Class Notes

News

Waite Willis, Jr. 75T 83PhD retired from Florida Southern College after 47 years in August 2024 as the college’s longest standing professor, head of the department of religion, and Edward J. Pendergrass Chair in Theology. Read an article on Willis’s career and impact from the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church.

F. Douglas Powe, Jr. 98T 04PhD has been appointed president of Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Jasmine Smothers 08T, senior pastor of Atlanta First United Methodist Church, was interviewed by ABC News about how churches can overcome closure, sharing Atlanta First’s plan to redevelop its land into over 300 apartments, many of which will provide affordable housing. 

Crystal Stevens McElrath 10L 10T and Brandon Stewart 10T were honored as two of Emory’s 2024 “40 Under Forty” for their pioneering work in the fields of economic justice and military chaplaincy.  

Tait Brooks 16T penned the op-ed “Behind the Scenes in DEI: The Fights Within” for Inside Higher Education. 

Anna Blinn Cole 16T, lead pastor of Cobleskill United Methodist Church, has been appointed to the College Council of SUNY Cobleskill.  

Meredith Harmon 24T has been appointed as pastor at Maury Island Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit in Washington State. 

D.E. Paulk 27T will speak at the Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast at Emory University on January 11, upon invitation from Dekalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. His speech is titled “Message of Unity.” 

In Memoriam

David Willard Cox passed away on December 2, 2024.

William “Earl” Crutchfield passed away on December 18, 2024. 

John Olin Alexander 98T passed away on December 27, 2024.  

News

Clinton Hubbard 90T has been appointed superintendent of the East District of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, effective  July 1. He is currently senior pastor of Tuscaloosa First United Methodist Church.  

Bernice A. King 90L 90T delivered the keynote address at Old Dominion University’s 40th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Observance on January 28. 

Dallasteen Yates 03T reflected on how  the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. impacted her childhood and influenced her life’s work in law, ministry, and social justice at the Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Scholarship banquet at the Gifford Youth Achievement Center in Vero Beach, Florida. 

Greg Pimlott 04T published his new book Pastoral Pause: Planning Your Renewal Leave (Upper Room) in August 2024.  

Crystal McElrath 10L 10T served as the keynote speaker for Emory Law School’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lecture centered around the theme of “The Injustice of Poverty: King’s Fight for Economic Equality.” 

Ted Goshorn 15T 21T recently published his new book, Raise Your Ebenezer: A Field Guide to Suffering (Advocate Press). 

LaRyssa Herrington 20T and Carol Tucker-Burden 20T 23L discuss creative writing, the embodiment of Black women, and the intersection of faith and ecology, while reflecting on Herrington’s contribution to the book Green Saints for a Green Generation in Tucker-Burden’s Looking For Drinkable Water Podcast. 

Jay Horton 22T recently published an op-ed for The National Catholic Reporter’s Earthbeat exploring how former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s environmental legacy is being carried forward by faith communities.  

In Memoriam

William Ray Finklea 57T passed away on February 1, 2025.  

James L. Hyatt Jr. 65T passed away on February 5, 2025. 

Robert “Kim” McIntire 71T passed away on January 6, 2025. 

David Galloway 76C 79T passed away on December 6, 2024.   

Victor M. Wilson 92T passed away on January 19, 2025.  

Wayne L. Reed 03T passed away on February 2, 2025.  

News

Acacia Bamberg Salatti 99T was recently named a senior adviser to U.S. Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina. Salatti previously served in Clyburn’s office for five years and has also held leading roles as staff director of the House Democratic Faith Working Group and director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She most recently served for three years as vice president of external affairs at UnitedHealth Group. 

Brian Tillman 11T 23T, senior pastor of Atlanta’s Central United Methodist Church, was quoted in the first of a four-part United Methodist News series on legacy Black United Methodist Churches that are keeping traditions alive while also making innovations in ministry. 

Ted Goshorn 15T 21T writes that after being diagnosed with a rare health condition in 2024, he made a career change and now serves as a financial advisor with Edward Jones, offering financial guidance from a faith-based perspective. Goshorn is based in Bryson City, North Carolina, but works with clients across the country.   

In Memoriam

Palmer Temple 59T passed away on February 21, 2025 

Thomas “Tom” Byars Wilkes Jr. passed away on February 26, 2025.

News

Bill Britt IV 83T, senior pastor of Atlanta’s Peachtree Road UMC, received Candler’s Distinguished Alumni Award for Lifetime Achievement, which honors Candler graduates whose lifelong service has had a profound impact on their communities, congregations, and the broader church.  

Al Lewis 88T was featured in an article discussing his role in fostering racial reconciliation and unity in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Jonathan Watts 90T recently joined the staff of Trinity United Methodist Church Huntsville as Pastor of Congregational Care. 

Bernice King 90L 90T was selected by the International Women’s Forum (IWF) to be the inaugural speaker for the Susan Hammer Memorial Lecture at the upcoming IWF World Leadership Conference in Seattle, Washington. 

Susannah Davis 95T, founding pastor of Kirkwood United Church of Christ, was honored at the 2025 Emory Pride Awards with the Susan Henry-Crowe Keeping the Faith Award, which honors those who have demonstrated a commitment to justice and inclusion within faith communities.  

Sherry Turner 98T has been selected as the 12th president of Hartford International University for Religion and Peace in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Andromeda “Andi” Woodworth 99Ox 01C 07T, pastor of Atlanta’s Neighborhood Church, was honored at the 2025 Emory Pride Awards as Emory Pride Alum of the Year in recognition of their work in LGBTQ+ advocacy, both within Emory and in broader faith communities. 

João Filimone Sambo 10T has been elected as a bishop of the Africa Central Conference of The United Methodist Church. 

Belinda Rives 10T has been appointed as the new pastor of Forest Lake United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, effective July 1. 

George “Drew” Terry 12T recently joined the Church Building and Loan Fund team as a regional mission interpreter, offering consultation and support to UCC and Christian congregations through capacity-building programs and services. 

Hillary Taylor 18T, a United Methodist minister and director of South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, was interviewed by Religion News Service about her time spent as spiritual adviser to South Carolina death row inmate Brad Sigmon.  

Darrin “DJ” Sims 21T was selected to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2025 40 under 40 list for his work as director of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights’ Truth and Transformation program.

In Memoriam

Thomas Andrew Watson II 82T died on February 17, 2023. He is survived by his wife Debra Starling Watson 82T. Read more. 

News

Alice Rose 10T recently published her new book Redeeming Christianity (Bilbo Books).  

Shannon Fleck 21T was newly appointed as executive director of Faithful America, following her leadership of the Oklahoma Faith Network where she advocated against Christian nationalism and worked on various social justice issues. 

Congratulations to alumni Jazzy Johnson 22T 28G (Emory University), Stephanie Milton 17T (University of California Davis), Ebo Quainoo 17T 18T (Princeton Theological Seminary), and Kyle Stevenson 18T (Fordham University), who were named 2025 Doctoral Fellows by the Forum for Theological Exploration.

In Memoriam

Barbara Deakins 86L 00T died on April 2nd, 2025 

Phillip Kuehnert 87T died on April 14th, 2025 

News

Bob Shoemake 86T recently retired from his role as director of the Selim Center for Lifelong Learning at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.  

Sherry Turner 98T will become the next president of Hartford International University on July 1, 2025, in Hartford, Connecticut.  

Juan Carlos Huertas 05T, minister of proclamation and practice of justice at First-Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, will be the featured preacher on the ecumenical radio program Day1 on June 22. 

Justin Walker 12T 13T 19G, associate professor of Old Testament and Christian Ministries at Lee University, received the university’s 2025 Excellence in Teaching Award.   

Hurl Taylor 16T earned his fourth degree from Emory and, once again, was the university’s oldest graduate at age 86. Read more about Taylor’s story in the Emory News Center, DeKalb County’s The Champion Newspaper, and in Black Enterprise. 

Following the unexpected death of Tanner White 17T in the summer of 2024, Beth Bostrom 07T stepped up to lead White’s congregation at Florida’s Hillsborough UMC through a season of grief. Read the community’s story and their commitment to honoring White’s legacy as they continue the work of ministry. 

Jiwan Dhaliwal 20T was recently interviewed by former Candler faculty member Kwok Pui Lan on Kwok’s podcast “Kwok n’ Roll,” discussing how Candler inspired her work as a business and career coach for the immigrant community. 

