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Testimony HQ: Embedding God Stories into the Heart of Congregational Life

 

The Testimony HQ initiative at Perkins School of Theology has made a lasting impact on congregations by helping them embrace testimony—sharing personal stories that reflect God’s work—as a central part of their church communities. Through three cohorts, congregations of all sizes, contexts, and denominations within a 350-mile radius of Dallas have learned to use testimony as both a spiritual practice and a way to engage with their wider communities.

A Look Back: Stories of Transformation

Churches that participated in the second cohort experienced remarkable growth and connection:

  • South Dallas Ministry Expansion: “Testimony HQ helped us become more visible in our South Dallas community. People who joined our Testimony/Prayer Circle events even started attending Sunday worship. Our church is becoming a beacon of light, especially for the unhoused and unemployed.”
  • Stories of Gratitude Event: “One of our most impactful events welcomed friends from the Afghan refugee and Turkish communities, with over 150 people gathering for ‘Stories of Gratitude.’ Held the week before Thanksgiving, the event created space for sharing heartfelt stories of thankfulness.”
  • Testimony Night Success: “At our Testimony Night, over 115 people came together. After dinner, we reflected in small groups on where we’ve seen God at work, especially through acts of service. The energy was inspiring, and we’re committed to weaving testimony into all aspects of our church life, from life groups to community events like Fall Fest and Back to School Bash.”

Celebrating the Journey: Testimony HQ Café 2025

In January, leaders from more than twenty congregations gathered at Grace Avenue UMC in Frisco for the Testimony HQ Café. This event marked the culmination of the initiative, bringing together participants from Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. It was a time of worship, reflection, and sharing stories about how testimony has transformed their churches.

A highlight of the event was the Testimony HQ Story Gallery, where churches showcased their journeys through creative displays—videos, collages, and written testimonies. This gallery captured the spirit of the initiative, showing how testimony can deepen faith and strengthen communities.

Reflections and Looking Ahead

While the application period for the third and final cohort has closed, the impact of Testimony HQ will continue to resonate in congregations across the region. The lessons learned, relationships built, and stories shared will inspire churches to keep testimony at the heart of their ministries.

“Testimony HQ got started because we saw the incredible value of testimony in building community,” said Rev. Dr. Priscilla Pope-Levison, co-principal investigator. “Community and connection flow out from a thriving congregation’s practice of testimony into the world around it.”

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Perkins School of Theology Launches Fresh Expressions House of Studies

Perkins School of Theology at SMU is preparing to launch a transformative new program, the Fresh Expressions House of Studies, on June 1, 2025. The initiative is designed to provide innovative theological education that equips students to lead ministries both inside and outside traditional church settings.

Michael Beck, a trailblazer in the Fresh Expressions movement in North America, has been appointed as the program’s inaugural director. The Perkins faculty approved the initiative in December 2024.

Begun in 2003 by the Methodist Church of Britain and the Church of England, Fresh Expressions is a creative, interdenominational movement that shares the gospel and builds communities in unconventional spaces. From dog parks to EV charging stations, local pubs to assisted living centers, these ministries aim to reach those who may feel hurt, harmed, or marginalized by traditional church experiences.

“This represents a paradigm shift in theological education – offering a traditional seminary experience while creating a dynamic space for reimagining ministry and leadership for a new generation,” said Dr. Beck. “This program will build on Perkins’ legacy of equipping faithful leaders, expanding the vision to embrace new, transformative forms of ministry that serve the present age. Students will learn how to lead church plants that are organic and innovative – which may never take place in church buildings but will reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.”

The Fresh Expressions House of Studies will create a network of students, faculty, and community leaders exploring new approaches to ministry. Students will engage in spiritual formation, mentorship, internships, and real-world ministry practice in nontraditional settings. Program leaders are also working to develop specialized courses and an academic concentration related to Fresh Expressions for Master of Divinity students.

Dean ad interim Hugo Magallanes emphasized the program’s alignment with Perkins’ Wesleyan heritage. “In a time of uncertainty about the future of the church at large, Fresh Expressions reclaims a distinctive Wesleyan emphasis,” Dean Magallanes said. “The Fresh Expressions House of Studies will allow us to reach students seeking rigorous theological education while inspiring creative approaches to sharing the gospel.”

