Welcome to the Media Room!
For media inquires, please contact Sheila George, Director of Communications and Marketing, Wesley Theological Seminary at (202) 236-9952 (mobile/text) or sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu.
May 7, 2018:
Wesley Theological Seminary's 135th Commencement will take place, Monday, May 7, 2018 at Washington National Cathedral from 2-4 p.m. Eastern.
In addition to awarding degrees to our graduates (Doctor of Ministry, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts and Master of Theological Studies), there will be various awards for academic excellence and the annual awarding of the Society of John Wesley Award.
Our Commencement speaker will be Mr. David Gregory, noted national and international journalist and author (more information coming soon).
The ceremony will be live streamed from 2-4 p.m. Eastern. Click to access live-stream.
September 29, 2016
Join us tonight for a special lecture by Dr. Robert P. Jones, author of "The End Of White Christian America" at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 6 to 8 p.m. - the event is free and open to the public. Please see our Media Advisory in the Media Room for more information. This evening's event will be live streamed at http://bit.ly/1VL34Oy.
June 17, 2016
Wesley holds in prayer today our alumnus, student and friend, the Rev. Dr. Clementa Pinckney, who was gunned down with 8 of his church members one year ago today at the historic Mother Emmanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition, we also hold in prayer his family, especially his widow Jennifer and her daughters Eliana and Malana. To remember Clementa, Wesley announces today the dedication of the D. Min. in Public Engagement to his memory. As well, the Pinckney Scholarship is announced today to enable students to continue Clementa's example of dedication to public service and church leadership via the D. Min. in Public Engagement track. See our media release for more information.
June 7, 2016: Tonight, 6-8 p.m. "Faith in a public vocation: A conversation about politics, media and religion" with Mike McCurry and CNN's David Gregory
Join in the conversation tonight!
While the event is sold out, ask your questions of the panelists and follow live tweeting #PublicFaith and watch the event live streamed starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wesleytheosem
May 23, 2016
Our major news today: the announcement of the appointment of Dr. Carolyn J. Davis as Deputy Director of Wesley's Center for Public Theology. Welcome, Dr. Davis!
WASHINGTON (May 23, 2016) - Wesley Theological Seminary today announced the appointment of Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Davis as the Deputy Director of its newly created Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC.
Dr. Davis is a senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress in Washington, providing expertise in religious liberty and reproductive justice for its faith and progressive policy initiative. She will join the administration at Wesley Theological Seminary on June 6, working with the Director of Wesley’s Center for Public Theology, Mike McCurry, a professor of public theology at the Seminary and former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton.
The Center for Public Theology (CPT) at Wesley draws together courses, programs and events which examine ways that faith traditions impact policy and politics, especially in the nation’s capital. It is part of Wesley Seminary’s Institute for Community Engagement (ICE) which helps churches engage their communities with
the vision of “a transforming church that promotes communities where all people are cherished and flourish.” The Center for Public Theology is in its startup phase, funded with grants from the Henry Luce III Foundation and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation.
“Dr. Davis brings an exciting and nearly unique combination of skills that will help to ensure the successful development of our new Center. She knows her way around Washington, she wants to see the church find its voice and its place in the public square, and she has impressive academic credentials,” said Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, the President of Wesley Theological Seminary.
"Carolyn will be an indispensable part of growing and expanding Wesley Seminary’s impact on the discipline of public theology,” said Mike McCurry, Director of the CPT. “Now more than ever we
need a strong voice from the church and its leaders in the turbulent atmosphere of the nation’s public discourse.”
Dr. Davis is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University and a Ph.D. in religion from Vanderbilt University. She is an ordained Deacon in
the United Methodist Church and served Union United Methodist Church in Boston while teaching at Andover Newton Theological Seminary as a Lilly Faculty Fellow. Her academic specialties include expertise in applied public theology, particularly faithbased
engagements in policy debates over sexuality education, and discrimination against the LGBT community.
At the Center for American Progress, she has been instrumental in developing relationships between denominational officials, seminary and divinity school leaders, policymakers, and advocacy organizations. She is a frequent contributor to online discussions of public theology carried by Huffington Post, Sojourners, Talking Point Memo, ThinkProgress and Religion Dispatches.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Wesley community,” said Davis, on the announcement of her appointment. I'm eager to contribute to the success of the Center for Public Theology as it fulfills its urgent mission to engage leaders and restore the place of critical, socially just theological discourse in the public sphere."
Centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, through its Institute for Community Engagement (ICE), equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic
voices in the church and the world. Wesley Theological Seminary is located in Washington, DC with a main campus in upper Northwest adjacent to American University and a downtown location
at 9th and Massachusetts Ave NW where ICE is housed.
(media release dated 23 May 2016)
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May 6, 2016:
It's all about Commencement this week! Our 134th Commencement will take place, Monday, May 9, 2016 at Washington National Cathedral from 2-4 p.m.
For the first time ever in Wesley's 135 years, a posthumous degree will be awarded to a student who did not complete his coursework - South Carolina Sen. Clementa Pinckney. Pinckney (D) was a Wesley Theological Seminary D.Min. student at the time of his hate crime-related assassination with eight of his church members at a Bible study in June 2015 at the historic Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C.
"Rev. Pinckney’s martyrdom completed his requirements for his degree," says Wesley President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson. "The faculty voted unanimously to award the degree to his widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, at this year's 134th Commencement. At the time of his death, he was working on his thesis describing his dual role as a pastor and public servant. We believe he completed and defended that thesis that night.” (see full media release for more information)
In addition to awarding degrees to our graduates (Doctor of Ministry, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts and Master of Theological Studies), there will be various awards for academic excellence and the annual awarding of the Society of John Wesley Award.
Wesley Theological Seminary: A Brief History
Our origin was in the 1881 meeting of the Maryland Annual Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church. Enabling legislation of that year led to a charter on the campus of Western Maryland College in Westminster, Maryland. For more than half a century the seminary thrived there as the training center for ministers of the Methodist Protestant Church.
In 1939, with the union of the three major branches of Methodism, Westminster Seminary became one of ten schools of theology of the new Methodist Church.
In 1955, institutional and church leaders determined the seminary should move from Westminster to the present site in Washington, D.C. In 1958, the seminary took up residence at its new campus and was renamed Wesley Theological Seminary.
In 1968 the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church to form The United Methodist Church. Simultaneously, Wesley Theological Seminary became one of 13 seminaries of the new United Methodist Church.
Wesley continues to celebrate its move to the city of Washington in the new millennium. In 2009, a new downtown presence and center of faithful learning opened with Wesley Downtown. At the 4500 Massachusetts Avenue campus, the revitalization of Oxnam Chapel in 2010 signaled the merging of traditional and contemporary liturgical space in an educational setting.
Across the courtyard, the library underwent major renovation in 2011. In the same year, the board of governors affirmed the seminary’s decision to build a brand new dormitory on campus. This new residence hall opened for residency in the 2013 fall semester.
Through varied strategic initiatives, taking advantage of both our location in Washington, D.C. and our connections across the globe, Wesley Theological Seminary is guided by its 40 year Vision and Mission Statements:
Mission
The mission of Wesley Theological Seminary is to equip Christians for leadership in the church and the world, to advance theological scholarship, and to provide a prophetic voice in the public square.
Vision
To play a key role in the continual renewal of the church.
Q. What is a seminary?
A. "A seminary, theological college, divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry.[1] The English word is taken from the Latin seminarium, translated as seed-bed, an image taken from the Council of Trent document Cum adolescentium aetas which called for the first modern seminaries." (Wikipedia)
Q. What kind of school is Wesley Theological Seminary?
Wesley is a graduate theological school of The United Methodist Church and a member of the Washington Theological Consortium, and theological education at Wesley reflects our joint commitments to our Methodist heritage and to the ecumenical movement. Wesley Theological Seminary embraces a renewed global vision of ministry, as we learn from the experiences of Christians in other lands. We are open to dialogue with all the world's varied communities, and welcome cooperation with all who work for peace and justice.
Q. What degrees are awarded here?
A. Wesley offers four degrees including the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Theological Studies, and Doctor of Ministry.
Wesley offers a dual degree program with neighboring American University combining a Master of Theological Studies from Wesley and a Master of Arts degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution or International Development from American University.
The Master of Divinity degree includes a field education (Practice in Ministry and Mission) placement, Spiritual Formation for Ministry, and an intercultural immersion. Optional specialties within the Master of Divinity degree include Student Pastor Program, emerging ministry, arts and theology, missional church and urban ministry. Master of Arts and Master of Theological Studies offer many options for specialization.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu, 202-236-9952 and/or Kristen Looney, klooney@newseum.org, 202/292-6473
D.C. PREMIERE OF NIEBUHR DOCUMENTARY MARCH 31; CO-HOSTED BY WESLEY’S CENTER FOR PUBLIC THEOLOGY AND NEWSEUM’S RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CENTER
WASHINGTON (March 17, 2017) – The Washington, D.C. premiere of the new documentary, “An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story,” will be co-hosted by Wesley Theological Seminary’s Center for Public Theology and The Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute on March 31, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the Newseum.
For a special video invitation from the filmmaker Martin Doblmeier, please go to https://vimeo.com/207017783
“In the swirl of politics here in Washington, we want the church to have a voice and Niebuhr gave us a map for that decades ago,” said Mike McCurry, director of the Center for Public Theology and former White House press secretary. “This movie illuminates that and seems relevant now more than ever. This film could not be more timely.”
Wesley’s Center for Public Theology seeks to equip faith leaders to be a voice in the public square. The partnership between the Center and the Religious Freedom Center made this premiere possible. The event is free and open to the public.
“It’s fitting that in the year of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation we reflect upon the words and deeds of Reinhold Niebuhr, who TIME Magazine called ‘the greatest Protestant theologian in America since Jonathan Edwards,’” said Rev. Nate Walker, director of The Religious Freedom Center. “The Religious Freedom Center is pleased to partner with Wesley Theological Seminary to reflect upon the roles that religious leaders can play in society, not only as first responders to oppressive agendas but as ethical agenda-setters.”
This event will feature a screening of the documentary followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Martin Doblmeier; Mike McCurry; Josiah Young, professor of systematic theology at Wesley Theological Seminary; The Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne; Gustav Niebuhr, associate professor of newspaper and online journalism in the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University; Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Davis, director of strategic development, Public Religion Research Institute.
To view the trailer of the documentary, please go to https://vimeo.com/201016991
Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) impacted presidents and civil rights leaders like Jimmy Carter and Martin Luther King, Jr., who often turned to Niebuhr’s writings for guidance and inspiration on the most volatile political and social issues of the 20th Century. Many suggest at this particular moment in America’s political life, the voice of theologians like Reinhold Niebuhr is particularly salient.
"An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story” is directed, written and narrated by Martin Doblmeier, the creator of dozens of challenging, award-winning films on faith including Chaplains and Bonhoeffer. Rich in archival material, the documentary includes interviews with former President Jimmy Carter, Civil Rights leader Andrew Young, New York Times writer David Brooks, author Susannah Heschel and a host of internationally recognized historians and theologians.
This event will take place at the Newseum, 7th Floor, 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. While the event is free and open to the public, space is limited – please register at https://give.newseum.org/ni-rsvp-02
For media inquiries, contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or 202/236-9952, and/or Kristen Looney, Project Director, klooney@newseum.org, 202/292-6473.
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Wesley Theological Seminary's Center for Public Theology, located in the heart of the nation’s capital, gives churches and seminary students tools to help navigate the connections between faith and public policy. Our goal is to improve the tone of national political discourse by fostering a new ethic of civil discourse. We are non-partisan, but not disinterested, in the great issues of the day. Located in the nation’s capital and centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, with its Institute for Community Engagement and the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world.
The Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute is a nonpartisan national initiative focused on educating the American public about the religious liberty principles of the First Amendment. We envision a world committed to religious freedom as an inalienable right for all people. In carrying out this vision, our mission is to educate the public about the history, meaning and significance of religious freedom and to promote dialogue and understanding among people of all religions and none.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sheila George
Director of Communications & Marketing
Wesley Theological Seminary
(202) 236-9952 Mobile
sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu
MEDIA ADVISORY
LIVE STREAM AVAILABLE TONIGHT AT http://bit.ly/1VL34Oy
TONIGHT: "The End of White Christian America and Its Implications for the 2016 Election":
Wesley Theological Seminary to host a lecture by Dr. Robert P. Jones September 29
(WASHINGTON) September 29, 2016 – Wesley’s Center for Public Theology will host a presentation by Dr. Robert P. Jones, the founding CEO of Public Religion Research Institute TONIGHT, September 29, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
Jones will discuss his new book, "The End of White Christian America," which has been hailed by The New York Times Review of Books as “quite possibly the most illuminating text for this election year.”
A leading scholar and commentator on religion and politics, Jones draws on decades of public opinion and demographic research to challenge us to grasp a new reality — that America is no longer a majority white Christian nation — and examines what influence this will have on the 2016 presidential election.
Directed by former White House Press Secretary Mike D. McCurry, the nonpartisan Center for Public Theology is a program of Wesley Theological Seminary, a historic United Methodist Seminary located in the heart of the nation’s capital.
WHAT: Presentation on “The End of White Christian America and Its Implications for the 2016 Election”
WHO: - Dr. Robert P. Jones, founding CEO of Public Religion Research Institute
- Dr. Carolyn J. Davis, Deputy Director, Center for Public Theology, moderator
WHERE: Lecture will be held at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church/Wesley Downtown
900 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.
WHEN: September 29, 2016, 6 to 8 p.m. The evening is free and open to the public. Space is limited – please register online at http://ow.ly.j5IM304hmsy
The Center for Public Theology aims to improve the tone of national political discourse by fostering a new ethic of civil discourse and offering a new generation of leaders the tools they need to navigate the connection between faith and public policy. Additional program leadership is provided by Deputy Director Rev. Dr. Carolyn Davis. Dr. Davis recently spoke of the reason for the evening: "It's especially important for organizations like the Center for Public Theology at Wesley to provide opportunities for understanding how and why American voters are engaging the values and beliefs of our diverse and changing society to respond to the challenges we face today."
Media Inquiries: please contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or (202) 236-9952.
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Contact: Sheila George,Director of Communications & Marketing
Wesley Theological Seminary, 202-236-9952, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu
SLAIN S.C. SENATOR DR. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY HONORED WITH ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW DOCTOR OF MINISTRY PROGRAM AT WESLEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
SCHOLARSHIPS WILL ENABLE STUDENTS TO FOLLOW PINCKNEY’S EXAMPLE OF DOUBLE CALL OF PUBLIC SERVANT AND PASTOR
WASHINGTON (June 16, 2016) - One day after a solemn prayer service held by students that spoke the names of the Pulse club Orlando victims, Wesley Theological Seminary marks the one year anniversary of the Charleston 9 shooting with a sign of hope – the establishment of a Doctor of Ministry program in Public Engagement in the memory of their slain student, South Carolina Senator, the Rev. Dr. Clementa Pinckney.
“Even as the nation reels from another violent massacre, we mark the martyrdom of Pastor Clementa Pinckney and 8 members of the Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC,” said Wesley Theological Seminary President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson. “The fundamental message of the Christian faith is the world is not how God intends, and the call to Christian leaders is to preach the Gospel of peace and engage the world with compassion and courage. Consequently, the only response to this anniversary for Wesley is to continue the work so important to Clementa, as a politician and pastor, through the establishment of a Doctor of Ministry in Public Engagement program, to raise up a new generation of people committed to public and pastoral service to all communities marginalized and in need.”
Pinckney was completing his Wesley dissertation on the double vocation of pastor and public servant in the African-American community when he was martyred with eight of his church members at a Bible study June 17, 2015 in Charleston, S.C.
By a unanimous vote of the Wesley faculty, Pinckney was awarded his D. Min. degree posthumously. His widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, and their two daughters, accepted the degree at the May 9, 2016 Commencement, escorted to the podium by Wesley Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership, the Rev. Dr. Lovett Weems Jr., Pinckney’s professor and dissertation advisor at the time of his death.
Weems remembered Pinckney as “humble, caring, and welcoming,” and someone who had a passion “for connecting the church and the public square, especially to help the most vulnerable.” While mourning the loss of his student and “his tremendous potential as a public leader who can unite people across long-standing racial divides,” Weems said the new Doctor of Ministry program established in Pinckney’s honor will “keep alive the faithful witness of Clementa…who found ways to engage public life on behalf of the common good.”
“What we’re trying to do is train individuals to be leaders in the 21st century who really understand, like Dr. Pinckney did, what it means to stand at that intersection between what he did in his public work in the South Carolina government and also his church work,” said the Rev.
Dr. Doug Powe, Wesley’s Professor of Urban Ministry and academic director of the D. Min. in Public Engagement.
To enable students to have an experience of the environment where Pinckney worked and ministered, this special D. Min. track will be taught in both Charleston and Washington, D.C.
“Starting off in Charleston will help students understand the context of what it meant [for Pinckney] to do ministry in a place where, until recently, the Confederate flag was still flying,” Powe said. “How it is that, as a leader, one can engage people saying, ‘Hey, this is problematic,’ but also at the same time engage them in a way that is faithful and loving. That challenge offers great opportunity for people to do wonderful ministry and bring about changes that are astounding.”
Aware that there are students who share Pinckney’s vision for public service and a call to church service but who may not have the resource to pursue the D. Min. in Public Engagement program, Wesley has established the Pinckney Scholarships, said Wesley Theological Seminary President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson.
“We need to find people who can continue Clem’s work, but it will take some financial help,” he said. “We want everyone who is interested in this track to apply, even if they are struggling financially.”
Wesley’s Pinckney Scholarships will help students who wish to follow his example, “those who care for their churches but also have a passion for the common good that extends well beyond the walls of the church,” said Weems. The initial offering of scholarships will be worth a total of $60,000 of student aid toward the costs of completing the program. Coming from the seminary’s general funds, as there are no endowments for the new program, scholarships will be based on need and the funds will be distributed to support as many students as possible.
For more information on the Doctor of Ministry in Public Engagement and the Pinckney Scholarships, go to www.wesleysemnary.edu/ doctorofministry/public-engagement/. Or, contact Wesley Theological Seminary’s Admissions Office at 202-885-8659, admissons@wesleyseminary.edu
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Located in the nation’s capital and centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, with its Institute for Community Engagement and the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sheila George
Director of Communications & Marketing
Wesley Theological Seminary
(202) 236-9952 Mobile
sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu
MEDIA ADVISORY - TONIGHT, 6-8 p.m.
David Gregory and Mike McCurry to Explore Their Lives in Politics, Media and Religion in Conversation at Wesley Downtown June 7
(WASHINGTON) 6 June 2016 – David Gregory, CNN political analyst, and Mike McCurry, former White House Press Secretary, will host a conversation regarding their public lives in media and politics and their private journeys regarding religion at “Faith In A Public Vocation: A Conversation About Politics, Media and Religion” on June 7, 2016 at the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Downtown.
The conversation is an opening event for the Center for Public Theology, a program of the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Theological Seminary Downtown. The Center plans to explore the intersection of faith and politics through events and special courses, such as the Certificate in Faith and Public Life, which will be launched in January 2017. The evening will be moderated by David McAllister- Wilson, President of Wesley Theological Seminary. The panel will be joined by Rev. Ginger Gaines – Cirelli, Lead Pastor of Washington’s Foundry United Methodist Church, who will speak to the role of faith leaders in supporting those exploring their faith publically while being public figures.
WHO: -CNN political analyst David Gregory
-Former White House Press Secretary and Director of Center for Public Theology Mike McCurry
WHERE: Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Downtown
900 Massachusetts, Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
WHEN: Tuesday, June 7, 2016
6-8pm
The event will be live streamed beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern - go to
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wesleytheosem; live tweeting at #PublicFaith
*Members of the media wishing to speak with Gregory or McCurry at the event, please contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or (202) 236-9952.
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Contact: Sheila George, Director of Communications & Marketing A Very Personal Evening With CNN Political Analyst David Gregory and Mike McCurry; Their Lives in Politics, Media and Religion To Be Discussed At Live Streamed June 7 Event (WASHINGTON) 7 June 2016 – David Gregory, CNN political analyst, and Mike McCurry, former White House Press Secretary, will hold a frank evening of conversation regarding their very public lives in media and politics and their private journeys regarding religion at “Faith In A Public Vocation: A Conversation About Politics, Media and Religion” June 7, 2016, 68 p.m., at the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Downtown. This is the opening event for the Centre for Public Theology, a program of the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Theological Seminary Downtown. Mike McCurry is the Center’s Executive Director and Dr. Carolyn Davis, recently of the Center for American Progress, is the Center’s new Deputy Director. The Center plans to explore the intersection of faith and politics through events and special courses, such as the Certificate in Faith and Public Life, which will be launched in January 2017. McCurry is best known as the former White House Press Secretary under Bill Clinton. He is currently the cochair of the Commission on Presidential Debates and is the Distinguished Professor of Public Theology for Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Gregory, a journalist with NBC News for 20 years, has worked as White House correspondent, MSNBC anchor, and as moderator of the influential Sunday program "Meet the Press" for six years. He joined CNN as a political analyst in March 2016. His recent book is How's Your Faith?: An Unlikely Spiritual Journey, follows his quest to come to terms with his multifaith background and his exploration of other religious traditions in an effort to answer “ life’s most important questions: who do we want to be and what do we believe?” |
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The moderator for the event will be Wesley Theological Seminary President David McAllister Wilson, The panel will be joined by Rev. Ginger Gaines – Cirelli, Lead Pastor of Washington’s Foundry United Methodist Church. Located blocks from the White House, Foundry has over its 200year history been a church for presidents, members of Congress and ambassadors. Gaines Cirelli will speak to the role of faith leaders in supporting those exploring their faith publically while being public figures. There will be a period of Q & As with the audience in the room and on the Internet via #PublicFaith, 7:30 8:00 p.m. The event will be held June 7, 68 p.m. at the Institute for Public Engagement at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massaschuttes Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20001. The event will be livestreamed at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wesleytheosem starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern and interaction with the panelists will take place via #PublicFaith. For media inquires, please contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or 2022369952. Additional information at wesleyseminary.edu/mediaroom Wesley Theological Seminary is located in Washington, DC with a main campus in upper Northwest adjacent to American University and a downtown location at 9th and Massachusetts Ave NW where its Institute for Community Engagement is housed. Centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, the Institute for Community Engagement and the Center for Public Theology, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world. ### . " |
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WESLEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | 4500 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE NW, WASHINGTON D.C. | 202-885-8600 |
Dr. Carolyn J. Davis Appointed Deputy Director of
Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON (May 23, 2016) Wesley Theological Seminary today announced the appointment of Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Davis as the Deputy Director of its newly created Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC.
Dr. Davis is a senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress in Washington, providing expertise in religious liberty and reproductive justice for its faith and progressive policy initiative. She will join the administration at Wesley Theological Seminary on June 6, working with the Director of Wesley’s Center for Public Theology, Mike McCurry, a professor of public theology at the Seminary and former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton.
The Center for Public Theology (CPT) at Wesley draws together courses, programs and events which examine ways that faith traditions impact policy and politics, especially in the nation’s capital. It is part of Wesley Seminary’s Institute for Community Engagement (ICE) which helps churches engage their communities with
the vision of “a transforming church that promotes communities where all people are cherished and flourish.” The Center for Public Theology is in its startup phase, funded with grants from the Henry Luce III Foundation and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation.
“Dr. Davis brings an exciting and nearly unique combination of skills that will help to ensure the successful development of our new Center. She knows her way around Washington, she wants to see the church find its voice and its place in the public square, and she has impressive academic credentials,” said Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, the President of Wesley Theological Seminary.
"Carolyn will be an indispensable part of growing and expanding Wesley Seminary’s impact on the discipline of public theology,” said Mike McCurry, Director of the CPT. “Now more than ever we
need a strong voice from the church and its leaders in the turbulent atmosphere of the nation’s public discourse.”
