONORED
Rev. John Soper, Vice President for
Church Ministries with The Christian
and Missionary Alliance, was honored
at the Alliance Theological Seminary
Luncheon for alumni and friends during
the C&MA General Council held at the
Kentucky International Convention
Center in Louisville, KY this past spring. The award recognized
his Outstanding Ministry and Service to Alliance Theological
Seminary and The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
Little Italy’s S.P.Q.R. was the site of NYACK New York City’s first
ever Homecoming event. On October 22 alumni, faculty, and staff
gathered at the restaurant to celebrate the great strides of the
Manhattan campus since leaving in 1897 before its return to the
city in 1997. In the wake of the “Miracle in Manhattan” initiative to
find a new facility for Nyack/ATS students, this gathering of friends
made another bold statement about Nyack staking its claim to a
permanent spot on the Manhattan landscape.
Alumni Association president, Minister Donna Baptiste and Ms.
Cora Taitt, ATS Alumni Board Member, presented the Alumni of the
Year award to Rev. Joshua Rodriguez, pastor of the Cityline Church
in Jersey City, NJ. The non-denominational, bilingual congregation
founded in 1991, where Rev. Rodriguez and his wife, Paula, are
senior pastors, is comprised of more than 1,200 worshippers
from diverse racial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
A native of New Jersey where he and his wife, Mimi,
spearheaded a church-planting movement for the C&MA from
1974–1983, Soper has also served in Australia as a lecturer
in Practical Theology at the Alliance College of Theology
in Canberra and as the Field Director for Australia. He has
been an adjunct professor at Alliance Theological Seminary
on the Rockland County campus. From 1989–1992, he was
the Director of Church Planting for the C&MA’s Metropolitan
District. In the Northeastern District he served as the pastor
of the Fulton Alliance Church. Since 1996, he has been
a member of the Board of Trustees of Nyack College and
Alliance Theological Seminary. Twice he has been elected to
the Board of Directors of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
HOMECOMING NYC 2009
Members of Cityline Church who attended the banquet were
thrilled for their pastor. Eric Estrada, a Cityline member remarked
about Rev. Rodriguez, “What he preaches, you will find behind
closed doors in his home.” Issa Musharbash added, “He is a
spiritual father to many of us at the church and a father to other
pastors also.”
Rev. Rodriguez graduated with honors from Alliance Theological
Seminary, with a master of divinity degree. Recognized in Who’s
Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges, he
earned a bachelor of science in organizational management at
Nyack College and was inducted into the Omicron-Psi National
Honor Society.
6 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 7

MAKE AN
INVESTMENT
G ET
A GUARANTEED
RETURN!
It was my privilege to join 49 others, ATS students and older adults like myself, on the January 2009 ATS
study trip to Israel, led by Dr. Bryan Widbin. I come back from the trip feeling that every part of my being was
touched by God and by those who traveled with me. The impact on me spiritually, emotionally, physically, and
socially will be long remembered.
Dr Bryan Widbin’s devotional at Chorazin was most stirring, as he used the old Israelite custom of a man
courting a young girl, his future wife, to make an analogy of Christ’s drawing us to himself in love.
I cried throughout his message, with overwhelming joy for what Christ did for me in reaching out to me. I
am sure the impact it had on me will be long-lasting. The worship chorus “I Stand in Awe of You” expresses my
inner response.
Invest in tomorrow’s Christian leaders being educated at
Alliance Theological Seminary today. You’ll make a difference in
the world. Members of this special group of investors believe in
our mission of preparing men and women for service. They have
a philanthropic spirit to help fund excellence in education and see
the world impacted by the global engagement of our graduates—
now more than 26,000 strong.
Use the convenient business reply envelope in this magazine to
become a member today. For more information, phone Michael
D. Scales, Director of Development at 866.721.7946 or email
MichaelD.Scales@nyack.edu.
I STAND IN AWE OF YOU
You are beautiful beyond description, You are beautiful beyond description
too marvelous for words
Majesty enthroned in love.
Too beautiful for comprehension,
And I stand, I stand in awe of You
like nothing ever seen or heard
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Who can grasp your infinite wisdom? Holy God to whom all praise is due,
Who can fathom the depth of your love? I stand in awe, of You.
