Hampton University ministers ’ conference
choir directors’ and
organists’ guild workshop
June 8-9, 2021
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vision (see)
mission (accomplish)
objective (do)
A model of non-sectarian interdenominational cooperation in the African-American church and in the world.
To build and promote God’s kingdom on earth through interdenominational cooperation.
The promotion of the work of the kingdom of God through the intense study and scholarly discussion of those problems and tasks which all ministries share together.
LIFTING PROP
IN BLACK CHUR
table of contents
The Greetings
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DR. WILLIAM R. HARVEY
PRESIDENT OF HAMPTON UNIVERSITY
REVEREND DR. DEBRA L. HAGGINS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND TREASURER
THE HONORABLE DONNIE R. TUCK MAYOR OF HAMPTON, VIRGINIA
DR. JOSEPH A. CONNER, SR. PRESIDENT, HUMC
MR. FRANK A. NELSON
PRESIDENT, CHOIR DIRECTORS’ & ORGANISTS’ GUILD WORKSHOP
hampton university ministers’ conference
HETIC VOICES
RCH TRADITION
The Itinerary
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REVEREND TIMOTHY BRANDON FARMER BISHOP CARTER G. ROBINSON DR. JOSEPH A. CONNER, SR. DAY 1 SCHEDULE REVEREND DR. GINA M. STEWART THE HONORABLE REVEREND DR. SUSAN JOHNSON COOKE DAY 2 SCHEDULE
hampton university ministers’ conference
H ampton
U n i ve r s i t y
h a m p t o n , v i r g i n i a 23668 (757) 727-5231
June 2021
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Greetings: Welcome to the 107th Hampton University Ministers’ Conference & the 87th Choir Directors’ & Organists’ Guild Workshop. This year’s virtual conference is a trip down memory lane. For over 100 years, we have welcomed world-renowned ministers, musicians and clergy to our campus to teach, preach, and learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is my hope that your participation in this year’s virtual event will be a reminder of how far we have come as a conference, as a people, and as a society. It is our sincere hope that we will be able to invite you back to campus for next year’s conference. We miss seeing your smiling faces and fellowshipping with you throughout the week. Until we meet again, I wish you good health and prosperity. With all good wishes,
William R. Harvey President
HAMPTON INSTITUTE THE UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE
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GRADUATE COLLEGE
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UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY HAMPTON, VIRGINIA 23668 June 8, 2021
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & TREASURER UNIVERSITY CHAPLAIN 757-727-5340
Greetings! Grace and peace to each of you in the name of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ. I bring to you the well wishes of Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey and the entire University family. It is indeed a blessing to correspond with you, and we pray that you and your families are remaining healthy and safe as our nation continues to confront the challenges we face due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations across the country and the world are facing these challenges with temporary adjustments to their normal modes of operation. The Hampton University Minsters’ Conference-Choir Directors’ & Organists’ Guild (HUMC-GUILD) must abide by similar protocols. The pandemic interrupted the HUMC-GUILD annual gathering and the election of officers in 2020. Welcome to the 2021 convening; a two-day virtual version of our regular six-day conference. All things taken into consideration, Hampton University Administrative Council has made a decision concerning the current officers in both the Ministers’ Conference and the Choir Guild. It has been decided that the current slate of officers will remain in place through June 2022 with an election to be held that same year. This decision prevents a disruption in organizational leadership and allows the current officers to continue to serve in the tradition of the conference and the guild. Thank you for your time and attention to this informational correspondence. We will continue to pray for your success in ministry, as well as your continued health and well-being. Sincerely,
The Reverend Dr. Debra L. Haggins, Ph.D. HUMC-GUILD Executive Director and Treasurer University Chaplain
Office of the City Council
Donnie R. Tuck Mayor
Council: Chris L. Bowman Eleanor Weston Brown Steven L. Brown Billy Hobbs Chris Snead
Jimmy Gray Vice Mayor