Dr. Davis is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University and a Ph.D. in religion from Vanderbilt University. She is an ordained Deacon in
the United Methodist Church and served Union United Methodist Church in Boston while teaching at Andover Newton Theological Seminary as a Lilly Faculty Fellow. Her academic specialties include expertise in applied public theology, particularly faithbased
engagements in policy debates over sexuality education, and discrimination against the LGBT community.
At the Center for American Progress, she has been instrumental in developing relationships between denominational officials, seminary and divinity school leaders, policymakers, and advocacy organizations. She is a frequent contributor to online discussions of public theology carried by Huffington Post, Sojourners, Talking Point Memo, ThinkProgress and Religion Dispatches.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Wesley community,” said Davis, on the announcement of her appointment. I'm eager to contribute to the success of the Center for Public Theology as it fulfills its urgent mission to engage leaders and restore the place of critical, socially just theological discourse in the public sphere."
Centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, through its Institute for Community Engagement (ICE), equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic
voices in the church and the world. Wesley Theological Seminary is located in Washington, DC with a main campus in upper Northwest adjacent to American University and a downtown location
at 9th and Massachusetts Ave NW where ICE is housed.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or call 202-236-9952
(cell).
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MEDIA ADVISORY
SLAIN SOUTH CAROLINA SEN. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY’S WIDOW TO RECEIVE HIS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED DOCTORATE AT MAY 9 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
WASHINGTON (May 5, 2016) -The widow of Rev. Clementa Pinckney will accept his posthumously awarded Doctorate of Ministry degree at the Wesley Theological Seminary’s 134th commencement on May 9,
The South Carolina senator (D) was a Wesley Theological Seminary D.Min. student at the time of his hate crime-related assassination with eight of his church members at a Bible study in June 2015 at the historic Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C.
At the commencement, a letter from President Barack Obama, Rev. Pinckney’s funeral eulogist, will be read to the graduating class, paying tribute to Rev. Pinckney and his posthumous degree.
Who: Jennifer Pinckney, wife of slain South Carolina Sen. Clementa Pinckney
What: Posthumous award to Rev. Pinckney and letter from President Obama at Wesley Theological Seminary commencement
Where: Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. –Monday, May 9, 2016, 2-4 p.m. Eastern.
When: Mrs. Pinckney will receive the degree from Wesley Theological Seminary President the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson between 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. during the commencement proceedings, which will run 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
CREDENTIALED MEDIA WILL HAVE A MEDIA OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW MRS. JENNIFER PINCKNEY 12:15-12:45 P.M. PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT AT THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL AND A BRIEF PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH MRS. PINCKNEY WITH HER HUSBAND’S UNIVERSITY DEGREE AT THE END OF THE COMMENCEMENT. CHECK IN AT CATHEDRAL MEDIA DESK AT FRONT DOOR TO BE ESCORTED TO MEDIA OPPORTUNITY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or call 202-236-9952 (cell) , wesleyseminary.edu/media-room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SLAIN SOUTH CAROLINA SEN. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY’S WIDOW TO RECEIVE HIS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED DOCTORATE AT MAY 9 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
WASHINGTON (May 6, 2016) -The widow of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney will accept his posthumously awarded Doctorate of Ministry degree at the Wesley Theological Seminary’s 134th commencement on May 9 at the Washington National Cathedral.
The South Carolina senator (D) was a Wesley Theological Seminary D.Min. student at the time of his hate crime-related assassination with eight of his church members at a Bible study in June 2015 at the historic Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C.
"Rev. Pinckney’s martyrdom completed his requirements for his degree," says Wesley President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson. This is the first time ever that Wesley Theological Seminary has awarded a posthumous degree to a student who has not completed their coursework. "The faculty voted unanimously to award the degree to his widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, at this year's 134th Commencement. At the time of his death, he was working on his thesis describing his dual role as a pastor and public servant. We believe he completed and defended that thesis that night.”
At the commencement, a letter from President Barack Obama, Rev. Pinckney’s funeral eulogist, will be read to the graduating class, paying tribute to Rev. Pinckney and his posthumous degree.
“Pastor Pinckney’s legacy of public service and ministry does not die with him. A new Doctor of Ministry track is being formed for pastors to prepare for public engagement, after his example, will be co-located in Charleston and Washington, D.C. so that more pastors like him will rise up in his place.”
MEDIA OPPORTUNITY: Pinckney’s widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, is available for interviews between 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. on May 9 at Washington National Cathedral. She will attend the Commencement and receive the degree from Wesley Theological Seminary President David McAllister-Wilson between 3:15 – 3:45 p.m. Eastern. Photo opportunities follow at 4:10 p.m. . The ceremony will be live streamed and viewable at https://youtu.be/XILNeIWPHSE.
CHECK IN AT CATHEDRAL MEDIA DESK AT FRONT DOOR TO BE ESCORTED TO MEDIA OPPORTUNITY. PLEASE HAVE CREDENTIALS WITH YOU.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or call 202-236-9952 (cell), wesleyseminary.edu/media-room
Seated in the nation’s capital and centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, and our Lewis Center for Church Leadership, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world.
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May 8, 2016: NBC affiliate WCBD - TV Channel 2, Charleston, S.C.
Widow of Slain State Senator Receiving Posthumous Degree
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By MEG KINNARD, ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBIA, S.C. — May 9, 2016, 9:49 AM ET
The widow of the pastor and South Carolina senator killed last summer at a historic black church in Charleston is accepting an honor on his behalf.
Jennifer Pinckney is accepting a Doctorate of Ministry degree Monday at commencement exercises for Wesley Theological Seminary at Washington National Cathedral.
Clementa Pinckney was among the nine people gunned down last June during a Wednesday night Bible study at the church he pastored, Emanuel AME. Wesley president David McAllister-Wilson says at the time Pinckney was working on a thesis dealing with his dual role as public servant and minister.
McAllister-Wilson says the school's faculty voted unanimously to award the degree to Pinckney's wife on his behalf.
A white man, Dylann Roof, is charged in the killings.
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MAY 9, 2016 6:52 PM
S.C. Sen. Clementa Pinckney remembered in solemn Washington ceremony
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article76617692.html#storylink=cpy
Wesley Theological Seminary’s commencement honors the slain leader
Widow, daughters present for ceremony at commencement in National Cathedral
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article76617692.html#storylink=cpy
South Carolina senator and pastor Clementa Pinckney should have graduated with his classmates on Monday. He should have walked down the aisle of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., to receive his doctorate from Wesley Theological Seminary, waving to family members and taking photos.
Instead, his widow and two young daughters stood at the altar on the rainy afternoon to accept the posthumous degree on his behalf.
“Clementa, you did it,” said Jennifer Pinckney, the late pastor’s wife. Her daughters, Eliana and Malana, stood by her side, clutching their father’s diploma and the hood that symbolized his academic achievement.
“CLEMENTA, YOU DID IT.” Jennifer Pinckney, widow of the late Rev. Clementa Pinckney.
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Martyred pastor posthumously receives degree
WASHINGTON — The widow of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney accepted his posthumously awarded Doctorate of Ministry degree at United Methodist Wesley Theological Seminary’s commencement May 9 at the Washington National Cathedral. Pinckney was a doctoral student at the time he and eight of his church members were murdered at the historic Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. WCBD News 2 in South Carolina has the story.
Live streaming of Wesley Theological Seminary's 134th Commencement (2-4 p.m. Eastern, May 9, 2016) can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtu.be/XILNeIWPHSE
Photos from the Commencement will be uploaded to this area on May 10.
Follow us on social media on Instagram (WesleySeminary),Twitter (@WesleyTheoSem), Facebook (WesleyTheologicalSeminary) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheWesleyseminary).
The following is the text of the letter sent by President Barack Obama on the occasion of the awarding of Sen. Clementa Pinckney's posthumous Doctor of Ministry degree. It was received by his widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney and her young daughters at the Wesley Theological Seminary's 134th Commencement May 9, 2016.
The letter was read at the Commencement by Wesley Theological Seminary President Rev. Dr. David McAllister - Wilson. The text follows:
Dear Friends,
Congratulations to the newest graduates of the Wesley Theological Seminary, and to all the family and faculty who helped you reach this joyous day.
In choosing a life of service to God and service to your community, you carry on the proud example set by one of your fellow graduates - a pastor and a public servant himself - Reverend Clementa Pinckney.
When Clem was taken from us last year, he had already completed the coursework for his doctorate. He was still working on his dissertation, seeking to explain how those called to serve the Lord could also answer the call to serve our democracy. He did not view these noble callings as working in conflict with one another, but rather as working in concert with one another.
At Clem's memorial service, I shared something he once said that illustrates the way he made both endeavors look so easy in his own life. "Our calling," he said, "is not just within the walls of the congregation, but...the life and community in which our congregation resides."
The notion that putting our Christian faith into action demands deeds and not just words - that's what Clem believed. That's the way he lived his good, full life. And what better way to honor his example today, at the National Cathedral, than by committing your lives to that blessed work.
I pray his example endures in your ministry, and I congratulate you all.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
May 6, 2017:
Wesley Theological Seminary's 135th Commencement will take place, Monday, May 8, 2017 at Washington National Cathedral from 2-4 p.m. Eastern.
In addition to awarding degrees to our graduates (Doctor of Ministry, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts and Master of Theological Studies), there will be various awards for academic excellence and the annual awarding of the Society of John Wesley Award.
Our Commencement speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Kyunglim Shin Lee. Shin Lee recently published groundbreaking research on the impact and best practices of international mission work, with a particular emphasis on the Christian church in Korea. In addition to being recognized as a global leader in mission work, Shin Lee serves as vice president for international relations at Wesley Theological Seminary
Shin Lee is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church. She earned degrees from Methodist Theological Seminary in Seoul, Korea; Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago and Wesley Theological Seminary.
The ceremony will be live streamed from 2-4 p.m. Eastern. Click to access live-stream.
September 29, 2016
Join us tonight for a special lecture by Dr. Robert P. Jones, author of "The End Of White Christian America" at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 6 to 8 p.m. - the event is free and open to the public. Please see our Media Advisory in the Media Room for more information. This evening's event will be live streamed at http://bit.ly/1VL34Oy.
June 17, 2016
Wesley holds in prayer today our alumnus, student and friend, the Rev. Dr. Clementa Pinckney, who was gunned down with 8 of his church members one year ago today at the historic Mother Emmanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition, we also hold in prayer his family, especially his widow Jennifer and her daughters Eliana and Malana. To remember Clementa, Wesley announces today the dedication of the D. Min. in Public Engagement to his memory. As well, the Pinckney Scholarship is announced today to enable students to continue Clementa's example of dedication to public service and church leadership via the D. Min. in Public Engagement track. See our media release for more information.
June 7, 2016: Tonight, 6-8 p.m. "Faith in a public vocation: A conversation about politics, media and religion" with Mike McCurry and CNN's David Gregory
Join in the conversation tonight!
While the event is sold out, ask your questions of the panelists and follow live tweeting #PublicFaith and watch the event live streamed starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wesleytheosem
May 23, 2016
Our major news today: the announcement of the appointment of Dr. Carolyn J. Davis as Deputy Director of Wesley's Center for Public Theology. Welcome, Dr. Davis!
WASHINGTON (May 23, 2016) - Wesley Theological Seminary today announced the appointment of Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Davis as the Deputy Director of its newly created Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC.
Dr. Davis is a senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress in Washington, providing expertise in religious liberty and reproductive justice for its faith and progressive policy initiative. She will join the administration at Wesley Theological Seminary on June 6, working with the Director of Wesley’s Center for Public Theology, Mike McCurry, a professor of public theology at the Seminary and former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton.
The Center for Public Theology (CPT) at Wesley draws together courses, programs and events which examine ways that faith traditions impact policy and politics, especially in the nation’s capital. It is part of Wesley Seminary’s Institute for Community Engagement (ICE) which helps churches engage their communities with
the vision of “a transforming church that promotes communities where all people are cherished and flourish.” The Center for Public Theology is in its startup phase, funded with grants from the Henry Luce III Foundation and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation.
“Dr. Davis brings an exciting and nearly unique combination of skills that will help to ensure the successful development of our new Center. She knows her way around Washington, she wants to see the church find its voice and its place in the public square, and she has impressive academic credentials,” said Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, the President of Wesley Theological Seminary.