As we concluded our devotional one of the tour members offered me a tissue to dry my tears.
On another day we traveled to Ein Avedat also known as the “Valley of Death Shadows” where we hiked
into the canyon and had an inspiring devotional on the 23rd Psalm. At least two months before the trip Bryan
had advised that I return to the bus at the conclusion of the devotional for a ride to the top of the canyon to
meet the others, since I had a recent hip replacement and continuing muscle pain. However at breakfast that
morning he encouraged me to reconsider.
After the devotional, we climbed up the wall of the canyon through a series of stairs, rising switchback trails,
and two ladders. At the end of the day I had a slight lower backache. It was also difficult to climb up four flights
of stairs (no elevator in the hotel) to my room.
However the next day a miracle occurred in which all pain and ten months of muscle tightness in my leg
were gone. I am now able to walk without any discomfort almost as well as before I broke my hip. Praise the
Lord!!!!
Ron and Marilyn Eastman
Paul and Margaret Glenn
David and Marlinda Ireland
Tony Jaston
T.Y. and Jean Lee
Bill and Gladys Rueckle
Mike and Susan Scales
Duane and Norma Wheeland
Barbara Austin-Lucas
Tom and Joyce Bailey
Kerry and Debbie Graff
Rex and Jean Boda
Josh and Melinda Scales
Bryan and Lucy Burrell
Brian and Sheila Carlblom
Paul and Marilyn Carpenter
Bill and Ruth Chapin
Neal Clarke
Flo Cobaugh
Jeff and Heather Cory
Wayne and Darlene Crowder
Charles Dale
Elias and Amelia Dantas
Glenn and Carole Daves
David and Dorothy Denyer
Gary and Mary Hamilton
Glenn and Judy Harris
Tom and Andrea Hennessy
Fred and Carrol Henry
Dave and Cindy Jennings
Len and Janet Kageler
Dean and Joan King
Dorothy King
Luther Klatt
Mike and Joyce Knefley
John and Barbara Koch
Deanna Kwan
John and Priscilla Laski
Dennis and JoAnn Looney
Mark and Ticia Meehan
Roger and Doris Parsels
Chuck and Ethel Rigby
Dwight and Tawnya Safer
Beth Scales
Herb and Dottie Schmidt
Scott and Diane Slocum
Hank and Jennifer Snyder
John and Mimi Soper
Crystal Telfair
Henry and Kathleen Thompson
Eustace and Carolyn Tonge
David Turk and Vara Neverow
Bob and Elaine Turner
Ron and Wanda Walborn
Mark and Magda Wellman
Deanna Weyman
Rose-Marie Armstong
Ruth Bailey
Tom and Janice Bailey
David and Martha Balkin
Mario and Rachel Barrett
Bob and Eunice Brewer
Steph and Paula Clark
Jim and Marian Davey
Steve and Brenda Dixon
Gene and Millie Dotter
Charles and Dot Droppa
Penny Foland
Bill and Carol Ann Freeman
Grace Gabrillo
Rich and Kathy Gathro
Doug and Helen Gettle
Julio and Lucy Guzman
Bill and Betty Haberer
Dion and Grace Harrigan
Elizabeth Harris
Claire Henry
Stanley Hiers
Victor and Juanita Hogan
Steve and Judy Julian
Marie Kenote
Young Kim
William Lam
Shirley Lemberger
Rexford and Terry MacGregor
Lesly and Carole Milord
In Hak and Soyoung Moon
Jim and Ann Muckell
Roy and Evelyn Naevestad
Peter and Jerry Nanfelt
Sunny and Virginia Ng
Dick and Eleanor Pease
Harold and Nancy Perkins
Miles Reese
Dorothy Ritter
Luis and Carol Robles
Antonio Salva
Michael and Kim Scales
Ben and Dona Schepens
Arnold and Nelle Seefeldt
Bruce and Becky Sexton
Pamela Shaw
Barb Shiffer
Jesse and Gweneth Stevens
Ed and Bea Turner
Jane Votava
Kelvin and Doni Walker
Harold and Ruth Werley
Russ and Dottie Wunker
8 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 9

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COVER
STORY
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DR. RONALD WALBORN
by Bob Dickson
DR. RON WALBORN MAY HAVE WONDERED WHY GOD
TOLD HIM NOT TO PURSUE MISSIONS ABROAD WHEN
HE WAS A STUDENT BACK IN 1987.
