The Magazine of Wesley Theological Seminary | Fall 2025
Climbing Higher: The Next Summit
This is my last Annual Report to the stakeholders of Wesley Theological Seminary as I prepare to retire next June after 44 years at Wesley, 24 as President. I offer a short “State of the Seminary,” and an invitation to meet the challenges ahead. Many of the 271 graduate theological schools in North America can claim some of the following. Few can list all:
• A young, promising faculty comprised of solid scholars and dedicated teachers who offer a confident and gracious expression of the Christian faith, and a strong executive leadership team.
• A diverse and growing student body with great potential for more.
• Our unique location in Washington, DC, as a setting for community engagement, public theology, and the arts on a beautiful full-service campus in a destination city.
• A rich global network of relationships with church leaders, missionaries, and institutions on every continent, except Antarctica.
• Our reputation as the “business school for the church” because of the programs of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and the extraordinary amount of research we undertake.
• Our breadth, expanding beyond traditional graduate degree programs to include non-degree and lifelong learning to meet the leadership needs of churches today.
Hiking in my late teens, I realized something that has informed me in leadership. Because of the curvature of the Earth, the mountain in front of you seems like the tallest. Until you reach the top of it. And then you see the bigger mountain beyond. History is like that. In drafting this report, I looked back at the previous 23. And I realized, we are always climbing, always meeting a new challenge. Here are the two summits I can see from here.
• To be an obedient church and hear the cries of the needy. The actions of the American government, which will dramatically reduce social services across the nation and slash international humanitarian aid, constitute a call to action for the Christian community. There is a legitimate debate about the government's role in the economy. There is no doubt what Jesus expects of us. Since the early Middle Ages, the Christian church, at its best, has been both the conscience of the nation and the last hope of the poor and vulnerable. We must step into the breach. This is an opportunity for Wesley to lead as a seminary in the nation’s capital with resources in leadership, public theology, and community engagement.
• To address the dual impacts of artificial intelligence (AI).
Teachers and preachers alike are already recognizing that the ability of AI to mimic reality, aided by the viral power of social media, is a fundamental threat to those of us who try to write and speak the truth. AI is destroying trust in shared knowledge and values essential for community. This is something seminaries are designed to meet as “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1).
Trustworthy stewards are grounded in a moral center deeper than the internet cloud. Even beyond this, I am convinced AI will radically disrupt the labor economy, causing a profound crisis for both blue-collar and whitecollar workers. This will be financially disruptive, but it is also a spiritual challenge because work is such a powerful source of meaning. Johns Hopkins researcher Allison Pugh describes “connective labor” in her extraordinarily important new book, The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World. Well, this is what seminaries are for. We profess the true meaning of life, and we train people for empathetic connective labor.
“The fields are ripe for the harvest, but the laborers are few” (John 4:35).
These two challenges are opportunities for the Christian church to rise above its internal preoccupation and experience the growth that comes with faithfulness and relevance. For Wesley, the only obstacle is what I have come to identify as “price point.” Our alumni will never be paid enough to afford the kind of education necessary for their labor. The truth we teach is considered “foolish” in the world (1 Cor. 13), and empathetic labor is seen as a “soft” undervalued skill in the market. Every hour of tuition at a seminary must be subsidized by at least 60% if our programs are to be of high quality and effective.
And so, the challenge and opportunity for Wesley is to increase our long-term financial base, as there are many more people who want to study at Wesley both nationally and internationally than we can afford to accept. We regularly lose talented faculty and administrators to become leaders at wealthier seminaries. We have many more promising ideas for research and programs than we can pursue, and the world beyond American shores is asking for more than we can currently provide.
What can we do? The new student residence hall described in this report on page 34 will help us return to a balanced operating budget. That is a good start. I hope to symbolically dig the first shovel full of earth as my last act as President. My last year will include trying to reach that moment. The other challenge I have set for myself is to strive for the goal of making it possible for every qualified candidate who wants to study at this extraordinary institution to be able to afford enrollment. This will take a while. Longer than I have. Throughout this academic year, I will begin a long-overdue effort to raise endowment funds, approaching everyone who receives this report as stakeholders of Wesley.
I will be guided by two maxims that have shaped my leadership at Wesley. Board member Betty Beene told me over 30 years ago: “People support what they help to create.” And, “A man plants a tree under whose shade he will not sit,” an African proverb told to me by Rachel Tettah, a student from Ghana who lived across the hall from Drema and me in the dorm 40 years ago.
As people of faith, we are ever marching upward to Zion. I am grateful to the Board of Governors, faculty, staff, and the donors listed in this Annual Report who have brought us safely and confidently to this peak moment in our history.
Commencement 2025: Climbing Higher Toward the Call
Under the vaulted ceilings of Washington National Cathedral on May 12, 2025, Wesley Theological Seminary marked Commencement 2025 with joy, gratitude, and a steady gaze toward the horizon.
More than 100 graduates crossed the threshold from seminary to service, each one equipped not just with academic preparation but with a resilient, prayer-soaked faith forged through years of study, ministry, and community. As they stood ready to ascend the next summit in their callings, the celebration reflected this issue’s theme: Climbing Higher: The Next Summit, a fitting metaphor for both the graduates’ journeys and Wesley DC’s ongoing mission.
Delivering this year’s Commencement Address, President David McAllisterWilson offered a powerful message and empowered graduates with words of encouragement: “Let us foster wise, courageous faithfulness. Come what may. Trust the process. There is growth in Grace. Because in the end, we are to be the salt of the earth, not the sugar.”
Two distinguished leaders were awarded the Society of John Wesley Award of Merit. This year, Bishop Ande I. Emmanuel ’13 and Dr. Ann A. Michel ’00 and ’11 were the alumni chosen due to exemplifying their high standard of commitment and devotion to God, the church, and Wesley Theological Seminary. Bishop Emmanuel was elected as bishop of the West Africa Central Conference
of the United Methodist Church. Dr. Michel, who retired this year after 20 years of service through the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary, is known as a congregational and community leader who focuses on housing the unhoused.
From the choral selections under the leadership of Dr. Thomas D. Tyler, Professor of Church Music, to the conferring of degrees upon the graduates, the entire celebration was a testament to what happens when people commit to the long, faithful climb of theological education and spiritual formation. These graduates didn’t just complete degrees—they prepared to meet the world’s needs with wisdom, grace, and boldness.
Flanked and celebrated by family, friends, and loved ones, our most recent graduates took to the courtyard to pose for intergenerational photos and inspiring videos to last a lifetime. All in all, it was a beautiful day full of pride, love, joy, and gratitude!
As we share this Calling issue alongside our 2024–2025 Annual Report, we recognize the broader Wesley DC community made up of alumni, churches, donors, and partners, who make this summit possible. Your investment lifts each student higher, enabling them to respond with strength and purpose to God’s call.
And to the Class of 2025: You have been faithful to the climb. Now go, ready for the call!
Save the Date
THE 2025 YU-LEE
LECTURE FEATURING BISHOP HEE-SOO JUNG
We invite you to the 2025 Yu-Lee Lecture with guest lecturer Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, who will present “Messianic Hope and Liberating Missions Among the Korean Diasporas.”
Bishop of the Ohio Episcopal Area, he has led the United Methodist Church’s worldwide mission work as President of the General Board of Global Ministries and UMCOR, and guided the Korean National Plan. A respected scholar and church leader, he has taught at Yonsei University in Seoul and the Claremont School of Theology in California.
The Yu-Lee Lecture series highlights leading theological voices shaping the church’s witness and mission today. Join us as Bishop Jung shares his vision of hope and liberation within the Korean diasporas!
2025 Yu-Lee Lecture
Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 11 a.m. Oxnam Chapel
HONORING REV. DR. SATHIANATHAN CLARKE: A SUMMIT REACHED, A LEGACY ENDURING
Wesley Theological Seminary invites our community to celebrate the remarkable career and retirement of Rev. Dr. Sathianathan (“Sathi”) Clarke. The Bishop Sundo Kim Chair of World Christianity, Dr. Clarke is a beloved teacher, scholar, and global voice in Public Theology. He bridges the world between the establishment and the marginalized, the global and the local, and the academy and the congregation.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Clarke has guided generations of students, colleagues, and church leaders to higher ground, challenging the Church to widen its theological lens and embrace the richness of global voices, interfaith dialogue, and justice-centered discipleship.
As we gather to honor his retirement, Wesley recognizes not just the conclusion of a distinguished chapter but the summit of a career marked by courage, compassion, and prophetic vision. Dr. Clarke’s legacy will continue to shape Wesley DC’s climb into the future, inspiring all of us to reach for deeper
understanding, broader inclusion, and faithful presence in a diverse world.
Join us as we give thanks for Dr. Clarke’s extraordinary journey and send him forth with joy and gratitude!
Retirement Celebration
Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at 11 a.m. Oxnam Chapel
Correction
In the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Calling, we misattributed two degrees for Dr. Beverly Mitchell. She earned her BA from Temple University and did not attend Howard University. We regret the errors.
Prof. Lucila Crena: Reaching the Next Summit in Public Theology
As Wesley Theological Seminary continues to climb toward the next summit of theological excellence and public engagement, we are proud to spotlight one of our newest faculty members helping to lead the way: Lucila Crena, Assistant Professor, Christian Ethics & Public Theology and Director of Faith, Politics, and Public Theology Initiatives.
Prof. Crena, a dynamic and emerging voice in the Public Theology field, brings the insight, passion, and perspective of a younger generation of Latinx scholars. Her work embodies the spirit of justicerooted inquiry and community-centered
praxis, bridging faith and public life in transformative ways.
With a keen focus on how theology informs (and is informed by) the lived realities of diverse communities, Prof. Crena is equipping students to think critically, act boldly, and climb higher in their callings as public theologians, pastors, and change-makers.
At Wesley DC, Prof. Crena is not only teaching, but also shaping the next summit of theological education, helping the Seminary live into its mission to prepare prophetic leaders for the Church and the world.
Rev. Dr. Lorena Parrish: A Trailblazer in Community Engagement
We joyfully announce the promotion and academic recognition of Rev. Dr. Lorena Parrish, a distinguished faculty leader whose scholarship, teaching, and ministry have long served as a guiding light in the field of Community Engagement. Dr. Parrish, Professor of Urban Ministries and Senior Director, Community Engagement Institute and Center for Public Theology, was honored at a Promotion Ceremony during the Academic Convocation on September 9 in Oxnam Chapel.
Dr. Parrish’s work challenges systems of injustice while lifting up the transformative power of faith in the public square. As a seasoned scholar and prophetic voice, she equips students to courageously engage their communities and climb toward the next summit of spiritual leadership.
Her promotion not only marks a personal milestone, but also signifies a collective ascent for Wesley DC toward deeper theological reflection, justicerooted ministry, and a stronger, more inclusive Church.
IIn Memory of Rev. Lee Russell Brown, Jr.
t is with profound sorrow and deep reverence that I share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved colleague and friend, the Rev. Lee Russell Brown, Jr., who served with excellence and distinction as the Executive Administrator for the Office of Community Life and as our Housing Coordinator. Rev. Brown was an invaluable, tireless, efficient, effective, and immensely productive member of the Community Life Team. His commitment to this seminary, its mission, and its people went far beyond what any job description could capture. His was often the first face new students encountered in the Office of Community Life and one of the first guiding voices they heard upon stepping into the Wesley community. His spirit, vibrancy, knowhow, and unwavering willingness to do whatever it took to support our students and programs made an extraordinary difference.
Whether moving into the residence halls late into the evening, coordinating housing logistics with skill and grace, or simply offering a warm greeting to a student in need of reassurance, Lee served with a pastoral heart and a servant’s hands. His absence will be deeply felt by students, staff, and faculty alike.
As we grieve this sudden loss together, we cling to the promise of God’s eternal presence. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). May we honor Lee’s life by continuing the work he so loved and by supporting one another in the days to come.
May we all continue to remember the life of Rev. Lee Russell Brown, Jr. and live in such a way that we honor his memory and legacy.
