Covenant Class Programs

Covenant Class • Fellowship HallFaith in an Exhausted World with Dr. Stuckey In celebration of Earth Day weekend, the Earth Care Task Force is excited that Nate Stuckey, Director of the Farminary Project at Princeton Theological Seminary, will lead Covenant Class.  A good friend of Will Wellman’s, Dr. Stuckey is a farmer and has a Ph.D. in Christian Education and considers his work for Princeton’s Farminary as integral to his call to his teaching ministry. Come to participate in “Faith…

Covenant Class • Fellowship HallLiving Waters Team  Five members of Westminster’s Living Waters team journeyed over 9,972+ miles in nine days, visiting four water installation sites in Peru –communities with whom Westminster has lasting relationships–and three additional communities in need of potable water.  Drinkable water is precious in Peru, both in the desert coastline region and in the jungle.  Our Peruvian sisters and brothers experience the Word of God present in the pure water provided by Living Waters purification systems.…

Covenant Class • Fellowship HallCovenant Class | What We Can Learn From The Post-Easter Church Led by Rev. Dr. Guy D. Griffith

Covenant Class • Fellowship HallFour-Part Series: The Pursuit of Paradise: Arabs and Israelis, Holy Lands and Homelands In this four-part series, Dr. Echerd will teach us about the creation of the modern state of Israel, the origins of the Palestinian refugeeproblem, and the role of the Holy Places in this whole story. Dr. Art Echerd comes to us from Harpeth Hall School, where he has taught European and World History for over thirty years. Did you miss the first class?…

Covenant Class | Overcoming Racism for a Multiracial Democracy Centering and Celebrating Women and Our Stories with Claire K. McKeever-Burgett. Join author Claire McKeever-Burgett, M.Div, for an interactive and embodied conversation on storytelling, writing as spiritual practice, and the importance of centering and celebrating women. In this Sunday morning gathering, Claire will share (a little) about her book, Blessed Are the Women, and invite you to consider your own story as it intersects with others. Through deep breathing, reflective practice,…

Covenant Class | Overcoming Racism for a Multiracial Democracy Session 1: The Legacy of American RacismOngoing battles over the teaching of American history are an attempt to shape the narrative of who we are (or who we’d like to think we are) as a people.  But Americans must be honest about the legacy of racism and white supremacy if we are to create the conditions for a lasting, multiracial democracy.Led by Dr. Peter Jauhiainen   Dr. Peter Jauhiainen is a professor…

Covenant Class | Equal Chance For Education Our series, God-Sized Dreams continues. Join Raquel Oluyemo, Executive Director of Equal Chance for Education and Vanessa Delgado, a graduate of ECE and current Program Director, as they explain what ECE is, where it isgoing, and how Westminster is involved.

Covenant Class | Westminster Loves | Rudy Kalis Join us for a new series on “Westminster Loves” as a way of taking up and highlighting one of the important directives coming out of the Visioning work. Over the month, we will hear from members who demonstrate this value starting with Rudy Kalis.

Covenant Class  Prepare the Way of the Lord! Advent Visions: Seeking the holy in these unholy days. Led by Donovan Drake

“These Walls Speak:  Memorable Members of Westminster” Led by Carole Bucy Almost anywhere you walk in  Westminster, you see names. Names of the charter members and others who followed them. Few people today recognize these people, yet their love for this church and their commitment to its ministries still resonate with us today.   November 5, 2023 November 12, 2023

Learning With The Letters Of Paul Led by Jennifer QuigleyAssistant Professor of New TestamentDivinity School | Vanderbilt University In this two-week series, we will explore the letters (co)written by Paul, their earliest interpretations, and the historical context from which they emerge. We will learn more about the social, material, and economic setting of some of these ancient letters, and think about them alongside letter-writing practices from the ancient Mediterranean world and today. All are welcome, whether you have been reading…

“Seek The Welfare Of The City” #2 – Nashville’s Housing Crisis Hear a panel of leading experts on the issues of homelessness and the housing crisis in Nashville.   •  Jeff Gibson, moderator. Partner at Bass, Berry & Sims. Member of Metro Homelessness Planning Council. Board member and past president of Room In The Inn. •  April Calvin – Executive Director, Metro Office of Homeless Services. • Brian Haile – CEO, Neighborhood Health Tennessee, which offers medical, dental and behavioral healthcare regardless of…

Dr. Brennan W. Breed Grace and the Law in the Old Testament To many Christians, it seems like the Old Testament and New Testament describe different deities altogether: in the Old Testament, God seems angry, legalistic, judgmental, and vengeful, while the New Testament describes a loving, caring, and gracious God. But is this actually true? During our time together, we will explore the questions of God’s anger and judgment, the role of the Law in both the Old Testament and the…

Sherriff Hall Deflecting Mental Health Out of the Criminal Justice System

Discerning and Visioning Towards 2030: Hearing God’s Call Together Led by Donovan Drake

