MARGARET ANN CRAIN PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION GARRETT-EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 2121 SHERIDAN RD, EVANSTON, IL 60201 CURRENT ACTIVITIES Teaching fall semester course, Faith and Human Development, at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Leading retreats for the Order of Deacons in several conferences: West Ohio (2016), Michigan area, Rio Texas, and North Carolina (2015), Western North Carolina (2014), Missouri (2014) Member of the editorial board of the academic monograph series of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church, New Room Books. Bible Study leader with Jack Seymour for Northern Illinois Annual Conference, 2016. TEACHING OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Professor of Christian Education. (Associate Professor of Christian Education and Director of Master of Arts Programs and Deacon Studies; 2002-2008; Assistant Professor 1998-2002), 1998 2012. Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Teaching the Bible, Spring, 1997; Theories of Christian Education, Fall, 1997; The Art of Teaching, Spring 1997 & July, 1994. Co-facilitator of Supervised Ministry Reflection Group, 1997, 1996 & 1994. St. Paul School of Theology. Foundations of Theology, January, 1993; Theology for Certification Studies, April, 1992 & January, 1989. ADMINISTRATION OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Minister of Education, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, Atlanta, GA, March 1993-July 1998. Program Coordinator, Community United Methodist Church, Columbia, Missouri, 1987-1993. Director of Youth and Adult Ministries, Missouri United Methodist Church, Columbia, Missouri, 1978-1987. OTHER UNIVERSITY TEACHING Instructor in Speech and English Departments, University of Missouri, 1978-1983 (public speaking); 1973-1978 (expository writing). 1
BOOKS and MONOGRAPHS The United Methodist Deacon: Ordained to Word, Service, Compassion, and Justice (forthcoming Abingdon Press, 2014). Greenhouses of Hope: Congregations Growing Young Leaders Who Will Change the World, a book edited by Dori Greninko Baker in which I have a chapter entitled Staying Awake which is based on an ethnographic study of the youth ministry of First United Methodist Church in Evanston IL. The Promise of the United Methodist Deacon in the Twenty -First Century: Partners with the Whole People of God a monograph published by General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, The United Methodist Church, Nashville, TN 2007. Yearning for God: Reflections of Faithful Lives. Co-authored with Jack L. Seymour. Upper Room Press, 2003. A Deacon s Heart: The Ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church. Co-authored with Jack L. Seymour. Abingdon Press, 2001. Educating Christians: The Intersection of Meaning, Learning, and Vocation. Co-authored with Jack L. Seymour and Joseph V. Crockett. Abingdon Press, 1993. SCHOLARLY ARTICLES Through the Lens of an Ethnographer: Educating for Redemptive Community, in EDUCATING FOR REDEMPTIVE COMMUNITY: ESSAYS IN HONOR OF JACK SEYMOUR AND MARGARET ANN CRAIN. Denise Janssen, editor. Wipf & Stock, 2015. Our Dialogue is a Sign of Hope. Religious Education 103 (March 2008): 136-7. Redefining the Fundamental Questions. Religious Education 101 (Fall 2006): 438-442. Richard Murray for Christian Educators of the 20 th Century Project funded by Lilly Endowment. http://www.talbot.edu/ce20/educators/view.cfm?n=richard_murray Reconsidering the Power of Story in Religious Education. Religious Education 102 (Summer 2007): 240-248. This is the presidential address from the conference of 2006. The Diaconate as Dual-Skilled Ministry: A Proposal in Support of Dual Degree Programs for Formation. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social work: Social Thought 24:1-2 (2005), 55-63. Also published in Social Work and Divinity, Daniel Lee and Robert O Gorman, eds. The Haworth Press, 2005. p. 55-63. Who Should Preside at Eucharist? Quarterly Review 23:3 (Fall 2003). 302, 306-308. 2
Taylor and June McConnell for Christian Educators of the 20 th Century project funded by Lilly Endowment. http://www.talbot.edu/ceacademic/ Looking at People and Asking Why? : An Ethnographic Approach to Christian Education. 96 Religious Education (Summer 2001): 386-394. "`Thrashing in the Night': Laity Speak about Religious Knowing," (with Jack Seymour) Religious Education 92 (Winter 1997): 38-53. "Making Sense of Primal Stew" and "What Shall We Do?" Two sermons Pp. 19-25 & 198-205. In Women Preaching Re-volution. Edited by Elaine Lawless. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997. "Assessing Approaches to Christian Education" and "Listening to Churches: Christian Education in Congregational Life." Pp. 90-109. In Mapping Christian Education: Approaches to Congregational Learning. Edited by Jack L. Seymour. Abingdon Press, 1997. "The Ethnographer as Minister: Ethnographic Research in the Context of Ministry Vocations," (with Jack Seymour). Religious Education 91 (Summer 1996): 299-315. "The Cry for Theology I: Laity Speak About Theology," (with Jack Seymour) P.A.C.E. (February 1996). "The Cry for Theology II: Laity Speak about the Church," (with Jack Seymour) P.A.C.E. (March 1996). Consultant and subject of research in Elaine Lawless, Holy Women, Wholly Women: Sharing Ministries Through Life Stories and Reciprocal Ethnography. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993. BOOK REVIEWS Various book reviews in Religious Education. In 2012 I reviewed Will There Be Faith? by Thomas E. Groome. Remembering the Future, Imagining the Past: Story, Ritual and the Human Brain by David A. Hogue. CEF Newsline (January 2005). Women as Learners: The Significance of Gender in Adult Learning. Teaching Theology and Religion (April 2002). Students as Researchers: Creating Classrooms that Matter. Teaching Theology and Religion (February 2001). Learning from Our Lives: Women, Research and Autobiography in Education. Teaching Theology and Religion (October 1999). Making Large Classes Interactive. Teaching Theology and Religion (February 1999). 3