—Antoni Sinkfield, Dean of Community Life
Dr. Douglas D. Tzan, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Wesley DC alongside the first cohort of Africa University military chaplains
Africa University and Wesley DC Launch Doctor of Ministry Military Chaplaincy
For the first time in Africa’s history, a Doctor of Ministry for Military Chaplaincy program has been established as a pioneering initiative led by Africa University in partnership with Wesley Theological Seminary. In May 2026, the program will graduate its inaugural cohort, marking a bold new chapter in theological education and pastoral care across the continent.
Accredited by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education, the program responds to the spiritual, ethical, and psychological needs of uniformed forces personnel. The first participants hail from Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, bringing diverse insights to the challenges faced by military, prison, and police chaplains.
Their research tackles urgent issues like trauma healing, suicide prevention, marriage counseling, and predeployment spiritual readiness, while offering biblically grounded, practical tools for building resilience and peace. From reducing drug abuse among officers to using Psalms of lament in family healing, these projects break new ground in both African and global scholarship. This historic milestone underscores Africa University’s vision of preparing transformative leaders and Wesley DC’s commitment to equipping chaplains as agents of peace and reconciliation. With the support of Chaplain Lt. Col. (retired) David Lile, formerly of the U.S. Army Africa Command, this first-of-its-kind program stands as a testament to innovation, faith, and global partnership. The Doctor of Ministry for Military Chaplaincy program is not just a degree— it is a movement, shaping the future of ministry around the globe.
A LITURGICAL VISIONARY
By Dana Cassell
Rev. Timothy Chon wants faith leaders to be fluent in the visual languages of worship and discipleship. The incoming Director of Wesley’s Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion has spent years combining his dual vocations as both an artist and a pastor, and he is excited about the opportunity to invite seminary students into deeper reflection around the ways that visual arts speak in worship.
Chon, who emigrated to the United States from Korea with his family when he was 12, spent most of his early life answering to his given Korean name, Woong-Sik Chon. His journey toward ordained ministry and becoming what he calls an “artist-pastor” involved not just study and internal growth but a name change as well.
Soon after he moved to the States, Chon noticed that native English speakers struggled to pronounce his given name. He asked his dad if he could have a Christian English name to make things easier, perhaps something like Timothy. His dad was not too pleased at the request, so Chon remained Woong-Sik through those growing-up years. He married, and when he and his wife had their first child, they named him Timothy.
After he graduated with his MDIV from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, Chon had several decisions to make. He’d spent the early part of his career as an artist, earning an MFA from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and teaching art to college students as an adjunct professor and an assistant professor of design, and he had loved that world. Would he return to teaching art? Or enter into congregational ministry?
A year-long interim stint at a Korean Presbyterian Church in North Carolina made him fall in love with pastoring, and he decided to enter full-time ministry. He felt explicitly called to cross-cultural ministry and moved from ministering in Korean congregational contexts to serve in primarily white congregations. These decisions brought up the question of his name, again, and this time, freed from parental reservations, he decided to be known professionally as Timothy, just like his son. Chon jokes that since his son had the name before he did, he is Timothy, Sr., and Chon, the father, is Timothy, Jr.
“Rev. Chon embodies the mission of the Luce Center—to nurture artists, theologians, and faith leaders…”
Wesley DC
welcomes Rev. Woong-Sik (Timothy) Chon, MDIV, MFA as the new Director of the Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion and Instructor of Visual Liturgy
Chon spent six years at the Presbyterian Church of Okemos in Okemos, Michigan, before being called as a designated pastor to help two struggling inner city congregations in Lansing discern their next steps. Both North Presbyterian Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church were faced with the possibility of celebrating and ending their ministries.
When Chon arrived, he offered the two congregations a choice: they could choose a graceful death, in which he would commit to leading both congregations for three
years while the churches accomplished all the things they wanted before closing, and they would celebrate the decades’ worth of ministry each church had given to the city.
Alternatively, the churches could choose a redemptive death: they would sell one of the buildings, merge the two congregations, rework their practices and mission, and find new life on the other side. Both churches chose redemptive death.
Chon’s leadership is visionary, in the literal sense. His artistic inclination means that when he imagines future possibilities, he actually sees them in images. When the two churches decided to work together toward a redemptive death and new life together, they did it through what Chon calls “visual liturgy.”
After one building sold (to another congregation, at market price, two weeks after they decided to put it on the market), the two congregations marched the chancel cross from that sanctuary through town to the other building’s worship space. When the congregations began to merge their worship practices, Chon directed a communal project to build a new altar, baptismal font, pulpit, and communion set that would embody the congregations’ new identity. Visual liturgy is something that people practice all the time, Chon says, but something that we rarely articulate or reflect upon. On his website, Chon defines liturgy as “the communal labor of a worshipping people” and visual liturgy as “the compositional movement of forms and images in worship.” Worshipping communities are always choosing, creating, and introducing forms and images in their liturgy, but it’s rare when anyone gives serious thought to how those forms and images work together to create beautiful experiences.
Chon compares his work as an artist-pastor to that of the conductor of a symphony. Visual liturgy is collaborative and communal, requiring the participation of all the people. As a “conductor,” Chon works to invite and encourage
congregational artists to share their work and discern ways to bring all the contributions into tune with one another.
As a liturgical art consultant to various worshipping communities, Chon has done this work across the country, including multiple residencies at Wesley. In 1997 and 1998, he served as the Luce Center’s Artist in Residence and completed a commissioned buon fresco mural project in the tunnel between the Kresge and Trott buildings called The Healing Spirit. In 2011, the work was damaged by an earthquake. Wesley invited Chon back in 2018 for another artist residency to repair the fresco.
Taking his inspiration from biblical earthquakes that signal the intervention of God, Chon left the deep cracks that stretched, in the image, from the top of heaven to the bottom of the sea in the valley of death and filled them with gold leaf, an image of the light of hope and holiness of God.
Having spent significant time as part of the Wesley community, Chon is confident that he and his work will be welcome. He says that Wesley is “the only place I don’t have to explain who I am and what I do. Everywhere else I go as a liturgical artist-pastor, it takes an hour and a half to explain what I’m trying to do. Here, they know I am the embodiment of arts and religion.” President David McAllister-Wilson agrees: “Rev. Chon embodies the mission of the Luce Center—to nurture artists, theologians, and faith leaders who understand the transformative power of the arts in spiritual life and public witness,” he shared in the official press release announcing Chon’s new role.
Rev. Chon is excited to bring his whole self to Wesley and the Luce Center, where he will oversee exhibitions, artistin-residence programs, public events, and curriculum that empower students and communities to engage the arts as a vital force for worship, learning, and social change. He is especially excited to engage the community in the language of the arts, helping students, artists, and leaders speak in images and become fluent in the practices of visual liturgy.
By Dana Cassell
Faithful Stewards
Bill and Debbi Iwig’s commitment to stewardship has deep roots. They were both born into Kansas families committed to church life. Tithing was part of childhood faith formation: Bill still has the tiny, pink plastic church coin bank where his parents taught him to deposit 10 percent of his farm chore allowance each month. The couple learned early on the importance of being aware of and thankful for God’s grace in their lives. Tithing became a foundational part of their life together. They remember one sermon in particular, in a small
Methodist church in rural Texas, early in their marriage:
“How would Jesus manage these resources?” the pastor asked. The question resonated, shaping the Iwigs’ philosophy and practice of stewardship—a practice that they are still exploring as they retire and consider how second-mile, planned giving might bless the people and institutions they’ve learned to love and care about, including Wesley. Bill grew up on a family-run dairy farm outside Topeka, Kansas, where his extended family was deeply involved in the local congregation of the Evangelical United Brethren, one of
“[Our gift is] one brick among many, helping to provide a long-lasting foundation for Wesley’s future.”
the denominations that would eventually merge to form the United Methodist Church. His growing-up years were filled with farm work, school, sports, family activities, and church.
Debbi was born in Kansas, too, but her family moved often when she was a child. Wherever they lived, though, they sought out the local Methodist Church, as it was an important part of the family’s life. When she graduated from high school, Debbi knew she wanted to return to Kansas, and she chose a United Methodist college as her destination.
Baker University, a UMC-affiliated school in Baldwin City, Kansas, offered both Debbi and Bill academic scholarships, opportunities that they both understand as immense, lifechanging gifts. The two met in a math class at Baker and were married in January 1975 after Bill finished graduate work in statistics at Texas A&M University. The couple then moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Bill started his career with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Debbi earned an MBA at the University of Nebraska.
In August 1977, a new job opportunity at the USDA pulled the Iwigs to Washington, DC, where Debbi started her
business career with Marriott International. After a brief stint in Texas, they moved to Northern Virginia and joined Annandale United Methodist Church, a decision that would profoundly shape the rest of their lives.
Annandale UMC was a robust, regional United Methodist Church full of life and energy, and the Iwigs found a warm church home filled with people who would become dear friends, as well as life-changing stewardship and spiritual mentors. One of those mentors was Steve Lambert, a DC lawyer and long-time supporter of Wesley, who eventually became Board of Governors Chairperson. He suspected that Debbi would enjoy working with the Seminary, too. In the early 1990s, he connected her with the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, where Debbi was selected to serve on their Advisory Board.
Lambert’s intentional invitation was the catalyst for Debbi and Bill to become active supporters of Wesley. Over time, they have become regular donors, supporting Wesley’s general fund, the Lewis Center, and the Military Chaplaincy Doctor of Ministry program. They are impressed with Wesley’s leadership and ethos, particularly the ways the school emphasizes holistic training for ministerial leaders, engaging them not just in academic work but also in spiritual practices and leadership training. “We continually see,” Bill said, “Wesley adapting to the needs of the church and students.”
The Iwigs know the power of education firsthand. They understand the doors that education can open, and they believe in the importance of well-trained church leadership. They’ve decided to continue their support of Wesley through planned giving, establishing a scholarship fund, particularly for students interested in serving the local church.
When asked if they think of their recent gift to Wesley as their legacy, they responded that they see their gift as one brick among many, helping to provide a long-lasting foundation for Wesley’s future. It is, in a sense, a simple continuation of their lifelong practice of stewardship—an ongoing act of trying to manage resources in the way Jesus would, a response to God’s great grace in their lives. It might even be the natural extension of depositing 10 percent of a monthly farm chore allowance into a little pink plastic church coin bank.
BILL AND DEBBIE IWIG TRAVELING TOGETHER
BILL IWIG'S CHILDHOOD OFFERING BANK
By Beth Ludlum
Founder and Co-Director of The Hub for (Re)imagining Ministry and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
Bringing Church Home:
The Hub Is Helping Churches Reach the Next Generation
“Can God actually listen to everyone—including me—at the same time?”
“What does God look like?”
“How does God answer everyone’s prayers?”
For adults who spend time around children, these kinds of questions might sound familiar. Children are naturally curious, often unafraid to ask what adults hesitate to voice. For many caregivers, such moments feel like standing on holy ground, yet they can also be intimidating.
Rev. Katie O’Hern Hamilton, pastor at New Hope United Methodist Church in Brunswick, MD, regularly hears from parents seeking help. “After the service, or maybe later that night, I’ll get a text or email: ‘Hey, my kid asked me this question, and I have no idea how to answer it.’” These questions often touch on life after death, the reality of sin, or the nature of God. Some families also navigate interfaith contexts, where parents want to speak authentically about their Christian faith while respecting their children’s diverse communities.
These conversations reveal an important truth: parents cannot share what they have not first articulated for themselves. Hamilton noted, “When kids ask big questions, it often exposes that the parent hasn’t fully answered that question
for themselves. And that can feel like a crisis.” The church has a critical role in “helping parents find words for what matters most to them about their faith,” Hamilton said. “Once they have that, they already have what they need to engage in meaningful conversations.”
