June 2008 - The times, they are a-changin

The times, they are a-changin'

From the Executive Director, The Rev. Anne S. Howard

Dear friends,

It's June, and that means the beginning of The Beatitudes Society Summer Fellowship season!

The Summer Fellowships are a focal point in our program for developing tomorrow's progressive Christian leaders. On June 9th, 20 divinity school students from across the country will take their places at top level social change organizations in Chicago, IL, Washington, DC, and the San Francisco Bay Area, CA.

These students will gain essential skills for their future work as advocates for peace, justice and compassion. They will also deepen their insights about the intersection of faith and public life as they gather weekly throughout the summer with their local mentor for shared reflection. They will be talking about the links they are making between their faith traditions, the needs of the community, and the role of public policies in addressing those needs. They will also participate in Camp Wellstone basic training for grass roots social change. If you are in or near DC, Chicago, or the Bay Area, you are welcome to join the seminar! Click here to learn more and register to attend.

Faith and public life intersect. We are glad these emerging leaders have this opportunity to stand at that intersection now, and develop the skills they will need for tomorrow. Thank you for investing in these students, and the Beatitudes world they will be building. We are already planning for our 2009 group of students, and your support will keep our momentum building.

Meet our 2008 Summer Fellows here, and in September, tune in to read their reflections on their life changing experiences.

In Christ's Peace,
Anne

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Beatitudes Society Summer Fellows Serving in Chicago, IL
	Brenda Bos is from Sherman Oaks, CA. She is working on an M. Div. at Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA. She is looking forward to returning to Chicago, “a wonderful city”, and is most looking forward to being exposed to people from around the world who practice different faiths. As a Beatitudes Society Summer Fellow at Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, she is excited for the opportunity to spend time with people who are out there getting it done on a global level.
	Joseph (Jody) Goodwin Burnett, from Hattiesburg, MS, is an M.Div student at Virginia Theological Seminary. He will graduate in May 2009. “I am very excited about this fellowship position because I think it will provide me with the chance to develop unique skills for ministry, and to strengthen my commitment to the social Gospel as I strive to contribute positively to the work of Protestants for the Common Good. I am most looking forward to gaining experience in community organizing, to learning the mechanics of not-for-profit organizations, and to having opportunities to form meaningful relationships within the community of Chicago in the context of faith in action.”
	Brit Holmberg is from upstate New York. He will graduate next May from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. His Beatitudes Society Summer Fellowship is at Faith in Place. He is looking forward to helping spread Faith in Place’s message of sustainability and connecting with the other Chicago-area fellows.
	Rhonda Jackson’s hometown is Chicago, IL, where she will be serving at Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions. She has finished one degree and is pursuing another at Iliff School of Theology, and will graduate in 2009. She is looking forward to having the opportunity to assist in planning an event that will help our world, the 2009 Parliament of World Religions. She also looks forward to meeting people (including Beatitudes Soceity Summer Fellows and other members) from all over the world.
	Kristofer Lindh-Payne’s hometown is Baltimore, MD. He will graduate from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, next May. “I am looking forward to learning about the labor movement approach to economic justice and working with a community of other Beatitudes Society and Interfaith Worker Justice interns. I am also excited about acquiring further training in organizing methodologies.”
	Kathleen McKenzie is originally from Chicago, IL, and moved back to Chicago from Philadelphia for seminary. She is a Middler (2nd Year) at McCormick Theological Seminary. “This summer, I will be working with Protestants for the Common Good to design and deliver educational sessions for local congregations on environmental issues. I am especially looking forward to this opportunity to meet with people of faith, across denominational lines, to discuss and discover connections between what we believe and how we live our lives.”

