Phoenix Seminary Library · Cuba to help Cuban Pastors find opportunity for advanced theological...
Transcript of Phoenix Seminary Library · Cuba to help Cuban Pastors find opportunity for advanced theological...
Phoenix Seminary Historic Milestone Events Part Three
(June 2020)
2017 To get the staff and faculty involved in the new campus planning process, Steve Johnson put up
butcher paper in the Thomas Road facility conference room so that staff and faculty could write
down their wish list for the remodeled academic building, classrooms and library.
Early in the year Jonathan Griffin, the Enrollment Director added the Student Services responsibility
to his job description and launched a new program which would help to reduce student attrition—
leaving their degree programs before completing them. He initiated the Student Services
Advisor positions. These positions had a greater level of responsibility than those of the past
Enrollment Counselors. While Enrollment Counselors attracted prospective students to the seminary
Student Services Advisors developed an ongoing relationship with student throughout their entire
academic career. They became trusted guides, confidants and friends. When struggles erupted, they
were there to make practical suggestions—matters of scholarships, finances, work opportunities,
counseling etc. Below are past and current Student Services Advisors (SSAs).
The Phoenix Seminary Board of Directors unanimously approved the hire of Assistant Professor
Dr. Peter Gurry on the 21st of April.
Dr. Gurry, received his ThM at Dallas
Theological Seminary and his PhD at the U. of
Cambridge. His Thesis was titled A critical
examination of the coherence-based
genealogical method (CBGM) in the catholic
epistles. He teaches courses in Greek Language
and New Testament literature. His research
interests range across Greek grammar, the
history and formation of the Bible, and the
history of New Testament scholarship. In 2017
Dr. Gurry authored both A Critical Examination
of the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method
in New Testament Textual Criticism (Brill) and
as coauthor, A New Approach to Textual
Criticism: An Introduction to the Coherence-
Based Genealogical Method (SBL
Press/Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft).
Jenny Miller our 1st
SSA from 2017-2018.
She held several
positions since 2011
Nick Fryberger served as an SSA from 2017-
2020; He was an MDiv
graduate in May 2020
Eden Henn served as
an SSA at the
seminary from 2018-
2020
Andy Clare served as an
SSA from 2018-2020. As a
2018 MDiv grad. He became
a Seminary Adj. Instructor.
David Wyman 2019-2020.
He is currently pursuing an
MDiv with a Biblical
Theological Studies focus.
2017 On May 10th and 12,th the seminary administrative offices were cleared from the 4th floor of the
4222 E. Thomas Road facility. All essential furniture equipment and computers were moved
to the recently remodeled administrative building and Chapel with Library Annex at 7901 E. Shea
Blvd. The library staff and Two Men and a Truck moving company handled the move.
See: https://ps.edu/library-seminary-history/ Library History 1994-2017.
The Library would continue to meet student research needs at the Thomas Road facility. Students
would make book requests of the library staff and Mitch Miller (who lived close to the Shea campus)
couriered items to the Library Annex (in back of the Chapel) where the Library Director had an office.
Reserve and Reference readings, computers, a printer and study carrels were available to students so
they would not have to travel to the Thomas Road facility while the new Biblical Research Center was
being built. This plan suggested to the President by the Library Director saved the seminary $250,000 by
not having to move the library collection to a remodeled temporary library facility.
On June 19, Dr. Hunter in an email to all stated, “Colleagues, President DelHousaye received word
today That the Institutional Actions Committee of the Higher Learning Commission has approved
the reaccreditation of Phoenix Seminary for 10 years!...Thanks again to those of you who participated
in developing materials for the lengthy Assurance Argument and to those who were interviewed by
the visiting team. Special thanks to Roma Royer, whose work brought it all together.”
The Seminary Cabinet made up
of (Left to Right) Provost, Dr.
Bingham Hunter, V.P. Dr. Chip
Moody, V.P. Steve Johnson and
President Darryl DelHousaye,
participated in the Ground
Breaking Ceremony for the
future Biblical Research Center
and Campus Grounds.
June 23rd 2017
Pete Evans a British exchange
student from Wales utilized the
Library Annex just prior to his
graduation. Jim Santeford readies
the Copy Machine for a project.