BRINGING CHURCH HOME AT NEW HOPE
Recognizing this need, New Hope applied to be part of Bringing Church Home (BCH), an initiative of The Hub for (Re)imagining Ministry at Wesley DC, generously supported by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. BCH gathers congregations in the Washington, DC, and Phoenix, AZ, metro areas to explore how churches can accompany parents and caregivers in sharing faith at home. With training and consultation from The Hub, New Hope assembled a small team to listen, experiment, and adapt ministry to their context.
“We just threw ideas at the wall to see what would stick,” Hamilton recalled. “One of the things I love about New Hope is that the congregation is so open to new ideas. They’re really willing to give anything a try.” This creative environment led to projects that helped families connect faith with daily life.
One innovation was a podcast Hamilton created “for kids and their grown-ups who want to grow in Christian faith together.” Parents could use it as a bedtime story or listen to it during car rides. Instead of everyone being on their own device, families shared an experience that opened space for dialogue. The podcast quickly became a resource beyond New Hope, accessible to any parent or caregiver seeking a simple entry point for faith conversations.
Another experiment was a custom-designed board game inspired by a sermon series on kindness and Jesus’ command to love one’s neighbor. Knowing many families enjoy playing games together, New Hope created and distributed the game to every household. “In my house, we love to play games,” Hamilton said. “It’s a natural vehicle for talking about something that matters.” The game gave families a playful and memorable way to integrate faith into their homes.
A SPACE TO ASK QUESTIONS
These efforts created more than new resources—they modeled a posture of openness. BCH encouraged New Hope to see faith formation not as providing all the answers but as cultivating space for listening, wondering, and living faithfully together. Parents reported deeper engagement, children grew bolder in their questions, and the congregation as a whole sensed God’s presence in the process.
Parenting has never been easy, especially when it comes to wrestling with the big questions of life, God, and faith. Yet as New Hope demonstrates, families do not have to walk alone. Churches can come alongside parents, not with certainty, but with tools, encouragement, and grace. The goal is not to solve every mystery of God but to live out a faith that trusts, even when answers remain unfinished.
BEYOND THE HOME: CHILDREN OF FAITH
Faith formation happens both at home and in congregational life. BCH offered a safe place for New Hope to experiment, while also raising awareness of the role congregations play in shaping children’s understanding of faith. Children learn as much from what they observe in worship and community life as from what their parents say at home.
The Hub’s newest initiative, Children of Faith (COF), also supported by the Lilly Endowment, expands this work into intergenerational spaces. Through national research on best practices, regional learning days, quarterly online workshops, and cohort-based experimentation, COF will help congregations design worship and formation experiences that fully integrate children’s voices, spiritual gifts, and developmental needs.
(RE)IMAGINING MINISTRY WITH NEW GENERATIONS
The maxim, “the message remains the same, but the methods change,” captures the heart of this work. As more people grow up without a faith community, the church must adapt its practices to reach them while remaining rooted in the gospel. Since its founding in 2016, The Hub at Wesley DC has embodied this balance, fostering Spirit-inspired imagination and transformation. In less than a decade, The Hub has partnered with 71 congregations nationwide, inspired over 200 ministry experiments, trained 34 young leaders, and equipped more than 175 seminary students. Its inclusive approach has empowered churches to innovate, strengthen intergenerational connections, and engage new populations with humility and joy. More than a program, The Hub is a catalyst for transformation—helping churches bridge the sacred spaces of home, neighborhood, and congregation; listen to God and neighbor; and equip new generations to live with resilience, curiosity, and conviction.
FACTS AND FIGURES
different Christian denominations and other cherished religious traditions were represented in the Class of 2025 graduates in the 143rd graduating class, ranging in age from 24 to 85
countries represented, including Angola, Botswana, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Zambia, and Zimbabwe 101 20 22 10+
United Methodist Annual Conferences are represented in this class
OUR DONORS
The following lists celebate the cumulative giving during Wesley Theological Seminary’s 2024 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025). Thank you to our loyal donors for your continued support.
Governor’s Circle
$100,000 and above
The Estate of Donna M. Hennessey
Bennett, ’80 and John Bennett
John H. Dalton and Margaret Dalton
The Lilly Endowment, Incorporated
President’s Circle
$25,000-$99,999
Catherine Good Abbott, ’06 and Ernie Abbott
Bethany Church of New Jersey
Martha A. Carr
The Clark-Winchcole Foundation
The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.
Robert B. Coutts and Ingrid Coutts
The Estate of Helen Pumphrey Denit
The Foundation for Evangelism
Mary Gibb
Deborah Iwig and Bill Iwig
Shelley C. Jennings and Tom Jennings
Robert Kettler and Charlotte Kettler
Bishop Chung Suk Kim and Jeong Hee Han
Kwanglim Methodist Church
Francine D. Maestri, ’16 and Bruno Maestri
Joan Paddock Maxwell, ’05 and
David O. Maxwell
Princeton Theological Seminary
Morris A. Range
Rixey Street Foundation, Inc.
The Rollins-Luetkemeyer Foundation, Inc.
United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia, Inc.
Dean’s Circle
$10,000-$24,999
The JK Bae Foundation
Nora Leake Cameron, ’02
Alan G. Cannon
Ransom E. Casey-Rutland and Helen E. Casey-Rutland
Jong-Joon Chun
Deborah Chusmir and Michael Chusmir
City Seminary of New York
James David Dake and Dotty Dake
Robert K. Dawson and Susan Dawson
Epworth House Committee
Margaret Gardner, ’21 and David L. Gardner
Delbert Glover and Linda Grenz
Lucy Lind Hogan, ’87
Ashley Bernard Hoover, ’08 and Josetta Roxanne Hoover, ’08, ’15
The Estate of Thomas C. Horsey
Bradley R. James and Annie James Alton Keel
Danny C. Kim
Kendall United Methodist
Byung Hak Kim and Eunja Kim
Roland S. Kircher, Jr.
Leadership Education at Duke Divinity
Duane Little and Dasha Little
The Magee Christian Education Foundation
Mary Frances Barr Mason, ’89, ’08 and William Mason
David F. McAllister-Wilson, ’88, ’01 and Drema McAllister-Wilson, ’86
Ann Albrecht Michel, ’00, ’11 and Scott D. Michel
John and Paula Millian
Miner Family Charitable Fund
Barbara Miner, ’11, ’14 and Martin Miner
The Patterson Memorial Association
Leonard F. Sjogren, ’76
Helen C. Smith and Gordon V. Smith
University of MD - UMC Campus Ministry
Lovett Weems, Jr., ’72 and Emily Weems
Seminary Circle
$5,000-$9,999
Arlington Korean United Methodist Church
Timothy Ray Baer, ’80, ’03 and Ann Baer
Sueng-Lin Baik, ’03, ’16
Jean Balcom
The Baltimore-Washington Conference of the UMC
Baltimore-Washington Conference UMW
Betty Stanley Beene and William Beene
Kenneth Bentsen and Tamra K. Bentsen
Bishop Thomas M. Berlin and Karen Loughry Berlin
William G. Brown, ’95 and Michelle Pahl Brown, ’96
Robert F. Browning
Linda H. Cannon
General James E. Cartwright, USMC (Ret.) and Sandee Cartwright
The Chandler Fund-Community Foundation
Jane S. Deland, ’96
John M. Derrick, Jr. and Linda Derrick
DK Communications, Inc.
Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling
Gilbert Alexander Fleming and Debbie Fleming
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
The Glatfelter Memorial Scholarship Trust
M. Kathleen Nolen-Martin and Frederick E. Martin, III
Charles Randall Nuckolls and Suzanne Nuckolls
John Ronald Owens, ’80
Prattville Korean United Methodist Church
Talmadge Roberts and Mary E. Roberts
Annie Lou Robinson
G. D. Lewis and Shirley S. Lewis
The Lord’s Church of Montgomery GMC
Douglas Mercer, ’68 and Barbara Mercer
Edward J. Miller, Jr.
John R. Millian and Velaska Millian
Charles E. Moore, Jr. and Carol Hoerichs Moore
The James Vincent Oliver Memorial Fund
Gaye Smith, ’80, ’94 and Theodore W. Smith
James Gordon Vaughter, ’09 and Elinor Vaughter
Edward P. Winkler, ’00 and Nina Winkler
Judith G. F. Worthington, ’04 and John Ogram
Visionaries
$2,500-$4,999
Aldersgate United Methodist Church
Chip Aldridge, ’85, ’95
Michael T. Bradfield, ’78, ’03 and Maile Bradfield
John Patrick Brown, Jr., Esq. and Anita Brown
Carol Thompson Cole and Curtis Cole
Jacqueline W. Coston and Otis D. Coston, Jr.
David Sanford Deutsch, ’10 and
Stephanie Deutsch
Stanley A. Dubowski, ’01
Claire L. Fiedler, ’81
First Korean UMC of Cherry Hill
Malcolm Larry Frazier, ’00, ’06
Edwin F. Hann, III, ’71 and Carol Freeman Hann, ’71
Monica R. Hargrove, ’03
Harvest Korean Methodist Church
W. Thomas Hershey and Beth Hershey
Diana L. Hynson, ’77, ’85
Jacqueline Jones-Smith, ’04 and Joshua I. Smith
The Virgil Jordan Trust
Kangnam Jungang Church (The Rev.
Chan Young Jang)
Korean Madisonville United Methodist Church
Mary E. Kraus, ’80
Beth Ann Ludlum, ’12, ’19 and Mark Fleury
Karen L. Munson, ’97, ’10 and Jeffrey J. Munson
Christ Episcopal Church
Sathianathan Clarke and Prema Clarke
Cynthia L. Coleman and David Reeves
Community Foundation of Frederick County, MD, Inc.
Andrew E. Conard, ’06 and Nicole Scherle Conard, ’06
Gilbert Scarborough, III
Lynn Stanton-Hoyle, ’86, ’05 and Dale Stanton-Hoyle
Todd Stottlemyer
Sunlin Methodist Church
Tampa Korean United Methodist Church
The Estate of George E. Tutwiler
Rob E. Vaughn, Jr., ’78 and Bane Vaughn
Deborah Crenshaw Westbrook, ’05 and Robert L. Ashbaugh
Westminster United Methodist Church
Robert E. White, Jr., ’70 and Melissa White
Ursula M. Wilder, ’06 and Dennis Wilder
Carla Works and Nick J. Works, ’13, ’20
Benefactors
$1,000–$2,499
Patricia Lynn Abell, ’13
Daniel Howard Albrant, ’17
Catherine Denise Alexander, ’12
David C. Allen and Elizabeth Allen
Robert Bruce Anderson-Lloyd, Jr., ’06 and Lisa Anderson-Lloyd, ’16
Carol J. Armstrong-Moore, ’85, ’13
Joseph E. Arnold, ’06 and Scott Cooper
Augusta Korean Methodist Church, Inc.
Joan Baker
John Patrick Baker
Jonathan E. Baker, ’75, ’90 and Donna Baker
Julian D. Berlin and Nancy Berlin
Jane Long Betz
Brenda J. Biler, ’87
Bruce C. Birch and Susan Raye Halse, ’88
Birdsong Charitable Foundation
George Y. Birdsong
Nathaniel L. Bishop, ’05 and Sylvia Bishop
Jo Ann Browning and Grainger Browning, Jr.
