Quick Notes
Greetings from Iliff! We are now in the holiday season, and that means extra busy-ness for many of our alums. May you find peace and (some) quiet in the midst of all of the tasks, services, programs, meetings, and everything else.

If there is something going on in your world that you would like us to share with your colleagues, you can do that right here. Click here to communicate with the Alumni Office.

Please take the time to fill out the Alumni Board's survey, which you will find below. It is short, but will be very helpful as they discern their work going forward.

Have a blessed Advent season!

Rev. Tom Barlow
Director of Alumni and Community Education
Alumni News
Moses Among the Idols:
Mediators of the Divine in the Ancient Near East

Dr. Amy Balogh's (PhD '16) most recent book was released this month.

In this work, Dr. Balogh draws from the fields of Assyriology, Archaeology, Biblical Studies, and Comparative Religion to make the argument that when it comes to understanding the special status of Moses as YHWH's mediator, the best analogy the ancient Near East provides is that of the idol — the most common form of mediation between divinity and humanity for most of religious history.
Alumni Stories

Don't miss the Alumni Stories page on the Iliff website!
Transitions
Please join us as we stand with those who are in the midst of deep grief.
Former Iliff staff member Alberta Smith unexpectedly died October 30th following a medical emergency. Her husband, Otto, was with her in her final moments.

Former Iliff President Don Messer shares these words:

Alberta served with great distinction at The Iliff School of Theology until her retirement in 2002. As Administrative Assistant to the President (and previously to the Dean), she was a woman of great integrity, competence, and trustworthiness. Those of us who knew her know her great love of her husband, two sons, their wives, and four grandchildren. I was greatly indebted to her for her faithful assistance and wise counsel.  

Expressions of care can be sent to Otto and the family at 3402 S. Dallas Court, Denver, Colorado 80231.
The Reverend Mr. Kenneth McMillan (B.D. 1961) died on October 20, 2018, of complications following a heart attack. Rev. McMillan was a member of the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church, serving ministries in San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, and Los Altos. He retired in 2002, and then continued serving in interim and part-time ministries until 2012. He is survived by his wife Patty.

Rev. McMillan was very active in the Civil Rights movement. His complete obituary can be found here.

Services were held at Los Alto UMC in Long Beach.
Iliff Conversations
Help Us Fill this Section!

Do you have some questions for our faculty or staff? Perhaps you'd like to know what a faculty member thinks about a particular issue, or you wonder what's next in the plans for some area of the school. Submit those questions here, and we will see what we can do about getting answers - and we will get a conversation going!
A Request from Your Alumni Board
In order to be a more effective Alumni Board, we are asking for your input as to what will make us more in alignment with your needs and expectations. To that end, we are requesting your input to help us clarify the new direction we should be going. Please take a few moments and respond to our survey.

Campus Events & Updates
Our preparations are under way for Renewal 2019! Here's some advance notice about two of our speakers:
  • Dr. Andrea Smith, Associate Professor of Media & Cultural Studies at the University of California Riverside (introduced to us by our own Dr. Tink Tinker)
  • A faculty plenary with our own Dr. Ted Vial
We're still working through the workshops and panels. Stay tuned as it all comes together, and keep Wednesday morning (February 6) open for an Alumni breakfast! Registration opens in December, and you can always find the latest information about Renewal at our website: renewal.iliff.edu
Our November workshops with Dr. Tom Bandy were a success! Participants delved deeply into the ways in which different lifestyle groups and perspectives impact organizational dynamics, strategic thinking, leadership styles, and the very meaning of religious faith itself.

Watch for more offerings beginning in March 2019 (ReSource and Renewal are run out of the same office, so we'll be a little busy in January and February). You can always see what is coming up by visiting our website: resource.iliff.edu
Something You'd Like to Share?
Connect with us using this online form if you have information you would like us to share in our alumni email updates.