As I step into the role of the Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations at ���ϳԹ���, I do so with a deep personal connection to the mission of this esteemed institution. I am thrilled to join the Saint Paul family and contribute to its rich legacy. Building upon the seminary’s strong foundation, I am eager to enhance our donor base and alum network. The opportunity to collaborate with dedicated educators in shaping the next generation of ministers is genuinely inspiring.

With nearly two decades dedicated to development work, most recently as Director of Resource Development at The Salvation Army of Kansas and Western Missouri, I have cultivated a deep passion for building meaningful relationships and supporting organizations in achieving their missions.

My grandmother, a woman of unwavering determination, instilled a strong work ethic in me. Her mantra, “There is work to be done, so let’s get to it,” has guided me throughout my career. I am committed to significantly increasing our donor-generated revenue by strengthening our robust alum community through activities that engage and meet alums where they live, work, and play.

I believe in the transformative power of education and the vital role that ���ϳԹ��� plays in preparing future leaders. I look forward to working with all of you to achieve our shared goals. What are your hopes for the seminary’s future?

If you’d like to contact Tom about alumni news, events, or donations, you can reach him at Tom.Cochran@spst.edu or 913-253-5011.

With a blend of emotions, we announce that our esteemed alumna, Rev. Dr. Tiffany Nagel Monroe ’12, is transitioning from her role as the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Campus and Associate Director of Contextual Field Education at ���ϳԹ���. Dr. Nagel Monroe will embark on a new ministry path within the Oklahoma Conference, assuming the role of Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Edmond, effective July 1.

In bidding farewell to Dr. Nagel Monroe, we reflect on her invaluable contributions to our community and her unwavering commitment to serving God’s people. President Jay Simmons aptly expresses, “While all of us are saddened by Tiffany Nagel Monroe’s departure from Saint Paul, we celebrate her decision to return to the pulpit and serve the United Methodist Church in Oklahoma. Oklahomans will benefit from one of the most dynamic church leaders in the state leading a vital community of faith. Tiffany’s leadership offers one more example of a Saint Paul alum pursuing innovative, creative ministry.”

Dr. Nagel Monroe herself shares, “Moments in ministry, like this one, are often bittersweet. The bitter is in the leaving; the sweet is in the following of God to the next step on my journey.” She expresses deep gratitude to ���ϳԹ��� for shaping her into the pastor, educator, and leader she is today, acknowledging the profound influence of faculty, staff, trustees, and fellow alums. Despite the unexpected turn of events, she embraces the call of the Holy Spirit and eagerly anticipates continuing to serve God’s people wherever her path leads.

Though Dr. Nagel Monroe may be passing the baton of leadership, her unwavering support for ���ϳԹ��� remains steadfast. She assures us of her enthusiastic encouragement as we press onward in our mission to impact the Kin-dom of God. As she answers this new calling, Dr. Nagel Monroe affirms, “Saint Paul really is where Theology Comes Alive. Go Theologians!”

Let us join together in expressing our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Nagel Monroe for her dedication and service to ���ϳԹ���. While we bid her farewell in her current capacity at the end of the semester, we eagerly anticipate the great things she will accomplish in her new ministry role and look forward to her frequent visits to campus. Please join us in wishing her every success and blessing on her journey.

Be well,

Jay Keith Simmons, Ph.D.
President
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“Each week at the Lazarus Community we create a place of resurrection where persons whom many consider to be as good as dead, the least, lost, broken, afflicted, and addicted find a place in community. Lazarus Community operates a drop-in center that offers an emergency food kit (use the QR code to see how you can help), hygiene, showers, mental health, pastoral care, hot meals, and a place to experience God’s wide embrace in worship and in transitional living. We are grateful to ���ϳԹ��� for the partnership in ministry and in practice of a Lazarus story (John 11:1-44) as the dead are raised to life and the community is empowered to move from disappointment and grief to celebration and restoration!” – alum��Rev. Bo Ireland ’17, Executive Director of Lazarus Community

You can help today by scanning the QR code for items most needed by the Lazarus Community pantry. These items are used to create Emergency Food Bags. You may also bring donation items to a physical campus location and place them in the donation box.��

Oklahoma Campus: 2501 N Blackwelder Ave., Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel, Oklahoma City, OK 73106
Kansas Campus: 13720 Roe Ave., Bldg. C, Leawood, KS 66224

