Cypress Fellows
Slow Growth Endures.
“… here I gathered together not books, but the things that give books their value.”
- Boethius, 480-524 CE, The Consolation of Philosophy— Quote Source
CYPRESS FELLOWS
are recent college graduates who want to round their education and deepen their knowledge of the triune God by pursuing rootedness in the Ancients, the men and women who by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit penned the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and those who followed in the footsteps of the Apostles keeping (as Paul put it) "in step" with the same Spirit of God; to name a few, Moses, David, Esther, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Matthew, Mary, Paul, Peter, John, Polycarp, Athanasius, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Origen, Dionysius, Jerome, Gregory, Ambrose, Chrysostom, Nonna, Monica, Augustine…the folk whom Eugene Peterson labeled the Holy Spirit Faculty.
During this study, students are invited to ask questions and give insights on the text. Conversations are steered towards calling and culture as opportunity arises: "How does this compel us as participants in the culture at large?", "How does this enable us to discern what to commit to in the short and longer term?" During these lively discussions we are getting to know one another and building a small community that helps buoy these young adults as they wade into the depths of life.
Our Texts Include…
The English Bible, English Standard Version Bible (Crossway)
Matthew, A Commentary: The Christbook, Frederick Dale Bruner (Eerdmans)
Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word; Meditations on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis (Ignatius)
Each of these scholars provides his own translation from Greek and Aramaic into English. Bruner includes quotes from seminal scholars throughout Christian history alongide his own contemporary commentary. Leiva-Merikakis relies upon his linguistic prowess, seeming encyclodepedic knowledge of classical literature, and poetic sensibilities in order to mine what Origen referred to as “the fire of love behind every letter of Scripture”
2023-2024 Fellows
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Addie Thompson
is from Oxford, Mississippi. Addie graduated with a B.A. in Public Relations and is currently working as a Marketing and Social Media Manager at Taylor Square Photography.
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Eli King
is from Champagne, Illinois. Eli is graduating this December with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Manufacturing. Upon graduation, Eli will be attending graduate school to obtain an M.S. in Physics.
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M.C. Simons
is from New Orleans, Louisiana. M.C. graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education with Endorsements in mild to moderate Special Education, English, and History. Currently, M.C. is teaching fifth grade Math at Central Elementary School.
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Harrison Foxworth
is from Columbia, Mississippi. Harrison graduated with a B.A. in Public Policy Leadership and is currently working towards acquiring his Juris Doctorate at the University of Mississippi’s Law School.
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Rachel Berry
is from Brandon, Mississippi. Rachel graduated with a B.A. in Public Policy Leadership and is currently working for the Oxford Lodge.
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J.C. Hafley
is from The Woodlands, Texas. J.C. graduated with a B.S. in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Law Enforcement. Currently, J.C. works at Oxford-University United Methodist Church as a Student Ministry Resident.
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Lydia Johnsey
is from Fayetteville, Tennessee. Lydia graduated with a B.B.A. in Banking and Finance, and she is currently working as a Commercial Relationship Specialist for Regions Bank.
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J.D. Morton
is from Clinton, Mississippi. J.D. graduated with a B.B.A. in Management Information Systems and currently does E-commerce Marketing and Analytics for C Spire.
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Abbay Kellum
is from Memphis, Tennessee. Abbay graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education and is currently working as a fifth grade Science and Social Studies teacher at Central Elementary School.
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Grant McCullough
is from Pascagoula, Mississippi. Grant has acquired both a B.B.A. in Banking and Finance as well as an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Personnel. Currently, Grant is working full-time as a Coordinator of Orientation Programs at the University of Mississippi and is working towards earning an M.B.A.
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Celia Hunt
is from Milton, Georgia. Celia graduated with a B.A. in Education with emphases in Elementary Education, Reading, and Social Studies. Celia is currently working as a fourth grade Reading and Social Studies teacher at Central Elementary School.
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Lauren Fiedler
is from St. Louis, Illinois. Lauren graduated with a B.A. in Special Education and currently teaches fourth grade Special Education at Central Elementary School.
Our future hope for Cypress Fellows…
The Fellows Initiative:
“A Fellows Program is an intensely practical 9-10 month spiritual & vocational leadership program that prepares a recent graduate to live a seamless life of faith in Christ. The program includes a professional job in your field of interest (yes, we help you get a job!), graduate coursework and biblical studies, personalized mentoring, service in the church and city, and more. All of this takes place in a coeducational, cohort community.”
The above means that it might be possible to take our current study and develop it into a program for recent university graduates from around the country who move to Oxford in order to spend some time further developing their understanding of the triune God and of themselves, as they hone their desires and goals for the future.
