Drew Theological School
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We are looking for believers, activists, seekers, thinkers, counselors, preachers, teachers, poets and dreamers who value thinking and action.
- Commit to courageous Christianity.
- Dive into ecological and social justice.
- Inspire the church, the neighborhood, the city, the world.
The next generation of faith leaders needs imagination and courage to constructively engage the challenges and opportunities of our age. This is built into how we do things. No matter your degree program, a Drew Theological School education includes interdisciplinary courses that demand out-of-the-box thinking, apprenticeship training that addresses real-world issues and modes of learning that promote adaptability and innovation.
Community News
The Rev. Donna Olivia Owusu-Ansah T’10
Chaplain, JFK Medical Center | Associate Minister, New Hope Baptist Church
The Rev. Dr. Kevin D. Miller T’03,’08
Executive Director of Graduate Admissions, Drew University
Teresita Matos-Post T’14
Executive Director, Beth-El Farmworker Ministry
The Rev. James Lee T’19
Lead Pastor, Wesley United Methodist Church
Olivia DiAgostino T’19
Transformation Program Coordinator, United Methodist Women
STORIES
The Forest is Waiting
We welcome you to determine if Drew is the right fit for you. Join us for a personal consultation with our admissions staff to learn more about our many graduate programs, our faculty, and the admissions process.
#DrewTheo has an updated Job Board! Check back regularly for positions listed in New Jersey and beyond with the link permanently placed on our Linktree.
Congratulations to Tsz Him Lai, #DrewTheo PhD student, who is a recipient of the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) Fellowship for Latino/a, Asian, and First Nations Doctoral Students.
Tsz Him is one of five students selected for an FTE Fellowship this year, and he is among nearly twenty #DrewTheo students selected over the past fifteen years.
“I am grateful for the guidance of the Drew faculty, especially Dr. Traci West and Dr. Kate Ott, in my academic work,” he said. “I also give thanks for my fellow Hong Kongers, whose strength and spirit inspire my theological work.”
#FTEFellowshipWeek #PhD
The TheoTREC, a requirement for #DrewTheo Master of Divinity students, has prepared students for cross-cultural engagement for more than two decades.
Prior to a TheoTREC, whether to a domestic or international location, students prepare by taking Engaging Cultural Contexts. Afterward, students recap, re-engage, and reflect on their experiences with God’s Mission in a Multicultural World.
Jack Tironi C'21, T'24 recently traveled to London for his TheoTREC as an #MDiv student. He said, "This trip was such an awesome cultural experience and a great immersion into the life and ministry of John and Charles Wesley and how Methodism as we know it came to be! I feel blessed that I was able to see and absorb the sites of where our church first began as well as the history of the region and the global and multicultural city that is London."
With this newly acquired knowledge, Jack said, "I hope to use what I have seen in the formation of Wesley to be a great teaching tool for good ministry and practical and applicable theology, even centuries later."
Thanks to Jack for sharing about his London experiences. Tell us in the comments - where did you go on your TheoTREC?
#DrewTheo student Chris Paige is dedicated to educating the Drew community and beyond on the intersections of intersex folx and faith.
Chris, a Master of Divinity student at #DrewTheo who is going into the Doctor of Medical and Health Humanities program in the Caspersen School, was integral in bringing an award-winning documentary to the community called Intersex and Faith. The film’s showing and talkback conversation were hosted by Spectrum, the LGBTQIA+ theological student caucus, among other campus partners.
Chris is a transgender, non-binary, and queer student who is passionate about their grassroots work around gender, including the writing and editing of numerous books.
“Stigma, shame, and secrecy around these natural physical diversities have a variety of impacts on mental health. Children are often not given adequate information to help them process what the surgeries, frequent doctor visits, and invasive medical examinations mean. Eating disorders, depression, suicidal ideation, and low self esteem are just some of the reported impacts of secrecy and lack of psycho-social support,” they said about the important work they do regarding education for and about intersex folx in faith communities.