Karen L. Bromley and Joe Bromley
Geoffrey D. Brown
Clarence Rutherford Brown, Jr., ’12
Bishop Kenneth L. Carder, ’65
Robert T. Casey and Marilyn Casey
Kenneth E. Chadwick and Melanie Dunn-Chadwick
Bishop Ray W. Chamberlain, Jr. and Martha Chamberlain
Yosuke Chikamoto
Bishop Young Jin Cho, ’82, ’85 and Kiok Chang Cho, ’89
Michael Knipe
Robert F. Kohler, ’04
Loretta Ann Lacy, ’06
Jacqueline L. Landry, ’85
William Anthony Layman, ’70
Kyunglim Shin Lee, ’93 and Seung-Woo Lee
Mary Alice Love, ’75
Marian Sams Crane, ’06, ’19 and Jeffrey Crane
William Wallace Culp, III, ’14
Joseph W. Daniels, Jr., ’00
Bishop Leah Denyatta Daughtry, ’12
Nadine B. Davis, ’22
Kenda Creasy Dean, ’88 and Kevin Dean
Dennis M. Dickison and Nancy Dickison
Ruth Grover Dixon, ’12
Karen M. Dize, ’02 and Noah B. Dize
Cynthia Conwell Hill Dopp, ’11
James R. Driscoll, ’85, ’96 and Katheryn Driscoll
Jean Karen Dudek, ’09 and Paul M. Dudek
Joy Christine Eastridge, ’23 and Wesley Eastridge
Ebenezer AME Church
Edwin H. Eichler and Wanda Eichler
The Elm Foundation, Inc.
Boyd B. Etter, ’82
Jerry M. Eyster and Joan Eyster
Edward L. Federico, Jr. and Sue Federico
Ellen A. Lacroix Fillette, ’16 and
Matthew Fillette
Michael R. Ford and Susan Ford
Harold Garman and Janet Lois Garman
Georgetown Presbyterian Church
Brenda M. Girton-Mitchell, Esq., ’04 and James A. Mitchell
Kevin G. Goodwin and Karen Goodwin
Randall Gordon and Barbara Gordon
Gerard A. Green, Jr., ’88
James Gulley, ’71 and Nancy Kay Gulley
Donald H. Hadley and Margaret Hadley
Benjamin Hall
Rebecca Jennifer Hamm, ’10 and Scott Hamm
Thomas E. Hart, ’70
Marcia J. Hauer, ’94
Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson
Laura Holmes
Charles Anthony Hunt, ’93 and Lisa Elaine Hunt
Oran Glen Irvin, ’73
Joan W. Jenkins Foundation, Inc.
Mary Miller Johnston and William D. Johnston
Joye F. Jones, ’95
Rockwell F. Jones and Melissa Lollar Jones
Suzanne Junod, ’21
Jane Fisher Khoury, ’08
Lucinda Maine and Daniel Howard Albrant, ’17
Michele Manning, ’03
Laura Marie Martin, ’15
Sam William Marullo, ’10 and Susan M. Marullo
Everett McAllister, ’21
Marvin H. McCallum, ’61 and Joyce McCallum
Michael McCurry, ’13 and Debra McCurry
Karen Meeker
Daniel Mejia, ’01, ’20 and Michelle R. Mejia, ’11
Katherine Elizabeth Miksa, ’17
Veronice Miles
Susan Avery Mulholland, ’18 and Mark Mulholland
Camille Cook Murray, ’15
Stephen Butler Murray
National UMW
David Guy Norton, ’20 and Belinda Norton
Sung Sook Park
Young Whan Park and Sun Kyung Auh Park
Rebecca Parker
Julie Andrews Petersmeyer, ’03 and Gregg Petersmeyer
Artie Lanier Polk, ’08
Robert M. Price, ’79, ’84
Gregory A. Prince and JaLynn Prince
Stephen Allen Proctor, ’88, ’99
Karen Rasmussen, ’10
Emilie Sanborn
Joy R. Samuels, ’96, ’06 and Mark Samuels
Robert W. Schaefer and Elaine Schaefer
Cynthia Kay Schneider, ’04
David Christopher Shank, ’11 and Carolyn E. Shank
C. Dennis Shaw, ’99, ’12 and Marilyn White
Felton M. Sheffield, ’03
Mary Short
Ronald LeVant Slaughter, ’18 and Kyla Trinette Slaughter
Theodore Smith, ’96 and Teresa Kay Signer Smith, ’06
Marlin L. Snider, ’77, ’89 and Brenda Snider
R. Kendall Soulen and Allison Rutland Soulen, Esq.
Starfish Foundation of Fairfax Inc.
Victoria J. Starnes, ’90 and John D. Ewald
E. Allen Stewart, ’77 and Angelica Knight Stewart, ’22
Nancy Peterson Stewart, ’89 and Steele F. Stewart
James Gordon Stoltenberg, ’08
Christina K. Suerdieck, ’90
John B. Tate, Jr., ’88 and Barbara Tate
Michael R. Taylor, ’23
Larry O. Tingle, ’68, ’84 and Nancy Tingle
Carol English Tsou, ’97
John W. Van Tine, ’73 and Virginia Van Tine
Miguel Viyella
Susan S. Vogel
Dale L. Vroman, ’74
Joel Leslie Walther, ’11 and Megan Jo Crumm Walther, ’11
Michael E. Webb, ’06 and Susan Webb
Valerie E. Wilson, ’92 and David A. Wilson
Jerry Maddox Woodbery, Jr., ’12 and Carol E. Woodbery
Amy Danielle Yarnall, ’01 and Ray Yarnall
Carol C. Yocum, ’75 and Dennis Yocum, ’75
Josiah Ulysses Young and Pamela Young
Circuit Rider III
$500-$999
Emmanuel Victor Acquaah-Harrison, ’85, ’00
Mele Taumoepeau Aho, ’22
Marilyn Marie Aklin, ’12
Jerry R. Anderson
Kip Bernard Banks, Sr., ’20
Lisa Crump Banks-Williams, ’16, ’20
George Kimmich Beach, ’85
Carolyn Kolbe Bray, ’83, ’90
Karen F. Bunnell, ’87
Judy Yangmi Chung, ’15
David S. Cooney, ’80 and Robin Cooney
Helen Weems Daley and Thomas M. Daley
Beryl Evangeline Dennis, ’05, ’18
Susan Hyde Fellows, ’09, ’13
Thomas Eugene Frost, ’09, ’16 and Carol I. Frost
LoisAnn Furgess-Oler, ’93
Pamela Jo Gable, ’03
Sally Gardy
Joseph Christopher Greene, ’17
David A. Griswold, ’12
Eileen M. Guenther and Roy J. Guenther
Benjamin Hall
Harriet Celeste Heath, ’93, ’09
Tom Holman, ’75
Mary E. Jacobson, ’79
Nam Won Kang, ’05 and Ileen Yim
Catherine A. Kapikian, ’79
Janet H. Kelley
Edward E. Kester, ’74 and Susan Keirn Kester, ’82, ’84
Philip David King, ’19
Lesley Werner Krauland, ’23 and Edward Krauland
Grace W. Lane
Albert K. Lane, III, ’81
Eric J. Lindner and Ellen J. Lindner
Catherine Link and Conrad O. Link, ’79, ’90
Robert W. Martin and Doris Martin
Marta Wherry Mathatas, ’77
Bishop Marcus Matthews, ’74 and Barbara Matthews
Thomas A. Maurer, ’77
Mary Clark Moschella and Douglas L. Clark
Clarence E. Neth, ’61 and Joan Neth
Marjorie E. Palmer, ’96
Lewis A. Parks, ’73 and Margaret Parks
Fredrick C. Powell and Becky Powell
Carl E. Price, ’59
John Wayne Pratt
Pledgeling Foundation
David Thomas St. Clair, ’91
Joe D. Sergent, ’61
William Antoni Sinkfield and Kristy Sinkfield
Andrew Song
Robin Sparks
Barbara Stanton
Bishop Sandra Lynn Steiner Ball, ’03 and Barry Douglas Steiner Ball, ’17
Anne Stewart, ’74 and Donald S. Stewart, Jr.
Margaret N. B. Streiff, ’07 and Gary Streiff
Diane E. D. Summerhill, ’86
Mary L. Swierenga, ’88
Martha Catherine Tamsberg, ’00
Barbara R. Thompson
Richard O. Walker, III and Deborah Camalier Walker
Daniel Wang and Mengru Wang
William H. Warehime, Jr., ’97 and
Linda A. Warehime, ’02, ’06
Dale M. Weatherspoon, ’99, ’13 and Deborah V. Dow Weatherspoon, ’97
Cynthia D. Weems
Western North Carolina Association of Graduates
Roy M. White
Dwight E. Whitlock, Jr., ’62
Alonza Bernard Williams, ’13
Lisa Marie Zaina, ’22
Circuit Rider II
$250-$499
Kathryn M. Andrews
Candace Susan Arnold, ’02
Thomas M. Beall, Jr., ’77
Bell A. Beverlee, ’89
William Blair
Jeanette Marie Block, ’06 and Ronald M Block
Adam Briddell, ’12
Marta Jan Burke, ’85
Kerry T. Cameron, ’10
Erma Cobb
Roger L. Colby, ’73 and Dorothy Colby
Community of Faith United Methodist Church
Jan Naylor Cope, ’07 and John R. Cope, ’01
Mary Crawford
Elizabeth B. Danis and George J. Danis
Jane B. Donovan, ’05, ’10 and Graeme Donovan
Sandy William Drayton, ’14
Mark Elder
Natalie Maxwell Fenimore, ’10, ’18
Peter Bruce Fontneau, ’11
Ruth Elizabeth Frey, ’93
Pat A. Futato, ’13
Ephraim Garcia, ’25
Janet Renee Habersham, ’96
Youtha C. Hardman-Cromwell
Ashley Harmon and Jamie Harmon
Linda Sue Harrison, ’04
Harold V. Hartley, III, ’83
Calvin D. Hawkins, ’74
David A. Highfield, ’70 and Constance J. Highfield
Kerry Ruth Hunter, ’94 and David Hobart Hunter, ’03
Gregory K. Jackson, ’71 and
Marianna Jackson
Melvin A. Jackson, ’07
Emanuel Lee Johnson, ’12
Matthew W. Jones, IV, ’79, ’96
Linda Marie Kapurch, ’16
Danny C. Kim
Richard Kolter
Michael S. Koppel
Mary Ann Kral
Lisa Anne Kruse-Safford, ’96
Jean H. Lee, ’16 and Jay H. Lee
Evelyn Louise Madison, ’07
Sheila C. McNeill-Lee, ’98
M. Douglas Meeks and Blair Meeks
Kevin J. Mulqueen, ’11
National Korean United Methodist Church
Robin Jane Olson, ’10 and Christopher Evans
Coralyn H. Pinkney, ’88, ’98
Stephanie Remington
Gregory Sammons
Gerhardt H. Schrage
John Earl Scott, ’20
Wray Sexson and Roma Sexson
Jay Franklin Smith, ’00
Susan E. Swanson
Barbara Turnbull
Peter Manning Vaughn, ’97 and Carole H. Vaughn
Frances Gwinn Wolf, ’80
Harold B. Wright, II, ’91
Circuit Rider I
$100-$249
Daniel Phillips Abbott, ’77
Caralee Adams
Catherine Denise Alexander, ’12
Logan Kathleen Alley, ’03 and T.C. Morrow, ’05
Edwin A. Ankeny, ’61
Jessica Lynn Anschutz, ’17
Abby Gail Auman, ’06 and Seth Auman, ’05
Donna F. Austin
Sally C. Avignone, ’08
In Sook Bae
Mabel C. Baker
Margaret L. Baker, ’13
Mark Lawrence Barden, ’19
Martha Barkley
Marshal Alan Baughcum, ’05
G. Richard Bell, ’71
Iris Romaine Bellamy, ’96
Lindsay Louise Biddle, ’89, ’19
Karen Sue Boehk, ’04
David Boltz, IV
George Raymond Botic and Pamela B. Botic
Cookie Frances Bracey, ’90
Carole B. Brown, ’00 and Thomas Brown
Marianne Theresa Brown, ’08
Rebecca L. Browning, ’98
Susan Carlson Browning, ’13
Dan C. Bryant, ’90 and Debbie Bryant
Mary Miller Bullis, ’82 and Paul Bullis
Donald L. Burgard, ’73, ’83
Stephen Butler Murray
Su Il Chae
Jalene Cynthia Chase, ’04, ’12
Natalya A. Cherry, ’01 and Paul Cherry
Steven T. Cherry, ’78
Lon B. Chesnutt and Evelyn Chesnutt
Mary Class
Danny Clevenger
Lovena June Conklin
Rachel Cornwell
Margaret McCready Cornell, ’64
Clarafrancie Deneice Cromer Sowers, ’13
Alison Daifuku
Barbara C. Davis and Thomas E. Starnes
Creed Shelton Davis, Jr., ’96
The Dayton Foundation
Sean Patrick Drummond, ’08 and Beth E. Drummond
Sarah Helene Duggin, ’09
Eileen Schneider Dumire, ’76
Douglas Mason Dwyer, ’97
Margaret B. Eastman
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bruce Edson
Rick Elgendy
Joseph T. Eldridge, ’04 and Maria Otero
Kenneth W. Ellison, ’92
John Lodge Euler and Mrs. Mary Jane Euler
David William Faupel and Bonnie Faupel
Michael L. Feely, ’91
Judith G. Fender, ’95, ’02
Tara Janine Fentress, ’12
Elijah Stephan Ferebee, ’19
Charles E. Fine
Glenn J. Fisher, ’61
Jonathan Fisher
David Robert Fronk, ’13
Marcia Rose Rose McCabe Fuoss, ’95
Anne McCorkle Garrett, ’07 and Joseph F. Garrett
Susan S. Garrett, ’81, ’87
James E. Gascoine, ’83
Jeanne and Roderick Gaskell
Barbara Gaskill
Rosemari Gaughan Sullivan, ’09 and Edmund Sullivan
Richard H. Gentzler, Jr., ’76 and Marilyn Gentzler
James Gibbons and Lynda M. Gibbons
Noelle Giguere and John Badertscher
Phil D. Gilliland, ’06, ’14
Give Likely Foundation, Inc
Donna Jean Goltry, ’14
David Edman Gray, ’04, ’09 and Bridget Gray
Olivia F. Gross, ’22
Laura Beaver Beaver Hamrick, ’02
Michael Hardin
Robert Lee Harris, ’72
Byron G. Hays
Sara Hale Henry and Austin H. Henry
John P. Henry Jr.