Beck, an ordained United Methodist clergy, brings extensive experience to this role. He has consulted with hundreds of churches, denominations, and networks, and currently oversees contextual church planting as director of Fresh Expressions UM at Path 1/Discipleship Ministries. Beck holds a Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics and Future Studies from George Fox University, a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, and is completing a Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Florida.

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Dr. Robin Lovin receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Christian Ethics

Dr. Robin Lovin receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Christian Ethics

Dr. Robin W. Lovin, who served as Dean of Perkins School of Theology from 1994 to 2002, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Christian Ethics on Jan. 10. The award was presented at the society’s annual meeting in Chicago by Steve Long, a past president of SCE and Cary M. Maguire University Professor of Ethics at SMU. The award recognizes “outstanding, sustained, and substantive contributions in advancing the field of Christian ethics,” with consideration given to the recipient’s publications, influence on students, and impact on the discipline of theological ethics.

Currently, Dr. Lovin is Cary M. Maguire University Professor of Ethics emeritus at SMU and Visiting Scholar in Theology at Loyola University in Chicago. He is the 14th person to receive this award since its inauguration and the second from SMU, joining SMU professor emeritus Charlie Curran, who received the award in 2017. Only one other institution, Yale University, has had two faculty recognized in this way.

In presenting the award, Steve Long noted the substance and breadth of Lovin’s scholarship, influence, and commitment to the discipline of Christian Ethics.

“Professor Lovin’s service to the SCE has been unparalleled,” said Steve Long. “Not only did he serve as president, but he also chaired two SCE presidential committees that oversaw restructuring of the SCE administration. In addition, the influence he has had on his own students as well as those of us who are students at a distance are too numerous to mention.”

A non-denominational scholarly association, the Society of Christian Ethics has nearly 1,000 members from the faculties of universities, colleges, and theological schools primarily in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The SCE promotes research in the history of ethics and moral theology, theoretical issues relating to the interplay of theology and ethics, methodology in ethical reflection and investigation, and comparative religious ethics. At the same time, the society addresses problems in applied and professional ethics, human rights, and social justice in national and global contexts.

Dr. Lovin is the author of numerous books and papers, including What Do We Do When Nobody is Listening? Leading the Church in a Polarized Society (2022) and An Introduction to Christian Ethics: Goals, Duties, and Virtues (2011.) He is also an ordained minister in The United Methodist Church and has been active in local and national church events. He has served on the editorial boards of numerous scholarly journals, including the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Studies in Christian Ethics, and the Journal of Law and Religion, and he is an editor-at-large for the Christian Century.

“On behalf of Perkins School of Theology, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Robin Lovin on this well-deserved lifetime achievement award,” said Perkins Dean ad interim Hugo Magallanes. “His exemplary leadership as dean and profound contributions to Christian ethics have indelibly enriched our community and the broader theological field.”

 

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Celebrating Our December 2024 Graduates!

Perkins School of Theology proudly celebrates the achievements of 14 exceptional students who will graduate this December. Among them are eight Master’s degree recipients and six Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) graduates.

While Perkins does not host a separate December graduation ceremony, all graduates are invited to participate in SMU’s All-University Commencement on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 9 a.m. in Moody Coliseum. For those unable to attend in person, the ceremony will be livestreamed at SMU Live | World Changers Shaped Here. Please note an entry ticket is required for all candidates.

For our D. Min. graduates, the Moody Doctoral Hooding Ceremony will take place on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 5 p.m. in Frances Anne Moody Hall, 6404 Airline Road. Please note that tickets are required for this event.

For more information on the December Commencement schedule, click here.

Congratulations to Our December Graduates

Master of Arts in Ministry

Issac Holland

Master of Divinity

Jeremy Paul Brigham

Laura Bray (Magna cum laude)

Macy Karina Story (Cum laude)

Aaron Michael Reindel (Cum laude)

Master of Theological Studies

James Martin Loman (Summa cum laude)

Arnold Yanni Charles (Cum laude)

Master of Theology

Tae Hwa Lee

Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.)

