Seminary Dean, Dr. Michael King, opens the EMS fall semester with his convocation address, “Recognizing Jesus when Phone Booths Vanish.” 

King writes:

When I saw a PBS video on seminaries posted under a heading that asked if what we teach is repairing phone booths, that caught my attention. Maybe because I turn 60 next month, I remember phone booths! Are seminaries, universities, congregations, denominations doing the equivalent of teaching phone booth repairs even though cell phones long ago made them obsolete?

I’ll ponder this at Eastern Mennonite Seminary convocation Tuesday morning, August 26, at 11:00 in Martin Chapel, seminary building second
floor.

I’ll ask whether pointers for moving beyond phone booth repairs might be found in that memorable story of followers of Jesus ruminating on his
death with a stranger. They don’t realize they’re discussing with Jesus the absence of Jesus.

Do we similarly fail to recognize Jesus? If so, are there fresh ways we can live, theologize, educate, structure our churches to meet Jesus
precisely where we think he’s absent? As EMU discerns hiring policy for persons in same-sex relationships, might we even gently help each other
learn to see Jesus across our divided understandings of right and wrong?

If you’re interested in exploring with us how through meeting Jesus anew we might do more than repair phone booths, we warmly welcome you.
Blessings –Michael A. King, seminary dean

The entire campus community is invited to every chapel service on campus. Eastern Mennonite Seminary hosts chapel gatherings in Martin Chapel every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 11:00.