2017 Cuba Partnership: V.P. and past President of the Latin American Mission, Steve Johnson, traveled to
Cuba to help Cuban Pastors find opportunity for advanced theological education in cooperation
with Phoenix Seminary. Later when several Cuban pastors returned to the U.S., they shared
their experiences living under Fidel Castro’s socialistic government, and how the Church has been
allowed to exist without a lot of governmental interference. When storms devastate the island, the
government is slow to respond—it is the Church that reaches out to meet the needs of people and
Churches in their area. The seminary seeks to someday have vital theological and spiritual ties with its
Christian neighbors in Cuba, but currently we seek Latino leaders from Arizona communities who will
see the value of a seminary education.
On July 11th and 12th the second phase of the move focused on faculty books, files, bookshelves
and more classroom items. Faculty needed to store their personal books while they worked
remotely from home as some of the staff were doing. The seminary garage at 4222 E. Thomas Road
also needed to be cleared out where less used library periodicals and furniture items were stored.
In August heavy equipment, earth movers etc. were brought onto the Shea campus grounds to
remove all old lighting structures and black top in order to begin laying the foundation—all electrical,
plumbing and concrete. See: https://ps.edu/library-seminary-history/ Library History 1994-2017.
From the 1st to the 25th of September a foundation trench for the Biblical Research Center cut into
the ground, then the plumbing and wiring was laid, followed by the pouring of concrete. From the
Administration building, It was amazing to see the speed at which the structure was taking shape.
Dr. Hunter informed the September Board Meeting: 1) “The MAC program had grown
Significantly” and the seminary was now “in need of an additional counseling professor.” 2)
“a new professor in Old Testament in the next 18 month or so, would strengthen faculty
resources supporting the degree.” 3) “a consensus from the Board [was requested] to move forward
with the ATS 10-year accreditation visit and assessment process.” 5) “Income from [the] online program
[had] exceeded $1,000,000.”
Christian Cordova, a Masters
student at Phoenix Seminary,
is our Hispanic Studies
Director—a conduit and
Shepherd to our Latino
students.
2017 Executive V.P. Steve Johnson stated regarding Renovation/Construction/Move to the Board “we are
currently three weeks ahead of schedule, and $200,000 below budget.”
The new library being constructed was originally to be called “Phoenix Seminary Library” but Board
members wanted to name it after a major donor. The Library Director in discussion with the President and
V.P. Johnson suggested the facility should be called the (Name) Biblical Research Center. The major donor
humbly refused their name be placed on the building, thus it remained simply the Biblical Research Center.
How do events at the seminary happen? Who coordinates the events, takes the minutes…decorates
the tables… picks up the flowers,…orders the food and picks it up…moves the tables… pushes a
dolly stacked with boxes etc., etc., etc. These are behind the behind-the-scenes people who take care
of so many details they would make our heads spin—and they do it with full joy without complaining.
On October 3rd lumber was brought onto the campus and by the 11th cranes were moved into place to
Erect both wooden walls and metal support columns. There was a lot of noise on the property. Chip
Moody and I regularly observed “Tonka Toy” heaven out the administration building window.
Shannon Cox, alias
“rocket feet” for her
passion, energy and
joy, served as Dir. of
Events and Associate
Dir. of Advancement
from 2010 to 2014.
Yvonne Gonzales,
served as Exec.
Admin. Manager &
Campus Office
Manager since 2015.
A superb, efficient
event & executive
office coordinator.
Bonnie Jones, served
as Advancement
Coordinator and
Director of Events
from 2015 to 2020.
A master planner of
Conference/Fund-
raising Events.
Paul Newman, our
multi-talented Campus
Facilities Coordinator
has served the
seminary since 2017.
Paul can fix, move or
provide assistance with
just about anything.
2017 By the end of October lumber was erected into noticeable walls and surrounding the
construction site was a security fence and attached to that was an advertisement banner. It depicted
what the finished construction would look like. By the 22nd of November plywood sheeting was
attached to the exterior and a corrugated metal canopy was constructed in front of the Biblical
Research Center (BRC).
2018 On January 26th Dr. Hunter’s “request to the [Seminary] Board to formally designate Dr. Malcolm Hartnell
to ‘Professor of Intercultural Studies, Emeritus’…The Board unanimously approved the motion.”
Also at the same meeting, “Dr. Hunter shared with the Board a statement which came from the accrediting
Commission – Dr. Tom Tanner our ATS liaison. ‘Just started reading your schools self-study report and so
far, I am two-thirds through it. It looks superb, one of the finest I’ve read in a long time…the
[Commission] Board unanimously accepts the 2018 Self-Study.’”
On March 20th to the 22nd the ATS Accreditation team visited the new campus, and in April the team
recommended the “reaffirmation of the accreditation of Phoenix Seminary for a period of 10 years.
The seminary received exceptional praise on Library staff, Faculty and Board Members.”