Shayam Maharaj 23T is now an active-duty Hindu chaplain serving in the United States Army, only the second Hindu chaplain in U.S. military history. 

Dyke Crane 23T, senior program coordinator at Emory’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, created the Emory University Global Immersion Project (GIP), which has been awarded a $15,000 grant through Emory’s Atlanta Global Student Engagement Program (AGSEP). 

Joy Ducree Gregory 25T was selected as an outstanding featured graduate representing Candler in Emory’s annual graduation coverage. With her graduation from Candler, she expands on the legacy of her father Edward Ducree 68T, who was Candler’s first Black graduate. Read more about Joy’s journey of perseverance and faith.

In Memoriam

Becky Williams Buckman 66T died on April 25, 2025. 

Robert S. Crutchfield 77T died on May 4. 2025. 

Thomas Matney Reed 77T died on May 11, 2025. 

John Sammy Davis 79T died on May 14, 2025. 

Delores “Dee” Donnelly 83T died on April 11, 2025.  

News

Genevieve Fisher Clark 97T, a chaplain in the United States Navy, has been promoted to the rank of Captain.   

Jennifer Bowden 98T, chief chaplain for the U.S. Coast Guard, is featured in a profile by The United Methodist Church’s General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Bowden is the first woman and first United Methodist assigned to the Coast Guard.  

Karen Hoyt 16T, a NICU chaplain at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, was recently interviewed by Robin Dease, bishop of the North and South Georgia Annual Conferences, for the One Georgia UMC podcast about her journey in ministry. Listen to Karen’s story here.  

Gilha Lee 18T 26G has been appointed Assistant Professor of New Testament at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana.  

The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta’s three newest priests are all Candler alumni: Trey Davis 23T, Edith Walker Woodling 24T, and Marycelis Otero 25T were ordained on June 21 by Bishop Rob Wright at The Cathedral of St. Philip. Read their reflections on their unique paths to the priesthood.   

Tina Guyden 25T has been named assistant director of the Aquinas Center of Theology at Candler. She previously served as director of faith formation at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.   

In Memoriam

John Cromartie 88T died on June 11, 2025.  

News

Elaine Nocks 96T and her husband Barry have established a scholarship fund for first-generation college students who intend to create positive change. Learn more about The Nocks Scholarship Fund and its inaugural recipients. 

William Yoo 08T 14G, associate professor of American religious and cultural history at Columbia Theological Seminary, recently published Reckoning with History—Settler Colonialism, Slavery, and Making of American Christianity (Westminster John Knox Press).  

Janelle Adams 16T 25G has joined the faculty of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas as assistant professor of religion. 

Dustin Mailman 21T, pastor of family ministries and missions at Asheville’s Trinity United Methodist Church and founder of the church’s ministry Deep Time Coffee, was featured in a United Methodist News story on Deep Time, which employs former inmates to smooth their return to society. Mailman was honored last fall with a Distinguished Alumni Award from Candler for his faithful and creative leadership through Deep Time. 

Salmoon Bashir 22T, canon for liturgy and ecumenism at Atlanta’s Cathedral of Saint Philip, was featured on Bishop Rob Wright’s podcast “For People.” Listen to Bashir’s conversation about prayer here.   

Hee Jin Lee 22T has joined the faculty of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary as assistant professor of marriage and family therapy.  

Abbey Maynard 22T was recently ordained as an elder in the Arkansas Conference of The United Methodist Church. Maynard was featured in a story by Hendrix College, her undergraduate alma mater. 

In Memoriam

Homer Lee Pearson III 51C 55T died on June 30, 2025. 

Albert J. Bowles Jr. 64T died on June 16, 2025. 

Russell Forrest Fulford 82T died on July 11, 2025. 

News

After retiring from his post as the division chair of humanities and fine arts and director of religious studies at Snead State Community College, Jonathan Watts 90T has joined the staff of Trinity United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama, as pastor of congregational care. 

Stacia Pelletier 98T 07G has published her third novel with Mercer University Press, The Deliverance of Barker McRae. She currently serves as executive director of corporate and foundation relations at Wake Forest University. 

Sherry Turner 98T is now the president of Hartford International University for Religion and Peace in Connecticut. You can read more about her new role here. 

Lyn Pace 02T 17T is now assistant dean of religious life at Duke University Chapel. Pace previously served for 15 years as chaplain at Emory’s Oxford College. 

On August 1, Chaplain Lara Byrd 04T was promoted to the rank of Commander (O5) in the United States Navy. She is currently serving in Navy Recruiting Command as the program manager for the chaplain candidate program, as well as the deputy of chaplain accessions.  

Danny Yang 08T is the new senior pastor at Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church in Maplewood, New Jersey.  

The North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church has announced that Jamaar Pye 12T has joined the Connectional Ministries staff as disaster response associate.   

Todd Thomason 17T penned an op-ed for Baptist News Global reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

In Memoriam

Edison Amos 53T died on August 3, 2025. 

Hoyt Jenkins 66T died on August 26, 2025. 

Clinton Stephen Winter III 76T died on August 13, 2025.

News

Melva Sampson 02T 16G will be receiving the Ella P. Mitchell Pioneer in Ministry Award from WomanPreach! at the organization’s 15th Annversary Luncheon on Friday, October 17. This award honors a person whose work is recognized as pioneering a legacy of justice, access, empowerment, and wholeness for women in preaching or women in non-profit organizations. You can read more about WomanPreach! and reigster for the celebration here.   

Reginald Cleaver 12T, who was serving as acting chief chaplain of Atlanta VA Medical Center, has now been appointed permanent chief chaplain. 

Darrin “DJ” Sims 21T, Director of Truth and Transformation at the National Center of Civil and Human Rights, is a member of the Outstanding Atlanta Class of 2025. He is one of ten professionals in the class recognized for exemplary leadership and service. Read more about the Outstanding Atlanta Class of 2025 here.  

Brandon Brown 24T is now assistant director of residential life at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY.

In Memoriam

Herman Jackson Downey, Jr. 54T 55G died recently. 

William Bradford Roane, Sr. 55C 59T died on September 23, 2025. 

Morris J. Holtzclaw 60T died on August 17, 2025.

R. Gerald Kersey 62T died on August 15, 2025. 

Terry DeLoach 66T died on September 10, 2025. 

Edith Walker Woodling 24T died on September 21, 2025.

News

David Rowe 92T now serves as President of Windermere Consulting, a higher education advisory firm helping leaders of mission-driven institutions overcome sector-wide disruption with tailored approaches to leadership, board, and strategy development. 

Christopher McCreight 06T is slated to address the League of Women Voters in Kent, Ohio, on November 13. He will be presenting on Christian nationalism and its evolving relationship with democracy. 

Brian Boettcher 15T, an elder in the Virginia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, will serve as the speaker for Virginia Wesleyan University’s baccalaureate ceremony in May 2026. 

Charles Lomax, Jr. 18T has joined the YMCA of East Tennessee as director of philanthropy. In his new role, Lomax will help advance the YMCA’s mission of building connected communities by securing the resources and partnerships that make its work possible. 

Jay Horton 22T and Carol Tucker-Burden 20T 23L were both quoted in an article for CBS News Atlanta about how November’s local elections could shape Georgia’s energy future. Horton serves as communications manager for Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL). Tucker-Burden is a laboratory manager with the Emory University School of Medicine and volunteers with GIPL. 

During October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Candler’s Director of Alumni Engagement Raushanah Butler DMin ’26 has had several opportunities to share more widely the focus of her DMin studies at Candler: reshaping how clergy are taught to address domestic violence.  

• Butler was selected to present at the 2025 National Conference on Domestic Violence, held in Kansas City, Missouri, where her presentation, “Sacred Duty, Collective Power: Addressing Domestic Violence Through Faith and Community,” offered strategies to create survivor-centered, spiritually grounded spaces of safety, healing, and justice.   
• In addition, Butler was interviewed for Emory University’s Impact in Progress podcast and for the WABE News show “Closer Look with Rose Scott,” sharing more about her work to equip faith leaders to respond holistically to domestic violence.

In Memoriam

Eldon Robert Smith, Jr. 57T died on September 30, 2025. 

