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BTI Executive Director’s Third Quarter Report, January – March, 2012

By Rodney L. Petersen, Executive Director

Third Quarter highlights include the decision by the BTI Board of Trustees to ask the Executive Director to

inaugurate a 12-18 month study of BTI operations in light on current contexts and the articulation of a new

mission statement. The Executive Director has begun to lay the foundation for this study through

conversations with the Personnel Committee and other trustees and faculty mentors. Additional activities in

this quarter included acknowledgement of Judson-ABCFM200, a program of the International Mission and

Ecumenism Faculty Committee, and foundational work for the BUSTH conference, “Interfaith Just

Peacemaking,” May 12-23.

The BTI Office anticipates moving from Sturtevant Hall to Farwell Hall, remaining on the Andover

Newton campus, at end of March or early April. This may result in some inconveniences.

Request for Decisions by the Board Based on this Report:

1) In the pursuit of the BTI Self-Study, Petersen would like to put together a consultation committee

(names to be ratified by the full Board or Personnel Committee). Does the Board see its way

forward on this? (See initial draft of self-study reviewed with the Personnel Committee and letter

to faculty working groups as attached here in appendix B.)

2) The BTI office is working with Or Rose (on the advice of Daniel Lehmann) to see if it is helpful

for some presence or appropriate way for the BTI to acknowledge the 90th

anniversary of Hebrew

College (May 9, 2012). Should the BTI office proceed?

3) Does the Board wish to offer guidance to Petersen, working with Dudley Rose (BTI Board

Treasurer), for developing the budget for 2012-2013?

4) The Field Education Directors have nominated Lewis Randa, HDS Field Education Supervisor

and Founder/Director of The Peace Abbey to be the next recipient of the BTI Humanitarian

Award. Can the Board ratify this nomination? (The award would be presented in the fall at the BTI

annual dinner and lecture.) See the Appendix A to this report for information on Randa.

Highlights of the Third Quarter

I. Administration

Academic Deans: A second meeting of Academic Deans was held on February 28. See the Minutes as sent

separately. The group elected Catherine Cornille (BC, DT) to be chair of the Academic Deans working group. The

development of cooperative doctoral seminars and other ideas were foremost in discussion.

Deans of Students and Community Life: A second meeting of Deans of Students and Community Life is scheduled

for March 7. Details will be reported to BTI trustees.

Library Directors: (Esther Griswold, BC STM, Chair) The Library Directors met three times thus far, discussing

issues of general orientation, information on EBSCO e-books, and affirmed a new EBSCO contract at

considerable savings to the schools through consortium purchasing. Librarians will meet again on March 22 to

take up questions related to the BTI self-study.

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Field Education Directors: (Laura Tuach, Chair, HDS; Frank Tully, GCTS/CUME Assistant Chair) The Field

Education Directors met for a fourth time this academic year for discussion around placement, mentoring,

assessment and prison ministry. The BTI Field Education Directors have nominated Lewis Randa, HDS Field

Education Supervisor and Founder/Director of The Peace Abbey to be the next recipient of the BTI Humanitarian

Award. Field Education Minutes are available.

Marketing and Public Relations: The number of schools that make explicit reference to the BTI on their websites

and in printed material has increased over the past year. The national market advantage we face in our schools will

continue to be pursued by the BTI office. This is enhanced first of all by the reputation of the faculties of each

school, by our re-commitment as a consortium to Hispanic connections, ecumenical and interfaith identity, and

international work as a body of scholars. The value of the certificate programs rests on these relationships. See

information further in this report.

Registrars: Marian is working with added tutoring for new registrars toward obtaining necessary information for

the unified online catalogue. He has also created an additional category for the online catalogue, doctoral

seminars.

Consortia Directors: I have alerted Stephen Graham and Daniel Aleshire of our BTI Self-Study plan to reconnect

with consortia directors in the month of March.

BTI e-Newsletter: We continue to be concerned about communications and the adequate distribution of the

BTI e-Newsletter….

Auditor’s Review and Budget, 2012-2013: The Financial Review was completed in the last quarter and

distributed to the Board in January. Together with the Board Treasurer (Dudley Rose), the BTI office

would like to see to any guidance on setting the budget for 2012-2013. (Budget will need to be approved at

the Fourth Quarter and Annual Meeting, Wednesday, May 9.

II. Programming (including Support/Endorsement) in the Second Quarter

Several proposals have been sent to the BTI Sub-Committee on Program (Carter and Hollinger).

A. BTI Programs

1) The Annual BTI Dinner and Lecture is being coordinated with Fr. Triantafilou and HCGOST. It is

expected to highlight the 75th

anniversary of Orthodox education through HCGOSTh.

