Episcopal Press and News
Nilt Commissions 12 for Ministries
Episcopal News Service. June 15, 1978 [78170]
NEW YORK, N. Y. -- On May 22 in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at the General Theological Seminary in New York City 12 students of the 1978 training class of The National Institute for Lay Training received certificates for completion of the nine month resident portion of the program.
The students committed themselves to Christian service and were commissioned for participation in Christ's ministry and mission by the congregation and Patricia N. Page, Director of Training and Tom Tull, Program Coordinator. The students are: Miriam Acevedo, New York, N.Y.; Nellie Benton, Hialeah, Fla.; Ann Clinard, Arlington, Tex.; John H. Coleman, Jr., Richmond, Va.; Margaretta Y. Harrison, Essex Fells, N.J.; Mabel Katahweire, Mukono, Uganda; Thomas H. Murray, Jr., Easton, Md., Mary Pat Murphy, Anchorage, Alaska; Dale L. Rucker, Columbus, Ohio; Patricia K. Scharf, Portland, Me.; Craig Schettler, Elma, N. Y.; and Cynthia R. Witt, Port Washington, N.Y.
These graduates now go on to twelve to eighteen month supervised field internships which include serving as assistant program director for the National Conference of Christians and Jews, working in an inner city urban ministry in Newark, N.J., participating in a video taping program at Trinity Wall Street, New York City, working in business and industry, and serving in a chaplaincy program in a hospital for incurables.
The Commencement speaker was Dr. Fredrica Harris Thompsett, Executive Director of the Board for Theological Education. In concluding her remarks, Dr. Thompsett summed up by saying, "Today's scriptures call us to a profound and complex task: to stand publically as a corporate body whose presence in the world should -- if we are true to ourselves, one another and our Lord -- stand for wholeness and the imaginative insights of love. To do this we must remember that in Christian ministry Christ Jesus is the one on whose behalf the act of service is performed.
"Together if we pay attention, we can grow into that unity which is already ours in Christ Jesus and join in committing and renewing ourselves to his service."