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As the fall semester gets underway at Perkins School of Theology, change is in the air.

After years of work, the updated curriculum is now in place; the new hybrid program has launched, and the first cohort of the Maestría en Divinidad (M. Div. in Spanish) program has started classes.

Here’s a quick overview of “what’s new” at Perkins this fall.

New Curriculum
After a years-long curriculum review process, the new curriculum is now in place this fall for Perkins’s M.Div. and M.A.M. degree programs.

The required number of hours increased, slightly, with the M.Div. degree now requiring 75 credit hours instead of the previous 73 credit hours. The requirements for the M.A.M. degree decreased slightly, from 37 hours to 36. Details of the new curriculum are online here.

One key change included removing the ½-2 credit hour requirement of spiritual formation coursework, with the goal of incorporating spiritual formation more organically into all coursework.

Students with 48 or more hours as of the end of Summer 2024 may continue in the previous curriculum. Details on the changes are online here.

The new curriculum is the result of years of work by the Curriculum Review Committee, led by its Chair, Rebekah Miles. She described the need for the curriculum review in this December 2021 essay. The curriculum review was the first in more than 15 years, with the previous review undertaken in the 2006-2007 academic year and led by Evelyn Parker.

Hybrid Program
A new hybrid program began this fall, combining online coursework with occasional in-person “immersions” at a variety of locations.

With the new format, the location of the immersions will rotate. The first three immersions will take place in Dallas on the campus of SMU, in Houston and, tentatively, in El Paso. Subsequent “Mobile Site” locations are still in development.

While many hybrid M.Div. and M.A.M. programs offer in-person sessions throughout the program timeline, the new hybrid format allows students to fulfill the in-person requirements in different locations around the country. The mobile element of immersions means Perkins will strategically offer immersion courses on a one-time basis at a host-church or host-ministry in diverse locations around the country.

M.Div. students are required to attend five weeklong immersions; M.A.M. will attend two.

“We’re revamping the hybrid program to make theological education more accessible for more students,” said Christina Rhodes, Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management. “With the new program, students attend in-person twice a year, for a week in January and a week in June. That allows them to continue their ministries and to be with their families in the fall and spring.”

Students in the new program will not join formal cohorts, but most will likely progress through the program with many of the same fellow students.

Leadership of the new hybrid program is a collaborative effort between the faculty, the Academic Affairs Office and the Office of Enrollment Management.

Maestría en Divinidad
The new Maestría en Divinidad (M. Div. in Spanish) program at Perkins is now underway, with 13 students in the first cohort beginning their studies.

Students in the hybrid program will take two courses each term.
“Our students in the MDiv in Spanish program will be part-time,” said Hugo Magallanes, Dean ad interim of Perkins School of Theology. “Many are serving local Hispanic congregations as pastors and have multiple responsibilities. But the integrity of the academic degree remains the same. It’s an academically rigorous program.”

The students began the fall semester with their first two courses: Introduction to Theological Studies and Research, taught by Dr. Denise DuPont, Professor of Spanish at SMU; and Interpretation of the Old Testament, taught by Dr. Julián Andrés González Holguín, a PhD graduate of the Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU.

All courses in the M.Div. in Spanish program will be taught in Spanish; a key benefit is that students participate in a cohort of Spanish speakers, with all readings in Spanish, and all writing exercises completed in Spanish. Students in the program who feel comfortable doing so will also have the option of taking some courses in English.

The current plan is to open another cohort in two or three years, depending on interest and enrollment. Students will have opportunities to participate in one-week immersion courses and to attend worship experiences in bilingual settings.

Magallanes credited the support of a Perkins alum, the Rev. David Martinez, Executive Director of Contextual Leadership Development at the Global Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) in helping make the new program a reality.

“This is a unique offering with great potential to support and equip Hispanic pastors in their ministry,” he said.

Greeting the Perkins community at the Feast of New Beginnings, Dr. Hugo Magallanes, Perkins’ recently named Dean ad interim, contemplated how to navigate the many changes at Perkins and SMU.

After many days of prayer, he proposes an approach: “Embracing Change by Practicing Hospitality.”

An excerpt is below with the entire sermon available for download.

As we begin this new academic year, we do so amid unprecedented changes:

• We begin after a summer with several staff/faculty transitions; many of us are serving in interim roles.
• We are rolling out a new curriculum.
• We are implementing a new modality, which has been fantastic for recruiting students, but also has presented some challenges and required quick adjustments.
• With the new curriculum we have added new courses, and some of these are in Spanish, as part of the MDiv in Spanish (13 students).

In addition to these Perkins transitions, SMU President R. Gerald Turner just announced his retirement at the end of this academic year. I truly believe that this presidential appointment, President Turner’s successor, will be crucial for the future of Perkins. For these and many other reasons, I have been thinking, praying, and trying to come up with a plan to navigate these changes. 

I believe that by practicing hospitality we will be able not only to navigate these changes but also to embrace them as we define and redefine our institutional identity. Please allow me to illustrate this point.