Rev. Claire BerryA Closer Look at Campus Ministry August 13, 2023 Rev. Claire Berry, Executive Director and Campus Minister of UKirk Nashville, will share an update on her ministry with college students at Vanderbilt and Belmont as a new school year begins. The class will also delve into what campus ministry really involves in 2023. What are the challenges and opportunities? What does the life of faith look an sound like for students, and how does Presbyterian campus ministry suppor faith’s…

WPC Earth Care Task ForceConcerned about Climate Change? Join us as we discuss the topics about our place in the natural world (the anthropomorphic vs theocentric, etc, what both the Old and New Testament have to say about it, and discuss what perspective we might take in viewing New Testament writings, which many do not think addresses the issue of our place in the natural world. July 16, 2023 July 23, 2023 July 30, 2023 August 6, 2023

Covenant Class | Led by Mike Hassell, author of Deep Tradeoffs. Polarization, uncivil bickering, alienated families and friends — these are among the most disturbing problems of our time. Many remedies focus on attitudes or processes of engagement, including openness, grace, curiosity, mirroring, etc. But there’s far more to consider in effectively engaging people who disagree, including powerful subconscious motives and value tradeoffs just beneath our normal awareness. During the July 9th Covenant Sunday School class in Fellowship Hall, Elder Mike Hassell discussed…

Melting Bullets Into Bells | Stephanie Mercedes | Covenant Class | 06.25.23 Click HERE to learn more about this artist, Stephanie Mercedes, and the melting of bullet casings and guns.

Covenant Class | Frances Hahn, Holocaust Survivor Frances Cutler Hahn was born Fanny Lindenberg Kahane on March 16, 1938, in Paris, France. Her parents, Schlomo Zalman Kahane and Cyla Lindenberg, came to Paris in 1936 from Poland. When Fanny was three, her parents placed her in a children’s home prior to their own arrests. Cyla Kahane was deported on Convoy 11 from Drancy to Auschwitz in 1942, where she perished. After her father was warned that Fanny would soon be…

Covenant Class | Richard Boyce State of Nashville Report Adam Buzard, Director of United4Pastors, will lead a discussion on Operation Andrew Group explaining Barna Research’s “State of Nashville” report. Operation Andrew Group brings churches together in three key initiatives: public education, pastor engagement, and young adult mentoring all to live out our mission to unite, partner and love. April 28, 2023

Covenant Class | Richard Boyce Christian Ethics in Three Acts: Biblical Stories on the Command to Love Please join Richard Boyce as he pushes us beyond more sentimental notions of love toward the “covenant loyalty” that is the way of Jesus. Richard Boyce is a PC (U.S.A) pastor, Ph.D. in Old Testament and recently retired Dean of Union Theological Seminary at the Charlotte, NC campus. April 28, 2023

Covenant Class | Rev. Will Wellman Faith and Ecology in Conversation  “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it!” Come learn about the Biblical and theological precedent for Creation care.  Rev. Will Wellman is a writer, poet, and co-founder of The EcoTheo Review.  April 23, 2023

Covenant Class | John F. Kutsko Guest speaker John F. Kutsko, Executive Director of Atla, a membership association of librarians and information professionals, and a producer of research tools, committed to advancing the study of religion and theology. April 23, 2023

Covenant Class | Rev. Dr. Carlos Emilio Ham Carlos Emilio Ham, President Emeritus of the Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC), has served as a pastor of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba for more than 35 years. He joined the staff of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in March 2001 as Program Executive for Evangelism, served as the Coordinator of the Mission and Ecumenical Formation Team, and finally as Program Executive for Diakonia & Latin America-Caribbean until December 2013.  In…

Covenant Class | THE WHIRLWIND DISCOURSES IN THE BOOK OF JOB | Choon-leong Seow Choon-leong Seow, Vanderbilt, Buffington, Cupples Chair in Divinity Distinguished Professor of Hebrew Bible, THE WHIRLWIND DISCOURSES IN THE BOOK OF JOB. The book of Job, widely regarded as a classic in world literature, reaches its climax in chapters 38-41, where God finally responds to Job. Yet, these are also among the most controversial and difficult portions to understand. This series of lectures will consider the theological meaning of these divine speeches as God answer to Job’s problem, as well as Job’s responses…

Covenant Class | Parables: At Once, Revealing and Veiling | Lucas W. Mburu | 02.12.23 Lucas hails from Kenya, Africa. He is a husband to Eunice and father to Grace and Timothy. He is an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, serving with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa – Kenya. He holds an M.A.(TS) degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2021 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. program in the New Testament and Early Christianity at Vanderbilt University. His study interest gravitates around Jesus’s words on human agency and…