Read more about Chris and how to watch Intersex and Faith at the link in our bio.
#DrewTheo’s TheoTREC program returns this summer after a halt due to the beginning of the global pandemic. TheoTREC, previously known as cross-cultural trips, are planned this summer to London, England with Rev. Dr. Kevin Newburg; San Francisco, California, USA with Rev. Dr. Daniel Shin; and Israel-Palestine with Dr. Rodney Aist.
Master of Divinity student Justin Spano recently attended the TheoTREC to London, and he said, “Visiting some of the sites where Methodism started, engaging with respected leaders of the Methodist Church in Britain, and fruitful ministry discussions with Dr. Newburg and my classmates provided valuable insight and wisdom for my own future ministries.”
He continued, “This was my first instance of traveling outside of the U.S., and it helped me to appreciate the wideness of God's kingdom and love; despite the cultural and physical differences, I was surprised at how comfortable I felt being present in a new space. I can not imagine having done it with a more supportive, encouraging, and cohesive group of colleagues.”
Justin’s pictures are at the following locations:
1) Justin is in the pulpit at John Wesley’s New Room. This is the oldest Methodist building in the world which is now a museum, and it is located in Bristol, England.
2) Justin, fellow students, and Dr. Newburg are outside near a plaque donated by Drew to the denomination, when each was known as Drew Theological Seminary and the Methodist Episcopal Church, respectively. The plaque reads, “The probable site, where, on May 24, 1738, John Wesley ‘felt his heart strangely warmed.’ This experience of grace was the beginning of Methodism. This tablet is gratefully placed here by the Drew Theological Seminary of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Madison, New Jersey, U.S.A. August 1926.”
3) Justin, fellow students, and Superintendent Minister Rev. Tony Mills are on an upper, outdoor balcony at Methodist Central Hall in London. Westminster Abbey is visible in the back.
Thanks to Justin for sharing his experience on the #DrewTheo TREC to London! Look for more TREC stories throughout the summer.
Happy Juneteenth from #DrewTheo!
#DrewTheo Professor Mark A. Miller was featured in an article by Religious News Service, "What are God’s pronouns? How the church today is (or isn’t) gendering God."
Mark A. Miller, known for his church music that actively uses inclusive language for the LGBTQIA+ community, heard only masculine pronouns for God while growing up in the United Methodist Church but has made a shift in his music.
The full article featuring Professor Miller can be found at the link in our bio.
Fourteen #DrewU students traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi and surrounding areas to provide much needed volunteer assistance to the coastal area still ravaged by the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Drew’s Volunteer Without Borders, a student-run organization that connects students to service opportunities in local communities to engage in meaningful service trips—both nationally and internationally—organized the event. The trip was supported by Drew’s Center for Civic Engagement, Drew Hillel, and Student Engagement.
“There’s a lot of people that work really hard to get food to our supermarkets—we don’t really know how our food gets to the table,” said #DrewTheo student Labenyimoh Patrick T’23, a graduate intern for the Center for Civic Engagement.
“That issue changes our ideas of food and how we see food,” he continued. “Hard work does not necessarily mean that one gets paid a lot. Our society is built on the notion that the people who work the hardest earn more.”
Thank you to these students for putting in the hard work and taking action to care for those in need. Read the full article in our Linktree!
#DrewTheo is proud to have been named one of the Most Affordable Master of Divinity Programs by Christian Ministry EDU!
The Master of Divinity can be completed online, on campus, or in a hybrid format. The degree offers four vocational pathways: United Methodist Ministry, Congregational Ministry, Chaplaincy, and Social Justice Advocacy.
Check out our spot on the list at ChrisitanMinistryEDU.org.
#TheologicalSchool #TheoSchool #Seminary #GradSchool #NewJersey
#DrewTheo has participated in the Green Ribbon Graduation Pledge for more than a decade, and this year's graduation was no different.