Basil A. Hensley, ’60
Chad Michael Herndon, ’22
Paul L. Herring, ’62
George Christopher Hesterberg
Ann E. Hicks, ’09
Charles M. Horn and Jane C. Luxton-Horn
Carl D. Howard, ’03 and Beverly C. Howard
Maureen E. Hoyte
Bill Huff
Diane Elizabeth Hugger, ’06
Gary L. Hulme, ’82, ’90
Stephen Walter Humphrey, ’99, ’16
Morse Robert Jackson, ’90
James M. Jarvis
Deborah Y. Jeffries-Davids, ’11
Bishop Peggy Ann Johnson, ’93
Donna Johnson
Paul Wesley Johnson, ’09, ’19
Alveta S. Jones
Michael Jordan
Joseph Jueng, ’19
Clarence A. Kaylor
Evelyn G. Keever, ’79
Robert Edward Kells, Jr., ’12
Danny J. Kesner, ’83
Edward H. Kicklighter and M. Jo Kicklighter
Jang Sik Kim
Mak Dan Kim
Sonia Lynette King, ’04, ’13
David Kotler
Pamela N. Lamborne
Noelle Landin
The Virginia B. Layfield Memorial Endowment
Matthew Lechowicz
John T. LeGault, Jr., ’71
Louis D. Leone, ’63
Benita Edrena Lewis, ’07
Janet Lighthall and Kent A. Lighthall, ’62
David Maurice Lockhart, ’22
Lucy Lowenthal, ’15
James L. Mahaffey, ’96
Gail Mangano
Laura Marie Martin, ’15
Judy C. Matheny, ’70
Ronald M. McCauley, ’62
Audrey Melissa McDowell, ’18
Robert McKinley, III, ’74 and Linda McKinley
Diane Elizabeth Melson, ’03
N. Dale Mendenhall, ’76
Chris Meyer
James Martin Miller, ’92, ’99
Jane Ann Mitchell, ’97, ’07
Robert L. Morris, Jr., ’92
Mt. Harmony/Lower Marlboro Unity UMW
Mt. Harmony/Lower Marlboro
United Methodist Church
Terry Moyer
Celeste Myers, ’20
Mallory Cameron Naake, ’17
DeAnn Lizzie Newhouse, ’20
Eloise Montgomery Newman, ’02
The Original Tax Center
Doralyn Adade Osei, ’18
Michael K. Owens, ’03
Robert A. Patterson, ’65
Constance Alwine Paulson, ’84 and Wesley Paulson
Ralph I. Petersberger and Helen Petersberger
Arthe Vairin Monroe Phillips, ’14
Charles Edward Pruitt, ’68 and Portia Pruitt
Randy W. Pumphrey, ’85, ’97
Tracy A. Radosevic, ’05
Jeffrey A. Raffauf, ’82, ’13
Donald W. Raffensperger, ’76
Amos S. Rideout, Jr., ’69
Evelyn Rivera, ’15 and Edgardo Rivera
Stephen Robison, ’75, ’89
Carlos Samuel Reyes Rodríguez, ’16
Gwendolyn Faye Rodriguez, ’19
Mary Rollefson
Carroll L. Saussy and Frank A. Molony
Joseph Alvin Scahill, ’67
Kathryn Schnur
Corinne Scott
Anita Seline
Yonce Logan Shelton, ’02 and Johanna Shelton
Bonnie L. Shively, ’97
James M. Shopshire, Sr., and Ramonia L. Lee, ’89, ’00
John Ky Shitama, ’95
Rem O. Siekmann
Errol G. Smith, ’62, ’73
Lillian C. Smith, ’94
Mark Wesley Stamm, ’84
Barbara Stapleton
Deborah K. Sturm
Barbara Vivian Suffecool, ’17
William Roy Summerhill, Jr., ’76
Robert M. Terhune, ’67 and Hazel Terhune, ’66
Thomas Gardner Tipton, ’07
Andrea Titcomb, ’92
James H. Tuell, ’86
Phyllis Marie Tucker-Saunders, ’19
Jon Utz
Allan Van Meter
James E. Victor, Jr., ’09 and Vanessa Victor
Betty Lawson Walters
Sue A. Walters, ’04 and Leroy Walters
F. Jean Warring
Barbara Watts, ’09
Donald L. Weaver and Jane Weaver
Pamela Gaus White
Justin White, ’04, ’12
Debra Mae Whitten, ’03
Stacey L. Cole Wilson, ’03 and Wayne Wilson
Phil Wingeier-Rayo and Diana Wingeier-Rayo
Carolynn B. Winters-Hazelton, ’95
Woodside United Methodist Women
Amelia Wright
Deidre Wright
Sarah P. Wright
Jeffrey Joseph Zalatoris, ’19
NOTE TO OUR DONORS
Class years indicate when a graduate received a degree from Wesley.
DID WE MISS YOUR NAME? We made every effort to ensure the accuracy of our Annual Report. Donor lists include gifts made from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. If we made an error, please accept our apologies and contact us at 202-885-8630 so we may correct our records.
MALCOLM FRAZIER, MDIV ’00, DMIN ’06
During the recent celebration for President David McAllisterWilson, I was talking to Bruce Birch, who told me that a current Wesley Seminary student let him know that he was a recipient of the scholarship program named in Bruce’s honor. I was on a pilgrimage through the Holy Land led by Bruce when the scholarship program was initiated.
In 2013, I was awarded the Wesley Seminary Society of John Wesley Award, for which I was deeply humbled. Some of my ministry contributions were highlighted.
I recently wrote a curriculum for Alzheimer’s and dementia education and care, which is currently in production.
During my first year of seminary, I was informed by the Business Office that I was the recipient of a scholarship.
These are just four examples of how I have been equipped to live out my calling through my connection to Wesley Theological Seminary.
I'm starting my MDIV this Fall at Wesley as a hybrid student. For the last 20 or so years, I've worked in international trade law, most recently as an attorney for the federal government. In international law, I was really looking to understand what was holding us all together as nations. Is there some rule of law at the international level that we can look to? In coming to Wesley, I feel like I'm both zooming out and zooming in, moving from international law to universal truth, and from a global stage to a community stage. In such an uncertain world, what binds us together as people? I'm a Unitarian Universalist, so I also love understanding what brings people of diverse spiritual backgrounds—even atheists—into a congregational community. Wesley is the perfect place to explore this for me, because there is so much theological, demographic, and geographic diversity in both the faculty and student bodies. It is already the most exciting journey of my life, and I look forward to the years I'll spend in this rich community.
ANNELIES BROCK, CURRENT MDIV STUDENT
KOREAN ENDOWMENT FUND
Wesley Theological Seminary, in cooperation with the Korean Wesley Foundation, is building an endowed fund to provide scholarship assistance for those called to serve Korean and Korean-American churches. We give thanks for all gifts to this special fund.
The following are scholarships, donated in memory or in honor of, for which gifts were made during the past fiscal year.
Mr. Danny C. Kim
Arlington Korean United Methodist Church Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Jongtahk Moon
Mr. Jong-Joon Chun in honor of Christine Chambers-Chun & Jong-Joon Chun Kwanglim Methodist Church
The late Rev. Dae Hee Park (MRE ’62) and Mrs. Sung Sook Park
Elder Ban Son and the late Shirley Y. Son Harvest Korean Methodist Church
The following are scholarships, donated in memory or in honor of, for which one or more units of $15,000 have been completed through 2024. Multiple $15,000 units are indicated in parentheses.