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DEAN OF ALLIANCE
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Already a Nyack graduate and just a few courses away
from earning his masters of divinity from Alliance Theological
Seminary, he was more than ready to follow the path of his
missionary training.
In fact, he and his wife, Wanda, already had plans to serve
with the C&MA in Guinea, West Africa. But God had other
plans. He would certainly use Ron and Wanda to build His
kingdom abroad – just not in any way the pair could have
possibly imagined.
“When I went to seminary back in the early eighties, it
was very much a training ground for missionaries – a heavy
emphasis on anthropology combined with theology,” Walborn
says. “I thought I was going to Africa to plant churches. I was
on an overseas track, but God called us to the U.S.”
That call led Ron and Wanda to northern California in 1989,
where he planted Risen King Community Church in Redding.
The Walborns served in Redding for 10 years, during which
time Ron completed his doctoral studies at Fuller Theological
Seminary and taught part time at Simpson University.
In the midst of all that ministry, Ron learned a valuable
lesson. His training, so tailored for missions work in foreign
lands, was bearing some amazing fruit right where he was.
“I found that the kind of missionary training I got at Nyack
and ATS is actually the best kind of training for pastoral
ministries,” he says. “Wanda and I were missional before the
word existed because that’s how we were trained – to be
missionaries in a non-Christian culture.”
In 2000, God called Ron and Wanda (and their four children)
back to the Hillside, where he was named the head of the
Pastoral Ministries Department at Nyack College. Five years
later, he became the associate dean of Bible and Christian
Ministry. For eight years, Ron has invigorated students,
faculty, and staff with his enthusiasm and commitment to the
school’s mission.
His ministry came full circle when he was appointed the
new dean of Alliance Theological Seminary.
“Ron Walborn has such a love for God and a genuine desire
to serve,” says Nyack and ATS President Michael Scales.
“The entire Nyack community has been blessed by his
presence and I am excited to see the Lord continue to work
through him in this new position.”
Dr. Walborn has a clear vision for the seminary. After
seeing the training he received at ATS open so many doors
of ministry in his life, he’s eager to see it do the same for the
men and women training there today.
“I want to recapture that Missions Training Institute feeling
that Simpson had,” he says. “I’m really excited about the
practical dimension, combining missiology with theology …I
did my doctor of ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary,
and Fuller’s probably the only other seminary in the nation
that I can liken to the same DNA as ATS. It has the school of
world mission right alongside the school of theology. I think
we combine those two things at ATS. That’s what I’m most
excited about.”
In other words, Dr. Walborn wants to see believers
equipped the way he was equipped – for the purposes of
making an impact in non-Christian cultures. The difference is
he recognizes that for many, that non-Christian culture may
very well be right here in the U.S.
Dr. Walborn understands that wherever God calls ATS
graduates to serve – on the missions field or in the pulpit –
combining theological training with a missions mindset leads
to powerful results. He also understands that the results
ultimately belong to God. So does the plan, really. And that
plan is always perfect. His own ministry is a testament to that
fact.
God called him away from an international ministry
20 years ago, or so he thought. Today, because of the
experience he acquired serving in the U.S., he brings a vision
to seminary as well as to the college that has shaped and
will continue to shape hundreds of men and women who will
minister all over the planet.
That’s a large mission field.
10 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 11

ATSAA NEWS
ALUMNI
NEWS
CONTEXTUAL
THEOLOGY
Glocalization is the buzzword used in many areas of
business and leadership studies today. The term simply
means going global with a product or idea, but adapting
the product or idea to the local market, culture, or context.
To many in various sectors of society, this glocalization is
a fairly new ideology or phenomena rippling throughout the
world. However, since the early 1980’s, professors at Alliance
Theological Seminary (ATS) have already been teaching this in
the form of Contextual Theology.
