Bishop Kemper School for Ministry
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October 2019 Course Descriptions

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October Overview
  • Classes meet October 12-13 from Saturday at 12:30 pm (lunch at noon) to Sunday at 12:00 noon.
  • Classes begin on Monday,  September 16.
  • Classes end on Friday, November  8 (if taken for credit).
  • Tuition is $100 to audit, $195 for credit, which includes your overnight stay at Upton Hall & all meals.
  • If you prefer a hotel, we have a special rate of $75.50 (including tax) at nearby  Senate Luxury Suites.
  • Complete a short application for the $100 Jim Upton lay scholarship.
  • Register online for classes.
Adult Catechesis and Formation
The primary focus of the class is on the ancient and modern catechumenate, especially in terms of preparation for baptism and confirmation. The course will also look at other formation issues for adults, particularly vocational discernment and spiritual direction.
Book List     
  • Bass, Diana Butler. Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening. HarperOne, 2012.
  • Everist, Norma Cook. The Church as Learning Community: A Comprehensive Guide to Christian Education. Abigdon Press, 2002.
  • Fowler, James W. Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian: Adult Development and Christian Faith. Jossey-Bass,  2000.
  • Westerhoff, John H. III. Will Our Children Have Faith? Wipf & Stock, 1999.
    Recommended but not required:
  • Tickle, Phyllis. The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why. Baker Books, 2008.
Your Instructor
  • The Rev. Dr. Bill Fasel has been an Episcopal priest since 1990. He currently serves as the Ministry Developer for the Northeast Episcopal Regional Ministry in the Diocese of West Missouri. He is also the Assistant to the Bishop for Leadership Development. Fasel holds a D.Min. in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western.

Anglican History
This course provides students an introduction to Anglican thought in historical context from the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century to the present. Students will meet the great minds of the English Church and consider their continuing relevance today.
Book List            
  • J. R. H. Moorman, A History of the Church in England, 3rd ed. (1980)
  • Mark D. Chapman, "Anglican Theology" (T&T Clark, 2012)
  • Stephen Spencer, ed., "Theology Reforming Society: Revisiting Anglican Social Theology" (SCM Press 2017)
 Your Instructor 
  •  The Very Rev. Dr. Don H. Compier (Ph.D. in theology, Emory University) is Dean of the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry. He also serves as Canon Theologian of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas and presides at the Spanish service at St. Paul’s in Kansas City, Kansas. Previously, Compier taught Master’s and Ph.D. courses in theology, philosophy, and modern church history at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. He has also offered classes at Saint Paul School of Theology and Eden Theological Seminary. He led the graduate program in religion at Graceland University from 2002 until 2014, developing an innovative online curriculum. He is currently conducting research on the history of Eucharistic thought in the Anglican tradition.

Communications in a Digital Age
This course, geared for students on the Lay Evangelist track but open to all, will explore some of the fundamentals about how we communicate effectively with one and explore some of the techniques and tools to better share our stories, and those of our faith communities, with others in order to build up the Kingdom of God.  
Book List     
  • Thompson, Neil. Effective Communication: A Guide for the People Professions, third edition.  Palgrave MacMillian, 2018.
  • Naughton & Wilson. Speaking Faithfully: Communications as Evangelism in a Noisy World.    Morehouse Publishing, 2012
  • Selected readings provided by instructor
Your Instructor
  • The Rev. Casey Rohleder has been a communications professional for the bulk of her professional career, working in both the not-for-profit and higher education sectors.  She currently serves as Director of Communications for BKSM and rector of St. Luke's, Wamego.   She holds an MA in German Literature from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Certificate in Presbyteral Studies from the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry.

 New Testament
The  course is a study of the Gospels, Epistles, and other writings of the New Testament that gives consideration to the their historical, literary, and theological dimensions. After taking this course, students will have gained a general understanding of the major stories and theological ideas of the New Testament, a basic familiarity with the variety of methods scholars use to interpret the New Testament, a basic sense of the origins and historical development of the New Testament, and an appreciation for variation and similarity within interpretations of the New Testament.
Book List
  • David L. Barr, New Testament Story: An Introduction. 4th ed. Cengage Learning Press, 2008.
Your Instructor
Dr. Arminta Fox is Assistant Professor of Religion and Director of Peer Ministry at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. She earned her PhD in Biblical Studies from Drew University Theological School in Madison, New Jersey in 2015. A New Testament scholar, Dr. Fox’s primary areas of research include the complex development of identity in biblical texts and early Christian history, feminist biblical scholarship, contextual hermeneutics, and material culture. Her first book, “Paul Decentered: Reading 2 Corinthians with the Corinthian Women,” will be published by Lexington/Fortress Academic in 2019. This work analyzes how Paul’s letters, particularly 2 Corinthians, witness to complex debates between Paul and the communities in which he worked. 

Old Testament I
Old Testament I will focus on methods for biblical study, major topics like covenant, law, and prophecy, and will provide students with a clear sense of historical and cultural context for these materials. While this is a survey, it will emphasize those “must know” concepts, personages, events, and literary genres essential to a basic knowledge of the Old Testament.
Book List
  • V. Matthews & J. Moyer, The Old Testament: Text and Context (3rd edition; Baker, 2012)
  • V. Matthews & D. Benjamin, Old Testament Parallels (4th edition; Paulist, 2016)
Your Instructor
  • Dr. Victor Matthews is a Professor of Religious Studies and Dean of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs at Missouri State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, specializing in the social world of ancient Israel. He currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Examining Chaplains for the Diocese of West Missouri.
Register for October Courses
Address for Tuition Payments/Donations:
The Very Rev. Don Compier, BKSM Dean
410 SE Independence Ave.

Lee’s Summit, MO 64063
Physical Address:
Bishop Kemper School for Ministry

701 SW 8th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603

The Bishop Kemper School for Ministry is a collaborative venture of the Episcopal Dioceses of Kansas, West Missouri, Nebraska and Western Kansas.
BKSM also partners with the Central States Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
BKSM offers classes and programs to educate people for church leadership in both lay and ordained vocations.