Hill Annual Report 2016

Annual Statistical Report

Robert Allan Hill

Boston University

Dean of Marsh Chapel, Professor of New Testament and Pastoral Theology, and Chaplain to the University

January 1, 2016—December 31, 2016

TEN  2016 Highlights: 13^th RAH Book, Pastoral Preaching (Wipf and Stock, ISBN: 8781498297455),5/5/16; 1100 in 4 Easter services; 1474 (up from 1118, 2015) in Christmas week\Lessons and Carols services; University Chaplain for International Students, Ms. Jessica Chicka (full time, 1/1/16); New Assistant to the Dean, Ms. Heidi Freimanis), 12/19/16; Total 159 young women and men either entering or continuing in ministry, through Marsh Chapel, 2008-2016; 220 BU students active weekly in Marsh Chapel programs, worship, and groups;  Marsh Development Group second year; 21 national and regional guest speaking and preaching moments, in annual conferences, churches, colleges and other (*including full day with Baltimore Washington Conference 350 clergy, 11/15/16);

A.    Dean of Marsh Chapel: Preacher

1.Sunday Sermons and Services, both Marsh and elsewhere: 51  (bu.edu\chapel; deanhill.blogspot.com); Marsh Chapel Sunday worship services are broadcast in New England on NPR to 50K-80K; in addition, another 25K (up from 4K four years ago) listen by livestream or podcast, Sunday or midweek; the services are streamed on the BU website, for all 300K living BU alumni and others around the globe (weekly listeners in Paris, Beijing, Sao Paulo, Juno); the service is provided for the 40K resident BU faculty\students\administration and staff; 215 weekly average school year attendance.

2. Special Services: 21

ML King Observance, BU Baccalaureate\Commencement, BU Matriculation, BU Alumni Weekend Memorial, This I Believe, Marsh Matriculation Service, Lessons & Carols (2x), Blue Christmas, Annual Spring Term Ten (10) Prayers\Invocations)

3. Guest Speaking Events 2015: 17

UMFNE, Union Chapel NH, BU Lemoyne College, Fayetteville NY UMC,  Jay Halfond MET class (2x), STH Library, UNYACUMC Syracuse, Ithaca Forest Home Chapel UMC, RISEN District, Old South Church, Asbury Grove, Chicago and Cape Cod Weddings, BU Initiative on Cities Forum Chair, *Baltimore Washington Clergy Advent Retreat Day

4. Meetings, Weekly, Monthly, other: 16:

Marsh Staff, Marsh Advisory Board, Marsh Development Group, Faculty BUSTH, Faculty Area A and Area D BUSTH, Worship BUSTH, Dean’s Council, University Council, University Leadership Group, BU Faculty, Religious Life Council, BU Chaplains, New England Annual Conference Foundation Board and Marketing Committee, New England AC Development Committee, Harvard Epworth Wesley Foundation Board, Harvard Memorial Church Board of Visitors, Learning Project Board of Visitors

5. Visits: (office, home, hospital, other): 918 (not including daily 45min campus walk)

6. 2016 New Chapter Members Received 4:

Dr. Cara Stepp (BU, SAR); Ms. Jacquelyn Stucker (Marsh Choir), Ed Lynch, Susan Lynch (Stowe, NH)

