In his introduction of her, former educator of the year, Don Griggs reflected on the experience of being a professor of hers at PSCE. “Freda Gardner years ago asked me, ‘Who’s the best Christian educator you know that might be available to us'” at the Nassau Church. “I called Joyce and found out that her husband, a pastor in Tarkio, Mo., had just accepted a position doing capital campaign consulting for the GA, and could live anywhere. I called Freda, the committee called Joyce, and the rest is history.”
While pouring her primary energy into guiding the Christian formation of children and adults at the Nassau Church, she has applied her skills in writing as author of the director’s guide for the Storyteller Series; movie guides for The Thoughtful Christian and leaders’ suggestions for the 2007-08 Horizons Bible Study.
She also has advocated intently the ordination of church educators.
In her acceptance speech, she recounted the experience of moving into ordained service, outlining it as the five best things and the five worst things about being an ordained minister.
For example: the #5 best: “I wear a robe and stoles. No more ‘What a lovely outfit for the pulpit’ or ‘You match the flowers today, dear; did you plan that?'” That was followed by the #5 worst: “I wear a robe and stoles. Sometimes it feels like a separation from the lay people.”
Or, the #3 best: “Now that I’m ordained, I’m expected to preach. I live for the challenge of doing something better than I did before. No, it’s not fun yet, but I no longer need a brown paper bag to breathe in.” That was followed by the #3 worst: “Now that I’m ordained, I’m expected to preach. Yeah, right, who does my work while I write a sermon?”
Walker acknowledged that her journey to ordination followed an unconventional path, one that won’t work for many others. She did promise to continue advocating the ordination of her colleagues.
Lifetime Achievement awards
APCE leaders presented Lifetime Achievement awards to two other educators. Loretta Gratia-Bremer served as educator for five Presbyterian churches in Illinois, Nebraska, and Michigan before “semi-retiring.” Presently she does contract work for the Presbytery of Chicago in the prevention of misconduct and support of developing congregations. She has served on several General Assembly, synod, and presbytery committees and task forces. She is a certified Christian educator and an ordained elder. She now enjoys playing in the handbell choir at Western Springs Church in Countryside, Ill.
Rita Odom is recently retired, having served several Dallas area churches. She, too, is an elder, and a certified Christian educator. In recent years she has written for the We Believe Workshop curriculum as well as curriculum for the Grace Presbytery and Mo Ranch summer camps. Presently she is writing the 2009 Wee Believe curriculum for toddlers and a broadly graded summer curriculum for K-5th grade. She also serves on the board of trustees for the Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services.
Presentations
Leadership for the four-day event came primarily from plenary speaker Rodger Nishioka and preacher Gail Anderson Ricciuti. Nishioka, associate professor of Christian Education at Columbia Theological Seminary and another past APCE Educator of the Year, led the participants through a four-part series of lectures around the conference’s theme Scripture text: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
Gail Anderson Ricciuti, associate professor of homiletics at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, N.Y., was conference worship leader.
Charles “Chip” Andrus, pastor of First Church, Harrison, Ark., and former associate for worship in the Office of Theology and Worship in the General Assembly Council, provided musical leadership.
In addition to the plenary presentations, scores of workshops were presented to strengthen the skills of the 1,000+ participants at the conference.
