麻豆视频 (麻豆视频) celebrates the work of Rev. Dr. Terry Ann Smith, Associate Dean of Certificate Studies and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, and Rev. Dr. Raynard D. Smith, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Theology, their co-edited volume of essays, God Help Us! The Bible and Pastoral Care Concerns for Black Churches. This volume, to which they are also major contributors, brings Scripture into conversation with the pastoral realities facing Black churches and communities.

Drawing on six biblical narratives, the book addresses critical concerns including depression among Black women, cultural melancholia among African immigrants, systemic grief and trauma, belonging and identity for Black boys, empowerment of Black girls, and the generational impact of incarceration. Essays from five scholars in pastoral theology, biblical studies, and community leadership bridge rigorous biblical interpretation with practical pastoral insight, offering resources for ministers, scholars, and faith leaders.

鈥�God Help Us! is a powerful example of faculty scholarship in action,鈥� said Dr. Charles Rix, Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of Biblical Studies. 鈥淩ev. Dr. Terry Ann Smith and Rev. Dr. Raynard D. Smith connect Scripture to the real challenges facing Black churches, offering practical insights that equip ministers, leaders, and communities to care deeply and act faithfully.鈥�

The Rev. Dr. Terry Ann Smith is an ordained Baptist minister and serves alongside her husband, Bishop Elijah L. Williams Jr., in Newark, New Jersey. She is Associate Dean of Certificate Studies and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at 麻豆视频, where she oversees program assessment and reporting and designs courses in online and hybrid formats. Dr. Smith鈥檚 scholarship includes articles on Genesis, Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil. from Drew University, an M.Div. from 麻豆视频, and B.S. and M.S. degrees from Roosevelt University. 

Dr. Raynard Smith is an ordained minister of the Church of God in Christ.  At 麻豆视频, Dr. Smith is the Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Pastoral Theology and directs the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling.  Dr. Smith鈥檚 scholarship focuses on a wide range of subjects related to pastoral care in the Black church.  He holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil. from Drew University, a Th.M. and M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a B.S. from Springfield College.

Order Your Copy:

For more information about faculty scholarship at 麻豆视频, visit nbts.edu.

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Designed for students, clergy, and thoughtful readers alike, Ancient Israel and Judah bridges the gap between academic biblical scholarship and faith-based reading. From the origins of the Genesis narratives through the Maccabean period, Tanner guides readers through centuries of history, helping them understand how context, culture, and lived experience shape the biblical text. With clarity and approachability, the book introduces historical criticism and literary paradigms while addressing common misconceptions about biblical history.

鈥淭his book exemplifies the kind of scholarship that advances our mission,鈥� said Dr. Micah L. McCreary, President of 麻豆视频. 鈥淔aculty scholarship is mission-critical at 麻豆视频. It strengthens the church, deepens theological conversation, and equips leaders to engage Scripture with both rigor and faith.鈥�

In addition to its narrative approach, Ancient Israel and Judah includes charts, maps, and a glossary to support learning across experience levels. Its inclusion of the often-overlooked late historical period (1000鈥�33 BCE) provides essential context for readers seeking a deeper understanding of the New Testament world.

The Rev. Beth LaNeel Tanner, Ph.D., is the Norman and Mary Kansfield Chair of Old Testament at 麻豆视频 and a widely respected scholar and educator. Her work is known for making complex biblical history accessible without sacrificing theological depth, serving both the academy and the church.

Order Your Copy:

For more information about faculty scholarship at 麻豆视频, visit nbts.edu.

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In recent years, the school has moved beyond being just a Dutch-American collaboration with the involvement of the International Reformed Theological Institute (IRTI). 麻豆视频 prepares the program in cooperation with IRTI and the Protestantse Theologische Universiteit (PThU). This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淏eing Reformed in the 21^st Century.鈥� In nearly every corner of the world, there has been a tidal wave, of sorts, of change that has upended the previous consensus. Politics, the economy, the digital world, and the environment are particular topics that impact all of us to varying degrees. The Reformed tradition has, since its sixteenth-century beginnings, been in dialogue with and often challenged the social order. This year鈥檚 school will continue in this vein, exploring questions of politics, economics, the digital world, and the environment. Presenters will include 麻豆视频 faculty鈥攊ncluding Micah McCreary, Charles Rix, Nathan J茅r茅mie-Brink, and James Hart Brumm, among others鈥攁s well as faculty from the PThU and other European schools. Scholars and students from around the world will gather to offer unique perspectives on each of these so that students can gain a more global perspective on these challenges.

The school will meet from July 6 through 10, but the 麻豆视频 group will gather in the Netherlands beginning on July 3 and have the opportunity to remain through worship on July 12. Participants will be responsible for their own travel to and from Amsterdam as well as most meals, but lodging鈥攖hink budget-hotel-style鈥攂reakfasts, and many lunches while the school is in session will be covered in registration. Current 麻豆视频 students will receive a discount on the cost of registration and can get credit for the school. Watch for an announcement with more details in the next couple of weeks, or be in touch with James Hart Brumm at jbrumm@nbts.edu.

