February 2020

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. So he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:14-15 Why does money always seem to get such bad press in the New Testament? That doesn’t entirely correspond to our experience, does it? Many years ago, I [...]

The Rev. Dr. Margot Perez-Greene, Ph.D. Associate Dean of Enrollment Management We’re counting our blessings as we consider the meaningful work we do in the Office of Enrollment Management, which involves recruitment, admission, financial aid and financial literacy. Every recruitment season, which is 12 months of the year, we encounter stories of call, transformation, dedication and sacrifice. Even in these turbulent times that bring uncertainty, individuals called to ministry surface, and we have the pleasure of continuing the [...]

Perkins is fortunate to have an outstanding Executive Board, a group of dedicated supporters who serve as an advisory group to Dean Craig Hill. Chaired by Bishop Mike McKee of the North Texas Conference, the Board is made up of 43 members, including six SMU Trustees, three of whom are bishops of The United Methodist Church. Several years ago, this important group took on the task of personally raising funds to start a new scholarship program called Perkins Scholars. [...]

Ever since he was a boy, Jae Jun “Daniel” Cho dreamed of attending Perkins School of Theology. His parents are both pastors in the Korean Methodist Church; his father wanted to study at Perkins but went elsewhere because Perkins was not freely open to international students at that time. Perkins was Cho’s first choice when he began looking into a seminary education, and Perkins was the first to respond to his application with an acceptance. That was soon followed [...]

Dozens of Perkins students started the semester with fresh perspectives and memories, following their travels in the 2020 January term Global Theological Education Immersion Trips to Waco, Texas, and Israel/Palestine. A group of 10 students journeyed to the Middle East for the Israel-Palestine trip, led by faculty members Robert Hunt and Tamara Lewis, from January 2-14. Another group of 22 students, led by Hugo Magallanes, traveled to Waco, Texas, from January 7-13, to witness the work of Mission Waco, [...]

If you think technology is changing quickly, consider youth ministry. Youth leaders say that the “old ways” of ministering to young people – from just five to 10 years ago – no longer work. Social media has exploded; smartphones are ubiquitous. Today’s youth see the world much differently than their counterparts of just a decade ago. To help youth leaders navigate this fast-changing world, the annual Perkins School of Youth Ministry offers an array of innovative workshops and labs [...]

One moment, Natalia Marandiuc might be grappling with a nuanced new idea relating to feminist soteriology. The next, she might be trying to explain to her toddler Anna why she can’t celebrate her second birthday, despite her strong insistence. (Anna is three.) That’s Marandiuc’s life in a nutshell. “I live a life of scholarly work, and parenting, and trying to integrate the two the best I can,” she said. Marandiuc’s passion is the life of the mind. Born in [...]

Sometimes, life’s most difficult detours can lead the way to new adventures. A traumatic accident helped lead Carrie Teller to Perkins; a life-threatening diagnosis taught her to lean into her faith. Both will undoubtedly inform her ministry going forward. Teller, an M.Div. student, expects to graduate in May 2021 and is considering ordination in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Going Deeper Teller’s story begins in December 2016, when her teenaged son sustained life-threatening injuries in [...]

Wes Allen to preach on “Day 1” Radio Program The Rev. Dr. O. Wesley Allen Jr., Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics at Perkins, will be the featured preacher February 16 on “Day 1” with host Peter Wallace, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and by podcast. Allen’s sermon for February 16 is “Hey! Who’s on Trial Here?” based on Micah 6:1-8. “I’m a nice, decent person,” Allen said. “But this text from Micah [...]