happening with our neighbors,” said Professor during ’s School for Leadership Training. “In the 21st century, we don’t need to travel 6,000 miles to meet others, ethnic others, racial others. We just need to open our doors or walk down the hall. We could do better to love our literal neighbors, those people closest to us.”

Evans’ point, made during a panel presentation on the themes of “neighboring” and “othering,” drew nods from listeners in Martin Chapel – all of whom had come to the two-day workshop to deepen knowledge and explore engagement with the diversities of politics, culture and theology in today’s modern church and culture.

Approximately 240 pastors and lay leaders from 16 states attended. At least eight denominations were represented: Brethren in Christ, Church of the Brethren, Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Mennonite Church USA, United Methodist, Lutheran and Unitarian Universalist. The event included four keynote addresses, workshops and a seminary faculty panel addressing the theme of “Yearning to Get Along 
 And Stay True to Ourselves.”

‘It is not enough to stay silent’

Participants ranged from veteran pastors to seminary students to laypeople such as Janelle Clark, of Newport News, Virginia, who is contemplating seminary studies. Pastor Sandy Drescher-Lehman has attended for the past seven years, anticipating by January, the need for collegial connection, spiritual sustenance and reflection “on where I was when I came last year — spiritually, emotionally and vocationally — and comparing that to my current place in the world.”

“As a white person living and working in a multicultural neighborhood,” Cynthia Lapp, pastor at Hyattsville Mennonite Church in Hyattsville, came to learn “more about racism and the ways white privilege functions … It is not enough to stay silent. Racism will not just fade away; we must act and speak.”

“I came to help uncover and discover what is often hidden in our racialized society and to consider how these forces of racialization are forming and shaping us as a church,” said John Stolzfus, Franconia Conference youth minister and campus pastor for Dock Mennonite Academy.

Reflecting after the event, Stolzfus questions: “How can we as leaders empty ourselves of our privilege and power in the self-emptying way of Christ in order to embody the incarnational love of God? To the extent in which we are not able to see or understand the suffering and struggle of the immigrant, racial minority, foreigner, sexual minority, or anyone who may be different from us reveals the poverty of our relationships. We need to be in proximity to and stand next to those who are “other” in order to truly be a neighbor.

With opportunities for worship, reflection and prayer in the midst of education, many came away with more questions than answers.

Mick Sommers, lead pastor at Ridgeview Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was “sobered by the realization that generations of attitudes and structure within the church will likely not be altered in a short span of time 
 I recognize within myself the need for a constant awareness and intentional mindfulness to counteract what has been my own socialization about race and power.”

Inequality and the ‘whitened Jesus’

, of Duke University Divinity School, and , of Messiah College, offered three extensive keynotes on the subjects of a practical theology of inequality, power and unity and the whitened Jesus, respectively.

Cleveland, a social psychologist, talked about the socialization of racism, the current politics of victimhood and related both concepts to Jesus’s statements and actions as a marginalized and oppressed person.

“If you looked to see where Jesus was socially located in every single one of his actions, how he emptied himself of his influence, platform and power 
 you’ll probably be astounded,” she said. “Jesus was always using his voice to make a point about what our relationships should be.”

Hart drew from history and culture to highlight the ubiquity of the “white European Jesus fixed in our places of worship,” an image that “bolsters a social system organized around racial hierarchy. “

While lifting up the constructed image of the blonde, Nordic and explicitly non-Jewish Jesus, Hart asked, “Where do we go with that image 
 to recover our Gentile identity? None of us have a copyright on Christianity or Jesus 
 Let us remember that it is someone else’s story that shapes our lives.”

Selected seminars summarized

A complete list of seminars is available .

Understanding the ‘other’ through the mirror/window of popular culture with Benjamin Bixler, PhD student, Drew University.