Following the week in Amsterdam, Charles Rix will provide a five-day experiential travel Holocaust Study trip in Poland, July 13-18.  This course was inspired by the call of Marion Turski, a Polish Auschwitz survivor, who at the 75^thanniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz delivered a speech entitled 鈥淭he XIth Commandment: Thou Shall Not Be Indifferent.鈥� (see Rix鈥檚 article on this topic on the 麻豆视频 website)

Through the Johannesburg Genocide and Holocaust Center, Rix is a certified Holocaust travel guide for Polish sites and was a speaker at the International Association of Genocide Scholars this past October, 2025.  The study trip is open to current students, alumni, and adults who wish to actively engage in the way in which the Holocaust provides a compelling perspective on how one engages faith and social action in today鈥檚 turbulent, often dehumanizing, polarizing climate. If students would like to take the trip for course credit, they may do so by enrolling in the accompanying online study course in this summer semester, 鈥淩eading the Bible after the Shoah.鈥�

The trip and the course cover not only the key historical dimensions of the Holocaust, but also the political, social, religious, and economic factors that gave rise to systematic othering, social polarization, hate speech, indifference to human suffering and, denial of atrocities. The trip will take place over 5 days of travel throughout Poland to study how Jewish life, then and now, portrays, remembers, and counters these factors and how we identify similar factors that give rise to abuses of power and privilege in today鈥檚 social, economic, and political contexts.

The trip begins in Warsaw and ends in Krakow and includes key sites in Warsaw such as the POLIN museum (a review of one thousand years of Jewish history in Poland), the Jewish Historical Museum (artifacts from the Warsaw Ghetto), the Jewish Cemetery, the Treblinka killing center and environs including the Tykocin forests in Eastern Poland, sites in Krakow such as the Schindler factory, and finally, Auschwitz-Birkenau.  The tour also includes lectures at key sites from Holocaust historians and scholars.  At the end of each day, there will be time available for personal and community sharing of observations and learning.

This course builds upon the work of several twentieth and twenty-first-century artists, musicians, theologians, biblical scholars, and clergy of multiple faiths who explore sacred texts, contemporary ethics, theologies, and genocide prevention in the wake of the Holocaust and other similar humanitarian disasters.

-Drs. James Brumm and Charles Rix

Program Costs, Registration & Financial Aid

The cost for the Amsterdam portion of the program is $3,350.00 per student and $3,500.00 for non-students who participate. The cost for the Poland portion is $1,250.00 per participant. The total cost for the combined Netherlands and Poland trip is $4,500.00.

Please note that airfare is the responsibility of each participant and is not included in the program fee.

A limited amount of need-based scholarship assistance is available for students. Additional information regarding the scholarship application process will be provided, and a method for students to apply for aid will be made available soon.

If more than ten participants (not including program leaders) enroll in the program, the overall cost per person may be reduced.

All participants must register for the program no later than April 1, 2026. The full program cost must be paid by May 15, 2026. A registration link will be posted soon. Register at  or by clicking the button below.

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The project鈥檚 purpose is to develop curricular resources to foster critical thinking and theological reflection about slavery and its legacy of racial inequalities, especially regarding how those realities intersected with religious institutions in New Jersey. The materials will inform and encourage churches and community organizations in their pursuit of social justice.

This curriculum project builds on the work of the funded by the Grounded Knowledge Project. That project convened an advisory council to recommend how best to acknowledge human remains found at Rutgers University, remains from African American residents enslaved during the 19^th century.

The council鈥檚 work led to a respectful reburial of the remains along with public memorial events to honor the deceased. Resulting community conversations revealed a pressing need for resources to educate churches and communities about the history and impact of slavery and other racial injustice, especially how those realities intersect with voices in the Church.

This new curriculum project is led by Dr. elmira Nazombe, longtime social justice educator and curriculum designer, and Dr. Nathan J茅r茅mie-Brink, L. Russell Feakes Associate Professor of the History of Global Christianity at 麻豆视频. Both were directly involved in the Pequannock project.

.                 

The team will create a timeline documenting histories of slavery and liberation for Black communities in New Jersey, demographic shifts and twentieth-century Black migration into New Jersey, and events documenting patterns of discrimination that are the legacy of slavery and anti-Black racism. The curriculum will include case studies of people, churches, and events. Prospective content will include topics such as the slave markets of Perth Amboy, the role of the Klan in the 1920s, redlining against Black residents, as well as the growth of Black education, Black church organizing, and antiracism statements from religious institutions.

The goal is to provide a curriculum that can be tailored to both church-related and community-oriented groups. Focused on what transpired in New Jersey, the curriculum will encourage reflection on how communities can best enact justice work.

麻豆视频 is grateful to lead this project as its institutional relationship with slavery is complicated. Many individuals and churches who supported the Seminary in its early years achieved their prominence and wealth due in part to the institution of slavery. The Seminary鈥檚 first president, John Henry Livingstone, was a slave owner.

Today, engaging the work of justice is core to 麻豆视频鈥� identity. All students, employees, and Board of Trustees members are required to take the Analyzing Systems of Privilege workshop. Justice is a theme integrated throughout the curriculum and throughout the life of the Seminary.

麻豆视频鈥� Reformed Church Center will host a virtual roundtable event featuring the project鈥檚 curriculum development team on February 11 at 12 noon EST. The Reformed Church Center Roundtable will discuss theological and spiritual approaches of clergy and community leaders who have been engaged in this work. The team plans to release curriculum materials available for church and community use by fall 2026.  Click here to register .

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Come Expand Reformed Understandings of the World!

