A$1 million gift to Perkins School of Theology by Erroll (’50, ’51) and Barbara Cook Wendland (’55, ’86) reflects their dedication to church and humanitarian causes.
The gift establishes the Wendland-Cook Endowed Professorship in Constructive Theology, devoted to the academic study of current church and social issues: the inequality of power, a commitment to the liberation of all people, the promotion of justice, the encouragement of nonviolence and the expansion of theological perspectives at the local church level.
Active in numerous civic and charitable organizations, the Wendlands are widely known in their hometown of Temple. Erroll Wendland received the city’s 1995 Frank. W. Mayborn Humanitarian Award for spearheading the building of the state-of-the-art Temple Public Library. He holds a B.B.A. in finance and marketing and an M.B.A. in administrative management from SMU.
Barbara Cook Wendland is recipient of the 2007 Woodrow B. Seals Laity Award, presented annually by Perkins Theology to a layperson “who exhibits an exceptional commitment to service in Christ in church, community and the world through faith and action.” She holds a B.A. in mathematics from SMU and Master of Theological Studies from Perkins, as well as certification in spiritual direction. Since 1992, she has written and published “Connections,” a monthly letter about church-related topics.