Seminarians studying for international missions are
challenged to export the gospel, theology, church polity and/
or counseling methods dressed and packaged in western
modernity. Instead professors schooled students in the art
of deciphering the social, economic, religious, and historic
aspects of the country of interest with an eye towards
understanding the mindset and mores of the people. With
deeper insight into the culture, one was instructed how to
unpack and repackage the message into the context of the
culture being examined. Because of an Alliance Theological
Seminary education, this writer was able to unpack discipleship
materials developed for the American and European context
and repackage the literature to fit the West African context
from 1992 to1997. The final product was a Discipleship
Training Manual adapted to the West African church, which
made accommodations for all levels of literacy.
In keeping with the Nyack/ATS core value of being globally
engaged, administrators, faculty, and staff of the institution
ultimately all work toward one aim. That goal is to equip and
empower all students—regardless of their discipline of study—
to be able to effectively advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ in
every cultural context on earth.
FORERUNNER OF
GLOCALIZATION
Was not Christ Himself the epitome of contextualization
through the incarnation? Since we are followers of Jesus Christ,
ought not we imitate His example? Consider what the letter to
the Philippians tells us about the incarnation.
Philippians 2:5b-8 “. . . Christ Jesus . . . who being in
the very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking
the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness,
and being found in appearance as a man humbled himself
and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.”
John 1: 1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word and the Word
was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the
beginning. . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling
amongst us.”
God the Son became man and therefore presents to us the
ultimate example of contextualization.
Global engagement is not relegated to cultural relevance,
but rather to effective advancement of the gospel of Jesus
Christ and to equipping the church glocally/contextually in
culture. It is my privilege to be a product of an institution that
educates beyond the textbook and prepares its alumni to
impact the global community.
His servant and yours,
MINISTER DONNA A. BAPTISTE
President, ATS Alumni Association
Metro District Evangelist (C&MA)
President, Donna Baptiste Ministries
’71 Steve Renicks and wife Diane
Renicks (NC ’71) returned to the United
States after serving as missionaries
with the C&MA for 29 years in Brazil.
They were involved in three church
plants. Eight Brazilian couples from
those churches are currently serving
in the Brazilian Alliance as pastors and
missionaries.
’76-77 Doyle Carlbom attended ATS
when it was called the Alliance School
of Theology and Missions (ASTM).
He and his wife, Dori, have served as
missionaries with the C&MA since 1981.
Twenty-four years of service were spent
in Taiwan. In 2007 they transferred to
the China field and now serve on the
Alliance’s China Link team. Most of the
members of their team live in Hong
Kong. They will be supporting provincial
leaders of the registered church in Hubei
to help them and local church leaders to
strengthen local churches enable them
to reach their communities with the
gospel.
’83 Richard Herring C&MA Regional
Director, Asia Pacific, and his wife,
Wendy, began their service with the
C&MA in Thailand following graduation.
Mrs. Herring completed half of her
required 30 hours of bible and theology
at ATS. After finishing language study,
they served in Thai church ministries,
leadership training in rural areas and
then taught in two Thai bible colleges.
They served as the field director couple
on the C&MA international ministries
leadership team and celebrated 25
years of service with the Alliance in
2008.
’86 Dr. Joseph
B. Modica is the
university chaplain
and associate
professor of
biblical studies at
Eastern University
in St. Davids,
PA, where he has served since 1993.
He was ordained by The Christian and
Missionary Alliance and pastored the
Queens Center Alliance Church from
1986 to 1988. He edited a volume of
essays, The Gospel With Extra Salt:
Friends of Tony Campolo Celebrate His
Passions for Ministry (Judson Press,
2000). He also co-edited a book of
essays with Dr. Scot McKnight of
North Park University entitled, Who
Do My Opponents Say That I Am?:
An Investigation of the Accusations
Against the Historical Jesus (T& T Clark/
Continuum, 2008)
’87 Warren
Bird, a regular
contributing ATS
faculty member
since 1995,
has co-authored
a book with
fellow ATS alum
Max McLean.
Unleashing the Word: Rediscovering
the Public Reading of Scripture was
published by Zondervan (2009) in
book and CD format. Zondervan also
published Dr. Bird’s 20th book, A Multisite
Church Roadtrip: Exploring the New
Normal with Geoff Surratt and Greg
Ligon.