Beatitudes Society Summer Fellows Serving in San Francisco Bay Area, CA

	Richard Burden’s hometown is Loveland, CO. He is a second year student at Church Divinity School of the Pacific at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. He will graduate in May 2009. Richard will serve at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, CA. He is most looking forward to being a part of a dynamic group with the bold vision of building green and sustainable pathways out of poverty. He’s excited to help bring a Beatitudes vision into public policy and the real lives of people.
	Sara C. Carlson is from Des Moines, IA. She will complete an MA in Christian Ministry/ Master of Management in Nonprofit Administration in May ’08 and will continue at North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago for post-grad work this fall. She is anxious for the opportunity to work with and learn more about a broader group of God’s Kingdom at her Summer Fellowship at United Religions Initiative. She’s also excited to spend the summer in San Francisco!
	Frederica Ghesquiere is from Potomac, MD. She has just completed her first year at Yale Divinity School. She will serve at The Regeneration Project, and is looking forward to working with people who are passionate about God and the environment and believe that the two go hand in hand. “This fellowship provides me with an opportunity to actively experience eco-justice beyond the walls of academia.”
	Neichelle Guidry is from San Antonio, TX. She is and M.Div student at Yale Divinity School. “My calling is primarily to parish minsitry, and I am hoping that the Beatitudes Society Summer Fellowship at First Congregational Church of Berkeley will equip me with tools that will make the fight for social justice more realistic to people of faith. I'm looking forward to working in a congregation that is completely different from any of the churches of which I have been a part. I am interested in the theological and intellectual growth, and the calling to be stretched outside of my "comfort zone". I'm looking forward to working with a wonderful woman-pastor and with this congregation, where there is growth in store for all of us.”
	John Helmstadter’s hometown is Tampa, FL. He is working on an M.Div. at Yale Divinity School and will graduate in 2010. John is most looking forward to working within an ecclesial model that prioritizes liberative praxis. His Beatitudes Society Summer Fellowship at Glide Memorial Methodist Church in San Francisco will surely offer him this opportunity.
	D. M. "Carson" Perez is from Salt Lake City, UT. He will earn his Master of Divinity in Spring 2009 from Yale Divinity School. Carson will serve as Beatitudes Society Summer Fellow at The Children’s Defense Fund, California. “One of my favorite Bible verses (Prov. 3:27) states, "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act." What I look forward to most about my Beatitudes Society Fellowship is encouraging and allying with faith communities in California to be strong and undeterred advocates of those who deserve the most good: the children.
Beatitudes Society Summer Fellows Serving in Washington, DC

	Onleilove Alston is from Brooklyn, NY. She is a second year student at Union Theological Seminary/Columbia University School of Social Work and will graduate in May 2010. As a Beatitudes Society Summer Fellow at Sojourners, she is most looking forward to the chance to bring together her faith in Christ with her passion for social justice. She is very excited about being a part of the new faith and politics discussion that is developing among Evangelicals. She is also looking forward to meeting other Christians who are passionate about a progressive faith that fuels the desire to see justice come to our society.
	Joe Cussen, from Kingston, MA, attends Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. He will graduate in '09. “In my summer fellowship at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, I am most looking forward to putting my study of theology into practical use by helping to spread the knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching and, through this teaching, to commit myself to Jesus' mission to the poor.”
	Antonia DeBoer is from Leduc, Alberta Canada. She has completed her first year at Fuller Theological Seminary. As a Beatitudes Society Summer Fellow, she is looking forward to being challenged and learning more about the Children's Defense Fund and herself as she is exposed to new people, ideas and opportunities. (She’s also looking forward to spending a summer in DC!)
	Ian Hartner is from Marlton, NJ. He has just completed his first year of a 2 year M.A.R. program at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He will graduated in the Spring of 2009. He is very excited to be working with Jubilee USA. “I can only imagine how wide this experience is going open my eyes. It's sure to be amazing in our nation's capitol this summer and I can't wait to get started!”
	Norma E. Malfatti is from Wantagh, NY. She is a 1st year, MDiv student at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. “Bread for the World is a ministry that I have supported and promoted for many years in my own ministries, so having the opportunity to work with them directly and to be a part of their ministry team, hands on, is what I am most looking forward to.”
	Patricia Santiago’s hometown is Brooklyn, NY. She will graduate in June, 2009, from Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY. Patricia will serve at NETWORK for her Beatitudes Society Summer Fellowship. During her fellowship, she will get to know different people working in different organizations all with one goal, to help others and be part of a solution; it is also an opportunity for her to learn from an organization that works to create bonds with people from different denominations. She is looking forward to the challenge and is grateful to have been given the opportunity.
	Stephanie A. Vogelzang is from Holland, MI. She will graduate in May 2009 from Yale Divinity School. Her Beatitudes Society Summer Fellowship is at Faith and Public Life. “I look forward to working hands-on with people of faith and with entire faith communities; I hope to become familiar with the most up-and-coming progressive faith organizations in D.C. this summer. I also recognize the benefits of an internship experience to further my political education, through the opportunity to work closely with experts in faith and politics. I am fascinated by communicating the Christian faith in ways that are intelligible to all people, mindful of our progressive faith, and that are faithful to the tenants of Christianity.”
	Lisa Ward’s hometown is Charlotte, MI. She will graduate next May 15, 2009 from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. She will serve at The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations, Episcopal Public Policy Network. “I look forward to my Beatitudes Society Summer Fellowship as a means by which I can learn about the development work associated with the legislative processes relative to the social policies of the church.”