It’s with great joy that Brad Martin, D.Min. 2015
, and Sherry Martin, announce they adopted ten-month-old Caleb on March 7, 2017. He came into their home at six-weeks old. He is adored by his big sister Leah, and loved by four adult siblings. “Welcome to our family, Caleb Martin!”
Rosario Picardo, M.Div. 2007, and her husband welcomed Lily Katherine Picardo born on St. Patty’s Day weighing in at 7lbs 3ozs and just over 20 inches long.
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Julie Broderson, M.A. in World Mission and Evangelism 1993, Pastor of Missions at Centenary United Methodist Church (www.centenarylex.com), led a ministry team to Paraguay in March 2017 to work with Bishop Pedro Magalhaes, M.A. in World Mission and Evangelism 2006, D.Min. 2011, Bishop of the United Methodist Church. As part of the team’s work, Rev. Laura Baber, M.Div. 2007, with Equipping Lydia (www.equippinglydia.org) led a 3 day spiritual refreshment retreat with United Methodist leaders in Paraguay. Broderson and Baber preached at churches in Paraguay’s capital city Asuncion. “If your faith community is looking for a cross cultural partner in ministry, the United Methodist church in Paraguay would be a great place to start,” Baber said. “The Spirit is stirring and awakening people in ways that are life giving and life changing.”
At the recent conference for the Christian Association for Psychological Studies [March 30-April 1, 2017], Dr. Steve Stratton, Professor of Counseling and Pastoral Care, was awarded the Distinguished Member Award, which goes to a person who has made distinguished contributions to the organization. Dr. Stratton was nominated and selected for this award in part because he initiated a “Prayer Room” at the CAPS conference in 2014. Each year since then he has organized and provided this opportunity for CAPS conference attendees to receive prayer. The person who nominated Steve for this award described him as “the spiritual director” of CAPS for having established and managed the conference prayer room.