The practice of hospitality and dealing with change often show up as questions in organizing a social event—a birthday party, a wedding, a retirement dinner—particularly when this event includes a formal meal and gifts. For example, when organizing such an event, we tend to ask these types of questions:

What elements are essential for such a celebration? What elements should be included in the program? Which ones can be deleted? What elements are negotiable? And what elements do we not care about? Similarly, when it comes to inviting guests, we ask ourselves:

Whose presence is essential? Who can be excluded? Who should be invited?

These questions, which are quite common, tend to indicate the importance of social status, and the decision-making power exercised by the host. In this process, the hosts are in control, and they can choose, based on their preferences, who should be invited and who won’t be included, whose presence is indispensable and whose isn’t. In many ways, and almost exclusively, the host defines the limits of hospitality and controls the levels of change.

These questions related to social events, gifts, social status, and professional favors, miss the point of the importance and significance of practicing hospitality, not only in responding to changes, but also in shaping our character and our identity.

I believe there is another way to understand and practice hospitality. Bible scholars, Christian historians, theologians, and ethicists have written and affirmed that Christian hospitality, particularly eating together, is a virtuous practice because it creates:

• A bonding experience between the host and guest
• A reciprocal connection between the host and the guest in breaking and challenging the status quo and traditional roles.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus has a different idea about meals, banquets, and hospitality. In fact, the Parable of the Great Banquet will help us see the meaning and significance of practicing hospitality in responding to change.

In reading the history of Perkins in a book by Dr. Joe Allen, I know we have practiced this kind of hospitality in previous years. I know that this kind of hospitality is part of our identity, and it represents one of our core values and the character of our community.

When people ask me about Perkins’ commitment and identity, I quickly respond by highlighting the welcoming nature of our community and the theological and ethnic diversity of our research and teaching that is palpable around us. This kind of hospitality is not only a chapter in our history; I see clear glimpses of it in our everyday life. I see great potential for our future.

I truly believe we here at Perkins are ready to face the future, which may be uncertain and ever changing. Even though theological education in today’s world, brings many challenges, I want to invite you and encourage you to embrace change by practicing hospitality.

May God help us with God’s mercy, kindness, and grace to do so.

When Baptist students arrive at Perkins School of Theology, they’re often pleasantly surprised to discover that there’s a Baptist House of Studies on campus.

But leaders hope to flip that script as they celebrate the Baptist House’s fifth anniversary this fall. They’d like to make Perkins a destination for students who choose to come, in part, because of the Baptist House of Studies.

It’s already starting to happen. Currently, 31 students in Perkins’ residential and hybrid programs are Baptists, and many are stepping into leadership roles on campus.

“This is a moment of pride for us,” said the Rev. Dr. Jaime Clark-Soles, Director of the Baptist House of Studies. “Right now, our students hold the majority of positions in the Perkins Student Association. They’re not just here in the Baptist House, they’re becoming leaders on campus.”

Launched in 2018, the Baptist House of Studies is a place for students from the Baptist and other Free Church traditions to call home while connecting with the broader Baptist world. Initially, the Baptist House was a network of people and resources; now, it’s also a physical space, with three dedicated rooms in Selecman Hall, including a comfortable student lounge stocked with snacks, a conference room and the office of Rev. Annette Owen, who joined the Baptist House as Program Specialist in 2022.

“When the idea of the Baptist House was taking root in 2018, there were a total of 11 Baptist students across all degree programs at Perkins,” said Owen. “With 31 now, in five years, we’ve almost tripled that number!”

For students who identify with the moderate and progressive strands of the Baptist tradition, the Baptist House offers an inclusive and welcoming alternative.

“There are very few specifically Baptist schools west of the Mississippi that are fully committed to women’s ordination and to the full inclusion of LGBTQ persons in ministry and the life of the church,” said Rev. Dr. George A. Mason, Lead Advisor of the Baptist House of Studies and an Adjunct Professor at Perkins. “The Baptist House offers a place for students who are looking for an inclusive environment to study theology.”

In addition to students that self-identify as Baptist, the Baptist House also reaches out to any student that claims a Free Church tradition. Considering that larger scope of Baptist plus Free Church traditions, the Baptist House has 68 students, representing slightly more than a quarter (26%) of all Perkins students.

“That Free Church tradition includes Mennonite, UCC, Pentecostal, Nazarene, Congregational, and Disciples of Christ churches, as well as some ‘Baptist-adjacent’ traditions,” Owen said.

As they gear up for an anniversary celebration later this month, the leadership team is reviewing the accomplishments of the Baptist House’s first five years.

“We started with a handful of students and Jaime’s unlimited energy, and now Baptist and Free Church students represent a significant portion of the student population across all degree programs,” said Owen. “I think the Baptist House has brought an infusion of hope and excitement to Perkins, that’s felt throughout campus and the broader community. It’s a general energy of radical community, hospitality, and ecumenical spirit.”

Among the key accomplishments of the program’s first five years:

Recruiting and supporting Baptist students. “We have very generous scholarships that make that possible,” said Clark-Soles, who is also Professor of New Testament at Perkins. “We’re particularly proud of the fact that the scholarships are going to students in typically underrepresented and minoritized populations, including women, African American, disabled and LGBTQIA+ students. They gift the Baptist House, and they gift the Perkins community.”