Covenant Class | Parables: At Once, Revealing and Veiling | Lucas W. Mburu | 02.12.23 Lucas hails from Kenya, Africa. He is a husband to Eunice and father to Grace and Timothy. He is an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, serving with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa – Kenya. He holds an M.A.(TS) degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2021 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. program in the New Testament and Early Christianity at Vanderbilt University. His study interest gravitates around Jesus’s words on human agency and…

Covenant Class | Parables: At Once, Revealing and Veiling | Lucas W. Mburu | 02.05.23 Lucas hails from Kenya, Africa. He is a husband to Eunice and father to Grace and Timothy. He is an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, serving with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa – Kenya. He holds an M.A.(TS) degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2021 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. program in the New Testament and Early Christianity at Vanderbilt University. His study interest gravitates around Jesus’s words on human agency and…

Covenant Class | The Future of theological Education | Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo | 01.29.23

Guest Speaker: Kem Hinton FAIA Kem is an architect, historian, author, artist, and lecturer.   Incredible structures, fascinating history, religious intrigue, and unsolved mysteries The Temple Mount in Jerusalem THE MOST SACRED PLACE ON EARTH! A REMARKABLE JOURNEY THROUGH 3,000 YEARS | Part II | January 8, 2023

Guest Speaker: Kem Hinton FAIA Kem is an architect, historian, author, artist, and lecturer.   Incredible structures, fascinating history, religious intrigue, and unsolved mysteries The Temple Mount in Jerusalem THE MOST SACRED PLACE ON EARTH! A REMARKABLE JOURNEY THROUGH 3,000 YEARS | January 8, 2023

Led by: Rev. Guy D. Griffith Covenant Class | Part I: The Advent season represented in art. | Led by GuyGriffith | 12.11.22 Covenant Class | Part II: The Advent season represented in art. | Led by GuyGriffith | 12.18.22

Guest Speaker: Rev. Bill Shaw Northen Ireland Peacemake Northern Ireland Peacemaker | November 13, 2022

Guest Speaker: Laura M. Fabrycky Laura is the author of Keys to Bonhoeffer’s Haus: Exploring the World and Wisdom of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Guest Speaker: Kem Hinton FAIA Kem is an architect, historian, author, artist, and lecturer.   Where is the Oldest Bible? | October 30th, 2022 The Holy Grail | November 6th, 2022

Guest Speaker: Rev. Bridgett Green Practice Generosity: Sharing Resources, Wisdom, Justice, and Power.

Guest Speaker: Richard B. Hays George Washington Ivey Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament Duke University “Reading Backwards: Israel’s Story as Scripture for the Church?” What do we mean when we say that Israel’s story is Scripture for us? How did the New Testament authors interpret the testimony of Israel’s Scriptures?  Did the Old Testament somehow actually predict the coming of Jesus?  Or were the New Testament writers illegitimately plucking prooftexts out of their proper historical context?  In this class, we will…

“The Crisis in American Christianity: Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” Led by Rev. Dr. James Hudnut-Beumler

We welcome back James Womack, former Chair of the Art Department at Montgomery Bell Academy. Womack will teach on Giotto’s masterpiece, the Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel. The chapel contains a fresco cycle by Giotto, completed about 1305 and considered to be an important masterpiece of Western art. Giotto frescoed the chapel’s whole surface, including the walls and the ceiling. Cycles of scenes showing the Life of Christ and the Life of the Virgin were the grandest form of religious art in…

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem: The Most Sacred Place on Earth | 03.13.22 We welcome back Kem Hinton, FAIA. Kem is an architect, urban designer, author, historian, graphic designer, photographer, lecturer, LEED accredited professional and visual artist.  His first class will take us on an architectural journey that spans 3,000 years to discover “The Temple Mount in Jerusalem: The Most Sacred Place on Earth.” The second week will explore the question, “Where did they bury my Lord?” In this presentation, Kem…

Friendship as a Christian Practice In John’s Gospel (15:15), Jesus tells his disciples that he does not call them servants any longer but he calls them friends. We will explore what friendship with God entails, how it forms our relationship with God and with others, and what it means for us to befriend others and cultivate unlikely friendships. We will also explore why such friendship is especially important in our current social and cultural contexts.

Professor William “Bill” Brown to teach on Deep Calls to Deep: The Psalms in Dialogue amid Disruption We welcome Dr. William P. Brown, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA to teach on February 6, 13, and 27. Bill is an ordained PC(USA) pastor and a Princeton Theological Seminary classmate of Guy. He will teach on his new book on the Psalms. The Psalms can help us during a time of disruption and division. Deep…

The Rev. Claire Berry, who grew up at WPC and is now serving UKirk Nashville, the Presbyterian campus ministry for Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities, will join the class on Sunday, January 30. Claire will share about her journey to college ministry and the unique role that UKirk plays in the lives of local students and the larger church, with WPC’s support.

“A Dialogue Between Two Christian Literary-Theologians: Emily Dickinson and Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.” | A special discussion led by Victor Judge Part I | January 9th, 2022 Part II | January 16th, 2022 Part III | January 22nd, 2022