Dr. Sei Hyun Ahn and Mrs. Eunsook Ahn
Mrs. Jai Soon Bae in memory of Gi Sun Bae
The late Mr. Jong Hwan Bae and Mrs. Sungim Huh
Dr. Sung Ho Bae and Mrs. Kwang Hee Bae in honor of Ok Joon Park
Dr. and Mrs. Paul Sangyong Cha
Dr. and Mrs. Kyung Suk Chae
Mr. Je Dong Chai and Mrs. Myung Chai
Mrs. Grace Sun Hae Chang in memory of Yong Soon Kae
Mrs. Grace Sun Hae Chang in memory of Du Kyung Kim
The late Mr. Charlie Chay and Mrs. Kuhye Chong Chay
Mrs. Keum Nang Cheung
The late Mrs. Won Sung Cheung
The late Mrs. Ok Hyun Chi
Dr. Byoung S. Cho and Mrs. Helen H. Cho
Mrs. Een Shoon Cho in memory of Seong Hoh Cho
Mr. Kwan Sik Cho and Mrs. Young Ae Kim in honor of Doo Han Cho
Bishop Young Jin Cho (MDV ’82, DMN ’85) and Mrs. Kiok Chang Cho (MTS ’89) in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Byung Kyu Chun
Mr. Bong Jin Choe
Mrs. Minja Kim Choe and Mr. Yong Ho Choe in memory of Elder Jung Ok Roh
Mr. Daniel B. K. Choi and Mrs. Pyoungran Choi
The Rev. Ei-Woo Choi and Mrs. Boon Deuk Hwang (2)
Mr. Jason Sung Kul Choi
Mr. Oh Young Choi and Mrs. Hyunok Park in honor of Keunwon and Heewon Choi
Mr. Sang Pil Choi and Mrs. Suk Rang Huh
Mr. Jung Yong Chu in memory of Bong Ki Choi and So Deuk Park
Anonymous Donors in honor of Bishop Young Jin Cho (2)
Mr. Jong-Joon Chun and the late Mrs. Christine Chambers-Chun in honor of Seong Gu Chu and Gil Young Yu
Mr. Jong-Joon Chun in memory of Mrs. Christine Chambers-Chun
Mrs. Bok Hee Han
The Family of Mr. Sung You Hong in memory of The Rev. Dae Hee Park
Mr. In Chul Hwang in honor of Hyo Soon Chang
Mr. Gui Jong Jeong and Mrs. Eun Soon Kim
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Moon Ok Kim and Jung Nam Lee
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Bo Jung Kim and Soon Young Kim
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Sang Gyun Kim
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in memory of Dong Hwee Kim and SooHee Ko
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in memory of Bo Jung Kim
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in memory of The Rev. Dae Hee Park (2)
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Soyeon K. Hong Family
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of The Rev. Dr. Kyunglim Shin Lee
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Somin K. Lee Family
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Don Koo Lee
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Moonbong Scholarship Foundation (3)
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in memory of The Rev. Yongjo Ha
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in memory of Soon Young Kim
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Jungshik Park
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Rachael Lee
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Danielle Lee
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Carolyn Hong
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Minjung Son Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Allison Hong
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Jacob Hong
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Noah Taehwan Kim
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of
The Rev. Dr. Chang Hyon Pak
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Minjung Kang (2) Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Sangheung Park
Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Nicholas Robles Moonbong Foundation: Mr. Byung Hak and Mrs. Eunja Kim in honor of Jongtahk Moon
Mr. Byung Ki Kim and The Rev. Dr. Chul Ki Kim (MTS ’02, DMN ’16) in honor of Soon Rye Lee
Dr. Danny C. Kim (5)
Mr. Ellary K. Kim and Mrs. Mihae Kim in memory of David Chung Sik Kim
The Rev. Ki Bok Kim (MRE ’70) and Mrs. Young Soon Jung
Mr. Seog Gweon Kim (2)
Mrs. Julie Hae Won Kim and Mr. Shin Yong Kim in honor of Geena and Jacqueline Kim
Mrs. Julie Hae Won Kim in honor of Mr. Shin Yong Kim
Bishop Sundo Kim (MRE ’70) (2)
Dr. Yongshik Kim and Mrs. Sa Eun Kim
Mrs. Young Mi Kim in memory of Won Il Kim
Elder Hyuktae Kwon in memory of Elder Hyungsuk Kang
Bishop Oh Suh Kwon
Mr. Kyung-Soo Lee
Mr. Martin Y. Lee and Mrs. Linda J. Lee
Dr. Sontaek Lee and Dr. Grace Lee
The late Rev. Dr. T. Samuel Lee in memory of Sarah Cho Lee
The Rev. Seung Woo Lee and The Rev. Dr. Kyunglim Shin Lee (DMN ’93) in memory of Soon Kyung Cha
Mr. Hyung Jun Lim and Mrs. Yesoo Kim in honor of Pomelo
Mr. and Mrs. Sun Jae Lim
Dr. Dai Ok Moon and Mrs. Sunnie Moon in honor of The Rev. Dr. Kyunglim Shin Lee
Dr. Dai Ok Moon and Mrs. Sunnie Moon
The late Mr. Dong Il Pai and Mrs. Kathy Pai
Mr. Soo Won Pak and the late Mrs. Sung E. Pak in honor of Victor Pak
Mr. Soo Won Pak and the late Mrs. Sung E. Pak in honor of Peter Pak
Mr. Changak Park and Mrs. Jinbun Mun in memory of Mrs. Byung Jeong Choi
Mr. Choong Hyun Park and Mrs. Youngsook Cho Park in memory of Chi Ho Yun
The late Mr. Chul Run Park in memory of Jun Park
The late Rev. Dae Hee Park (MRE ’62) and Mrs. Sung Sook Park in memory of The Rev. Andrew Whang
The late Rev. Dae Hee Park (MRE ’62) and Mrs. Sung Sook Park in memory of Yong Sun Park
Mr. Jae Woong Park in memory of Yong Sung Park
Mrs. Sung Sook Park
Mr. Young Whan Park and Mrs. Sun Kyung Auh Park
Mrs. Sungun Ro in honor of David Lim
Mr. Davey T. Shin and Mrs. Jong Nam Kim
Mr. Davey T. Shin and Mr. James Shin in memory of Mrs. Jong Nam Kim
Ms. Kyung Hee Shin (2)
Mr. Soo Il Shin and Mrs. Myung Hee Shin
Mr. Richard Y. Sunwoo and Mrs. Penny Sunwoo
Mr. and Mrs. Hee Kyun Yang in honor of Seung
Won and Seung Yup and Hea Won Yang
Mrs. Shin Ja Lee in memory of Mr. In Chan Yang
Mrs. Ok Hee Yang in honor of The Family of Yang
Mr. Jay Yu and Mrs. Eunyong Yu
Mrs. Jeannie Yu and the late Mr. Victor Yu in honor of Yoon Kyung Choi
Mrs. Jeannie Yu and the late Mr. Victor Yu in honor of Yoon and Michael Uh
Aiea Korean United Methodist Church (The Rev. Hoyong Kim / The Rev. Jonathan Lee)
Anyang Methodist Church (The Rev. Dr. Yong Tack Rim (DMN ’09))
Bupyeong Methodist Church (The Rev. Eun Pa Hong / The Rev. Woong Seok Son)
Delaware Korean United Methodist Church (The Rev. Jong Nam Song)
Eden Korean United Methodist Church (The Rev. Chi Bon Jang / The Rev. Yo-Seop Shin (MTS ’05))
Emmaus United Methodist Church of Stratford Hills (The Rev. Dr. Chul Ki Kim (MTS ’02, DMN ’16))
Eun Pyung Methodist Church and Bishop Young Hun Kim in memory of The Rev. Sung Youl Yoon
Eun Pyung Methodist Church (Bishop Young Hun Kim / The Rev. Dong Hyun Kim) (2)
First Korean United Methodist Church of Cherry Hill (The Rev. Han Seung Koh / The Rev. Ilyoung Kim)
Holy Flames Methodist Church (Bishop Yong Jai Jun / The Rev. Sung Hoon Kong) (2) 120
Ilsan Kwanglim Methodist Church (The Rev. Dr. Dong Chan Park (MDV ’93, DMN ‘99))
Jinkwan Methodist Church (The Rev. Hyeonsik Lee) (2)
Kang Reung Central Korean Methodist Church (Bishop Chul Lee)
Korean Christian Business Men's Committee of Hawaii in memory of The Rev. Dae Hee Park
Korean United Methodist Church of South Florida Silver Mission (The Rev. Dr. Chan Young Jang (MTS ’00, DMN ’04) / The Rev. Chul Goo Lee)
Korean United Methodist Church of South Florida United Methodist Women (The Rev. Dr. Chan Young Jang (MTS ’00, DMN ’04) / The Rev. Chul Goo Lee
Kwanglim Methodist Church (Bishop Chung Suk Kim) (21)
Manna Methodist Church of Los Angeles (The Rev. Ki Sung Song / The Rev. Kang Sik Nam)
Meal Al Church (The Rev. Ki Seo Park / The Rev. Sung Chan Auh)
Myung Seong Methodist Church (The Rev. Byung Ryul Min / The Rev. Samuel Kim
PaiKwang Methodist Church (The Rev. Bang Nam Hwang / The Rev. Hak Sung Lee)
Salisbury Korean United Methodist Church
(The Rev. Dr. Sueng Lin Baik (MTS ’03, DMN ’16))
Songnae Central Methodist Church (The late Rev. Jong Soon Kim / The Rev. Jin Soo Park)
Tampa Korean United Methodist Church
(The Rev. Dr. Sueng Lin Baik (MTS ’03, DMN ’16))
The following donors collectively contributed at least one $15,000 endowment unit in honor or memory of a specific individual or organization.
In Memory of The Rev. Jacob S. Kim Anna Circle
Mr. and Mrs. Dae Wook Chang
The Rev. and Mrs. Young Jin Cho
Mrs. Shin Ae Choi
The late Dr. Byungkyu and Mrs. Sunghok Chun
Mr. and Mrs. Chu Il Chun
The late Mr. Du Shun Gim and Mrs. Im-Ja Gim
Mr. and Mrs. Gee B. Hahn
Mrs. Young Ja Hahn
Mr. and Mrs. Gi Bin Han
Mrs. Alice H. Kim
Mr. and Mrs. Chong Soo Kim
Mr. Hui Ki Kim
Mr. Ung Soo Kim
Mr. and Mrs. Yun C. Kim
Dr. Hesung Chun Koh
Mrs. Yong Soo Lee Koh
Dr. Hyo Keun Lee
Mrs. Hyun Wha Oh
Mr. and Mrs. Peter C. Oh
Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Pang
Dr. and Mrs. Cheol Park
Mr. Woo Young and Mrs. Kai Rim Park
Mr. and Mrs. Young Whan Park
Dr. and Mrs. Yo Taik Song
Mr. Key H. Yang
Mr. and Mrs. Seungkil Yang
In Memory of The Rev. Dr. T. Samuel Lee
Mr. Hyung Sig and Mrs. Mi Kyung Lee
The Rev. K. Samuel Lee
The late Rev. Dr. T. Samuel Lee
Mrs. Nam Sook Lee
In Memory of Jae Hong Lim
Zion Methodist Church
The Family of Jae Hong Lim
In Memory of Chi Ho Yun
Ms. Myung Hi Yun Cho
Mr. Won Hyo and Mrs. Saung Sook Cho
Mr. Ho Jin and Mrs. Grace Choi
Mr. Tai Jin and Mrs. Maria Park Chung
Mr. Walter and Mrs. Tai Sun Kanarczyk
Mr. Peter and Mrs. Ann Kim
Dr. C. K. and Mrs. K. Yun Lowe
Mr. Jae Whi and Mrs. Joon Hee Oh
Mr. Choong Hyun and Mrs. Youngsook C. Park
Ms. Younghi Yun Whisnant
Mr. Chungsun and Mrs. Young Ju Yun
Mr. Jang Sun and Mrs. Kay H. Yun
Ms. Kisun Yun
In
Honor of National Korean
United Methodist Church
Ms. In Sook Bae
The late Mr. Peter Ran Choe
The late Ms. Hyung Sook Choi
Mr. and Mrs. Sung Yong Choi
The late Ms. Nak Sang Chung
Ms. Bok Hee Han
Mr. and Mrs. Eui Keun Kim
Mr. and Mrs. Jang Sik Kim
Mrs. Sun Ja Kim
Mr. and Mrs. Bon Sam Koo
The late Mr. Hee Dong Kwak
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew S. Lee
The late Mr. Chul Ho and Mrs. Jae Sook Lee
The Rev. Seung Woo and The Rev. Dr. Kyunglim Shin Lee
Mr. and Mrs. Chang H. Lie
Mr. and Mrs. Sung Ho Lim
The late Ms. Bok Woo Nam
Mr. Davey T. Shin
Mr. and Mrs. Min Hyun Shin
Mr. and Mrs. Corn S. Song
The late Mr. Duk Chang Sun and the late Mrs. Young-Ae Choi
I give to Wesley Theological Seminary because it continues to be a source of inspiration and formation in my life. The theological challenges and spiritual guidance provided by so many dedicated professors during my time at Wesley, as well as my participation in the Missional Fellowship, were instrumental in shaping me into the spiritual leader I am today. Their commitment to fostering intellectual growth and deep spiritual understanding created an environment where I truly flourished.
As a hospital chaplain, working daily with patients and staff from incredibly diverse religious, cultural, economic, and life experience backgrounds, I see the direct impact of the practical theology I learned at Wesley. The ability to engage meaningfully with such a wide spectrum of beliefs and needs, to offer compassionate and informed spiritual care in times of crisis, is directly fueled by the education I received. My MDIV is more than just a degree; it’s a living, breathing framework that empowers my daily practice.
Giving at this time feels like a natural extension of the gratitude I hold for Wesley. I generously received a scholarship from Wesley. Now my donation is a way to ensure that future generations of spiritual leaders have access to the same transformative education that prepared me for ministry.
2025 MASTER’S GRADUATES
To commemorate this year’s class (listed below), one donor made a generous gift of $25 for each of them for a Wesley Council gift of over $1,000.