Offering outstanding programming.
Over the past five years, the Baptist House has hosted the Shurden Lectures and other programs of interest to Baptist students as well as the wider Baptist community, the wider Perkins community, and Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Those included lectures by Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Eboo Patel of Interfaith America, and Jonathan Merritt, an award-winning faith and culture writer, as part of a program entitled “Sacred Speech: A Writing Workshop for Pastors, Prophets, and Poets.”

Cultivating denominational connections. Unlike the United Methodist Church, the Baptist tradition is not centralized; churches choose to affiliate with denominational bodies like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship or the American Baptist Churches USA. “Those do not overlap with each other, so we’ve have had to create partnerships and relationships separately with a number of different denominational bodies,” said Clark-Soles. “We help students figure out which one is their home. Then we help connect them with that denomination and connect them to potential mentors. We pay for them to attend to the denominational conference that makes sense for them.”

Building partnerships with Baptist churches and organizations. Program leaders have developed connections with Baptist churches and organizations, and an array of internship opportunities to help students in their career progress. The Baptist House also supports students who wish to pursue ordination. “If a student identifies as Baptist, we surround and support them from the minute they express any interest,” said Clark-Soles. “We’re there starting with recruitment and through placement and beyond.” Baptist pastors are ordained by local congregations, so it’s important to connect each student with a local congregation that’s a good fit, so that they can begin to develop relationships.

Expanding curriculum. Mason teaches two courses developed by the Baptist House: Baptist History and Polity, and Theology in the Baptist and Free Church Tradition. M. Div. students may now elect a Baptist Concentration. Also, in partnership with Mark Stamm, Professor of Christian Worship at Perkins, Mason has created opportunities for students of any background to learn about baptism by immersion, part of the Baptist tradition.

Expanding digital presence. The Baptist House has developed a robust website, Facebook page and Instagram page.

Developing Advisory Board. “We’ve cultivated a board that is very impressive,” said Clark-Soles. “It has clergy and students and laypeople, and they are all people who are very committed to this vision and also to shaping Baptist life.”

Reflecting on the Baptist House’s first five years, Mason said that its location in a United Methodist theology school offers a unique ecumenical flavor that enhances the education that students receive – and prepares them well for a changing world.

“Studying as Baptists in a Methodist school creates a mirror through which we can see ourselves differently,” he said. “Rather than just talking to ourselves, we hear language about other church traditions and how they approach things that we take for granted. That requires us then to grapple with that in our own tradition. The church in America is going to have to learn to see other churches that have different middle names, as being kin, not as opponents or competitors. So, we practice that by learning together in an ecumenical school.”

So, what’s next for the next five years at The Baptist House of Studies?

“We’re working on the Baptist House 2.0,” Mason said. “We’re looking to grow the program and the student body, expand our connections with the Baptist world, and expand the resourcing, so that the Baptist House is a sustainable part of the life of the Perkins community,”

Sixty-five people were in attendance for the Perkins Summit for Faith and Learning, which took place August 23-24 at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Houston.

A highlight of the event was a Lunch and Learn featuring Darlene and Terry Wildman, the Grammy-nominated and Nammy award-winning recording duo who perform as RainSong. The Wildmans live in Maricopa, Arizona, on the traditional Pima and Tohono O’odham lands. Terry Wildman, who is Lead Translator of the First Nations Version, an indigenous translation of the New Testament, also delivered the keynote lecture.

“Attendees were fascinated by their conversation and their work,” said Bart Patton, Director of the Office of External Programs at Perkins School of Theology. “So much of our work now in ministry involves appreciating and including wisdom from different contexts and cultures. The Wildmans helped us understand how native cultures engage the particular narratives and key elements of the Christian message.”

The Summit, hosted by Perkins School of Theology, offers a wide range of theological mini-courses for laypersons, community leaders and clergy. This year’s audience was made up of about 45% laity, 23% lay professionals and 32% clergy, with most coming from the Texas Annual Conference and the Houston area. Among those in attendance were Cynthia Fierro Harvey (M.Div. ’99), Bishop of the Texas Annual Conference, who took a course alongside clergy and laity from the conference. Harvey was 2018 recipient of the Perkins Distinguished Alumni Award.

“We love creating these learning communities,” said Patton. “We had folks in their late 20s, all the way up to their 80s. And St. Luke’s is an ideal place for this kind of gathering. They’re always so hospitable and connected with Perkins and the annual conference.” He added that the Rev. Dr. Tom Pace (M. Div., 1982) is St. Luke’s Senior Pastor and a 2023 recipient of the Perkins Distinguished Alumni Award.

The Barton Lecture was also scheduled as part of the event, but due to a last-minute cancellation by planned speaker Erica Ramirez, attendees heard a lecture on “Faith and Film – Storytelling, Morality and Evangelism,” delivered by Hugo Magallanes, Dean ad interim of Perkins.