From The Dean

Reflections from Dr. Philip Wingeier-Rayo, dean of
Wesley Theological Seminary

How the Protocol might impact theological education?

January 13, 2020 I would like to begin this reflection with a clarification that the “Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation” is just a proposal that will need to be approved by the General Conference delegates in May, and thus, these ruminations are merely hypothetical. However, it comes with a great deal of weight […]

The United Methodist Representational Problem, Part I

May 14, 2019 Given that Wesley Seminary is in the nation’s capital, democracy is important to who we are as a church and as an institution that serves our nation and world. The United States of America was established as a republic in response to the cry “No taxation without representation.” The Methodist Episcopal Church […]

Reflections on the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church

March 2, 2019 As a young missionary I was assigned to Cuba during a time when the Soviet Union was collapsing, which provoked an economic, political and spiritual crisis on the island. Cuba had been very dependent on the former Soviet Union and its systems reflected that dependence. The early 1990s brought shortages of food, […]

Theological Education in a Pluralistic Context: Unity in Diversity

August 17, 2018 I am writing these words from the Oxford Institute for Methodist Studies, a gathering of 170 scholars from around the world who gather together once every five years to reflect on Wesleyan theology in light of the Bible and our current contexts. This year’s theme is “Thy Grace Restore, Church Revive,” […]