’88 Robert
Bishop is
executive director
of the faith-based
agency Dayton
Christian Center
in Ohio. He is
also president of
the National Association of Community
Action Ministries, which is based in
Phoenix, AZ. The association is made
up of agencies around the country
and in Puerto Rico who are involved
in increasing intrastate and interstate
programming.
’88 Scott Kevin Toenges completed
his D.Min. in apologetics and graduated
summa cum laude Southeastern
Evangelical Seminary. His dissertation
was entitled, “World Religions and Cults:
The Promotion and Implementation
of a Secondary Christian High School
Curriculum.” Scott teaches at The First
Academy, a private Christian college
prep high school in Orlando, FL. His wife,
Karen, is a public school teacher. They
have two children, Lars, age 10 and
Cole, age 7. Scott’s in-laws are Rev. and
Mrs. Daniel Rinker who served at Nyack
College/ATS from 1981-1988.
’89 Timothy Westergren is a C&MA
missionary in Spain, where he and his
family, find themselves anchored by
God’s call. He defines his multifaceted
role as “teacher, counselor, pastor,
motivational speaker, preachers, writer,
editor, and camp director.” He clarifies
that “Spain has only enjoyed democratic
and religious freedom for the last 30
years, after 500 years of inquisitorial
government and spirituality. The moral
hypocrisy and cultural mistrust that
this history engendered toward vital
12 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 13

Christianity, coupled with the lack of
healthy indigenous church models and
ALUMNI
NEWS
’01 Dr. Paul Dordal is 336th Military
Police Battalion chaplain and was
included building new relationships
with schools, churches, non-profits and
WHAT IN THE WORLD
ARE YOU DOING?
experienced leadership necessitates the
deployed to Iraq in the summer of 2009.
crisis-pregnancy centers, training 30
catalyst of Christian workers from other
“Though most of the unit’s preparation is
new mentors and childcare volunteers
cultures.”
focused on combat support operations,
to serve the teenage mothers, pregnant
it is my job to ensure that the soldiers
teens, and their babies.
’90 Jonathan Schaeffer and his wife
Mary have served at Grace Church
in Cleveland, OH for ten years. They
are grateful to witness so much life
transformation and to experience what
God is doing in a vibrant local church.
In addition, their five children— Lauren,
are prepared spiritually and emotionally,”
says First Lt. Dordal. “Already the
soldiers are sensing a greater need for
spiritual preparation: chapel attendance
has increased, as has my counseling
load. Pray for me to have an extra
measure of God’s grace and power to
Saah (’09) and Julia Hali (’09), while
visiting in West Africa (Ghana, Togo, and
Liberia) started a youth organization,
Unity Alliance in Liberia to nurture
the spiritual, social, emotional and
intellectual development of youth. The
Whether you are church planting or pastoring,
doing missions work abroad, or involved in community
development, we want to hear from you and about
you! Have you written a book that’s blessing the Body
of Christ? Are you conducting seminars or workshops
that are developing future leaders and influencing the
We’d like to consider your 300-500 word story. Please
email your submission to Deborah.Walker@nyack.
edu or by postal mail to Deborah Walker, Director of
Publications & Media Relations, Nyack College/ATS, 1
South Blvd., Nyack, NY 10960. High resolution digital
photos (JPEG or TIFF format) are welcome.
Nathan, Joy, Anna, and Andrew—are
minister to those who are hurting.” In
group is already established in the United
marketplace? Let us inform or encourage someone with
We’ll be checking the in-box and the mailbox.
evidence of God’s supernatural power.
They were told by physicians that they
his absence, Paul also asks the campus
community to pray for his wife, Martha,
States. The objective of this support
ministry is to unify young people of all
your personal account.
would not be able to conceive. Jonathan
and their three children—Micah, Andrew,
denominational backgrounds through
recently finished his doctor of ministry
and Naomi.
worship, fellowship, sports, workshops,
at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and
evangelism, outreach and missions.
serves in a part-time role as Corporate
Vice President of the C&MA.
’00 Jean-Christopher Bieselaar was
invited to give a lecture at the Reformed
Seminary of Aix-en-Provence, France
on “The Spiritual Legacy of the French
Cultural Revolution of May 1968” last
fall.