���ϳԹ��� is a seminary of intentional relationships and is committed to the formation of people for innovative and creative ministry. We believe in the mission of God in the world and in supporting the Saint Paul community by actively serving it. Would you like to be considered for a future Saint Paul Gives Back semester? Contact Rev. Dr. Tiffany A. Nagel Monroe at Tiffany.nagelmonroe@spst.edu.����

The advent of the (Theo)Logic Studio comes as a response to the dynamic evolution witnessed in ministry practices, particularly accelerated by the global pandemic of 2020. With a profound shift in how the Good News is conveyed, the modern mission field demands innovative approaches, leveraging multimedia and digital platforms as indispensable tools for effective outreach. Positioned as a dedicated space for content creation, recording, and editing, the (Theo)Logic Studio caters to the diverse needs of ���ϳԹ��� students, staff, faculty, and alums. From podcasts to video resources and digital graphics, the Studio provides a comprehensive platform for crafting tailored media resources aligned with the ministries of its constituents.

Rev. Dr. Tiffany Nagel Monroe, Saint Paul Executive Director of the Oklahoma Campus, remarked, “God calls us to ministry and equips us along the way. Many an idea emerges, and we lack the resources to bring them to fruition… With a heart for all of our students and alumni, but a particular eye to our small and rural church connections, we wanted to provide the space and tools to let imagination run with the Spirit rather than be muted by lack of resources.”

Central to the (Theo)Logic Studio’s offerings are podcasting facilities, interview sets, green screens for video productions, and an array of equipment essential for digital content creation. This holistic approach empowers individuals to explore the digital landscape with the necessary tools, fostering a culture of innovation and experimentation. The Studio’s mission resonates with the ethos of ���ϳԹ���, prioritizing practical, hands-on experiences as integral components of ministerial formation. As the ministry landscape evolves, the (Theo)Logic Studio stands as a beacon of opportunity, inviting students and alums to embark on transformative journeys in ministry through multimedia expression. Reflecting on the significance of this initiative, Rev. Dr. Nagel Monroe emphasized, “If you’ve been thinking about a podcast or creating your own digital content for your mission field, now is the time to try… Let us help you extend the reach of your ministry. Once a part of the Saint Paul community, always a part of the Saint Paul community.”

Conveniently located on the Saint Paul Oklahoma Campus, the (Theo)Logic Studio beckons aspiring digital ministers to embark on their creative odyssey. Interested parties are encouraged to contact Alanna Ireland at alanna.ireland@spst.edu or Tiffany Nagel Monroe at tiffany.nagelmonroe@spst.edu to reserve studio time for upcoming projects. With the unveiling of the (Theo)Logic Studio, ���ϳԹ��� reaffirms its dedication to equipping individuals for transformative ministry, ushering in a new era of innovation and excellence in digital outreach.

Greetings and best wishes for the new year from all of us at ���ϳԹ���.�� As we begin the new year, the trustees, faculty, and staff are pursuing important work to enhance our service to��our students and to advance the mission of the Seminary.

To that end, our current strategic plan is set to conclude within the coming year.�� Consequently, the Board of Trustees formed a task force several months ago to prepare the next iteration of our strategic plan.�� Members of the Seminary’s Executive Leadership Team are now working with members of the faculty and staff to refine the draft of the plan scripted by the task force.�� Over the next few months, these efforts will continue until we have a document ready for review by the Board of Trustees.�� While we are still too early in this effort to comment on any specific initiatives, the plan ultimately endorsed by the Board will guide all our efforts for the next several years. For that reason, this effort is critically important in defining how we ensure that Saint Paul remains a vital and vigorous Seminary committed to preparing our students for creative and innovative ministry.�� As more details are available, I will share the news with you.

Permit me to also express the gratitude and good fortune I feel to begin my work as president of Saint Paul.�� I would be remiss if I failed to express my appreciation for the efforts former President Neil Blair expended in guiding Saint Paul through a difficult period of transition.�� President Blair and the leadership team he assembled ensured our academic programs are demonstrably effective, our finances are healthy, and our accreditation status with the Association of Theological Schools and the Higher Learning Commission is fully affirmed.��

Additionally, our faculty not only foster an effective teaching and learning experience for our students, but they are also impressively active in their scholarship and publications.�� As for our staff, their commitment to our students seems boundless.�� In my many years of work in education and accreditation, I have encountered few institutions as academically, financially, and spiritually healthy as ���ϳԹ���.

