Seeking God's Design: Disciples' Quest for Unity and Wholeness

by Richard H. Lowery (Editor), D. Duane Cummins (Editor), Peter M. Morgan (Editor)

Overview

Seeking God’s Design honors the 50th anniversary of The Design. It is focused around a series of audiotaped interviews that Disciples of Christ Historical Society President James Seale conducted from 1989 to 1993 with Disciples leaders who played important roles in Restructure. It provides historical context and offers a series of reflections from key Disciples leaders today, as we honor and critically evaluate the work of our predecessors while looking ahead to the next 50 years of our life as a church. Seeking God’s Design is the first volume of the James and Mary Dudley Seale Series on Disciples and Public Engagement, a partnership between the Disciples of Christ Historical Society and Chalice Press.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780827235472
Publisher:	Christian Board of Publication
Publication date:	07/15/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Rick Lowery, Affiliate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Christian Theological Seminary and Adjunct Professor at Lexington Theological Seminary, earned the M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University. He is an ordained Disciples of Christ minister, a native of Tennessee. He taught most of his career at Phillips Theological Seminary in Oklahoma and served as dean of Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky. He has written and collaborated on several books, including Sabbath and Jubilee and Chalice Introduction to the Old Testament. He has lectured and preached at church gatherings in the US and abroad and served on various Disciples and ecumenical commissions and committees, including the executive committee of the World Council of Churches Faith and Order Commission. Rick lives in Indianapolis with his wife, the Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada. D. Duane Cummins is visiting scholar in history at Johns Hopkins University and has served as interim president at Brite Divinity School. He is president emeritus of Bethany College in West Virginia, former president of the Division of Higher Education for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and author of several history books. Peter M. Morgan has led hundreds of congregations through eldership seminars. His extensive experience and insightful expertise have developed over years of service to church leaders, to the congregations, to the people who are the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Morgan has served as a local church pastor and as program staff at Disciples Home Missions.

Table of Contents

Foreword Teresa Hord Owens v

Foreword Teresa Hord Owens v

Introduction Rick Lowery 1

Part I Background

Context Duane Cummins 6

Through a Racial Lens: A View of the Social, Economic, and Political Context of the 1969 Merger Agreement Lawrence Burnley 10

Part II The Interviews

Some Key Terms 18

List of the Interviewees 21

The Roots of Restructure 23

An Ecclesial Church 41

Congregational Autonomy 54

Covenant 66

Regions 76

Accomplishments and Challenges 88

Part III Reflections

The Next 50 Years: De-centering Our Doorsteps Sandhya Jha 104

A Church Seeking Peace, Justice, Mercy, and Kindness LaTaunya M. Bynum 107

From Saber to Conocer. God's Call to a Deeper Knowing Lori Tapia 110

Kick Like Hell Bill Lee 115

Response to Bill Lee's Paper, "Kick Like Hell" Tim Lee 130

Design Flaw: The Mistake That Gave Us Birth Charles "Chuck" R. Blaisdell 134

Response to Rev. Dr. Chuck Blaisdell's Paper, "Design Flaw" Dawn Darwin Weaks 139

An Empirical, Experimental Ecclesiology: Remarks for "Design at 50" Symposium Kristine A. Culp 142

Concluding Thoughts Rick Lowery 149

Notes 151

About the Editors 154