C. M. Kempton Hewitt, Ph.D., Executive Director

http://www.nhts.org/

Northwest House of Theological Studies is an extension program of graduate theological education for mainline Protestant students. Students may earn up to one half of the credits toward a Master of Divinity degree by attending weekend and summer courses for two years while remaining employed in the area. We use facilities at the First United Methodist Church and Willamette University in Salem, Oregon with library privileges at the Mark O. Hatfield Library at Willamette University.

News from the Board of Directors Meeting, May 24-25, 2004

The Board of Directors of The Northwest House of Theological Studies met May 24 and 25, 2004, at Willamette University.  Some significant changes occurred following the meeting of the Board—some within the past few days.  The primary changes concern NHTS personnel and the structure of the Board of Directors.

►The Board has been in the process of revising its Bylaws for several months.  At the May 24 and 25, 2004 meeting it received the recommendations of the revision task force and voted to adopt, with some minor adjustments, their proposed document. These changes chiefly concern the Chair and the composition of elected directors.  The revised document calls for the Chair to be elected from among the Directors, rather than being the incumbent Bishop of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.  The person elected as Chair was Professor Lane McGaughy.  The membership of the Board was expanded to twenty persons, sixty percent of whom must be United Methodists, in order to preserve the Discipline requirements for United Methodist corporations.  In its deliberations, the Board directed that the Nominating Committee add primarily lay persons and some clergy from all the alliance judicatories, with emphasis on expertise in higher education development and willingness to assist in fundraising projects. 

►The Board also accepted a committee report that significantly altered the administration of the House and subsequently revised the nature of its search for an Executive Director.  In light of urgent financial needs created by recent significant growth in the student body and the addition of new partners, it was decided to move to a more typical pattern found in seminaries, with a President/Executive Director who has proven executive and fundraising skills and an Academic Administrator or Dean for management of the academic program.  Kempton Hewitt was elected at that meeting to fulfill the role of the Director of Academic Affairs.  At the same time, the search committee was asked to review immediately the applications for the position of Executive Director on file as a result of a national search, with the expectation of having the best candidate in place as soon as possible.  Within ten days the search committee conducted interviews, reported a recommendation to the Executive Committee, and the Board was polled for concurrence.   A new Executive Director was then appointed.  He is Richard Francois, most recently Vice President of the High Desert Museum (Bend, Oregon).  His previous career was predominantly in higher education institutional advancement, with both Catholic (Jesuit) and American Baptist-related colleges and universities.  His university responsibilities have included many areas of administration, including the recruitment and admission of students, as well as all aspects of development and fundraising. He has broad lay leadership experience in his United Church of Christ denomination and volunteer work with such ecumenical faith-based organizations as Habitat for Humanity.  His knowledge and sensitivity across denominations and his extensive experience in fundraising made him the unanimous choice.  He assumes office on July 1, 2004. 

►The Board also affirmed the recent hiring of a three-quarter time Program Director, Steven Lewis, Ph.D., a theologian with ten years of college teaching experience and much admired advisor and mentor of students.  As director of the spiritual formation program and with responsibility for new initiatives in continuing education programs, he will be responsible for enhancing enrollment as well as retention of currently matriculated students.

►The Board also affirmed the recent hiring of a replacement for our current, excellent Registrar and Bursar, Kelly Jensen, who will begin Ph.D. studies in the near future.  The person hired, James Simmons-Cox, M.Div, Th.M., is now being trained and has extensive experience in both seminary and college administration, including admissions, student support and financial aid.  His presence will insure that we have excellent public relations with matriculated and prospective students, with visiting faculty, and in the maintenance of academic records.

I am also pleased to report that very recently we have been notified by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) that the organization known as the Western Mission Cluster—an organization that includes all Lutheran higher education institutions in the West—has voted to negotiate with NHTS as a unit, with the goal of making NHTS the preferred entry point in Oregon and Southwestern Washington for Lutheran seminarians who are unable to begin studies at one of the two residential seminaries sponsored by the ELCA in the Western Region (Berkeley, CA, and St. Paul, MN).  The latter of these, Luther Seminary, is one of the largest theological schools in America.  Luther has stated its intention of providing NHTS with a steady flow of faculty beginning this year. 

Another new partner is the American Baptist Seminary of the West, part of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. We now cooperate with these GTU schools: Church Divinity School of the Pacific (Episcopal), Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), Pacific School of Religion (United Church of Christ, United Methodist and Disciples of Christ) as well as with our founding seminary, Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Our partnerships are a magnet of energy for the Northwest House of Theological Studies.

It is truly a joyous time at the Northwest House of Theological Studies. The past two years have seen both a rapid expansion of enrollment and the building of a collaborative model that is fast drawing the attention of theological education across the country. I want to thank Kempton and Fawn for the imaginative and tireless efforts in mining the House for the next level of its development.  We now know that NHTS has the potential to become a prominent – and permanent – feature of the higher education landscape in the Pacific Northwest.

We thank you for your continued support of our work at the House, for your prayers, your sharing the news of our mission, and for your financial gifts. Our collaborative efforts have resulted in the quality institution that is the Northwest House of Theological Studies.

A final note of very good news: We just received word from the Collins Foundation of a generous challenge grant of $125,000 spread out over the remainder of 2004 and into 2005!  This vote of confidence, in our progress to date, gives us encouragement for the future.

Blessings,

Lane McGaughy, Ph.D.

Chair, Board of Directors

C. M. Kempton Hewitt, Ph.D.

Executive Director