ARTICLES IN CHURCH PUBLICATIONS 2008-2011 Editor of Christians in Education, the publication of Christian Educators Fellowship. I wrote an editorial for each issue as well as defining the theme, soliciting writers and editing each issue. Effects of Monitoring on our Students for The Flyer newsletter of COSROW, Summer 2008. Teaching the Bible Using Multicultural Resources for Christian in Education (Summer 2008). Teaching/learning Spaces and Fostering Faith at http://sundayschool.cokesbury.com/content Spring 2008. Cutting Edges Aware, Spring, 2005. "Teach Our Children, Live in Love and Justice" in Being a 21st Century Christian in the United States published by Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. The Thirst We All Share: Pastors and Parishioners Yearn for God. Circuit Rider (March-April, 2000): 12-13. "Children and Holy Week." New Invitation for Pastors (Spring 1995). "Storytelling Tree Teacher Training." In Vacation Bible School Directors Manual. Cokesbury, 1994. "Removing Barriers to Adult Education." Leader in the Church School Today (Spring 1991):19-21. "Orienting Teachers," Leader in the Church School Today (Summer 1989):50-52. "Theology and Children's Music: A Guide for Selecting Materials," Quarter Notes (Fall 1988): 9-10. "Nonverbal Communication," Church School Today (Winter 1985-86): 20-22. NATIONAL SCHOLARLY CONFERENCES (Designed and hosted by Margaret Ann Crain) Deacon Dialogue III, April 15-17, 2010. This focused on the mission of the order of deacon. Deacons from over 40 annual conferences of the UMC attended. Deacon Dialogue II, November 29-December 1, 2007. Deacons: Messengers of the Kindom of God. Deacon Dialogue I, April 7-9, 2005. Addressing the top five FAQ s about Deacons in the United Methodist Church. A SELECTION OF SCHOLARLY PRESENTATIONS AND ACTIVITIES Served as President of the Religious Education Association 2007. 4
Served as President-elect for the Religious Education Association and organized the national conference for fall 2006: Reconsidering the Power of Story in Religious Education. Led the national Christian Educators Fellowship conference through a focus group research project on naming, identity, and vocation and reported back to the conference, October 3-8, 2002 in Norfolk VA. Results were published as Christian Education into the Future. (With Jack Seymour). Christians in Education 8 (Fall 2002): 4-6. Served as referee for Teaching Theology and Religion, 2002. Selected for Association of Theological Schools seminar, October 2001, Women in Leadership in Theological Education. Exploring the Commitments and Practices of the Peoples of God: Methods of Research and Education, plenary presentation for the Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education. November 4, 2000, Atlanta, GA. Invited Participant, Consultation on Religious Education, Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, 1999. United Methodist Association of Scholars in Christian Education. President, 1999-2001; President- Elect, 1997-1999. "Turning Life-Shaped Stories into STORY-Shaped Lives" & "Educating Christian Longing for God." Workshop for The Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry, "Growing Up Postmodern: Imitating Christ in the Age of `Whatever'." April, 1997. Princeton, NJ. "Forum Presentation: Engaging with Adults in the Practice of Poetry, Prophecy and Power." Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education, November, 1997, Oakland, CA. "Adults in the Sunday School: Why do they come? How do they learn?" Workshop for Religious Education Association International Conference, November 1992. "Learning to Hear the Voices: The Religious Educator as Ethnographer." Breakfast Roundtable for Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education, Nov ember 1990. A SELECTION OF CHURCH WORKSHOPS Workshop for Christian Educators Fellowship, October 2012, Teaching That Is Liberating. Preconference workshop for experienced educators at national Christian Educators Fellowship conference, October 2008 on Teaching the Bible Using Multicultural Resources Elected a delegate to the General and Jurisdictional Conferences of 2008. Also elected a delegate to jurisdictional conferences of 2004 and 1988. Workshop, Jacob to Israel: Metamorphosis of Our Professional Identity at Christian Educators Fellowship national conference, Norfolk VA, October 4, 2002. 5
