Bruce C. Birch, Ph.D., is Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.

A native of Kansas, Dr. Birch received a B.A. from Southwestern College, B.D. from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University and a M.A., M.Phil., and  Ph.D. from Yale University.  He completed post-doctoral study at Tübingen University in Germany.  Dr. Birch taught at Yale, Iowa Wesleyan College and Erskine College prior to joining the faculty at Wesley in 1971.  He has taught as visiting professor in numerous international settings including Russia, Israel, Liberia, Mexico, Korea, Indonesia, Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

An ordained United Methodist Elder in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference,  Dr. Birch has been a delegate to UMC General and Jurisdictional Conferences and served on its General Board of Church and Society. 

A frequent contributor to journals and periodicals, Dr. Birch has authored eighteen books including What Does the Lord Require?; Singing the Lord’s Song; Let Justice Roll Down: The Old Testament, Ethics and Christian Life; Hosea, Joel, Amos for the Westminster Bible Companion, and To Love As We Are Loved: The Bible and Relationships.  With Larry Rasmussen he has co-authored The Predicament of the Prosperous and Bible and Ethics in the Christian Life.  He has served as one of the Old Testament editors for the New Interpreter’s Bible and contributed the commentary on 1 and 2 Samuel.  With Walter Brueggemann, Terence Fretheim, and David Petersen, he co-authored A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament, now in its second edition. He co-authored with Lewis A. Parks Ducking Spears, Dancing Madly: A Biblical Model of Church Leadership. His most recent book is Bible and Ethics in the Christian Life: A New Conversation, co-authored with Larry Rasmussen, Jacqueline Lapsley and Cynthia Moe-Lobeda.

Youtha Hardman-Cromwell is a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Alexandria District. She specializes in contextual education and homiletics and brings this passion to bear through her leadership in Wesley Theological Seminary's Practice for Ministry and Mission program. Her current projects include manuscripts on:

Images in Sermons;
19th Century African American Preaching; and
The Meaning of Marriage in our Religious Tradition.

Education

Ph.D., American University

M.Div., Howard University School of Divinity

Ed.S., University of Virginia

M.S., Troy State

B.S., George Washington University

Publications

"Imaging the Sermon," in The African American Pulpit, Winter 2002-2003, pp. 18-20.
Book review in Quarterly Review 21:4, Winter 2001, 432 of Preaching to Head and Heart, by Thomas R. Swears, Nashville: Abingdon, 2000.
"Case Study: Service and Survival" with Sue Zabel
In Transforming the City: Reframing Education for Urban Ministry. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmanns Publishing Company, 2002.
"Response" in Connecting with Today's Theological Students: A Collection of Presentations. Washington, D. C: The Washington Theological Consortium, Fall 2001.
"Spirituality and Sexuality: Both or Neither," in Shaping Sanctuary. Chicago: RCP, 2000, pp. 5-8.
"'Freedom From" In Negro Preaching of the Nineteenth Century," AQT Special Issue "The Pulpit Leads the World." December 2000, pp. 277-295.
"Make It Plain: Make It Portable: Effective Sermon Images," Quarterly Review, Summer 2000, pp. 199 -215.
"Not In My Church," a case study in Journal for Case Teaching, Number 9, 1997/98, pp. 59-63.
FaithLink and FaithNow, United Methodist Publishing House Adult Christian Education Weekly Publication, Since July 1995 I have researched or written an issue once a month (January 1998 issue: "Sound or Silence").
"Young, Gay, Dead: Suicide in Homosexual Teenagers" Open Hands, Summer 1997.
"If Mary Came Again" (December 1999)," Experiencing Joy" (December 1997), and "Come Before Winter" (December 1996), The Trumpeter, Trinity United Methodist Church.
"Using Maps With Children," Children's Teacher, Church School Publications, The United Methodist Publishing House, Spring, 1997.
"Change is Coming: How Shall We Respond?" in Virginia United Methodist Advocate, p. 5, November 24, 1994.
"Interrogation and Accusation, "March 31, 1995 Meditation in Liberation and Unity 1995, Princeton, N.J.: Consultation on Church Union, 1994.
"Living in the Intersection: Black Women Writers," in Living the Intersection, Cheryl Sanders, ed., Augsburg, Fortress, 1994.
"Power and Sexual Abuse in Ministry," Journal of Religious Thought, Volume 48, Number 1, Summer-Fall 1991.