David Briggs (Honors)

Donald Cook

Regina Franklin

Leslie Reed

Allen Stanton

Pam Zolczer (Honors)

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to these graduates for their hard work and dedication. We are confident they will continue to make a meaningful impact in their ministries and communities.

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Dean’s Message: On the Horizon

Greetings from the campus of Perkins School of Theology, where the fall semester is already in full swing. There’s a contagious “autumn energy” here as students and faculty dive into their studies and ministries with renewed sense of purpose.

As we look to Advent, we also look toward what’s on the horizon for our Perkins community.  Advent is a season of anticipation—a time to prepare our hearts and remember the coming of Christ and to look forward with hope. For us at Perkins, this spirit of expectancy reflects our own hope amidst the many changes underway.

Perkins has been transformed in recent years, adapting alongside a rapidly changing world. This fall, we launched a new curriculum for our master level programs, including significant changes to our M.A.M. and M.Div. degree programs, making them even more relevant and responsive to our students’ needs and to the communities they will serve. We’ve also embraced a new modality for these programs; both the M.Div and M.A.M. degrees are now accessible almost entirely online, enabling students to pursue theological education from any geographical location.

Another exciting milestone is our new M.Div. in Spanish degree program, which welcomed its inaugural cohort of 13 students this fall. This program reflects our commitment to broader accessibility and inclusivity, bringing theological education to more people in more languages. For those studying on our Dallas campus, we’ve also introduced a new schedule to better align with the rhythm of student life and academic demands; and to increase physical presence here on campus.

Looking further ahead, we’re in discussions with other church and academic institutions, aiming to create new partnerships that will expand our reach and impact. While details are still unfolding, we’re exploring partnerships with undergraduate institutions to offer accelerated degree programs and with ministry incubators and organizations to provide additional opportunities for our students.

In all of these endeavors—those already in place as well as those on the horizon—we see a chance to widen our embrace, to serve a growing community of students, and to extend the reach of theological education in transformative ways.

As Advent begins, may this season of expectancy fill your heart with peace, joy, and the promise of new beginnings. Warmest blessings for a meaningful holiday season.

 Dr. Hugo Magallanes
Leighton K. Farrell Dean, ad interim
Perkins School of Theology,

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Fall Convocation 2024

How is artificial intelligence (AI) shaping communities of faith? How can people of faith navigate a digitally driven world?

Ninety attendees grappled with those questions at the 2024 Fall Convocation at Perkins School of Theology. With the theme, “Faith in a Digital Age,” the event took place November 14-15 on the Dallas campus of SMU, and drew clergy, engaged laypersons, community leaders, and members of the Perkins and SMU community.

“The event brought inspiring moments of worship and reflection, as well as some truly groundbreaking discussions on faith and technology,” said Bart Patton, Assistant Dean of External Programs and Church Relations at Perkins School of Theology.  “These were critical conversations on the ethics, justice, philosophy, technology, and humanity of what’s going on with artificial intelligence right now. Hearing from researchers, scholars, poets, artists, and ministry practitioners in one space offered much for reflection and compassionate consideration in how we engage with AI in our lives, our neighborhoods, our faith communities, and our world.”

Guest lecturers Cole Arthur Riley and Noreen Herzfeld presented insights addressing the ways AI might affect the ways human beings express their spirituality and connect with their faith communities. Artist Jennifer Monet Cowley created art on-site during the two-day program, which also featured breakout sessions and panel discussions as well as time for worship.

Geoffrey Moore, Darnell St. Romain, and Darrell St. Romain presented the opening worship service, offered through the lens of Black liturgical wisdom. Jay Cooper and Tyler Wallace of Violet Crown City Church, a United Methodist congregation in Austin, Texas, led and curated the closing worship experience— written entirely by generative AI.

Keynote speaker Cole Arthur Riley is a writer, poet, and the author of the New York Times bestsellers, This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us and Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human. She is also the creator and writer of Black Liturgies, a project that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body.