Donald Reynolds 56B 63T died on October 12, 2025. 

News

F. Stuart Gulley 86T has joined the team at Lighthouse Council as Of Counsel, helping to expand the firm’s expertise in education and nonprofit leadership.  

Russell Waldmann 90T has just published a book with Christian Faith Publishing, titled You’ll Never Know: Celebrating God’s Touch Upon Our Lives by Touching One Another in the Name of God. 

Stephen Redmond 09T has published a book with Wipf and Stock Publishers titled Exclusive Theology: The Slave Master’s Religion.  

Theodore T. Turman 09T was profiled in the Michigan Chronicle as he marks his first anniversary as president of Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit.  

Diane Kenaston 11T, co-founder of The Good Friday Collaborative, was awarded a Pastoral Study Project grant from the Louisville Institute. The project, “Threshold Leadership: Proactive Strategies for Judicatory Leaders with Congregations Concluding Ministry,” will identify best practices for judicatories supporting churches at the end of their life cycle. 

Hurl Taylor 85L 86L 16T 25B was featured in an Emory News article about the university’s 17th annual Veterans Day ceremony on November 11. Taylor is a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. 

Nicole Walters 24T was quoted in an article for U.S. Catholic about St. Columba’s Episcopal Church and Retreat House in Inverness, California. Walters discovered St. Columba’s while doing graduate research in contemplative practice at Candler. 

In Memoriam

Michael Ray Brook 78T died on October 23, 2025. 

Larry E. Bird 81T died on November 7, 2025. 

News

At Candler’s Spring Convocation on January 16, Professor of Systematic Theology R. Kendall Soulen 86T will be installed as Bishop Mack B. and Rose Stokes Professor of Systematic Theology. 

Bernice King 90L 90T will be one of two keynote speakers for the University of Tennessee Chattanooga’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations. King, a minister, attorney, and daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will be in conversation with Ilyasah Shabazz. Read more.  

Duncan Teague 11T, an LGBTQ+ rights and health advocate, was recently recognized as an Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Everyday Hero” for his work with the Atlanta LGBTQ+ community. Read more.  

Brandon Harris 16T, associate dean for religious and spiritual life at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, will be the featured preacher January 21 on Day 1 with guest host Dalton Rushing 08T, senior minister of Decatur First United Methodist Church. The nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program is also accessible as a podcast and online at Day1.org. Read and listen here. 

Cody Deese 21T, co-founder and pastor of Vinings Lake Church in Mableton, Georgia, was recently interviewed by Religion News Service for a story about new spiritual communities that have formed out of the exvangelical and deconstruction movements. Read more.  

David Fitzer 23T has joined the Candler staff as an instruction content developer with the Office of Digital Learning.  

Current third-year Doctor of Ministry student Laurie Garramone 24T serves as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Johnstown, New York, which was recently featured in an Episcopal News Service story on their food pantry—the only one in the small town—and their $3 million fundraiser to expand it. Read more.  

In Memoriam

Donald Kokomoor 53T died on December 28. Read more.  

J. Benton White 56T died on December 6. Read more.  

Joseph Bowen 59T died on November 28. Read more.  

C.W. Lewis 60T died on December 29. Read more.  

William Phillips 62T died on December 30. Read more.  

Donald Wildmon 65T died on December 28. Read more.  

News

Haley Lerner 19T has been recognized as an advocate and safe space for University of Georgia’s LGBTQ+ community through her work at the Presbyterian Student Center on University of Georgia’s campus. This recognition is part of UGA’s series highlighting faith leaders called “Faith on Lumpkin.” Read more here.  

Dorothy Sanders Wells 18T is one of five candidates up for consideration for the seat of Episcopal Bishop of Mississippi. Read more here.  

Elizabeth Colby Pollard 15T has been newly appointed to Newnan Chapel UMC in Newnan, GA. Read more here. 

In Memoriam

Ruth T. Healy 88T died on January 15.  

Jerome “Jerry” Schoeppler 57T died on January 4. Read more. 

Carl “Corky” McGee 64T died on January 19, 2024. Read more. 

News

Catherine Fluck Price 91T will be the new North West District Superintendent in the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church effective July 1, 2024. Read more. 

Joseph Capizzi 92T has been appointed by the Holy See as Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America. Read more. 

Lyn Pace 02T 17T, chaplain at Emory’s Oxford College, wrote an op-ed for Religion News Service about his rich experiences serving students of all or no religious background. Read more. 

Lamar Hardwick 06T was featured in a recent profile by Religion News Service. Read more. 

Paul Booth, Jr. 07T serves as executive-in-residence at the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence at the University of Louisville. Read more. 

Joel Floyd 08T has been selected as the Georgia representative for the Coalition on Adult Basic Education’s 2024 State Advocacy Fellowship for his work as founder and campus director of adult ESL and continuing education at English for a Lifetime Language Institute. of with English for a Lifetime. Read more. 

Kim Jackson 09T was featured on WABE News as she visited Church of the Common Ground parishioners in their new homes in The Melody, a city of Atlanta rapid housing development designed to help people move into more permanent housing. Read more.  

John Baldwin II 09T 10T 20T was the speaker at “Barbershop Talk” in Birmingham, Alabama on February 26. Read more. 

Alisha Gordon 15T is the founder of The Current Project, a nonprofit focused on improving the social, emotional, and economic wellbeing of Black single mothers. Gordon and The Current Project have garnered recent media attention after releasing results from the organization’s national survey of middle to low-income Black single mothers. Outlets covering the survey results include Politico, The74, BNN, Forbes, Scripps News, The Bakari Sellers Podcast, The Grio with Marc Lamont Hill, and Areva Martin in Real Time.  

The Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi elected Dorothy Sanders Wells 18T as its new bishop, making her the first woman and first Black person elected to lead the diocese. Read more. 

Terri Murru MDiv ’24, a chaplain at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, was featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times for her practice of reciting the Kaddish for a fallen captain with Jewish roots. Read more. 

In Memoriam

Wesley Stephens 52T died on February 15, 2024. Read more. 

Robert G. Strother 53T died on February 21, 2024. Read more. 

Vaughn Milburn Nave 68T died on March 4, 2024. Read more.  

Martha Josephine Fulmer Smith 86T died on February 17, 2024. Read more. 

News

William “Bill” Green Jr. 92T, U.S Army Chief of Chaplains, earned his second star and was promoted to the distinguished rank of major general in the United States Army. Read more here. 

Andi Mahon Woodworth 99Ox 01C 07T served as Pastor of the Day and addressed the Georgia House on March 11, believed to be the first transgender pastor to ever do so. Read more here.   

Dalton Rushing 08T was quoted in a UM News story about the impending closure of his undergraduate alma mater Birmingham-Southern College. Read more here. 

Salmoon Bashir 22T will officiate The Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing’s MLK Prayer and Remembrance Service at 7:00 p.m. on April 4, the anniversary of King’s assassination. Read more here.  

In Memoriam

Timothy W. Whitaker 73T died on March 28, 2024. Read more here. 

Barry Robert Moll 79T died on March 26, 2024. Read more here. 

News

Bishop Robin Dease has appointed Laurie Moeller 97T as the director of connectional ministries for the North Georgia Conference. Read more. 

Roger Sneed 99T, faculty chair and professor of religion at Furman University, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to teach in the Czech Republic in the 2024-2025 academic year. Read more. 

Shannon Boaz 00T has been appointed to serve on the cabinet of the Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church as the Northern Kentucky and Lexington District Superintendent as well as the Bluegrass District Superintendent. Read more. 

Richard Wright 01T will begin his new appointment as pastor of First United Methodist Church of Moultrie, Georgia on June 20. Read more. 

Allison Henderson-Brooks 19T, Candler’s assistant dean of students, successfully defended her Doctor of Ministry degree project with Memphis Theological Seminary on April 8. 

Colin Brown 20T has been selected as a member of the 2024 Trinity Leadership Fellows Cohort, which accepted 24 out of 1,700 applicants. Read more. He follows Trey Phillips 20T, who was a member of the 2023 Trinity Leadership Fellows cohort. 

Cody Deese 21T was featured in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution story about the congregation he pastors, Vinings Lake Church. Read more. 