Relevant Classes Taught

Internship in Ministry and Mission
Sexual Issues in Parish Ministry
Studying Congregational Ministry, taught with Joseph Tortorici

Dr. Marullo directs Wesley’s newly created Center for the Missional Church, located at our Wesley Downtown location. He joined the Wesley faculty in 2010 after serving more than nine years as Chair and Professor of the Department of Sociology at Georgetown University. A 2010 M.Div. of Wesley, Dr. Marullo now serves a crucial role in equipping church leaders for missional engagement in the world. The Center helps to “turn churches inside out” as leaders learn about fruitful ministry practices in service, mission, social justice, and community transformation. The Center supports Wesley’s curriculum development in the areas of urban ministry, public theology, missional church and evangelism. Dr. Marullo teaches courses in the areas of missional church, urban ministry, social justice, and social research in ministry.

Education

Wesley Theological Seminary, M.Div.
Columbia University, Ph.D. Sociology
Columbia University, M.A., Sociology
Colgate University, A.B., Mathematics and Social Relations

Relevant Classes Taught

Missional Fellows
Seminary Urban Fellows Seminar
Social Research for Ministry
Leadership and Practices of the Missional Church
Spiritual Formation for the Practice of Ministry

Deborah Sokolove is Professor Emerita and was previously Director of the Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion. With a background in art education and computer graphics, most of her courses and her writing focus on the intersection of the arts with theology, liturgy, and culture. In addition to her teaching and writing, she also maintains an active studio practice as a painter. Her paintings have been shown locally and nationally, and are represented in numerous collections including two works in Oxnam Chapel: a set of Stations of the Cross, and Sanctus, which was created as part of the chapel renovation. Sokolove is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the North American Academy of Liturgy, Christians in the Visual Arts, and is on the Board of Directors of the Society for Religious and Theological Studies. She is a Steward of Seekers Church, an intentional Christian congregation in the tradition of Church of the Saviour, where she serves on the worship planning group and frequently preaches and leads worship.

Education

Ph.D., Drew University

M.T.S., Wesley Theological Seminary

B.A., M.F.A., California State University

Selected Publications

Calling on God: Inclusive Language Prayers for Three Years of Sundays, co-authored with Peter Bankson, Skylight Paths/Christian Journeys, 2014

Sanctifying Art: Inviting Conversation Between Artists, Theologians, and the Church, Wipf & Stock, 2013 

"Marking Time: Dressing the United Methodist Church for Worship 1982-2002", 2003, dissertation, Drew University

Lew Parks teaches is the areas of United Methodist polity and leadership and administration in small churches at Wesley. He is the pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church in Lemoyne, PA. Before being called to Wesley in 1998 he served United Methodist churches of all sizes throughout the Susquehanna Conference (formally Central Pennsylvania) and was a district superintendent of a town and country district. He is a five time delegate to General Conference of the UMC and served on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. He served as Wesley's director of the Doctor of Ministry program for 20 years, retiring from this role in July 2018.

He co-authored Ducking Spears, Dancing Madly (2004) with Bruce Birch and wrote Preaching in the Small Membership Church (2009). In recent years he has been working with lay and clergy leaders of small churches across the country. Dr. Parks is married to Peggy. They have two children, six grandchildren and live in Mechanicsburg, PA.

Education

Ph.D., St. Mary's Seminary-Baltimore

M.Div., Wesley Theological Seminary

B.S., Lock Haven University

Publications

Ducking Spears, Dancing Madly: A Biblical Model of Church Leadership with Bruce Birch (2004)
Preaching in the Small Membership Church (2009)

Relevant Classes Taught

Polity of The United Methodist Church
Leadership and Administration in Small Churches
Project Seminar for the Doctor of Ministry
Leadership across Time and Culture

A native of upstate NY, Dr. Dombkowski Hopkins has studied twice at the Ecumenical Institute for Theological Studies on the West Bank. She has received a Wabash Center Project Grant, sponsored by the Lilly Endowment (2013), an Association of Theological Schools Research Grant (2007), and a Theological Education Renewal Award from the Yale Center for Faith and Culture (2006), all with her colleague, Michael Koppel. She also received an Exemplary Teaching Award (2011-12) from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. She is the mother of two children, Brian and Ariel, and an avid gardener, tennis player, and ballet lover.

