Colleen Wessel-McCoy
Colleen’s has a chapter published in Organizing Visions: Social Ethics and Broad-Based Solidarity Activism, edited by Gary Dorrien, Charlene Sinclair, and Aaron Stauffer (Orbis, 2025) The chapter is co-authored with Carolyn Baker and is titled “National Welfare Rights Organization’s Beulah Sanders at the 1972 National Council of Churches Convention” It’s available as an e-book through Lily Library. If you want to learn more, take her spring course, Organizing for Ministry.
Jim Higginbotham
Jim will retire from his position as Associate Academic Dean and Professor of Pastoral Care at the end of this academic year. Throughout his long tenure, he has walked with ESR through both joyful and turbulent times. With deep compassion and steady wisdom, he has helped guide the school through some truly stormy times, and his presence will be profoundly missed.
Jim has served ESR for more than two decades, and we are all deeply indebted to him for his tireless dedication, faithful leadership, and unwavering commitment to this community. More details on Jim’s retirement to follow in due course.
Julianna Smith
Julianna and her spouse, Nathan Widdicombe, welcomed their daughter, Layla Edith Smith-Widdicombe, into the world last semester. The three of them are excited to celebrate the holidays together. She and Colleen will be co-teaching a new course: BS 660-T “Bible and the American Political Discourse in the spring semester!
Grace Ji-Sun Kim
Grace published her 25th book, Earthbound (Orbis Books), in August 2025. Her 26th book will be out in January 2026, Feminist Theologies: The Basics (co-written with Dr. Susan Shaw) (Routledge Books). She continues to write 2 columns a month for Good Faith Media and hosts Madang Podcast once a month. She has given lectures at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, the Vancouver School of Theology, West Chester University, and the University of Pittsburgh.
Grace was the keynote speaker at numerous conferences, including the Leadership Institute (Kansas), the Britt Lecture (Hawaii), and Freedom Rising (NYC), among many others. She has been invited to preach at Duke Divinity School, Roots Moravian, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque, and many other churches. She has done numerous online talks to Duke Congregation, PAX, and the Presbyterian Church.
Jonelle Ellis
It is with profound gratitude and warm celebration that we announce the upcoming early retirement of Jonelle Ellis, Director of Finance & Operations, effective June 2026.
Jonelle’s connection to Earlham College spans more than her own remarkable tenure; it is a family legacy that has been in the making for more than six decades. Her grandmother began working at Earlham in 1964, followed by Jonelle’s mother, and Jonelle herself joined the College in 2001. Together, three generations of the Ellis family have contributed to the life of this community for over 60 years.
In 2018, Jonelle transitioned to the Earlham School of Religion, where she quickly became known as the person who keeps everything running smoothly. From managing budgets and coordinating programming to supporting student housing and organizing community events, Jonelle’s leadership and care have shaped the daily rhythm of our school. Her colleagues often say that if something needs to be done, Jonelle will have already taken care of it quietly, efficiently, and with her characteristic good humor.
Beyond her professional excellence, Jonelle brings a spirit of dedication and joy to every part of her life. She is an accomplished athlete, having competed in Ironman events, and a talented baker whose creations have brightened many of our gatherings. Her blend of strength, generosity, and skill is truly one of a kind. Jonnelle has also been the icebreaker leader at all faculty retreats at ESR.
As we prepare for Jonelle’s well-earned early retirement, we offer our heartfelt thanks for her 25 years of service, her unwavering commitment to ESR, and her place in Earlham’s extraordinary multigenerational story. She has shaped our community in countless ways, and her impact will be felt for years to come.
Steve Angell
Steve’s manuscript, Martha Simmons: A Life, was accepted for publication by Brill Press.
A book that he co-edited with Ben Pink Dandelion and David Watt, Global Quakerism, 1938-2018, was accepted for publication by Penn State University Press.
In each case, a final manuscript has been submitted to the press, and publication is expected in 2026. At the American Academy of Religion meetings in Boston, Massachusetts, in November 2025, I presented on “Prophesying Daughters and Women Saved through Childbearing? The Evolution of Quaker Exhortations on Women’s Ministry in the 1650s” in a session sponsored by the Quaker Studies Unit. I am also co-chair of the Quaker Studies Unit.
At the virtual meeting of the Quaker Theological Discussion Group, December 2025, Steve will present on “Public Ministry during the First Period of Friends, 1653-1656.”