| SFTS celebrates 20th anniversary in Southern California |
Twenty years and more than 250 graduates after its birth, the San Francisco Theological Seminary Southern California campus celebrated two decades of educating church leaders on Sept. 25 at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.
The largest gathering ever of SFTS graduates in Southern California included an impressive group of participants for the Worship Celebration from a former Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) moderator to Southern California pastors to SFTS trustees and a senior trustee.
Among the participants in the Worship Celebration were three instrumental campus leaders and faculty members: Dr. Jack Rogers was the first vice president of the Southern California campus when it opened in 1990, moderator of the 213th General Assembly and professor of theology emeritus who still teaches; Dr. Dave Tomlinson, professor of ministry emeritus, served as the second vice president and is an active teacher in the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry programs; Rev. Dr. Judy Yates Siker is the current vice president and professor of New Testament and Christian Origins. Rev. Juan J. Sarmiento (MATS ’01), who will join the SFTS board of trustees in October, and serves as U.S. director of PM Internacional and supply pastor to Lancaster Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Calif.; Rev. Grace Woongja Kim (M.Div. ’05), co-pastor with her husband at Glory Christian Church (Christian Reformed Church) in Fullerton and leader of Korean pastor conferences throughout Southern California; Brian Symonds (M.Div. ’10), recruitment, compliance and accreditation officer at Columbia College Hollywood who also serves Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles in a variety of capacities including Christian education teacher, clerk of session and rotating preacher. Rev. Dr. Kikanza J. Nuri-Robins, who received her Master of Divinity from SFTS/SC in 1999 and is an SFTS senior trustee, preached. She encouraged everyone to share their individual stories, which have become part of the larger story of the SFTS campus in Southern California, which are part of the story of SFTS north and south, which are part of the story of God’s people.
The list of participants certainly reflects the many stories and ministries nurtured at SFTS/SC. Other alumni who participated in the Worship Celebration were:
Rev. Dr. Rebecca Prichard (PhD ’90), an adjunct professor for SFTS Southern California who will teach Reformed Worship & Sacraments this semester and serves as pastor at Tustin Presbyterian Church in Orange County, Calif.
Rev. Dr. Janet Winslow (M.Div. ’94), pastor of Shadow Hills Presbyterian Church in Sunland, Calif.;
Rev. Julie Richwine (M.Div. ’98), SFTS trustee who is a ruling elder and parish associate at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, Calif.;