GREETINGS FROM THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HAMPTON, VIRGINIA On behalf of my colleagues on City Council and the residents of the great City of Hampton, it is my pleasure to welcome you in celebrating the 106tjh Hampton University Ministers’ Conference/86th Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild Workshop on June 8-9, 2021. The Ministers’ Conference was first held June 29-July 3, 1914 with forty ministers representing four denominations gathered in the Memorial Church. The welcoming of clergy from all Christian denominations is what has set Hampton’s conference apart from the rest and has led to its success for many years. Over the years, the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference/Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild Workshop has welcomed famous individuals to the campus of Hampton University. Past attendees have included Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev, Wyatt Tee Walker, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, Rev. T.D. Jakes and former President Barack Obama. While this year’s conference will be held virtually, we know that each of you will be spiritually uplifted and will receive education which will remain with you in the years to come. Best wishes for a successful and enjoyable virtual conference. Respectfully,
Donnie R. Tuck Mayor
“Oldest Continuous English-Speaking Settlement in America - 1610” 22 Lincoln Street, Hampton, VA 23669-3591 (757) 727-6315 council@hampton.gov
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President
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY MINISTERS’ CONFERENCE
I greet you with Jesus’ joy. Yes, even in the midst of a pandemic that has gripped our world, there is joy. The 2020 Hampton University Ministers’ Conference and Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild was sorely missed. We missed our annual sojourn to “Our Home by the Sea.” We missed the times of good preaching and beautiful music and rich fellowship. But our God has sustained us and has allowed us to encounter a 2021 virtual HUMC experience that promises to be a worshipful and glorious time experiencing God on a new and challenging platform. The past 15 months have taken a heavy toll on all of us. A COVID-19 pandemic has led to the loss of more than 500,000 persons, and has affected untold others with secondary sequelae. A pandemic of violence has led to deaths by various means and perpetrators, including by police officers sworn to protect our lives. A pandemic of racism has uncovered the smoldering presence of bigotry and prejudice and has surfaced an insidious cancer of hatred and insurrection. Where do we go from here: chaos or community? As we explore the Power of His Presence in the Midst of a Pandemic, we will attempt to answer that question. We can be assured that wherever we go, God is in our midst. God is taking us through to better days, to new places in Him, to greater depths of worship, to richer fellowship. As we take this exploration, I am grateful to Dr. William R. Harvey, Reverend Dr. Debra L. Haggins along with the administrators and staff of Hampton University. I am grateful to the Officers of the HUMC and the Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild. I am grateful to all of you who come to Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise. Hampton for renewal and inspiration as you grow in the Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise. ministry of our Lord. Thank you for your continual support of this historic and empowering conference. Welcome to the Hampton experience. Yours in the Service of our Lord,
Joseph A. Conner, Sr. Dr. Joseph A. Conner, Sr. President, HUMC
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide. Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise. Into a day break that’s wondrously clear I rise. Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave. I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise Maya Angelou
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President
CHOIR DIRECTOR AND ORGANISTS’ GUILD WORKSHOP
Greetings and Welcome to our 2021 HUMC- Choir Guild Virtual Gathering! It is yet another year that the COVID-19 global pandemic precludes us from gathering safely at our beloved Home by the Sea. While we miss the in-person fellowship, maintaining health and safety protocols remain paramount. The same technology that sustains our worship and stewardship at our local houses of worship will sustain us this week. We present to some and introduce to others some of the most powerful prophetic voices of the last couple of decades who have graced the ministers’ conference platform, filled the rafters with glorious voices and instrumentation from of the Choir Directors’ & Organists’ Guild. The theme Lifting Prophetic Voices in Black Church tradition is the backdrop for selected recital performances as well as the most stirring renditions of the Charles H. Flax Memorial Concert. Musical excerpted from worship services will undoubtedly recreate and remind us of the rich tradition of which you have been a part. Looking back at memorable moments that include the arrangers, composers, soloists and the choir guild directors serves as an inspirational springboard to enliven our future post-pandemic activities. Thank you so much for your presence in support of this year’s activities. We look forward to worshipping with you in the coming years! May the peace of our Lord and Savior be with you always. Musically yours,
