Susanna Southard
Originally from Kansas, the Rev. Susanna Weslie Southard remains an ordained elder in the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church. In 2007 she moved to Tulsa, OK and joined the faculty of Phillips Theological Seminary, where her current titles are Interim Director of Supervised Year in Ministry, Chaplain, and Instructor in Ministry Studies. Susanna holds a Bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, an MDiv from Perkins School of Theology at SMU and an MA in passing from Vanderbilt University, where she studied Hebrew Bible. Her roles at Phillips have shifted over the years as needed. In addition to leading our Supervised Year in Ministry (field education) Program and overseeing the seminary’s worship life, Susanna currently teaches introductory practice of ministry courses and theological reflection groups. Susanna loves the church and feels passionate about helping others discover and appreciate the rich resources available through the Hebrew Bible for undergirding Christian faith and action. Therefore, she regularly teaches Sunday School classes for Tulsa area churches. She takes a reader-oriented, feminist approach toward Hebrew narrative with a specialty in the Five Festival Scrolls associated with Jewish holidays: Ruth, Esther, Song of Songs, Lamentations, and Ecclesiastes.