"Carolyn will be an indispensable part of growing and expanding Wesley Seminary’s impact on the discipline of public theology,” said Mike McCurry, Director of the CPT. “Now more than ever we
need a strong voice from the church and its leaders in the turbulent atmosphere of the nation’s public discourse.”
Dr. Davis is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University and a Ph.D. in religion from Vanderbilt University. She is an ordained Deacon in
the United Methodist Church and served Union United Methodist Church in Boston while teaching at Andover Newton Theological Seminary as a Lilly Faculty Fellow. Her academic specialties include expertise in applied public theology, particularly faithbased
engagements in policy debates over sexuality education, and discrimination against the LGBT community.
At the Center for American Progress, she has been instrumental in developing relationships between denominational officials, seminary and divinity school leaders, policymakers, and advocacy organizations. She is a frequent contributor to online discussions of public theology carried by Huffington Post, Sojourners, Talking Point Memo, ThinkProgress and Religion Dispatches.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Wesley community,” said Davis, on the announcement of her appointment. I'm eager to contribute to the success of the Center for Public Theology as it fulfills its urgent mission to engage leaders and restore the place of critical, socially just theological discourse in the public sphere."
Centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, through its Institute for Community Engagement (ICE), equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic
voices in the church and the world. Wesley Theological Seminary is located in Washington, DC with a main campus in upper Northwest adjacent to American University and a downtown location
at 9th and Massachusetts Ave NW where ICE is housed.
(media release dated 23 May 2016)
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May 6, 2016:
It's all about Commencement this week! Our 134th Commencement will take place, Monday, May 9, 2016 at Washington National Cathedral from 2-4 p.m.
For the first time ever in Wesley's 135 years, a posthumous degree will be awarded to a student who did not complete his coursework - South Carolina Sen. Clementa Pinckney. Pinckney (D) was a Wesley Theological Seminary D.Min. student at the time of his hate crime-related assassination with eight of his church members at a Bible study in June 2015 at the historic Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C.
"Rev. Pinckney’s martyrdom completed his requirements for his degree," says Wesley President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson. "The faculty voted unanimously to award the degree to his widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, at this year's 134th Commencement. At the time of his death, he was working on his thesis describing his dual role as a pastor and public servant. We believe he completed and defended that thesis that night.” (see full media release for more information)
In addition to awarding degrees to our graduates (Doctor of Ministry, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts and Master of Theological Studies), there will be various awards for academic excellence and the annual awarding of the Society of John Wesley Award.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu, 202-236-9952 and/or Kristen Looney, klooney@newseum.org, 202/292-6473
D.C. PREMIERE OF NIEBUHR DOCUMENTARY MARCH 31; CO-HOSTED BY WESLEY’S CENTER FOR PUBLIC THEOLOGY AND NEWSEUM’S RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CENTER
WASHINGTON (March 17, 2017) – The Washington, D.C. premiere of the new documentary, “An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story,” will be co-hosted by Wesley Theological Seminary’s Center for Public Theology and The Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute on March 31, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the Newseum.
For a special video invitation from the filmmaker Martin Doblmeier, please go to https://vimeo.com/207017783
“In the swirl of politics here in Washington, we want the church to have a voice and Niebuhr gave us a map for that decades ago,” said Mike McCurry, director of the Center for Public Theology and former White House press secretary. “This movie illuminates that and seems relevant now more than ever. This film could not be more timely.”
Wesley’s Center for Public Theology seeks to equip faith leaders to be a voice in the public square. The partnership between the Center and the Religious Freedom Center made this premiere possible. The event is free and open to the public.
“It’s fitting that in the year of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation we reflect upon the words and deeds of Reinhold Niebuhr, who TIME Magazine called ‘the greatest Protestant theologian in America since Jonathan Edwards,’” said Rev. Nate Walker, director of The Religious Freedom Center. “The Religious Freedom Center is pleased to partner with Wesley Theological Seminary to reflect upon the roles that religious leaders can play in society, not only as first responders to oppressive agendas but as ethical agenda-setters.”
This event will feature a screening of the documentary followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Martin Doblmeier; Mike McCurry; Josiah Young, professor of systematic theology at Wesley Theological Seminary; The Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne; Gustav Niebuhr, associate professor of newspaper and online journalism in the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University; Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Davis, director of strategic development, Public Religion Research Institute.
To view the trailer of the documentary, please go to https://vimeo.com/201016991
Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) impacted presidents and civil rights leaders like Jimmy Carter and Martin Luther King, Jr., who often turned to Niebuhr’s writings for guidance and inspiration on the most volatile political and social issues of the 20th Century. Many suggest at this particular moment in America’s political life, the voice of theologians like Reinhold Niebuhr is particularly salient.
"An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story” is directed, written and narrated by Martin Doblmeier, the creator of dozens of challenging, award-winning films on faith including Chaplains and Bonhoeffer. Rich in archival material, the documentary includes interviews with former President Jimmy Carter, Civil Rights leader Andrew Young, New York Times writer David Brooks, author Susannah Heschel and a host of internationally recognized historians and theologians.
This event will take place at the Newseum, 7th Floor, 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. While the event is free and open to the public, space is limited – please register at https://give.newseum.org/ni-rsvp-02
For media inquiries, contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or 202/236-9952, and/or Kristen Looney, Project Director, klooney@newseum.org, 202/292-6473.
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Wesley Theological Seminary's Center for Public Theology, located in the heart of the nation’s capital, gives churches and seminary students tools to help navigate the connections between faith and public policy. Our goal is to improve the tone of national political discourse by fostering a new ethic of civil discourse. We are non-partisan, but not disinterested, in the great issues of the day. Located in the nation’s capital and centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, with its Institute for Community Engagement and the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world.
The Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute is a nonpartisan national initiative focused on educating the American public about the religious liberty principles of the First Amendment. We envision a world committed to religious freedom as an inalienable right for all people. In carrying out this vision, our mission is to educate the public about the history, meaning and significance of religious freedom and to promote dialogue and understanding among people of all religions and none.
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Contact: Sheila George, Director of Communications & Marketing A Very Personal Evening With CNN Political Analyst David Gregory and Mike McCurry; Their Lives in Politics, Media and Religion To Be Discussed At Live Streamed June 7 Event (WASHINGTON) 7 June 2016 – David Gregory, CNN political analyst, and Mike McCurry, former White House Press Secretary, will hold a frank evening of conversation regarding their very public lives in media and politics and their private journeys regarding religion at “Faith In A Public Vocation: A Conversation About Politics, Media and Religion” June 7, 2016, 68 p.m., at the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Downtown. This is the opening event for the Centre for Public Theology, a program of the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Theological Seminary Downtown. Mike McCurry is the Center’s Executive Director and Dr. Carolyn Davis, recently of the Center for American Progress, is the Center’s new Deputy Director. The Center plans to explore the intersection of faith and politics through events and special courses, such as the Certificate in Faith and Public Life, which will be launched in January 2017. McCurry is best known as the former White House Press Secretary under Bill Clinton. He is currently the cochair of the Commission on Presidential Debates and is the Distinguished Professor of Public Theology for Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Gregory, a journalist with NBC News for 20 years, has worked as White House correspondent, MSNBC anchor, and as moderator of the influential Sunday program "Meet the Press" for six years. He joined CNN as a political analyst in March 2016. His recent book is How's Your Faith?: An Unlikely Spiritual Journey, follows his quest to come to terms with his multifaith background and his exploration of other religious traditions in an effort to answer “ life’s most important questions: who do we want to be and what do we believe?” |
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The moderator for the event will be Wesley Theological Seminary President David McAllister Wilson, The panel will be joined by Rev. Ginger Gaines – Cirelli, Lead Pastor of Washington’s Foundry United Methodist Church. Located blocks from the White House, Foundry has over its 200year history been a church for presidents, members of Congress and ambassadors. Gaines Cirelli will speak to the role of faith leaders in supporting those exploring their faith publically while being public figures. There will be a period of Q & As with the audience in the room and on the Internet via #PublicFaith, 7:30 8:00 p.m. The event will be held June 7, 68 p.m. at the Institute for Public Engagement at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massaschuttes Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20001. The event will be livestreamed at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wesleytheosem starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern and interaction with the panelists will take place via #PublicFaith. For media inquires, please contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or 2022369952. Additional information at wesleyseminary.edu/mediaroom Wesley Theological Seminary is located in Washington, DC with a main campus in upper Northwest adjacent to American University and a downtown location at 9th and Massachusetts Ave NW where its Institute for Community Engagement is housed. Centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, the Institute for Community Engagement and the Center for Public Theology, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world. ### . " |
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WESLEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | 4500 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE NW, WASHINGTON D.C. | 202-885-8600 |
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Dr. Carolyn J. Davis Appointed Deputy Director of
Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON (May 23, 2016) Wesley Theological Seminary today announced the appointment of Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Davis as the Deputy Director of its newly created Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC.
Dr. Davis is a senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress in Washington, providing expertise in religious liberty and reproductive justice for its faith and progressive policy initiative. She will join the administration at Wesley Theological Seminary on June 6, working with the Director of Wesley’s Center for Public Theology, Mike McCurry, a professor of public theology at the Seminary and former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton.
The Center for Public Theology (CPT) at Wesley draws together courses, programs and events which examine ways that faith traditions impact policy and politics, especially in the nation’s capital. It is part of Wesley Seminary’s Institute for Community Engagement (ICE) which helps churches engage their communities with
the vision of “a transforming church that promotes communities where all people are cherished and flourish.” The Center for Public Theology is in its startup phase, funded with grants from the Henry Luce III Foundation and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation.
“Dr. Davis brings an exciting and nearly unique combination of skills that will help to ensure the successful development of our new Center. She knows her way around Washington, she wants to see the church find its voice and its place in the public square, and she has impressive academic credentials,” said Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, the President of Wesley Theological Seminary.
"Carolyn will be an indispensable part of growing and expanding Wesley Seminary’s impact on the discipline of public theology,” said Mike McCurry, Director of the CPT. “Now more than ever we
need a strong voice from the church and its leaders in the turbulent atmosphere of the nation’s public discourse.”
Dr. Davis is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University and a Ph.D. in religion from Vanderbilt University. She is an ordained Deacon in
the United Methodist Church and served Union United Methodist Church in Boston while teaching at Andover Newton Theological Seminary as a Lilly Faculty Fellow. Her academic specialties include expertise in applied public theology, particularly faithbased
engagements in policy debates over sexuality education, and discrimination against the LGBT community.
At the Center for American Progress, she has been instrumental in developing relationships between denominational officials, seminary and divinity school leaders, policymakers, and advocacy organizations. She is a frequent contributor to online discussions of public theology carried by Huffington Post, Sojourners, Talking Point Memo, ThinkProgress and Religion Dispatches.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Wesley community,” said Davis, on the announcement of her appointment. I'm eager to contribute to the success of the Center for Public Theology as it fulfills its urgent mission to engage leaders and restore the place of critical, socially just theological discourse in the public sphere."
Centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, through its Institute for Community Engagement (ICE), equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic
voices in the church and the world. Wesley Theological Seminary is located in Washington, DC with a main campus in upper Northwest adjacent to American University and a downtown location
at 9th and Massachusetts Ave NW where ICE is housed.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or call 202-236-9952
(cell).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sheila George
Director of Communications & Marketing
Wesley Theological Seminary
(202) 236-9952 Mobile
sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu
MEDIA ADVISORY
LIVE STREAM AVAILABLE TONIGHT AT http://bit.ly/1VL34Oy
TONIGHT: "The End of White Christian America and Its Implications for the 2016 Election":
Wesley Theological Seminary to host a lecture by Dr. Robert P. Jones September 29
(WASHINGTON) September 29, 2016 – Wesley’s Center for Public Theology will host a presentation by Dr. Robert P. Jones, the founding CEO of Public Religion Research Institute TONIGHT, September 29, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
Jones will discuss his new book, "The End of White Christian America," which has been hailed by The New York Times Review of Books as “quite possibly the most illuminating text for this election year.”
