John W. Vest Visiting Assistant Professor of Evangelism, Union Presbyterian Seminary jvest@upsem.edu Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Education MCCORMICK THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, Chicago, Illinois DMin, May 2014 Thesis: Post-Christendom Confirmation UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DIVINITY SCHOOL, Chicago, Illinois PhD coursework in Biblical Studies (Hebrew Bible) UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DIVINITY SCHOOL, Chicago, Illinois MDiv, March 2003 RICE UNIVERSITY, Houston, Texas BA, May 1999, Cum Laude Majors: Religious Studies and Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations HEBREW UNIVERSITY, Jerusalem, Israel Rothberg School for Overseas Students One Year Program, Academic Year of 1997-98 Summer Program, 1998 Ordination Academic Positions MINSTER OF THE WORD AND SACRAMENT, Presbyterian Church (USA) October 15, 2006 Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EVANGELISM Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, VA, June 2015-present ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois Department of Theology and Religion Biblical Studies and Contemporary Relevance, Spring 2006-Fall 2007 TEACHING ASSISTANT, University of Chicago Divinity School, Chicago, IL Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, Spring 2006 TEACHING ASSISTANT, University of Chicago Divinity School, Chicago, IL Advanced Preaching Seminar: The Word Before the Powers, Spring 2005 TEACHING ASSISTANT, McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, Illinois Introduction to Biblical Hebrew, Summer 2001-Winter 2002 Ministry Positions ASSOCIATE PASTOR FOR YOUTH MINISTRY Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, IL July 2006-June 2015 CV: John W. Vest-1
PASTORAL ASSOCIATE, Community Presbyterian Church, Clarendon Hills, IL September 2001-June 2006 Acting Head of Staff, July 16-September 5, 2005 Adult Education Coordinator and Teacher, Youth Confirmation, Worship PASTORAL INTERN, Community Presbyterian Church, Clarendon Hills, IL September 2000-Auguist 2001 Denominational Service Commissioner to the 221 st General Assembly, 2014! Vice-Moderator of the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee Overture Advocate to the 220 th General Assembly, 2012 General Assembly Mid Councils Commission, 2010-2012 Commissioner to the 219 th General Assembly, 2010 Observer at the 218 th General Assembly, 2008 Presbytery of Chicago! Moderator, 2014! Moderator-Elect, 2013! Presbytery Coordinating Commission, 2012-2015! Connectional Mission Design Task Force, 2013-2014! Vision and Praxis Task Force, 2012-2013! Outdoor Ministries Task Force, 2013! New Church Development Visioning Team, 2011-2012! Co-Moderator of Camping Ministry Concept Development Team, 2011-2012! Vice Moderator of Camp Oversight and Development Work Group, 2008-2011! Camp Oversight and Development Work Group Programming Sub- Committee, 2007-2011! Youth Ministry Team, 2007-2013! Communications Work Group, 2010-2012 McCormick Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, 2013-2014 Publications Book Review: Martin Hengel and C. K. Barrett, Conflicts and Challenges in Early Christianity. Donald A. Hagner, ed. (Harrisburg: Trinity Press, 1999). Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 2 (2000). Book Review: Nahum M. Sarna, Studies in Biblical Interpretation (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2000). Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 4 (2002). Book Review: David R. Bauer, An Annotated Guide to Biblical Resources for Ministry (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2003). Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 4 (2003). Book Review: I. Howard Marshall, Beyond the Bible: Moving from Scripture to Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004). Review of Biblical Literature (June 25, 2005). The Prophetic Pathos of Crash, Sightings (March 23, 2006). Film Review: Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man. Journal of Religion and Film 10.1 (April 2006). When a Hero Dies. Sightings (June 7, 2007). CV: John W. Vest-2
Partners in Providence seven devotions for These Days: Daily Devotions for Living by Faith, 38.2 (Louisville: Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, April/May/June 2008). Three exegetical essays on Psalm texts in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, Volume 3 (ed. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor; Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).! Psalm 107:1-9, 43 (p. 299-303)! Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23 (p. 323-27)! Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 (p. 347-51) Living by the Word essays in The Christian Century (February 19, 2014). What Twenty-First Century Worship Planning Can Be. Call to Worship 47.2 (2014), 61-63. Praying with the Nones in the Digital Age. Call to Worship 47.3 (2014), 57-59. The Digital Cloud of Witnesses. Call to Worship 47.4 (2014), 101-102. It s Not Conformation: Confirmation Sermons from the Front Lines of Post- Christendom Youth Ministry (self-published, 2015). Stewardship of Community in Stewardship Made Whole (ed. Adam Copeland; Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, forthcoming). Ministry Facebook (etc.) for Dummies. Presbytery of Chicago LEAD, Presentations March 6, 2010 Embracing Technology for Ministry: Social Networking and Outreach. Presbytery of Chicago LEAD, March 6, 2010 Questioning the Answer: What Does It Mean to Say that Jesus Is Your Lord and Savior? Keynote presentations at Presbytery of Chicago Confirmation Retreat, March 12-14, 2010. Theology of Christian Leadership. Youth track keynote presentation at Pathways Youth Ministry Leader Seminar (PYWA), October 16, 2010. Experiencing God in the Wilderness: Camping Ministry for Chicago Presbytery. Presbytery of Chicago LEAD, March 5, 2011. Now is the Time! Keynote presentations at Presbytery of Chicago Senior High retreat, November 2-4, 2012. Ministry with MIA Youth after Confirmation. APCE Annual Event, February 9, 2013. Ministry 2.0 (social media and ministry). Presbytery of Chicago LEAD, March 2, 2013. Ministry with MIA Youth after Confirmation. Presbytery of Chicago LEAD, March 2, 2013. Do(n t) Tell the Kids: Precritical and Postcritical Naivete in Ministry with Children and Youth. Subverting the Norm II: Can Postmodern Theology Live in the Churches? April 6, 2013. Using Technology to Enhance the Congregation s Ministry. Presbyterian Communicators Network National Conference (at Big Tent). August 2, 2013. Post-Christendom Youth Ministry. Progressive Youth Ministry Conference. March 21, 2014. (In partnership with the JoPa group, I also conceived, planned, and hosted the PYM Conference.) Revival is Transformation. Keynote presentation for Faith Community Presbyterian Church retreat, August 2, 2014. CV: John W. Vest-3
From Learning to Living. Homestead Presbytery Ordered Ministry Training, January 10, 2015. Confirmation as a Catalyst for Change. Presbytery of Chicago LEAD, March 7, 2015. Confirmation as a Catalyst for Change. NEXT Church National Gathering, March 17, 2015. Postcritical Naïveté in Youth Ministry. Progressive Youth Ministry Conference, March 21, 2015. The Great Exchange and the Justice Journey. Progressive Youth Ministry Conference, March 21, 2015. Supporting Gender Nonconforming Children and Youth. Progressive Youth Ministry Conference, March 21, 2015. Why Evangelism? Seminary for a Day, Union Presbyterian Seminary, September 26, 2015. Telling Our God Stories. Presbytery of West Virginia, October 3, 2015. Academic Presentations Academic Honors Rethinking Canon: Toward a Biblical Theology for the Church. MDiv Thesis Presentation, University of Chicago Divinity School, May 30, 2002. A Hidden God in the Book of Ruth? The Coordination of Divine Providence and Human Agency. Midwest Society of Biblical Literature, February 21, 2004. Bridging the Gap: Toward a Biblical Theology for the Church and Academy. Midwest American Academy of Religion, April 3, 2004. On the Partnership of Church and Academy. Spring Meeting of the Visiting Committee of the University of Chicago Divinity School, May 10, 2005. Gateways to Biblical Scholarship: Review of Patricia K. Tull, Esther and Ruth (Interpretation Bible Study Series). Panel presentation, I Know It When I See It: Examining Examples of Congregation-based Biblical Scholarship, Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, November 21, 2005. Wrestling With Nonviolence: Jacob the Trickster and a Mythic Exploration of Nonviolence in the Hebrew Bible. Midwest American Academy of Religion, April 1, 2006. Ambiguous Sovereignty: The Intersection of Divine Providence and Human Agency in the Book of Ruth. Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, November 20, 2006. Wabash Fellowship in Pedagogy and the Study of Religion, University of Chicago Divinity School (2006) John Gray Rhind Award, University of Chicago Divinity School (2002) Jerald Brauer Seminar Fellowship, University of Chicago Divinity School (2002): Constructive Biblical Theology: The Bible and Contemporary Theology ; Tikva Frymer-Kensky, David Tracy, Stephen Geller University of Chicago Divinity School Scholarship (1999-2002; 2003-2011) Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program, Rice University (1998-99) CV: John W. Vest-4
Memberships Society of Biblical Literature (1998 to present) American Academy of Religion (1998 to present) Presbyterian Youth Workers Association (2012 to present) Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (2012 to present) Archaeological W. F. Albright Institute for Archaeological Research, Internship, Spring 1998 Experience Tel Rehov, Summer 1998 (Volunteer and Field School) CV: John W. Vest-5