Summer Newsletter

GTF SCHOLAR

THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE GRADUATE
THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION

SUMMER 2020 EDITION

Table of Contents 06 | New Board Elected, Pg. 2

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01 | President-elect Dr. Paul J. Kirbas _0_7__|__G_T_F_P_a_r_tn_e_rs_w__it_h_C_u_b_a_n_S_e_m_i_n_ar_y_
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_1_0__|_G__T_F_G_r_a_d_u_at_e_s _______________
02 | GTF Receives $20,000 Grant |11 Strategic Marketing Process Underway

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05 | New Board of Directors Elected

EOLOGICAL President-Elect Dr. Paul J. Kirbas
RADUATE TH FOUNDATIO
NG to assume Presidential Duties August 1

A TWO-YEAR TRANSITION is coming |
to its conclusion, as Dr. Paul Kirbas as-
sumes the full duties as the 3rd President |
of the Graduate Theological Foundation on
August 1, 2020. The two-year transition has |
been a very fruitful time, as GTF has found
its new home in Oklahoma City. |
Throughout his career, Dr. Kirbas has walked
the bridge between the church and academia. |
For 32 years, he has been the Senior Pastor in
the Presbyterian Church USA. In November, |
Dr. Kirbas will retire from Pastoral Ministry
as he takes on the full-time leadership of GTF. |
Since 2007, Dr. Kirbas has been a professor
at GTF, as well as other institutions such as |
Wheaton College and North Central College,
both in the Chicago area. |
The invitation to become the new President
of GTF came from the Board of Directors as |
Dr. Kendra Clayton, current President of GTF,
announced her planned retirement so that she ||
could return to teaching. “As I prepare to leave
the Graduate Theological Foundation, after “| Although I have had a very blessed time as
over a decade of service, I couldn’t be more a pastor, my deepest passion is education, and
confident in the future of this institution”, stat- | I am very excited to be able to lead this great
ed Dr. Clayton. “The GTF was built on a deep | educational institution into the new decade
commitment to service to humanity and the | ahead.
belief that this service manifests itself through |
the ministry of our students, alumni and facul- ”|
ty. Dr. Paul Kirbas embodies this commitment | - Dr. Paul Kirbas
to service in his leadership style and in the
way he lives his life. Under his leadership, and |
with the support of the newly elected Board
of Directors, the future of the GTF is as bright | The current Board of Directors of GTF will
and promising as it has ever been.” | step down on August 31. At that time, a newly

| elected Board of Directors will begin its
| work. Although Dr. Clayton is retiring from
her role as President of GTF, she will remain
| active as a member of the new board. “I am so
| thankful that Kendra has agreed to be on the
| new board of directors”, said Dr. Kirbas. “The
| experience and wisdom that she has gained

| throughout the years of her service will be in-
| valuable to us as we continue the path of this
| historic institution.”

|

| 01

EOLOGICAL GTF Receives $20,000.00 Grant
RADUATE TH FOUNDATIO
NG to develop new Certificate Program

THE KIRKPATRICK FOUNDATION exists to support arts, culture, education, animal wellbeing,
environmental conservation, and historic preservation. During its existence, the foundation has given
away more than $75 million for philanthropic purposes. Given its passion for animal wellbeing, the
Kirkpatrick Foundation has decided to begin a partnership with GTF as we create a new program,
our Certificate in Faith and Animal Ethics. To begin this partnership, the Kirkpatrick Foundation has
awarded GTF a grant of $20,000 to help produce the online courses that will be a part of this program.

We are thankful for the support of the
Kirkpatrick Foundation, and look for-
ward to our partnership together as we
work for the wellbeing of animal life.

“One of the most important things we can do in the study of ethics

and philosophy is see the connection between all sentient beings, the
environment, and the world of humanity. It is with great pleasure
that Kirkpatrick Foundation supports the development of this new
program at the Graduate Theological Foundation. The examination
of the human-animal bond is a timeless theme in philosophy and

”religion; viewing it from a contemporary lens is a must in the 21st

Century.
- Louisa McCune, executive director, Kirkpatrick Foundation.