In April, 12 Candler alumni and one Graduate Division of Religion alumnus were inducted into the 38th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers, Sponsors, and Collegium of Scholars affiliated with Morehouse College. Congratulations to: 

Emory Berry Jr. 06T 

Reginald Blount 95T 

Damien Alexander Conners 10T 

Timothy Brandon Farmer 11T 22T 

Kyndra Danyelle Frazier 10T 

Sara Taylor Garrard 10C 13T 19T 

Jeremy Q. Henry 22T 

Delesslyn Audra Kennedrew 06T 

Bridget LaShonne Piggue 16T 

Dante Christian Stewart 23T 

Nicole Sarita Symmonds 13T 21G 

Elizabeth Elaine Yates 03T 

Alphonso F. Saville, IV 17G

Read more about their accomplishments here. 

In Memoriam

Claude “Ceegee” Haugabook Jr 54T died on April 4, 2024. Read more here. 

Lloyd Donald Ellis 60T died on May 1, 2024. Read more here. 

Henry Lee Lenoir 61T died on April 29, 2024. Read more here.  

Richard Kirk Miller Jr. 74T died on April 7, 2024. Read more here.  

Theodore William Miller 92T died on April 12, 2024. Read more here.  

News

David Graves 90T, resident bishop of the South Georgia and Alabama West Florida Conferences of The United Methodist Church, and Ted Goshorn 15T 21T, senior pastor of Mulberry UMC in Macon, Georgia, will be leading the Georgia Pastors School of North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church in July. Read more.  

Jonathan Watts 90T recently published A Shorter History of Judeo/Christian Worship.  

Mitch Cochran 93T was interviewed about the 110th anniversary celebration of Gibson Memorial United Methodist Church in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he serves as pastor. Read more.  

Kimberly Jackson 09T received an honorary doctorate from Chicago’s Bexley Seabury Seminary in May. 

Mashaun Simon 13T interviewed and wrote an article highlighting Andi Woodworth 99Ox 01C 07T, co-founder and co-pastor of Atlanta’s Neighborhood Church, for LGBTQ Nation. Read more.  

Eric Rucker 14T led a laity session workshop during this year’s Iowa Annual Conference gathering on “Everything Has Changed – Discipling Youth in a Transformed World.” Read more.  

Joya Abrams 14T, senior pastor of Bethany United Methodist Church in Smyrna, Georgia, was featured in a United Methodist News story about  the congregation’s intentional strategies for growth since the COVID-19 pandemic.  

In addition, Tony Phillips 17T, associate pastor of Bethany UMC, was highlighted in a separate UM News article about his journey from the corporate world into ministry, including his time at Candler.  

Justin Walker 17T, assistant professor of Old Testament and Christian ministries at Lee University, won the university’s 2024 Excellence in Advising Award. Read more. 

Doctor of Ministry student Carl E. Patten II will serve as a panelist for the upcoming Religion News Service webinar “The Black Church — Where it’s been, Where it’s now, Where it’s going” on June 27.  Read more. 

In Memoriam

David Lawrence Allen 57T died on May 20, 2024. Read more here. 

Harry Charles Baas, Jr. 60T died on June 2, 2024. Read more here. 

Bruce D. Little 84T died on May 15, 2024. Read more here. 

Sang Hyu Han 86T died on May 15, 2024. Read more here. 

Tanner Alan White 17T died on June 10, 2024. Read more here. 

Class Notes were not published in July 2024. 

News

David Graves 90T was assigned to serve as bishop of the newly-formed Kentucky-Tennessee Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church. Graves previously served as bishop of the Alabama West Florida and South Georgia Episcopal Areas. Read more.  

Maisha Handy 94T 02G has been named president of McCormick Theological Seminary. She is the first African American president of the institute. Read more.  

Jennifer Bowden 98T recently began her role as 13th Chaplain of the Coast Guard, the first woman and first United Methodist chaplain to hold the position. Bowden is an elder in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Read more.  

Jae Lee 01T 02T was appointed as the new pastor of Maple Grove United Methodist Church, in Waynesville, North Carolina. Read more.  

Statesboro, Georgia’s First United Methodist Church welcomes Mark Burgess 06T as its new senior pastor. Read more.  

Jeremy Lawson 06T preached as part of the annual Salem Camp Meeting in Covington, Georgia in July. Read more.  

Rhett Solomon 09T 20T was recently featured on The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta’s podcast For People sharing his vocational journey. Listen here.  

Dorothy Sanders Wells 18T has been ordained, consecrated, and seated as 11th bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. Wells is the first woman and Black person to serve in the role. Read more about Wells. 

Cale Hall 20T 26T and Ben Gosden 11T 22T were featured in a Savannah Morning News article about new opportunities for LGBTQ+ clergy following The United Methodist Church’s General Conference in May. Read more.  

Jason Thompson 26T had a recent op-ed published in Religion News Service entitled “Breaking the ‘Nazareth cycle’ that holds our politics back.” Read more.

In Memoriam

Milton Lee McGuirt 62T died on June 20, 2024. Read more here.  

Patricia Camp Parker 94T died on July 4, 2024. Read more here.  

News

Jung Sun Oh 91T recently published two commentaries with United Methodist News Service: “The Role of Confucianism in East Asian Christianity” was originally published in Korean on August 20. Read an English translation here. “The Role of Confucianism in East Asian Christianity” was published on September 4. Oh is the pastor of Old Town United Methodist Church in Old Town, Maine, and the author of A Korean Theology of Human Nature (University Press of America). 

Jennifer Bowden 98T was interviewed on the U.S. Coast Guard website in her new role as chaplain of the Coast Guard. Read more.  

Andi Woodworth 99Ox 01C 07T shared her personal experience in ministries to support LGBTQ equality in church. Read more.  

Kelsey Grissom 09T 20T has joined Huntingdon College as a visiting assistant professor of religion. Read more.  

Jee Hae Song 15T was appointed as the United Methodist chaplain at Hendricks Chapel of Syracuse University. Read more.  

Brandon Harris 16T shared his experience of doing campus ministry with young people at a time of political activism in his role as associate dean of religious and spiritual life at the University of Southern California. Read more.  

Dorothy Sanders Wells 18T, 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, was featured in an article about her new role and her goals to build community. Read more.  

Kate Kennedy 23T will publish her new book Once Upon a School: A Story of Dreaming Big, Falling Hard, and Bouncing Back (Pine Needle) on September 10. Kennedy was recently interviewed about the book by Writing For Your Life. 

Laurie Garramone 24T led a fundraising project of $1.5 million at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Johnstown, New York, where she serves as rector, to feed the hungry in the community. Read more.

In Memoriam

William Alan Fisackerly III 54T died on July 8, 2024.

Thomas Eugene Price 59T died on August 14, 2024.

Otis Turner 69T 74G died on August 2, 2024. Read a tribute on Candler’s Facebook page to Turner, who was the first Black student admitted to Candler.

Montfort Cleckley Duncan, Jr. 72T died on August 6, 2024.

Earl Godfrey Donaldson, Sr. 95T died on July 30, 2024.

News

Joshua Howard 23T recently published the op-ed “The Troubling History Behind J.D. Vance’s Style of Rhetoric” in TIME.  

Third-year MDiv student Cathryn Stout 25T has been announced as a member of the 2024-2025 cohort of the Obama Leaders Foundation Program, geared toward emerging leaders working in government, civil society, and the private sector who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the common good.

In Memoriam

Richard Allen Petry 56T died on August 29, 2024.  

Donald J. Sparks Sr. 59T 82T died on September 7, 2024.  

Archie Rufus Bigelow, Jr. 61T died on September 14, 2024.  

Clyde C. Fry died on September 14, 2024.  

James Buchanan Jensen 64T died on September 15, 2024. 

News

Jeanine Spangenberg-Clontz 02T retired from parish ministry in the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church in July 2024 and is currently working full time as a hospice chaplain for Gentiva Hospice. 

Scott Aleridge 02T has been chosen to lead Hendersonville First United Methodist in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He has eight years of experience in the Tennessee Western Kentucky Conference as a district superintendent and recently worked as the director of property and development.  

Jake Joseph 14T recently became Yale Divinity School’s associate director of alumni engagement and development. 

Ashley Carr 15T has been appointed as the Canon for Parish Life at The Cathedral of St. Phillip in Atlanta. Ashley comes from Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, where she served a community of adults facing mental illness and poverty. Her new role will consist of overseeing a variety of programs, such as those for children, youth, young adults, families, and membership.  