Education

Ph.D., M.A., Vanderbilt University, with honors

B.A., Syracuse University, magna cum laude

Research Interests

Psalms, feminist interpretation of the Bible, and the intersections between the Bible and Pastoral Care. 

Selected Publications

Books II and III of the Psalms (pgs. 42-89) in the Wisdom Commentary Series (Liturgical Press, 2016). Winner of the Catholic Press Association Best in the Academic Study of the Bible Award.

"Judith" in Women's Bible Commentary, 3rd ed., (Westminster John Knox, 2012)

Grounded in the Living World: The Old Testament and Pastoral Care Practices (co-authored with Michael Koppel, Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2010)

Journey through the Psalms (Chalice Press, 2002)

Relevant Courses Taught

Introduction to Hebrew Bible
Biblical Hebrew
Psalms
Biblical Interpretation Decalogue
Images of Leadership in the Bible Arts in the Bible
The Megilloth: Ruth, Esther, Lamentations, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes
Jeremiah and Trauma
Genesis 1-3
The Hebrew Bible and Pastoral Care Practices (with Michael Koppel)

Eileen Guenther is professor of church music at Wesley Theological Seminary. She teaches music and worship courses, directs the chapel choir, co-directs the chapel services.

She has led seven groups of Wesley students on intercultural immersion trips to South Africa. Dr. Guenther has served as visiting lecturer at Africa University in Zimbabwe. As part of the Global Praise team she has taught music and worship in Uganda for representatives from the five countries that make up the East Africa Conference of The United Methodist Church and in Cote d’Ivoire.

Eileen is a national and international organ recitalist and has performed in recordings with Etherea Records, the US Air Force Orchestra, Vista Records (London) and Foundry Records. As an extension of her music ministry, she leads workshops nationally for musical and denominational organizations. Her book, Rivals or a Team: Clergy-Musician Relationships in the Twenty-First Century was published by MorningStar Music in 2012 and she is currently writing a book on The Power of Spirituals.

Dr. Guenther has just concluded three terms as president of the American Guild of Organists, having previously served this international organization of 16,500 members in a variety of capacities from National Councillor for Organizational Concerns to National Vice President. For many years she was the host of an award-winning program, "The Royal Instrument," heard on Washington's primary classical music station at that time, WGMS.

In June 2007, Dr. Guenther concluded a distinguished career at Foundry United Methodist Church, where she had served as minister of music and liturgy for many years. The Foundry Choir appeared at General Conference twice and at the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference on many occasions. They sang at The White House numerous times and were described by The Washington Post as "one of Washington's best choruses." With repertoire ranging from J. S. Bach to Washington, D.C. composer Thomas Beveridge, these singers presented a Concert for Life for many years, raising over $600,000 for organizations serving those living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa and in the Washington area.

Education

The Catholic University of America, D.M.A., Organ

The Catholic University of America, M.A., Musicology

University of Kansas, B.M., Organ

University of Kansas, B.A., English

Relevant Classes Taught

Chapel Choir
Exploring the Hymnal Music Skills for the Local Church
Music and Social Justice
Sacred Music in the USA
Songs of Zion: Spirituals in the Life of The Church, taught with William McClain
Worship Today, taught with Lucy Hogan

Lucy Hogan has taught at Wesley since 1987. Raised in Minnesota, she has been ordained in the Episcopal church since 1981. She holds a Ph.D. from The University of Maryland with an emphasis on rhetoric, communications, and the history of women’s public speaking and preaching (1995). The intersection of preaching and rhetoric has been a focus of Dr. Hogan’s research and writing. She is currently working on a book challenging Christians to realize the importance of rhetoric in helping them to preach and communicate in a challenging world. Dr. Hogan is past president of the North American Academy of Homiletics (2014-2016) and Societas Homiletica (2008-2010), the international preaching society.