We are in dialogue with our faculty members Professor Andrew In addition, GTF is partnering with
Linzey and Dr. Clair Linzey from the Oxford Centre for Animal the Humane Society of the United
Ethics about collaboration possibilities, which we hope to an- States. Students will travel to Wash-
nounce soon. ington DC and attend the Faith Sum-
mit at HSUS, which includes visiting
offices of congress and lobbying for
animal rights.

The certificate in Faith and Animal
Ethics will have annual cohorts of
not more than 20 students. We are in
hopes that our first cohort will begin
02 their program in the Fall of 2021.

RADUATE THGTF LaunchesEOLOGICALFOUNDATIO

Announces new
NG

RECENTLY, a new suite area became available for our location in Oklahoma City, which has

allowed GTF to expand to the entire second floor of the downtown office building we occupy. This
allows GTF to fulfill its goal of establishing a physical library to serve our students and the gener-
al public. In honor of our founding President, the new library has been named The John Morgan
Library. In addition to our general collections, the new library will contain several special collec-
tions, including the John Macquarrie Library, the Center for Latin American Studies, The Center
for Islamic and Jewish Studies, The Center for Animal Ethics, and others.

To build the collections of the new
GTF library, we are launching our
new library book campaign. We
are inviting you to consider donat-
ing books that can be included in
our collections. Books can be new
or used, but in good condition,
with limited notes, underlines,
or highlighting. GTF reserves
the right to make final decisions
concerning the inclusion of all
donated books. We are looking
for books in the following subject
areas:

Ӻ Theology Ӻ Ethics
Ӻ History Ӻ Religion(s)
Ӻ Biblical Studies Ӻ Religion and
Ӻ Sociology Science
Ӻ Psychology Ӻ Philosophy
The John Macquarrie Special Collection, now housed in the new John Morgan Library.

If you donate to the library, your name will be included in a special Library Founders
plaque that will be hung in the new library. You can also donate money to purchase
books if you wish. Donations of all gifts and books can be made to: The GTF Library,
116 East Sheridan Avenue, Suite 207, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104.

03

New Library,

Library Book Campaign

Creating and cataloguing a new library is a daunting task, and we are very
thankful for the assistance of the Department of Library Science of Oklaho-
ma University in this effort. We sat down with Dr. June Abbas, Chair of the
Department, and asked her a few questions:

What is the importance of a significant library for a growing educa-
tional institution like the Graduate Theological Foundation?

The academic library is the intellectual center or “heart” of any educational institution.
The primary mission of an academic library is to provide its stakeholders (students,
faculty, staff, and external constituents) with the resources they need to educate or be
educated, to conduct research, and provide service to their academic and professional
communities. Academic libraries therefore provide a variety of resources in varying
formats (print, digital, technologies, interpersonal, etc.) to support local and distance
learners and faculty. Further, they may house unique, special collections, such as
those housed at the Graduate Theological Foundation (GTF), which are not available
anywhere else. These collections support teaching, research, and exploration by internal
and external users. Today’s academic libraries are also more than a space to house
collections and resources; they provide innovative learning commons and support for
all activities of the institution. Academic libraries serve as a “place” for students and
faculty to meet, to collaborate, and to build communities. The library provides spaces
for innovation to be fostered and new ideas to grow.

What first steps are necessary in building a new library?

