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Several years ago at First Christian Church of North Hollywood (CA), one of our Elders, a financial manager with the film and television studios, pointed out that members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are among the most highly educated of any denomination but also among the lower paid having elected to enter many service jobs such as social work, teaching, ministry, child care, patient services, community organizing, etc. As a (now retired) community college professor of English, I know firsthand the importance of higher education in expanding one’s views, thereby enabling one to see from multiple perspectives. Having had the honor of serving for seven years on the Disciples Seminary Foundation Board as a member and then Chair of the Education Committee, I am committed to exceptional education for our DOC clergy and lay leaders.
So, I am truly delighted to send a monthly donation to DSF through an automatic payment from my credit card to be used for student scholarships. Providing financial support for our seminarians so they do not have massive debts when starting their careers is, in my view, both a joy and an obligation, especially for my generation.
This is such an exciting time in the life of the church. The explosion of knowledge in Biblical studies, the creative growth of various forms of the church with new and emerging technologies, and the bursts of Christ-centered energy flowing from the Holy Spirit are all invigorating and make my sustained giving a pleasure. While I know God loves us all equally, it does feel good be a “cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7) in the process. I actually sleep better at night knowing I’m helping DSF. Want to join me?
Dr. Richard Follett, descendant of clergy and church musicians on both sides of his family, taught five years of high school English before finding his true calling for 35+ years in the community colleges of Miami, FL, and then Los Angeles, CA, where he won numerous teaching awards including the 1998 CA Community College Teacher of the Year (one of four in the large state). His gift, he says, was in carefully listening to each student to help them discover that they, too, had important stories to tell.