Bixler began with a clip of Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy Awards performance of “The Blacker The Berry,” in which the rapper and dancers, dressed as convicts, perform in the setting of a jail. Bixler discussed popular culture (movies, novels, music, etc.) as a way of engagement with “the other” on several levels: not only does the alternate world and characters offer alternate perspectives and provoke empathy, but the people who are discussing, analyzing or critiquing the work are also learning about themselves and each other.

Rebirth of a White Nation, with Dr. David Evans, EMS professor.

Evans facilitated discussions about white racial identity, a brief history of race in the United States, and the characteristics or qualities of “good white people” before asking the question “How might following Jesus be consistent or inconsistent with pursuing white status?”

“Race is national discipleship that teaches us the values we must have in order to belong to a certain status or group,” Evans says. “These values rival what Jesus calls us to be or to become … If we’ve been discipled into white nationalism, and no one was born white, then we’ve been converted into something that we need to be converted out of.”

How Do You Measure Life Change? The Role of Data and Measurements in Community Engagement with Wes Furlong, director of church development, EVANA network.

• Churches often take an input-focused approach to thinking about social/service work (e.g. pounds of food gather for food drive) rather than thinking carefully about outputs and desired impact.
• Serving communities, at its best, begins with careful work to fully understand context, strengths and assets and to ensure that all actors are involved.
• Those involved in social/service work need to avoid the temptation of taking a short-term or transaction view to their efforts and instead strive to take a systems view with a focus on the long-term.

Seeking the Peace of the City, with Dr. Johonna Turner, 91¶ÌÊÓÆ” professor, and Julian Turner, graduate student.

The Turners, both raised in the Washington D.C. area, also lived and worked there until moving to Harrisonburg. Johonna Turner was a public school teacher involved in peacebuilding and empowerment work with youth, while Julian Turner worked in social services, specifically with HIV-AIDS patients. The Turners led discussions, framed by Jeremiah 29.7, about perceptions of the choices inner-city citizens make and the visualization of a more peaceful and harmonious city. This was conjoined to a scriptural exploration of compassion as modeled by Jesus, leading to a model for action in connection, lamentation and amplification. Presenters emphasized that care and consideration for voices of all citizens, whether urban dweller or rural folk, because “we are all connected.”

Panel: Navigating the move from ‘other’ to ‘neighbor’ in the context of theological education.

A panel of seminary faculty — including Dr. Kevin Clark, Dr. David Evans, Dr. Lonnie Yoder, Dr. Andrea Saner, Dr. Emily Peck McClain, Dr. Kenton Derstine and Dr. Dorothy Jean Weaver — discussed the role of theological education and cross-cultural engagement in shaping the move from ‘other’ to ‘neighbor’ in students and communities; how society defines each of these terms; and issues of power and privilege in the seminary classroom.

“There was a lot of silence from the church about the things that mattered most to them and they felt as though there were conditions for the church’s acceptance of them,” she says. “If they dressed a certain way or behaved a certain way or if they left part of themselves outside the church, only then was there acceptance.”

To complete her doctoral dissertation, Peck-McClain is examining how the words of the Apostle Paul, written in the mid to late 50s A.D., speak to the lives of modern American adolescent girls such as the 24 she interviewed. And she’s getting significant help from the to do so.

She has received a one-year AAUW stipend for financial support as she finishes the dissertation, the final requirement towards earning a doctorate of theology in Christian education and New Testament from Duke Divinity School.

McClain recently moved to Harrisonburg, Virginia, from New York, where she had pastored three churches as an ordained Methodist minister. Her husband the Rev. Andrew Peck-McClain is a pastor at Mount Clinton United Methodist Church, a few miles west of Harrisonburg.

In August 2015, following the completion of her degree, she will become an assistant professor of Christian formation, preaching and worship, according to , PhD, vice president and dean.

Within a prestigious group

Peck-McClain joins a select group of women scholars to earn a fellowship for the completion of a doctoral dissertation. AAUW projects must promote education and equity for girls and women.