2) International Mission and Ecumenism (with certificate)

This faculty committee is chaired by Todd Johnson (GCTS); Daryl Ireland (BUSTh) offers student

coordination. Next year’s chair is Fr. Luke Veronis (HCGOST).

1) Indications are that we may have as many as 20 IME certificate students.

2) The Mission Consultation in February which focused on the 200th

anniversary of the 2012

mission of Adoniram and Anne Judson and the first work of the ABCFM drew strong

attendance and national recognition in The Christian Century and Reuters International; co-

sponsored with the Mass. Council of Churches, United Church of Christ, American Baptist

Churches, Congregational Library, etc.

3) Ongoing work from 2010boston (publications and conversations). See book jacket in

appendices. Endorsed by Kwok Pui Lan (EDS, past president of AAR).

4) Beginning Ecclesiology study - with Gerard Mannion (Margaret Guider [BCSTM], Raymond

Helmick [BCDT], Jack Davis [GCTS] and others.

5) Planning proceeding for BTI workshops with GCTS (lead role) in 2012 (“The Silk Road”). This

will be our 22nd

seminar-workshop. Discussions respecting 2013 and BC (possibly to take a lead

role), “The Rule of Law” in Lahore, Pakistan, dependent on Board decisions.

3) Religion and Conflict Transformation (with certificate)

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1) Programming and work continues through BUSTh leadership. New program administrators

were appointed, Maya Dietz and Kasey Cox.

2) A focus of current planning is toward an event acknowledging Inter-faith Just Peacemaking,

May 21-23. (This will be coordinated with previous work in BTI schools.) We expect a

balanced group of Jewish, Christian and Islamic academic leaders. Funding is through the end

of a Luce grant to BUSTh.

3) A gathering for a student “de-briefing” is forecast for March 21 of those who went to Israel and

Palestine from ANTS, BUSTh, GCTS/CUME and SJS, to be held at Hebrew College.

4) The BTI-wide RCT brochure was updated.

5) Grading completed on the course offered in Jamaica under WCC auspices. This was work out

through the cooperation of BU STH and United Theological College of the West Indies.

6) Working with an international ecumenical committee to put together a course on Just Peace and

with work of the churches for the 10th

General Assembly of the World Council of Churches

(October, 2013) in Busan, Korea.

7) Work on going with “Churches and the Cold War.”

4) Science and Religion (online Journal)

Work proceeds with David Damian (BUSTh) and Professor Norman Faramelli (EDS and BU) have given

continuing encouragement as well as networking with Vincent Maraventano (IF P&L; ANTS campus).

1) Journal of Faith and Science Exchange, vol. 6 completed. See at:

http://digilib.bu.edu/journals/ojs/index.php/jfse/index

2) Preliminary planning for a 10th Anniversary of the Human Genome Project

5) Hispanic Program

1) Leadership from Hofsman Ospino (BC-STM) and M. T. Davila (ANTS).

2) In conversation with Benjamin Valentine (ANTS) about how to enlarge Hispanic-oriented work

and the Orlando and Rose Costas Hispanic Lecture series.

3) Arranging for the HSP institutional support meeting (October).

B. BTI Institutional Support

• EDS “Silk Road” Conference linked in with BTI (GCTS) Seminar-Workshop

• American Society of Missiology – Eastern Fellowship (participation at the annual in November at

Maryknoll); see www.ASMEF.org for ongoing planning.

• Religion and Ecology EarthDay Symposium, with Community Metropolitan Ministry, Inter-faith

Power and Light, student groups at HDS, EDS, BUSTh and other: April 25-26.

• HDS Women and Ministry: Organized by Kathleen Mroz, HDS Field Education student of Petersen;

series: March 1, 6, 26, 27.

C. BTI Endorsement

• Refugee Immigration Ministry events, coordinated with Field Education

1) Support EDS work with Susanne Snyder

2) Refugee Immigration Ministry International Concert

• Various Restorative Justice Forums (often with the Center for Restorative Justice, Suffolk University):

ongoing work with Alternatives to Violence; Church and Prison; Restorative Justice in Norfolk Prison.

With Church and Prison: plans underway for a conference in October 2012.

• Interfaith Issues: A number of events have been endorsed: See the website.

1) Working with Jennifer Peace and Or Rose in planning spring 2012 events.

2) Board member, Inter-Religious Center on Public Life

• REFO500 – faculty discussions continue after meeting at BC-STM in October with faculty; possible

gathering in later March, including Mark Heim (ANTS), Catherine Cornille (BC-DT), Christopher

Brown (BU), Mark Massa (BC-STM), Raymond Helmick, SJ (BC DT), Monica Toft (HU), Frank James,

Gwenfair Adams and Gordon Isaac (GCTS), etc.

• Academy of Preachers (assist with visits to various faculty: Stephanie Paulsell, HDS; Robert Hill, BU;

and others).