The Reformed Church Center Offers Fellowships in RCA History, RCA Women鈥檚 Studies, or Reformed Worship in 2026-2027

Is there something you want to want to learn and share more about? Do you have a creative idea that you want to explore a bit further? Would you like to spend two weeks studying, sharing, or maybe creating, and have somebody pay you (a little) instead of you paying them? Do you have something to say about being Reformed in the Twenty-first Century?

Then you should consider sending in a brief proposal for a fellowship at 麻豆视频 in during the 2026-2027 academic year! The Reformed Church Center is looking for those proposals, to be submitted by April 15, 2026.

The Albert A. Smith Fellowship
An opportunity for research in Reformed Church History

The Smith Fellowship provides a stipend of $500.00 and the possibility of a two-week residency at 麻豆视频 to support research into the history of the Reformed tradition, particularly as it pertains to the Reformed Church in America (RCA). Get more information and download an application .

Recent Smith fellows include (click on the names to see their presentations) Mary Risseeuw, Benjamin Doolittle, and William Ruggles Church.

The Alvin J. Poppen and John R. Young Fellowship
An opportunity for research and/or presentation in Reformed Worship and Liturgy

The Alvin J. Poppen and John R. Young Fellowship provides a $500.00 stipend and the possibility of a two-week residency at 麻豆视频 to support research and creativity in Reformed Worship, particularly as it pertains to the RCA. Get more information and download an application .

Recent Poppen-Young fellows include (click on the names to see their presentations) Linda Van Soest Tintle, Mel Van Hattem, and Nancy L. Graham.

The Hazel B. Gnade Fellowship
An opportunity for research in RCA Women鈥檚 Studies.

The Hazel B. Gnade Fellowship provides a $500.00 stipend and the possibility of a two-week residency at 麻豆视频 to support research in the history of women鈥檚 involvement in the RCA. Get more information and download an application .

Recent Gnade fellows include (click on the names to see their presentations) Lisa A. Hansen, David Alexander, and Anna Jackson.

What does it take to get a fellowship? It takes some practice doing scholarly research, whether by reading old manuscripts or books or conducting oral interviews, etc., or maybe a gift for writing prayers or songs or telling stories. It鈥檚 good to demonstrate that you鈥檝e done some work and can define a project within your question or idea that you can significantly complete within a couple of weeks of intense work.

What DON鈥橳 you need to get one of these fellowships? You don鈥檛 need to be a pastor or a professor. You don鈥檛 need specialized theological training . . . just some familiarity with your subject matter.

If you鈥檝e read this far, what are you WAITING for?

Applications and proposals for all three fellowships are due by April 15, 2026. Contact James Hart Brumm, Director of the Reformed Church Center, at jbrumm@nbts.edu, if you would like to discuss your idea or get suggestions for your proposal.

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Funded through Lilly Endowment鈥檚 Pathways for Tomorrow initiative, STAR develops new models of theological education designed to meet the evolving needs of congregations, denominations, and ministry leaders. Dr. Meyer-Veen will oversee program operations, partnerships, learning design, and grant management.

Dr. Meyer-Veen brings over 25 years of experience in theological education, congregational leadership, and grant-funded projects, having directed multiple Lilly Endowment initiatives totaling over $2.5 million. She is also a trained facilitator and executive coach and serves as Regional Team Lead for Churches Learning Change in Albany Synod, Inc., a STAR partner.

A proud 麻豆视频 alumna (D.Min., 2016), Dr. Meyer-Veen also holds a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and a B.S. in Biochemistry from Hope College. She also serves as Minister for Renewal with the Regional Synod of Albany and Co-Pastor of Niskayuna Reformed Church.

鈥淪herri combines deep theological insight with hands-on leadership and a proven ability to build strong relationships,鈥� said Rev. Dr. Charles M. Rix, Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs. 鈥淪he鈥檚 the ideal leader for STAR, and I鈥檓 thrilled to welcome her to 麻豆视频.鈥�

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Written by Patrick Milas, MLIS, PhD
Assistant Professor of Theological Bibliography and Research
and Director of the Gardner A. Sage Library

An Update on Anniversary Events

The Gardner A. Sage Library鈥檚 150^th anniversary is off to a glorious start! This fall, there were three great events. First, on October 9^th, there was the joint meeting of the New York Area Theological Library Association (NYATLA) and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Theological Library Association (SEPTLA); the first such meeting in nearly ten years.¹ 麻豆视频 (麻豆视频) was honored to host the meeting of theological librarians.² Rev. Dr. Micah L. McCreary, 麻豆视频 President, welcomed participants with opening remarks and prayer. Prof. Chris Rosser of Oklahoma State University gave the keynote address 鈥淏eyond Ghost Stories: Theological Librarians as Narrative Architects of AI Futures.鈥�³  

Second, on October 16^th, there was the Reformed Church Center鈥檚 program, 

鈥淪age Library and Evolving Reformed Bibliography,鈥� held online to facilitate broad participation. The presentation was given by T. Patrick Milas, Director of Sage Library and Assistant Professor of Theological Bibliography and Research at 麻豆视频. The response was given by Tolanda Henderson, the Associate Teaching and Learning Coordinator in the Fairfield University Library. Ms. Henderson worked at Sage Library from 2006-2009.⁴ 

Third, on October 24^th, there was 鈥淭he Jewel of the Campus: a Gala Celebration鈥� for Sage Library鈥檚 150^th Anniversary. The festivities began in the Great Hall of Sage Library, where attendees met fellow trustees, alumni, faculty, library staff, students, area pastors, and other library enthusiasts. On display was Sage Library鈥檚 Paris Polyglot, an elaborate ten-volume polyglot Bible in Hebrew, Samaritan, Chaldaic, Greek, Syriac, Latin, and Arabic. Throughout the reception, the Latin fusion band De Tierra Caliente, led by Bron Tennis, performed from the mezzanine above. Guests exited through the historic library entrance toward the Seminary building, where the celebration continued with a piano performance by Ben Berman and a lively discussion.