The green ribbons, distributed by student caucus TERRA: Transforming Environmental and Religious Resources into Action, are given each year with the pledge acknowledged and taken into practice.
#GreenRibbon #GraduationPledge #GreenRibbonPledge #DrewU #TheologicalSchool #TheoSchool #Seminary
Rev. Dr. J. Terry Todd, Associate Professor of American Religious Studies at #DrewTheo, was recently published in Respectful Conversation: Following Jesus.
His blog publication, "Methodism and the Liberative Heart of a God Who is Love," can be found at the link in our bio.
Welcome, Rev. Dr. Edwin Aponte as Dean of Drew Theological School!
#DrewTheo
Rev. Dr. Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre, who was named Interim Dean of #DrewTheo during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, will complete her term on June 1.
Johnson-DeBaufre joined the Drew faculty in 2005 as a professor of New Testament and early Christianity, and she became the associate dean of Drew Theological School in 2015.
She will take a well-earned sabbatical, returning in August 2023 to resume her position as professor of New Testament and early Christianity.
Please join us in thanking Dean Johnson-DeBaufre for her leadership and wishing her a restful and productive sabbatical.
Rev. Teresita Matos-Post is a United Methodist pastor serving as the Executive Director of the Beth-El Farmworker Ministry in Florida.
Teresita, a 2014 graduate of the Master of Divinity at #DrewTheo, has returned to Drew for the Doctor of Ministry program. She is in the Women’s Religious Leadership cohort.
Speaking of her cohort, she said, “It has been a safe space sheltered from the male gaze to delve deeply in theological inquiry without having to serve as a guide to other male students through their sexist / machista contributions, which has taken so much of our time in co-ed classes.”
Teresita plans to use this newfound experience, research, and knowledge to build a network of Latina religious leaders. She is “interested in the non-traditional ways Latina religious leadership emerges within and outside of denominations - the ways in which we navigate hostility, microaggressions, racism, and misogyny in the spaces we are called to lead.”
She intends to create her network to “share galvanized power to blaze ways to do ministry that is contextual and relevant to disenfranchised Latinx communities.”
Join the Doctor of Ministry conversation and apply today for cohorts opening this summer.
Throwback Thursday to Honors Convocation!
Nearly fifty students were recognized at this year's Honors Convocation for their scholarly excellence, dynamic leadership, and dedicated service while studying at #DrewTheo.
“There are achievements for which there are no prizes,” said Rev. Dr. Traci West, James W. Pearsall Professor of Christian Ethics and African American Studies.
She continued, “From the faculty, we honor you for the ways in which you have honored us. You showed up to write, study, learn, grow, and dare to be stretched in ways you never thought you could. You have changed our lives because of the amazing ways in which you have come to our classes and been our mentees—we celebrate you for the honor of having had the chance to journey with you here at Drew.”
Dean Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre recognized the many achievements of the graduating class of 2022. Nine PhD students successfully defended their dissertations, several master’s students have been accepted into prestigious PhD programs throughout the country, and even more have received congregational appointments or new opportunities in ministry near and far.
Read more at the link in our bio.
Congratulations to Rev. Dr. Gary V. Simpson, the #DrewTheo Teacher of the Year.
Rev. Dr. Simpson, the Associate Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Formation, was honored with this award at commencement.
Students describe Rev. Dr. Simpson's teaching as "informative, energetic, and life-giving," and they say, “His character and passion shows each time he shows up for class.”
Congratulations from the #DrewTheo community!
Rev. Pat Weikart, M.A., M.Div. is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She is the Palliative Care Chaplain at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, DE.
She is currently in #DrewTheo’s Doctor of Ministry: Faith, Health, and Social Equity cohort while working on designing and implementing a model for congregations to join her local children’s hospital in providing psycho-social-spiritual support for patients who suffer with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and their families. Her model was initiated in Memphis, TN by Rev. Dr. Gary Gunderson, and she sees the need to implement it in a pediatric setting for the first time.