Of course, much of the credit for Saint Paul’s fortuitous position belongs to all of you.�� Your advocacy for the Seminary and your generous financial support have been vital in realizing the outcomes I have described.�� Many, many thanks for the innumerable ways you have helped Saint Paul.�� Your prayers and actions on behalf of the Seminary are a blessing to all of us.

Sincerely,
Jay

The program is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to foster and support preaching that inspires, encourages and guides people to come to know and love God and to live out their Christian faith more fully.��

With the help of Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching grant, ���ϳԹ��� will create a Center that addresses the risk of losing heart and prophetic imagination as a preacher in this divided world. The Pause/Play Center for Preachers’ mission is in its name: to hold space for busy preachers to pause and play their way into a renewal of their vocation as preachers of the Good News. The activities of the Pause/Play Center will launch in early 2024.����

“As a preacher, former pastor, and professor of preaching, I see a connection between reports of stress, loneliness, conflict, and un-compelling preaching,” says Rev. Dr. Casey Sigmon, Director of Pause/Play. “We preach who we are. And many preachers are, at this moment, exhausted, lonely, apathetic, and afraid to stir up any more conflict that leads to division in the church. This Center—through an annual arts-centered gathering, yearlong cohorts, and a podcast—will hold sacred in-person and digital space for preachers to play their way back into prophetic imagination.”��

���ϳԹ��� is one of 81 organizations receiving grants through this competitive round of the Compelling Preaching Initiative. Reflecting the diversity of Christianity in the United States, the organizations are affiliated with mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, Anabaptist and Pentecostal faith communities. Many of the organizations are rooted in the Black Church and in Hispanic and Asian American Christian traditions.��

“Throughout history, preachers often have needed to adapt their preaching practices to engage new generations of hearers more effectively,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “We are pleased that the organizations receiving grants in this initiative will help pastors and others in ministry engage in the kinds of preaching needed today to ensure that the gospel message is heard and accessible for all audiences.”��

Lilly Endowment launched the Compelling Preaching Initiative in 2022 because of its interest in supporting projects that help to nurture the religious lives of individuals and families and foster the growth and vitality of Christian congregations in the United States.  ��

About Lilly Endowment Inc.��

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.��

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Educating tomorrow’s leaders by offering on-campus, online, and hybrid learning courses at a FLEXible schedule, ���ϳԹ��� is a seminary serving a diverse community committed to the formation of people for innovative, creative ministry. Grounded in the academic study of faith and ministry, theology is practiced in a traditional classroom and in a contextual curriculum featuring Ministry Collaboration Groups, Practicums, Spiritual Formation Retreats, and Seminars. Students learn from dedicated faculty, experienced pastors, and community leaders about best ministry practices leaving our graduates with the tools and first-hand experience necessary to meet the needs of a changing world.��

“Chapel” came to describe a space for worship that is part of a larger church or set aside for special services in the early 13th century.��

Some say the word chapel, which means “little cape” in Latin, refers to the sanctuary in France where the relic of St. Martin of Tours’ cape was kept. Legend had it that while serving Rome as a soldier deployed in Gaul, Martin, also known as Martin the Merciful, cut his military coat in half to share it with a beggar. That night, Martin had a dream that Christ was wearing the half-cloak. The half that Martin kept became a relic of the church and his little cape was housed in a small, set aside space and became a “chapel” or little space for worship.��

The word chapel spread into most European languages and became a term for places of worship other than those of the established church.��

“Chapel” is also where we get the word “chaplain” from—to describe the ministry of folks who serve in hospitals, hospices, schools, and the military as pastors to communities beyond centralized spaces for worship.

In other words, a chapel is much more than a building we go to for worship. At ���ϳԹ���, a community of worship in Kansas, Oklahoma, and around the world, we create a chapel space together every time we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, assemble to praise God, share joys and concerns, break bread, and exhort one another to continue in ministry.

���ϳԹ��� meets you where you are by offering our weekly chapel service on campus and on Zoom,��Mondays at 11 am CT.��All are welcome!

Dr. Jay Simmons currently serves as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at ���ϳԹ���. In that capacity, he oversees marketing, recruiting, communications, and fundraising for Saint Paul.

A 1985 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Birmingham-Southern College, he began graduate study in political science at the University of Georgia before leaving graduate school and returning to Birmingham to work in the private sector.�� He resumed his ties to ‘Southern in 1987, joining the staff of the Dean’s Office at Birmingham-Southern in that year. He also returned to graduate work in political science, studying at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where he completed his masters in 1991 and his doctorate in 1996 while serving as the Assistant Dean at Birmingham-Southern.

For the past twenty-five years, Simmons has served as a dean, an academic vice president, or a president, almost all of which has been in service to Methodist-affiliated educational institutions.

In 1996, he accepted an appointment as Dean of Liberal Arts at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, where he remained for two years prior to being named Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia.�� Simmons left Georgia in 2008 to accept an appointment as president of Iowa Wesleyan College. Over the next five years, he concluded a $35 million comprehensive campaign. He next assumed duties as president of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where he served until June 2020.

During his time as president at Simpson, the College successfully raised more than $30 million for the annual fund, the endowment, and capital projects.

Simmons is a past president of the National Association of the Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church (NASCUMC), the presidents’ association of United Methodist colleges and universities. During the current extended quadrennium, Simmons serves as chair of the Commission on Institutional Review, the accrediting arm for United Methodist-affiliated colleges and universities.

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Educating tomorrow’s leaders by offering on-campus, online, and hybrid learning courses at a FLEXible schedule, ���ϳԹ��� is a seminary serving a diverse community committed to the formation of leaders for innovative, creative ministry. Grounded in the academic study of faith and ministry, theology is practiced in a traditional classroom and in a contextual curriculum featuring Ministry Collaboration Groups, Practicums, Spiritual Formation Retreats, and Seminars. Students learn from dedicated faculty, experienced pastors, and community leaders about best ministry practices leaving our graduates with the tools and first-hand experience necessary to meet the needs of a changing world.

That’s the observation of one student in the Women, Society and Church Studies concentration at ���ϳԹ���. Available to students in the Master of Divinity and Master of Christian Ministry programs, the specialization prepares ministers of all genders to address matters involving women and girls in the church and in the world.��

Under the guidance of Professor of Theology Dr. Kristen E. Kvam, the program promotes research and reflection of issues facing women and historical developments of women’s movements. Students discuss writings that represent a feminist or womanist school of thought and interpret those texts through a feminist or womanist hermaneutic or epistemology.��

A Feminist Approach to Theology

The specialization “has helped me become more aware of women in the world,” the student continues.��

“It has given me a broader understanding of God, the Bible, women in ministry, social issues in general and it has it given me a new understanding of how I might personally develop and impact women’s issues.”

Students learn to recognize how many institutions, traditions and practices are still male-oriented and male-dominated. One manifestation of this is the fact that women do not receive equal pay for similar or equal work. Another is the continuing practice of certain denominations that still do not support, promote or ordain women. This is due in part to the masculine focus of biblical interpretations.

The student also points to the prevalence of domestic violence in our society and in the church, and how the church has done very little in response. Some male pastors tell their female parishioners who have experienced domestic violence that “suffering” is a part of the Christian life. Survivors are told that they must endure abusive treatment because the male is still considered the head of household. Women of color must contend with the added burden of racism and other cultural biases, in addition to the ones experienced in the context of ministry.

Specialization Curriculum

The Women, Society and Church Studies concentration is available to students pursuing a Master of Divinity or Master of Christian Ministry.��

Students will complete a portfolio that demonstrates their theological learning over the course of the program. The porftolio includes work from courses as well as extracurricular activities. Items may include essays, research papers and class projects. Students may also include work such as sermons, liturgies, essays, reflections and extracurricular projects that address issues facing women.��

The curriculum includes 9 credit hours in which Women, Society and the Church are the primary focus and another 6 hours that offer a supportive lens to key issues addressed by the specialization. Coursework may include feminist perspectives on Old and New Testament passages, such as and . Readings may delve into such subjects as , and ways in which .��

The Women, Society and Church Studies concentration is an excellent opportunity for students looking to focus their ministry on issues affecting women and girls. If you are interested in pursuing theological education, we encourage you to apply online for one of our Master’s programs.��

If you have any questions about our admissions process, give us a call at 913-253-5084 or send an email to admiss@spst.edu.

That is a key understanding when drawing a connection between Christian ethics and economic justice, according to Corey Shirey.

Shirey is Executive Director and Campus Minister for the Wesley Foundation at Southwest Oklahoma State University. He is also a student in the Master of Divinity program at ���ϳԹ���.��

Ethics is a required component of the MDiv curriculum at Saint Paul. Seminary students like Shirey gain a deeper knowledge of the different approaches to Christian moral discernment and judgment in ETH 301, Introduction to Christian Ethics. The course is led by Dr. Joshua Bartholomew, Assistant Professor of Ethics, Church and Society. In addition to his ministry work, Dr. Bartholomew has extensive experience as a community organizer, with a focus on movements for racial and economic justice.��

A History of Confronting Poverty

Dr. Bartholomew emphasizes that ministers are called to collaborate with faith and community leaders from diverse backgrounds to address social justice issues.��

There is a and other systemic problems. The Poor People’s Campaign, for example, was founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to empower those who lacked economic and political power. King strongly endorsed the struggle against poverty as essential for achieving economic and racial justice.��

In recent years, the Poor People’s Campaign has re-emerged under the leadership of Rev. William Barber. In the spirit of these examples, Dr. Bartholomew calls upon Black churches and faith leaders to “come together now to organize democratic energies of communities on behalf of ways to build better economic futures.”

Christian Ethics & the Seminary Experience

Shirey points out that our current economic systm incentivizes “modes that abuse the lower economic class” while empowering the rich to keep growing richer.��

The goal of ETH 301 is to introduce students to the discipline of Christian ethics in ways that are relevant for pastors, educators and others in Church leadership roles. A Christian ethics approach to economic justice, Shirey continues, means advocating for reforms that empower and lift up “the least of these” to economic freedom.��

In addition to examining economic issues, students study approaches to human sexuality and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as immigration. Shirey says the course has also challenged him to understand “the context in which I am doing ministry.”

Faith leaders must understand that different contexts will have different approaches and views when it comes to how faith guides a person’s beliefs. As an example, Shirey observes how his approach to theology concerning human sexuality may be considered progressive in western Oklahoma where he lives, but may be seen as more conservative in other contexts.��

Sowing the Seeds of Change One Community at a Time

Dr. Bartholomew posits that the Gospel is something we do, not just something we hear. It is a lifestyle that involves social action for positive change, including movements for economic and racial justice.��

Building Awareness

One specific way in which faith leaders can advance ethics and economic justice is to simply “preach and speak up about the issues in their context,” says Shirey.��

For example, he points to his own social context of serving a campus ministry in a college town. On campus, through a survey conducted last year, his organization found that “1 in 5 of our students goes to bed hungry.”��

However, very few people in the surrounding community were even aware that this issue exists. Sadly, all too many simply do not believe that poverty is a problem on college campuses.��

“If more knew about students going hungry,” he says, “I believe there would be more of a movement to fix the systemic issues that cause it in the first place.”

Taking Direct Action

When speaking about the application of Christian ethics, Shirey notes that one can simply look at church-run food banks and the free meals that ministries, like those on college campuses, offer to our communities.��

“In my campus ministry,” he notes, “we take our economic ethic to a real personal mode with us actually going out on campus to meet our students and learn their needs.”

Shirey says the Wesley Foundation at SWOSU offers a free dinner every Tuesday night, breakfast on Wednesday mornings, and lunch on Thursday afternoons. Though these missional activities do not work to solve the systemic issues that cause hunger on campus, they do seek to lessen the burden on students by simply ensuring they get at least three meals a week.

Dr. Bartholomew likewise emphasizes the importance of meeting the needs of people in community. In his forthcoming book, Black Theology and the Black Panthers, he addresses the need for faith leaders to build upon the model of ethics left behind by the legacy of the Panthers. Through innovative programs such as free food, progressive healthcare modalities and political education, the Panthers offered a vision of economic justice that meets the people where their needs can be met.��

By challenging students to connect the dots between the Good News of Christ and contemporary issues facing our society today, Saint Paul prepares faith leaders to address the needs of their congregations and communities.��

If you’re looking to advance your own ministry through seminary education, we encourage you to apply online for admission to one of our degree programs.��

You may also call us at 913-253-5084 or send an email to admiss@spst.edu if you have questions about enrollment.