 The evening culminated in an inspiring program in Mast Chapel. Dr. Felicia McGinty, 麻豆视频 Trustee, gave the invocation. Dr. T. Patrick Milas, Library Director, introduced a film about Sage Library鈥檚 history and spoke about the library鈥檚 glorious history and bright future. He acknowledged how Gardner Sage, Norman Kansfield, Charles Van Dyke, and Mary Board gave wholeheartedly to help make the Sage Library what it is today. He also thanked Arthur and Elizabeth Kroeber, who gave $50,000 for the social justice book fund in memory of Arthur鈥檚 ancestor, Graham Taylor, 麻豆视频 Class of 1873, who was a major figure in the Social Gospel and Settlement House movements.⁵ Milas celebrated that President Micah and Jacqueline Madison-McCreary, together with faculty, also honor Kansfield鈥檚 legacy by establishing the Kansfield scholarship for our 麻豆视频 students. Milas concluded, 鈥淚t is up to us to sustain our monumental library, preserve its historic architecture, curate its renowned research collections, protect its unique archives, and champion our mission for the next 150 years of theological scholarship.鈥�

Rev. Micah L. McCreary, President of the Seminary, next presented Presidential Service Awards to Bishop Ronald L. Owens and the Reverend Dr. Ren茅e House. A film of Bishop Owens鈥� acceptance was shared, and Dr. House spoke enthusiastically about Sage Library and 麻豆视频, remembering by name many close colleagues. President McCreary concluded the program with an update on the Seminary鈥檚 recent successes, offered gratitude for support, and called to action all present to support the mission of advancing graduate education in a free-standing seminary. The evening closed with a responsive reading of the prayer 鈥淧rophets of a Future Not Our Own.鈥�⁶ It was truly a night to remember, reminding us of the vital role the Seminary and Sage Library continue to play in shaping faithful, courageous leaders; it was a grand affair, with much rejoicing!⁷

Historical Background of the Seminary

Just what is so remarkable about Sage Library to warrant such festive attention?

To answer that, some background on the Seminary is needed. Before I was librarian at 麻豆视频 I was at Princeton Seminary Library, and it was there that I read Essays in Celebration of the First Fifty Years of the American Theological Library Association where on the very first page, the very first sentence reads 鈥淓ducation for Christian ministry in North America, particularly its contemporary form as expressed in the formation of theological seminaries, is a relatively recent development dating back no earlier than 1784 [鈥 the year to which 麻豆视频 traces its origin.鈥�⁸ Ha! I sat across from the authors of the chapter featuring this quotation, Elmer and Betty, at my first Atla conference in 2007 in Philadelphia, at which Pat Graham, the volume鈥檚 editor, welcomed me to the profession at the opening reception. Nine years later, I was working at Princeton, reading a chapter by them referencing the institution to which I was about to be called to serve as librarian for the past seven years. How providential! And I must say, leave it to librarians to give credit where credit is due: 麻豆视频 is remarkably historically significant.

The Gardner A. Sage Library was dedicated on June 4, 1875, but the story of the Sage Library really began even before the cornerstone was laid for its construction under the patronage of Gardner Avery Sage. Because the history of the library is also the story of the Library鈥檚 community and collections. The Library鈥檚 principal community, the faculty and students of 麻豆视频, predate the Sage Library; the Dutch Protestant Reformed Church that founded 麻豆视频 had been educating aspiring clergy in New York City since 1784, and sharing theological texts even before then. In New Brunswick, the Sage Library was preceded by the Seminary Library in Herzog Hall on 鈥淗oly Hill鈥� in New Brunswick, New Jersey. And before its move to 鈥淗oly Hill,鈥� the Theological Seminary at New Brunswick, and its library, were located in Old Queens, together with Queens College and what would become the Rutgers Preparatory School. So, with such strong foundations before 1875, it is understandable how rapidly, after the building began to be used, it was acclaimed in 1888 that 鈥渢he Theological Library at New Brunswick stands second to none. Indeed, it is the constant comment of students and scholars throughout the country that 鈥榯he Sage Library is the best working seminary library in the United States鈥�.鈥�⁹

The community of Sage Library is the heir to the community of the Dutch Protestant Reformed Church, which was comprised of immigrants from the Netherlands and their descendants who settled in Nieuw Amsterdam. Although they had brought the Dutch Reformed tradition with them from the Netherlands even earlier, the first official congregation, the Collegiate Church, was chartered in 1628. The British took over politically in 1664, hence New York instead of Nieuw Amsterdam, but the Dutch settlers retained their culture and religion, which spread across the Mid-Atlantic states during this first period of Dutch immigration (a later wave was to settle in the Midwest).

