wfn.org | Auburn/Union Lunch

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

19-June-1997 
GA97081 
 
                  Several Honored at Auburn/Union Lunch 
               Buchanan Given Christian Hero Trading Cards 
 
                             by Lee Beckhusen 
 
SYRACUSE--The Century Club of Syracuse provided the setting for the 
Auburn/Union Seminary luncheon on Wednesday afternoon.  Barbara Wheeler, 
president of Auburn Seminary, and Holland Hendrix, president of Union 
Seminary, brought words of welcome from their respective communities to the 
assembled alumni and friends. 
 
    Ms. Wing Fisher of Little Falls, N.Y., was recognized for her family's 
faithful support of Auburn from the time of the seminary's beginnings.  The 
Rev. Margaret E. Towner, Union Seminary class of 1954, was honored on the 
40th anniversary of her ordination to the ministry. Towner is the first 
woman ordained to the ministry in the Presbyterian Church.  She received a 
standing ovation as she accepted a framed citation from President Hendrix. 
 
    In introducing the keynote speaker, former moderator John Buchanan, 
President Wheeler described him as a moderator who had accomplished a great 
deal during his moderatorial year which she indicated was "arguably the 
most difficult year" known to any moderator.  Wheeler indicated that 
serving as moderator of the church is the ultimate thankless task and 
expressed her appreciation to Buchanan for his fortitude and courage. 
 
    She also indicated that during her current study of evangelical 
churches she had come across a series of Christian hero trading cards which 
she had taken to awarding to friends for individual good deeds.  To the 
delight of the crowd, Wheeler awarded Buchanan the John Calvin, John Knox, 
and John Witherspoon trading cards.  As he expressed his thanks, Buchanan 
noted that the cards did not indicate if Knox had been a left or right 
handed hitter. 
 
    In sharing his formal remarks, Buchanan noted that he had visited all 
of the Presbyterian seminaries in this country during his year as moderator 
and also had visited Presbyterian seminaries in a number of other countries 
including Korea, Croatia, Brazil, and Chile.  Buchanan indicated that he 
found the theological discourse in all of these settings to be diverse, 
alive, and strong. 
 
    Looking to the future, Buchanan expressed his hope that the seminaries 
will provide leadership in elucidating and probing a variety of ethical 
dilemmas including the market economy which has the capacity to feed the 
world but contributes instead to the widening gap between rich and poor, 
bioethics and bioengineering, and human sexuality. 

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