“Very few persons, in my judgment, speak as powerfully about reclaiming human dignity and resisting domination as Cole Arthur Riley,” said Michael Greene, Director of the Black Church/Africana House of Studies at Perkins and a moderator at the event.

Recognized as a premier scholar on Christianity and AI, keynote speaker Noreen Herzfeld is the Nicholas and Bernice Reuter Professor of Science and Religion at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict, Collegeville, Minn. She teaches courses in both the department of computer science and the department of theology at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict, reflecting her two primary research interests—the intersection of religion and technology, and religion and conflict.

“Herzfeld helped remind us that ‘nothing comes for free and is without cost,’” said Patton. “Emphasizing the ethical responsibility in partaking in any new technology was very helpful.

“With all of these unique voices and offerings brought together from a breadth of perspectives, I think our program offered content that attendees may not have access to anywhere else.”

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Pardon Our Dust

$3 Million Restoration Project Underway for Four Perkins Buildings

If you visited the Perkins campus this fall, likely you’ve encountered the sounds of remodeling and renovation.

Four key buildings — Perkins Chapel, Kirby Hall, Selecman Hall, and Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Hall — are undergoing a $3 million building restoration project to address moisture issues and necessary maintenance to the building’s exteriors. SMU is covering the cost of the project.

The construction work, begun in August 2024, has involved scaffolding, dumpsters, fence enclosures, construction cranes, and partial closures to adjacent sidewalks.

“As one might imagine, there has been much noise from the project fluctuating in intensity based on the work being done,” said Pam Goolsby, Manager of Facility Events in the Office of the Dean at Perkins. “All of this has taken place without altering the daily activities in these buildings including weddings scheduled in Perkins Chapel.”

Work crews are replacing the slate and flat roofs for both Perkins Chapel, built in 1951, and Kirby Hall, built in 1950. The dormers, windows, and doors are getting repainted in both buildings.

Repairs are also being made to broken and damaged shingles on the roofs of Selecman Hall, built in 1953, and Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Hall, built in 2009. The exterior brick for all four buildings is being cleaned and sealed, among other repairs.

The project is on track to be completed by January 2, 2025.

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AAR-SBL Annual Meetings

Members of the Perkins and SMU communities were well-represented when the world’s largest gathering of scholars interested in the study of religion convened November 23-26 in San Diego.

The 2024 Annual Meetings, hosted by the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature, featured more than 900 academic sessions, workshops, meetings, receptions, tours, and other events. Approximately 7,000 attendees participated. The Annual Meetings provide opportunities to engage with leading scholars and scholarship within the field of religion.

As the gathering concluded, alumni and friends reconnected at a reception hosted by Southern Methodist University and Perkins School of Theology.

One session, hosted by the Society of Buddhist-Christian Studies (SBCS), was a special tribute to former SBCS president, Perkins faculty member and Zen Rōshi, Ruben Habito, for his many significant contributions to Buddhist-Christian Studies. Panelists addressed various aspects of Habito’s work, such as multiple religious belonging, the healing character of Buddhism and Christianity, Zen and the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, as well as the intersection between Zen, spirituality, and Christian trinitarian reflection. A response-reflection from Habito himself concluded the session.

In total, faculty and students from Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate Studies at SMU presented, presided, responded, or served as panelists at more than two dozen sessions at the meeting. They included:

Hymn Society in the United States and Canada

Theme: Pub Sing!

Fernando Berwig Silva, Southern Methodist University

Niebuhr Society

Theme: Book Panel on The Future of Christian Realism: International Conflict, Political Decay, and the Crisis of Democracy (Lexington, 2023)

Rebekah Miles, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Responding

Ethics Unit

Theme: Technology as an Existential Threat

Lindsey Johnson Edwards, Southern Methodist University — Presenter

Oh Death, Where Is Your Sting: Medical Aid in Dying as an Ars Moriendi

Teaching Religion Unit

Theme: Teaching Tactics

Jill De Temple, Southern Methodist University — Presenter

Teaching Tactic/Gift Exchange: Dialogic Moment

Women and Religion Unit

Theme: Feminist Intersectional Approaches to Transforming Violence: Perspectives from Emerging Scholars