The prevalence of Dutch settlements in the Raritan Valley led the area to be called 鈥渢he garden of the Dutch Church.鈥�¹⁰ The use of the Dutch language was still common in everyday culture and in the church. There was a great debate as to whether Dutch clergy who had previously only been educated in their native country of the Netherlands could properly be educated on American soil. In 1766, one party to the debate received a charter for a school to teach Dutch clergy and thus founded Queens College. The first Professor of Theology, John Henry Livington, was appointed by the General Synod in 1784. According to Rev. Daniel Meeter, he taught the first seminarians at his house in Manhattan, later in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and finally, in 1810, brought the seminary to New Brunswick. The move to New Brunswick was predicated by the commitment of the Synod to 鈥減urchase a theological library and for erecting a theological hall.鈥�¹¹

From Seminary Library to Sage Library

In the early years of its co-location with Queen鈥檚 College, later Rutgers College, the Theological Seminary shared a library with the College, as can be seen in this 1854 Joint Catalogue with Rutgers College. At that time, all subjects, secular and divine, were bound together in a professionally printed format. But the Seminary community was not satisfied with that arrangement. Indeed in July 1854, the faculty complained to the Board of Superintendents about the state of the Theological Library, 鈥淲hile the libraries of other Theological Seminaries in the country are receiving every year large and valuable accessions whereby the Professors and Students of these institutions are able to keep up with the advancing progress of theological literature, ours is stationary and is now deplorably deficient in every department of sacred science.鈥�¹²

They suggested that the Theological Library be separated from the College Library and placed under the charge and control of the Theological Faculty, that a student might be appointed Under Librarian, and that they be empowered to raise money and expend the same for the improvement of the library. At the same time, students were complaining that their rents in New Brunswick exceeded those at Princeton or Union in Manhattan. All of this led to a resolution that a new Theological Hall鈥擧ertzog Hall鈥攂e built, and that their recommendations be approved. And so it was that the Theological Library separated from the College Library, Hertzog Hall was built, and in it, a Library Room was established.

But by 1870, Dr. James Cornell was appointed as agent of the General Synod of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, and he led tremendous efforts for the Seminary and Library. As noted by David Demarest in the Centennial of the Seminary, 鈥淏elieving, that a far better Library than the Seminary possessed, was needed by both Professors and students, and that moneys could be raised for this object more readily, than for almost any other, he gave himself for a time, chiefly, to the obtaining of subscriptions of $2,500 each, for the purchase of books; the name of each donor, or of some person designated by him, to be attached to an alcove in the Library.¹³ In a very short time, 19 subscriptions of $2,500 each had been obtained, besides a few smaller ones. Mary Board donated 3,000. This money was not to be invested permanently, but to be expended entirely for books, gradually and wisely. But how would there possibly be enough space for all the books?

More than all the fundraising for books, Dr. Cornell introduced Gardner A. Sage, of NYC, to the Theological Seminary. The old Library Room in Peter Hertzog Hall was too small to contain the books that were to be purchased. And, besides this, Hertzog Hall seemed to be an unsafe place for a valuable Library, since a fire could quickly devour it. Mr. Sage imagined a fire-proof building whose realization he facilitated start to finish, enlisting German architect Detliff Lienau to make pioneering use of concrete in its construction. After the cornerstone had been laid, Sage was seen almost daily in New Brunswick, overseeing the construction. And he succeeded in providing for the Library just the building that was needed.

Writing in 1882, Demarest described the building as 鈥渇ire-proof, commodious, well arranged, well-lighted, and in every way most attractive. It contains a closet for the archives of General Synod and the safekeeping of valuable papers. It was dedicated on June 4th, 1875. The entire General Synod, which was in session in Jersey City, came to New Brunswick to attend the dedication.鈥�¹⁴ After that, it was under the care of the librarian Rev. Peter Quick, assisted by John Van Dyke, who soon after replaced Quick. Sage envisioned that Sage would be for the broader community, not just the faculty and students. And that the Librarian would be the gatekeeper. But at other seminaries, it was common for faculty to have keys to the library. So, there was some disagreement, and in the end, the faculty at New Brunswick had their keys.

Leave it to a church organized according to Reformed polity to establish a committee to select the library鈥檚 books! Before the expenditure of the money had been completed, the sum had amounted to nearly $55,000, by reason of accumulated interest on unexpended balances. The selection of books was made by the faculty, aided by a Committee of the General Synod, consisting of Drs. Chambers, Corwin, Hartranft, and Prof. Jacob Cooper of Rutgers College. They held monthly meetings for nine years, exercised great care in the selection of books, and made annual reports to the Synod. The result was a Library which was the boast of the Institution, of inestimable value to the Professors and students of the seminary and Rutgers College as well, and to the neighboring clergy of all denominations, who were welcome to use it. Together with valuable contributions by Mary Bethune, from the library of her deceased husband, George Bethune, the Committee on Selection of Books reported in 1882:

The Library which in 1870 numbered about 8,000 vols now numbers 35,000 volumes [鈥 we know of none which surpasses this in the requisite of a good working Library for a Theological Seminary [鈥 While no one branch has been neglected, special attention has been given to the history, theology and literature of Holland. Of the Heidelberg Catechism there are more than a hundred and fifty different expositions, and the volumes on the Remonstrant Controversy amount to many hundreds. So far as the past is concerned the chief collections have been secured, and those who come after us will require only to build upon a foundation already laid.¹⁵

In preparation for my lecture for the Reformed Church Center on October 16, 2025, I perused early evidence of the practice of theological bibliography at the Theological Seminary as it appears in the historic Library Catalogs, Author Lists, and Subject Lists. And I noticed a fascinating aspect of our library history. There was a subject heading called 鈥淩eligion = False.鈥� Indeed, any religions outside the subject domain of Christianity were relegated with the stroke of the librarian鈥檚 pen to the False Religions list. We see here works by the Buddha, Confucius. Works about Zoroastrianism and Hinduism. All are summarily grouped among the False Religions.

