President’s Update

Dr. Kent Millard, President

During these challenging times, Christians remember that our hope for the future is not in any political or religious leader nor any governmental or religious institution.

In 1834 during difficult days in England, Rev. Edward Mote wrote this hymn reminding us that our ultimate hope is always and only in Jesus.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.

At United Theological Seminary, our hope is in Jesus, and Jesus continues to bless us in ways we never could have anticipated during this past year. Here are some of the ways Christ has blessed us:

• For the first time in five years we saw an increase in the fall enrollment, from 397 students in fall 2021 to 467 students in fall 2022, an 18% increase. This was primarily due to the establishment of four Houses of Study (Hispanic, Fresh Expressions, Global Pentecostal and Global Wesleyan), which brought in the majority of the increase in master’s students this year.

• Non-tuition income for fiscal year 2021-2022, from gifts to the Burn the Mortgage campaign, gifts to support scholarships, bequests, endowment funds, and the Ministerial Education Fund was $7.0 million. This is the largest annual income across all these sources that United has received in decades.

• United was also given $2 million from an anonymous foundation to reduce student debt by up to $20,000 for each of our 2021-2022 graduating students. As a result, 30% graduated without any educational debt.

• An anonymous foundation also gave $1 million to establish the Academic Dean’s Scholarship, available to eligible incoming students.

• Christ has also blessed us with three new Professors: Dr. Reggie Abraham, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy, Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns, Visiting Professor of Pentecostal Studies and Director of the Global Pentecostal House of Study, and Dr. Jack Jackson, Visiting Professor of Evangelism and World Methodism.

Christ is continuing to bless the mission and ministry of United Theological Seminary, and we are grateful.

On Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand.