The basic reason I left parish ministry in 1987 and began my ministry in theological education is this: I want to educate women and men who will lead the Christian church to speak and act with compassion, justice, and intelligence, as measured by the way of Jesus. In 1992, when I first interviewed with Phillips Theological Seminary to become the doctor of ministry program director, I found a community of scholars with a like calling. When I left the Chicago area and joined Phillips in 1993, I found a new home.

Now, after 16 years and a journey that took me through becoming dean at PTS, leaving for 5 years to serve as church relations director at another seminary, and working for the last 4 years at PTS as vice president of stewardship, I’ve been given the extraordinary opportunity to work with this community in a new way.

We are grateful for our past, for all the leaders who have provided us an attractive, functional campus, a growing endowment, and—most importantly—a good name among the churches because of our work educating clergy candidates. We will continue this legacy. But we also look around at the ecology of congregations today. What we see reminds me of the old saw that “war is too important to be left to generals.” Theological education is too important to be left to clergy alone! In addition to providing education for women and men who are called to the ministry of the ordained, PTS wants to offer theological education to the whole church. Our new and substantial efforts to offer degree program courses online, the graduate certificate program, and our Faith Matters series in Tulsa and Edmond are three expressions of our commitment to educate the whole church.

Because we want to live in a church that speaks and acts with compassion, justice, and intelligence, as measured by the way of Jesus, the Phillips Theological Seminary trustees have marshaled the faculty, staff, facilities, and library to offer an excellent theological education.

Interested?  

Gary Peluso-Verdend

President

Associate Professor of Practical Theology