Building a library is a complex, multi-phase process, and it should be noted that this is a very simplistic explanation of how to begin. We might think
about the first steps as interrelated decisions about: 1) the physical space, 2) services and user communities, 3) developing the collection, and 4) providing
intellectual access to the collection. First, there are decisions to make and standards to consider related to developing the physical space of the library, pur-
chasing shelving and furniture and appropriate technology which will be used by students, faculty, and staff. Second, there are decisions related to services
to provide to various user groups. Of primary consideration is/are the community/ies who will use the library. Determining the user groups who will use
the library (locally and remotely) and assessing each of their unique needs and uses for the library are key to determining which services to provide and
budget for. Third, and based on what is known about the user groups and the library services, is developing the collection. Developing a collection is guid-
ed by a set of collection development and acquisition policies, which outline inclusion and exclusion criteria for purchases and donations to the collection.
Collection development policies consider the user communities the library serves, as well as the services it provides. Purchases and donations should meet
the inclusion criteria before being added to the collection. Collection development policies may also include guidance for developing and/or negotiating
electronic use agreements with vendors of electronic databases and other online resources. Fourth, to provide intellectual access to the collection the
library will need to determine cataloging rules and standards to use when cataloging and arranging the collection.

How do you see the OU Department of Library Science Assisting GTF as it builds
a library?
04
Our faculty and students can provide assistance in various ways, depending on the needs of the Grad-
uate Theological Foundation. Potential options may be through internships or directed projects with
Dr. Abbas or other faculty. For example, a directed project might include evaluation of various cata-
loging software programs the GTF might use as an online public access catalog to facilitate cataloging
and circulation activities. Students might also be interested in helping the GTF review and develop
collection development and acquisitions policies. Our student association (OLISSA – Oklahoma
Library and Information Science Student Association) may be interested in volunteering their time
to help organize and catalog the collection. Unfortunately, under the COVID-19 restrictions, OU is
currently only allowing remote internships which may determine the projects and contributions of
the OU faculty and students. OU also has specific requirements for internships that will determine
the work students can complete for GTF.

RADUATE THNew Board ofEOLOGICALFOUNDATIO

to Begin
NG

AS GTF COMPLETES its transition to a new location and new

leadership in Oklahoma City, the Board of Directors has elected individuals
to serve on an Advisory Board that will become the new Board of Directors
on September 1, 2020. This new board will be led by President-Elect Dr.
Paul J Kirbas. We are happy to introduce the new Board!

“I am very honored to be asked to serve on the GTF board. Having
traveled, worked and lived abroad, I enjoy learning about the people of a
different country, their customs and culture. I look forward to learning,
sharing and interacting with board members and students as we all look
for ways for GTF becoming not only more successful but also significant
in the lives of the many students we have yet to meet. ”
- Mr. Glenn Dunn

“I am very much looking forward to joining the board in this exciting transi-
tion time. I have known Dr. Kirbas for over 20 years and have seen his leadership.
GTF is in very good hands. As a GTF alum, I am joining the board because I
believe in the mission created by Dr. Morgan and the current leadership. I am also
excited for the vision for GTF going forward that both honors GTF’s long storied
mission while opening up a world of new possibilities. ”
- Dr. Dennis Reid

H. Glenn Dunn, is a Commissioned Pastor of the Rev. Dr. Dennis Reid holds the M.Div. from Columbia Theo-
Presbyterian Church USA., and is currently on staff logical Seminary and his D.Min. from the Graduate Theolog-
at Westminster Presbyterian in Oklahoma City, Okla- ical Foundation in partnership with Oxford University where
homa. He is a graduate of Texas Christian University he completed all of his coursework. He is ordained in the
(TCU) BA Sociology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Progressive Christian Alliance where he works with others
Seminary, Certificate in Ministry Course and the who are exploring the call to ordained ministry. In addition
Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science. He is a Licensed to ministry, Dr. Reid has a passion for leadership develop-
Funeral Director in Oklahoma and Texas. He repre- ment and is certified as a life coach with John Maxwell, whom
sented Batesville Casket Co. as a sales representative he traveled with to Guatemala to train the highest levels of
and later Matthews International as a Regional Sales their government in leadership skills. Dennis currently serves
Director in the funeral division of the company. as the Administrator of The Presbyterian Villas, a low income
Senior Housing Community in Tampa, Florida.