Candler alumni Jonathan Smith 72T, Steven Usry 96T, Ralph Thompson 13T 25T, Elizabeth Pollard 15T, and Adriane Burgess 18T were recently featured on the North Georgia Conference’s One Georgia UMC podcast with Bishop Robin Dease. 

In Memoriam

Ralph ‘Gene’ Eugene Davis 59T died on October 6, 2024 

Helen Freeman Henry 59C 85T died on October 2, 2024 

Claude Hartsell 60T died on October 3, 2024 

Donna Mae Friesen 84T died on September 18, 2024 

News

In an Advent reflection for the BBC’s “Pause for Thought,” Trey Hall 00T, director of evangelism and growth for the Methodist Church in Great Britain, offered a memory of his time at Candler. Listen here. 

Ashon Crawley 07T, associate professor of religious studies and African American and African studies at the University of Virginia, is one of six artists whose work will be part of an exhibition next summer on the National Mall reimagining the role of monuments in the telling of American history. Read more. 

Eunil David Cho 15T 20G is the new co-director of Boston University School of Theology’s Center for Practical Theology. Read more.  

Joshua Miles 21T was featured in an article by the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church about the chess club he began this fall as part of his ministry as associate pastor at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. Read more. 

In Memoriam

Elmer Benjamin “Ben” Fant 59T died on December 17, 2022. Read more.

James Jefferson 79T died on December 29, 2022. Read more.  

News

F. Stuart Gulley 86Twas named one ofAtlanta Magazine’s “2023 Atlanta 500” in the sectors of education and healthcare. Gulley is the president of preparatory school Woodward Academy. Read the article here.  

Bernice King 90L 90T, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke about her father’s legacy at Texas A&M University’s 16th annual MLK Breakfast on January 26. Read more.   

David Graybeal 00T, an ordained elder serving at Signal Crest UMC in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, has published a book on theology in the hit TV show The West Wing. The book is titled Faith in the West Wing: The Portrayal of Religion in a Primetime Presidency (Wipf and Stock Publishers). 

In Memoriam

Marian Kessler 55T died on January 10, 2023. Read more.  

Lawrence Clark 58T died on January 24, 2023. Read more.  

Patrick Shannon 65T died on January 5, 2023. Read more. 

Elizabeth “Betty” Mackay Asbury 97T died on January 16, 2023. Read more.  

Mary Kollarik 02T died on January 4, 2023. Read more. 

Lewis Stabler, a member of the Candler Committee of 100, died on January 4, 2023. Read more.  

News

William “Bill” Green, Jr. 92T, the current U.S. Army deputy chief of chaplains, spoke at Rock Island Arsenal’s National Prayer Breakfast event on February 2.  

LeRhonda Manigault-Bryant 02T has been hired as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s fourth director of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History. Read more. 

Sarah Werner 10T has been hired as a climate justice intern for the Mennonite Church USA, which is seeking to emphasize creation care as a priority within the denomination. Werner will be working to plan a Youth and Young Adult Climate Summit, an event that will be held this summer in conjunction with the denomination’s annual conference. Read more. 

Keith Corprew 20T won the 2022 Fulbright Trinity Laban Postgraduate Award in Music and Dance, specializing in dance. He reflected on his favorite moments as a Fulbright so far and how Candler prepared him for the experience in this recent Q&A.

In Memoriam

William McDole 70T died on February 5, 2023. Read more.

News

Kwesi Kamau 98T served as a lecture respondent at Taylor University’s Inaugural Milo A. Rediger Lecture. Additionally, he led his own session titled “Rooted Revival: The 1995 College Revivals with Lessons for Today.” Read more.  

Veena Black 04T is one of ten finalists for 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year. She is a second-grade teacher at Briarlake Elementary School and has already been named 2024 Dekalb County Teacher of the Year.  

Juana Jordan 11T has recently been appointed as Executive Director and Pastor for the Wesley Foundation at Florida A&M University. She helped lead the effort to acquire and renovate an old home that is now the official building of the ministry. A dedication of the building was held on March 26, with Bishop Tom Berlin 88T of the United Methodist Florida Conference in attendance. Read more.  

Kimble Parker Sorrells 11T was named Alumnus of the Year at Emory University’s 2023 Pride Awards Celebration on March 30.   

Nicole Symmonds 13T 21G has been appointed as an assistant professor of Christian ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary. Read more here. 

In Memoriam

Harold Carson Holland 62T died on March 29, 2023. Read more. 

John Willis Cochran 78T died on March 9, 2023. Read more. 

Stacy Simpson Duke 96T died on February 27, 2023. Read more.  

News

Billy Doyle Gaither 57T was honored on his 90th birthday for his more than 70 years of service to the United Methodist church. The celebration was held at First Ozark UMC in Alabama, a congregation he has served since 1989. Read more.  

Avis Williams 78Ox 98C 08T 18T will serve on the Design Team Selection Advisory Committee for Emory’s Twin Memorials that will be built on both the Atlanta and Oxford campuses to honor enslaved laborers and their descendants who lived and worked on Emory’s original campus at Oxford College. Read more. Additionally, Williams won the William Norton Outstanding Alumna Award for showing exceptional dedication, loyalty, and innovation in her service to Oxford. Read more. 

Joel Floyd 08T recently won the Social Enterprise Award for his work with immigrant education and English language literacy. Floyd founded English for a Lifetime, which aids adult immigrants in learning English. Read more.  

Mary Button 11T was interviewed for Living Lutheran about her ongoing series of collage-based works depicting the stations of the cross interwoven with current events. Read more.  

Crystal Anderson 11T was profiled in The Emory Wheel for her genealogical research of her own family as well as her contributions to Emory’s “In the Wake of Slavery and Dispossession Symposium.” She is currently working as Emory University’s Title IX case manager at the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance. Read the article here.  

Allison Henderson-Brooks 19T was inducted into the 37th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers. Begun in 1867, this signature program of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse honors leaders “whose ethical and spiritual moral example has helped to change the world.” 

Jonathan Trapp 23T, who is graduating from the Doctor of Ministry program this month, was featured in an Emory News Center article about his bivocational experiences serving both as a pastor and a public health emergency manager. Read here.  

In Memoriam

J. Don Proctor49Ox 54T died on April 12, 2023. Read more.  

Richard Rome “Dick” Burnette, Jr. died on April 18, 2023. Read more.  

James D. Hyder 68T died on April 20, 2023. Read more.  

Mary Susan Ashworth 78T died on April 7, 2023. Read more. 

Laura Evelyn Trent 92T died recently. Read more. 

News

Zachary Thompson 11T has been called to be the 17th rector of St. James’ Church in New York City. 

In Memoriam

James Mitchell 64T died on May 2, 2023. Read more.   

John H. Reeves 87T died on May 4, 2023. Read more. 

News

Timothy Meadows 87T has been elected as the General Assembly Moderator for the United Reformed Church for the 2024-2025 term. Read more.  

Andy Kinsey 88T is retiring after more than 40 years serving in ministry. He will be finishing his career at Grace UMC in Franklin, Indiana. Read more. 

Ashon Crawley 07T, associate professor of religious studies and African American and African studies at the University of Virginia, is one of six artists whose work will be part of an exhibition this summer on the National Mall reimagining the role of monuments in the telling of American history. Beyond Granite will be open to the public during Aug. 18 – Sept. 18, 2023. Read more.  

Cynthia Jackson 11T has been appointed to serve as the pastor of Stone Mountain First United Methodist Church, also known as the Village Church. Read more.  

Reginald W. Sharpe 18T was honored as a Chicago Defender 2023 Man of Excellence for his commitments to ministry throughout the pandemic and dedication to the African American church tradition. Read more.  

Cassie Waits 18T, who currently serves at First Presbyterian in Marietta, was recently featured on Peter Wallace’s ecumenical radio program, Day1. Listen here. 

Jacqueline Newsome 19T, who currently serves as a public defender in Philadelphia, recently spoke at her former high school’s commencement. Read more.    

Emmanuel Amponsah 20T was featured in VA News as a “G.I. Bill success story.” Amponsah is a first-generation college student and is currently a chaplain candidate with the U.S. Army Reserve. Read more.  