Workshop leader for DOTAC (Diaconal Organization of the Americas and Canada) 2002 Assembly in Winnepeg, Canada, June 21-26, 2002 on the education and formation of the deacon. "Longing for God through Our Lives, through the Church." Sunday School Weekend 1997, North Georgia Annual Conference, UMC. September, 1997. Decatur, GA. "Will the Church Hear?" Lectures on theology and congregational life (with Jack Seymour) for Gathering '96, Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc. April 25-27, 1996, Charlotte, NC. Reaching Out through the Sunday School." Workshop for the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church, September 1995. "New Life in Christian Education." Training event for Vision 2000, North Georgia Conference United Methodist Church, offered in four locations in the conference, April-May 1995. Repeated for Louisiana Annual Conference, Shreveport and New Orleans, January 1996. "Listening to Life Stories: Antidote to Sunday School Teacher Burnout." Workshop for Focus `93, United Methodist Conference on Ministries with Children, Nashville, July 1993. "Revisioning Christian Learning." Workshop for Missouri East Conference Christian Educators Fellowship, March 1993. "Revisioning Christian Learning: Practice Makes Meaning." Workshop for National Conference of the Christian Educators Fellowship, October 1992. "The Gospel According to Nike: `Just Do It!'" Workshop at Youth '91, a national youth ministry event, August 1991. "Sacred Space." Three presentations with Joseph V. Crockett and Jack L. Seymour for plenary sessions of the national conference of Christian Educators Fellowship, May 1990. Leader of Laboratory School for Adult Workers with Youth: Springfield, IL (1986); St. Louis, MO (1988). UNITED METHODIST CHURCH INVOLVEMENT Member and co-writer for UMC Commission for the Study of Ministry, 2008-2012. Member of the Northern Illinois Board of Ordained Ministry since 2002, serving currently as registrar for certification. Clergy Member in Full Connection of Northern Illinois Annual Conference, The United Methodist Church, 1999-present. Primary appointment is to faculty of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and secondary appointment as Deacon, First UMC, Evanston, IL Delegate to the General and North Central Jurisdictional Conferences in 2008. 6
Ordained Deacon, North Georgia Conference, 1997 Consecrated Diaconal Minister, United Methodist Church, 1986; Certified Associate in Christian Education, United Methodist Church, 1986 President of United Methodist Association of Scholars in Christian Education 1999-2001. Consultant to General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, Section of Deacons and Diaconal Ministry 2000-present. Chair, District Committee on the Superintendency, Chicago Northwestern District, 2000-present. Board of Ordained Ministry, North Georgia Conference, 1996-98. Vision 2000 Training Events Committee, North Georgia Conference. Delegate to the North Central Jurisdictional Conference in 2004. Delegate to South Central Jurisdictional Conference, 1992. Member of Board of Managers for Missouri Area Ministers' School, 1988-1993. Missouri East Annual Conference. Board of Diaconal Ministry, Chair, 1992-1993; Registrar, 1988-1992. Division of Education, Board of Discipleship, Vice-Chair, 1984-1988. Adult Coordinator, 1984-1988. Council on Ministries, 1984-1988. Director of Continuing Education, Columbia-Mexico District, 1988-1993. SERVICE IN ECUMENICAL SETTINGS Coordinator for The Ecumenical Network for the Diaconate (TEND) 2000-2006. Member of steering committee, 2000-present. Co-sponsored by Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Roman Catholic Church, and United Methodist Church. Organized two annual meetings (2000 and 2001). Deacons School for Ministry and Formation Program Review Task Force of the Diocese of Chicago, Episcopal Church (2001 to present). MEMBERSHIPS Christian Educators Fellowship member since 1979. Member of executive committee and editor of Christians in Education. Various offices including president of Missouri East chapter in 1986. Religious Education Association, president 2006-07; president-elect 2005-06. Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education United Methodist Association of Scholars in Christian Education. President, 1999-2001; President- Elect, 1997-1999; Program Committee, 1996-97. 7
EDUCATION Ed.D. (Religious Education), Vanderbilt University, 1991. Dissertation project entitled: "An Ethnographic Study of Perspectives on Authority of Adult Sunday School Participants: Hearing the Voices." United Methodist Diaconal Foundational studies, completed 1985; UMC Certification studies in Christian education, completed 1985 M.A., University of Iowa, 1967, plus 36 semester hours toward a Ph.D. in Department of Speech and Dramatic Arts B.A. (honors), San Jose State University, 1965 HONORS Diaconal Advance Graduate Fellowship, Division of Diaconal Ministry, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, 1988-89. Brandenburg Scholarship, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, United Methodist Church, 1987-88. Phi Kappa Phi Scholarship Honorary, San Jose State, 1965. CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECT I am working on identifying and articulating the identity of the deacon through interviews with deacons. This will be an important contribution to the United Methodist understanding of its new order of ministry, the deacon, which continues to be misunderstood throughout the connection. PERSONAL Two daughters: Laura (b. 1970) and Lisa (b. 1973); Married to Jack Seymour, Professor of Religious Education, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL. 8