05

Directors Elected

September 1

Carlos Emilio Ham (Rev. Dr.) was born in Cuba. He was appointed President of the
Student Christian Movement in Cuba in 1989, elected Co-President of the Caribbean
Conference of Churches (CCC) in 1997 and elected Vice-President of the Caribbean and
North America Council for Mission (CANACOM) in 2000. He joined the World Council
of Churches’ (WCC) staff in March 2001 as Program Executive for Evangelism, served as
the Co-ordinator of the Mission and Ecumenical Formation Team and later as Programme
Executive for Diakonia & Latin America-Caribbean until December 2013. On June 2015
he was installed as the Rector of the Matanzas Evangelical Theological Seminary. Dr. Ham
holds a D.Min from Austin Theological Seminary, and a PhD from the Free University of
Amsterdam.

Rev. Jennifer Kirbas is currently the Associate Provost at the
Graduate Theological Foundation. She received her Master of
Divinity degree from the University of Dubuque Theological
Seminary. She has served as a Chaplain at a Methodist Retirement
Home, and as an Interim Pastor at Church of the Savior in Okla-
homa City.

Kendra Elizabeth Clayton, Ed.D., is outgoing President of the Graduate Theological
Foundation. She received both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana Uni-
versity and her Doctor of Education in Educational Administration from the Graduate
Theological Foundation. Dr. Clayton completed a program of study at the Centro Pro
Unione in Rome, and she served as the President’s Special Assistant during the early
development of the Oxford University relationship. Dr. Clayton has worked in public
education in the State of Indiana for fifteen years and plans to return to public educa-
tion when her tenure as President ends in August.
Dianne Gasbarra, M.D. graduated from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. After
working as a nurse for five years in Louisville, Ky., she and her husband, Lou, moved
to Oklahoma. She entered the University of Oklahoma Medical School in 1977. After
completing her residency and fellowship in Internal Medicine/Pulmonary Diseases/
Critical Care at OUHSC, she went into private practice at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma
City, OK. She currently serves as the Director of Palliative Care at Mercy, and as the Di-
rector of the Mercy Sleep Center. Her husband Lou is a financial advisor, and they have
a daughter, three sons, and 7 lively grandchildren. She joined the GTF after serving
on the board of the Kirbas Institute for several years. She experienced the changes of
Vatican II, and the renewal it brought to the Roman Catholic Church. She supports the
mission of GTF, and the Kirbas Institute, and hopes to be of service to the GTF board.
06

EOLOGICAL GTF Partners with Cuban Seminary
RADUATE TH FOUNDATIO
NG for new Latin American Doctor of Ministry
Program

THE GTF IS PROUD to announce a new ini- | A special Task Force has been created,
tiative in our developing partnership with the | consisting of faculty from both GTF
Evangelical Theological Seminary at Mantanzas, | and SET, to develop this new degree
Cuba (SET). In past years, GTF has offered PhD | program. Dr. Carlos Ham, the Presi-
programs for the faculty of SET. Now, under a | dent of SET, and Dr. Paul Kirbas, Presi-
new agreement between GTF and SET, our part- | dent-Elect of GTF, will also be involved.
nership will expand to offer Doctor of Ministry | “Here at GTF, we are extremely excited
degrees for pastors in Cuba, and throughout the | about the future of our partnership
Latin American area. | with SET,” stated Dr. Kirbas. “Having
| visited Cuba several times, I have fallen
GTF faculty member Jorge Colon has been heavily involved in our | in love with the country and its people.
work in Cuba, and in other parts of Latin America. Dr. Colon states: | I am delighted that GTF will continue
“The Evangelical Theological Seminary in Matanzas, Cuba has been | to have a presence there.”
training ministers for various denominations for almost 75 years. | _______________________________
Most Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist, and Quaker | The hope is to begin this new program
pastors in Cuba have studied there. Even before the Cuban Revolu- | in the fall of 2021.
tion started, this institution embraced an ecumenical spirit that has |
immensely helped the Church in Cuba. A new joint venture started | “ Having enjoyed a mutually beneficial
in 2017, when a new program emerged, the Ph.D. in Theological |
Studies, developed in close cooperation with the Graduate Theo- | partnership between our Evangelical Seminary
logical Foundation. Fifteen doctoral candidates, mostly members of | of Theology in Matanzas, Cuba with the Gradu-
the faculty, sponsored by a grant from the GTF, joined the program, | ate Theological Foundation, in the area of PhD
successfully completed the required courses, and are presently | candidacy, mainly to strengthen the capacity of
developing their research toward this degree, which is academic in | our Faculty, we are delighted with the potential
nature. | of opening a new Doctor of Ministry program as
In January 2020, in an historically important moment in SET and | well. This will allow us to further prepare a wider
GTF ventures, after evaluating the Ph.D. program in a positive light, | range of professional doctors working directly with
the S.E.T. faculty and the representatives of the GTF administra- | the churches in order to support God’s mission in
tion, agreed to take a further step: the start of a new joint degree, | our country and promoting more intentionally the
the Doctor of Ministry. The D. Min. is oriented toward praxis in | values of God’s kingdom of peace, joy and justice
relevant fields of study related to ministry, with an emphasis placed | in the Holy Spirit. Our GTF-SET DMin program
upon topical issues, problem-solving agendas, and mechanisms for | can also provide the opportunity of our Seminary
implementation strategies. | to share with the Foundation our experiences in
The Doctor of Ministry degree will be developed and tailored to
respond to the ministerial areas relevant in the Latin American ”this field in order to strengthen our capacity in our
Church. It will, hopefully, give many Cuban and other Latin Amer-
ican Church Personnel, a chance to become professionally updated, two countries and beyond.
gearing their ministry toward a more successful and joyous an-
nouncement of the Gospel.” - Dr. Carlos Ham

