November 2021

By the Rev. Margot Perez-Greene, Ph.D,  and Christina Rhodes, MPA Associate Dean of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid/Literacy Coordinator The financial well-being of students is important, whether they’re fresh out of undergraduate school, a long-time pastor, paying for seminary, or carrying credit card debt. The Perkins Financial Literacy Program (FLP) serves to empower students to make wise financial decisions, provide fully transparent information about the cost of a theological education, and connect students to financial resources so they can [...]

Tributes have poured in after the Perkins community received word that Dr. William J. “Billy” Abraham, 73, died suddenly on Thursday, Oct. 7. A Professor Emeritus of Wesley Studies at Perkins, Abraham was the Albert Cook Outler Professor of Wesley Studies from 1995 until his retirement in May 2021. He joined the Perkins faculty in 1985 as the McCreless Associate Professor of Evangelism and the Philosophy of Religion under the leadership of then-Dean James Kirby and Provost Hans Hillerbrand. “For [...]

As an M.Div. student, Allyson Penny completed courses in church history, preaching, worship and spiritual formation.  Now she’s putting what she learned into practice -- as a Perkins intern at FAM Houston, a United Methodist affiliated agency serving refugees, immigrants and others in Houston. Penny leads a Bible study on Tuesday nights and a women’s empowerment group on Thursdays.  She spends most Wednesday mornings visiting the homes of Congolese women who live in the neighborhood. On Saturdays, you might [...]

If you’re planning to attend the Fall Convocation at Perkins November 15-16, hang onto your hat. On Monday evening, attendees will be treated to a Poetry Slam Open Mic program led by nationally renowned spoken word author and actor Michael Guinn. Guinn is a two-time National Poetry Slam Finalist, Toronto International Slam Champion and four-time Austin International Poetry Festival (AIPF) Slam Champion. He has more than 20 years of stage, film, radio and public speaking experience. Guinn’s presentation is [...]

Members of the Perkins School of Theology community will gather in person for Advent Worship on Thursday, December 2 at 6 p.m. in Perkins Chapel on the campus of SMU. Titled “Corde Natus Ex Parentis: An Advent Evensong,” the annual service will take place in person. Organizers hope to also offer the service online via livestream, pending several logistical issues. “This year’s service will offer an opportunity for participants to reflect on the Advent season amid the ongoing pandemic, [...]

Recently named an assistant professor at Loyola University Chicago, Josefrayn Sánchez-Perry (M. Div., 2014) teaches historical theology and focuses on early modern theologies, colonialism and Indigenous traditions of Mesoamerica. Sánchez-Perry says that Perkins courses in church history taught by Bruce Marshall and Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, along with his own Mexican heritage, awakened his interest in the “edges” of Christian orthodoxy, and how Christians have interacted with indigenous and Native peoples of the Americas. “In those courses, I learned about the [...]

A dedicated Mustang, Perkins was a homecoming for Melissa Garza As a devoted and enthusiastic SMU alum, Melissa Garza has returned to campus for all but four Homecoming weekends in the past 27 years. She even co-chaired the 25th reunion for her undergraduate class. When she decided to pursue a seminary education a few years ago, coming home to SMU as a Perkins student made perfect sense. “SMU was instrumental in making me who I am,” she said. “I [...]

Ted Campbell Lecture at Bob Monk Event Dr. Ted A. Campbell was the featured lecturer at a special homecoming event honoring Dr. Robert “Bob” Monk at McMurry University on October 15. Campbell lectured on “The Methodist Who Uttered the Dreaded ‘C’ Word,” a nod to Monk’s scholarly work examining Calvinist influences in Methodism. Monk served on the faculty at McMurry as Professor of Religion for 31 years, retiring in 1995.