2020 Annual Report

Annual Statistical and Narrative Report Robert Allan Hill Boston University Dean of Marsh Chapel, Professor of New Testament and Pastoral Theology, and Chaplain to the University January 1, 2020—December 31, 2020 This narrative report to university and ecclesiastical leaders (BU and UMC), moves through the three principal parts of the work here: preaching, teaching and ‘deaning’. The chief statistics for each are found below. Herein as well challenges, impacts and goals are noted, below. Challenges include the pandemic, the climate, the denomination, necessary budget cuts, the culture and many deaths, along with memorials and funerals (A 10) (I would be glad to talk through these, if more information would be helpful), and some staffing items and issues, forecasted in an earlier year’s (4/19) review (C 8). Impacts include worship (A 1), religious life work and hospitality (C 7), and ceremonial leadership, though more limited and differently arranged this year (A 2f). Goals, at the top the level, involve ‘voice’ and ‘visitation’ (C 15): Voice (two books published 2020, An Addressable Community, and Salt City Prayers and 1 long term, perhaps decade long, research project on Biblical Theology launched); Visitation (More personal visitation (goal: pastoral conversation, 2 dozen a week). 2020 General Challenges: Pollution, Pandemic, Politics, Prejudice, Pain. A. Dean of Marsh Chapel: Preacher 1.Regular Sunday\Other Sermons and Services, both Marsh and elsewhere: 67 Marsh Chapel Sunday worship services are broadcast in New England on NPR to 20K-80K; in addition, another 20K (up from 4K five 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 43,000 resident BU faculty\students\administration and staff, and for the 350,000 living BU alumni around the globe; 263 weekly average school year phsycial attendance (highest in September, December, April, and May). 2. Special BU Services: 26 (normally): ML King Observances (2), This I Believe, BU Baccalaureate\Commencement (8) (This year: Senior Breakfast, ROTC, This I Believe), Marsh and BU Matriculations (4), BU Alumni Weekend Memorial Service, Lessons & Carols (2), Annual Spring Term Prayers\Invocations (10). 1/20 5 Special Howard Thurman Center Events, including a special Sunday worship service at Marsh Chapel, 1/19/20. 3. Guest Speaking Events 2020: 22; (almost all virtual* this year, compared to 57 live occasions 2019): Hessler Hebrew Class, College of General Studies Matriculation Prayer, Marsh Writers’ Forum with D Reeves, Jay Halfond Class, Daryl Healea Class on BU History*, Senior Breakfast 2020 Prayer*, Crystal Williams Program*, NEACUMC Book Evening*, BU Plaza Matriculation Service, BU Matriculation, STH Authors’ Panel for Alumni*, AFUMC 200th anniversary video*, SPH Covid Memorial*, 4 Monthly 8am Sunday Plaza Morning Prayer Servics, ISGC video*, BU Thanksgiving Video*, S Hall Retirement*. 4. Regular Meetings: Weekly, Monthly, other: 19: Marsh Staff, Marsh Advisory Board, Marsh Development Group, Faculty BUSTH, Faculty Area A and Area D BUSTH, Dean’s Council, University Leadership Council, University Leadership Group, BU Faculty Council, Religious Life Council, BU Chaplains, New England Annual Conference Foundation and Marketing Committee, Harvard Memorial Church Board of Visitors (in hiatus), Learning Project Board of Visitors, BU Hillel Board. 5. Visits: (office, home, hospital, other): 334 (not including daily 45min campus walk, which allows various brief, informal conversations, plus, in COVID, 5 phone calls\day). 6. 2020 New Marsh Chapel Chapter Members Received 0 7. Program Initiatives: 24: (see term book on website) 8. 2020 Baptisms (Eva Natalie MacDonald): 1 9. 2020 Weddings RAH officiant (brides’ names: Thai): 1 10. 