A leading scholar and commentator on religion and politics, Jones draws on decades of public opinion and demographic research to challenge us to grasp a new reality — that America is no longer a majority white Christian nation — and examines what influence this will have on the 2016 presidential election.
Directed by former White House Press Secretary Mike D. McCurry, the nonpartisan Center for Public Theology is a program of Wesley Theological Seminary, a historic United Methodist Seminary located in the heart of the nation’s capital.
WHAT: Presentation on “The End of White Christian America and Its Implications for the 2016 Election”
WHO: - Dr. Robert P. Jones, founding CEO of Public Religion Research Institute
- Dr. Carolyn J. Davis, Deputy Director, Center for Public Theology, moderator
WHERE: Lecture will be held at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church/Wesley Downtown
900 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.
WHEN: September 29, 2016, 6 to 8 p.m. The evening is free and open to the public. Space is limited – please register online at http://ow.ly.j5IM304hmsy
The Center for Public Theology aims to improve the tone of national political discourse by fostering a new ethic of civil discourse and offering a new generation of leaders the tools they need to navigate the connection between faith and public policy. Additional program leadership is provided by Deputy Director Rev. Dr. Carolyn Davis. Dr. Davis recently spoke of the reason for the evening: "It's especially important for organizations like the Center for Public Theology at Wesley to provide opportunities for understanding how and why American voters are engaging the values and beliefs of our diverse and changing society to respond to the challenges we face today.
Media Inquiries: please contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or (202) 236-9952.
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Contact: Sheila George,Director of Communications & Marketing
Wesley Theological Seminary, 202-236-9952, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu
SLAIN S.C. SENATOR DR. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY HONORED WITH ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW DOCTOR OF MINISTRY PROGRAM AT WESLEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
SCHOLARSHIPS WILL ENABLE STUDENTS TO FOLLOW PINCKNEY’S EXAMPLE OF DOUBLE CALL OF PUBLIC SERVANT AND PASTOR
WASHINGTON (June 16, 2016) - One day after a solemn prayer service held by students that spoke the names of the Pulse club Orlando victims, Wesley Theological Seminary marks the one year anniversary of the Charleston 9 shooting with a sign of hope – the establishment of a Doctor of Ministry program in Public Engagement in the memory of their slain student, South Carolina Senator, the Rev. Dr. Clementa Pinckney.
“Even as the nation reels from another violent massacre, we mark the martyrdom of Pastor Clementa Pinckney and 8 members of the Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC,” said Wesley Theological Seminary President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson. “The fundamental message of the Christian faith is the world is not how God intends, and the call to Christian leaders is to preach the Gospel of peace and engage the world with compassion and courage. Consequently, the only response to this anniversary for Wesley is to continue the work so important to Clementa, as a politician and pastor, through the establishment of a Doctor of Ministry in Public Engagement program, to raise up a new generation of people committed to public and pastoral service to all communities marginalized and in need.”
Pinckney was completing his Wesley dissertation on the double vocation of pastor and public servant in the African-American community when he was martyred with eight of his church members at a Bible study June 17, 2015 in Charleston, S.C.
By a unanimous vote of the Wesley faculty, Pinckney was awarded his D. Min. degree posthumously. His widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, and their two daughters, accepted the degree at the May 9, 2016 Commencement, escorted to the podium by Wesley Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership, the Rev. Dr. Lovett Weems Jr., Pinckney’s professor and dissertation advisor at the time of his death.
Weems remembered Pinckney as “humble, caring, and welcoming,” and someone who had a passion “for connecting the church and the public square, especially to help the most vulnerable.” While mourning the loss of his student and “his tremendous potential as a public leader who can unite people across long-standing racial divides,” Weems said the new Doctor of Ministry program established in Pinckney’s honor will “keep alive the faithful witness of Clementa…who found ways to engage public life on behalf of the common good.”
“What we’re trying to do is train individuals to be leaders in the 21st century who really understand, like Dr. Pinckney did, what it means to stand at that intersection between what he did in his public work in the South Carolina government and also his church work,” said the Rev.
Dr. Doug Powe, Wesley’s Professor of Urban Ministry and academic director of the D. Min. in Public Engagement.
To enable students to have an experience of the environment where Pinckney worked and ministered, this special D. Min. track will be taught in both Charleston and Washington, D.C.
“Starting off in Charleston will help students understand the context of what it meant [for Pinckney] to do ministry in a place where, until recently, the Confederate flag was still flying,” Powe said. “How it is that, as a leader, one can engage people saying, ‘Hey, this is problematic,’ but also at the same time engage them in a way that is faithful and loving. That challenge offers great opportunity for people to do wonderful ministry and bring about changes that are astounding.”
Aware that there are students who share Pinckney’s vision for public service and a call to church service but who may not have the resource to pursue the D. Min. in Public Engagement program, Wesley has established the Pinckney Scholarships, said Wesley Theological Seminary President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson.
“We need to find people who can continue Clem’s work, but it will take some financial help,” he said. “We want everyone who is interested in this track to apply, even if they are struggling financially.”
Wesley’s Pinckney Scholarships will help students who wish to follow his example, “those who care for their churches but also have a passion for the common good that extends well beyond the walls of the church,” said Weems. The initial offering of scholarships will be worth a total of $60,000 of student aid toward the costs of completing the program. Coming from the seminary’s general funds, as there are no endowments for the new program, scholarships will be based on need and the funds will be distributed to support as many students as possible.
For more information on the Doctor of Ministry in Public Engagement and the Pinckney Scholarships, go to www.wesleysemnary.edu/ doctorofministry/public-engagement/. Or, contact Wesley Theological Seminary’s Admissions Office at 202-885-8659, admissons@wesleyseminary.edu
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Located in the nation’s capital and centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, with its Institute for Community Engagement and the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sheila George
Director of Communications & Marketing
Wesley Theological Seminary
(202) 236-9952 Mobile
sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu
MEDIA ADVISORY - TONIGHT, 6-8 p.m.
David Gregory and Mike McCurry to Explore Their Lives in Politics, Media and Religion in Conversation at Wesley Downtown June 7
(WASHINGTON) 6 June 2016 – David Gregory, CNN political analyst, and Mike McCurry, former White House Press Secretary, will host a conversation regarding their public lives in media and politics and their private journeys regarding religion at “Faith In A Public Vocation: A Conversation About Politics, Media and Religion” on June 7, 2016 at the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Downtown.
The conversation is an opening event for the Center for Public Theology, a program of the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Theological Seminary Downtown. The Center plans to explore the intersection of faith and politics through events and special courses, such as the Certificate in Faith and Public Life, which will be launched in January 2017. The evening will be moderated by David McAllister- Wilson, President of Wesley Theological Seminary. The panel will be joined by Rev. Ginger Gaines – Cirelli, Lead Pastor of Washington’s Foundry United Methodist Church, who will speak to the role of faith leaders in supporting those exploring their faith publically while being public figures.
WHO: -CNN political analyst David Gregory
-Former White House Press Secretary and Director of Center for Public Theology Mike McCurry
WHERE: Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Downtown
900 Massachusetts, Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
WHEN: Tuesday, June 7, 2016
6-8pm
The event will be live streamed beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern - go to
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wesleytheosem; live tweeting at #PublicFaith
*Members of the media wishing to speak with Gregory or McCurry at the event, please contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or (202) 236-9952.
# # #
MEDIA ADVISORY
SLAIN SOUTH CAROLINA SEN. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY’S WIDOW TO RECEIVE HIS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED DOCTORATE AT MAY 9 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
WASHINGTON (May 5, 2016) -The widow of Rev. Clementa Pinckney will accept his posthumously awarded Doctorate of Ministry degree at the Wesley Theological Seminary’s 134th commencement on May 9,
The South Carolina senator (D) was a Wesley Theological Seminary D.Min. student at the time of his hate crime-related assassination with eight of his church members at a Bible study in June 2015 at the historic Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C.
At the commencement, a letter from President Barack Obama, Rev. Pinckney’s funeral eulogist, will be read to the graduating class, paying tribute to Rev. Pinckney and his posthumous degree.
Who: Jennifer Pinckney, wife of slain South Carolina Sen. Clementa Pinckney
What: Posthumous award to Rev. Pinckney and letter from President Obama at Wesley Theological Seminary commencement
Where: Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. –Monday, May 9, 2016, 2-4 p.m. Eastern.
When: Mrs. Pinckney will receive the degree from Wesley Theological Seminary President the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson between 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. during the commencement proceedings, which will run 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
CREDENTIALED MEDIA WILL HAVE A MEDIA OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW MRS. JENNIFER PINCKNEY 12:15-12:45 P.M. PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT AT THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL AND A BRIEF PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH MRS. PINCKNEY WITH HER HUSBAND’S UNIVERSITY DEGREE AT THE END OF THE COMMENCEMENT. CHECK IN AT CATHEDRAL MEDIA DESK AT FRONT DOOR TO BE ESCORTED TO MEDIA OPPORTUNITY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or call 202-236-9952 (cell) , wesleyseminary.edu/media-room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SLAIN SOUTH CAROLINA SEN. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY’S WIDOW TO RECEIVE HIS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED DOCTORATE AT MAY 9 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
WASHINGTON (May 6, 2016) -The widow of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney will accept his posthumously awarded Doctorate of Ministry degree at the Wesley Theological Seminary’s 134th commencement on May 9 at the Washington National Cathedral.
The South Carolina senator (D) was a Wesley Theological Seminary D.Min. student at the time of his hate crime-related assassination with eight of his church members at a Bible study in June 2015 at the historic Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C.
"Rev. Pinckney’s martyrdom completed his requirements for his degree," says Wesley President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson. This is the first time ever that Wesley Theological Seminary has awarded a posthumous degree to a student who has not completed their coursework. "The faculty voted unanimously to award the degree to his widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, at this year's 134th Commencement. At the time of his death, he was working on his thesis describing his dual role as a pastor and public servant. We believe he completed and defended that thesis that night.”
At the commencement, a letter from President Barack Obama, Rev. Pinckney’s funeral eulogist, will be read to the graduating class, paying tribute to Rev. Pinckney and his posthumous degree.
“Pastor Pinckney’s legacy of public service and ministry does not die with him. A new Doctor of Ministry track is being formed for pastors to prepare for public engagement, after his example, will be co-located in Charleston and Washington, D.C. so that more pastors like him will rise up in his place.”
MEDIA OPPORTUNITY: Pinckney’s widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, is available for interviews between 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. on May 9 at Washington National Cathedral. She will attend the Commencement and receive the degree from Wesley Theological Seminary President David McAllister-Wilson between 3:15 – 3:45 p.m. Eastern. Photo opportunities follow at 4:10 p.m. . The ceremony will be live streamed and viewable at https://youtu.be/XILNeIWPHSE.
CHECK IN AT CATHEDRAL MEDIA DESK AT FRONT DOOR TO BE ESCORTED TO MEDIA OPPORTUNITY. PLEASE HAVE CREDENTIALS WITH YOU.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or call 202-236-9952 (cell), wesleyseminary.edu/media-room
Seated in the nation’s capital and centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, and our Lewis Center for Church Leadership, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world.
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May 8, 2016: NBC affiliate WCBD - TV Channel 2, Charleston, S.C.
Widow of Slain State Senator Receiving Posthumous Degree
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By MEG KINNARD, ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBIA, S.C. — May 9, 2016, 9:49 AM ET
The widow of the pastor and South Carolina senator killed last summer at a historic black church in Charleston is accepting an honor on his behalf.
Jennifer Pinckney is accepting a Doctorate of Ministry degree Monday at commencement exercises for Wesley Theological Seminary at Washington National Cathedral.
Clementa Pinckney was among the nine people gunned down last June during a Wednesday night Bible study at the church he pastored, Emanuel AME. Wesley president David McAllister-Wilson says at the time Pinckney was working on a thesis dealing with his dual role as public servant and minister.
McAllister-Wilson says the school's faculty voted unanimously to award the degree to Pinckney's wife on his behalf.
A white man, Dylann Roof, is charged in the killings.