The first American Fellowship was awarded in 1888 to writer and historian Ida Street, a graduate of Vassar College and the University of Michigan.

“These are life-changing awards,” said Gloria Blackwell, AAUW vice president of fellowships, grants, and global programs. “We’re so proud to continue this wonderful legacy and to salute this new class of fellows and grantees. They now join the ranks of Nobel Prize winners, celebrated authors, social entrepreneurs, and prominent scholars who have used AAUW funding to advance equality for women and girls.”

Previous American Fellows include human rights activist Susan Sontag, Challenger astronaut and chemist Judith Resnick, news analyst and political commentator Melissa Harris-Perry, and medical innovator Jane Chen.

Research combines two interests

Peck-McClain’s dissertation is rooted in both an affinity for the writings of Paul and her long experience in youth ministry, specifically in her work with adolescent girls.

“In churches everywhere I went, I saw girls struggling,” she said. “They had problems with their body image or with cutting themselves or they had eating disorders or substance abuse problems. I wanted the church to have a response to that and to help girls lead their lives in a different way that might help them survive and thrive
 Once I started feeling called to doctoral work, then I saw a way to that these two could speak together, these girls who had walked with me and this scripture that speaks to my heart 
 I am reading Paul and reading the lives of adolescent girls next to each other and seeing how they speak to each other.”

Peck-McClain’s research involved 24 interviews with teenaged girls, all active members of the United Methodist Church in New York. She was specifically interested, she said, in “what they liked and didn’t like about their churches, the times when their church provided a meaningful experience, their experiences of the holy.”

At a time when many millennials are leaving organized religion, the church seems to overlook their singular gifts.  “Adolescent girls have an amazing strength and a perspective the church could really benefit from, but is missing,” she says. “I hope my work can help encourage the church to receive the gifts the girls bring with them, and also help churches reach out to young people, especially girls, in a way that empowers and fulfills them.”

Peck-McClain earned a BA in religion from Washington and Lee University in 2002 and a master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City in 2005.

Monica Comparagni, assistant professor of the practice of nursing

Comparagni earned a BS in nursing from 91¶ÌÊÓÆ” and a family nurse practitioner master’s degree from the University of Virginia. She brings experience as a local nurse practitioner and a practicing nurse in various areas. She was previously a nursing adjunct instructor at 91¶ÌÊÓÆ”.

DeAnne Chenoweth, instructor of political science

Chenoweth earned a BA in political science from Bethany College and holds two master’s degrees – an MA in international studies from the Claremont Graduate School and an MA in political science from the University of Maryland at College Park. She has been an adjunct instructor at James Madison University for the past 10 years. She has also taught at Indiana University in Bloomington, Illinois. Her research has focused on the politics of foreign and comparative official development assistance practices.

Marcy Dean, instructor of nursing

Dean earned a BS in nursing at Shepherd University and an MS in nursing at Marshall University. She brings nursing experience in the hospital, along with specific training and certification in advanced cardiac life support and end of life and pain management. She was previously an adjunct nursing instructor at 91¶ÌÊÓÆ”.

Janet Hostetter, assistant professor of the practice, artistic director of Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir

Hostetter earned a BA in music education from 91¶ÌÊÓÆ” and completed an MM in choral conducting at James Madison University. She has served as music instructor and choral conductor in a variety of settings: elementary, middle and high schools, and churches. In addition, she led 91¶ÌÊÓƔ’s university chorale for several years. She is the second artistic director of the acclaimed Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir since its founding in 1992 by Julia J. White.

Carol Grace Hurst, associate professor and director of social work

Hurst earned a BA in sociology from 91¶ÌÊÓÆ”, and an MSW and a PhD in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She brings many years of experience in the field and in educational settings. Most recently, she was director of continuing education and evaluation within the Corporate University of Providence, designing continuing education curriculum and teaching continuing education classes.