2020 Funerals, Memorials, or Pastoral Care, in person and\or zoom calls;(challenging year in this department): 22 Iris McDaniel, Molly Voorheis, J Rose Lee, TJ Eastman, CF Richardson, Lee Olson, Everett Johnson, Victoria Nelson, Shirley Courton, Lance Martin, Betty Ann Hegan, Levita Coleman, Peter Herbener, Marcia C. Hill, Eric Westby, David Hutchens, Carrie O’Conor, Mary Beaudry, Chris Cakebread,Shang Zhao, Travis Roy, SPH School Memorial. Professor, New Testament and Pastoral Theology: Tenured Full Professor STH 1. STH monthly faculty meeting, annual STH Faculty Retreat 2. 2020 RAH Publications: 1. Sunday Sermons, BU website (at 2500 words a sermon, the collection for 2020 would be 125,000 words, or two 300 page books); 2. Autumn 2020 Sermon Series: on Liberal Gospel; 3. Lenten Series 2020: St. Teresa of Avila; 4. Dean Hill’s Blogs monthly (deanhill.blogspot.com). 5. 16th Book: An Addressable Community. 8. 17th Book: Salt City Prayers. 9. W. Ritter Nudging the Heart, Introduction (chapter). 3. Courses 2020: Pastoral Preaching, The Gospel of John (since 2006 two courses\year offered gratis in STH, part of Hill family tithe); 4. Doctoral\Masters Defense Committees (4); including my own advisee now Dr. Lynn Cooper, Catholic Chaplain at Tufts. (Junker, Cooper, Rohr, Choi) 5. STH Methodism Committee (issues are coming in this area again in 2021) 6. STH Areas A and D Monthly meetings 7. One current doctoral student (DMIN, Rev. Greg McGonigle, current Dean of Religious Life, Emory University, due to graduate 5/21) 8. Pastoral contacs\calls with fellow clergy\others at Christmas: 56 C. Chaplain to the University and Office of Religious Life: Pastor 1. Daily 45 minute walks on campus and conversations. In Covid, 5 phone calls\day. (Also, see regular meetings list, above). 2. BU Today Articles, other Religious Life Articles and Interviews (several): (see Marsh Website, ‘In the News’ collection). 3. BU Matriculation, Service and Retirement Recognitions, Senior Breakfast, Baccalaureate, Commencement, Multi-faith Dinner, and other: 10 events every spring, normally. 4. 43 (mostly part-time) paid staff at Marsh Chapel; 41 Religious Life unpaid staff 5. Marsh Board of Advisors (29 persons), May and September. *Giving through Marsh Chapel, excluding weddings, has grown from $16,000 in 2006 to $325,000 2020. Our income is down 2020, but so are our expenses. 6. Pastoral Counseling: 27(sacramental and personal moments, part of total visits above). Marsh Religious Life brings $3M\year to BU in self-funded chaplaincies and campus ministries. 7. Annual Open Houses\Receptions\Dinners in 96 Bay State Residence: 1 (Valentine’s Day). And 4 monthly zoom gatherings, September—December. 8. Student Deaths 2020: 4 (Sharat Nambiar, Jeonginian Rose Lee, Jie Je, Shang Zhao) 9. Administration: Oversight through Chapel Director Bouchard of 6 University Chaplains and 25 Campus Ministers, 43 internal Marsh Staff (see sign boards and web site). New Roman Catholic University Chaplain, 5/20, Fr. Kevin Staley-Joyce. Most Difficult issue 2012-2020 : Hillel (250 hours), now markedly improving. (As of 2013 all BU chaplains are new since my arrival). Annual Marsh income target set and met at 1/14 of expenses, 2015, w\Chris Goss, (after discussion retained at this level, 12/18 w\Pat Obrien). In 2/18/20 we instituted an annual required written request for STH use of space, with needed signatures of STH dean or designee and Marsh Chapel director. 10. Sampling of authors read in 2020: O’Breht, Baldwin, Ellis, Bacevich, McCullough, Spansberg, Lamont, Brock, Leslie, Kendi, Ritter, Robert, Lougheny, Robinson, Putnam 11. December Christmas\Holiday events *virtually attended BU: 5 12. Travel, personal and\or work: San Diego, Bradley Brook. 13. Tithe (details available on request). 14.10 Continuing Education Events\Retreats Annually (virtual this year): 2 UMC Annual Conferences (UNYAC, NEAC), 2 AAR\SBL (national, regional), 2 NHTDG (spring, fall), 2 BU retreats (Provost, STH), 2 Marsh staff retreats (August, February). 15. Goals: Two 2021 Foci: Voice (1 long term research project on Biblical Theology); Visitation (More personal visitation (goal: pastoral conversation, 2 dozen a week).