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MAY 9, 2016 6:52 PM
S.C. Sen. Clementa Pinckney remembered in solemn Washington ceremony
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article76617692.html#storylink=cpy
Wesley Theological Seminary’s commencement honors the slain leader
Widow, daughters present for ceremony at commencement in National Cathedral
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article76617692.html#storylink=cpy
South Carolina senator and pastor Clementa Pinckney should have graduated with his classmates on Monday. He should have walked down the aisle of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., to receive his doctorate from Wesley Theological Seminary, waving to family members and taking photos.
Instead, his widow and two young daughters stood at the altar on the rainy afternoon to accept the posthumous degree on his behalf.
“Clementa, you did it,” said Jennifer Pinckney, the late pastor’s wife. Her daughters, Eliana and Malana, stood by her side, clutching their father’s diploma and the hood that symbolized his academic achievement.
“CLEMENTA, YOU DID IT.” Jennifer Pinckney, widow of the late Rev. Clementa Pinckney.
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Martyred pastor posthumously receives degree
WASHINGTON — The widow of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney accepted his posthumously awarded Doctorate of Ministry degree at United Methodist Wesley Theological Seminary’s commencement May 9 at the Washington National Cathedral. Pinckney was a doctoral student at the time he and eight of his church members were murdered at the historic Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. WCBD News 2 in South Carolina has the story.
Live streaming of Wesley Theological Seminary's 134th Commencement (2-4 p.m. Eastern, May 9, 2016) can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtu.be/XILNeIWPHSE
Photos from the Commencement will be uploaded to this area on May 10.
Follow us on social media on Instagram (WesleySeminary),Twitter (@WesleyTheoSem), Facebook (WesleyTheologicalSeminary) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheWesleyseminary).
The following is the text of the letter sent by President Barack Obama on the occasion of the awarding of Sen. Clementa Pinckney's posthumous Doctor of Ministry degree. It was received by his widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney and her young daughters at the Wesley Theological Seminary's 134th Commencement May 9, 2016.
The letter was read at the Commencement by Wesley Theological Seminary President Rev. Dr. David McAllister - Wilson. The text follows:
Dear Friends,
Congratulations to the newest graduates of the Wesley Theological Seminary, and to all the family and faculty who helped you reach this joyous day.
In choosing a life of service to God and service to your community, you carry on the proud example set by one of your fellow graduates - a pastor and a public servant himself - Reverend Clementa Pinckney.
When Clem was taken from us last year, he had already completed the coursework for his doctorate. He was still working on his dissertation, seeking to explain how those called to serve the Lord could also answer the call to serve our democracy. He did not view these noble callings as working in conflict with one another, but rather as working in concert with one another.
At Clem's memorial service, I shared something he once said that illustrates the way he made both endeavors look so easy in his own life. "Our calling," he said, "is not just within the walls of the congregation, but...the life and community in which our congregation resides."
The notion that putting our Christian faith into action demands deeds and not just words - that's what Clem believed. That's the way he lived his good, full life. And what better way to honor his example today, at the National Cathedral, than by committing your lives to that blessed work.
I pray his example endures in your ministry, and I congratulate you all.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
May 6, 2017:
Wesley Theological Seminary's 135th Commencement will take place, Monday, May 8, 2017 at Washington National Cathedral from 2-4 p.m. Eastern.
In addition to awarding degrees to our graduates (Doctor of Ministry, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts and Master of Theological Studies), there will be various awards for academic excellence and the annual awarding of the Society of John Wesley Award.
Our Commencement speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Kyunglim Shin Lee. Shin Lee recently published groundbreaking research on the impact and best practices of international mission work, with a particular emphasis on the Christian church in Korea. In addition to being recognized as a global leader in mission work, Shin Lee serves as vice president for international relations at Wesley Theological Seminary
Shin Lee is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church. She earned degrees from Methodist Theological Seminary in Seoul, Korea; Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago and Wesley Theological Seminary.
The ceremony will be live streamed from 2-4 p.m. Eastern. Click to access live-stream.
September 29, 2016
Join us tonight for a special lecture by Dr. Robert P. Jones, author of "The End Of White Christian America" at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 6 to 8 p.m. - the event is free and open to the public. Please see our Media Advisory in the Media Room for more information. This evening's event will be live streamed at http://bit.ly/1VL34Oy.
June 17, 2016
Wesley holds in prayer today our alumnus, student and friend, the Rev. Dr. Clementa Pinckney, who was gunned down with 8 of his church members one year ago today at the historic Mother Emmanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition, we also hold in prayer his family, especially his widow Jennifer and her daughters Eliana and Malana. To remember Clementa, Wesley announces today the dedication of the D. Min. in Public Engagement to his memory. As well, the Pinckney Scholarship is announced today to enable students to continue Clementa's example of dedication to public service and church leadership via the D. Min. in Public Engagement track. See our media release for more information.
June 7, 2016: Tonight, 6-8 p.m. "Faith in a public vocation: A conversation about politics, media and religion" with Mike McCurry and CNN's David Gregory
Join in the conversation tonight!
While the event is sold out, ask your questions of the panelists and follow live tweeting #PublicFaith and watch the event live streamed starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wesleytheosem
May 23, 2016
Our major news today: the announcement of the appointment of Dr. Carolyn J. Davis as Deputy Director of Wesley's Center for Public Theology. Welcome, Dr. Davis!
WASHINGTON (May 23, 2016) - Wesley Theological Seminary today announced the appointment of Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Davis as the Deputy Director of its newly created Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC.
Dr. Davis is a senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress in Washington, providing expertise in religious liberty and reproductive justice for its faith and progressive policy initiative. She will join the administration at Wesley Theological Seminary on June 6, working with the Director of Wesley’s Center for Public Theology, Mike McCurry, a professor of public theology at the Seminary and former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton.
The Center for Public Theology (CPT) at Wesley draws together courses, programs and events which examine ways that faith traditions impact policy and politics, especially in the nation’s capital. It is part of Wesley Seminary’s Institute for Community Engagement (ICE) which helps churches engage their communities with
the vision of “a transforming church that promotes communities where all people are cherished and flourish.” The Center for Public Theology is in its startup phase, funded with grants from the Henry Luce III Foundation and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation.
“Dr. Davis brings an exciting and nearly unique combination of skills that will help to ensure the successful development of our new Center. She knows her way around Washington, she wants to see the church find its voice and its place in the public square, and she has impressive academic credentials,” said Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, the President of Wesley Theological Seminary.
"Carolyn will be an indispensable part of growing and expanding Wesley Seminary’s impact on the discipline of public theology,” said Mike McCurry, Director of the CPT. “Now more than ever we
need a strong voice from the church and its leaders in the turbulent atmosphere of the nation’s public discourse.”
Dr. Davis is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University and a Ph.D. in religion from Vanderbilt University. She is an ordained Deacon in
the United Methodist Church and served Union United Methodist Church in Boston while teaching at Andover Newton Theological Seminary as a Lilly Faculty Fellow. Her academic specialties include expertise in applied public theology, particularly faithbased
engagements in policy debates over sexuality education, and discrimination against the LGBT community.
At the Center for American Progress, she has been instrumental in developing relationships between denominational officials, seminary and divinity school leaders, policymakers, and advocacy organizations. She is a frequent contributor to online discussions of public theology carried by Huffington Post, Sojourners, Talking Point Memo, ThinkProgress and Religion Dispatches.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Wesley community,” said Davis, on the announcement of her appointment. I'm eager to contribute to the success of the Center for Public Theology as it fulfills its urgent mission to engage leaders and restore the place of critical, socially just theological discourse in the public sphere."
Centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, through its Institute for Community Engagement (ICE), equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic
voices in the church and the world. Wesley Theological Seminary is located in Washington, DC with a main campus in upper Northwest adjacent to American University and a downtown location
at 9th and Massachusetts Ave NW where ICE is housed.
(media release dated 23 May 2016)
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May 6, 2016:
It's all about Commencement this week! Our 134th Commencement will take place, Monday, May 9, 2016 at Washington National Cathedral from 2-4 p.m.
For the first time ever in Wesley's 135 years, a posthumous degree will be awarded to a student who did not complete his coursework - South Carolina Sen. Clementa Pinckney. Pinckney (D) was a Wesley Theological Seminary D.Min. student at the time of his hate crime-related assassination with eight of his church members at a Bible study in June 2015 at the historic Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C.
"Rev. Pinckney’s martyrdom completed his requirements for his degree," says Wesley President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson. "The faculty voted unanimously to award the degree to his widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, at this year's 134th Commencement. At the time of his death, he was working on his thesis describing his dual role as a pastor and public servant. We believe he completed and defended that thesis that night.” (see full media release for more information)
In addition to awarding degrees to our graduates (Doctor of Ministry, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts and Master of Theological Studies), there will be various awards for academic excellence and the annual awarding of the Society of John Wesley Award.
Wesley Theological Seminary: A Brief History
Our origin was in the 1881 meeting of the Maryland Annual Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church. Enabling legislation of that year led to a charter on the campus of Western Maryland College in Westminster, Maryland. For more than half a century the seminary thrived there as the training center for ministers of the Methodist Protestant Church.
In 1939, with the union of the three major branches of Methodism, Westminster Seminary became one of ten schools of theology of the new Methodist Church.
In 1955, institutional and church leaders determined the seminary should move from Westminster to the present site in Washington, D.C. In 1958, the seminary took up residence at its new campus and was renamed Wesley Theological Seminary.
In 1968 the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church to form The United Methodist Church. Simultaneously, Wesley Theological Seminary became one of 13 seminaries of the new United Methodist Church.
Wesley continues to celebrate its move to the city of Washington in the new millennium. In 2009, a new downtown presence and center of faithful learning opened with Wesley Downtown. At the 4500 Massachusetts Avenue campus, the revitalization of Oxnam Chapel in 2010 signaled the merging of traditional and contemporary liturgical space in an educational setting.
Across the courtyard, the library underwent major renovation in 2011. In the same year, the board of governors affirmed the seminary’s decision to build a brand new dormitory on campus. This new residence hall opened for residency in the 2013 fall semester.
Through varied strategic initiatives, taking advantage of both our location in Washington, D.C. and our connections across the globe, Wesley Theological Seminary is guided by its 40 year Vision and Mission Statements:
Mission
The mission of Wesley Theological Seminary is to equip Christians for leadership in the church and the world, to advance theological scholarship, and to provide a prophetic voice in the public square.
Vision
To play a key role in the continual renewal of the church.
Q. What is a seminary?
A. "A seminary, theological college, divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry.[1] The English word is taken from the Latin seminarium, translated as seed-bed, an image taken from the Council of Trent document Cum adolescentium aetas which called for the first modern seminaries." (Wikipedia)
Q. What kind of school is Wesley Theological Seminary?
Wesley is a graduate theological school of The United Methodist Church and a member of the Washington Theological Consortium, and theological education at Wesley reflects our joint commitments to our Methodist heritage and to the ecumenical movement. Wesley Theological Seminary embraces a renewed global vision of ministry, as we learn from the experiences of Christians in other lands. We are open to dialogue with all the world's varied communities, and welcome cooperation with all who work for peace and justice.
Q. What degrees are awarded here?
A. Wesley offers four degrees including the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Theological Studies, and Doctor of Ministry.
Wesley offers a dual degree program with neighboring American University combining a Master of Theological Studies from Wesley and a Master of Arts degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution or International Development from American University.
The Master of Divinity degree includes a field education (Practice in Ministry and Mission) placement, Spiritual Formation for Ministry, and an intercultural immersion. Optional specialties within the Master of Divinity degree include Student Pastor Program, emerging ministry, arts and theology, missional church and urban ministry. Master of Arts and Master of Theological Studies offer many options for specialization.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu, 202-236-9952 and/or Kristen Looney, klooney@newseum.org, 202/292-6473
D.C. PREMIERE OF NIEBUHR DOCUMENTARY MARCH 31; CO-HOSTED BY WESLEY’S CENTER FOR PUBLIC THEOLOGY AND NEWSEUM’S RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CENTER
WASHINGTON (March 17, 2017) – The Washington, D.C. premiere of the new documentary, “An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story,” will be co-hosted by Wesley Theological Seminary’s Center for Public Theology and The Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute on March 31, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the Newseum.