Natalie Readnour, Southern Methodist University — Presenter

Connecting to God After Abuse: Altars of La Virgen de Guadelupe Among Survivors of IPV

Open and Relational Theologies Unit

Theme: Author Meets Readers: Tom Oord’s The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence

Karen Baker-Fletcher, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Panelist

Practical Theology Unit

Theme: Re-membering the Pioneers: Honoring Feminist and Womanist Practical Theologians

Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Panelist

Evelyn Parker, Perkins School of Theology (Emeritus) | Southern Methodist University – Panelist

Pragmatism and Empiricism in American Religious Thought Unit and Transformative Scholarship and Pedagogy Unit

Theme: Pragmatism and Empiricism in American Religious Thought Unit and Transformative Scholarship and Pedagogy Unit Papers Session

Jill De Temple, Southern Methodist University — Presenter

Dialogic Classrooms as Pathways to Democratic Habits in Uncertain Times

Hymn Society in the United States and Canada

Theme: Singing Peace to Violence

Fernando Berwig Silva, Southern Methodist University – Panelist

Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies

Theme: Reflecting on Buddhist-Christian Double Belonging: A 2024 Update

Ruben L.F. Habito, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Presenter

Problems and Perils of Multiple Religious Belonging

Postcolonial Studies and Biblical Studies / Asian and Asian-American Hermeneutics / African Biblical Hermeneutics

Theme: Bible Translation and Decolonization in Global Contexts

Abraham Smith, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Panelist

Book of Acts / African-American Biblical Hermeneutics

Theme: Book Review of Jeremy Williams’s “Criminalization in Acts of the Apostles: Race, Rhetoric, and Christian Prosecution”

Abraham Smith, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Panelist

Bible and Film

Theme: Bible, Genre, and Film

Rob Kranz, Southern Methodist University – Presenter

The Perils of Jephthah’s Daughter

Latina/o Religion, Culture, and Society Unit

Theme: Borderlands, Liminal Spaces, and Religion: Latinx/Caribbean Perspectives on Gender, Sexuality, Violence, and Identity

Natalie Readnour, Southern Methodist University — Presenter

Women Giving Birth to Themselves: Liminal Motherhood and Liberation in the Work of Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz and Frida Kahlo

 

Hinduism Unit

Theme: New Books in Hindu Studies

Steven Lindquist, Southern Methodist University – Panelist

Bible in America

Theme: The Christian Nationalist Agenda for Bible in Public Education

Mark Chancey, Southern Methodist University – Panelist

 

Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible / LGBTI/Queer Hermeneutics

Theme: Masculinity Studies in Biblical Scholarship: Feminist, Womanist, and Queer Assessments

Susanne Scholz, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Panelist

Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies

Theme: Honoring Ruben Habito’s Many Contributions to Buddhist-Christian Studies

Karen Baker-Fletcher, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Presenter

Ruben Habito on Zen, Spirituality, and Christian Theology

Ruben L.F. Habito, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Responding

Bible in America

Review Panel: Claudia Setzer, The Progressives’ Bible (Fortress Press, 2024)

Mark Chancey, Southern Methodist University – Presiding

South Asian Religions Unit

Theme: Life Stories in the Lives of Texts: Reconsidering Biography and Hagiography in South Asian Religions

Steven Lindquist, Southern Methodist University – Presenter

Lifestyles of the Rsi and Famous: Proto-Biographical Narrative in Late Vedic Literature

Wesleyan and Methodist Studies Unit

Theme: The Reception History of the Wesleys

Emily Nelms Chastain, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Presenter

Reviving the Radical: The Legacy of the Methodist Student Movement within Wesleyan Tradition

Priscilla Pope-Levison, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Responding

 

Bible and Visual Art

Theme: Bible and Visual Art

Susanne Scholz, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Presenter

The Eyes of Leah (Gen. 29:17) in the Abstract Artwork of Yehuda Levy-Aldema

Economics in the Biblical World

Theme: Open Session

Jon Carman, Southern Methodist University – Presenter

The Denarius Wasn’t Worth a Day’s Wage

Critical Carceral Studies and the Bible

Special session exploring scholarship at the nexus of critical carceral studies and biblical studies

Abraham Smith, Perkins School of Theology | Southern Methodist University – Panelist

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A Tribute to Edgar Avitia Legarda (M.Div., 1992)

Giuseppina Avitia remembers how her late husband, the Rev. Edgar Avitia Legarda, would take the long way home when driving the family back from Annual Conference gatherings in San Antonio.