And it was just that simple. At this early point in the history of bibliography, still years before Melvil Dewey published the Dewey Decimal system in 1876, or James Hanson developed the Library of Congress classification schema in 1897, this was how classification was done at the individual library level. According to Quick in his Annual Report, 鈥淭he books, pamphlets, etc., have been removed to the new building, and have been arranged in their alcoves, in alphabetical order, according to the authors. This is the plan now generally adopted in the best public libraries, and is found to work admirably.鈥�¹⁶

Quick鈥檚 dogmatic approach to classification is far beyond the scope of this article, but allow me to say that in 2025, we do not deprecate the works of non-Christian traditions, nor have Sage Library for many generations. And to its credit, the Seminary library contained works of and about what we now call world religions was a good thing, indicative of a spirit of curiosity and openness of thought.

After Quick came John C. Van Dyke, who, according to historian John Coakley, was the one most responsible for furthering Sage鈥檚 vision. Coakley elaborates,

[Van Dyke] came as a short-term library assistant in 1878 but stayed on, was appointed librarian in 1887, and remained in the position until his death in 1932. A man of wide interests, an author, and an art historian in his own right, he served concurrently as professor of art history at Rutgers college from 1891 to 1929. It was he who assembled the collection of faculty portraits that until recently hung in the library [and some of which are now in heritage hall on the second floor of the new seminary building]. He was frequently cited by the superintendents (the former term for trustees) for his work as librarian, and in 1891 the synod approved the construction of a residence for him on the campus (on George St.) as had been done for the faculty.¹⁷

In his 1888 Notes on Sage Library, the then Librarian John Van Dyke, reported,

The whole library is catalogued upon cards arranged in long trays and the entries are under author, title, subject, and class, so that one has little difficulty in finding what he wants provided he has the remotest idea of his subject. A great many callers have not this 鈥渞emotest idea,鈥� but strangely enough fancy the librarian a mind reader who can tell them what they want by looking at them. Sometimes a librarian is able to do this, but he does not find the rule a good one for universal application. The shelf arrangement is entirely by subjects, and in the theological department is designed to supplement the course of instruction in the Seminary, the literature of each chair being by itself. There are forty-two alcoves, each one having a number, and the reference is made from the catalogues to the numbers. Within the alcove the subjects are indicated by labels, and as there are not more than half a dozen subjects in each alcove, there is little difficulty in finding what is desired.¹⁸

Testifying to Van Dyke鈥檚 high view of the Library鈥檚 stature, from just before Sage Library was built, throughout its construction, and for ten years after, the Old Testament Company of American Revisers convened at New Brunswick for 407 days between 1871 and 1885. That this committee for a new edition of the Bible, The American Standard Version, met in New Brunswick, witnesses to the prestige with which theological scholarship in New Brunswick was held at the time, both before Sage Library was built and after. Faculty from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were served alongside our own faculty member, John DeWitt, as well as Talbot Chambers of the Collegiate Church. The gift of their worktable in 1886 still stands in the Sage Library.

There were noteworthy reports on Sage in the early 20^th century, such as the addition of electric lights in 1913, reports of a lack of space in 1915, and again in 1921. The only major staff transition was the appointment of Worcester to relieve Van Dyke in 1928. Space was afforded to the growing collection, and in November 1929, the addition of the transept shown here was complete with a donation by Mrs. Mary B. Pell. The octagon apse, Van Pelt Memorial Alcove, was donated by Mrs. Cornelia B. Van Pelt.  This doubled the amount of space for books that was previously had. A remodel was completed in the 1980s, which is how the Library stands today. In 1931, the library reported owning 63,000 volumes; we now have more than double that amount. 

What the Books Are About and What Was Happening with Them

            What are so many books about anyway? Another trove of documentation to appraise the scope of a library鈥檚 acquisitions priorities can be found in its cataloging records, or you can browse its shelves, and that is true whether the books were added in 1875, 1975, or 2025. Another important subject for theology is missions or missiology. Let鈥檚 say you had heard about Horace Underwood, whose memorial is in Sage Library, and you wished to read more about Korea, where he was a missionary. You could search the card catalog and find the hand-written catalogue card, a golden oldie, showing changes over the years: new edition, and new type-written Pettee call number.

Theological librarians in the early 1900s were faced with few options when it came to the classification of theological books. The Dewey Decimal Classification System was new and untested for theological collections. The Cutter system was also new, and the Library of Congress system was in its earliest stages of development. Location classification was still in practice in many libraries, and many of those who had a classification system were using homegrown systems developed for their own purposes. Beginning in 1908, however, this would all change through the work of Julia Pettee at Union Seminary in Manhattan. The Pettee system was developed especially for theological collections, and the older books on Sage Library鈥檚 first and third floors are still classified in Pettee.

Daniel Meeter and Henk Edelman, the Library Director from Rutgers University, collaborated in grand fashion to include the Queen of the Netherlands, Beatrix, in a special exhibition of Sage Library鈥檚 rare Dutch and Dutch American imprints, celebrating 200 years of peaceful diplomatic relations between the United States and the Netherlands.

