"President's eUpdate-Alums Shaped for Various Ministries" Saint Paul School of Theology in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Monday, 13 June 2016

"President's eUpdate-Alums Shaped for Various Ministries" Saint Paul School of Theology in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Monday, 13 June 2016
President's eUpdate
Monday, June 13, 2016
Dear Saint Paul Community,

I extend greetings from Saint Paul School of Theology, and to some of you, I've been able to extend personal greetings face-to-face because we have been on the road. Faculty, staff members from student recruitment and alumni/ae relations, and I have been touring Annual Conferences.
General Conference and Annual Conferences have taught me a lot about Saint Paul School of Theology, and I was soundly educated by alumni/ae who graduated as early as 1963 and as recently as 2016. We have alums appointed to two and three point charges and to some of the largest United Methodist Churches in the United States. We have creative alums generating interesting ministries alongside their local congregations-ranging from healing hospital ministries and campus ministries to pastoral ministry at veterinary clinics. Some serve in unique extension ministries and others are appointed to Bishops' Cabinets. The settings and contexts are varied, and some ministers are alums of degree programs and others from Course of Study, but I heard one message repeatedly: "Saint Paul has shaped my ministry in important ways, and I am grateful for the seminary and particular faculty who equipped me for service." What is remarkable is the consistency of this affirmation in all generations of alums.

Saint Paul gratefully accepts the compliment from persons who have been formed for ministry at the seminary, but my gratitude extends to the alums, not just for what they are doing, but also for how they are shaping their ministries and building on what they learned in seminary. Let me offer just two examples. One of our alums finished seminary and moved to the Southeast where he focused on ministry with homeless persons, and now he's in a Ph.D. program in practical theology that builds on what he has learned in seminary and in ministry. Another alum serves a small congregation, which is still healing from an incident of clergy misconduct even after a time with an interim pastor, and she speaks with incredible maturity, sensitivity, and compassion about her professional role and expectations in that setting. These two examples remind me that praxis, the interplay of theoretical academic reflection with ministry practices, is the hallmark of theological education at Saint Paul. Our alums embody praxis in unique, creative, and faithful ways.

As we reconnect with former students, I encourage them to remember that they are still part of the Saint Paul community. I invite alums and others who read this eUpdate to stay connected in several ways.
Pray for the seminary daily.
Tell a good story about Saint Paul to someone each week.
Consider contributing the "widow's mite" to the seminary as a symbol of our connection. My dream is that every alum might contribute $10, although some may lead us in funding Saint Paul Fellows, endowed faculty chairs, or other projects.
Audit courses (at a discounted rate) to complete continuing education requirements in hybrid or online courses. Of course, you're also invited to take courses for credit or explore a degree program.
Visit Saint Paul and participate in our events whether by live streaming or face-to-face. Watch for the lectures, forums, and reunions in the months ahead!Grace and peace,

Dr. Nancy R. Howell, Acting President
Saint Paul School of Theology
howellnr@spst.edu
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Special Events
Course of Study Graduation
August 4, 2016, 3:00 p.m.
Resurrection Wesley Covenant Chapel, Leawood, KS
Opening Convocation-Kansas Campus
August 8, 2016, 11:07 a.m.
Resurrection Wesley Covenant Chapel, Leawood, KS
Opening Convocation-Oklahoma Campus
August 23, 2016, 11:00 a.m.
Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel, Oklahoma City, OK
For further information please contact:
Tracy Miller, tracy.miller@spst.edu
Register online: www.spst.edu/special-events
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13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
(913) 253-5000
Saint Paul: Oklahoma City University
2501 North Blackwelder Avenue
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73106, United States
(405) 208-5757
Saint Paul School of Theology

4370 West 109th Street, SUITE 300

Overland Park, Kansas 66211, United States
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