We invite all MTSO alumni, students, faculty and staff – as well as former Methesco employees – to join us for Alumni Day and take advantage of this opportunity to reconnect.

MTSO’s 2024 Alumni Day begins at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, with a luncheon honoring recipients of the 2024 John and Ruth Mount Alumni Awards for Distinguished Service:

• Kenya Cummings (M.Div. ’16) is executive director of the South Carolina Housing Justice Network.
• David Mansperger (M.Div. ’69, MRE ’70, D.Min. ’06) is a retired United Methodist pastor and serves as a valued volunteer for Seminary Hill Farm.

After lunch, we’ll gather at 1:30 p.m. in the Alford Centrum for a lecture by Assistant Professor of Public and Practical Theology Kate Common, who will discuss her new book, Undoing Conquest: Ancient Israel, the Bible, and the Future of Christianity, with responses from a panel of MTSO faculty members. The day will conclude at 3:30 p.m.

There is no cost to attend Alumni Day. We simply ask that you RSVP by this Friday, Oct. 18, on our Alumni Day information page.

MTSO will host a screening and panel discussion of the film gOD-Talk: Reimagining Faith in the 21st Century at 6 p.m. Oct. 25. The free event, sponsored by MTSO with collaborators Mt. Olivet Baptist Church and Payne Theological Seminary, will be held in the Alford Centrum.

Advance registration is required and available here. The registration deadline is Oct. 23.

The award-winning film will be followed by a panel discussion led by MTSO Dean Valerie Bridgeman, with participation by representatives of Mt. Olivet, Payne and the MTSO student body. Popcorn and drinks will be available.

gOD-Talk is the culmination project of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture Center for the Study of African American Religious Life, in association with the Pew Research Center five-year study of Black millennials. The feature-length film explores the lives of seven Black millennials—atheist, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Ifa and spiritualist—and their challenges and discoveries with faith and spirituality.

Learn more and register.

A March 14 tornado uprooted many mature campus trees, including one gracing the entrance to Werner Hall. (See the top photo.)

October has been a time of renewal, with eight sizable trees planted. That includes a beautiful Norway spruce in front of Werner. Already 15 feet tall, it should grow 3 feet per year. Thanks to all those whose generosity made this project possible.