The Queen visited Sage in 1982. The handsome catalog from the exhibition, prepared by Daniel Meeter, is a wonderful resource for some Sage鈥檚 greatest holdings from and about the Dutch Reformed in the Old World and the New. Meeter鈥檚 article, 鈥淭he Gardner A. Sage Theological Library鈥� in The Journal of the Rutgers University Libraries, has been another springboard for my own research into Sage Library鈥檚 history. It was my pleasure to recreate an abridged version of the exhibition with Meeter鈥檚 help in 2019, for an 麻豆视频 Faculty Symposium on post-colonialism.

Adopting a post-colonial perspective had been increasingly important to the faculty under the leadership of President McCreary and former Dean Beth Tanner, and the next year, the faculty voted to establish an Islay Walden Initiative. Islay Walden, a former enslaved person, was one of the two earliest African Americans to study at 麻豆视频. After three years of study, he graduated and was ordained in 1879.

Sage Library acquired some of his poetry, and it is hoped that some of the funds raised by the 150^thAnniversary capital campaign will enable us to implement the refurbishment and furnishing of library space to honor Islay Walden, and display his famous letter to David Demarest in which he writes, 鈥渟uppose this one question was asked our institution in the day of Judgment鈥攚ere there any colored people in New Brunswick and what was their condition [?] And what did you do to improve that condition [?] Many would be speechless.鈥�¹⁹ Equity and inclusion remain works in progress at New Brunswick, but the progress continues at Sage Library, with diversity in library staff, inclusion of historically underrepresented authors in the collection, and a strong precedent for equitable access for all.

In the 20th century, we had computer automation. There were important agreements between President Howard Hageman, who liaised with Rutgers University Librarian Henk Edelman for the online Sage Library catalog to be integrated with and hosted by Rutgers. The Rev. Dr. Renee House, together with her staff, facilitated a great deal of modernization. Typewritten catalog cards and shelf lists were replaced with metadata in spreadsheets and integrated library systems. But the same basic information still abides: the information about the book itself, like place and year of publication, and very importantly, information about what the book is and especially what it鈥檚 about, because in a Library classification system, the mission is to shelve books on similar subjects together, so that browsing can be maximally efficient for researchers.

In 2025, Sage Library remains somewhat of a house divided; there are some subjects for which you will find the older books, especially pre-1990s, in Pettee on the first and third floors, but the newer books on the second floor are shelved in Library of Congress classification order. But if you are not browsing, but searching using the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), the wonderful thing is that both the books in Pettee and the Library of Congress are accessible from the same database.

Leadership Transitions Through the Years

John Beardslee held a big presence in library and archival history. In the mid-20^th century, there was at least one prominent female librarian who Nancy Beardslee remembers letting her insert bookplates, a Mrs. Felder. Later, Peter Van Der Berg served as Librarian. There were Lynn Featherstone and Roy Englehart, who then served as librarians. During his tenure, Sage collaborated extensively with regional libraries in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Theological Library Association (SEPTLA) on a Union Catalog of Periodicals, with Sage filling many gaps in Reformed coverage in our region.

Then there was Ren茅e House, who served as library director, and later dean of the seminary, and may have been the most recent full-time library director who was a member of the Reformed Church in America. Episcopalian Chris Brennan served for many years until 2014, followed by Tracey Hunter-Hayes, who was Baptist. And after brief periods of leadership by Barrett and John Coakley, who came out of retirement to serve as interim librarian, I arrived in 2018, another Episcopalian.

Although I was raised Presbyterian and memorized the Westminster catechism as a youngster, the distinctly Dutch Calvinist angle in Sage鈥檚 collection required me to stretch and learn more; I do not pretend to have mastered all I should to steward such a marvelous theological collection. Generations of library staff, and not just library directors, but rectors and professors before Sage Library existed, and many specialized librarians for technical services and acquisitions in Sage鈥檚 150 years, helped make Sage what it is today. I wish I could elaborate on the contributions of each one, but in this short article, let me just offer my profound gratitude to them all and to the readers who enjoy using Sage Library, show interest, and may donate their time, talents, or books to make Sage great.

Stories of Sage Library, Past & Future

Finally, I want to close with some recollections of Sage. While collecting material for a full history of Sage Library this past year, I interviewed my predecessors, Ren茅e House and John Coakley, as well as authors Dan Meeter and Joe Felcone, and librarians Henk Edelman and Jim Neissen of Rutgers University Library. Here are two of their earnest reflections:

Sage Library emotionally connected me to the richness of the Eastern RCA [鈥 it鈥檚 an intellectual tradition of liberal learning [鈥 Sage is the RCA鈥檚 body of knowledge.

                        -Rev. Dan Meeter, 麻豆视频 Graduate and RCA Pastor²⁰

I decided we could be considered a mission in the RCA, which is really true because for people in the Midwest RCA, New Brunswick might as well be in outer Mongolia. [These women came] to take all the books off the shelves, vacuum them, and then clean them with Murphy’s Oil Soap, and it was blastingly hot [鈥 I’ll just always remember them with this dirty water running down their arms from cleaning those bookshelves!

                        -Rev. Dr. Ren茅e House, 麻豆视频 Graduate, Library Director, and Dean²¹

Finally, if you have a story about Sage Library to share, I would love to hear it. Please write to me, and we鈥檒l set something up. Last year, I began the project of assembling resources to tell the story of Sage Library in print. If you have a chapter to contribute, do let me know!