For a special video invitation from the filmmaker Martin Doblmeier, please go to https://vimeo.com/207017783
“In the swirl of politics here in Washington, we want the church to have a voice and Niebuhr gave us a map for that decades ago,” said Mike McCurry, director of the Center for Public Theology and former White House press secretary. “This movie illuminates that and seems relevant now more than ever. This film could not be more timely.”
Wesley’s Center for Public Theology seeks to equip faith leaders to be a voice in the public square. The partnership between the Center and the Religious Freedom Center made this premiere possible. The event is free and open to the public.
“It’s fitting that in the year of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation we reflect upon the words and deeds of Reinhold Niebuhr, who TIME Magazine called ‘the greatest Protestant theologian in America since Jonathan Edwards,’” said Rev. Nate Walker, director of The Religious Freedom Center. “The Religious Freedom Center is pleased to partner with Wesley Theological Seminary to reflect upon the roles that religious leaders can play in society, not only as first responders to oppressive agendas but as ethical agenda-setters.”
This event will feature a screening of the documentary followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Martin Doblmeier; Mike McCurry; Josiah Young, professor of systematic theology at Wesley Theological Seminary; The Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne; Gustav Niebuhr, associate professor of newspaper and online journalism in the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University; Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Davis, director of strategic development, Public Religion Research Institute.
To view the trailer of the documentary, please go to https://vimeo.com/201016991
Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) impacted presidents and civil rights leaders like Jimmy Carter and Martin Luther King, Jr., who often turned to Niebuhr’s writings for guidance and inspiration on the most volatile political and social issues of the 20th Century. Many suggest at this particular moment in America’s political life, the voice of theologians like Reinhold Niebuhr is particularly salient.
"An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story” is directed, written and narrated by Martin Doblmeier, the creator of dozens of challenging, award-winning films on faith including Chaplains and Bonhoeffer. Rich in archival material, the documentary includes interviews with former President Jimmy Carter, Civil Rights leader Andrew Young, New York Times writer David Brooks, author Susannah Heschel and a host of internationally recognized historians and theologians.
This event will take place at the Newseum, 7th Floor, 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. While the event is free and open to the public, space is limited – please register at https://give.newseum.org/ni-rsvp-02
For media inquiries, contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or 202/236-9952, and/or Kristen Looney, Project Director, klooney@newseum.org, 202/292-6473.
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Wesley Theological Seminary's Center for Public Theology, located in the heart of the nation’s capital, gives churches and seminary students tools to help navigate the connections between faith and public policy. Our goal is to improve the tone of national political discourse by fostering a new ethic of civil discourse. We are non-partisan, but not disinterested, in the great issues of the day. Located in the nation’s capital and centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, with its Institute for Community Engagement and the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world.
The Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute is a nonpartisan national initiative focused on educating the American public about the religious liberty principles of the First Amendment. We envision a world committed to religious freedom as an inalienable right for all people. In carrying out this vision, our mission is to educate the public about the history, meaning and significance of religious freedom and to promote dialogue and understanding among people of all religions and none.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sheila George
Director of Communications & Marketing
Wesley Theological Seminary
(202) 236-9952 Mobile
sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu
MEDIA ADVISORY
LIVE STREAM AVAILABLE TONIGHT AT http://bit.ly/1VL34Oy
TONIGHT: "The End of White Christian America and Its Implications for the 2016 Election":
Wesley Theological Seminary to host a lecture by Dr. Robert P. Jones September 29
(WASHINGTON) September 29, 2016 – Wesley’s Center for Public Theology will host a presentation by Dr. Robert P. Jones, the founding CEO of Public Religion Research Institute TONIGHT, September 29, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
Jones will discuss his new book, "The End of White Christian America," which has been hailed by The New York Times Review of Books as “quite possibly the most illuminating text for this election year.”
A leading scholar and commentator on religion and politics, Jones draws on decades of public opinion and demographic research to challenge us to grasp a new reality — that America is no longer a majority white Christian nation — and examines what influence this will have on the 2016 presidential election.
Directed by former White House Press Secretary Mike D. McCurry, the nonpartisan Center for Public Theology is a program of Wesley Theological Seminary, a historic United Methodist Seminary located in the heart of the nation’s capital.
WHAT: Presentation on “The End of White Christian America and Its Implications for the 2016 Election”
WHO: - Dr. Robert P. Jones, founding CEO of Public Religion Research Institute
- Dr. Carolyn J. Davis, Deputy Director, Center for Public Theology, moderator
WHERE: Lecture will be held at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church/Wesley Downtown
900 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.
WHEN: September 29, 2016, 6 to 8 p.m. The evening is free and open to the public. Space is limited – please register online at http://ow.ly.j5IM304hmsy
The Center for Public Theology aims to improve the tone of national political discourse by fostering a new ethic of civil discourse and offering a new generation of leaders the tools they need to navigate the connection between faith and public policy. Additional program leadership is provided by Deputy Director Rev. Dr. Carolyn Davis. Dr. Davis recently spoke of the reason for the evening: "It's especially important for organizations like the Center for Public Theology at Wesley to provide opportunities for understanding how and why American voters are engaging the values and beliefs of our diverse and changing society to respond to the challenges we face today."
Media Inquiries: please contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or (202) 236-9952.
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Contact: Sheila George,Director of Communications & Marketing
Wesley Theological Seminary, 202-236-9952, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu
SLAIN S.C. SENATOR DR. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY HONORED WITH ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW DOCTOR OF MINISTRY PROGRAM AT WESLEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
SCHOLARSHIPS WILL ENABLE STUDENTS TO FOLLOW PINCKNEY’S EXAMPLE OF DOUBLE CALL OF PUBLIC SERVANT AND PASTOR
WASHINGTON (June 16, 2016) - One day after a solemn prayer service held by students that spoke the names of the Pulse club Orlando victims, Wesley Theological Seminary marks the one year anniversary of the Charleston 9 shooting with a sign of hope – the establishment of a Doctor of Ministry program in Public Engagement in the memory of their slain student, South Carolina Senator, the Rev. Dr. Clementa Pinckney.
“Even as the nation reels from another violent massacre, we mark the martyrdom of Pastor Clementa Pinckney and 8 members of the Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC,” said Wesley Theological Seminary President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson. “The fundamental message of the Christian faith is the world is not how God intends, and the call to Christian leaders is to preach the Gospel of peace and engage the world with compassion and courage. Consequently, the only response to this anniversary for Wesley is to continue the work so important to Clementa, as a politician and pastor, through the establishment of a Doctor of Ministry in Public Engagement program, to raise up a new generation of people committed to public and pastoral service to all communities marginalized and in need.”
Pinckney was completing his Wesley dissertation on the double vocation of pastor and public servant in the African-American community when he was martyred with eight of his church members at a Bible study June 17, 2015 in Charleston, S.C.
By a unanimous vote of the Wesley faculty, Pinckney was awarded his D. Min. degree posthumously. His widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, and their two daughters, accepted the degree at the May 9, 2016 Commencement, escorted to the podium by Wesley Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership, the Rev. Dr. Lovett Weems Jr., Pinckney’s professor and dissertation advisor at the time of his death.
Weems remembered Pinckney as “humble, caring, and welcoming,” and someone who had a passion “for connecting the church and the public square, especially to help the most vulnerable.” While mourning the loss of his student and “his tremendous potential as a public leader who can unite people across long-standing racial divides,” Weems said the new Doctor of Ministry program established in Pinckney’s honor will “keep alive the faithful witness of Clementa…who found ways to engage public life on behalf of the common good.”
“What we’re trying to do is train individuals to be leaders in the 21st century who really understand, like Dr. Pinckney did, what it means to stand at that intersection between what he did in his public work in the South Carolina government and also his church work,” said the Rev.
Dr. Doug Powe, Wesley’s Professor of Urban Ministry and academic director of the D. Min. in Public Engagement.
To enable students to have an experience of the environment where Pinckney worked and ministered, this special D. Min. track will be taught in both Charleston and Washington, D.C.
“Starting off in Charleston will help students understand the context of what it meant [for Pinckney] to do ministry in a place where, until recently, the Confederate flag was still flying,” Powe said. “How it is that, as a leader, one can engage people saying, ‘Hey, this is problematic,’ but also at the same time engage them in a way that is faithful and loving. That challenge offers great opportunity for people to do wonderful ministry and bring about changes that are astounding.”
Aware that there are students who share Pinckney’s vision for public service and a call to church service but who may not have the resource to pursue the D. Min. in Public Engagement program, Wesley has established the Pinckney Scholarships, said Wesley Theological Seminary President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson.
“We need to find people who can continue Clem’s work, but it will take some financial help,” he said. “We want everyone who is interested in this track to apply, even if they are struggling financially.”
Wesley’s Pinckney Scholarships will help students who wish to follow his example, “those who care for their churches but also have a passion for the common good that extends well beyond the walls of the church,” said Weems. The initial offering of scholarships will be worth a total of $60,000 of student aid toward the costs of completing the program. Coming from the seminary’s general funds, as there are no endowments for the new program, scholarships will be based on need and the funds will be distributed to support as many students as possible.
For more information on the Doctor of Ministry in Public Engagement and the Pinckney Scholarships, go to www.wesleysemnary.edu/ doctorofministry/public-engagement/. Or, contact Wesley Theological Seminary’s Admissions Office at 202-885-8659, admissons@wesleyseminary.edu
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Located in the nation’s capital and centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, with its Institute for Community Engagement and the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sheila George
Director of Communications & Marketing
Wesley Theological Seminary
(202) 236-9952 Mobile
sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu
MEDIA ADVISORY - TONIGHT, 6-8 p.m.
David Gregory and Mike McCurry to Explore Their Lives in Politics, Media and Religion in Conversation at Wesley Downtown June 7
(WASHINGTON) 6 June 2016 – David Gregory, CNN political analyst, and Mike McCurry, former White House Press Secretary, will host a conversation regarding their public lives in media and politics and their private journeys regarding religion at “Faith In A Public Vocation: A Conversation About Politics, Media and Religion” on June 7, 2016 at the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Downtown.
The conversation is an opening event for the Center for Public Theology, a program of the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Theological Seminary Downtown. The Center plans to explore the intersection of faith and politics through events and special courses, such as the Certificate in Faith and Public Life, which will be launched in January 2017. The evening will be moderated by David McAllister- Wilson, President of Wesley Theological Seminary. The panel will be joined by Rev. Ginger Gaines – Cirelli, Lead Pastor of Washington’s Foundry United Methodist Church, who will speak to the role of faith leaders in supporting those exploring their faith publically while being public figures.
WHO: -CNN political analyst David Gregory
-Former White House Press Secretary and Director of Center for Public Theology Mike McCurry
WHERE: Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Downtown
900 Massachusetts, Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
WHEN: Tuesday, June 7, 2016
6-8pm
The event will be live streamed beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern - go to
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wesleytheosem; live tweeting at #PublicFaith
*Members of the media wishing to speak with Gregory or McCurry at the event, please contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or (202) 236-9952.
