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January 2020 News

Office of Enrollment Management: You Can Invest in Perkins School of Theology

The Rev. Dr. Margot Perez-Greene, Ph.D. 
Associate Dean of Enrollment Management

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! Thank you for your continued support of Perkins.

These are exciting times in theological education, and we are doing our best to stay abreast of the changing tides. Creativity and innovation are what we hear are needed most. As enrollment management providers, our best work is realized in developing new pathways for students at a time when old pipelines no longer seem to be our strongest ally. Finding new students is our challenge, and we believe that you can be of great help in this area.

Spring 2020 is a strong recruitment season, and we are continually scheduling events in a variety of settings and locations. The truth is that individuals are still being called to ministry, and we believe that our mission to develop Christian women and men for ministry is imperative. It’s what keeps us excited about the work that we do: providing spaces where individuals can meet and share their “call” comfortably. This is a conversation that does not take place easily, and our desire is to create more of these spaces.

The Rev. David Johnson, 2012 Perkins graduate

We invite you to help us think differently about our recruitment practices by partnering with our staff to convene a recruitment event. Here’s how this can work:

  1. Notify me of your interest in convening an “Introduction to Seminary” event at your church, the university where you teach, your undergraduate school, your Sunday school class, the social agency where you work, in your home or any location of your choice in your area.
  2. Our staff will work with you to plan the event and will cover any costs for a reception, lunch or dinner for prospective students attending the event.
  3. Understand that our resources are not unlimited, so decisions will be made where the largest groups of individuals interested in theological studies can convene.
  4. We are open to your ideas.

Here’s just one example of how you might help. The Rev. David Johnson (M.Div. ’12), a member of our Alumni Council, is working with Caleb Palmer, Ministry Discernment Associate, to host a recruitment event at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where Johnson earned his B.A.

“Perkins was a loving and transformative community for my theological education and journey,” Johnson tells me. “As an alumnus, it’s an honor to partner with my school to invite other potential students to come on this powerful pilgrimage I have traveled. We would love for other alumni to join us as we welcome other students to travel the road we have and help them grow in their faith and education.”

Like Johnson, you have connections where we might connect and minister to potential Perkins students. Call us, and let’s work together!

This is a new playing field for us, and we want to engage ourselves with imaginative and adaptive actions that lead to changing the way we do things for the benefit of theological education. We are reimagining the ways in which we can seize any opportunities that will bring individuals to Perkins who have a heart for ministry.

In our work, we are witnesses to the transformative nature of theological education and want to live out the blessing of God’s persistent activity in the world. It is our hope that the challenges we face are addressed with bold decisions, and that we can be energized by them for the benefit of ministry in the world. You can invest in Perkins by partnering with us. We look forward to hearing from you early in 2020.

Blessings to you and yours for 2020!

The Rev. Margot Perez-Greene, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Enrollment Management

Contact me: margot@smu.edu or 214-768-3332 (please leave a message)