Ryan Keebaugh, assistant professor of music

Keebaugh earned a BA in music from Bridgewater College, an MM in composition from Shenandoah University, and a DMA in composition from the Catholic University of America. Beginning in 2008, Keebaugh taught in the Clarke County (Va.) Public School system and as an adjunct at several colleges. Keebaugh has won awards for his musical composition skills; in addition, he is an instrumentalist (euphonium, trombone and piano) and a vocalist.

Gregory Koop, assistant professor of psychology

Koop earned a BA from Goshen College with majors in psychology and history, and an MA and PhD in psychology from Miami University. He completed a post-doctoral position at Syracuse University where he worked in the memory modeling lab.

Emily Peck-McClain, instructor of Christian formation, preaching and worship

Peck-McClain earned a BA in religion from Washington and Lee University and an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary. She is finishing her ThD in Christian education and New Testament from Duke Divinity School, where she has been a teaching assistant. Peck-McClain recently received the honor of a fellowship from the American Association of University Women. During 2014-15, she will teach part time at the seminary.

Holly Scott, assistant professor of history

Scott earned a BA in English and justice, peace and conflict studies from 91¶ÌÊÓÆ”, an MA in American Studies from Pennsylvania State University, and a PhD in history from American University. She has previously taught as an adjunct at both 91¶ÌÊÓÆ” and American University. Her interests lie in the areas of youth, generational culture and student protest and activism.

Nancy Wise, instructor of nursing at Lancaster

Wise earned a BS in nursing from Millersville University and an MA in nursing education at Villanova University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in nursing at Villanova. Wise brings many years of nursing experience to the classroom, both in the hospital setting and as a nurse educator. She has been an adjunct nursing instructor at 91¶ÌÊÓÆ”’s Lancaster site as well as at Alvernia University.

After a thorough search process, Peck-McClain has been hired as assistant professor of Christian formation, preaching and worship, said , PhD, vice president and seminary dean.

“Formational resources, training, and activities have long been an EMS specialty,” he said. “We see Emily as particularly well-suited to be steward of this EMS treasure. Emily embodies and owns formational questions and considerations at great depth in her life, thought, and experience.”

Peck-McClain said she is excited by the position “because it combines what I see as essential in the practical theology and practice of ministry fields. I can tell that formation is something the seminary community as a whole truly values.”

Each degree at EMS has at least one full-year required course in Christian formation. The master of divinity degree has three full-year required courses. Peck-McClain will be giving direction and oversight to these full-year formation courses, in addition to teaching in preaching, worship and Christian education. , adjunct instructor and campus pastor, will continue to work with spiritual formation electives.

Peck-McClain’s work reflects her experience growing up in an interfaith home with one Jewish parent and one United Methodist parent and her education in liberation theology. As an ordained minister in The United Methodist Church, she has pastored two congregations in New York City.

“A community is enriched when different experiences of God and Christian living interact,” she told 91¶ÌÊÓÆ” News Service. “The diversity of how God reveals ‘Godself’ is a gift to God’s diverse global community.”

Peck-McClain said she was attracted to EMS’s commitment to “faithful Christian leadership in a global, challenging, and changing context.” She deeply appreciates the Anabaptist values at the core of EMS’s mission.

“One of the things that impresses me most about EMS is how formation is valued not only as a separate discipline, but as integral to how teaching and learning take place in the seminary. I seek to balance individual journeys and spiritual disciplines with communal practices, actions, and discernment in how I teach formation, preaching, and worship.”

Emily received a BA in religion from Washington and Lee University in 2002 and a master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City in 2005. She is finishing her ThD through Duke Divinity School. Her dissertation “Revealing the Power: New Creation Epistemology for Adolescent Girls” is on reading Romans 1-8 as a liberative source for ministry with adolescent girls. She has also been a teaching assistant, co-instructor, and adjunct instructor at Duke Divinity School in areas of Christian education, New Testament, and worship.