Frank A. Nelson Frank A. Nelson President, Choir Directors’ & Organists’ Guild Workshop
Water was a significant instrument in the leadership life of Jesus Christ. He was baptized in water, turned water into wine, called disciples who made their living from the water, and performed the ultimate act of servant leadership by washing the feet of His disciples with water. Jesus calmed angry seas, offered Himself as the Living Water, and invited the spiritually dehydrated to drink the water He gives so that they will never be thirsty again. By the grace of God in Jesus Christ, we have a vision of what it looks like to have rivers of living waters flowing from within us. Even to the Book of Revelation as He pronounces, “It is done” and proclaims, “I am the Alpha and the Omega” Jesus extends this invitation: “‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.” Navigating the Call offers one such invitation to the Christian leader who is committed to the call of pastoral leadership.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments
Chapter 5
Foreword Preface
The Principle of Pastoral Capacity: Theological Vocation
Chapter 1
Chapter 6
Water, Navigation, Leadership
A Theo-Contextual Concept
Chapter 2
Chapter 7
The Principle of Pastoral Personhood: The Call
Navigational Leadership as Contextual Pastoral Praxis
Chapter 3
Chapter 8
The Principle of Pastoral Contemplation: Theological Reflection
Jesus as the Agent of Change & Guiding
Chapter 4
Epilogue
The Principle of Pastoral Cognition: Theological Education
Bibliography
For more information, visit: he.kendallhunt.com/haggins
Curtis L. Ross
Director 804-285-9411 cross@kendallhunt.com
S P EC I A L S E SS I O N P R E S E N T E R
Rev. Timothy Brandon Farmer, M.Ed., M.Div.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Timothy is the younger of two sons born to R.L. and Mary Farmer. He received his formal education in the Riverview Gardens School District. He went on to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he graduated as the top ranking student in his major (elementary education) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in May 2002. In May 2006, Timothy received a Master of Education degree in curriculum and instruction from Argosy University. In May 2012, he received a Master of Divinity degree in church and community leadership from Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He currently works as an Educational Technology Specialist for Atlanta Public Schools. He is also the Director of Technology and Communications at Cascade United Methodist Church. Timothy is also an ordained minister and serves on the ministerial staff at The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church. Timothy is highly involved in the beloved community. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated/Atlanta Alumni Chapter, Morehouse College National Alumni Association, St. Paul Saturdays Male Leadership and Development Program, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday Planning Committee. Timothy is the recipient of numerous honors including the INROADS Mark of Excellence, Honor Roll, and Student of the Year Award. Also, he has received the Morehouse College Top Ranking Student in Education Award, Outstanding Young People of Atlanta Award, and the Kappa Alpha Psi/Atlanta Alumni Chapter Polemarch’s Award.
S P EC I A L S E SS I O N P R E S E N T E R
B i s hop C art e r G. R o bi nson, D . Min. Bishop C. Guy Robinson is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and a 2006 graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he earned the Master of Divinity degree. He is a 2018 graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts, where he receive d the Doctor of Ministry degree with an emphasis in family therapy. As an extension of his passion for teaching, Bishop Robinson also serves as an adjunct professor/lecturer in the School of Social Work at Morgan State University in Baltimore Maryland, specializing in critical analysis of the impact if roles of spirituality and religious disciplines in the helping professions and upon social constructs. In November 2008, Bishop Robinson was called to the Jones Tabernacle Baptist Church, Baltimore. December 2013, the church was formally renamed The Tabernacle of the Lord Church: The dwelling place for a family of faith, growing in grace. Bishop Robinson serves State Bishop of Maryland for the Full Gospel Baptist Church fellowship, and was appointed to the sacred office of Bishop in June 2017. Bishop Robinson serves as an adjunct professor/lecturer in the Religious Studies Program Master of Divinity Program with emphasis in pastoral leadership and executive ministry. The Bishop and his wife Sandra are the parents of four children: Candice, Cameron, Sydney and Lauryn.
