Distinguished Alums 1994

February 24, 1994

Dwight S. Busacca

Dwight Busacca, 1949, is a graduate of Evangelical Theological Seminary. Dr. Busacca went on to receive an earned doctorate from McCormick Theological Seminary. He has also studied at the Institute for Advanced Pastoral Studies, the Yale School on Alcoholic Studies, the Executive Training Program and the World Food Conference. His undergraduate college, North Central, awarded him its Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1989. After serving thirteen years as Senior Pastor of Memorial Community United Methodist Church in Greenfield, WI, Dr. Busacca was named Field Representative for Mission Development of the General Board of Global Ministries, a position he held for 24 years until his retirement in 1990. As Field Representative, Dwight’s responsibility was the North Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church, an area that included about 8,000 churches and almost two million United Methodists. Under his guidance the North Central Jurisdiction led all jurisdictions in both total dollars given to the Advance Special program of United Methodism and in per capita giving to the Advance. This jurisdiction also gave over one half of all funds contributed to the special Africa Church Growth and Development Fund. Dr. Busacca has served on countless boards and commissions with an emphasis on mission giving. He is an author and lecturer and traveled over one million miles in his work with mission programs. Although he has now retired, Dwight continues to lend his leadership in behalf of the mission outreach of the Church.

Beverly J. Shamana

Beverly Shamana, 1980, is a California native who received her Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical the same year she was awarded the seminary’s prize for preaching. And preaching effectively has remained a high priority for Rev. Shamana. She has participated in preaching missions and study teams to Sierra Leone in West Africa and Central America and has been the guest preacher for the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, Claremont, Iliff, and Candler schools of theology and will teach the 1995 summer session preaching course at Iliff. After graduation, Rev. Shamana was appointed as pastor to Faith United Methodist Church in Los Angeles and, in 1984, became Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Inglewood, CA where she developed a multi-cultural congregation of African American, Anglo, and Tongan members. Under her leadership, this congregation received the Annual Conference Inclusive Church of the Year Award. In July of 1989 Rev. Shamana was appointed to the Conference Council on Ministries where she currently holds the position of Program Director for Justice, Ethnic, and Outreach Ministries. During her fourteen years of public ministry, Beverly Shamana has served on the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and was named a General/Jurisdictional Conference delegate twice. Her publications include articles, photography and devotional material in the Christian Century, Interpreter Magazine, Alive Now!, and a variety of other journals and magazines.