Reformed Church Center 15th Anniversary

November 10, 2015

Around thirty-five people from the RCA and the NBTS community gathered on Saturday, October 31, to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the creation of the Reformed Church Center at NBTS. “Being Reformed While Becoming Even More” was the theme for the day, as we looked at both the strengths and the challenges that the Reformed tradition brings to the Seminary as it lives into its ecumenical calling.

Adriene Thorne of Middle Collegiate Church led the congregation in worship to begin the day, reflecting on the story of Peter declaring Jesus to be the Christ (Matthew 16:13-20) with her sermon, “I’ve Got a Picture of Jesus.” Music was ably led by Benjamin Berman, who is active as an organist, harpsichordist, accompanist, teacher, and church musician in the New York metropolitan area.

John Coakley, L. Russell Feakes Memorial Professor of Church History, spoke of the history of the Seminary as it moved from being an integral part of the RCA to a school in partnership with the denomination and reaching out to others. James Jinhong Kim, director of the Center for Global Studies, encouraged everyone to think about the missionary past of NBTS as a key for its ecumenical future. Renée House, pastor of Old Dutch Reformed Church in Kingston, NY, reflected theologically on what it means for us to reach out to new communities, while Benjamin Rivera, pastor at First Reformed Church in Rocky Hill, NJ, and associate pastor at the Highland Park, NJ, Reformed Church, challenged us to look for new ways to invite others in to study.

The second part of the conference was devoted to looking toward the future, beginning with President Gregg Mast, who looked at how NBTS has been changing and how those changes will, no doubt, continue. Earl James, the RCA’s coordinator for Missional Mosaic, discussed the strengths, weaknesses, and tensions for NBTS in its ecumenical mission to the world. Arburta Jones, licensed preacher in the New Jersey Annual Conference of the AME Church, and Sharon Atkins, pastor of Bethany Reformed Church, both called on the Seminary to keep thinking in new ways and reaching out to new groups.

After hours of stimulating conversation, the day ended with a celebratory luncheon. John Coakley, as founding director of the Center, and Barbara Fillette, director of the Center from 2007-2014, reflected on the Center’s past, and Barbara was honored upon her retirement. Then we looked forward in hope to the future work of the Center in research and care for students and as a place for discussion and fellowship for everyone at NBTS.

We also discussed the Friends of the Reformed Church Center, a new way for people both within and outside the NBTS community and the RCA to support the Center’s ongoing work. Here’s to the next fifteen years!