SCHEDULE HUMC 2021
DAILY
DAY 1
tuesday, June 8, 2021
9:15 am
pre-service time
9:30 am
CONFERENCE president’s message
10:00 am
reverend dr. katie geneva canon
10:45 am
reverend dr. gardner c. taylor
11:15 pm
archbishop jessie delano ellis, ii
12:30 - 2:00 pm
lunch
choir directors’ guild and church development and leadership academy workshops
2:00 -3:00 pm
dr. timothy farmer, m.div. (part 1) Easy, Simple, Free, and Effective Technology that can be Integrated to Enhance Worship for Music and the Arts
3:00 - 4:00 pm
bishop carter g. robinson, d. min. (part 1) Post-pandemic Pastoral Self-Care: The Scope of the Work
5:30 pm
pre-service time
6:00 pm
conference music perspective –choir guild
7:00 pm
Evening Service Evening Preacher: Reverend Dr. Charles E. Booth
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CO N F E R E N C E P R ES I D E N T
The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Conner, Sr., is a third generation member of the Church of God in Christ. He received his early religious training at the knee of his mother, Margaret J. Conner, and his preaching father, the Rev. Joseph Conner. He is a graduate of Antioch University of Philadelphia and the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia, earning the Master of Divinity degree in 1988 and the Doctor of Ministry degree in May, 2013. He has been involved in the ministry of the church from childhood: Sunday school, YPWW (Young People Willing Workers), Youth Department, Usher Board, Choir, Bible School, Summer Camp Ministries, Singles/ Couples Ministries, and the list is almost endless. In 1999, he was asked to facilitate the marriage of the Good Samaritan and New Dimensions Church families and this union is presently the New Beginnings Sanctuary of Praise Church of God in Christ in southwest Philadelphia. Dr. Conner, affectionately known as The Rabbi, has also been active in the life of the community. He has served as a board member of the Center for Urban Resources, the University of Pennsylvania Hospital Community Clergy Steering Committee, the Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia, and the Southwest Youth and Family Network of Philadelphia. In 2014, he was elected Vice President of the prestigious Hampton University Ministers’ Conference. Retiring after 33 years of employment as a Social Worker for the Philadelphia Prison System, Dr. Conner now serves as a Re-entry Specialist for the Kingdom Care Re-entry Network, a faith-based program working with ex-offenders. He is a member of the Board of the Alumni Association of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia; and in February 2013, was selected Chaplain of Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, The Rabbi has served as the personal secretary of the Bishop, The Right Rev. Benjamin J. Ravenel, Sr. Currently, he is the Chief Adjutant, responsible for the coordination of all of the official services of the jurisdiction. In December, 2011, he was appointed the Superintendent of the West Philadelphia District of the jurisdiction. Rabbi’s ministry enjoys the support of his wife June, a retired music educator, daughter Jasmin and son Joseph, Jr.
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the reverend dr. charles edward booth a prophetic preacher, scholar, author and mentor to many, quietly transitioned into his Heavenly Father’s arms on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at his home in Pickerington, OH. Dr. Booth was born in Baltimore, MD on February 4, 1947, to Hazel Willis Booth and William W. Booth. He graduated from Baltimore City College high school in Baltimore, MD, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University, and a Master of Divinity degree from Eastern Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Booth earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where he served on the Board of Trustees from 2011 until his death. He served as pastor of St. Paul’s Baptist Church in West Chester, Pennsylvania from 1970-1977, and has been the pastor of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Columbus. His dedication and passion for the art of preaching was shaped under the tutelage of Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor, Dr. Gardner C. Taylor and Dr. Harold A. Carter, Sr. The Columbus Ohio Education Association awarded the 2014 Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award to Dr. Booth for his documented commitment to local and global communities around the issues of unemployment, homelessness, education, and health.
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the reverend dr. katie g. cannon was the first African American woman to be ordained into the United Presbyterian USA denomination. in Shelby, North Carolina, on April 24, 1974, by the Catawaba Presbytery. Her early education began at a local Lutheran church. She was the salutatorian of her graduating class from George Washington Carver High School in Kannapolis in 1967. She enrolled at Barber-Scotia College in Concord, North Carolina and completed a degree in education in 1971. Three years later, in 1974, she received her Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
y3 2 Rev. Cannon earned both a Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy from Union Theological , 19 8, 50 - August Seminary in New York in 1983. Later, she completed a doctorate in ethics, becoming the first African American woman to receive both degrees at the seminary in 1989. She served as Parish Associate to Rev. Henry Pinckney in 1992 at First African Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rev. Cannon was also the author of Black Womanist Ethics (1988), Katie’s Cannon: Womanism and the Soul of the Black Community (1995), and Teaching Preaching: Isaac R. Clark and Black Sacred Rhetoric (2002). She edited other works including The Oxford Handbook of African American Theology (2011). Rev. Cannon served as Professor of Christian Social Ethics at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.
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the reverend dr. gardner c. taylor was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and received his AB from Louisiana’s Leland College in 1937. After a serious car accident, Dr. Taylor answered the call to the ministry. In 1948, he became pastor of the Concord Baptist Church in the Bedford–Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, NY, and served there until his retirement in 1990. Recognized affectionately as “the dean of the nation’s black preachers,” He was one of the first African Americans elected to the New York City Board of Education in 1958 and the first black and first Baptist president of the New York City Council of un Churches. It is reported that Taylor helped to found the Progressive National 5 e1 01 2 8, 1 , Baptist Convention, when the National Baptist Convention failed to fully engage in 918 - April 5 the civil rights movement. Taylor participated in protests with Dr. Martin Luther King, and offered him support through letters of encouragement. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000, and authored How Shall They Preach? (1977), The Scarlet Thread (1981), and Chariots Aflame (1988).