On June 24, The Diocese of Atlanta ordained 11 new priests, its largest ordination in a decade—and more than half of the new clergy are Candler alumni. Salmoon Bashir 22T, Joshua Hilton 20T, Mark Johnson 22T, Hannah Kelly 22T, Carmie McDonald 23T, Katie Presley 21T, and Megan Swett 23T were all ordained in Atlanta, and the twelfth member of the postulant class, Janelle Hiroshige 21T, was recently ordained in Boston. Candler Dean Jan Love delivered the ordination sermon in Atlanta, while Dean’s Professor of Systematic Theology Kwok Pui Lan preached for Hiroshige’s ordination. Read more. 

In Memoriam

William Russell Edwards, Jr. 53T died on June 9, 2023. Read more. 

Jim Hall 57T died on May 24, 2023. Read more. 

Marshall L. Meadors 58T died on May 25, 2023. Read more.  

Harry Robert Stullenbarger 62T died on June 24, 2023. Read more. 

David D. Norbury 71T died on June 10, 2023. Read more. 

Walter Dodd 73T died on June 6, 2023. Read more. 

David Boyd, former chairman of the Committee of 100, died on June 13, 2023. Read more.

News

Quincy Brown 95T, senior pastor of Snellville United Methodist Church, will preach on the biblical story of Jacob wrestling with an angel in an Aug. 6 sermon on the radio program “Day 1.” Listen here.  

Shively T.J. Smith 06T 15G will serve as the inaugural director of Boston University School of Theology ‘s (BUSTH) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program. Smith is currently serving as Assistant Professor of New Testament at BUSTH. Read more.  

Ted Goshorn 15T 21T, senior pastor of Macon’s Mulberry Street UMC, joined with other community leaders to organize “A Service of Unity and Love” in response to a recent antisemitic incident at a Macon synagogue. Read more.  

Tricia Hersey 17T was featured in Emory Magazine’s summer 2023 issue for her work as the founder of the “Nap Ministry.” Read the feature.  

Ricky James 17T has been appointed as the Dean of the Chapel and Director of Church Relations for Millsaps College. Read more.  

Current student Emily Badgett MDiv ‘24 was interviewed for an CNN article on the uptick in female leadership in the church. Read the article here.  

In Memoriam

Albert E. Clarke 60T died on July 28, 2023. Read more. 

R. Olin Herndon 62T died on July 18, 2023.Read more. 

Kenneth “Kenn” Jennings 71T died on July 16, 2023. Read more.  

Charles Paulus 72T died on July 2, 2023. Read more.  

Lowell Schuetze 95T died on July 12, 2023. Read more.  

Thomas Jackson Britton, Jr. 97T died on July 15, 2023. Read more.  

News

Atlanta nonprofit City of Refuge dedicated its inaugural Welcome Home House on August 27. The house is named The Bishop Home, in honor of Susan Bishop 75T and her 42 years of service to incarcerated women. Bishop serves as chaplain at Lee Arrendale State Prison. 

Tracy L. MacKenzie 90T has been appointed lead pastor at St. Luke-Simpson United Methodist Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Her appointment will be on an interim basis through June of 2024. Read more. 

Jan Richardson 92T was interviewed for a blog series highlighting clergy authors titled “Words of Grace” by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Read the interview here. 

Steve Elderbrock 97T is the new pastor at Bridgeport Presbyterian Church (West Virginia). Read more. 

An art installation by Ashon T. Crawley 07T is currently on display in the National Mall until September 18. Titled “Homegoing,” the installation “uses music, sound and visual elements to create a safe space for mourning Black queer musicians who lost their lives to AIDS.” Read more. 

Dalton Rushing 08T has been named to the interim leadership team of the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio and podcast program “Day 1.” Read more. 

Quincy Rineheart 11T has been named executive assistant to the president & assistant director of the Anderson Ecumenical Institute at Payne Theological Seminary. Read more. 

Sheila Otieno 15T has been honored with the Distinguished Emerging Scholar in Religious Studies professorship at Elon University. Read more. 

Millbrook First United Methodist Church (Alabama) has welcomed Tyler Cox 22T as their new senior pastor. Read more.

In Memoriam

Alton O’Neil Shenton 67T died on August 28, 2023. Read more. 

News

Timothy Whitaker 73T is featured in the story “A United Methodist offers meditation on death – his own.” Read the article here.  

Ellis Conley 76T served as guest preacher at this year’s West Virginian Wesleyan College Homecoming chapel service. Read more here. 

J. Derrick Cattenhead 22T will be the keynote speaker for Claflin University’s United Negro College Fund Ecumenical Day of Prayer Breakfast on October 28. Read more here.  

Caroline Peacock 23T, director of spiritual health at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, was recently interviewed by NPR about the growing number of chaplains exploring the therapeutic use of psychedelics for patients with a variety of health conditions. Read more here.  

In Memoriam

Donald Brown 61T 70T died on August 27, 2023. Read more here.  

James Glenn Barrow 77T died on September 6, 2023. Read more here.  

Ross E. Tracy 59T died on September 23, 2023. Read more here.  

Robin E. Van Cleef 55T died on October 5, 2023. Read more here. 

News

Rev. Alisha L. Gordon 15T received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Faithful and Creative Leadership in recognition of her notable accomplishments as an activist ensuring that marginalized communities are heard, an advocate for single mothers, and a faith leader in a variety of spaces. Gordon is founder of The Current Project, an advocacy and mission-driven 501(c)(3) organization focused on supporting the well-being of Black single mothers. 

Captain Chaplain Brandon Stewart 10T received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Outstanding Young Alumni in recognition of his notable accomplishments and international achievements serving the church, his communities, and the world. Stewart serves as the installation chaplain for the 425th Air Base Squadron in Izmir, Turkey, responsible for support to all military units operating in Izmir, including NATO Allied Land Command Headquarters. He provides for the free exercise of religion and advises leadership on religious accommodation, ethical leadership, and moral issues. 

Rev. Conitras M. Houston Dickens 08T received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Outstanding Young Alumni in recognition of her notable leadership in her church and community. Houston Dickens is the first female and third senior pastor of DuPage African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lisle, Illinois. She is also the founder and director of Gabriel’s House, Incorporated, a nonprofit youth center instilling values of self-worth through performing arts, life skills training, and academic enrichment whose vision is to function as a preserving agent for community youth. 

Sara J. Toering 06T 06L received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Faithful and Creative Leadership in recognition of her notable accomplishments working with people and organizations to make transformational changes. Toering is a lawyer and the owner of SJT Partners, a Georgia-based law and consulting firm that serves organizations and leaders around the country who are seeking to impact federal, state, and local policy focused on land, housing affordability, and equitable and reparative neighborhood development. Her vocation and expertise are focused on addressing inequities resulting from generations of federal, state, and local policy that systematically denied wealth and opportunity to communities of color. 

In Memoriam

Charles “Jack” Meyers passed away on August 23, 2023, in Dallas, TX. A memorial service will be held for him on November 8th, 2023, at Highland Park United Methodist Church chapel at 1:00 PM. 

News

Tom Berlin 88T, resident bishop of the Florida Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church, will deliver the keynote address at Florida Southern College’s fall commencement on December 16. Read more. 

Tom 05T 07G and Ann Edmondson 19T are featured in In Tucker Magazine for their role in revitalizing First Christian Church of Atlanta in Tucker and their active involvement in the community. Read more on page 12 of the magazine. 

Patrick Faulhaber 12T, currently senior pastor of North Decatur United Methodist Church in Decatur, Georgia, has been selected as the next senior minister of Central Congregational Church, effective January 1. Read more. 

Darin Arntson 14T was interviewed by The San Diego Reader to articulate the mission of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in San Diego, California, which focuses on restoring hope, empowering the community, and fostering growth in grace. Read the interview here. 

Zoey Jordan Kernodle 14T and Codi Norred 17T have been named to the Emory Alumni Association’s 2023 list of “40 Under Forty,” which shines a light on a select number of notable alumni who are becoming pioneers in their fields. Kernodle is the inaugural director of the University of North Carolina’s Center for the Business of Health, and Norred is the executive director of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. Read more about them at the bolded links above, and see the full 40 Under Forty list here. 

