Distinguished Alums 2009
February 24, 2009
Ann E. Streaty Wimberly
Wimberly is professor emerita of Christian education at Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was a faculty member for 16 years. She continues as the seminary’s director of the Youth Hope-Builders Academy, a theological program for high school youth funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. She is also principal investigator of ITC’s Faith Journey: Partnership in Parish Ministry Formation and Director of the Vision Quest research project, a national study of leaders of youth ministries in Black congregations, both also funded by Lilly Endowment. She has been Visiting Professor at Africa University in Zimbabwe and will be Visiting Professor at Yale University Divinity School this fall.
A popular workshop leader and lecturer in the areas of Christian education, spirituality, family ministry, and youth and older adult ministry, Wimberly has been a workshop presenter at Princeton University Youth Institute and the Youth Theology Institute of Candler School of Theology. She is also a part of the Oral History Project at Candler School of Theology.
Wimberly received a bachelor of science in education from Ohio State University in 1957; a master of music from Boston University School of Fine Arts in 1962; a doctor of philosophy in educational leadership from Georgia State University in 1981; and a master of theological studies from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in 1993. She undertook post-doctoral studies as scholar-in-residence at Claremont School of Theology’s Institute for Religion and Wholeness, now called Clinebell Institute. At Boston University, where she completed doctoral coursework, she was the first woman and Black American to be a doctoral teaching fellow.
She is the past president of the Religious Education Association and the Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education. She has served on many boards and agencies, including the Governing Board of the American Society on Aging Forum on Religion, Spirituality, and Aging. She recently became a member of the Board of Directors of the African American Methodist Heritage Center.
Wimberly is author of numerous articles and books, including “The Winds of Promise: Building and Maintaining Strong Clergy Families,” with co-author Edward Wimberly (Discipleship Resources, 2007); “Soul Stories: African American Christian Education” (Abingdon, 1994; Revised Edition, 2005); and “Nurturing Faith and Hope: Worship as a Model for Christian Education” (Pilgrim Press, 2004). She has received many awards and is included in the fourth edition of “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers:
The Best Teachers in America Selected by the Best Students,” as well as the ninth edition of “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, 2004-2005.”
She resides in Atlanta with her husband, Dr. Edward Wimberly, provost at Interdenominational Theological Center.
Noel Dwight Osborn
Osborn received a master of divinity degree from Evangelical Theological Seminary in 1953, having previously earned the bachelor of fine arts degree from Ohio State University. In seminary he met his future wife, Emma Ruth Anderson, who earned her master of religious education degree, and together they served a parish in Ohio for two years. In 1955 they sailed to the Philippines as Evangelical United Brethren missionaries with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, where they served for over 37 years.
During several furloughs he studied at the University of Chicago and Vanderbilt University, receiving a doctor of philosophy degree from Vanderbilt in 1978.
In the Philippines he served as Bible professor at Union Christian College and director of In-Service Training, North Central Luzon Conference of the United Church of Christ (1956-1966); trustee at Silliman University and translation coordinator for the Ilokano Interconfessional Bible Translation Project (1967-1973); and translation consultant for the United Bible Societies (1968-1992). He also served as adjunct professor of Old Testament at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, from 1985 to 1987 and from 1992 to 1994.
As a translation consultant assigned to the Philippine Bible Society, Osborn supervised the cooperative translation projects of the Bible into the eight major languages of the Philippines, working with both Protestant and Roman Catholic native speakers as translators. This was one of many worldwide projects of the United Bible Societies, working cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church following the Second Vatican Council. It was also the first time for the Catholic faithful in the Philippines to have the Bible in their native tongues. They were fresh translations for the Protestant faithful as well.
Osborn has a number of publications to his credit, including the following articles in “The Bible Translator: A Guide to Balanced Living (Eccles. 7:1-14), (1970); “Basic Types of Footnotes for Old Testament Translations,” (1982); and “This is My Name Forever: ‘I AM’ or ‘Yahweh’?”(1988). “The Seminary Review” of Evangelical Theological Seminary published his article “A Breakthrough in Bible Translation” in 1972. He is also the author of “A Handbook on Exodus” (with H.A. Hatton, 1999, the United Bible Societies Bible Commentary Series).
He was named an Honorary Life Member of the American Bible Society in 1993.
A widower, he resides in Lebanon, Ohio. He has two children, Philip and Cynthia, both born in the Philippines.