7. Program Initiatives: 24; a. Marsh semester program expansion (see term book on website, bu.eu\chapel; b. Sunday Groups: Morning Study, International Study, Thurman Choir (non-audition), Advent\Lent Lectionary Sunday Study, Coffee Group, Monthly Lunch; c. Marsh Staff Hires (International Chaplain Ms. Jessica Chicka; Assistant to the Dean, Ms. Heidi Freimanis); d. Ministry\L Whitney Initiatives (goal 200 students in weekly worship and fellowship, in process); e. Music\S Jarrett Initiatives (6 ensembles:  Chapel Choir, Chapel Collegium, Inner Strength, Summer Choir, Thurman Choir, Lorelei); Bach Experience (4x\year); f. R Bouchard\Hospitality Initiatives (goal 250 worship attendance September to May in process (all but three Fall Term 2016 Sundays over 200, with additional December 2016 activities (New Member Breakfast 12/18, Additional Advertising, 1pm Christmas Eve, other); g. Continued Reliance on Strategic Plan; h. Motives Magazine (Marsh Annual Theological Journal) in process; i. 9 Hill Receptions and Open Houses at ‘Deanery’ (96 Bay State Road #10, including Jan’s first Sunday of the month 9:45am student brunch, plus Christmas Open House at Castle (200+ in attendance 2016); j. Subgroup Foci:  Friends of Music, Newlyweds, Radio Congregation, Weekly Visitors, Religious Life Council, 200 Students; k. Weekly ‘Dean’s Choice’ (one BU event chosen for announcement in worship and in bulletin); m. Expanded Parents’ Weekend and Alumni Weekend (Memorial Service) offerings; n. Work on Deanship endowment (total now close to $1M of $5M needed, 2 small gifts last year, the first since 1962); o. Significant building enhancement (Robinson Chapel, Dean’s Office, Windows) and other in process (narthex and access); p. Spring Term rugged week by week special needs and events q. 4th year for added 9am Easter Service (total 1,100K in attendance at 4 Easter Services); r. Christmas Eve grows to 2 services with strong attendance; s. Consistent Fall Theme Sundays, every Sunday from 8/30 to 11/22 (Summer Series, Matriculation, Labor Sunday, International Sunday, Alumni Sunday, Bach Sunday, World Communion Sunday, Columbus Sunday, Parents Weekend Sunday, Reformation Sunday, All Saints Sunday, Stewardship Sunday, Bach Sunday 2, Thanksgiving Sunday (then into Advent\Christmas); t. Marsh Ecumenical daily worship:  11am Sunday, 8pm Sunday (ISGC); 12 noon Monday; 6pm Monday Compline; 11am and 5:15pm Wednesday; 12:20 Thursday; u: Conversation theme (see separate report, *below)

8. 2016  Baptisms:  5

Brody Robert McDonald, Adelee Jean Erickson, Grayson Randle Storm, Landon Philip McBride, Maija Elizabeth Heikkla

9. 2016 Weddings  RAH officiant:  5

Klipp\Geuder; Duane\McCorrin; Rhode\Zenir; Woodward\Cattrachia; Ichigo\Takahasi

10. 2016 Funerals and Memorials:  7

Gregg Edward Schade, Jai Menon, Fr Vincent Makozi, Glendora Putnam, Austin Lamont, Owen Chen, Caroline Christian, Allen Joe Moore

2. Professor of New Testament and Pastoral Theology: (Tenured Full Professor)

1. Worship Service Wednesdays 11:10am
2. STH monthly faculty meeting
3. Annual STH Faculty Retreat
4. 2016 RAH Publications:  1. Sunday Sermons, BU website; 2. One Book (thirteenth): Pastoral Preaching; 3. Robert Allan Hill Huffington Post Blog (new this year); 4. Autumn Sermon Series on Conversation; 5. Summer Sermon Series: The Lukan Horizon 6. Dean Hill’s Blog (deanhill.blogspot.com); 7. Weekly 2K communication (various actual and potential outlets: Huffington Post, GBHEM, Book Reviews, Boston Globe, other) 8. Weekly sermons: At 2500 words a sermon, the collection for 2016 would be 125,000 words, or two 300 page books.
5. Courses 2016: Pastoral Leadership, Integration of Theology and Practice, The Gospel of John: BU; John: Lemoyne College
6. Doctoral Defense Committees (3)
7. STH Methodism Committee (no meetings)
8. Areas A and D Monthly meetings
9. One Ph.D. student:  Kathleen Troost-Cramer, writing on the Gospel of John *** Defended 4/15/16, graduated May 2016** (wonderful!!!)