“He loved to drive through the small towns in South Texas and New Mexico to look for the Methodist church in each place,” she said. “He would stop at cemeteries and look around, noticing details like which way the tombs were facing. He continued that custom until just three months before his passing. He was passionate about history his entire life.”

That passion earned Avitia a reputation as the foremost authority on the history of Methodism in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. It also led the General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH) of The United Methodist Church to honor Avitia posthumously with the 2024 Distinguished Service Award.

The Rev. Edgar Avitia Legarda of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries helps distribute food packages in Mellier, Haiti, in 2010. Legarda passed away on June 27. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

The award, presented at the Sept. 9 board meeting of GCAH, is given annually to a person who has made significant academic contributions to the ministry of memory of The United Methodist Church. Giuseppina Avitia accepted the award on his behalf.

“Edgar had many gifts, but it was his relationship capital that was his greatest gift,” said Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, GCAH president and a Perkins alum, in presenting the award. “Whether you were talking about Haiti, Chile, or Mexico, or Global Ministries, or anybody anywhere, Edgar knew somebody who knew them if he didn’t know them himself.”

She added, joking, “He was better than Ancestry.com.”

Avitia grew up in a scholarly family in Chihuahua City, Mexico, and moved to the U.S. in 1983, following his marriage to Giuseppina Lauretano. After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at El Paso, he came to Perkins and earned an M.Div. with a Hispanic American certification in 1992.

The Rev. Edgar Avitia Legarda (center) follows along in prayer during the missionary blessing service at Atlanta’s Grace United Methodist Church in May 2018. Avitia, a longtime staff member of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, died on June 27. Roland Fernandes, later top staff executive of Global Ministries, is to his right. File photo by Hector Amador, Global Ministries

Avitia was ordained in the Rio Grande Conference (now part of the Rio Texas Conference). In addition to serving local churches in Texas and New Mexico, he also served as chaplain of the Lydia Patterson Institute, the United Methodist school in El Paso, and as a district superintendent in South Texas.

In 2001, Avitia joined the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), launching a 22-year career with the United Methodist agency that continued until his death. He began as a specialist in Hispanic and Latino ministry in the U.S. but quickly expanded his work to include Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Rev. John Feagins (M.Div., 1995), senior pastor of La Trinidad United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas, worked with Avitia at the border when Avitia was district superintendent. Feagins was also a fellow instructor with Avitia in Perkins’s Course of Study School (COSS); Avitia taught church polity and other subjects for many years in the COSS Spanish-language program.

Feagins was sometimes called on to serve as an interpreter for English-speaking participants at the Rio Grande Conference. Interpreting for Avitia, he recalled, could be daunting.

“Edgar had the most erudite vocabulary of any other pastor I’ve known,” Feagins said. “I would always cringe when Edgar got to the microphone because he was the hardest one to translate. His Spanish was so refined. He was a walking encyclopedia and a walking dictionary at the same time.”

At the time of Avitia’s death, Feagins and Avitia had been working behind the scenes on a 150th-anniversary celebration of the Mexican Methodist Church in Mexico City in 2023. The church got its formal start in 1873, when missionaries from the Methodist Episcopal Church landed in Mexico City and launched a church and an orphanage.

Avitia did not live to attend the celebration. He died suddenly of a heart attack on June 27, 2023. Feagins participated in his Celebration of Life service in El Paso.

Many mourned his passing in public messages and statements.

“Edgar had a remarkably keen understanding of the links between local and global Christian mission,” said Roland Fernandes, Global Ministries’ general secretary, in an announcement mourning Avitia’s death. “We heavily depended on his experience and vision. Edgar had a firm grasp of what it means to engage in God’s mission.”