On May 4th, a certificate of occupancy was given from the city of Scottsdale for the BRC and new
classrooms at the Shea Campus.
2018 On May 11 Graduation was held at Mountain View Presbyterian Church.
End of Part 2; See Part 3
Resident Faculty in
attendance, front row
(left to right):
Dr. Roger Ball, Dr.
Wayne Grudem, Major
Doug Olbert, Dr.
Darryl DelHousaye, Dr.
Josh Anderson, Ms
Roma Royer, Mr. Steve
Johnson. Back row (left
to right) Dr. Peter
Gurry, Dr. Brian
Arnold, Dr. John
Meade, Dr. Justin
Smith, Dr. Jonathan
Logan, Dr. Bing Hunter
and Dr. Chip Moody.
This would be our beloved colleague and friend, Chip Moody’s last event with the
seminary. He had been battling melanoma courageously for the last two years and on
June 21st the cancer would take his life. Chip served at the seminary since 2006. He
was an amazingly gifted homiletics professor who was the Dean of Students, V.P. of
Student Development and Director of Doctoral Studies.
The book at the right
was created and
compiled by Phoenix
Seminary graduate
Danielle Carpenter. It
is filled with many
positive honoring
memories of our
beloved Chip by those
who knew him best.
It has been catalogued
and entered into the
library collection so
that our remembrance
of him may never
fade.
2018 14-18 May: The library staff began working with Two Men and a Truck movers to download
the Thomas Road Library collection onto plywood carts to be shrink wrapped onto plywood
carts to prepare for shipment to the Shea campus location. All the library furniture used for many
years was removed and donated to both the Indian Bible College in Flagstaff and the American
Indian College in Phoenix, to make room for the packed plywood carts before shipping, while the
old library shelving was being dismantled for reinstallation behind the new shelving at Shea.
21-25 May: Classroom chairs and power tables were transferred from “Public Storage” to the newly
constructed classrooms. The summer session began on 21 May 2018.
Peter Nam (2021 Grad.) and Jordan Burnidge
(2020 Grad.) are student volunteers who
quickly moved and organized books on the
carts so the book order would remain the same
when offloaded at the new library.
The new 18 gauge steel shelving made in
Canada by Montel, was installed by Mark
Hurley’s team and overseen by Greg Gawin
the godly sales agent for Montel.
Where computer tables and chairs used to line the
southern wall of the library, carefully numbered and
shrink-wrapped book carts were readied for transport
to the new Phoenix Seminary Campus.
Nearly 100 carts were positioned in the center
isle of the new library and offloaded by staff and
movers to the shelves as soon as the new and old
shelving was anchored and end-caps secured.
2018 On Friday August 3th, the seminary was given the gift of office furniture for every office in the
BRC. A business in the Phoenix area shut down and a demolition company CEO miraculously called
our President Darryl to see if he might need furniture that was going to be removed. On Monday the
BRC offices were filled, as required, with beautiful red mahogany desks and book shelves—FOR
FREE. We just had to pay to have the desks, bookshelves and chairs be professionally transported.
August 17th was the date of Fall New Student Orientation
All the pieces began to come together to complete the Biblical Research Center Library. Powered
oversized Study Cubicles and Tables would eventually arrive in August.
The furniture arrived just in time for the kick off of the Fall semester on the 20th of August, and
Higher Learning Commission Accreditation visit the 23rd and 24th of the month. Our Accreditation
was reaffirmed for an additional 10 years.
Grand Opening of the BRC was Friday November 2nd. The opening was held in the evening.
The event was catered by the co-owners of the Historic Squa Peak Inn. Many were invited to the
event which included Phoenix Seminary Board Members, Donors, Faculty, Staff and Students.
Key Scottsdale City officials also were in attendance. The Executive Vice President of Strategic
Initiatives, Steve Johnson and the President of the Seminary, Dr. DelHousaye officiated the event.
.
It was announced on December 14th that Dr. Peter Gurry was elected to the Board of The Institute
For Biblical Research. Both Dr. Gurry and Dr. John Meade continue to work on development of the
Phoenix Seminary Text and Canon Institute.
Newly donated book shelves and
chairs line the center corridor of the
Biblical Research Center.
Dr. Wayne Grudem gets book
shelves, chairs and a desk for his a
newly completed glass-front office
in the BRC.
Dr. John DelHousaye, Dr. Justin
Smith, Dr. Peter Gurry, Dr. John
Meade and Dr. Brian Arnold and
Dr. Tracy all received furniture.