March 2021

We are forever grateful to our Student Ambassadors, who are not only enthusiastic about their choice of Perkins for their theological education but also perhaps even more enthusiastic to share their personal stories and experiences at Perkins with prospective students during our virtual recruitment events (planned and hosted by Samantha Stewart and Caleb Palmer). We know that prospective students enjoy making connections with current students, and we believe our group of Ambassadors are second to none. Without further ado, [...]

For Perkins student Pamela Brantley, the pandemic has at least one silver lining. It’s enabling her to participate in the National Capital Semester for Seminarians (NCSS). “Normally, I couldn’t spend a semester living in D.C., but this year the program was completely virtual for the first time,” said Brantley, a first year M.Div. student in the Houston-Galveston program. With three young children and a husband with a job in Houston, moving to D.C. would not be an option. However, [...]

In a typical year, Dr. Marcell Silva Steuernagel travels to Grand Rapids, Mich., in January to participate in the annual Calvin Symposium on Worship. This year, his role was a bit different: bringing Brazil to the symposium. “I’ve been involved with Calvin for several years, and I usually go to Michigan in January to present a paper or lead worship,” he said. “This year, because of the pandemic, they decided to take advantage of the online format and have [...]

The decision to hold the Bolin Family Scholarship Evening program virtually this year turned out to be providential. The event took place on February 16, a night when much of Dallas was paralyzed by a winter storm. But the Zoom program was able to proceed as planned. The speaker was David Brooks, New York Times columnist, best-selling author and regular commentator for the "PBS NewsHour" and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Brooks returned, having spoken in 2020 on campus to [...]

Ray Jordan, Adjunct Professor at SMU’s Simmons School of Education, will lead “An Introduction to Black Theology” course as part of the Perkins Summit for Faith and Learning on March 19-20. This course will examine the relationship of African Americans with Christianity and the Church by asking “Why Black Theology?” and “What is Black Theology,” and “Why Black Theology, Now?” In addition to teaching graduate level courses in the SMU Liberal Studies program, Jordan is a pastor at First [...]

“Reboot: The Congregation as Youth Worker,” the Lilly Endowment funded initiative at Perkins, has released the first guide for churches interested in implementing an innovative model for a congregational ministry with youth. Along with co-directors, Bart Patton and Rev. Dr. Priscilla Pope-Levison, Victoria Sun Esparza, founder and CEO of In the Water designs and Perkins alumna (M. Div. 2019), developed this guide to help congregations assess their current youth ministry’s challenges and opportunities through design-thinking strategies. Read the story [...]

Continuing its ongoing work of providing safety guidance to congregations, an ecumenical team has produced a 15-page guide for Holy Week. The guide offers tips to reduce health risks as churches celebrate Holy Week with Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter worship services. The guide draws on a range of experts, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Among the contributors were Dr. Mark W. Stamm, Professor of Christian Worship, and alums Dr. Diana Sanchez-Bushong (M.S.M. 1986) [...]

In a pre-COVID universe, Rohan Abraham might’ve traveled from his home country to Dallas to attend Perkins School of Theology. This year, however, he began his studies from his home in Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai) in India. That means attending class in the middle of the night – usually between 1 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. in his time zone – but so far, it’s working. Abraham says it helps that he’s nocturnal by nature. “Some would say a conversation [...]

For Steve Long, life is a pilgrimage. That’s a theme that echoes through his scholarly work, writing, and even his vacations. An avid cyclist who has commuted by bicycle for more than 40 years, he’s currently finishing a book, The Art of Cycling, Living and Dying: Moral Theology from Ordinary Life, which reflects on cycling, ethics and his recent experience with an emergency pacemaker after a complete heart block. Cascade Press will publish the book in late 2021. Written [...]