Taos Wynn 06Ox 09C 26T was named to The Atlanta Business Chronicle‘s 40 Under Forty Awards for being a young, rising leader within the city’s business community. Read more. 

In Memoriam

Theodore Walter 59T died on November 17, 2023. Read more. 

David Herman Lovelace 63T died on November 15, 2023. Read more. 

Virgil Lee 64T died on November 21, 2023. Read more. 

John Williams 64T died on October 14, 2023. Read more. 

Gary Whatley 83T died on November 8, 2023. Read more. 

News

Kimberly Jackson 09T will be the featured speaker for Oxford College of Emory University’s virtual King Week celebration on Tuesday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m. EST. Learn more. 

Brandon Wason 09T 17G has been promoted to Head of Special Collections at Candler’s Pitts Theology Library. 

Jane Mitchell Weston 14T will be the featured preacher Sunday, January 16 on “Day 1” with host Peter Wallace, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible at Day1.org and by podcast. 

Jee Hae Song 15T was featured in a news profile about leading two congregations in Syracuse, New York. Read more.  

In Memoriam

Thomas Jackson (Jack) McCollough, Jr. 49C 52T passed away on December 31, 2021. Read more.   

Robert Foster Weir 68T passed away on December 20, 2021. Read more. 

Lee Monroe FerDon 87T passed away on December 30, 2021. Read more. 

News

Thomas Webber 02T has been appointed interim dean of Cornerstone University’s Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Read more. 

Leah Lonsbury 05T and Alisha Gordon 15T have both been featured as Invested Faith Fellows for their work as nonprofit founders. Read more about Leah and Just Bakery. Read more about Alisha and The Current Project. 

Justin Yawn 10T is now the rector of St. Francis in the Field Episcopal Church in Palm Valley, Florida. Read more.  

Michelle Ledder 10T is co-author of the new book Anti-Racism 4REALS: Real Talk with Real Strategies in Real Time for Real Change (Chalice Press). 

Nicole Symmonds 13T has been named the National Catholic Reporter’s 2021-2022 Sacred Writes Fellow. Read more. 

Marisa Sifontes 21T, now serving as associate rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Roanoke, Virginia, was recently interviewed about her path to ministry. Read more.

In Memoriam

Inman Moore 49T passed away on January 26, 2022. Read more. 

Brad Brady 84T passed away on February 7, 2022. Read more. 

News

The February 2022 issue of Central Florida Lifestyle magazine featured an article on Shepherd’s Hope, a healthcare ministry founded by Candler alumnus Bill Barnes 76T. The program is operated primarily by volunteers to provide uninsured, low-income individuals and families free access to healthcare. Since its founding in 1997, Shepherd’s Hope has provided over 310,000 free medical visits and patient services, and now operates five medical health centers in Florida’s Orange and Seminole Counties with 2,684 volunteers. 

F. Stuart Gulley86T has been named to Atlanta Magazine’s 2022 Atlanta 500 in the area of Education and Healthcare in his role as president of Woodward Academy. Read more.

In Memoriam

Max Rittgers 78T passed away on February 3, 2022. Read more.  

News

Marissa Akery 17T was named Nxt-G (Next Generation) pastor at IMPACT Church in East Point, Georgia.  

Anthony Butler 20T (DMin) has been named pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Rensselaer, Michigan.  

Austin Carty 20T published The Pastor’s Bookshelf (Eerdmans), which is based on his Candler DMin project.  

Cristha Edwards 21T was officially licensed as a minister on February 26 at Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia. 

LaRyssa Herrington 20T was quoted in the Religion News Service article “Study: Black Catholics in US are a tiny minority increasingly drawing on immigrants” about reasons Black Catholics are leaving the church.  

Jennifer Morton 99T has been promoted from Assistant Director of Services on Emory’s Advancement and Alumni Engagement Hospital Programs team to Associate Director of Development on the Winship Cancer Institute team. 

Bernadette (O’Neill) Naro 16T has joined the Candler staff as program coordinator for formation communities. 

Gina A.S. Robinson 16T is now Associate Director with the Wabash Center, which focuses on supporting faculty reflecting on teaching and learning in religion and theology. Read more.  

Douglas F. Scharf 18T (DMin) was elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida on April 2. He will be ordained and consecrated a bishop in The Episcopal Church on September 24 and will become the bishop of the diocese upon the retirement of current bishop.  

Kimbrell Smith 06T has been named head of school of Atlanta Girls’ School. She is an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister and has held leadership roles at Westminster, Trinity School, Atlanta Speech School, and The Schenck School.  

Jasmine Smothers 08T was honored by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners in their proclamation of Wednesday, March 16, 2022, as “Pastor Jasmine Smothers Appreciation Day” in recognition of her community advocacy work and commitment to spiritual enrichment in the city of Atlanta.  

Ashley Wilcox 16T, a Quaker minister, is the featured preacher May 8 on “Day 1,” the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online and by podcast at Day1.org. 

Avis Williams 78Ox 98C 08T 18T will deliver the keynote address at the 177th commencement exercises of Oxford College, Emory University, on Saturday, May 7. Williams is a beloved graduate of Oxford College of Emory University and holds three additional Emory degrees: a BA in Chemistry from Emory College of Arts and Sciences, and both an MDiv and DMin from Candler School of Theology. Read more. 

Don Wood 74T was inducted into the United Methodist Association of Communicators Hall of Fame at the group’s annual meeting on March 30-31. Wood is an ordained elder in the UMC who in 1977 became the executive director of Good News Television (GNTV), a ministry of the South Georgia Annual Conference. When he retired in 2012, GNTV supported an average of 65 events per year and produced 15 videos each year. During his ministry he traveled to every state in the United States and 15 countries around the world, taping and supporting events. Since his retirement he has continued to travel and proudly work on church events around the world. 

Byron Wratee 18T wrote an essay published in the National Catholic Reporter called “Music, journalism, slang, swagger — the Black prophetic tradition is all around us.”  

The late Bishop John K. Yambasu 99T received the World Methodist Council’s top peace award for his work as a bridge builder in his home country of Sierra Leone and across the United Methodist connection. His wife, Millicent, accepted the award on his behalf on March 4 during the 142nd session of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference. Read more. 

In Memoriam

Glenn Darrell Parrish 06T died on March 15, 2022, in Monticello, Georgia. Read more.  

Charles Lewis Shurbutt 51C 54T, age 93, of Elberton, Georgia, died on Thursday, March 31, 2022, in Hayesville, North Carolina. Read more. 

News

Kristin Adkins Whitesides 18T (DMin), senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Winchester, Va., is the featured preacher May 15 on “Day 1,” the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and via podcast. She is ordained in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. 

Bob Gibbs 76T is featured in the May/June 2022 issue of Tallahassee magazine in the article “A Preacher Turned Poet.” Read the article.  

Alisha Gordon 15T is quoted in this Washington Post article about how money from churches that are closing can breathe new life into community ministries. Gordon’s nonprofit, The Current Project, which works with Black single mothers, has received funding redirected from closing churches through the organization Invested Faith. Alumna Leah Lonsbury 05T is also an Invested Faith fellow with her organization, Just Bakery of Atlanta, which creates opportunities for refugee partners to build economic security as they recreate home in the Atlanta area. 

In Memoriam

Daniel W. “Dan” Biteman, Jr. 94T died February 28, 2022 in Union City, Michigan. Read more.  

Charles Kenneth “Ken” Caraway 59T died Sunday, April 10, 2022, in Elizabethton, TN. He was an ordained elder in the Houston Conference of The United Methodist Church and served churches in east Tennessee and western Virginia. Read more. 

Lori Lowe 83T died April 25, 2022 in Atlanta, GA. She was a retired Episcopal priest. Read more. 

H. Andrew “Andy” Owen, Jr.71Ldied on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. A longtime member of Candler’s Committee of 100, Mr. Owen was a big supporter of Candler in the community and in United Methodist circles. Read more. 

Charles “Chuck” Henry Pittman 84T of Lowell, Arkansas, died February 26, 2022. Read more.  

James Allen Raines, Sr. 60T died March 2, 2022 at the age of 86. Read more.    

Robert A. Shelley 54T died April 20, 2022 at the age of 93 in Sun City Center, Florida. Read more. 

