Wil Gafney, associate professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School, will lead the 2018 Schooler Institute on Preaching. The event runs 9:30-3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, and 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6. 

Thanks to the generosity of the Schooler Family Foundation, the Schooler Institute, including lunch both days, is offered to the public without cost. Advance registration is required. More information and an online registration form are available here. MTSO is offering one CEU credit for a $25 administrative processing fee.

An Episcopal priest and former Army chaplain, Gafney is the author of Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to Women of the Torah and of the Throne and a Wisdom Commentary, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah. She also is co-editor of The Peoples’ Bible and The Peoples’ Companion to the Bible.

Her sermons have been published in the books Those Preaching Women: A Multicultural Collection and The Audacity of Faith: Christian Leaders Reflect on the Election of Barack Obama.

 

Channeling the holiday spirit of generosity, Giving Tuesday offers all of us an opportunity to come together for a special day of philanthropy.

We invite you to celebrate Giving Tuesday on Nov. 28 by investing in the work of MTSO. Your gift will help fund scholarships for our students and will allow the school to maintain and enhance the educational opportunities we provide them.

By the way, you're welcome to celebrate early - right now, for instance. Our giving page will help you to donate electronically online or via check. We invite you to visit it now. Thank you for considering your participation in this uplifting holiday tradition.

Spring Semester on the MTSO campus will feature a series of public lectures and events, many of them sponsored by the Theological Commons. Check out our upcoming slate of events any time at www.mtso.edu/events - and view video and printed materials from five years of events on our archives page. 

Here are events planned for the first five months of the year:

Paul Numrich Faculty Lecture
7 p.m. March 7

Numrich, professor in the Snowden Chair for the Study of Religion and Interreligious Relations, will speak on the topic “Space-Sharing Principles for Religious Organizations and Groups." He'll share findings from his research involving space-sharing, from benefits to resolving disputes. 

Marvin A. Sweeney Lecture
7 p.m. March 13

Sweeney is professor of Hebrew Bible at the Claremont School of Theology, where he teaches courses in Hebrew Bible and the history of Judaism and Jewish thought. He will speak on the topic “The Eternal Covenant.”

Williams Institute Spring Lectures
7 p.m. March 20 and 1 p.m. March 21

Grace Sun-Ji Kim, associate professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion, delivers two lectures. An ordained minister of word and sacrament within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she is the author or editor of 12 books, including the recently published Planet Solidarity: Global Women’s Voices on Christian Doctrine and Climate Justice.

Building Community Bridges: Conversations on Disability
April 11 and 12

This workshop begins at 7 p.m. April 11 with a plenary lecture by Bill Gaventa, a consultant and trainer who works with congregations, faith networks, seminaries, service-provider networks and advocacy groups in the area of inclusive spiritual support for people with disabilities and their families. A day of conversation and breakout sessions follows on April 12.

Chapel Guest Preacher Heber Brown III
1 p.m. April 17

Brown is a community organizer, beginner farmer, social entrepreneur and senior pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore. In 2015, he launched the Black Church Food Security Network, which provides seed funding and support to help churches begin growing food on their land. He will preach at MTSO’s midweek chapel service as part of a three-day visit to campus.

Theological Commons Summer Research Grant Lecture by Yvonne Zimmerman and Letitia Campbell
7 p.m. May 1

Zimmerman, associate professor of Christian ethics at MTSO, and Campbell, director of contextual education I and clinical pastoral education at the Candler School of Theology, will lecture on human trafficking. 

Methodist Theological School in Ohio has opened its national premier scholarship competition for students who plan to enroll in the fall of 2018. The application deadline is Jan. 16, 2018. Details and an application form are available at www.mtso.edu/scholarships.

The average non-loan aid award for MTSO’s master’s degree students is $10,500 per year. The school offers more than 50 full-tuition scholarships, some with additional stipends, as well as many partial tuition scholarships. One-third of MTSO master’s students have earned full-tuition scholarships.

“We’re committed to making graduate theological education practical and affordable for our students,” said Benjamin Hall, MTSO director of enrollment management. “We’ve developed innovative class schedules that fit busy lives. And with the support of generous donors, we’ve assembled an outstanding array of scholarships. A lot of our best students are busy people, and we want to help them thrive.”

Premier scholarship candidates will be evaluated based on academic achievement (an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher is required) and potential for leadership. Applicants must be available to participate in the scholarship interview process Feb. 19 and 20, 2018.

“Our scholarship interview process is valuable to everyone involved,” Hall said. “It’s not uncommon for prospective students to form friendships over those two days that last through seminary and into their careers. We look forward to meeting this year’s candidates.”