C. Chaplain to the University and Dean of Religious Life

1. Daily 45 minute walks on campus and conversations.

2. BU Today Articles, other Religious Life Articles and Interviews (several): (see Marsh Website, ‘In the News’):

3. BU Matriculation, Alumni Awards, Senior Breakfast, Commencement, Multi-faith Dinner, and Baccalaureate prayers, other: 10 every spring

4. 43 (mostly part-time) paid staff at Marsh Chapel

5. Marsh Board of Advisors (29 persons), May and September

6. Pastoral Counseling: 102 (sacramental and personal moments, part of total visits above).

8. Open Houses\Receptions\Dinners in 96 Bay State Residence: 9

(Staff, Parent’s Weekend, Appetizer Group November, Christmas Sunday Open House, October BSR 96, Christmas Party, Valentines, Patriot’s Day Brunch, Book Club, other)

9. Student Deaths 2016: 4

Benjamin Meit, Jai Menon, Juliana Jackson, Owen Chen

Other BU: Sophie Hobson, Elaine Kirschenbaum, Josiah Epps

10. Administration:  Oversight of 6 University Chaplains and 25 Campus Ministers, 43 internal Marsh Staff (see sign boards and web site).  Most Difficult 2012-2016 : Hillel Transition Hours (250 hours). (As of 2013 all BU chaplains are new since my arrival). Annual Marsh income target set and met at 1/14 of expenses.

11.  Sampling of authors read in 2016: Proust (finished the two volumes of ‘Le Recherche de Temps Perdu’!), Turkle, Brooks, Cole, Coats, Russo, Hart, Bacevich.  Summer Writing Quota of 1 page\day.

12. December Christmas\Holiday events attended BU: 33 (fascinating community pattern)

13. Travel, person and\or work:  Tampa, San Diego, Rochester, Syracuse, New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, San Antonio.  Four family events:  Christopher’s marriage (3x); Mother’s Transfer to Nursing Home and House Clean out and Sale; Summer Time with Grandchildren; Health Issues.

14. Tithe (details available on request)

15. Christmas Pastoral Phone Calls:  64

17.10 Continuing Education Events\Retreats Annually: 2 UMC Annual Conferences (UNYAC, NEAC), 2 AAR\SBL (national, regional), 2 NHTDG (spring, fall), 2 BU (Provost, STH), 2 Marsh (August, February).

18. 2017 Goals (2x2!):  20 Pounds (lose 20); 2 AAR\SBL Papers (John and Bach); Weekly 2’s (250 worship attendance, 25 personal visits, audience of 2K publication each week); 2 Building Improvements (Narthex and Access); 2 International\National Preaching Moments (Chautauqua\August, and one other); 2 Ministry Advances.

*Autumn 2016 Weekly\Regular Marsh Chapel Conversation Groups:

Global:  Yoga (10), FY101 (20), International Dinner (10), Monday Meditations (5), Interfaith Council (10), Creative Arts (10), Religion on Tap(10) );

Ministry: (Monday Dinner (20), children’s ministry (10), FY101 (20), Ministry Staff Weekly (15), Noon Thursday Silence (5), Sunday Morning Adult Study (10), RAH Bible Study (5), BUUMF (5), Abolitionist Chapel (10), Confucian Group (20), ISGC (30) Common Ground Communion (20), Compline Monday (10), Wednesday Eucharist (10), ‘Daily Devotions’ (200); Intercessory Prayer Sunday (5));

Hospitality: (Office Staff (10), Religious Life Council (20), Marsh Advisory Board (20), Evangelical Campus Ministers Prayer Circle (10), Development Task Force (10), Weekly Senior Staff (10),

Music: (Chapel Choir (40), Collegium (40), Summer Choir (20), ISGC (30), Thurman Choir (20), Lorelei (10), Take Note (10), In Choro Novo (35)