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archbishop jesse delano ellis ii was Metropolitan Archbishop of the Joint College of Bishops, presiding prelate of the Pentecostal Churches of Christ and senior pastor of the Pentecostal Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio. Locally and nationally, Archbishop Ellis was lauded for his leadership in African American Pentecostalism. In 1989, he founded the United Pentecostal Churches of Christ, now known as the United Covenant Churches of Christ. The Bishop was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, educated in the Philadelphia Public School System. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Howard University, a Master’s in Religious be Education from the Nazarene Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy 1 r1 er 1, 1 Degree in Ecclesiology and Episcopacy from Stafford University in London, England. The 944 – Septemb Bishop received his Ordination at the hands of (the Late) Bishop Ozro Thurston Jones, Sr. in 1963 and was elevated to theEpiscopacy in 1970 at the hands of (the Late) Bishop Brumfield Johnson atBoston, Massachusetts. The Bishop was one of the nation’s most respected Christian leaders. During his tenure in the Church Of God In Christ, he served as the third appointed Adjutant General from 1988-89. From 1992 to 2004, he served as the Presiding Prelate of United Pentecostal Churches of Christ (UPCC); Ellis also established the Joint College of African American Pentecostal Bishops. Having founded the Joint College of Pentecostal Bishops, he was elected (unanimously) by the Joint College in session in 2006 at Cleveland, Ohio with two-hundred Bishops casting a ballot and endorsing the Patent for the bishop’s Archiepiscopacy.
Preach to Change the World The Preach to Change the World Initiative is made possible by a grant from The Murdock Charitable Trust to the Office of Religious Affairs at Hampton University. The Murdock organization believes that, “It is only when the voices of all people are heard and everyone is represented that we can truly work toward the common good.” Our project fits neatly into Murdock’s push to promote civility and democracy. To that end, Hampton University has gathered a series of prominent African American pastors to present sermons specifically designed for this project with an aim to bring many substantial voices to a wider audience. Use this site as a resource to help you to plan and promote civility and democracy Sunday’s in your church. Other components will be added to the site such as digital newsletters for each month and recommended worship and bible study outlines.
SCHEDULE HUMC 2021
DAILY
DAY 2 9:15 am
wednesday, June 9, 2021
pre-service time
9:30 am
reverend dr. susan johnson cook
10:45 am
bishop noel jones
11:15 am
reverend dr. william watley
12:15 pm
bishop rudolph w. mckissick, jr.
Former Ambassador for Religious Freedom
12:30 - 2:00 pm
lunch
choir directors’ guild and church development and leadership academy workshops
2:00 - 3:00 pm
dr. timothy farmer, m.div. (part 2) Easy, Simple, Free, and Effective Technology that can be Integrated to Enhance Worship for Music and the Arts
3:00 - 4:00 pm
bishop carter g. robinson, d. min. (part 2) Post-pandemic Pastoral Self-Care: The Scope of the Work
5:30 pm
pre-service time
6:00 pm
conference music perspective – choir guild necrologists’ reports (2020 & 2021)
7:00 pm
Evening Service Evening Preacher: Reverend Dr. Gina M. Stewart
SCHOLARSHIP Are you interested in advancing your theological education? Visit us at: home.hamptonu.edu/online/ prospective-students ASSOCIATE OF ARTS
BACHELOR OF ARTS
MASTER OF ARTS
MASTER OF DIVINITY
The Associate of Arts (AA) in Applied Theology requires 60 semester credit hours. The degree offers three specialized areas of concentration: Biblical Studies, Religious Studies and Church Administration and Management. The program is designed for students interested in ministerial leadership through the rigorous study of religion, theology and worship in various forms and traditions of ministry.
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Religious Studies requires 120 semester credit hours. 72 hours in general studies and electives and 48 hours in Religious Studies. The program is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in theology, religion and philosophy while preparing them for graduate studies in religion, theology or biblical studies.