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III. Academic Concerns

A. Cross Registration: See website for statistics.

B. Certificates of Joint Faculties

1) Fresh online documents have been prepared for the two BTI certificates in International

Mission and Ecumenism and in Religion and Conflict Transformation. (Two certificates are

currently senescent, Science and Religion and Youth and Young Adult Ministries.)

2) Following our example with BTI certificates in Boston the Washington Theological

Consortium has instituted two certificates in Ecumenical Relations and in Muslim-Christian

Dialogue and is looking into additional areas for certificates of study, Jewish-Christian

Relations and Science and Religion. Two others are in development.

C. Faculty Colloquia and Committees

1) Faculty Colloquia (8 faculty groups)

a) OT/Hebrew Bible: Larry Wills (EDS) and Greg Mobley (ANTS) as leadership. – reports

good attendance

b) NT: on hold: Contacting Thomas Stegman (BC, STM) and Simon Lee (ANTS)

c) Patristics: Annewies van den Hoek (HDS) – reports good attendance

d) Theology: Les Muray (Curry College) and Mark Heim (ANTS) – c. 12 faculty and

graduate students present at each of two gatherings in February and March….

e) Comparative Theology: John Berthrong (BUSTh), Frank Clooney, SJ (HDS), and

Catherine Cornille (BC, DT) – reports good attendance

f) Ethics: Norman Faramelli (BUSTh) and Tom Massaro (BC) for 2011-2012. Ethics series

for second, third and fourth quarters:

February 21 – Walter E. Fluker will introduce us to the work of The Howard

Thurman Center under the direction of Boston University. Professor Fluker is the

Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Ethical Leadership and the editor of the Howard

Thurman Papers Project. (15 faculty and 2 graduate students present)

April 10 – David W. Gill, Mockler-Phillips Professor of Workplace

Theology & Business Ethics, Director, Mockler Center for Faith & Ethics in

the Workplace.

g) Liturgy and Worship: John Baldovin, SJ (BCSTM)

h) Hispanic Fellowship: MT Davila (ANTS) and Hosffman Ospino (BC – STM)

2) Chairs of BTI Program Committees (in discussion for 2011-2012)

a) International Mission and Ecumenism: Todd Johnson (GCTS) – continuing next year

b) Science and Religion: Kirk Wegter-McNelly (BUSTh) - needs review

c) Religion and Conflict Transformation: Tom Porter (BUSTh) and Raymond Helmick, SJ

(BC-DT) – needs review

3) Faculty Task Forces: In the past we have had such task forces around issues of Religion and

Conflict, Ecclesiology and in other areas. Depending on deliberations by the Board, I would

like to see the following task forces take shape next academic year:

a) REFO500 with Historians and others – in process

b) Interfaith Planning, particularly Jewish-Christian relations and inclusive of Muslim

interests as able

c) Science and Religion certificate (perhaps in bioethics)

4) Annual International Workshop a) Silk Road (spring 2012)

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b) Religion and the Rule of Law: Lahore, Pakistan (spring 2013): The BTI International

Mission and Ecumenism would like to endorse either a workshop in Burma/Myanmar or

Pakistan, subject to Board approval.

5) Ecumenical Education

a) Planning is proceeding for Busan (fall 2013). Planning meetings were held on September

22 and November 3.

b) Planning with GCTS (Todd Johnson) on “The Silk Road” (Western China) for 2012

c) Planning with BC (Ray Helmick, SJ) and with Titus Pressler (formerly EDS) on “The

Rule of Law” for 2013 (Lahore) – and in Lahore with Syed Imad-ud-Din Asad (Center

for Law and Policy, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan)

6) Teaching

Spring term, “International Conflict and the Ministry of Reconciliation” (BUSTh)

[(Simion): course at BC.]

Current plans are not to teach in 2012-2013 but to devote attention to the BTI Self-Study.

7) Field Education/Work Supervisor/ or Reader

(Petersen); Simion is also involved in Field Education Supervision

a) Kathleen Mroz (HDS)

b) Jin Young Kim (HDS) – Simion

c) Ross Steinborn (HDS)

d) Mark Shan (GCTS/CUME; London School of Theology)

e) Frank Lan (ANTS)

IV. Communications

The Third Quarter has seen the following:

1) Continued marketing efforts with Development persons in the schools.

2) Publication of the fall 2011 edition of the BTI Magazine: This edition summarized work from the

2010Boston conference and the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (Jamaica).

3) Publication of the fall 2011 edition of the BTI Magazine: lead articles by Alan Brill and Mark

Heim; Reviews by Pheme Perkins, Harvey Cox, Todd Johnson and Tom Porter.

4) The BTI Magazine has now been accepted by and is now registered with EBSCO.

5) Work on the Williams’ manuscript which documents an “ethos” formative of the BTI; manuscript

under consideration with Harvard University Press.