News

Seven recent Candler alumni have been selected by the Forum for Theological Exploration as 2022 FTE Doctoral Fellows as they pursue their PhDs:  

• Kimberly Akano 20T, Princeton University, American Religious History 
  

• Whitney R-E Baisden-Bond 16T, Chicago Theological Seminary, Practical Theology  

• Samaria Divine 17T, University of Georgia, Hebrew Bible  

• Amina S. McIntyre 16T, Vanderbilt University, Religion, Psychology, and Culture  

• Jeania Ree Violet Moore 15T, Yale University, Theology and Religious Studies  

• Quincy James Rineheart 11T, Chicago Theological Seminary, African American Religious History  

• Byron D. Wratee 18T, Boston College, Systematic Theology 

Greg Bergquist 85T, General Secretary of The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Claremont School of Theology. Read more on GBHEM’s website. 

Keith Corprew-Asberry 20T has received a Fulbright Trinity Laban Postgraduate Award in Music & Dance, which will allow him to pursue his MFA in Creative Practice: Transdisciplinary at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, with tuition and a stipend paid for the 2022-2023 academic year.  

Cristha Edwards 21T accepted a new part-time role as the Minister of Online Community at Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia.  

Myron McGhee 95T was promoted to Coordinator of Circulation Services at Pitts Theology Library. 

Jenn Stiles Williams 12T has been named one of Orlando’s Women of the Year. She is lead pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando. Read the article in Orlando magazine.

In Memoriam

David L. Gilbert 83T, age 77, died May 28, 2022, at his residence in Norton, Virginia. 

Read more in the Kingsport Times News. 

Victor Hugo “Hugh” McKee, Jr. 53T, age 96, died May 1, 2022. Read more in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 

Marita Harrell 14T, age 57, died May 19, 2022. She was pastor of Connections at Metropolitan UMC in Atlanta. Read Newsweek article. Her funeral service is scheduled for Friday, June 10, at 11:00 a.m. at Cascade United Methodist Church, 3144 Cascade Rd. SW, Atlanta, GA 30311, with a viewing prior to the service at 9:30 a.m.   

News

Katy Hinman 06T has been named director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion (DoSER). She joined AAAS in 2019, and since then has focused on strategic planning for DoSER, co-creation of resources for a broad range of audiences, and expanding engagement with diverse faith communities. 

In Memoriam

Earl B. Carter 52T, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away July 9, 2022. Read more in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.  

Jeffrey Dale 18T died on June 30, 2022, while attempting his second summit of Mt. Jefferson in central Oregon. Jeff had recently completed his third year of studies toward a PhD in New Testament Studies at Baylor University. Read his obituary that was posted on Society of Biblical Literature site.  

Vergil Lacy (V.L.) Daughtery Jr. 58T died June 8, 2022, at his home in Valdosta, Georgia. Read more at Legacy.com.

News

Veranita Alvord 94T 97T has been appointed lead pastor of First United Methodist Church, Brevard, North Carolina. Read more.   

Karen Barfield 94T has been appointed priest-in-charge of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Canton, North Carolina, the church’s first woman pastor in its 100-year history. Read more.   

Robert E. Daniel 82T has recently published the book The Bishop Is in a Hurry! Arthur J. Moore: Letters from a Well-Traveled Ambassador for Christ. He’s also currently working on a volume of Moore’s unpublished sermons and addresses, and credits Pitts Theology Library Head of Special Collections Brandon Wason 09T 17G for being “a remarkable help in both projects.”   

Julian Davis Reid 19T recently spoke with Sojourners about the theology of jazz, the Black church, the spiritual practice of rest, and more. Read more.  

In Memoriam

Granville C. Henry III 60T died on July 28, 2021. Read more.  

Charles A. Sineath, Jr. 64T died on July 23, 2022. Read more.  

L. Frank Frye 81T died on July 3, 2022. Read more.   

Hiram Jack Coker, Jr. 90T died on July 13, 2022. Read more.  

N. Wayne Clark 66T died on July 29, 2022. Read more.  

News

G. Robert ‘Bob’ Gary 53C 56T 88T died on August 3. Read a tribute by Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Theology Rodney J. Hunter.  

Quincy Brown has joined the Board of Trustees of LaGrange College. Read more.   

Willie Dwayne Francois III has published a new book, Silencing White Noise: Six Practices to Overcome Our Inaction on Race (Brazos Press).   

Emmy Corey is now instructor of religious studies at Hendrix College. Read more.  

Tori Butler recently published the op-ed “Hollering for Safety” in the United Methodist News Service. Read more.   

Ann Champion Shaw, executive pastor of Bethel AME Church in San Francisco, recently published the book WORTH: A Story of Favor and Forgiveness (Gatekeeper Press).  

Harrell Moore was recently appointed pastor of Hawkins United Methodist Church in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Read more.   

Dane Martin has been named a BJC Fellow by the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Read more.  

In Memoriam

Elroyce Dodson died on August 7, 2022. Read more.  

A. Bruce Galloway died on June 27, 2022. Read more.   

News

Kathryn Garvin 22T has joined the Candler staff as assistant director of operations and communications in the Office of Admission and Financial Aid.   

Alisha L. Gordon 15T was recently interviewed for Parents about her nonprofit organization The Current Project, which supports the well-being of Black single mothers by connecting them with programming to help close social and economic gaps. Read more.  

Tricia Hersey 17T recently published Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto (Little, Brown Spark). Hersey is founder of The Nap Ministry and was interviewed for an October 13 feature in The New York Times. Read more.  

Jennifer Testa Hrynyk 21T is the 15th called senior minister of First Congregational Church of Westfield in Westfield, New Jersey. Read more.  

Hee Jin Lee 22T is now pastor of Riggs Union Church and Sturgeon United Methodist Church in Sturgeon, Missouri.  

Jeremy Lewis 05T and David Lower 06T 17T were both featured in the recent Presbyterian Outlook story “Shared food ministry fosters friendship between two diverse churches.” Read more.  

Amina S. McIntyre 16T is one of this year’s Arts and Social Justice Fellows at Emory. McIntyre, a playwright, will teach the course “Bioethics and Vulnerable Populations: A Historical Perspective” with senior lecturer of biology Eladio Abreu. Read more.   

Mike Stone 03T recently published Living on the Plain: The Gospel of Luke (Church Publishing), a devotional guide suitable for individuals, small group study, or sermon preparation.    

In Memoriam

Frank H. Harris, Jr. 60T passed away on September 26, 2022. Read more.  

News

Thomas Berlin 88T, lead pastor of Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia, has been elected to serve as a bishop in The United Methodist Church. Berlin was elected at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina on November 2. Read more.  

Brandon Harris 16T is the new associate dean in the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at the University of Southern California. Read more.   

Khyati Y. Joshi 92C 96T recently penned the op-ed “DEI is more than race and gender. It’s faith, too.” for Religion News Service.   

Hoojung Lee 91G has been appointed president of Methodist Theological University in Seoul, South Korea.   

A documentary on John Ed Mathison 63T 78T premiered in Montgomery, Alabama on November 2. Read more.   

Laura Merrill 95T, Central District superintendent for the Rio Texas Conference, has been elected to serve as a bishop in The United Methodist Church. Merrill was elected at the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in Houston, Texas on November 2. Read more.

In Memoriam

Christopher D. Doyle, Jr. 71T died on October 29, 2022. Read more.  

Marvin Vickers, Jr. 66T died on October 19, 2022. Read more.  

News

Eben K. Nhiwatiwa 96T, Zimbabwe Area Bishop, recently worked alongside a mission team from the Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church to expand construction on the United Methodist Hanwa Mission Primary School. Read more.  

Maureen Sweatman 01T, founder of Joyful Living Coaching, is set to host a professional development webinar titled Skip the Resolutions and Create Your Vision for 2023 on December 6 from, 6:00–7:30 p.m. ET. 

Lyn Pace 02T 17T recently published the book The Sacred Year: A Contemplative Journey through the Liturgical Year (South Carolina United Methodist Advocate Press). 

Ted Goshorn 15T 21T recently published the new book Prayer Changes Us (South Carolina United Methodist Advocate Press). 

In Memoriam

Joe Acker Shirley, Jr. 73T died on November 12, 2022. Read more. 

William Hugh Cauthen 65T, 79T died on November 9, 2022. Read more. 

Frank William Fraker 61T died on November 20, 2022. Read more.