The Master of Arts (MA) in Practical Theology requires 48 hours of academic course and
The Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Religious Studies requires 72 hours of academic course
offers two specialized areas of concentration: Theological Studies and Worship Studies. The program is designed for students through the rigorous study of religion, theology and worship in various forms and traditions of ministry.
based work. The program is designed to: (1) prepare men and women for excellence in pastoral leadership, theological scholarship and community service; (2) provide university based comprehensive and advanced knowledge in the core areas of religion and theology, and (3) provide students with the opportunity to acquire and cultivate a body of specialized knowledge that will prepare them to become leaders of the church, community and academy.
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THE RELIGIOUS STUDIES PROGRAM AT HAMPTON UNIVERSITY, PENDING APPROVAL FROM SACSCOC, INTENDS TO OFFER THE MASTER OF DIVINITY (M.DIV.)
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huonline.hamptonu.edu religious.studies.hamptonu.edu
OF THE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS.
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Please call 757-727-5147 or log onto
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY IS ACCREDITED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA AND THE COMMISSION ON COLLEGES
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Rev. Dr. Debra L. Haggins, D. Min. Ph.D University Chaplain REV. DEBRA L. HAGGINS, M.DIV Religious Studies Program Director University Chaplain Religious Studies Program Director
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HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ISINTEND ACCREDITED THEIN DEPARTMENT EDUCATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE MASTER OF ARTS (MA). WE TO BEGIN THEBY DEGREE THE FALL OF 2016, OF THOUGH WE ARE AWAITING CONFIRMATION FROM SACSCOC ON VIRGINIA THEIR ACCREDITATION APPROVAL . OF AND THE COMMISSION ON COLLEGES OF THE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS. © 2021 Hampton University. All rights reserved.
P R ES E N T E R
Reverend Dr. Gina M. Stewart
The Reverend Dr. Gina Marcia Stewart is pastor of Christ Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. She has led the congregation of Christ Missionary Baptist Church since March 1995. She is a native Memphian and “daughter” of Christ Missionary Baptist Church where she was baptized, and mentored for ministry by her predecessor and former pastor, the Rev. Eddie L Currie.. She is the first African American female elected to serve an established African American Baptist congregation in Memphis and Shelby County. Dr. Stewart is a 1978 graduate of Memphis Catholic High School. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing in 1982 from the University of Memphis. In 1989, she received a Masters of Education in Administration and Supervision from Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville, Tennessee. She received the Master of Divinity degree from Memphis Theological Seminary in May 1996. Rev. Stewart also attended the Harvard Divinity School Summer Leadership Institute for Church Based Community and Economic Development (2000). She received the Doctor of Ministry degree from the ITC-Interdenominational Theological Center-(ITC)-Atlanta, Georgia on May 5, 2007. She is currently pursuing a PhD in African American Preaching at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana.
F I R ST W O M A N H U M C P R ES I D E N T
The Honorable Reverend Dr. Susan Johnson Cook The Honorable Reverend Dr. Susan Johnson Cook, Former Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, was the first woman to serve as President of Hampton University Ministers’ Conference at the turn of the 21st century. She has served as a policy advisor to President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros. Dr. Cook served as a dean and professor of communications at Harvard University, a professor of theology at New York Theological Seminary. In 1983, Dr. Cook was appointed pastor of the Mariner’s Temple Baptist Church in lower Manhattan, becoming the first African American woman to be named pastor by the American Baptist Association in its two hundred year history. Later, in 1996, she became the founder and senior pastor of the Bronx Fellowship Christian Church. In 1990, David Dinkins appointed Cook as the first woman chaplain to the New York Police Department. She is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Cook studies acting and singing at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts where she received her M.A. degree in education from Columbia University, her M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary, and the D.Min. degree from Ohio’s United Theological Seminary. She is also a graduate of Harvard University’s President’s Administrative Fellow Program. Dr. Cook is the mother of two sons, Samuel David and Christopher Daniel.