“Since SCD largely impacts families of color - and families of color in about 75% of our cases are part of a faith community - I want to strengthen the connection between the hospital and the church, synagogue, and / or mosque so that we might build trust in the healthcare system and expand support for these families,” Rev. Pat Weikart said.
Thank you to Pat for sharing about her important work with children and families affected by SCD as she works on her Doctor of Ministry degree. You can apply for #DrewTheo’s Doctor of Ministry degree at the Apply Now tab in our Linktree.
#DoctorOfMinistry #DMin #Chaplain
#DrewTheo celebrated the graduating class of 2022 over the weekend with an in-person ceremony on the Mead Hall Lawn on Friday, May 13.
The #DrewTheo honorary degree recipient is the Rev. Dr. Janet L. Wolf, an ordained United Methodist elder, author, activist, and educator who has worked tirelessly for social change and transformative education.
Wolf, who was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, was integral to the launch of Drew’s original Partnership for Religion and Education in Prisons (PREP) program in the New Jersey prisons more than a decade ago, piloting the signature inside-out co-learning model.
“We are the church of Jesus Christ not because we gather on Sunday mornings or sing hymns or recite creeds or offer prayers; not because we have a building that says so or an altar with a cross or because we send money to mission,” said Wolf during her address. “We are the church when we live out the radically inclusive love of Christ Jesus.”
The ceremony was preceded by Commencement Eucharist in Craig Chapel in Seminary Hall and followed by a reception in the Seminary Hall Atrium.
Congratulations to the #DrewTheo class of 2022!
Make plans to celebrate our #DrewTheo graduates this Friday!
We will begin the day with Graduation Eucharist in Craig Chapel at 8:00 a.m. The graduation ceremony will take place on the Mead Hall Lawn at 10:00 a.m. A reception will follow immediately after the ceremony in the Atrium of Seminary Hall. A university-wide baccalaureate is in the evening at 6:00 p.m. in the Concert Hall.
For those not with us in person, a livestream will be available. Check out drew.edu/commencement for additional information.
Rev. Alexis Carter Thomas is a Baptist consultant for churches and faith-based organizations in South Carolina.
She is in the Doctor of Ministry program at #DrewTheo, and she is in the Women’s Religious Leadership cohort. Her project in progress, in her own words, “explores how womanist theology affects the self-actualization and theological lenses of Black women in congregational leadership in Christian churches.”
“I find deep delight in pastoral ministry, yet I began to witness how my passions for deep listening and cultivating liberative spaces were needed in ways that went beyond the traditional role of a pastor,” Rev. Alexis Carter Thomas said. “I came into consulting with churches and faith-based organizations because I regularly encountered pastors and faith leaders who desired conversation partners with whom they could do theological reflection and be their authentic selves in ways that were often difficult for them to do with others in their ministry context.”
Unique to the Women’s Religious Leadership cohort, these students will finish the degree without having a professor who is a man.
Rev. Alexis Carter Thomas praised the “many powerful moments” led by #DrewTheo professors, and she acknowledges the following: “Rev. Dr. Meredith Hoxie Schol's gifts for coaching and inviting others into theological discussion; Rev. Dr. Traci West's liberative teaching style and gracious truth-telling; Dr. Kate Ott's gift for innovative and transformative pedagogy; Dean Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre's ability to listen and guide students down new paths while affirming their insights. We have needed these.”
We are proud at #DrewTheo of the courageous and innovative leadership of the women in our Doctor of Ministry. For more information about DMin opportunities like those of Alexis and her colleagues, take a look through the Find Our Programs tab on our Linktree.
#DrewTheo #TheologicalSchool #Seminary #GradSchool #DMin #Womanist #WomanistTheology #LiberationTheology #NewJersey #NJ