07

EOLOGICAL Graduate Theological Foundation
RADUATE TH FOUNDATIO
NG Community Spotlight

THE GTF IS EXCITED to announce
that Dr. Keith Riglin has been appointed
to the faculty of GTF. Dr. Riglin is the
Assistant Dean and Chaplain at King’s
College in London, and serves as the
Deputy Chair of the Council and Gov-
erning Body at Regents Park College
in Oxford. Keith has been a long time
friend of GTF, and we are excited that he
will be joining our faculty as we continue
to deepen our connections with Oxford
University.

We congratulate Alumna Dr. Diana Sue Stern for being hon-
ored as the 2020 Woman of Distinction by the Little Flower
Parish and the Saint Therese Guild. Dr. Stern credits GTF
faculty member Dr. Ann Graber for equipping her for her
service. “My time spent at Graduate Theological Foundation
was inspiring, informative and very enriching. I took courses in
dying/death, bereavement, near death experiences and several
psychology courses. I had excellent professors, but one in par-
ticular stood out among them all, that was Dr. Ann V. Graber.
She was my mentor and guide on my journey of dying, death
and bereavement. I gained a great deal of knowledge from her
own personal experiences and her wisdom on these subjects.
She was awesome, inspiring, knowledgeable and always will-
ing to help with answering my questions as well as leaving me
with thoughts to ponder on after our telephone discussions
throughout my E-Tutorials. Thank you, Dr. Graber, for sharing
your wisdom with me and so many other students.” You can
read more about Dr. Stern in the GTF Blog.
08

EOLOGICAL Homecoming
RADUATE TH FOUNDATIO
NG GTF Recognizes Graduates

L IK E SO MANY other events in our world, the long-planned Homecoming Graduation that was

scheduled for June 4 and 5 of 2020 had to be cancelled due to the COVID19 pandemic. Although we
are sad that all of the events needed to be cancelled, we are delighted to announce that everything is
in place to hold our planned activities on Thursday and Friday, June 3 and 4 of 2021.
The Oklahoma City Convention Center has moved our space reservations to the new dates
in 2021, and our two Runcie Lecture speakers, Dr. Mark Davies and CNN Journalist John
Sutter, have also confirmed the changed dates. Westminster Presbyterian Church is re-
booked for the graduation ceremony, and Josh Phelps is confirmed to plan and lead the mu-
sic of our graduation ceremony. Dr. Carlos Ham, President of the Evangelical Seminary in
Matanzas Cuba, has confirmed that he will be the graduation speaker as originally planned.
Our Alumni/ Faculty dinner is back on the schedule, and all hotel space is reserved for our
2021 dates. Our travel agency is prepared to work with us again for all of our travel arrange-
ments. And many of our special international faculty and guests have confirmed their inten-
tion to come to the 2021 events.

