new church life: september/october 2016
can be really hard sometimes, and in the same way as the Psalms express raw
emotion of every kind, students should have a similar homiletic experience.
It reflects their reality and thus is affirming of their lives in a way that sheer
optimism never could be.”
Among the highlights of his career so far are:
• Conducting a doctrinal study on transgenderism
• Presenting the Nicodemus Tension (see New Church Life, May/June,
2016, page 222)
• Receiving an Honorary Diploma from ANC
“I feel comfortable in the classroom,” he says. “I feel at home and this
means I can focus less on myself and more on the material and the students
who are present.
I’ve managed to craft four separate curricula (Freshman Gospel of John,
Sophomore Life After Death , Junior Introduction to New Church Doctrine, and
Senior Marriage and Relationships) and have been part of writing an online
makeup course on the Ten Commandments.”
He makes it a priority to continue developing his knowledge in each of
the subjects he teaches. “This has kept me sharp and helped me to re-invest in
my work with regularity. It’s refreshing”
He finds that being surrounded by colleagues and in touch with clergy
“who are so knowledgeable, confident and experienced is a double-edged
sword. On the one hand it’s sometimes hard to feel adequate in the presence of
greatness. On the other, it keeps me ever-striving to be better. I improve as a
result of the perceived gap between others and myself.”
Among his hobbies is an Academy address project, working on collecting
all addresses of individuals affiliated with the early Academy movement
between 1881 and 1900. “It’s an odd project, but has been going well and has
been a lot of fun.”
He is also interested in his Barber family history. “We go back to slave
roots in southern Maryland. I have reconnected with family and others
connected to my family down there, and have done research both online in
paid databases, and in plantations, museums and libraries in Maryland in an
attempt to gain a better understanding of my Barber history.”
He really enjoys researching obscure figures in New Church history.
“Many New Church ‘worthies’ have already been documented, and I like
looking through old letters in the archives and in New Church Life in search
of some fascinating person lost in the quagmire of history. I’ve slowly been
building a database of these people and will sometime release it for public use.
“Not all figures that are interesting to me are obscure. My two favorite
characters are the Revs. John Clowes of Manchester and George Field of Battle
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