In a letter of condolences to GBGM, the World Council of Churches (WCC) praised Avitia’s work in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“His expertise and deep knowledge of the ecclesiological landscape of the region were outstanding,” wrote Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary. “Thanks to him, the WCC was able to resume contact with some churches in the region that were apart from our life and work for many years.”

Avitia had assembled an extensive collection of historical documents related to church history. In recognition of his work, the Methodist Church of Mexico has created a new historical archive that bears his name: Historical Archive CANCEN Rev. Edgar Avitia Legarda.

Bishop Dr. Joel Martinez, retired United Methodist bishop, collaborated with GBGM to create an Advance, #3022792, which launched last March to support the archive.

“Edgar was an exemplary Methodist minister in terms of the strength of his Wesleyan and Methodist identity, as well as his ethos, his ministry, his work ethic, his approach to people, and his commitment to mission,” said Feagins. “The fact that we are still acknowledging him now, more than a year after his passing, speaks volumes.”

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December 2024 News Perspective Online

Registration Now Open for 65th Anniversary Sacred Music Reunion, Feb. 24-26, 2025

Dr. Marcell Silva Steuernagel, director of Sacred Programs at Perkins School of Theology, expects the stellar lineup of keynote speakers will draw many alumni to the 65th Anniversary Sacred Music Reunion, scheduled for February 24–26, 2025, on the SMU campus in Dallas. But he thinks an even bigger draw might be the opportunity for alumni to gather in person, to fellowship and celebrate the legacy of the program – and perhaps even to indulge in a bit of ‘group therapy.’

“Our last gathering, the 60th anniversary reunion, ended on March 11, 2020, just days before the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Silva Steuernagel. “COVID changed church music as an industry. The pandemic catalyzed many of the changes we’re seeing. Church music professionals are having to deal with technology differently, for instance. This reunion is a chance to get together, to reflect on those changes, and to learn from each other. I hope it’ll serve as a therapeutic space where alumni can talk about those experiences.”

This milestone event celebrates the enduring legacy of the Sacred Music programs, including the Master of Sacred Music (MSM) and Doctor of Pastoral Music (DPM) degrees. Events in the program will honor the program’s rich history and explore its future. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with speakers and participate in worship services.

Keynote addresses from three prominent experts in the field of sacred music headline the event. Speakers include:

  • Dr. Steve Guthrie, Professor of Theology and Religion and the Arts at Belmont University, where he also serves as Senior Fellow of the Creative Arts Collective for Christian Faith and Life. A former minister of music and professional musician, Guthrie is the author of Creator Spirit: The Holy Spirit and the Art of Becoming Human and co-editor of Resonant Witness.
  • Dr. Monique M. Ingalls, Director of Research and Graduate Programs at the Dunn Center for Christian Music Studies at Baylor University. Her extensive research focuses on contemporary congregational music-making. She is a co-founder of the biennial “Christian Congregational Music: Local and Global Perspectives” conference and serves as senior editor of the Congregational Music Studies Book Series with Routledge Press.
  • Dr. Jeffrey A. Murdock, the Director of Choral Activities, Professor of Music, and founding director of the Arkansas Center for Black Music at the University of Arkansas. An internationally recognized conductor and clinician, he was named the 2021 Grammy Music Educator of the Year.

“These speakers are all well-known names in the field of sacred music, each representing a different disciplinary background,” said Silva Steuernagel. “Dr. Guthrie is an expert in the intersection of music and theology. Dr. Ingalls is a founder of the field of congregational music studies. And Dr. Murdock is a recognized name in Black sacred music. This is an intimate gathering, so attendees will have the chance to meet and interact with these speakers personally during the program.”

Other planned events include an Alumni Organ Concert, showcasing the talents of MSM and DPM graduates, and the presentation of the Soli Deo Gloria Awards, recognizing outstanding service in the field of church music.

“We look forward to welcoming alumni and friends to this special celebration of sacred music and ministry,” said Silva Steuernagel.

Registration is now open; the fee is $175. Special room blocks have been reserved at three hotels near the SMU campus.

To register or to find details and updates on the reunion schedule, visit the 2025 Sacred Music Reunion event page.