Master of Arts
Ricardo Bennett
Dalmain Oridean Black
Millie Frances Blount-Rice
Anne Elizabeth Derse
Latitia Ann Felus
Clinton Ashbert Hall
Arlene Rose Holding
Jill Iovino
Monique Alessa Lewis-Jackson
Kadine Santonya McKenzie
Wendell Guy McKoy
Samuel Tunde Olaiya
Eser Park
Sekai Modesta Pfupa
Roshaine Jason Phillips
Stephen James Roobol-Triggs
Rachel Ann Russell
Maxiene Angella Simpson-Garvey
Remonia Terry Ann Tulloch-Hamilton
Master of Divinity
Samuel Boadi Addo-Donkoh
Muyibatu Olabisi Adebesin
Robin Sophia Apparicio
Kristin Lee Berkey-Abbott
Crystal Lynette Buffington
Zavia Emerald Charles
Costa Nicolau Cristóvão
Cara Colleen Fortner
Godfrey Kinoti Gakuru
Katharine Akyung Ki
Simon Shinmok Lee
Carla Renay Lester
Austin Wayne McNeil
Jillian Raye Meadors
Alyssa Jane Nantt
Clara Kathryn Pass
Mary Hong Qu
Judith Noel Saunders
Jennifer Dawn Stamm
MacKenzie Robert Stansfield
Master of Theological Studies
Claudia Hilliard Bach
M. Angel Catalá
James C. Dooley
Edouard Kabamba Isolo
Titus Cubol Payne
Brianna Simone Reaves
TIFFANY NEWSOM, MDIV '17
Called. Answered. Sent. God called. I answered, but I told God, “Only if you find a way to pay for it.” God supplied a full tuition scholarship to Wesley. Because of that gift, I find myself now in a financial position where I can give back. My experience at the seminary was more than just an education: I have lifelong connections with colleagues throughout the world. I hope that my contribution will allow Wesley to continue to provide these opportunities for new students now and in the future. If you are not currently in a place to donate more than you do, I encourage you to reach out to your classmates and invite them to give. Not only is it a chance to reconnect, but every donation matters, regardless of size. May your memories of Wesley also be a blessing.
GIFTS IN HONOR OF
We give thanks for the witness and faith of those who have been honored with gifts in support of Wesley’s life and mission.
The Rev. Dr. Wm. D. Chip Aldridge
Dr. Bruce Birch
Robert Browning
Ruth Burgess
Clinical Pastoral Care
Jong-Joon Chun
Sathianathan Clarke
The Rev. Terri Cofiell
Dr. Stacey Cole Wilson
Helen Daley
Dr. Jeanne Adams Daniels
Rev. Mahlon Elliot
Federal Employees
Jonathan Ransom Fisher
Jack Giguere
Dr. John Godsey
Dr. C.C. Goen
Rev. Ben Horrocks
Annette Huizenga
Neil Irons
Danny C. Kim
M J Kim
Dr. James C. Logan
Bishop Marcus Matthews
President David McAllister-Wilson
Susan McCollum
Dr. Ann A. Michel
Mr. Randy Millian
Dr. Beverly Eileen Mitchell
Jongtahk Moon
GIFTS IN MEMORY OF
Dr. Lewis Parks
John Paters
Steve Phillips, TSgt
Ret, LT Vanessa Platek CHC USN
Dr. Larry Rasmussen
Dr. Sharon Ringe
Louisa Davis
Suzanne Rudiselle
Leonard Sjogren
Staff of Wesley Theological Seminary
Jeff Strait
United Methodist Pastors
Dr. Lovett Weems
Dr. Sondra Wheeler
We give thanks for the life and faith of those who have been memorialized with gifts to support Wesley’s enduring mission.
Hubert and Bobbye Alexander
William and Deniece Baylor
Nancy Berlin
Suzanne Browning
Dr. George Wesley Buchanan
The Rev. Elwyn and Mrs. Ruth Ann Burke
Glen Cannon
Phyllis Coffee
Joan Eyster
Edward Frederick
The Rev. Lillian Rodgers Geib
The Rev. Jack Giguere
Dr. John Godsey
Dr. C.C. and Mrs. Betty Goen
Ida Green
Jean Hodges
The Rev. Dr. Hidemi Ito
Edna Landsiedel
Wesley Maxwell Lawton
Kent Lighthall
Dr. James C. Logan
The Rev. Melvin Maxwell
Dr. William B. McClain
Betty Jane McKinley-O’Shea
The Rev. William A. Miles and
Mrs. Ollie L. Miles Johnson
Alva Millian
Dr. Roy Morrison
Dr. J. Edward Moyer
Patrick Pascual
The Rev. Dr. Clementa C. Pinckney
Mary Martha Platenkamp
Frank and Hilda Ringe
Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert S. Scarborough, Jr.
The Rev. LeRoy E. Schauer
The Rev. Thomas Short
Dr. Laurence Hull Stookey Hallie Tucker
Raymond Washington
Margaret G. Wogaman
Edward H. Wright
Ron and Boots Zaina
MALLORY NAAKE, MDIV ’17
HERITAGE CIRCLE
The Heritage Circle honors those who have invested in the future of Wesley Theological Seminary by including Wesley in their estate planning through bequests, trusts, annuities, gift bonds, and other enduring gifts.
Catherine Good Abbott, ’06 and Ernie Abbott
Chip Aldridge, ’85 and .95
Kathryn M. Andrews
Michael W. Armstrong, ’90 and Judy Y. Armstrong
Paul D. Arnold, ’74
Lois A. Aroian, ’09
Jonathan E. Baker, ’75, ’90 and Donna Baker
Josephine C. Baker
Jean Balcom
A. Catharine Bealor, ’89
Betty Stanley Beene and William Beene
Jane Long Betz
Bruce C. Birch and Susan Raye Halse, ’88
Richard Lee Bowers, ’91 and Phyllis M. Bowers, ’95
Michael T. Bradfield, ’03, ’78 and Maile Bradfield
Geoffrey D. Brown
M. Loren Bullock and Jean Bullock
Lawrence W. Buxton, ’96 and Beverly Mease-Buxton
Nora Leake Cameron, ’02
Bishop Kenneth L. Carder, ’65
Lon B. Chesnutt and Evelyn Chesnutt
Deborah Chusmir and Michael Chusmir
The Estate of Doris S. Cooney
Olivia R. Costango, ’98
Marian Sams Crane, ’06, ’19 and Jeffrey Crane
William Wallace Culp, III, ’14
James David Dake and Dotty Dake
John H. Dalton and Margaret Dalton
Keith A. Davis and Cindy Davis
Bishop Robin Dease, ’98, ’10
Jane S. Deland, ’96
John M. Derrick, Jr. and Linda Derrick
Stanley A. Dubowski, ’01
Nancy S. Duerling, ’03 and Craig Duerling
Curtis Christian Ehrgott, ’05 and Susan Ehrgott
Rachel Meredith Fisher, ’01 and Samuel Fisher
Betty J. Forbes and Stanley Owen Forbes, Sr.
Michael R. Ford and Susan Ford
Edward M. Frederick and Annamae Frederick
John Wayne Fulton, ’08
Sally Gardy
Richard H. Gentzler, Jr., ’76 and Marilyn Gentzler
Mary Gibb
Suzanne Denise Gibson, ’02
Parmalee Prentice Gilbert and Becky Gilbert
The Glatfelter Memorial Scholarship Trust
The Estate of Betty Goen
Kevin G. Goodwin and Karen Goodwin
James Gulley, ’71 and Nancy Kay Gulley
Donald H. Hadley and Margaret Hadley
Nancy C. Hajek
Thomas E. Hart, ’70
Harold V. Hartley, III, ’83
James F. Hawkins, ’88 and Kathleen V. Hawkins
Thomas Hefner
Sara Hale Henry and Austin H. Henry
Paul L. Herring, ’62
Carl E. Hill, ’65
Larry Lawrence Hollar, ’94 and Karen M. Cassedy, ’95
The Estate of Thomas C. Horsey
Kathleen R. Hutchens and Philip Hutchens
Deborah Iwig and Bill Iwig
Mary E. Jacobson, ’79
Bradley R. James and Annie James
Jeanne-Renee Jones, ’00
Joye F. Jones, ’95
Barbara A. Kenley, ’98 and C. Robert Kenley
Edith Kirk
Mary E. Kraus, ’80
The Estate of Dr. Ellis L. and Mrs. Phyllis Larsen
Stephen L. Larsen, ’88, ’05 and Wanda Bulkowski Larsen
JoAnn Sybill Lawson
William Anthony Layman, ’70
Karl Dennis Lehman, ’90
G. D. Lewis and Shirley S. Lewis
Douglas Eugene Liston, ’05, ’95 and Judith A. Liston
Thomas William Malcolm, ’77, ’05 and Stephanie Malcolm
Cynthia Marshall
Laura Ann Martin, ’82, ’87
Robert W. Martin and Doris Martin
David F. McAllister-Wilson, ’88, ’01 and Drema McAllister-Wilson, ’86
Marvin H. McCallum, ’61 and Joyce McCallum
Robert Paul McDonald-Walker, ’06, ’08 and Jean G. McDonald-Walker, ’96
Robert McKinley, III, ’74 and Linda McKinley
Ruth Ann Russell Melick, ’85
Vollie Melson and Maggie Melson
Douglas Mercer, ’68 and Barbara Mercer
Rick Lee Miller, ’85, ’98 and Sarah A. Miller
Robert E. Miller and Nadine Miller*
Darrell V. Mitchell, ’55
The Estate of Emma R. Myers
Elizabeth Jean Norcross, ’05, ’11 and Clint Stretch
William Edward Olewiler, ’80, ’09
Vivian W. Otto
John S. Park, ’59 and Mary Jane Park
Sung Sook Park
Cecil-Ray Penn, ’73
Wayne Perry, ’74 and Donna Perry
Morris A. Range
William L. Renfro and Sandy Renfro
The Estate of Gene K. Davis Ritchie
Talmadge Roberts and Mary E. Roberts
Emilie Sanborn
Jay A. Saxe, ’60 and Nancy Saxe
Robert W. Schaefer and Elaine Schaefer
Carole Schauer
Olivia Schwartz and Tommy Schwartz
Henry F. Schwarzmann, ’73
C. Dennis Shaw, ’99, ’12 and Marilyn White
Sara Elizabeth Sheppard, ’12
Rochelle Ann Shoemaker, ’97
Patricia Sink
Leonard F. Sjogren, ’76
Donald R. Slaybaugh, Jr., ’83
Errol G. Smith, ’62, ’73
Gaye Smith, ’80, ’94 and Theodore W. Smith
Marlin L. Snider, ’77, ’89 and Brenda Snider
The Estate of Laurence Hull Stookey
Diane E. D. Summerhill, ’86
Charles E. Swadley, ’78
Martha Catherine Tamsberg, ’00
Phyllis Tyler, ’71
The Estate of Corinne Sells Van Buren, ’64
Mary Waldron
Frances Walton
Lawrence H. Wayman, ’71 and Flora Obayashi-Wayman
Richard Werling, ’02, ’08 and Margy Werling
Edward P. Winkler, ’00 and Nina Winkler
J. Philip Wogaman and Carolyn Wogaman
The Estate of Rev. Dr. Raymond F. Wrenn
Jean Young
1882 SOCIETY
The 1882 Society are Wesley graduates who support the seminary with a gift of $500 to $999 during the fiscal year.