Bibliography

Annual Reports of the Sage Library, 1874-1920. 麻豆视频. 麻豆视频 Archives. Gardner A. Sage Library, New Brunswick, NJ.

Coakley, John W. 麻豆视频: an Illustrated History, 1784-2014. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014.

Demarest, David. 鈥淗istorical Discourse.鈥� In the Centennial of the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in America. (Formerly Ref. Prot. Dutch church) 1784-1884, edited by David Demarest, Paul Van Cleef, and Edward Corwin, 49-146. New York: Board of Publication of the Reformed Church in America, 1885.

Edelman, Hendrik. Dutch-American Bibliography 1693-1794: a Descriptive Catalog of Dutch-Language Books, Pamphlets and Almanacs Printed in America. Nieuwkoop: B. de Graaf, 1974.

Edelman, Hendrik. The Dutch Language Press in America: Two Centuries of Printing, Publishing, and Bookselling. Nieuwkoop : De Graaf, 1986.

Gasero, Russell Louis. A Historical Footprint: Reflections of a Life in the Archives. East Brunswick, New Jersey: Wit & Intellect Publishing, 2021.

Meeter, Daniel. 鈥淭he Gardner A. Sage Theological Library.鈥� The Journal of the Rutgers University Libraries. 45, no. 2 (1983): 65-81. https://doi.org/10.14713/jrul.v45i2.1629.

Minutes of the Board of Superintendents, Vol. 2-5, 1840-1941. 麻豆视频 Archives.

Minutes of the Standing Committee on the Seminary Grounds and Property, Vol. 1-2, 1880-1923. 麻豆视频 Archives.

O鈥橞rien, Elmer and Betty A. O鈥橞rien, 鈥淔rom Volunteerism to Corporate Professionalism: A Historical Sketch of the ATLA.鈥� In Essays in Celebration of the First Fifty Years of the American Theological Library Association, edited by M. Patrick Graham, Valerie Hotchkiss, and Kenneth Rowe, 3-24. Evanston, IL: The American Theological Library Association, 1996.

Van Dyke, 鈥淣otes on Sage Library of the Theological Seminary of New Brunswick,鈥� Christian Intelligencer, July 4, 11, and 18, 1888.

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On December 12, 2025, 麻豆视频 (麻豆视频) and the Blanton-Peale Institute and Counseling Center鈥檚 entered into an agreement allowing 麻豆视频 to recognize up to twelve credits from Blanton-Peale graduates toward the 麻豆视频 36-hour Doctor of Ministry, Pastoral Care and Counseling concentration. 

The Blanton-Peale Psychoanalytic Program prepares counseling candidates through an education grounded in classical psychoanalytic theory, while also introducing students to all major psychoanalytic schools of thought. A certificate is awarded upon completion of the program’s four-year course of study, which is approved and accredited by the New York State Department of Education. 

This collaboration advances 麻豆视频鈥檚 mission and the wider church by creating a clear pathway for students to combine doctoral-level study in pastoral care with psychoanalytic training that can lead to licensure. The partnership will also extend 麻豆视频鈥檚 reach into new markets through shared academic initiatives, joint co-curricular activities, and opportunities for Blanton-Peale to support 麻豆视频 students in their academic and spiritual formation. 

This historic agreement between 麻豆视频 and Blanton-Peale takes effect in January 2026. 

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New Brunswick, NJ 鈥� December 15, 2025

麻豆视频 (麻豆视频) has been awarded a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to strengthen the sustainability of theological education.

The grant, awarded through Lilly Endowment鈥檚 Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, enables 麻豆视频 to lead a national collaboration supporting seminaries and church-related schools in strengthening administrative and operational systems. It builds on , a nonprofit launched through earlier Lilly Endowment grants through the Pathways initiative to help schools improve financial stability, streamline operations, and better serve students and faculty. By relieving seminaries of operational burdens, the initiative allows them to focus on preparing leaders within their denominational, cultural, and ministry contexts.

鈥淭his is more than a grant, it鈥檚 a bold investment in the future of theological education,鈥� said Rev. Micah L. McCreary, Ph.D., President of 麻豆视频. 鈥淏y working together in innovative ways, our institutions can focus on shaping faithful, courageous Christian leaders prepared for today鈥檚 ministry challenges.鈥�

麻豆视频 will use the new funding to expand the work of AdminWise Shared Services to provide partner institutions with support in recruitment, human resources, advancement, marketing and communications, information technology, healthcare, and other core functions. These efforts will help schools respond to shifting student needs, adapt to evolving ministry contexts, and address financial pressures across theological education.

AdminWise and 麻豆视频 will collaborate with nine other seminaries on the initiative, including Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, The Aquinas Institute, Bethany Theological Seminary, Eden Theological Seminary, Gammon Theological Seminary, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Nazarene Theological Seminary, Turner Theological Seminary, and Western Theological Seminary.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Learn more about Lilly Endowment Inc. at .

About 麻豆视频
Founded in 1784 and affiliated with the Reformed Church in America (RCA), 麻豆视频 is the oldest seminary in the United States. 麻豆视频 offers M.Div., M.A., and D.Min. degrees, along with professional certificates for pastors, chaplains, and Christian leaders. Learn more at 麻豆视频.edu.

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Click here to download a copy of this devotional booklet as a PDF.

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