’05 Karil Greaves is the YoungLives
Coordinator for New York City. She has
been serving women and teen moms
since 2003. YoungLives New York
Metro ministers to Fairfield County (CT)
New York City & Port Chester (NY).
The mission of the group is to reach
teenage girls who are pregnant or are
new mothers. Objectives for 2008-2009
ALUMNI AWARDS AT
GENERAL COUNCIL 2009
Alumni of the Year Awards were
presented at the 2009 C&MA General
Council of The Christian and Missionary
Alliance at a luncheon for alumni and
friends held at the Kentucky International
Convention Center in Louisville, KY.
’06, 09 Rev. Dr. A.R. Bernard was the May
2009 Nyack/ATS Commencement speaker
and was awarded an Honorary Doctor
of Divinity. The founding senior pastor of
28,000-member Christian Cultural Center
in Brooklyn, NY, also earned an M.Div. In
2008, Dr. Bernard was named president of
the Council of Churches of the City of New
York (CCCNY), the oldest ecumenical council
of churches in America. Bernard, author of
Happiness Is, was on the New York Magazine
list of “Most Influential New Yorkers.”
Please email your submission to
Deborah.Walker@nyack.edu.
14 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 15

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ALUMNI
PROFILE
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JESSICA SCHAEFER
by Bob Dickson
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HER HEART BEATS
FOR MALI
YOU COULD SAY THAT JESSICA
SCHAEFFER WAS BORN TO BE
A MISSIONARY.
The 2005 graduate of Alliance Theological Seminary (ATS)
grew up in The Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) and
while other children her age were contemplating the next
episode of “Barney”, she was dreaming of going into the field.
“Ever since I was young, I thought about being a
missionary,” she says.“ I decided to go into medical missions
when I was in junior high.”
Jessica’s passion for missions pursued her through
high school and college. Ultimately, it drew her to nursing
school and then to ATS. There, while she was studying for
her Masters in Divinity degree, God filled in the final piece
of the puzzle. Jessica met visiting missionaries from Mali,
West Africa. From them, she learned of the great need of its
people.
Imagine a nation of 12 million people where just one
percent claim to follow Christ. Imagine a country twice the
size of Texas without a Christian hospital. Imagine a country
where 1 out of 15 of its women die in pregnancy and
childbirth, and where 25 percent of its children never make it
to their fifth birthday.
Jessica knew where God was calling her to serve. After
graduation, she applied to serve in Mali with the CMA. Within
months of receiving her degree, she was on a plane heading
east.
Her first stop, however, was not her final destination.
“I spent the first year in France learning the language
before I even made it to Mali,” she says. “I was wondering
what I’d gotten myself into. But wanting to be a good
missionary, I did not want to offend anyone culturally.”
After a year’s study in French, Jessica traveled to Mali,
but her preparation was far from over. French may be Mali’s
official language, but most of the Malians speak Bambara.
“I wouldn’t say I’m fluent,” she says. “But I do pretty well.”
Finally, Jessica was ready to serve. And God had already
arranged the ideal place for her to do that. In May of 2006,
the doors opened at the Koutiala Hospital, Mali’s first
Christian hospital.
The Koutiala Hospital (www.KoutialaHospital.org) serves the
women and children of Koutiala. Since it opened, more than
4,500 babies have been born there. That’s about 160 every
month.
The hospital performs regular pediatrics consultations,
well baby check ups, and baby immunizations. Every day the
saints there hold a clinic for women who come for prenatal
visits (they see 60-100 women a day). Per month, doctors
there perform about 30 surgeries.
At the same time, Jessica and the rest of the staff point
patients to Christ.
“We are an overtly Christian hospital,” she says. “We have
chaplains and one preaches every morning to the women
waiting to be seen. And we take opportunities to pray with
them during rounds. The people can see that we value
women and children in a culture where they really are not
valued as much.”
Of course, there has been opposition. One local Muslim
teacher told the people not to come. But the people refused
to heed the warning.
“God has been really good,” Jessica says. “The hospital
has gained a good reputation in the community. In the
hospital, patients are in such a vulnerable place. For a nurse
to love and encourage them is so important. They have such
big hearts and big smiles. You get very quickly rewarded.