Emmanuel Victor Acquaah-Harrison, ’85, ’00
Mele Taumoepeau Aho, ’22
Marilyn Marie Aklin, ’12
Kathy Lynn Altman, ’11 and Mark Altman
Bishop Sandra Lynn Steiner Ball, ’03 and Barry Douglas Steiner Ball, ’17
Kip Bernard Banks, Sr., ’20
Lisa Crump Banks-Williams, ’16, ’20
George Kimmich Beach, ’85
Carolyn Kolbe Bray, ’83, ’90
Karen F. Bunnell, ’87
Judy Yangmi Chung, ’15
David S. Cooney, ’80 and Robin Cooney
Beryl Evangeline Dennis, ’05, ’18
Wanda Bynum Duckett, ’10, ’14
Susan Hyde Fellows, ’09, ’13
Thomas Eugene Frost, ’09, ’16 and Carol I. Frost
LoisAnn Furgess-Oler, ’93
Pamela Jo Gable, ’03
Joseph Christopher Greene, ’17
David A. Griswold, ’12
Harriet Celeste Heath, ’93, ’09
Tom Holman, ’75
Mary E. Jacobson, ’79
Nam Won Kang, ’05 and Ileen Yim
Catherine A. Kapikian, ’79
Edward E. Kester, ’74 and Susan Keirn Kester, ’82, ’84
Philip David King, ’19
Lesley Werner Krauland, ’23 and Edward Krauland
Albert K. Lane, III, ’81
Catherine Link and Conrad O. Link, ’79, ’90
Marta Wherry Mathatas, ’77
Bishop Marcus Matthews, ’74 and Barbara Matthews
Thomas A. Maurer, ’77
Clarence E. Neth, ’61 and Joan Neth
Marjorie E. Palmer, ’96
Lewis A. Parks, ’73 and Margaret Parks
Carl E. Price, ’59
David Thomas St. Clair, ’91
Joe D. Sergent, ’61
Anne Stewart, ’74 and Donald S. Stewart, Jr.
Margaret N. B. Streiff, ’07 and Gary Streiff
Diane E. D. Summerhill, ’86
Mary L. Swierenga, ’88
Martha Catherine Tamsberg, ’00
William H. Warehime, Jr., ’97 and Linda A. Warehime, ’02, ’06
Dale M. Weatherspoon, ’99, ’13 and Deborah V. Dow Weatherspoon, ’97
Dwight E. Whitlock, Jr., ’62
Alonza Bernard Williams, ’13
Lisa Marie Zaina, ’22
Why do we give to Wesley Theological Seminary? Our answer is two-fold: 1) we want to monetarily honor the numerous ways in which Wesley has shaped us; and 2) we want to pay it forward.
Wesley is not only a “part of our story” but has played a major role in our formation as pastors, administrators, academicians, and community partners. We are forever grateful for being educated and challenged by worldrenowned scholars who taught us that theology, God, and the Bible cannot be viewed through a fishbowl. And, we are forever grateful that Wesley was the place where we met, got married, and found a community with life-long friends!
Lastly, we value education and want to “pay it forward” to someone who may not have the means to access theological education at a reputable and renowned Methodist institution of higher education in the nation’s capital. For example, we give to the Rev. Dr. Asa J. Lee Fund for African-American Church Studies because we want to ensure that anyone who is interested in African-American church studies can study without stress and financial restraint.
Essentially, we believe that if we “can help somebody,” as the great songstress Mahalia Jackson once sang, we know that we are living out our call in the variety of ways God intended for us.
ASHLEY, MDIV ’08, AND JOSIE HOOVER, MDIV ’08, DMIN ’15
LEADERSHIP
BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2024 –2025
Dr. Monica Hargrove, ’03, Chair
The Rev. Dr. Stacey Cole Wilson, ’87, Vice Chair
The Rev. Dr. Barbara F. Miner, ’11, ’14, Secretary
The Rev. Dr. Lucy Lind Hogan, ’87, Assistant Secretary
The Rev. Catherine Good Abbott, ’06
The Rev. Sueng Lin Baik, ’03, ’16
The Rev. Dr. Kip Bernard Banks, Sr., ’20
Mr. Geoffrey D. Brown
The Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Browning
General James E. Cartwright, USMC (Ret.)
Dr. Ransom Casey-Rutland
Mrs. Carol Thompson Cole
The Rev. Dr. Marian Sams Crane, ’06, ’19
Bishop Leah D. Daughtry, ’12
The Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean, ’88
Dr. Gilbert Alexander Fleming
Mrs. Margaret Gardner, ’21
Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson
The Rev. Dr. Charles Antony Hunt, ’93
The Rev. Dr. Louis J. Hutchinson, III, ’08, ’12
Ms. Shelley C. Jennings
Dr. Rebecca Johnson
The Rev. Dr. Rockwell Jones
Mr. Robert C. Kettler
Bishop Chung Suk Kim
Dr. Duane Little
Mrs. Francine Davis Maestri, ’16
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Mejia-Munoz, ’01, ’20
Mr. John C. Millian
Mr. Charles E. Moore, Jr.
The Rev. Dr. Stephen Butler Murray
Dr. Gregory A. Prince
The Rev. Dr. Ronald LeVant Slaughter, ’18
Mr. Andrew Song
Mr. Todd Stottlemyer
The Rev. Dr. James E. Victor, Jr., ’09
The Rev. Dr. Jerry Maddox Woodberry, Jr., ’12
Ex-Officio
Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling
The Rev. Dr. David F. McAllister-Wilson, ’88, ’01
BOARD OF GOVERNORS EMERITI 2024–2025
The Rev. Dr. Jonathan E. Baker, ’75, ’90
Dr. Betty Stanley Beene
Bishop Thomas M. Berlin
Mrs. Jane Long Betz
Ms. Nora Leake Cameron, ’02
The Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Carder, ’65
Mrs. Martha A. Carr
Mrs. Jacqueline W. Coston
Mr. Robert B. Coutts
The Honorable John H. Dalton
Mr. Charles R. Dashiell, Jr.
The Honorable Robert K. Dawson
Mr. John M. Derrick, Jr.
Mrs. Betty Forbes
Mr. Edward Federico, Jr.
The Rev. Brenda M. Girton-Mitchell, Esq., ’04
Mrs. Doris A. Harrison
The Rev. Dr. H. Beecher Hicks
Mr. Johnny M. Howard, Esq.
Mr. Kenneth A. Huntsman
The Rev. Dr. Chan-Young Jang, ’00, ’04
Yong-Jai Jun
The Rev. Mary E. Kraus, ’80
The Honorable Tae Sik Lee
Dr. G. Douglass Lewis
The Honorable Robert L. Mallett
Chaplain Joan P. Maxwell, ’05
Mr. Michael McCurry, ’13
The Rev. Lisa Lavelle McKee, ’96
The Honorable Mary Miller-Johnston
Mr. C. Randall Nuckolls
Ms. Rebecca Parker
The Rev. Dr. Robert L. Parsons, ’68, ’80
Bishop Joe E. Pennel
Mr. Frederick C. Powell
Mr. Talmadge Roberts
Mrs. Cynthia J. Skarbek
Mrs. Helen C. Smith
The Rev. Marlin Snider, ’77, ’89
Mr. Earl Stafford
The Rev. E. Allen Stewart, ’77
Mrs. Mary Waldron
The Honorable W. Edward Whitfield
The Rev. Carol Cosens Yocum, ’75
STEERING COMMITTEES AND ADVISORY GROUPS 2023–2024
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Dr. Ransom E. Casey-Rutland, Chair
Mr. Scott Fassbach
Mr. Delbert Glover
Dr. G. Douglass Lewis
Mr. Randy Millian
Mr. Eugene Paik
Mrs. Helen C. Smith
Ex-Officio
The Rev. Dr. Beth Ann Ludlum, ’12, ’19
The Rev. Dr. David F. McAllister-Wilson, ’88, ’01
Dr. Carla Works
Wesley Global Council US (previously the Wesley Central and South America Council)
Augusta Methodist Church
(The Rev. Il Nam Jung)
Bethany Church of New Jersey
(The Rev. Suenglin Baik)
Hanmaeum Methodist Church
(The Rev. Heyung Gun Choi)
Korean Church of Prattville
(The Rev. Sung-Kuk Hong)
Korean Madisonville United Methodist
Church (The Rev. Shin Sung)
Tampa Korean Methodist Church
(The Rev. Myunghoon Han)
The JK Bae Foundation
(The Rev. Sungho Bae)
The Lord’s Church of Montgomery GMC
(The Rev. Hyukjae Yoo)
Wesley Global Council Korea
(previously the Wesley Asia Council)
Anyang Methodist Church
(The Rev. Yong Tack Rim)
Busan Onnuri Methodist Church
(The Rev. Sung Su Park)
Chuncheon Myeongseong Methodist Church
(The Rev. Young Woong Lim)
Holy Light Church (The Rev. Ungcheon Lee)
Hanmaeum Methodist Church
(The Rev. Heyung Gun Choi)
Hyosung Central Methodist Church
(Bishop Yun Soo Chung)
Ilsan Kwanglim Methodist Church
(The Rev. Dong Chan Park)
Jinkwan Methodist Church
(The Rev. Hyeonsik Lee)
Kangnam Jungang Church
(The Rev. Chan Young Jang)
Oncheonjeil Methodist Church
(The Rev. Yoon Bum Song)
Sunlin Methodist Church
(The Rev. Guhyun Kwon)
Rev. Deuk Soo Kim
Epworth House Committee
Ms. Gertrude White, President
Madge Miles, WED President
Kunda Musonda, GWD President
Kim Walker, President, BWCUWIF
Lynn Davenport, Vice President
Jeanette-Tolbert Campbell, E&I Coordinator
Korla Frye, Secretary
Jane Grays, Treasurer
Darlene Majors, Nominations Chairperson
Zilpha Pinkney, Nominations
Tijuana Irons
Alveta S. Jones
Willa Kynard
Ann Price
Elizabeth Stemley
Dorothy Stubbs
Linda S. Yost
The Korean Wesley Foundation
The Light Church
(Rev. Dr. Sung Ho Chung, ’15, President)
Bethany Korean United Methodist Church (Rev. Dae Sung Park)
New Light United Methodist Church (Rev. Eun Kwan Kim)
Arlington Korean United Methodist Church (Rev. Young Sung Ryu)
Eden Korean United Methodist Church
(Rev. Yo-Seop Shin)
Emmaus United Methodist Church
(Rev. Youn Suk Choi)
Korean United Methodist Church of Greater
Washington (Rev. Eugene Kim)
National Korean United Methodist Church (Rev. Seung Woo Lee)
Harvest Church (Rev. Dong Soo Cho)
Peniel Korean Church
(Rev. Byeong Cheol Yoon)
All Nations Love Church (Rev. Sungdo Kim)
Back in the day, scholarship interview weekend included a nighttime trolley tour of the National Mall. I remember falling asleep on the trolley as I was coming from a country with a 13-hour time difference. The dedicated admissions counselor spotted me and came to ask if I was ok. I assured him I was, but I followed up with a hardball question: Why come to Wesley? Without hesitation, he said, “Because it will change your life.” He was not wrong. Coming from a different denominational background, I found the diversity of Christian beliefs equally challenging and refreshing. Professors affirmed a call in me before I even fully recognized it in myself. I did not attend Wesley to be a priest, but here I am one anyway. Serving on institutional committees showed me how Wesley went above and beyond to support students’ physical and financial health. Donating to Wesley is the best way I know to pay it forward. Assisting with keeping the lights on and professors paid might not be glamorous work, but I suspect none of us do ministry for the recognition. For all you received from Wesley, I hope that you, too, may consider a gift to the annual fund today.
KATIE BETH MIKSA, MDIV '17
Thrive in Place –Moving Forward
We are pleased to share that the Campus Master Plan for our new residence hall, entitled “Thrive in Place,” passed a significant hurdle this summer. It was finally approved by the Zoning Commission of the District of Columbia on July 31. This is the most consequential project in Wesley’s history since moving to this campus in 1958, allowing us to remain in Washington on this extraordinary hilltop campus. The two old dorms, Carroll and Straughan, are due to be taken down after long service. In their place, this new student residence hall will house both Wesley and American University students. Final approvals and groundbreaking are hoped for in May 2026. The revenue from this new facility will provide a strong foundation for Wesley to thrive. There is more work to be done. However, this action means Wesley will continue to serve our students, this city, this country, and the world from this remarkable campus.
Wesley Theological Seminary would like to offer a land acknowledgement for the Piscataway and Nacotchtank tribes. We honor and give thanks to the original keepers of this land.
Renderings courtesy of Advanced Project Management, Inc.
At Wesley, we develop resilient, confident leaders who are prepared to answer the call of service and lead lives of purpose and impact in churches and communities.
ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY!