P R ES E N T E RS bishop noel jones has challenged us through his messages as a theologian and scholar who has been labeled “eclectic, a maverick, and a preacher’s preacher”, he is known for thinking outside the box and forcing us to think beyond traditional views of God and spirituality. Bishop Jones is a product of the educational and religious system of Jamaica, West Indies, where the disciplinary system was rigid and strict. Having been told early in his life that one did not question authority, especially the power of God he aspired to understand why. Through natural curiosity and a hunger for knowledge, he set out to determine the impact of one’s spiritual understanding on their identity, psychological development and behavior. And, thus, he began a lifelong pursuit of Biblical knowledge and comprehension – his quest has been to open the scriptures in order to recognize the enormity of God and share his discoveries with others. Bishop Jones attended St. Jago High School in Spanish Town, Jamaica, and received a Bachelor’s of Science from Aenon Bible College in Columbus, OH. His anointing, transparency and intellectualism have made him one of the most sought after voices in the United States of America and across the world. His first pastorate was at Bethel Temple of Longview in Longview Texas, where he served for almost 20 years. In 1994, he relocated to Los Angeles, California, and succeeded the venerable Bishop Robert W. McMurrary as Pastor of Greater Bethany Community Church, now known as The City of Refuge. the reverend dr . watley ’ s homiletical ability is both nationally and
intenationally recognized. He has the distinction of being the Conference Preacher for the Hampton University Minister’s Conference for two consecutive years as well as a Conference Lecturer. At the invitation of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., Dr. Watley preached to over 20,000 people at their annual International Holy Convocation. He was a lecturer for the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church’s Pastor’s Conference held at Philips School of Theology. Dr. Watley has preached at the Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, as well as Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Men Are Builders Conference. Moreover, Dr. Watley has preached on the continents of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America in addition to the island nations of Cuba, Barbados, Bermuda, and Trinidad. A mentor and educator, Dr. Watley has served as a visiting professor at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New York Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary as well as a guest lecturer at Harvard University, Payne and Turner Theological Seminaries. A prolific author, Dr. Watley has written and edited twenty-six books and has authored several booklets and articles throughout the past two decades. He is the founder and C.E.O. of New Seasons Press, the publishing division of William Watley Ministries. Dr. Watley has served as both a member and officeholder for several prominent organizations over the last twenty years. An ecumenical leader, Dr. Watley served as the Associate General Secretary of the Council on Church Union (COCU), a member of the Missions Unit for the World Council of Churches (WCC), and a member of the Governing Board for the National Council of Churches (NCC). He served on the Board of Directors for Beth Israel and Horizon/Mercy Hospitals (NJ), the United Negro College Fund and the Fund for Theological Education. In addition, he was a member of the Advisory Boards for First Union Bank, the African American Pulpit, and the Interpreter’s Bible Commentaries. Dr. Watley received his Bachelor of Arts in Theology from St. Louis University and a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center. He received a Master of Philosophy and his Doctor of Philosophy in Ethics from Columbia University. He holds a Doctor of Divinity from Payne Theological Seminary, and in addition, completed post-doctoral work at the Ecumenical Institute in Celigny, Switzerland and Harvard’s Institute for Education Management.
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bishop rudolph w. mckissick, jr., is Senior Pastor of the Bethel
Church, located in Jacksonville, Florida. McKissick returned to Bethel in 1995 to share leadership with his father, and has since succeeded him as the sole Senior Pastor of the church. Bethel is the oldest existing Baptist church in the state of Florida, founded in 1838, and yet remains a thriving, vibrant and growing congregation. Bishop McKissick is a powerful messenger of God who has established himself nationally as an outstanding preacher, teacher, theologian and academician. His preaching prowess has afforded him many national platforms and accolades. McKissick has served as a professor at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio in the capacity of doctoral mentor, where students have been selected to sit in a learning cohort under his academic mentorship as they work towards their earned Doctor of Ministry degree. Bishop McKissick, Jr. holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Jacksonville University with a double major in the field of music: one in Opera and the other in Sacred Church Music, with a minor in pipe organ performance. He holds the Master of Divinity Degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Religion at Virginia Union University, and the Doctor of Ministry Degree from the United Theological Seminary. Bishop McKissick has been awarded the honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from both Bethune Cookman University as well as Virginia Union University. In June of 2008, he was consecrated and elevated into the high office of Bishop in the Lord’s church by Bishop Paul S. Morton. Bishop McKissick, Jr. serves on various boards, which include being a board member of the National Action Network, founded by Rev. Al Sharpton and the Advisory Board of the College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance at Florida State University. Bishop McKissick is the author of several books as well as an accomplished musician with several national, critically acclaimed music projects, including “The Recovery”, which debuted at number two on the national billboard charts. In July of 2010, McKissick’s book, “God’s Got My Back” reached number one on the Independent Publishers Book chart. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., as well as Sigma Pi Phi Boule (pronounced BOO-LAY). He is married to the former Kimberly Joy Nichols and they are the proud parents of three beautiful children; Jocelyn, Janai (pronounced JANAY) and Joshua.
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