It can be a stressful profession. But even on hardest days
I really love my job. It’s a privilege to love and care about
patients and talk about Jesus. The women here are slow to
accept Christ. We see about three conversions a month. But
seeing God at work and being a part of that is a privilege.”
Jessica is back on home assignment for a year, which
she plans to spend speaking via missionary tours at CMA
churches and catching up with family and friends. In the
summer of 2010, she returns to Mali for another four years.
Her heart beckons her back to Koutiala.
16 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 17

LEGACY
HONORED
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RICHARD VIVOLO
By James T. Hoobler (ATS ’84, NC ’83)
HONORING A
“DID YOU EVER KNOW THAT YOU’RE MY HERO
AND EVERYTHING I WOULD LIKE TO BE?
I CAN FLY HIGHER THAN AN EAGLE
FOR YOU ARE THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS.”
by Bette Midler
“In this life we have three lasting qualities – faith, hope and
love. But the greatest of them is love.” St Paul I Cor. 13
On November 9, 2009, Richard “Richie” Vivolo, age 66 and
long-time member of Living Christ Church went to be with his
beloved Savior. Joining Living Christ Church in Nyack (formerly
Simpson Memorial) in 1981 after a Nyack College student
befriended and urged him to embrace a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ, Richie impacted people almost from day
one of stepping foot in church. Not one to discriminate,
Richie treated everyone at Living Christ with profound love
and kindness. No matter what age, gender, skin color or
economic status, Richie was there with a giant smile and hug.
His kindness towards the college and seminary community
became epic as he poured his life and financial resources into
students – assuming the role of friend, spiritual mentor, big
brother and surrogate parent. He became in many ways the
“wind beneath our wings,” a type of hero to us.
Richie set himself apart from most because he loved others
unconditionally. Richie struck students as distinctly different
from some church adults. He wasn’t just religious, he was
real. He wasn’t afraid to say it, and he wasn’t afraid to prove
that Christ’s love was something breathtakingly wonderful.
After long days in New York City overseeing enormous printing
contracts for Fortune 500 companies Richie would drive
from the city to Nyack College and ATS to love on students.
Always the encourager, Richie took students out to eat at highend
restaurants, drove them to Yankee and New York Giant
games and treated them to Broadway. No matter what issue
a student was facing, Richie possessed a gift for empathizing
with our struggles and throwing out a rope of love to pull us
through.
Richie was generous...no, Richie was lavishly generous.
Richie’s tithe to the church was just the beginning of his
amazing generosity to others. Richie bought high quality
winter jackets for missionaries home from Africa while his own
jacket was worn and faded. He paid off a financially strapped
couple’s unpaid doctor’s bill. He helped finance a student
through Seminary. He bought soccer shoes for a college
soccer player. He paid off a Seminary graduate’s loan to get
him overseas for missionary service quicker. He dropped
off weekly diapers for a couple’s newborn. He purchased
a transmission for a student’s broken down truck. Richie’s
friends would implore him to spend more of his earning on
himself, but he’d wave them off. He’d have nothing of it. He
truly and completely lived for other’s happiness.
And now he’s gone. Heaven gained, but we’ve lost a
once-in-a-lifetime friend. But Richie’s flame has not died out
completely. Christ’s Spirit in him lives on. Those he loved now
have the opportunity to be a “Richie” to others. To be the wind
beneath someone else’s wings. To love a hurting young man
or woman – wondering if someone truly cares – wondering if
they are going to make it. To be someone else’s hero.
THE RICHARD “RICHIE” VIVOLO
STUDENT BENEVOLENT FUND
The Richard “Richie” Vivolo Student Benevolent Fund honors
the memory of a friend to decades
of Nyack College students. The late former resident
of Valley Cottage, NY was known for his encouragement,
kindness and generosity to Nyack students who attended the
former Simpson Memorial Church (now Living Christ Church)
in Nyack, where he was a head usher. The fund would help
students with financial needs that are not related to tuition,
room, and board. Funds would be awarded to students
with emergency situations that require transportation home,
payment for unexpected medical expenses, or other personal
crisis circumstances. Donations to the fund can be mailed to
the Advancement Office, Nyack College, 1 South Blvd., Nyack,
NY 10960. Checks should be made payable to Nyack College,
noting the Richie Vivolo Student Benevolent Fund in the memo
portion. Gifts can also be made at Nyack’s convenient secure
online giving site at www.nyack.edu/content/NyackGiving.