6) Website Development Components: Continue to update and Conceptualize: 1) E-Newsletter, 2)

2010-2011 Course Catalogue, and 3) institutional component

7) Website; www.2010boston.org – in process of being reconceived as a Mission and Ecumenism

website under the IME committee

8) Website www.heritages-and-horizons.org being reworked for Development and Marketing

9) Survey being made for possible advertisements for the study of religion and theology in Boston in

major journals

V. Executive Director’s Representation of the BTI in the First Quarter

A. General and Periodic

• Meetings of Presbytery of Boston and PCUSA General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and

Inter-Religious Relations (periodic and in Louisville)

• Massachusetts Council of Churches (Board member) and Commission on Christian Unity

• Walker Center for Ecumenical and Interfaith Exchange (Board member)

• Foundation for Prison and Church (Board member)

• Refugee Immigration Ministry (Board member)

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• Lord’s Day Alliance, USA (Board member)

• Regular Preaching, Presbyterian churches and Scandinavian Living Center

• Various retirement and honorary dinners

• Funeral Events: Fr. Stanley Morrow, SJ; Fr. Edward O’Flaherty, SJ

B. Special Speaking or Program Activity in the Second Quarter

• January 11 – Brighton-Allston Church

• January 15 – Scandinavian Living Center

• January 18 – Council of Foreign Affairs

• January 27 – Perkins Auditorium, Dorchester (“Three Strikes”)

• February 4 – Lord’s Day Alliance

• February 5 – Tabernacle United Church of Christ, Salem

• February 8 – Costas Consultation in Global Mission, ANTS

• February 16 – Harvard Divinity School

• February 17 – Tabernacle United Church of Christ, Salem

VI. Executive Director’s Publications in Second Quarter

“What I learned in Zenica about Forgiveness,” in Jennifer Peace, Or Rose, and Greg Mobley, eds., My

Neighbor’s Faith. Stories of Interreligious Encounter, Growth, and Transformation (Maryknoll: Orbis

Books, 2012).

“Healing and Forgiveness: An Interfaith Perspective,” in Healing God’s People: Practical Skills and

Pastoral Approaches, ed., by Thomas Kane (New York: Paulist Press, 2012).

“The Apocalyptic Luther – Exegesis and Self-Identification,” in The Myth of the Reformation, ed. by Peter

Opitz (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 2012).

VII. Fourth Quarter - 2012 Initial Overview

Projected BTI Focal Events

March

• Women and Theological Education: Series of four sessions organized by Petersen’s Field

Education Student, Kathleen Mroz (HDS): History (Petersen), Theology (William and Aida

Spencer, GCTS), Ecclesiology (Frank Clooney, SJ), Practical Issues (Stephanie Paulsell, HDS)

• Religions and Peacebuilding: Inter-Church Center and the United Nations, March 30

April

• 10th

Anniversary of Human Genome (provisional);

• Earth Day Symposia: April 25-26

May

• Hebrew College – 90th

Anniversary: May 9

• BUSTh Interfaith Peacemaking Conference; May 21-23

• BTI Annual Workshop: “The Silk Road” (with GCTS): May 24 – June 11

June

• Consortia Directors & ATS – Inter-religious theological education;

• Hispanic Summer Program

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Appendix A: Field Education Directors’ Nomination for Humanitarian Award

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Appendix B – Letter for Self-Study to Faculty Working Groups

(Letter to Academic Deans and Deans of Students)

February 10, 2012

Friends –

BTI Trustees (presidents, deans and rectors of the schools) have asked

that we enter into a 12-18 month review of the BTI in which I focus

for my part on such a review. In addition to other things, this review

might ask: 1) what is it that we as individual schools bring to the

consortium and, 2) what is it that we hope to derive from consortial

relationships.

Toward this end, I am developing a process of self-analysis, to be

reviewed by the trustees that will begin this spring and extend into the

next academic year. I hope that I, and together we, can develop a

suggested path into the future by around a year from now.

The BTI as an entity – and to be sure its member schools – is regarded

positively not only in our local setting, but internationally.

Nevertheless, many changes have occurred in our individual schools

and in the wider academic and religious world, within which we

operate – a wired revolution, enhanced interfaith realities, changes in

denominational, church and religious structures of support and

expectation. We could go on. Each school has gone through or

continues to go through such a process of self-analysis. It must also be

true for the consortium.

Beginning with our spring luncheon I will be asking for your

assistance in designing a process by which such a study can be

facilitated. I do hope you will respond positively and quickly to the

request that we meet together to be sent around on “Doodle.com” later

today. If necessity dictates we will set up additional times so that

beginning thoughts can be garnered from all over the next several

weeks.

With thanks,

Rodney Petersen

Executive Director