“Everyone involved in our

2020 plans have quickly agreed
to lock in the dates of 2021. It
isn’t so much a cancelled cel-
ebration, as it is a postponed

”one.
- Dr. Paul Kirbas

The major difference in this postpone- Later in the year we will begin to offer
ment is that we will need to add another invitations to our community of faculty,
class of graduates to the graduation. In students, and alumni. Let us all hope that
2021, we will welcome all graduates of the summer of 2021 will be safe for GTF
2019, 2020, and 2021 to participate. to gather for its long awaited Homecom-
ing Graduation.

09

Graduation Postponed

For June 2021 Commencement

We congratulate the following students who were invited to walk in the 2020 gradua-
tion, and wish them the very best as they go forward in their various careers:

Bachelor of Sacred Music | Doctor of Ministry
Ms. Lusia Kusuma Wardani Tirta Pratiwi | Ms. Florence Fung-Cheung Au Ms. Sock Kwan Aw
Dr. Marie Antoinette Cherie Winokan Ms. Gladys Chan Pastor Siu Ling Chan

|Bachelor of Theology Pastor Yuet Lin Chan Miss Man Ling Cheung
Ms. Suzan Abdallah Mrs. Zahia Abu Ali Dr. Sau Mee Chiu Ms. Yuen Ling Chung
|Mr. Marco E. Avellaneda Vasquez Mrs. Maysa Awad Dr. Christine Dietz Rev. Pius Akajiaku Eluka
|Dr. Andrew D. Cannon Rev. Canon Stephen Danecia Fields Ms. Jennifer Gaeta
Ms. Ubah Jibril Haji Sr. Maria Leonor Chacon Ochoa Mr. Alexander J. Groppe Ms. Mary-Ellen Kennedy
Ms. Shireen Abdallah Hammoudeh Ms. Eva Lai-Ping Lam Mr. Lee Yat Fung Lau
|Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Moalin Ms. Fadumo Hussien Mohamed The Rev. Dr. You Keung Lee Ms. Jean Lee Say Ying
Ms. Genan Ahmad Mustafa Ms. Thahena Fawzi Mustafa Ms. Sally Lynn Longley Mr. Billy Fun Chiu Ma
|Ms. Raidah Raja Chaplain Abdus-Salaam Musa Rabbi Johannah M. C. Nathans
Ms. Raidah Raja Rev. Suk Ching Ng Pastor Wai Yap Pang
|Ms. Wafaa Salem
|Master of Pastoral Counseling Chaplain Yuk Ying Sung Ms. Jane Supri
Ms. Denise Tangney Ms. Siu Ping Esther Wong
Ms. Sharon Beverly Bermudez Mrs. Ellen Patricia Gilhooly Mrs. Jennifer Sui Chun Yau

|Ms. Yim Man Alice Ho Cheng Chaplain Tamara Ann Gelbart Jaffe
Ms. Lisa Marie Lutton Ms. Suzanne Elizabeth Reitz
| Doctor of Philosophy
| Imam Mohamed Hassan Adam Rev. Scott L. Adams
Master of Religious Education Rev. Celestine Afugwobi Mr. Sabeel Syed Ahmed
Rev. Dr. Lawrence David Ahyuwa Mr. Ronnie C. Allen
Mrs. Michelle Pittel Mr. Hafiz Ikhlas Ansari
| Imam Sheikh Raed Saleh Alrousan Rev. Paul Baffuor Awuah
Master of Sacred Music | Dr. Laurence Aucella
| Mr. Azhar Azeez Mr. Neal Baird
Ms. Grace M. Ng Shu Chiu Rev. Dr. Carlos J. Correa Bernier Dr. Michael L. Brock

Master of Theology | Dr. Andrew D. Cannon Mr. Patrick C. Duru
Imam Badi Ali Mr. Ernesto Castro Rev. Dr. Edwin Emeli Mr. Douglas Calvo Gaínza
Mr. Wilton N. Fernandez Molocho Sister Amarilis Flores-Arrioja Mr. Sergio Garcia Sheikh Hassan Khalif Hassan
Deacon Jose A. Lizama Sister Celia Muñoz Pérez Rev. Dr. Gary Lee Hellman
Mr. Clever Santiago Oleas Murillo Mr. Wilson Marcial Pelaez Vargas | Ms. Mary Artry Harris Mr. Mohammed M. A. Ibrahimi
Mr. Oscar Salazar Llatas Deacon Young Bae Won | Rev. Julian Ukachukwu Ibemere Mr. Patrick J. Knapp
| Rev. Callistus O. Igwenagu Mr. Joel Martinez Serrano

Mr. Jorge Macias de Cespedes
| Rev. Daniel Montoyo-Rosales Rev. Dr. Joanne Christine Neal
Doctor of Education Rev. Dr. C. Ray Penn Rev. Gerald O. Onyejuluwa
Mr. Elsaid Abdou Ibrahim Ramadan Ms. Yasemin Saib
Ms. Judith Amah-Okewole Dr. Nicholas Joseph Lebish Rev. Joseph Shore-Goss
Mrs. Deborah Mendez Rev. Joseph Uko | Deacon Enrique Santiago del Valle Mr. Jeffrey D. Thompson
Ms. StarrLee Heady | Rev. Dr. Levi Harry Soucy
| Rev. Charles Dominic Udokang
Doctor of Mediation | Doctor of Sacred Music
| Mr. Jacob Shelby Craig IV
Rev. Eric Anthony Thompson
Mr. Christopher Steven Ebert
Doctor of Psychology
Rev. Elaine Barry Mr. Suhail Pasha Mukhtar |
| Certificate in Canon Law
Rev. Terry-Michael Newell, Jr. Rev. Patrick E. Okwumuo | Rev. Paschal Igwe
Ms. Susan K. Parker Rev. Ron M. Wood
Rev. Joseph G. Yang

|

10 |

EOLOGICAL Strategic Planning Process
RADUATE TH FOUNDATIO Underway
NG
as GTF Embarks on a New Decade

AS WE ENTER the new decade Ӻ Completing a detailed situation analysis to
research and analyze the current landscape
of the 2020’s, the Graduate Theo- of theological education both nationally and

logical Foundation has begun a globally. This also included completing sur-
strategic planning process under veys of GTF faculty and students and evaluat-
ing competitive institutions.

the guidance of Bryan Sanzotti, Ӻ Defining a future path for GTF by updating its
the founder of Integrated Mar- brand foundation (vision, mission and posi-

keting Solutions Inc., located in tioning).

Chicago, Illinois. Our strategic Ӻ Defining the business and marketing objec-
planning process follows a meth- tives for GTF, key strategic actions and tacti-
odology and framework consisting cal plan.

of several critical steps: Ӻ Implementing, measuring and adjusting our
plan as we apply our actions and tactics.

“ Thus far,
we have completed our
research work and have
prepared an initial draft
of our situation analysis
report. Our next steps in-
clude drawing conclusions
and implications from our
learnings and then quickly
moving into the develop-
ment and definition of the
renewed GTF brand foun-
dation.
”
- Bryan Sanzotti Once the situation analysis report is formalized, we will be sharing our
findings and conclusions and will be providing ongoing updates as we
continue to advance our planning process. 11
We appreciate your prayers and support as we work to thoughtfully
prepare GTF for a future of continued growth and success.

The GraduateTheological Foundation (GTF) is a 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit educational institution.

GraduateTheological Foundation - 116 E Sheridan Ave,
Ste 207, Oklahoma City, OK 73104

800-423-5983 - 1-405-653-9410 - Fax: 1-405-653-9435