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18 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 19

PLEASE PRAY
WITH US
FOR THE
MIRACLE IN
MANHATTAN!
1. Thank God for the miracle of a debt free building in
Manhattan of at least 150,000 square feet that will
allow Nyack/ATS to become a great Christ-centered
University.
2. Pray for the provision of wise counsel for President
Mike Scales and the Nyack/ATS Board of Trustees and
campus leadership.
3. Pray for our faithful Nyack and ATS faculty and staff
who have committed to serving the institution and the
students of the college and seminary.
Miracles are birthed in a place
where heaven and earth converge.
In the gateway city of New York,
Nyack College dares to believe
the impossible dream…
Will you join your faith with ours
Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary has
embarked on a search for property in Manhattan that
will house our New York City campus! “The Miracle in
Manhattan,” a $70-$100 million project, will establish a
permanent home for our students studying in nearly 50
undergraduate, graduate, and seminary degree programs.
4. Pray for the necessary financial resources that will be
required to purchase and/or prepare a facility to serve
as our new campus home in Manhattan.
and help us prepare for
The Miracle in Manhattan?
Why do we call it a “miracle?” In the natural, it is impossible
for us to come up with the necessary resources for this
monument to God’s faithfulness. For us…but not for our
5. Pray that our current students will continue and finish
well as they are educated and prepared to be emerging
leaders in the global community.
God.
Now is our moment in NYACK’s 127-year history to anchor
the New York City campus in a facility—a hub of Christian
6. Pray for God to speak to the hearts of individuals
who can be transformational givers to the Miracle in
Manhattan project.
scholarship and a virtual launching pad for world-changers—
that will position us for growth and further outreach to the
cities of world.
7. Pray for those God will use to secure the perfect facility
that will meet current and future needs with the potential
for growth at the New York City campus.
For more information on how you can be a part of
this vision, please visit, www.nyack.edu/content/
MiracleManhattan_Give or phone the Office of
8. Pray for favor with city boards in all facets of the
approval process for occupying the new facility.
Advancement at 1.866.721.7946.
9. Pray for opportunities to strengthen or develop alliances
with NYC government officials, churches, corporations,
and community leaders.
10. Pray that God will be glorified by the countless lives that
will be impacted by the increasing presence of Nyack
College and ATS in Manhattan.
www.NYACK.edu/MiracleManhattan
20 PULSE FALL 2009 www.nyack.edu/ATS 21

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Alliance Theological Seminary
350 N. Highland Avenue
Nyack, NY 10960-1416
Admissions: 1-800-541-6891
Main Campus Number: 845-353-2020
New York City Campus: 212-625-0500
Address Service Requested
www.NYACK.edu/ATS
By Ron Walborn
For as long as I can remember I have heard older Pastors
and Christian leaders utter a phrase that I always appreciated
but did not fully understand: “I just want to finish well.” Now at
the midpoint of my own ministry, I find myself starting to say
the same thing: “I just want to finish well.” This, however,
means I must begin to understand exactly what it takes to
finish well. My suspicion is that the key to “finishing well” is
“starting well” and then continually reminding oneself of the
essentials of your history and heritage as you grow older.
Isaiah refers to this discipline of remembering your
foundations this way:
“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek
the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to
the quarry from which you were hewn; [2] look to Abraham,
your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.”
Isaiah 51:1-2 (NIV)
Simply put, Isaiah is saying, “If you want to finish in
righteousness and be found in the Lord, you must look to
or remember the place where you started.” At Alliance
Theological Seminary we want to lay the kind of foundation that
will allow our students to start well, live well and ultimately to
finish well. Our courses offer an integrated approach blending
the best of historical theology with present ministry skills
adding the ability to see with vision where God is calling us into
the future. With foundations of Spiritual Formation and Biblical
knowledge, our prayer is that ATS students will be equipped
and prepared to finish well and declare with Paul,
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. [8] Now there is in store for me the crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all
who have longed for his appearing.”
2 Tim. 4:7-8 (NIV)