This summer, Eden’s core faculty were out and about, and inspiring change.
Rev. Dr. Christopher Grundy began a year long sabbatical that will include creative work on song writing and time with theology, trees and plants in Eden’s Sacred Grove.
Rev. Dr. Ben Hartley was part of a delegation of seminary professors that traveled to Palestine with Sabeel, a Palestinian liberation theology organization. He also spent four days with the Missouri UMC Annual Conference Licensing School for Ministry, teaching and mentoring future UMC ministers.
Rev. Dr. Deborah Krause was given an honorary doctorate from Heidelberg University in recognition of her contributions to theological education and ministry and was honored as one of the great preachers for the 2025 Hall-Proctor Leadership Institute.
Dr. Henry Kuo attended the Wabash Center Workshop for Early Career Seminary Faculty and has been writing. He served as an editor to the volume, “Receiving Nicaea Today: Global Voices from Reformed Perspectives” and contributed a chapter to “Towards a Reforming Nicene Ecclesiology: Navigating Reformed Catholicity, the Legacy of Nicaea, and Imperial Power.” Both books will be released this fall.
Rev. Dr. Raquel Lettsome was recognized by Rev. Dr. DeForest Soaries, the first Black Secretary of State of NJ and Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, as being one of the ten inspirational female preachers he knows. She also contributed a chapter on womanist criticism of historical Jesus scholarship for the Oxford Handbook on the Historical Jesus and ran a preaching lab for pastors of the 8th episcopal district of the AME church.
Rev. Dr. Clint McCann has been organizing the Saint Louis Metro CROP Hunger Walk, to take place September 28, 2025, a movement to provide meals for those in our community who need them. He also has been connecting with local congregations with his 2024 book “Reading the Psalms Again for the First Time.”
Rev. Dr. Damayanthi Niles gave lectures on women in ministry, mission, and gender/sexuality at Jaffna Theological Seminary in Sri Lanka with Darshan Ambalavanar and on her book, Doing Theology with Humility, Generosity, and Wonder at Artha Wacana Christian University in Indonesia.
Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker received a Living Legends Award for Service to Humanity from the Be The Change organization. She also attended the Wabash Center workshop for Early Career seminary faculty and became transitional pastor at Centennial Christian Church. In August, she was on a televised panel, broadcast on 9 PBS, sharing stories of loss, resilience, and recovery in St. Louis following the tornado.