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Contact: Sheila George, Director of Communications & Marketing A Very Personal Evening With CNN Political Analyst David Gregory and Mike McCurry; Their Lives in Politics, Media and Religion To Be Discussed At Live Streamed June 7 Event (WASHINGTON) 7 June 2016 – David Gregory, CNN political analyst, and Mike McCurry, former White House Press Secretary, will hold a frank evening of conversation regarding their very public lives in media and politics and their private journeys regarding religion at “Faith In A Public Vocation: A Conversation About Politics, Media and Religion” June 7, 2016, 68 p.m., at the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Downtown. This is the opening event for the Centre for Public Theology, a program of the Institute for Community Engagement at Wesley Theological Seminary Downtown. Mike McCurry is the Center’s Executive Director and Dr. Carolyn Davis, recently of the Center for American Progress, is the Center’s new Deputy Director. The Center plans to explore the intersection of faith and politics through events and special courses, such as the Certificate in Faith and Public Life, which will be launched in January 2017. McCurry is best known as the former White House Press Secretary under Bill Clinton. He is currently the cochair of the Commission on Presidential Debates and is the Distinguished Professor of Public Theology for Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Gregory, a journalist with NBC News for 20 years, has worked as White House correspondent, MSNBC anchor, and as moderator of the influential Sunday program "Meet the Press" for six years. He joined CNN as a political analyst in March 2016. His recent book is How's Your Faith?: An Unlikely Spiritual Journey, follows his quest to come to terms with his multifaith background and his exploration of other religious traditions in an effort to answer “ life’s most important questions: who do we want to be and what do we believe?” |
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The moderator for the event will be Wesley Theological Seminary President David McAllister Wilson, The panel will be joined by Rev. Ginger Gaines – Cirelli, Lead Pastor of Washington’s Foundry United Methodist Church. Located blocks from the White House, Foundry has over its 200year history been a church for presidents, members of Congress and ambassadors. Gaines Cirelli will speak to the role of faith leaders in supporting those exploring their faith publically while being public figures. There will be a period of Q & As with the audience in the room and on the Internet via #PublicFaith, 7:30 8:00 p.m. The event will be held June 7, 68 p.m. at the Institute for Public Engagement at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massaschuttes Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20001. The event will be livestreamed at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wesleytheosem starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern and interaction with the panelists will take place via #PublicFaith. For media inquires, please contact Sheila George at sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or 2022369952. Additional information at wesleyseminary.edu/mediaroom Wesley Theological Seminary is located in Washington, DC with a main campus in upper Northwest adjacent to American University and a downtown location at 9th and Massachusetts Ave NW where its Institute for Community Engagement is housed. Centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, the Institute for Community Engagement and the Center for Public Theology, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world. ### . " |
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WESLEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | 4500 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE NW, WASHINGTON D.C. | 202-885-8600 |
Dr. Carolyn J. Davis Appointed Deputy Director of
Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON (May 23, 2016) Wesley Theological Seminary today announced the appointment of Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Davis as the Deputy Director of its newly created Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC.
Dr. Davis is a senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress in Washington, providing expertise in religious liberty and reproductive justice for its faith and progressive policy initiative. She will join the administration at Wesley Theological Seminary on June 6, working with the Director of Wesley’s Center for Public Theology, Mike McCurry, a professor of public theology at the Seminary and former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton.
The Center for Public Theology (CPT) at Wesley draws together courses, programs and events which examine ways that faith traditions impact policy and politics, especially in the nation’s capital. It is part of Wesley Seminary’s Institute for Community Engagement (ICE) which helps churches engage their communities with
the vision of “a transforming church that promotes communities where all people are cherished and flourish.” The Center for Public Theology is in its startup phase, funded with grants from the Henry Luce III Foundation and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation.
“Dr. Davis brings an exciting and nearly unique combination of skills that will help to ensure the successful development of our new Center. She knows her way around Washington, she wants to see the church find its voice and its place in the public square, and she has impressive academic credentials,” said Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, the President of Wesley Theological Seminary.
"Carolyn will be an indispensable part of growing and expanding Wesley Seminary’s impact on the discipline of public theology,” said Mike McCurry, Director of the CPT. “Now more than ever we
need a strong voice from the church and its leaders in the turbulent atmosphere of the nation’s public discourse.”
Dr. Davis is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University and a Ph.D. in religion from Vanderbilt University. She is an ordained Deacon in
the United Methodist Church and served Union United Methodist Church in Boston while teaching at Andover Newton Theological Seminary as a Lilly Faculty Fellow. Her academic specialties include expertise in applied public theology, particularly faithbased
engagements in policy debates over sexuality education, and discrimination against the LGBT community.
At the Center for American Progress, she has been instrumental in developing relationships between denominational officials, seminary and divinity school leaders, policymakers, and advocacy organizations. She is a frequent contributor to online discussions of public theology carried by Huffington Post, Sojourners, Talking Point Memo, ThinkProgress and Religion Dispatches.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Wesley community,” said Davis, on the announcement of her appointment. I'm eager to contribute to the success of the Center for Public Theology as it fulfills its urgent mission to engage leaders and restore the place of critical, socially just theological discourse in the public sphere."
Centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, through its Institute for Community Engagement (ICE), equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic
voices in the church and the world. Wesley Theological Seminary is located in Washington, DC with a main campus in upper Northwest adjacent to American University and a downtown location
at 9th and Massachusetts Ave NW where ICE is housed.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or call 202-236-9952
(cell).
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MEDIA ADVISORY
SLAIN SOUTH CAROLINA SEN. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY’S WIDOW TO RECEIVE HIS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED DOCTORATE AT MAY 9 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
WASHINGTON (May 5, 2016) -The widow of Rev. Clementa Pinckney will accept his posthumously awarded Doctorate of Ministry degree at the Wesley Theological Seminary’s 134th commencement on May 9,
The South Carolina senator (D) was a Wesley Theological Seminary D.Min. student at the time of his hate crime-related assassination with eight of his church members at a Bible study in June 2015 at the historic Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C.
At the commencement, a letter from President Barack Obama, Rev. Pinckney’s funeral eulogist, will be read to the graduating class, paying tribute to Rev. Pinckney and his posthumous degree.
Who: Jennifer Pinckney, wife of slain South Carolina Sen. Clementa Pinckney
What: Posthumous award to Rev. Pinckney and letter from President Obama at Wesley Theological Seminary commencement
Where: Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. –Monday, May 9, 2016, 2-4 p.m. Eastern.
When: Mrs. Pinckney will receive the degree from Wesley Theological Seminary President the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson between 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. during the commencement proceedings, which will run 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
CREDENTIALED MEDIA WILL HAVE A MEDIA OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW MRS. JENNIFER PINCKNEY 12:15-12:45 P.M. PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT AT THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL AND A BRIEF PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH MRS. PINCKNEY WITH HER HUSBAND’S UNIVERSITY DEGREE AT THE END OF THE COMMENCEMENT. CHECK IN AT CATHEDRAL MEDIA DESK AT FRONT DOOR TO BE ESCORTED TO MEDIA OPPORTUNITY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or call 202-236-9952 (cell) , wesleyseminary.edu/media-room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SLAIN SOUTH CAROLINA SEN. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY’S WIDOW TO RECEIVE HIS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED DOCTORATE AT MAY 9 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
WASHINGTON (May 6, 2016) -The widow of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney will accept his posthumously awarded Doctorate of Ministry degree at the Wesley Theological Seminary’s 134th commencement on May 9 at the Washington National Cathedral.
The South Carolina senator (D) was a Wesley Theological Seminary D.Min. student at the time of his hate crime-related assassination with eight of his church members at a Bible study in June 2015 at the historic Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, S.C.
"Rev. Pinckney’s martyrdom completed his requirements for his degree," says Wesley President, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson. This is the first time ever that Wesley Theological Seminary has awarded a posthumous degree to a student who has not completed their coursework. "The faculty voted unanimously to award the degree to his widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, at this year's 134th Commencement. At the time of his death, he was working on his thesis describing his dual role as a pastor and public servant. We believe he completed and defended that thesis that night.”
At the commencement, a letter from President Barack Obama, Rev. Pinckney’s funeral eulogist, will be read to the graduating class, paying tribute to Rev. Pinckney and his posthumous degree.
“Pastor Pinckney’s legacy of public service and ministry does not die with him. A new Doctor of Ministry track is being formed for pastors to prepare for public engagement, after his example, will be co-located in Charleston and Washington, D.C. so that more pastors like him will rise up in his place.”
MEDIA OPPORTUNITY: Pinckney’s widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, is available for interviews between 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. on May 9 at Washington National Cathedral. She will attend the Commencement and receive the degree from Wesley Theological Seminary President David McAllister-Wilson between 3:15 – 3:45 p.m. Eastern. Photo opportunities follow at 4:10 p.m. . The ceremony will be live streamed and viewable at https://youtu.be/XILNeIWPHSE.
CHECK IN AT CATHEDRAL MEDIA DESK AT FRONT DOOR TO BE ESCORTED TO MEDIA OPPORTUNITY. PLEASE HAVE CREDENTIALS WITH YOU.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Sheila George, sgeorge@wesleyseminary.edu or call 202-236-9952 (cell), wesleyseminary.edu/media-room
Seated in the nation’s capital and centered in the Christian tradition, Wesley Theological Seminary, and our Lewis Center for Church Leadership, equips exemplary teachers, preachers and leaders to be prophetic voices in the church and the world.
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May 8, 2016: NBC affiliate WCBD - TV Channel 2, Charleston, S.C.
Widow of Slain State Senator Receiving Posthumous Degree
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By MEG KINNARD, ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBIA, S.C. — May 9, 2016, 9:49 AM ET
The widow of the pastor and South Carolina senator killed last summer at a historic black church in Charleston is accepting an honor on his behalf.
Jennifer Pinckney is accepting a Doctorate of Ministry degree Monday at commencement exercises for Wesley Theological Seminary at Washington National Cathedral.
Clementa Pinckney was among the nine people gunned down last June during a Wednesday night Bible study at the church he pastored, Emanuel AME. Wesley president David McAllister-Wilson says at the time Pinckney was working on a thesis dealing with his dual role as public servant and minister.
McAllister-Wilson says the school's faculty voted unanimously to award the degree to Pinckney's wife on his behalf.
A white man, Dylann Roof, is charged in the killings.
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MAY 9, 2016 6:52 PM
S.C. Sen. Clementa Pinckney remembered in solemn Washington ceremony
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article76617692.html#storylink=cpy
Wesley Theological Seminary’s commencement honors the slain leader
Widow, daughters present for ceremony at commencement in National Cathedral
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article76617692.html#storylink=cpy
South Carolina senator and pastor Clementa Pinckney should have graduated with his classmates on Monday. He should have walked down the aisle of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., to receive his doctorate from Wesley Theological Seminary, waving to family members and taking photos.
Instead, his widow and two young daughters stood at the altar on the rainy afternoon to accept the posthumous degree on his behalf.
“Clementa, you did it,” said Jennifer Pinckney, the late pastor’s wife. Her daughters, Eliana and Malana, stood by her side, clutching their father’s diploma and the hood that symbolized his academic achievement.
“CLEMENTA, YOU DID IT.” Jennifer Pinckney, widow of the late Rev. Clementa Pinckney.
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Martyred pastor posthumously receives degree
WASHINGTON — The widow of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney accepted his posthumously awarded Doctorate of Ministry degree at United Methodist Wesley Theological Seminary’s commencement May 9 at the Washington National Cathedral. Pinckney was a doctoral student at the time he and eight of his church members were murdered at the historic Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. WCBD News 2 in South Carolina has the story.
Live streaming of Wesley Theological Seminary's 134th Commencement (2-4 p.m. Eastern, May 9, 2016) can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtu.be/XILNeIWPHSE
Photos from the Commencement will be uploaded to this area on May 10.
Follow us on social media on Instagram (WesleySeminary),Twitter (@WesleyTheoSem), Facebook (WesleyTheologicalSeminary) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheWesleyseminary).
The following is the text of the letter sent by President Barack Obama on the occasion of the awarding of Sen. Clementa Pinckney's posthumous Doctor of Ministry degree. It was received by his widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney and her young daughters at the Wesley Theological Seminary's 134th Commencement May 9, 2016.
The letter was read at the Commencement by Wesley Theological Seminary President Rev. Dr. David McAllister - Wilson. The text follows:
Dear Friends,
Congratulations to the newest graduates of the Wesley Theological Seminary, and to all the family and faculty who helped you reach this joyous day.
In choosing a life of service to God and service to your community, you carry on the proud example set by one of your fellow graduates - a pastor and a public servant himself - Reverend Clementa Pinckney.
When Clem was taken from us last year, he had already completed the coursework for his doctorate. He was still working on his dissertation, seeking to explain how those called to serve the Lord could also answer the call to serve our democracy. He did not view these noble callings as working in conflict with one another, but rather as working in concert with one another.
At Clem's memorial service, I shared something he once said that illustrates the way he made both endeavors look so easy in his own life. "Our calling," he said, "is not just within the walls of the congregation, but...the life and community in which our congregation resides."
The notion that putting our Christian faith into action demands deeds and not just words - that's what Clem believed. That's the way he lived his good, full life. And what better way to honor his example today, at the National Cathedral, than by committing your lives to that blessed work.
I pray his example endures in your ministry, and I congratulate you all.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
