“Your story does not start when you sign this book, but now your stories become a part of the story of Drew.”
September 2019 – Students entering Drew Theological School in the fall semester were formally welcomed to the community with a celebration service filled with song, scripture and the 150-year tradition of signing the matriculation book.
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The incoming class of 66 students, which represents 4 continents and 11 states, were welcomed by the University Provost Debra Leibowitz and the two associate deans of the Theological School: Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre and Tanya Linn Bennett. Chris Boesel, associate professor of Christian Theology, delivered the matriculation address.
Leibowitz asked the incoming students to “think about what it takes to be innovative and bold in our commitment to knowledge.” Adding, “When I reflect on the history of this institution and the mission of the Theological School, it’s so clear that we are rooted in a very rich past.”
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During Boesel’s address, “Drew, a Divided Church and World, and a Third Alternative,” he encouraged the students from different theological traditions to become religious leaders for justice. “The gospel, however we interpret it theologically, is to be lived out and incarnated in the flesh of our churches, communities, societies, cultures and nations,” he said.
“Your story does not start when you sign this book, but now your stories become a part of the story of Drew,” said Johnson-DeBaufre as the students prepared to sign the historic matriculation book.
Here’s a closer look.