Education

Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, MD

D.MIN, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC

M.Div, Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, VA

B.A., Macalester College, St. Paul, MN

Research Interests

Intersection of Preaching and Rhetoric

History of Preaching

Creativity in the Preparation of Sermons

Communications

Publications

Connecting with the Congregation, Abingdon Press

Graceful Speech: An Invitation to Preaching, WJK

The Six Deadly Sins of Preaching, Abingdon Press

Lenten Services, Abingdon Press

Relevant Classes Taught

Foundations of Preaching

Preaching the Lectionary

Preaching Special Occasion Sermon

Preaching the Sermon Series

Preaching the Church Year

Preaching Baptism and Eucharist

Effective Communication for Church Leaders

Mike McCurry has nearly four decades of experience in Washington working as a press secretary for U.S. Senators, the Secretary of State (Warren Christopher) and President Bill Clinton.  McCurry served on the Wesley Seminary Board of Governors from 2000 to 2013 and also serves on the Boards of Share Our Strength, the Children’s Scholarship Fund, and Common Sense Media. He is a lay leader in his local congregation, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Kensington, MD.

Education

M.A., Wesley Theological Seminary, 2013

M.A. in Liberal Studies, Georgetown University, 2005

B.A., Princeton University, 1975

Research Interests

Public Theology

Faith and Politics

Publications

Various op-ed and journal articles related to presidential politics, faith in the public square, and public theology

Relevant Classes Taught

National Capital Semester for Seminarians (NCSS)
Religion and the American Presidency

Guest Lecturer, D.Min track, Cambridge UK

Lovett H. Weems, Jr., a preeminent authority on church leadership, is respected as a pastor, educator, author, and church leader. Now distinguished professor of church leadership emeritus and senior consultant of Wesley’s Lewis Center for Church Leadership, he served as the Center’s founding director in 2003 after eighteen years as president of Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri. Previously as a long-time United Methodist pastor in Mississippi, his ministry was marked by evangelism and social concerns, leading the renowned Mississippi writer Willie Morris to describe him as “one of the persons who added much to the growing civility of Mississippi.”

Education

D.D., Millsaps College (honorary)

D.D., Central Methodist University (honorary)

D.D., Baker University (honorary)

D.Min., Wesley Theological Seminary

M.Th., Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology

B.A., Millsaps College

Research Interests

Sustaining and Adaptive Congregational Leadership

Changing Nature of the U.S. Religious Workforce

Social and Religious Trends in the U.S.

Publications

Overflow: Increase Worship Attendance & Bear More Fruit (with Tom Berlin), Abingdon Press, 2013

Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results (with Tom Berlin), Abingdon Press, 2011

Church Leadership, Revised Edition, Abingdon Press, 2010

Leadership in the Wesleyan Spirit, Abingdon Press, 1999

Relevant Classes Taught

Beginning Ministry in a New Setting

Church Finances

Personal Finances for Religious Professionals

Best Practices in Church Leadership and Administration

Born and educated in Connecticut, on completion of graduate school I moved to Pittsburgh with husband and three kids to teach Moral Theology at Duquesne University. Came to Washington in 1993 to teach at Wesley.

Education

Ph.D., Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Religious Ethics

M.A.R., Yale Divinity School

B.A., Wesleyan University

Research Interests

Bioethics and communities of faith

Virtue tradition

Historical development of Christian Ethics

Biblical ethics

Ethics of the practice of ministry

Publications

Minister as Moral Theologian  (2017)

Sustaining Ministry (2017)

What Were Made For: Christian Reflections on Love (2007)

Stewards of Life: Bioethics and Pastoral Care  (1998)

Relevant Classes Taught

Power, Sex and Money

Sources of Christian Moral Insight

Formative Influences in the Christian Moral Tradition

Ethical Dimensions of Ministry

Bioethics and Pastoral Care

The Moral Imagination